Lake Placid NY - 2012 BOBSLED / SKELETON World Championships



The Night Train .. Getting ready to slide...

 Well, my time here in Lake Placid is coming to an end.  I provided the last of the massage services requested & needed last night.  The last one was the Gold Medal sports massage session!!  No Joke.. pulled out all the stops, went for broke.

This morning I was up bright & early, reported to sports med and finished up a few things before heading to the track with the rest of TEAM USA, the Sports Medical Staff and members of the USOC.  Today was the last 2 runs for the season and it would culminate to our world champion.

Steve Holcomb drove his sled "The Night Train" like a CHAMP and delivered another incredible run for a GOLD MEDAL finish!!  He is the World Champion in 2 man & 4 man BOBSLED.  This is the first time this has been accomplished in the history of USA Bobsled.

Sports massage was a much requested service here at the LPOTC and it has been my complete honor & pleasure to have been here.  Aside from all the athletes being so incredible ~~ another fabulous moment here was after the award ceremonies the top sports medical doctor came over to me and tells me I did a fabulous job with the athletes and he appreciated the hard work.  ... Can it get better than that??  Total recognition & validation from the medical field.  SWEET!!

Yes it is hard work, there are also long hours... crazy hours!  Not everyone has the endurance & discipline to get it done.. I DO!!

The thing is.. you have to be a TEAM player, take the initiative to get it done and NO complaining.  It's NOT about YOU  ~~ It's about the athletes and what their needs are during competition.  Do your job & do it well!!  ~~  So, with that said... My SKILL & Glitter got it done!

I have had an outstanding time here, but now it's time to head home and back to reality.  The USMT Office awaits and I am looking forward to it.

Always ~~ I'm out for now

Lori-Ann

Lake Placid NY, World Championships Skeleton & Bobsled

Because I am BIGGER ~ STRONGER ~ & FASTER...
(You all know I would never stand on a table, but I was TOLD to for this picture!)

This is the product for CHAMPIONS!!!

 Today is Friday , February 24th, 2012.  It's been an exciting day! ~~

1st, Shout out to my youngest daughter Alex!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

2nd, I got an early morning call from my good friend Dave & a valued member if the USMT ~~  he has received information regarding the 2012 Olympic Games!!  I wish him luck with the next phase and possible selection for the GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH!  Hopefully he will be London bound.

I spent most of the day in sports med providing sports massage treatments to the athletes prior to their competitions.  We also had the final phase of the Womans Skeleton World Championships televised so everyone could see how our athletes were doing.  
Katie Ulander has won the GOLD!!  She is our new World Champion!

Mens skeleton starts tonight and will finish on Saturday night to determine who the next Mens World Champion will be.

Men's 4 Man Bobsled start Saturday morning @ 9 AM, they will have 2 runs and will finish on Sunday morning to determine the 4 Man Bobsled world Champions.  Team Holcomb, AKA "The Night Train" is fired up & ready to go!!  The sled driven by John Napier USA-2 is just as fired up.  USA-3 will be driven by Nick Cunningham.  These athletes have been training hard and are ready to go to work! ~~  Like I've said before.. I've done my job, now it's all up to them.

You can watch it all on this feed:  http://eurovision.digotel.com/fibt//index.html

It's been an amazing adventure here and I am so glad I was a part of it!

Always & with the glitter!!

Lori-Ann

Lake Placid NY 2012 Skeleton / Bobsled World Championships (Thursday)



2 Man Bobsled World Champion ~~  Steve Holcomb

Today is the start of the Woman's Skeleton Championships!  GO TEAM USA!!

It's been pretty interesting here in Lake Placid @ the OTC.  We spent the first half of the week fine tuning our skeleton athletes for their races & also continued to work with the bobsled athletes that will move in to the 4 man World Championships as well.   BUSY... BUSY... BUSY... never a dull moment.

We have 4 athletes total competing in the Skeleton World Champs.. 2 woman & 2 men.  I've bone my job.. now it's up to them to get their job done.  They have 2 days of sliding each.  The woman will start today & finish up tomorrow ( Friday the 24th) and the men will start Friday and end on Saturday.  We have some pretty strong & motivated athletes here... I'm confident they will rise to the occasion and get it done!

Saturday is the start of the Bobsled 4 man World Championships.  We are fielding 3 sleds, with a total of 12 athletes competing here.  I have worked with all of these athletes for the last 2 weeks... need I say more.  Besides my work they have also worked with whom I consider to be the best of the best in the Sports Medicine world.. Sled's USA-1, USA-2 & USA-3 go get em!!

32 years ago we saw a miracle happen here in Lake Placid.. I feel like we are going to experience another one this coming Sunday!! 
Holcomb won the 2-man Bobsled World Championship last Sunday.. lets grab the 4-man & have a clean sweep by the other 2 USA sleds!

Miracles DO Happen!!!

Always & with the Glitter!

Lori-Ann

Pictures From World Championships: 2012 Bobsled / Skeleton

  

This was my world for 2 weeks!

 

February 20th, 2012 Bobsled / Skeleton World Championships

Types of soft tissue issues I see.  Yesterday I saw a total of 9 athletes and the sports massage I provided was across the board from:

• calf issues
• tight hip flexors / psoas tension
• Low back / QL's / tight glut's
• hamstring muscle strains
• upper, middle & lower trap issues
• Neck & shoulders

Each athlete presents with various issues and severity.  I find that it is extremely important to LISTEN to the athlete, communicate with them during the session and get feed back plus bounce ideas off the other sports med professionals ( Chiro's, ATC, ) for input if I'm not seeing the results I'm looking for. 

I worked on an athlete yesterday that asked me why I ask so many questions during the session.  Well here's the reason: I need to know your comfort level.  "No pain - no gain" is not always the way to go.  Plus when I get to a certain area and feel something that is not the normal consistency or characteristic  of that muscle or muscle group.. I NEED to know where you are.  What sensation are you experiencing.  I may need to change my approach.  Fundamentally I have to work with you and what your body can handle during that part of the session. 

Sometimes "trickery" is used to get the muscle to do what I want it to do...  I like trickery... ( can you hear that chuckle and grin.. and don't let me forget the ever popular.. "I'm sorry"....

Lets face it ~~ when you are working in a sports medicine environment.. it is NOT relaxing!   This is an approach I see way too often and from my opinion , it's the wrong way to treat the athlete.  My theory and proven record is based on GOAL ORIENTATED, PERFORMANCE BASED OUTCOMES!  Don't sedate the athlete!!

My athletes feel relief from the issue they presented with, energized and mentally & physically ready for continual training leading up to competition.

Know when to treat & when not to.   Have a good construction plan of treatment days with shorter sessions.  Know when to be more agressive leading up to competition and when to ease up.  It's a fine line and you really have to be on top of your game.  This is serious business here and the bottom line is we want our athletes to "go to work" and bring home the hardware!

We've done that already in this World Championships .. now lets get it done again!   GO TEAM USA!!

Always & with the GLITTER!!!

Lori-Ann

2012 FIBT Bobsled / Skeleton World Championships

February 19th, 2012 -- Bobsled -Skeleton World Championships

Well... I can tell you that it is very exciting here in Lake Placid, exspecially for TEAM USA! 

Yesterday the womans 2 person bobsled teams finished competition and the American sled driven by Elana Meyers with brakewoman Katie Eberling took home the BRONZE.  Great showing for the womans team.

The mens competition started today for the 2 man bobsled world champs.  All three USA sleds placed in the top ten!
Steve Holcomb & Steve Langton took home the GOLD!  This is the first time an American Team has won the Gold in 2 man at World Championships!  John Napier & Chris Fogt came in 6th, which is a podium finish & Nick Cunningham & Dallas Robinson came in 9th!
Outstanding showing for TEAM USA!!

I can tell you that we,~~ all of us here in sports med have been working with these athletes all week long to get them physically ready to compete.  Now it's their job to "go to work"... and work they did!  I'm speaking for myself here... but I'm sure the rest of my fellow colleagues will agree.. we are extremely proud of them!

We work with them, follow up and fine tune them.  On race day we are track side. We are there to cheer them on and also if they need us at the last minute for a re-alignment, soft tissue mobilation, flushing, stretching or even taping or re-taping. 

Mentally it's great for them to know their medical staff is there for them -- on point and will act in a moments notice. 

I'm extremely fortunate to be able to work along side these truely fabulous sports medical professionals and be in the presence of World Class athletes.

This coming week is going to be a busy one.. we are now transitioning to the 4 -Man Bobsled  and Skeleton Competitions.  For those of you who are not familer with Skeleton.. it's the opposite of Luge... these athletes are on small sleds facing forward...

Competiton starts next Friday and will end on Sunday afternoon.  I will post the live feed so you can watch the competitions.

Stay Tuned!!

Always & with the glitter!..

Lori-Ann

Lake Placid NY 2012

BOBSLED - SKELETON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS -- Lake Placid NY  February 17-27, 2012

How can I describe how it feels to work along side world class athletes - Olympic level at that.  I truely love & enjoy being in the presence of athletes and working with them to help them acheive  their goals and perform at perfection when it counts -- RACE DAY!

Are these athletes at 100% -- no not usually, they may be #1, but their bodies are usually operating at 80%.  So, as an athlete you get that -- heres the deal, it's MY JOB to help them with my expertise  along with the various sports medical staff to get this athlete at 100% on Game Day.  It's our job to make it happen  We colaberate the care.

Today - 2/16/2012 has been one of those incredible days.  I have been in & out of sports med all day.  Worked with a few athletes in the AM, then headed out for a 4.2  mile run ( it wasn't clean -- but got it done.  Legs were great, lungs were not.)  Then had lunch and headed back into sports med.

The afternoon is when it starts "hopping" -- All the slidders are back from the track and need sports med attention... sports massage is a huge piece.  Then there is usually a de-briefing about what  athlete(s) need what service & who is going to address it.  Then there is follow-up.  Sports med is fun & exciting in the sense that I feel like I'm in my true element -- it's a great environment to work in (if you want to call it work)

It's running pretty smoothly here, but once competition starts.. well that's another story... I can guarentee that the members of the sports med clinic will be ready and waiting for what ever comes our way.

The sports medical professionals I'm working with for the next 2 weeks are pretty incredible!  I learn so much from them ~~  lets say this takes place ALL DAY LONG!   How does that translate to my regular athletes I see in my sports massage clinic... new & improved cutting edge techniques and information that will better prepare them for the playing field.  These 2 weeks will be professional development for me, which will help you & my fellow TEAMMATES back at the office.. total win-win situation.

Well, I'm out for now...

Always & with the GLITTER!

Lori-Ann

Maintaining Your Muscles.....

 The importance of maintaining a fine tuned machine... YOU!

You change the oil in your car regularly correct?  I'm sure you answered YES!  If the check engine light comes on you take it in to have it serviced?  Again, I'm sure that was a YES!

Well you need to do the same for your muscles!  They can only go so long without regular maintenance before they start to break down, become tight or even worse.. you develop a strain, tear or injury that will keep you sidelined. ( and who knows how long that could be??)

If you haven't been into the USMT office in a while.. NOW is the perfect time!

Spring is upon us and you all have been working & training hard keeping those New Years resolutions along with preparing for the upcoming running season and just plain getting outside on the "open road".  We are excited for you, but you won't be able to compete, train or work if you aren't maintained properly with nutrition, hydration & rest.  Add  MASSAGE in as a key piece to your overall recovery and you will continue to train injury free!

We are the first line of defense in keeping you in top notch condition while you train, compete and enjoy your active way of life.

So, if your personal "check engine" light has been on, or if you are feeling a little sluggish and need a "tune up", call or stop by the USMT office today and schedule an appointment with your local muscle mechanics!

We are here to help you!

Kristen ~~

The Way...

This is where I train... this is the place where RESULTS happen... Check them out.. experience it for yourself.