Amazing Ultra-Marathon Story

You have got to read this article and watch the accompanying video about Cliff Young.  What a great lesson for us all!  Cliff is an Australian potato farmer who competed in a 544 mile ultra marathon.  But, not only did he complete, he WON.  And, not only did he win, but he ran in overalls and boots!  Maybe running without his dentures was his secret to success.  Great job, Cliff!

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Training for an ultra marathon running event can be daunting. But take heart, age need not be a limiting factor. It is well documented that older athletes perform better in endurance events. Whether this is to do with greater psychological strengths or a physical stamina built up over decades is debatable.

Some athletes stories transcend their sports and inspire nations. Cliff Young’s story did just that when in 1983 he, an unknown 61 year old Australian potato farmer turned up wearing overalls and work boots to run 543.7-miles in the countries hardest ultra marathon event from Sydney to Melbourne.

Cliff not only finished the event, his first ever competitive race but he won, knocking 2 days off the existing record and beating many professional athletes in the process.

His strategy was simple in that he didn’t stop to rest, he ran through the night while the other runners stopped for 4-6 hours to sleep. a classic case of tortoise and hare which brought him victory after 5 days on the road.

This ultra marathon running video describes Cliff’s training and race strategy and is a reminder to us all that age is no barrier to following our dreams. Well done Cliff.

For more information on Cliff Young and his ultra marathon running exploits please visit

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Young

Hip Pain Testimonial

Here is the testimonial from Joan Hampf.  Joan has been coming to Egoscue for a couple of months now and is almost 100% pain free!  She has taken control of her health!  Congratulations Joan–keep up the great work!

The Marathon Debate

I wish I would have found this article last week prior to the NYC Marathon.  I think it raises an interesting debate about running and age.  The article is essentially asking, “Should kids run marathons?”  The NY Times interviewed three men who ran the marathon in the ’70s when they were around the age of nine.  Not only did they run it, but they had great times, with one of them finishing in 3 hours 31 seconds.  They trained properly and seemingly only asked their bodies to do what they were capable of doing.  In 1981 the NY Marathon implemented an age minimum of 16 years old, and then raised it to 18 in the late ’80s.  My question is, “What makes an 8 year old different from a 16 year old, different from an 18 year old?”  I believe the answer is…not much.  An 8 year old has the same muscles and bones that an 88 year old has.  True, the 8 year old isn’t finished growing yet, but I don’t believe that running would have any long-term, negative impact on their body.  Any injuries that these three men suffered along the way weren’t running’s fault or due to their age.

Here’s my favorite quote from the article:

Pre-adult injuries have not completely stopped Paul, Black and Breinan.  ”I have bad knees now,” Breinan said, insisting that running was not to blame because he also played other sports.

What a great outlook.  He realizes that running isn’t to blame, because I’m sure like millions of other kids all over the world, he played baseball, soccer, basketball, tag, etc.  The unfortunate part is that he thinks of his knees as “bad”.  My guess is that they aren’t “bad” but simply trying to get his attention and alert him that something isn’t quite right.  If anyone knows Mr. Breinan I’d love to help change his outlook on his knee pain.

So, at what age do we become too fragile to run?  Personally, I don’t think age has anything to with one’s ability to finish 26.2 miles.  I ran the Country Music Marathon when I was 24 and noticed that ALL types were at the starting line; male, female, young, old, skinny, fat.  I decided then and there that ANYONE can run a marathon.  We are designed to run long distances.  Our body is built for stamina.  That’s how our early ancestors hunted their dinner.  They would chase their target over such a long distance that the animal would fatigue, thus allowing for an easy kill and subsequently, a great meal.

So, get outside and RUN.  And, then enjoy a great meal!

E-cise of the Week

It’s been a while since we’ve posted an e-cise of the week.  Sorry for the delay.  I had a break in the action this morning and decided to shoot the e-cise Gravity Drop.  This is a great e-cise (one of my favorite) for headaches, shoulder tension, and neck pain.  I give it to all my clients who are struggling with those or similar symptoms.  Enjoy, and as always, let us know if you have any questions.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Chances are most of you know someone who has had to deal with breast cancer.  I’ve worked with several clients who were doing Egoscue while going through treatment, some with double mastectomies, and some still feeling the residual effects of treatment nearly a decade after ending it.  Today I’m going to share from Pete’s book Pain Free for Women.  To be honesty, it’s my favorite book of his.  I think it contains extremely valuable information.  In it, Pete has two menus for breast cancer.  With this being Breast Cancer Awareness Month I wanted to draw attention to them.  In addition, it covers everything from infertility/conception menus, to trimester menus, to menopause menus.  There are menus for infants, adolescents, young adults…the list goes on and on.  Personally, I think it’s a must-have for any book collection.

Here’s what Pete has to say about breast cancer:

Once I start offering E-cise menus keyed to specific diseases, I thought, where do I stop? The answer must be–I stop with these two menus.  Why include breast cancer but no other  disease?  At the Egoscue  Method Clinic, I see far more women who are facing breast cancer than those facing other serious illnesses.  Almost every client is there for musculoskeletal system-related issues, like a bad back or sore knees.  But those with breast cancer form the largest subgroup because the conventional treatment regimen can have such drastic effects on upper-body mobility, comfort, and function.  The Egoscue Method has a good track record in easing pain and restoring mobility and function.  That’s why they come to us.

Furthermore, we believe–I’m using the authorial we here to include my coauthor, Roger Gittines–that a sound, robust metabolism is an essential precondition to the prevention and treatment of breast cancer and to full recovery from surgery.  Roger’s mother died of breast cancer in 1970 at the age of fifty-four, seven years after undergoing a radical mastectomy.  The initial surgery shattered her spirit , and her health never recovered.  Her lifestyle, both before and after the operation, amounted to a paradigm of metabolic suppression and abuse–from heavy smoking (she loved Kents) to a virtual addiction to soft drinks (especially Pepsi), a lack of exercise (never walking when she could drive), and musculoskeletal system dysfunction.  She was an unhappy woman before the diagnosis and desperately unhappy after.  With a strong metabolism she would have had a fighting chance to survive to see her grandchildren grow up.  What happened to Miriam Gittenes didn’t have to happen in 1970; nor should it have to happen to women more than thirty years later.

Motion and metabolism are inextricably linked, and we have to get women in thei predicament moving and functional again.  If that’s you, consult with your physician, and tother please consider putting the appropriate program to work on your behalf.  It’s not a substitute for anything you’re already doing; it’s a valuable supplement.

We just shot the first of the two menus, and I encourage you to try them.  The first one is for women going the non-surgical route.  If you’re going through radiation or chemotherapy, we have to get your metabolism up.  In addition, we need to put your body in the best position possible to accept the treatments.  Do these e-cises in order, and let me know how you feel.  If you have any questions, PLEASE don’t hesitate to contact us.  We’re here to help!

The Question of the Cool-Down

Great article from the NY Times this morning questioning the need for the post-workout cool-down.  Is it necessary?  Is it not?  According to the article, there seem to be opinions for both thoughts.  My opinion is that while time to cool down the body might be optional, I believe everyone needs time to restore the body from the workout or activity.

You can read the full article here.  And, when you’re finished with your workout or activity do these to restore yourself back to its original design.

The Fun Theory

I just came across this video and had to post it.  Very interesting study in making movement fun again through The Fun Theory.  Volkswagon is behind the initiative and their website  ”is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better.”  What a great concept.  And, if this sounds familiar to some of you around Egoscue, that’s because it should.  Think about The Patch and Patch Fitness.  We put the “fun” back in functional with Patch Fitness.  You’re working out without really knowing that you’re working out.  I had a buddy of mine at the clinic just last night going through a Patch workout.  It was his first time through and kept commenting on how much fun he was having.  Little did he realize that he was simultaneously changing his behavior!

Kudos to Volkswagon, and keep the fun coming!

Countless Ways to use The Patch

If you haven’t already, you need to check out www.patchfitness.com.  Patch Fitness is basically the functional training/athletics side of what we do.  Once we get a client pain free, we move them into Patch workouts.  I love the Patch have the Indoor “O” Course set up in my clinic.  One of our therapists from our Egoscue San Diego clinic just finished with a Patch event and wanted us all to see the video.  The kids here are getting very creative with the Patch.  Remember, the only limitation is your imagination!  Keep moving.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UmMSXVc514

The Egoscue Foundation is spearheading the Patch Project Initiative.  Our mission is to get a Patch in every school in the nation, free of charge.  If you would like more info on the PPI or want to help fund the Initiative, you can visit www.egoscuefoundation.org.

Engage Your Children

An article from the NY Times caught my attention the other day.  Jane Brody discusses the advantages of talking to your children from birth.  My wife and I did this with our son, and I can’t say enough good things about what it’s done for his conversational development.  For those of you who have met him, you know he’s not your average 2 year old.  He’s a chatter box with a very advanced vocabulary.  Yes, I’m biased…he’s my kid, but there have been many, many times when he’s stopped me dead in my tracks with something that he has said.  I’m amazed on a daily basis at his vocabulary, comprehension skills, and ability to formulate 8-10 word sentences.

I wanted to post this article because of what I experienced the other day.  I was at the zoo with my family and found myself becoming more and more annoyed with one particular lady.  Over the course of about an hour we passed her and her daughter (possibly niece) four to five times, and she was on the phone the ENTIRE time.  It was driving me crazy, and I only had to be around her in passing a few times.  To be honest, I was sad for the little girl.  What a missed opportunity by her mom to share in that experience.  What a lonely trip to the zoo for the little girl.  I can’t imagine taking my son to the zoo and NOT talking to him nor paying him any amount of attention.  By not speaking to her daughter, what kind of message was that mother sending?  How was she communicating with her daughter without actually communicating with her daughter?

This was a situation where both were more than able to carry on a conversation, and the opportunity was missed.  What about when the children are younger and can’t talk as well?  Brody talks about giving your children choices from a very young age even if they can’t communicate with you.  That leads me to my favorite part of the article:

Ask questions that require a choice, like “Do you want milk or juice?” or “Do you want to walk or ride in the stroller?” (An important aside: Too many city children are transported in strollers well beyond the time they can safely walk and run. Young children need to exercise their bodies as well as their minds. The theft of our stroller when our twins were 19 months old was probably the best thing that happened to them.)

How great is that?  She’s writing an article about communication and makes it a point to state that your kids also need motion!  I love it.  Jane, thank you for this article and keep up the great work!  Read the entire article here.

Backpacks Hurting our Kids

New blog post from our Palm Beach Gardens Egoscue clinic.  Studies showing backpacks are compromising posture and hurting our kids.  Read the whole thing here.