Lucky us! We had the chance to treat the real Caveman, Conrad Stoltz a true legend in the world of off-road Triathlon. He’s still leading the pack and racing Pro at 40! Conrad is an all-round nice guy who gave us a glimpse into his background, race highlights, memorable moments and much more…

Name:
Conrad Stoltz “Caveman”

Where you are from?
Stellenbosch South Africa

Years in Sport:
Started 1988 age 14. Turned Pro after High School

Why did you get into this sport?
Turns out it’s more fun and adventurous than running round and round a 400m track

Favorite things outside of sport
Going cool places with with Princes Hotstuff (aka my wife, Liezel) coffee & cake, adventure, eating, fly fishing, dirt bikes & outdoors

Major Accomplishments:

• 4x XTERRA World Champion
• 3x ITU Cross Tri World Champion
• 10x XTERRA USA Series Champion
• 2x Olympian
• 5x African triathlon Champion
• 5x South African triathlon Champion
• Winner Mrs Ts Chicago

The perfect ride and or race:
XTERRA Italy is pretty amazing: http://www.conradstoltz.com/index.php/caveman-wins-in-mountains-at-xterra-italy/

What you love about the sport:
XTERRA is a mix adrenaline with your lactic acid. To do well you need to be technically skilled, brave and robust- on top of being super fit and well trained. There’s tire and shoe choices to be made – according to the terrain. And its constantly changing according to the weather or the location:
You could be speeding through wooded single track with rocks, roots, mud- typically East Coast or Europe. Or you could be racing on a volcano in Hawaii, or running on a sandy beach in Brazil, riding the Flume trail overlooking Lake Tahoe, or bombing down crowd lined stairs and narrow alleys of a medieval Italian mountain village.
The destinations are phenomenal. Each with its own challenges and culture- this is what keeps it fresh and fun- and is the reason I’m still racing Pro at 40.

Race Aspirations or Inspiration:
I like the adventure, the adrenaline, the exotic locations, stunning natural beauty and of course the people are great- friendly and laid back. I also like going fast!

Favorite gear:
Hoka Mafate trail shoes. Specialized Sworks Stumpjumper trail bike. Oakley Radar XL. Clif Bar’s BuilderBar Cookies and Cream

Most memorable race moment:
Winning my 4th XTERRA Worlds title in 2010. I raced for my dad – who was fighting cancer. It was the 1st World title won on a 29er and I just had a perfect day: http://www.conradstoltz.com/index.php/xterra-world-champs-2010-race-report/

Blog: www.conradstoltz.com
Twitter: @ConradStoltz

They have some pretty dark secrets!

Most of us could guess the majority of the worst foods on the planet, but bet you don’t know why they’re so bad for us. Where do you think “movie theatre popcorn” ranks? How about farmed salmon or milk?

Find out what are the 15 Unhealthiest Foods on the Planet.

Once you get the low down on the real reasons they are a lousy choice for your health, you’ll think twice before reaching for that afternoon snack.

Read the article and let us know if you learned anything new: http://inspiyr.com/unhealthiest-foods/

 

We all have reasons why we don’t do this or we don’t do that. Then, we sit back in awe of those who do and wonder why we can’t be like them. Well, we can. Sometimes we just need to find the right inspiration and motivation to get moving. If there ever was a reason to do so, it would be the CAF.

Last year Rausch PT put a team together and hosted several fundraising events to support John Elliot and the Challenged Athletes Foundation. If you have ever spent time talking to John, I am sure that he has shared with you his passion for CAF.

Every year, CAF holds the San Diego Triathlon Challenge in La Jolla Cove. It is called “The Best Day in Triathlon” for good reason.

If you visit the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) homepage, and search under “what we do”, you will find the following: “CAF recognizes the athletic greatness inherent in all people with physical challenges and supports their athletic endeavors by providing unparalleled sports opportunities that lead to success in sports — and in life.” The Challenged Athletes Foundation is an organization dedicated to providing unique opportunities (including wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, and adaptive bikes) to athletes who would otherwise be unable to participate in the sport or activity that they love ( i.e. running, cycling, skateboarding, basketball etc.).

This year, the event is October 19th. Don’t miss out on this amazing event. Sign up and join Team Rausch PT as a relay swimmer, cyclist or runner.

Each person is responsible for the initial $100 entry fee and then an additional $400 for a total of $500. We will be planning fundraisers to help each of us meet this goal – so don’t worry!

If you are interested in joining our team, email Jill Blake at jill@rauschpt.net and she will get you started.

Do you ever get that nagging soreness in your low back as climb hills? Or have a new leg pain as you increased your bike mileage from 20 miles to 75 mile rides? It happens to just about every cyclist. In fact, the data says that roughly 60% of all cyclists will have some sort of soft tissue injury on a yearly basis. Which really isn’t a bad percentage at all. Running injuries happen to 87% of all runners, and almost 65% of all Crossfitter’s are injured yearly. So cycling isn’t all that bad afterall!

But who wants to be hurt? It slows down training, makes us cranky, and prevents us from having fun racing. Luckily, there are quite a few steps you can take to prevent injuries or head them off as they come about. And of course, they will come about. So here’s what you can do:

• Get regular soft tissue work (ART, Massage, Foam Roll, Lacrosse ball, etc)
• Cross Train (Yoga, Pilates, Crossfit, P90X)
• Get an EXPERT Bike Fit
• and of course, buy everything carbon Di2 aero you can… 🙂

But let’s visit the idea of Bike Fit for a bit. This is a highly keyed in area in the world of cycling. Most fitter suggest that you have an Expert Bike Fit yearly, to which I have to agree. Cycling is unique amongst endurance sports, as it uses another piece of equipment (the bike) during the sport. Therefore, the mechanics of the bike can directly effect your body. And these effects go up exponentially as your mileage per week increases. The more you ride, the more mechanics matter.

I’d like to make further suggestion – Especially to those of you who are riding distances greater than 30 miles at a time. YOU MATTER! In fact, you matter a lot (pat yourself on the back here). Let’s take a quick look at a race car. Not just any race car but a Formula One… 2 + million dollar race car. That car is perfect. Light, quick, sleek, and ready to race. Now take that car and put great grandma in the drivers seat. How does the car work? If great grandma could get it in gear, it wouldn’t live up to its abilities. I’m not hating on great grandma’s here. I loved my great grandma, she brought me the best German cookies at every visit, but I definitely can’t imagine her driving an Formula One car.

So why do we (the cycling & triathlon community) allow great grandma to ride our super high performance, carbon framed, Di2 shifting rocket ship of a bike? This is where Bike RIGHT comes in…

• cycling mechanics
• knee position
• posture
• saddle position and fit
• head position
• pedaling form
• muscular and flexibility imbalances

Bike Right is how you take great grandma out of the driver seat and put Jeff Gordon (YOU) in it. We will analyze your form with biomechanical video software, check your body for imbalances and issues, and teach you how to sit, pedal, and move better on your bike. This Bike RIGHT is all about YOU.

Call the office (949) 276-5401 and schedule your Bike Right session (with Jeff Gordon.. wink-wink).

Make the most important decision for your child’s athletic career and foot health for the rest of their life.

Pick the right shoe!

We are cursed with weak, deformed, narrowed, and problematic feet. And it started when we were small. Those super cute shoes that you shoved your kids feet into for way too long are the start of the dysfunction that permeates a lifetime of tough footwear choices.

I am not a crazed barefoot dictator, there are in fact some shoes out there that are great for your feet and your kids feet.

But what do short and tight shoes do to your foot anyway?

In short, they bend your toes inward (causing bunions); tighten your calves (changing your posture & run form); weaken your feet (altering the way you run); and so much more…

These effects start the minute you put on a shoe that is too small, too tight, has a high heel and so on. All of these alter the normal mechanics of you foot leading to more and more changes as you age.

The detrimental effects are somewhat noticeable during childhood and may look like Severe’s Disease.

Then when sports get a little more intense during early teen years foot dysfunction can lead to Patellar Tendonitis.

Fast forward another 15 years when you’ve started to recapture your youth and get back into fitness by training for a Half Marathon, you wind up with Plantar Fascitis. Jump another 20 years, and you’re having a hard time walking around the harbor because of knee arthritis. Told you this was a big deal…

Of course there is hope!

At any time in this cycle you can choose the right shoes and take care of your feet. So start with your kids this year. Check out this list when buying shoes:

1. Buy bigger! Give them as much room as possible
2. Look for a wider toe box (the front of the shoe)
3. FORGET stability shoes (they don’t work nor have they ever…)
4. Get the flattest shoe possible (zero drop is a big buzz word)
5. Say no to heels!

Remember, less is more.

All research has shown that extra padding in shoes is a waste and actually causes more trauma to the foot and knee joints as well. Think about shoes like Vans or Converse. They protect your feet from the ground, but allow your feet to work like they should. Furthermore, take your shoes off as much as possible. Play barefoot in the grass, sand or dirt. Its great for your feet!

Shoe Recommendations:

School Shoes:

• Altra
• Vans
• Merrell
• Converse

Running Shoes:

• Newton
• Altra

Take the time this year, to get your kids feet into the most mechanically sound shoes possible. It matters now and later. Our feet didn’t get this messed up overnight, so if you’ve got issues; get into the office ASAP so we can help direct you back on track. We’re here to help.