Doug Landau and his nephew are getting ready for the Jack Corkey Memorial Aquathon at the Herndon Virginia Community Center. Get your blue goggles on !

It’s official !  Check out the Town of Herndon, Virginia’s web site.  The Town’s site says, “On Saturday, February 25, the Herndon Community Center will be hosting the Jack Corkey Memorial Aquathon. Please click here for information about the event and for the registration form.  Lane availability for lap swimming will be limited in the morning due to this event.” Race information can also be found at the Washington Running Report Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau and the Herndon Aquatics Center staff look forward to seeing all area multisport athletes at this fun event.

Double Down Race Directors presented Herndon Injury Lawyer Doug Landau with his medal after he completed the Runners Den 5km and 10km races in Phoenix, Arizona before the Association fort Justice CLE sessions resumed

Just as the best trial lawyers plan successful case trials well in advance, top endurance athletes often decide on pace, nutrition, gear and even sleep well before the day of the race.  Such was the case with today’s race, where sprint specialist Doug Landau was going to be running over a half-marathon in total distance.  Rather than run with other lawyers at the Scottsdale Convention site, Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau chose to run in the competitive 34th Annual Runners Den 5k and 10k races in Phoenix, Arizona.  To do so successfully, the Herndon sports injury lawyer had to contend with the time change, jet lag, racing twice in the same morning and a busy CLE schedule.

Landau, who has won a number of prizes in lawyer and law meeting sports events, opted to take on local racers and compete in the “Double Down” competition.  Melissa and Doug’s “Double Down” entry fee went to several good causes, one of which was “Girls on the Run” (“GTR”). Doug has participated in “Girls on the Run” events on the East Coast, and this was an opportunity to support GOTR in the SouthWest.  The objective of Girls on the Run is to educate and empower girls at an early age in order to prevent the display of at-risk activities in the future. At risk activities include substance/alcohol use, eating disorders, early onset of sexual activity, sedentary lifestyle, depression, suicide attempts and confrontations with the juvenile justice system.  Click here for more information about Girls on the Run of Maricopa County

After attending Continuing Legal Education at 6:30 AM (!) the Landaus drove past the Forge Convention Fun Run to Paradise Valley.  Herndon Virginia injury lawyer Doug Landau was able to medal in the 5km race, average under 7 minutes per mile in the 10 km and was 21st (and the top out of state finisher) of the 119 finishers of the prestigious “Double Down” competition. Landau, of the Herndon law firm ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., is shown in the photo with the Runners Den Race Directors collecting his “hardware” before returning to learn at the Association for Justice meetings. The Landaus were able to return to the Convention site in time for inspiring presentations and networking and problem-solving with the best trial lawyers from all over the United States.

Too much exercise can be counter productive and put you on your butt ! Plan rest, nutrition and recuperation as carefully as you plan your workouts and you will avoid overuse injury

Having studied exercise physiology, I am often taken aback by some of the extreme forms of training and competition being promoted by so-called “sports gurus.”  The are recipes for injury, disability and worse.  While the human body is indeed a miraculous collection of systems, it is not immortal and our bodies need time to rest and recuperate after the stresses of sports training and athletic competition.  Because I think I have got a pretty good grasp of my own body’s ability to recover, you will not see this Triathlon Trial Lawyer taking part in running races longer than a marathon, Iron Man triathlons and other “ultra endurance” events.  Even if I could finish, it would take me weeks to recover.

A recent New York Times article examined this interesting topic.  In “Personal Best: Workouts Have Their Limits, Recognized or Not,” Gina Kolata looked at some of the extreme sports training regimens.  The following excerpts are worthwhile:

“People think a good workout is, ‘I am in a pile of sweat and puking,’ ” said William Kraemer, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut. But if that happens, he said, “it means you went much too quickly, and your body just can’t meet its demands.” It’s not so easy to strike the right balance between exertion and rest, researchers say. Do too little, and the results may be disappointing. Experienced athletes know that the only way to improve is to push yourself. Lift weights that are heavier than those you’ve tried before. Run or cycle at a fast pace on some days, but focus on increasing your distance on others. Work out enough that you may not fully recover between sessions.

You should feel tired, said John Raglin, a sports psychologist at Indiana University. But if you do too much with too little rest, your performance gets worse, not better. “Serious athletes recognize these issues — whether they respond to them or not is another matter,” Dr. Raglin said. “A lot of recreational athletes really have no idea.” When they train harder yet stop improving, even backslide, “they become alarmed and try to increase their training,” Dr. Raglin said. He sees it over and over: An athlete will get into a training schedule and become very dogmatic, never taking a day off. “The importance of recovery is a big topic in exercise science,” Dr. Raglin said. “It hasn’t filtered down to the serious recreational athlete.”

Muscles need to recover after they are stressed with heavy weights, Dr. Kraemer noted. Researchers have long known that the way to build strength is what they call periodization: Rest days and easier days and weeks are interspersed with periods when the weights are increased. In endurance sports, muscles experience a different kind of stress, said Dr. Bengt Saltin, director of the Copenhagen Muscle Research Center at the University of Copenhagen. But the problem with intense exertion day after day is very similar. Intense endurance exercise depletes muscles of their energy supply, glycogen. Muscles store enough glycogen only for an hour and a half to two hours of activity, Dr. Saltin said.

It takes a day for trained endurance athletes to replenish glycogen. Athletes with less training have less of the enzyme that restores glycogen — glycogen synthetase. It can take up to two days for them to restore this muscle fuel. In addition, connective tissue in muscles can be damaged and needs time to recover. In a study of runners in an annual local race that is a bit longer than two marathons, Dr. Saltin and his colleagues found that the athletes’ muscles lost their elasticity as their connective tissues weakened. Running got harder and harder, so much so that the energy required for a set pace at the end of the race was 50 percent higher than it had been at the start.

Dr. Raglin said even the experts, researchers like himself who study overtraining, had trouble defining the symptoms. Psychological changes are the most consistent signs of a problem, he said. In the early stages of overtraining, athletes constantly feel tired; by the end stage, they may be nagged by depression. Recreational athletes must be attuned to their fatigue, Dr. Raglin said. If it persists for several days, they should take a day off or simply do a lot less during workouts. A diary or notes on how they feel can help.

Reston bike riders assemble in the Herndon Town lot prior to a fun weekday ride from Fairfax County to Loudoun County

“Defensive Driving” is not just for motorists.  Even bikers need to ride “defensively” and anticipate unsafe actions by others on the roads, paths and trails.  A group of cyclists from Reston were enjoying the W&OD Trail, just past Leesburg in Loudoun County, when calamity struck.  A little boy about 6 or 7 years old was riding with at least one or two siblings and his father was walking with them.  The child was looking back and rode directly into the bikers’ lane.   While the cyclists yelled warning, and some were able to avoid crashing, but others were not so fortunate.  One witness noted, “the little guy rode right into us.”  This child was unhurt, and the neighbors were a great help.

The victim of this crash noted, “There was no one else on the trail with us. It was totally unexpected. After I was on the ground, people came out of the woodwork.  Then there were people on the path.”  Luckily, the cyclist sustained no broken bones.  However, the bicycle rider will no doubt be sore for several days, and her bike will undergo repairs.  The resident of an adjoining neighborhood’s helpful actions renewed the bikers’ confidence in their fellow human beings as he went the extra mile to help out. Everyone at the Landau Law Shop wishes the injured cyclists speedy recoveries and hopes that the child involved (and his parents) will be more careful in the future.

Ed Allen and Herndon injury lawyer Doug Landau enjoy the warmth of The Homestead

With snow flakes falling in South West Virginia, the lawyers, judges and legislators who signed up to play in the Annual Norman Landau Cup at the Virginia Trial Lawyers convention had to not only contend with a challenging Homestead golf course, cold and wind, but the possibility of losing their balls in the snow !  There was scant accumulation, but while jogging today in order to familiarize myself with tomorrow’s fun run course, where I would serve as a race volunteer, I noted it was hard to see the balls being hit when the flakes were falling !  Hopefully, the foursomes will wait for those ahead to move out of danger, yell “fore” and wear gloves with dry grips.  Golf course injuries are no laughing matter, and wet, slippery surfaces increase the danger of golf cart crashes, as I have written in prior posts.  No injuries were injured, and the top teams were heartily cheered at the closing banquet.  When their fingers thaw out, they hope to shake the hands of all the well-wishers.

Doug Landau, of the Herndon law firm ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd., at the start of the Newton crosss country run during the Multisport World conference in Bethesda, Maryland

DC, Maryland and Virginia Triathletes, Duathletes, Runners, Bikers, Swimmers and Rowers were treated to some outstanding lectures, demonstrations, clinics and competition at this past weekend’s Multisport World in North Bethesda.  There were individual and team competitions in swimming relay, cross country running and indoor computrainer cycling events.  Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau competed in the running and cycling events.  The 5km race was sponsored by Newton running shoe company, and Landau wore his custom-cut Newtons around the Georgetown Prep Track, golf course and roads. Top finishers and teams got free shoes !

For the 10km. time trial inside the Expo hall, Landau brought his bike and shoes, and a change of clothes, as he was soaked afterwards !  The school’s locker room and facilities were excellent, and this event is sure to get bigger each year.  Cheered on by friends from the DC Triathlon Club, RATS (Reston Area TriathleteS), Team FeXY, Team Z, TriCats, SetUp Inc., Rehab 2 Racing and others, the Herndon injury lawyer was able to average over 22 miles per hour on the hilly course and over 230 watts !

Herndon injury lawyer Doug Landau, SPOKES publisher Neil Sandler, Virginia Triathlon Series race director Greg Hawkins, and Rehab 2 Racing Triathlon Coach Rob Colburn survey the scene at the 2011 Multisport World Expo in Bethesda, MD

Multisport World came to the Mid Atlantic region today.   Developed in partnership with USAT Mid-Atlantic Region and held at the state-of-the-art Hanley Center for Athletic Excellence at Georgetown Prep in North Bethesda, Maryland, triathletes, duathletes, bikers, runners and swimmers were treated to a full day of activities.   The local high school’s indoor track, pool and conference rooms were devoted to multisport seminars, training clinics, workshops, competitive events and more.  The first 500 registered attendees received  swag bags with product samples, money-saving coupons and more.  Plus all registered attendees were eligible to win valuable prizes and receive discounts to selected Multisport World clinics.

The campus golf course and outdoor track were the venues for the Newton running shoes demonstration and challenging 5km and the pristine pool, held Total Immersion swim clinics.  Georgetown Prep was the site of the Bethesda Cure Autism Now Sprint Triathlon (yes, that’s my photo on the far right, exiting the pool en route to winning the race 2 years ago !).  All of the big names, and clubs from Virginia, Maryland and DC triathlon were there.  There were also a number of newcomers and there was something for everyone, from “newbie” to veteran.  In the following posts, the competitions and other news will be published.

The sound of the impact when 300 pounds of professional football player, sprinting at top speed, strikes another player moving in the opposite direction at maximum velocity, it something not soon forgotten.  The momentum of each player (speed times mass) is truly shocking.  The league recognizes the potential for devastating and career ending head, neck and brain injuries and is looking into way to modify the game while still keeping its essential features.  Read more at the Washington Examiner.

This recall involves Everlast Resistance Stretch Tubing, Everlast Pilates Stretch Tubing, Sportline Resistance Stretch Tubing and Pineapple Pilates Stretch Tubing, used for exercise and stretching. The tubing comes in yellow, blue or black with black handles. The words “2404″, “2001 EB Sport Group” and “Made in China” are molded on the handles. A list of affected lot numbers is available on the EB Sports Group’s website.

Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.  For additional information, contact EB Brands at (800) 624-5671.  A picture of recalled stretch tubing can be found at the CPSC recall website.

To entirely prevent or mitigate concussive head-snapping, athletes strengthen their neck muscles and try to be prepared. When an athlete braces for a tackle, or a boxer gets ready for a punch to the head, the tensing of the neck muscles can keep the skull from jerking too fast. Bracing the neck to prevent fast deceleration of the brain inside of the skull can prevent or lessen the impact of a tackle, check or punch to the head.

Because of the short term and long term effects of single and repetitive insults to the head, the National Hockey League (“NHL”) has tried to eliminate blows to the skull that catch a player by surprise. The NHL banned blind side hits in 2010.
The Mayo Clinic suggested that all hits to the head, blindside and otherwise, be banned from hockey. Even though hockey and football players wear helmets, a concussion is often not the result of a direct blow to the head. Instead, rapid front-to-back and side-to-side snaps of the skull, as in a car crash, can result in loss of consciousness, concussions and swelling of the brain. When the head or body is buffeted by a large force, the movement can cause the brain to strike the inside of the hard, boney skull. The brain is anchored by the brain stem, like a thick rope holding a bowling ball on top. The brain moves at different speeds from the rest of the head, like a jello mold inside of a hard, glass jar (the skull). In severe deceleration cases, like car crashes and blind side tackles, the brain can even bounce off the inside of the skull, causing brain swelling, bleeding and permanent injury and deficits. If you or someone you know has had a head injury or sustained a deceleration accident that is causing headaches, dizziness or other symptoms, get medical assistance at once. If the harm was caused by the negligence or unsafe decisions of another, e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555).