Steadyfoot Annual Scholarship

8 thoughts on “Steadyfoot Annual Scholarship”

1. Going into college I plan on majoring in Criminal Justice because I have the desire to become either a Police officer, an FBI agent, or a Crime Scene Investigator. I have been inspired to work in law enforcement mainly due to the fact that my neighbor is a Police officer and will often tell me about many interesting events that he has encountered working with the Los Angeles Police Department. He often tells me that working with the LAPD will often put his life at risk but he says that he has personally saved many lives in the short period of time that he has been employed. Saving an individual’s life on a daily basis is what I would enjoy doing as a living, even if it meaning putting my life at risk. To have had positively impacted a life of an individual would be an honor and I believe it is my purpose to protect society from the criminals and dangerous that may occur in the world.

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   • A country without individuals ready to put their lives on the line for the welbeing of the society is a lost society. I appreciate your courage, Jasmin and I wish you all the best of luck.

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2. The Steadyfoot Scholarship Program

       One of the most common, and down right frustrating injury acquired from running is undoubtedly shin splints.  Shin splints can be nagging injuries that can last for an entire season if not dealt with properly.  It can hamper and even prevent further participation in running depending on the severity of the splint.  Many people and runners lack knowledge about this injury, how it occurs, and the proper way to heal it and prevent it completely in future instances.  This lack of knowledge isn’t a bad thing, it just means that they haven’t been taught about it, and that is exactly what will be done here.
       First things first, the causation of the injury needs to be discussed.  Shin splints are an injury that occurs from improper running form and recruitment patterns pertaining to the muscles of the lower leg. Whenever the runner uses the bad form and doesn’t recruit muscle fibers the way they are meant to be over and over again, the overused muscles are going to take much more of a beating than they are meant to.
   The improper form discussed is the problem with striking of the foot.  Runners with shin splints are all heel strikers.  They hit the ground with their heel first, which puts the foot into dorsiflexion.  The dorsiflexed position of the foot is the primary function of the muscles on the of the shin area.  The striking of the heel leads to overuse and much more activation of the shin muscles than what they are meant to do.  Whenever these muscles are overactive, the soleus and gastrocnemius of the calf are under active, thus poor recruitment patterns are causing these shin splints. When the shin muscles are overused they will become too stressed and shorten into adhesions, and thus you have shin splints and it becomes painful to run.
   To recover from shin splints many coaches will prescribe ice and rest.  There is nothing wrong with ice and rest, if paired with proper recovery training and education on running form.  But sadly most are never instructed on fixing their form and recovering through correct training.  To correctly overcome shin splints, the calf needs to be strengthened, the shin needs to be lengthened, and form must be corrected.  
   In order to bring about change in calf strength you must perform calf raises.  These calf raises must be done with absolute control over the muscle, and your bodyweight.  No jerking around and being out of control just for the sake of raising up and down on your toes.  The calves are responsible for plantarflexion, so all you need to do is get up on a raised platform where your mid-foot and toes are on the platform and the heel is hanging off.  Raise up onto the toes in a slow and controlled manner pushing through the big toe, and then lower down to the bottom of your range of motion and take 4 seconds to lower on the negative.  The calves are underactive with this injury, so activating them at first will be different, but the more you practice the movement the more control of the calf you will have.
   To lengthen the shortened shin muscles, foam rolling will need to be done.  Place this foam roller on the shin of one leg.  Place your other leg on the ground with the knee touching, and crunch your body with your hands on the ground so you can keep the weight closer to the foam roller.  Start from the very bottom of the roller and put all the weight you can onto the shin, and very slowly roll up the front of your lower leg.  When a tight adhesion is found, it will be very painful and tender, but this is the important area to roll out.  To properly roll, stay on top of this tight spot and never let your weight shift off of it.  Do this for a few minutes on each leg everyday and the shin muscles will return to their more neutral position.
   The proper running form needed to overcome shin splints, and maximize speed and power is very rarely used.  Instead of heel striking, the middle of the foot needs to do all the striking and be the first thing to hit the ground.  When doing this the toes are next to hit, and then the heels will barely touch the ground.  Whenever the foot is leaning slightly towards plantarflexion instead of massive dorsiflexion, the bigger and stronger calf muscles will do all the work that the smaller and weaker shin muscles have been incorrectly doing.  Getting into this good form will not be easy at first, because bad habits and bad form are hard to break, but it can be done with some practice.  The way to teach good form is to strike with the mid-foot on every single step taken all day long.  This must be preached religiously, along with putting in extra practice.  The extra practice is a simple, yet effective exercise where the trainee will simply hop up and down on the middle of their foot over, and over again so as to avoid heel striking.
   Shin splints can seem very discouraging, and annoying because they can last a fairly long time.  Even though nobody wants injuries, this injury would be a terrific learning point because recovering from this injury and teaching your body proper form and recruitment patterns will lead to less injuries in the future and more optimal power production as well. That is why proper form, and recruitment patterns are essential and should be taught at a very young age to better prepare athletes and everyday people for a healthier and more pain-free life.

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3. “The Steadyfoot Scholarship Program”
   My mother has hip arthritis. Through the past five years she has been an avid runner and participated in events like half and full marathons, mud-runs and spartan races. She always had hip pains but loved running so much ignored them…. until they became too frequent and too painful. December 2017 she had hip surgery for a tear in her labium. Months following her recovery she went to physical therapy where she was diagnosed with hip arthritis. They recommended that she lightly walk on the treadmill and only wear comfortable footwear. She was advised not to run or even walk on trails, hills or hiking. Although she hated Mahabis Slippers because she felt like a “grandma” those were the most comforting throughout her recovery process.

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4. The Steadyfoot Scholarship Program
   Running I have found can be a way of life; some people start their day off by running and some others end the day with It. There is that weird chance that you could possibly be both. No one really knows where running originated from, but in Egypt 3800 B.C. there would be 3200 meter races; so that just shows how long running has been in our world. Running can benefit your health by keeping you young. And fit, although just like it has benefits it has its downside such as Runner’s Knees and Hip Pain. One of the biggest problems a runner can get is Planter Fasciitis. Planter Fasciitis is caused by the straining the ligament that supports the arch of your foot, usually this happens when you are on your feet too long, you wear shoes that don’t fit well etc… The most common symptom of Planter Fasciitis is when your feet are at rest for a while, but when you decide to start putting your feet in action they cause pain that hurts and the pain increases throughout the day. There is really not one specific way of treating Planter Fasciitis, but there are things you can do such as cutting back on the activities you do most and giving your feet a break. There are also stretches you can do like toe and calf stretches, although these foot injuries aren’t fatal like most injuries they can still affect your everyday life. The best way to live is having a healthy body so make sure to keep eating, drinking and running unless you have Planter’s Fasciitis then please take break.

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5. The Steadyfoot Scholarship Program

   I have never been a “runner.” Everything about running I had despised since the 7th grade when you were required to take one physical activity credit. Even then, I got out of it by participating in PE where we have Mile Monday, rather than the popular Girls Athletics which requires much more running. I come from a family of athletes involving basketball players, cross country runners and much more. This always made me feel out of place against the rest of them because physical activity was just not my thing. When I was preparing to enter into high school, I assumed I would be on the cheer team, despite having not cheered in about a year. My mom started to bring to my attention that I seriously needed to consider what type of athletics I would be involved in during high school. This revelation was frightening as most kids find their sport during those first two years of athletics, which I chose to skip. I have never played any sport, and have only done a few years of gymnastics. One day my mom said I should consider joining my school Drill Team, and after a bit of practice, I was ready for tryouts. To my shock, I made varsity as a freshman, but little did I know that that was just the beginning of my fitness journey. I had never done any dance that was as strenuous as what I was now doing, and it was taking a toll on my body. In replace of working out, I was obsessed with eating healthy. It became a passion of mine and still is today. To combat the stress on my body of dancing, I fine-tuned my eating, only consuming the cleanest products. While that helped keep me lean, I wasn’t happy, and it wasn’t helping any of my physical abilities. At the end of my sophomore year, a picture was taken of me at my National Honor Society Induction. Rather than looking at the accomplishment, I had made I only saw someone who I didn’t want to be. I was happy with my body, but I knew I wasn’t pushing my self to be the best version of me I could be. At that moment I knew I needed to make a necessary change to help me in dancing and my overall health.
   I downloaded the app “Running for Weightloss” and started at the beginners level. Out of all of the ways I could have chosen to work out, I picked running because it was the most available to me and required no extra equipment. It was terrible, and I hated every run I went on. It sounds horrible for me to be saying that, but this is genuinely how I felt. But after a few weeks, something began to happen. I started to run a little farther, and my stamina was increasing. I completed all eight weeks of the program and continued to run for weight loss and eventually because I actually wanted to go running. Through my running journey, I have had my fair share of running injuries, but the one that has affected me the most is Runners Knee. The causes of Runners Knee can vary between the runner, but most commonly it is a result of the motion of the kneecap. An incorrect alignment of the kneecap can cause a rubbing between the femur and patella causing inflammation. To prevent runner’s knee, run on softer surfaces, or gradually increase the number of miles you put in over the week. It is also essential to visit a specialty running shop to make sure you’re wearing the proper shoes for your foot type. Strengthening and stretching your quadriceps and hamstrings will help improve any pain and prevent further inflammation. A change I made that helped reduce my discomfort was purchasing a new pair of shoes. I bought a pair of New Balance 890v5 after trying on heaps of options. The lower foot support significantly improved the stress that had been on my knee and helped with my overall comfort.
   Although Runners Knee is something that I combat with on a frequent basis, I am pleased to say that I have finally found my niche in running. Today, running has become much more to me than weight loss. I can use running as a way to be alone with my thoughts or to destress from an exhausting day.

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6. The SteadyFoot Scholarship Program

   Ever since I joined the sport of wrestling in 8th grade I was made to run far distances. Every single day we were forced to run for 30 minutes around a track. I dreaded it every day in practice because I was always the slow fat guy. I was tired of getting embarrassed by my teammates. They would lap me on the track 6 to 7 times in one session, and it was just embarrassing. To change this embarrassment I made a plan to implement running into my workouts. Like any other runner when they start off, I was slow. I started running just two miles a day and then slowly increased the mileage as I got better at running. I eventually started to enjoy running. I loved the fact that there was no pressure on me to compete with my teammates. I loved the fact that it was my own pace and I could push myself as hard as I wanted to. As I got older my love for running began to grow. I got to the point where I was running 7 miles just because I wanted to. At 270 pounds I was running like someone half my body weight. I remember my senior year of high school my dad drove me up to my gym to lift weights. Now this gym was 13 miles from my home and I wanted to test myself to see if I could make the trip without walking. So after a tough 2 hour lift I told my dad that I would see him at home. I was going to do it, I was going to run a half marathon back to my home at 270 pounds! I worked my butt off to get to that point and I was so proud of myself when I did it. When wrestling season rolled around I was no longer the slow fat guy. I was keeping up with most of my teammates. After high school I enrolled in Edinboro University to wrestle and further my education. And to my surprise this team valued running just as much as my high school team. But this time I was prepared. I was battle ready to compete. I would love the fact that I was passing up some of my teammates who were half my size. But one day my love for running came to an end. I was no longer allowed to compete with my team. I tore my meniscus in my knee so bad one day I couldn’t even straighten out my leg. After surgery I developed stage 4 arthritis in my knee. I still ran but not as hard as I used to. I did my absolute best to keep up with everyone but my knee slowed me down. After another year I had to get another surgery on that same knee. What was left from my first surgery of my meniscus was getting stuck in between my knee cap, and my knee would constantly give out on me. After the second surgery I had to hang up the running shoes. Every time I would try to run my knee would swell up and be stiff for the rest of the week. The injuries I suffered damaged my love for running. I no longer enjoy it because the pain it causes me.

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7. The Steadyfoot Scholarship Program

   Playing competitive volleyball for over ten years taught me many important things such as teamwork and leadership; however, the constant physical conditioning spawned something else: a detest for running. My former high school coach would run the team until some players vomited on the side of the track, and then would run us some more, also eliciting consequences for taking breaks. Needless to say, almost all of my team developed some kind of running injury, many had multiple over the years. Destiny chose shin splints as my partner in crime for the remainder of my volleyball career. Shin splints and I were rarely apart, and when we were, a little running was all I had to do to find my precious partner again. I have chosen to discuss the causes and remedies for shin splints, as I want to prevent anyone else from being forced into a close relationship with the deplorable injury.
   Shin splints, formally known as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), are caused by overexertion and poor form in exercise. Running too much puts unnecessary pressure on muscles, causing them to swell and irritate neighboring bone. They can be as minor as slight swelling, or can cause bone fractures when left untreated. Also, stepping from heel to toe puts more strain on the front of the leg rather than the back, hence overusing the muscles near the shins. Despite how serious shin splints can be, they are relatively easy to get. One can get then by wearing worn out or inappropriate shoes during workouts, running on an uneven surface, or simply by not allowing for muscles to heal themselves.
   Shin splints can be first identified by pain in the shin area, especially pain during exercise, along with numbness and weakness in the foot and lower leg. Remedies include pain medicine, methods for reducing swelling, and recovery time. Pain medicine should be anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen or aleve. To reduce swelling, one can elevate and ice their legs. Furthermore, cold compressors and other kinds of cooling devices may be utilized to calm inflammation. When dealing with shin splints, the best course of action is prevention. Shin splints can be prevented by caring for the body before and after a workout. This includes stretching, warm ups, and good shoes. Also, one should correct the way they run before performing invasive workouts. Ideally, runners should hit the ground with the middle of the foot first, then the toes, and finally the heel. It’s an overlooked yet easy way to prevent shin splints. Most importantly, increasing workout intensity at a safe rate will avoid overexertion of muscles. How one increases intensity should be based on personal factors and is different for everyone. Being realistic with your body and allowing it to heal will not only prevent shin splints, but also promote an all around healthy lifestyle. In order for less known injuries to be taken more seriously, the notion that pain is a necessity for a successful workout needs to be demolished. Soreness should be the only pain that accompanies a workout. A common misconception about shin splints comes from the idea of pushing oneself. In a world where phrases like “no pain no game” are used to describe working out, many people try to power through the pain. This is common for athletes because being classified as injured prevents them from playing in matches. My coach originally put this idea in my mind, and as a result my shin splints became unbearable. I could no longer ignore the pain, and was forced by my club trainer to take a break. During that off time, I was allowed to rest and heal; my shins got better and I could play at my best once again. More awareness needs to be brought to the difference between an injury and muscle soreness. In addition, self care must be a priority, even if that means cutting a workout short.

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