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By admin News , , , , ,

Vietnam Tour with the Joey’s – Recap

After getting back into work at the clinic in South Melbourne and helping some patients out with their final preparations to get their bodies right ahead of the Melbourne Marathon, Hawaii Ironman & Duathlon World Championships in Adelaide. So I thought I would take a brief moment of respite to put together a quick blog recap on my recent tour to Vietnam with the Joey’s.

After getting back from Cambodia with the team the previous month, it was good to get the call up again to join the team once again for the next tour to Vietnam, which was the important one for the year and the one that would set the team up for the next two years and start the boys on the road to the world cup.

The tour started with me, the team doctor and all the players flying into Sydney to meet up before departing the next day for Bangkok to get our connecting flight and meeting the remainder of the staff in Vietnam who had come across from France a couple of days prior where they had been working with the older age group of players. We had the same make-up in the Sports Medicine team as the previous tour to Cambodia with myself, Physiotherapist Deane Stephens from Adelaide and Sports Physician Ross Cairns from Newcastle.

The tournament structure would run slightly differently this time around, with only three games to be played in a one day on one day off format against Guam, Myanmar and then expected to finish with the most challenging match against the home team Vietnam.

The first few days involved some lighter training sessions and mobility work to ensure the boys were all back to normal after the flight over and setting themselves up for some quality training before the games kicked off. Our daily routine before the games started involved wellness monitoring of the players in the morning, breakfast, training, active recovery session’s in the pool at the hotel, lunch, treatment as required, dinner and bed. One of the days also included a double training session day for the players.

Joeys team photo in West Hanoi

After the last tour to Cambodia, which was also the first time many boys travelled internationally, it was pretty impressive for the team to be set up in the Crowne Plaza in West Hanoi. There would be no shortage of options for the boys (or staff) to load up on the carbs with the buffet selection on offer each day.

The team all got through the lead in training relatively well and dominated the first game 14 – 0 against Guam. So it was good for the boys to have an easier game to start with and get some time on the pitch that would be used for the remainder of the games. Luckily, the weather held on for most of the games, so the pitch didn’t get torn up as much as expected.

The routine stayed pretty stock standard between matches, with the only difference being some easier training on the off days, the inclusion of some ice baths for recovery and more treatment time to ensure that all the player’s who played the previous day got some time on the treatment table.

Crowne Plaza West Hanoi Pool

The next game against Myanmar was slightly tougher, with a final score of 3 – 1 with some missed opportunities throughout the game. Nevertheless, it was a good wake up for the team before the last match against Vietnam in 2 days.

In the final game against Vietnam, it was a do or die battle for the win. Get through, and the world cup is still on the cards in 2 years, lose the game and risk missing out on qualifying for the next stage in India via a countback system and have it out of the team’s control. So a win was a must.

The game was intense from the sidelines throughout the game, and I was relieved briefly when we went 1 – 0 up after a header from Mersim Memeti. For the remainder of the game, it was back and forth, and both teams had several opportunities that were missed. Our keeper Jacob Botic made some cracking saves to keep the game in our favour. The pressure was released at the end of the game when the whistle blew, and the scoreline read 1 – 0.

Post game celebration with aussie flag

One of the personal highlights for this tour was the Aussie, Aussie, Aussie chants in the change rooms post-game, a great change in emotion post-tournament compared to the 3rd place in Cambodia a month earlier.
There wasn’t too much time for celebration back at the hotel on the Sunday night after our win over Vietnam with a 5:30 am departure from the hotel the following day to start the journey back home to Melbourne.

Overall it was a quality tour to be involved with and a team that I hope to follow as they transition into the senior programs.

Toby

By admin News , , , , ,

Online Bookings now available!

We now have an online booking system available at the clinic.

We hope that you find this a helpful way to make future appointments at the clinic. We have made this option available as it has become increasingly challenging to respond to appointment inquiries in a timely manner, with it being a busy time of year at the clinic.

You are more than welcome to book your appointment’s as you have previously via phone or email, and this is just an addition to the current booking process.

For online bookings, please go to the following link. 

If you have any questions, then please feel free to get in contact.

Toby

By admin Blog, News, Tour Support , , , ,

Germany 2014, Blog – 2.

Now that I am back in Melbourne and have had a chance to defrost, I thought I would take the time to write a wrap-up of my last week in Germany.

The last week had a bit more happening than the first two weeks, with a few more athletes arriving in Cologne. So I was now working with a good spread of athletes, including 110m hurdles, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, long jump, triple jump, and pole vault.

The good thing with working with these athletes is how well they know the ins and outs of their bodies and what is required for them to continue pushing their bodies to the limit and ensure continuous improvement.

At this level of sport, it does not take much for someone to overdo it or under recover and be in trouble.

For full-time elite athletes, the following list is a brief insight into just a couple of the things they do weekly to recover from training and competition and remain injury-free and on track.

  • Manual therapy (e.g. Myotherapy, Physio, Sports Massage) 2-3 x week.
  • Ice baths – after most track sessions
  • Self-treatment – (e.g. Foam roller, self trigger point work or using other treatment tools)
  • Active recovery – additional low-intensity sessions in the afternoon with the focus of assisting the body to recover.

The above recovery strategies are typical for most athletes at an elite level; however, these athletes tend to use the ice baths more than athletes like road cyclists at the elite level who might do more active recovery following long stages on tour.

I managed to get out and see most of the local tourist sites on a couple of the mornings in the last week, which was good, so I definitely felt like I was starting to know my way around the place by the time I left.

Looking back on the three weeks away now and trying to think of the trip’s highlights, it is a little hard to pinpoint it to one specific event or day as the whole lot was an enjoyable experience. I was fortunate enough to work with some great athletes and coaches that I will be taking a lot from and implementing at the clinic at SportsMyo now that I am back. Still, I think watching Jeff Riseley take a new Australian record while racing in the Czech Republic while I was eating tea with his coach and training partners was up the top of the list. His time over the 1km was 2.16.09!!!

Hopefully, there could be another Australian record on the cards in the coming month from the Cologne group, with Alex Rowe going close overnight in Belgium missing out by .34 of a second in the 800m but recording a cracking PB and getting closer to the current record set at the 1968 Olympics!

It is good to be back home now, apart from the weather, which has been pure filth. Still, I am looking forward to the upcoming month getting back into it at the clinic again. A full month of action-packed sports viewing with the world cup final, Tour de France and then seeing some cracking performances from the Cologne crew in Glasgow at the Commonwealth Games!

Toby

By admin Blog, News, Tour Support , , , ,

Germany 2014, Blog – 1.

I thought I would take some time out and do up a quick blog post about my work trip to Cologne with the Australia Athletics team to date.

I am at the end of my second week here now and feel the last week will go very quickly. However, I think the workload will ramp up a bit more as a few of the athletes here will be upping their training loads as they go through some high volume weeks and need additional soft tissue management, and the number of athletes is due to increase.

The first two weeks had gone relatively smoothly with a slowish start with only a couple of athletes here when I arrived and gradually building by the end of the first week. I mostly treated runners during the first week ranging from specialists in the 400m up to the 1500m. I always enjoy learning on the job. The different training backgrounds and rehab protocols from previous injuries etc., that these athletes have completed made for some good conversation in the treatment room (or hotel room in this case). I will definitely be heading home with some new corrective exercise progressions to implement at the clinic with my patients.

The treatments haven’t varied too much from the typical treatment sessions back home at the clinic at SportsMyo, but I would have to say that there has been a bit more focussed work on treatment through the abdominals and obliques than usual. This is because these muscles play such a huge role for the runners while stabilising their torso when running at speed and can cop a beating at the track, so management and controlling the muscle tone through this area is critical in preventing a couple of running specific injuries.

I have also managed to get out and look around the town here in Cologne on a few different morning’s. There are some very impressive buildings around, including the main cathedral in the city ‘The Dom’, which stands out from a long way away. I am yet to have a look inside, but I will definitely try to get back and have a look inside before I leave next Sunday. I also had the opportunity to have a short river cruise down the Rhine river and look through the Ludwig museum and Olympic museum. I have also been over the track for a few training sessions, seeing what the athletes are putting themselves through.

The second week was good, with a few more athletes and their coaches arriving in town. Mostly jumpers, so good to get some different body types and issues to work with on the treatment table. The good thing about working within athletics is that you get so many different sports within the ‘athletics’ umbrella and many different personalities. Most of the athletes will train in the morning’s at the local university nearby, so the treatments will usually start around 12ish and go through till dinner.

The soccer world cup is huge over here, so I managed to head into town last night with the rest of the Aussie’s to check out the 2nd Germany game. There was people everywhere and plenty of atmosphere. With most athletes completing training sessions the following day, we headed back to the hotel to watch the second half from the lobby downstairs. It was a crazy second half, with the game ending 2 – 2. Hopefully, not too booked up tomorrow night so we can watch the Aus vs Spain match.

For my last week here, I will be primarily treating from the hotel room and, hopefully, get out a couple of mornings where I can have a bit more of a look around at the remainder of the tourist sites and try to get to a few more training sessions.

I will leave my next post for once I touch back down in Australia.

Toby

By admin Interviews, News , , , ,

Interview – Damien Birkinhead

Thanks for joining me for a quick chat Damo. I am sure that a lot of my patient’s at SportsMyo will appreciate the insight into your current training and goals for the upcoming 12 months. For those not familiar with Damien Birkinhead he is the current Australian Champion in Shot Put.

We might start off the interview by getting you to tell us a little bit about your training in general at the moment and how a typical week look’s for a Shot Put athlete?

Thanks for the opportunity. A typical week for myself involves usually around 6 or 7 training sessions at the moment. 3 or 4 of those sessions (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and sometimes Monday) consisting of throwing  where I have anything over 40 throws in total using a 7.26kg Shot put. The goal of these sessions is mainly to improve technique and get more consistent throwing. The remaining 3 sessions (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) are focused on building strength, speed and power generally in the gym. Doing Bench press, squats, snatch, core and other general conditioning exercises. During the off season this is where most the attention is placed.

Out of all of your training what is your favourite session for the week?

My favourite session of the week would have to be my Thursday Throwing session at Nunawading, its only a two minute drive from my house and there are a great bunch of people who train down there at the same time.

Shot Put athletes are known for being some of the physically strongest athletes around, what sort of number’s would you be expecting to hit in the gym within the next 5 or so years?

haha well if was one day to be considered one of the strongest athletes going round then I would be very happy because  I am one lazy athlete haha. In talking numbers its probably hard to say exactly because it is different for every athlete but my goals for my two main lifts (bench press and squat) Would be benching close to 250kg and squatting at least 250kg if not more.

Whats been the biggest change to your training program since transitioning from junior’s to now competing in the senior ranks? 

Being a junior and being a senior is a completely different thing in my opinion. I find the biggest difference is how serious everything has become, training gets harder, longer and a lot more specific. If you want to be competitive on a senior level you just cant it on your ass and do nothing. It becomes tough and challenging at times but I guess that’s why I love it so much.

What is the competition program like for you for the upcoming season, and what are your goals for the season?

Hopefully its going to be a good season is all I could probably tell you haha. The dates and the where abouts have not been determined for my comps as of yet but will be having one or two comps in early December and then will wait for the Australian series to begin early next year I think. My goals for the season would be to throw over 20m for the first time and to qualify for the Commonwealth games in Glasgow in July next year. To qualify for that I will have to Throw at least 18.15m during the season and finish top 3 at nationals which are held early April in Melbourne.

How did you come to get into the sport of Shot Put?

I feel like I have told the story of how I started shot put so many times, feel like I should spice it up a bit some day because its not too interesting. I was just the biggest kid at school and handled the shot better than most. My uncle was a president of an athletics club and asked me to come down and give it a go. So at 14 I joined a club and started competing which then I met my old coach Alex Gusbeth. A man who I wouldn’t be the same athlete I am today without, he taught me a lot of what I know today and I couldn’t thank him enough for everything.

What has been your top 3 career highlights to date wether it be results, trip’s, making team’s etc?

Top three career highlights, took me a while to think of these actually. One of my highlights would be the first international team I made which was world youths in Italy 2009. Was the biggest learning curve in my career and was a great achievement for me to make it there. Still to this day one of the most amazing looking places I have been to and I one day wish I could go back. Another highlight would be my competition at world juniors in Spain last year, it would be the funnest competition to date and even though it would be my biggest comp, it would also be the comp I was most relaxed. I finished with a personal best and a bronze medal, couldn’t ask for anything more! The last highlight would just be all the people I have met over the years, I have met some interesting people and made some friends I will know for a long time. Possibly the best thing about doing athletics.

You have been coming into the clinic for treatment for around 12 months now, How do you feel Myotherapy has helped out and assisted with your training? 

I don’t think I could go back to not having Myotherapy really haha. As I said earlier, I have really stepped up the training and was getting to a point where I was getting so sore and tight it was really affecting my training. Myotherapy allowed me to recover better and get a lot more movement in the muscles. It not only has reduced my soreness but now I can get into better positions when I throw due to more movement. I recommend it to any athlete because I don’t think I could train as hard as I do without it.

What are some of your interest’s when your not training and competing?

Being a thrower the only real thing I do when I’m not training is eating. haha I participate in a few eating challenges around Melbourne and ‘m currently sitting on top of the leader board at the Knox “Outback Jacks” for the 1kg steak challenge. weighing 130kgs its always good to find a way to gain the few extra kilos!!

Now i have had a quick browse through your twitter account to try to come up with a bit of a left of centre question for you to finish off and have come up with this one for you. 

To quote one of your tweets 

‘You know you have a good life when you can watch a Geordie shore marathon all day’ 

This has got to be a joke surely doesn’t it?

haha Yeah sometimes I wish that statement was a joke but I do secretly have a love for Geordie shore. I think anyone who denies it should take the time to sit down and watch it and I bet you’ll love it. It may seem like a bunch of rubbish but it is bloody addicting to be honest haha.

Thanks for taking some time out to have a quick chat with me and all the best for the rest of the season. 

For anyone interested in following Damo’s progress you can follow him on Twitter @D_Birkinhead