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Cycling events benefit McKeesport area's trails, causes
3-2-1 Ride
Sunday's ride will benefit the Woiner Foundation, which aims to end melanoma and pancreatic cancer.
It will welcome cyclists of all skill levels to start from Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh on either a 7-mile family trail ride, Rita's Ride; a 25-mile trail/road ride, Tim's Tour; or a 62-mile "Metric Century" trek along the Great Allegheny Passage.
"It was important to us to include the Great Allegheny Passage in our event planning," 3-2-1 Ride executive director Jessica Fera said. "It's such a unique and beautiful asset to Western Pennsylvania."
Rita's Ride along the Allegheny River to Millvale honors Fera's mother, Rita Woiner, who suffers from metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Tim's Tour honors the memory of Fera's father, Tim Woiner, who died in 2010 at age 59 of melanoma. It rolls through Pittsburgh to the Wheel Mill indoor bike park in Homewood.
The Metric Century trip is limited to 200 adults who can take a shuttle to Connellsville from Carnegie Science Center for $75 or spend $50 and find their own way to Connellsville. The bicycle ride begins at Yough River Park in Connellsville and continues to rest stops in Cedar Creek Park and McKeesport, then back to Carnegie Science Center.
"Our Metric Century route has been our most popular route since we opened registration for the event in May," Fera said.
Other family-friendly activities include a tour of the Science Center's cycling exhibit, "BIKES: Science on Two Wheels," along with music and refreshments.
More details are available at 321ride.org.
Live Like Lou Bike Ride
Munhall's Pump House is the starting point for the second annual 52-mile, ride on Oct. 19 at 7 a.m.
It calls attention to the disease that brought down New York Yankee slugger Lou Gehrig, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
The Live Like Lou campaign was developed by Allegheny Valley residents Neil and Suzanne Alexander after Neil was diagnosed with ALS.
Suzanne Alexander chronicles her husband's struggle and its impact on their family in a blog on the livelikelou.myupsite.com website.
"To date we have raised just over $500,000 in support of this cause and have been able to direct $70,000 of those funds to other ALS families and research efforts focused on finding a cure," Suzanne wrote in June.
"Despite the ravages of ALS on his body, Neil feels so empowered to do valuable work in the mighty name of Lou Gehrig. It is therapeutic for all of us to channel whatever negative energy we may feel because of Neil's disease and turn it into a positive for him, for the kids, for our family and community."
A lunch is planned at the half-way point on the journey.
The first Live Like Lou raised more than $14,000. More details are on the Live Like Lou website.
Patrick Cloonan is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-664-9161 ext. 1967, or firstname.lastname@example.com.
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I ran a marathon.
Three days removed, and writing that sentence out still gives me this goofy grin, followed immediately by the urge to rub my calves and reflect on the fact that I am now certifiably insane, and have a medal to prove it. They gave me a medal.....for being either crazy or stupid enough to pay good money to run for nearly 5 hours. For regular marathon runners, perhaps this concept isn't enough to warrant the incredulous fits of hysterical giggling that I'm occasionally experiencing, but as a first time marathon finisher, I'm still trying to figure out what just happened.
I guess since this is a blog post, it's expected that at some point I move on to the actual race report rather than spending several pages attempting to understand that I actually did the race, and I'm not just in some post-race haze and imagining the whole thing. So here we go, hopefully.
"Marathon Weekend", as it is so called, started Saturday afternoon. Fellow Loopster chayes1019 AKA Christine AKA a close family friend since I was age 0 came down to be a part of the cheering squad. She had been originally thinking of doing the half, but is smarter than me and decided instead to have a relaxing weekend of cheering, sign making and beer drinking. My parents also headed over to my house, where they graciously provided us all with a pasta dinner that was eons above my cooking skills (so not Mac and Cheese or frozen pizza). My mom also made me brownies. The M&Ms were strategically placed to assure I wouldn't forget how far I needed to go.
After a relaxing night of eating and playing Cards Against Humanity (and teaching my poor mother the definition of words I never hoped to have to say in front of her), we headed to bed early. I fully expected to get no sleep, as is usually the case before a big race, but for whatever reason I slept like a baby. I have a theory that I reached a threshold and my body simply went unconscious from the anxiety.
The next morning came bright and early. Emily and Christine eventually had to usher me out the door while I frantically attempted to clean the entire house and make sure that they had 100 layers of winter gear for the day (I like to project my stress onto other things in order to not physically implode).
We arrived at the downtown area around 7am, and immediately realized that the fact that the capitol is on a hill would make it COLD. The wind was strong on the hill, so we walked around quite a bit to try to stay warm. We apparently milled around from an hour. It felt like 10 minutes. In no time, we were lining up for the race.
The only real complaint I had about the race organization was immediately at the start. With something like 1,500 runners starting, Madison Marathon thought it would work out okay to condense everyone into a tiny chute with pacers about 3 yards from each other. I believe the 3:20 pacer was about 15 yards from the 5:20 pacer. It was a little silly, and a lot of runners just stood outside the chute. I squeezed my way in for body heat, and looked nervously at Emily for reassurance. She looked back at me with an expression that very clearly said "HAHAHA IM NOT DOING THIS". And took pictures.
The gun went off after much announcing that I have no memory of. Panicked brains have no patience for listening. As expected, about 300 fast runners went flying through hordes of slower runners because they didn't fit in the tiny start chute. The competitive side of my brain got super excited and said, "WE CAN RUN THAT FAST!", completely ignoring the fact that this was a marathon.
"You're right brain! We should find the 4:20 marathon guy and totally keep up with him! It'll be fun!"
Almost instantly (seriously, the pacers were that close) I found myself behind the guy carrying the 4:20 marathon pace sign. A parenthetical note at the bottom indicated he would be running 9:54 minute miles. All of my training runs had been at a 10:50 minute mile pace.
Did that matter at all in the early race excitement? NOOOOOOO.
I have a bit of an issue in races, in which the extremely competitive side of me leftover from 17 years of competitive swimming takes over and decides to forget the original pace and goal...and make up a totally new, much faster one. This usually ends up fine because my longest previous race was a half-marathon. Presumably, this would be a bad way to approach a marathon.
I got to the mile one mark in just under 10 minutes. Thankfully, something in my brain clicked and said, "if you keep doing this, you will die and I will laugh". The next three miles through the scenic Madison arboretum were not really spent enjoying the scenery so much as arguing with myself over whether or not I was allowed to go fast. During the course of slowing down, I came across a huge group of people surrounding the 4:40 pacer. I allowed them to go past me, and got myself down into my 10:45-10:50 pace. Truthfully, I don't remember much about the arboretum (miles 1-5). I mostly remember wishing I was running alone and not with so many people distracting me.
Around the 10k mark, we emerged from the arboretum and came out on Madison's west side. Despite being a little antisocial in the arboretum, I was instantly ecstatic to see my cheering squad for the first time since the beginning of the race! Even better, they had all coordinated Packer gear and Packer themed signs for my first pass by them!
(RIP Aaron Rodger's collarbone). The notion that Aaron Rodgers might actually think I'm awesome was definitely enough to give me a nice boost going into mile six, which was good because mile 6 is mostly uphill into the campus area. The route took us past Camp Randall stadium where the Badgers play football, and back into what I like to call "deep campus". In deep campus, most of the spectators were college aged guys with no shirt on despite the 35 degree temperatures. On Wisconsin?
10k time: 1:05:32 (10:32 minute mile pace)
In what seemed like no time at all, I came across my cheering squad once again. I realize now that there were a solid four miles in between, but apparently 40 minutes doesn't seem very far within the scope of a full marathon. Once again, they had awesome signs.
I commented that if the criminals could run even a little fast, they could probably run as well at that particular moment. But that's okay.
Leaving the cheering squad for the second time was the first time any nerves set in. I knew the first major hill was coming. I knew the distance was getting up there. I knew it was going to be quite a while before I saw them again. And luckily, my left ankle was randomly deciding to cramp up.
I ran like an ostrich, bouncing around and fully extending my feet towards the ground trying to work out the cramp.
You know how when you're on vacation, you feel okay doing certain things you might not at home because you'll never see anybody ever again? Apparently that same attitude exists towards marathon running, even though you're potentially going to spend the next several hours running near the same group of people. So, ostrich running.
For the record, ostrich running didn't really work so there's no need to try it. Oddly enough, what did work was heading up the first huge hill on the course. The cramps instantly disappeared...........or the pain elsewhere was significant enough to overshadow it. I had originally planned to run the first half and walk the second half of the hill, but as I went up it, most of it did not feel bad at all and I ended up running. I probably walked for less than 2 minutes of the entire huge hill.
As I hiked up the steepest part, I went past some runner berating their friend for also walking. "DON'T YOU WANT TO FEEL PROUD OF THIS RUN? THEN RUN, YOU CAN'T WALK". I wanted to turn around and let her know that if you run 26.2 miles for the first time and don't feel proud because you walked a hill, you need better friends, not a better race. But I didn't.
As we came down the hill through the campus area, I briefly paused my ipod to enjoy listening to all the hungover students accidentally coming across the race on their way to Sunday breakfast comment on their observations.
"Someone should tell these people that running is hard."
"Does that sign say 'mile 10'? That's disgusting."
"I did a 5k once."
Or my personal favorite.....
The girl in what were clearly last night's clothes, being escorted by some poor shmuck in sweatpants, while she periodically stopped and dry heaved while yelling "SORRY" at runners.
Oh campus, you so silly.
Anyways, miles ten and 11 came and went, and I started realizing that I hadn't had any Gu or non-liquid calories, and the last Gu station I had seen was all the way back at mile 5. Luckily, I had packed a bag full of emergency gear for my parents to hold onto, so I knew all I had to do was make it to them and I'd have a delicious brunch of strawberry banana flavored slime.
I encountered them around mile 12, and they rushed to grab a Gu pack out of the backpack. I assured them that this was a freaking long race, and I was in no hurry.
I got my Gu, and was on my way again. I need to remember that Powerbar makes Gu that is actually 100x better than Gu Gu. It's got a little bit more liquid in it, so having it without an entire bottle of water doesn't feel like swallowing sand.
As I headed into the northside of Madison, the crowd got a little bit older as well as more surprised to see a marathon coming through town. Most of the runs are confined to the downtown area. They don't get a lot of love. Many of the spectators seemed to be more on their way to watch the Packers-Eagles game somewhere, so I got a lot of "GO PACK GO" cheers as I headed through.
Somewhere heading north, I crossed the 13.1 mile marker and it occurred to me that if I had any sense at all, I would've been done by then. Sadly, I have none.
Half marathon time: 2:20:23 (10:43 minute mile pace).
Considering my half marathon time at the Madison half last May was 2:26, I could at least be happy that my pace and endurance are quite noticeably improving. On the downside, there is something very mentally daunting about reaching the 13.1 mile mark and realizing you have to do that again. In most races, reaching the halfway point is sort of a point of relief. It's a realization that half wasn't really that hard, and that it's okay to pick up the pace and bring it up.
No such realization happened. Just the mental image of Gob Bluth reminding me, "I've made a huge mistake".
Luckily, my cheering squad was once again only a few miles down the road, and the first emotional breakdown was averted. They were camped out in a north side park, waiting around for me to show up. It was a good surprise, as I wasn't expecting them for quite a while longer.
I felt a little more settled after seeing them, but as the miles rolled into 15, 16 and 17, the mind games really started. The first noticeable issue was not fatigue. It was not muscle soreness. It was just pure, absolute discomfort from the pounding of pavement on feet and legs. It started to feel as if someone had been hammering away at the bottom of my feet.
I knew I was fine for energy and strength, but I wanted nothing more than to sit down on a very soft couch and have my feet rubbed. It started to feel like there was no shock absorption in any joint, and every downhill was driving spikes into my feet and legs.
And so the personal pep talks began. "This is discomfort. Are you willing to put up with 90 measly minutes of discomfort in order to call yourself a marathon runner?" Of course.
As things progressed, I tried my usual motivational strategy that almost always gives me a second wind. I try to think about all the people I worked with at my last job that never had the ability to do something like a marathon (I worked with individuals with physical and developmental disabilities, all in chairs). I reminded myself that by being born where I was, to the people I was, in the environment I was, and with the health that I had was like winning the lottery every single day of my life.
I repeated my favorite line to myself: "I GET to run today. I GET to use my legs today."
That worked pretty well, until it worked too well and got a little choked up and couldn't breathe. So I stopped. But it carried me through a few miles, as well as reassured me that I was getting mentally frazzled.
Mile 18.64 (30km): 3:24:50 (10:59 minute miles)
At mile 19 or 20, I became aware of the fact that I had fallen off the 11:00 minute mile mark. Whatever competitive flame I had been trying to kill early on was long gone. I was really genuinely happy to still be moving, and still be feeling like this was something I could reasonably finish. At the time, the thing I was most upset over was the fact that the 11:00 minute mile pace was very easy to mentally calculate, and it would now be much harder to ascertain where I was. In retrospect, I have no idea why this mattered. But it was a huge deal at the time.
As I worked on mile 20, I contemplated how much math sucked until I came up on my cheering squad again, faithfully waiting for me at mile 20.5.
For the record, those signs say "Run faster, my arms hurt" and "Today you burned 3,000 calories, that's enough for 20 beers". Apparently people were getting offended over the first, and arguing with the second. I'm going to chalk it up to people being cranky at mile 20, but seriously? People are cheering for you, and sarcasm is a real thing that exists. Also leave my awesome fans alone.
My dad asked me if there was anything I needed as I past. I requested new legs, and I think he said something along the lines of "only 6 more miles to go!". Normally, a six mile run day was my second shortest training day. For some reason, 6 miles left felt like "50 miles left" in my head.
As I headed into mile 21, tunnel vision started. Delirium started. I know I passed and said something to both my Captain and a training officer who were directing traffic. I know they said something back, and I think both asked me questions. I'm not entirely sure what the whole exchange involved....if not for my training officer informing me on Monday morning that as I was running away from him, I turned around like I was going to say something and instead just kind of stared at him confused before running off.
I don't really remember most of the road that miles 21-22 were on. I know that around mile 23, we ran past the capitol where the finish line was to do the last 3 miles of the loop. I remember being able to hear the announcement of names as people crossed the finish line, the sound of cowbells, and wild cheering. Something inside me broke a little. Another part of me briefly contemplated peeling off towards the capitol and just being done.
Instead, I followed the course away from the finish line for what seemed like eternity. We were on one of the major highways coming into Madison, headed directly out of town and away from what I knew was the end of all of it. I just started crumbling emotionally. I completely lost sight of all reason for the first time in the race. There was no more "you're almost done, keep pushing". There was just this bleak, "you aren't done" voice in my head. I couldn't physically feel my legs anymore, and it seemed like a miracle that I was not only still moving, but actually running.
Near the turnaround point to head back into town, I was surprised to find my dad and my dad alone, waiting and cheering for me. I informed me that I was about 15 minutes behind the 4:40 pacer, so roughly at a 4:55 pace. This didn't really register as anything at all initially, even though my pre-race goal was to be under 5 hours.
We turned around, and my dad was waiting nearby again, having only crossed the median to the other side of the road. As I approached, he picked up his camera like he was going to take pictures. I don't know if he actually did, or if he saw my face and decided against it. The next thing I knew, I was crumpling in his arms, just hugging him. I think he asked if I was okay, and I told him I was fine but delirious. I only remember knowing that I needed someone to tell me it was going to be okay.
He assured me that I was only about 3 miles from the finish. For some reason, the mistake made me really happy, I told him I was actually super close to the 25 mile mark, and his surprise and encouragement that I was actually super close gave me the second wind (realistically, one hundredth wind) that I desperately needed.
The fog cleared a little somehow. Between my dad telling me it was going to be okay and finally turning around and being able to see the capitol, my brain pulled it together.
24.2 mile mark: 4:33:48 (11:18 minute miles)
As I crossed the 25 mile sign, the realization that I was going to actually make it started setting in. The panic and despair of a few minutes earlier meshed with excitement over being finished, and absolute disbelief that I had made it that far. The result was sheer mania.
I took off with whatever energy I had left, looking like an absolute maniac. The 5:00 pacer met me at the bottom of the hill and started passing me. I ran up next to him with my crazy eyes, looked at him, and said "No". Then I ran away.
I hope he's paced before and is used to crazy people at mile 26.
My mom met me about midway up the hill and started running with me, cheering like hell. My mom is not normally a loud person, but either in my head or in reality she was screaming like crazy for me to finish. I powered up the final hill without even noticing it was there. I was met in the square by the sight of the finish chute, and the crowd getting unusually excited (for that late in the race) for everyone trying to finish under five hours.
I felt like I was sprinting trying to make it in under my five hour goal. In reality, I doubt I was breaking a 10:30 pace.
As I pulled within sight of the finish line, I could see the clock ticking in the 4:58s. Excellent news, since my chip time was actually a minute faster. I was going to break 5 hours! Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Emily and Christine going nuts as they saw me, realizing that I was going to make it in as well.
As I crossed the finish line, I pumped my fists in the air in celebration, looked around absolutely dazed as volunteers attempted to move me in the right direction.....and then immediately began crying.
For the record, I am not much of a crier. It takes a lot. But the sheer emotion of the last five hours, combined with this utter sense of disbelief at what I had just done cause me to totally lose it. As I staggered over to the fence to hug my mom, Emily and Christine....I realized that they were crying which then caused me to cry a lot more. Then some random lady watching us behind them started to cry...and all was lost.I suddenly pulled it together upon realizing that my dad, who was arriving late since he went out to cheer for me at mile 24 had my beer ticket. In my frazzled, delirious, emotionally wrecked state, I suddenly paused and nervously stated, "Oh god, Dad has my beer ticket."
My mom was able to calm me down and sent me to go take pictures while I waited for my dad.
He showed up on the other side of the fence as I was finishing with pictures, and I was able to hobble over and give him a huge (somewhat more composed) hug as well. I spent the next ten minutes hobbling through the finisher chute, grabbing all the food I could possibly find and asking every single volunteer where the beer tent was.
Priorities. It's all about priorities.
FINAL TIME: 4:57:47 (11:22 minute miles)
We finally located the tent, so my family was relieved of that broken record. All I wanted to do was sit down in the cold grass, so we did that for a while. Sitting is such an underrated activity. As I drank my beer, I contemplated whether the rest of the world understood how amazing sitting was.
Finally, after everything settled and I had a chance to rehash the race a little, I realized that I was starving as well as my entire cheering squad that had been diligently standing out in the cold for me, careful not to eat my one granola bar that I had provided them with. We promptly very slowly headed to a restaurant on the square, where I was able to eat a giant cheeseburger while avoiding eye contact with Packer game because I didn't have the emotional energy to handle our quarterback situation.
Final (Brief) Reflections
My A goal coming in was to finish. My B goal was to get under 5 hours. I accomplished both of my goals, and can now officially say I am a marathoner. What more can you really ask for from a first marathon? I started running about 15 months ago, and am still blown away from where things have gone. I know I'm not even close to being fast or competitive, but just the magnitude of some of this stuff is really hard for me to grasp still.
Half the time, I feel lost in this "training hole" where the race is this really pragmatic measurement of very calculated and disciplined training. And then I feel like I shouldn't be amazed by myself, or at least by the race....it's just a byproduct of something much bigger. Then I say "I ran a marathon" outloud, and something extra sinks in that's more than just "I trained and I did". I did something crazy. Hot damn.
I think there's a lot of reflection left to go, honestly. I've got November set aside as a mostly rest month before I get started with half-Ironman training in December. I think the important part right now (to avoid the ever-so-frequent post-marathon depression) is to stay focused on the bigger picture, stick to the training schedule...and realize that this was a piece to a much bigger puzzle. Not the whole thing, no matter how cool it was.
I've got a lot of work left ahead of me, and I'm psyched.
Congratulations!! Sub five hour on your first effort! Love your smile the whole way. Go Pack!
Most limitations are self made.
1. CONGRATS!!!! What a huge accomplishment. And a very, very wonderful RR too.
2. That Aaron Rodgers sign is brilliant mid-race motivation!
3. You are 'Ridiculously Photogenic Runner Girl'. Holy cow, you look beautiful in every single pic!
Huge congrats, marathoner! Madison was also my first, in 2006, when it was a Memorial Day weekend event. Excellent RR!
congratulations! and yes we are all insane
"Like a Madman Laughing at the Rain"
Congrats! Way to go! OSOM to break five the first time out! Now go put that 26.2 sticker on your car
Congratulations! Go ahead, bask in all the glory of your first marathon. Sure, you have bigger plans, but wow, you ran 26.2, and you did it completely on your own terms. An absolutely fantastic achievement, and great RR to boot. Awesome.
^^^What she said!
Congratulations, Marathoner! What a great race report. You had incredible cheering support, too, which we all know is a priceless commodity. Way to go, Officer M!
Run fun! ~Mike
Congrats and great write up!
This is amazing!!! CONGRATULATIONS, marathoner!!!! Isn't it funny the things you remember - I feel like I've overheard those same conversations running Crazylegs also haha:-) The girl dry heaving is priceless though...leave it to Madison to keep it classy haha. I love those signs!!! My friends had one with a sled dog drawn on it that said "Oh you ran a marathon? How heavy was the sled?" which I thought was riotously funny, but apparently they put it away because so many people had a problem with it. Eh.
You ran a great race and got it back together when it got tough!!! And without anyone else or a pacer to give credit to - you ROCKED it!!!!!!! And you took a lot of great pics along the way, which is obviously the most important part;-)
I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 26.2.
That 5:00 pacer must've had a good laugh. Congratulations!!!
A very inspiring race report! You are a marathoner- less than two years after you first started running. THAT is OSOM! Great writing too!
My head is on fire
But my legs are fine
After all they are mine...
Awesome job!! I especially love the immediate focus on the beer ticket! Congratulations.
congrats!!! i think you really captured how it feels to run a marathon. you did good !!!!!
Great job, great photos, great report, and great smile all the way through!!
Now, go get Rodgers back in the game so we can enjoy our turkey day!!
Did I say how great you are?!!
Go Pack Go!!
Great race and great report! I sincerely had a great time cheering for you and couldn't be happier for you and your accomplishment! Things have been fairly lousy for me lately so it was just the positive, life-affirming event I needed! And for the record I had no voice on Monday and had to stay home from work...totally worth it! Congrats on your major accomplishment and being one step closer to your BIG goal!
"Attack life, its gonna kill you anyways"
I smiled reading this from start to marathon finish.
Attitude is everything
I love every single part of this!! Congratulations Marathoner!!! And I'm totally jealous of your fantastic race pics - you look gorgeous throughout the entire race! (I usually look like I'm about to die, or about to murder someone)
Ohmigosh I can't even imagine playing Cards Against Humanity with my mom! You are a brave soul!
Even though you are a Packer's fan, you are still the BOMB!
Congrats on the marathon finish!
Congratulations marathoner! This is a great RR. The campus "kids" can definitely be silly and crazy but it is fun to run with such great crowd support. I would have to agree about the finish line. My first wasn't as good a finish as yours but I cried. I cried because I finished, I cried because it hurt and I cried because I was happy! Again congratulations you looked so good in your pics!
Congrats! Awesome Job. I hope I have half the experience that you seemed to have had in my first marathon this weekend.
Like Dave, I smiled ... but I also cried. You really captured the essence of that first marathon - all the good and all the ugly ... And your family's love for you (and yours for them) came through so strongly. Congratulations! You rock.
Congratulations. Great RR, and phenomenal race. So many smiling pictures, and during a first marathon to boot. Glad your family could be there to experience it with you. Go Vikings!
Nice job and excellent RR. That was awesome.
Grumpy Calf is now just an avatar. But I just can't part with him.
If you want to win a race you have to go a little berserk
- Bill Rodgers
Congratulations Marathoner! Great RR, especially the comments on campus.
"Anything that gets your blood racing is probably worth doing" - Hunter S. Thompson
well done !
and a wonderful report, it was like being there all over again..
my first marathon, I crumpled over a fence above the cold green Atlantic ocean at mile 22, had to drink a couple of pints of Coke aka 'the corpse reviver', before I could move..
Awesome Race. Great race report and I thought is was great you didn't let the 5 hour pace team get past you. Congrats on being a Marathoner. I go straight for the beer too.
Keep on Keepin on
Congratulations marathoner!!!!!!!!!! Amazing race! Great job pushing to the finish!
Congratulations Marathoner!!
You did a great job during your training and the race was a fantastic payoff for it. Definitely keep hysterically giggling.
Great story Em, and great photos. That beer and cheeseburger must have been extra tasty after 5 hours of running. Congratulations!
Congratulations on finishing your first marathon. I agree with what the others have all said. You look great in all of the pictures. (and its more important to look good, than it is to feel good)
Loved the report! Congrats on getting that sub-5! Loved all the smiley pics too!
Congratulations marathoner!
My first marathon was roughly the same: somewhere around mile 20 I was just delirious and not really thinking, but the finish... Ah, the finish line... One of the happiest moments of my life, followed by 15 minutes of crying and sobbing in the field...
Print this post to show to your kids in 20 years, they will be inspired!
Congratulations, Marathoner!!!!
I cried after my marathon, too. I think it happens to a lot of people. lol
I ramble...
Congratulations, marathoner! "Run faster, my arms are getting tired" is an awesome sign. Beautiful write-up. Now, after that half-iron start planning to attend your first Loopfest!
I agree with You Might Die Trying - You are the most photogenic runner!
Great race. It is awesome to have family support on the course.
Have fun training for your Tri!
This was an amazing read. Such an OSOM report and, I have to echo everyone else - you are a crazy photogenic runner!
Decide who you want to be, and go be it.
Be Fearless. Be 261. - K. Switzer
Congratulations! You will forever be a marathoner now!
Rock on and keep on running.....

subset: commoncrawl


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State prosecutors allege a 29-year-old woman was drunk, tired, lost and using her cellphone when she fatally struck a bicyclist nearly five years ago in the Lower Valley.
Defense attorneys for Araceli Nava, who is charged with intoxicated manslaughter and manslaughter, argued prosecutors can't prove that intoxication alone caused the death of Gustavo Vega, 47.
Nava's trial began with opening statements Monday morning in the 346th District Court. If convicted of intoxicated manslaughter or manslaughter, Nava faces two to 20 years in prison.
During opening statements, Assistant District Attorney Curtis Cox told jurors Vega was an avid bicyclist and a health teacher who kept physically fit. Just before 10 a.m. on Aug. 29, 2009, Vega, who was originally from Horizon City, was riding in the 15100 block of North Loop when he was struck by a green Nissan XTerra sport utility vehicle driven by Nava.
Vega struck Nava's windshield head-on and broke his neck, Cox said in court. He died at the scene.
Earlier that morning, Nava went to a party after getting out of work at Speaking Rock about 2 a.m., Cox told jurors. Nava allegedly stayed at the party until 6 a.m., and consumed six shots of hard liquor and two beers.
After leaving the party at sunrise, Cox said in court, Nava tried driving home but became disoriented and lost. She instead drove further and further away from home, and began to use her cellphone to try and call her sister, and began falling asleep at the wheel.
"She hits Mr. Vega without ever having seen him," Cox told jurors.
Cox said Vega's bicycle was smashed into pieces. Vega's body landed about 140 feet away from where Nava's SUV hit him.
Nava's attorney Omar Carmona said during his opening statement that prosecutors don't have any witnesses to prove the accident was "solely caused by intoxication."
He also said the state's proof Nava was drunk at the time of the crash came from an Intoxilyzer, a breath test machine, that "makes mistakes."
After opening statements, Cox played a recording of the call Nava made to a 911 dispatcher to report the accident.
During the call, Nava begged the dispatcher to send help immediately.
"He's down. I think he's dead," Nava said, her voice clear but urgent. "I hit him. I don't feel a pulse, he's already cold."
Nava also admitted during the call that she had been drinking earlier that morning and had been falling asleep while driving.
"I was looking at my cellphone trying to find my sister's number," Nava said during the call as she began to cry. "Oh God. I'm going to serve jail time, aren't I?"
In the courtroom, several relatives of Vega and Nava, along with Nava, began silently crying and wiped tears from their eyes.
The state's first witness, Feliciano Galvan, testified he was working at a nearby irrigation ditch when he heard a loud noise and saw a bicycle, but not its rider. He testified he also saw a green vehicle travel down the road, stop and reverse.
Galvan said in court he later realized the vehicle's driver had hit the bicyclist and was trying to help him.
But during cross-examination by defense attorney Dolph Quijano, Galvan admitted neither he or another witness at the scene tried to help Nava or Vega.
Nava's trial will continue this week before Judge Angie Juarez Barill.


text:
The Andalusia Condos
out at the San Antonio skyline from this downtown
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living downtown. Located at 221 Lexington, these are some of the
newest condos in the downtown area.
Unit #105:
Unit #317:
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© Centro Properties 2003


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[Students Higher Education]
[Available: Nationally]
In collaboration with NASA Space Grant Consortia, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center offers a 10-week summer research project to support MSFC's workforce development and research needs. Additionally, the project supports Space Grant's missions and goals for the development and transfer of practical applications in aerospace research and education, the advancement of state and national education and economic development goals, and the encouragement of interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary research experiences.
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text:
"Share your smile...and shine!" to win a smile makeover
Bethany Hamilton is one fierce gal: Despite losing an arm in a horrific shark attack, she rules the waves on her surfboard, inspiring people around the world. And she does it all with an easy, captivating smile.
Bethany's secret? At age 14, she decided to improve her smile. Her orthodontist, Dr. Patrick Turley, recommended the
Damon® System
, an advanced system that is proven to be fast and comfortable. Now, the soul surfer has a smile she's always proud to share.
Bethany's giving you the chance to tell your story in the "Share your smile…and shine!" contest, presented by Damon® System. The amazing prize? One girl will win a complete smile makeover using the Damon® System.
The deets on Damon System
The Damon®
are a system that improves your smile by straightening your teeth quickly and easily. The best part? Damon System also comes in clear, so they are virtually invisible. The Damon
use light force and work without the ties that need tightening and lead to discomfort (whew!). Sound like something you'd like to try? Check out this video, then read on to win!
Share your smile and shine to win
Would a new smile change your life? Tell us how you'd benefit from a smile makeover and how you'll help share Bethany's message of feeling beautiful inside and out.
Share your story by creating a video or sending a photo with essay that tells us about your inner beauty...and how you'd benefit from a new smile. Be creative! Bethany will pick one incredible girl to win.
How to enter
Please email your submissions along with your first and last name to
by 11:59 PM/EST on January 31, 2012.
Video submissions:
1. Email a .mov or .m4v file no larger than 10 MB to
Photo submissions:
1. Email a .jpg or .pdf no larger than 5 MB and a brief essay explaining your story to
for official rules and details.
Questions? Post them here in the comments!
Congratulations to the winner of the "Share your smile...and shine!" contest:
Judith F. from Vista, CA
© 2008 Girls' Life Acqusition Co. All Rights Reserved.


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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A U.S. Navy spokesman says one sailor was killed and five were injured during a training exercise at Fort Knox in Kentucky.
Lt. David Lloyd, a spokesman for the Naval Special Warfare Group Two in Virginia Beach, Va., said the six sailors were riding in a Humvee as part of a convoy on the post when the accident occurred Wednesday night.
Lloyd said the cause of the accident remains under investigation and he had no other details.
Five sailors sustained minor injuries and were treated and released from a hospital.
The U.S. Navy has used Fort Knox as a training ground since World War II.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.


text:
Love in Disguise
Carol Cox
About the Book:
Can she solve the crime before they uncover her true identity?
Jobless and down to her last dime, Ellie Moore hears about a position with the Pinkerton Detective Agency and believes it's the perfect chance to put her acting skills and costumes to use. Reluctantly, the agency agrees to give her one assignment, one chance to prove herself. Disguised as Lavinia Stewart, a middle-aged widow, Ellie travels to Arizona to begin her investigation. When the need arises, she also transforms into the dazzling Jessie Monroe, whose vivacious personality encourages people to talk.
Mine owner Steven Pierce is going to lose his business if he can't figure out who's stealing his silver shipments. In his wildest dreams, he never expected to receive help from a gray-haired widow… or to fall in love with her beautiful niece.
Then the thieves come after Lavinia and Jessie. Ellie isn't safe no matter which character she plays! Should she give up and reveal her true identity? What will Steven do when he realizes the woman he's falling in love with doesn't really exist?
Set in 1880s Arizona, Love in Disguise blends romance, humor, and mystery for a can't-put-down read.
My Review:
This was a pretty good book. I'll be honest, the title turned me off a bit initially…I was afraid that it would be nothing but annoyingly cheesy material, but I'm happy to say that wasn't the case. The book is well-written, and although it had the predictable "girl gets the guy" ending, the story line itself provided fun twists and turns, and it definitely kept my attention. This is a novel that I can happily claim appropriate for all readers! Clean language, no sexual scenes, and I'll tell you, any book that I can say that about scores big points with me.
The main character, Ellie, starts out a bit immature and worldly in the book, and it's enjoyable to see her character evolve into someone extremely likable and sweet. She is thrown into an uncomfortable situation, but cleverly makes the very best of it, and it's fun to read about. Another character, Steven Pierce, is someone instantly likable, as he is an honest, kind-hearted man who treats everyone he sees with the utmost respect. The ending made me extra happy, simply because I wanted to see Steven have his moment.
I give this book a rating of 3 stars. I liked it.
*I did not receive any compensation for this book review. I received a copy of the book free of charge from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. The opinions are mine, and mine alone.


text:
The Avengers are looking for a new leading lady. Scarlett Johansson's staying put, but she may share the screen with another powerful vixen. Rumor has it that Marvel's adding another woman to the superhero group.Read Full Story
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6-tiered Crimson & Silver Wedding Cake
- Uploaded By SaltCakeCity
- 2013-01-30 18:54:27
I modeled this cake after one from "One Sweet Slice." It's 6-tiers all covered in marshmallow fondant with some edible shimmer on the 3rd tier and an extra tier 4th tier with an edible bow and real brooch.
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text: Wednesday Sneak Peek Posted on February 20, 2013 by cgabriel Wednesday Sneak Peek: Wonderful author and research professor at the Univ. of Houston's Graduate Scchool of Social Work Dr. Brene Brown joins me to chat up her new book, "Daring Greatly." Don't know Brene? Her TEDx talk in Houston – 6 MILLION views on YouTube. She's got major game. Also – I got into a conversation today about Things We Won't Do That Make Us Look Like Kill-Joys. Do you have an official list? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. 😀 We're live from Fargo at 11a CT on 970 WDAY and worldwide online at WDAY.com


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Stopping in Carlsville at The Peninsula Winery, I found a beautiful art exhibit put on by Woodwalk Gallery in the downstairs exhibit area. Several artists from Margaret Lockwood's gallery were represented, including her own work.Speaker postponed
Last week's Maritime Speakers Series has been rescheduled due to weather.
The speaker, George Houde, one of the executive producers of last summer's "Great Lake Warriors" television series on the History Channel, was unable to make it to Sturgeon Bay from Chicago because of the winter weather. The presentation will now take place at 7 p.m. ...


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- Filed Under
Here are the Indiana numbers selected Sunday:
Daily Three-Evening: 4-5-4;
Daily Four-Evening: 1-9-7-1;
Cash Five: 8-12-15-24-35;
Quick Draw: 16-18-19-20-30-31-33-39-43-44-
Poker Lotto: Drawing was not provided in time for this edition.
? Saturday's Hoosier Lotto jackpot had no winner. The jackpot for Wednesday remains $1 million. The numbers were: 1-14-15-27-35-41.
? Saturday's Powerball jackpot had no winner, sending the jackpot for Wednesday to $400 million. The numbers were: 1-17-25-37-44; Powerball: 20.


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November 29, 2015
MOREHEAD, Ky. (AP) - Mason Mills threw for 378 yards and four touchdowns to lead San Diego to a 56-3 rout of Morehead State on Saturday and keep the Toreros in the thick of the Pioneer League Football race.
If the Toreros (7-3, 6-1) defeat Drake next week they can claim an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs since they already own tiebreakers over the other contenders.
Two of Mills' scoring passes went to Reggie Bell, including a 70-yarder that gave San Diego a 21-0 lead in the second quarter. Mills, who was 23-of-31 passing, went over 3,000 yards for the season. Bell, with 211 yards on nine catches, went over 1,000 yards receiving for the year. Joe Ferguson added 115 yards rushing on seven carries, including an 83-yard touchdown run, as the Toreros piled up 599 yards total offense.
The Eagles (3-7, 3-4) had three passes intercepted.
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text: Italian electro house heroes The Bloody Beetroots are ready to come out and play with the new album HIDE and the bonus track "35" just for Rdio listeners. The Black Venom-masked crew, which grew out of a solo project by Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo, has spent the last few years conquering the international music festival circuit, including collaborating with Sir Paul McCartney, and collecting inspiration for this full-length effort. Hear the album and "35" for the first time with this exclusive listen:


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Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most frequent musculoskeletal conditions in industrialized countries and its economic impact is important. Spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) is believed to be a valid approach in the treatment of both acute and chronic LBP. It has also been shown that SMT can modulate the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the paraspinal muscle. The purpose of this study was to investigate, in a group of patients with low back pain, the persistence of changes observed in trunk neuromuscular responses after a spinal manipulation (SMT).
Sixty adult participants with LBP performed a block of 5 flexion-extension movements. Participants in the experimental group (n=30) received lumbar SMT whereas participants in the control group (n=30) were positioned similarly for the treatment but did not receive SMT. Blocks of flexion-extension movements were repeated immediately after the manipulation as well as 5 and 30 minutes after SMT (or control position). EMG activity of paraspinal muscles was recorded at L2 and L5 level and kinematic data were collected to evaluate the lumbo-pelvic kinematics. Pain intensity was noted after each block. Normalized EMG, pain intensity and lumbo-pelvic kinematics were compared across experimental conditions.
Participants from the control group showed a significant increase in EMG activity during the last block (30 min) of flexion-extension trials in both flexion and full-flexion phases at L2. Increase in VAS scores was also observed in the last 2 blocks (5 min and 30 min) in the control group. No significant group x time interaction was seen at L5. No significant difference was observed in the lumbo-pelvic kinematics.
Changes in trunk neuromuscular control following HVLA spinal manipulation may reduce sensitization or muscle fatigue effects related to repetitive movement. Future studies should investigate short term changes in neuromuscular components, tissue properties and clinical outcomes.
Keywords:Spinal manipulation; Electromyography; Kinematics; Flexion-relaxation phenomenon
Low back pain (LBP) is one of the leading cause of activity limitation and work absence in western countries, consequently raising important social and economic challenges [1]. Dunn et al. [2] estimated that 1 out of 5 adults is affected by LBP, whereas 40% of the population has experienced symptoms during the previous month [2]. According to various epidemiological studies, approximately 58-80% of the population will experience an episode of LBP at least 1 time in their life [1,3-5]. Most cases (around 85%) are classified as non-specific because no definitive pathology can be associated with the low back pain condition [6].Qualified by some authors as an epidemic, this affection is one of the most common reasons for medical consultation [7]. Dagenais, Caro, & Haldeman [8] estimated the total cost related to low back pain in United-States to be in the range of 84.1 to 624.8 billion dollars per year, including direct and indirect costs [8].
Among conservative approaches, manual therapy, including spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) as well as mobilization, has been suggested to be an appropriated therapeutic option in the treatment of both acute and chronic LBP [7,9]. However, the reported effect size and clinical improvement are modest and the "active ingredient" underlying clinical improvement remains unclear.
The physiological mechanisms underlying SMT related clinical improvements remain to be determined. Among the possible explanations, biomechanical changes have been hypothesized as possible factors involved in clinical responses to SMT. SMT may release meniscoids or adhesions in the joint, reduce distortion on the intervertebral disc and reduce mechanical stress or strain in soft and hard spinal tissues [10]. Changes in neurophysiological responses have also been suggested as possible mechanisms underlying clinical effects. In 2012, a review by Haavik and Murphy suggested a central mechanism of action for SMT (central processing of proprioceptive afferent input) [11]. Under such hypothesis, SMT would lead to plastic changes in sensorimotor integration within the central nervous system [11]. Moreover, neurophysiological responses to SMT can be illustrated by the high frequency discharge observed in primary afferents paravertebral neurons that occurs immediately after the SMT [10].
Early work investigating physiological responses to SMT in healthy participants also revealed the presence of an electromyographic (EMG) response in paraspinal and limb muscles following SMT [12,13]. Similar surface EMG studies were also conducted in various clinical populations. De Vocht and Pickar observed a 25% reduction of paraspinal muscles EMG activity in a group of patients with low back pain who received SMT [14]. Similar immediate SMT effects were also reported when functional responses (flexion relaxation phenomenon) were evaluated during a flexion-extension task [14-16]. Although preliminary evidence suggests that exercises alone or in combination with spinal manipulation (over an 8-week period) can modulate trunk neuromuscular response in people with chronic neck pain, the independent contribution of spinal manipulation and the persistence in these changes remain to be determined [17].
Indahl et al. [18] observed, in an animal model (domestic pigs), a reduction of multifidus and longissimus muscles EMG activity at L4-L5 in response to electrically-induced pain following zygapophyseal joint capsule distension [18]. Such decrease in EMG activity was observed following the injection of a physiological saline solution in the zygapophyseal. EMG activity decreased following capsular distension and such effects was observed over a period of 30 minutes (when the experiment was stopped). Following these results, the authors suggested that the inhibitory discharges from the zygapophyseal joint capsule may explain the clinical results obtained with manipulative treatment and mobilization of the zygapophysial joints [18].
To our knowledge, persistence of neuromuscular changes following SM has never been investigated in subjects with chronic non-specific low back pain. Consequently, the main objective of this study was to investigate the nature and duration of EMG and kinematic changes triggered by SM in this population. A secondary objective of the study was to assess changes in pain associated with the intervention and task repetition.
Sixty participants (26 men and 34 women) with low back pain were included in this study and randomly assigned to either the experimental or the control group. To be included in study, participants had to be diagnosed with non-specific low back pain (mechanical origin). Participants were excluded if they presented with any of the following conditions: inflammatory rheumatic disease, infectious disease, neuromuscular disease, vascular disease, connective tissue disease, severe disabling pain, morbid obesity, neurologic signs and symptoms and pregnancy. All participants gave their written informed consent. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières ethics committee (Ref. No. CER-10-156-06.07). Prior to the experimentation, each participant underwent a brief clinical evaluation to confirm their clinical status (non-specific low back pain) and to determine the presence of any contraindication to spinal manipulative therapy (if so the participant was excluded). They then completed the following questionnaires: the modified Oswestry disability index questionnaire (ODI), the fear avoidance belief questionnaire (FABQ), and visual analog pain scale (VAS: 100 mm from no pain to worst possible pain). Using a VAS score (100 mm from no pain to worst possible pain), pain was also assessed after each set of 5 flexion-extension movements. Baseline characteristics of participants are presented in Table 1.
Table 1. Participants' baseline characteristics
Trunk flexion-extension tasks
The trunk flexion-extension task consisted of four movement phases: 1) The subject stands still for 3 s (Quiet standing); 2) The subject bends forward over 5 s to reach a fully-flexed position (Flexion); 3) The fully-flexed position is held for 3 s (Full flexion); and 4) Trunk extension enables the subject to return to the initial upright position over 5 s (Extension). Movement was paced using an auditory metronome and verbal instructions were given to standardize the task. Five successive flexion-extension movements were performed by each participant before and immediately after a spinal manipulation (or control mobilization) applied to the middle lumbar segment.
The participants from the experimental group (n=30; 16 men and 14 women) were asked to lie down on the chiropractic table on their left side. Their trunk was slightly rotated to the right, with arms crossed over the chest. The left lower limb was extended, whereas the right leg and thigh were flexed at a 90° angle. An experienced clinician (20 years of practice as a chiropractor), blinded to the study objectives and experimental conditions, faced the participants at approximately 45°, stabilizing the subjects' right leg between the thighs and the trunk with his right hand. The chiropractor's fingers (left hand) made contact with the lateral margin of the L3 spinous process, and an impulse thrust with a lateral to medial vector was applied to the vertebral segment. This procedure has been described as a lumbar spinous pull by Peterson and Bergman [19]. The procedure as well as the targeted spinal segment (L3) were chosen mainly for technical purposes, namely to avoid any displacement of data acquisition instrumentation. Participants from the control group (n = 30; 18 men and 12 women) were positioned in a same left-side–lying posture, with the superior knee flexed and the trunk slightly rotated for 5 seconds. No spinal manipulation, however, was given. Subsequently, two sets of flexion-extension movements were performed 5 and 30 minutes after the manipulation.
Surface electromyography (sEMG) data were collected using bipolar electrodes applied bilaterally over the lumbar erector spinae muscles at the L2-L3 level and at the L4-L5 level (~3 cm from the midline). A ground electrode was placed over the left anterior superior iliac spine. Usual measures were taken to improve skin impedance: excessive hair shaving, slight skin abrading with sandpaper and cleaning of skin with alcohol. EMG activity was recorded using a Delsys EMG sensor (Model DE2.1, Delsys Inc., Boston, MA, USA) with a common mode rejection ratio of 92 dB at 60 Hz, an input impedance of 1015 Ω, and analog to digital converted at 1000 Hz with a 12-bit A/D converter (PCI 6024E, National Instruments, Austin, TX, USA). EMG data were filtered digitally by a 10 to 450 Hz bandpass, zero-lag and fourth-order Butterworth filter. Data were collected by Labview (National Instruments, Austin, TX, USA) and processed by Matlab (MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA).
The root mean square (RMS) of the sEMG signals was calculated for each of the four phases of the flexion-extension task. RMS values were normalized using the RMS value in the extension phase of the first pre-intervention trial [20]. Left and right normalized EMG values were compared using Student's t-tests. Since no difference was observed (p>0.05), left and right EMG data were averaged for each segment (L2-L3 and L4-L5) [20,21]. The experimental setup is presented in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Representation of the experimental setup, including 8 infrared LEDs and EMG electrodes at L2 and L5 (erector spinae).
Kinematics data were collected by a motion analysis system (OptotrakCertus, Northern Digital Inc., Waterloo, ON, Canada). Light-emitting diodes (LED) were positioned on the right side and back of the participant on 8 anatomical landmarks: (a) external malleolus; (b) Gerdy's tubercle; (c) lateral condyle of the femur; (d) greater trochanter; (e) anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS); (f) posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS); (g) L1; (h) T11. Data were sampled at 100 Hz and low-pass filtered by a dual-pass, fourth-order Butterworth filter with a cutoff frequency at 5 Hz.
Raw kinematic data were transformed into angles to evaluate the movement of the hip and the lumbar regions. Each angle was created by two converging vectors, each of them resulting from a line drawn between two LEDs. The hip angle was formed from the pelvic plateau vector (ASIS - PSIS) and the thigh vector (lateral condyle of the femur - greater trochanter). The lumbar angle resulted from the combination of the dorsal vector (T11 - L1) and the pelvic plateau vector (ASIS - PSIS). The lumbar and hip angles served to calculate the lumbar to hip (L/H) ratio which reports the specific contribution of both lumbar region and hip articulation to the movement. Total trunk flexion and extension angles were both divided in quartiles (Q1-Q4) for which the L/H ratio was computed [20-22]. The experimental setup is presented in Figure 1.
Statistical analyses
Normality of distribution for every dependent variable was assessed with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and through visual inspection of data. All data were analysed according to a pre-established experimental design using Statistica software version 10 (StatSoft, Tulsa, OK, USA). One-way ANOVA was performed. T-tests for dependent samples were conducted for baseline values of continuous variables. Two-way (Group X Time) repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted for each dependent variable (EMG, kinematics and pain). Since baseline analyses revealed a significant difference in baseline VAS scores, data were also analyzed using ANCOVAs, where group and time intervals represented the main factors and VAS scores the continuous predictor. Finally, whenever ANOVAs yielded a significant time effect for the VAS scores, polynomial contrasts were conducted to test for the linear trend. Statistical significance for all analyses was set at p < 0.05 (2-tailed).
Both groups were comparable (see Table 1) for age, weight, height, disability index and fear avoidance belief scores (all p>0.05). A significant difference in baseline pain scores (VAS) was observed between the two groups (p=0.028).
Normalized RMS values during quiet standing, flexion, full flexion and extension phases were compared between groups and across all time intervals. Repeated-measures ANOVA yielded a main effect of time during the following movements phases: quiet standing at L2 (F(3,165)=3.1442, p=0.02), flexion-relaxation at L2 (F(3,165)=6.0123, p<0.001) and L5 (F(3,165)=2.8121, P=0.04) and extension at L2 (F(3,165)=6.2103, p<0.001). Table 2 presents the mean normalized RMS values for both groups during each phases of movement at each time of experimentation.
Table 2. Mean ± standard deviation normalized RMS values for both groups during each movement phase throughout the experimentation
The analysis also revealed significant group x time interactions for the flexion (F(3,165)=3.5487, p=0.016) and full flexion phases (F(3,165)=4.5796, p<0.001) of movement at L2. Post hoc analysis indicated that the control group, for both variables, showed a significant increase in EMG activity during the last block (30 min) of flexion-extension trials (Tukey's test; p<0.001). No significant (p>0.05) group, condition or interaction effect was observed at the L5 level. ANCOVAs (analyses adjusted for baseline pain scores) yielded results similar to those obtained with the initially planned ANOVAs for all EMG and kinematics variables indicating that differences in baseline pain scores cannot explain the observed differences.
A significant interaction was also observed for VAS scores which showed a significant increase in the control group during the last two blocks (5 min and 30 min) of flexion-extension trials (Tukey's test; p<0.01) and polynomial contrasts confirmed the linear increase in pain overtime (p<0.01). Figures 2, 3 and 4 respectively illustrate pain scores and paraspinal muscles EMG activity throughout the experiment (L2 during flexion and full flexion).
Figure 2. Mean baseline and post spinal manipulation pain scores (VAS = 0–100) for both the control and experimental groups. *Pain in the control group significantly increased at the 5 min and 30 assessments when compared to baseline value. Whiskers indicate standard deviation.
Figure 3. Mean baseline and post spinal manipulation L2 paraspinal normalized RMS values (EMG) for both the control and experimental groups during the flexion phase of the task. *RMS values in the control group significantly increased during the last block of trials. Whiskers indicate standard deviation.
Figure 4. Mean baseline and post spinal manipulation L2 paraspinal normalized RMS values (EMG) for both the control and experimental groups during the full flexion phase of the task. *RMS values in the control group significantly increased during the last block of trials. Whiskers indicate standard deviation.
Trunk and hip flexion angles were obtained to calculate the L/H ratio and are used to assess the overall kinematics as well as the movement strategy during trunk flexion across the various conditions. All quartiles of L/H ratios were also compared between groups and across all time intervals according to the experimental design and the analyses. The analyses did not reveal any significant main or interaction effects for the various L\H ratios (all ps >0.05).
The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of SM on the EMG activity of the paraspinal muscles and the duration of such effect over a 30 min period of time.
Interestingly, results showed that EMG activity at L2 increased only in the control group after 30 minutes. A gradual increase in the VAS scores was also observed in the same group over the 30 minute period.
The present results partly differ from previous studies. Using the same experimental paradigm, Lalanne et al. [15] observed a decrease in EMG activity at the L2 level immediately following a lumbar SM at L3 level [15].Similar results were also reported by Bicalho at al. [16] who showed decreases in EMG activity at the L5-S1 level following a SM at L4-L5 segment [16]. Such results have not been reproduced in the present study. The changes observed in the above mentioned studies, however, indicated that EMG responses were mostly segmental (changes observed only at the contacted or adjacent spinal segment) [15,16]. Despite the fact that decreases in EMG responses immediately following SMT were not observed in the present study, significant group differences observed during at the 30 min assessment were present for the L2 segment (SMT was performed at L3) whereas changes were not observed at L5. Interestingly, these changes were not associated with changes in lumbo-pelvic kinematics. In a recent review, Millan et al. [23] reported that none of the selected studies of the lumbar spine showed an immediate effect of SMT on lumbar range of motions. Future studies should include assessment for an extended period of time (hours and days) in order to better document the association between neuromuscular response to SMT and changes in lumbo-pelvic kinematics.
The combination of increased paraspinal EMG activity and increased pain observed in the control group during the last block of trials, although unexpected, raises important questions regarding the possible effects of SMT. These results suggest that a trial-to-trial "sensitization effect", observed in the control and leading to increased paraspinal muscle activity, did not occur in the SMT group. In a recent review of literature, Millan et al. [24] explored the short term effect of SM following experimentally induced pain. The review suggested both a local and regional effect of SM on pain reduction. The outcome of SM was also affected by the method of pain induction as pain induced by pressure, electricity, stretching of painful tissue, dermal irritation and spontaneous pain all responded to SMT. Such results were not observed, however, for temperature-induced pain. The specific effect of SMT on sensitization phenomenon should be further investigated in future studies.
Alternatively, changes in trunk muscle activity may also been explained by changes in paraspinal tissue properties. Olson et al. [25] showed increased paraspinal muscle EMG during the flexion following cyclic flexion extension exercise over 9 minutes [25]. These changes were accompanied by random EMG activity (described by the authors as spasms). Changes observed in the present study may therefore result from both modifications in spinal tissues properties and muscle fatigue. Moreover, sustained flexed or semi-flexed spinal sitting postures may result in increased paraspinal muscle activity [26] and provocation or aggravation of existing pain [26,27]. Therefore, increases in VAS scores and EMG activity following the 25 minutes of "sitting posture" may have been triggered by changes in paraspinal tissues caused by static lumbar flexion loading. Specific mechanisms underlying between group differences during flexion and full flexion and the potential role of SMT remain to be investigated.
Study limitations
As for all manual therapies, true blinding of participants was impossible during the experimentation. Participant's expectations towards receiving (or not receiving) spinal manipulation may have affected the VAS scores, but one could argue that it is less likely to affect EMG activity. Besides, because spinal manipulations were delivered by a clinician, no standardization of the force and speed parameters was possible, potentially inducing a bias in the physiological response to SMT. According to Kawchuk et al. [28], a typical clinician's trial-to-trial variability can reach 37 N when a peak force of 253 Newtons is used [28]. Finally, it was decided, mainly for technical reasons, that all SMTs would be delivered to the same spinal segment (L3), regardless of pain localization. Because pain and EMG responses overtime seem to follow similar patterns, delivering spinal manipulation according to pain patterns may have yielded different results. SMT procedures and delivering forces at the same segment for all subjects may not reflect the usual clinical practice where a specific joint will be targeted according to manual palpation and other clinical findings. It is therefore possible that the changes observed in the present study may not reflect exactly those encountered in a clinical setting.
Clinical implications
Assessing the clinical relevance of EMG changes following SMT remains challenging. However, the changes reported in this study (as high as 10-15% in normalized RMS values) may be viewed as significant changes in erector spinae recruitment during a typical activity of daily living (flexing the trunk). Such changes, repeated over time may lead to muscle fatigue and changes in spinal stability.
A recent review by Millan and al. [24] suggested that SMT has a hypoalgesic effect both locally (segmental level only) and regionally (related to the segmental innervation). The present results, although preliminary, suggest a possible modulation of sensitization phenomenon observed in chronic low-back pain populations [29]. A recent study suggested that descending pain modulation may shift from descending inhibition towards descending facilitation following repetitive muscle contractions in chronic pain populations [30]. SMT may have, for a brief period of time (30 minutes), limited the effect of muscle fatigue on pain processing mechanisms. The exact nature and extend (magnitude) of these effects are unclear and future study regarding the SMT in presence of muscle fatigue and changes in a tissue properties should be considered.
The present results indicate that changes in trunk neuromuscular control following HVLA spinal manipulation may reduce sensitization or muscle fatigue effects related to repetitive movement. Future studies investigating short term changes in neuromuscular components, tissue properties and clinical outcomes should integrate repeated assessments over time to better evaluate the clinical relevance of these changes.
Competing interests
Authors declare they have no conflicts of interest. This study was funded through the Chaire de recherche en chiropratique FRCQ, The Fonds de recherche du Québec-Santé and the Canadian Chiropractic Association. The funding sources had no role in study design, data collection, analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the manuscript.
Authors' contributions
MD contributed to trial design and protocol development, had overall responsibility for the conduct of the study, and contributed to the experimentation, data analysis, writing of the manuscript and supervision of MPH. MPH, as part of her master's degree thesis, conducted all experimental sessions, statistical analysis, and manuscript preparation. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.
The authors would like to thank Dr Julie O'Shaughnessy and Dr Jocelyn Lemire for their respective contribution in participants' clinical assessment and delivery of SMT.
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Pre-publication history
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:


text:
Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 220.127.116.11
Forum Moderators: open
I am currently using ADSL, which is the only really affordable option at the equivalent of US$155 per month. This gives me a shared 512 Kb line (shared with +-250 other ADSL users) and a 3 GB per month cap. If I where to get the line that my business needs to run efficiently (a 128 Kb dedicated line) I would be paying in excess of US$1600 per month.
I would really like to gauge how high our bandwidth prices really are so, my question is: What do you pay for your broadband connection? Does anyone pay higher prices than there? I'd especially like to hear from users in Australia. One of our telecoms excuses for our high bandwidth in our geographical distance from USA and Europe but anyone with a map can see that Australia is just as far away from these hubs.
[edited for spelling]
[edited by: acidic at 2:03 pm (utc) on July 13, 2004]
V 92 dialup = 15 $ a month
3.0 Mbits down, 800kbits up unlimited = 30 $ a month
3.0 Mbits down, 800kbits up unlimited = 66 $ a month
3.0 Mbits down, 800kbits up unlimited and static IP = 85 $ a month
4.0 Mbits down, 1.2 Mbits up unlimited = 90 $ a month
4.0 Mbits down, 1.2 Mbits up unlimited and static IP = 110 $ a month
4.0 Mbits down, 1.2 Mbits up unlimited DHCP/bridge with static IP = 225 $ a month
35 $ a month
<edit>Forgot to mention those are prepayed 1 year contracts </edit>
[edited by: Macguru at 6:55 pm (utc) on July 13, 2004]
I've noticed that alot of the UK broadband providers are also putting caps on usage. AFAIK when I signed up I didn't have one. Maybe that's the price of cheap broadband for some people, a cap on the usage.
I also have DirecWay (Satellite) for the R.V., which is only $60 a month, but the hardware was $600 and then the satellite locator hardware to make it work on a mobile installation was another $1100.
I believe Direcway only works in the northern hemisphere but I could be wrong about that - check them out and see if it will work for you.
I just 3 days ago got a quote from them. $149.95/month - and the install here is $799.95 paid up front. You CAN get it "long-lease" (I'm NOT going to do that....) if you want to pay over time.... which may be the pricing they quote on their site. (Our TV feed ALONE is more than they're apparently showing on the site, and they refused to allow a discount. We have to buy major networks too, because we live in the only place in the lower 48 where we CANNOT GET LOCAL TV. You're welcome to come and verify that....)
I pay over time for my house and my Ford diesel. That's it.
We have to buy major networks too, because we live in the only place in the lower 48 where we CANNOT GET LOCAL TV
Nope, unless we were neighbors. Many places in rural Oregon without local TV.
We're paying around US$50 per month for 250kb dsl. A bit steep, but we are rural, and it is a treat to have dsl via our phone co-op that only charges $12 a month for phone service. By years end we will have fiberoptic to the front door. Hope to see rates drop then.
*sigh* Never happen.... Life in the outback of far southwestern Utah has its attractions. Connection is NOT one of them.... Believe it or not, I live ONLY 40 MILES from a small city of 60k +. THEY have "all of the above"....
[edited by: vkaryl at 2:16 am (utc) on July 24, 2004]
I still can't find where you got that quote. Here is the pricing on their website:


text:
25 Duct Tape DIYs!Melanie Blodgett
Duct tape is one of those things you always have hanging around the house. So why not put it to good use with one of these 25 duct tape DIYs?
Duct Tape DIYs! 1 of 26
Click through to see more incredible duct tape DIYs!
Wall Decor 2 of 26
This would be a fun and easy way to doll up your walls.
See more here on HGTV.
Bed Skirt 3 of 26
Make a cute bedskirt for your little's room. So fun!
See more here on HGTV.
Boxes 4 of 26
A great way to decorate some nesting boxes. Use them for gifts or storage, it's all good!
See more here on HGTV.
Rosettes 5 of 26
These are amazing. So intricate and pretty.
See more here on Brit. Co.
Envelopes 6 of 26
In case you need some unique envelopes, make some of these!
See more here on Brit Co.
Feather Earrings 7 of 26
If you like feathers, bright colors, and earrings, these are for you.
See more here on Brit Co.
Wrapping 8 of 26
I would love to receive a gift wrapped up like this. So bright and fun!
See m0re here on Brit Co.
Belt 9 of 26
You can make a bunch of colorful belts for your little ones. Or yourself!
See more here on Remodelaholic.
Phone Case 10 of 26
You can always use a new phone cover, right? I love these stripes.
See more here on Color Me Blue Fashion.
Collar 11 of 26
Add a pop of color to your collar. So fun!
See more here on Scotch Tape.
Cars 12 of 26
My little guy would love one of these. Hours of fun!
See more here on Scotch Tape.
Rain Trench 13 of 26
Umm, this is genius. It's like a chic poncho. I love it!
See more here on Scotch Tape.
Wallet 14 of 26
Can you believe those duct tape ruffles? I love the colors too!
See more here on Scotch Tape.
Friendship Bracelet 15 of 26
A summer camp classic with a little twist. So great.
See more here on Scotch Tape.
Toy Clock 16 of 26
Make a simple toy clock to help keep the littles busy and teach them at the same time.
See more here on Mermag.
Toy Mailbox 17 of 26
I used to love playing mail when I was little. This toy mailbox is adorable and equals guaranteed fun for the kids!
See more here on Mermag.
Recycling Bin 18 of 26
Teach your kids about recycling with a fun recycling box.
See more here on Ardor.
Award Ribbons 19 of 26
These ones are for moms, but you can customize them for anything or anyone! So cute.
See more here on Ardor.
Laptop Case 20 of 26
Make a stylish and waterproof laptop case to help keep your computer safe.
See more here on I Spy DIY.
Handbag 21 of 26
A cute little bag for kids. So darling.
See more here on Armelle.
Hammock 22 of 26
This one kind of blows my mind. A duct tape hammock? Yes!
See more here on Instructables.
iPad Case 23 of 26
I really love the colors of this iPad case. Bright and cute and protective.
See more here on The Kipi Blog.
Gift Bow 24 of 26
Make a simple bow for your next gift giving occasion. They'll love it!
See more here on The Sweetest Occasion.
Coffee Sleeve 25 of 26
Make a reusable coffee sleeve for yourself or as a gift. Or both!
See more here on Dismount Creative.
Beach Bag 26 of 26
This bag is perfect for the beach. It's striped, so of course I love it, but it's also waterproof! Bonus!
See more here on Spoonful.
Read more from Melanie on You Are My Fave. Join Melanie on Facebook and Twitter for updates.