I didn’t do a “random thoughts” feature last week, so I’ll have to be extra random this week to make up for it.

1.  Bam!

You weren’t expecting me to come out with such amazing humor, were you?  Let that be a lesson to you; nobody is more random than EC (and nobody pulls off referring to himself in the third person better, either).

2. We all know that warm-ups are importance for enhancing power output, grooving appropriate neural patterns, and avoiding injury.  Here is some cool research that demonstrates how much more effective an active warm-up is than a passive warm-up when it comes to metabolic responses to exercise.  Namely, those who undergo an active warm-up demonstrate increased oxygen uptake and lower heart rate at a given workload than those participating in a passive warm-up (or no warm-up at all).

Anecdotally, I can tell you that there have been some days where I have felt like there was lead in my shoes and that there was no way I could get any interval training in on a day I’d planned to do so.  However, after a good dynamic flexibility warm-up, things “miraculously” got a lot easier.

3. A big congratulations go out to CP baseball athletes Jordan Cote, who committed to Coastal Carolina, and Joe Napolitano, who committed to Wake Forest. Both made their decisions last week and were featured at ESPN Boston.  We’re proud of our boys!

4. Likewise, I’ve got to give a congratulations to CP athlete and Lincoln-Sudbury All-American soccer player Cole DeNormandie, who became the second CP athlete featured on the cover of ESPN Rise Magazine in just the past few months (he joins Vanderbilt-bound pitcher Tyler Beede):

5. Mike Robertson published a three part series on Knee Pain Basics this past week; it is absolutely fantastic and I’d strongly encourage you to check it out.  Here are the links:

Part 1 – Philosophy
Part 2 – Programming
Part 3 – Coaching

Along these same lines, if you haven’t checked out Mike’s Bulletproof Knees Manual yet, I’d strongly encourage you to do so; it’s an excellent resource.

6. Greg Robins recently came down to spend some time observing the madness at Cressey Performance, and wrote up a detailed review of his experience; check it out: Science and Attitude: My Trip to Cressey Performance.

7. Here is a link to a great blog from Bret Contreras; it’s definitely worth a read: Sprint Research, Biomechanics, and Practical Implications – An Interview with Matt Brughelli.

8. I need some advice from the dog lovers out there.  Both my fiancee and I grew up with dogs and are thinking about getting a puppy after our wedding (less than six weeks away right now).  We both agree that we want something small – but at the same time, I’d like something that doesn’t make me want to instantly turn in my man card, like the silky poo for which she is currently pushing:

I actually really like bulldogs, but that’s going to be a tough sell for her unless it’s a “hybrid” where you can’t see a whole lot of bulldog.  Plus, I know a lot of people have said that they have a higher propensity for health issues.  I like puggles, mini pincers, and a few others, but what do those of you in-the-know suggest?  Thanks for any help you can offer!

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