Race Across America team sponsorships

Date: March 26, 2007
From: Coastal Sports and Wellness Medical Center

Coastal Sports and Wellness to go “Coast to Coast” with Race Across America sponsorships

Coastal Sports and Wellness Medical Center announces two separate team sponsorships for the 2007 Race Across America (RAAM) ultra-cycling events starting on June 10th (24 Hour) and 12th (Cross Country), 2007 at the edge of the Pacific Ocean in Oceanside, California and finishing at the Atlantic City, New Jersey boardwalk.
Coastal Sports and Wellness Medical Center is sponsoring Team Cancer’s entry into the 3,058 mile coast-to-coast race. The two-man team featuring Rick Schulze and George Vargas are experienced ultra-endurance cyclists, having previously competed in the RAAM and Furnace Creek 508 ultra-cycling events. Team Cancer is raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Breast Cancer Fund.
Coastal Sports and Wellness has also continued their support of the Swami’s Cycling Club 24-hour RAAM team entry that will race from Oceanside, CA to Flagstaff, AZ on June 10th and 11th. Swami’s TeamSam.com is captained by Erik Conklin, a two-time prior 24-hour RAAM participant, and includes prior 24-hour RAAM cyclists and Swami’s team members Gary Emerson and Jon Martin.
Swami’s TeamSam.com is raising money in support of Sammy Hutchinson, described as “a fun-loving, soccer-playing, heelie-wearing, taco-eating, video game- playing, bike-riding, Magic Treehouse book-reading,  bionicle-building, transformer-transforming, brother-tormenting, brother-loving, baby brother-kissing, speed-loving six year-old” involved in a 2 year battle with Stage IV Neuroblastoma.

Coastal Sports and Wellness is providing medical, financial, and technical support for both teams, including access to Coastal’s Cycling Performance and Fit Center and sports medical consultations with the Coastal sports medicine team.

Donations for either team can be made through their respective websites:
Team Cancer at www.360cycling.com and Swami’s TeamSam.com at www.teamsam.com

About Coastal Sports and Wellness
Coastal Sports and Wellness Medical Center is a 12,000 square foot sports medicine facility that provides a comprehensive approach to the care of athletes and active patients. The Center includes primary care sports medicine and chiropractic physicians, physical therapists, sports-specific personal trainers and massage therapists.

Other services at the Center include a Cycling Performance and Fit Center, featuring former Olympic cyclist John Howard, and San Diego’s first Computrainer Multi-Rider cycling class. The Sports Performance Testing section offers video gait analysis, metabolic rate, VO2 max and lactate testing
Coastal Sports and Wellness is located in the Sorrento Valley area of San Diego, California at 4010 Sorrento Valley Boulevard.

Contact Info:
John M. Martinez, M.D.
Medical Director and Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician
Phone (858) 678-0300
Fax: (858) 678-0915
Website: www.coastalsportsmedicine.com
Email: pr (at) coastalsportsmedicine (dot) com

Ten Workout Tips

10 Tips for Safe Workouts

1. Get a check-up by your doctor
If you’re new to exercise and a male over the age of 40 or woman over the age of 50 or have a personal or family history of heart disease such as high blood pressure or heart attacks, get a check-up by your doctor before starting an exercise program. Other risk factors that may require a medical evaluation before starting an exercise program include:
- Current smoker
- Chest pain or tightness or shortness of breath with exertion
- History of asthma, diabetes or other heart, lung or kidney problems

2. Have a plan and a goal
Write down your fitness goals for the upcoming month, season and year, and then keep track of your workouts in a workout log. Review and update your goals monthly.

3. Make exercise a priority
You can’t success at your fitness goals if you don’t make it a priority. Try to schedule workouts earlier in the day. If exercise is on the top of your daily “To Do” list you’ll find it easier to commit to a daily routine.

4. The best place to start is where you are now…
Look at your current activities and see what types of exercise you may already be doing: walking the dog, playing with the kids, working in the yard are all forms of exercise.

5. Start gradually, increase gradually
Look at exercise as a lifestyle choice and make it a part of every day. Use these activities as a starting point and try to increase the amount of time or the intensity. Look for easy ways to add extra time – take the stairs instead of the elevator, park in the furthest row in the parking lot from the building, try to walk for some errands instead of driving.

6. Warm up!
Take 5 to 10 minutes at the beginning of each exercise session to warm up and decrease your risk of injury. Start with brisk walking or a slow jog to raise your heart rate followed by a gentle stretching routine.

7. Fill up the fuel tank and stay hydrated
You wouldn’t start driving on a long trip on an empty gas tank, and the same holds true for exercise. Try to eat a snack or small meal 30 to 60 minutes before a workout, especially in the morning. Remember to stay well hydrated. Even a small amount of dehydration can impact your exercise tolerance and performance. Athletes notice significant effects with as little as 2-3% dehydration/ Drink water for workouts less than 30 to 45 minutes. Try a sports drink with carbohydrate and electrolytes for exercise lasting longer.

8. Cross Train
Find several different exercise routines to keep interested and refreshed. Try to mix up aerobic exercise (jogging, cycling, or swimming) with resistance (weightlifting) and stretching. Vary the routes, distances and intensity throughout the week.

9. Get a workout partner
It’s easy to make excuses to yourself and skip a workout. Its harder to skip that workout if someone else is depending on you to be there – so find a workout partner that shares some of your fitness interests.

10. Rest and recovery – are important components to a successful workout program. Give your body time to rest, heal and recovery from your workouts and you will experience less injuries.

Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)

Medial tibial stress syndrome, (MTSS) or “shin splints”, is a common ailment that many runners experience, especially when returning from inactivity or after a rapid increase in mileage.

Symptoms
Typically, there is pain in the front portion of the shin above the ankle. Pain is usually present at the start of a run or exercise but may gradually improve. Stress fractures in the tibia The painful area involved in MTSS is usually 3 to 5 inches in length along the edge of the tibia. Pain that is concentration in a smaller area on the tibia or pain that continues to get worse with prolonged running may represent a stress fracture of the tibia. Shin pain that does not improve or continues to worsen should prompt a visit to your physician.

Find out more in our newsletter at Coastal Sports and Wellness Medical Center in San Diego, California