Runner's Web Digest - July 16, 2004

The Original Runner's and Triathlete's Web was founded in January of 1997 as a
not-for-profit resource site. RunnersWeb.com Inc. is
now a small business venture which sponsors the OAC Racing Team, a women's road
racing and triathlon club, and the OAC Gatineau
Triathlon and OAC Corporate Relay. The site is not in any way associated with
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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

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Lloyd's of London Platinum credit card
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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:
http://hop.clickbank.net/?rhianyth/eltomaja

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

James Raia's Endurance Sports News will be on hiatus until Aug. 1, 2004. He'll
be back then with the 100th issue special edition.
In the meantime, if you're not a subscriber to Tour de France Times, please
consider signing up for its daily publication from
Belgium and France during the Tour de France, July 3-25.
Tour de France Times, which is also free, will cover the three-week event, Lance
Armstrong's attempt at a record sixth consecutive
victory, and all the pertinent sights and sounds as the race progresses from
Liege, Belgium, to Paris, France.
Please visit James's web site: www.byjamesraia.com to subscribe.

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New This Week:

Check out our Tour de France links page at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_tdf2004.html.

Our latest column from Carmichael Training Systems
Cycling Secrets for Women: Not All Bikes are Created Equal – Here’s what you
should know, written by Kathy Zawadzki, CTS Certified
Coach,
is available at: http://www.runnersweb.com/runing/cts_columns.html.

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


This Week's Digest Article Index:

1. Tortured road to destiny
His tale is legendary, but it almost didn't happen. Twice, Billy Mills pondered
suicide. Here's his story.
2. Fat Burning and Exercise
3. Triathletes: Developing force on the bike
4. Staying On Target
How to meet your athletic goals in 10 easy steps!
5. The ancient Olympic Games
6. Shouting Softly
Joe Henderson's Running Commentary..
7. From Runner's World
8. Don't let incorrect exercise technique damage your back
9. Exercise, drink and be wary, not all sports beverages equal
10. Americans Abandoning Low-Carb Diets -Survey
11. Making it easier to work out at work
Companies looking to cut healthcare costs are adding fitness programs to keep
employees active and healthy.
12. 'Superbug' Kin Infects Athletes, Kids
13. USDA looks to reshape food pyramid:
Most Americans are familiar with the federal Food Guide Pyramid -- but a lot of
people don't understand how to use it.
14. Head for the Hills
To race well on hills, you have to train on hills. Try these four great
workouts.
15.Berries, beans tops in antioxidants
16. Fastest Mile in the US
17. Vitamin and mineral supplements: Use with care
18. Pool-bound plyometrics help you get stronger with less pain
19. Action for Athens: Turn Up The Heat!
20. Carbohydrate loading: A safe way to boost endurance
21. Drink up to avoid dehydration
22. Running styles
23. Does red wine hold the secret to long life?
24. Double Your Fun
Couples Can Play Together -- If They Work at It.
25. News Scan


Runner's Web Weekly Poll:
This week's poll is: "Which is/are your primary sport(s)"

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
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The previous poll was: "If Lance Armstrong wins a sixth consecutive Tour de
France, should he try for a seventh?"
The results at publication time were:
Answers Votes Percent
1. Yes 38 53%
2. No 26 36%
3. No opinion, don't care 8 11%
Total Votes: 72

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: Tyler Hamilton Official Website.
One of the favourites in this year's Tour de France, Tyler is a former teammate
of Lance Armstrong on US Postal.
Check out the site at:
http://www.tylerhamilton.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.


If you feel you have something to say that is worthy of a Guest Column on the
Runner's Web, email us at
mailto:webmaster@... or leave your comments in one of our Forums at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/forum.html or from our FrontPage.

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

Book of the Week: Science of Sports Training: How to Plan and Control Training
for Peak Performance.
Kurz, author of Stretching Scientifically, presents a manual of East European
training principles to elite athletes of the West. His
nine chapters give an excellent overview of training for the development of
speed, strength, flexibility, psychological preparation,
recovery, and the testing and monitoring of skills. His text is logically
organized and well indexed. This unique title is
recommended for collections in physical education, coaching, and athletic
training.
Buy the book at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0940149109/runnersweb/102-0182896-9006569\
?v=glance&s=books
[Long URL]

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. Tortured road to destiny:
His tale is legendary, but it almost didn't happen. Twice, Billy Mills pondered
suicide. Here's his story.
His mom died when he was 7. His father passed away five years later, but not
before taking Billy Mills fishing and sharing with him
the secret to reaching your dreams.
The half-white, half-American Indian boy, at 8 full of sorrow from his mom's
death and anger from feeling he didn't fit in anywhere,
listened intently as his dad told him to look beyond his pain and find his
passion.
"He puts his arm around me, just hugs me, strokes my arm and says, 'I know you
have broken wings, but I'll share something with
you,' " Mills recalled. " 'If you follow it, someday you're going to have the
wings of an eagle.'
More...from Sacbee at:
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/trials/story/9992033p-10913441c.html


2. Fat Burning and Exercise:
It is well known that fat makes its greatest contribution as an energy source
during low to moderate intensity exercise. During
exercise at 40 to 60% of VO2Max, fat breakdown supplies about half of the energy
needs (1). This has led to recommendations that
individuals who want to burn more fat to lose weight should exercise at a lower
intensity.
The concept of "fat burning" versus "carbohydrate burning" exercises is a common
misconception shared by many aerobics instructors
and clients in the weight loss arena. They believe that individuals who want to
lose body fat should exercise at a lower intensity
since fat contributes more to the metabolic mixture. Unfortunately, this
assumption misses the point -- regular exercise is
beneficial for weight loss because it creates a prolonged caloric deficit.
The fuel being burned to create this caloric deficit (fat or carbohydrate) is
probably secondary. Currently, there is no research
suggesting that the selective use of fat as fuel will translate into greater fat
loss compared to an equal caloric deficit created
by "carbohydrate burning" exercise.
More...from TriFuel at:
http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/nutrition/000525.php


3. Triathletes: Developing force on the bike:
While you are designing your triathlon training plan, consider this mantra:
maintain your strengths while working on your
weaknesses.
This may sound simple, but it is rarely carried out since most people train in
the discipline they enjoy most, not the discipline
they need to work on most.
For this article, we will concentrate on how to improve your bike performance.
After endurance, the most fundamental fitness component for the triathlete to
develop on the bike is force. I use the motto "Hills
make you strong for the flats, but flats don't make you strong for the hills."
Force training on the bike is even more important if you are not lifting weights
throughout your base and build phases.
Force is the ability to overcome resistance, such as a rider applying power on
the pedals. If you develop force on the bike, you
will not only be a faster rider, you will also be able to ride longer and push
bigger gears.
Improving your force will make you a more powerful rider, thus a faster rider,
provided you do not lose leg speed. For example, if
you pedal at a cadence of 90 rpm with a 53x17 gear, then improve your force to
be able to push a 53x16 with the same cadence, your
speed will jump from 35.6 km/hour to 37.8 km/hour. That can be a lot of places
improved in an Olympic distance triathlon!
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=10592&sidebar=26&category=triathlon


4. Staying On Target:
How to meet your athletic goals in 10 easy steps!
By Dawna Stone
As an athlete, you’ve probably set a few goals: Run a marathon, learn how to
surf or summit a local peak. Setting goals gives us
something to shoot for and helps keep us motivated as we reach our successes.
But while most of us are good at identifying broad
goals, knowing how to achieve them is the real trick.
Following are 10 steps that will have you reaching new heights, and then setting
the bar even higher.
1) Put it in ink. Write your goals on a piece of paper and tape it to your
bathroom mirror, the refrigerator, your computer screen
or anywhere you’ll see it every day. Be specific, read them often, and allow
them to become part of your daily routine.
More...from HerSports at:
http://hersports.com/eNewsletter/newsLtr9/news9Article3.html


5. The ancient Olympic Games:
How did the Olympic Games get started? The ancient Olympic Games were primarily
a part of a religious festival in honor of Zeus, the
father of the Greek gods and goddesses. The festival and the games were held in
Olympia, a rural sanctuary site in the western
Peloponnesos. The Greeks that came to the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia shared
the same religious beliefs and spoke the same
language. The athletes were all male citizens of the city-states from every
corner of the Greek world, coming from as far away as
Iberia (Spain) in the west and the Black Sea (Turkey) in the east.
The sanctuary was named in antiquity after Mt. Olympus, the highest mountain in
mainland Greece. In Greek mythology, Mt. Olympus was
the home of the greatest of the Greek gods and goddesses.
The ancient Olympic Games began in the year 776 BC, when Koroibos, a cook from
the nearby city of Elis, won the stadion race, a foot
race 600 feet long. According to some literary traditions, this was the only
athletic event of the games for the first 13 Olympic
festivals or until 724 BC. Contrary evidence, both literary and archaeological,
suggests that the games may have existed at Olympia
much earlier than this date, perhaps as early as the 10th or 9th century BC. A
series of bronze tripods have been found at Olympia,
some of which may date to the 9th century BC, and it has been suggested that
these tripods may in fact be prizes for some of the
early events at Olympia.
From 776 BC, the Games were held in Olympia every four years for almost 12
centuries. Additional athletic events were gradually
added until, by the 5th century BC, the religious festival consisted of a
five-day program. The athletic events included: three foot
races (stadion, diaulos, and dolichos) as well as the pentathlon (five contests:
discus, javelin, long jump, wrestling, and foot
race), pugme (boxing), pale (wrestling), pankration, and the hoplitodromos.
Additional events, both equestrian and for humans, were
added throughout the course of the history of the Olympic Games. Equestrian
events, held in the hippodromos, were an important part
of the athletic program of the ancient Olympic Games and by the 5th century BC
included the tethrippon and the keles.
More...from Run the Planet at:
http://www.runtheplanet.com/pages/refer/articles/ancientolympics.php


6. Shouting Softly:
Joe Henderson's Running Commentary.
Bert Nelson, one of the sport's all-time great writers, penned one of the
greatest lines. The Track & Field News co-founder compared
race walking to "seeing who can whisper the loudest." Fast walkers fight the
natural urge to break into a run. Why else would that
sport need judges?
Slow running is equally odd for the opposite reason. It seems to go against the
whole purpose of running, which is to move swiftly.
The natural urge when slowing a run is to fall into a walk. Reversing the Nelson
line, running slowly is like seeing who can shout
the softest.
While acknowledging its quirk, I've long praised slow running. A better term for
it might be relaxed running at any speed.
I'm not opposed to going fast. Hundreds of times in races and thousands in
practice I've run as fast as possible. Many of my stories
lionize the athletes who go fastest of all.
What I'm against is a chronic, harried sense of urgency in all runs --
especially when this urge spills over into a headlong rush
through all of life. This is treating the clock as a constant enemy to be
subdued. It's trying to finish every 10-minute job in
five.
Meyer Friedman, M.D., coined the phrase "Type-A personality." He identified its
main symptom as "hurry sickness."
More...from Joe Henderson at:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/452.html


7. From Runner's World:
*To accurately determine your hydration needs, calculate your sweat rate by
weighing yourself before and after your runs. One pound
of body weight equals 16 ounces of water. Test yourself regularly so that you
can figure out your sweat rate in a variety of
climatic conditions.

*Successful injury recovery can be looked at as an opportunity. Use this time to
pursue other interests or to spend more time with
family and friends. And don't stop these pursuits once you're back on your feet.
Don't be reluctant to lean on friends. Talking with
others--especially those who have been through similar experiences--can give you
confidence that your down time can propel you to
better performances than before.


*Summer pickin's: A trip to a local farmer's market or roadside fruit stand is
sure to inspire you, so try to schedule one each
week. Remember that variety is the way to go--the more colors in your basket,
the more antioxidants you take in. Select firm fruit,
and allow ripening time on your kitchen counter for melons, peaches, apricots,
and plums. Berries and grapes should be refrigerated
and eaten within a few days.

*"It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness." -Seneca, Roman
playwright

*Running with a dog provides the best of both worlds-you get to run alone but
with a friend. A dog is both a faithful companion who
will go anywhere anytime and a loyal guardian who will discourage anyone from
harming you. The optimal running dog is medium-sized
with a bloodline bred for endurance. An easy rule of thumb: Hunting breeds make
the best runners. -Tish Hamilton, RW deputy editor

*"Initially, moving to a higher level of fitness means moving up a little on the
scale of perceived effort. Getting into better
cardiovascular condition means working those systems at a higher rate than rest
for some period of time. It means requiring your
entire body to do more than it's accustomed to doing, and doing it for a bit
longer that it wants." -From No Need for Speed by John
Bingham



8. Don't let incorrect exercise technique damage your back:
That's the warning of Mike Craven, owner of Mike's Olympic Gym in
Mechanicsville, Va., who's spent the last 21 years training people
on proper body alignment during exercise.
"There's so much misinformation and misinterpretation these days," Craven said.
He's worried that without more education, particularly for young people as they
start exercising, there will be more back problems.
"The education alone is what makes a person think before they do something," he
said.
Craven is passionate about his mission to educate people. He talks to school and
athletic groups whenever possible. As a
weightlifting trainer, he's constantly teaching lifters to strengthen their
trunks and maintain correct body positions to prevent
back problems.
Currently, he's working with Chesterfield County firefighters to reduce their
back injuries.
Craven points to three commonly used terms that aren't commonly understood:
"neutral back position," "abdominal compression" and
"stabilization."
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=10782&sidebar=17&category=activeusahome\
page


9. Exercise, drink and be wary, not all sports beverages equal:
Water used to be the beverage of choice for athletes. But ever since 1966, when
scientists from the University of Florida tested a
special formula on the school's football team, sports drinks have become
increasingly popular.
This original concoction of sugar, salt and water was appropriately named
Gatorade after the U of F Gators. During the past few
decades, however, sports drinks have come a long way with refinements in the
amounts of sugar and sodium and the addition of
minerals.
Today there are also products for low-carb followers who don't want to gulp
sugar along with their fluids. Low-carb sports drinks,
such as Powerade TXL and Ultima Replenisher, replace the sugar with non-caloric
sweeteners.
These low-carb versions are gaining popularity with marathoners who get their
carbohydrates from energy gels or bars during long
runs and want only the fluid and electrolytes from a sports drink.
More...from the Globe and Mail at:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040714/HBECK14/\
TPHealth/


10. Americans Abandoning Low-Carb Diets -Survey:
So much for the low-carbohydrate lifestyle.
More than half of all U.S. consumers that have tried following diets that eschew
carbs such as bread and sugar have given up, a
survey released on Wednesday found, and interest in the popular regimens appears
to have plateaued.
According to research firm InsightExpress, which conducted the survey online,
fewer than 10 percent of Americans are currently on
popular low-carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins, South Beach and The Zone.
In contrast, a survey conducted in December of last year by Opinion Dynamics
Corporation found that, at the time, 11 percent of
Americans were on low-carb diets.
The latest InsightExpress poll of 500 Americans also found that of survey
participants who were not following low-carb diets, fewer
than one in five would consider buying a low-carb product because they perceive
a diet low in carbs to be unhealthy.
That's unwelcome news for U.S. food companies such as H.J. Heinz Co. and General
Mills Inc. that have scrambled in the past year to
keep up with the low-carb trend by reformulating staples such as ketchup, cereal
and yogurt to reduce their carbohydrate content.
In fact, Legg Mason beverage analyst Mark Swartzberg said on Wednesday that
sales of mid-calorie colas recently introduced by both
PepsiCo Inc. and Coca-Cola Co. "are either slow builds or something closer to
dead on arrival."
In a research note, Swartzberg said the findings were based on feedback from 51
U.S. retailers who had devoted shelf space to Coke's
C2 and Pepsi's Pepsi Edge colas. The products, launched in June, were intended
to appeal to calorie- and carb-wary consumers,
reducing the sugar by adding Splenda, an alternative sweetener.
From Reuters. COM


11. Making it easier to work out at work:
Companies looking to cut healthcare costs are adding fitness programs to keep
employees active and healthy.
Lunchtime at Electronic Arts finds most employees doing what employees do —
heading for the cafeteria. But some take a slight detour
and head for the state-of-the-art 24-hour gym for a spin on an elliptical
trainer or to the outdoor field for a quick round of
soccer.
And then there are those who spend the noon hour at "fight club," battling each
other with fake swords.
Of course, unlike the employees at this video game company, not every business
has the inclination or the means to build a
well-stocked gym and devote pricey real estate to athletic programs. Nor does
every company encourage its workers to fashion swords
and shields out of Styrofoam and engage in mock combat, in the process getting
some much-needed cardiovascular exercise.
But many corporations are setting up fitness programs, in various permutations.
Others are contemplating such a move.
Some opt for partially or fully subsidized fitness centers (usually built and
run by another company) that occasionally rival
first-class health clubs. Others sponsor off-site gym memberships or Internet or
telephone fitness and wellness coaching. When
there's no room for a fitness center, some companies support walking and running
clubs or on-site Weight Watchers programs. And some
businesses even dangle a healthy carrot in front of employees in the form of
financial rewards — a discount on insurance premiums
for those who partake in health and fitness programs.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-bodywork12jul12,1,723535.st\
ory?coll=la-health-fitness-news


12. 'Superbug' Kin Infects Athletes, Kids:
A drug-resistant "superbug" found in hospitals has a close cousin that is
affecting athletes, prisoners and small children in
growing numbers across the United States, disease experts said yesterday.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA can become fatal if not
treated with the right antibiotics, said Daniel B.
Jernigan of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"MRSA is showing up in places it had never been seen before -- as a predominant
cause of skin disease among children in some regions
of the country, as clusters of abscesses among sports participants, as the most
common cause of skin infections among inmates in
some jails, and among military recruits and, rarely, as a severe and sometimes
fatal lung or bloodstream infection in previously
healthy people," Jernigan told reporters.
More...from the Washington Post at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50116-2004Jul14.html


13. USDA looks to reshape food pyramid:
Most Americans are familiar with the federal Food Guide Pyramid -- but a lot of
people don't understand how to use it.
Too many are confused by the recommendations and can't figure out how to
implement them. The proof, Agriculture Department officials
say, is that two out of three Americans are fat.
So, as officials develop new guidelines on healthy eating, they also are looking
for new ways to get out the message. Replacing the
familiar food pyramid, first published in 1992, may be among them.
Agriculture Department officials talked about the problem of the pyramid Monday
as they trolled for ideas about how to perk up the
nation's nutritional record.
Typical of the pyramid's shortcomings is that some people thought the graphic's
recommendation of 6 to 11 daily servings from the
grains group, such as bread, meant they could have anywhere from six to 11
servings. A slice of bread is a serving.
More...from the CNN at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/diet.fitness/07/13/food.pyramid.ap/index.html


14. Head for the Hills:
To race well on hills, you have to train on hills. Try these four great workouts
Boston has Heartbreak at mile 21. Bloomsday has Cemetery and Doomsday. The San
Blas Half-Marathon has The Strangler. Apparently,
just plain running isn't tough enough. So race directors, in their infinite
wisdom, have decided we need hills. Big ones. And if
they have sadistic-sounding names, so much the better.
Many upcoming spring races will be run on hilly courses. The question is: How
should you prepare? According to the principle of
training specificity, in order to improve a certain aspect of physical fitness,
you must train specifically for it. This means one
thing: If you want to turn those looming hills into nothing more than speed
bumps, you need to do some hill workouts.
Think of a hill workout as a running-specific weight workout. The exaggerated
knee lift, driving arms, and pronounced toe-off
necessary to run up hills strengthens you every bit as much as hitting the
weight room. Hill running also works the cardiovascular
system as your heart tries to keep pace with the increased energy required to
fight gravity. Consequently, hill workouts are very
taxing and should be done only once or twice a week.
I recommend four basic types of hill workouts. Each has its specific rewards.
1. Short Hills. My high school coach affectionately called these "meat
grinders." They are relatively short hills of 100 to 200
meters that you repeat multiple times. They can be tacked on the end of an easy
run or used as a complete workout. Because these
hills are short, you should run them at a fast pace--almost an all-out
effort--with a walk or slow jog back down the hill as a
recovery.
More...from Reebok Runner at:
http://www.reebokrunner.com/features/hills.html


15.Berries, beans tops in antioxidants:
If you're looking to get the biggest antioxidant boost for your bite, you might
want to pile more beans, berries, apples and cooked
artichokes on your plate. Maybe sprinkle on a few pecans for good measure.
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture have calculated the
antioxidant content of more than 100 common foods, including
vegetables, fresh and dried fruits, nuts, spices, breads, snacks, cereals and
baby foods.
Measured per serving, the 10 foods that pack the most antioxidants are small red
beans, wild blueberries, red kidney beans, pinto
beans, cultivated blueberries, cranberries, cooked artichoke hearts,
blackberries, prunes and raspberries.
Strawberries, Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples, pecans and sweet cherries
are next on the list.
The findings, published this month in the Journal of Agricultural and Food
Chemistry, suggest that many followers of low-carb diets,
who often avoid fruit, are likely shortchanging themselves of potential
nutritional benefits, said lead author Ronald L. Prior, a
chemist and nutritionist with the USDA's Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center in
Little Rock.
More...from the Pittsburgh Gazette at:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04181/338810.stm


16. Fastest Mile in the US:
21-year-old Alan Webb is the talk of Track and Field. During last month's
Prefontaine Classic, he ran the fastest Mile in the world
this year: At 3:50.85, it's the best time by an American on U.S. soil since
1998.
But this is not the first occasion where Alan has shined on the legendary
Hayward Field. Back in 2001, while a senior at South Lakes
in Reston, VA, he became the first high-school runner in more than 30 years to
achieve a sub-4-minute mile—also at the Prefontaine
Classic. That year, Alan's achievements included a national high school record
for the 1500m and both the indoor and outdoor mile.
But then, he suffered an injury that slowed him down for the following two
years. This season, however, Alan has proven that setback
to be only temporary: His 2004 competitions have yielded four personal bests,
including the world's leading time for the 1500m
(3:32.74).
Though Alan's focus and determination is evident from his success alone, these
qualities also speak loud and clear in person.
NIKERunning.com was lucky enough to catch up with this friendly and
down-to-earth Nike athlete just two days before his stellar
performance at the Prefontaine Classic.
More...from Nike at:
http://www.nike.com/nikerunning/usa/home.jhtml?loc1=tools_training&loc2=runners_\
library&loc3=80&promoID=em


17. Vitamin and mineral supplements: Use with care:
With added amino acids, antioxidants, enzymes and herbs, it might seem like
dietary supplements could easily replace food as your
source of nutrients. But this isn't the case. Whole foods — such as fruits,
vegetables and whole grains — provide a complex
combination of vitamins, minerals, fiber and other substances that promote
health.
Though vitamin and mineral supplements can't copy all of the nutrients and
benefits of whole foods, they can complement your diet.
If you have trouble getting enough nutrients, you may benefit from taking a
vitamin or mineral supplement. To use supplements
safely, weigh your nutritional needs, scrutinize the merits of taking a
supplement, and understand how to choose and use dietary
supplements.
Vitamin and mineral ABCs
Vitamins and minerals are substances your body needs in small but steady amounts
for normal growth, function and health. Together,
vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients. Your body can't make most
micronutrients, so you must get them from the foods you
eat or, in some cases, from supplements.
More...from the Mayo Clinic at:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=3549DCAA-3380-4B0B-86EB23C76CA5FAE\
3


18. Pool-bound plyometrics help you get stronger with less pain:
If you want to turn your workout routine up a notch with the explosive,
muscle-building exercises called plyometrics, take your
regimen to a swimming pool, researchers at Ohio State University suggest.
But do so cautiously.
During plyometric exercise, a muscle lengthens while it is contracting and
producing force. This type of exercise program – a
mainstay of many athletic team weight-training programs during the off-season –
can increase muscle strength in less time than
traditional resistance training.
Both groups reported similar levels of muscle soreness immediately after each
workout, but the gym-based group reported
significantly more soreness compared with the pool group in their hamstrings,
quadriceps and calf muscles two to three days after
exercising.
Yet plyometrics can also cause severe muscle soreness and even damage, said
Steven Devor, a study co-author and an assistant
professor of sport and exercise sciences at Ohio State University. Devor and his
colleagues found that doing plyometric exercise in
a swimming pool significantly decreased the level of muscle soreness athletes
felt two to three days after a workout.
More...from EurekAlert at:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-05/osu-pph051904.php


19. Action for Athens: Turn Up The Heat!
The environmental conditions this summer at the Olympics and Paralympics in
Athens Greece will be extreme. But after PacificSport
Victoria’s Action for Athens (A4A) conference, coaches and athletes may be able
to turn the intense heat and pollution of Athens
into an advantage. The A4A event was held for Canadian athletes and coaches
this past February in Victoria. The goal was to ensure
Canadian Sport had access to critical and cutting edge knowledge, strategies and
technologies for performance enhancement in Athens.
Scientific and medical experts from across the country converged to share their
knowledge and ideas regarding extreme environments
and sport with coaches, sport scientists and sport administrators.
The list of expert presenters included Dr. Tom McLellan from Defense Research
and Development, Canada, Dr. Lawrence Spriet, The
University of Guelph, Dr. Stephen Cheung, Dalhousie University, Dr. David Smith,
The University of Calgary, Dr. Howard Wenger, The
University of Victoria, Dr. Don Mackenzie, The University of BC, Dr. Richard
Backus, The University of Victoria and myself from
PacificSport Canadian Sport Centre Victoria. National Training Centre coaches
also presented their plans for Athens and participated
in panel discussions including Jim Fowlie (Swimming), Brian Richardson (Rowing),
Yuri Kasherin (Cycling) and Paul Regensberg
(Triathlon) This level of expertise represented the best in the world and the
presentations were truly at gold medal standard.
The innovation camp started with an overview of the environmental conditions
expected in Athens and then shifted to strategies to
best deal with these concerns. Heat; acclimatization; pre- and post cooling
methods; hydration; nutrition; travel-lag and pollution
were just some of the issues discussed on day 1. Day 2 included presentations by
a number of coaches. The coaches provided an
overview of training plans and concerns and challenges for athletes competing in
the upcoming Athens Olympics.
More...from SportMedBC at:
http://www.sportmedbc.com/Content/LearningAndResources/LibraryArticles.asp?ItemI\
D=2845&LangID=1


20. Carbohydrate loading: A safe way to boost endurance:
The city marathon is coming up, and you've been training weeks for the big day.
Will you have the stamina to see the race through?
Carbohydrate loading may give you the endurance you need to accomplish your
goal.
What is carbohydrate loading?
First, you need to understand some basic facts about carbohydrates. There are
two types:
Complex, or starches. These include grains, vegetables and legumes (beans and
peas).
Simple. These are sugars and sweets, including fruit and dairy products.
Carbohydrates are your muscles' main source of fuel. Stored carbohydrates are
called glycogen. Your muscles can only store small
amounts of glycogen, and they can't borrow glycogen stores from other areas.
Normally, this isn't a problem. But if you start
exercising at high intensity and continue for more than 60 to 90 minutes, your
muscles will run out of glycogen, greatly affecting
your stamina and performance.
Carbohydrate loading works by forcing your body into storing more glycogen.
First, you taper the amount of exercise you're doing
just before a high endurance event so that you don't use up your body's stores
of glycogen. Then, by eating significantly more
carbohydrates, you fill your muscles with excess glycogen that can be used as
fuel, delaying fatigue.
More...from the Mayo Clinic at:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=HQ00385


21. Drink up to avoid dehydration:
If you're confused about how often and how much you should drink while
exercising in hot weather, you're not alone.
Three studies presented at last month's annual meeting of the American College
of Sports Medicine in Indianapolis seem to suggest
that when it comes to proper hydration, people of all ages, sizes and ability
levels are in the dark.
The first study found that 10- to 14-year-old boys and girls attending a summer
soccer camp were seriously dehydrated after a week,
despite the availability of water during their practices.
Another study, involving the NBA's Chicago Bulls, found that basketball players
involved in two-a-day-workouts started their first
practice of the day inadequately hydrated and remained that way into the second
practice.
More...from Newsday at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-hsnutrition3888988jul13,0,7536808.story?co\
ll=ny-health-headlines


22. Running styles:
Running style is a touchy subject. Just look around at your next race. You will
see long strides; short strides, choppy strides,
smooth strides, high knees, low knees, heel landings, toe landings – well, you
get the picture. Our Virtual Coach takes a look...
Many runners, from beginners to world class, pay no attention to style. They
believe that it doesn’t matter how they get there, as
long as they get there fast. The top runners that ignore form can get away with
it for a while, relying upon natural gifts and
abilities. These runners are cheating themselves. They simply cannot run their
best without running as efficiently as possible. This
means running with the best, most economical form possible.
It becomes especially important as runners age. As we age our maximum heart rate
and VO2 max decreases. In order to maintain
performance levels, we must improve our running economy. This means improving
our form.
While there are many, many different running styles that work well, there are a
number of specific running movements that are
involved in all efficient and economical running forms.
More...from World of Endurance at:
http://worldofendurance.com/runnersguide/focus_column.asp


23. Does red wine hold the secret to long life?
Study: Compound resveratrol has anti-aging effects.
The compound that makes red wine a healthful drink may also hold the secret to a
longer life, scientists reported.
They found that resveratrol acted on fruit flies and worms in the same way as a
method known to extend the life of animals including
monkeys -- sharply restricting how much they eat.
The finding opens the possibility that people could take a pill to achieve the
same benefits as strict dieting to live longer,
healthier lives, said David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School in Boston, who
led the study.
“We found this chemical that can extend the life span of every organism we give
it to,” Sinclair said in a telephone interview. “We
hope we can soon see molecules that treat diseases of aging, like diabetes for
example. ... We really can have our cake and eat it,
too.”
Writing in the journal Nature, Sinclair and colleagues at the University of
Connecticut and Brown University in Rhode Island said
they were looking for some compound that would affect the body the way caloric
restriction does.
More...from MSNBC at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5443115/


24. Double Your Fun:
Couples Can Play Together -- If They Work at It.
Frank Anders was so eager to cycle with his new bride, he bought her a bike as a
wedding gift.
"She had shown an interest and I thought, 'Here's my chance,' " said Anders, who
had been a serious cyclist for years before their
marriage.
Kathy Anders was pleased -- at first. But after being left in Frank's dust too
often, she lost enthusiasm.
"It's just that he rode so much faster," she said. "I didn't feel like it was
something we did together." Soon her bike was
consigned to the basement.
If you feel you've been in the Anderses' saddles, you are in good company. In a
time-pressed world, it may be natural to try to
combine two of life's pleasures: exercise and time with our honeys. But that's
not easy when your idea of exercise is an all-day
mountain trek and hers is a stroll to the corner coffee shop. Despite the best
intentions, hurt feelings (or murderous ones) can
result when couples of different interests or abilities try to recreate
together.
More...from the Washington Post at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52883-2004May24.html


25. News Scan:
* Ask the trainer: Exercise during pregnancy and the 140 heart rate rule
Q: I am 32 years old and 15 weeks pregnant. I retired from professional cycling
in 1998. While I no longer train 4 hours a day I am
still very fit and am used to mountain biking nearly everyday, water skiing all
summer, and snow skiing all winter, along with
lifting 3 days a week. My doctor will not budge from the 140 heart rate rule. At
140 beats per minute, I might as well only take the
dog for a walk! Before getting pregnant, I worked out consistently above 170,
with a max close to 200. Can I work out safely in the
150 to 170 beats per minute range?
A: The heart rate rule that you refer to, which states not to exceed 140 to 144
beats per minute while you’re pregnant, is meant for
the average female. To my knowledge, research that looks at heart rate above
this number in pregnant women has not been done. The
reason being, women don’t want to risk the health of their unborn children for
the cause of research.
Having personally worked with many women throughout their pregnancies, I am
constantly aware of keeping my clients’ heart rates
around 144 beats per minute and keeping them from staying in a supine position
for extended periods of times. For someone with your
background, I understand that this heart rate level is basically just a warm-up,
but do you really want to take the chance? I have
read about women who have run marathons while pregnant but I personally feel
that you have to back off somewhat especially after the
first trimester. If you do go above this heart rate level, make sure to drink
plenty of water and take frequent rest periods (sounds
like interval training to me!). Remember if your heart rate, respiration, blood
pressure and body temperature are all increasing
while you’re working out, imagine what is happening inside the womb.

* Road runners are more likely to suffer stress fractures of the tibia (lower
leg) than treadmill runners.
A recent study into the strain placed on the tibia bone when running both
overground and on a treadmill concluded that treadmill
runners where at a lower risk of developing stress fractures than overground
runners but also less likely to gain the benefit of
bone strengthening than overground runners. So for recreational, non competitive
runners the treadmill may be preferable for
avoiding stress fractures and osteoarthritis of the knee. But for maintaining
and developing bone strength and mass overground
running may be preferable.
The study was done by Dr. Milgrom at the department of Orthopaedics in
Jerusalem, Israel. A strain gauge was surgically implanted
onto the tibias of three subjects and the strain measured during overground
(asphalt) and treadmill running at 11 Km/hr.
From SportsInjuryClinic.com]


Ongoing Events:

July 3-24, 2004:
Tour de France
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_tdf2004.html

July 13-18, 2004:
IAAF World Junior Championships - Grosseto, Italy
http://www.iaaf.org/wjc04/index.html

July 9 - 18, 2004:
U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Track & Field - Sacramento, CA
http://www.usatf.org/events/2004/OlympicTrials-TF/
Runner's World
http://www.runnersworld.com/events/roadtoathens/nats/home.html
Sacramento Bee
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/trials

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

July 16, 2004:
Powerbar Rock'n Roll 5K - Toronto, ON
http://www.canadarunningseries.com/powerbar/index.htm

July 17, 2004:
Lifetime Fitness Triathlon - Minneapolis, MN
http://www.ltftriathlon.com

Indian Path Medical Center & SunTrust Bank Crazy 8's - Kingsport, TN
http://www.crazy8s.org

July 18, 2004:
Corner Brook ITU Triathlon World Cup - Newfoundland
http://www.triourworld.com
ITU Site
http://www.triathlon.org/world-cup/wcup2004/corner-brook-2004/index.htm


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 ONE personal posting this week.
One: I am requesting your assistance in publicizing a study of Ironman-distance
training. The active period of this research is 1
September through 1 November, 2004.
I am a student at the United States Sports Academy (http://www.ussa.edu/)
working towards an MS degree, and as part of that program,
I am doing a research project on the amounts of training done by non-elite male
triathletes as they prepare for an Ironman-distance
triathlon.
I hope to get enough participants to present correlations between age-groups,
levels of success, and training volume.
I will be using an on-line survey to gather data from English-speaking
triathletes that have started an Ironman-distance triathlon
between 1 January 2000 and 31 October 2004. The survey will be live from 1
September through 1 November.
The survey, as well as other background information, can be accessed via
http://www.trisurvey.net/
Thank you for any help you can offer. I will send a reminder message in
mid-August.
Mat
Mathew Luebbers
NF-04 Supervisory Sports Specialist
Marine Corps Community Services
Head Swim Coach - Okinawa Dolphins Swim Team
Coordinator - Okinawa Multisport Group
American Swimming Coaches Association Level 5 Coach
USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
OFFICE: Semper Fit - Aquatics Branch, Building 331, Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan
EMAIL: luebbersm@...
ALTERNATE EMAIL: odst@...
WEB PAGE: http://odst.cjb.net
WEB PAGE: http://okinawa-multisport.com
VOICE: (DSN) 645-2787
International: 011-81-6117-45-2787
From Japan, off base: 098-892-5111, after tone dial 645-2787
FAX: (DSN) 645-3901
International: 011-81-6117-45-3901
From Japan, off base: 098-892-5111, after tone dial 645-3901



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.

Ken Parker
Runner's Web
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