M.O.V.E.!'s Focus on Deliberate Practice and the Post Goal Analysis:
Sprinting and Surgery
by Inez Kelleher, M.D.
I am an orthopedic surgeon who has been using the MOVE! principles for the past three years. I ran middle distance in college, and road races through my early 20’s. Once my family started, followed by medical school, USAF duties and surgery, running and exercising took a backseat in my life. My late 50’s brought back the desire to realize my dream to become an athlete again, and I returned to the track under Cathy Utzschneider’s guidance based on MOVE! principles. My work and my knees do not allow me to spend hours on road running so I decided to concentrate on sprinting, in particular, the 50,100 and 200m. I have continued to improve my absolute times and age grading over the past three years. Two principles that have stood out during this journey are deliberate practice and the post goal analysis.
Sprinting is made of several techniques each with their own neuromuscular requirements, and I started from scratch. Just as when most new activities are learned in any discipline, be it sprinting, playing piano or even operating, certain patterns of movement are established. Deliberate practice allows this to take place. Under the guidance of a coach or trainer, proper techniques are practiced, and layered on each other.
When I first started, I was thinking of everything while running— my arms, legs, knee lift, and core. It was mind boggling and exhausting. Using the principle of deliberate practice, I was taught to deliberately concentrate on a specific technique. For example, arm position in sprints is different than in long distance running. I had to work on arm and shoulder strength, and then running arm drills, my core to hold my body straight. Track workouts concentrating on arm swing at different speeds. Eventually, I didn’t have to think so hard to make it happen!
How does one find weaknesses and strengths on which to work? I find this through the post goal analysis. After a major competition, I go over the day’s events. What was the day like? How did I feel? Was I fatigued or energized? What did I eat? What was the best and worse part of my event? What did I remember thinking? What warm-ups did I do? Through this concentrated effort of examination, patterns appear—weaknesses, and strengths.
For example, during a recent event my arms felt great and my energy level was high, but my lower legs felt fatigued. Back to deliberate practice. I strengthened my lower legs through weights, drills, and track workouts concentrating on foot strike, toes straight, etc. My coach or running partner would be there to make sure that my practice is proper. My deliberate practice is quality not quantity. As a master sprinter this is important for mastering technique and avoiding injury.
I use deliberate practice and post goal analysis in my work also. As an orthopedic surgeon I am constantly being introduced to improved devices to use for fixing fractures. They may allow us to remove a step during the procedure because of improvements, or add a step in order to allow stronger fixation. I have to teach myself a new pattern. First I practice it on “saw bones” (a piece of material in the shape of a bone that has similar properties as bone) in a lab. Then I go through it in my mind over and over. Then I take it to the operating room. I am establishing a new pattern. After the procedure, I review how things went. Who was in the room with me? How did I feel? Was the XR machine set up in a good position? Was the patient on the table in a good position? Was all the equipment working, lined up for ease of use? What can I work on to improve this next time?
MOVE!’s focus on deliberate practice and the post-goal analysis guides my approach to running and surgery as continued focus and improvement are my goals. My journey over the last three years has been one of the best experiences of my life.
- I.K., M.D.
Sprinting and Surgery
by Inez Kelleher, M.D.
I am an orthopedic surgeon who has been using the MOVE! principles for the past three years. I ran middle distance in college, and road races through my early 20’s. Once my family started, followed by medical school, USAF duties and surgery, running and exercising took a backseat in my life. My late 50’s brought back the desire to realize my dream to become an athlete again, and I returned to the track under Cathy Utzschneider’s guidance based on MOVE! principles. My work and my knees do not allow me to spend hours on road running so I decided to concentrate on sprinting, in particular, the 50,100 and 200m. I have continued to improve my absolute times and age grading over the past three years. Two principles that have stood out during this journey are deliberate practice and the post goal analysis.
Sprinting is made of several techniques each with their own neuromuscular requirements, and I started from scratch. Just as when most new activities are learned in any discipline, be it sprinting, playing piano or even operating, certain patterns of movement are established. Deliberate practice allows this to take place. Under the guidance of a coach or trainer, proper techniques are practiced, and layered on each other.
When I first started, I was thinking of everything while running— my arms, legs, knee lift, and core. It was mind boggling and exhausting. Using the principle of deliberate practice, I was taught to deliberately concentrate on a specific technique. For example, arm position in sprints is different than in long distance running. I had to work on arm and shoulder strength, and then running arm drills, my core to hold my body straight. Track workouts concentrating on arm swing at different speeds. Eventually, I didn’t have to think so hard to make it happen!
How does one find weaknesses and strengths on which to work? I find this through the post goal analysis. After a major competition, I go over the day’s events. What was the day like? How did I feel? Was I fatigued or energized? What did I eat? What was the best and worse part of my event? What did I remember thinking? What warm-ups did I do? Through this concentrated effort of examination, patterns appear—weaknesses, and strengths.
For example, during a recent event my arms felt great and my energy level was high, but my lower legs felt fatigued. Back to deliberate practice. I strengthened my lower legs through weights, drills, and track workouts concentrating on foot strike, toes straight, etc. My coach or running partner would be there to make sure that my practice is proper. My deliberate practice is quality not quantity. As a master sprinter this is important for mastering technique and avoiding injury.
I use deliberate practice and post goal analysis in my work also. As an orthopedic surgeon I am constantly being introduced to improved devices to use for fixing fractures. They may allow us to remove a step during the procedure because of improvements, or add a step in order to allow stronger fixation. I have to teach myself a new pattern. First I practice it on “saw bones” (a piece of material in the shape of a bone that has similar properties as bone) in a lab. Then I go through it in my mind over and over. Then I take it to the operating room. I am establishing a new pattern. After the procedure, I review how things went. Who was in the room with me? How did I feel? Was the XR machine set up in a good position? Was the patient on the table in a good position? Was all the equipment working, lined up for ease of use? What can I work on to improve this next time?
MOVE!’s focus on deliberate practice and the post-goal analysis guides my approach to running and surgery as continued focus and improvement are my goals. My journey over the last three years has been one of the best experiences of my life.
- I.K., M.D.