Product Feature: Rapid Release Technology

During the 2015 triathlon season, my goal was put everything I could into training and achieve the best possible result. I put in heavy training volume, maxing out at nearly 25 hours per week, getting in as much as I could without collapsing. Unfortunately, volume alone had a detrimental effect on my racing, and I very quickly burned out leading up to my second Ironman in Boulder.

Thus, I switched gears to focus on recovery this year. I cut back on the volume of training, and made the training I was doing more high quality. Easy workouts were very easy, and hard workouts were very hard. I made sure that I was getting adequate sleep every night. Additionally I began to incorporate more technology into my recovery cycle.

One of those technologies is recovery boots. There are many versions, the most popular of which is the Normatec Recovery Boots. I love my boots. They do wonders for helping my legs recover after workouts, and they are also great to use before a workout or race. The compression technology maximizes fluid flow through the legs, and speeds up recovery. Despite the apparent benefits of having "fresher" legs, I still felt there were limitations, and I wasn't getting the most benefit that I could. First of all, it only works on the legs up to the glutes (unless you purchase an extension that I haven't used). This neglects a highly overused part of the body for runners and cyclists. Additionally, muscle tightness and soreness persisted, since compression is not targeted, and doesn't get deep into the tissue.

Enter the Rapid Release Technology. I would be lying if I said that I "discovered" this product, since I came across this quite by accident (as I pointed out in my previous post - Two Secrets to a Huge PR). It was not my intention to visit my massage therapist before Ironman Vineman. I knew from past experience that any relief I would get from a massage would be quickly reversed from the high level of stress and activity involved in traveling to the race venue, going through the check in process, and getting some final workouts in. I had resigned to the fact that I would hit the start line with some muscle fatigue and tightness, and likely a massage a few days prior would not help much. Surely everyone experienced it, so it was an even playing field.

After much cajoling from my wife, I decided it couldn't hurt to pay her a visit anyway, and I made an appointment for the day before heading up to Vineman. My expectation was that she would give me traditional full body sports massage. The smell of lavender and sage would fill the air, candles would be lit, and a little Kenny G would be playing lightly in the background as she reprimanded me for letting my trouble spots get so bad. I, in turn, would weep silently as she lay elbow deep into one of my pressure points.

As I walked in and laid face down on the table, I heard no Kenny G, saw no candles, and... well, the smell of lavender still filled the air. Instead of silence, I heard behind me the ominous buzzing of the Rapid Release unit (RRT). I had no clue what it looked like, since my face was buried in a donut shaped head rest, but I pictured a contraption similar to a modified chainsaw used in a horror flick as I prepared for the torture that I was about to endure. I wondered what I had got myself into.

As I braced for the pain that was to come, I was surprised to meet with a warm and pleasant vibration on my upper back. It felt nothing like the chainsaw of death that I was expecting, in fact it felt incredibly relaxing. Muscles that I thought were already "loose" became much looser. The general feeling of tightness and slight soreness/cramping that existed in my muscles went away with just a little pressure from the RRT. It is as if the unit was a "muscle whisperer", commanding each muscle group to obey - and obey they did.

As the therapist worked over my arms, she stopped and told me she wanted to show me something cool. She asked me to make a really hard fist with my right hand, and so I complied, folding my fingers into as tight a fist as hard as I could. She then proceeded to use the RRT on my hand, outside and inside for about 30 seconds. Then she asked me to make a fist again.

The difference was astonishing. I thought I had made a tight fist before, but the first one felt exceptionally weak in comparison to the one I was making now. When I made a fist with both hands (the right hand having had the treatment, the left hand not), the difference became abundantly clear. The muscles working in my hands after the treatment were clearly much stronger than they had been before.

After she worked over my whole body, I felt the buzz all throughout my muscles. Everything was totally relaxed. Areas that I didn't realize were tight had completely released.

After telling her how relaxed I felt, and how any and all soreness had left me, she explained the technology to me. Through the use of high frequency vibration, the RRT triggers neurological reflexes the muscles, specifically those that are prone to cramping and spasm. When the activators are placed on the tight muscle, it is absorbed and rapidly loosens.

The immediate effects are readily apparent. Significantly reduced muscle pain, cramping, and tightness. Positive effects on performance are realized during exercise and competition as well. In a nutshell, muscles need oxygen to perform. Blood carries oxygen to the muscles. Tight muscles restrict blood flow, and therefore limit the amount of oxygen going to the muscles. Completely relaxed and loose muscles allow complete oxygen saturation, which in turn improves efficiency of oxygen transport through the muscles. The result is improved performance.

This all sounded great in theory, but I wouldn't know if it was going to work until my race, which was still a few days away, and until then I still had a lot of moving around to do. I was concerned that all of this activity would eliminate any of the benefits that I had gained from the RRT.

In a move of exceptional kindness and trust, my massage therapist invited me to borrow the RRT for my race, with the instruction to use it after the drive up to Sonoma where Ironman Vineman was to be held (about a 10 hour drive), and the night before the race. I enthusiastically accepted!

Many people don't realize how much activity takes place before an Ironman. Athletes do their best to rest before the event, but traveling to the race, checking in, doing some last minute exercises, and checking the bike and run gear really can take a lot out of the athlete's muscles, and even cause soreness. This is certainly true for me, and I have struggled with this at every race in which I've competed. It never fails that the morning of the race I wake up with lingering soreness in my calves and shins due to all the activity, and I can tell that it is detrimental to a solid race performance.

I did as I was instructed, and used the RRT the night I arrived in Sonoma, and the night before the race. One of the greatest side effects it offered was that each time I was able to fall right asleep. This never happens the night before an Ironman!

I woke up the day of the race with completely fresh legs. I have never felt more ready or relaxed before a race. I can not concisely put into words how well this race went for me (if you would like to read the long version of the report, you can find it here). Historically in the Ironman races, I have always biked very well, with bike splits consistently in the top 5 in my age group, but it has always been the run where I fall apart. I have found it hard to get my legs moving, I begin cramping, and I simply fatigue and have to walk frequently to make it to the finish, all the while getting passed by many people in my age group. Demoralizing to say the least.

At this race, however, this was not the case. I was able to hold my pace for the entire marathon. I didn't lose ground, and I finished in a solid 6th place in my age group out of more than 200 athletes. I finished as the 23rd amateur in a field of over 2,000 athletes, and I beat my long term goal of finishing an Ironman in under 10 hours (on a challenging course, to boot!).

For this solid run performance, I owe much credit to being completely loose prior to the race. It wasn't just the kind of loosening up you get from a warm up or stretching. It was a looseness that was felt deep in my entire body. Complete recovery and relaxation. It was clear that my body was functioning as effectively as possible because it was not being derailed by soreness, cramping, or fatigue. All thanks to the Rapid Release Technology.

Some of the dramatic benefits I found with using the RRT include the following:

1. Completely rested after a good night of sleep. This isn't advertised by the company that produces the RRT, but it's something I experienced. Relaxed muscles means reduced anxiety, which in turn means a better night of sleep. This can have a big advantage for athletes of all kinds.
2. No residual soreness or tightness. Even after the deepest of deep tissue massages, I still feel lingering soreness or tightness in some areas. What can I say? I am a high strung kind of guy! After using the RRT I had zero soreness or tightness, even the next morning.
3. Fresh legs longer. While products like compression boots offer faster recovery from hard workouts, and in my experience it is effective, I believe that the Rapid Release Technology is more effective at releasing tension in all of the muscles, thus improving blood flow. The result is not just faster recovery, but improved performance over longer distances. This was one of the most dramatic results I experienced. I was able to maintain my pace for longer periods without fatiguing. 
4. Zero cramping. I experienced no cramping of muscles while I was on the run. This was something I struggled with in other races, and would frequently be reduced to walking, but after using the RRT, as Forrest Gump would say, "I was runnniing!". 
5. I recovered faster after the race. The day after an Ironman is often a zombie parade of athletes who are too sore to even bend their knees. In the days following the race, though, I felt surprisingly good. I wasn't feeling "great" mind you, but I was much better than a lot of other people. I would venture a guess that if I did use the RRT post race, my recovery would have been expedited.

When I returned from Sonoma, I was plotting ways not to part with the RRT. Perhaps I could escape to Mexico, just me and the machine, to spend the rest of our days running on the beach with fresh legs! But alas, my integrity got the best of me, and I parted with it. Not before committing to visit once and a while to get total relaxation. 

To my knowledge, this technology is not used much in the endurance sports world, but I believe that will soon change. As more athletes begin to realize the benefits of Rapid Release Technology, this "secret" will become far less secret. Until then, I'm anxious to reap the benefits of this technology and use it to my advantage.

If you would like more information on the Rapid Release Technology, please visit their website at www.rapidreleasetech.com. 

Quiet Insanity

I know that this post will be a bit tangential from others I have written, but there has been a lot of discussion on this issue, and I wanted to share my thoughts. While I don't ever really take to the interwebs to gossip about celebrities, or chatter about lifestyles of the rich and famous, I was drawn to the sad news stories regarding the death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman recently. In the same way, a few months ago I was similarly drawn to the stories of the death of Corey Monteith. While countless others have shared the same fate of Hoffman and Monteith, these are two people who were in the public eye, and for all intents and purposes didn't fit our typical view of what one who dies of an overdose should look like. They weren't violent criminals, they didn't live under an overpass, and they maintained their incredible talent until the day they died.

This of course let to feelings of shock around the world when news surfaced of their respective deaths. Despite this, the comment threads across all the news sites were ablaze with speculation and opinion, which left me feeling really sad for the way that many people (at least those who are most vocal) choose to understand addiction. I won't repeat what I read on those threads here, but I will say that the overwhelming sense that I got was that there was a lot of negativity around the "addict", but not necessarily the "addiction".

Granted, if one wants to live a happy existence, they would do well to stay away from any internet comment boards, lest the attitude and belligerence continuously push their anger buttons. So rather than post comments into those voids, I felt inclined to write a bit about my experience here. Keep in mind, I don't share everyone's experience, and I'm not trying to speak for anyone else but myself. I speak from a very personal level to try to help build understanding on the subject.

Why Even Start Using Drugs or Alcohol?
Well, there are a lot of reasons, and it's different for every person. For me, I started drinking in college, which is nothing strange in and of itself. Sometimes personal or emotional issues come into play, but sometimes not. Alcohol became my drug of choice, and I immediately began a love affair with it. It was, in my head, a solution to all my problems even when it caused more problems. It's all part of the insanity, and the disease which inhibits addicts from appropriately interpreting reality. I was never really presented with the opportunity to try narcotic drugs, so it's hard to say whether or not I would have developed addictions to them or not, but the likely answer is that I would. Many people start earlier in their teens, and for the addict, there is no un-mixing the margarita, so to speak. Therefore the notion that "he shouldn't have started in the first place" is not a helpful statement. 90% of the population can maintain their sanity and use substances in moderation without ill effect. Unfortunately, however you don't know you have a problem until the damage is done. At that point, without help, it is too late.

Why Not Just Practice Moderation or Willpower?
Mark Twain once said said that he smoked cigars in moderation. One at a time. As insane as it sounds, my mind can easily interpret that tongue and cheek comment as a rationalization. That is the disease of alcoholism/addiction. It is a disorder of obsession and compulsion in which we are powerless over the first drink/drug. Once we lose control over our drug of choice, we never have control again. Ever. Ever ever. I can imagine it is hard for normal drinkers to understand this, because they don't obsess over alcohol. "Why not just stop at two?" is a typical question, which is reasonable because that is how most people can think. They can sip their drink and leave it half empty without a second thought. In that situation the alcoholic, on the other hand, can think of nothing else, and under their own willpower they will continue drinking, despite their most sincere intentions to do otherwise. Hence the sincerity in the repeated promises of the addict to maintain control or stop completely. They will always fail if they act on willpower alone because they are powerless over the addiction.

Why Not "Just Stop"?
This relates to the question above, and it concerns powerlessness. To stop completely on our own would imply that we have the control and will to do so. But the disease of alcoholism/addiction suggests that we are powerless over it and no longer have control over our own lives. It's similar to asking someone with chronic and debilitating depression to "cheer up". Or telling someone with OCD to stop messing with the lights. Chances are they want to abide, and have every intention of doing so. But without help they are unable to. Furthermore, it requires people who have developed often strong self centered personalities to become intensely humble so as to admit powerlessness over something which they internally believe is the solution to all their problems, and accept help. I tried many times to just "quit" on my own, but despite the fact that my life improved, I always came back thinking I could control it or just couldn't live without it. It requires a fellowship of like-minded individuals and a strict program to maintain sobriety. Again, this is a disease of insanity which will do anything it can to kill. While we may not want to die, when we are practicing our disease we are slowly killing ourselves, and totally unaware or unwilling to accept that fact. There have been many situations in sobriety where I have looked with envy into the shadiest of dive bars thinking I want what the people inside have. The alcoholic/addict has the ability to fantasize even the most obscene types of drug or alcohol use. It takes my daily program of recovery to keep it foremost in my mind that my disease is not looking out for what's best for me, but wants to kill me, but not before destroying my life altogether.

If Things Get Better Once Sober, Why Relapse?
The unfortunate truth is that the better things get in sobriety, the more dangerous addiction can become. Addition doesn't go away with time. Contrary to common sense, the addiction only gets stronger with time even when we're not using. If things are going very well, there is a likelihood that the user may reduce participation in their own recovery, and soon that will turn into the feeling that they "deserve" a drink or drug. Complacency kills. In very short order, if not immediately, the addict is right back in the worst of it, and all their positive work has been lost. I have also heard that it is these relapses that are the most dangerous because your body is no longer tolerant of the high doses of toxins being put in the body, but the addiction takes us right back to the volume we had used before. A deadly case comparable to the eyes being bigger than the stomach.

Why Do You Consider Addiction a Disease?
I've heard this legitimate question a lot, and have witnessed a lot of resentment with regard to this subject. I've seen a lot of comments about addiction being a choice, not a disease. For example, Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Monteith "chose" to put the needle in their arm, and they shouldn't be compared to innocent victims who die of cancer or other actual diseases. Fair point. But I think it is necessary to remove the comparison of addiction from these other conditions because it's apples and oranges. Simply, if you google "disease", you come up with the following definition: "a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, esp. one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury." Breaking it down, it is a disorder of structure or function (inability to control a behavior or physical condition)... that produces specific signs or symptoms (obsession, compulsion, inability to function without the substance) or that affects a specific location (the brain) and is not simply the result of physical injury (it is the result of a specific mental condition). This is not to say that responsibility is not taken by the addict for their behavior. On the contrary, many programs of recovery which revolve around abstinence involve treating the mental and spiritual condition while cleaning up wreckage from the past abuses. In this sense the behavior of using the drug of choice is just a symptom of the overall disease. In any respect, in order for a diseased individual to get better, they must be treated.

The truth about addiction is that it never goes away. For those of us afflicted with it, it will always be with us and we have to constantly remember that fact and seek to work with others who share this disease. If we choose to practice willpower or moderation, we will have no choice, and we will fail. As an alcoholic, as one with no control, the only choice I have is to admit that I am powerless, and be willing to surrender my will.

I don't believe that Hoffman, Monteith, or many of the countless others who died as a result of their addictions necessarily wanted to die, or thought they would. But they are examples the indiscriminate nature of this disease, and their death is evidence that it wants to kill us. Addiction really can, and does, affect anybody from all walks of life. Not only are addicts the people living under bridges, or the arrogant rich and famous 20 somethings we hear about on TMZ. They are also doctors, lawyers, business people, philanthropists, ministers, and the list goes on who may have started down the path of addiction for any number of reasons, but due to their disease have since lost all control. I only hope that those who may feel that they have a problem find the willingness to take the first steps in recovery and find the wonderful life that exists in sobriety. I know I have. And I pray on a daily basis that I keep it. After all, regardless of how well I am doing, I am always only one drink away from a relapse.