Heaven Can Wait 5K Walk/Run

By Marlys Johnson

In case you’ve wondered, the pink commotion in Drake Park first Sunday in June for the past thirteen years has been the Heaven Can Wait 5K walk/run for breast cancer. Check out these incredible numbers:

• 14^th annual 5K walk/run – June 2, 2013
• 33,882 participants over the past 13 years (for you math geeks, that’s an average of 2,606.3 participants per year)
• $902,815 raised to date, which means this is the year we need your help to reach the million dollar mark!

A little history

Bend resident and breast cancer survivor Charlene Levesque enlisted the help of her husband, Joe; the Central OregonRunning Klub; and Peggy Carey, Director of St. Charles Cancer Center. Together, they determined the look and feel of the first Heaven Can Wait event back in 2000 … and the rest is history.

Follow the money

Heaven Can Wait benefits Sara’s Project of the St. Charles Cancer Center. Proceeds fund breast cancer awareness and education, and help support breast cancer research. Through Sara’s Project, central and eastern Oregon breast cancer patients also can receive one-on-one peer support, assistance with non-medical living expenses and a Nurse Navigator to help them navigate the complexities of the medical system.

If you missed the First Friday Heaven Can Wait Kick-Off event at Foot Zone, head on over to www.heavencanwait.org and click on “Registration” to sign up for this fabulously fun walk/run. Also, for those of you interested in volunteering, check out the online volunteer site at the HCW web page.

A local event … founded by a local breast cancer survivor … raising funds to support local breast cancer patients – how cool is that?!

 

 

Expanding the Zone

You may have heard rumblings that the FootZone is expanding.  After 18 years growing things in our current space the FootZone will expand directly across the street.  We won't be leaving the current space but more on that shortly.

Here's the plan: near the end of May we will expand our running/walking offerings (which is 80% of the current shop) into a larger space directly across the street.  The new shop is 1/3 bigger than our current space and will give us room to do what we do a little better.  We'll have space to teach a Good Form Running clinic or even do a small presentation during store hours and more room for packet pick-ups, an additional treadmill, etc.  We'll also be able to carry more clothing, accessories and have a larger shoe wall to show off our vast selection of footwear.  Nearly all of the current staff will move across the street with the running store.

Once we make the move and get things open across the street, the current space will evolve into an active/outdoor lifestyle store.  It will take a little time to get it exactly how we want it (even though we'll still be open) but by July the current space will become "OutsideIN Bend".  Our selection of shoes from brands like Dansko, Keen, Merrell and Olukai will grow but even more apparent will be the additional apparel from Prana, Lole, Arc Teryx, Beyond Yoga and Ibex to name a few.  We will also have kids shoes from Keen, Merrell, New Balance and Chooze.  The selection at OutsideIN Bend will evolve over time and ultimately you, the customer will help decide what shape it takes.

Why? is a question that sometimes comes up as we share our plan.  It's a good question and one we don't take lightly.  After all, FootZone is a healthy, growing store with wonderful customers and a good reputation.  The last thing we want to do is mess it up.  With a little luck we won't and we'll provide an expanded space for FootZone to grow with this community.  All the while creating a new store (OutsideIN Bend) that helps us meet some of the needs and wants our customers have.  Plus, truth be told, we're having fun with the project.  We're excited to create something we can be proud of and that we hope Central Oregon will love.

Clearly none of this would be possible without all the love Central Oregon has already shown us over the years.  It's hard to change but we couldn't be more excited or appreciative for the opportunity.  Thank you! -Teague

Plantar Fasciitis It’s a Real Pain in the Foot, Knee, Hip, Buttocks, Back…

Written By: Steve Leary, PT

 

If you are new to the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis the above title may or may not apply to you.  Most of you who have suffered from this diagnosis for 6 months or more, can relate to the spreading nature of this all too common diagnosis.  The question that needs to be determined and addressed when it comes to plantar fasciitis is: does the problem come from the plantar fascia or does it come from the knee, hip, buttocks, back….?

It is estimated that plantar fasciitis affects about 10% of the world’s population. Clinically, we see durations that may be as new as several weeks old to as long as 25 or 30 years.  As a Clinic Director of Hands On Physical Therapy here in Bend, Oregon (HandsOnPTBend.com), not a week goes by that we don’t treat at least several patient’s with a plantar fasciitis diagnosis.  Often times these patient’s are frustrated because they have tried all the traditional approaches to get their plantar fasciitis better, yet they are still struggling with the problem. 

I can not over-emphasize the importance of those traditional approaches: appropriate foot stretching and soft tissue work; rest from the offending activity; anti-inflammatory approaches like ice; good foot wear (we will touch on this a little more in this blog, as this is one area where treatment sometimes goes awry).  For those of you who have done these things and are now more than 3 months into your foot pain, it is likely that there is a problem higher up the biomechanical chain (more often than not in the buttocks and hip area).  Weakness and/or impaired flexibility higher up the leg or back can lead to repeatedly placing the foot on the ground in the wrong orientation.  This will negate the incredible spring mechanics of the foot and place increased stress into the plantar fascia. 

Plantar fasciitis is the “what”. To resolve plantar fasciitis you must address the “why”.  No matter how we look at the problem there is a tissue mobility and inflammation problem in the plantar fascia.  Clinically, we typically treat this by trying to calm down the irritation in the plantar fascia through taping the foot into a more biomechanically correct posture.  This can be assisted through supportive foot wear; initially stiffer to allow the inflammatory process to recede, then gradually moving towards a more flexible shoe to allow improved mobility and stretching of the plantar fascia.  The end goal ideally being comfort in barefoot walking.  As the foot pain decreases, the flexibility or stretching component will increase. 

To address the “why”, you must look at the whole biomechanical chain.  After assessing the range of motion, coordination, strength and flexibility of the muscles and joints of the leg and back, you can determine what additional areas need mobility/strength/flexibility.  An exercise plan can be put into place which returns the foot, ankle, knee, hip, pelvis and back to normal coordinated function and ultimately puts the foot into a place where it articulates with the ground properly and the plantar fascia is no longer under undo stress.

To learn more about this thought process on Plantar Fasciitis, please join me, Stephen Leary, PT for the Plantar Fasciitis Clinic at the FootZone on May 15, 2013 at 7 p.m.

 

 

Steve Leary, PT graduated from California State University at Long Beach in 1992 with degrees in Physical Therapy and Psychology. Steve excels in the biomechanical analysis of movement patterns. This ability allows him to get to the root of the dysfunction and problem. As an accomplished collegiate distance runner, he has a special interest in the running population. He volunteers his time monthly to answer questions and give recommendations at FootZone as well as for various running groups. Utilizing his experience in Manual Physical Therapy and knowledge of biomechanics he can tailor a flexibility and strength program specific to each patient’s needs.