Inspiration!

World's Oldest Marathoner, 94, Leads Team of Seniors in Scotland

June 13, 2005 - Fauja Singh, a 94-year-young grandfather of 13, led a marathon relay team yesterday in the Edinburgh Marathon in Scotland, which was billed as the oldest ever marathon relay team. The five-man team named itself Sikhs in the City and had a combined age of 397 years.

Singh, the world's oldest marathoner, drew most of the attention in the field of more than 11,000 runners and was the official starter. There were 5,000 runners in the relay event. The youngest member of the Sikhs was Amrik Singh, 70, from Glasgow. The other members were Karnail Singh, 76, from Glasgow, Ajit Singh, a 74-year-old retired Larkhall maths teacher, and Gurbaksh Singh, 73, from Gravesend, in Kent.

But it was Fauja Singh who grabbed the limelight as he crossed the finish line, although the Sikhs finished 730th of the 912 teams. They completed the course in 4hr 16min 24sec. Singh is originally from the Punjab in India, but now lives in Ilford, Essex. Last year he was signed by Adidas for the 'Impossible is Nothing' advertising campaign and was featured in billboards across Europe.

Five years ago he took part in the Flora London Marathon at the age of 89 for the first time and has since completed it five times. In 2003 he set the marathon world record for over 90-year-olds, completing the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 5 hours, 40 minutes. As well as completing the London and New York Marathons in 2004 he also returned to Toronto Waterfront to break the half marathon record for over 90-year olds.

"I am extremely honored to have been invited to start this year's Edinburgh Marathon", he said. "By running as the oldest ever marathon relay team I hope we will inspire young people to keep going and older people never to give up."

Fauja, the world's oldest marathoner, took up running at the age of 81, when he arrived in Britain from the family farm in the Punjab. "Before that, I jogged regularly, to get from place to place," he said. He said he talks with God when he runs. A vegetarian, Singh, joined forces in 2004 with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to caution Asians and others about the perils they face if they clog their arteries with meat. Geoff Sims, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Marathon said: "I hope Fauja and his team will inspire people of all ages and running abilities to get out and give it a go."

Information for this story from: The Scotsman
Photograph by Ian Rutherford of The Scotsman

Plantar Fasciitis

The 'plantar fascia' is a band of tough connective tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot, connecting your heel to your toes.  It stretches when you pull your toes up toward your shin.  It works like a shock-absorbing bowstring, supporting the arch of your foot. When microtearing and inflammation occur in this fascia, it is called 'Plantar Fasciitis'.

Causes:
Plantar fasciitis is caused by extra stress on the feet. This may be due to a few things: extra activity, poor training methods or surfaces, unsupportive or incorrect footwear, extra weight or underlying muscular or bimoechanical imbalance.  Recent literature suggests that it is less likely to be a pure inflammatory condition but rather attributed to the degeneration of plantar tissues.  Runners who overpronate (feet rolling in or flattening) are particularly at risk as the biomechanics of the foot pronating causes additional stretching of the plantar fascia.

Symptoms:

• pain with weight bearing, on the bottom of the foot just in front of the heel.
• pain along the inside of the foot toward the toes.
• pain with the first 2-3 steps in the morning, or after sitting for long periods of time.
• pain lessens after 30-45 minutes of activity, then worsens 2-3 hours with continued activity.
• pain in one or both feet.
• mild to severe pain, sometimes 'stabbing', sometimes 'burning'.
• pain comes on slowly, no initial trauma or injury.

Treatment:

• Rest until it is not painful. It can be very difficult to rest your feet, but by walking or running you are continually aggravating the injury. Rest as much as possible and stop any unnecessary activities which place stress on the fascia.
• Put a plastic frozen water bottle on the floor and roll your foot (wear a sock) over it for 15 to 20 minutes four to five times a day.
• Massage and gently stretch the calf muscles.
• Wear supportive footwear around the house.

Used to be a Runner

I used to be a runner. I have to admit now it's a past tense situation, since I haven't been inspired to start up again. I ran numerous half marathons and a couple of 10Ks. In 2008 I ran my first marathon, the Bluenose Marathon, here in Halifax. I've been in good shape and I've had injuries that sidelined me. I've felt in top form and I've fallen off the wagon. I am familiar with a host of running issues, physical and psychological.

I have numerous clients who are also runners of varying distances and I find it exciting to be a part of my clients' training process, helping where I can with physical impediments. I love hearing the stories of each person's training plans, obstacles and triumphs.

This is a photograph of me and my mother Soledad after we ran the Bluenose 5K together. She is a beginning runner and it was her first road race. The following day I was telling someone proudly about how well she did in the race and it occurred to me to check her time on line. It turns out my mother came fourth in her age category! I am so proud of her, I brag to everyone about how well she did and now I am bragging to all of you.

Stretching

Stretching your muscles is a good way to decrease pain and aching. Here are some suggestions about getting the most from the stretches you already know:

1. The stretch should be done slowly and held for at least 30 seconds. (Watch the clock. Sometimes 30 seconds seems like forever.)

2. If you experience pain during your stretch, don't push yourself past that point. Do the stretch up to that point and then back it up into the pain free range. Hold your stretch there.

3. Keep breathing. Breathe deeply. It helps you and your muscles relax and increases the stretch.

4. Imagine the muscles and joints you're stretching. If you don't know specific anatomy, visualize the general area lengthening. Imagine the joints opening and softening.

5. If you've been given instructions about specific stretches, watch yourself in the mirror to make sure you are doing them correctly. If you are going to see the health care provider again who suggested the stretches to you, ask them to watch you stretch to make sure you are still doing them the right way.

6. Warming your muscles before stretching, either with a bath or in a shower, can increase the stretch. You can even do some neck stretches in the shower.

Some Effects of Massage Therapy

The following is an exerpt from: To Touch Or Not To Touch: Rethinking The Prohibition On Touch In Psychotherapy And Counseling. Clinical, Ethical & Legal Considerations

By: Ofer Zur, Ph.D. & Nola Nordmarken, MFT - 2004

MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF MASSAGE

Earliest recorded medical history dates from 25 centuries ago and includes references to medical treatment utilizing touch in Eastern cultures (Miller, 1997). Shamans, in many cultures, used touch as one of the healing practices used to heal mind, body and spirit. Healing practices began to evolve into the science of medicine in the middle ages. Touch healers who had long been honored by their communities gradually lost clout. They were negatively stigmatized by both, medical and religious proponents (Cohen, 1987). By the 17th century, the Christian church conceded control over the physical body and this important historical compromise established the Western split between body and mind/spirit. "In the (modern) technological view of the world, medicine is viewed as an industry and healing as a process to be adapted to the mechanical constructs of assembly-line production" (Hunter & Struve, 1998, p.48). Touch has become almost irrelevant.

Recent research done by the Touch Research Institute has demonstrated that touch triggers a cascade of chemical responses, including a decrease in urinary stress hormones (cortisol, catecholamines, norepinephrine, epinephrine), and increased serotonin and dopamine levels. The shift in these bio-chemicals has been proven to decrease depression (Field, 1998). Hence, touch is good medicine. It also enhances the immune system by increasing natural killer cells and killer cell activity, balancing the ratio of cd4 cells and cd4/cd8 cells. The immune system's cytotoxic capacity increases with touch, thus helping the body maintain its defense against pathogens (Field, 1998).

Massage therapy has been shown to reduce aversion to touch and to decrease anxiety, depression and cortisol levels in women who have been sexually or physically abused (Field, et. al., 1997). It decreases diastolic blood pressure, anxiety and cortisol (stress hormone) levels (Hernandez-Reif, et. al., 2000). One study examined the effects of massage therapy on anxiety and depression levels and on immune function. The subjects received a 45-minute massage five times weekly for a 1-month period. The findings were that: 1) anxiety, stress and cortisol levels were significantly reduced; 2) natural killer cells and natural killer cell activity increased, suggesting positive effects on the immune system (Ironson, et. al., 1996). Bulimic adolescent girls received massage therapy 2 times a week for 5 weeks. Effects included an improved body image, decreased depression and anxiety symptoms, decreased cortisol levels and increased dopamine and serotonin levels. In a study of children with ADHD, touch sensitivity, attention to sounds and off-task classroom behavior decreased and relatedness to teachers increased after massage therapy (Field, et. al., 1997). Following five 30-minute massages, children/adolescents had better sleep patterns, lower level of depression and anxiety and lower stress hormone levels (Field, et. al., 1992). Massage therapy also decreased the anxiety, depression and stress hormone levels of children diagnosed with PTSD, who survived Hurricane Andrew. In addition, their drawings reflected less depression (Field, et. al., 1996).

Massage Instruction for Couples

I offer private massage therapy instruction for couples. I can teach you how to give each other a soothing, relaxing massage - or if one of you is suffering from chronic pain, I can show you massage therapy techniques to use on a regular basis that will help reduce pain.

Massage therapy instruction appointments are conducted in my regular treatment room, and the session will last one hour or ninety minutes. The fee is the same as my usual massage therapy fee.

...

Massage Therapy - Code of Ethics

My professional association, The Massage Therapists' Association of Nova Scotia (MTANS) has adopted the Code of Ethics developed by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario and all MTANS members agree to abide by this Code.

This Code expresses "the primary ethical values, obligations and goals of the profession" and defines the following principles:

- Respect for persons
- Responsible caring
- Integrity in relationships
- Responsibility to society

Missed Appointments

I ask that you give 24 hours notice in order to cancel an appointment. If that notice is not given, 50% payment of the missed appointment is expected. This policy is spelled out in the consent form you sign when you come in for your first visit.

Sometimes people seem startled by the policy, so I thought I would take a moment to explain this issue. When you make an appointment, that time is set aside for you exclusively. When other people call for an appointment, they're turned away from your time, because you have it reserved. If you forget your appointment or decide to cancel at the last minute, that is a time I could have given to someone else. 
It's like when you buy a ticket to a concert or a play: if you misses the event, you don't get your money back. You reserved the seat, so the ticket couldn't be sold to anyone else. 

It's important to note that insurance companies cannot be billed for missed appointments. This means that if Blue Cross is billed directly for your appointments, if you miss an appointment you will be sent an invoice directly.

Another note: if you don't give the requested 24 hours notice to cancel, but I am able to book someone else in to that space, you will not be billed.