Today I awoke with a most horrible pain in my right shoulder and left hip. Hmmm I thought, I don't remember doing anything out of the normal. 2 Bike races over the weekend, a little 5 mile run and an hour of weight training, but no pain. Finally it dawned me, I was doing something out of the normal over the weekend...... raking leaves! I went at it as hard and as fast as I could, neglecting to watch my posture and change my hand position often. As an endurance athlete I train daily, but was bested by a sugar maple. Let this be a cautionary warning, no matter how good of shape you are in, doing things that are out of your routine and doing them wrong, can have disastrous results.
As we approach the end of fall and the beginning of winter, remember to rake and shovel with your legs, switch hands, and change directions often or just tell the kids to get out there and do it!
