2014 Boston Marathon in Video Blog: An Epic Day! One That Changes You Forever!

I usually do a written follow up of my race day videos, but here we are a week after Boston and I just can't seem to find the right words to describe the experience. It was an epic day! It was a day that will never be duplicated and certainly not forgotten. I was amazingly blessed to be able to experience the entire breadth of emotions that made up the Boston marathon weekend this year. Truthfully, I cried for the first time Friday evening upon arriving in the city and continued on and off until we came home to DFW. I still tear up when describing the experience to patients, friends and family. My goal in running Boston was to honor the life of my friend and colleague, David Bloom. I accomplished much more. Boston 2014 reminded my how blessed I am to be able to run and share my passion with so many people. It also reminded me that even those whose bodies are not whole can inspire the world with their strength and perseverance. I will never be the same. My view of the world has changed forever due to this one day. I felt like the entire city of Boston came out just to give the runners a hug and to celebrate the resurrection of the city! I only wish was that this moment in time would last forever. There will be more marathons run in Boston, but there will never be another 2014 Boston Marathon.

NBC5 Coverage of the Local Runners at the Boston Marathon

I love Scott Gordon! And the fact that he covered the Boston Marathon from the North Texas view by using my picture and Christa Lopez's from Twitter on the 10 o'clock news last night! Love it!

Boston Strong! David Bloom's Legacy to be Honored in Historic Race

As many of you know, I am a native Rhode Islander and spent the first 27 years of my life running in New England. The Boston marathon has always been a very special race for my family and me. My brother and I first qualified and ran the race together in 2002, finishing holding hands. It is sacred ground to us. On this historic one year anniversary of the bombing that shook the city of Boston to it’s core, and also violated the Mecca of all distance runners; I implore you to reflect and honor those that we have lost and move together into the future honoring their memories. We need to support each other in these trying times. The only way to counter violence is with love and solidarity!

I am running Boston again this year to uplift the memory of my dear friend and colleague, David Bloom. I will carry his picture for 26.2 miles symbolizing how many times he had carried me in years we were together. Together we have raised more than $12,000 for melanoma education in hope to make a small difference in this fight. Melanoma claimed Dave’s life much too soon, but his memory, spirit and legacy live on in all that he touched.

When I toe the starting line next Monday, I will not be alone. 37,000 runners will be physically with me, but countless others will be with us in spirit and soul. Boston Strong! I can only hope to run well and to live up to Dave’s amazing legacy during the race, but I know if I falter he is still there to lift me up and help me persevere, as he always did.

If you are new to this story, here is an update:

In December 2012, I lost my cherished friend, and FAANT lost a phenomenal physical therapy partner, when David Bloom lost his battle with melanoma. It is an understatement to say that David was a terrific clinical partner in the practice for more than 10 years. He touched the lives of thousands of athletes and helped them reach their goals on a physical, and many times, a spiritual level. David was also a compassionate, loving friend; a supportive husband and an amazing father of 5 boys.  He was a community leader and a beacon of God’s love in all the groups he was involved with. Even in his darkest hours you could see his faith burning brightly while he bravely fought his cancer. David left us way too young and his loss is deeply felt by all that knew him.  

On the one-year anniversary of his passing, I was searching for a way to celebrate his life and work, while trying to make a difference in the fight against skin cancers that affect so many young vibrant people like David.

After much prayer, I feel led to run the 2014 Boston Marathon to honor David and raise money for melanoma awareness and research.  David helped me through a nagging injury so I could run my first Boston Marathon in 2002, with my little brother Rob. I will remember that day and his support forever.

 I felt this tribute to his life and work will help the FAANT family celebrate his life, and feel like we have made a difference in fighting this terrible cancer that touches so many. Join me in the fight against melanoma by donating to the cause. I will personally match every single donation to double their effectiveness. Our goal is to raise $15,000 in the name of David Bloom. 

For more information about the cause or to make a donation, click here.

Arch Madness!

March madness brings the game of basketball to the national spotlight. The excitement of the game inspires many to hit the court. This usually will start arch madness in our Grapevine and Keller, Texas offices.

Why arch madness? Basketball is a high-impact and physically demanding sport. Most people jump in with both feet, literally and figuratively. This leads to overuse and traumatic injuries. In fact, one study revealed that more than 1.6 million Americans sustain foot and ankle injuries annually while participating in basketball. The traumatic ankle sprains and fractures are the headliners, but there are also many repetitive stress induced injuries like stress fractures and arch pain caused by plantar fasciitis.

Shoes can also be the main culprit for many of these arch issues. Most basketball shoes are made for lower arched people. And most players do not change their shoes often enough. If you have a normal to high arch, the shoes are not supportive enough and fatigue will set in quickly. This fatigue leads to inflammation of your mid arch and plantar fasciitis symptoms. Playing without warming up accelerates this inflammation. A 5-10 minute light jog, elliptical, bicycle or fast walk will warm up your legs and feet to better take the stress of the court.

Arch pain happens. Rest, ice, stretching (see video link), over-the-counter arch supports and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories can be helpful in the early stages. If your pain lingers more than a week or so with home therapy, a visit to the office is indicated. You may need custom orthotics, physical therapy or more advanced therapy to permanently bench your pain.

Bottom line: Basketball can lead to arch madness so prepare yourself to hit the court with more supportive shoes, stretching, a warm up routine and arch supports. A visit to your favorite podiatrist is indicated if your pain persists.

Strengthen Your Strides!

So many of my patients are coming in asking for exercises to strengthen their feet so they will decrease their overuse injuries and be able to wear more flexible shoes. A recent study showed that 27% of people can run barefoot without any issues and that another 14-17% can learn to run barefoot. The other 60% or so have unstable feet that are prone to injury if they run barefoot. More studies are needed to see if these percentages really hold up, but more flexible running shoes with less heel drop are here to stay. Help yourself by strengthening your feet! These exercises can really help thwart the injury bug and stabilize flexible foot types.

Long Second Toe Causing Pain on the Run?

Do you have a freakishly long second toe? Does the ball of your foot or your second toe hurt after running? Is the toenail on your second toe deformed or black? You may have what has been coined as “Morton’s toe”.  Really this is a condition that is usually characterized by a cosmetically long second toe; but really it’s a short, hypermobile 1^st ray (that’s your big toe and the metatarsal behind it) and a long second metatarsal (often the same length as the 1^st metatarsal).

This foot structure is known to cause lower extremity pain due to hypermobility. Examples of problems associated with this foot type are:

            Metatarsalgia (ball of foot pain)

            Morton’s neuroma

            Capsulitis of the 2^nd MPJ

            Hallux Valgus or Limitis

            Metatarsal stress fractures

            Plantar fasciitis

            Calluses

            Hammertoes

            Posterior tibial tendonitis

            Shin splints

            IT Band Syndrome

            Chondromalacia

            Calf strains

            Lower Back Pain, Piriformis syndrome and even neck pain!

Wow! Lots of problems due to an inherited foot type!  Morton’s toe can really affect your posture and change the way you run and walk.  The most common thing that we see is an excessive adductory twist on toe off (also called late-stage pronation). This is when you barely pronate in your rearfoot but wear away the forefoot of your running shoe with a twisting motion when you push off.

There are no running shoes that are fabricated to stop late stage pronation or an adductory twist, but a simple functional orthotic can really change the function of the inherited unstable foot and allow you to run, jump and play with all the other kids without pain.

So, if you do have a freakishly long 2^nd toe and have had a myriad of postural symptoms, give us a call and let’s see what we can do to straighten that wobbly tire with a functional orthotic prior to contemplating surgical correction!

El Scorcho Anyone?

It's time to think about summer madness….I mean time to think about entering El Scorcho. Yes, in the Fort Worth running community we have an annual tradition of running around like idiots in the dark in the middle of summer. It's actually completely crazy but fun! Bring your lawn chairs, tents, and coolers. Sleeping bags are allowed and kids are invited to spectate. You can run a 25K or 50K, no there isn't anything shorter, and its done in loops of 5K that are somewhat lit. This is a race for real runners who enjoy the grass roots of our sport, or in other words; a bunch of lunatics who think running around at midnight in the heat of the summer is fun! Come join the fun! The field is limited so if you wait too long it will be full……I promise you it is a fun, slightly psychotic time and the shirt is worn like a badge stamping you a real runner! (or just a real lunatic!