Scenar in Super Marathons

The following extracts are from a detailed account by S. Moisseev of Scenar's use in one of the most extreme sports, super marathons. This report was first published in the digest "Scenar Therapy and Scenar Examination", 3rd edition, Taganrog, Russia, 1997.

" One group of SCENAR specialists has accumulated considerable experience in medical provision, in particular, for competitions at different super-marathon distances.

Because of the high dynamic pressure and long duration of these competitions, athletes have to repeatedly resort to massage therapists, use different ointments and extend their relaxation time in relation to increased pressure. All this inevitably leads to a reduction of performance. High numbers of participants usually create problems such as a shortage of massage therapists and a lack of available help for everybody.

In Odessa, Ukraine in April 1996, a regular race over 100km took place with 56 athletes from Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Belarus, Germany and Canada participating. Their ages ranged from 17 to 75 years.

The main complaints after two hours of running up until the end of the competition were spasms and “blocking” of the leg muscles, “exhaustion” of the ankles, lumbar and sacral parts of the back. Athletes were able to interrupt their run to get this versatile help, but the stop-watch did not stop! SCENAR specialists were working mostly “on the complaint” and each successive appeal for help was considered as a new complaint. To relax back muscles and remove exhaustion the “three pathways” (spine, and left and right vagal route) were treated – with stress on the lumbar region. Attention to tendons was shown to be effective. Work on the lower extremities was finished off by focusing on two acupuncture points of the foot. The average procedure time was 5–15 minutes, sometimes as little as 2–3 minutes...

Athletes quickly noticed both a restoration of the working capacity of their muscles and relief from tiredness, allowing them to increase their running tempo. With each new circuit more and more athletes asked for the help of the SCENAR specialists... The effectiveness and speed of providing help spoke for itself and the fame of this wonderful device grew like a snowball. On the day after the event, SCENAR therapy was given to a group of athletes to relieve tiredness. After the treatment everybody got up together and went sightseeing – something that had never happened before!

The Ukrainian Federation of Light Athletes, impressed with the results of the competition and the effectiveness of the new treatment, soon invited the SCENAR specialists to provide help for the Ukranian super-marathon national team at a competition in Switzerland. SCENAR specialist Oleg Lutov was sent to join the team. He started to work during the journey, giving treatment to team members and their companions for renal colic, angina pectoris, upset stomach, toothache and headache... A lot of work was done during that competition... (and) the Ukranian national team took first place.

European athletes exposed to SCENAR

After further accumulation of experience, a group of SCENAR specialists decided to support our athletes in the 13th super-marathon. On the 5th October 1996 in Odessa at the Spartak Stadium, the 1000 mile run was started. On the 14th the participants were joined by “6 day” runners and on the 19th the European Cup “round the clock” run started. The competition was attended by the best athletes, record holders and prize-winners of different super-marathon distances from Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, England and Germany.

The work was alleviated by the fact that the event took place entirely in the Stadium. Athletes could watch the work of the SCENAR specialists and make a decision as to when to have a treatment. Generally each participant received 3-5 procedures per day. They showed good results and commendable responses were received from all those who undertook treatment.

The 1000 mile run exhibited some interesting and intriguing elements. For the first two days George Ermolaev was leading the field – an experienced athlete holding the second fastest world result over this distance, as well as world records over 1300 miles and 2700 miles. In the early stages George set the pace for the competition, attempting to beat the existing world record. He refused to use SCENAR support but later regretted it when he had to leave the race prematurely (and then could not avoid the SCENAR procedure).

The pace of the competition was also supported by an English athlete, Richard Brown, eight time champion of Great Britain, also after a new world record. On the third day of the competition he outstripped Ermolaev and continued to increase the gap between them. He only started to use SCENAR procedures after the fourth day, deterred perhaps on the one hand because of the language barrier and English modesty, but prompted on the other hand by the obvious progress of other athletes who used the treatment.

There was a lot of work for the SCENAR specialists. Already in the third hour of the event a Russian athlete from Istra, V Glaskov, suffered a deep wound between the 4th and 5th fingers of his left hand following a fall. SCENAR procedure on both sides of the hand and wrist quickly stopped the bleeding and removed pain, without any bandage. But on the night of the same day Glaskov troubled by an old heel complaint, began to limp and to think about leaving the race. SCENAR therapy 4-5 times a day was suggested, but in fact the first 8 minute procedure completely killed the pain and inspired confidence in success...

On the third day of the competition, all the athletes (opted) to be supported only by SCENAR specialists. All of them gave positive responses, noticing significant “lightness” of run and less tiredness in comparison with their previous experiences. Benefits recorded were increased tempo of run, reduction of rest time and significant improvement in the intermediate results.

Rejuvenator Blanket reduces rest time

Completely unexpected for everybody, was the arrival of an announcement that at the same time in Spain, Alberto Aria had improved on the 100 mile world record by 2.5 hours. The run schedules had to be urgently reviewed to allow an attempt on this new record. But the strength and capacities of the athletes were already close to their limits. SCENAR specialists suggested using the Rejuvenator Blanket during rest times. General body wrapping was done for one hour whilst sleeping. This allowed the general rest time to be reduced by 1.5-2 hours. The athletes’ perception was of complete relaxation, relief from tiredness and psycho-emotional tension and a flow of power as though they had rested for 5-6 hours or taken a sauna. Everybody was ready for new records.

A Hailstorm of Records

As a result of the combined efforts of both the athletes and the SCENAR specialists, records began to fall “as though from the Horn of Plenty”. English athlete Richard Brown (47 years old) established a world record over a distance of 1100km, then over 700 miles (8 days 9 hrs 23 min 48 sec). His next world record was over 1200km (9 days 1hr 20 min 24sec). But then he had to leave the competition because of stomach ache and upset stomach that started at night when SCENAR specialists were not around.

At the same distance of 1200km the world record was also broken by I Vasutin (45 years old) and V Glaskov, (who continued to limp a little because of his heel but persisted with his SCENAR procedures). Glaskov and Vasutin established new world records over 1500km - 11 days 15 hrs 26 min 10 sec and 11 days 17 hr 30 min 5 sec respectively. Then Glaskov improved the 1000 miles world record by 4.5 hours (12 days 13 hr 32 min 41 sec), inspite of his injured heel. In fact, after the finish he remarked that his sick left foot felt better than the healthy one did before the start of the race!

The Ukranian record, improving on the previous world record, was established by Vladimir Vasutin (12 days 14 hr 55 min 21 sec). Outstanding results were shown also by Peter Silkin (13 days 5 hr 6 min), the record for Lithuania and the sixth fastest result in the world! In total, during that competition, 21 world records were established – 5 absolute and 16 in different age groups.

The help of the SCENAR specialists surely played a significant role. It was the first competition to show such impressive results and the first one where the help of SCENAR specialists was used so widely and over such a long period. "