Coping With An Injury

By John Grainger MS, CSCS

One of the things I have learned over the past few years is that almost everyone is going to get injured at some point in their training.  Whether you are a swimmer, cyclist, runner, tennis player, triathlete, or a gym rat, you will most likely strain, tear, or pull something—sometimes requiring taking a significant amount of time off and/or surgery.

I played collegiate baseball at Keene State College--graduated in 2007--and have been coaching at Colby-Sawyer since 2009.  At some point in 2008 I hurt my shoulder playing in a rec league in Utah while I was at graduate school.  It wasn’t that bad and I got over it.  Sometimes it hurt to throw, but it wasn’t all the time and I could still throw hard.

Fast forward a few years to April of 2012.  The four years in between the shoulder was getting progressively worse and after a long session of batting practice I finally threw in the towel (pun intended), had it checked out by our athletic trainer, and set up an appointment with a Sports Medicine Doctor. The diagnosis was a torn posterior labrum and significant arthritis on the socket.   After an MRI, 4 readings of it (all of them were different—same injury but very different in the severity), and over a year later, I made the decision to have surgery.  

During the surgery they found that I had a different injury than they originally thought.  I had a Type II SLAP lesion and had torn part of the articular cartilage (the cartilage that lines the bone in the shoulder joint) on the socket.   They didn’t find a torn posterior labrum or the severe arthritis that they expected.  

The likelihood that I will ever throw hard again is pretty low.  Recovery from this surgery can take 9-12 months for an overhead athlete to return to sport.  There have been no Major League pitchers who have returned to play at the same level with this injury.   But I should be able to return to light, pain free throwing and be able to do just about anything I want to.

Coping with the injury can be difficult—especially if the injury is season ending or career threatening.  When I say career threatening I don’t mean your Major League Baseball career, I mean that ACL tear may have severely impacted your ability to play rec league soccer on Thursday nights ever again.  This is a very difficult thing for most people to cope with.

The following is paraphrased from The Sport Psych Handbook by Shane Murphy.  I normally don’t like to blatantly take information and copy or paraphrase it, but this is written concise and more to the point than I could:

There is a whole segment of sport-psychology that deals with injuries.  There are two widely accepted coping strategies: problem-focused and emotional-focused coping strategies. 

Problem focused coping includes efforts that are directed at managing or altering the problem that causes the stress.  Some examples are gathering information on the injury, learning treatment options, setting SMART goals for recovery (specific, measurable, action-oriented, reasonable, and time-oriented), and adhering to a rehabilitation plan.

Emotion focused strategies are directed at managing the emotions that are experienced as a result of the injury.  These strategies are based on managing thoughts and emotions through self-talk (i.e. instead of saying “Oh my God I will never play again,” you would say, “I am going to get through this and be stronger than ever”) and relaxation techniques; using imagery of being physically and mentally prepared, and self-soothing techniques.  These strategies usually deal with the feelings associated with the injury; such as expressing emotions, seeking and using social support, being patient, and eventually accepting the injury.

Another way to cope with an injury is through distraction or avoidance techniques.  These are efforts to disengage and remove oneself, either mentally or physically, from the situation generating the stress.  Some of these are more for elite athletes such as moving away (i.e. leaving the training site and moving home) or going back to school.

How you deal with the injury depends on you.  Are you usually someone who gets emotional?  Are you someone who enjoys setting and reaching small goals?  Do you want to be in control?  Do you want to know everything about your injury and how to fix it?

I was different than a lot of injuries—it wasn’t a sudden, traumatic, season/career ending injury.   It was a long, drawn out process that culminated with me finding out as much information about the injury as possible.  Most of my coping mechanisms revolved around problem focused strategies.  I learned as much information as possible—treatment options, surgical procedures, treatment and surgical outcomes, likelihood of returning to activity, etc.  But I also used emotion focused strategies by reaching out to others who had the procedure, reaching out to physical therapists, and also making sure my family was going to support my decision.  

I think the most important thing with dealing with an injury is accepting the injury for what it is, being honest with yourself, and learning as much about the rehab process as you can.  Using the techniques listed above will help you get through the rehabilitation process and get you back participating in the sport(s) you love.

For more information you can check out the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.

Murphy, Shane. The Sport Psych Handbook. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2004. Print.

What's so great about DHA?

by Heather Szczepiorkowski

I have been thinking about an omega-3 fatty acid called DHA. 

When I was pregnant with my first child, like most parents, I read up on everything I could about pregnancy and parenting.  Then, DHA was best known for being in breast milk and was critical in building baby brains.  At the time, infant formulas were not supplemented with DHA, now many of them are.  Well after my son was born, things got busier of course, and I did not give DHA much more thought.

That changed this summer when I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about DHA and lifelong intelligence.  It got me thinking again about the importance of DHA in raising my kids.  Studies are finding that DHA is not only important in the development of children, but also throughout a person’s lifespan.  Here is some of what I have learned.

DHA or (docosahexaenoic acid), is a long strand omega-3 fatty acid. It is one of the good fats involved in building and keeping the brain and the whole nervous system working well.   DHA is the fatty acids in your neurons. DHA is most abundant in the brain and retina.  It is key to intelligence, reversing memory loss, improving eyesight, improving mood, just to name a few of the benefits.

We are only able to make limited amounts of DHA.  Because women’s bodies can nurture a fetus and nurse their young, they have a higher rate of conversion, but still need to get DHA from foods and supplements. Cold water fish and fish oil are one of the most common ways to take in DHA.  While most people believe that fish produce their own DHA, in fact, it’s the algae in their food chain that makes them a rich source of DHA. 

I also learned too that DHA is not just for kids or young, developing minds.  DHA is vital in all stages of life and has been found to improve memory functioning in middle-aged adults.  Since DHA is critical to the health of neurons, scientists are learning that DHA is important in the performance of neurotransmitters in the brain enabling them to communicate faster.

As a parent, I am now looking for more ways to increase our intake of DHA in the foods we eat – if your kids aren’t fond of algae, some other sources are salmon, tuna, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, flaxseed oil and walnuts. Some brands of milk and eggs contain DHA.  Some chickens have flaxseed in their grain.  So double check!

 Right now my kids and I are taking DHA supplements along with our daily vitamin.  I made that decision since the food choices of my middle-schooler, at least at lunch time, may not be the wisest.  One of our family favorites is maple seasoned salmon http://allrecipes.com/recipe/maple-salmon/  My kids aren’t too fond of salmon alone – but with the seasonings and sweetness of the maple syrup, the plates are clean.

So get that DHA into your system!!  Please email me at marketing@uppervalleyaquaticcenter.com if you come across any great recipes that your family loves.   So long and thanks for all the fish!!!

Want to lose weight and get stronger?

By Katherine MacPherson BS, ACSM HFS & UVAC Personal Trainer

Hi again! It’s been a while since I’ve written a new blog and I've got the perfect topic to discuss.  Have you heard about our program Shed and Shred here at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center?  It has been nearly a year and a half since our first round started and WOW…the changes we instructors have seen in the participants have been incredible. 

What is Shed and Shred?  It is a small group Personal Training weight loss program.  It runs for 6 or 8 weeks and includes 2 shed and shred fitness classes, two 30 minute personal meetings, off day workout homework’s, weekly weigh-in and measurements.  Plus it offers encouraging incentives such a 10% discount off your next Shed and Shred and winners get 3 free personal training sessions (a $135 value!)

Before you start to think that I am just marketing the program (I sort of am :) because it rocks!) there are many things for you to discover about the people that partake in the 6 or 8 week rounds.  The program is a not only a major commitment, but when participant’s truly follow our weight loss regimen they lose the weight and keep it off.   Above all, these people are happier, stronger and now educated on real life useful healthy eating tips and planning. 

No, we don’t market meal replacements, shakes or the latest and strangest diet.  We literally teach our participants to eat REAL food.  Learning to make food healthier and easier to plan out has been the ultimate educator for Shed and Shred.   Many us want to lose the weight fast and are ready to try almost anything.  Again, you have to be committed to the long term idea of healthy living.  “Diets” are temporary! 

Fitness is of course also a major aspect of the program.  The classes typically focus around strength endurance interval training.  Meaning we infuse anywhere from 6 to 12 exercises in timed or repetition bursts and rotations.  Also meaning... we keep you moving!  Each class is different and we love to surprise our participants with motivating new exercises.  One participant says “I have been wanting to lose weight and improve my fitness level for a long time.  Shed and Shred gave me the structure that I needed to achieve my goals.  The group dynamic and effective coaching kept me motivated and on track!” 

The first day of each new round we hold a “testing day.”  This is where we test how far you can walk or run in 12 minutes, how many push-ups you can do, how long you can hold a plank and how many squats you can do a 60 seconds.   OK, don’t be intimated!  It’s actually a great day because 100% of Shed and Shreder's INCREASE all their results on the final testing day 6 or 8 weeks later.  It’s not uncommon to see a participant hold a 20 second plank on day one, and then complete a 2:00 plank by week 6 or 8.  The improvement is waiting for you!!

Each week we post the body percent loss for each group.  Yes, this is where we get a little competitive (cough cough John and Garrett cough.)  We mathematically group individual weigh-ins by group and show the building the percent’s (no names are displayed.)  At the end of each round, we go back to our equations and two winners are picked.  The two criteria’s to win are highest weight loss by pounds and highest percent body weight loss.   

If you want to lose weight, or learn how to be fit and eat healthy I encourage you to take this class.  As an instructor I personally get inspired when I see individuals fight their barriers and become a stronger person.  I take pride in helping others reach their goals!  Plus I love beating John and Garrett!  Just kidding, but seriously.  If you have any questions about Shed and Shred, or even Personal Training please feel free to call or email us at anytime.

Shed and Shred Round 10 starts September 9th, 2013.

Call us at 802-286-2850 X 104 or email jgrainger@uvac-swim.org for questions.   

Teenage UVAC Swimmer 
Creates eyeFree Sports Stopwatch App

The Upper Valley Aquatic Center is home to many amazing swimmers who do many amazing things. Last year, Conner Koehler, UVAC team swimmer created the eyeFree Sport Stopwatch for the iPhone.

Brian Dirrane, swim coach at Upper Valley Aquatic Center, knew Koehler was a tech savvy kid. So he asked him if he could figure out something that would work better than the stopwatch on his iPhone. “Brian was having trouble hitting the software buttons and starting the stopwatch, so he asked me to help,” said Koehler, a 15-year-old high school sophomore who has been swimming at Upper Valley since he was 10. “He would need to look at the screen which is hard to do when you try to look at the start and at the swimmer finishing at the wall.”

Koehler’s solution was to use the volume buttons instead of the screen. “The use of the volume buttons give it a physical button to press, and when it is pressed, the iPhone vibrates to confirm that the command was sent. You can even customize it to make the screen flash when the button is pressed.”

With Max Greenwald, An iOS developer, who worked on the project over last summer, they built the app to include an intuitive history functionality so that anyone can go back and look at the total time and laps that happened during that session with an easy-to-use interface.

The two are currently working on an Android version expected to come out in the first half of 2013.

“Max and I started programming for the iPhone and iPad about a year and a half ago, and we wanted to put custom apps on our iPads,” said Koehler, whose main swim events are the 500 freestyle and 100 butterfly. “Our first app was a calculator called InfinityCalc, which is a free calculator for the iPad and iPhone. It’s meant to be a simple calculator that you can have wherever you go.”

The stopwatch app is currently available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, and coaches can go and download the app. They set the price for the app at $.99,and they are continually adding new features and working on it. “The app is not aimed just at coaches; other swimmers and parents could use it for timing,” Koehler said.

And Brian Dirrane is now using the app faithfully as he trains his athletes. “It’s an excellent app; I use it all the time,” Dirrane said. “It displays continuously, and there are ideas for future functionality. It’s very easy to use no matter how tech-savvy someone may or may not be.

“Someone asked me why I just don’t use a regular stopwatch at the pool, but with the iPhone, there are so many ways to store and record splits and times that can be used in some many different ways electronically. Rather than having to input times over and over for various uses, I can do it once with the iPhone stopwatch app. Plus, stopwatch buttons lose their sensitivity over time, and that’s not a problem with the iPhone."

The Art of Active Listening: The Gorilla in the Room

There was a study done a while back where a group of people were asked to watch a screen and count the number of times a basketball was passed back and forth between two teams.  The task required a high amount of concentration. During the test the researchers had a man, dressed in a gorilla costume, walk into the middle of the court, stand for a few seconds, beat his chest, and then walk off. Amazingly only 50% of the people watching the video noticed the gorilla. The rest were so intent on counting the ball being passed that they didn’t see the gorilla. It turns out that when performing a task that requires concentration our brains respond by filtering out information that doesn’t pertain directly to the task at hand.

I started writing this as a memo to the Upper Valley Aquatic Center staff to point out an important skill associated with providing good customer interactions.  Just about every business talks about how they are focused on customer service. But when American consumers are asked to rate customer service the general consensus is that it’s not very good, with some exceptions of course. But I realized that it has broader implications for all of us to improve our interactions with our children, spouses, and friends. So I thought that I’d share it with you. Good customer service begins with “active” listening. So does being a good parent, spouse or friend.

On a personal level I know that I have messed up opportunities to have a more meaningful interchange with business associates, customers, and my family because of missing the obvious signals. I missed them because I was concentrating too hard on a project that I was in the middle of, how I was going to respond, or what I wanted to get out of the conversation. So I missed what they were actually saying.  I frequently have to remind myself to look for the “gorilla” when interacting with people, especially someone who is uncomfortable or could just use some extra help. If we all get a little bit better at listening I’m sure that our lives will be enhanced. All of us at UVAC are working on improving this skill.

 By Upper Valley Aquatic Center's Executive Director, Richard Synnott

Who is Ika Kovacikova, and why does she want to swim the English Channel?

Note from the Editor of this blog:

Ika Kovacikova, wrote to UVAC a couple days ago about her upcoming swim of the English Channel. Her last fundraising push is coming up, and she was hoping that we here at UVAC could spread the news!

Ika, is pretty well set in her fundraising goal for the overall swim, but she is still raising more money. Why you ask? Well, last summer she worked for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and is looking to donate any additional proceeds she makes to them.

We here at UVAC are so very proud of Ika for making not only her dreams come true, but giving aid to those who really need it. It is a great reminder that one is able to make it through anything, and still liftothers up along the way.

So look out for Ika during her swim of the English Channel in August (2013), she will be the one in the UVAC cap (oh yeah)!  YOU GO GIRL!

-Heather Graham-
     Uvac Staff

P.S. Read more about Ika below, and visit her fundraising website and blog (links below)!

My name is Ika Kovacikova and I have been swimming with UVAC since the day the doors opened, and many years before that on NCAC. I am now a rising senior at Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA.

I was first inspired to swim the English Channel when I read the book "Swimming Across Antarctica" by Lynn Cox, and that was about when I was 10 years old. I thought she was truly incredible. I have been swimming since the age of six, but I never thought I was capable of "marathon swimming" even though I have always loved to swim. In 2012 I heard about how Mackenzie Bradley ('13) and Emma Reim ('13) of Smith College swam the English Channel and all of the sudden it seemed like a real possibility. I spoke with them about it and they definitely encouraged me to go for it, so I found a boat pilot through The Channel Swimming Association, and that was definitely the start of a big adventure!

I will be donating any extra funds I raise to the Center for Injury Research and Prevention in Philadelphia. During the summer of 2012 I was an REU intern at the Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), which is supported by the National Science Foundation. I conducted research for the youth Violence Intervention Program (VIP) at the hospital.

The CHOP Violence Intervention Program (VIP) promotes a “trauma-informed” approach to helping patients who have been victims of nonfatal gunshot wounds, stabbings, or other physical assault injuries and admitted to CHOP’s emergency department or Trauma Unit. A trauma-informed approachconsiders how someone’s past experience affects his or her success in their clinical treatment. Since victims of interpersonal violence are 88 times more likely to retaliate or become re-injured after trauma, the overall program goal is to break the pattern of violence. The VIP provides ongoing social and emotional support for youth who were seen at CHOP, and evaluates how this trauma-informed approach promotes positive relationships between patients, health care and social services, and connects them with beneficial community-focused programs in their neighborhoods. I really learned a lot from my experience as part of the research team at CIRP. Swimming the English Channel in August of 2013 would be my way of giving back to the center, and would support efforts to prevent violence.

This summer, I am working in Chicago at Rush University Medical Center as a Health Disparities Research Fellow for Dr. David Ansell MD, MPH, author of County: Life, Death and Politics at Chicago's Public Hospital. I am helping Dr. Ansell with his second book about health disparities and health inequalities in urban centers. I definitely feel like my research this summer ties in with my work last summer, as we try to illuminate the reasons why some neighborhoods experience startlingly higher rates of cancer, diabetes, and violence (just a few examples) than others, which is true in Philadelphia as well as in Chicago, among many other large American cities.

Have a great day!
Ika Kovacikova
Wellesley College '14

Ika's Fundraising Website

Ika's Blog

Landing in a great spot - an intern's view of Upper Valley Aquatic Center

With a laptop and power cord in hand, I was directed to the office behind the large window of the competition pool.  What a cool place to work I thought – it’s always great to have a window in your office – something I had rarely experienced in the corporate world.  Returning to work after taking a hiatus in my career, I felt like I had landed in a great spot!  

My view!

Upper Valley Aquatic Center (UVAC) was not an unfamiliar place to me.  I had been there many times. I remember the first time I went to UVAC.  It was a snowy day when I drove my mini-van over.  It was like entering a new world – its warm water pool and lazy river pool were so welcoming!   My family was hooked and has been ever since.  From swim lessons, to friends’ birthday parties, UVAC has been a tropical refuge on a bitter winter day, a place where my kids took their first lessons and learned their first strokes, to now a place where I am learning lots.

Interning at UVAC has been a blast - Lisa who is teaching/guiding me and making sure that I am always learning, is a great mentor and has so much expertise in marketing, especially social media.  Lisa knows so much about Facebook, HootSuite and Yext to name a few.   I have been learning so many acronyms and terms from what an “organic” search result is to SEO and responsive versus mobile websites.

I have already done two email campaigns and worked on promoting their Red Cross Certification Program.   This is where the certified instructors can come right to your camp or facility and train your staff.  I was able to research camps in the area.  As a parent of two boys, I thought I knew about all the camps, but there are tons.  Another email campaign was to promote the World’s Largest Swim Lesson (WLSL).  

Fun at the World's Largest Swim Lesson

Catherine, who is in charge of the swimming lessons program, was instrumental is having the UVAC participate in the WLSL.  I created a press release – I think it was my first one in a decade.  It was great to write about such a good cause – the WLSL is a world-wide campaign to raise awareness that drowning is the 2nd leading cause of preventable death for kids ages 1-14.  At the same time it is a competition to break the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Swim Lesson.  Last year’s WLSL had 24,873 participants from 15 countries across 5 continents.

It felt great to promote something serious in a fun way.  On June 18th a few minutes before 11 am EST, Catherine rang the bell to get everyone’s attention.  Splash Camp kids got to participate too – can you imagine what they said at the dinner table that night– taking a swim lesson to break the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Swim Lesson –  not too shabby!!  We are still waiting to hear if the record was broken – we will keep you posted.

Who knows maybe in the future I will be working on promoting the free 14 day membership or figuing out how to get more families to know that there is free child care when taking classes – not to mention a Parent’s Night Out every month.  I am so lucky where I have landed!