Eugene Roubaix Race Report

Submitted by HPC Correspondent Quinn Keogh

Paris-Roubaix is the Queen of the Classics, the Hell of the North. It routinely brings grown men to tears. Eugene-Roubaix has no such infamy but it does share other traits, such as unpaved sections and a course that cracks the peloton. The race this year was five laps of a 13 mile circuit, or 65 miles, which is not long - except that the course has the best “crux” of any of our local races. The decisive section goes like this: one mile of flat gravel followed immediately by an abrupt and punchy stair-step climb, followed immediately by three hard corners (with cross-wind), followed immediately by ½ mile of 4% false flat climbing. This section has selected the winner in every edition of Eugene-Roubaix’s fabled and illustrious three year history.

The HP Chiro team came prepared to dominate, as usual. We had our strongest showing of the year so far with six riders. In attendance were Seth Hosmer, Matt Willhite, Aaron Coker, Kyle Valenta, Patrick Marzulo and Jason Riffle. The team has been hungry for a win lately and everyone felt confident about the course.

From the gun things were active in the peloton, but only Mark Blackwelder of the Gentle Lovers was able to escape, no doubt thanks to his tender touch and passionate persistence. He kept his lead until the third time across the pave, or gravel, when HP Chiro’s Seth Hosmer bridged on the climb with Chris Swan, Rob English, Steven Beardsley and Jeff Bannink in tow. This made a lead group of six, chased by a tired pack.

The lead group stretched their lead to 1:30 in the last lap and, coming across the gravel to the finish, it was clear they would not be caught. Hosmer surged with 500 meters to go, prompting to Beardsley to drive Blackwelder, his lead-out, to go for the line. With 60 hard miles on his legs, Blackwelder’s pace slackened too soon for Beardsley’s sprint, opening the door for Swan to take the front at 200 meters. HP Chiro’s Hosmer came around and nearly passed Swan, but not quite.

So, a good result for the team and certainly an exciting race to watch. Discussing the race afterword, Seth, a new father, explained that with his limited training time he was uncertain about his fitness. The strong finish inspired confidence and is encouraging for the upcoming PIR campaign.

posted by Seth at Thursday, April 23, 2009 | 0 Comments

Chiropractic Manipulation Best Option for Low Back Pain

Chiropractic Manipulation Best Option For Low Back Pain, According to Patient Survey

(Arlington, Va.) -- In light of a new survey showing that chiropractic spinal manipulation is the top-rated treatment for people suffering with back pain, patients should consider a consultation with a doctor of chiropractic, says the American Chiropractic Association.

The Consumer Reports Health Rating Center released the survey results of more than 14,000 Americans on April 6.

The survey rated doctors of chiropractic as the top practitioner, with survey respondents noting that they were more likely to be “highly satisfied” with the care received from their doctor of chiropractic (59 percent) than their primary care physician (34 percent).

“For the treatment of back pain, few options are better than chiropractic,” says ACA President Glenn Manceaux, DC. “As shown in this latest survey, chiropractic spinal manipulation is an evidence-based and effective treatment for low-back pain and other musculoskeletal injuries. Coupled with the high-levels of patient satisfaction, patients should turn to chiropractic as their first choice.”

To compare which treatments helped most, Consumer Reports asked its subscribers to rate a comprehensive list of potential remedies along with their satisfaction with the health care professionals they visited. Most survey respondents had tried five or six different treatments on average, and many found that their back pain interfered with their daily activities, including sleep and their sex life.

Doctors of chiropractic provide drug-free, non-invasive treatment options for many types of pain and inflammation. For example, chronic back pain, neck pain, joint pain and headaches can often be reduced with the appropriate combination of chiropractic manipulation, rehabilitative exercises and lifestyle counseling – all of which are offered by doctors of chiropractic in a patient’s personalized treatment plan.

A significant amount of evidence has shown that the use of chiropractic care for certain conditions can be more effective than traditional medical care, with many patients feeling improvement shortly after their first chiropractic visit.

To read the article as it appears on the Consumer Reports Web site, click here.

For more information about chiropractic care, or to find a doctor of chiropractic near you, visit the Web site of the American Chiropractic Association, www.acatoday.org.

The American Chiropractic Association, based in Arlington, Va., is the largest professional association in the world representing doctors of chiropractic. The ACA provides lobbying, public relations, professional and educational opportunities for doctors of chiropractic, and offers leadership for the advancement of the profession.

Labels: health performance chiropractic, low back pain

posted by Seth at Tuesday, April 07, 2009 | 0 Comments

Time for the FSR

For some of you, this weekend might have been it - the First Shorts Ride. I'm not talking about a March race where you have embrocation on your legs and full-fingered gloves to go with your jacket. Rides where you started out all bundled up and lost layers along the way do not count. I'm talking about the first ride of the season where you start the ride in shorts without thoughts of shoe covers or which jacket is going to be right for the amount of rain you expect. This is it folks - all you need to ride today is a jersey, shorts and socks. Go get yourself some Organic Vitamin D!

posted by Seth at Monday, April 06, 2009 | 0 Comments