My youngest daughter got a rip last week playing on the bars during QF and I needed a way to help it heal without some of the headaches we always deal with - skin cracking, reopening, etc… Normally I just use skin glue - it stings BAD but once it dries the rip heals under it pretty fast, and during comps it makes it so you can compete without thinking about it or bleeding everywhere. But it stings so bad I didn’t think it was an option for a kid. I had these hydrocolloid bandages sitting around in our first aid kit so I decided to try it on her. Zero pain, stayed on extremely well, and the fastest rip healing I’ve seen. I got a pretty good rip in my Thursday session and slapped one on - so far zero pain, and it’s keeping the moisture up so I’m assuming no cracking and it’ll heal fast. Just wanted to share since dealing with rips can be a huge pain and sometimes they linger forever. Anyone else have tips for rips?

I’m curious about what everyone’s focus is post QF? Athletes: if you’re not moving on to semifinals - what is your plan for the “off season”? Will you compete this year in some in-person events? Dabble in Hyrox? ATHX? Xenom?! (The name 😂) Coaches: what are you preparing your athletes for? What is the primary training focus for your clients as you shift into the off season?

Is anyone playing around with the new WurQ tracking stuff? I've been using it for 3 weeks and I think this COULD be a game changer for competitors training in the sport. I've been doing this for 15 years at this point have have learned from every session I've done so far about my rep speed, where I rest, which movements are actually driving HR metrics... this is really really cool. Also working on a database of movement speeds across every movement I've done so far -- at some point we'll be able to do athlete profiling to take assessments a step further than just knowing splits to knowing actual movement speeds, which movements we need to develop speed vs endurance, etc. If you're using this, let me know and I'd love to know what you're learning from it.

This weekend was a win and a reminder at the same time. Three USAMWL American records in my age group and weight class, along with a grade-2 rectus femoris strain near the insertion. I’m sharing this as a snapshot of my initial rehab process. Basically how I think through the first 24 hours as both an athlete and a coach. This isn’t a template or advice, just context for discussion. (1) Starting framework Initially my goal was to minimize bleeding - with a grade-2 strain, limiting the bleed means limiting the size of the scar tissue that develops. So as soon as it happened I had medical wrap it tightly with a compression bandage. I avoided the ice and NSAIDS that were offered sing both can potentially delay the healing process. (2) The first night After I got back to the hotel and a took a shower, the priority shifted to calming the area and setting myself up to sleep. I used my red light therapy pad for 30min, then wrapped the leg lightly to create some compression for sleep. Hip extension wasn’t tolerable at all, so I had to try to find a sleep position that worked around that. (3) Current modality and supplement checklist: ✅ Red / near-infrared light ✅ Compression (tight during the day / loose at night) ✅ Phytosome Curcumin (moderate dose) ✅ Pro-resolving mediators (a form of fish oil that helps the body shift from inflammation -> healing) ✅ PEA (Palmitoylethanolamide - reduces inflammation and modulates pain without delaying healing) ✅ Collagen (double my normal dose) ✅ Positioning that avoids aggravating the injury. (4) What I’m avoiding right now ❌ Aggressive stretching ❌ Soft-tissue work near the insertion ❌ Repeated icing ❌ Testing ranges to “check” on pain ❌ NSAIDs I’ll post another update in 2 days once I start BFR / isometrics. If you’ve found certain approaches helpful, or problematic, in the first 24-72 hours, I’d love to hear how you think through it.

I’ve created this as a community for athletes and coaches in the competitive fitness space to learn and collaborate. I’ll be sharing deep dives of training concepts, program design breakdowns, and inviting subject matter experts in everything from mental performance training and nutrition to niche topics like breathing and BFR. What to expect here: For my individual coaching clients: 1. Weekly Office Hours starting the first week after Thanksgiving 2. A full library of all Office Hours recordings 3. A resource library for everything training and performance related from the Competitors Manual, travel guidelines, pacing breakdowns, to nutrition and supplement guides. For everyone else: 1. Training education, system breakdowns, and long-form posts. 2. A place to ask questions and learn alongside other serious athletes and coaches. Thanks for being here, I’m excited to grow this alongside you!