Cabletow - Member of the Month June 2007
Fetch says: Hi Cabletow. You've finally scooped our Member of the Month title for June 2007. If there was a certificate for winning, you could hang it on the wall next to the one for being a doctor, such is the prestigiousness of the honour :-) It's been a long time coming, but you've helped so many runners with their injury problems and concerns, that it was inevitable you'd win at some point! Without further ado, lets get on to the questions submitted to you by hoardes of Fetchies, who frankly, would all be in a reclamation yard were it not for your wise words.
Maclennane asks: Before you sit back and bask in the glory, could you have a look at my foot?
Cabletow says: Yes of course, Anyone who wants is always welcome to come and see me.
HBNS asks: What part of the body interests you most? ;-)
Cabletow says: I have always been a leg man
LordWotsit asks: What is your current running goal?
Cabletow says: To enjoy it, I love running trials and lanes rather than races and tracks. My days of PBs are behind me but nothing gives me more pleasure than an early morning run through the trees.
KatieB asks: Do you ever tell a runner it's time to give up?
Cabletow says: Never, although Many feel like it is there is nearly always something we can do to keep the body working.
Hourglass asks: How do you stay looking so young?
Cabletow says: I was dipped in a magic potion when I was young, the effects have never worn off.
RatRace asks: Who's going to win the World Cup?
Cabletow says: Not the All Blacks. Australia are like Brazil, loads of individual talent that somehow get it together for most world cups. South Africa are like Germany – cold and clinical. The All Blacks are like Italy – a great team but a bit flaky on the big day. England are like --- well England, win it once and party on it for years. I have had a little flutter that the four that make the Semis will be Aus, NZ, the Boks, and Argentine. Fetch told me how I had to answer this one - "Wales".
Fetch says: Good diagnosis doc :-)
KatieB asks: Are runners his favourite patients? Or do they drive him mad because they hate to rest?
Cabletow says: I like Runners because I understand them.
LorraineS asks: What attracted you to chi running ?
Cabletow says: The title – A Revolutionary Approach to EFFORTLESS, INJURY FREE Running. These two words appeal to me.
KatieB asks: Which are the most important stretches for runners?
Cabletow says: I personally do not stretch before, I loosen by wiggling bits of me around but I always stretch Quads, Hamstrings (Upper and Lower) and calves after, but not for too long. There is a lot of debate about stretching and I see many calf pulls that actually could be blamed on the stretch rather than the run.
Blister asks: What are 3 the most common running related injuries you treat?
Cabletow says: Achilles tendinopathy, Shin Splints and ITB issues (runners knee) by a long way
Jock Itch asks: How do you cure Jock Itch ? :)
Cabletow says: Dynamite
LorraineS asks: What are your main running goals?
Cabletow says: As above to keep running
runnyeyes asks: Can you tell us about You? Aren't you from NZ?? Dish the dirt man!
Cabletow says: I am From NZ, I came over for a two week skiing holiday in 1987 whilst doing a paediatric rotation. I have a kiwi Ski instructor degree and I was offered a job by a French bloke who was starting up an English Ski School in the alps and the only foreign Ski instructors that could work in France in them days were Kiwis (thanks to the Rainbow warrior affair). I taught skiing for 5 seasons but got too old for the wine women and song so started doing GP in the UK. I did not serve notice to either Girlfriend or job, so I guess I am still on walkabout. Got jobbed, married and kidded here so I am here for good. I have run since I was about 7, I even ran the first London Mara in 1981 ~(3.42 my PB – Auckland - was 3.12) but whilst skiing discovered Cigarettes etc so I had a bit of a holiday (well 14 years) but ditched the weed and started again.
runnyeyes asks: How highly do you recommend running a marathon barefoot?
Cabletow says: Don’t do it
chris.52 asks: What does the text on your picture say?
Cabletow says: Man, are those Boobs for me!
NZC asks: Are we going to win the Rugby World Cup?
Cabletow says: No I don’t think so
oldbiddy asks: Does my bum look big in this thread?
Cabletow says: No never
D2 asks: How do you find time for doctoring and being so helpful when we get injured?
Cabletow says: It is all part of my job really; I often look at threads between patients.
santababy asks: Do you ever get fed up answering all our questions/woes? Do you see people not taking your advise and does it make you want to go and give them a smack? last but not least, Do you google the answer for top ten@ten? ;o)
Cabletow says: If people want advice I am always happy to give it, I sometimes feel I come into threads too soon and give unwanted advice. I will do what people want either by fmail, MSN, phone or publicly on Fetch. I do not want to upset anyone or tread on any toes. People must, however, realise I cannot take responsibility for errors as I have not examined them and whilst the history will give 80% of the diagnosis – it is not foolproof. I can only advise and it is up to people whether they take it or not. The only person I would like to smack is you though – Google indeed. The only time I ever cheated was when I was Fetching at Radio Suffolk once (Hello if you are the listener) and I asked the DJ if he knew – he did not so we looked in a book. I admitted my crime and did my time. Of course if you fancy your smack I will be happy to make the necessary arrangements.
santababy asks: Oh i have another Chi running, whats it all about , how hard is it to change your technique and has it made any difference?
Cabletow says: Chi running is an efficient way of running that makes use of gravity to propel you, allows you to relax your legs and this means they get hurt less often. It is easier to learn than POSE and yes by running Chi my patellar tendinopathy is healing and I am still running. All I can say is that patellar tendinopathy is the most common reason why runners give up so I am sold.
Kayano Girl asks: Do you wish you had an alter ego to come on fetch so you can not have all these questions fired at you all the time, or do you have one?
Cabletow says: Not at all Fetch has done more for my running than you would believe. I love it. My wife, however, but that is another story.
Greg asks: Are you really a doctor or just really good at Googling?
Cabletow says: I have a certificate and everything.
Stumpy2 asks: Are your surgery staff starting to get slightly suspicious of strange people turning up out of normal surgery hours to see you?
Cabletow says: My staff are always suspicious of me, But, hey, I am the boss – so there.
Em71 asks: Do you take your own professional advice as a runner?
Cabletow says: Nope. I am a) a doctor and b) a runner – a fatal combination to take sensible advice. Do as I say not as I do.
GordonG asks: Not that i'm doubting you of course, but just what kind of doctor are you?!?
Cabletow says: GP, I have a diploma in sports medicine and my thesis was Shin splints and its development form overpronation. It was a pile of rubbish but earned me the marks necessary, and it gave me an excuse to spend hours in a gym videotaping young girls legs.
Stumpy2 asks: How much of your day or week is taken up with responding to injury questions on here? we only see what people have posted or asked in threads, but do you have to put a lot more time to fmails/emails etc as well? And how's the knee doing?
Cabletow says: Not much really, I see a few runners, Our local sports clinic has closed down as a result of NHS “improvements” but only one from Fetch. I guess most questions come in via Fmail but I am happy either way.
dustboy asks: Do you go on holiday incognito so the holiday reps won't keep sending everyone with a mozzie bite to pester you senseless ‘cos they are too scared to go to a local witch doctor?
Cabletow says: I have a young family I don’t go on holiday. Actually this year we are going to Dorset assuming it has not floated away for the middle two weeks of August.
Kitty asks: Do you have any tips for staying sane whilst injured?
Cabletow says: Yes, Learn about running technique, spend your time on Fetch, keep talking to runners and staying interested in it – the worst thing is to lose the enthusiasm.
Gobi asks: Are you still Chi running? If yes, does it really feel any different? Is it just Pose by another name?
Cabletow says: I am Chi running although my form is being adapted to suit myself, and probably sits somewhere between Stride mechanics and Chi running. I have an interest in teaching people to improve their running in terms of injury prevention but with as little effort as possible. To do this I try and make people think about something simple that has the biggest effect on their form. People who know me , know I often start by getting people to think about their arms. When I was skiing this was the best way to get people to make the necessary weighting changes and it takes the focus off the legs allowing them to alter. I have been on POSE and Chi courses and there is less difference between them than either camp prefers to admit. They do feel different. If people want to learn one or the other then the best way to recommend is on the basis of their personality. From your Photos you have a very efficient form of running that is as injury proofed as you can get, which is why you enjoy the success you do and can tolerate the mileages you do.
BooBoo LaBon asks: How do you fit in 'real patients' with us lot on here? :-)
Cabletow says: You are all very thin so squeeze in nicely. Keep up the Chi focuses BBLB your hip will thank you.
A65 asks: If you could give runners one piece of advice that would reduce the threat of injury, what would it be?
Cabletow says: One piece of advice, can I have three – 1) Increase their cadence (this means shortening their stride and lifting the rear foot off as early as they can) to spend as little time touching the hard nasty road. 2) Bend their front knee so they land with the foot travelling with less forward momentum as they strike the ground and to land under rather than in front of their centre of gravity, 3) Lean forward let gravity do some of the work for you.
Chrisity asks: If i send you some pictures of my anatomy can you tell me what you think of it?
Cabletow says: Any time
Buzzard's sis asks: Are you a sports med specialist or have you just learned all this by being a running doc? If not a sports med specialist, what is your medical speciality? How do you fit a busy working life, a family, running and being so bliddy brill to Fetchies all in one life???
Cabletow says: I am A GP, I have a diploma in sports medicine which was obtained by doing a thesis on runners. I am a running Doc that has taught me more.
Fat Dave asks: Nice one, CT, and - of course - very well deserved. 1) Do you ever wish your fellow Fetchies would stop bothering you with our injury problems for five minutes and just talk about, you know, running and stuff? 2) Can supinating contribute to ITBS?
Cabletow says: No at all, I love it and it keeps me enthused about running runners and helps me. Can supinating inflame your I~T~B – yes it can but rarely.
KR2 asks: Have you ever or do you smoke? And do you think the smoking ban will make a difference to the health of the nation and if so when will the effects become evident:)
Cabletow says: I am an ex expert smoker, maxxing at 60 a day, Camels by choice. I do think it will make a difference, in about 20 years though.
Red Tomato asks: When your knee gets better are we likely to see you at local races or fetchie relays?
Cabletow says: Possibly. I am, not good in races, I have the traditional kiwi killer instinct: - “no after you. Please”
DaveH asks: Doctors (usually GPs) get stick from runners for mis-diagnosing their injuries or not treating them seriously and you, quite rightly, defend your colleagues as the majority are correct the majority of the time. How is it that some, like yourself, have acquired the knowledge/understanding of the injuries common to so many sportsmen and women (not just runners), and yet others seem to treat them as an irrelevance? Is this likely to change with an ageing population whose limbs, joints, muscles and appendages are more likely to "malfunction" over their longer lifespan? Oh, and do you often get ID'd when trying to by booze or fags?
Cabletow says: I think the sad thing about many GPs is that they feel they should always express an opinion, even if they do not understand and take the safe option. If it hurts to do something then the safe option is to advise they stop doing it. I doubt this will ever change especially as the NHS becomes more contracted. We all know exercise is a good thing, what many do not understand is that poor form can make running hurt – it need not be so but it does. I think the advice many GPs should give is to stop running …., badly then it will stop hurting. During some of my many attempts to give up fags, I had patients actually come to me with boxes of cigarettes to give me to stop me being so Grumpy – I never really hid the fact I smoked and I still drink openly. Nowadays, though your GP smoking is almost seen as worse than your vicar sleeping with small boys.
2 Flat Feet asks: How did you feel when Emirate Team NZ lost the America's Cup?
Cabletow says: Gutted, but at least New Zealand “A” team won. I once raced against Brad Butterworth, Russell Coutts and Chris Dickson in the Tanner Cup for P Class yachts in 1977. They all beat me.
chris.52 asks: When you read people's blogs about their latest injuries, do you ever want to give unasked-for advice?
Cabletow says: Yes, a bad habit of mine, I am sorry
Zeb asks: If you could do any run with any runner (dead or alive) where would it be, and who would you run with? If you were invisible for 24 hours what would you do? Tea or coffee?
Cabletow says: Arthur Lidyard, in NZ. The greatest runner ever and the inventor of the principles of Heart rate training. His maxim – Run at the speed of chat to keep aerobic.
Homer asks: Why is it always the left knee and never the right? And can you be tempted to enter another race?
Cabletow says: Left is more often than not the non dominant knee so it is the weaker. As you have to run with an equal stride or you will run in circles, it works just that relatively bit harder. I can be tempted But I do not live for it.
Widger asks: If you had to 'do the 2 backed beast' with one of the spice girls or die, which would you choose?
Cabletow says: Spice Girl any time – I love them all although Scary has not aged as well as the others. “ backed beast – no worries mate, I am always game for anything
Ness asks: What one piece of training advice would you give to a slow runner who wants to increase his/her mileage without picking up an injury? q: Which is your favourite race? Why? Sorry, just trying to correct the english in that last post :)
Cabletow says: Run efficiently; run at the speed of chat (keep aerobic so you can still talk). Many also advise the 10% rule but if you obey the speed of chat and are running efficiently you can break that rule safely.
Snapstinget asks: Do you see a lot of running injuries? Do you see a correlation between susceptibility to injuries and a) weight, b) age?
Cabletow says: I do not see as many as I would like, I love treating runners they all really want to get better, makes a change from the usual. Fat old people get hurt more often than thin younger – its not rocket science to figure out why. So more time and effort is needed to coax them out there.
Hoaxster asks: How can one avoid looking like a pillock whilst running backwards?
Cabletow says: Run backwards in the POSE style – looks so much more elegant than when going forwards.
santababy asks: You seem to have too much time on your hands, are you just pretending to be doctor? :)
Cabletow says: I am a GP so I do bu99er all and get paid millions – Don’t you read the daily mail?
Footpad asks: Will running make me a happier person or should I just go down the pub and get totally bladdered this Friday?
Cabletow says: Running will make you far happier in the long run, but if you are buying I will meet you down the Pub.
santababy asks: How can you convince me to try chi running and what will it do for me?
Cabletow says: Do you want to get faster? do you want to keep running without the pain? Do you want to be able to train more? Do you want to enjoy it more? – If the answer is yes to any of the above then try it. But Seriously Santa, you train very well you run high mileages and although I have never seen you run I suspect you run fairly efficiently already and you could probably achieve the above without going the whole hog, a few adjustments and you are probably there. Of course if you want to buy into the whole Chi thing and become a padowan to learn the true jedi arts – you know what to do.
Kayano Girl asks: If you had to start all over again, would you still be a doctor?
Cabletow says: Not a GP. The money is not worth the grief.
NessaM asks: Do you advise patients (those not on Fetch) to run?
Cabletow says: Yes a lot.
Fetch says: And that's your lot. There's a queue a mile long in his waiting room, so we'd better let the man get on with converting them all into runners! Thanks to all who submitted a question, and big thanks again to CT for his mammoth time and effort, not just in this interview, but in the countless Fetchies he's provided medical advice to. Oh, and there was something about lapdancers, but that's for another time.