runDisney Princess Half Marathon...Here Comes Dr. Cool!
We are happy to announce our attendance at the runDisney Princess Half Marathon!
Dr. Cool will be an exhibitor at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL, February 20th to the 23rd for the "Fit For A Princess" event. We are incredibly excited to bring Recovery-On-The-Go™ Wraps back once again to the hard working runners of the half marathon and other running events! It's shaping up to be a large event with over 55,000 attendees! We will be sure to have plenty of wraps on hand!
If you've ever had a nagging injury from training for races or just plain working out in general, we're here to help! Dr. Cool Recovery-On-The-Go™ is the first to combine ice and compression all in one flexible wrap!
Come and see us at the "Fit For A Princess" expo next week and learn what Recovery-On-The-Go™ can do to help those bumps, bruises and excuses!
See You There!
Dr. Cool introduces Recovery-On-The-Go Wraps™ To Physical Therapy Industry At CSM 2014!
Dr. Cool will exhibit its Recovery-On-The-Go™ wraps, the first sports recovery product that combines ice and compression in one flexible fabric wrap, for the first time at the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting in Las Vegas February 3-6. Board Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (DACBSP) David Holmes is joining the Dr. Cool advisory board and will be present at the meeting in the Dr. Cool booth (#882) to explain the product and demonstrate its various uses.
“Dr. Cool created Recovery-On-The-Go Wraps to help people recover better and maintain an active lifestyle, so it’s great to introduce it to the physical therapy professionals, a community that strives for those same values every day,” said Nick Skally, marketing director for Coolcore.
Dr. Cool wraps can be used as a dry compression wrap to support and protect various body parts during physical therapy sessions, or frozen to combine cold and compression to reduce swelling and speed recovery mid or post session. Powered by Coolcore’s patented chemical-free cooling material, Dr. Cool wraps are available in three sizes, 3” x 25”, 4” x 50” and 6” x 50” to accommodate any body part. Attendees will be given product demonstrations and samples of Dr. Cool Recovery-On-The-Go Wraps™ at the Dr. Cool booth.
“Innovation is imperative to sports medicine industry, so my decision to partner with Dr. Cool and join its advisory board was heavily based on my excitement for their ground-breaking product,” said Dr. Holmes. “Dr. Cool is a must for any PT, ATC, DC or MD who has patients who need to ice on the move at work, after a game or after surgery.”
Dr. Holmes is a board certified chiropractic sports physician, nationally registered emergency medical technician, certified strength and conditioning specialist and trained in Active Release Technique®. He has also provided consultation and specialized treatment to professional and elite level athletes in the NFL, NBA, IOC and NCAA. “We all know the importance of ice therapy in the recovery process, but people don’t always use it due to the inconvenience,” said Dr. Holmes. “That’s why I’m excited about this product that can provide ice therapy and compression in a flexible fabric wrap.”
This year, Dr. Cool Recovery-On-The-Go Wraps™ joined the Research Program of the Foundation for Physical Therapy’s Partners as a Silver Level Partner. The Partners in Research Program recognizes corporate donors that support the Foundation’s mission to provide doctoral scholarships, fellowships and research grants to emerging physical therapist researchers.
Preparing For Pain, Plan On It!
Some days don’t go as planned. Wednesday was one of those days.
Wednesday was a mixed climbing day, the kind of day where it isn’t uncommon to find one hand on rock, the other holding an ice tool. It’s usually steep and always fun. Unless, of course, the day doesn’t go as planned.
It was the first climb of the day, an overhanging route called Unemployment Line that works its way out a rock wall to a dagger of ice hanging from the lip. The icicle loomed large overhead as I laced up my boots. Once I left the ground there would be no rest until I was standing on top of it.
I felt good for the first few moves, flowing upward to where the roof pitched back. I stopped just before the transition, took a breath, and launched into the climbing. Move after move flowed underneath me. Hook a tool. Kick feet to the side. Rock up, and place the other tool. I clipped the rope into gear as I went up, doing my best to keep moving, breathing, trying to stay relaxed as the ground sank beneath me.
Suddenly I was off, tools still in hand but falling through the air. The rope came tight, and I swung in a long pendulum back toward the cliff. WHACK!! My knee hit the wall. Through three layers of synthetics I felt it explode in pain, then go numb and swell.
“Lower me!”
I shouted to my belayer, holding my leg. “I’m done!”
The rope trembled as I sank to the ground. Luckily, when I got to the bottom, I was able to wrap myself in my Recovery-On-The-Go wrap. Preparation before the climb is key, but somedays just don’t go as planned. Wednesday was one of those days.
runDisney Marathon Weekend a Magical Success!
Princesses, witches, heroes and monsters, from kingdoms near and far, gathered by the thousands last week in Orlando for the annual runDisney Marathon. A week of races, winding runners (many costumed) through all four Walt Disney World Theme Parks (Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios), it is the largest of all the runDisney events and this year it attracted over one-hundred thousand runners and supporters!
Mickey, Minnie, Goofy… all our favorite characters were there, and most all of them were competing in the full week of races. And, like many of the runners we’ve met recently, most all were nursing an injury of one kind or another.
Whether they were competing in the 5K, the 10K, the half-marathon, the full marathon or all of them (yes, some people ran in EVERY race!), Dr. Cool was there, ready to help runners recover with our revolutionary ice and compression wraps. The booth was busy the entire show with people coming in to check out what our colorful products were all about; getting their backs, thighs, knees, calves, ankles or feet wrapped; swapping war stories about running hurt.
I now understand why runners, in particular, hate letting injuries keep them from competing; as one runner explained to me, each day they are sidelined, they lose a step and that’s hard work lost. I guess that’s why our motto of Recovery on the Go resonates so strongly with them. Dr. Cool provides runners with the performance, simplicity and convenience they need to never stop doing what they love.
All in all, the event was a huge success! Seeing so many inspiring people and happy customers was… magical!
Rescue Mission On Top Of Mount Washington
24 hours ago, the phone by my bed rings at 11:30pm and I don’t need to pick it up to know who’s calling. I grab the phone and listen: “This is the Mountain Rescue Service and we’ve been asked to search for a lost hiker on Mt. Washington…” Just two short weeks ago I was in the Caribbean, enjoying 85 degree sunshine, and tomorrow I’ll be spending the day above tree-line on Mt. Washington, home of the World’s Worst Weather for a rescue mission. I set my alarm, spend the next 30 minutes making a mental checklist of the gear I’ll need, and try to sleep.
In the morning, well before the sun rises, I’ve stuffed my pack with two pairs of gloves, an expedition down parka, insulated over pants, a light-weight sleeping bag, puffy jacket, thermos of tea, and some energy bars. This is in addition to the map, compass, GPS, headlamp, tool kit, climbing harness and shovel which I normally keep in my pack. On the outside of my pack I’ve got my crampons and one Ice ax which will allow me to safely travel on any terrain on the mountain. I don’t know exactly where on the mountain I’ll be, or even how long I’ll be out, so I need to be prepared for anything, yet can’t be encumbered by too much gear. With insulated mountaineering boots, and good gloves, I just need to keep my core warm and protect exposed skin from the wind. Everyone on my team has many years of experience in these conditions, so I don’t need to worry about my team mates, though we routinely check each other’s face for signs of frostbite. When patches of skin turn grey, a few minutes of protection from the wind under a hood or warm hand can reverse the freezing.
As expected it was cold! Temperatures on the summit hovered around 0ºF with an average wind speed of 40 m.p.h. and sunny, clear conditions. Clear weather on Mt. Washington is rare in the winter. My team searched the south west side of the mountain starting at the summit. We found a single set of tracks in the snow leading down into Oak’s Gulf which the helicopter confirmed continued down into an area called Dry River, a notoriously difficult area to travel due to water crossings, deep snow, and lack of a good trail. A team was dispatched into the area from the top, and also from the road, but in the end the lost hiker walked out of the woods on his own 36 hours after he started with no injuries. It’s a good day when everyone, including the lost hiker gets to go home and sleep in a warm bed.
Learn more about the Mountain Rescue Service: http://www.nhmrs.org/
Dr. Cool Runs Wild at The Running Event in Austin!
Our crew had the amazing opportunity to head down to Austin, TX and co-sponsor The Trail Run at Luke’s Locker for The Running Event! This event is a premier conference and expo for running specialty retailers through out the country. This is the show’s 8th year in Austin with an estimate 250 running industry manufacturers.
This event was a 3 day trade expo showcasing the latest and greatest in athletic product technology appealing to running fanatics to beginners. The Running Event is one of the 50 fastest growing trade shows in the country!
Rise and shine to Wednesday morning where we set up a tent with product to greet runners who just finished up The Trail Run at Luke’s Locker. The reaction to the product was phenomenal as die hard runners were gracious to learn of the existence of Recovery-On-The-Go™ Wraps to help get through their pain.
Later that afternoon, the show floor was packed with amazing upcoming technology from all of the big brands as well as many new underdogs equally excited about their new products. With the goal of spreading brand awareness in mind, we took to the aisles to talk mobile recovery to runners and retailers alike!
The overall reaction was stunning as most people who interacted with the wraps were excited. The ease of use, selection of colors and convenience resonated with show goers. We were able to meet with several media outlets who also shared the same reaction!
Many thanks to The Running Event program for inviting us down to Austin and thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth to hear about how Recovery-On-The-Go can keep you moving!
Peace in Motion, Peace of Mind
It’s something every day. Maybe it’s a trail run, a few hours of rock climbing or a road bike ride. Maybe it’s a hike, or if there’s snow on the ground a ski. If the weather is bad enough yoga, a workout targeting opposing muscle groups or a visit to an indoor climbing wall will do.
It isn’t an addiction exactly. It’s more just motion, constant motion. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. When it stops, the game is over. The point, then, is to stay in motion, to never let the ball hit the floor.
Even rest days are filled with the same energy, move at the same speed. They are a deliberate absence of motion, an exercise vacuum, every bit as intentional as the workouts. They serve as the counterpoint, the exhalation that follows exertion.
The rest feels good, but the burn feels better. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the legs, the lungs, the forearms or the fingertips — the pain is the prize. So is the euphoria that follows as it subsides.
It isn’t an addiction, but it is destructive. With every step, every pedal stroke, doubts are set ablaze. The word CAN’T gets whittled to sawdust, replaced by footprints that scream “DID.” With every passing mile, every turn of the ski, every move skyward, the impossible melts away, wiped clean by the movement, and by those who find peace in it.
Every day is something. Inhale, exhale, and stay in motion. And leave a trail that echos.