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6. Total Immersion
The TAO of TI: What makes Total Immersion different.
We're convinced there's a great swimmer inside of everyone! If you've never
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The way you were taught to swim - even the way you've
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Though swimming is an essential life skill, traditional teaching and coaching
methods have made it difficult to master because they
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approach to teaching can help any student master a
fluent, beautiful and economical style and brings results far faster than
conventional methods:
Only TI teaches Fishlike Swimming. Traditional instruction focuses on pulling,
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purposeful TI practice and get more satisfaction from every lap that follows.
Only TI teaches the qualities of beautiful swimming as well as the mechanics.
Swimmers come to us with the goal of swimming faster.
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Only TI teaches transformation along with fluid strokes. TI, alone among all
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leading to greater physical and mental well-being.
Only TI teaches you to master swimming as an art. TI teachers emphasize the same
patient precision and refinement taught by martial
arts masters. We start with simple skills and movements and progress by small,
easily-mastered steps. Our students thrive on the
attention to detail and the logical sequence of progressive skills.
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THIS WEEK:

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This Weeks Personal Postings/Releases:
We have ONE personal posting this week.
FROM: mfresco732@...
DATE: Fri, 26 Aug 2005 16:17:27 -0000
SUBJECT: Seeking Information on Runners Supplement
Hi,
I'm an avid runner from Jersey seeking someone who has heard
of a product called ATX. It's a supplement specifically made
for runners. I checked the site out at www.atxsport.com.
Looks interesting but I'd like to find someone who has heard
of the company or used the product. If you have, please
email me with your feedback.
Thanks!!!


THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:


1. Thermogenesis: It’s not just what you eat…
2. Endurance Performance: Conventional training for distance events is dead: now
you need to work on your anaerobic power
3. Strength training - When it comes to strength training, athletes need to be
treated as a ‘special population’
4. Are supplements the real deal?
5. Preventing heat stress and injury among young athletes
6. Functional Strength Training for Triathletes
7. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Hurrying Home
8. Running Times Insole Review 2005
9. How to prevent blisters
One podiatrist I know has a surefire way to prevent blisters during marathons:
stop half-way, take a shower, dry your feet and
change your socks. Surefire, maybe. Practical, no.
10. From Runner's World
11. Experts: Bikes help Oregon check obesity
State is only one in U.S. to not increase rate of obesity.
12. The physiology of aging as it relates to sports
13. The link between muscle cramps and mineral deficiency
14. Creatine helps to age gracefully
15. Get a handle on a kettlebell workout
The weight-training program can tone, strengthen and help burn fat -- fast.
16. Top 10 Jogging Strollers
Parents who want to run with their little ones know how important it is to get a
stroller that is comfortable for you and your
child(ren) and that is safe.
17. Sports massage for runners
18. Zooming in on Zinc
19. "Cycle" Training
It's the New Reality Training: Running in a cycle, which leads to more fun, less
pressure, and faster times.
20. Nutrient Balance for Athletic Performance
21. Heart Rate Monitors and Triathlon Training
22. Through the Wall - The Edge
23. Knee rehabilitation
24. Want to Win a Marathon?
Three top coaches of African runners share their athletes' training secrets
25. Digest Briefs

RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"Do you believe Lance Armstrong is guilty of using EPO in the 1999 Tour de
France?"

You can access the poll from our FrontPage as well as voting on and/or checking
the results of previous polls.
Post your views in our Forum at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/runnersweb_forum.html
[Free Registration Required]

Last week's poll was: "The most outstanding performance(s) in the recent World
Athletics Championships was/were?"
The results at publication time were:
Answers Votes Percent
1. Justin Gatlin's 100M/200M double 13 8%
2. Rashid Ramzi's 1,500M/800M double 19 12%
3. Craig Mottram's bronze medal in the 5,000M 16 10%
4. Carolina Kluft's Heptathlon Gold 13 8%
5. Ethiopia's 1-2-3-4 sweep in the women's 5,000M 15 9%
6. Paula Radcliffe's Marathon Gold 36 22%
7. Bryan Clay's Decathlon Gold 12 7%
8. Tirunesh Dibaba's 10,000M/5,000M double 24 15%
9. Yelena Isinbayeva's 5.01M world record in the pole vault 12 7%
10. Other 1 1%
Total Votes: 161


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FIVE STAR SITE OF THE WEEK: The new XTERRA Planet.
The new look is a cool blend of sleek imagery and rugged elements that are
trademark XTERRA.
* Check out the interactive maps
* Find the news you want
* Notice the improved navigation that takes you from section to section with
ease
* Access XTERRA Chat, XTERRA Gear, XTERRA Travel, XTERRA TV, and the XTERRA
Foundation
Plus, discover some very cool bells and whistles located throughout the site.
It’s a whole new Planet! www.xterraplanet.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:
Start to Finish Ironman Training 24 Weeks to an Endurance Triathlon (Paperback)
by Paul Huddle, Roch Frey, T. J. Murphy
Okay, you've finished your first short distance triathlon. Now it's time to up
the ante and go further and faster. Paul and Roch are
up to challenge. Longer workouts, balancing work, family and training, adding
speed work, recovery and the mental game are all
essential when you decide to move up to the Olympic and then half Ironman
distance. No one has more training or racing experience
than Roch and Paul. They will get you to your target race health, happy and
ready for more. Guaranteed.
Buy the book from Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841261025/runnersweb/102-0040153-0483360\
?v=glance&s=books

Previous Books of the Week:
From Human Kinetics,
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/human_kinetics.html
From Amazon
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/amazon.html
More running and triathlon books from Associates Shop
http://associatesshop.filzhut.de/shop/index.php?ID=90c9f271c1a519abc4a69299be707\
5a9



THIS WEEK'S NEWS:

1. Thermogenesis: It’s not just what you eat…
but how and when you eat it, according to new UK research. For most athletes,
maintaining optimum weight is vital to performance,
especially as excess weight in the form of fat is an instant recipe for slower
times. Although maintaining a daily calorie balance
(calories consumed equal to calories expended) plays a major role in weight
maintenance, other mechanisms are also important,
including thermogenesis, whereby small amounts of excess calories are burned off
as heat, rather than stored as fat.
Thermogenesis is thought to explain why, for example, an athlete in hard
training, burning anything up to 6,000kcals per day, who
consumes an extra 100kcals per day (the amount contained in a banana) beyond his
or her daily calorie expenditure figure, doesn’t
gain the extra weight that the simple calorie balance theory would predict!
Now researchers in Nottingham studying the thermic effect of food (whereby the
digestion, absorption and metabolism of food acts to
raise metabolic rate and calorie expenditure) have discovered that the
regularity of meals affects the rate of thermogenesis and
subsequent calorie ‘burn’(1)
Nine healthy lean women were asked to continue consuming their normal diet for
14 days in one of two patterns:
* Taken as six small meals per day, eaten at regular intervals (A);
* Taken as three to nine meals per day, eaten at irregular intervals and varied
at random throughout the 14-day period (B).
More...from the Runner's Web at:


2. Endurance Performance: Conventional training for distance events is dead: now
you need to work on your anaerobic power:
If you had 100 endurance runners in front of you and you wanted to figure out
which ones would finish near the front in a 5k race,
how could you do it? In fact, one of the simplest and most effective forecasting
techniques is to time each runner in a 20m dash.
The runners with the fastest 20m times would also be fastest in the 5k.
While this linkage seems illogical, since the sprint is an 'anaerobic' event and
the 5k is a test of 'aerobic' mettle, the 20m test
is very accurate. It has been verified in research carried out by Heikki Rusko
and colleagues at the KIHU Research Institute for
Olympic Sports in Jyvaskyla, Finland in a study of 17 male endurance runners
with roughly similar 5k clockings (1). The connection
between 20m and 5k speeds was strong, even though the average 20m speed of 8.15m
per second was roughly 76% faster than 5k speed. In
fact, 20m time was a better predictor of 5k speed than that much-vaunted
'aerobic' variable VO2max and almost as good as running
economy.
Could the connection be purely coincidental? If you are inclined to think so,
consider some brand new research from the University
of Nebraska, in which Kris Berg and his colleagues determined that 10k
performance times can be predicted with a high degree of
accuracy using two additional 'anaerobic' characteristics - 300m sprint time and
plyometric leaping distance. In addition, they
found significant correlations between 10k performance and 50m sprint time as
well as vertical jumping ability(2). Why should
'anaerobic' physiological attributes be so closely linked with success in purely
'aerobic' events?
More...from Peak Performance at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0687.htm


3. Strength training - When it comes to strength training, athletes need to be
treated as a ‘special population’:
Sport scientists, coaches and trainers are becoming increasingly aware of a
worryingly wide gap between the findings of strength
training studies, as reported in the scientific journals, and what is applicable
in the field. More specifically, there is a need
for studies that investigate the training responses of competitive athletes
directly rather than making inferences based on studies
of non-athletes.
Findings from strength training studies have been generalised in order to
establish guidelines for the frequency, volume and
intensity of strength training likely to produce the greatest gains in trained
and untrained subjects respectively(1,2). However,
such ‘dose-response’ relationships have not been identified in competitive
athletes until recently.
A study published last year set out to investigate the relevance of the strength
training literature to competitive athletes(3). The
authors conducted a meta-analysis (review of pooled data) of 37 individual
studies involving competitive athletes from a range of
sports and athletic backgrounds. Their aim was to identify the ‘doses’ of
training frequency, volume and intensity that produced the
greatest measured strength gains and to generalise the doseresponse relationship
from these findings.
Their key finding was that the training parameters found to optimise strength
gains in competitive athletes differed markedly from
those identified by similar studies on non-athletes. Specifically, the training
volume (sets per muscle group), training frequency
(days per week for each muscle group) and training intensity (resistance load)
found to be most effective in a range of studies were
very different for athletes from those applying to non-athletes – even those
experienced in strength training.
The researchers concluded, quite naturally, that competitive athletes appear to
exhibit different training responses from even
recreationally trained non-athletes. Given this divergence, it would seem unwise
– unsafe even – to generalise from findings about
non-athletes, as has happened in the past.
The performance pressures on competitive athletes are vastly different from
those on recreationally trained individuals. So perhaps
we shouldn’t be too surprised that their training needs are also different. On
this basis, elite performers need to be treated as a
special population.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20050824_PPO_Strength_Training.ht\
ml


4. Are supplements the real deal?
Vitamins, minerals, protein powders, carbohydrate gels, sports drinks and liquid
meals…If you eat a varied, well-balanced diet do
you really need supplements to keep you on top of your game?
The use of nutritional supplements in sport is widespread. A supplement simply
does just that – it supplements the diet. Within the
exercise arena supplements come in many forms and guises. Here is a list of the
type of commonly used sports nutrition supplements.
Common Sports Nutrition Supplements
Sports drinks
Carbohydrate bars and gels
Protein powders, drinks and bars
Liquid meal supplements
Vitamin and mineral supplements
Ergogenic aids
Ergogenic aids are substances that aim to enhance performance through effects on
energy, alertness, or body composition. Sports
people are forever searching for that magic bullet that will improve performance
and give them a competitive edge, but is not
against the rules! Even if a supplement does all that, it could still be harmful
in the short or long term.
The list of supplements and ergogenic aids used within the exercise environment
is exhaustive. Therefore, I will simply concentrate
on the commonly used supplements, and in particular focus on the legal
supplements where there is enough scientific evidence to
suggest they may have potential benefits in certain situations.
More...from the World of Endurance at:
http://worldofendurance.com/runnersguide/training_column.asp?a_id=1368991&st_nam\
e=AchievingPersonalBest
[Long URL]


5. Preventing heat stress and injury among young athletes:
Progressively increasing practice time and intensity and ensuring that football
players are replacing lost fluids during training
are two ways to significantly reduce the risk of heat stress and injury during
preseason practice, a recent expert panel convened by
the American College of Sports Medicine found.
Coaches also should allow enough recovery between practices and gradually
introduce parts of the uniform, experts say.
Most high school and younger players are already fighting a losing battle when
they show up to practice, says Dr. Michael F.
Bergeron, panel co-chair and assistant professor of physical therapy at the
Medical College of Georgia. The panel's full statement
and recommendations are published in the August issue of Medicine & Science in
Sports & Exercise.
“What we've found is that most players typically begin practice dehydrated -
pretty significantly dehydrated,” Dr. Bergeron says.
“Young players generally just don't drink enough, especially following extensive
exercise or training in the heat.”
Surprisingly, though, hydration isn't the most important aspect of preventing
heat-related injuries. Players are often simply not
acclimated to the environment, the intensity of practice and the uniform, he
says.
More...from Medical News Today at:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=29347


6. Functional Strength Training for Triathletes:
Historically most people, including triathletes, think of strength training as
bodybuilding. Unfortunately this thinking keeps many
triathletes from participating in a properly designed strength and conditioning
program. For most endurance athletes the benefits of
strength training are outweighed by the fear of gaining too much bulk, loss of
flexibility and diminished "feel" of their sport. In
recent years much has been learned about the specific strength and conditioning
exercises that best suit triathletes.
Current thinking shows that functional strength training leads to better
muscular balance and joint stability, which will lead to
fewer injuries and increased performance. Strength training that is "functional"
mimics the movement patterns that are used in
swimming, cycling and running. By incorporating various exercises utilizing
minimal equipment you will assure yourself of that extra
edge next season. Now is the time of year to get organized with your off-season
training. Use the tips below to get started today
More...from TriFuel at:
http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/strength_training/000577.php


7. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Hurrying Home:
To find one of the great misnomers of our sport, look no further than "negative
split." The term is mathematically correct, in that
a faster second half of a run takes less time than a slower first half.
But to call finishing faster than you start a "negative" is wrong
psychologically. This is one of the most positive experiences a
runner can have, and you can have it often. It can happen in your everyday runs,
in races and in speed training designed
specifically to teach faster finishes.
-- Normal Runs. Almost all daily runs can be positively "negative." This happens
naturally if you let it. You ease into the run,
bumping up the pace as you warm up.
I've long since stopped measuring my runs and checking their mile splits. But I
know they end faster (or less slow!) than they
start.
The proof is on the watch, which is my only way of telling the length of most
runs. I often run out-and-back courses, going out for
20 to 30 minutes and noting the turnaround time. The return trip of equal
distances usually takes a few minutes less -- with no
apparent increase in effort. Any run that ends better than it had started is a
good one.
-- Races. Alone on a weekday run, your natural tendency is to start slowly and
build into your pace of the day. On raceday, however,
you naturally try to do the opposite. Mass adrenaline poisoning urges you to
join the crowd that's starting unwisely.
Your race will end better if you resist that urge and smooth out your efforts,
keeping your head while others around you are losing
theirs. It's depressing to slow down steadily (with "positive" splits). It's
uplifting to hold or increase your pace, and to pass
the unwise toward the end.
More... from Joe Henderson at:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/524.html


8. Running Times Insole Review 2005:
Proper footwear is a key ingredient to enjoyable, injury-free running. A
runner’s footwear must absorb massive impact loads, reduce
superfluous rotation of the feet and legs, and keep the feet comfortable and
blister-free.
There are two basic footwear components: shoes and socks. A shoe’s midsole does
most of the cushioning and stabilizing work—and
socks work in conjunction with the shoe’s upper and insole to keep the feet as
dry and irritation-free as possible in such a hostile
environment. However, for those runners looking to enhance the protective
properties of a new shoe or revive a shoe that has
experienced a good number of miles, a replacement insole is a third important
footwear element.
In most cases, the insole (a.k.a., insert, footbed, orthotic, sockliner) that
comes with a shoe is a thin foam unit designed to
insulate the foot from the rougher materials and seams on which it sits. It
often provides little to no cushioning or stability.
In this article, we review three types of full-length, third-party footbeds:
Cushioned insoles offer additional shock absorption through the use of advanced
materials.
Stability insoles are rigid or semi-rigid designs that help the foot resist
excessive flattening when loaded. Stabilizing an overly
flexible foot with midfoot support is the best protection against
overpronation-related injuries, including all-too-common plantar
fasciitis.
Cushioned stability insoles attempt to do it all, with soft layers atop
supportive bases.
In each category, we present them from the most to least expensive.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/issues/05apr/insoles.htm


9. How to prevent blisters:
One podiatrist I know has a surefire way to prevent blisters during marathons:
stop half-way, take a shower, dry your feet and
change your socks. Surefire, maybe. Practical, no.
Fortunately, many other doctors and runners have developed several inexpensive,
easy ways to prevent these nasty beasts. None
involve a mid-race shower. And all will help ensure blisters never ruin another
race or training run.
Runners have problems with blisters usually at points where the shoe presses the
foot too tightly. Beginning runners get blisters,
because they have not toughened their feet to resist the normal stress of
running. Or their shoes may be new and not yet broken in.
Experienced runners also have trouble with new shoes, or with old shoes that
have become rough in places.
This causes fluid to form beneath the skin, causing a blister. As friction
continues, more fluid forms, causing pressure and pain.
Eventually, the blister may burst exposing raw skin, causing more pain. Blisters
are not fun and may force you to stop in the middle
of a workout, or in the middle of a race (particularly a long one like the
marathon).
If you get a blister, often you can take off your shoe and identify the point in
that shoe that caused the problem. Maybe there is
some imperfection that can be removed. Here are some tips for dealing with
blisters:
More...from World of Endurance at:
http://worldofendurance.com/runnersguide/beginners_column.asp?a_id=65797&st_name\
=BackToBasics


10. From Runner's World:
* Coach's Corner
"Big goals are achieved more easily if you break them down into smaller goals,
which are then used as stepping stones to reach the
final goal. For example, instead of trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon
before you've ever run a half-marathon, your first
goal should be to finish a 10-K within the next 2 months. As this goal
approaches, plan your second goal of finishing a
half-marathon in the next 3 months, and so on." -Jeff Galloway
* Injury Prevention
Ease the Queasies: Some options for calming stomach discomfort on the run: Take
a breather and walk for a while. Sit on a bench or
on the ground for a minute. A little bit of food can also help when nausea
strikes
* Performance Nutrition
Refueling is Key: Eating and drinking after a workout is key for a quick
recovery. But sometimes after hot, long run, solid food is
the last thing you want. During that crucial 30 to 60-minute window when you
need to refuel, try a high carbohydrate recovery drink.
These drinks contain more carbs than sports drinks. Some also come with added
protein, which may help rebuild muscle glycogen stores
faster.
* Words That Inspire:
"Sport is not about being wrapped up in cotton wool... Sport, like all life, is
about taking risks." -Roger Bannister, first man to
break the 4-minute mile
* Editor's Advice:
"When dealing with the discomfort of hard racing, try to cope with the pain by
focusing on the runner in front of you. This allows
you to disassociate from your own body while you still concentrate on the race
itself. You embrace the hard effort, but don't allow
the pain to deter you from your goal." -Don Kinsella, RW photo editor



11. Experts: Bikes help Oregon check obesity:
State is only one in U.S. to not increase rate of obesity.
It's not a marathon, nor is it a grueling hike. Yet diet experts say it's the
kind of daily activity that could hold the secret to
why Oregon is the only state in the nation where the obesity rate did not
increase in the past year.
According to a study released Tuesday by the Washington, D.C.-based Trust for
America's Health, the percentage of overweight
Oregonians held steady at 21 percent last year, a sharp contrast to Alabama,
where the rate of obesity increased 1.5 percentage
points to 27.7 percent.
What makes Oregon different is its emphasis on urban design, which encourages
outdoor activities like biking to work, the study's
authors said.
Ten percent of Portland residents pedal to the office on a system of bike paths
that crisscross the city like arteries, just as they
do in Boulder, Colorado -- another bike-friendly metropolis, located in the
leanest state in the nation. Only 16.4 percent of
Coloradans are obese, according to the study.
More...from CNN at:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/diet.fitness/08/24/obesity.oregon.ap/index.html


12. The physiology of aging as it relates to sports:
Athletes today of all ages and abilities are on a quest for optimum performance
and in that quest, age often becomes secondary.
Opportunities are more evident now than ever before for older athletes to
compete in various sports activities, both within an age
bracket and in open competition. But even the most highly-trained older person
experiences a decline in performance after the fourth
or fifth decade of life (1).
We can readily agree that repeated vigorous activity is extremely important to
maintaining robust health into advanced age; however,
there are differences in physiologic parameters that occur with the aging
process. Even at a high level of condition, the older
athlete simply requires more recovery time than a younger athlete to engage in a
repeat maximum effort.
Of course, there is another vital variable that should be addressed regarding
one's overall potential. That element is simple
genetics. "Picking the right parents" and being the recipient of a great mix of
DNA can influence up to 50% of an athlete's ability
to perform at a superior level (2). But how much of that ability is maintained
throughout the years directly varies according to how
much vigorous exercise is performed during later years in life.
More...from the AMAA Journal at:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NHG/is_2_17/ai_n6210225


13. The link between muscle cramps and mineral deficiency:
Can muscle cramps and pains be linked to mineral deficiencies and can taking
mineral supplements cure the problem?
Why some people get muscle cramps
Many people experience cramps when they sleep, which can be associated with
excruciating pain. Athletes, on the other hand, tend to
develop muscle cramps when they are exercising.
A wide variety of factors can cause muscles to contract painfully. The following
are common causes:
A mineral deficiency involving potassium, calcium, magnesium and/or sodium.
Dehydration, which can occur in athletes when they exercise hard in hot
conditions and do not drink sufficient liquid.
Excessive intake of fluid (drinking 2-3 litres or more of water in addition to
your daily fluid intake) - this can ‘wash’ the
above-mentioned minerals out of your body and lead to cramps.
Lack of fitness - well-trained muscles are less likely to cramp. Although this
mainly applies to athletes, people who are not fit
and get too little exercise often develop cramps because their muscles are so
poorly used.
Wearing tight constrictive clothing, especially in bed. Try to wear comfortable,
loosely fitting clothes at all times (be
comfortable, rather than stylish if you are plagued by cramps), as constriction
of the blood supply to muscles can cause them to
contract painfully.
More...from Health24 at:
http://www.health24.com/fitness/Diet_Supplements/16-481-512,28974.asp


14. Creatine helps to age gracefully:
Foods and beverages containing bioactive components that impart health benefits
beyond basic nutrition can be seen as foods and
beverages with a health bonus. The purported benefits are improved and enhanced
physical or emotional health.
Rising health care costs will put significant pressure on health care
management. Affluent consumers are therefore expected to
purchase foods and services that deliver preventive solutions rather than wait
for the inevitable and respond to diagnosed maladies
in an effort to improve their quality of life. Put in a different way, life
expectancy increase has changed socio-economic
parameters, not least the desire of longevity without morbidity.
It is a small but significant step to translate reactive health to proactive
health. Foods and beverages containing bioactive
components that impart health benefits beyond basic nutrition can be seen as
foods and beverages with a health bonus. The purported
benefits are improved and enhanced physical or emotional health.
Painless Health
It is clear that the quest of people in the Western world has changed from
surviving to managing health. Active seniors – people 55
years and over – have a strong desire to live long and prosper. Quite often
these are conflicting goals as life span increases.
There is little doubt that longevity is accounted for by better nutrition,
hygiene and managed healthcare. The key question about
ageing populations is to find an answer if they will live older and healthier,
or will longer years of life be accompanied by more
years of disability? Growing old healthy is the paradigm of the future and for
the food and beverage industry this means assessing
the need to develop products which are easy to use and assist in both preventive
and curative support because of proven therapeutic
properties.
Since people are increasingly looking for painless ways to make diets healthier,
beverages are ideal vehicles to deliver premium
nutrition. For example, such a beverage can be packed with compounds such as
premium proteins, prebiotics and creatine to boost
health, including avoidance or slowing down of degenerative muscle disease. In
other words; actively improving the quality of life,
while increasing the quantity of life. Together with protein supplementation,
creatine is likely to be one of the most used sports
supplements of all time.
More...from Food Ingredients First at:
http://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/newsmaker_article.asp?fSite=AR283&nw=hd&size\
=ld&sno=1&main_page=1&id=204


15. Get a handle on a kettlebell workout:
The weight-training program can tone, strengthen and help burn fat -- fast.
"That was a fake groan! You're advanced now!"
Missy Beaver is encouraging one of her students, Nicole Visram, who grimaces
back and cranks out the repetition, hoisting an
18-pound kettlebell above her head. She then tosses the iron weight, which
resembles a cannonball with a thick handle, onto the sand
with a satisfying whump.
"Five of these, five of these, five of these," Beaver says, demonstrating the
next kettlebell exercise to the students, swinging it
slightly above waist level and, still holding on, letting it fall between her
legs, with knees slightly flexed.
The class will include more than 10 exercises, but I'm already sweating after
just one. By exercise No. 7 I'm numb with purpose, and
after the last, I'm elated. Did I mention that the instructor makes us run laps
on the beach too?
In my years of avoiding health clubs for outdoor sports, one result has been a
lack of workouts purely for fitness. With my wedding
several months away, I am feeling soft and especially susceptible to
get-fit-quick schemes. Look up kettlebells on the Internet and
you see mostly pitches by he-men promising short sessions, fat burn and quick
results.
After one or two 40-minute sessions I certainly felt stronger, though I can't be
sure if I really was. Real-world physical tasks
with a propensity to strain — such as hoisting grocery bags, luggage or planters
— seemed easier to me because I was learning to
lift with my upper and lower body in conjunction, not stress my lower back or
knees.
Another effect I noticed was a stiff knee, which I had begun to feel some months
ago. It had started to throb after one of my
initial workouts with kettlebells.
"You probably didn't hurt yourself," said Beaver, a petite California blond with
a firm handshake. "What the kettlebell does is
unmask your injuries, forcing you to deal with them."
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-fitbound22aug22,1,7487512.s\
tory?coll=la-health-fitness-news


16. Top 10 Jogging Strollers:
Parents who want to run with their little ones know how important it is to get a
stroller that is comfortable for you and your
child(ren) and that is safe. Well, no need to keep searching because you've
found a list of 10 great jogging strollers!
While these strollers are all great strollers, don't forget that comfort for you
and your kids are important too. Go check them out
in person before buying and make sure that it's right for you and them!
1) Baby Jogger Performance Single
* Designed for Serious Runners
* Single Seater
* One Piece Aluminium Frame
* Thorn Resistant Pneumatic Tires
* Shock Absorbers
* Folds Down
* Reclining Seat
* Sun Canopy (multi-position)
* Adjustable 5-Point Safety Harness
* Safety Wrist Strap
* Storage Area
More...from Running About at:
http://running.about.com/od/parents/tp/topjogstrollers.htm


17. Sports massage for runners:
Why 'sports' massage is different
Injuries sustained in normal life are not really the same as injuries in sport.
If someone is injured falling off a ladder it is
reasonable to assume this will be a once in a lifetime experience which should
never happen again.
In sport, however, most injuries occur through overuse, which often builds up
unnoticed over a period of time. If treated as a one
off event, without addressing the root cause of the overuse, a return to sport
in the same way will be likely to reproduce the same
injury again.
Sports Massage is dedicated as much to injury prevention as it is to injury
treatment and rehabilitation. Apart from advice on how
to use a ladder safely there is no physical treatment that can prevent a fall,
but a skilled Sports Massage Therapist can give
preventative treatment as well as advice for sports injuries.
A competitive sportsman is rarely completely satisfied with his or her
performance and often aims for a level which is just beyond
what they can actually achieve. So the overall objective of the sports massage
therapist is to help enhance performance and
enjoyment of sport, at whatever level of participation.
More... from Time Outdoors at:
http://running.timeoutdoors.com/subscriber/4RUNM0C01032401E.htm
[Free registration Required]


18. Zooming in on Zinc:
What is zinc's role?
Zinc is a trace mineral that is found in every living cell in the body
* Zinc plays a central role in the immune system
* Nearly 100 enzymes require zinc as a catalyst for activity
* During cell division, zinc is needed for DNA and RNA production and activity
How common is zinc deficiency?
In developing countries, where the diet is primarily grains that interfere with
zinc absorption, delayed and stunted growth in
children is a significant problem.
In Canada, there are no laboratory tests sensitive enough to diagnose mild or
moderate zinc deficiency. Therefore, the problem
generally isn't diagnosed. However, from the Food Habits of Canadians study, we
know that almost one out of four Canadians have
diets that are low in zinc.
More...from Peak Performance at:
http://www.peakperformance.on.ca/sports/zinc.htm


19. "Cycle" Training:
It's the New Reality Training: Running in a cycle, which leads to more fun, less
pressure, and faster times.
It's the new training idea for the 21st century. It's so logical you'll wonder
why you haven't been running this way for years.
When you start, and see how much better you run-and how much better you
feel-you'll never turn back.
It's the training "cycle." It means, forgetting the tired approach of
structuring your training by the week, in which you're a slave
to weekly mileage totals and cram must-do workouts into a head-spinning,
leg-burning 7-day period. It means, throwing off the
shackles of a weekly training jam-after all, you're probably already stressed
out by a bursting-at-the-seams work week-and being
totally free to run as you feel, and with more variety. Isn't that one reason
you started running in the first place, for the
freedom?
The cycle approach is the ultimate reality training. It is workout-based, not
week-based, and is a personal, re-defining
make-your-own-sundae concept. It means, identifying the workouts that you most
enjoy and enable you to meet your goals, whether
they're racing goals or merely the desire to improve fitness and lose weight.
And then, spreading out the workouts over a 14-day or
21-day or even 30-day "cycle," in which:
(1) you have flexibility to make changes as you feel or as a busy life dictates;
(2) you run easy on days when you're not doing specific workouts;
(3) you get enough rest so that you're fresh on days when you train hard;
(4) you get into great shape because your training is in perfect balance.
The old way : running causes stress at times because you're often squeezing it
in.
The new way : running is always relaxed because you have more time to train as
you like.
More...from March Bloom at:
http://www.marcbloomrunning.com/


20. Nutrient Balance for Athletic Performance:
by Ilana Katz,MS, RD, LD
Energy represents the capacity to do work, and the human source of energy is
FOOD. A calorie is thus the standard measure of energy
from food. The amount of energy in a food depends on it’s make up. Carbohydrates
and fats are primary energy nutrients. Protein can
become a source of energy but to a limited extent. Protein is however,
essential for growth and repair of muscle and body tissues,
and recovery from exercise. Fat not only is important for absorbing fat-soluble
vitamins, but it is also essential as an energy
source for low to moderate intensity exercise. Carbohydrate is the optimal
energy for high intensity aerobic and anaerobic exercise.
For optimal performance, an athlete should eat a calculated balance of
macronutrient (carbohydrates, proteins and fats,
micronutrients are vitamins and minerals.)
Calculating your Individual Energy Needs
Here is a simplistic calculation can help determine an estimate of energy
required for an athlete.
Energy required = Resting energy Expenditure (REE) (basically what your body
needs just to function) + physical activity
requirements.
To calculate an estimate of REE:
For every kilogram of body weight, an athlete requires approximately 1.3
calories per hour.
For example:
An athlete weighing 60 Kg would require 1.3 x 24 hrs x 70 Kg = approx 1872
calories.
(1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds)
To calculate physical activity requirements:
For every hour of activity, 8.5 calories is required kilogram of body weight.
For example:
For 2 hours of training, a 60 kg athlete requires 8.5 x 2 (hours) x 60 (kg of
body weight) = 1020 calories
Thus an athlete weighing 60Kg, who trains for two hours, would require an intake
of approx: 1870 + 1020 calories = 2890 calories
(approx 3000 calories rounded up)
More...from the Sport Factory at:
http://www.thesportfactory.com/nutrientbalance.shtml


21. Heart Rate Monitors and Triathlon Training:
There are some very sophisticated heart rate monitors on the market these days,
ranging from the computer downloadable, multi
buttoned types, or the plain old read out & nothing else job - which is what we
use.
Now you might say I'm a cheapskate but let's face it, you don't need a nice
graph on a computer screen to tell you what you should
already know. But hey, if you've got the extra $1000, then go for it!
No matter what kind of monitor you've got, you've got to know how to use it
effectively. I'm not going to go into every minute
detail of using the heart rate monitor as it isn't the only way of monitoring
your progress and in a perfect world the best way to
go would probably be to use a heart rate monitor and a lactate tester, as heart
rate at times can be misleading. But used with
common sense, the monitor can be a very valuable training tool.
Let's use long course to Ironman triathlon for instance. These races are
predominantly raced at aerobic heart rates, which will burn
a greater percentage of fat. Swimming is the exception, which is actually done
at substantially higher rates i.e. at or slightly
above anaerobic threshold.
When we think about how much time to spend in each heart rate training zone we
should look at the type of race we are training for -
long distance to Ironman triathlon in this case. The aerobic system must be
built up and then trained for this type of racing. The
volume of training in each heart rate zone should look something like this:
* 70-75% of mileage at low to moderate intensity, training below aerobic
threshold
* 20-25% at aerobic maximum to low anaerobic threshold, long intervals, Ironman
triathlon race pace training bricks and the like.
* 5-10% at high intensity, hard intervals, speed work at or slightly above
anaerobic threshold.
More...from Training Smart Online at:
http://www.trainingsmartonline.com/triathlon_heart_rate.php


22. Through the Wall - The Edge:
Here at the edge of it I must remind myself that there are things that I have
learned, things that have not come easily – things for
which I went hunting, for which I have sacrificed, and which will not abandon
me. I have nothing to fear on this side of it, and
knowing this, I will be ready.
By 6:00 a.m. I have swum the three miles that many will never even walk in their
lifetimes. I have known what it is to stand at the
foot of a monolith race, quiver at the sight of it, and then kneel before it to
pick up my axe. I have steadied my hands and fixed
my focus, and I have swung like hell until it all came tumbling down. Then,
still quivering, I have walked over the rubble of it,
and wept for much more than the accomplishment.
Of the elements, there is no weather that has hindered my forward progress.
There is only the kind that has fired and hardened my
will - only the kind that has inspired the rebellious and insubordinate child
inside of me. I have spit in the face of the rain and
I have lit up the sky with a mile of curses and defiant speeches, and for it, I
have been drenched until my soul dripped. But I have
kept on pedaling. I have nothing to fear on this side of it, and knowing all of
this, I will be ready.
Finally, I understand that there is nothing still until I have heard 4,000
foot-falls, and that after so long it is not my legs that
will carry me. Time and time again I have been reborn in the smiles that I have
received. And with every understood thank you that I
have delivered because it was all that I could do to breathe, I have cultivated
a faith in humanity. I will succeed because I have
come too far. I have worked too hard, and because I have no choice, as I have
burned the bridge leading back to all that I used to
be.
More...from TriFuel at:
http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/through-the-wall/the-edge-001021.php


23. Knee rehabilitation:
Athletes frequently return from one injury only to fall victim to another – a
source of frustration for both athlete and therapist.
A prime example is an overuse injury that develops as an athlete increases their
training load after a period of rehabilitating an
acute injury.
The consideration of proprioception retraining is especially important to
prevent overuse problems after acute injury (see Mark
Alexander’s article on proprioceptive deficits and injury in SIB 36). Most
therapists and conditioning experts now incorporate
proprioception retraining within rehab – indeed, they would be negligent not to.
However, I believe most rehab programmes for
athletes are insufficiently targeted to address specific muscle groups that are
pain inhibited and weakened through disuse. When the
acute injury is physiologically ready for a return to training, these muscle
groups are then expected to perform at the same level
as before, despite weeks or even months of disuse and inhibition. It is hardly
surprising that overuse injuries arise when athletes
try to increase their training load while these muscle groups are functioning
poorly.
Lower limb overuse injuries often result from the failure of stability muscles
to hold the lower limb segments in good posture
during the stance phase of running. If gluteus medius, vastus medialis and
tibialis posterior are not functioning optimally, there
will be an increase in internal rotation of the femur and valgus positioning of
the tibiofemoral joint from heel contact to
mid-stance phase. The patella will track laterally, leading to an increase in
activity of the tensor fascia latae and vastus
lateralis and the foot will excessively pronate.
More...from Sports Injury Bulletin at:
http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/knee-rehabilitation.html


24. Want to Win a Marathon?
Three top coaches of African runners share their athletes' training secrets.
Anyone who follows distance running knows that today's marathon world is
dominated by African athletes. Yet though these athletes
come from Kenya or Ethiopia, the majority are trained by European coaches and
often live part of the year in Europe. Running Times
asked three of the most prominent of these coaches to share their marathon
training philosophies and their thoughts on African
distance runners.
Volker Wagner’s most famous protégés are Tegla Loroupe and Joyce Chepchumba.
Loroupe ran the world’s fastest marathon for women,
2:20:43, in Berlin last year, breaking her own world mark. Chepchumba’s 2:23:22
at London in 1999 is the third-best ever in a
women-only race. Wagner also coaches men such as Simon Lopuyet, who boasts a
2:08 PR. Wagner lives in Detmold, Germany, where his
runners are based most of the year and train in rolling farmland and forest
reminiscent of Iowa.
Gabriele Rosa’s roster of athletes looks like a Who’s Who of Kenyan stars:
Olympic gold medalist and two-time Boston marathon champ
Moses Tanui, 1999 Boston and New York City winner Joseph Chebet, world half
marathon record-holder Paul Tergat and 1999 Rotterdam
champion Japhet Kosgei are just a few. Based in Brescia, Italy, Rosa trains
nearly 90 Kenyan athletes and conducts the
Fila-sponsored Kenya Discovery program.
Jos Hermens is best known for coaching multiple world record-holder Haile
Gebrselassie. German Silva, Anuta Catuna and Liz McColgan
are other standouts among the 140 athletes represented by Hermens’
Netherlands-based agency, Global Sports Communication. A former
world record holder himself, Hermens does not directly coach any of these
runners. He shared his opinions based on his experience as
an athlete, agent and race director.
Mileage:
Rosa: Mileage depends on the goal the athlete sets himself. However, it will
have to be increased gradually so as to run an average
of between 150 to 160 and 180 to 200 kilometers [93 to 99 and 110 to 124 miles]
per week. In the two months leading up to a
marathon, the work load is increased in quantity and above all quality, peaking
at 180 to 200 kilometers per week, and remains
stable up until about 10 days before the competition. This period is dedicated
to refining—building up rhythm—and to "unloading" by
easing off and decreasing the mileage during the final week.
Wagner: Because my athletes are still young, I mix things, speedwork and
endurance, so we don’t do very high mileage. It is better
to stay healthy and have no injuries, no muscle problems, even to take one, two
or three days rest if necessary. For Tegla and
Joyce, we start with 140 kilometers [87 miles] per week and move up over 10
weeks to a maximum of 200 to 210 kilometers [124 to 130
miles]. We hold this maximum for two weeks, then come down during the final
three weeks before the marathon. On days with speedwork
we run once, and twice a day if there is no speedwork.
Hermens: It is not just a matter of mileage, as so much has to do with quality.
But I think you need about 180 to 200 kilometers per
week [112 to 124 miles]. It all depends on your speed.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/issues/00may/marathon.htm


25: Digest Briefs:
* WHAT DOES EPO DO?
WHAT IS EPO?
Erythropoietin is a hormone produced by the kidney that promotes the formation
of red blood cells by the bone marrow. Kidney cells
that make EPO are specialized so they are sensitive to low oxygen levels in
blood coming into the kidney. These cells make and
release EPO when oxygen levels are too low.
WHAT DOES EPO DO?
EPO stimulates bone marrow to produce more red blood cells. The rise in red
cells increases the oxygen-carrying capacity of the
blood, building endurance.
Source: www.medicomm.net

* The Dope on EPO
Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone that occurs naturally, produced by the kidney,
that promotes the formation of red blood cells by
the bone marrow. This increases the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood,
enabling a person more easily to carry on aerobic
activities such as distance running or cycling.
However, synthetic EPO has been misused as a performance-enhancing drug in
events such as the Tour de France, marathon races, speed
skating, and Nordic (cross-country) skiing. When misused in such situations, EPO
is considered dangerous because dehydration after
vigorous exercise can further increase the thickness (viscosity) of the blood,
raising the risk for heart attacks and strokes. Blood
doping ascribed to EPO has been blamed for the deaths of 18 cyclists in the past
15 years.
James Christie, Globe and Mail

* When and where did the first triathlon take place?
While an event called the “triathlon” was in the 1904 Olympics, it consisted of
the long jump, shot put and 100-yard dash. The
first modern running, biking and swimming event can be traced to the San Diego
Track Club in 1974. In promoting its new race, the
club’s newsletter included a headline that read “Run, Cycle, Swim — Triathlon
set for 25th.” This was the first time the term
triathlon was used for a swim-bike-run event. The first Ironman triathlon took
place in Hawaii in 1978.


THIS WEEK'S FEATURED EVENTS:
*Please verify event dates with the event websites*

August 26, 2005:

Ivo Van Damme Memorial - Brussels, Belgium
http://www.sport.be/memorialvandamme

August 27, 2005:

Crim Festival of Races - Flint, MI
http://www.crim.org

Golden Gate Headlands 50K - Sausalito, CA
USA Trail Championship
http://www.headlands50k.org

Jet to Jetty 10K - Playa Del Rey, CA
http://www.w2promotions.com/public/start.php

August 28, 2005:

Annapolis Ten Mile Run, Annapolis, MD
http://www.annapolisstriders.org/A10Application.html

HDSA Presidio Trail Run - Presidio National Park, CA
http://www.presidiotrailrun.com

Ironman Canada - Penticton, BC
http://www.ironman.ca
IronMap
http://www.ironmap.com/

Ironman Korea - Jeju Island, Korea
http://www.ironmankorea.net

NYRR Manhattan Half-Marathon - New York, NY
http://www.nyrr.org/nyrrc/org/home.html

Quebec City Marathon - PQ
http://www.runquebeccity.com/en/accueil.ph

For more complete race listings check out our Upcoming Races, and Calendars.
Check the Runner's Web on Sunday and Monday for race
reports on these events at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html

For Triathlon Coverage check out The Sports Network at:
http://www2.sportsnet.ca/tvschedule/tvsked_sport.php?region=ONTARIO&schedule_id=\
\25

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Have a good week of training and/or racing.

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Runner's Web
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RUNNER'S WEB AFFILIATE PROGRAMS:
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Netscape Internet Service now with FREE Web Accelerator
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000009100855

Instant Stretching Routines
Design unlimited stretching routines today, starting from scratch, in under 60
seconds!
http://www.instantstretchingroutines.com/cgi-bin/a.cgi?a=runnersweb

ShoeWallet.com has set out on a mission to enable people to easily carry ID and
medical information at all times. Basically, anyone
who is out on the roads or trails needs a convenient place to carry this vital
information.
http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?joggerscompanion+pXgxpm+index.html+

SportsShoes in the UK
http://www.sportsshoes.com/index.php?id=149

Visit on AssociatesShop.com Online Bookstore for running and triathlon books:
http://associatesshop.filzhut.de/shop/index.php?ID=90c9f271c1a519abc4a69299be707\
\5a9

LX Sport - Leading Edge Sports Products for Women.
"We strive hard to bring you the best fitness and sports products on the market
that we can find. Our product range is constantly
evolving"
http://www.lxsport.com/products.php?PARTNER=runnersweb. Use the promotion code
"RWEB".
This application was recently featured on National TV - please see the following
link:
http://easylink.playstream.com/networknewssource/hdo/onlinetrainer.wvx

TrainingPeaks.com by Wes Hobson.
Find the training program that fits you at:
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/rw

Puma
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000006585654

Peak Performance Online
Free Copy of Peak Performance!
High-quality training newsletter worth £4 ($6) delivered straight to your door
http://www.pponline.co.uk/sendme/free.php?aff=runnersweb&sub=run

Blockbuster
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000005675551

Fairmont Hotels
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000005674720

Triathlon Meetup
http://triathlon.meetup.com/r/d5n6/d5n6/0/http://triathlon.meetup.com/?a=d5n6/
Triathlon Meetups! Happening THIS month, find out when .

The Finish Line
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000005637857

Patagonia
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000005568199

Motorola
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000005463364

AOL Broadband
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000005348025

Get the GM Card, get 5% Earnings from every credit card purchase, and start
charging toward a new GM car, truck or SUV.
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000005347188

ING DIRECT makes $aving money simple! Open your account online today and start
earning 2.10% variable APY. No Fees and No Minimums!
http://www.qksrv.net/click-1452277-10124087

TriSwim Coach - The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming
http://hop.clickbank.net/?rhianyth/triswim1

adidas' running apparel at 15% off! All running shorts, pants, and
shirts at reduced prices .
http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=20812557&siteid=39999062&bfpage=15745\
\37

If you have an accident while running or cycling, do you want your family to be
contacted? Do you want to receive immediate and
proper medical treatment? If so, make this cool item part of your gear -- for
safety and peace of mind. Road ID has created 4
awesome ways for athletes to wear ID: the SHOE, the WRIST, the ANKLE, and the
NECK. Get your RoadID at:
http://www.roadid.com/?referrer=50

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/cmd.php?af=245575
The Stretching Video in a DVD version. With the DVD version you're able to use
the convenient menu facility to:
* Go directly to a specific stretch;
* View only stretches for a specific muscle group;
* Pause each stretch to get a good look at how it is performed;
* View only the introduction and rules for safe stretching; or
* Play the entire video from start to finish.
Buy the DVD at:
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/cgi-bin/at.pl?a=286905&e=products/video-dvd\
\.htm

Buy all your sporting goods at Fogdog Sports, your anytime, anywhere sports
store.
Click here: http://www.fogdog.com/cgi-bin/affiliate?siteid=40054907

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

**END...OF DIGEST...**