A FREE WEEKLY E-ZINE OF MULTISPORT RELATED ARTICLES.
The Runner's and Triathlete's Web Digest is a weekly e-zine dealing with the
sports of running and triathlon and general fitness and
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RUNNER'S AND TRIATHLETE'S WEB CONTENT PARTNERS

* Sports Nutrition by Sheila Kealey.
Sheila is one of Ottawa's top multisport athletes and a member of the OAC Racing
Team and X-C Ottawa. She has a Masters in Public
Health and works in the field of nutritional epidemiology as a Research
Associate with the University of California, San Diego. Her
column index is available at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/SK_index.html

* Carmichael Training Systems
Carmichael Training Systems was founded in 1999 by Chris Carmichael.
From the beginning, the mission of the company has been to improve the lives of
individuals we work with through the application of
proper and effective fitness and competitive training techniques. Whether your
focus is recreational, advanced, or you are a
professional racer, the coaching methodology employed by CTS will make you a
better athlete. Check the latest monthly column from
CTS at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/cts_columns.html.

* Running Research News
Note: Owen Anderson has had to discontinue his weekly column on the Runner's Web
die to his increases commitments on his web site
which has recently been re-launched. He has agreed to carry on with his Question
and Answer feature and to allow us to publish his
weekly column from his Newsletter.

Running Research News is a monthly newsletter which keeps sports-active people
up-to-date on the latest information about training,
sports nutrition, and sports medicine. RRN publishes practical, timely new
material which improves workouts, prevents injuries, and
heightens overall fitness. Check our archive columns from Running Research News
at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/RRN_index.html
Send in your training related questions for Owen to answer to
mailto:webmaster@...?subject=Owen_Anderson
Check out the questions and answers from the Q and A Index page at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/RRN_AskOwen_index.html

* Peak Performance Online
"Peak Performance is a subscription-only newsletter for athletes, featuring the
latest research from the sports science world. We
cover the whole range of sports, from running and rowing to cycling and
swimming, and each issue is packed full of exclusive
information for anyone who's serious about sport. It's published 16 times a
year, including four special reports, by Electric Word
plc. Peak Performance is not available in the shops - only our subscribers are
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* Peak Running Performance
Peak Running Is The Nation's Most Advanced Running Newsletter. Rated as the #1
Running Publication by Road Runner Sports (Worlds
Largest Running Store) , Peak Running caters to the serious / dedicated runner.
Delivering world class running advice are some of
running's most recognizable athletes including Dr. Joe Vigil (US Olympic Coach),
Scott Tinley (2 Time Ironman Champ) Steve Scott (3
Time Olympian) and many more. This bi-monthly newsletter has been around for
over 13 years, and in the past two it has been awarded
the "Golden Shoe Award" in recognition of it's outstanding achievements.
http://www.clixGalore.com/EmailSale.aspx?BID=37234&AfID=103794&AdID=5075&LP=www.\
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Check out the Peak Running article index at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/PRP_index.html .

* WatsonLifeSport
Lance Watson is "Just The Winningest Coach in Triathlon". He has been coaching
triathlon and distance running since 1987. Over the
years, Lance has coached some of the most successful athletes in the sport of
triathlon and duathlon.
Check out the Lance Watson Online Article Index at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/LW_index.html


THIS WEEK'S PERSONAL POSTINGS/RELEASES:

We have NO personal postings this week.

THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. Science of Sport: Running Thresholds And Transitions
2. Multisport: Training shouldn't stop when the leaves change
3. Open letter from Gatorade in response to The NY Times
4. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Letters from Camp
5. Fake It
6. From Runner's World
7. Exercise and death: Am I safer on the couch?
8. Simple guidelines can help keep knees pain-free
9. The Truth Behind The Atkins, Zone, and South Beach Diets
10. Performance Center: Training Info: Training With... MATT DOWNIN
11. A fusion workout for mind and body
It's Budokon, the latest fitness trend that melds martial arts, yoga and
meditation.
12. The Runner's Heart
Sorting Out Running's Risks and Benefits for the Heart.
13. Curbing the injury bug (Cross Country)
Runners spend much of their careers dodging injuries.
14. End shin splints with calf care
15. Factors to Consider When Purchasing Fitness Tracking Software
16. The fat in a Big Mac? Its label will tell all
17. Start Your Engine
Worried about your metabolism idling with age? Here's how to keep it revved for
the long haul.
18. After the race
Every finish line is also a start line -- for recovery, that is, and for your
preparations for the next race.
19. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine
20. Run Fast, Run Free:
21. Bloody urine : Why ?
22. Energy Pathways
23. Post run stiffness - the ABC - the Andrew Bosch Corner
24. Unscrambling the mystery of METs
Those numbers on your treadmill tell you how much oxygen you're burning.
25. Digest Briefs


RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"What is your preference for race "goodies"?"

You can access the poll from our FrontPage as well as 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 RESULTS:
Last week's poll was: "Winter is coming! Where do you run during the winter
months?"

The results at publication time were:
Answers Votes Percent
1. Cross country 9 9%
2. Roads 48 50%
3. Outdoor track 1 1%
4. Indoor track 14 15%
5. Treadmill 24 25%
Total Votes: 96

FIVE STAR SITE OF THE WEEK: TriSPortNews.com.
TriSportNews is a new UK based online magazine for triathletes, duathletes and
mutisport enthusiasts. Our free, independent title
provides up-to-date news, features, information and online services for the
mutisport community, with contributors including leading
coaches such as Bill Black and elite international athletes including Richard
Allen and Stephen Bayliss.
The site includes immediate news headlines and the latest reviews; live web
casts of major events; in-depth nutrition and coaching
advice; event listings, results and event previews; elite athlete home pages and
monthly diaries; and complete directory of
retailers, manufacturers, sports injury specialists, coaches and athletes coming
soon.
Tech reviews will be written by athletes over an extended period to give a depth
and quality of review not found elsewhere. You will
be able discuss articles and ask further questions of the reviewing panel,
adding to the completeness of the review.
TriSportNews offers you the opportunity to receive news bulletins and article
updates direct to their email inboxes several times a
week. In the future you will be able to customise the update service to receive
relevant news from their preferred areas of the
magazine.
TriSportNews recognises the increasing participation by women within mutisport
and provides dedicated content for female athletes
with women specific features including training, nutrition and in depth tech
reviews.
Check out the site at:
http://www.trisportnews.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.

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


BOOK OF THE WEEK: Triathlon Training.
About the Product
No matter what distances you're training for, Triathlon Training offers expert
guidance for improving your racing from start to
finish. Triathlon Training contains six race-specific programs-two for sprint
distances, two for Olympic distances, one for the half
Ironman, and one for the Ironman. The sprint and Olympic programs include target
race times to help you choose the best program for
yourself, based on your ability level. It also details a 12-week, step-by-step,
base-building program that you can use to work up to
racing distances.
The instruction, time management tips, and drills in Triathlon Training will
help you make the most effective use of each training
day. Insights from athletes' profiles and information on nutrition, supplements,
and equipment offer additional ways to maximize
training as you prepare for competition. The book examines the most common
triathlon injuries, offers advice on preventing those
injuries, and details how to treat and recover from them, should they occur.
A full-color book with more than 200 photos, Triathlon Training was developed in
consultation with USA Triathlon and the British
Triathlon Association. Whether you are considering your first triathlon or are
committing yourself to Ironman competition, this book
will help put you on the path to a successful finish.
About the Author
Michael Finch has been involved in the sport of triathlon for more than 10
years, both as a participant and as a journalist. He has
completed more than 50 triathlons in his career, including two South African
Ironman competitions. Finch began to cover triathlons
as a sport journalist for the South African Press Association and later worked
for a cycling magazine. Today he is an editor for
Runner's World South Africa, where he is a major contributor to the magazine's
triathlon content.
Buy the book from Human Kinetics at:
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?associate=880&isbn=0736054\
448


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. Science of Sport: Running Thresholds And Transitions
By Owen Anderson, Ph. D. (Copyright C 2004-2005)
Running and life are filled with thresholds and transitions.
During my travels to Nairobi, I often stayed at the Windsor Hotel on the
outskirts of the city. Rising early, I would walk down
Thika Road, past the sprawling coffee estates and the lavish mansions, through
the apartment blocks on the outskirts of town, and
finally into the shantytowns which ringed the downtown area. As I plunged into
the teeming throng of humanity, I was always reminded
of Ama Ata Aidoo's famous poem, Issues, which begins:
We met
them
daily in the
streets:
the mothers and the children
for whom they'd got
the best recipes for
cooking
stones.
I would turn down Moi street and make a final transition into the New Stanley
Hotel, where, in the dark lounge, I could enjoy a
moment's respite from the tempest outside before beginning my business for the
day. On my stroll back to the Windsor, I passed
through each threshold - from desperate poverty to barely making it to modest
hopefulness to lavish richness - once again.
Mimicking life, exercise also has many abrupt transition points. For humans, the
movement speed of 2 meters per second represents
one such precipitous passage. At all velocities of 2 meters per second or less
(e. g., at all tempos of 13:24 per mile or slower),
walking requires less energy than running, and so we almost always walk at such
speeds.
If we want to move faster than 2 meters per second, we invariably jog or run,
because running is more economical than walking at
such tempos. We automatically adjust gait to minimize the energy cost of
locomotion, and so we rarely see individuals jogging at
15-minute per mile pace - or walking at 10 minutes per mile.
Another important transition occurs at a walking speed of about 5 kilometers per
hour (a tempo of around 19 minutes per mile).
Exercise scientists have known for years that if one plucks an average person
"off the street" and asks him/her to walk "normally",
he/she will usually settle in at a pace of about 4.8 to 5 kilometers per hour.
This is nothing new: Human footprints left in
Kenyan/Tanzanian mud two million years ago suggest that these first
imprint-leavers were strolling through East Africa with an
alacrity of 5 kilometers per hour, too!
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20051022_RRN_Thresholds.html


2. Multisport: Training shouldn't stop when the leaves change:
By Jeb D. Stewart MS, CSCS, Coach
seasons are made or broken by what we do or don't do in the off-season. Athletes
commonly make two mistakes: Waiting until the
racing season is upon them to hire a coach and then expect them to work
miracles; and firing their coach when racing season
concludes and then rehiring them in the spring.
These approaches are short sighted, and often mean you'll reach sub-optimal
fitness and miss hitting your goals. What you do in the
off-season determines the heights you can reach during the next year. Those who
do it correctly meet and exceed their goals, while
those who don't end up falling short and wondering why.
If you wait until spring, many coaches may not have availability or may require
you to pay another start-up fee for the additional
work necessary to get you back into condition (which wouldn't have been
necessary if you'd been working together continuously).
How a season goes wrong
How can a season go wrong? The most common answer: Doing too much or too little.
Doing too much might mean working too hard, when developing base fitness is
really what's needed; doing too much or the wrong
exercise in the gym; or gaining too much weight.
Even more athletes fall into the doing too little category. Examples include:
not taking enough recovery time; not doing enough
miles; skipping cross-training or gym work; not doing enough base training or
doing it at too low an intensity; or not attending to
goals and long-term fitness.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20051028_PCG_Off_Season.html


3. Open letter from Gatorade in response to The NY Times:
You may have read an article in today's (Oct. 20) The New York Times by Gina
Kolata, entitled "Marathoners Warned About Too Much
Water."
I am writing to you today to provide a balanced perspective that I hope ensures
that the topic of hyponatremia gets covered more
responsibly.
My fear in The New York Times story is that it provides a single-minded focus on
the dangers of hyponatremia as compared to the more
common ailment of dehydration and consequent heat illness.
My primary concern is that runners are being confused and misled by the notion
that dehydration is not a danger and that drinking
during exercise should be minimized. Nothing could be further from the truth. It
is essential that athletes drink appropriate
volumes of fluid to replace fluid and electrolyte losses during exercise,
particularly during prolonged activity such as the
upcoming New York Marathon.
The article quoted Dr. Lewis Maharam, the medical director for the New York City
Marathon. Unfortunately, as quoted, some of Dr.
Maharam's comments are incorrect. Dehydration and heat stroke have indeed
contributed to the deaths of endurance athletes and it is
widely held in the sports-science community that fluid intake during exercise
should approximate sweat loss - that is, drink enough
to minimize weight loss while avoiding over-drinking. The 24 ounces of fluid per
hour that Dr. Maharam recommends will be fine for
those who lose roughly that amount of sweat, but for those who lose more or
less, that recommendation is inappropriate and
potentially dangerous.
More...from InsideTri at:
http://www.insidetri.com/news/fea/3046.0.html


4. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Letters from Camp:
Dear Friends:
Sorry that I haven't written much lately. I was away camping a lot this summer.
Here's what I didn't take time to write at the time.

These are letters from three very different running camps. They came at the rate
of one a month, with one each in the West, East and
Midwest. One catered to high schoolers, one was for marathoners who adore Dick
Beardsley, one for runners who worship Jeff Galloway.

SQUAW VALLEY, California, July. Jeff Galloway hasn't called this a "camp" since
its early years, and those reach back into the
1970s. To avoid any confusion with rough and tough camping, he once called this
a "Vacation for Runners." Now it's a "Retreat."
I use a another term: "family reunion." I've joined the Galloways every summer
since 1980, so long that Jeff and I each call the
other a "second brother."
He's a strong family man. One summer at a time, I've watched his and Barbara's
two sons, Brennan and Westin, come into this world
and grow into their 20s. Jeff has brought both of his parents to camp, plus two
sisters and his brother's son.
The Galloways first welcomed my children, Eric and Sarah, to Squaw Valley when
they were six and two, then watched them grow. Other
honorary aunts and uncles did the same, often while bringing along kids of their
own until they outgrew this gathering.
Larry Sillen matches me in longevity here. He's known as "Major Video" (he says,
"I was promoted from captain a few years ago") for
his camera work. The only year he missed being here since 1980 was after a 2004
mugging on the streets of New York City.
Two others, Joe Cote from Nashville and Dexter Grindstaff from Atlanta, have
attended this Retreat/reunion for 20-plus years apiece.
Almost two-thirds of the attendees are now repeaters. They came first for the
running, then they return for the "family."
GLEN SPEY, New York, August. This had been my longest, hardest trip of the year
-- 14 hours from my door in Oregon before dawn to
the Five Star Cross-Country Camp late that night, Eastern time. But had the
travel been this tough?
More...from Joe Henderson at:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/533.html


5. Fake It
By: Scott Winter
www.MarathonFamily.com
So your spouse has started to run in order to get into shape and you have no
driving force, reason, or motivation to participate,
indulge, or help out in the activity that they have selected. You know that
it will be good for your spouse to loose some weight
and incorporate some sort of healthy lifestyle activity, but even that doesn't
move the needle on your drive to get involved.
There are a few things that you need to evaluate to determine why you are having
the inability to become a helpful, supportive, and
involved.
A. Are there any outstanding issues or unresolved topics that are hampering
your ability to get behind your loved ones new
activity?
B. Do you honestly not like running that much?
By trying to pin point the exact reason behind not supporting your new runners
initiative, it will be easier to move into a
supportive mode for your partner. {If your issues are deep rooted in something
that is impossible to approach by reading articles
and trying different techniques you need to get professional counseling of some
kind.} If there are no other reasons than a just
personal stand against running or just laziness on your part then you have only
one choice. FAKE IT.
Let's be honest, there are things in life where you put on a happy face and bear
through it. Supporting your runner will need to be
added to your 'Grin and Bear it' list. Here is one suggestion that shows
support without having to put forth much effort. usually
when your runner finishes a run they need to walk a little ways to cool down.
Go for a walk with your runner during their cool
down and you will establish support that speaks louder than words.
For more helpful articles and questions email Scott Winter at
mailto:info@... or visit www.marathonfamily.com.


6. From Runner's World:
* Coach's Corner
Speed it Up: To add variety to weekly speed sessions, alternate between hill
repeats, track intervals, or pace pickups of 1 to 3
minutes in length. Pick a pace the same as your current 5-k race pace or
slightly faster. Rest between speedy segments by jogging or
walking for half the time of each segment. - Runner's World magazine
* Injury Prevention
Stay on your feet: Don't sit as soon as you finish a marathon. Stay upright and
keep walking to avoid cramping. Your leg muscles
need blood to be pumped through them. Otherwise, your legs will become very sore
and stiff.
* Performance Nutrition
It's the Sugar, Baby: "When people get headaches during long runs, it's often a
sign that they're not eating enough or drinking
enough. For example, a 150-pound runner should take in about 250 calories per
hour during a long run. Consuming sports drinks,
energy bars, or gels will help prevent low blood sugar and possibly solve the
headache problem." - Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., sports
nutritionist
* Words That Inspire:
"Running is the classical road to self-consciousness, self-awareness and
self-reliance. Independence is the outstanding
characteristic of the runner. He learns the harsh reality of his physical and
mental limitations when he runs. He learns that
personal commitment, sacrifice and determination are his only means to
betterment. Runners only get promoted through self-conquest."
-Noel Carroll, Irish track trailblazer
* Editor's Advice:
"Block out your schedule. Do this first thing, at the start of the week before
the blank spaces start filling up with errands and
other time thieves. Give your workouts your top priority." -Katie Neitz, RW
associate editor
* Training Talk:
Studies show that consuming some form of carbohydrate as little as a half-hour
into your workout can help you exercise longer and
more intensely, especially if your session will last 90 minutes or longer.
That's because carbohydrate keeps your blood sugar levels
steady, which in turn helps your muscles access more fuel." -From Eat Smart Play
Hard by Liz Applegate


7. Exercise and death: Am I safer on the couch?
Yes, it happens.
A couple of times a year, we hear stories of people dropping dead while pushing
their bodies to the limit - usually running road
races.
Most of the world's major marathons - including New York City, Chicago, London,
Paris and Beijing - have experienced death. Boston -
the world's oldest continuous marathon - has recorded two deaths in its 110-year
history.
On Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005, a 36-year-old man from Oakville, Ont., collapsed and
died minutes after he completed a half marathon in
Toronto. It was the third death in five years at the event.
A year earlier, a 42-year-old man from Guelph, Ont., died a couple of kilometres
before the finish. The cause of his death was never
released, but a heart attack is suspected.
Two years earlier, an experienced marathoner died running the Toronto marathon.
An autopsy showed a congenital heart defect that had
previously gone undetected.
Jogging guru Jim Fixx is shown in this 1980 file photo. (CP Photo)"To complete a
half marathon demands regular exercise and
discipline to get out there and train. More so for the full marathon distance,"
Jay Glassman, race director for the Toronto
Marathon, told CBC News. "There are obvious stresses on your heart but in all
the cases that we've experienced over the past five
years, we know those gentlemen were in good shape and had regularly exercised."
However, being in top physical shape won't necessarily protect you from heart
disease.
More...from the CBC at:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/exercise_fitness/exercise_death.html


8. Simple guidelines can help keep knees pain-free:
Many athletes have heard the adage "you're as old as your knees are." Many
believe this to be true only for football players, skiers
and runners. However, the truth is that too much rigorous exercise, even
walking, without adequate rest can cause irreversible
damage.
Our bodies respond most successfully, fitness-wise, to the overload and adapt
theory. In order to experience any type of fitness
gain, we must put gentle but necessary stress on the body above what it is
familiar with. This overload in stress causes microscopic
tears that, during the rest period following such a workout, repair themselves
and build back stronger, leaner and quicker. Overload
workout sessions should be followed with a good 48 hours of rest so the body can
heal properly and adapt to the previous activities
overload. It is when we neglect this rest cycle that we run into trouble.
More...from the News-Press at:
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051025/HEALTH/510250306/1\
051


9. The Truth Behind The Atkins, Zone, and South Beach Diets:
Traditional guidelines posted by the American Dietetic Association recommend
that 45-65% of total calories be consumed in the form
of carbohydrates, with guidelines for endurance athletes focusing on the latter
end of these recommendations during training and
competition.
The carbohydrate intake of elite distance runners in the United States2,
Netherlands3, Australia4, and Southern Africa5 have been
measured at 49%, 50%, 52%, and 50% respectively. Perhaps the most decorated
distance runners in the world, however, are the Kalenjin
(Kenyan) runners who reportedly won a staggering 40% of all major international
middle- and long-distance competitions from
1987-1997.6 Interestingly, Kalenjin runners have a carbohydrate composition that
tower over their competition with measurements
reporting 75+% or 10.4 grams carbohydrate per kg of body mass, which may lead
one to argue that running success and carbohydrate
intake are directly related.7
In fact, there is a plethora of sound research showing the profound performance
benefits associated with high carbohydrate intake,
including optimal mental functioning, muscle glycogen saturation, enhanced fat
burning, protection against protein/muscle breakdown,
and improved immune function, just to name a few.8 Even so, such health
authority as Dr. Atkins (Atkins Diet), Dr. Barry Sears (Zone
Diet), and Dr. Agatston (South Beach Diet) question the efficacy of high
carbohydrate diets for health and performance.
More...from Cool Running at:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_1/the-truth-behind-the-atki.shtml


10. Performance Center: Training Info: Training With... MATT DOWNIN
The New Hampshire native has a 10,000m pr of 28:08.04 and a marathon pr of
2:18.48. Matt, who recently finished an excellent 3rd
over 10,000m at the USATF Championships, is currently preparing for the New York
City Marathon. Here is a look at how he trains.
What is the general philosophy behind your training?
I believe in training that is based on strength and aerobic capacity first and
foremost. I do lots of long easy runs and hard
aerobic runs before I get into any faster/shorter runs.
Who is your coach?
I actually pretty much coach myself, with the help of a few other people.
Who do you train with (or do you do most of your runs, workouts alone)?
I do almost all of my training alone. Once or twice a week I will meet with some
people to train.
What is your average weekly mileage during the winter? During the summer?
During the winter my mileage builds to a max of about 85 or 90 miles. During the
summer I will get up to about 110 or so miles per
week.
More...from New Balance at:
http://www.newbalance.com/productbrowser/performance/traininginfo.html?sport=Run\
ning&page=MattDowninTraining


11. A fusion workout for mind and body:
It's Budokon, the latest fitness trend that melds martial arts, yoga and
meditation.
In Los Angeles, fitness trends seem to shift as quickly as those in food and
fashion. Hip instructors - just like chefs or designers
- are always mixing it up, looking for a new and exciting combination.
But in this capital of fusion, I was a meat-and-potatoes person. Twice a week, I
ran the same four miles, with nary a detour. But
the longer I lived here, the more I warmed to the idea of kimchi pizza, or
shearling boots worn with miniskirts. So I decided to try
a fusion workout.
The offerings were mind-boggling: karaoke spinning, stand-up comedy ab workouts,
hip-hop Pilates.
I chose Budokon, a combination of meditation, yoga and martial arts. The
grouping seemed strange at first; I imagined chanting my
way to a deadly roundhouse kick.
I arrived for my first Budokon conditioning class at Santa Monica's Equinox
Fitness Club having no yoga experience and no martial
arts training. I pulled out a mat from a shelf in the back of the studio and
took my position with six other women.
Maura Barclay, who wore a red karate belt to signify her status as a Budokon
instructor, sported some seriously ripped shoulders and
biceps. She led us through a few minutes of zazen meditation.
We stood with eyes closed, some with hands by their sides or with palms facing
the ceiling, and I tried to quiet my thoughts, which
were swirling around the USC football score. The Trojans were down with only
minutes left in the game when I went into the Saturday
afternoon class.
"I want you to ask yourself what it is that you need today," Barclay said,
circling the room. "Is it a workout? Is it a
transformation?"
A touchdown would be nice, I thought.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-budokon24oct24,1,17551.stor\
y?coll=la-health-fitness-news&ctrack=1&cset=true


12. The Runner's Heart:
Sorting Out Running's Risks and Benefits for the Heart.
Jim Fixx was a consummate runner. He relished the invigoration of exertion. He
exulted in the ways his body was transformed by
athletics. His book, The Complete Book of Running, helped shape the running boom
of the 1970s. With wholehearted conviction in the
benefits of physical fitness, he preached the gospel of exercise.
On July 20, 1984, on his routine 10 mile run, Fixx suffered a fatal heart
attack. He died at the age of 52. The cruel irony of his
premature death was inescapable. The writer who had popularized the benefits of
cardiovascular fitness became better known for the
story of his demise.
Moreover, his death was not unique. Stories recur in the news about runners who
suffer heart attacks during a race or a routine jog.
Tremendous publicity surrounds the deaths of young athletes like Hank Gathers
and Reggie Lewis, basketball stars at the apex of
physical fitness who died suddenly while exercising. Health clubs and fitness
programs post an ominous disclaimer that individuals
who have been less active in the past should see a physician before beginning a
new exercise program.
The potential hazards of exercise stand in stark contrast to the widely touted
cardiovascular benefits. Indeed, the evidence is vast
and incontrovertible that exercise improves cholesterol levels, decreases blood
pressure, and decreases the risk of dying from a
heart attack. Encouragement to exercise has become a mantra in the offices of
physicians. Reports from the Surgeon General and
guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control promote physical fitness,
largely because of the cardiovascular benefits.
The effects of exercise on the risk of heart attacks are paradoxical and have
led to many misunderstandings.
More...from the Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/issues/03sept/heart.htm


13. Curbing the injury bug (Cross Country):
Runners spend much of their careers dodging injuries.
Cross country runners are always fighting two battles.
The first is with their minds that tell them they are too tired to run faster.
The second is with their bodies that constantly
threaten to act up and even break down under the constant strain running
creates.
While the mental battle lasts only as long as the athlete is running, the
physical one starts well before the workout and continues
long after the workout is over.
The women's cross country team understands the challenges its sport provides.
From cold baths to oversized rubber bands to yoga, the
Wildcats take several measures to stay healthy.
Yet they all have the same goal: stemming the damaging effects distance running
can have on the body.
"I see a lot of overuse injuries from the repetitive pounding caused by
running," said Courtney Jones, a certified athletic trainer
working with the team.
According to Jones and coach Amy Tush, some common injuries are shin splints,
sore hamstrings, sprained ankles, stress fractures and
inflamed IT bands, a muscle on the outer thigh.
More...from the Daily Northwestern at:
http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/10/27/43608210991c7


14. End shin splints with calf care:
As many runners and triathletes know, there can be a price for speed. The track
is often the place where athletes pay for speed with
shin splints. Heather Fuhr is one such athlete. She and I meet on the track to
resolve shin splint problems that have been plaguing
her since high school.
How can we bring the track and the calf together and leave the shin splints in
the dust?
There are many theories about the nature and causes of shin splints; however,
all agree that the calf muscle is involved. It is
certainly the case that shin splints can sometimes be overcome by changing the
way you use your calves during running.
The key is to look at the relationship between the foot and the front of the
shin as the foot hits the ground.
Running mechanics
Many pros like Fuhr run with their knees and chest forward, and the feet and
hips back, as if leaning into a wall. Because of this
position the knee stays in front of the foot, which allows the calf to stretch
before push-off and contract afterward.
Many amateurs throw the foot forward, and the angle of the foot to shin comes
close to 90 degrees or more at impact. In this case
your calf is tight both when your foot hits the track and when you lift your
foot off the track. Simultaneous impact and contraction
subjects the muscles of your lower leg to eccentric strain, which can be the
very cause of calf/shin splint problems.
To reduce eccentric strain in your calves, run in place with your hands on a
wall. Notice the effect as you move your feet further
from the wall. Lead with the chest, and keep your knees in front of your feet.
As you lean, you add a forward momentum to your
running with no additional effort.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=12237&sidebar=26&category=triathlon


15. Factors to Consider When Purchasing Fitness Tracking Software :
By Kirt Nakagawa
If you're like many athletes, you probably keep records of your training,
whether on a clipboard, in a spreadsheet, or scribbled
into your daily planner. There are a number of software applications on the
market that provide logging capabilities, but how do you
decide which one is right for you?
This article describes ten factors to consider when purchasing software for
fitness or athletic training. While most of these
considerations could apply to any type of software, the examples and reasoning
are specific to active people involved with fitness
activities.
Here are our top ten considerations, with the top five being the most critical:
User-friendliness - Lets face it, this pretty much trumps all other factors, as
well it should. No matter how technologically
advanced, slick-sounding, or powerful a piece of software is, if it's not easy
to use, you probably won't use it. In fact, the chief
reason to buy software is to improve your life in some way, and probably the
last thing you want to do is spend your time figuring
out how it's supposed to work.
User-friendly software facilitates the initiation, process, and completion of
your work, with a minimum of confusion, in a way that
flows. Invariably, the screens have a nice design and are not too "busy" with
input boxes, buttons, images, and text. They clearly
communicate their function and whether or not any input is required from you.
Useful feedback will guide you through the screens,
without irritation, distraction, or redundancy.
You can generally glean software's user-friendliness from magazine reviews, and
even by a careful study of the screenshots on the
company's website or packaging. Obtaining a demo copy of the software, which
lets you evaluate the flow, aesthetics, and utility of
the application, is especially useful.
More...from Marathon Training at:
http://www.marathontraining.com/articles/art_26th.html


16. The fat in a Big Mac? Its label will tell all:
That Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese? It has 730 calories. A Sausage Biscuit
With Egg? It will account for 49 percent of an
adult's daily recommended fat intake.
That information and more will be on the packaging of most McDonald's food items
starting next year, the company announced at a news
conference in a Chicago restaurant on Tuesday. The nutrition labeling, which is
designed to be even easier to read than the labels
on packaged foods, will tell customers how many calories and how much fat,
protein, carbohydrates and sodium are in each product and
will include a chart showing how much of the government's recommended daily
intakes the product contains.
Such information is already available to consumers in brochures in McDonald's
restaurants and on the company's Web site. But
McDonald's executives said they had decided to make it more available and more
accessible to customers.
McDonald's said the new packaging would be in 20,000 of its 30,000 restaurants
worldwide by the end of 2006.
The move comes as McDonald's, the world's largest restaurant company, continues
to face criticism for contributing to America's
rising obesity rates and other health problems. It has also been sued by
customers charging that they became fat by eating
McDonald's foods, although only one case is still pending. In addition,
McDonald's was the subject of a 2004 film, "Super Size Me,"
in which the filmmaker Morgan Spurlock chronicled the nutritional dangers of
eating too much fast food.
More...from the IHT at:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/26/yourmoney/mcdo.php

17. Start Your Engine:
Worried about your metabolism idling with age? Here's how to keep it revved for
the long haul.
YOU'RE STILL FUELING YOUR DAY AND YOUR WORKOUT THE SAME WAY you always have,
balancing calories in with calories burned, and
indulging in Ben & Jerry's only every so often.
Problem is, you're just not getting the same results. There was a time when your
body blazed through calories like a raging fire,
converting them into the power you needed to keep moving on overdrive. Now, it's
more like a slow burn-and eating what you want
whenever you want is no longer the option it was.
The bad news: For many reasons, your metabolism slows as you age.
The good news: With an active, healthy lifestyle, there's a lot you can do to
keep your internal fires burning. Here's a look at
what metabolic rate is and how you can influence your calorie-burning potential.
What is Metabolism?
You burn calories all day and night-even if you do nothing but stare at the wall
or count sheep. The speed at which you burn them is
your metabolic rate. Most of the calories spent each day are for breathing,
circulation of blood, maintenance of body temperature
and other things your body does to keep you alive. This is your resting
metabolic rate (RMR), and it accounts for 60 to 75 percent
of the total calories you burn. Physical activity and the digestion, absorption
and storage of food, called "diet-induced
thermogenesis," make up the rest.
More...from Her Sports at:
http://www.hersports.com/articles/mainarticle3.html


18. After the race:
Every finish line is also a start line -- for recovery, that is, and for your
preparations for the next race. What you do in the
minutes, hours, and days after completing any race will determine just how
quickly you get your legs back and return to regular
training.
Doing the rights things will make racing minimally disruptive to your overall
training program, whereas doing the wrong things could
spoil your next race by setting back your training or even by resulting in
illness or injury. So, just what are the right things?
Let's take a look.
The first hour
Your first order of business after turning in your timing chip and shaking the
hand of the person you beat in a sprint finish is a
proper cool-down. Jogging slowly or walking and stretching after finishing a
race will flush lactic acid and other metabolic wastes
from your muscles and jump-start the muscle repair process.
For races up to the half-marathon distance, jogging is preferable, except if
you're a slower runner for whom there's no real
difference between race pace and cool-down pace.
Go for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on your fitness level and state of fatigue,
and then stretch all the muscles of your lower body
for several minutes. Try to stay on your feet for another half hour or so after
you complete
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=12444&sidebar=13


19. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine:
* How can lactic acid increase endurance?
A study from Australia shows that lactic acid buildup in muscles does not make
muscles tired and may even make muscle contract more
efficiently, which may increase your endurance. This startling research
contradicts what most instructors teach in their exercise
classes. When you exercise, your muscles burn sugar, fat or protein in the
presence of oxygen to produce energy. If you exercise so
intensely that you become very short of breath and your muscles can't get enough
oxygen, lactic acid accumulates in your muscle
fibers.
The old theory was that lactic acid makes the muscles more acidic which causes
them to hurt and burn and interferes with their
ability to contract, so you feel tired. This new research shows that rat's
muscles contact more efficiently when lactic acid
accumulates in them. Electric currents cause muscles to contract. This
electricity is generated by cell membranes causing potassium
to move inside cells and chloride ions to stay outside. With vigorous exercise,
potassium ions accumulate outside cells. As large
amounts of potassium ions accumulate outside cells, electricity is not generated
and the cells cannot contract. Another ion called
chloride accumulates outside cells and prevents potassium from getting back
inside cells. Lactic acid removes the chloride, so it is
easier for potassium to get back inside cells. Therefore lactic acid increases
the ratio of potassium inside cells to the amount
outside, and this helps the muscle contract with more efficiency.
While this new concept of how muscles use lactic acid for energy is reasonable,
it is not likely to change the way athletes train or
the way exercisers become more fit. Healthy people are supposed to exercise
vigorously and feel a burn in their muscles during
exercise, which signifies buildup of lactic acid in muscles. They feel sore on
the next day, go easy for as many days as it takes
for muscles to feel fresh again, and then exercise intensely again.
* Hyponatremia Should Never Happen to You
For the last 40 years, sports medicine experts have told athletes in endurance
events that they should take fluids frequently during
events lasting more than one hour. However, three years ago, a 28-year-old woman
collapsed and died after finishing the Boston
Marathon. Her blood salt levels were extremely low and she died from a condition
called hyponatremia. A few weeks ago, a policeman
training for bicycle duty died of the same condition. On July 26, 2005, sports
medicine experts issued a warning to all athletes
from the First International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus
Development Conference (Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine,
July/August 2005).
I have never seen this syndrome in well-conditioned athletes. It has been
reported almost exclusively in very thin, less-fit, slower
and novice athletes, and is far more common in women. This condition is caused
by drinking too much fluid and is not caused by
excessive loss of salt in sweat or by exercising. When people with psychiatric
problems force themselves to drink huge amounts of
water while sitting still, they also can die of hyponatremia, only in this case,
it is called water intoxication.
The extra fluid expands blood volume and dilutes blood salt levels. This causes
blood salt levels to be very low, while brain salt
levels remain normal. Fluid moves from an area of low salt concentration into
areas with high salt levels. So fluid moves from the
bloodstream into the brain, causing brain swelling. Since the brain is enclosed
in the skull, which is a tight box, the brain
expands and has nowhere to go, so it is squashed to cause headache, nausea, and
blurred vision. Since these are the same symptoms
caused by pure dehydration with normal blood salt levels, the only way to
diagnose the condition is with blood tests. As blood salt
levels drop even lower, the person becomes confused, develops seizures and falls
unconscious. You should suspect hyponatremia when
the event takes more than four hours, the athlete is a thin woman in her first
ultra-long endurance event, and when she has been
drinking heavily as she exercises. All people who are confused, pass out or have
seizures should be sent to a hospital immediately.
The condition requires skilled management because the first impulse of an
inexperienced physician is to give intravenous fluids,
which dilute blood salt levels further and swell the brain and can kill the
patient.
How much fluid should you drink? You will not become thirsty during exercise
until you have lost between two and four pints of
fluid, so you can't wait for thirst to encourage you to drink. Dehydration makes
you tired and it is unlikely that you can replace
the lost fluid during a race after you have become thirsty. Blood has a much
higher concentration of salt than sweat, so when you
sweat, you lose far more water than salt. This causes blood salt levels to rise.
Thirst is controlled by certain cells in your brain
called osmoreceptors which are stimulated to make you thirsty only after blood
salt levels have risen considerably. So you will not
become thirsty until you are significantly dehydrated.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a limit of 1200cc (5 cups,
2.5 pints, a little over 1 quart, or 2 average size
water bottles) per hour, but for a person who is not exercising near his or her
maximum, this could be too much. A person exercising
near his capacity and not slowed down by fatigue probably does not have to worry
about limiting fluid intake. He is working so hard
at maintaining intensity, he doesn't have enough time to drink too much. On the
other hand, people slowed down by fatigue or those
out of shape, should limit fluid intake, probably to less than two large water
bottles per hour. If you are exercising for more than
an hour, you should also replace salt, either with salted sports drinks or
salted foods.


20. Run Fast, Run Free:
By Roy Palmer
What made Michael Johnson a world-beater? His upright running technique did not
appear fast until we appreciated the distance
between him and second place! To run faster do we emulate him? Many have tried
and invariably failed. Does Johnson know something we
don't?
The most common response to the thought of stepping up the pace is to put more
effort into the stride. If the legs are already being
over worked due to a less than efficient technique, the centre of the brain
(motor cortex) that initiates the action has to send
more impulses adding to the traffic in the feedback loop. We have the sensation
that we are running quicker because of the increased
effort, but are we using our energy efficiently?
The next time you want to increase your speed try the following method.
Initially, when you have decided to quicken the pace,
observe what you normally do to achieve this. After a minute, slow down to a
comfortable jogging pace and again think about raising
the pace. This time do not think about running faster but instead just move your
arms quicker. If we think of only moving the arms
faster, requiring less energy, the legs will match the speed. Try the exercise
and experience the difference. The first time you
speed up you will use your usual habitual method, the second will feel different
because it will be unfamiliar.
A recent study at Harvard University titled: 'Faster top running speeds are
achieved with greater ground forces not more rapid leg
movements', Weyand et al (2000) found that runners reach faster speeds not by
repositioning their legs more rapidly in the air but
by other means. Head of research, Peter Weyand explains: - When you see someone
running at top speed, his or her legs and arms are
swinging all over the place. There is just not enough active muscle power
available to account for all the motion you see taking
place.
So where does the force come from? To determine what limits top running speed,
thirty-three runners of varied ability were monitored
performing at different speeds. Surprisingly the amount of time taken to
reposition the leg between steps (swing time) was
approximately the same at top speed for all runners. The slowest runner's swing
time almost matched that of the 1996 Olympic 100
metre champion, Donovan Bailey!
More...from 26M.com at:
http://www.26m.com/articles/RunFastRunFree.asp


21. Bloody urine : Why ?
This article was provided in response to Bryan J Veal about 'Bloody urine'
experienced after running. This was considered worthy of
a small report by Doctor Andy Bosch Time-to-Run's resident exercise physiologist
Bloody urine: Why? Long distance runners should always keep a close watch on
their urine output since it serves as a good monitoring
tool for keeping a check on fluid balance, especially if training regularly in
hot weather. Such observation will have revealed to
the avid urine-watching runner just how long it can sometimes take before
voiding for the first time after an event such as a
marathon. And it will also have been noticed just how concentrated the urine can
appear at that first voiding. The concentrated
appearance of the urine is a little troubling to some runners. How much more so,
then, if at that first voiding after a marathon the
runner sees not just concentrated urine, but instead, blood.
For most runners to whom this may happen, it is quite alarming to see what
appears to be a substantial amount of blood loss. This is
usually followed by panic and frantic telephone calls to whomever the afflicted
runner thinks may be able to help in some way. Most
times, the family GP is visited the next day and various tests are done to
determine the possible cause of appearance of blood in
the urine. With great relief the runner then usually learns that all is well and
there is no need for any treatment.
More...from Time to Run at:
http://www.time-to-run.com/doctor/bloodyurine.htm


22. Energy Pathways:
D. Matthews and E. Fox, in their revolutionary book, "The Physiological Basis of
Physical Education and Athletics", divided the
running requirements of various sports into the following "energy pathways":
ATP-PC and LA, LA-02, and 02.
ATP - Adenosine Triphosphate : a complex chemical compound formed with the
energy released from food and stored in all cells,
particularly muscles. Only from the energy released by the breakdown of this
compound can the cells perform work. The breakdown of
ATP produces energy and ADP.
PC - Phosphate-creatine : a chemical compound stored in muscle, which when
broken down aids in the manufacture of ATP. The
combination of ADP and PC produces ATP.
LA - Lactic acid : a fatiguing metabolite of the lactic acid system resulting
from the incomplete breakdown of glucose. However
Noakes in South Africa has discovered that although excessive lactate production
is part of the extreme fatigue process, it is the
protons produced at the same time that restrict further performance
O2 means aerobic running in which ATP is manufactured from food, mainly sugar
and fat. This system produces ATP copiously and is the
prime energy source during endurance activities.
More...from Sports Coach at:
http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/energy.htm


23. Post run stiffness - the ABC - the Andrew Bosch Corner:
Lactic acid build-up is the cause of post hard-run stiffness ... Wrong! Most
runners believe that the stiffness and muscle pain felt
after a marathon or hard run is caused by lactic acid. While this was believed
correct some decades ago, we now know that lactic
acid, or more correctly, lactate, is not the cause of stiffness.
Although the precise cause of delayed onset muscle soreness remains unknown, all
runners are aware that the degree of pain depends
on the intensity and duration of the run. For example, you have probably noticed
that your muscles are more painful after a long or
hard downhill run than after running over flat terrain. Comrades runners,
particularly, will have noticed that the post-race
stiffness is worse after a "down" run than an "up" run. In fact, it is this very
phenomenon that begins to exclude a build-up of
lactic acid as a cause of the pain. In downhill running the concentration of
lactate in the blood and muscle is very low compared to
running at the same speed on the flat. Thus, the most painful post-race
stiffness occurs when the lactate concentration is lowest.
If we take a blood sample from a runner the day after a marathon, especially an
ultra-marathon such as the Two-Oceans or Comrades,
we find that the levels of an enzyme called creatine kinase are very high. This
is a marker of muscle damage as this particular
enzyme "leaks" from damaged muscle. The "damage" is in the form of minute tears
or ruptures of the muscle fibres. We can see this
trauma to the muscle if a sample of muscle is examined microscopically. However,
it is not just the muscle that is damaged. By
measuring hydroxyproline, it is possible to show that the connective tissue in
and around the muscles is also disrupted. What this
shows is that stiffness results from muscle damage and breakdown of connective
tissue.
More...from Time to Run at:
http://www.time-to-run.com/theabc/postrun.htm


24. Unscrambling the mystery of METs:
Those numbers on your treadmill tell you how much oxygen you're burning.
So you're chugging away on a cardio machine, peeved that the "calories burned"
display isn't rocketing skyward. You hit the
mysterious "MET" button and squint at the readout. How's that? 6.2?
Does anyone have a clue what this number means?
Calculating METs - or metabolic equivalent units - can offer proof you're
accomplishing something fitness-wise.
Think of METs as shorthand for how much oxygen your body is consuming. One MET
equals 3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body
weight per minute - which is what our bodies require at rest.
The more effort an activity requires, the higher its MET value. (Walking at,
say, 3.5 miles per hour burns 3.8 METs per minute.)
That value is the same for most, regardless of fitness level.
"If you and I walk a mile at the same pace, we will consume the same amount of
oxygen and burn the same number of METs," said
William L. Haskell, a professor at Stanford University's School of Medicine.
Haskell helped develop the Compendium of Physical
Activities Tracking Guide, a list of activities and their MET values.
Here's how METs differ from calories. If two people weigh the same amount, their
calories burned walking a mile would be equal. But
a 220-pound person would expend double the calories of a 110-pound walker.
Thus, the beauty of METs: We can all use the same scale, without elaborate
calculations.
So is this a better way to gauge your workouts than by using heart-rate zones?
"Not necessarily," said Conrad Earnest, director of
the Center for Human Performance and Nutrition Research at the Cooper Institute
in Dallas. "It's just another method."
METs come in handy in two instances: To track your cardio fitness progress over
time, you can work toward sustaining higher MET
levels for longer periods and hitting higher MET values during your intervals.
Or, if you have a cardiac condition, your doctor can
use a MET capacity test to prescribe a safe exercise zone. (This can be done
with heart-rate values as well.)
An individual's capacity is the highest MET number he or she can sustain for a
few minutes, Earnest said. You can increase this
capacity by getting fitter.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-mets24oct24,1,4492421.story\
?coll=la-health-fitness-news





25. Digest Briefs:

* Garmin Acquires MotionBased
The big news announced earlier this month was that Garmin acquired MotionBased.
We're extremely excited about this opportunity which
will allow us to spread our wings and make MotionBased even better. Get ready
for more features and even stronger integration with
Garmin GPS devices. More details about the acquisition are posted on our blog -
Mblog at:
http://clarque.typepad.com/mblog/2005/10/garmin_acquires.html
* Garmin Cyclocomputer - The Edge [top]
The next generation Garmin device is in our midst -- announcing the Garmin Edge.
The hype surrounding this new cyclocomputer from
Garmin is absolutely valid as we've been testing several prototypes over the
past month. What a revolution! From the barometric
altimeter to the speed/cadence sensors to the "courses" concept -- every cyclist
will want to trade-in their existing bike computer
for the Edge.
The only downside... it won't be available until January 2006. Darnit! In the
meantime, check out the specs and our write-up on the
Garmin Edge at:
http://clarque.typepad.com/mblog/2005/08/gamin_announces.html

* Quick Tip- Get Under The Wind
Up to 80% of the resistance you encounter on the bike comes from aerodynamic
drag. Reducing this wind resistance is a key
consideration in increasing speed. The more upright your riding position, the
more aerodynamic drag you create. By lowering your
torso towards the top tube, you essentially "get under the wind" by reducing
your aerodynamic profile.
If you are a recreational rider unconcerned with speed, comfort should be your
primary consideration. If you are a competitive
cyclist looking for ways to get faster, your riding position should be gradually
adjusted to make yourself more aerodynamically
efficient. There are, however, sacrifices to comfort and perhaps power when you
make adjustments to your riding position. These have
to be balanced with the decreased drag the new position creates. There may be a
small drop in power initially as your body learns to
produce power in the new position, but you should gain a subsequent increase in
speed.
Aero bars, as favored by triathletes and time trialists, significantly reduce
drag but require a different fit and frame type than a
traditional road bike geometry. Again, simply bolting on a pair of aero bars
will not help you unless you can produce power
comfortably in this position. You will need the right bicycle and a professional
fit to fully capitalize on aero bars.
It is important to make small changes in your riding position over time versus
large adjustments. If a new position is painful or
causes an overuse injury, you should reverse it. If you spend most of your time
in the hoods (on top of the brake levers), a good
place to start is by switching to a lower hand position (drops) for periods of
time. Start off with as little as 5 minutes and
progressively increase the amount of time you spend in the drops. Eventually,
you should spend a majority of your time here unless
you are climbing a steep grade.
Once you are comfortable in the drops, you can lower your stem height. Lowering
your stem height decreases the angle at your torso.
Stem height can vary from zero to four inches below the height of the saddle.
When you lower your stem height there will be less
aerodynamic drag from your upper body, but power and climbing ability will be
reduced. Lower the stem in small increments and let
your body adjust to the new position.
Remember, the faster you get the more the air around you slows you down. If you
can ride consistently over 20 mph, an
aerodynamically efficient riding position should be a primary objective. The
type of riding you do should also be a factor.
Generally, the more time you spend in the saddle during your goal events the
more comfort should be considered.
From the Sports Factory

* New Balance Performance Center: Training Info: Night Running Safety Tips
By Andy Palmer, Senior Writer, Running Times.
The first rule for night running (daytime as well) is always: Run against the
flow of traffic. Wear light-colored clothing with
reflective fabrics or add a reflective vest so traffic can spot you more easily.
Do your best to run in safe, well-lit, low-traffic
areas, preferably on the sidewalk without a walkman (in fact, the only time that
a walkman might be safe is when on a track with
other people present). If at all possible, run with a group, or at least where
other runners or walkers are likely to be found. Let
someone know the route you are running and the approximate time you will finish.
Vary your daily routine as much as possible, while
still running well-known routes.
Find surfaces with good footing and in winter be particularly careful of
black-ice spots, which are difficult to detect. And while
the thought of running laps on an indoor track or spending any significant time
on a treadmill may not seem very appealing, you may
find either choice a pleasant option and certainly a safer one when the snow is
coming down and the winds are blowing.
From www.newbalance.com





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

October 29, 2005:
Tulsa Run - Tulsa, OK
http://www.tulsarun.com

October 29 - 30, 2005:
Spinx Run Fest Marathon / Half-Marathon - Greenville, SC
http://www.spinxrunfest.com

October 30, 2005:
Auckland Marathon - New Zealand
http://www.aucklandmarathon.co.nz

Cancun ITU World Cup Triathlon - MEX
http://www2.asdeporte.com
*Postponed Due to Hurricane*

Fleet Feet Trick or Treat Trot, Chicago, IL
http://www.caprievents.com

Marine Corps Marathon - Washington, DC
http://www.marinemarathon.com

Silicon Valley Marathon - San Jose, CA
http://www.svmarathon.com

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

Send this to a Friend:
Forward the Runner's Web Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join

YOUR FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS:
Comments, contributions and feedback are always welcome via this list at:
mailto:runnersweb@yahoogroups.com and in our Runner's Web Forum, available off
our FrontPage. If you post to the mailing list and
get your email returned, please contact the Runner's Web at
mailto:webmaster@... to notify us of the problem. To update your
Runner's Web eGroups subscriber's profile, go to the web
site at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join, sign in and update your changes.
Forward the Runner's Web Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join

Have a good week of training and/or racing.

Ken Parker
Runner's Web
mailto:webmaster@...
http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html
A running and triathlon resource portal
Runner's Web Online Store
http://store.runnersweb.com

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Endurance Films
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ShoeWallet.com has set out on a mission to enable people to easily carry ID and
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SportsShoes in the UK
http://www.sportsshoes.com/index.php?id=149

Visit on AssociatesShop.com Online Bookstore for running and triathlon books:
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This application was recently featured on National TV - please see the following
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TrainingPeaks.com by Wes Hobson.
Find the training program that fits you at:
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/rw

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

TriSwim Coach - The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming
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If you have an accident while running or cycling, do you want your family to be
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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
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The Stretching Handbook:
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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;
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How To Run And Enjoy The Marathon By James Raia:
Price: $7.95
As a practical guide to the 26.2-mile journey, How To Run And Enjoy The Marathon
is a series of 15 self-help and service-oriented
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the book at:
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**END...OF DIGEST...**