Meet Charlotte: Triathlon Athlete and CHT at Desert Hand and Physical Therapy
At Desert Hand and Physical Therapy, we have MANY talented and targeted specialists to care for you needs. Take a look at Charlotte’s Ironman journey below for some inspiration to get out there and try new things!
The Ironman Race: The Story
Completing a full Ironman has always been a personal goal of mine. I fulfilled that goal in November of 2019. Since completing my goal, I have been participating in Half Ironman races. My most recent race was in December of 2022. This was my first race post-partum. It was a lot different from the other races due to a decrease in training time. I really had to focus on quality training time and not quantity, which is where my perspective as a therapist was very helpful.
How the Approach Was Different from an OT, CHT Perspective. Not to mention postpartum!
This race, I knew my knowledge of body mechanics and biomechanics was going to help me through, especially with tailoring my training program to address individual strengths and weaknesses. For example, I was required to do things such as analyzing my posture and alignment in order to enhance my efficiency, reduce risk of injury, and optimize my overall performance. Focusing on my biomechanics played a role in my form during swimming, biking, and running with paying close attention to foot strike/stride length/arm swing, maintaining proper joint mechanics to eliminate unnecessary stress and strain on muscles and joints. In addition, incorporating strength and stability exercises that targeted key muscle groups was critical.
Having a proper pre-workout or race routine helps, which very much depends on the individual person. Everyone is different, but a piece of advice from my perspective would be to develop a basic/dynamic warm up that fits your needs. Participating in an endurance race such as a triathlon is not for everyone. However, if you choose to participate in such a race, understanding biomechanics and body mechanics is important!
If you or a family member/ friend are in need of some additional support for joint pain or tips to manage training for a race, sporting activity, or hobby, BIG OR SMALL, please click HERE to get signed up for a therapy appointment with one of our expert therapists today!
To read more about Charlotte Reed MS, OTR/L, CHT,
please click HERE for her bio!
