The Athlete's Lawyer

Doug Landau of the Herndon Law Firm ABRAMS LANDAU, at last year's National Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships held at the Prince Georges Sports & Learning Complex ("PGS&LC") in Landover Maryland

If you want to see how fast you are or you do not like running in the cold air, try an indoor track meet at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex (“PGS&LC”).  PGS&LC is convenient for track and field athletes from Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC.  While the track itself is not banked, it is fast, well maintained, and there are bleachers and a high ceiling so that you do not feel cramped or unable to breath.  Plus there is an outdoor track outside and plenty of space to warm up and cool down.

The facility is located on approximately 80 acres adjacent to the Washington Redskins’ FedEx Field in Landover, MD.  Indoor track meets are run throughout the winter months, with special events for masters athletes, kids and high school athletes.  The track features a newly installed 200-meter Mondo Super X Synthetic surface.  Competitors are allowed to use a maximum 1/4 inch pyramid spikes ONLY!  Be sure to check out the 2010/2011 indoor track and field meets scheduled, featuring the areas finest high school and collegiate athletes.  Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau of the Herndon law firm ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. has competed at the Complex many times.  Last winter the PGS&LC hosted the indoor Masters National Track & Field Championships.  The development concept for the Complex is a mix of publicly and privately owned and operated facilities on the site, which is owned by The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

It is not often that one sees the Federal Government recall of high end, expensive bicycles.  However, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of 370 bicycles due to an unsteady frame.  According to Giant Bicycle Inc., the 2011 model Giant Anthem bicycles can potentially crack at the seat post, posing a fall risk for riders. There have been no reports of injuries as of yet, the company said.
According to the PR Newswire. Giant Bicycle dealers sold these bikes to athletes nationwide during August 2010 for between $2,200 and $3,500.  If you or someone you know has one of these bikes, contact the PCSC at once and make sure not to ride this unsafe sports product.

What did Doug Landau do upon arrival in Tuscaloosa Alabama for the 2010 USA Triathlon Championships ?  He checked out his bike, checked out the course and checked into his hotel.

Gina of VeloCity Pro Cycle re-assembled & did a safety check of Doug Landau's bike before the big race

VeloCity Bicycle Shop was where the Triathlon Trial Lawyer had his bike shipped from Herndon Virginia.  With air travel becoming more difficult for bikers, ground transport is an economical and safe alternative.  Landau’s Kestral race bike was smashed in transit returning from the National Championships several years ago, despite the crash injury lawyer’s having placed it in a hard case bike box that had been flown to international competitions !  The friendly VeloCity crew did an excellent job of unpacking, re-assembling and tuning up Landau’s Cervelo racing bike.  Their pre-race safety check and the care with which they looked over the many athletes’ bicycles made for a safer race and reduced bike crash injuries out on the course.

Many bikers commuting on "Bike to Work Day" will go right past the Herndon Reston Sterling area Landau Law Shop

It’s free, it’s fun and it’s physical !  “Bike to Work Day” is in 3 weeks.  Join thousands of area commuters and Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau for a celebration of bicycling as a clean, fun and healthy way to get to work!  There rate 35 regional pit stops, with SWAG, mechanics and riders of all levels.  Try a ride into the city with experienced commuter convoys and meet your fellow cyclists at Freedom Plaza.  Washington Area Bicyclist Association and Commuter Connections invite you to try bicycling to work as an alternative to solo driving. Help the Washington region become a better place to ride, a cleaner environment and a healthier community.  Bike to Work Day is a FREE event and open to all area commuters.  The ABRAMS LANDAU sports injury lawyer has participated a number of times, and Doug Landau enjoys the camaraderie, mechanical check ups and the freebies.  There will be a raffle, prizes, food, drink and more at all pit stops throughout the region.  Free T-shirts will available for the first 8,500 registrants who are in attendance at the pit stop they registered for in advance.  Registration for Bike to Work Day 2010 is now open!
Click on the pit stop link and register for the pit stop rally you plan to attend.  Raffles will be held at each pit stop for prizes including commuter bags, bike locks, and bicycles.

Watching the pros in transition is amazing !

Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau before the start of the 2009 Dextro Sprint Triathlon on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.

Professional triathletes practice their transitions as though it was a 4th sport.  They work at racing through transitions in order to gain time on the competition and avoid injury, especially when dismounting their bikes in tight quarters.  Precious seconds gained in the transition area can translate into victory in an Olympic or Sprint Distance Triathlon.

Here are the pros coming into T-2 at the DC Dextro ITU Race. This professional triathlon in the heart of the Nation’s Capitol featured Olympians and World Champions racing just a few feet in front of spectators ! TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau got to watch the bike portion of the race with Olympic Gold AND Bronze medalist Simon Whitfield !

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) reports that in 2003 there were 284 drowning deaths of children under 5 years of age in pools and spas; 245 in 2004; and, 319 in 2005.  A long time lifeguard, guard instructor and YMCA aquatics director noted in Aquatics International that “there should be no reason anyone should “drown” in a supervised pool.  There may be circumstances where people get in trouble, but if guards take their jobs seriously and management holds routine in-service, drowning accidents should not happen.”  TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau agrees, and notes further that implementation and practice of water safety protocols can help reduce and eliminate potentially dangerous conditions and aquatic injury.  Leesburg and Herndon sports injury lawyer Doug Landau also believes that proactive water safety instruction can also reduce the risk of injury to inexperienced swimmers and pool users.  If you or someone you know has had a water sports injury, please call ABRAMS LANDAU

Giving fund raisers an “experience” as well as “shwag” for their efforts and money, is a trend increasing in popularity. Combining fundraising with an “experience” or “adventure” as well as promoting good health of the competitor as well as the recipients, has become the method by which many large races attract hundreds, even thousands of these “high value” participants, according to sports injury lawyer Doug Landau. Fundraising triathlons have enticed many runners to try to expand into areas like swimming, which they may not have learned to do very efficiently, to benefit particular charities, said Dr. Lori Mosca, preventive cardiology chief at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and an American Heart Association spokeswoman. “They’re really recruiting people to do these events,” she said. “It can be a recipe for disaster.”

Doctors offer these tips to anyone considering a triathlon, as reported on public radio:

• Get a checkup to make sure you don’t have hidden heart problems.
• Train adequately long before the event, including open-water swims – not just in pools.
• Acclimate yourself to the water temperature shortly before a race, and wear a wetsuit if it’s too cold.
• Make sure the race has medical staff and defibrillators on site.

And, according to TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau, make sure you can complete the distance well before the date for the event, and have “walked the walk” as well as “talked the talk.”

One lesson I have learned is to check out the race venue AND the race hotel BEFORE the morning of the race. If you cannot inspect the hotel before the day of your arrival, at least ask to “see the room” BEFORE putting your luggage in it. Several times I have asked to see the room before getting my gear loaded in, and have either had the front desk change my room to a better one before I left the lobby, or returned to ask for a room not overlooking the dumpster or closer to my car, triathlon bike & the pool, for post-race hydrotherapy. Also, some hotels have “new wings” and old sections. Looking at the accommodations before “moving in” may save you and your roommates from a poor night’s sleep, or worse, injury and disability. My wife can tell you lots of stories about places we did not look into ahead of time. So, learn from my mistakes and “check it out” before you check in. See tomorrow’s post for an ABRAMS LANDAU premises liability case where the hotel lamp caused terrible injuries and required an of-duty Emergency Room doctor to come to the rescue of my friend !

With the United States Triathlon’s (“USAT”) governing body surpassing 100,000 members, and USAT certified races taking place all over the country, there is now a sufficient sampling from which to discern risks as compared to another popular endurance event, marathon running. Triathlons are gaining in popularity, due to the televising of the Hawaii Ironman and other events. Herndon sports injury lawyer Doug Landau points out that completing a triathlon is a status symbol. Finishing an “Ironman” appeals the the macho in recreational athletes, much as completing a 5k, 10k and even a Marathon did during the “running boom” in the 1980′s. Endurance multi-sport events are increasing their numbers as charity fundraisers, often drawing participants new to competing in close quarters with more seasoned athletes. Many people who are not used to such demanding exercise, but who may be otherwise “fit,” find that swimming with hundreds of people all trying to take the shortest route and then bicycling at top speed around turns and down hills, may be stressful, dangerous and anxiety producing. Each year, about 1,000 multi-sport events are held and Read the rest of this entry »

Looking for a flat course upon which to test her now found running speed, charity runner Rebecca Landau found a race on the famous Eagleman Half Ironman Triathlon course. The Dorchester YMCA Half-Marathon in Cambridge Maryland raises money for programs supporting strong kids, strong families, and a strong community. In addition, this new event advertised “Environmentally Sensitive Awards and Premiums” ! While a bit long for TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau, as he prefers sprint distances, his wife and eldest daughter seem to enjoy the steady pace and scenery of the longer events. In preparation for today’s run, Miss Landau ran a 10km. in Alexandria, the Blacksburg Classic 10 miler and the Shamrock half marathon in Virginia Beach.

Miss Landau, soon to be a graduate of the Virginia Tech School of Architecture, managed 8:20/mile for 8 miles, and finished with a kick and a smile. Mrs. Landau finished the Dorchester race in two hours, and according to Charm City Run results, Herndon Reston sports lawyer Doug Landau finished in 1:25:30 for 10th overall, 2nd in his age group, out of about 160 finishers. While the course was probably short, it was well marked, with friendly volunteers who bravely withstood the wind, rain and cold. Rather than hang around for awards, the Landau trio bolted for the hotel pool, where Miss Landau’s easy jogging in cool, deep water, followed by a stint in the hot tub, reduced everyone’s soreness, stiffness and made the drive to Virginia more comfortable. The cool water is known to reduce inflammation, and with proper post-race nutrition during the 20 minutes following intense exercise (i.e., water, minerals, carbohydrates and protein replacement for damaged muscles, ligaments and tendons), Landau notes much “delayed onset muscle soreness” and post run stiffness can be reduced.