Runner's Web Digest - March 19, 2004

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New This Week:

Sof Sole Offer:
A free pair of our technical socks ($9.99 value) with the purchase of any Sof
Sole insole.
http://www.sofsole.com/pages/promo/rwebsockoffer.html

Check out our new CHAT feature from our FrontPage.

We have ONE personal postings this week.
Personal Postings, when available, are located after the Upcoming Section
towards the bottom of the newsletter.

Our latest column from Carmichael Training Systems is available:
Triathlon: Multisport: Preparing For Your A Races by Tim Crowley.
Check it out at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/cts_columns.html

The TRACK PROFILE Reader 2004, an in-depth review of the 2003 season by Bob
Ramsak, is now available.
Selected from hundreds of reports filed by the Track Profile News Service last
year, The TRACK PROFILE READER provides a
unique look back at the personalities, stories and events that defined track and
field in 2003. With in depth profiles
of the sport's biggest stars and comprehensive on-site reports from major
competitions, this annual review takes the
reader beyond the results, providing a perfect companion for casual and diehard
fans alike.
Check out the book at:
http://www.booksurge.com/author.php3?accountID=GPUB00341&affiliateID=A000497


Digest Article Index:

1. When the Games Began: Olympic Archaeology
2. If you've peaked, it's OK to plateau
A maintenance program is the next step once you've reached your goals. You
don't have it to kick it up; just mix it up.
3. Ten universal tips from triathletes
4. Fast, fresh and low-fat:
Forget that Big Mac and fries, California is now home to "fast casual" - an
eating revolution that offers healthy food
and drinks. And it could be heading here soon
5. Endurance Athletes Are Taking Up Snowshoe Racing to Stay Fit Year-Round
6. Staying Young: The Role of Physical Activity in Aging
7. Running Times 2004 Camp Guide
8. 'Endless pools' splash onto fitness scene
9. How To Run and Enjoy the Marathon - (A Practical Guide To The 26.2-Mile
Journey) By James Raia
Chapter 5. Want To Finish: Join the club
10. The truth about low-carb diets
11. From Runner's World
12. New Balance Needs You For Our Wear Test Program:
13. Working Out The Most Effective Carbohydrates
14. Spring Pollen Can Herald Misery Season
A few insights into avoiding allergies that bloom like flowers.
15. Training in the Winter (Hunter Kemper)
16. Using Glycemic Index To Improve Athletic Performance:
17. What Does 'Periodization' Mean and How Does It Work?
18. Supermarathon Round The World Goes On, Racers Reach Moscow
19. New sports-nutrition book explores the 'when' of fueling
20. Alaskan native Seavey wins Iditarod
21. A fast track to relationships
Though these days people go to gyms mainly to get healthy, plenty of friendships
-- and romances -- are still forged
there
22. The Truth about stretching
23. 'Designer' Orange Juice May Lower Cholesterol: Study
24. Triathlon Training Do`s and Don`ts:
From Triathlon 101 by John Mora
25. News Scan


This week's poll is: "Which of the following distance running events is the
most demanding?"

Cast your vote at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html
Post your views in our Forum at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/runnersweb_forum.html
[Free Registration Required]

The previous poll was: "What was your level of interest in the recent World
Indoor Athletics Championships?"

The results at publication time were:
Answers Votes Percent
1. Very high 28 31%
2. High 7 8%
3. Moderate 14 16%
4. Slight 15 17%
5. No interest 26 29%
Total Votes: 90

You can access the poll from our FrontPage as well as voting on and/or
checking the results of previous polls.

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Five Star Site of the Week: Race Results Weekly.
Race Results Weekly is the professional distance running results service
providing results from over 1200 events
annually, world wide. With Monday morning delivery available via e-mail, no
source of distance running results is
faster, more convenient and more comprehensive.
Top running industry professionals at adidas, Fila, Nike, Asics, New Balance,
IAAF, USATF, NBC Sports and Runner's World
Magazine are just some of the people who rely on RRW for their distance running
data needs.
Check out the site at: http://www.raceresultsweekly.com/

Send us your suggestions for our Five Star site. Please check our list of
previous Five Star Sites available from the Five Star Window under
the link "Previous Five Star Sites" as we do not wish to repeat a site
unless it has undergone a major redesign.


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or from our FrontPage.

Our Photo Slideshow is updated on a random basis. Check it out from our
FrontPage.

Book of the Week: Cycling Past 50.
Conventional wisdom says that middle-aged cyclists should slow down and expect
to achieve less as they grow older. But
in Cycling Past 50, author Joe Friel shows cyclists that with proper training
and the right attitude, the years after 50
can be their best ever.
Buy the book at:
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?associate=880&isbn=0880117\
370


Be sure to check out our Flash Page where we list all recent additions to
the Runner's Web. This page is updated before Monday morning each week.


This Weeks News:

Articles:

1. When the Games Began: Olympic Archaeology:
Opening day of the ancient Greek games was a spectacle to behold, a celebration
of the vigor and supercharged
competitiveness that infused the creative spirit of one of antiquity's most
transforming civilizations.
People by the thousands from every corner of the land swarmed the sacred
grounds, where altars and columned temples
stood in homage to their gods. They came from cities that were often bitter
rivals but shared a religion, a language and
an enthusiasm for organized athletics. There was no doubt in their minds that
the games were as much a part of Greek
culture as Homer, Plato or Euripides, and on a summer day at Olympia, perhaps
more so.
At dawn, the opening procession of athletes began: runners and jumpers, discus
and javelin throwers, boxers and
wrestlers and charioteers, all young men, marching to the stadium and the
hippodrome. They went from one altar to the
next and past shrines to heroes of previous games. Finally, a trumpet sounded
the beginning of the big event.
The exuberance and pageantry of the original Greek games - even the spirit of
community among rivals, however fleeting -
will be re-enacted in August at the next modern Olympic Games. They will be held
in Athens, in the land where it all
began.
A closer study of ancient texts, art and artifacts and deeper archaeological
excavations are giving scholars new
insights into the early games and just how integral athletics was to ancient
Greek life. The games, said Dr. Stephen G.
Miller, an archaeologist who is a classics professor at the University of
California, Berkeley, "ran hand in hand with
Greek cultural development."
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/09/science/09OLYM.html
[Free Registration Required]


2. If you've peaked, it's OK to plateau:
A maintenance program is the next step once you've reached your goals. You don't
have it to kick it up; just mix it up.
Anyone who's started a fitness program knows that most programs are designed to
get tougher just when the going gets
easier.
Once that 15-minute jog becomes a cake walk, you're supposed to up the time to
20 minutes and pick up the pace. When you
can do 20 repetitions with a weight and not feel tired, it's time to increase
the load. But when is enough enough?
Gradually increasing the intensity and duration of your exercise program is
necessary when you're conditioning and
building strength, but many people think they should keep adding time, speed and
weight even after they've achieved
their fitness goals. When their regimen stops producing measurable gains - when
they plateau - they think they'd better
work harder.
But the word "plateau" has gotten a bad rap, experts say. Although people might
view it as something to "break through,"
some trainers point out that - once you're fit - a plateau is OK.
Getting in shape is supposed to feel harder than staying in shape, they add. But
after you're in shape, workouts just
need to be different, not harder.
"Plateau means the same as maintenance, except plateau implies you're stuck, and
maintenance implies you've attained,"
says Len Kravitz, senior exercise physiologist for the International Dance and
Exercise Assn. "It all depends on your
goals. When a person reaches his or her fitness and physical goals, a
maintenance program is precisely the correct
step."
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-plateau8mar08,1,4138296.sto\
ry?coll=la-health-fitness-news
[Long URL]


3. Ten universal tips from triathletes:
Triathlon is an exciting sport catching the attention of every level of athlete.
The sport of triathlon -- swimming, cycling and running -- offers common
distances such as sprint racing (450-yard swim,
11-mile and a 3.1-mile run), Olympic distance events (0.9-mile swim, 24.8-mile
bike and a 6.2-mile run) and Ironman
distance events (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and a 26.2-mile run.)
Along with varying distances, participants have many options for triathlon
participation. For example, there are special
races for kids, the over-50 crowd and women-only events. Athletes can
participate as an individual or as a member of a
three-person team.
Whether or not you are intrigued by the sport, here are 10 valuable lessons that
can transfer from triathlon to any
sport.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=10493&sidebar=26&category=triathlon


4. Fast, fresh and low-fat:
Forget that Big Mac and fries, California is now home to "fast casual" - an
eating revolution that offers healthy food
and drinks. And it could be heading here soon
WITH A run-down museum on one side of the road and a peeling bungalow on the
other, the corner of 14th and E Street,
just off Route 66 in San Bernardino, California, might not look like the kind of
place that has transformed the way we
all eat, but it is here where it all began.
Here the first fast-food burger was flipped, the first fries were salted and the
first milk shakes poured and strawed.
Here they coined the slogan "two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce,
cheese, pickles and onions, all on a sesame
seed bun". And it is here that the fast food revolution is starting all over
again.
It's lunchtime in San Bernardino, the town where 60 years ago two brothers, Dick
and Mac McDonald, opened the first
McDonald's. The jostling queues outside the fast-food joints that now line the
town's wide boulevards resemble the
countless others that form outside fast-food restaurants at the same time every
day on almost every street in America.
Inside every restaurant, the lights are bright, the service fast and the prices
low.
More...from the Times Online at:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8123-1034029,00.html


5. Endurance Athletes Are Taking Up Snowshoe Racing to Stay Fit Year-Round:
SQUAW VALLEY, Calif.
On a cloudless, crisp day in the northern Sierras last Sunday, 90 snowshoe-clad
men and women, and a few teenagers,
bunched together at an icy starting line, raring to run up the steep slope
before them. They had come to compete in the
United States National Snowshoe Championships.
With efforts for snowshoe racing's inclusion in the Olympic program unsuccessful
to date, the sport offers only the
thrill of victory, a T-shirt and, occasionally, some money to those who finish
first.
In fact, there was no prize money at the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) nationals,
where racers zigzagged up a ski slope,
gaining 800 feet in a mile, crunched through a mile of powder, skidded down a
pitch so severe that some took it on their
backsides, and finished with a long, flat loop around a meadow. The top racers
clocked six- to seven-minute miles while
running at elevation over 6,000 feet and wearing aluminum snowshoes that
measured 22 to 25 inches in length.
. Nine regional events produced 167 qualifiers for the nationals in five
divisions: competition, open, masters, juniors
and seniors. Only 90 showed up, partly because of the low stakes and the long
travel for some.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/14/sports/othersports/14OUTD.html


6. Staying Young - The Role of Physical Activity in Aging:
As we age, keeping physically active is essential. It not only improves the
appearance of the body, it also prevents the
occurrence of health complications in the future. Join Dr. Roizen as he
discusses the role of exercise in aging and the
type of activities that can help maintain a healthy body.
Webcast Transcript
Participants: Michael F. Roizen, MD - Professor of Anesthesiology and Internal
Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical Center
ANNOUNCER: Physical fitness plays an important role in how we age and feel.
MICHAEL ROIZEN, MD: From a health standpoint, there are three different areas
you get benefits in that we have
well-quantified.
Arterial aging: arterial aging is associated with heart disease, stroke, memory
loss, impotence, decay in orgasm
quality, even wrinkling of the skin.
Immune aging: that's associated with infections and cancer, even autoimmune
disease such as many forms of arthritis.
And then accidents and disability from accidents. All three are affected by
physical activity.
More...from the Washington Times at:
http://washingtontimes.healthology.com/webcast_transcript.asp?b=washingtontimes&\
f=fitness&c=healthy_physical&spg=FID
[Long URL]


7. Running Times 2004 Camp Guide:
Start Making Plans Now to Attend a Camp this Summer!
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/issues/01apr/01camp.htm


8. 'Endless pools' splash onto fitness scene:
In the back of her two-story brick colonial, in a small patio-sized add-on,
Valarie Arms adjusts a valve on her
miniature indoor pool and watches a churning current shoot out like a small
stream.
With mounds of snow sitting just outside her windows, she maneuvers into the
91-degree current and starts to backstroke
in place, part of a swimming routine that helps her arthritis.
"It has tremendously improved my quality of life," said Arms, an English
professor at Drexel University. "Somebody just
this week asked me if I've seen my chiropractor, who is kind of a friend because
I saw him so much, but I haven't seen
him this year."
More...from CNN at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/diet.fitness/03/13/swiminplace.pools.ap/index.htm\
l


9. How To Run and Enjoy the Marathon - (A Practical Guide To The 26.2-Mile
Journey) By James Raia
(A Practical Guide To The 26.2-Mile Journey) By James Raia
Web site: http://www.byjamesraia.com E-mail: James@...
Runner's Web Editor's Note:
We will be running one chapter of this book each week in the Digest for the next
15 weeks.
INTRODUCTION
How to Run & Enjoy The Marathon, a series of 15 self-help and service-oriented
articles about running marathons - the
proper shoes to
running etiquette - is written by James Raia, a journalist and veteran marathon
and ultramarathon runner in Sacramento,
Calif.
A contributor to many newspapers, news services, magazines and internet sites,
Raia began to run long distances in 1983,
the same year in which he completed his first marathon, the California
International Marathon, in 4 hours, 12 minutes
and 30 seconds.
How To Run & Enjoy The Marathon is based on the author's more than 20 years of
writing about the sport -- its nuances,
its elite athletes and the running masses.
Since he began training for his first marathon, running has become an integral
component of the author's lifestyle. Raia
has completed nearly than 70 marathons and ultramarathons, including several 50
milers and double marathons. His fastest
marathon, 3:07:42, was run in 1990. A two-time finisher of the Boston Marathon,
Raia for the past several years has
completed many of his marathons in the 3:45 range.
Raia, 48, has traveled to more than a dozen countries on assignment for myriad
publications, Runner's World to Modern
Maturity, The New York Times to USA Today. He also writes syndicated cycling and
running columns, publishes two
electronic newsletters, Endurance Sports News and Tour de France Times, and is
the author of The Tour Within The Tour de
France, a travel/sports e-book about the prestigious cycling event. He lives in
Sacramento, Calif., with Gretchen
Gaither, a teacher and sculptor. For additional information on his two free
newsletter or his other e-book, visit the
author's web site, http://www.byjamesraia.com or contact him via e-mail at
mailto:RaiaRuns@....
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Marathon No. 1: It's not all about pain
2. What Marathon? Plentiful choices abound
3. The Basics: Common sense for the masses
4. Marathoning For Dollars: Running is fitness on the cheap
5. Want To Finish: Join the club
6. Fleet Feet: If the shoe fits, wear it
7. Need Motivation? Take a break
8. Now Hear This: Just Say No To Headphones
9. Night Moves: Exercisers Need A Visible Presence
10. Women Marathoners: Running Safe Means Running Smart
11. Running vs. Walking: Marathoners Can Do Both
12. Runner's Creed: Share Thy Space
13. Marathon Time Limits: The race directors' dilemma
14. Marathon No. 1 (Revisited): Don't Forget The Little Things
15. Reference Guide: Where to Find Out More About The Marathon
Chapter 5. Want To Finish: Join the club:
Participation in a running club can provide an ideal definition of synergy.
While the loneliness of the long-distance runner is an old adage, many runners
discover their training sessions,
particularly longer runs, progress better while running with others
In other words, one plus one can equal three.
In this regard, many cities, large and small, have organized running clubs.
Groups meet at least weekly for speed
training or longer runs, and for the camaraderie of training for a common goal.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20040319_Raia_Marathon5.html


10. The truth about low-carb diets :
As America goes crazy for low-carb diets, new terms and claims are popping up on
food labels, ads, and menus.
Unfortunately, not of all of these terms mean what you might think. Here are
some important tips to help you select your
carbohydrates wisely.
Are claims - like low-carb - legal on food packages?
No. The only carbohydrate claims that are currently approved are those related
to sugar content - like low-sugar or
sugar-free. Technically, a label that says "low-carb" or "no-carb" is violating
the law. The Food and Drug
Administration has not issued regulations about carbohydrate claims. Companies
are supposed to avoid false or misleading
statements - but, for now, it is buyer beware
More...from the Billings Gazette at:
http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/03/17/build/h\
ealth/41-hayes-lowcarb.inc
[Long URL]


11. From Runner's World:
*When you're racing yourself into shape but can't find a race, the next best
thing is a time trial. Gather a few running
buddies, plot your course and stage your own "race."
*For minor aches and pains, apply heat (in the form of a heating pad or hot
water bottle) to the problem area for 15
minutes before your run. If the area feels better, then it's usually okay to
run. If you still experience soreness, it's
best to take a day off. And if any pain continues, see a doctor.
*Four Cloves Are Lucky: Garlic may be tough on your friends, but it's great for
your heart. Eating four cloves of garlic
a day may lower your cholesterol. Cooked garlic and garlic supplements offer
similar benefits.
*If you always tend to run the same loop for the same distance, it's time to
stir up your routine. Alternate 3 and 6
mile runs, three to five times a week on different courses. Variety keeps you
energized, and adding short-distance
"recovery" days gives your body (and mind) a chance to recharge. -Don Kinsella,
RW photo editor



12. New Balance Needs You For Our Wear Test Program:
The idea behind our Wear Test Program is pretty simple: We want to make shoes
and apparel that fit comfortably and
perform exceptionally well under real-life conditions. So when developing new
models, we ask real athletes like you to
"road test" our products and give us your feedback. Our Research and Development
team will take your input and use it to
make the shoe or garment the best it can be before launching it.
Becoming a New Balance Wear Tester works like this: We'll ask for some
information and then enter you into a database so
we can contact you when we need you. Being a Wear Tester does involve some
paperwork, so you'll probably wear out a few
pencils before you wear out the shoes. (Please note: The program is open to U.S.
residents only.)
More...from New Balance at:
http://www.newbalance.com/productbrowser/performance/weartest.html?sport=Running


13,. Working Out The Most Effective Carbohydrates:
Federal nutrition guidelines state that about 60% to 65% of your daily calories
should come from carbohydrates. But your
body doesn't break down all carbohydrates equally. When selecting the right
energy source, then, it often becomes a
matter of timing.
Carbohydrates become energy as they break down into simple sugars. Some, like
lentils or barley, take time to break
down; while others--like sports drinks or high-sugar energy bars--hit your
bloodstream almost immediately.
And here's where the science lesson comes in. Carbohydrates come in three types:
Monosaccharides, also known as simple
sugars; Disaccharides, which contain two simple sugar molecules; and
Polysaccharides, which contain many simple sugar
molecules--making up the starches found in vegetables and grains.
But thankfully, you don't really need to know that if you know how a given food
rates according to the "Glycemic Index."
This index rates how fast a given food gets into your bloodstream, as compared
to pure glucose, which is rated at 100.
While high glycemic foods are digested in as little as 20 minutes, foods that
are low in the range take a few hours or
longer.
To see how some of your favorite foods measure up, check out this sample list.
Why include fruits and vegetables? Many
vegetables actually do contain carbohydrates--in complex form. And fruits, of
course, are full of sugars that are easily
convertible to ready energy.
FOOD & GLYCEMIC INDEX SCORE
Glucose 100
Potato 98
Corn flakes 83
Doughnut 76
White rice 72
Whole wheat bread 72
Cous Cous 65
Black bean soup 64
Ice Cream 50
Orange 43
Grapes 43
Whole wheat pasta 42
Rye bread 42
Peach 42
Apple 39
Kidney beans 33
Soy milk 31
Skim milk 30
Lentils 29
Barley 22
Carrot, raw 16
Prunes, 15
So what does all this mean for choosing what to eat? Carbs eaten 30 to 60
minutes before exercise should be low on the
Glycemic Index, which will make a carbohydrate fuel supply available during
exercise.
During exercise, however, you need drinks or snacks that are high on the
Glycemic Index. These are rapidly absorbed and
will give you supplementary blood sugar to burn as fuel.
Directly after exercise, you benefit most from carbohydrates high on the
Glycemic Index, because these are digested more
quickly to replace the glycogen store you used during your workout.
From American Running Association.


14. Spring Pollen Can Herald Misery Season:
A few insights into avoiding allergies that bloom like flowers.
If you're allergic to pollen, you'd better start praying for rain.
The spring allergy season is just around the corner, and 35 million allergy
sufferers in the United States are getting
out their handkerchiefs in preparation.
According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI),
trees start pollinating as early as January
in the south and as early as March in the northern states. That pollen is
responsible for much allergy misery. Grasses
don't start to pollinate until about May.
More...from Health Scout at:
http://www.healthscout.com/news/1/509689/main.html



15. Training in the Winter (Hunter Kemper):
The cold winter weather is definitely still here... and it looks like colder
weather will be here for a little longer.
Winter can create an environment that is less than ideal for getting the most
out of workouts. However, I definitely
believe that we must use the cold weather to accomplish some very important
goals. This is how I deal with some of
these harsh conditions.
The one training area that is not affected by the cold weather is swimming
workouts. Swimming should be something that
is constantly focused on all year round... for most of us, swimming is probably
the weakest discipline. We should
always make sure that we stay committed to improving our swimming, especially
during the off-season. The biggest goal
for improving my swimming is to continually work on stroke technique. I
constantly have to work on stretching out my
stroke - trying to hold a low stroke count per 50m. The way I try to lengthen
my stroke is to work on creating power
from my hips... the best way to think about this is to focus on rotating your
hips through first - thereby creating the
power in your stroke - instead of always trying to go faster by increasing the
stroke count. The best way to improve
your stroke is to either work with a coach or have someone film you swimming, so
you can analyze your stroke. Most of
us do not realize how we look when we swim... it truly is an eye-opening
process.
More...from Transition Times at:
http://www.transitiontimes.com/viewstorylocal.cfm?ID=4290&ett2local=Washington


16. Using Glycemic Index To Improve Athletic Performance:
With all the hype today about protein being the most vital nutrient for athletes
(not true, by the way), many athletes
are beginning to look at carbohydrates differently. The truth is, carbohydrates
play an essential role in the diet
because they are a key source of energy and provide the glucose necessary to
replace the glycogen lost during training
and competition.
In fact, carbohydrates eaten before and during exercise, primarily in the form
of sport drinks, bars and gels, help
maintain blood glucose levels and prevent premature fatigue and decreased
performance. Carbohydrates are important after
exercise as well, as they replenish muscle and liver glycogen, restoring the
athlete’s capacity for intense training and
competition.
More...from GSSI at:
http://www.gssiweb.com/reflib/refs/623/ssn_glycemic.cfm?pid=38


17. What Does 'Periodization' Mean and How Does It Work?
If you have ever wondered how the Russians were kicking our butts for three
decades in sports, here is the answer. Yes,
there were some Eastern Block women that looked like they could play for the
Pittsburgh Steelers, ‘Steel Curtain’, and
maybe that wasn’t natural, but the answer is something called 'periodization’.
Tudor Bompa, who is considered the
‘Father of Periodization’ refined the ideas of Russian sports scientists in the
early 1960s. During the 1940s the
Russian scientists tried dividing the training year into different training
periods. Previously, the training was to
maintain the same constant stresses year round. Could you imagine doing the same
workouts week in and week out? The new
method was to create some periods of training that were easier then the others
to promote rest and to let the body grow
stronger. Most training programs today are rooted off of Bompa’s theory, and its
how the successful athletes of today
train. Periodization involves many variables including frequency (how ‘often’
you train), duration (how ‘long’ you
train for one session), volume (how ‘much’ you train in a given week or cycle)
and intensity (how ‘hard’ you train at
any given time). From these variables a recipe is created that will hopefully
help you reach your peak for the key
race(s) you are targeting. There are four to five phases in a given annual
training plan, with the variables changing
within each phase.
More...from D3Multisport at:
http://www.d3multisport.com/articles/periodization.html


18. Supermarathon Round The World Goes On, Racers Reach Moscow:
MOSCOW, MARCH 16 (RIA NOVOSTI) A supermarathon race round the world is going on.
The runners will resume their endeavor
tomorrow, starting with a zero mark in Tverskaya Street, Moscow's central
thoroughfare.
Jasper Kenn Olsen, 32, of Denmark; Kaihata Kazuko, a Japanese woman of fifty;
and Russia's Alexander Korotkov, 45, came
to Moscow from the northwest, yesterday, after crossing St. Petersburg, Veliky
Novgorod, Vyshny Volochok, Torzhok, Tver
and Zavidovo. Their preceding route was via Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark,
Norway, Sweden and Finland. The race
started in London, January 1.
The athletes are making sixty kilometers a day, Korotkov said to a news
conference in Moscow today.
Experts find the race deserving to enter the Guinness Book of Records on many
nominations - not that it matters too much
to the racers.
More...from the Russian Information Agency Novosti at:
http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=4062059&startrow=1&date=2004-\
03-16&do_alert=0
[Long URL]


19. New sports-nutrition book explores the 'when' of fueling:
In a new book called Nutrient Timing, exercise physiologist John Ivy, Ph.D., and
biochemist Robert Portman, Ph.D., argue
that when athletes eat is as important as what they eat. Citing dozens of recent
studies, they make a solid case.
Although Nutrient Timing is aimed primarily at an audience of strength athletes,
there is a lot of information in the
book that is valuable to endurance athletes as well.
Most endurance athletes are aware that it's beneficial to drink a carbohydrate
sports drink during exercise. But
according to the authors of Nutrient Timing, there are many other beneficial
ways to use nutrition during and after
exercise that most endurance athletes don't know about.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=10485&sidebar=573&category=eat_right


20. Alaskan native Seavey wins Iditarod:
NOME, Alaska (AP) -- Mitch Seavey won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in nine
days, 12 hours, 20 minutes and 22 seconds
on Tuesday night, his 11th run on the 1,100-mile route from Anchorage to Nome.
Seavey, 43, of Seward crossed the finish line just before 10:30 p.m. His
previous best finish was fourth in 1998.
"I'm sort of in disbelief," Seavey said. "I think everybody's happy to have an
Alaskan boy win the Iditarod."
Hundreds of people, clapping and cheering, were gathered on Front Street in Nome
to welcome Seavey into the winner's
chute.
Three-time winner Jeff King of Denali Park finished second at 12:40 a.m.
Wednesday, having spent nine days, 14:40:59 on
the trail. It was King's 15th Iditarod, and he has finished in the top 10 every
year since 1992.
More...from CNNSI at:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/more/03/17/iditarod.seavey.ap/


21. A fast track to relationships:
Though these days people go to gyms mainly to get healthy, plenty of friendships
-- and romances -- are still forged
there
The gym as meat market is a cliché that dates back to leg warmers, big hair and
"Perfect," that '80s movie that pegged
slick health clubs as hookup central.
Two decades after a spandex-wearing Jane Fonda told us to feel the burn,
clothing isn't the only thing that's changed.
Gyms are as much a part of everyday life as grocery stores and movie theaters,
and most no longer have that cheesy
pickup cachet.
Sure, there are still some clubs where members wear designer workout clothes or
full makeup in case Mr. or Ms. Right is
on the elliptical trainer. But most gyms are casual, relaxed places where
generic shorts and T-shirts are the preferred
dress code, and people find it easy to strike up conversations. Dating may be on
people's minds, but it's usually not
the primary reason they're there — getting healthy is. These days, hookups are
more likely saved for Internet
connections.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-bodywork15mar15,1,3580602.story?col\
l=la-headlines-health
[Long URL]


22. The Truth about stretching:
(PRLEAP.COM) A three year old study about stretching is getting cited in many
articles today. And the conclusions
reached by some writers may be harmful to the health of your hamstrings…and
other needed equipment!
Is stretching before exercise harmful?
Some recent articles have made stretching before general fitness improvement
exercise out to be a time-waster, not
needed, and even harmful. This is not true. In fact, there's a recent 2003 study
that evaluates all of the research on
stretching. Researchers conclude:
"Due to the paucity, heterogeneity and poor quality of the available studies no
definitive conclusions can be drawn as
to the value of stretching for reducing the risk of exercise-related injury."
(The efficacy of stretching for prevention of exercise-related injury:
a systematic review of the literature, 2003, Weldon)
Study in question
The study generating all the hoopla was performed by the Kapooka Health Centre,
New South Wales, Australia on 1,538 army
recruits. It's a creditable study to show the occurrence lower limb injury on a
group of young army recruits. Here is
what the researchers actually concluded:
More...from PRLeap at:
http://www.prleap.com/pr_327.html


23. 'Designer' Orange Juice May Lower Cholesterol - Study:
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with mildly high cholesterol may be able to
drink their way to lower levels, if
research findings on a souped-up brand of orange juice is correct.
Researchers found that the juice, fortified with cholesterol-fighting plant
compounds called sterols, was able to lower
"bad" LDL cholesterol by about 12 percent among adults who drank two glasses a
day for two months.
The study received partial funding from The Coca Cola Co., which launched the
sterol-fortified juice in the U.S. last
year under the name Minute Maid Premium Heart Wise.
The product is among the growing ranks of so-called "functional foods" that have
additives aimed at promoting health. In
this case, plant sterols, which are found naturally in small amounts in
vegetables and vegetable oils, provide the
potential health boon. The compounds are structurally similar to cholesterol,
and are thought to limit the absorption of
cholesterol in the intestines.
Plant sterol-fortified margarines, such as Benecol and Take Control, have been
on the market for several years. Orange
juice has the advantage of being a widely consumed, and vitamin-packed, vehicle
for plant sterols, according to the
authors of the new study.
More...from Reuters at:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=4598395&section\
=news



24. Triathlon Training Do`s and Don`ts:
From Triathlon 101 by John Mora
Good training is not just about listening to your body, although that’s
certainly important. It’s also about learning to
listen to your family, and your boss, and the voice in your head that keeps
telling you to take it easy on yourself. The
following list of do’s and don’ts will help you get the most out of your
triathlon training:
Do add variety. Try not to do the same thing all the time - reach for new goals
and more challenges. Change your running
course, or better yet, take the family to a weekend getaway, preferably
somewhere where you can still get in some good
training. That way you can combine family values with your triathlon goal.
Don’t sacrifice your family or career. Stick to your priorities. Triathlon
training should be a solid addition to a
well-balanced lifestyle, not an obsession that hinders your family life or puts
your career in danger. Besides, your
chances of succeeding in triathlon - whatever that means to you - will be
greatly increased if you have the support of
your family and coworkers.
Do be realistic about your available time. There’s nothing worse than constantly
checking your watch during a workout.
Part of the reason for working out is for stress relief, so why not schedule
your workouts during a time of day when you
won’t feel hurried? Overestimating how much time you can afford to spend on
training can lead to feeling rushed and
frustrated and can also contribute to a faster pace when you know you should be
going slower.
Don’t be inflexible. Don’t be so rigid in executing your training that you
endanger your health or neglect your other
priorities. If your training schedule seems to be too hard on your body, rethink
your approach and build in some more
recovery days, or cut the distance or intensity.
Do follow the hard/easy rule. Working at a high intensity all the time will only
increase your chances of injury. Always
make sure you give your body a chance to recover, especially from hard or long
runs, with easy workouts the day
following a hard one.
More...from Triathlon 101 at:
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?associate=880&isbn=0880118\
113


25. News Scan:
We want your opinion
Sports Saturday will look at the state of Olympic sport in Canada on a March 27
special, and we want to know your views
on three issues. Poll results will be part of our on-air roundtable discussion.
Vote here:
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/saturday/athlete_forum/

Dr. Gabe Mirkin's E-Zine
Preventing Sports Injuries
Hamstring tears are very common soccer injuries. A study in Scandinavian
Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports shows
that preseason strength training helps to prevent injuries to these muscles in
the back of the upper legs (Volume 13,
Issue 4, 2003). Players from two of the best soccer teams in Sweden were
divided into two groups. One group received
specific hamstring training of 10 weeks of twice a week, using a special device
to overload the hamstrings
eccentrically. The trained group had less than one third the hamstring injuries
of the
untrained group, and also had greater improvement in hamstring strength and
running speed.
The findings of this study should encourage preseason strength training for
other muscle groups stressed in any sports.
While stretching can make muscles longer to exert a greater torque on joints, it
has not been shown to prevent injuries.
Muscles are injured because the force on them is greater than their inherent
strength, so they tear. Resistance
training makes muscles stronger so that they can withstand greater forces and
therefore helps to prevent injuries. Also
see http://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/9140.html and other reports on the most
common sports injuries in the Fitness
section of www.drmirkin.com

"What's the real reason for leg shaving in cycling? Also, do the riders ever wax
their legs to give the continuous
shaving a break during the Tour de France?" Tim Krstic (Utah, USA)
"Waxing? Never!" says Danny Nelissen, Eurosport's Dutch cycling commentator and
a former eight-year veteran of the pro
peloton. "I don't know anybody who ever resorted to waxing -- and if they did,
they'd probably never admit to it."
Waxing, therefore, must be considered an overly effeminate solution for hair
removal?
"Well, yes... but primarily it just hurts too much," admits Nelissen, who shares
every good cyclist's shaving routine:
"With a razor, every two days in the shower."
As for the "why?" to your question, first forget the common assumption that it
has something to do with aerodynamics.
Unlike swimming -- where smoothness equals speed in the medium of water -- the
drag of a few leg hairs blowing in the
wind is negligible in cycling.
"The main reason for a smooth shave is massage," says Nelissen, winner of the
amateur world road race championship in
1995.
Particularly in a three-week race like the Tour de France, recovery is essential
to survive to the finish. Daily (and
sometimes twice or thrice daily) massage works out the toxins, soothing seized
muscles and increasing blood flow back to
the heart.
After training and diet, there's nothing more important in pro cycling than
massage, says Nelissen, pointing out that
leg hair would make massage messy (because of the oils used) and painful during
deep-tissue work.
Shaving's other primary plus is hygiene, notably after a crash.
Cycling injuries -- the raw skin surface burns known as "road rash" -- require a
lot of disinfecting to scrub out the
imbedded gravel and any thing else picked up from the asphalt.
"Having hair mixed up in all that just increases the chance of infection," says
Nelissen.
So what about you? If you don't have a personal masseuse and you haven't crashed
in years, should you still shave your
legs?
Absolutely.
"At the end of the day, it also looks good," Nelissen says. "When you don't have
the hair, the muscles are more exposed
and your legs look more developed."
"Of course it's a little bit about vanity, but it's also psychological," he
says. "Riding can be a mind game. If you
look good, you feel good. And if you feel good, you ride good. It's that
simple."

Krispy Kreme Plans Low-Sugar Alternative
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Hot. Now. Healthy?
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, long known for its high-calorie treats, says it plans to
offer a low-sugar doughnut to attract
dieters and diabetics.
Exactly how low the sugar content would be was unclear. Krispy Kreme spokeswoman
Amy Hughes said the new doughnut is
still in the early stages of development. It is set to debut before the end of
2004.
One of Krispy Kreme's Hot Original Glazed doughnuts has 10 grams of sugar and
200 calories. More than half those
calories come from fat, 12 grams of it.
Krispy Kreme lover Nathan Painter said he would give one of the newfangled
doughnuts a try. Still, he found the whole
idea strange.
"It just seems odd they're trying to be healthy," he said.

Atkins attitude. People who avoid certain foods or are reducing their food
intake are famous for irritability, reports
Psychology Today, but many who test low-carbohydrate approaches such as Atkins
and the South Beach Diet are reporting
unusually high feelings of anger, tension and depression. "It's called 'the
Atkins attitude,' " said Judith Wurtman,
director of the Women's Health Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
However, adds the magazine, many who
have success on these diets say their moods have never been better.

Fix-me-itis. Today's middle-aged people, say experts, are unwilling to give in
to the wear and tear on vulnerable
joints. Instead, they're turning to therapy, injections, supplements, surgery,
transplants -- whatever can put them back
on the track, on the court or in the gym. It's all part of an attitude that
Nicholas DiNubile calls "fix-me-itis," says
The Washington Post. "Boomers [are] constantly wanting to turn back the clock,"
says Dr. DiNubile, a professor of
orthopedic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. One factor working against
North American baby boomers may be
their longevity. Average U.S. life expectancy has gone from 47 years a century
ago to 77 years today. As Dr. DiNubile
says: "We have outlived the warranty on our frame."

Product Review - Sorboskin Blister Plasters (From www.SportsInjuryClinic.com)
Most runners will have experience the pain of blisters at some point. Friction
increases skin temperature and over time
causes friction burns or blisters.
Sorboskin blister plasters act like a second skin providing instant pain and
pressure relief. Once fixed in place
properly, they stay stuck even when the feet get wet.
Prevention is better than cure for blisters so if athletes are susceptible to
blisters then securing a Sorboskin blister
plaster over the 'hot spot' should prevent the blister from forming and saving
the athlete a lot of pain.
For more information visit www.return2fitness.co.uk






This Weeks Events:
*Please verify event dates with the event websites*

Ongoing:

Coming Up
March 20, 2004:
Shamrock Marathon - Virginia Beach, VA
http://www.shamrockmarathon.com/

March 20-21, 2004:
IAAF World Cross Country Championships - Brussels, Belgium
http://www.cross2004.be/main.php?l=en
IAAF Site
http://www.iaaf.org/WXC04/index.html

March 21, 2004:
Big Island International Marathon - Hilo, HI
http://www.runhawaii.com/

Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona, ESP
http://barcelonamarathon.com/

More Magazine Marathon - New York, NY
http://www.more.com/more/file.jhtml?item=/includes/marathon/moreMarathon&temp=no


For more complete race listings check out our Upcoming Races
Check the Runner's Web on Sunday and Monday for race reports on these
events.


This Weeks Personal Postings/Releases:

We have ONE personal posting this week.
FROM: mailto:nini6cmc@...
DATE: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 13:12:26 -0000
SUBJECT: New to Group
Hello all, I'm Cheshie and I am new to the group. I run
cross country with my college here in Maine. I'm not good
but I'm training to do a 10 K this summer as well as to
improve my 5K time (b/c that's the event I run during the
season) I'm looking for advice and just people with a common
interest to chat with. Thanks, Cheshie


Television and Online Coverage:
[Check local listings as event times are subject to change]

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Have a good week of training and/or racing.



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