LIFEBALANCE MEMBER PROFILE - CARMEN JACKINSKY

View Doug Dillon's Profile - January 2008
View Mark Robbins' Profile - March 2008

In this section of the LifeBalance website, we profile a LifeBalance member achieving success and practicing their own life balance.

Carmen Jackinsky is a LifeBalance member through her employer, Columbia Sportswear, where she has worked for the last three years as a footwear fit and wear test coordinator. Outside of work, Carmen is an avid racewalker. In this profile, Carmen describes the success she has had and her future goals.

What activities do you enjoy participating in outside of work? 
I am an avid racewalker.  I’ve competed locally, nationally and internationally since 1986.  My current goal is to qualify for the women’s 20k racewalk at the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon this July.  When I’m not training and racing, I cobble my very own performance walking shoes.

How did you initially become involved in race walking? 
I'm embarrassed to say that I initially started Racewalking in an attempt to get out of a college PE class.  When I signed up for the course, I didn’t realize that “Aerobic Weight Training” included running on the track.  I was looking for a fitness program that wouldn’t hurt my bad back.  The instructor said I didn’t have to run - I could walk, but with my competitive nature, that wasn’t reassuring news.  She said to give it a try and if walking hurt my back, she’d sign a release so I could drop the class.  My big plan was to walk hard enough to hurt something so I could legitimately say that I gave it the ole college try.   What happened instead was that I was the leader of a rather large group of walkers and learned that walking had a competitive component that I needed to explore.  So I took a racewalk course on June 4, 1986 and have been competing ever since.

Why do you continue to race walk? 
My original goal in Racewalking was to make a national or Olympic team.  I’m still working on that.  However, along the way, I became frustrated with the lack of technology in walking shoes and began learning about footwear construction and materials so that I could make my own shoes.  There was a long dry spell in my training when my only motivation to keep training was to get out and try the latest pair of shoes I had cobbled.  However, my shoe project has come a long way and I’m happy to say that it is ready for “prime time”.  I hope to be wearing my shoes at the Olympic trials in July.  After that, I plan to market my performance walking shoe to fitness walkers and racewalkers while continuing to race and coach.

What is your favorite race that you have participated in?  Why? 
My favorite race was actually a running race.  After about 12 years of serious Racewalking, I was burnt out and needed a break.  I had hit my mid-life crisis and couldn’t afford a little red convertible, so I bought some red racing track spikes and joined a local running team.  I had no expectations but just ran for fun.  The women I ran with, however, were pretty fast.  In fact, they competed in a National Cross-Country Championships and many Masters meets.  One day four of them were attempting to set a World Master’s record for the 4x1500m relay.  One of the women on the team tripped over a tree root while warming up and cracked a couple of ribs.  Since I had just turned 40 and loved the short, fast races, they asked if I could fill in.  I was extremely nervous but they assured me that they had no expectations - I just needed to run hard.  I didn’t set any land-speed records, but they assigned me the anchor leg and got to run across the finish line for the record.  It was a blast!  I’m not sure if the record still stands, but it’s kinda fun to brag about from time to time. 

Could you explain the basic tenets of race walking for those LifeBalance members who are unfamiliar with the sport (i.e. length of a race, general rules, etc.)?
Racewalking is a 300 year-old sport that originated in England.  It has been in the Olympics since 1908.  The women’s event was added in 1992.  Women walk the 20k and Men walk the 20k and the 50k.  The 50k is the longest track and field event in the Olympics.  There are rules to distinguish running from walking.  Walkers need to land with a straight leg on each stride.  They must also maintain contact with the ground.  There are certified judges that line the race course to make sure these rules are maintained.  If three separate judges signal a walker for the same offense, that walker is disqualified by the head judge and must leave the course and remove his/her bib number.  Typically, form breaks that lead to disqualification are a result of fatigue, loss of concentration or poor technique.

Do you have any tips for other LifeBalance members who are interested in race walking?
There are plenty of opportunities for walkers to experience the benefits of Racewalking without subjecting themselves to the rigors of Olympic competition.  Portland to Coast (PTC) is a great example of walkers competing against each other in a team environment.  I coach a lot of PTC teams that want to improve their times or avoid being “road kill”.  I’d recommend taking a course and entering some local races that are either judged or unjudged, (depending on your comfort level) to gain experience.  I belong to Racewalkers Northwest, which offers group walks and training for a reasonable price.

What prompted you to try the Egoscue Method Clinic? 
There is a misconception that walking is injury-free because it’s a low impact sport.  I learned first-hand that this is not true and needed relief.  I was attracted to the Egoscue Method by testimonials from pro athletes such as Jack Nicklaus, Junior Seau and John Lynch.  We all develop structural and muscular imbalances over the years that can lead to overuse injuries when participating in repetitious sports like walking.  There are plenty of exercises to help overcome those imbalances.  The problem is figuring out which ones to do, what order to do them in and how long to continue them.  Egoscue focuses on where pain and injuries come from, why they appear, and how to fix the underlying cause. They first identify your current imbalances by taking postural photos and by doing a gait analysis.  Then they set up a personal plan for each individual.  This process saves a lot of time and guesswork while teaching you a lot about your body. 

How would you describe the Egoscue Method for a member who has no idea what to expect? 
Egoscue exercises are mostly resistance, range-of-motion, balance and yoga in nature.  They also have some cardio and ballistic exercises in advanced routines, which is similar to the strength program I did as a gymnast.  Instead of isolating muscles on a weight machine, for example, I did handstand pushups.  By using my body as the weight, my muscles are forced to integrate and work together.  This helps to maintain balance between opposing muscles so that I don't have to compromise flexibility when developing strength.  Egoscue exercises are progressive, so you’ll start out with something that challenges you, but as soon as you’re able to handle more, the therapist will “enhance” it a little.  Clients can work with a trainer one-on-one, with a buddy, or in a group setting.

How has the Egoscue Method Clinic impacted you outside of race walking?
I refer everyone I know to Egoscue:  people who are in pain; people who want to get in shape; and athletes who want an edge over their competition.  I wish I had learned about this program about 20 years ago.  I could have saved a lot of time and frustration caused by pain and interrupted training.

How has the Egoscue Method Clinic changed your race walking ability? 
I was originally skeptical that Egoscue could improve my performance much, but when training for the Olympic Trials, every little bit helps.  I’m embarrassed to say that I now spend a lot of time looking at myself in the mirror thinking, “Wow, is that really me???”  I’ve toned areas of my body that I’ve never been able to get fit.  My posture is so much better, I actually measure a ½ inch taller.  I’m recruiting muscles that are more powerful and efficient than the ones I had patterned before.  People keep commenting that I walk and run so much smoother than in the past.  Best of all, I’m saving big bucks on massage therapy because I haven’t experienced my usual training pains, despite the fact that I’ve doubled my mileage over last year.  On top of the new physical strength and efficiencies, the greatest impact has been the mental confidence I’ve gained as a side benefit from watching my body progress right before my eyes.  At 44 years of age, I feel as strong and fit as I did when I competed in gymnastics as a teenager.  I recommend the Egoscue program to athletes of all ages and levels, as well as to those who simply want to get fit.

Do you utilize any other LifeBalance Providers? If so, which ones? (you can share a bit about your experience with other activities too if you would like)

Egoscue is the first business I’ve used off LifeBalance Program, however, I’ve followed up on several ones that have been advertised.  I keep planning to get some movie tickets, but I can’t find enough time in my schedule to sit down and watch something!

How would you describe your experience with the LifeBalance Program? 
Now that I’ve had a good experience, I’ll be checking out other providers and opportunities.