Tag Archives: running

The Cancer Ladies’ Running Club By Josie Lloyd

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The Cancer Ladies running club, Josie Lloyd, cancer, running,

I was tremendously excited about reviewing this book because it is written by Josie Lloyd. I have read a number of books from Josie and I love them all and – although we have never met- I love her. After feeling sad that she has had such a tough time I dived into the book.

The first thing I saw when I opened my advanced copy were some reviews and I loved the one from Joanne Rose, divisional marketing directing: ‘This isn’t a (whisper it) “cancer book”. This is a book for book lovers, everywhere.’ Oh how right she was indeed. The book is uplifting, happy, sad and raw. The Cancer Ladies’ Running Club lets us know that even when bad things happen and times are tough, we can rebuild ourselves and triumph over adversity.

The Cancer Ladies’ Running Club is a great book to read right now. Yes, it has its sadness, but now more than ever we need to know that beauty can come from sadness, and that we will win in the end.

Sometimes we need our friends to help us find our feet…

When Keira first receives her breast cancer diagnosis, she never expects to end up joining a running group with three women she’s only just met. Totally blind-sided, all she can think about is how she doesn’t want to tell her family or step back from work. Nor does she want to be part of a group of fellow cancer patients. Cancer is not her club.

And yet it’s running – hot, sweaty, lycra-clad running in the company of brilliant, funny women all going through treatment – that unexpectedly gives Keira the hope she so urgently needs.

For Keira will not be defined by the C-word. And now, with the Cancer Ladies’ Running Club cheering her on, she is going to reclaim everything: her family, her identity, her life.

One step at a time.

The Cancer Ladies’ Running Club is available here.

 

Plantar Fasciitis by Dr Kathleen Thompson

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With all those modern-day labour-saving devices, can we put our feet up and enjoy life? No, we are told to shed our sedentary life-style and get fit. But at what cost?

Having spent many Sunday afternoons, patching up sports injuries in A&E departments, the price often seems high.

Besides acute injuries acquired on rugby pitches or tennis courts, our new-found fitness enthusiasm can have more insidious effects, particularly if we dash out, after sitting at a computer for eight hours, to pound the tarmac in our new go-faster runners. We often forget to allow our bodies to gradually adjust and strengthen, pushing ourselves to train too fast and for too long.

This can all take its toll on our fascia. Which is …?

Fascia is an unsung hero. Much of our body is held together by fascia—fibrous sheets and cords under skin, around muscles and organs, forming a framework and providing structure.

Normally it has a smooth surface, allowing muscles to glide over each other. However if strained, it becomes sticky, lumpy and tight. That’s when we start to notice it.

The plantar fascia lies underneath our soles, connecting our heel bone to our toes, and supporting our foot arch. Plantar Fasciitis by Dr Kathleen Thompson3

We usually neglect our poor feet, which carry our weight and absorb intense and rapidly changing forces during many sports.  The plantar fascia struggles to support and maintain foot shape during these activities, but if it is strained, it develops small tears and becomes inflamed.

The first sign is pain under our heel, which, counter-intuitively, is usually worse on getting out of bed, and paradoxically improves when warmed up by exercise. However don’t be fooled. You need to rest your foot to recover. If you don’t you could have chronic problems.

It is most frequent in women, aged 40-60 years, and is induced by long-distance running, walking or dancing,
 obesity and occupations involving standing or walking.

Importantly, the root cause may be elsewhere in the leg, the plantar fasciitis being a manifestation of poor biomechanics and abnormal walking/running movement.

Besides resting, anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen help. Most people recommend stretching the plantar fascia, and, importantly, also the Achilles tendon and the calf, as tightness in these may aggravate the plantar fascia. Night splints can maintain stretching whilst you sleep. Others advise against stretching the fascia itself whilst it is inflamed.

Ice massage is useful, for example, rolling your foot on a frozen orange.  The massage is quite painful, and the ice has a numbing effect. Personally, I recommend buying a quarter bottle of Prosecco. Drink the contents, half-fill with water and freeze, then roll your sole on the frozen bottle (the Prosecco takes your mind off the pain).

Shoe arch supports ease the fascia, or your therapist may use strapping.

The fasciitis will eventually settle, but may take up to two years. Steroid injections, give temporary relief but weaken the fascia in the long-term.

So what inspired me to write about this? Let’s just say, I’m rolling my foot on a frozen Prosecco bottle as I write.

Further Information and References:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/plantar-fasciitis/basics/definition/con-20025664

http://www.runnersworld.com/tag/plantar-fasciitis

http://www.kttape.com/instructions/plantar-fasciitis/

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice

 

 

 

Training for the Marathon?

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Give yourself a running chance with the right preparation

The London Marathon is just around the corner (21st April) and so thousands of people across the country will be donning their running shoes to train for the demanding twenty-six miles to marathon glory. Training for such a grueling distance can put the body under huge physical strain and so it is not enough to just run your way to success – you also need to eat well and take care of your feet as you make your way to the finish line.

Blisters, nausea and sore inflamed feet are just a few of the side effects from running. Don’t let these get the better of you though with these simple steps to success.

Planning snacks around your training can prove to be a problem for most people.

It is crucial that you eat something nutritious that will provide you with enough energy for your run, but is not so big that it will hamper your efforts. Olympic Gold medalist, Ed Clancy recommends eating a Peanut 9bar before starting a run, commenting: ‘Finding a nutritionally balanced food that has both fast and slow release energy for endurance sport has always been a struggle. After suffering stomach problems using other energy bars and gels my nutritionist recommended I try 9bar and I haven’t looked back since’. Peanut 9bars are jam-packed with roasted peanuts, sunflower, poppy and sesame seeds. The Peanut 9bar contains all 20 amino acids and 9 that are essential building blocks for good health, allowing you to fuel your way to success.

Running such long distances can leave your joints sore and inflamed.

It is important to use an effective joint care product. Dr. Wendy Denning, Harley Street GP recommends using Phytodol, an all-natural, topical treatment designed to help care for joints. Wendy comments that ‘topical application of the essential oils found in Phytodol – ginger, zedoary and cinnamon – which have their own anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties – along with the MSM and glucosamine may be particularly beneficial to reduce inflammatory pain’. Phytodol is available in both a cream and spray formulation. Both are rapidly absorbed, providing fast effective relief and the convenient sized 100ml bottles means that they can be used anywhere when pain strikes – allowing you to carry on running pain free.

Running can cause painful blisters and sore feet.

During running your feet will rub against your footwear and so it is important to take precautions when training. Carnation Footcare’s Anti-BlisterStick is a roll-on protective balm that helps shield the feet from blisters caused by rubbing trainers. Carnation Footcare expert podiatrist Dave Wain says: ‘The Anti-Blister Stick is designed to immediately ease friction and stop blisters from developing by providing an extra protective layer to the affected area’ enabling you to carry on running pain-free’

Dave also recommends Carnation Footcare’s PediRoller for long distance runners. The PediRoller is a simple ridged device that, when rolled under the foot, provides on-the-spot comfort, helping to relieve any discomfort. It works by stretching the muscles of the foot to help relieve heel and arch pain that may be caused by running. For an extra inflammatory effect, the PediRoller can also be frozen before use, which helps to reduce any swelling that running may cause.

During running the feet perspire, creating the perfect conditions for bacteria to multiply.
Keep your feet feeling refreshed with Thursday Plantation’s Foot Spray. The 100% Tea Tree formulation with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties will ensure that your feet are kept feeling and looking fresh after a long run. The great smell also acts as a foot deodorant, maintaining a healthy smell in your footwear allowing you to avoid the embarrassment of smelly feet!

Available from Holland & Barret or Superdrug

 

WORLD RECORD FREERUNNER BEATS THE UK’S FASTEST TRANSPORT

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GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FREERUNNER BEATS THE UK’S FASTEST MODE OF TRANSPORT

CHASE ARMITAGE flaunts his win to London actor TAMER HASSAN.

New footage hits social networks this week of record-breaking athlete proving it’s quicker to freerun through the UK’s most congested cities than to use public transport.

The ‘Man vs. Tube’ race saw the UK’s quickest mode of public transport fail to win by an incredible 11 minutes and 10 seconds. Top Freerunner and Guinness World Record holder CHASE ARMITAGE was challenged by top British actor TAMER HASSAN (DEAD MAN RUNNING, THE BUSINESS) to beat the time it takes to travel a 1.3 mile course on the London Underground. While TAMER HASSAN relied on public transport, freerunner CHASE ARMITAGE back-flipped and wall jumped his way to the finish line first, despite getting lost on the way.

RESULTS:

* Chase Armitage completed the challenge in 11 minutes and 21 seconds.
* Tamer Hassan completed the in 22 minutes and 31 seconds (the projected time for this journey is 14 minutes).
* The total time difference was 11 minutes and 10 seconds.

TAMER HASSAN was inspired to test out the method after starring opposite Danny Dyer in the action adventure film, ‘FREERUNNER’, out now on DVD and Blu-ray (Revolver Entertainment). The movie depicts freerunners crossing an entire city in 60 minutes, to fend off dangerous gangsters – arguably a similar pressure felt by commuters in the UK every day, in their race to get to work on time.

CHASE ARMITAGE commented, “Freerunning is not only fun, but it’s the quickest and fastest way to get around the UK’s bustling cities. It’s cheap to learn and helps to you to keep fit – physically and mentally. You don’t get all the stress of commuting; no fretting over whether you’ll be late for work, worrying if your train service has been cancelled or anxiety about the bus or tube being overcrowded. I’m glad I’ve finally proved to the public that they have an alterative, and no longer have to rely on expensive and unreliable transport methods.”

TAMER HASSAN said, “After today’s race, I think that I think I may have to invest in a pair of running shoes, because the whole journey took me over 22 minutes and Chase looked like he’d be resting for ages by the time I reached the finish line.”

If unhappy British commuters were to invest in, and switch to freerunning to reach their workplace, they could potentially save over £2,000* a year each in travel costs (see below).