Our newest addition to Rausch Physical Therapy and Sports Performance, Jack McPheron, Director of the Performance Lab located inside our office. He studied Mechanical Engineering at Penn State, his brain is hardwired to understand how things work, including the human body.

We first met Jack when he was a rep for Newton Running Shoes, a brand we love. As we grew and he grew, so did our professional relationship and the need for a Human performance extraordinaire. Naturally, we wanted him. To validate he’s worth having, Jack threw together a few words of his own.

(In the words of Jack)

Q. How did you get into endurance sports/distance running? (Ultra’s, Ironman)

1. I first entered endurance sport world after being cut from baseball team in 7th grade and mom suggested going out for the XC team. Did it first as a social activity, but it has since progressed into pushing personal limits and seeing how far I can go.

Q. Favorite training tricks/ fuel/ trail – what do you love about running & endurance sports?

1. Training Tricks – Training at the correct intensities and engaging the mind into pushing harder.

Fuel – Boiled potatoes in coarse salt, ProBar, Nuun, BoBo’s Oat Bars.

Trail – Forest Park in Portland, OR

Q. What credentials/ trainings/podiums/placings do you have?

1. I got my Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineer and have studied Biomechanics of Running for 6 years. Needless to say, I love understanding how items/humans work. I am also a certified Level 3 Natural Run Coach. As for my athletic abilities, it began at a young age and has since evolved from baseball to endurance sports. I hold these placings – 2nd in age at Steamtown, 19th overall. Top 3% or better in all marathons raced. 4 Ironman finishes.

Accolades:

• 2nd in Age Group, 21st Overall – Steamtown Marathon 2010
• 3rd Overall – Palos Verdes Half Marathon 2010
• Top 2% – Boston Marathon 2011
• Top 3% – NYC Marathon 2011
• 19th Overall – Missoula Half Marathon 2012
• 23rd Overall – Missoula Half Marathon 2011
• Ironman St. George 2012, Coeur d’Alene 2013, Tahoe 2013, Canada 2014

Q. When not training… what do you do?( Besides plan your next run, ha ha)

A. Anything that is an adrenaline rush or new adventure. Paddle boarding, surfing, climbing, hiking, camping, traveling, visiting family, writing.

I am seeking to share my passion with athletes around the world and help others achieve their goals and dreams. By doing so, I am rewarded with the pure joy I hope to have each and every day of my life.

If you have questions about our Performance Lab services, shoot Jack an email jack@rauschpt.net.

We are still enjoying the last few weeks of summer and the Huffington Post has already forecasted the fitness trends for 2015. Many of you have the latest and greatest gadgets, tech toys and wearable devices the sync up with apps to track your runs, rides, steps and sleep patterns.

What are we stoked about? Many of the fitness trends that we as a leading PT clinic and self-care experts (Dynamic Massage & ABC Pilates) have been saying for years is considered the top fitness trends for 2015:

• Restorative Care

• Recovery

• Foam Roller

The new slogan to consider, Train Hard, Recover Harder! It used to be “No Pain, No Gain! Times have changed. Thankfully.

What’s really exciting? We are ahead of the curve!

Read the article in The Huffington Post and see if you are a fitness trendsetter:

2015 Forecasted Fitness Trends

View the NEW Restorative classes offered at ABC Pilates

View the Recovery massages offered at Dynamic Touch

#rauschpt #trendsetters #abcpilates #dynamictouch

This summer we were everywhere. Tuesday and Thursday nights from May to August were filled with bikes, running shoes, swim caps and goggles. And through it all, we had the opportunity to make connections with incredible athletes and ambassadors of living an active and healthy lifestyle.

On Tuesdays, we were readily found at the Over The Hump Mountain Bike series. A great group of people from all ages and all levels gathered together at Irvine Lake and do what mountain bikers do best, got dirty.

One particular evening at OTH as we set up our showcase, we were placed right next to a tent that had “Wheels 4 Life” plastered all over it. Then came their goods, baked goods, liquid goods, and hand made good. It was a one stand bizarre filled with smiles, tantalizing smells and accents from around the world.

Being the curious person that I am, I wandered over to have a gander. Unbeknownst to myself, Wheels 4 Life, is a non-profit that provides bikes for people in developing countries in order to help them get to and from work and or school. That was enough for my to give them my support and buy a cupcake… it was for a good cause.

Wheels 4 Life was founded by Hans Rey. If you are like me, the next question you are asking is “ Who is Hans Rey?” Allow me to enlighten you.

Hans Rey is a multi-world champion mountain biker. He started his career riding in the 70’s and has pioneered the way extreme mountain biking is viewed in modern day. His travels took him around the world and opened his eyes to how a simple bike could hugely impact and improve the lives of others. And so was the beginning of Wheels 4 Life.

Learn how you can do more here.

http://www.wheels4life.org

 

VO2 Testing

With the introduction of the internet not all that long ago, we have all quickly realized now more than ever that knowledge is power. We can see this in everyday life and it is important to know that knowledge is extremely powerful when it comes to our athletic training as well. How much knowledge do you have when it comes to your training? Are you aware of your anaerobic threshold, your aerobic threshold, your heart rate training zones, or your resting metabolic rate? If not, you should be!

Many people train at a medium-hard intensity for every workout and wonder why they aren’t seeing the benefits? Training nonspecifically without a plan can lead to plateaus, injuries, and a lack in performance. VO2 testing can help you to determine your training zones as well as your anaerobic and aerobic threshold. All of this information is very important in order to cater your daily workouts to your specific training and racing goals.

A VO2 Test is a graded exercise test on a treadmill or bike with a mask over your face that measures the volume of your expired air as well as the percent of oxygen and carbon dioxide in each expired breath. By gathering this data, one can learn their aerobic and anaerobic threshold, and potentially your VO2 Max. This information will help you to understand your heart rate zones and training intensities for effective training. Heart rate zones are unique to each person’s physiology and should be known when training for any endurance event. Training too hard or too easy can lead to long term damage and falling short of goals.

A VO2 Test is the perfect way for you to gain an edge over your competition and to understand how to train smarter, not harder. VO2 testing isn’t just for the elites anymore as it makes training more enjoyable and safer for athletes of all abilities.

Schedule your test today and get on the road to better performances and less fatigue!

Cost:$150

Schedule Here

Questions? email jack@rauschpt.net Jack McPheron, Performance Lab Director

Welcome back Fall! Ok – its Africa hot outside and we’re not even close to boot and sweater weather, but all the other aspects of Fall are here. Football’s on, school’s back, IM Kona is coming, and the fishing is as good as its ever been.

One aspect of Fall that sometimes gets overlooked is selecting your Health Insurance Plan. This usually happens in October and YOU have a choice this year. Many of us were surprised, shocked, and overwhelmed by the “un-Covered California” debacle this past year. This month is your chance to truly inspect your Health Insurance coverages and limitations. Don’t take anything for granted, look, ask, and make sure you know what you are buying.

This year our front desk and billing teams did an outstanding job of figuring out the sneaky insurance tactics that so many insurance groups used. They are Pro’s at it and I am thankful for their diligence and commitment to YOU. In fact, they were the first to un-cover the “covered California” narrow network produced by Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Some of you may be acutely aware of the “narrow network” by the two Blue’s, as you watched your favorite providers be left off the narrow list this year. For those affected by the Blue Cross or Blue Shield narrow network issues, there are many class action lawsuits going against these insurances. Please check into them.

Top 5 Things to Watch for This Year:

• Visit limits (24 PT visits per calendar year is a good average)
• Insurance reviews and restrictions to care (United HC and Cigna are actively restricting the number of visits and care that you get)
• Narrow networks (Blue Cross & Shield)
• High dollar co-pay’s per visit (United HC)
• Prescription Requirements (Californian’s have a #FastPass access to Physical Therapy care whenever they want it (according to CA law), however, some insurance companies are still un-lawfully requiring prescriptions for PT care.

The days of $5 copays are long gone, and insurance companies are cleverly finding ways to limit care to their constituents on a daily basis. However, our job @Rausch PT is to take care of YOU. Get YOU to the place you want to go. Keep YOU healthy. And improve YOUR performance.

We have a myriad of options available for you:

#PT, #ART, #PERFORMANCELAB #VO2MAX, #MASSAGE, #ALTERG, #PILATES, #NATURALRUNNING, #RUNRIGHT, #THROWRIGHT, #BIKERIGHT, #ORTHOTICS, and more! YOU are what’s important. YOUR success is our priority, and we are committed to GETTING YOU THERE.

For more help in choosing your health insurance, please email your questions to insurancehelp@rauschpt.net or just stop by the office (PS – we like donuts:)

Cheers to YOUR health,

<h2><img class=”alignright wp-image-1454 size-full” src=”http://www.blograuschpt.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Performance-Lab-blog.jpg” alt=”Rausch Physical Therapy and Sports Performance” width=”295″ height=”200″ />VO2 Testing</h2>
<p>With the introduction of the internet not all that long ago, we have all quickly realized now more than ever that knowledge is power. We can see this in everyday life and it is important to know that knowledge is extremely powerful when it comes to our athletic training as well. How much knowledge do you have when it comes to your training? Are you aware of your anaerobic threshold, your aerobic threshold, your heart rate training zones, or your resting metabolic rate? If not, you should be!</p>
<p>Many people train at a medium-hard intensity for every workout and wonder why they aren’t seeing the benefits? Training nonspecifically without a plan can lead to plateaus, injuries, and a lack in performance. <b>VO2 testing </b>can help you to determine your training zones as well as your anaerobic and aerobic threshold. All of this information is very important in order to cater your daily workouts to your specific training and racing goals.</p>
<p>A <strong>VO2 Test</strong> is a graded exercise test on a treadmill or bike with a mask over your face that measures the volume of your expired air as well as the percent of oxygen and carbon dioxide in each expired breath. By gathering this data, one can learn their aerobic and anaerobic threshold, and potentially your VO2 Max. This information will help you to understand your heart rate zones and training intensities for effective training. Heart rate zones are unique to each person’s physiology and should be known when training for any endurance event. Training too hard or too easy can lead to long term damage and falling short of goals.</p>
<p><b>A VO2 Test </b>is the perfect way for you to gain an edge over your competition and to understand how to train smarter, not harder. VO2 testing isn’t just for the elites anymore as it makes training more enjoyable and safer for athletes of all abilities.</p>
<p>Schedule your test today and get on the road to better performances and less fatigue!</p>
<p>Cost:$150</p>
<p><a href=”https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/home?studioid=18756″ target=”_blank”>Schedule Here</a></p>
<p>Questions? email <a href=”mailto:jack@rauschpt.net”>jack@rauschpt.net</a> Jack McPheron, Performance Lab Director</p>