Every spring more than 200 smokejumpers come to Missoula, Montana, from all over the nation to train for the upcoming firefighting season. This also happens to be a super important time of year because rookie camp gets underway wherein these brave, fit, mentally tough, and highly skilled young women and men get introduced to the world of smokejumping. 

Rookie camp is certainly not fun and games. Rather, there are a number of challenges these rookies must face including  an 85 pound pack test, a 24 hour line dig, and many other difficult hurdles.  

Alpine Physical Therapy is honored to be a part of this event. Like any professional athlete, these wildland firefighters must make sure their bodies hold up during preseason, that they get pushed enough to produce change, and ultimately that they are fully prepared to be 110% for their first season as smokejumpers with the United States Forest Service.  Leah Verstegeen, MS, DPT, and Sam Schmidt, MPT, were on site to provide education on injury prevention, safety performance, and proper warm ups and cool downs last week and the for the next three weeks.  

​Sam Schmidt, PT of Alpine PT presented a "Love your Spine" exercise class last month at the regional office of the United States Forest Service (USFS) here in Missoula.  Participants learned exercises and tips on how to best care for their spine and to prevent injuries. Some lucky participants also won fun and useful gifts such as a foam roller! 

This week marks the 21st annual Bike Walk Bus Week in Missoula.  Through Saturday, May 5th, there will be community events and incentives provided by local businesses for those not commuting by car.  Over 100 businesses are contributing, all for the sake of celebrating and encouraging healthy transportation in Missoula.

Here are some reasons to consider these modes of travel.  First, rising gas prices have made commuting by car expensive.  Second, the pollution and congestion that driving a car causes could be curbed by choosing these alternative options.  Finally, there are the health benefits gained by adding the extra aerobic exercise to our day.  I have found that commuting by bike takes me 20 minutes each way whereas driving takes just over 15 minutes.  In my mind, I consider this to be 40 minutes of “free” aerobic exercise each day, which exceeds the American Heart Associations guidelines for health (www.heart.org).

If you need some extra motivation to start commuting differently, then this year’s Bike, Walk, Bus Week may be a great time to start.  Reward yourself with a free cinnamon roll from Great Harvest, a coffee from Butterfly Herbs, or choose from any number of other treats available to bikers, walkers, and bus goers.
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Also, make sure to take advantage of dozens of group rides, walks, and informative sessions held throughout this week.  For a complete detailed schedule of Bike Walk Bus Week events, sponsors, and transportation tips, visit www.bikewalkbusmissoula.org.

​My thanks to one of our start PT aides here at Alpine Physical Therapy, Jen Schuberg, for submitting this awesome and informative article. Go Jen!

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As a Montana native, I have always enjoyed what the great outdoors has to offer here: mountain biking, kayaking, tromping about in the Rocky Mountains.  Combining my favorite outdoor sports in a public competition never crossed my mind until I heard about the Grizzly Man Adventure Race

(GMAR).  (Now, ladies, please don’t be put off by the title; this year there were plenty of gals who showed some  impressing times.)
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Taking place annually in the Lubrecht Experimental Forest and the Paws Up Resort on the Blackfoot River, the  GMAR is the perfect triathlon for well-rounded outdoor enthusiasts.  Racers are tested on their skills in trail running, orienteering (map reading and navigation), mountain biking, and paddling.  Moreover, because many racers compete on teams of 2-3 people, where every team member does the entire race together, teamwork plays a big role.

The course begins and ends at the Paws Up Resort, and takes racers anywhere from 10 to 100 miles into the dense woods of the Lubrecht Experimental Forest, depending on their knack for reading maps and using compasses.  All team members are required to bring a pack containing the necessities for survival, should they find themselves taking longer to complete the race.  Our packs contained the following: a compass, one headlamp, two glow sticks, 64 oz of water, a whistle, waterproof matches, a flint/magnesium block for starting a fire, an emergency space blanket, food for a potential 12+ hour race day, and any extra clothes we saw fit to bring.  With so much gear, the beer had to be left at the finish line for post race festivities. Luckily, there couldn’t have been better weather on  race day, Saturday, April 21.  The sun was out by noon, with a high that day in the mid-70s.

The race began at 6:00 am sharp.  Many racers stayed overnight camping in the outlying areas, or for a more luxurious stay, in a room at the Paws Up.  The first leg of the race involved trail running and orienteering.  In order to gain points for their team, racers would have to navigate their way to various stations sprawled out on their maps provided by GMAR the inght before.  Teams therefore had only one night to prepare their course and plot on maps, which covered around 50,000 acres between the Paws Up land and Lubrecht Experimental forest.  Team members are not allowed to sprawl out on the course to improve their chances. In fact, members were required to stay within 10 meters of each other while on foot.  After the run, mountain biking was the next challenge.  Racers made their way to a predetermined station where their  biking equipment awaited them so they could begin shredding more trails to yet more check points on the map.
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The final leg of the GMAR was comprised of white water navigation.  Most racers donned dry or wet suits and jumped into their kayaks to begin their final stretch, which for most began around mid-to-late afternoon.

If you’re planning to run in this year’s Missoula Marathon, you are invited to a free seminar at the Good Food Store on February 27th at 7 PM.

Our topic on Injury Prevention in Runners will be presented by our two top running specialists at Alpine Physical Therapy, Kristi Moore and Angela Listug-Vap.

This is a free event and is chalk full of ideas on how to train while preventing injuries. It is well attended and appropriate for runners, walkers, and run-walkers.
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For more information on the services we provide to area runners, then be sure to check out our Runner’s Clinic at Alpine by clicking here.

If you’re planning to run in this year’s Missoula Marathon, you are invited to a free seminar at the Good Food Store on February 27th at 7 PM.

Our topic on Injury Prevention in Runners will be presented by our two top running specialists at Alpine Physical Therapy, Kristi Moore and Angela Listug-Vap.

This is a free event and is chalk full of ideas on how to train while preventing injuries. It is well attended and appropriate for runners, walkers, and run-walkers.
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For more information on the services we provide to area runners, then be sure to check out our Runner’s Clinic at Alpine by clicking here.

Diva Day hit a record number of registrants at 905 this year.  The race was good by report of the many  participants as the rain decided to subside.

This wonderful event promotes women in many ways: from raising breast cancer awareness, to general fitness, to women’s businesses, and so much more.

Alpine Physical Therapy and the Core Studio are proud to be a part of this event.  Many women sought out a much deserved post race massage.

This was a first 5k for many of the participants, and an acomplishment to finsh this race, whether they are recovering from breast cancer or just working to get in shape.  The Core Studio made it’s first appearance offering free demos and discounts for race participants interested in starting classes.
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Overall the “Physical Fairies” made a wonderful presence and were appreciated for their efforts in supporting women. Check out the photo of some of the physical fairies (Kristi and Sam), who were once again present for Diva Day.

On Saturday September 24th Alpine Physical Therapy staffed the medical aid tent at the Mountain West Cross Country Classic Race. There were about 1,800 runners competing on a gorgeous fall day at the University of Montana’s premier golf course-come-cross country course.  We had a rather exciting day doing our best to triage the various acute sports injuries from ankle sprains, to abrasions, to heat exhaustion. Not the “typical day in the PT clinic” sort of rehabilitation we get to see at regularly Alpine Physical Therapy, but very rewarding to have the opportunity to work with Middle and High School aged runners.

Another exciting piece of news that day was the breaking of the course record by Andrew Gardner from Spokane, WA. Andrew beat his previous record from last year by nine seconds finishing three miles in 14 minutes and 38 seconds.  Alpine PT’s Doctor of Physical Therapy, Jamie Terry, was there at the medical tent near the finish line to consult him on proper post-race management of “sore quads and calves”.

Alpine Physical Therapy offers a specialized Runners Clinic for runners looking for a thorough evaluation of their current running injury or advice on improving their performance. More information can be found by clicking here.
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We would like to thank the Michele Chalmers and the other good folks at Mountain West Track Club for this community partnership opportunity.  More information can be found about them on their website by clicking here.  For additional information on the race and results click here.

Missoula was host again to yet another successful annual marathon. Alpine Physical Therapy, the exclusive physical therapy sponsor of the Missoula Marathon, was there in full force, both at the Expo on Saturday and on race day.

We provided over 110 massages for runners of both the 1/2 and full marathon runs. It was absolutely a “hands on” experience.
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Here are a couple photos showing our set up in the Pavilion at Caras Park.

What: A free seminar called Fitness for Fifty and Further.

When: 11/18/10 at 12:00 PM and again at 5:00 PM

Where: The cycling room at the Peak Health & Wellness Center, corner of Blue Mtn Rd and Hwy 93 south

Presenter: Brent Dodge, Owner of Alpine Physical Therapy

​For more information, see my previous blog post on the topic by clicking here.