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In 1989, prior to my publishing
SPORTS TOUCH /THE ATHLETIC RITUAL, I went to Kailau/Kona,
Hawaii, to attend the Ironman Triathlon and test the precepts
of my book on five athletes competing in the event. There I
met with John Carey, 29, Oakville, Ontario, Canada; Joe Kilmer,
31, Florida;
Mike Baker, 34, Texas; Bill
Brown, 57, Arizona; and two-time Ironman champion Scott
Tinley, 32, California. All volunteered to try "The
Sports Touch System" during the triathlon. The results
exceeded my wildest dreams and the athletes were as pleased as
I was. Witnessing the athletes quick recovery the next day,
less than 24 hours after the race, was truly gratifying. After
an event of this magnitude, muscle soreness and cramps that
can persist for weeks or months were extremely minimal. In
1991, I returned to Hawaii to see how two of the athletes,
John Carey and Mike Baker, along with a new volunteer, Murray
Coulter from New Zealand, would fair using the system as they
braved the conditions of the Hawaiian Ironman with the promise
of a fast recovery and a great race. The focus of this article
is to show performance enhancement and the increased recovery
time and made possible by "The Sports Touch System."
"You feel like you are running on all cylinders. Gauging
by what I feel was an unbelievable recovery, I would recommend
these techniques to anyone," says Joe Kilmer.
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Hawaiian Ironman
Since the 1989 Ironman,
I have coached John Carey by telephone to prepare him
for the ‘91 event and other triathlons. He has
perfected "The Sports Touch System" for the
endurance triathlons by learning how to access the
body’s energy levels. John had completed Ironman
Canada August 25, 1991, recovering in 48 hours and
placing 50th in his age group and 178th
over all. He participated in The Canadian Triathlon
Championships two weeks later on September 7, 1991,
recovering in 48 hours and placing 6th in
his age group. Six weeks later on October 19, 1991, he
was ready for the Hawaiian Ironman. John felt great
and was mentally pumped to see how he would perform
with such a short period of a time between races.
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"The Sports Touch
System" is designed to maintain the stability of the
body’s metabolism through the most extreme conditions. John
Carey did very well through the two-and one-half mile swim,
and the 112-mile bike ride, but when he started the marathon,
26.3 miles, he had trouble breathing. Unknown to him, he had a
lung infection, which made it very difficult for him to run.
But he was determined to finish, even if it meant he had to
walk a lot. He employed "The Sports Touch System" by
rubbing the neuro-lymphatic points to keep his diaphragm
muscle strong and relaxed and to flush the rest of his muscles
free of toxic build-up so that walking and running would be
easier. It was a tough race for John, but he finished in just
over 11 hours and his muscular recovery was good. That’s
because he was not out on the race course alone. He had a set
of techniques that he could use to help him get through this
race. With this "Secret Weapon," he was able to take
control of his outcome.
"The Sports Touch System
has given me the confidence to find out how good an athlete I
can be, especially when extreme circumstances arise,"
says John.
Murray Coulter, the newest
athlete on my Sports Touch Team, had this to say, "At no
time did I have any real problem in keeping running when I
used "The Sports Touch System." I rubbed the psoas
and quadriceps lymphatics and kept running quite well. Apart
from blistered feet, I felt really good. The next day, my
movement was only restricted by my sore feet. My muscles were
in good shape and I had very little tension or pain. The
Athletic Ritual techniques helped my performance on race day
and my recovery."
"What is "The Sports
Touch System?"
The secret to "The Sports
Touch System" is learning how to read the map of the body
and knowing how and when to push the right buttons to jump
start it. Combining these simple techniques into a practical
and functional "Ritual" can give you the best
athletic performance of your life. The hidden benefits is the
improvement of mind/body coordination. As you employ the
techniques on a regular basis, you’ll begin to feel stronger
and notice a positive change in your hand/eye coordination,
flexibility and mental acuity. You will also develop a
stronger immune system. "The Sports Touch System"
consists of seven techniques: Diaphragmatic Breathing,
Acupressure, Neuro-Lymphatic Massage, Stretching,
Visualization, Nutrition and Herbology. They are all put into
a practical and functional program designed to fit an
individual’s lifestyle.
Whether a professional or
amateur athlete, a high-stress executive, a child or a senior,
the system is designed to help create a vital, strong and
balanced body by enhancing function and energizing body and
mind. For most athletes, sore muscles and injuries are all
part of training and competition. "No Pain, No Gain"
is their motto. Many athletes go to a chiropractor and a
massage therapist before and after competition to keep the
body structurally and muscularly balanced and the mind clear.
But what help is available during the actual competition? Who
can help the athlete when he/she begins to fatigue or
experiences a muscle cramp, a stitch in the side, or low-back
pain?
The answer is the athlete
himself! By creating a "Ritual" that is done pre-,
during and post-competition, the athlete can take absolute
control and responsibility for the outcome of his race and the
recovery of his body.
EXAMPLE OF THE IRONMAN
RITUAL FROM THE ATHLETIC RITUAL by Kate Montgomery The Ironman
Ritual begins in the early morning hours prior to the race:
1. Wake-up and
Diaphragmatically Breathe - 10 times
2. Perform the Diaphragm
Release
3. Rock on the Sacral Bone
4. Perform the Respiratory
Spinal Extension Stretch
5. Complete the Two-Minute
Energy Balance
6. Do Self-Lymphatic Massage
Pre-Swim Ritual:
1. Pre-oxygenate the lungs as
much as possible with deep diaphragmatic breaths.
2. PUMP Acupressure Points,
FIRMLY, for increased energy and stamina.
*Large Intestine 4
*Stomach 36
*Conception Vessel 17
*Kidney 3
3. Do Self-Lymphatic Massage.
RUB EACH FIRMLY for flushing the muscles of poisons and
toxins.
*Diaphragm
*Quadriceps
*Arms
*Upper Back &Shoulders
Swim to Bike Transition:
1. Diaphragmatically
Breathe
2. Rock on the Sacral Bone
3. Perform the Respiratory
Spinal Extension Stretch
4. Do Self-Lymphatic
Massage, RUB EACH FIRMLY.
*Quadriceps *Buttock
muscles
*Diaphragm
*Hamstrings, Abdominals and
Low-back On the Bike:
1. Do Self-Lymphatic
Massage. RUB EACH FIRMLY.
*Quadriceps
*Diaphragm
*Calves
*Psoas
2. Drink plenty of water
and eat food that will fuel the body.
Bike to Run Transition:
1. Diaphragmatically
breathe
2. Rock on the Sacral Bone
3. Perform the Respiratory
Spinal Extension Stretch
4. Do Self-Lymphatic
Massage - RUB EACH FIRMLY.
*Quadriceps
*Buttock muscles
*Diaphragm
*Hamstrings, Abdominals and Low-back
This is especially
important for the transition back to gravity for the run.
Run:
1. Do Self-Lymphatic
Massage. RUB EACH FIRMLY and
with consistency throughout
the run. Every one to two miles
to keep the muscles feeling
"light" and muscularly
balanced.
*Quadriceps
*Diaphragm
*Calves and Psoas
2. Drink plenty of water.
*At each water stop, RUB FIRMLY
the Psoaslymphatic. This will strengthen the Kidney organ
which helps to regulate water in the body.
These techniques are done
throughout the entire race to ensure that the body is
constantly flushing and cleansing, enabling it to perform at
its best under these extreme conditions.
Post-Race:
1. Warm-down
2. Do Self-Lymphatic
Massage - rub out the entire body. Do as much as needed to
flush all the lactic acid out of the muscles. The muscles
will feel light, relaxed and be free of soreness. Everyone's
metabolism is different, so keep rubbing till
the desired results are obtained.
3. Get a massage!
4. Take a hot Epsom salts
bath or an Herbal Sports Balm described in my book. Rub
into the muscles to help with the healing and recovery of
the muscles. This will help to move the waste products and
toxins out of the muscles and to start to heal the damaged
soft tissue.
5. Stretch
6. Drink plenty of water.
You never can get enough.
Once John Carey began using
"The Sports Touch System" ritual, he summarized
its benefits: "I see the system not only as a
training aid, but as an injury and discomfort prevention that enhances my performance."
Two Parts to Performance:
Physical and Mental
In athletic competition, the
body fatigues from the build-up of toxins in the muscles.
Stamina and endurance begin to wane and the process of
compensation starts, as the energy in the muscle begins to
diminish. For example, a runner usually pushes off more with
the right foot than the left, so the right leg begins to
fatigue quicker. Eventually, he favors one side so much more
that it can lead to a structural and muscular misalignment.
Injury develops from stress on the body’s structure and
muscles. Soon the body can’t perform as well as it used to.
The mind, on the other hand, attempts to keep the athlete focused
and relaxed. But if the physical body wears down, the mind has
to work harder to keep going. Then, instead of enjoying the
race, the athlete becomes preoccupied with the pain, hoping
for "Just one more mile, just one more mile..." It
is possible to enjoy racing pain free, to achieve better
times, recover faster, and to walk normally the next day.
"Whenever I feel my legs
getting heavy or sore in a race, I start rubbing the
neuro-lymphatics for the quadriceps and the soreness
disappears," says Mike Baker. My legs feel revived."
In 1989, Mike did a 10:50 Ironman; in 1991 he finished in a
10:38.
Therapists and Athletes Put the
Sports Touch System to Work Therapist Bernie Austin in
Ventura, CA; Sandra Boon, D.C. in Atlanta, Georgia; have added
The Sports Touch System to their programs with success.
"It is by far the easiest program to use as a therapist
and to teach my clients," says Austin.
Since 1987 when the idea for
"The Sports Touch System" began to take shape, I
have worked with thousands of athletes, from weekend warriors
to Olympic athletes. These people have learned to take control
and responsibility for their health care, feel better, and
have more energy. The future in health care is prevention and
self-care. Teach your clients how to do so without depending
on you. Health and well-being is their responsibility.
"To fully take advantage
of the Sports Touch techniques, you need to be curious and
willing to do things that are a little unorthodox," says
Bob Ctvrtlik from the 1988 USA Gold Medal Olympic Volleyball
Team. "You have nothing to lose but a few minutes a day,
and you have oh, so much to gain."
Bob Ctvrtlik, a member of the
1988, 1992, 1996, USA Olympic Volleyball Team will be using
The Sports Touch System in Seoul, South Korea, Barcelona,
Spain and Atlanta, GA.
As of today, John Carey of
Canada has won his triathlete age division in 1996 is better
than ever. He had the best year he has ever had. That is what
this system can do for you. You have total control and you can
determine your performance, its outcome and recovery of the
body. It works, just ask John if you ever see him at a race!! |
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