With the stage set for tomorrow’s New York City Marathon and the more than 47,000 runners presumably having completed their training, we went to an expert for some last-minute advice on foot care for the race entrants. Dr. Robert Conenello is President of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, the owner of Orangetown Podiatry, and a global clinical adviser to the Special Olympics, having volunteered his time and expertise to that organization for the past decade. He is also a past participant in the New York City Marathon.
Q. Is there anything runners should be focusing on now, with the race set to begin at 9:10 tomorrow morning?
Dr. Conenello: Today, you should try to hydrate and just relax. As far as your feet go, prepare. In other words, make sure that you have all the right gear, including a good moisture-wicking sock. If you have any hot spots on your feet, put Vaseline or some kind of body glide on them to make sure you don’t get blisters. And get a massage today. It’s a great idea to relax.
Q. What about mid-race. What should a runner do about foot pain that occurs during the race?
Dr. Conenello: First, try to walk it off if you can. Take it slowly. It could just be cramps or tightness or improper posture. It could even be a simple thing like a sock that bunched up. If that’s not the case, seek medical attention. There are so many good professionals on the sidelines that can take care of you there. If you are having sharp discomfort, don’t try to run through it because it could be a problem. A stress fracture, or something like that.
Q. And after the race, what should the runners do for their feet?
Dr. Conenello: Again, hydrate, because you could still have problems with your feet if you don’t have enough fluids in you. The most important thing for your feet, though, is R.I.C.E. That is, rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Get your shoes off. Alternate as the day goes on between hot and cold treatment for your feet. Get another massage to get some of those toxins out of the muscles. If you have blisters, soak them in a little bath of Epsom salts to shrink them down. Cover them with a little antibiotic ointment and a non-stick dressing. If you’re in a lot of pain, or if you have a black toenail, go see your sports podiatrist. Those are the main things to address.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Elementary Questions
Questions from curious third-graders after they were read a story today about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:
- Why do they have to guard it?
- Can the soldiers talk?
- What if their wife comes up to them and asks them a question?
- Can they yawn?
- Can they cough?
- Do they still guard the tomb if it rains?
- How long do they work?
- Can you walk in front of the solider during his patrol?
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Wish List
Ten first- and second-graders this year were asked to identify the one thing above all else they would want if given just one wish. Here are the results:
1. A lot of money and a fish
2. A flat-screen TV
3. Unlimited wishes
4. Yankees tickets
5. A 38-foot fishing boat
6. To be at Six Flags forever
7. $1 million
8. More recesses
9. My own private plan, scooter, and moped
10. For cars, trucks, houses, and tanks to be made out of LEGOs
1. A lot of money and a fish
2. A flat-screen TV
3. Unlimited wishes
4. Yankees tickets
5. A 38-foot fishing boat
6. To be at Six Flags forever
7. $1 million
8. More recesses
9. My own private plan, scooter, and moped
10. For cars, trucks, houses, and tanks to be made out of LEGOs
Monday, October 24, 2011
Catching Heat
This morning at school, a teacher in an adjoining classroom stormed into mine to adjust the thermostat our rooms shared.
"It's freezing in [my room]," she said animatedly as she pushed up the dial after first extracting the cover plate looking for who knows what. "If that doesn't work, we'll have to call someone." As she was leaving, she turned back to explain something to me. "You're fine -- because you're a man and men are never cold." Very definitive. "You're always hot. Right!" It wasn't a question.
"If you say so," I mumbled.
"If I say so?" Talking very fast now. "My husband is always hot; my son is always hot...."
I was beginning to feel the heat.
"It's freezing in [my room]," she said animatedly as she pushed up the dial after first extracting the cover plate looking for who knows what. "If that doesn't work, we'll have to call someone." As she was leaving, she turned back to explain something to me. "You're fine -- because you're a man and men are never cold." Very definitive. "You're always hot. Right!" It wasn't a question.
"If you say so," I mumbled.
"If I say so?" Talking very fast now. "My husband is always hot; my son is always hot...."
I was beginning to feel the heat.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Go West, Young Men
The two sides in the current NBA labor negotiations continue to talk in an attempt to come to an agreement over a new contract, but wouldn’t the more prudent game plan for success emphasize less one-on-one and more team play? No doubt compromise will be necessary if there is to be a 2011-12 season. In the meantime, perhaps the league could bring one of the greatest clutch players from its past off the bench here in overtime to help break the tie.
Jerry West may not be the face of the NBA, but he is literally its silhouette. It is his image, after all, that is the league’s logo. West was in the news with today’s release of his autobiography, “West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life.” But back in 2005, in an interview for SportsBusiness Journal, West told me something that is as relevant today as it was then:
“I’ve always felt that players should not be underpaid. Nor do I think that they should be overpaid. I just think that in today’s world, with the agents playing such a prominent [role] and free agency being so important, I think all of us would tend to overpay if we want a free agent. And paying money to players does not make you win. It’s been pretty evident in all sports.
“Does it give you a better chance? You would think it would. But you look out around the league today, and some of the teams with the biggest payrolls have not accomplished very much. I think it’s almost a testament to the agents: They can get people to buy into how great their players are when they might be average players, wanting these average players to make enormous salaries, which a lot of them do.”
Some time later, when I asked West who or what had had the biggest influence in his professional life, a career that included one NBA championship as a player with the Los Angeles Lakers and eight as a front-office executive with the team, he said this:
“Oh, boy. You know, I’ve always been a person who tried to learn something every day. I have some friends who have been very successful away from the basketball arena. And I marvel at the differences in personalities and the incredible instincts that they seem to have for making financial deals and acquiring companies and stuff like that.
“I had a pretty good education working for Jerry Buss for the Lakers when the league was not as prosperous as it is today. Being around him and some of his philosophies and how he viewed you should run a sports franchise… It’s pretty interesting, his philosophy. I learned a lot from him. I learned a lot from a lot of people.”
Maybe the NBA and its players could now tap into that knowledge before it is too late.
Jerry West may not be the face of the NBA, but he is literally its silhouette. It is his image, after all, that is the league’s logo. West was in the news with today’s release of his autobiography, “West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life.” But back in 2005, in an interview for SportsBusiness Journal, West told me something that is as relevant today as it was then:
“I’ve always felt that players should not be underpaid. Nor do I think that they should be overpaid. I just think that in today’s world, with the agents playing such a prominent [role] and free agency being so important, I think all of us would tend to overpay if we want a free agent. And paying money to players does not make you win. It’s been pretty evident in all sports.
“Does it give you a better chance? You would think it would. But you look out around the league today, and some of the teams with the biggest payrolls have not accomplished very much. I think it’s almost a testament to the agents: They can get people to buy into how great their players are when they might be average players, wanting these average players to make enormous salaries, which a lot of them do.”
Some time later, when I asked West who or what had had the biggest influence in his professional life, a career that included one NBA championship as a player with the Los Angeles Lakers and eight as a front-office executive with the team, he said this:
“Oh, boy. You know, I’ve always been a person who tried to learn something every day. I have some friends who have been very successful away from the basketball arena. And I marvel at the differences in personalities and the incredible instincts that they seem to have for making financial deals and acquiring companies and stuff like that.
“I had a pretty good education working for Jerry Buss for the Lakers when the league was not as prosperous as it is today. Being around him and some of his philosophies and how he viewed you should run a sports franchise… It’s pretty interesting, his philosophy. I learned a lot from him. I learned a lot from a lot of people.”
Maybe the NBA and its players could now tap into that knowledge before it is too late.
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