This last week I had a cool opportunity to visit the Monfort Family Human Performance Research Lab at Mesa State College so I thought it would be fun to write a little blog on it! My younger sister Kelsey competes on the Mesa State nordic, cross and track teams there and her coach, Gig Leadbetter, runs the lab with Bill Sands. They have a wide variety of metabolic and biomechanics testing equipment, including a VO2 max test and high-speed video for gait analysis which I was able to try out for the first time in my life (for complete running geeks like me this is pretty exciting stuff)! They have been able to use the equipment to help many injured runners along the road to recovery, including Meb Keflezighi. The VO2 max test was a different experience for sure- you are running along at max effort with a huge plastic tube shoved inside your mouth while you drool on the treadmill below...very glamorous. But the test only lasts about twenty minutes and you are left with a plethora of information to enrich your training. Basically, your VO2 max is how much oxygen your lungs can absorb, transport and use in the body’s tissues each minute while you are at maximal effort, mine was 67.8. You can also figure out your max heart rate and lactic threshold, the point at which your body starts to produce more lactic acid than it can remove from the blood (basically, that’s what starts the burning sensation you get in your legs when you are running as hard as you can). Helpful information if you are trying to work out with a heart rate monitor, or trying to get a gauge on fitness level. The high speed gait camera intrigues me because throughout high school I battled injury until my physical therapist, Brad Ott, helped me discover some muscle imbalances in my left hip and glute that were the primary culprits. Since then I have incorporated activation exercises that target specific muscles into my training in an effort to smooth out my form, strengthen weaknesses and hopefully prevent injury. Breaking down my stride in slow-motion with Dr. Ott is still extremely helpful for pinpointing inefficiencies that exist and can be improved upon, even though I am running healthy. Ultimately, I really do believe that a lot of credit for staying healthy goes to the team of professionals who have come along side me and offered up their time and expertise. My PT, chiropractor, massage therapist and people like Gig who helped me take these tests are amazing people who I am extremely grateful for!! If you read this and are interested in contacting the lab yourself at all, here’s their website: http://www.mesastate.edu/hpl/index.html

Have a good one!!