The cycle continues! I woke up at 3:30 am and could not go back to sleep. I waited until 5:00 am and then went downstairs and got a 45-minute workout on the treadmill. It’s raining outside and looks really dreary. I’ll grab a protein bar for breakfast and then head over to the training center. I have a couple of meeting with some companies about some sponsorship related to working with the Chinese Olympic Teams. I’m not at liberty to say which ones, however, these meetings could develop into something exciting for CES and me.
I had nothing to do this morning so I helped Dr. Bob Donatella and Dr. Lillian Chin with their lecture. I normally don’t feel to comfortable intruding on any Dr.’s lectures, however, this morning the lecture was on baseball pitching. I have had a ton of experience working with professional baseball players in particular, pitchers. I contributed when appropriable. I mostly interjected on training the throwing movements. This lecture lasted two hours and then we had lunch in the dinning hall where all the athletes eat.
After lunch, we went back to the rehab center and I worked with one of the girls on the synchronized swimming team who has had some problems with her hip. Dr. Bob worked with her first and then I took her back and did some rehab type training. I worked training the abduction/adduction, hip flexion, extensors, glutes, hamstrings, and some core.
Today brings back a lot of great memories of when I spent two years working as an exercise physiologist in a sports rehab center. It was one of the best things that I have ever done in my professional career. Knowing how to work with orthopedic doctors and physical therapists in rehabbing athletes was invaluable! Over the years, we have had the opportunity to work and rehab some great athletes. A few years ago, I did the rehab on Garrison Hearst, a running back with the 49er’s. Garrison was the NFL comeback player of the year that year and I got great satisfaction from working with him. This year we worked with Nolan Carroll who had broken both bones in his lower leg after his first game at the University of Maryland. Because of my background in rehab, we were able to convince he and his family to let us do his rehab and get him back and ready for the NFL draft. Nolan ran in the 4.3’s and was drafted in the 5th round and is the comeback story of this years NFL draft class.
One of the constants that I see with the Chinese athletes is overtraining syndrome. Most of their teams train anywhere from 6 to 8 hours per day with only one day off for rest. You just can’t push your body that hard for that long and not start to break down. I have seen the effects of overtraining with multiple teams and athletes. You need 24 to 48 hours between training sessions for recovery or you will start seeing negative side effects.
I just found out today that the teams that I have been working with are still at the Asian Games. The women’s volleyball and badminton teams are not back yet so I’ll just work teaching the rehab staff and some of the coaches. The one thing that you learn working with the Chinese, is being flexible!
We have worked today on a male field hockey player, soccer player, badminton player, and a couple of other sports. I’m really tired right now; not getting enough sleep is starting to catch up with me! I’m watching the clock right now and that’s so not like me. I’ve always had the attitude that as long as an athlete wants to get better I’ll say as long as needed. Unfortunately, today is not one of those days, I can’t wait to get back to the hotel!
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