Meeting prepares AMAA members to care for marathoners.

I once again had the honor of coordinating the agenda for the AMAA's Sports Medicine Symposium at the Marine Corps Marathon with Dr. Scott Pyne, the Race Medical Director. Over the years, this meeting has evolved into a national caliber meeting with cutting edge topics and talented speakers. This year was no exception.

In planning the meeting, entitled Medical Management of Endurance Events, we typically develop the agenda in three sections to focus on preparing professionals to work in the marathon medical tents and to facilitate discussion of cutting edge information relating to running medicine. This year, the first section began with a joint Grand Rounds session with the medical staff of the Virginia Hospital Center and conference participants. Dr. Ralph Oriscello, a cardiologist-intensivist from New Jersey and returning speaker, led this session with a discussion on ethical considerations in sports medicine.

The Friday afternoon sessions were directed toward providing instruction on race day coverage. We covered such topics as blister care, exercise associated collapse, and muscle cramps. Dr. Cathy Fieseler's (Cleveland Clinic) presentation on blister care was of particular interest as she shared practical experience learned from her years as an ultra runner. The afternoon wrapped up with a talk on legal issues, presented by the Counsel to the Commanding General of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, and case presentations from our sports medicine fellows. These cases were accompanied by dialogue from the audience as each situation was examined.

The second section of the meeting was held Friday evening. This is always preceded by a wonderful dinner where there is an opportunity for renewed friendships, and a time for the speakers to interact on an informal basis with course participants. The evening sessions typically focus on a specific topic such as hyponatremia or osteoarthritis. This year, we targeted cardiovascular considerations in the runner. AMAA President, Dr. Noel Nequin, shared valuable lessons he has learned in working with cardiac rehab patients for over three decades and Dr. Art Siegel reviewed results from research he has performed on marathon runners in Boston (see pp. 9-15). The evening was highlighted by our Grand Rounds speaker, Dr. Ralph Oriscello, who spoke on a variety of cases he has encountered in the running community. It was particularly entertaining to watch Dr. Oriscello have fun with the residents and fellows as he determined their ability, or lack thereof, to read EKGs.

The third and final section of the conference was held Saturday morning, where a variety of topics were covered pertaining to the runner and medical provider. This year's agenda appeared to be a "who's who" of speakers with Drs. Mel Williams, Karl Fields, and Paul Thompson speaking on their areas of expertise. Dr. Thompson's cutting edge comments on how to manage the difficult lipid patient were greatly appreciated by the clinician's in the audience. We also heard from AMAA members Tom Holland, who spoke on the performance impact of "self-talk," and Bruce Wilk, who provided instruction on analyzing and selecting running shoes.

The meeting was well-received, and it was a pleasure to then work the following day in the tent with many of the participants. We are looking forward to next year and another great conference. We hope to see you there!

Medical Management of Endurance Events was held on October 25th and 26th at the Virginia Hospital Center-Arlington and was attended by over 60 AMAA members and other sports medicine professionals. Dr. Francis O'Connor has been instrumental in planning and coordinating this meeting for close to 10 years.