lucylily's blog: "ght"

VANCOUVER -- Jesse Newman will get a chance to make up for lost time in the Western Final. Meanwhile, he and Jon Hameister-Ries will be wondering how much time they have left in the CFL. Newman, who missed the first 13 games of the regular season with a knee injury, is expected to start at right guard for the B.C. Lions as they host the Calgary Stampeders on Sunday. Fellow offensive guard Hameister-Ries, battling knee and back issues, ruled himself out. "Thats a good way to explain it, making up for lost time, for sure," said Newman after taking first-team reps for the second straight day in practice Friday at B.C. Place Stadium. "It means everything to me. Im getting butterflies and that (chill) that runs up your spine. Its such a great feeling. It lets you know youre alive. It lets you know youre competing still, and Im just excited to play." The winner of Sundays contest will advance to the 100th Grey Cup in Toronto the following weekend. Barring an unexpected change of plans Newman, a 30-year-old Vancouver native, will replace Dean Valli, who is dealing with a knee problem that has bothered him since the first week of training camp. Valli had a setback in practice Thursday, and it is questionable whether he will dress for the game. Newman and Valli were both hurt around the same time. But Newman wound up being placed on the nine-game injured reserve list and remained there an additional four games, after undergoing surgery for the third time to repair miniscus on the same knee. "Theres not much left as far as miniscus goes," said Newman. He has played in just five games this season. Despite his lack of playing time, Newman, who was disappointed with his performance against Calgary in a 41-21 loss to the Stamps in late October, when B.C. allowed eight sacks, feels ready for his big assignment. "Im no rookie in there," said Newman. "As far as being bewildered by stunts and movement and stuff like that, I dont think thatll be a problem." In some respects, he is also on borrowed time. The five-year veteran, who is in his third season with the Lions after being acquired from the Stampeders for a pair of draft picks in 2010, is pondering retirement in wake of his health woes. Lions coach Mike Benevides said Newman is using the playoffs as extra motivation because he knows that his future in the game is uncertain. Benevides noted that Newman was angry with his performance in his last outing and volunteered to have a heart-to-heart talk with the coach a day afterward. "These are the games that you live for, and he knows exactly whats at stake for the football team," said Benevides. "But he also knows for himself that this a tremendous opportunity, and you never know how many more you have. I know that hes very motivated." While Newman was excited at the chance to play, Hameister-Ries practised knowing he will watch the game from the sidelines. "It sucks," said Hameister-Ries, a six-year CFL veteran who has spent his entire career with the Lions. "This is a huge game. Ive worked hard all year, and this is what you want to play in. Its disappointing, but weve got a group of great guys out there, and were going to get the job done." Hameister-Ries has missed the past six games, but attempted to come back for Sundays pivotal contest. During practice, he wore a brace that covered his entire leg and limited his movement. "Im just trying to get back," said Hameister-Ries. "Its a little nerve thing in my leg, so Im just trying to work through it. Its just going to recover with time and with rehab and just going out here and doing the movements that I would normally do. Every day is another day (of progress.) Its not there yet." The nerve problems resulted from his back woes. Hameister-Ries, a 28-year-old Edmonton native who also suffered a knee injury early in training camp and underwent surgery, has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. He hopes to get a shot at playing in the Grey Cup and suiting up again next year. "I want to play," he said. "Ive put so much into this, and this is the thing that I want to be doing. Its just, my body is kind of letting me down. Im not saying Im going to retire or anything, but its gonna be one of those things where I might get surgery and then rehab and see where Im at with the team, with my body and with what my possibilities are." Fellow offensive lineman Ben Archibald said Hameister-Ries is a source of inspiration to the offensive line and the rest of the team. Archibald praised the University of Tulsa product for his positive attitude. While the guard could easily be downtrodden, sarcastic or negative, he has remained upbeat. "He wants to be part of the team. We want him to be part of us," said Archibald. "Whether hes at 100 per cent or 70 per cent or whatever, we love him the same. I dont know what else to say about him. Hes just the type of teammate that you want to have." "When you take a look at how tough he is, and hes still hopeful that he could play this year, hes a tough soldier," added Benevides. Archibald expressed hope that Hameister-Ries will not have health problems beyond his playing career. "When your bodys not working, its hard to play -- and impossible to play sometimes," said Archibald. "So I hope for him all the best in his career, but beyond that, just in his life, being able, that everything functions and he can be healthy on a long-term basis." Archibald said the Lions will miss the courageous guard on Sunday. But both Archibald and Benevides said the offensive line will just battle through injuries on the offensive line as they have all season. According to Archibald, the team is feeling prepared and right where it wants to be after getting plenty of rest during their bye week after finishing first in the West. "Thats all you can hope for," he said. "The rest will be decided on Sunday." www.nflpatriotsteameshop.com/Elite-Steve-Gregory-Kids-Jersey/ . -- Minnesota Vikings quarterback Rhett Bomar apologized to the team Monday after being arrested on suspicion of drunken driving over the weekend.www.nflpatriotsteameshop.com/Elite-Stevan-Ridley-Kids-Jersey/ . Irving was stripped of the ball by Norris Cole in the closing seconds of the 96-95 loss to the Heat, who rested LeBron James and most of their stars. Irving immediately ran off the floor and to the locker room instead of participating in a jersey giveaway on "Fan Appreciation Night. http://www.nflpatriotsteameshop.com/Elite-Aaron-Dobson-Kids-Jersey/ . It turned out the same way it did a week earlier in Martinsville. When the Sprint Cup points leader finally climbed out of the cockpit of his No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet more than 30 minutes later Friday, after Brad Keselowski and the rest of the field failed to top his lap of 191. www.nflpatriotsteameshop.com/Elite-Sebastian-Vollmer-Kids-Jersey/ . It wasnt a blueprint to win now. Still, new owner Jim Crane didnt think it would be this bad. The Astros have shed almost $40 million from their opening day roster and have a payroll of just $21.3 million as of last week. Nine players on other teams will make more than that by themselves this season, led by Alex Rodriguez ($30 million). www.nflpatriotsteameshop.com/Elite-Devin-McCourty-Kids-Jersey/ . Dan Boyles third-period goal lifted the San Jose Sharks to a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in the first game of their Western Conference quarter-final series Wednesday night.Running technique is an incredibly important part of your performance. If you dont spend time thinking about your movement patterns and gait and working to make it as effective as possible, you are missing out on a simple way to run faster or farther without more physiological training. Understanding and applying the science of technique will help you maximize your efficiency on the road and improve your performance. Why Technique is Important The ideal running technique is the one that optimizes "running economy" which is the amount of oxygen used in relation to a given distance travelled. The more efficient your stride, the less effort you will have to exert. Good technique also optimizes injury prevention by reducing the impact of each step on your muscles and joints. In scientific terms, you want to convert as much of the potential energy of your muscles into the kinetic energy of motion as possible. If we break down running technique into its component parts, stride length is one of the primary issues to address. The distance you cover with each stride has a significant effect on your energy use. Research has shown that the most efficient running stride length is the one that is chosen freely by the individual. Which means that if you are trying to improve your technique, you need to begin with what comes naturally to you. However, improvements in efficiency and strength should eventually lead to an efficient and effective stride that may be longer than your original freely chosen stride. We do know that runners who over stride by stretching their legs far out in front of their bodies with every step, dramatically increase the impact on their muscles and joints and engage in a braking action that reduces their momentum with every stride. To minimize energy loss and muscle damage, you should try to place your foot landing just in front of your hips as you run. If you watch experienced runners, their foot strikes do not land far in front of their hips. To optimize efficiency, you need a technique that eliminates any motion that does not drive you forward. A good example is arms swaying past the midline. Runners who introduce motion that is not in the direction they are travelling, reduce their ability to transfer energy from their leg muscles into energy that directs forward motion. If you picture an experienced or elite runner in your mind, you will note that there are very few extra motions in their upper body as they run. As for the other parts of your biomechanics, try to look 30-40 m ahead of you so that your head is up and you ears are in line with your shoulders. You should maintain an upright posture as if you are being pulled up into the sky by a thread, keep your elbows close to you body, cup your hands lightly, and swing your arms in the direction of your motion. It is also important to keep your hips and your core open and fluid to control lateral movement of the torso while promoting fluid transfer of energy from the upper to lower body. Improve Your Performance Here are the things you sshould consider when assessing or improving your technique: - Try running quietly for 100 m or so – you will find you make adjustments naturally and can make note of them.dddddddddddd You can also try running barefoot on a safe surface in order to feel your natural running stride. - Avoid over striding and try to land with your feet just in front of your hips - Keep your head up and your ears in line with your shoulders - Maintain an upright posture - Keep your hips and core muscles fluid but firm - Avoid swinging your arms across your body - Avoid bouncing How to Teach Your Body to Run Differently Once you have a sense of the essential components of effective running technique, you need to assess your own style. Since running in front of a mirror is a bit tricky, you will need to get feedback from someone else or have them take a video for you to review. Look for movements that are counter to smooth forward motion and identify the parts of your technique that need to improve. Long runs are a good time to try new things because you are running slowly and usually have other people around. Begin by consciously moving your body in the new way and then focus on trying to repeat that motion consistently for an extended period. When making a change, you can start with 5 minutes of new technique at the beginning of the run and then progress to the new style for an entire run. Before you know it, you will be running exclusively with your new technique. This will develop and refine your bodys running motor patterns to the point that the new movement becomes natural and your overall performance improves. You should also think about how you use time at the gym to teach your body to move. A simple push-pull exercise using a pulley system is a great way to practice holding great posture during movements like running. The other benefit of this exercise is that it stretches your hip flexors and trains your core! Start in a lunge position with the hand holding the pulley or tubing, then rotate the body forward as if you are punching:  You can also do the reverse to train the opposite muscles.   With the proper technique and exercises to support it, you can improve your efficiency, lower your times and enjoy running with more ease. Reference 1 Daoud AI, Geissler GJ, Wang F, Saretsky J, Daoud YA, Lieberman DE. (2012). Foot strike and injury rates in endurance runners: a retrospective study. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise Greg Wells Ph.D. (www.drgregwells.com, @drgregwells) is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto in the Faculties of Medicine and Kinesiology. He was the sport science analyst for the Olympic Broadcast Consortium during the 2010 & 2012 Games, and is the author of Superbodies: Peak Performance Secrets from the Worlds Best Athletes. Jessica Caterini is a member of the Human Physiology Research Unit in the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Toronto. http://www.drgregwells.com http://www.twitter.com/drgregwells http://www.superbodies.tv ' ' '