ATC 359: Winter Mojo and Mindset, Stories of Minimalist Shoes in Practice, Ragnar Teaser and More

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Be sure to check out our new Living List at enduranceplanet.com/shop/products with all the non-toxic products and products free of harmful chemicals that Tawnee has researched and uses for her family in their household for a healthier home environment and healthier family members. If you’re thinking of making some like changes to clean up your environment and supplies and goods used (from house cleaning to personal care and beyond) this is a great place to start!

Welcome back to episode number 359 of Ask the Coaches with Tawnee Gibson and Lucho.

On this episode:

Followup on ATC 358 —minimalist footwear (MF) talk:

• Lucho’s anecdotes of maximalist vs more minimalist shoes, and when he has used more minimalist when his knee is flaring up.
• MF is really promising for those with knee issues more than any other injury issue, from what the research indicates…
• Correlation between ankles and knee/glute wellness… Reduced ankle mobility/ROM correlates with reduced glute activation and knee issues (knee valgus, compensation, etc). So even though we mentioned that the MF requires more from the ankle (e.g. greater dorsiflexion and plantarflexion; higher loading at metatarsal and ankle joints), in the long run it seems like this is an adaptation worth making for one’s overall biomechanical wellness and injury resilience.
• On the flip side, a personal story from Tawnee: Postpartum with Emoree, I jumped into minimalist shoes and rough terrain (freezing temps/snow/ice) too fast and briefly suffered “stiff toe” or functional hallux limitus. Had to work on mobility in big toe joint, trigger point and massage for post tib, etc… given that, perhaps she should have used more cushioned shoes or avoided snow/ice in her running comeback? Probably… so it goes both ways!

Winter Mojo: Our Winter Routines

• Lucho and Tawnee share wisdom on mindset and routines that help us during the winter/dark/cold season.
• in HPN 34, Julie and Tawnee did a episode on ‘Holistic Winter Prep’ including use of sauna, red light therapy, hydration needs and protein needs.
• Also what Tawnee will be adding to her winter routine this season:
  • Better lighting within the home to help with both winter blues and circadian rhythm, using a full-spectrum light bulb.
  • Self-care and “me time”—during summer this comes as solo long runs or personal time in nature, but that is limited in this season and as a busy working mom she needs those moments where she puts herself and self-care first, in order to thrive for everyone else she helps!

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