Andrew Ellerton placed first in the 800 meters at the American Miler's Series Meet in Indianapolis this weekend. Andrew's time of 1:46.07 was a personal best and met the Olympics "B" standard - he was only seven hundredths from making the "A" standard. Andrew outkicked American distance running star and mile record holder, Alan Webb, to win the race.

Andrew's next race is in Victoria this Thursday. The Olympic Trials take place in Windsor on July 5th and 6th.

That would be the Johnny Miles Marathon and running event weekend held this June 15th in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Ken Stubbings and Vince Perdue took on the marathon while Lise Perdue did the half marathon and Lynn Stubbings was our 10k representative. All runners did the same course - some just did it more times. The route is comprised of approximately 10k loops. The 10kers do it once, the halfers twice and the marathoners get to become intimate with the layout as they circle 4 times. The loop runs in downtown New Glasgow on the streets and riverside trail. The course was a bit challenging as humidity and hills slowed our pace a bit but the layout was interesting and fun, especially along the riverfront trail and the spectators got to cheer us on more than once - up to 4 times actually. The event was excellent. Ken Stubbings and Lise Perdue elaborate further below.

About Johnny Miles

John C. "Johnny" Miles, C.M. (October 30, 1905 – June 15, 2003) was a Canadian marathon runner. He won the Boston Marathon in 1926 and 1929.

Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, he moved with his family to North Sydney, Nova Scotia. He won the Canadian five-mile championship in 1925 and the Halifax Herald 10-mile competition in the same year. Between his two wins in Boston, Miles won the Canadian 10,000 metre championship in 1928. He later won a bronze medal in the marathon at the 1930 British Empire Games. He represented Canada at the 1928 Summer Olympics and the 1932 Summer Olympics.

In 1982, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame. Miles died at age 97 in Hamilton, Ontario. At the time of his death, he was Canada's oldest living Olympic athlete.

More About Johnny Miles

Have you ever had an injury that just won't heal? And then when you think it has healed, you go and re-injure it again. You may have a problem with scar tissue.

So you've pulled a muscle? Over-stretched it, torn it, strained it, sprained it. Call it what you want. From an injury point of view, the initial healing process is all the same.

Sprains (ligament) and strains (muscle or tendon) are the most common type of soft tissue sports injury and are often caused by activities that require the muscles to stretch and contract at the same time. A lack of conditioning, flexibility and warm up can also contribute.

While most people are well aware of the importance of applying the R.I.C.E. regime to a sprain or strain in the first 48 to 72 hours, it's after this that most people get stuck. Let's start by having a look at what happens during those first 72 hours and then move onto what's needed for a full recovery.

The First 72 Hours
Without a doubt, the most effective, initial treatment for soft tissue injury is the R.I.C.E.R. regime. This involves the application of (R) rest, (I) ice, (C) compression, (E) elevation and obtaining a (R) referral for appropriate medical treatment.

Where the R.I.C.E.R. regime has been used immediately after the occurrence of an injury, it has been shown to significantly reduce recovery time. R.I.C.E.R. forms the first, and perhaps most important stage of injury rehabilitation, providing the early base for the complete recovery of injury.

The Problem with Scar Tissue
When a muscle is torn, you would expect that the body would repair that tear with new muscle. In reality, this doesn't happen. The tear, or rupture, is repaired with scar tissue.

Now this might not sound like a big deal, but if you have ever suffered a soft tissue injury, you'll know how annoying it is to keep re-injuring that same old injury, over and over again. Untreated scar tissue is the major cause of re-injury, usually months after you thought that injury had fully healed.

Scar tissue is made from a very brittle, inflexible fibrous material. This fibrous material binds itself to the damaged soft tissue fibers in an effort to draw the damaged fibers back together. What results is a bulky mass of fibrous scar tissue completely surrounding the injury site. In some cases it's even possible to see and feel this bulky mass under the skin.

When scar tissue forms around an injury site, it is never as strong as the tissue it replaces. It also has a tendency to contract and deform the surrounding tissues, so not only is the strength of the tissue diminished, but flexibility of the tissue is also compromised.

So what does this mean for the athlete? Firstly, it means a shortening of the soft tissues which results in a loss of flexibility. Secondly, it means a weak spot has formed within the soft tissues, which could easily result in further damage.

Lastly, the formation of scar tissue will result in a loss of strength and power. For a muscle to attain full power it must be fully stretched before contraction. Both the shortening effect and weakening of the tissues means that a full stretch and optimum contraction is not possible.

Getting rid of the Scar Tissue
To remove the unwanted scar tissue it is vital that you start a course of deep tissue sports massage. While ultrasound and heat will help the injured area, they will not remove the scar tissue. Only massage will do that.

Either find someone who can massage the effected area for you, or if the injury is accessible, massage the damaged tissues yourself. Doing this yourself has the advantage of knowing just how hard and deep you need to massage.

To start with, the area will be quite tender. Start with a light stroke and gradually increase the pressure until you're able to use deep, firm strokes. The more you massage the effected area the harder and deeper you will be able to push.

Use deep, firm strokes, moving in the direction of the muscle fibers. Concentrate your effort at the direct point of injury, and use your thumbs to get in as deep as possible to break down the scar tissue.

A few final points before finishing up. Be sure to drink plenty of fluid during your injury rehabilitation. The extra fluid will help to flush a lot of the waste products from your body.

Also, I recommend you purchase a special ointment to use for your massage called "Arnica". This special ointment is extremely effective in treating soft tissue injuries, like sprains, strains and tears. You can purchase this ointment at most health food shops and pharmacies.

Article Posted on the Stretching Institute by Brad Walker.
Brad is a leading stretching and sports injury consultant with nearly 20 years experience in the health and fitness industry. For more free articles on stretching, flexibility and sports injury, subscribe to The Stretching & Sports Injury Newsletter by visiting www.thestretchinghandbook.com.