I thought I had a grip on the whole thing, but I was mistaken. There is an image that describes how I felt during the first year of going to acupuncture. Though the concepts all made more sense than most anything else and I was feeling much better, I had trouble with it adapting into the world around me. The image I had was me floating in the middle of a room with the rug that someone had just ripped from under my feet. All around me are the different elements of my life I have known for years and this new life with all just out of my reach.
In the middle of all of this I began to meditate and contemplate and look at all kinds of things around me with different eyes. I tried to accept and push away at the same time the healthier habits laid out by the guy I went to for acupuncture. I caught myself defending my choice of acupuncture and if it was real or not. Yet feeling uncertain with the decision since it was so different from what I had known.
That was a lot to juggle and it all became exhausting especially working in an allopathic doctors office. Holy cow was that crazy. I did not understand which way was up for months, on top of the whole coming off of an anti-anxiety medicine that clearly messed up my thinking.
I cried a lot and worked through a lot and ate a lot. That is what I knew. Stressed, worried, happy, etc., equals eat. I had developed unhealthy coping mechanisms after my friend died, relationship ended and started over with a new life and still ad the battle scars to deal with. Not only, am I having, to learn this new way of living, but I now have to figure out what to do with my past, because I apparently had not dealt with it the first time. It must have been shoveled under with ice cream. This all hardly seemed fair.
The weight I had lost began to come back on as the balance of finding understanding of what was helping me feel alive again and what I had always done. Including finding my balance, as I was off balance from the medication with draw and my energy was seemingly at zero.
We went to a family holiday gathering, having neither of us eaten cheese or dairy in any quantity for months. I had no clue how much dairy and cheese was cooked into food, until I stood with an empty plate trying to decide what I could eat other than a slice of ham. I felt like a fish out of water, holidays were supposed to be filling your plates and belly with gooey rich food. That was not how I had been eating, but they did not know that. I thought I would be ok to go back to how it was. It was an hour drive home. I did not think we would make it. Our stomachs hurt bad and we felt a lot queasy.
This now enters another lesson I would begin to struggle with. The food I use to love and enjoy not makes me feel like poo! I not only felt bad immediately after eating, but the next day I had very little energy. I felt sluggish and still a little queasy. Resulting in my over analyzing almost any place we eat and what I can eat at which places. I became OCD, but still not eating as healthy as I could. Many might have even said not at all still. There were so many adjustments to make in my personal life in what I do, act and feel. I was feeling overwhelmed.
All I knew was that things were ready for a change I was changing other things needed to change. So I went back to school to work on my masters. Oh boy was I in for a surprise!
Next “A Story About Me” to appear August 11, 2010.
I know I have mentioned this before, but want to mention it again.
With so many organizations out there, I have been asked by many people why I picked the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF-www.livestrong.org or www.livestrongchallenge.org), because of the services they offer and their visibility and well, read on. This is why:
The Manifesto of the Lance Armstrong Foundation
We believe in life.
Your life.
We believe in living every minute of it with every ounce of your being.
And that you must not let cancer take control of it.
We believe in energy: channeled and fierce.
We believe in focus: getting smart and living strong.
Unity is strength. Knowledge is power. Attitude is everything.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
We kick in the moment you’re diagnosed.
We help you accept the tears. Acknowledge the rage.
We believe in your right to live without pain.
We believe in information. Not pity.
And in straight, open talk about cancer.
With husbands, wives and partners. With kids, friends and neighbors. And the people you live with, work with, cry and laugh with.
This is no time to pull punches.
You’re in the fight of your life.
We’re about the hard stuff.
Like finding the nerve to ask for a second opinion.
And a third, or a fourth, if that’s what it takes.
We’re about getting smart about clinical trials.
And if it comes to it, being in control of how your life ends.
It’s your life. You will have it your way.
We’re about the practical stuff.
Planning for surviving. Banking your sperm. Preserving your fertility. Organizing your finances. Dealing with hospitals, specialists, insurance companies and employers.
It’s knowing your rights.
It’s your life.
Take no prisoners.
We’re about the fight.
We’re your champion on Capitol Hill. Your advocate with the healthcare system. Your sponsor in the research labs.
And we know the fight never ends.
Cancer may leave your body, but it never leaves your life.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Founded and inspired by one of the toughest cancer survivors on the planet.
The 2010 LIVESTRONG Challenge is less than a month away. It has been almost a year since the monumental day that I was able to ride 45 miles and raise over $1000 to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation. It was unforgettable and I felt honored to be a participant. If you wish take a moment and read my summary of last years challenge, http://morethanaride.blogspot.com/2009/08/livestrong-challenge-2009-summary.html .
I was # 569 and to this day I still carry the number from my helmet with me. I participated “In Honor” of the three survivors in my family, Lorax, Dad and Jime (Pronounced Hi-me). This year I have chosen to again ride “In Honor” of, but a few things will be a little different.
2009 HONOR BIB
This year I am participating in a LIVESTRONG Challenge and encourage you too as well, go look at their sight and become a part of Team Livestrong, (http://www.livestrong.org/Take-Action/Team-LIVESTRONG-Events ). You will not regret the decision to accept the challenge. It changed my life as I crossed the finish line. It was a finish line I crossed to end that race, but our race against cancer does not end until we live in a world without cancer.
The Philadelphia LIVESTRONG Challenge is August 21 – 22, 2010, with a weekend of events ranging from a 5K to a 100 mile bicycle ride. (http://www.livestrong.org/Take-Action/Team-LIVESTRONG-Events/LIVESTRONG-Challenge-Series/LIVESTRONG-Challenge-Philly) There is even an option to participate as a virtual participant, which is what I am doing this year. I could not afford to travel to Philadelphia, PA, two years in a row. I do plan on returning next year to ride in the Livestrong Challenge, but this year I am staying local.
On August 21, 2010, I will go out and ride 60 miles as my LIVESTRONG Challenge, with a group of friends. If you are up to join in on the fun, let me know it is a beautiful ride with a good bit of challenge (more on the ride itself later). I am still raising money and I appreciate you checking out my fund raising page and donating a dollar or two http://philly2010.livestrong.org/rhondachattin2 If you wish, I am even selling the LIVESTRONG Wristbands for a $1 (the going price), that money goes to the Lance Armstrong Foundation as well. Please forward the fundraising page along so that we can work toward an end of cancer.
Again this year I will ride “In Honor” of the survivors of cancer in my family and would like to give you an opportunity to add a survivor(s) you would like for me to ride “In Honor” of. I will ride one mile “In Honor” of a person. 60 miles equals 60 names. I only have so much real estate on my body to wear signs and want each important name to be readable. Please do not hesitate, as there is already 20 slots taken. I also include furkids too, their lives are just as important.
The day I ride I will also list all 60 names on the blog so that you can keep them all in your thoughts as some may still be living with cancer, while others are years in remission. As I have said before, this disease has no limits and I thank you for helping the Lance Armstrong Foundation to work toward establishing limits in their cancer research and outreach by donating today.
It has been a busy week with a sick furkid and sick parents, making sensible writing and editing nearly impossible. I am giving you one week to catch up and will continue next Wednesday with the A Story About Me. I do hope that you have learned something about yourself and possibly ways to help others while reading.
We all have different stories, yet we all have the same story. We all have struggles and we all have celebrations, it is how we choose to react to each that we become who we are.
http://morethanaride.com/?cat=24 Please forward as you wish, it is a chance to catch up. Even though we are not that far along.
Again, each month I try to invite you to find another blog that can be inspirational and a source of wonderful information.
Once you read this post titled, “62.7 miles! Opportunity In Adversity” you will see why Lori offers a great source. Have a peak at “Dare to Become”, if you dare. http://daretobecome.com/2010/07/62-7-miles-opportunity-in-adversity/
What a difference a triathlon makes? When preparing for my first triathlon, I was told over and over, “enjoy every minute of it and see it as a learning experience. It is frequently not what you think it will be”. I had read a lot of books, read a lot of personal accounts and watched a lot of videos on transitions and watched a lot of triathlons over the years. I thought I had it all figured out. Well I did know enough to finish. Remember this, there is always something to learn (next one is what I learned from this triathlon)
A friend, whom did their first triathlon with me, did their second one a month later. He commented that it was much easier despite there being more hills. I did not exactly get that until this past Saturday when I was in the middle of the bicycle leg of my second triathlon. The second one is easier. You are not expending the extra energy worrying if you are ready, do you have the right gear, are you going to go the distance, are you going to finish in time, etc… with your first triathlon. Once you cross the finish line and you know what to expect, you learn where you need to improve and where changes need to be made.
After the first triathlon in May, I signed up for this one to complete with all of our friends. Lisa stayed in town, not feeling up for a trip out of town, life had been too busy recently. It will be the first triathlon for Elizabeth and Tammy, who I repeatedly said “just have fun”. I do not know if they did. I did, I had a ball on the second one. It is an amazing feeling to get out there. Though I have to admit, I almost did not start.
So there I am in the transition area and setting up. We go to the body marking, of course after a porta-potty stop. I really do hate those things. I realized then, that the transition from the swim was huge and the transition area was huge. This triathlon I was soon realizing was much bigger than my first. It was at this point I started to wonder if I had what it took to finish in the allotted time, since this triathlon had a longer bike part and I finished in 2:14 on the last triathlon. This meant I had to not miss a beat to make the 2:30 cut off.
I had tears in my eyes as I went to the end of the swim part in the lake and the lake bed was full of rocks and shells, which made it hard to walk on. I have not built up tough bottoms of my feet yet. With the long transition I was going to have to run to get to my station and get out. I do not run well, much less run barefoot on wet trampled grass. I had a lump in my throat and tears on the edge of my eyes. I really debated whether or not to start. I decided to wait and go to the start to wait and make my choice then.
I could not hear much of anything that the announcers were saying as we waited. I waited heard horns and cowbells and clapping, watching each wave splash out on the lake. Thank goodness there was a guy that was “in the know” and said we were the last wave and we were going to be there for about 45 minutes. He was correct, 45 minutes on the dot.
As we stood there I thought how odd we are all sitting here most not in swim suits but athletic clothes, most barefoot standing in the grass waiting (lesson #1 buy cheep flops to leave at the start and go back for) for the swim to start.
I had decided to at least start.
As our wave walked into the water I said in my best valley girl voice, “OMG this is so grodey” as we stepped into ankle deep muck. The next thing out of my mouth was, “OMG Becky!” with a gal finishing “would you look at her butt”(For your reading enjoyment –explicit lyrics do not play around young children… ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY84MRnxVzo ), the shore was all laughing and it cut the tension for a few of us wearing green swim caps.
And we are off!
I started slow and wanted to stay with Tammy, this being her triathlon and having just learned to do more than the doggie paddle in January, I wanted to make sure she was ok. Then a canoe came over and asked if I was ok as I kept flipping over to check on her. I told them about her swimming. They said, “you swim your race, we will watch her”, their comment and expressions said they were impressed with her courage. I learned afterward they did watch her and kept her on track and stayed with her. She was pleased she was not the last out of the water either. I am very proud of her.
Back to the swim…
I swam on and Elizabeth shouts “Rhonda I have a cramp”, I said “flip over and float and swim on your back to stretch out your stomach, you’ve started to fast”. It happens when we breathe too fast, from the excitement and the rush of the start. With all of the sudden movement it makes it easy to get cramps especially after standing for so long. My abdominal muscles felt crazy for weeks after my first triathlon, but then again I was doing some sort of water acrobatics.
It was the strangest body of water I have ever swam in, it was quite odd to swim under power lines and I had no problem with the super cold water as the water temperature in this lake and the look of the lake was that of room temperature coffee. Someone said the water temperature the night before was 93 degrees, but it was 84 that morning. It was odd and visibility was less than that in Smith Mountain Lake as I swam up and smacked some guy on the butt, because I could not see him. Excuse me I said.
I wobbled out of the water, only had taken a couple of sips this time of the lake I start the journey to the transition area. Remembering to keep moving swiftly and focus on the transition to help with my time. I get there and see Elizabeth running up beside the transition area as I begin changing. I was waiting until I saw Tammy running up the hill from the lake before departing on the bike. I saw her as I was running to the bike start, Elizabeth was well on her way and she had an amazing fast bike transition. Come to find out she had one of the top 20% transition times. This is something I need to work on.
I hopped on and as riders were coming in I looked at the volunteer and said, “so I just go up here and do a U-turn and hop off?”, she laughed and cheered me to the left. I started off in a lower gear and cracked the pedals to get the blood going in my legs that still felt like they were in water. Just up ahead I see Elizabeth as I turn on the main road. When I catch up to her she is in a panic because her odometer is not working. She and Casey had accidentally switched front wheels, they find out later. I told her how far we had gone at that point. She said, “I was afraid of that”. So we ride for about a mile close to each other, the last thing she said to me as I was riding away is, “I’m telling Casey 2% grade my ass!” I had no comeback for that.
I kept going. It felt great, nice ride pretty and scenic, with only one part on a major high way. We were sectioned off, but there were still vehicles on the road. It was a nice bike leg. I reached the halfway point and started to stretch my back a little to keep myself loose, since I had been tucked down in the drops most of the route. I tried to keep the pedals moving constant as I could without a cadence meter.
As usual when I pass I always feel I need to encourage or congratulate people. I do not know if this helps or hurts. I guess it depends on the person. I appreciate it.
I start taking off my gloves and roll into the transition area, peek at my watch and see that I am doing well on time. Rack my bike and change shoes, I peak around to my right and see Tammy and a long faced Elizabeth entering the transition area as I cross under to start the run. I was thinking how well I knew that feeling, of already exhausted and looking at a 5K still left to complete.
Much to my surprise a short bit into the run, it is a trail run. I really do believe and looked back to read once back to the hotel, that it was described as paved country roads. Well I have to say, paved country roads these days must be down graded to gravel and grass. I fussed a good bit, this poor gal Wendy stuck in ear shot of me listened to me voice my disgust of a trail run.
My knees hurt for a week after the last trail run. So I ran the parts where the road looked level and was careful on the up and down hill sections, I walked when I felt I needed too. I dumped water on my head at two water stations and grateful for my running bottle. The gal in front of me dumped her water on her head, some how I missed the guy tossing water in her face as I jokingly said “I am gonna copy her”, he threw a cup in my face and handed me the other. Gave me a chuckle, I have to remember what I ask for in the future.
One lady, well lots of people passed me, but this one lady ran past me and congratulated me and I returned the compliment. She said you are a great cyclist, you made me feel like I was standing still. That helped me feel better about the effort I was putting out, because the run continues to be my most difficult triathlon section. It helped me get over myself and the trail run I was on. We all have our things and cycling is mine, I am working on running being my thing too.
Snacking on Honey Stingers (blueberry-pomegranate if you wanna know) along the way, handing them off to a red faced Tammy when I saw them shortly after the U-turn. I congratulated them on doing so well and about to complete their first triathlon as Tammy and Elizabeth were hanging together on the run.
Home-stretch!
Oh yea, I turned around and saw the 2 mile mark after the U-turn. The gal on the opposite side said you made it look climatic. I said “it is, right there is the 2 mile mark”. She perked up too. Man I was feeling better that I was 1.1 miles from finishing my second triathlon and by the looks of the time on my watch, I was going to make it by the 2 hour and 30 minute cut-off.
Off the trails I picked up my speed and as I turned into the shoot off the pavement onto the grass I hear the announcer talking and then he says, “Now we have #747 (Yes I had the number of an airplane and loved all the plane comments along the way.), Rhonda Chattin traveling from Roanoke, VA crossing the finish line…”. He was still talking, but the song playing as I crossed filled my ears, it went like this, “right here right now, there is no other place I would like to be…”, (enjoy! – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z6dxQVhE8o ) that seems about right.
I stopped to let them snip the chip off my left ankle and turned around to see if I was seeing Tammy and Elizabeth. They were just entering into sight. I began to cheer, as they both ran down the shoot. I grabbed Tammy and congratulated her after she crossed the finish line. It was funny she was flying past me and past the gal cutting off the chips. She was on B-line for a soda! Haha! She was quite upset I was stopping her, I had to explain they needed her chip. Then I went and hugged Elizabeth and congratulated her.
It was great to see two friends cross together and help each other through the triathlon to throw aside competitive natures to share in the experience. I know they are both insanely competitive. The four of us have shared a lot of races together Casey and I shared our first triathlon together. It is pretty darn neat to have friends to share such athletic accomplishments.
We ate and then packed up. It seemed longer to return to the car than it did going to before the triathlon. Loaded up the four of us went to grab something to eat, we were still hungry after all the food we ate at the triathlon. As we walked into the sub shop the song I hear that I always say is my friend who is now an angel watching over me was playing on the radio. “I’m coming out, I want the world to know…”. I had just thought at the beginning of the triathlon I had not heard it, never mind the fact we had been listening to public radio.
Second triathlon complete! 2:25:55, is the official finishing time and I improved in all areas from my first triathlon.
I learned a few things:
Friends make sharing the experience wonderful
Take old flip-flops or other shoes to wait at the start of larger races
Have shoes to change into, because your hot feet want to be in something else
Be prepared for anything
Have a back-up outfit (long story)
Make sure all your parts on your bike go to your bike
There I was, my best friend died in one shot to the heart and the person I had been dating and living together for three and a half years decides I am not someone whom they feel not worthy of a commitment. In addition to wrapping up a semester and shipping of for a month internship in NYC. Holy Cow! That was some kind of crazy time!
I went to my medical doctor and told him all the things going on, how I sat in a recliner and my heart was beating so hard it rocked a little. I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest, I was not sleeping and I had to pack up my life, find some place to live for a week and I will save you the rest of the list.
Between Thanksgiving and New Years Eve, I did all I could do not to have any feeling any where inside my body. I took my new anti-depressant/anxiety medication and began the act of self medicating. I hurt a lot. I took anti-inflammatory and whatever else over the counter pain medication I could take. I became was a regular at the ABC store, but went to different ones so as not to be “a regular” at any one store. I learned to avoid people during this time I did not want to get close.
I also became the “queen of the two minute conversation”. I could work a room in no time flat. I did, but did not understand why that was a bad thing. Years later I realized that was a bad thing. You see, I did not want to get close enough to anyone, but wanted everyone close at the same time. A good friend said I was good at “come here, go away”.
Here is one reason why, though I recognize not the only reason this became so appealing. At the first of September I lost someone that I had let get close to me, he died suddenly. To this day I wish I would have listened to myself and given him a hug before he walked down the driveway. I figured I would get a hug later when we went to the movies. He gave the best hugs ever! So in light of not getting that hug, I did not want anyone to hug me, though it was not a conscious decision. I moved quick avoiding putting down roots. Then the “break-up” and “move-out” happened and I had to start my life over. And what seemed as with no warning.
That alligator hide was starting to look good. I packed up my stuff and left my dogs (I came back for them later, though not all). For one week I really did not have anywhere to go. That Christmas Eve, I slept on a school friend’s apartment floor by myself, but only had that night. It was a long week in the car and bum’n showers or sofas. It did not make sense to me to get a place, I was leaving January 2. I had an internship at GLSEN for all of January 2000. No extra money kept me from going anywhere else. Really I did not have much intention on returning to Roanoke, VA, I thought for sure I would start a new life in Manhattan, if my life continued at all. I did not see much point in it, but wanted to go to NYC. I am glad I did.
During the weeks before my departure I began to push everyone away. I had a deep source of anger inside of me, partly from being an out stereotypical homosexual in a conservative town. I was angry and showed it. I was most angry with myself for a whole list of things, ranging from personal to political. I was a big ball of anger, practically daring anyone to talk with me, but so badly wanting someone to talk to me. I was my own crazy kind of yo-yo.
One person kept me at arms length, but still nudged me just enough. At the same time I would not let her get any closer and she pushed me out of my box when I was least expecting it. It was done in a way to encourage at the same time to begin to knock down a wall.
A wall I had worked hard to build many years ago in high school. She cracked it when she asked me to participate in the Thanksgiving Service at our church, to read aloud from the Bible. One of my deepest fears at that time was reading out loud. Me and the Bible thing go way back, but that is a different story. Though so sad, how those things stay with you.
That Thanksgiving evening was rainy, I had already had my cocktail so as not to feel anything. (random note of music reference, I listened to a lot of Pink Floyd during these weeks – enjoy the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wtiNzci1Wc) Then here is this woman asking me to read and forcing me to feel. I was so excited that someone showed me some attention I could not say no. Goodness only knows if I even read the right thing or not, but I did it and it was just enough to crack the foundation.
I was luck that New Years Eve I was able to stay with Mom and my sister, but was invited to the home of the preacher and her partner of our local Metropolitan Community Church (MCCBR). It was a peaceful meditative service, mostly reflective with some sharing. WHAT? Who is this woman with this sharing stuff? I cannot even remember what I said nor could I have told you that night, for my heartbeat in my ears drowning out my words. It felt good having those few people there in a circle, I was hugged, that felt good. We had snacks after mid-night then I drove slowly home. I was listening to jazz from the celebration in New Orleans on public radio, wondering where my life was going to go in the months to come.
Christmas Eve all of my furniture and random personal belongings not immediately needed clothes were packed carefully in a storage unit. Then, New Year’s Day was spent washing and packing clothes for the month I was about to spend in New York City. I say it is where I grew up, because that month was a type Vision Quest for me. The foundation of my strongly built wall had been greatly compromised, years of work was about to begin to crumble.
It is always interesting when we think one thing and another thing occurs. In my case I thought when I crossed the finish line on May 1, 2010, that was going to be my one and only triathlon in 2010. Although I had wanted to sign up for another triathlon immediately, assuming that very little would change during 2010, initially I did not.
Then I talked with a friend, who use to compete and was favored to be an NCAA downhill champion until a junked up ankle on a practice run the night before “the big event”. You know the one. The one that is will change your future. Well his did, but not the direction he thought. So he said to me, you do not just have one big race a year, you have several. Sign up for a bunch of races, the feeling of races are different from training. They push you and help you to know your limits and where you need to improve more than training.
I listened and acted. I signed up for a few other 5K races, I already signed up for a bicycle ride in May. Now looking, just over a two months after my first triathlon, I was wrong. I did have changes to occur. I was able to gain more experience, not only from the triathlon itself, but from the other races.
I gained a little time on my running speed, one of my biggest weaknesses with my still large body. I also allowed my elbow to heal from the snow shoveling tendonitis. What is up with that? Tennis elbow from shoveling snow, that is crazy talk, but it happened. Going into my second triathlon I feel stronger than before, maybe because I kind of know what to expect. It is a completely different experience than any other race I have participated in. I am sure like most any other race, each has their own feel, but the experience of triathlon is unique.
There is one thing that has me nervous and that is the two hour and a half cut off. The bike leg is longer than the one in May and I was pretty darned close to the cut off then. I am hopeful that I will not panic in the swim part, since the problem with the frost bite pain threw me off in the swim and then could not really feel my feet right for the rest of the race. I had to sit down to put on my bicycle shoes, because I could not balance on a numb foot. I am thinking this will be different, but still a place of unseen anxiety.
This morning, as usual I sat down to clean up the bike. After all it is an extension of my body and it is going to propel me during one of the legs of the race. By cleaning the bike I am able to look closely to make sure that everything is in working order. It allows me to look closely at the tires and all the individual parts. It also allows me to get “connected” to the tools I will use in the race, (http://morethanaride.com/?p=338).
“Pip” (my bike) is all cleaned up as well as “Kim” (Tammy’s bike www.rareathlete.com – this is her first triathlon). I have also polished up my helmet and shoes are ready and making sure everything is in proper working order. Something I recommend doing, it helps you to understand more closely what you are working with and appreciate more intricately the tools of the trade of triathlon.
Now to check off the list… http://morethanaride.com/?p=350
Here are a few things I’ve learned with my time on a saddle. Hopefully it will help you on your rides.
1. A car door with an occupant not noticing you on a bike can be a dangerous obstacle.
2. Long distances might call for skin protection in the saddle area. Even with padded shorts, friction occurs. Body butt’r or bag balm come recommended. Noxema was mentioned, but I’m not sold on that yet. There is a new one called Ho-Ha Ride Glide, if nothing else the name is fun.
3. If you’re on road bike, watch out for railroad tracks or road grates with wide slits. Your tires are narrow and can get stuck and hitting the tracks just right can pop a tire or knock you off your bike. We have seen a many downed cyclists from both.
4. Friends. Find a group to ride with. They help keep you accountable when you’re not feeling the ride. They can also encourage you along the way in all sorts of ways or you encourage them. It is also good to ride with different people some may push you more than others.
5. Talk to your physician if your having any unusual problems. Such as continued fatigue, slow recovery or any other things that can cause you long term damage.
There is something out on the market, it is called KT Tape. It has been a part of the Olympics and the Tour de France for a few years. Recently we bought a couple of rolls thinking it will help with a few little pings and cricks we have. It has helped me improve my stride and aid in my achy knee recovery.
It was truly amazing what a difference it made. It is a super stretchy tape. KT Tape is the material of the sporty cloth band aids. It goes across, or around joints and muscles to help with the motion and stability during activity. Because it is aiding in the motion it helps us not to use the wrong muscles and to keep joints in the correct direction.
Be sure to check it out www.kttape.com it is available online or at a few retail stores. Be sure to contact your doctor or practitioner about what you may have wrong, please do not self diagnose, you could hurt yourself more.
