Runner's Web Digest - June 11, 2004

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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

The Stretching Handbook:
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/cgi-bin/at.pl?a=286905

Buy all your sporting goods at Fogdog Sports, your anytime, anywhere sports
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The Tour Within the Tour de France by James Raia:
The Tour de France is the world's greatest cycling event. As the bicyclists
climb into the mountains and quickly pass through the
rolling countryside, many other postcards of life occur away from the
competition - the ambience, the restaurants, the uniqueness of
the villages and the people who live and work among fields of sunflowers, near
ancient castles and among fields of expansive
vineyards. The Tour Within The Tour de France includes 24 essays about the
author's first six years of attending the race. This
ebook cost $7.95. Order now with your check or credit card at:
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How To Run And Enjoy The Marathon By James Raia:
Price: $7.95
As a practical guide to the 26.2-mile journey, How To Run And Enjoy The Marathon
is 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
middle-of-the-pack marathon and ultramarathon runner in Sacramento, Calif.
Buy the book at:
http://hop.clickbank.net/?rhianyth/eltomaja

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Digest Article Index:

1. Race day strategy
2. Do athletes need more vitamins and minerals?
3. The Skinny on Phytochemicals Why you need them and the tastiest ways to get
them!
4. 'Eat carbs' is coaches' mantra
5. Running Up the Years - Joe Henderson's Running Commentary
6. Running For My Life Never Felt So Good…- A Non-Runner’s Distance Race Story
7. Medical Corner - Achilles Tendon Scar Tissue
8. Busting the Blahs: What To Do When The Training Blahs Come!
9. Can You Relate?
Running's important, but so is your relationship with your significant other.
Here's how to make sure the two go hand-in-hand.
Forever
10. Study: Yo-yo weight loss harms immune system
A new study has found that "yo-yo dieting" -- repeatedly losing, then regaining
weight -- may harm a woman's immune system
11. Running Through Menopause
As life transitions go, menopause is one of the toughest. Here's some advice to
help you through it
12. Triathlon and Belly Dance: A Good Fit?
13. From Runner's World
14. Raise your rate
New studies back the CDC's advice: 30 minutes a day of cardiovascular exercise
will reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke,
diabetes and more.
15. Workout myths plentiful but often easy to rebuke
Common sense often dictates what method will be most effective.
16. NBC Olympic Profile - Hicham El Guerrouj
17. Cycling with the moon and stars
The latest spin class comes with a new-age twist.
18. Can Caffeine Prevent Liver Damage?
Study finds coffee, soda drinkers are less prone.
19. Meet the New Boss:
Think a running coach would laugh you off the track for being too slow? Nope.
Finding a coach may be the best thing you can do for
your running in 2004.
20. Iron deficiency in runners
21. Research: Brain genes start to slow at 40
Scientists say they've found a "genetic signature" of aging in the human brain
-- changes in key genes that may be linked to
deteriorating mental function as we get older.
22. Research: Pregnant Women May Exercise
23. What's harder: running a marathon or doing a triathlon?
24. Grub, sweat & fears: Hydration strategies for cyclists
25. News Scan


Runner's Web Weekly Poll:
This week's poll is: "What is your favourite sport of the summer Olympics?"

Cast your vote at: http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html
Post your views in our Forum at:
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The previous poll was: "How will you follow the Athens Olympics this summer?"
The results at publication time were:
Answers Votes Percent
1. In person, at the Games 5 6%
2. Television 20 25%
3. Print Media 3 4%
4. Internet 8 10%
5. Combination of above 42 53%
6. No interest 1 1%
Total Votes: 79

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Five Star Site of the Week: CBC Sports - Athens 2004.
This is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Athens Olympics coverage site.
It contains a headlines portion of news stories, a viewpoint, history and
digital archives section and an "Ask the Coach" (Lance
Watson) section and features on Canadian athletes. It is certainly worth a look.
Check out the site at:
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics
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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Book of the Week: Advanced Marathoning.
By Peter Pfitzinger, Scott Douglas.
Foreword: Bill Rodgers
Want to run a faster marathon? Commitment and hard work are essential but you
also need to train smarter to run faster. Advanced
Marathoning contains all the information you’ll need to run faster, peak for
multiple marathons without injury, and meet your
marathon goal—whether it’s running a personal best, qualifying for the Boston
Marathon or winning your age division.
Extensive, day-to-day training schedules are targeted to your weekly mileage and
length of training program (12, 18, or 24 weeks).
These training schedules will have you racing at peak speed, whether you’re
targeting one race or several during the season.
The more you know about why and how the plan works, the more motivated you’ll be
to stick with the workouts. You’ll also be better
able to assess your progress as you get closer to the big race. You’ll learn the
scientific principles behind what makes you a
faster marathoner and which workouts you need to improve.
Buy the Book at Human Kinetics at:
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?associate=880&isbn=0736034\
315

More books from Amazon at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/amazon.html
and Human Kinetics at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/human_kinetics.html

This Weeks News:

Articles:

1. Race day strategy:
Your marathon preparation occurs over several months. You plan meticulously and
train diligently so that you are in peak condition.
To do your best, you also need to have a plan for the marathon itself that
anticipates the details--warm up, pacing, first miles,
first half, the final six miles and 385 yards. Having a plan will help you get
the most out of your long months of training so that
you can finish exhausted but satisfied.
Warming Up
The purpose of a warm-up is to prepare your body to run at race pace. Beginners,
whose goal is to finish, can warm up during the
first couple of miles of the race. However, if you are a more competitive
marathoner, you will attempt to run the marathon faster
than your normal training pace and need to find an optimal warm up that
activates your aerobic system while sparing as much glycogen
as possible for the race itself. Plan to warm up with two five-minute runs with
some stretching in between. Start warming up about
30 to 40 minutes before the start of the race. Start your first warm up run
slowly, and gradually increase your pace so that you
finish at about one minute per mile slower than marathon race pace. Next stretch
for about 10 minutes including your upper body.
Follow that with another five minutes of running, this time gradually picking up
the pace until you reach marathon pace for the
final 30 seconds or so. Then stretch again. Try to time your warm-up so that you
finish no more than 10 minutes be fore the race
starts.
Your Pacing Strategy
Assuming that you have a time goal for the marathon, and have trained
accordingly, a pacing strategy will help you achieve your
goal. The basics of marathon physiology indicate that the best strategy for the
marathon is relatively even pacing. If you run much
faster than your overall race pace for part of the race, then you'll use more
glycogen than necessary and will likely start to
accumulate lactate. If you run much slower than your overall race pace for part
of the race, then you'll need to make up for this
lapse by running faster than the most efficient pace for another portion of the
race. The optimal pacing strategy, then, is to run
nearly even splits, taking into account the idiosyncrasies of the course you'll
be running.
However, your running economy will tend to decrease slightly during the race,
meaning that your lactate threshold pace will decrease
slightly as well. The result is that your optimal pace will be slightly slower
during the latter stages of the marathon. A more
efficient pacing strategy is to think of the race in two halves, and allow
yourself to slow by two to three percent during the
second half.
More...from Running and FitNews at:
http://articles.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NHF/is_8_20/ai_93210596


2. Do athletes need more vitamins and minerals?
Several surveys on nutritional intake of athletes show that most male athletes
appear to be meeting the RDAs for nutrients and
energy.
Athletes usually consume more food in order to meet their energy demands, which
at the same time leads to a higher intake of
vitamins and minerals. However, iron, zinc, calcium and some of the B-vitamins
(folic acid, B6, riboflavin) may need to be checked
in female athletes, and B12 in strict vegetarians.
Athletes that are on very restrictive diets (e.g. fad diets, strict vegetarian
diets, fussy eaters, weight loss diets), or those who
have an underlying absorption problem (which needs to be identified and
corrected), or athletes that have an eating disorder are at
risk of developing nutrient deficiencies.
Additionally, very high carbohydrate diets which are also high in fibre, can
decrease the absorption of iron, zinc and calcium from
food. If you suspect that you fall under one of these risk groups, then you
should consider having your diet analysed by a
dietician, who can then make recommendations for optimal food choices and/or
vitamin and mineral supplements and dosages required.
What does RDA mean:
The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowances) is a general guide to the amount of
vitamins and minerals that the average healthy person
should consume per day to prevent nutrient deficiencies. When buying a
supplement, the amount of vitamins/minerals it contains are
usually given as a percentage of the RDA.
However, many athletes do not fit within the range of "average" population
standards on which the RDA's are based. Individual
requirements are unique and vary according to increased physical activity,
lifestyle, larger body mass, individual food preference
etc., and can only be determined by individualised dietary assessment.
Who should be supplementing?
Young children with poor appetite, women of child-bearing age, pregnant or
lactating women, smokers and the elderly have been
identified as people being at risk for nutrient deficiencies.
More...from World of Endurance at:
http://worldofendurance.com/triathlon/training_column.asp?a_id=16079&st_name=Ach\
ievingPersonalBest


3. The Skinny on Phytochemicals Why you need them and the tastiest ways to get
them!
For as long as most of us can remember, we’ve been told to eat our vegetables.
And while we all know fruits and veggies contain high
doses of vitamins and minerals, they’re also rich in super-nutritious
phytochemicals, which bolster the immune system and
dramatically reduce the risk of life-threatening disease.
You may have heard of lycopene, isoflavones and flavinoids, all of which
are phytochemicals. Photochemical is a general term
used to describe more than 1,000 naturally occurring compounds in plants. Plants
produce these compounds to protect themselves from
fungi, bacteria and disease, and when we eat them, we, too, receive a protective
benefit.
Phytochemicals are usually present in plant pigments, so fruits and
vegetables with bright colors (yellow, orange, red, blue,
purple and green) contain the most. To protect your health and prevent disease,
choose five to nine servings of colorful fruits and
vegetables every day. Here’s a look at some of the best:
More...from HerSport at:
http://hersports.com/eNewsletter/newsLtr8/news8Article1.html


4. 'Eat carbs' is coaches' mantra:
Lots of people are swearing by (or swearing at) their low-carb diets. But
carbohydrates are the cornerstone of an athlete's diet
and, for many, represent yet another reason to be active.
In the days before a race or an event, competitors get to carbohydrate load -
that is, scarf down copious quantities of starchy
foods. Research, including a study from Mayo Foundation for Medical Education
and Research, shows that carbohydrates can boost an
athlete's performance with power energy to get them through a marathon or a
three-hour soccer game.
In fact, carbo-loading before the big day is such the mantra, especially for
long-distance runners, that many events sponsor pasta
dinners the night before the race.
Carbs, not protein, are the fuel the body prefers because they're easily
digested and quickly convert to glucose, which is accessed
immediately for energy or stored in muscles as glycogen for ongoing energy
delivery, says Albany, N.Y., dietitian Jennifer Nardone.
More...from the Albany Times-Union at:
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0&u_pg=1642&u_sid=1113146


5. Running Up the Years - Joe Henderson's Running Commentary:
Running Long, my next book due out this fall from Barnes & Noble, comes with a
subtitle: What a Half-Century on the Run Has Taught.
It's a stretch to claim 50 years of running. My first timed mile did come in
1954, but the sport didn't settle in to stay with me
for another five years after that.
These years, whatever their accurate count, are on my mind now for several
reasons. It's anniversary time for the first seasons, I
was back in Iowa where they happened and at the same time of year, and I'm
giving a talk in June with the "what the years taught"
title.
The book that the talk summarizes is a practical memoir. Memoirs are personal
stories, and mine have value to other runners only if
they can take away lessons from this reading.
Evolution as a runner typically passes through three stages: running for
fitness, running for competition and running for life. Each
part of the Running Long book looks into one of these stages. I introduce the
first of those below, and the others in later columns.
More...from Joe Henderson at:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/447.html


6. Running For My Life Never Felt So Good…- A Non-Runner’s Distance Race Story:
There was a time in my life – not so long ago, in fact – where I felt that the
act of willingly running any appreciable distance was
best reserved for times of emergency. Perhaps I would have briefly considered
engaging in a brisk jog if ever faced with the
prospect of being chased by a maniac wielding a buzzing chainsaw.
When Coach told me years ago to run during soccer or baseball practice, I always
ran… then again, falling in line with my theory and
disdain for running, I came to believe that there’s such thing as running for
the joy of running, and then there’s running because a
gigantic man with a heavy clipboard told you to.
Now, fast forward to present day… I wake up one miserable April morning, which
here in Cincinnati loosely translates to cold, rainy
and windy, only to realize that I have gained 25 pounds in the past three months
and that I haven’t seen the light of a gymnasium
since February. As I pursue a second college degree to prepare for my new
profession in respiratory medicine, spare time is scarce
at best. Between working second shift at the hospital, weekly clinical
commitments and a grueling full-time course load, it’s no
wonder my diet retreated to the gutter and my workout regime disintegrated to
dust.
More...from Transition Times at:
http://www.transitiontimes.com/viewstory.cfm?ID=4808


7. Medical Corner - Achilles Tendon Scar Tissue:
Q: How do you get rid of scar tissue on an Achilles tendon? Are there special
training modalities that would work like electrical
stimulation?
A: Scar tissue in the Achilles tendon can be a difficult problem. It can develop
in response to a partial tear of the tendon. Even
more common in runners, repeated microtrauma causes inflammation and a painful
lump develops in the tendon.
If there is a partial tear (or complete tear which is treated non-surgically),
the leg is immobilized for an extended period of
time; scar tissue develops in the tendon. Following immobilization, therapy is
initiated to improve flexibility and strength. The
scar tissue will persist, similar to a scar on your skin, but overall strength
and flexibility of the tendon can be improved.
The painful lump that can develop in the tendon results from chronic
inflammation. This may resolve with treatment, though the lump
may be chronic. Again, flexibility and strength improvements will help decrease
symptoms.
Modalities, such as ultrasound and electric stimulation may be helpful in
decreasing pain, but will not eliminate scar tissue. Deep
tissue massage may help loosen up (stretch) scar tissue. Scar tissue that is
painful and persistent despite treatment
(immobilization, heel lifts, ice, physical therapy) may be surgically removed.
Hopefully, the scar tissue which results from the
surgery is not painful. Therapy is extremely important following surgery.
--Cathy Fieseler, MD
From Running Times.com


8. Busting the Blahs: What To Do When The Training Blahs Come!
One tool I’ve used successfully is the three A’s. Acceptance, Analysis, and
Action.
The Blahs. If it has happened already, maybe more than once, you know how
frustrating it can be. Reading the forums on this site, it
is clear there are lots of folks that have experienced it. If it hasn’t happened
yet, it will!
The blahs. Sometimes the blahs sneak up on you — slithering their slimy little
way into your happy training routine. Other times
they come on like a tornado. Things have been humming right along and then one
day out of nowhere they jump on you like a crow on a
June bug. However it happens, it stinks. A bad case of the blahs rips the energy
out of your spirit. I encountered this “blah” stuff
just as it was time to get serious with the first event of my tri season. If my
wife had walked in during the worst of it and said,
“Honey, did you hear that they just blew up the entire world?” My answer would
have been something like, “Yeah… well… maybe they’ll
find another one… no big deal.” That's scary stuff for me. I know too well the
guy who used to live in me. That old couch potato guy
with the pizza, beer, and remote is hiding in the weeds waiting to pounce in a
weak moment.
So what do you do when the blahs show up? One tool I’ve used successfully is the
three A’s.
Acceptance, Analysis, and Action
More...from Beginner Triathlete at:
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/Malvey/busting_the_blahs.htm



9. Can You Relate?
Running's important, but so is your relationship with your significant other.
Here's how to make sure the two go hand-in-hand.
Forever
This particular couple is well matched and happy together, but isn't very well
matched in running. He's fast--really fast. And she's
been slowing down ever since she had a baby. Still, they do what they can to
share at least part of their running together. They
like to drive to a trailhead and stretch together before heading off on their
own run. Sometimes they'll run the first mile with
each other. And they alternate days pushing the running stroller.
But like any married couple, they have their problems. She grouses about his
dozens of running shoes and tons of T-shirts taking up
precious closet space. Their coaching agreement lasted all of one day, after
which she decided she didn't want to start every run by
being told what to do and how to do it.
Fortunately, there's a lot more good than bad in this running marriage. Really.
I know, because I'm talking about my marriage to
former (sorry, Honey) 10,000-meter world record holder Arturo Barrios.
More...from the Reebok Runner at:
http://www.reebokrunner.com/features/canyourelate.html


10. Study: Yo-yo weight loss harms immune system:
A new study has found that "yo-yo dieting" -- repeatedly losing, then regaining
weight -- may harm a woman's immune system
The study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center also found that
maintaining the same weight over time appears to have a
positive effect on a woman's immune system, according to one of the lead
researchers.
Researchers in the study, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American
Dietetic Association, interviewed 114 overweight but
otherwise healthy sedentary, older women about their weight-loss history during
the past 20 years. The women had to have maintained
a stable weight for at least three months before joining the study, which was
funded by the National Cancer Institute.
The study, which found that long-term immune function decreases in proportion to
how many times a woman has intentionally lost
weight, measured natural killer cell activity in the women's blood. Natural
killer cells are an essential part of the immune system,
killing viruses and leukemia cells, said Cornelia Ulrich, senior author and an
assistant member of the Hutchinson Center's Public
Health Sciences Division.
More...from CNN at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/diet.fitness/06/02/diet.immunity.ap/index.html


11. Running Through Menopause:
As life transitions go, menopause is one of the toughest. Here's some advice to
help you through it .
When longtime runner Jennifer Aviles "entered midlife"--the popular euphemism
for menopause--something happened to her running.
"I ran out of steam," recalls Aviles, 53, of Tucson, whose menopause began when
she was 46. "I lost my energy and started getting
annoying aches and pains, especially in my lower back. I also started getting
some tingling in my lower legs and ankles.
"Within six months, I went from being able to run for hours--and run a
half-marathon at 7:30 pace--to not being able to run faster
than 9-minute miles," Aviles says. "It was almost scary."
She underwent a complete physical--where she received a clean bill of
health--but she continues to mourn the loss of the runner she
once was.
"I went from being able to run for hours to not being able to run faster than
9-minute miles."
More...from Runner's World at:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,5033,s6-51-0-0-682,00.html


12. Triathlon and Belly Dance: A Good Fit?
Ever want to incorporate something else totally different into your triathlon
training? Something you can carry over into the off
season? There are many various activities that one may consider such as yoga,
pilates, kickboxing or many other endless choices. One
that may not leap immediately to mind might be belly dance.
There are many benefits to this ancient art form that would fit right into
triathlon. For one, the movements are very gentle and
fluid. You will use muscles that you didn’t know you had, especially with the
belly rolls! The dance involves quite a bit of
stretching which is great a day or so after a major race or workout. Since it
doesn’t have any impact on your joints, the injury
factor is pretty small. The movements will stretch your body and work the
soreness right out of you. Second, it is a wonderful
confidence booster. What it can do for your self image will amaze you! Hint:
this helps you when you are wearing all that spandex,
bouncing all around for the world to see!
More...from Tri-Newbies Online at:
http://www.trinewbies.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=103


13. From Runner's World:
*Good hydration during exercise is important, but some people avoid drinking
before and during exercise for fear that they will get
a "stitch" or "side-ache," otherwise known as exercise-related transient
abdominal pain (ETAP). To avoid ETAP, runners should avoid
drinking reconstituted fruit juice and other liquids with similar carbohydrate
content.

*Get good advice: "If and when you get injured, everyone's going to have an
opinion on what you should do. Don't get me wrong;
experienced runners often know some great "home remedies." But your best bet is
to see an expert. Preferably, this person should
have experience with runners. A perceptive diagnosis can put you on the fast
track to recovery." -Jeff Galloway

*Go for the mustache. You know calcium is key for bones-and probably fights
colon cancer, high blood pressure, and PMS misery as
well. You need 1,000 mg a day if you're 50 or younger. Over 50? You need at
least 1,200 mg a day, and some experts recommend as much
as 1,500.

*Too busy to run? "Be sure to fit in one high-quality workout every single week.
(To run well, as you want to do, you must regularly
do quality training, whether that's intervals, hill repeats, tempo running, or
some other high-intensity session.) See how your
workweek shakes out, monitor how you're feeling, then strike on the day that
seems best. The rest of the week run easy, making sure
to vary the distances and routes." -Adam Bean, RW international editorial
director

*"The harder you train, the more important it is to listen to your body and make
the necessary changes. Your body talks to you all
the time, but you don't always pay attention. Try to recognize the difference
between niggling soreness and pain. Do the same with
the general tiredness from a busy schedule versus the exhaustion that signals
overtraining."-The Complete Book of Women's Running by
Dagny Scott


14. Raise your rate
New studies back the CDC's advice: 30 minutes a day of cardiovascular exercise
will reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke,
diabetes and more.
So you're determined to exercise but you can't possibly do it all — the strength
training with weights, the yoga for flexibility,
the brisk walking, running, swimming for cardiovascular fitness. What's most
important?
Simple: The aerobic, cardiovascular stuff. In other words, getting your heart
rate up. This doesn't mean strength training is not
important — it is, for building muscle mass and stronger bones. Stretching and
flexibility are important too.
But if you have to choose, do the exercise that has been shown overwhelmingly to
prolong life and reduce chronic disease.
Several epidemiological studies show that 30 minutes a day of moderately intense
physical activity is enough to significantly reduce
the risk of many diseases, including heart disease, hypertension, stroke,
diabetes, certain cancers and hip fractures, said Dr.
I-Min Lee, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-aerobic7jun07,1,14117.colum\
n?coll=la-health-fitness-news


15. Workout myths plentiful but often easy to rebuke:
Common sense often dictates what method will be most effective.
Although some old fitness fictions such as "no pain, no gain" and "spot
reducing" are fading, some popular exercise misconceptions
still exist.
Here are some of the most common myths, as well as some not-so-common facts
based on current exercise research provided by the IDEA
Health and Fitness Association.
• You will burn more fat if you exercise longer at a lower intensity. The most
important focus in exercise and fat weight control is
not the percentage of exercise energy coming from fat but the total cost, or how
many calories are burned during the activity.
The faster you walk, step or run, for example, the more calories you use per
minute. However, high-intensity exercise is difficult
if you are just beginning or returning to exercise, so you may not exercise very
long at this level.
It is safer, and more practical, to start out at a lower intensity and work your
way up gradually.
• If you're not going to work out hard and often, exercise is a waste of time.
This kind of thinking keeps a lot of people from
maintaining or even starting an exercise program.
Research continues to show that any exercise is better than none. For example,
regular walking or gardening for as little as an hour
a week has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.
More...from the Bellingham Herald at:
http://news.bellinghamherald.com/stories/20040607/Sports/192863.shtml


16. NBC Olympic Profile - Hicham El Guerrouj:
Country Morocco
Sport Track & Field
Event(s) 1500m
Birthdate September 14, 1974
Birthplace Berkane, Morocco
Height 5'11" / 180 cm
Weight 134 lbs / 60.8 kgs
Residence Rabat, Morocco
Herculean double
One of the greatest middle distance runners of all time, Hicham El Guerrouj has
won everything there is to win in track and field
except an Olympic gold medal. In Athens, El Guerrouj will not only try to end
his Olympic disappointment, but attempt a Herculean
double no one has done in 80 years -- winning the 1500m and 5000m at the same
Games.
More...from NBC at:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletebios/5015086/detail.html


17. Cycling with the moon and stars:
The latest spin class comes with a new-age twist.
The universe is in unrest. Mercury, the planet of speed, is in retrograde. Mars
(physical energy) and Jupiter (growth) are a little
too close for comfort in the sky. To make matters worse, we're just coming off
of a full moon.
But that's not stopping Darryl Gaines, instructor of Astro Rev, a fitness class
recently introduced here at the Sports Club/LA, just
a block over from famed Rodeo Drive. He takes all that confusion in the cosmos
and channels it into a workout that combines
astrology with indoor group cycling.
"What we're doing is taking all that fast, restless energy that is outside and
we're getting rid of it -- right here!" he shouts
during class last Wednesday evening.
What that means for the couple dozen men and women taking the class in a
darkened studio is a heart-pumping, thigh-burning 50
minutes on the stationary bike with lots of sprints and a faster-than-usual
overall pace.
"It really is all about speed tonight," says Gaines. "No bump in the road will
stop us!"
The club's fitness schedule says Astro Rev is "intended to align your movement
with the movements of the solar system" and offers
"the workout the universe intended you to have!"
More...from MSNBC at:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4694713/


18. Can Caffeine Prevent Liver Damage?
Study finds coffee, soda drinkers are less prone.
If you are at risk for liver disease, drinking caffeinated coffee and soda may
help protect you from getting it, a new study shows.
According to research presented at the Digestive Disease Week meeting in New
Orleans, a researcher from the National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases found people at high risk for liver
problems can reduce their risk by drinking coffee and
other caffeinated beverages.
There have been other studies that have shown this effect from caffeine, said
lead researcher Dr. James E. Everhart. However, why
caffeine protects against liver disease is not known.
More...from HealthScout at:
http://www.healthscout.com/news/1/519057/main.html


19. Meet the New Boss:
Think a running coach would laugh you off the track for being too slow? Nope.
Finding a coach may be the best thing you can do for
your running in 2004.
Even if your running is going well, you're undoubtedly curious if there might be
something out there--a training method, a shoe, a
pill (legal, of course), anything at all--that can take you to the next level.
Well, there is: It's called a coach.
Before you object, you first must toss aside the stereotype of the crusty
old-timer with the stopwatch who barks orders and never
cracks a smile. If that's your perception, you've been watching too many cheesy
sports movies. Coaches of adult runners tend to be
patient and knowledgeable, and they spend their time explaining rather than
yelling.
Objection No. 2 to discard: that you're not good enough to have a coach in the
first place. Wrong. No matter your ability level, you
will improve under a coach's tutelage. Very few people have all the answers when
it comes to running. The rest of us need some
expert help.
So regardless of your age, ability, or aspirations, there's a coach out there
for you. He or she may be overseeing workouts at the
local track, or in the case of an online coach, may live across the country. The
best way to find one who's informed, attentive, and
enthusiastic is to ask running friends or running-store clerks for a
recommendation. The best way to decide what type of coach is
best for you is to keep reading. We offer four.
More...from Runner's World at:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,5033,s6-51-0-0-6036,00.html


20. Iron deficiency in runners:
Brian Moore explains the use of blood tests and answers the question 'Are an
athlete's red blood cells different from those of a
sedentary person?'
Brian Moore is currently haematologically profiling many of the world's elite
distance athletes and he is a global collaborator in
the Australian Institute of Sport EPO 2001 projects.
Heart rates and lactate thresholds are two factors that govern many training
regimes. Training schedules will have specific phases
dedicated to building aerobic bases. However, the primary determinant of each of
these factors is often overlooked - the red blood
cell.
http://www.timeoutdoors.com/run/health/4RUNBXM01061501E.htm
This article looks specifically at the differences between a nominal iron
deficiency '(sports anaemia' or 'athletic pseudoanemia')
and full-blown anaemia.
http://www.timeoutdoors.com/run/health/4RUNBXM01083001E.htm
Who is at risk from iron deficiency, and how can you deal with it? This article
looks at the measures of iron deficiency,
supplements and how to reverse the anaemic trend.
http://www.timeoutdoors.com/run/health/4RUNBXM01080601E.htm


21. Research: Brain genes start to slow at 40:
Scientists say they've found a "genetic signature" of aging in the human brain
-- changes in key genes that may be linked to
deteriorating mental function as we get older.
The study suggests that some genes start working less hard soon after age 40, at
least in some people.
The results don't prove that such changes cause mental decline. But other
scientists said they offer important insight into how the
brain changes with age.
In the study, the researchers from The Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical
School analyzed brain tissue from 30 deceased people
ranging in age from 26 to 106, looking at some 11,000 genes.
After age 40, they found, about 400 genes showed significant changes in how hard
they had been working while the person was alive to
instruct cells to make certain proteins. Many of those genes were damaged and
could not function properly.
Slightly less than half of the 400 or so genes -- including those involved in
learning, memory and communication between brain
cells -- were found to be functioning at a lower level, perhaps because of some
kind of damage, the researchers found.
The remaining genes were found to be working harder after age 40. They included
genes involved in DNA repair, antioxidant defense
and stress and inflammatory responses.
More...from CNN at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/06/09/brain.aging.ap/index.html


22. Research: Pregnant Women May Exercise:
The last thing Rachel Pisciotta wanted was to be a couch potato during her
pregnancy. So with her doctor's support, the three-time
marathon runner tweaked her workout routine to accommodate her growing belly.
Pisciotta scaled back on her running to avoid overheating, but managed to
compete in two 5K races during the first trimester. When
the jerky motions of running were too uncomfortable, she switched to brisk
walking during the last three months. She also did weight
training and exercised on an elliptical trainer.
Not so long ago, many doctors took a conservative approach on recommending
physical activity for expectant mothers. There were fears
about the unknown effects of exercise and concern that overexertion might cause
a miscarriage or harm the fetus.
In the late 1980s, new research forced the medical community to rethink old
notions. Scientists found that active pregnant women
often had trouble-free pregnancies and did not increase their or their baby's
risk for health problems. Some studies even found that
women who exercised regularly endured labor better, although exercise did not
shorten the time spent in labor.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/ats-ap_health14jun09,1,11099\
14.story?coll=sns-ap-tophealth


23. What's harder: running a marathon or doing a triathlon?
Ask the Coach - Lance Watson.
Well, if you put Simon Whitfield on the start line of a marathon and put Bruce
Deacon on the pontoon of a World Cup triathlon, I
would wager that Simon would finish the single sport competition more easily
than Bruce. Bruce, through sheer effort and
determination might finish a triathlon but would have a challenge just getting
to the first buoy in the swim leg.
Whitfield, who regularly races the Olympic distance triathlon in just under two
hours, could use his running ability to complete the
marathon, although he might well be bored and sore by the end.
Deacon, who is also an aerobic machine and incredibly efficient, considering he
can run 42 kilometres in just over two hours, would
have to learn new skills
More...from the CBC at:
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/athletes/ask/lance_watson/


24. Grub, sweat & fears: Hydration strategies for cyclists:
As summer rolls along many cyclists increase the length of their long rides and
ride more weekly miles, compared to winter and
spring seasons.
Summer brings increasing miles and increasing temperatures. Long, hot rides can
cause problems if you don't adjust your fueling and
hydration strategies.
The strategy that worked for you in the winter and spring on a three-hour ride
in 40-degree weather will likely not work for a
five-hour ride in 80- to 90-degree heat.
It seems that many athletes can make nutrition and hydration mistakes, and get
away with them, for rides that are under three hours
long. When rides increase over three hours, fueling and hydration habits become
more critical.
In trying to figure out your personal fueling and hydration strategy for any
length of ride, know that several factors complicate
the solution.
Some of the complicating factors include intensity of the ride, the length of
the ride, the past few weeks of training, current
fitness level, current level of rest and recovery, fueling on and off the bike,
hydration levels before and during the ride,
electrolyte losses and replacement, heat acclimatization, plus other issues or
combination of issues.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=10767&sidebar=21&category=cycling


25. News Scan:
*A Pain in the Butt - Dr. Gabe Mirkin's E-Zine
If it hurts to touch a point that's at hip height in the middle of one side of
your buttocks, you may have piriformis syndrome. The
sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It starts on the lower part of
your spine, passes through a hole between the
piriformis muscle and several other muscles, and goes down the back of your leg
to your heel. When you run, the piriformis muscle
contracts and squeezes the sciatic nerve. Repeatedly squeezing and relaxing the
piriformis muscle can damage the sciatic nerve and
cause pain. Your doctor will be able to make an
accurate diagnosis by injecting a mixture of xylocaine and corticosteroid drugs
directly into the piriformis muscle where it passes
over the sciatic nerve. If the pain disappears, you have piriformis syndrome.
This injury is thought to be caused by an innate
tightness of the piriformis muscle or a structural abnormality in the path of
the sciatic nerve. It has not been traced to any
specific training errors.
Similar pain may be the result of an injury to bones, muscles, tendons, bursae
(pads between the tendons and bones), the hip joint
or the sciatic nerve, but there are ways to determine which condition you might
be suffering. If you feel most pain when you land
after hopping on one leg, you might have an injured hip joint or a stress
fracture in your pelvis or upper leg bones. An x-ray will
usually reveal a joint injury, but only a bone scan will reveal a stress
fracture. If you feel pain in your buttocks, particularly
when you touch your toes while keeping your knees straight, you might have a
tear in the large muscles or tendons that run down the
back of your hips. If you feel pain when you touch a spot
that's either on the lowest point of your pelvis (the part that touches a chair
when you sit) or at the top of your femur (thigh),
you might have injured your bursae (bursitis) or torn the tendons that are
attached to bones at these sites. If your back hurts,
particularly when you bend backwards, and the pain goes down the back of your
leg to below your knees, your sciatic nerve is
probably being pinched in your back.
Piriformis syndrome won't ease until you stop running, cycling, or any other
activity that caused it. Don't start again until you
can do your sport without feeling pain in your buttocks. If it hurts to touch,
it hasn't healed. You probably shouldn't do any
exercise that causes you to bend at the hip while keeping your knees straight,
because this will stretch the sciatic nerve. You
might be able to swim, if it isn't painful. Medication doesn't usually alleviate
the pain, and even if it does, the pain will return
as soon as you stop taking it. When the pain is gone you can resume your
regular exercise program, but be aware that this injury
tends to recur.

*Battling exercise "burnout." All Miavita Fitness Tips
To keep your enthusiasm up, it may pay to put a few exercises down for a while.
Changing your exercise program every couple of
months may help beat boredom. Besides, after a while, your body adapts to the
exercise stressors your current program had
introduced, and craves new challenges




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

June 12, 2004:
Alaska Run for Women - Anchorage , AK
http://akrfw.org/

Circle of Friends New York Mini 10K - New York, NY
http://www.nyrrc.org/race/2004/mini/index.php

Steamboat Classic - Peoria, IL
http://www.steamboatclassic.org/

Tongyeong ITU World Cup - Japan
http://www.tritongyeong.org/
ITU Site
http://www.triathlon.org/world-cup/wcup2004/tongyeong-2004/index.htm

June 13, 2004:
Bellingham ITU International Triathlon - WA
http://www.trithecookie.com/
ITU Site
http://www.triathlon.org/international/int-2004/bellingham-2004/index.htm

Edinburgh Marathon - Scotland
http://www.edinburgh-marathon.co.uk/uk/

Royal Windsor Triathlon - Berkshire, England
http://www.humanrace.co.uk/windsor/

June 18, 2004:
Cambridge Classic Mile - ON
http://www.runforlife.ca/ClassicMile.html

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 at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html

This Weeks Personal Postings/Releases:

We have NO personal postings this week.

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

Check out our Runner's Web Television Links page at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_television.html

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Have a good week of training and/or racing.

Ken Parker
Runner's Web
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