Marathon Countdown: 16 weeks 5 days
Ten years ago, I ran my first marathon in my hometown, Berlin, Germany. This year, my wife and I are training to run the 40th Berlin Marathon in September.
A marathon is a grueling 42.1 km or 26.2 miles. With my first marathon, my goal was to finish the run. It did not matter to me if I completed it within a certain time frame, I just wanted to finish. I did finish, but I realize now, that setting miniature goals within my training will help better prepare me for the big day.
Setting goals is a good practice for life in general. Whether we are training for a race, saving money, or working with our physical therapists, we should be goal-setters. Setting realistic goals that I can achieve in one or two weeks boosts my morale and helps keep me on my training schedule. It helps nudge me over the hurdles on days when I do not feel like training or eating well. In the same way, when you are working with your therapist, setting goals will keep you motivated and on track to wellness!
Simon Haussmann, PTA
From Northwest Florida to Haiti: one therapist’s mission to help those in need.
- Scott Champagne has a Masters of Physical Therapy from St. Augustine University for Health Sciences, and has been a member of the First Choice team since 2011. Scott currently is the lead therapist at First Choice’s beach location.
On January 10th, 2010, the Caribbean nation of Haiti was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake; devastating the entire country and the lives of those living there. Over 300,000 Haitians were injured, 1.5 million left homeless, and it is estimated that as many as 250,000 were killed. During the days following the earthquake, reports coming out of Haiti were grim, with stories of the great suffering and utter loss millions of Haitian people had experienced. Along with the reports was a simple message, stating that medical personal were desperately needed to assist those affected during the tragedy. In the weeks following the earthquake, I felt compelled to help those who were hurting and in dire need of medical attention. At the time I was unaware that helping those injured during and after the earthquake would become a calling, but that it did.
My initial visit to Haiti over 2 years ago was to Fonds-Parisien, located in Ouest, Hait where an orphanage had been transformed into the primary surgery and rehabilitation site for the central portion of the country. Patients were flown in on military helicopters from Port Au Prince, and the surrounding areas, to Fonds-Parisien for surgery and the physical therapy required after. My assignment while in Fonds-Parisien was focused on the rehabilitation of children, specifically those living in a 10 tent area labeled “Unattended Minors”. These children had lost everything from their parents and families, to their limbs and mobility, and my job was to get them up and moving, all while educating them on daily activities to improve their functional mobility.
Over the past two years, physical therapy rehabilitation has become more structured. The “clinic” I originally volunteered in, a UN donated tent, has progressed and moved to a free standing building in the coastal town of Jacmel, Haiti. We eventually joined with Community Coalition for Haiti to provide collaborative help, specifically clinical support, and training for the therapists and staff in Jacmel. Ongoing therapist training is essential to the growth and development of comprehensive physical therapy care in Haiti, especially as we continue to see injuries and pathologies as a result of the earthquake of 2010. I believe it is my calling to continue this work and help facilitate the long term sustainability of physical therapy in Jacmel as well as surrounding areas in Haiti, and will continue to do so until I am no longer needed.
Scott Champagne, MPT
Published May 24, 2013 |
Cultrual Diversity
- Melissa Gray and Wade Rinehart perform “Ke Aloha” during the 2013 Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration at Naval Support Warfare Center Panama City Division on Wednesday.
First Choice Physical Therapy’s own Dr. Wade Rinehart joined Melissa Gray to perform a well known Hawiian song, “Ke Aloha” Thursday, April 16 2013, during a celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Cmdr. Gregory K. Brotherton, executive officer at Naval Support Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD), said the celebration of cultures helps open up dialog and understanding.
RUNNING DOES NOT STRENGTHEN
I would like to clear up the big misconception that you will get stronger by running. Contrary to popular belief, RUNNING DOES NOT STRENGTHEN and for this reason a vast majority of our patients are runners of some sort. Some have completed marathons and Ironman triathlons. Some do it recreationally for stress relief or to eat whatever they desire. Others are getting off the couch and trying to get back into shape. What ever your reasoning is for running, the most important thing to remember is that running is great for improved cardiovascular endurance, stress relief, and a weight loss boost, but it will not strengthen you.
Muscular endurance is not the same thing as muscular strength. Muscular endurance is the ability of one or multiple muscles to sustain a repetitive, sub-maximal force or contraction over an extended period of time. Muscular strength is related to the muscle’s ability to move or produce a maximal force on an object. Imagine the difference in a Prius that gets upwards of 51 miles to the gallon verses a vintage muscle car running at 8 miles to the gallon. One has endurance, while the other has power and strength. One you would take across the country on a trip, the other down a drag strip. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not promoting that everyone should completely abandon their workout routine, become meatheads in the gym and start performing Olympic lifts. I’m just saying endurance is very different from strength. If you are a runner, you need to understand this difference to protect yourself against injury and extend your running life.
Nearly every runner that comes through our clinic has one of two stories: I have been training for (insert the race of your choice) and this began hurting or I run because (insert reason) and this started hurting. The ultimate reason for the injury is typically weakness isolated in the hips and/or lower abdominals. Many of the runners that I treat do not understand this difference between muscular endurance and strength. One automatically assumes that “I have to be strong because… I can run 26.2 miles” or “… I can run a mile in 6 minutes”. This is a very poor assumption and always leads down the road to an injury. As a runner, it is necessary for one to diversify workouts. Strength training is just as important, if not more, as the long 20 mile run on Sundays because it is what will help you maintain good form and prevent a breakdown in the running cycle. Endurance is easy to get, but it is also the weakest part in the chain. Strength comes by a little bit harder, requires more focus and dedication, but it is what supports the entire chain. Understanding the importance of having a balance of strength and endurance is the key to have a long and safe running career.
If you are currently running and are pain and problem free, that is great, but before a small amount of weakness develops into a problem take a look at your training program and start strength training (your body weight is all you need to get started). If you are hurting or feel uncomfortable in your running cycle, do not hesitate to call until you cannot run and have to shut it down for months. Many weaknesses are easily identified and easily corrected if caught soon enough by a professional at FIRST CHOICE PHYSICAL THERAPY. Don’t wait until it is too late!
Brent Holtgrewe
Director of MVP Sports Enhancement
Big Changes at First Choice in 2013
We are so excited! During the past year First Choice Physical Therapy’s Lynn Haven clinic received a beautiful facelift. It started with a new digital sign that was installed by Crow Signs on our Hwy 390 side that faces traffic both directions. You can look through our blog at many samples of what we have put on the sign. That prompted some major landscaping that included building a wall around the sign, a rock garden, moving some palm trees and putting in more shrubs. Our good friends at Lawnscapes did that for us. They also take care of our regular lawn care needs.
Next we painted the entire outside of the building, including the monument style sign on Jenks Avenue. Since we had the sign painted, it was a great time to have Crow Signs redo the signs there also. That project turned out perfect. The signs for First Choice, MVP Sports Enhancement and The Wreck (Emerald Coast Fellowship’s youth ministry) were all changed. With all that new paint on the outside, Wade decided it would be a good time to freshen up the inside as well. We brought in an interior designer and she helped to pick out a super color pallet and even told us exactly which walls to paint which color. She really knew what she was doing and we could not be happier with the new look.
While all this was going on, business was not only still going on, we kept reaching new heights in the number of patient visits. The number of staff, both on the gym floor and in the office, has grown to make sure that we maintain our self imposed level for patient care. Those of you that have been here know that it is a pretty high bar we have set for your care. One thing that First Choice Physical Therapy continually reminds the entire staff of is that we can never forget that patient care is the core of our business. As one of our mottos says, “Knowledge guides us. Passion drives us.”
Please tell us if you notice anything we can do to improve how our patients are treated and if everything was perfect, tell your friends. We recognize your referrals as the best compliment we can ever receive.