Knee Arthritis|Knock Knees|Virtual Knee Surgery

It has long been said that to enter the kingdom of Christ you must have child like faith (Matthew 18: look after post for text), but what does that mean? A few days ago, on my 20th birthday, I was thinking about faith. I was thinking about what it means to be like a child and if I could still have this illusive and much needed faith type. "Child-Like Faith" is interesting to me right now, and it begs more of my time than just one post, so all comments are fair game for next post. Also I just found an example of the view of Child Like Faith I am considering over at http://www.jonsplace.org.

A child walks into a field; he sees the moon cresting over the distant trees. The boy points to the big white ball and smiles real big. "Daddy, Daddy what is that?" he asks, now jumping up and down, earnestly waiting his father to answer. "The moon, son, it's the moon." The boy looks out at the white dot and says "moon", never questioning the ramifications of such a name, or the possibility of it as a lie.

In the tale I crafted the boy seeks an answer from his "all knowing" father. In Matthew 7:7 (look after post for text) we are told to seek our answers from God, much like the little boy did with his father, and though Christians ask God to help with things do we really expect him to help?

I hear stories from my Christian friends fighting temptation. No matter how hard they fight the temptation they keep failing. They look on the internet for ways to stop the temptation, for the "five steps to the pure and healthy life every Christian should live". They pace down the isles at their local book stores for "ten simple recipes that won't make you fat but will fill you up", or "101 ways to keep a clean love life" but how often do they fall on their knees and in cry out for help? I tell the same stories, for we all have these temptations, and who desire God's help first. We will relay on the wisdom of man before we will rely on the wisdom of the Lord. Though we are struck with confusion, much like the little boy is struck with awe, we don't ask the Father to clarify, we do not have the faith to say "God help me?" But is it just a cry God wants?

I have now painted a grim picture of Christianity. I have made Christians into people who only turn to God when He is the last door left unopened. This picture is rather strong, and in some ways incomplete. They're some Christians who would say I have lied about my brothers by saying such things as sated above, but I would like to ask such people this: when you pray for help before you have no other option do you listen? If so comment, tell me how you keep such focus on Christ I would love to know, but if you don't, why?

Last week when I was homeless my friends and I went dumpster diving. It was the first night, and in the spirit of gathering cardboard boxes we set off. It was a rather non-productive trip, filled with jokes about eating the food we found in a Subway dumpster. On the way back to the chapel (where we slept) one of my friends decided to play ding-dong-ditch. It was rather funny watching a grown man of twenty-two run up to a flat and ring the door bell and than sprint back to the cover a near by bridge lent us. I think this is how most Christians are with God. We ring the door bell and than before the ringing is done we run off and try to solve the problem. We tell God something is up, but than we run off into the night to solve the problem. Instead we should be like the child for the child does not doubt his dad's assertion but we doubt God's. The kid is told "this is how it is" and takes it as such, but when God tries to tell us how things are, we run off into the night, yelling at the moon creating our own names for it. And the father shakes his head.

Next I want to talk about "Why we don't trust our parents anymore and how this effects our Child-Like Faith" but until than... a quote.

Quote:

JD: "Who decides these ranking things anyways, next time they want to rank something they should ask me?"

ME: "What about the world biggest penis?"

-Chase

Matthew 7:7-12

7: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

8: For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

9: Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

10:Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11: If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

12: Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 18:1-5

1: At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

2: Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,

3: and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

4: Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5: Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

In addition to strength, the martial arts requires students to develop stamina and speed. Stamina gives you the staying power to perform during a drawn-out sparring match, do roll after roll, and throw a hundred or more techniques in a row. Speed allows you to evade an on-coming opponent, block a punch or a kick, and build enough power to execute a long stunning flying kick.

Stamina and speed are great substitutes for power. What woman lack in strength, they can make up for in stamina and speed. I've seen petite women dance circles around their male opponents, and get in the last punch or kick as their exhausted partner stood too tired to block it.

Common drills for building stamina include running in place while bringing the knees up as high as possible, running back and forth across the floor while throwing punches and kicks, and performing sets of block-punch-kick combinations. During these drills, instructors, in their zeal to get students to attain their best, often count faster than students can do the moves. This is a common practice among instructors designed to push students to their maximum speed. Once in a while you'll be able to keep up; many times you won't. Don't get frustrated. Just look around you. Chances are you're doing better than a lot of the other students, including high-ranking ones.

Speed is also about timing. Developing reaction speed allows you to conserve energy and deliver fast comebacks. Ducking an on-coming technique or jumping out of its way allows you to set yourself up to deliver a follow-up technique. Had you blocked the on-coming technique, it would have taken you more time to set yourself up to throw a follow-up technique.

In addition to strength, stamina, and speed, you'll be expected to increase your flexibility. But unlike stamina and speed drills, flexibility exercises are performed slowly. Long, deliberate stretches prevent muscles and ligaments from tearing, and train your body to execute aesthetically pleasing forms and techniques.

Leg stretches are one of the most common forms of exercises to improve flexibility. But as stated earlier, you don't have to be capable of performing Russian splits to excel in the martial arts. I've never done a perfect split, and most students I've trained with can't do them either. While you're expected to work on improving your ability to master a split, don't let your instructor or anyone force you to do something your body resists.

I recall when my instructor invited a well-known martial artist to our school癒穠a common practice designed to give stu dents a chance to meet with a martial arts celebrity, and give the celebrity exposure and pocket money. This particular mar tial artist is well-known for his high kicks and ability to fall quickly into splits. During class, he asked students to attempt a Russian split. He walked around the class observing us.

Then he stopped behind a student who happened to be facing me. The celebrity martial artist placed his hands on the student's shoulders and with a force that made me grimace, pushed down until the student was in a Russian split. I never saw sweat form as quickly as it did on this student's brow癒穠 it actually popped out in big fat beads. While the student wasn't injured, I seriously doubt most instructors would approve of these methods.

Are you thinking about taking your first boat holiday, but are worried about leaving all your modern conveniences behind? Well, fear not, a modern boating holiday isn't about doing without. Most modern holiday boats have everything you'd want from a 21st century boating break.

Beds
The beds have foam or interior-sprung mattresses for the maximum comfort - some boats even have four poster beds, for a little extra luxury.

Televisions
Boats generally have 240v electrical systems, which means you don't have to go without your daily does of the TV. Televisions are provided in the comfortable living areas - if East Enders is your thing, you won't miss out.

Fully Equipped Kitchen
The kitchen will provide everything you need for knock up a perfect 5 course dinner. Well, maybe; but there is everything you need for your self catering holiday - including cooker, fridge, and microwave.

Flush Toilets
Boats do have toilets - which is nice. New modern flush toilets make your boating holiday much more enjoyable.

Head Room
You get about 6ft of headroom in your hire boat, so you won't have to crawl around on your hands and knees.

Storage Space
You'll get plenty of storage space for all your belongings, no need to strap your case to the roof.

Shower room/Bath room
All boats will come with either a shower or bath, nice to know that personal cleanliness can be adhered to, even when cruising down the river.

What more do you need from a holiday afloat? Everything you need for a comfortable, relaxing, break is supplied; so why not give a boating holiday a try.

First grade was the watershed year of my life, and a rainy afternoon in April, 1952, was the divide. All the seven years and three months I had lived before that turning point, I had been a horrible sinner. But then, I was born again. It happened when my brother Paul and I found ourselves locked up all alone in the Cleveland, Tennessee, National Guard Armory.

It was a twelve block walk from our house to Arnold Elementary School, and the route offered almost limitless opportunities for adventure and mischief. That year, the Korean Conflict was dominating the news. From my classmates, I had heard tantalizing tales about the soldiers who drilled regularly at the Armory across the street from the school. One fateful afternoon I suggested to my brother, Paul, that we go over to the Armory and check things out for ourselves.

Paul was just 11 months younger than me and was also in the first grade. That was always a source of embarrassment to me, having a younger brother in the same grade. People thought I must have flunked, when actually we had been born in the same year. I was born in January and he in December of 1945, and thus we started school together.

Paul liked my idea of exploring the Armory so after school that afternoon, we boldly found our way over to the massive gray stone building and pushed hard against the big double doors. They grudgingly creaked open and we slipped inside. The doors clicked behind us as we excitedly began to inspect the premises. The place was cold and empty, just a big hollow gymnasium -- with no soldiers. We must have picked a bad day; we promised ourselves we would return tomorrow.

Then, when we went to pull the big doors open again, they wouldn't budge. We were locked up in this strange, spooky building. The windows in the front door were high over our heads, so the only way we could see out was to stand on a table in the lobby and jump with all our might. There, for a fleeting moment in mid-air, was our only glimpse of freedom, before we came crashing back down to the table with a thud.

In quiet panic, we searched the rest of the building. Every strange creak of the floorboards or the sound of the wind on a high overhead window sent a shiver up our spines. Every door we found leading to the outside was firmly locked, as well as the interior doors behind which we hoped we might find a telephone from which we could call for help.

Finding our way back to the front lobby, we sat down on the bare tile floor to ponder our dilemma. From Sunday School, we remembered the story of Paul and Silas in the Phillipian jail. We identified with them; their example seemed to be our best hope. We would do as Paul and Silas had done, sing and pray, and wait for God to send an earthquake to bust us out.

After a few rounds of Victory in Jesus, and I'll Fly Away, we began to sing "Give me that old-time religion ... It was good for Paul and Silas and it's good enough for me." Soon we were improvising: "And it's good enough for Paul and Stephen."

Before long we were standing on the table, clapping our hands, stomping our feet, and singing as if we were having camp-meeting. The noise and vibrations from the table sounded like the thunder of God, heightening our expectations for an earthquake. Between verses, we would jump for a glimpse out the window. Then we would hop down onto the floor, prostrate ourselves, and pray for a miracle. We prayed the way folks at our church prayed -- loudly and in unison. After several rounds of seemingly futile prayer, Paul had an idea which we both agreed might make our prayers more effective. We needed an altar, the old fashioned mourner's bench kind of altar we were accustomed to at church. But, except for the table, which was way too high, the lobby was bare.

"I've got it," Paul announced, "let's take turns. You be the altar and I'll pray on you. Then I'll be the altar and you can pray on me." It was definitely worth trying. I dutifully got down on my hands and knees and Paul hunkered over me, wailing aloud to Jesus.

While I was being the altar, essentially pretending that I was a plank of wood, I had time to think of how scared I really was. First, I was afraid of the spanking I would surely receive from Dad if we didn't get out of there before he found out. Then, I was afraid we might not be delivered at all. Maybe there would never be an earthquake or no one would ever come and find us. Maybe we would stay locked up until we either starved or froze to death in this cold spooky prison.

It was what might happen after we died that gave me the greatest dread of all. Hell! There was no doubt in my mind that if I should die at that moment, I would go straight to the everlasting "lake of fire" because I was a sinner. In fact, I had committed the most terrible sin of my life that very afternoon.

"Hell-fire and brimstone" were not the constant theme in the preaching I heard as a child, but the subject did come up often enough that the prospects of eternity in Hell often occupied my thoughts. The God I knew about was a lot like my daddy. He could be very loving and caring most of the time. Then without my understanding why, He could become stern, harsh -- even cruel.

Most of the time, when I thought of God, I pictured Him as a kind, loving, Heavenly Father. But sometimes He appeared in my imagination with a sinister gleam in His eye. From His perch high above, He was watching my every move and reading every thought. I imagined Him leaning over the banister of Heaven, pointing a long menacing finger, and with the twitch of His hand consigning lost souls to the damnation I was sure they justly deserved.

In church, I was told that God had created Heaven for His children and Hell for Satan and his demons. But if we made the slightest transgression against God's law, as spelled out in the church teachings, we were making our own decision to spend eternity in Hell with the devil.

Hell was an indescribably horrible place. The fire was hotter than anything known on earth, the pain excruciating, the stench unbearable, and the screams of the tormented unending. I never heard my father preach a sermon specifically about Hell. The descriptions came mostly from traveling evangelists, Sunday school teachers, and others who cared for my eternal soul.

Dad did have one sermon which caused my imagination to soar, and at the same time scared me senseless. I heard the sermon more than once, because as editor of a Christian magazine, The Lighted Pathway, Dad traveled extensively as a guest preacher at different churches, often taking us children with him. The message was called simply "Eternity," and to describe it Dad would talk about Stone Mountain, Georgia. I had been to Stone Mountain with my granddaddy who lived in Atlanta, and I knew that this huge monolith was the largest exposed chunk of granite in the world.

In his sermon, Dad would ask the congregation to imagine there was a great bird that lived in a far distant galaxy of God's big universe, and that bird made a round-trip to planet Earth which took one thousand years to complete. From the peak of Stone Mountain, the bird would peck a single grain of sand, then fly back to deposit it in that distant galaxy from whence it had come. Suppose the great bird made another thousand year journey to collect a second grain of sand, and repeated the feat endlessly. When Stone Mountain was finally, completely erased from the face of the earth and where it stood there was now only an empty level plain, eternity will have just begun.

I thought often of eternity and the concept of forever-and-ever was hard for my imagination to grasp. Also, I sometimes thought of the fires of Hell, and on occasion I had held my forefinger over a candle's flame just to see how long I could bear it, which was only a split second. How then did I expect to endure the torment of eternal damnation in the infinitely hotter fires of Hell over by entire body, while I waited the excruciating intervals of time until the great bird came back for another grain of sand?

On one particular occasion, the truth of Dad's sermon, in conjunction with the eternal fires of Hell, was etched indelibly on my young mind. Dad was preaching a revival meeting at the East Cleveland Church of God, just about a mile from our house. I was with him on that particular evening, along with Mom and several other siblings. The youngest children had stayed home with a babysitter.

During Dad's sermon, I noticed a red glow began to illuminate the windows on the right side of the church. A man in the congregation got up and went out to investigate. In a moment he came back into the church with an anxious look on his face, gathered up his family, and left in a hurry. Dad just kept on preaching.

Soon a second family left -- then a third. The pastor, Brother Yates, was sitting on the platform behind Dad. I watched the concerned, nervous expression on his face. He glanced out the window of the church, then over his dwindling congregation, and back again to Dad. Unfazed, Daddy was droning on and on about the great bird laboriously making its way back from outer space for another grain of sand.

There must be an ethic practiced by anointed preachers that says neither Hell, high water, nor the town burning down can stop the word of God from going forth. By the time Dad finished preaching, hardly anyone was left in the pews, so an altar call seemed futile. Brother Yates dismissed the service, and the few of us who were still there went outside to see what was causing all the commotion.

Looking in the direction of our house, the entire night sky seemed to be ablaze. Dad loaded us children into the car and he and Mom commented on how big the fire was. The closer we got to home, the more anxious they became -- and for good reason. Stivers Lumber Company was on fire.

Stivers Lumber covered an entire block which was bounded on the west side by the Church of God International Offices and Publishing House and on the east by the railroad tracks. The north side of the lumber company, however, was the main concern of the hundreds of people who were watching from a vacant field a block away. There, right next to the stacks of burning lumber, was an oil company with huge storage tanks. Firemen in trucks with lights flashing were focusing their efforts on that side of the blaze. It was impossible to get too close to the fire because of the heat. The firefighters had already given up trying to extinguish the mountains of dry lumber which were an uncontrollable inferno. Instead, they were spraying water on the fuel tanks in an effort to keep them cool enough that they wouldn't explode. Immediately on the other side of those fuel tanks was a wooden office building, and then our house.

By the time we arrived home, Mama and Daddy were frantic. The baby sitter was standing on the front porch with all the babies bundled up and ready to leave. We didn't even go inside the house. Dad whisked them off the porch and drove us all to safety.

We joined what seemed like the whole town of Cleveland, gathering along Montgomery Avenue, a safe distance from the fire. From there, we watched Stivers Lumber Company burn until the wee hours of the next morning, when Mom and Dad were assured by the firemen that it was safe to return home.

It was a week before no more wisps of smoke could be seen coming from what was now a square block of nothing but ashes. Until this very day, the vivid memories of the Stivers Lumber Company fire define my mental image of Hell.

All this was rushing through my mind that fateful afternoon as I was playing like an altar and waiting for an earthquake. That's when I made the decision that if I should die in this cold stone building, at least I would go to Heaven and not to Hell. Silently I prayed now that even if God didn't deliver us from the Armory, would He please come into my heart and forgive me of my sin.

That very afternoon I had succumbed to temptation and committed the first deliberate sin I could remember. Miss Dugan, my first grade teacher, had asked me if I had finished an assignment. I looked her right in the eyes and told her a lie. "Yes ma'am," I had said aloud. Then, as a pang of guilt hit me, I muttered under my breath with lips barely moving, "I finished all of it I wanted to do." I hadn't wanted to do much.

Many times at church I had heard it preached that, "All liars shall have their part in the lake of fire...." That was me; I was a blatant bald faced liar. "Oh God," I now implored softly, "Please forgive me and save me and I will never tell another lie again -- never."

At that moment, I was born again. I didn't feel anything special. I just believed it; I knew it. I was born again as surely as all those radiant people at the North Cleveland Church of God. For years I had heard them give testimony of what awful sinners they used to be until God in His mercy reached way down into the horrible pit they were in, lifted them out of the miry clay of sin, and planted their feet on the solid rock of salvation. As I tried to comprehend the wonder of my new birth, I sensed such a relief that I really wasn't concerned, at that moment, whether God burst the doors open or not. I was on my way to Heaven, and for as long as eternity rolled, I would be praising Jesus. Forever!

Paul was still praying loudly above me when we heard the knock at the door. Glancing up through the window, our eyes met those of three eighth graders, looking down on us. We thought they looked like angels. These older boys were on their way home from basketball practice after school when they heard our commotion. Somewhere they found someone with a key and soon we were walking (skipping, jumping, running, laughing) home.

The buds of the maple trees were swelling in anticipation of warmer weather and everything was dripping from a just ended rain. It seemed that winter had suddenly turned to spring. I had never noticed the world being so beautiful before. Even the mud puddles looked lovely. I felt so light and free and good all over that I burst into song, and Paul joined in:

If you're saved and you know it, say "Amen."

AMEN!

If you're saved and you know it, say "Amen"

AMEN!

If you're saved and you know it then your life will surely show it,

If you're saved and you know it say "Amen."

AMEN!

You want hip pain relief?

It's like this.

Have you every had to have the wheels of your car re-aligned. What you may have noticed is the tread on one side is worn more than the tread on the other.

Rotating the tyres might stave off the inevitable for a while, particularly if you notice it early enough.

However rotating the tyres is pretty much like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. It's not going to work for long and you'll just wear out another tyre quicker than normal.

Obviously you need a wheel alignment and you need to balance the wheels.

Lao Tzu said something to the effect that a big problem could have been solved easily when it was a small problem.

As with your tyres, so with your hips.

The sooner you can get them realigned the better.

The problem with hip dysfunction is that it creeps up on you without you noticing it. You feel a bit of a niggle and think it's transitory, it will go away.

It doesn't and it gradually gets worse. You finally get to the point where you have to do something about it. You rub some cr癡me into it. You go to the physio for a rub down, some palpation, the hot pad, vibration and the electric shock treatment. Problem is your hip pain is not caused by a lack of rub down, palpation, heat treatment, vibration or an electric shock t. It's caused by misalignment of your pelvis which in turn is caused by weak and tight muscles somewhere in your lower body.

But first, diagnose the cause of the problem - what's weak, what's tight and what's out of alignment.

For starters, if you can get a couple of digital scales (and you can pick them up for about $20 these days) and stand on them you may find that you're lop-sided. You're carrying more weight on one side of your body than the other.

A diagnostic posture I'd recommend is the sit-up-straight exercise - designed to let you know whether one buttock muscle is tighter than the other. If it is your body will be twisted putting more pressure on one hip than the other.

You may also find that one hamstring is tighter then the other. Again this will cause the pelvis to twist, putting more pressure on one hip than the other.

You may find that your hip flexor muscles and your quadriceps muscles are weak.

You may find that your legs are out of alignment. Maybe you find it difficult to get your knees together when your ankles are together; or you're knock-kneed.

Take a look at your feet, if they're not straight and about 10cms apart (4 inches) when standing, you can bet the misalignment goes right up to your knees and hips.

In a nutshell, when all this is happening for years on end, sooner or later the misalignment will become so bad you'll experience hip pain. The ends of the bones start to grind on each other. Then you get bone inflammation - arthritis.

If you have an X-ray the radiologist will be able to see the arthritis. They'll say that it is the arthritis that is causing your pain, pretty much useless information because you know that. What you want to know is what's caused the arthritis and what you can do about it.

Certainly your hip is not going to get better in a surgery or a pharmacy. Junk medicine - that is, taking drugs to mask the pain will only see the hip deteriorate further -but without you noticing it. It's just a vapid way to deal with musculo-skeletal dysfunction. It achieves nothing. It just puts off the inevitable.

Give it a few years and you'll need a hip replacement. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

So, based on what I've already explained, the task ahead is to get your body back into better alignment.

The good news is that if you want hip pain relief, start doing the right exercises. You could make a big difference to your alignment and take pressure off the hip that is hurting.

The aim is to restore poor function to good.

There's quite a few exercises you'll need to do, some general and some specific. I recommend you start doing them while you're watching TV. Plus you can't go past a good strength training program in the gym. Spending $700 on a gym membership is going to save you thousands and thousands of dollars in hospital fees and four week of agony spent staring at the ceiling.

In the meantime stay tuned, highly tuned and remember, it's easier to solve small problems than big problems.

John Miller

How sore are your knees? - We would like to know.

Is the pain constant, or does it come on occasionally?

Are you looking for a way out of this problem, because you might have more serious stuff to worry about, rather than a sore knee? - Like your job and your family...

Thousands of people throughout the world are inflicted with pain and sore knees when bending. This can be brought on by overuse and exertion of the muscles and cartilage found in and around the knees. When you have a ligament injury the soreness can also set in. - Maybe you can relate to these examples?

This type of pain is commonly seen in men and women who work and are on their feet the majority of the day. Of course, people who participate in sports are more likely to suffer from knee discomfort as well. When an active person is constantly bending their knees these problems pop up; you already know this to be true. You might already know how your knee discomfort sets in, but an important treatment method that you might not consider on a regular basis is located in the following section of this article.

Solutions To Avoid Having Sore Knees When Bending

There many common and simple solutions that a person can take to avoid ever experiencing extreme knee pain. Sure rest can be helpful, but most people do not have a ton of time, nor can we take off of work to rest our knee for six weeks.

The support and pain relief option that some people do not think about can be found in the use of a simple knee brace. The great thing about a knee support is that you can get one quickly and over the long term, they can be far less costly than that of any pain medication. A knee brace can provide you with meaningful relief and support, if you are a person who is constantly bending and overusing their knee in such a regular and systematic way.

You should never ignore knee pain and simply hope it goes away. You should also not try to make the effects of knee pain go away by simply taking pain medication. Taking medication will only make the symptoms leave when you are experiencing pain and can become addictive unfortunately. Instead, many people can replace their medications with the use of a support, and save some serious cash on their pain relief while increasing their knee stability at the same time.

Gut punching is defined as the activity of one man striking with force the abdominal area of another man with his fists, knees, or shoulders in a consensual manner of play. This is generally between two athletes who want to test their mental and physical ability to withstand the pain.

Athletes participating in combat sports regularly condition their abs and physique. Gut punching is a stress test that gives them the opportunity to test their ability to handle punches to the stomach (or gut) and know what level they have arrived at. These training sessions may involve the two opponents challenging each other to a fight based on an exchange of punches to the stomach. It may also be a single direction fight where one man throws the punches, known as the sadist or puncher, and the other man receives the punches, known as the masochist or receiver.

The ability to collect shots varies from one individual to another. It is generally determined by the individuals muscular development training, but also largely by their mental determination. Gut punching allows a fighter or athlete to verify how well their training is progressing. It also allows them to gain confidence in their ability before going into battle.

Many variations of this type of training session are possible, either as a training session or a real test of strength. A training session depends on the past training, experience, and assurance of the two men. The shots can either start off light, to allow the receiver get used to the feeling of the impact, or start off with a fair amount of force right away.

In a resistance test, the goal is for the puncher to try to "break" the receiver as soon as possible. This test usually stops based on a set of predetermined parameters. For example, "I bet you can't bend me in five shots", or when the receiver submits "I can't take any more", or by the collapse of the gut punching receiver.

In general, it's best to hit at a slow pace of about 5 to 10 seconds between each shot. This gives the receiver some time to recover between shots. It is also best that the receiver keep their hands behind their back so they won't be tempted to have a react to the oncoming punch to their gut.

The repetition of powerful punches to the stomach area can cause a reaction of a knock out, or KO. In this situation, the receiver collapses the ground, out of action, and requires time to regain his breath. Gut punching blows to the solar plexus and the liver are two primary areas that can cause a knock out. Widespread pain or an interruption in breathing can also cause a knockout. These feeling usually go away within 10 seconds.

Athletes participating in combat sports are aware of the areas of the gut that are sensitive to punches. They are also aware of the possibilities of a knock out. For this reason, they train themselves mentally and physically to effectively handle the situation. Check out GruntsNGroans.com to find others into gut punching and various combat sports. It's a free personals site for discussing wrestling, boxing, and fighting and setting up matches.

When it comes to self defense, some may have misconceptions regarding the validity of martial arts kicks on the street. In past decades, great emphasis was placed on kicking in martial arts training. Kicks were taught mainly because expectations in the martial arts classes where derived from the movies. Classic films were loaded with jumping, spinning, high kicks and students expected to see something similar to that. The problem with many cinematic and sport oriented kicks is that they are neither practical nor effective.

Does this mean that martial arts kicks are ineffective for the street? No, kicking is a very excellent strategy. The key is to make modifications in order to make the kicks more effective. Are these modifications difficult to employ? Not at all! Here are a few that can be easily made:? Keep all the kicks low. The higher the kick, the less likely the kick will be effective. High kicks are easy to evade and leave you very much at risk for being knocked to the ground.? Kicks need to target vital points on the body. Specifically, the groin, knees, shins, and insteps are the advisable targets. The groin kick can be a finisher and the other targets can prove so disruptive that follow up attacks are made much easier.

Kicking the legs at an angle can completely knock an attacker off his base. When an attacker's base is disrupted, the attacker is vulnerable for a follow up strike, a throw, and, possible, the potential to run away.? When you can, use the shoe. Savate is a perfect art to look at for this type of attack. The point of the shoe can truly prove devastating when it hits the nerve points, the organs, or the aforementioned vital targets.? So, do not dismiss the effectiveness of martial arts kicks on the street. You simply need to employ the proper approach to the kicks and their effectiveness will be revealed.

So you'd like to try getting your short story published. Take heart: you can do it. And, if your work is worthy- a question only you can answer- it merits the effort. Like a boat, send it out where it belongs, over the great wide sea. Let it find readers, whoever they may be, on whatever strange shores. Some of your readers may not be born yet. It helps to keep that in mind.

Beginning writers often imagine publishing their short story to be a glamorous event, Hemingwayesque in a wear-your-sunglasses-and-knock-back-the-grappa-as-agents-ring-your-phone-off kind of way. But for most writers it's an experience on par with, say, folding laundry. Unless you make one of the slicks- The New Yorker, Esquire, Atlantic Monthly, Harper's- most likely your payment will be two copies of the magazine. These will arrive in your mailbox in a plain brown envelope. Some editors jot a thankyou note, but most don't bother. Chances are, your friends and family will not have heard of the magazine. Even the best literary journals often manage only a modest circulation- 500 to 5,000- and may not be available for sale except in a very few widely scattered off-beat independents. In short, if you want money, you'd do better to flip burgers, and if you want attention, go fight bulls. Knock back that grappa, heck, wear a spangled pink tutu and splash in the Dupont Circle fountain during lunch hour. Scream obscenities in Swahili. Whatever.

So why try? Because when your story is published it is no longer one copy printed out from your printer, but 1,000 or more. Perhaps one is lying on someone's coffee table in Peterborough, New Hampshire, or on a poet's broad oak desk overlooking the beach at La Jolla, California. Maybe one sits on the shelves at the University of Chicago's Regenstein Library, or on a side table in the lobby at Yaddo. Perhaps a dentist will read your story, or a retired school teacher from Winnetka. Perhaps one day, a hundred years from now, a bizarrely tattooed highschool student will find it on a shelf in the basement of the Reno, Nevada public library, and she will sit down Indian-style on the cold linoleum floor and read it, her eyes wide with wonder. Your story, once published, lives its own life, sinking some deep, strange roots. Potentially forever.

And of course it is validating

(i. e., gives one's ego the warm & fuzzies) to have your work published. It also helps to mention it in your cover letters when you try to get other work published, or apply for grants and fellowships, or to attract the attention of an agent, and so on. Indeed, publishing one's stories in literary journals is (with a very few notable exceptions) y a prerequisite to securing a publisher for a collection.

If you can keep your focus on the story, however, and what the story merits- rather than the warm & fuzzies for your ego- the process will be easier. Expect your ego to take some punches.

First, Rejections

It may appear that we live in a nation of "Leno"watchers, throngs of Gladiator"-goers, Stallone fans, Brad Pitt groupies and the like. From a breezy foray through the local mall's bookstore, one might guess that America reads nothing but brand-name bodice-rippers, shiny red foil paperbacks with nuclear warheads on their covers, or those teensy gifty "books" with angels and cats on them displayed at the cash register alongside the chotchkes and chocolates.

Mais non! Secretly, millions of Americans are scribbling, and bravely (if often furtively) thousands and thousands are sending their work to literary magazines. Yes, thousands and thousands (and say that again, out loud, à la Carl Sagan). The Paris Review receives over 10,000 submissions a year. My own Tameme, a bilingual literary magazine with a mere two issues out, has received over 200 submissions. Most litmags publish only 2-3% of the manuscripts they receive. As for the "slicks"- GQ, Esquire, Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, The New Yorker-getting published in one of these, even for the most outstanding and recognized writers, even National Book Award winners, is like winning the lottery.

In short, you've got some competition. So when you receive the unsigned xeroxed form rejection note that says "Sorry" it could mean your story sucks and you should do yourself a favor and burn it, but it could mean that it's a fine story and they simply didn't have room for it. Or they already had a story about a dying alcoholic gradmother, the heartbreak of losing the family dairy farm, or for that matter, a flying monkey in a business suit. (You'd be amazed.) Equally, it could mean it's one of the best short stories ever written- better than Chekov's "The Lady with the Pet Dog," better than Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find," better than A. Manette Ansay's "Read This and Tell Me What It Says"- and the editor, or more likely some flunkey/ wannabe / slush pile- squeegee, is an aethetically blind/ dispeptic / Philistine / pinhead. Who was probably hung over. Or jealous. Who knows? The point is, the little unsigned xeroxed rejection note means nothing except that this particular magazine's editor at this particular time has chosen not to publish this particular story.

Sometimes editors write personal notes explaining why they didn't take your story. Indeed, anything handwritten and/ or signed by an editor can mean that a distinguished literary personage has taken an interest in your work, and you should, gratefully, with a zing in your heart and Jell-O in your knees, interpret this as both validation and an invitation to send more. It can also mean that an inexperienced graduate student/ assistant/ whomever as yet unacquainted with the toughening rigors of plowing down towering slush piles felt guilty saying no and was merely attempting in a flakey and time-consuming way to be nice.

Thus it behooves you to do your research about the litmags and editors you are sending your work to. A personally signed rejection letter from the Editor-in-Chief of The Kenyon Review, for example, would make my day. On the other hand,even lengthy letters from an assistant of a minor new litmag would no more impress me than the comments of a commuter randomly collared at the bus stop. (Who might be a very perceptive fellow, but who knows? He could be coke-addled lunkhead.) Keep in mind that anyone- yes anyone, including the flying monkey- can found a litmag. Compared to, say, making a feature film, or casting bronze sculpture, publishing a litmag is dirt cheap. All of which is to say, unless they are from the likes of the editor-in-chief of The Kenyon Review, don't take letters from editors too seriously. For that matter, don't take editors themselves too seriously.

So you send again, and again. And again. She who spends for the most postage wins. As does she who does her research.

Research, Research, Research

The most basic level of research is to get an overall feel for the "market" for literary short fiction. You can usually find a reasonably interesting selection at your local library. If you can afford it, however, I recommend you go to a bookstore and buy a bunch - at the Georgetown Barnes & Noble I've spotted Chelsea, Calyx, Witness, The Paris Review, Southwest Review, Tin House, Potomac Review, all of which would be worth your while to read. Read all you can, and read the contributors notes. If you read a story by, say, Bob Doe, that you admire, and you read in Bob Doe's bio that he's also published in Seattle Review, High Plains Review, and DoubleTake- check 'em out! Another good way to spot worthy litmags is to pick up prize-winning short story collections - anything that wins the AWP, Iowa Prize, Flannery O'Connor, Bakeless, National Book Award, etc- and look on the acknowledgments page to see where stories have been previously published.

Then have a look at the web for guidelines. Litmags without a website will usually send guidelines in exchange for a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope). A great place to look for links is on the website of the Council of Literary Magazines and Small Presses, http://www.clmp.org

Reference books like Writers Market can be helpful, but in my experience they are often too quickly out of date. There is no substitute for actually seeing - and reading - a magazine and its guidelines before you submit.

Guidelines not only give an idea of the types of writing the editors are looking for, but reading periods. Many litmags read only during the fall, or during the winter. Some read Sept - May, others Oct -June. Oftentimes litmags have special issues, e.g., "The Body", "Mothers and Daughters", "Love in America", "Overcoming Loss", "Borderlands." Your manuscript will have a better chance if you can aim it at a special issue.

2007 Update: an increasing number of litmags accept on-line (e-mailed) submissions. Nonetheless, many editors refuse to read e-mailed submissions. Be sure to check the submissions guidelines before zapping out that attachment.

Calls for submissions are often listed in the classifieds in Poets & Writers, a publication I strongly recommend that you subscribe to. (For more information go http://www.pw.org) For those of you in the Washington DC metropolitan area, consider joining The Writers Center. Their publication, Writer's Carousel, also inlcudes numerous calls for submission.

Contests can be tricky. These invite you to send a story with an entry fee of anywhere from $5 to $20. The fees are often used to fund the litmag, and/or to pay a judge for her time reading manuscripts. For book contests- especially for poetry, but also for literary short story collection awards such as the AWP, Bakeless, Iowa, Flannery O'Connor, and others- reading fees cover the honoria for the judge, and as such I think they are fair and fine. For individual stories, however, I would not enter a contest that requires a fee unless it includes a subscription or anthology that I would have bought anyway. There are too many litmags that don't request a fee to consider your work, and given your chances, you might as well lay down your bucks on a lottery ticket. In short, be sure you know where and why you are sending before you start writing checks.

The Mechanics of Submission

First, your cover letter. This should have your name, address, tel, and e-mail.

Address the letter to a specific person if you can- "To the Fiction Editor" is a red flag that you don't know the magazine.

Tell them what you're submitting,

e. g., "Please find enclosed for your consideration a short story, "Down the Well"). Do not explain the story, e.g., "this is a story about a young girl who falls down a well," etc. You are not selling a nonfiction article

- the literary short story is art, and you must let it speak for itself. Explaining and introducing is blather, it annoys the editor and it makes you look silly.

Editors are human however, so it helps- if you can do it honestly- to say something about their litmag, e.g., "I bought a copy of ABC at the Bethesda Book Festival and I really admired the story by Bob Doe". If you can't say anything, don't. Brief and business-like is fine.

Include something about yourself- a few sentences, a paragraph at the most, that could be used as your contributor's note if your story is taken. I find them easier to both write and read in the third person. (I put mine at the bottom of the page, under the title "Brief Bio".) This is your opportunity to signal that you're serious-

e. g., "Bob Doe's stories have been published in ABC, PDQ etc" or "Bob Doe was recently awarded a scholarship at the Bread Loaf Writers Conference and is now in his second year at the Johns Hopkins MFA Program". If you don't have literary "credentials," not to worry, a simple note will do, e.g., "Bob Doe is a statistician who lives in Grand Forks, North Dakota with his wife, four children and pack of seven Alpo-guzzling Huskies. He is at work on a novel." Anything more- your five page resume, a previously published poem, a newspaper article about your amazing recovery after being simultaneously hit by a cement truck and an estimated 397 volts of lightning- is clutter. The editor has limited time and attention, so don't take it up with the nonessential. End the cover letter with a "thank you for considering my work" and sign it.

The manuscript itself should have your name, address, tel and e-mail in the upper left hand corner. If you can, include a word count, preferably in the upper right hand corner. Double space the text (or else!). Fasten the whole thing- manuscript, and cover letter- with a paper clip. (Don't staple, because if they do seriously consider your story they may need to make xerox copies for other editorial readers.)

Finally- crucially- enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) for the reply because without it you may not get one. Unless your manuscript is short enough to fit in the 39 c stamped envelope, expect them to (ahem) recycle it.

The Question of Multiple Submissions

A dismaying number of litmag editors say that they either do not accept multiple submissions, or that they insist on being informed. My view is, they're shouting into the wind because so many writers do it anyway. According to my own informal poll, 90% of serious already well published short story writers multiple submit, and without compunction. With the odds so stacked against even the best writers, to expect a one-at-a-time submissions is not only unrealistic but grossly unfair. If you submit your story to one litmag at one at a time, it may take years, toe curling, shoulder sagging years, to find it a home. Even the most distinguished litmags can sometimes take as long as a year to reply. That's right, a year. Rather than get steamed about that, keep in mind that litmag publishing is not a profit generating business, but a labor of love. Most editors are not paid for their time, and if they are, only poorly paid. They're only human, they have to take the kids to the dentist and grade papers and water the lawn and walk the dog and write their own short stories/poems/ novel, and in any case the slush pile is very tall, and growing ever taller what with all these multiple submissions...

If you do have a story accepted, you should immediately inform all of the other editors that you are withdrawing it. A simple postcard will do: "Dear Editor: This is to let you know that I am withdrawing my story "Down the Well". I hope this has not caused any inconvenience. Sincerely, Bob Doe." To do otherwise- to wait in hopes of a bigger bite from, say, The New Yorker- is both dishonorable and unfair to the editor who has taken your story. The literary world is small, and it seems to me that in a somewhat random but inexorable way, what goes around comes around.

I think submitting to three or four litmags or slicks is a good number to start with. With each rejection, send out another. If after three months you haven't received a reply from a given journal, this may mean your story is under serious consideration, although, it may mean your story is sitting behind some junior assistant's couch who still hasn't read it and by the way the cat pissed on it. Who knows? So it's a tough call whether to withdraw the manuscript or not. All I can say is, go with your gut.

Aside from the secretarial hassle and expense of postage, another reason not to send out more than three or four submissions of a given story at a time is that most likely, with a fresh look a few months later, you will want to revise it. You may even want to take it out of circulation. Again, go with your gut.

Keep Learning, Keep Writing

I doubt there are many serious short story writers who don't have a thick file of rejections. It's part of the game, and so don't let them fluster you. Some of the best short stories have five, eight, even fifteen rejections behind them. One prize-winning story by a major contemporary writer racked up 48- that's right, 48- rejections before it was taken. Some genuinely amazing stories are never published- until they show up in a collection.

As writers we must continually work to balance on the razor's edge of arrogance and humility- and we do that with a dose of both: arrogance to continue sending out work when it has been rejected and rejected and rejected; humility to recognize when we need to rewrite, or re-envision, or even (ah well) to discard. Trying to publish can be a discouraging and disorienting experience, like entering a dark forest full of noise. The trick is, keep your chin up but your ego in check, and stay focused on maintaining that balance, and making your writing the best you can.

When your story is accepted for publication, let your ego, for a few private minutes, tingle and shine. When, some months later, your two contributors copies arrive in their plain brown envelope, sit down and read one. Get to know the company your story is in. Write the editors a thank you note. Be generous- if you honestly can- with kind comments about the other contributors' work. Update your resume and bio. Smile wistfully as you wish your story a bon voyage. And then, at last, you can plunk the thing on a shelf and get back to the fun stuff: writing.

As simple as it may seem, to simply knock down the pins by throwing a ball at them, bowling is not all that easy. Different people meet with different kinds of problems, while bowling. Crossing foul line, losing balance, incoherent throw of ball are some of the common problems that bowlers face. In this article, we will learn how to avoid these common problems by applying simple solutions to them.

A Common Mistake

'Fast feet' is the mother of all problems in bowling. This is a condition, when the feet of the bowler fall before he sways the ball. This one action is so fast that it gives rise to a complete series of wrong actions. Individually correcting those mistakes will automatically rid the bowler of this problem also.

Positioning The Ball

It is very important to discharge the ball properly. If it is not placed properly, it usually leads to fast feet. Always lean sufficiently low to launch the ball and never throw it from the height of your waist. The best way to do it is by discharging it between that time during your last step, when your heel touches the ground and before your toes touch the ground.

The Position Of Shoulders

The most common mistake that novices do while bowling is bringing their shoulders excessively frontward. This leads the waist to bend much more than the knees, thus causing imbalance. This results in a throw, which lacks power. To avoid this, you should keep your shoulders in a straight position and bend your knees a little. As you bend down to deliver the ball, bring yourself slightly forward, simultaneously bending your waist and knees a little more.

Take Small Steps

When heading towards the bowling lane, to throw the ball, take small and uniform steps. Large steps tend to take away the leverage from your swing and thus the ball. Your steps should just be just as big as your walking step. The first step may be slightly smaller than the second one, but the rest will follow the league and you will see that the ball will fall in place. Walking on toes can also cause similar problems. Always put your heel first on the ground and follow with toes.

Relax Your Muscles

When getting ready for a move, we all tend to stiffen our muscles. This results in a throw, which is loose and aimless. On the contrary, a ball thrown with relaxed muscles or minimum muscle contraction is the best ball. It hits the aim with full force, rather than your grip taking away the most of its force. Tense muscles can also cause injuries to your arm or shoulder.

Now you must have understood the reason, why you could never get your ball right. Correcting these simple errors will improve your game a great deal and you will enjoy it all the more.

It's been almost 2 years now since I started noticing the tightness, the twinge in my Achilles. I had just cranked out a personal best performance at the Notre Dame Cross Country Invitational and was now lying on the ground in pure enjoyment, as well as exhaustion. As I stood up to begin my cool down, I felt a certain tightness in my left Achilles tendon, one that was also sharp to the touch. After a couple of minutes of jogging around I thought a better solution would be to see our trainer, rather than aggravate it further. Following a deep massage on my calves, I was feeling slightly better but still had to limp my way to the team bus. This was the beginning of the "the limp."

This limp would follow me around for the next two years. Waking up in the morning, the first few miles of my run, after sitting down for any period of time, and following workouts and races. I was 21 years old yet would hobble around campus like an 80 year old man, the one you help across the street. Men in canes would look at me wondering if I need assistance. Runners are supposed to have extended lives due to their fitness level but what about hips, knees, Achilles? Are you to enjoy your 90 year lifespan sitting down after 40 because you have abused your body so much?

Back to the injury.

After seeing our medical training staff and finally researching the injury on my own, we concluded that it was Achilles Tendonosis. This is when micro tears occur in the Achilles tendon due to overuse, weakening the area and constraining blood flow. It is a disastrous injury to runners because with most being extremely OCD or already having race commitments, they often feel that rest is not an option. Instead they uncomfortably push through it, day after day, race after race, until it gets to a point where stopping is the only option. Otherwise serious damage will occur, rupturing of the Achilles.

I was one of those OCD runners who insisted on running day after day. After all, it was painful but tolerable. I could struggle through the first couple of miles, limping around, and then it would loosen up and I would be able to finish the run with only a slight twinge. Later that night however, i would be left with an extremely tight Achilles, very sensitive to the touch, and limping dramatically when walking. I always had another season around the corner: cross country to indoor track to outdoor track to summer base training. I felt that if I were to miss anything my performance would be hindered dramatically.

Meanwhile, I was trying anything possible to rid the problem. Here are some of the things that I tried:

Ice would bring down the swelling on the back of the Achilles, however, it would constrict the blood flow and make the area very sore, tight, and even walking would be a challenge.

Heat would be used before running so that the area would be warmed up. This helped a little in pain management but did nothing to actually get rid of the actual injury.

Ultrasound that is something that I tried but personally had minimal success with.

Strengthening the tendon, everything around the tendon, and everywhere else: Eccentric calf raises are the most effective thing in battling this injury, however, it just didn't work for me most likely because I was doing them along with 100 miles per week of running. You need to strengthen the weakened area to solve the problem and when I was doing the eccentric exercises along with running, I was most likely tearing down the area at a higher rate than the eccentric calf raises could strengthen it. After 6 months of calf raises with running, I gave up on them because they irritated the area and increased the swelling (which I didn't want to ice because it made it worse). I also strengthened everything imaginable around the tendon and anywhere else (including hips, it band, calves, soleus, shins, etc). I would do rigorous exercises to make sure nothing was putting extra strain on the Achilles tendon.

Massaging and "Scraping" the Achilles was not a fun process. With my Achilles inflamed and extremely tender to the touch, I would allow our trainers to massage the area and scrape it to try and increase the blood flow to the area and break down any scar tissue. This was an extremely painful task which often resulted in me gripping the massage table and sweat pouring from my forehead as I tried to deal with it. I noticed little/no success with this as it would further irritate the area and was just generally unpleasant.

Loosing up calves, soleus, plantar fascia before runs/workouts/races: Loosening up these areas through massage and stretching was something that we tried. With weak/tight soleus and calves most likely being the problem in the first place, I wanted to make sure that we weren't putting any further strain on the Achilles. Just like with strengthening everything around it, I didn't want the Achilles working harder than it had to. This was pretty effective in that it made running/working out/racing tolerable and eased the pain in the Achilles following workouts and races. Again though, it does not deal with solving the problem, just allowing for easier pain management.

Sleeping in a night splint was something that I tried for 4 months. This was completely ineffective for me and if anything made the injury worse/less tolerable. I would wake up in the morning even tighter because my Achilles tendon had been held in the same position all night. It restricted blood flow and made getting out of bed worse even worse than before.

Ibu Profin/Naproxin were drugs that I tried to deal with the issue. They would provide temporary relief as they would bring the swelling down slightly and make the pain slightly more tolerable. Over time their effectiveness wore off and I feel that my body began relying on them. I took naproxin consistently for over 6 months and ibu profin on and off for the 2 years that I had the problem.

Time off is something that would be the most obvious but again for an OCD runner this is not what I wanted to hear. However, at the end of each season, I would attempt to take 2-4 weeks off to finally deal with the issue. During this time the swelling would be reduced, the limping would subside, and walking was an enjoyable experience as opposed to a challenge. Yet, when I returned to running at the end of this absence nothing had changed. Within the first 400 meters of running the pain was back, just as bad as it had been before. My Achilles reacted as if it had no time off at all. The reason, to my understanding, is because the time off allows for the swelling to go down because you are not irritating it with one hundred mile weeks. This reduces "the limp" and allows you to walk easier. However, you still have the weakened Achilles to deal with. The Achilles is just as weak 4 weeks later as when you stopped running. The only difference is the swelling has been reduced and it is less irritated.

So what is the answer?

Surgery is an option that is available to runners with this problem. It is an evasive procedure in which the weakened tissue is removed and the stronger tissue is stitched together. However, if you never find the underlying cause of why you got this injury then you could weaken the area again and have the same problem.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections - An innovative treatment in which platelet enriched plasma is injected into the area (in this case the Achilles). It enhances blood flow to the area, as well as stimulates the healing of tissue. This is something I looked into at UF, however, because it is a new treatment, Shands was not insured for it and it was not offered. Also because it is a newer treatment there are not a great deal of studies done on it and its effectiveness.

Eccentric calf raises: a basic exercise that you can do on a door step or slant board. You raise yourself up onto both toes and then slowly lower yourself back down on one. With this, you focus on the eccentric part (the lowering) which strengthens the Achilles. This is supposed to be an extremely effective way to deal with tendonosis. I believe that with time completely off from running and 12 weeks given to an eccentric exercise program that most people can completely rid their Achilles Tendonosis. The key is to stay regimented with consistent daily exercises with increasing weights and not to resume running until completion of the program.

Finally after almost two years of dealing with this issue I am taking the necessary time off to deal with it. I am about 4 weeks into the eccentric calf raises and walking around is almost completely pain free. There are days where the Achilles is inflamed because of the exercises and sometimes a little tight but it passes. I do the exercises 3 sets of 15 reps, 3 times every day. Along with this I strengthen my shin muscles and other areas with Theraband exercises so that I do not over compensate one area. I am also looking into the PRP injections to see if this is a possibility to go along with my exercises.

Although I am almost pain free, I am going to complete the 12 weeks because I know that if I were to resume running now the injury would flare up. When I can finally run again, I am going to continue doing the exercises as part of my daily routine. I also want to look into the underlying cause of what caused the issue in the first place: shoes, bad mechanics, tight/weak soleus and calves, weak hips, tight hamstrings, tight plantar fascia, or anything else.

If you have just recently begun experiencing Achilles pain and believe it to be Achilles Tendonosis I urge you to stop running immediately. I am not a doctor and I despise doctors generic answer of "stop running", however, this is an injury that will not get better on its own. The worse thing about this injury is how tolerable you can make it. Over time it will simply get worse and worse though. So if it's a new injury, take a little time off, deal with it, and make sure it doesn't progress to something serious.

If you have been dealing with it for a while but insist on running through it then good luck. I am not going to tell you to stop because that would be hypocritical since I was in your situation and continued running through it. However, complete whatever training cycle you are on and then seriously look into dealing with it. Take the 12 weeks off necessary and knock it out once and for all. Just imagine how much more enjoyable running will be when you are not limping through runs, walking in agony around your house, and straining to get out of bed in the morning? Think how much faster you will be when you don't have to worry about a possible tear/rupture of your Achilles during workouts and races.

This is one of the most frustrating injuries for me because it allows you to run on it, it gives you hope. Instead of a stress fracture knocking you out of commission for 6-8 weeks, this allows you to run on it day after day but progressively gets worse. Eventually it reaches a point where running is not an option and you only hope that the recovery process that you have been putting off will cure it.

Almost two years after the Notre Dame invitational and many runs, workouts, race, and Personal bests later, I am finally taking the time off necessary for this injury. I am four weeks into the recovery and hope that I may run injury free in the future. Running over the past two years with this injury has been aggravating and unpleasant but I love the joy I have had from competition. Now, I just hope that I will be able to compete in the future. I hope that I didn't sacrifice the rest of my competitive career for something that could have been fixed in a matter of 12-14 weeks.

Most of us suffer from some kind of knee pain, at one time or another. There are different reasons for the many kinds of knee pain that each individual has. You can suffer from knee pain as a result of a sports injury, an auto accident, or an overuse syndrome. It can also happen through an innocent knee knock or a slight tug when you missed your footing. Whatever the reason is, it is important to understand how it came about in order to be specific in knee pain treatment.

Major knee dislocations and fractures that required surgical intervention and professional medical help do not fall into this category until the rehabilitation phase. Other knee pain that comes about as a result of unbalanced patella due to tightness in the Iliotibial Band (IT Band), knock knees, bow legged individuals, knee tendinitis and more can be effectively solved with Pilates.

So how does Pilates play a part in the treatment of knee pain? Why Pilates?

Pilates For Knee Pain Relief

Pilates, as a form of total body conditioning training program, is both functional and specific in knee pain treatment. Here are the reasons:

1. Alignment
2. Articulation
3. Form
4. Muscular Strength
5. Creating Space in Joint
6. Improve Range of Motion
7. Develop flexibility

When you're looking at Pilates for knee pain relief, keep in mind there are several methods and exercises that you can perform, both at home and in a studio. These exercises will help strengthen and lengthen your muscles so that your knee becomes stronger and more agile. It will bend with ease, and without pain. At home, you can use your mat and combine it with a DVD if you wish. In the studio, you can use the reformer to get a greater benefit and heal your knee faster. Here are some specific exercises you can do at home and at the studio.

Pilates Knee Pain Relief Exercises (with a Mat)

Knee Folds: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor; using your abdominal muscles, lift one foot off the floor and bring it towards you; inhale as you lift in, exhale as you come back down; Repeat 8-10 times, then switch legs. It's important to focus on your breathing as you do these. Keep your abdominal muscles tight and your spine to the floor.

Kneeling Side Kick: Kneel on your mat and pull your abdominals in while dropping your tailbone to the floor; extend your right leg directly out to the side, with your toe on the floor; drop your left hand to the floor directly under your shoulder, leaving your arm straight; place your right hand on your hip; lengthen your right leg away from you and lift up to hip height and then swing your leg to the front. Do 6-8 reps on each side.

Pilates Knee Pain Relief Exercises (with Machine)

First Position: Lie on your back with your legs bent and your heels on the bar and your feet flexed; your knees should be squeezed together and your torso and arms are relaxed; as you inhale, fully extend your legs but be careful not to lock your knees; exhale as you come back down into first position.

Knee Stretch: With your feet flat against the shoulder rests, kneel on the carriage; your hands should be on the foot bar. Using your hands, push away; this gives your legs and back a good stretch.

All of these pilates knee pain relief exercises will help to strengthen your knee and help you become pain-free. Pilates reformer exercises can give you a bigger benefit by adding some resistance, and giving you a broader range of motion. Remember the proper breathing technique, and concentrate on your knee as you perform each exercise. This will help you achieve a mind-body connection and allow you to listen to what your body is telling you.

Once your muscles and joints are strengthened and lengthened, you will be able to walk with ease. You would not hear any cracking or crackling in your joints. As you become more comfortable with your routine, you can add more advanced moves.

Are You Looking for Fast Sciatic Pain Treatment?

Of course you are, this stuff hurts. Up until now, you have probably thought that you were going to be stuck 'riding it out' when that pain hit. That you would just have to grin and bear it until the pain decided to take mercy on you and leave on it's own.

This is no way to live. Thankfully, you don't have to live this way anymore.

Yes, this pain is almost unbearable. Yes, this is the kind of pain that you plan your life around. Yes, this pain completely and utterly stinks.

But there is a light at the end of this miserable tunnel. There is a way to stop this pain when it starts. A way to find real and fast relief. And the best part is that you don't even have to leave the house for it.

That sure beats going to the doctors or pharmacy for pain medicine doesn't it?

The Fast and Easy Sciatic Nerve Pain Exercise - guaranteed to knock your socks off and scare your pain away.

1 - lie on your back (how many exercises start off this nicely?)

2 - have your knees bent and feet on the floor

3 - bring your knees up to your chest as far as you can (don't be a superhero, if your pain gets worse, don't go any further. The worst thing you want to do is find yourself in more pain).

4 - use your abs to raise your booty off of the floor slightly.

Your aim is just to raise and lower. This will stretch out your back muscles without making them angry. Stretching these muscles is very important because it takes pressure off of the sciatic nerve.

Try to start with 5 -10 reps. You can add more or do less depending on what your pain level requires.

Do you have sore knee caps?

Sometimes the pain for a sore knee cap is due to climbing or descending a set of stairs, or getting up from a seated position. Other times it is caused from sitting in a position where your knees are bent, and after hours of the same position, the pain can get to be really bad! - Can you relate to any of these scenarios?

These are all scenarios the involve daytime activities (unless you walk in your sleep) But what if you end up moving your legs into this same bent position while sleeping? Gosh, What a thought! The truth is you will end putting your knees through the same irritation they experience in your waking moments, but you might not even know it. - Many people do not think about this but the irritation can also build at night when you are not even really conscious of the problem.

This can result in a restless feeling wherein you will not get the sleep and rest that you need, and these days we all could use as much sleep as we can get! Moving around at night and allowing your knees to move into the same irritating position can actually result in additional irritation and could possibly worsen your pain issues you are having currently.

How Can I Help Control My Legs At Night?

The answer to this question will help ease the discomfort you have... Many times you can help control sore knee caps with a simple knee brace. These braces can help control your knee cap from deviating into painful and more unstable positions whether you are still awake or not.

Well designed knee braces are designed to move with the shape of the knee. They are helpful because they help restrict excessive positions where the pain comes due to misalignment. Some supports are more restrictive than others so it is always good to ask the brace provider for optimal brace for your needs.

Implementing the use of a knee brace both while sleeping and while awake has proven effective in alleviating many common pains and soreness that inflict so many people's knee caps. - Do not look back regretting what you could have done to help support your knee.

Question: Do you know how the soreness sets in for you? - We would like to know.

How confident are you as a manager?

What situations make you feel a little unsure, uncomfortable or less confident about how to handle?

For the new manager, being thrust into suddenly having responsibility for achieving through others can feel daunting, intimidating or overwhelming. (Particularly when some of those "others" may be people you used to work alongside).

Even for the manager who has been managing for years, with the ever-changing market place, new technologies and a more diverse range of ages and cultures in your workplace, there are likely to be many situations which leave you feeling a little nervous or unsure.

Way back in my career as a teacher, I remember standing nervously in front of 30 expectant, intelligent, articulate individuals, all waiting to see how well I would perform, how successfully I could engage them, and how much of a "pushover" I was going to be!

Did it make my knees knock a little? You bet!

Later, as I took my first tentative steps towards mentoring, coaching and managing others in industry, I would feel those same feelings: nervousness; worried about my ability to manage what could be some quite tricky situations; concern about how others might perceive me and just a little vulnerable - did I know enough to do this job well?

Where do managers feel a lack of confidence?

There are three key areas which many managers report are the most tricky for them. What are they?

1. Managing others who have higher qualifications than you or who are qualified in a different discipline.

2. Influencing peers or external stakeholders where you have no direct authority, but good working relationships with these people are fundamental to good performance.

3. Managing upwards. Whew is this a biggie! In many of the workshops I run, when I ask people to think of who they most want to be more effective at managing, a staggering proportion of those attending include their immediate line manager or higher in their top 3.

Each of these situations requires both consummate communication skills and a high degree of self-confidence.

So, what does a manager need to do to increase their confidence in these, or any other, "tricky" situations?

5 keys to building your self-confidence as a manager:

1. Do what you believe to be right - even if others mock or criticise you for it. From the moment you take on any management role, others are looking at you to see what kind of a manager you are going to be. Just as those children were "sussing me out" in the classroom all those years ago, your staff are doing the same with you. How you behave sets the scene for everything else.

This is about two things really: a) Getting absolutely clear about what's really important to you, in terms of what needs to be accomplished, and what attitudes and behaviours you expect. Think of it as creating your own vision of "how we do things around here".

b) When it comes to core values about how people work together you never compromise. In all else, you are open to suggestion and influence. In recent studies, outstanding managers, with the highest performing, most committed teams, all had crystal clear ideas about the kind of culture they wanted to create, and what was important to them - and they communicated this to everyone they worked with and gained "buy in" from all key stakeholders.

When you feel clear and comfortable about what's really important to you, and everything you do demonstrates this, even if others don't always agree with you, they will respect your integrity, trust you, and know where they stand. Chances are you'll have fewer tricky situations in future too!

2. Realise you don't have to know it all. There's a very interesting video on "You-Tube" which really demonstrates the almost frightening pace of change which affects business today. Check out Karl Fisch's "Shift Happens" when you have a moment.

For now, it's useful to see your role, not as being an "expert" at a particular subject, but rather an "expert" at helping to facilitate the expertise of others!

Instead of being intimidated by someone who seems more qualified than you, ask yourself: "How can I utilise this expertise for the benefit of the individual, the team, and the organisation?"

When you focus on what you can do to help others help you achieve the overall goals, not only do you get better results, you develop an awesome reputation as a highly skilled leader.

Every really successful CEO I've ever come across sees others' expertise and ambition as an opportunity - not a threat! The best managers just need to know how to engage smart people to get the job done.

3. Be willing to take risks, and go the extra mile to achieve things Building your own sense of personal power and influence comes from being willing to take risks yourself; from facing your fears, and dealing with what you know needs to be done.

At a personal level, if you don't face the underperforming member of staff, for example, because you don't feel confident to deal with it, you become trapped and nothing will be resolved until something forces the situation. Your confidence is likely to decrease even more as time goes on. Meanwhile, don't kid yourself others aren't noticing. They are. And this will further dent your confidence.

4. Admit your mistakes - and learn from them This really follows on from tip number 3.

If you're going to be willing to take risks - you won't always get it right! However, as long as you learn from that mistake, you will be ready to try something different, and each time you do, you'll increase your confidence. And if you create a culture where others see it's OK to make mistakes, you'll build the confidence of your staff too!

5. Give credit to others We all know people who are expert at extolling their own virtues! Individuals who have a high level of self-esteem and confidence don't need to shout about their accomplishments.

Don't feel the need to shout about what you've done, or what you know. Instead, give others the limelight at every opportunity. Whether you're managing up, down or across, think of how you can help others to excel, and you are more likely to be rewarded with excellence.

And when you achieve excellent results, allow yourself a pat on the back, accept any compliments about how well you managed those diverse individuals gracefully, and get excited about the next challenges!

Copyright (c) 2010 Shona Garner

Have you ever thought that you would rather jump off a bridge than to get up and deliver a verbal presentation in front of your peers? If that thought ever entered your mind, relax. You are not alone. Studies show that the fear of public speaking ranks right up there!

The other studies show that the person who has the capability to deliver an effective verbal presentation will earn more money, advance faster and be highly recognized in the business field.

Regardless of how much training you have, it is natural to have a bit of fear.  Experts say that fear makes you more aware of your delivery, thus put more practice into the program to make it better!

It is important to realize that when you have the capability to get up in front of a crowd and speak intelligently that you instantly gain expert status. Why? Because you have the courage to state your convictions and be subject to scrutiny. Now, keep in mind that you do not need to be a world-wide expert on the topic, but if you know more than the others in the room, and can convey that knowledge properly, you at least are on your way to a higher degree of respect. Fear is common whenever you do something new for the first time. Your knees may even knock as mine once did, but at least you are beginning the process of conquering the fear.

Have the courage to be a speaker at the next public event that takes input from the audience. It's your first step.

Myth Number 1 declares that performance nerves are to be expected; everyone has them. Further, that they are necessary. They are what give a speaker the energy to be exciting or interesting.

Let's take a hard look at these assumptions. What happens to you, personally, when you have an attack of Performance Jitters? of a rollicking Stage Fright?

In other words, your body tries to shut down! Now why would such unpleasant body symptoms serve you? Do they really make you an exciting and interest speaker?

It's important to separate stage fright and the deep fear of speaking in public from excitement. Think of excitement, not as dread, but as pleasant anticipation. When you're looking forward with pleasure to an activity your body does not try to shut down. It perks up. Your brain goes into high gear. What is about to take place feels good, fulfilling, gratifying, perhaps fun.

You may be one of those people who has some of the good feelings, but still suffers from some of the nasty ones.

Here're some things that will help you:

During my thirty-some years as therapist and public speaking coach I've observed that these techniques work very well for many people. If, however, a person has underlying and deep feelings of insufficiency, counseling may be helpful in clearing out the personal debris to free up a person to
be--and to feel--truly successful.

Is trail riding the activity you best enjoy with your horse? If so, you are like the majority of horse owners in the U.S. It's a wonderful way to get out and see some country you might not be able to see from car or foot, plus it gives us a chance to have something fun to do with our horse once it has been well trained.

A common problem I see with many horse/rider combinations is that the rider seems to feel that "just" trail riding doesn't require a horse with much training. I contend that trail riders should be mounted on horses that have as much or more training as other horse endeavors require. Think about it. When you go out on a trail, you never know what you might encounter-it might include traffic, backpackers, rough terrain, strange animals, or a slew of other things that the horse might be not see elsewhere. You may be traveling on trails well away from road access and have only the horse to depend upon to carry you safely.

If you are mounted on a horse than only knows go and hopefully whoa, you are basically at the mercy of the horse to see you safely through the ride. You are not as safe as you should or could be. What happens if you need more than just go or whoa? It's not unusual to be in a situation on a ride where your horse might need to back up, move its body around an obstacle, turn around in a tight space, or even sidepass.

For starters, trail horses need to be comfortable enough not to get upset if their feet get tangled in brush or vines, need to respond to your request to move their body away from a tree that could knock your knees or head, be able to jump fallen trees that may block the trail, and not be worried about branches that may slap at them or be trimmed and fall on them. They need to be comfortable walking down banks, into water, and walking up steep inclines without rushing. A good trail horse is not dependent on the horse in front of it to set its speed or direction. There are many times when a rider needs to act independently of what the others are doing.

There are some horses out there that handle the trails basically without any guidance from their oblivious passenger riders and follow along doing what the others do, but there are many more good horses that need some rider guidance and help to make the ride enjoyable. This is where it is the human's responsibility to make sure that they have the training themselves to help support the horse in whatever situation comes up. "Just trail riding" should involve as much prior thought and training as showing, distance riding, or any other activity that someone might want to do with their horse. It's not an excuse for sloppy or non-existent horsemanship, and people should be proud to say I'm a trail rider-leaving out the word "just"!

Cutting body fat quickly is completely relevant to what you intend doing in order to make it happen. You see in order to cut body fat as quickly as possible you have got to be consistent in your approach with both your diet and training. Now having said this I have included a single lift to help you along in the process to take your workouts to the next level. To speed up your progress read and apply the following lift I have included below.

Dual Kettlebell Thrusters For Time!

For this body fat cutting drill you will need the availability of a pair of kettlebells of moderate intensity. You will also want to have a partner with a timer to help you out. Begin this lift by placing the kettlebells on the ground between your feet. Stand with your feet shoulder width or slightly wider apart. Next, properly clean and rack the bells to your chest. From here you are going to perform a front squat while maintaining the balance and positioning of the bells in front of your body. As you squat try to go deep enough so that your elbows touch the insides of your knees. As you come out of the squat simply press and lock the bells out overhead.

Now this lift is challenging enough, but lets not forget about the timer and your workout partner. As you start the lift you will want to have your partner time your sets and keep count of your reps. For this particular body fat burning workout you will want to see how many thrusters you can execute in a 30 second time limit. Have your partner count the reps and keep track of the time. The idea is to perform 3 rounds of this drill and to see how many total reps you can knock out in series. When you are finished simply trades places with your partner and count for him or her. A little friendly competition never hurt anyone!

If you haven't already started to include the timed kettlebell thrusters into your fat cutting drills then you are missing out. Take time to learn more about this kettlebell lift and others by accessing the rest of my articles on the issue for free. Remember that most anyone can train hard, but only the best train smart my friend!

You have a million things to do and spending 2 hours at the gym just isn't one of them. Sometimes there just isn't enough hours in a day. If you exercise at home you cut out all that driving time and it seems more manageable. Having said that, don't think you're off the the hook. We can still get your heart rate up, boost your metabolism, and get results all in the comfort of you own home.

The secret to getting the most out of your workout at home, and in the gym, is performing your workout in the form of a circuit. By moving from one strength training exercise to the next you will get you heart rate up and knock out strength training and cardio in a matter of 30 minutes and leave your metabolism elevated for hours...all without equipment!

Here's the plan.You are going to perform five exercises with no rest in between. If you are just getting started allow yourself to rest 15-20 seconds in between each move and work your way up to not resting at all. At the completion of all five exercise you will rest for 1-2 minutes. Then, move on to the next five exercises and perform them in the same fashion. Repeat the two groups of exercises 1-2 more times.

Group 1

1. Push-ups: 15 reps

• Lie face down with legs extended out behind you and feet together



• Place your hands slightly wider than shoulders width apart, palms down, elbows at a 90 degree angle



• Wide Push-up Option:
Start with hands about 3 inches wider that the regular push-up


• Straighten arms, keeping abs tight and lift up on your toes (or knees for a modified version)so your body is flat like a table...get that butt out of the air!



• Keeping your body straight, lower body to the ground by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel with the floor



• Return to the start position by pushing yourself back up



• Important:
Keep your spine in line by keeping your eyes focused on the floor and your abs tight...don't let your body sag on the way up. Also, exhale on the way up and inhale on the way down.Important: Get your butt out of the air! And don't let your body sag! Keep your back straight, your spine in line and just hold the position.

2. Squats: 25 reps

• Stand with feet about shoulder width apart, weight on heels, abs pulled in and good posture



• Using weight...hold dumbbell with both hands directly in front of your body



• Lower yourself down and back by bending your knees. Stick your butt out and keep a straight back



• Lower yourself down until your upper thigh is parallel to the ground (almost as if you are about to sit on a chair)



• Dumbbell hangs straight down in between legs



• Exhale Return to the start position by straightening your legs



• At the top, squeeze your butt cheeks together like you are picking up a $100 bill



• Turn them into jump squats for more of a challenge



• Important:
Never let your knees extend past your toes. Keep a straight back. Don't lean forward (shoulders back) and don't let heals lose contact with the ground.

3. Abdominal Planks: 45-60 seconds

• Start in push-up position: back straight, legs directly behind you, up on your toes,hands directly under shoulders and arms straight



• you can start out on your knees and work up to being on your toes



• You are balancing your weight on the palms of your hands and the balls of your feet



• Hold this position for as long as you can...start with a goal of 30sec and work up to a minute plus



• Place your hands further out in front for more of a challenge

4. Lunges: 15 on each leg

• Stand with good posture



• Feet together



• Step straight out with one foot about 2 feet



• Lower upper body toward the ground keeping front knee behind toe and shin perpendicular to ground



• Push back up with front leg and return to start position with a controlled movement



• Switch and repeat



• Important:
Knee should not touch ground. When knee extends out passed the toes this causes unnecessary stress on knee. Also, keep a good posture...try not to lean forward

5. Jumping Jacks: 60 seconds

• you know the drill

Group 2

1. Pelvic Thrusts: 15 on each leg

• Lie on your back with your heels on a bench or chair...your legs should make a 90 degree angle



• With your arms relaxed at your side, raise the left leg up so it is pointed toward the sky...keep foot flexed (don't point your toe)



• Pressing the right heel into the bench or chair, drive your left heel straight up toward the sky by lifting your hips



• Pause and slowly lower your body down until it almost touches the floor...repeat for instructed number of reps and switch legs



• Important:
Remember to breathe. Exhale as you drive your leg toward the sky and inhale on the way down.

2. Tricep Dips:15 reps

• Position yourself with your butt just off the edge of bench or chair with hands next to your hips, fingers curled under chair, knuckles facing forward



• Feet are out in front of you at a 90 degree angle (more advanced - legs out straight, motivated- heels on another chair or stability ball)



• Lower your body toward the ground by bending at the elbows



• Go as far as you can or until your arms are at a 90 degree angle



• Return to the start position by straightening your arms



• Inhale on the way down, and exhale on the way up



• Important:
Don't let your elbows flare out. Don't let your chest collapse as you lower down. Don't perform this exercise if you have a shoulder injury or wrist pain

3. Chair Sits 20 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, back down for 20 more seconds

• Stand with your feet together, good posture, weight on your heels



• Bend your knees and lower your butt to the ground until your upper leg is almost parallel to the ground...don't let your knees get over your toes



• Bend forward slightly at the waist



• Keeping your arms straight, raise your arms up to the sky until they are right by your ears



• Jump your feet up toward your hands and land so you are in the squat position



• Now jump straight up in the air, getting your feet off the ground and reaching for the sky



• Land in the squat position, place your hands back on the floor and jump your feet back to the push-up position



• Important:
Keep your knees behind your toes and weight on your heels. Don't let those arms drop...we don't want your shoulders to miss out on the fun!

4. Superman: 15 reps and hold for 15 seconds after last rep

• Lie face down with legs straight out behind you and arms straight out in front of you...like Superman



• Lift you arms, chest and legs off the floor...squeeze your butt cheeks and hold for a beat!



• Return to the start position, but don't let your feet and hands touch the ground. They should hover a couple of inches above the ground.



• Important:
Nice, slow controlled movement

5. Mt. Climbers: 60 seconds

• Start in the plank/push-up position with your body in a straight line, hands directly under your shoulders



• Jump your left foot forward driving your knee up toward your chest (left foot stays off the ground)



• Your right foot stays out behind you in the start position



• Very quickly, return your left foot to the start position and simultaneously, repeat the same move with the right foot



• Repeat at a rapid pace for the instructed amount of time

There you have it...what are you waiting for. Remember to keep that heart rate up and really challenge yourself for maximum calorie burn. Perform 2-3 days a week (non-consecutive days) other day and check out real-moms-real-fit for more pre-designed workouts.