Back to Competing with Optimov

The Story of Mike

A good balance between exercise, yoga, meditation and a nutrient-rich diet is part of the path to a healthy body and a healthy mind. Nevertheless, injuries are inevitable. So, what is also important is knowing what is going on inside of our bodies. Among others, what our heart-rate is during exercise and whether we progress over time can be a good motivation when someone is trying to come back to competing after an injury.

Today, we want to share the inspirational story* of Mike, a 40 years old injured sportsman, who wants to come back to participating in trail competitions. Therefore, he trains almost every day, running up in the mountains to regain his strength and compete again.  Currently, he is preparing for the 101 km trail run in the Pyrenees that will take place in 1 month from now.

Training for a 101 km Trail Run in the Pyrenees with Optimov.

Mike usually starts his day with short meditation and a yoga session to maintain a balance between healthy mind and body. Doing it outdoors has extra advantages, as nature is one of the best ways for people to recharge their batteries, while the higher amount of oxygen in fresh air improves the cleansing of the lungs.

We followed Mike during one of his 30 km interval running, where he must increase the speed of his run in different periods of time and perform some high intensity exercises in small pauses. During the training, Mike is very interested to follow his biometric data and training progression and wants to get updated on his latest improvements in real time. At the same time, he is asking for a device that can help him find the right way in the mountain or forest, so he does not get lost on the way. Mike has a training program that his personal trainer and therapist, Rose, has developed exclusively for him to improve his aerobic capacity and regain strength in his legs. Therefore, he would also like a device that keeps him in communication with her. All these features are part of Optimov – our online physiotherapy platform, available anywhere, anytime. The video below is following Mike during his training session with the help of Optimov.

Mike is ready to start his run at the beginning of the Playa Levante in the Old Town. He wears his chest sensor and the AR glasses. He will run towards Punta Caballo through the whole Levante beach, and from there come back to Benidorm and go up to the roman lighthouse in the mountain of Cala Finestrat.

He has to run in different terrains, sometimes on the sand, sometimes on the road sometimes on unpaved roads. The Virtual coach changes speed occasionally or stops in order to perform high intensity exercises. To keep improving his aerobic condition, Mike imitates the movements of the agent he sees through the AR glasses.

During the run he can see:

1. His route;
2. Completed distance;
3. Percentage of the workout done in different thresholds: Low, Medium High and Very High intensity;
   The remaining distance to goal;
4. And in real time his biometric data (heart rate);
5. All this data gives Mike a detailed image of his status quo and help him progress and go beyond his limits without crossing his safety threshold.

When arriving to the roman lighthouse of Punta Caballo, Mike receives a call from his therapist, Rose to inform him on the rest of the route to be run and what he has to be aware of, based to the data collected. During the video consultation, Mike enjoys the view of Punta Caballo, the sea and the cliff of Sierra Helada. He shares how the training went and his progress makes him feel motivated to keep on going until he reaches his goal.

Feel free to browse Optimov’s subscription options or read more about it, if you got inspired from Mike’s story.

*Some of the details and names are fictitious to improve the impact of the story and visualize the usage of Optimov.