Runner's Web Digest - July 23, 2004

The Original Runner's and Triathlete's Web was founded in January of 1997 as a
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now a small business venture which sponsors the OAC Racing Team, a women's road
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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:
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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:

We have cracked the 800 mark in subscribers for our weekly Digest with 803 as of
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Our latest column from Carmichael Training Systems
Training: Antioxidants: What are they? Why are they important?
Written by Chris Carmichael, Jim Rutberg, Kathy Zawadzki, CTS Certified Coach
is available at: http://www.runnersweb.com/runing/cts_columns.html.


We have NO personal postings 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. Athletics: Some officials ready to wipe the record books clean
2. No pregnant pauses
Mama's delicate condition? Use common sense, exercise caution.
3. Pre-race and post-training fuel
4. Vitamin may ward off Alzheimer's
A vitamin found in a range of common foods could protect against Alzheimer's
Disease, researchers have claimed.
5. Strengthen your core
6. Lose Weight, Stay Active, Prevent Alzheimer's-Studies
7. We're all multi-tasking, but what's the cost?
We're just not wired to do so much at once, as stress and mistakes show
8. From Runner's World
9. Why a lack of sleep can be fatal
We all know the curse of Monday morning syndrome - waking up feeling totally
exhausted, and wishing it was the weekend again.
10. Triathletes: 10 tips for a fast transition
11. Doubt cast on aspirin as heart aid
12. Dieters will have another option
New sweetener will cut sugar in baked goods. But reducing calories isn't a
guarantee of weight loss.
13. Nutrition: Fish That Your Heart Will Love
14. Protein Sports Drink May Boost Endurance
15. The legacy of Jim Fixx
16. The Seven days of Mussel
It's all over. Months of phone calls, lists, meetings, and timelines.
17. Like Father, Like Son
Ironman Experiences.
18. Studies: What you eat, weigh can affect brain health
19. Female triathletes juggle work, family
Karen Lieb considers herself an "ironwoman," and it would be hard to argue with
her.
20. Wolfgram is WUSTL's, world's ironman
21. Take a break; it's called vacation
While away from home, travelers can still enjoy running, albeit with lower miles
and other concerns
22. Lance Armstrong Is on a Roll, But Is His the Greatest Streak?
23. BOB Ironman Sport Utility Trailer
Lightweight, versatile running stroller.
24. TPT Therapeutic Self Massage
Treat yourself to affordable daily massage.
25. News Scan


Runner's Web Weekly Poll:
This week's poll is: "Which are your favourite places to run?"

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: "Which is/are your primary sport(s)"
The results at publication time were:
Answers Votes Percent
1. Adventure racing 0 0%
2. Athletics (T & F) 29 18%
3. Duathlon 20 13%
4. Mountain biking 18 11%
5. Road cycling 23 15%
6. Road racing (Run) 52 33%
7. Triathlon - Ironman 5 3%
8. Triathlon - Olympic 11 7%
Total Votes: 158

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: NBCOlympics.com.
The most in-depth Olympic broadcast in history is coming Aug. 11-29 to the NBC
Universal networks.
Action from every sport contested in Athens
Unprecedented 24-hours-per-day broadcast
More than 1,200 hours of coverage
The comprehensive NBCOlympics.com TV Viewing Interactive Guide will be available
in early August.
The website has in-depth coverage of the Olympics by individual sport, news
headlines, results and more.
Check it out at:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/index.html

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: "Train Hard, Win Easy: The Kenyan Way".
Tanser's pioneering work on why Kenyans have been so dominant in middle and long
distance running over the past three decades or so.
Many profiles including Ndereba, Ngeny, Komen, Chepchumba, Machuka, et al.
Foreword by John Manners. Many photos.
Buy the book at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0911521607/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. Athletics: Some officials ready to wipe the record books clean:
As the doping crisis in track and field deepened at the U.S. Olympic trials,
debate has renewed about the feasibility of erasing all
world records in an attempt to rehabilitate the sport's image.
German track officials unsuccessfully proposed such a measure in 1999. Norwegian
officials are considering suggesting the idea next
year when track and field's legislative body gathers for the world championships
in Helsinki.
The International Association of Athletics Federations has opposed voiding its
records for two reasons: There is no proof that all
of the present marks were set by athletes who were using banned
performance-enhancing drugs, and there is no guarantee that new
records will be set by athletes who are clean.
"Our position is that even if you suspect some of the records, it's wrong to
penalize everybody," said Nick Davies, a spokesman for
the IAAF. "By changing all of the records, you are basically saying that no one
can be trusted to have credibility."
More...from IHT at:
http://www.iht.com/articles/530156.html


2. No pregnant pauses:
Mama's delicate condition? Use common sense, exercise caution.
Early into my pregnancy, I pored over the latest information about exercise,
trying to figure out what was safe for my body and our
developing baby.
Could I still crunch my abs? Yoga teachers generally said no. Pilates
instructors said yes. Could I swim in a chlorinated pool? I
worried that my skin would absorb dangerous chemicals, but doctors told me to
wade right in.
Ultimately, I read the latest books and quizzed other active mothers until they
told me what I really wanted to hear in the first
place: Use common sense and follow your instincts. I stuck with my regular
workouts but reduced the intensity and backed off when my
body protested.
Seven months into the journey, I can still run, swim, spin, bike, practice yoga
and walk. I'm exercising fairly guilt-free because I
have the support of both research and my doctor, a cyclist who understands my
daily need for movement and endorphins.
More...from the Sun Herald at:
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/thesunherald/living/9211467.htm


3. Pre-race and post-training fuel:
Having discussed in a previous article what our fuelling requirements are for a
race, let's look at how we can enhance our race and
training.
Pre-race fuel
It seems standard knowledge that we need to eat or drink around three hours
before a race.
Three hours is a good time frame because it enables the body to access the
energy sources for the first part of the race. This
however, does not mean that you do not need to drink for the first part of the
race.
There are so many different ideas on what you “should” eat before a race. Many
people eat pasta. It certainly works for people like
Benny van Steelant. He has pasta with no sauce around 4 hours before a race.
Standard fare before a cycle race is usually two slices of toast with jam or
honey or a small bowl of oats porridge, a banana and a
glass of diluted fruit juice.
If you cannot stomach the thought of food before a race, look at taking a glass
of liquid meal replacement, mixed with water instead
of milk. In this way you'll get all your energy requirements in 200ml of fluid,
without having to force down solid food.
Keep sipping fluids until 30 min before your race start. Beware of drinking too
much energy drinks, as a high sugar content can slow
the rate of gastric emptying.
More...from World of Endurance at:
http://worldofendurance.com/triathlon/beginners_column.asp?a_id=922758&st_name=B\
ackToBasics


4. Vitamin may ward off Alzheimer's:
A vitamin found in a range of common foods could protect against Alzheimer's
Disease, researchers have claimed.
A team from the Chicago Institute for Healthy Aging found niacin - vitamin B3 -
was also linked to a reduced risk of age-related
mental decline.
It is found in dairy products, poultry, fish, lean meats, nuts, and eggs.
The team said their findings, published in the Journal of Neurosurgery and
Psychiatry, could help prevent Alzheimer's developing.
The US researchers looked at the diets of almost 4,000 people aged 65 and over
between 1993 and 2002.
None had any history of Alzheimer's disease. The researchers then monitored for
any signs of decreasing mental agility.
More...from the BBC at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3894485.stm


5. Strengthen your core:
By: Dr. Mike Duffy
If you're thinking about competing in a triathlon, you're going to need core
strength.
We're going to talk about three different exercises that you can do to
strengthen your core, as well as improve your triathlon
experience.
The first exercise we're going to do is called a T-stand. Start with your hands
under your shoulders, flatten your back, extend your
legs. You're going to use your oblique to twist and roll up onto one hand. This
is excellent for building strength for the pool and
the rotation that you need to swim for the triathlon, as well as building upper
body strength while strengthening your core.
More...from Capital News 9 at:
http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/health_team_9/?ArID=84837&SecID=17


6. Lose Weight, Stay Active, Prevent Alzheimer's-Studies:
Losing weight, eating more fruits and vegetables and exercising your brain and
body sounds like a formula to prevent heart disease,
but it is also a way to prevent Alzheimer's, researchers said on Monday.
Midlife obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure appear to affect the
brain as well as the heart, they said.
"There are a variety of lifestyle factors that people can engage in that will
reduce their risk of cognitive decline," said Dr.
Marilyn Albert, chair of the Alzheimer's Association's medical and scientific
council.
"The brain is much more plastic than we thought," Albert added in an interview.
"It has more capacity to renew and regenerate. ... We have to tell people that
they need to think about their cognitive health in a
way that they typically thought about their physical health."
More...from Reuters at:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=W34IKMRBB14ZECRBAEKSFEY?type\
=healthNews&storyID=5708990
[Long URL]


7. We're all multi-tasking, but what's the cost?
We're just not wired to do so much at once, as stress and mistakes show.
Executives revel in it. Parents with jobs and children rely on it. And circus
jugglers make it art.
Multi-tasking, for most Americans, has become a way of life. Doing many things
at once is the way we manage demands bearing down on
us at warp speed, tame a plague of helpful technological devices and play enough
roles — parent, coach, social secretary,
executive — to stage a Broadway show.
But researchers peering into the brains of those engaged in several tasks at
once are concluding what some overworked Americans had
begun to suspect: that multi-tasking, which many have embraced as the key to
success, is instead a formula for shoddy work,
mismanaged time, rote solutions, stress and forgetfulness. Not to mention car
crashes, kitchen fires, forgotten children, near
misses in the skies and other dangers of inattention.
So turn off the music, hang up the phone, pull over to the side of the road and
take note: When it comes to using your brain to
conduct several tasks at one time, "there is no free lunch," says University of
Michigan psychologist David E. Meyer. For all but
the most routine tasks — and few mental undertakings are truly routine — it will
take more time for the brain to switch among tasks
than it would have to complete one and then turn to the other.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-multitasking19jul19,1,2049254.story\
?coll=la-headlines-health


8. From Runner's World:
*Coach's Corner - Most coaches feel that once you reach 16 miles, you're in
long-run territory. That's the point where the
psychological and physiological changes kick in. Some coaches prefer to keep
track of the long run by time rather than distance--by
hours rather than miles.

*Injury Prevention - Black toenails: The best way to prevent black toenails is
to wear shoes that fit properly. The toe box should
be wide enough and the length of the shoe long enough so your toes don't bump
against the shoe. You should have about a half-inch of
space between the end of your longest toe (not necessarily the big toe) and the
top of your shoe. Blister-free socks may help
prevent friction.

*Performance Nutrition - Seeing Red: Lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes
and other red fruits and vegetables, may prevent
the buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries. The presence of arterial
plaque--otherwise known as atherosclerosis--can lead to a
heart attack or stroke. Previous research has shown that lycopene can reduce the
risk of other diseases, including prostate cancer.

*Words That Inspire: - "Vision without action is a daydream. Action without
vision is a nightmare." -Japanese proverb

*Editors Advice - "Older female runners can be very positive role models for
girls just learning about the sport. Any show of
support can be helpful. This might be something as simple as attending a local
high school cross-country meet and cheering for the
girl down the street." -Carol Goodrow, RW kids running editor

*Training Talk - "To achieve peak performance, you have to tailor your training
to your goals, age, physical ability and
personality. In other words, for best results, your program has to fit you
well." -Training Secrets by Ken Sparks and Dave Kuehls


9. Why a lack of sleep can be fatal:
We all know the curse of Monday morning syndrome - waking up feeling totally
exhausted, and wishing it was the weekend again.
Most of us crave more sleep, especially when we are the parents of young
children.
But imagine having a condition where you cannot keep your eyes open at dinner
parties or behind the wheel of your car.
Sleep disorders are not just embarrassing to sufferers, but potentially
life-threatening and experts believe that people are not
receiving an accurate diagnosis in the UK.
Sleep disorders in turn cause excessive sleepiness, which affects about 6% of
adults or 3.5 million people in the UK.
Untreated excessive sleepiness is a major contributing factor to serious road
accidents, lost productivity and the breakdown of
marriages and relationships.
People with sleep apnoea and hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS), which cause people to
wake up many times during the night, are at higher
risk of developing an excessive sleepiness condition because they get
fragmented, poor-quality sleep.
More...from the BBC at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3876827.stm


10. Triathletes: 10 tips for a fast transition:
Newbie triathletes generally regard the transition area as a place to rest and
regroup -- a place to celebrate the completion of one
leg of the race and prepare for the next.
Sometimes it feels like the gravity in transition areas is 10 times normal, with
food, drink, sunscreen and friendly volunteers
happy to chat. Out on the race course everybody is pushing forward in the same
direction but in the transition area, athletes are
milling around in all directions and the sense of racing can disappear.
How many hours of swim practice would it take to lop two minutes off your swim
time? Probably hundreds, maybe even thousands. How
many hours of transition practice would it take to lop two minutes off your
transition time? Maybe only one!
Many triathletes are so focused on swim, bike and run splits that they forget
the clock is still running in the transition area.
Every second counts. Transition practice isn't as fun as running, but it is a
good investment of your training time.
Triathletes looking to win need to shift their entire mental focus and integrate
the transition seamlessly into their race. The
transition is not a rest area but a place to speed in and out of, in the fastest
time, with the least energy.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=10965&sidebar=26&category=triathlon


11. Doubt cast on aspirin as heart aid :
Many patients shown to derive no benefit.
More than 20 million Americans take aspirin regularly to help prevent heart
attacks and strokes. But new evidence suggests that, for
many of them, the pills do little if any good.
Recent studies have found that anywhere from 5 percent to more than 40 percent
of aspirin users are "nonresponsive" or "resistant"
to the medicine. That means that aspirin does not inhibit their blood from
clotting, as it is supposed to.
"They are taking it for stroke and heart attack prevention, and it's not going
to work," said Dr. Daniel Simon, the associate
director of interventional cardiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston
and an associate professor at Harvard.
A vast majority of doctors do not test patients for aspirin resistance. Several
doctors said even resistant patients would probably
still be better off taking aspirin than dropping it. Also, people who use
aspirin to fight pain or inflammation are not affected by
the new findings. Scientists are racing to clarify further the significance of
aspirin resistance and how to counteract it. What
they learn could influence how one of the oldest and most widely consumed
medicines is used, perhaps leading to more customized
therapies.
More...from IHT at:
http://www.iht.com/articles/530126.html


12. Dieters will have another option:
New sweetener will cut sugar in baked goods. But reducing calories isn't a
guarantee of weight loss.
Americans love artificial sweeteners. We stir saccharin into our coffee, drink
cola sweetened with aspartame, and chew gum flavored
with sorbitol — all in an attempt to enjoy the sweet taste we crave without the
calories we're trying to avoid.
One thing we haven't been able to do, however, is to bake successfully with
artificial sweeteners. Replace the sugar in a cake
recipe with an artificial sweetener, and you're likely to bake a pale,
off-tasting cake.
That could change in August, when McNeil Nutritionals, the company that produces
the sugar substitute known as Splenda, introduces
Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking. The new product, which is half sugar and half
Splenda, makes baked goods that look and taste like
those made with all sugar, according to the company.
"It offers half the calories and half the carbs and all of the benefits that
sugar brings to the baking and cooking process," says
Monica Neufang, a company spokeswoman.
Even if you haven't knowingly used Splenda, chances are you've had it if you
regularly consume artificially sweetened foods. Splenda
(also known as sucralose) is in more than 4,000 products worldwide, including
Coca-Cola C2 and Pepsi Edge, two new soft drinks that
have half the sugar, carbohydrates and calories of ordinary colas.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-splenda19jul19,1,4022066.story?coll\
=la-headlines-health


13. Nutrition: Fish That Your Heart Will Love:
When it comes to heart health, not every dish of fish is created equal,
according to a study released yesterday. The study found
that eating a lot of tuna or other broiled or baked fish was associated with
lower rates of a common heart ailment, while eating a
lot of fried fish or fish burgers was not.
The researchers noted that the finding did not prove cause and effect, and that
the difference probably had more to do with the kind
of fish being eaten than the way it was cooked.
Fish that is fried tends to come from varieties with lean flesh like cod or
pollock, said the lead researcher of the study, Dr.
Dariush Mozaffarian of the Harvard School of Public Health. Tuna, salmon and
other fatty fish that are rich in oils that have been
linked to a variety of cardiac benefits, are rarely served fried, Dr.
Mozaffarian said.
The study, published in the journal Circulation, was based on a survey of the
diets of 4,815 people with an average age of 72. Over
the 12 years of the study, 980 people developed atrial fibrillation, a condition
in which irregularities in heart rhythm lower the
amount of blood that is pumped.
After taking into account factors like overall diet, race, weight and age, the
researchers concluded that people who ate tuna or
other broiled or baked fish up to four times a week were about a third less
likely to develop atrial fibrillation than those who ate
such fish less than once a month. By contrast, people who ate a lot of fried
fish or fish burgers had a slightly higher risk of
developing the condition than those who did not.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/20/health/20nutr.html


14. Protein Sports Drink May Boost Endurance:
A sports drink with a shot of protein may give endurance athletes some extra
juice, new research suggests.
The study of 15 male cyclists found that a sports drink containing carbohydrates
and protein appeared to boost endurance better than
a traditional carb-only sports drink. It also seemed to lessen the muscle
wear-and-tear that comes with intense exercise.
While water may be enough for the average moderate exerciser, it's thought that
sports drinks, with their added carbohydrates and
electrolytes, may be the better choice during long workouts. The idea of adding
protein to the mix is that it may further stretch an
athlete's endurance, and possibly aid in repairing the muscle damage that occurs
during grueling exercise.
The new study compared Accelerade, a brand of sports drink with a dose of whey
protein, with the carb-only standby Gatorade. It
found that trained cyclists pedaled further when they refueled with the
protein-fortified beverage.
More...from Reuters at:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=IH02RBWQGO2JWCRBAE0CFFA?type\
=healthNews&storyID=5734078
[Long URL]


15. The legacy of Jim Fixx:
Dead runner: Four letters. Twenty years after his death while running, is Jim
Fixx any more than an answer in a crossword puzzle?
James F. Fixx authored The Complete Book of Running, at the time of its
publication in 1977 the best-selling non-fiction hardcover
book ever. The book's bright red cover featured Fixx's own running legs. The
Complete Book of Running, still in print, eventually
sold a million copies, both benefiting from and helping to launch the running
boom.
Writing from personal experience, Fixx trumpeted the health benefits of running.
After starting to jog at age 35, he quit smoking
and shed 50 pounds. Yet at age 52, Fixx collapsed while running on a tree-shaded
road in Vermont. He was found lying beside the
road, dead of a heart attack. The date was July 20, 1984.
Two decades after an event that might have halted the running boom mid-stride,
what remains of the legacy of Jim Fixx? Have today's
runners even heard of him, and do they understand the reasons for his death?
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=11038&sidebar=13&category=running


16. The Seven days of Mussel:
It's all over. Months of phone calls, lists, meetings, and timelines.
Weeks of agonizing over budgets and guessing quantities in thirty different
ways. Days of assembling food, metal stakes, plastic
bags, and zip-ties. The hours and minutes and seconds that passed on the way to
7AM on July 11th, 2004; all come and gone. Musselman
2004 is in the books.
I'd like to tell you how the week unfolds for triathlon organizers. Monday's
melody begins innocently and crescendos to a gigantic,
crashing roar of a bass drum by Sunday morning. In that time your job is to
synchronize 300 instruments, most of which have never
been played before. When the day of the symphony arrives, you cannot let the
music die even though much of it is beyond earshot.
Tuesday the goody bags were meant to be stuffed. The t-shirt company was late
with our order so we stood in the storage room above
Jim's bike shop with plenty of volunteers and not enough material. Four hours
later, we had plenty of material and no volunteers. My
mother, father, wife, and I finished the job at 1:30AM.
On Wednesday I picked up cones from four different highway departments, moved
400 gallons of water from a local convenience store to
my brother's garage, and delivered eight cases of wine to Hobart & William Smith
Colleges, location of our pre-race dinner. Athletes
were still registering for the race online, in droves, and I began to worry that
we wouldn't have enough supplies.
More...from SlowTwitch at:
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/features/henderson/race13.html



17. Like Father, Like Son:
Ironman Experiences.
Beep, beep ~ Robbie arose from his bed and slammed off his alarm clock. He
gently awoke his wife, Emily, as his six year old son,
Alex, came running, screaming, “get up mom! We need to get ready to go to
Hawaii!” Emily slowly got out of bed and kissed her son on
the forehead. Soon everyone was dressed and loaded into the stretch hummer
limousine headed for Miami International airport. The
Franklin family ran to the gate to catch the 6:30am flight to Kona, Hawaii.
Robbie had trained hard and knew he was ready for the big race ahead of him but
he was very nervous. On the plane his mind was
racing; “what is I fall off my bike, what if I collapse on the last mile of the
marathon, what if, what if…” Emily knew what he was
thinking; after all they had been in love since the first time they met when
they were small children. “Don’t worry,” she reassured
him, “you trained diligently and you are ready.” Robbie tried to get as much
sleep as possible, unfortunately it wasn’t much. Six
hours into the seven hour flight Alex woke up, climbed over his mother to sit on
his daddy’s lap. Alex looked into his father’s eyes
and said, “Daddy, someday I want to be just like you and compete in triathlons.”
Robbie remembered telling his father the same thing
when he did the Kona Ironman in October 2003. “I know you will,” Robbie replied
whilst giving his son a little tickle.
More...from Transition Times at:
http://www.transitiontimes.com/viewstory.cfm?ID=5316


18. Studies: What you eat, weigh can affect brain health:
Here's another reason to eat your veggies: A new study suggests certain
vegetables like broccoli and spinach may help older women
keep their brains sharper.
Researchers found that women in their 60s who ate more cruciferous and green
leafy vegetables than other women went on to show less
overall decline over time on a bundle of tests measuring memory, verbal ability
and attention.
Such foods include broccoli, cauliflower, romaine lettuce and spinach.
The federally funded study didn't include men, but the effect would probably
appear in them too, said Jae Hee Kang, an instructor at
Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
She spoke in a telephone interview before presenting the work Monday in
Philadelphia at the International Conference on Alzheimer's
Disease and Related Disorders.
More...from CNN at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/diet.fitness/07/19/brain.diet.ap/index.html


19. Female triathletes juggle work, family:
Karen Lieb considers herself an "ironwoman," and it would be hard to argue with
her.
The triathlete from Saranac Lake, New York, is raising three kids, teaching
part-time and training for Sunday's Lake Placid Ironman
triathlon -- a grueling endurance race that combines swimming, cycling and
running.
It's not an easy feat. But Lieb, a 45-year-old four-time Ironman competitor, has
company. About a fourth of this year's 2,262
competitors are women. That's more than double the number of women who entered
five years ago.
And for those who are mothers and working women, the triathlon is a particular
juggling act.
During peak training, which can top 25 hours a week, Lieb saves the bulk of the
workout for the weekend or days off when she can go
on a long bike ride and squeeze in running and swimming.
More...from CNN at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/diet.fitness/07/22/ironwoman.ap/index.html


20. Wolfgram is WUSTL's, world's ironman:
While the persistence and drive of the cyclists in this month's Tour de France
is amazing and impressive, the University has its own
world-class endurance athlete in Edwin D. Wolfgram, M.D.
And he does more than just ride a bike.
Edwin D. Wolfgram, M.D. (left), assistant clinical professor of psychiatry in
the School of Medicine, trains at Francis Field with
Michael D. Moll, vice dean for business affairs in the School of Engineering &
Applied Science. "He's incredibly inspirational and
has taught me to exercise smarter," Moll says of Wolfgram, the Ironman triathlon
world champion in the 70-74-year-old age group.
Last fall — less than a month before his 71st birthday — Wolfgram came in first
in the 70-74-year-old age group at the Hawaiian
Ironman World Championship Triathlon. The Ironman comprises a 2.4-mile ocean
swim, a 112-mile bike race and a 26.2-mile run,
performed consecutively.
Wolfgram's time of 13 hours, 25 minutes not only earned him his first world
title in his eighth Ironman, but it also crushed the
mark of his next-closest competitor by 45 minutes. It's a feat he hopes to
repeat Oct. 16, when he'll be in Hawaii to defend his
world-championship title.
More...from the Record at:
http://record.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/2338.html


21. Take a break; it's called vacation:
While away from home, travelers can still enjoy running, albeit with lower miles
and other concerns.
Running during vacation travels can provide an enjoyable diversion from routine
exercise. But whether it's a five-miler during a day
trip or a 30-minute trek periodically squeezed in during an overseas journey,
training in a new environment might require a
different approach.
As I've discovered during many regional and far-flung journeys, running while on
the road can present new and unexpected
challenges - safety issues, directional woes and adherence to personal goals.
After several years, the first adjustment I made in running while on vacation
was accepting lowered expectations.
As a recreational marathon runner, 40-mile training weeks are standard. But
during vacation or while traveling on business, my daily
priorities are different.
An eight-hour day can easily expand by at least 50 percent, for example.
Likewise, during a vacation with family or friends, time
for running might not be in the plans of the majority.
More...from Sacbee at:
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/recreation/cycling_running/story/10076620p-\
10997621c.html


22. Lance Armstrong Is on a Roll, But Is His the Greatest Streak?
Looks like Lance Armstrong will win his sixth straight Tour de France on Sunday.
Armstrong's streak of winning the world's toughest
bike race is impressive. But is it the greatest streak of all?
Streaks are one of the fun things about sports. Let's take a look at some of the
great streaks set by individual athletes and see
how Armstrong's stacks up.
When fans start talking streaks, they usually start with Joe DiMaggio's amazing
streak in 1941 of 56 straight baseball games with at
least one hit. That means that the Yankee Clipper did not have a bad game for
about two months. But remember, Joltin' Joe did this
during one season. Armstrong has had to be great year after year.
More...from the Washington Post at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7498-2004Jul22.html


23. BOB Ironman Sport Utility Trailer:
Lightweight, versatile running stroller.
Because my wife and I always enjoyed running together, we knew a running
stroller would be a must-purchase item once our first baby
was old enough to support his own neck. And not wanting to make running any
harder than it already is, I did a little research on
what would best suit our needs.
That was 1998 and we settled on a top-of-the-line Baby Jogger with 20-inch
wheels. Admittedly, I settled on Baby Jogger mostly
because of their heritage as the first company in the now competitive industry
of running strollers.
I quickly found it was incredibly difficult to keep the Baby Jogger's front
wheel aligned. It always pulled to either side depending
on how I adjusted the quick release skewer. I even did a race once, with the
stroller, and was incredibly annoyed that I was
spending half my energy trying to keep the stroller rolling in a straight line.
By 2001 we had another baby and we purchased a double stroller from a Baby
Jogger spin off company called Dreamer and we've been
very happy with it. Though its sheer size and bulkiness tend to make it a hassle
to take in the car and assembling and folding it
takes a few minutes.
More...from Active. com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=11037&sidebar=633&category=gearguide



24. TPT Therapeutic Self Massage:
Treat yourself to affordable daily massage.
Everybody loves a massage, especially athletes. A good licensed massage
therapist can help tired muscles recover more quickly while
sorting out any muscle knots, trigger points and trouble spots.
The problem is unless you're getting frequent and consistent massages, as in at
least once a week, your benefits are very limited.
And therein lies the bigger dilemma. Unless you're a professional athlete or
rolling in extra cash, the cost of weekly massage is
prohibitive to most of us.
So when I first heard of Trigger Point Technologies (TPT) and their series of
therapeutic self-massage products, I was both
skeptical and intrigued. I've always thought the whole point of massage is to
relax and have another person work on areas you
couldn't anticipate. How could doing it yourself really work?
After speaking with Cassidy Phillips, inventor of TPT products, I was pretty
impressed with his approach and athlete success
stories. I had nothing to lose by trying the products.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=10968&sidebar=633&category=gearguide


25. News Scan:
* From SportInjuryClinic.com :
1. Local corticosteroid injection in iliotibial band friction syndrome.
A study in Cape Town, South Africa aimed to establish whether a local injection
is effective in decreasing pain during running in
runners with recent onset (less than two weeks) iliotibial band friction
syndrome (ITBFS).
The pain of eighteen runners was assessed whilst running on a treadmill. Some
were then given an injection of methylprednisolone
acetate (40 mg) and a short acting anaesthetic and the rest were given a placebo
consisting of short acting anaesthetic only.
The same test was repeated after 7 and 14 days. The study concluded that local
corticosteroid infiltration effectively decreases
pain during running in the first two weeks of treatment in patients with recent
onset ITBFS
2. Patellofemoral pain syndrome - to what extent is quadriceps atrophy present?
Quadriceps atrophy is a commonly cited accompaniment to patellofemoral pain
syndrome (PFPS), yet there is little evidence for its
existence. The objective of a study in Manchester was to investigate atrophy and
weakness of the quadriceps femoris muscle group in
patients with PFPS using measures of cross-sectional area and peak extension
torque.
Fifty seven patients and 10 healthy people had their quadriceps femoris muscle
scanned with ultrasound and analyzed The study
concluded the % differences of quadriceps atrophy between limbs was not
significant between groups, however there were significant
differences between the strength (lower limb torque) indicating that muscle
strength may not have been related to muscle size.

* Myocardial perfusion after marathon running.
Kalliokoski KK, Laaksonen MS, Luotolahti M, Laine H, Takala TO, Nuutila P,
Knuuti J.
Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
We investigated the effects of acute prolonged exercise (marathon running) on
cardiac function and myocardial perfusion. Cardiac
dimensions and function were measured in seven endurance-trained men using
echocardiography before and repeatedly after marathon
(42.2 km) running (at 10 min, 150 min, and 20 h). Myocardial perfusion and
perfusion resistance were measured using positron
emission tomography and (15)O-H(2)O before and 85-115 min after running.
Echocardiographic indices showed only mild and clinically
non-significant changes in cardiac function after running.
Rate-pressure-corrected basal myocardial perfusion (0.89+/-0.13 vs.
1.20+/-0.32 mL min(-1) g(-1), P=0.04) was increased after running. Also,
adenosine-stimulated perfusion tended to be higher
(3.67+/-0.81 vs. 4.47+/-0.52 mL min(-1) g(-1), P=0.12) and perfusion resistance
during adenosine stimulation was significantly lower
after running (26+/-6 vs. 18+/-3 mmHg min g mL(-1), P=0.03). Plasma free fatty
acid (FFA) concentration was significantly increased
after running. These results show that marathon running does not cause marked
changes in cardiac function in healthy men. Basal
perfusion was increased after exercise, probably reflecting changes in fuel
preferences to increased use of FFAs. Strenuous exercise
also seems to enhance coronary reactivity, which could thereby serve as a
protective mechanism to vascular events after exercise.

Ongoing Events:

July 3-25, 2004:
Tour de France
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_tdf2004.html

July 23-24, 2004
Canadian Junior Championships - Saskatoon, SASK
http://www.2004canadianjuniortrack.com

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

July 24, 2004:
Deseret Morning News Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT
http://www.deseretnews.com/run/therace.htm

Quad-City Times Bix 7 - Davenport, IA
http://www.bix7.com

July 25, 2004:
Ironman USA - Lake Placid, NY
http://www.ironmanusa.com

Nova Scotia Marathon - Barrington, Nova Scotia
http://www.barringtonmunicipality.com/marathonregis.html

Salford ITU World Cup - England
http://www.trisalford.info/

Tely 10 Road Race - St. John's, Newfoundland
http://www.nlaa.ca/tely10

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]

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Have a good week of training and/or racing.

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