Search the web
Sign In
New User? Sign Up
RunnersWeb · The Runner's & Triathlete's Web Digest
? Already a member? Sign in to Yahoo!

Yahoo! Groups Tips

Did you know...
Show off your group to the world. Share a photo of your group with us.

Best of Y! Groups

   Check them out and nominate your group.
Having problems with message search? Fill out this form to ensure your group is one of the first to be migrated to the new message search system.

Messages

  Messages Help
Advanced
Runner's and Triathlete's Web Digest - December 9, 2005   Message List  
Reply | Forward Message #522 of 734 |
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
health issues. The opinions expressed in the articles referenced by the Digest
are the opinions of the writers and not necessarily
those of the Runner's Web. To comment on any stories in the Digest visit our
Forum at:
http://excoboard.com/exco/index.php?boardid=4655
The Original Runner's and Triathlete's Web was founded in January of 1997 and is
not in any way associated with the two UK "Runner's
Web" copycat sites or the Runner's Web Book Store in the USA.

Visit the Runner's Web at http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html The site is
updated multiple times daily. Check out our daily news,
features, polls, trivia, bulletin boards and more. General questions should be
posted to one of our forums available from our
FrontPage.

SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS:

1. Runner's Web Online Store:
Through a partnership with HDO Sports, the Runner's and Triathlete's Web has
opened an online store. Check it out for your shopping
requirements.
Holiday specials. Free shipping on orders over $100! Leading edge sports
products for runners and triathletes. Great
products for athletes from athletes - support the RunnersWeb.com community and
gear up this Christmas.
http://store.runnersweb.com

2. RunnersWebCoach
Through a partnership with HDO Training, the Runner's And Triathlete's Web now
offers Interactive Training.
http://www.runnerswebcoach.com

3. Road Runner Sports, the world's largest running store at:
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000009525499

4. Toronto Waterfront Marathon. September 24, 2006.
http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/

5. Sof Sole Offer:
A free pair of our technical socks ($9.99 value) with the purchase of any Sof
Sole insole.
http://www.sofsole.com/pages/promo/rwebsockoffer.html

6. The Toronto Marathon, October 15, 2006
http://www.torontomarathon.com


ASSOCIATIONS:
The Runner's Web is a member of Running USA, The National Professional
Organization for the Running Industry.
http://www.runningusa.org/


SHOPPING:
Christmas shopping on the internet?
Check out the Summer Specials at our online store (in partnership with HDO
Sport).
http://store.runnersweb.com/


NEW SUBSCRIBERS:
This newsletter has been composed using Outlook set to "Text" format. The Digest
is sent via an email list at
http://groups.yahoo.com.
If you experience any delays in receiving your copy of the Digest, please advise
us at:
mailto:webmaster@...
You can receive the digest in three ways:
1. Immediately, via email,
2. Daily, in an email summary, and
3. By accessing the YahooGroups.com web site on demand.
The mail list has been set to not allow attachments out of concerns for viruses.
Also, all messages must be approved by the monitor
(me) prior to being released to the group. If you have any questions regarding
the options available for receiving this digest,
please do NOT email the list, rather email me directly at
mailto:Webmaster@...
*NOTE*
**[ Some e-mail clients may split the URL address into two lines. If you have
trouble connecting to a link, be sure that you paste
the entire address into your browser, so that it ends in ".html" or another
appropriate suffix ].
Note: An increasing number of media sites require free registration. If you wish
to sign up for free access to sources for our
articles without using your main email address we suggest the use of a mail
alias program such as
http://www.emailias.com.

Check out our RSS auto-feeds page for automated news updates:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_auto_feeds.html

Webmasters:
What Is RSS?
RSS (Rich Site Summary) is a feed of headlines that will automatically update
and display in an RSS News Reader. RSS feeds are an
increasingly popular method of distributing simplified web content to users
through XML. When you see a little orange XML button,
you know you can subscribe to RSS feeds.
How to Get Started
First you will need to download an RSS Reader. These are usually free to
download, just search for "RSS Reader". Some readers will
be able to pick up the feed just by clicking the link. If not, just ignore the
code on the page and copy the link location/URL into
the feed URL field on your news reader. You should start receiving new feeds
immediately. You will receive new stories when our web
site is updated.
Get our Syndicated headlines for you site.
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_getRSS.html
Add the Runner's Web News feed to your site through a simple JavaScript.
Check out OnTri.com's implementation at:
http://www.ontri.com/runnersweb.html
The Runner's and Triathlete's Web Digest is now available through an RSS feed
for myYahoo at:
http://e.my.yahoo.com/config/cstore?.opt=content&.url=http%3a//rss.groups.yahoo.\
com/group/RunnersWeb/rss

[Long URL]
The Digest is also available through other RSS Readers on request.

If anyone is looking for a web mail provider, you might wish to consider
Google's GMail. Currently you can get GMail by invitation
only from a current user. My stock of "invites" has been replenished. If you are
interested in getting FREE GMail account, contact
me at: mailto:kparker@....

Microsoft(r) Alerts on RunnersWeb.com Inc.
RunnersWeb.com Inc. now offers Microsoft(r) Alerts! This service lets you
receive important messages through your MSN(r) Messenger
or Windows(r) Messenger, your e-mail, or your mobile device. You can choose how
and when you receive these messages by specifying
your preferences during the easy setup process. Sign up at:
http://www.messagecast.net/alerts/login.do?PINID=2598&returnURL=http://www.runne\
rsweb.com


Race Directors:
Advertise your event on the Runner's Web. Over 1.8 MILLION visits in 2004!
68% increase in visitors in first 6 months of 2005!
Averaged 8,500 visitors for September 2005!

For more information:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_advertising.html
For text ads check out our AdBrite partnership at:
http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/purchase_form.php?opid=15182&afsid=1
You can also list your events for free in our Interactive Calendars and on our
Marathons, Races and Triathlons pages.


THIS WEEK:
Check out our new RunnersWebCoach Interactive Training site at:
http://www.runnerswebcoach.com
Sign up today and try Runnerswebcoach.com for free for 14 days!
Sign up for 6 months with Gold or any Platinum package and get a free Timex
monitor at:
http://store.runnersweb.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=161

The Runner's Web Store (www.store.runnersweb.com) updated with a number of new
products (Adidas eyewear, Bolle eyewear, Nike
watches, etc…) as well as the addition of the new Holiday Guide ’05. You can
check out the new holiday guide at the following URL:
http://store.runnersweb.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=10

Runner's Web returns as the title sponsor of Ottawa's Dave Scott Clinic.
Triathlon Ottawa announced today the opening of online registration for the 2006
Dave Scott Iron Distance Triathlon Training Clinic
in Ottawa, Canada. From Jan. 20-22, the Ironman legend will be working with a
group of 25 local and visiting triathletes. The clinic
will focus on using the off-season to build a better foundation for the 2006
race season. Dave will work closely with the athletes
through a series of discussions and active sessions, covering a range of the
most critical topics for the iron-distance athlete.
For the second year running the Ottawa event has been made possible in part by
title sponsor RunnersWeb.com, a top-rated,
Ottawa-based website which provides worldwide running and triathlon news updated
daily.
Full clinic details are available at www.TriathlonOttawa.com.


Buy Paula Radcliffe's book, My Story - So Far, from Amazon UK at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/074325242X/runnersweb-21

If you feel you have something to say (related to triathlon or running) 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.

We have 1,497 subscribers as of publication time. Forward the Runner's Web
Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join .

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
able to access the valuable information we publish.
Check out our latest article from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/PPO_index.html

* 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.\
peakrunningperformance.com

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: Macro Periodization - Part II
2. Sports Psychology: Next Season!
3. Sportsmedicine: Hip Pain - Iliopsoas Tendonitis and Iliopsoas Syndrome
How to fix inflammation or strain of the Iliopsoas muscle.
4. When a heart stops beating
Sudden death due to coronary failure haunts thousands – but the risks can be
reduced.
5. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Walking On
6. The ABCs of Marathon Running
7. Rub out chronic muscle tears
8. Final Race Countdown and Marathon Strategy
9. From Runner's World
10. Bike Fit - Comfort and Power
11. Like Armstrong, he's on a power trip
A wattage meter gives this recreational cyclist a precise snapshot of his
physical output.
12. Recipe for Success - From Siri Lindley
13. The Feed Zone with Monique Ryan - Slender for the holidays
Stay aware and focused.
14. 'Virtual fat' adds hope to losing weight and keeping it off
15. Are you Reaching your Personal Performance Potential?
3 Steps to getting stronger without pedaling.
16. “Limiter Season” Guidance
17. Distant Heroes - Running Times
18. Beating Stress
19. Fat-burning issue
Debate over how to boost metabolism.
20. Take your coaching online
21. Weight Tested: Tanita Ironman InnerScan
Tanita Ironman InnerScan Body Composition Monitor.
22. Triathlon - Upgrading your equipment
23. Exercise advice for boomers
For David Kozlow, turning 40 was a major pain in the neck. And in the ankles,
back, groin, shoulder and hamstrings.
24. Active Women - Fit facts: New exercise guidelines, muscle tone, perfect bra
fit
25. Digest Briefs


RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"Which of the following events are you planning for 2006:
5/10K races
Half-marathon
Marathon
Ultra
Ironman
Olympic distance triathlon
Sprint triathlon
Adventure race
Cycle race?"

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:
"Could Lance Armstrong win the Ironman?"
Read the story at:
http://ironmanexplorer.msn.com/article.aspx?aid=21
Comment at:
http://excoboard.com/exco/thread.php?forumid=23013&threadid=397333
The results at publication time were:
Answers Votes Percent
1. Yes 63 61%
2. No 36 35%
3. No opinion 4 4%
Total Votes: 103

FIVE STAR SITE OF THE WEEK: Double Gold - Dame Kelly Holmes.
Dame Kelly Holmes, double Olympic Champion, this week announced her retirement
from the track, and revealed her decision not to
compete in the 1500m at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
This announcement draws to a close a 20 year career on the track that has
resulted in twelve major Championship medals, including
her 800m and 1500m double from the Athens Olympics, the Laureus World
Sportswoman of the Year Award 2004/2005 and a Dame Hood in the
New Year’s Honours.
Visit Kelly's site at:
http://www.doublegold.co.uk/

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.


DVD OF THE WEEK: Evolution Running: Run Faster with Fewer Injuries
Athletes in every sport except running devote enormous attention to perfecting
even minute details of the movements they will be
required to produce in competition. Running coaches just tell their athletes to
run longer and harder.
Runners, and their coaches, have basically ignored technique for years, assuming
that their natural stride will give them efficiency
and injury resistance. We have found that this simply is not the case.
For the past decade, African runners have dominated distance running at its
highest levels. Research on what makes these runners
faster consistently demonstrates normal VO2 Max and lactate threshold levels for
elite runners. Their height, weight, and
limb-length ratios all fall into the normal category. Clearly and consistently,
what sets the great African runners apart is that
they are more efficient than their competitors, running faster without expending
more energy. Experts in running economy agree that
running barefoot through childhood contributes significantly to the
extraordinary economy of these athletes. We're not suggesting
that you run barefoot. We are suggesting that you take the time and effort to
learn the techniques that may be more natural running
barefoot, and implement them into your shoe-running technique.
Buy the DVD from Endurance Films at:
https://endurancefilms.hivelocity.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_C\
ode=EF&Affiliate=runnersweb



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: Macro Periodization - Part II :
By Neil Cook, BS, MS, MEd
“The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.” - Juma Ikangas,
winner 1989 NYC Marathon – 2:08:01
As we discussed in part 1 (July / August) of this article: Macro Periodization
is the overall phase of your training plan. The
theory behind Macro Periodization is that you cannot be fast if you aren't
strong and you can't be strong if you aren't fit. So if
you build the cardiovascular engine first, the muscular engine next and then
work on neuromuscular coordination, the result will be
your ability to perform at an optimal level. Physiologically, there are five
phases to training – Base, Strength, Speed, Maintenance
and Recovery. In part 1 of this article you got an up close look at the Base
Building Phase and the Strength Building Phase. Today
you will journey through the Speed Building Phase, the Racing Maintenance Phase,
and the often overlooked Recovery Phase. Enjoy the
ride!
Training Zones:
Zone 0 – no training effect, very comfortable effort, below 65% of Anaerobic
Threshold Heart Rate, Active Recovery, fat burning.
Zone I – Comfortable effort, between 65% and 80% of Anaerobic Threshold Heart
Rate, warm-up, cool-down, long workouts 2+ hours,
mostly fat burning.
Zone II – Moderate effort, between 85% and 95% of Anaerobic Threshold Heart
Rate, aerobic workouts, shorter workouts 30 minutes to 2
hours, fat and carbohydrate burning.
Zone III – Hard effort, between 100% and 105% of Anaerobic Threshold Heart Rate,
anaerobic workouts, strength and speed workouts,
time trials, 30 to 60 minutes, carbohydrate burning only.
Zone IV – Very Hard effort, from 105% to Max of Anaerobic Threshold Heart Rate,
max efforts, use only for peaking, 30 to 40 seconds.

More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20051206_PRP_Periodization.html


2. Sports Psychology: Next Season!
By Michelle Cleere, Sports Psychology Consultant
It’s the time of the year to be preoccupied with the holidays, family, friends
and next years season! Next years season already?
Its fine to be thinking about next years season already particularly for those
of us who know what it’s like not to get into races
because they’ve already filled up. And goal setting and planning toward what you
want to do next season is definitely a seed to
begin planting but probably shouldn’t be a priority at this point. Let me
explain.
First, your body needs some time off probably after what was a long season this
year. I just read an article by Scott Tinley that
was talking about how if you take some time off between seasons (versus pushing
yourself the entire year) you might very well be a
stronger athlete during next years season. Your body needs a break so give it
the necessary time to rest and be calm and then start
of your training season with 8-12 weeks of aerobic training. Your car doesn’t go
to 60 MPH when you push on the gas it needs to
shift through gears and so does your body.
Second, your mind needs some time off. Let’s make a comparison to your work
life. Do you remember a time when work was non-stop for
a very long time? Long hours. Little if any time with family or friends. Does
this sound familiar? Do you remember getting to a
point one day where you were exhausted and needed a BIG change because you’d
pushed yourself beyond your capacity to handle that
much stress…whew! Do you remember feeling a little depressed? Yeah I know!
Depressed is a SCARY word but you probably did feel a
little depressed because you were exhausted and burnt out right? What did you do
to pull yourself out of it? REST! RELAX and TAKE
SOME TIME OFF, right?
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20051205_SM_Next_Season.html


3. Sportsmedicine: Hip Pain - Iliopsoas Tendonitis and Iliopsoas Syndrome:
How to fix inflammation or strain of the Iliopsoas muscle.
Iliopsoas Tendonitis and Iliopsoas Syndrome are conditions that affect the
iliopsoas muscle located in the anterior region (or
front) of the hip. (Due to the over-whelming response I received from last
month's article, Piriformis Syndrome, I've decided to
stick with conditions that affect the hip area. Apparently, there are a lot of
people suffering with hip pain.)
What are Iliopsoas Tendonitis and Iliopsoas Syndrome?
Technically, they are two separate conditions, but it's not uncommon to hear the
term iliopsoas tendonitis or iliopsoas syndrome
being used to describe the same thing.
Iliopsoas tendonitis refers to inflammation of the iliopsoas muscle and can also
affect the bursa located underneath the tendon of
the iliopsoas muscle. Whereas iliopsoas syndrome refers to a stretch, tear or
complete rupture of the iliopsoas muscle and / or
tendon.
Anatomy of the Hip Joint
The iliopsoas muscle is actually made up of two separate muscles located in the
anterior (or front) of the hip area.
In the diagram to the right you can see the Iliacus labeled on the left and the
Psoas labeled on the right. These two muscles are
responsible for lifting the upper leg to the torso, or flexing the torso towards
the thigh (as in a sit-up).
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20051205_TSH_Iliopsoas.html


4. When a heart stops beating:
Sudden death due to coronary failure haunts thousands – but the risks can be
reduced.
JET-SETTING businessman Benjamin Pwee, 37, had not had major problems with his
health until he came down with flu in August 2002.
Upon examination, his GP found that his pulse was extremely slow and ordered a
series of tests.
Before he knew it, Mr Pwee was diagnosed with a third-degree complete heart
block, a condition in which the heart's electrical
signal doesn't pass from the upper to the lower chambers. He faced a serious
risk of a heart attack — and possibly death.
"What was most frightening to my wife and I was that my heart could stop beating
at any time and I could die suddenly," he said.
"The scariest part was that I had none of the regular symptoms, such as
breathlessness, weakness or fainting."
His cardiologist said it was likely that Mr Pwee had lived with the condition
for up to two years without knowing it.
"I had been confidently constantly travelling across Asia for work, but at any
time my heart could have just suddenly stopped
beating," said Mr Pwee.
He had an operation to have a pacemaker implanted as soon as he found out about
his ailment.
If you think sudden death is rare, think again.
Between 2001 and 2003 in Singapore, 200 people in their 20s and 30s died without
warning.
The typical victim is usually male, doing something vigorous like jogging when
they are hit by a heart attack — just like
40-year-old project manager Ho Wai Piew, who suffered a heart attack in October
during the swim leg of the New Balance Corporate
Triathlon.
He, too, had showed no prior signs of heart problems.
More...from TODAYonline at:
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/88044.asp


5. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Walking On:
My mother and Paul Reese were born a month apart in 1917. I couldn't help but
compare and contrast these two as their years wound
down.
Mom drew the old-age cards that have become sadly normal. Her body and mind
failed at the same rate. By mid-2003, the last time I
saw her, she was ready to leave this life (and did less than a year later).
In mid-2003 her age-mate Paul stood at the Canada/Montana border. Twenty-six
days and 290 miles on foot later, he crossed into
Wyoming.
This was a comedown for Paul, and also a comeback at age 86. Thirteen years
earlier he had become the oldest person (at 73) to run
across the United States. At 80 he had finished crossing the all the states he'd
missed the first time.
The last of those was Hawaii. There, Paul walked the final miles to be with his
old pal Ralph Paffenbarger. "Paff" had been a fine
ultrarunner himself before heart problems ended those efforts. Paul told of that
day in an RC article:
"Each of us was grateful just to be alive, to be active, to be fully functional
physically and mentally. Once again I marveled at
how such a simple act -- doing this walking with a close friend -- could
overflow my day with joy. Who needs drugs?"
The best lines in that column were Paul's. Again in 2003 he wrote beautifully
about his journey across Montana. No failures in this
86-year-old's mind, though his body had started to betray him.
Paul's last marathon, Honolulu 2002, injured his back so badly that he was on
crutches for several months. He never ran much after
that but recovered enough to walk well. Not just to stroll his neighborhood but
to try walking, in stages, from Canada to Mexico.
More...from Joe Henderson at:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/543.html


6. The ABCs of Marathon Running:
Twenty six miles, 26 letters. If only it were as easy as ABC. But even the most
experienced marathon runner can attest that it’s
not. Race preparation is practically a lifestyle: what to wear, what to eat,
when to sleep, where to run…the list goes on. So to
give you some last-minute assistance, we’ve broken down the daunting marathon
to-do list into the most elementary form we could
compose—the ABCs.
Allow yourself preparation time. With more than 40,000 competitors hundreds of
thousands of spectators, just getting to the starting
line can be a feat. Give yourself plenty of time so that you’re relaxed before
the race, not stressed about whether you’ll get there
on time.
Break up the 26 miles up in segments. You’re only running a 10K. OK, now you
have one more 10K, or maybe just a 5K. Think in terms
of manageable distances, and after you’ve knocked down a few miles, pretend
you’re starting a fresh run.
Carry gels. For a quick burst of energy, gels contain 100 calories and are easy
to digest and carry on the course. They’re a great
pick-me-up when you’re starting to drag—just make sure that you use them in
training. Some brands include GU, Clif Shot, Power Gel
and CarbBoom.
Don’t try anything new on race day. No new clothes, foods, sleep
patterns—nothing. Since you can’t determine what the weather will
be like, it’s a good idea to have run in all conditions, including rain. You
also should be comfortable running in the morning.
Eat smart. You’ll definitely want to eat breakfast before the race, but what and
when is going to depend on your stomach. The best
way to determine this is to experiment before your long training runs. For most
people, eating breakfast two hours before the race
and an energy bar half an hour before works well. Look for foods that are high
in carbohydrates and easy to digest, such as bagels
or cereal. Also get enough carbs throughout the week, rather than going
overboard the night before. Eat a healthy, balanced meal on
Saturday night.
More...from Metro Sports New York at:
http://www.metrosportsny.com/story.cfm?story_id=10949&publicationID=211&pageID=4\
798



7. Rub out chronic muscle tears:
Written by: T.J. Murphy
If cross-friction massage doesn't work, maybe your masseur is being too easy on
you
"The chronic muscle tear is probably the third most common injury among all
groups of runner," writes Dr. Timothy Noakes, the
quintessential runner/doctor in his encyclopedic work, The Lore of Running(1991,
Leisure Press).
I came across these words in my own frantic quest for an answer to a hamstring
injury that had plagued me for nine months. The words
that leaped up at me from off the page were the following:
"Chronic muscle tears are usually misdiagnosed, can be very debilitating and
will respond to only one kind of treatment. The
characteristic feature is the gradual onset of pain, in contrast to the acute
muscle tear's dramatically sudden onset of pain." This
characteristic matched my problem exactly.
"In contract to bone or tendon injuries, both of which improve with sufficient
rest, chronic muscle tears will never improve unless
the correct treatment is prescribed"
Noakes' book rang another bell for me here, as I had tried taking days off, and
later weeks with no running, only to lace up my
shoes, hit the road and feel as if, in terms of my injury, an hour hadn't
passed. Noakes goes on to say that he was witness to one
runner who had struggled with a chronic tear for five years.
More...from Competitor Running at:
http://localrunning.com/ny/training.php?article_id=4


8. Final Race Countdown and Marathon Strategy:
Over the past four months, let's assume that you've been a very conscientious
runner, having followed all the training principles
outlined in this website. With race day finally here, all of your hard training
has now been completed. Most runners assume there's
nothing more to do except travel to the race site and complete the marathon.
However, what you do and/or don't do during this time
period can have a tremendous effect on the outcome of your race. This section
will highlight many important areas that need your
full attention the final hours prior to, during, and after the marathon. For the
purposes of this discussion, we will assume that
your marathon is scheduled for Sunday at 8:00 am.
Tapering
Please also refer to the tapering section of the site for important issues of
concern that must be considered as the marathon draws
near. While the taper period begins two weeks prior to the marathon, much of
that content relates very closely to the information
presented on this page and also deserves your meticulous attention.
Helpful Tips During the Hours Immediately Before the Marathon
• Wake up early enough to take care of everything you must do (eat and drink,
visit the bathroom, dress, etc.).
• If you haven't already done so, plan to meet your family members or friends at
a designated time and place after the race.
• Check the weather forecast for updated information about general conditions,
temperature range, and wind. Being aware of the
expected weather conditions helps in deciding what you may choose to wear for
the majority of the marathon. Above all, don't
overdress.
• Depart for the race site with plenty of time to spare, arriving early enough
to check you bag (if applicable) and take care of any
last minute details.
• Stay off your feet as much as possible prior to the race.
• Continue to drink fluids up to 15 minutes before the start of the race.
• Eat your final snack no more than 30 minutes before the start of the race.
More...from Marathon-Pal.com at:
http://www.marathon-training-program.com/raceday.html


9. From Runner's World:
* Coach's Corner
Pace Talk: "Pace yourself evenly. This means working against your natural urges
to surge when you're fresh, and to slow when you're
tired. Hold back early, and hold on later. By spreading your effort out evenly
over the entire distance, you will improve quickly."
- Joe Henderson
* Injury Prevention
Avoid pain in your backside, or sciatica, by doing the following: Work your back
and abs, stretch early and often, run on a soft
surface such as a track or dirt path (avoid the pavement), wear well-cushioned
shoes, stand up straight, use your legs, avoid long
hours of sitting in a chair, and think about not twisting and turning in
exercise.
* Performance Nutrition
Make it Steak: "A juicy piece of steak may not look like a healthy entrée, but
it is. If red meat is a part of your menu plan, steak
should be one of your regular selections. It's loaded with vital minerals such
as zinc and iron, two minerals many runners don't get
enough of. Fish and chicken also supply these minerals, but beef packs more per
serving than the white meats." - Liz Applegate,
Ph.D.
* Words That Inspire:
"Succeeding in running should be seen as an allegory for succeeding in every
aspect of life. Set goals, plan out how to achieve
them, then stick to the plan."
-Kim Griffin, 1982 NCAA and U.S. 10,000m champion and current holder of U.S.
masters indoor mile record.
* Editor's Advice:
"If you need a unique present for someone in your life try giving food gifts,
which usually make a big hit--especially with runners.
Include your own recipes, especially if they're old family secrets. Your friends
will appreciate the added touch."
-Warren Greene, RW gear editor
* "The main priority of the base phase is to prepare the body for the
challenges of the build phase. It accomplishes this by
establishing a solid foundation of endurance and developing VO2Max and
fast-twitch muscle fibers with judicious doses of very high
intensity running."
From The Cutting-Edge Runner by Matt Fitzgerald


10. Bike Fit - Comfort and Power:
It is remarkable that the large majority of cyclists go through their entire
careers setting up their bike by little more than trial
and error. As part of the plan for recovering from his serious injury, our
Toolbox Editor gets fitted out properly for a new bike
for the first time, learning a few things in the process…
Starting from Scratch
Surviving a bone-shattering accident like I did back in August definitely wakes
you up to a lot of things. Besides giving a really
personal connection to the Livestrong bracelet on my wrist, it’s made me
re-evaluate many aspects of my riding and training. And by
far and away, the biggest cycling-related item I’ve decided to evaluate was my
position on the bike.
My position mainly followed the LeMond method of saddle height at a set
percentage of inseam length with a really long top tube and
reach. With this setup for the past 19 years or so, I’ve been fortunate to have
ridden and raced without ever experiencing back or
knee problems, so I have always assumed that my bike position was fine. But with
major shoulder damage and possibly upper body
misalignment, that assumption likely no longer held true. In addition,
injury-free does not necessarily mean performance-optimized.
One of the benefits of taking my Klein out to the recycling box was that I had
no excuses to keep with the “same old, same old.” As
I was getting a brand new bike, it gave me an opportunity to determine my new
bike position from a “clean slate” approach, ideally
unencumbered by any past habits. With that in mind, I visited Brian Walton and
the gang at Cadence Performance Cycling Center in
Philadelphia to go through a complete fitting process. Below are some of the
things we looked at and also some of the main changes
to my position, along with Brian’s analysis…
More...from Pez Cycling News at:
http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=3617


11. Like Armstrong, he's on a power trip:
A wattage meter gives this recreational cyclist a precise snapshot of his
physical output.
Golfers can measure their progress in strokes. Marathoners can map out their
improvement in minutes. And weightlifters can track
their strength in pounds. But what's a bicyclist to do?
Elite and weekend riders alike used to record their workouts by monitoring
average speed, heart rate and perceived exertion. Yet
speed can be thrown off by wind resistance and elevation gain, heart rate can be
affected by such factors as caffeine and weather,
and your own assessment of exertion is subjective and unscientific. What's more,
none of it tells you if you're actually getting in
better cycling shape.
To solve this problem, a growing number of recreational riders are strapping
wattage meters on their handlebars, taking advantage of
comparatively lower prices for the gizmos and the promise of unrivaled workout
data.
A power meter, as wattage meters are also known, offers a precise snapshot of
true effort, an apples-to-apples comparison of fitness
from one day to the next. If you can put out an average of 225 watts for 30
minutes in June, and 250 watts for 30 minutes in July —
both at the same heart rate — you are in fact pushing the pedals more than 10%
harder. That's why a number of trainers and athletes
are convinced power meters will soon replace heart rate monitors as the favored
sports gadget, especially for pursuits such as
cycling, in which power is so easily recorded. Newer stationary bicycles display
wattage.
"Wattage is a true indication of what your body is doing," said Lance Armstrong,
who relied on a wattage meter to prepare for his
seven consecutive Tour de France victories, in a recent interview. "To me, it's
nice to train with wattage. But what's even more
useful is to test with wattage.
"Say you have one hill in your neighborhood. And however often you want to test,
you do that climb at a maximum effort, and you take
the average of the watts [for each ride]. Then you are setting benchmarks of
whether or not you are improving. That's how I know
that my wattage is where it needs to be, that I am getting stronger, and that I
am ready to win."
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-bound5dec05,1,1796262.story\
?coll=la-health-fitness-news



12. Recipe for Success:
From Siri Lindley
We all know that our lives are one big, and hopefully long, journey. All the
things that we devote our time and passion to, become
vehicles through which we find ourselves along this journey. We try new things,
we set new goals, we incorporate new techniques of
doing things….we learn more about our strengths, our weaknesses, our likes,
dislikes and, most importantly, what makes us tick.
I have learned so much in my 36 years of life, and I must say that triathlon for
me, was the vehicle through which I really came to
know ME. Before I took on the seemingly impossible goals I had set for myself in
the sport, I really had no idea about what I was
capable of. My self esteem, though not painfully low, was more a wavering sense
of promise. I felt deep down inside that great
things lay ahead for me, but I knew that it would take an incredible amount of
hard work and courage to arrive at that place. I was
ready for it though, and ready to go beyond my fears, risk everything, and go
for the gusto.
What I learned is that it is ONLY when we are willing to risk, and willing to
stare fear in the face, that great things will happen.
Exceptional things, things that you only dream of, things that you want
desperately but really don’t think are attainable.
“only those who risk going too far, can possibly know how far one can go”.
This quote by T.S Eliot rings so true for me.
For example, when I was racing, the most simple, but useful thing I learned is
that if you do the work, if you work harder than
everyone else out there and you leave no stone unturned, success is inevitable.
Success is inevitable, but greatness, that is
another story. Greatness comes from risking, from laying it all on the line.
More...from Siri Lindley at:
http://www.siri-lindley.com/articles/successrecipe.htm


13. The Feed Zone with Monique Ryan - Slender for the holidays:
Stay aware and focused.
For many of us, the next few weeks are likely to include many social occasions
filled with an abundance of foods (many high in fat),
an overflow of alcoholic beverages, and hectic schedules that often thwart the
best laid plans for calorie burning workouts.
Keeping the holidays healthy and minimizing any havoc created by too much food
and drink, is best approached by a mindful approach
that combines behavior strategies, nutritional awareness, and realistic goals
around food and exercise.
Goal Setting
First, start by clearly defining your goals for this holiday season. Perhaps you
are currently in a transition phase of your
training program, focusing on strength training, and body composition goals, and
completing relatively low calorie burning training
sessions. Do you want to maintain your weight, and refocus on body composition
goals in the New Year? Are you focused on the types
of foods you should include or limit in your diet for health reasons such as
controlling blood cholesterol levels? Would you be
pleased to limit any weight gain to one to two pounds this holiday season, and
return to a normal training schedule in several
weeks. Whatever your goals, keep them firmly fixed in your mind through the New
Year, and really consider and appreciate what
behavior, food, and exercise strategies are required to meet your goals.
Most Americans gain about five pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's. If
you have already set out on that path over the past
two weeks, now is a good time to reevaluate what you are doing, put the brakes
on, and set some realistic goals. You may not finish
out the holiday season any leaner, but you don't have to finish out the holiday
season any heavier either.
More...from VeloNews at:
http://www.velonews.com/train/articles/9246.0.html


14. 'Virtual fat' adds hope to losing weight and keeping it off :
Everyone who has dieted knows that losing weight is the easy part. What is hard
is to keep the weight off. Now scientists think they
know why.
When people lose substantial amounts of weight, their physiology changes so
that, although they may look normal, they have all the
hallmarks of starvation. Their metabolism slows; they expend fewer calories when
they exercise; and their thyroid hormone and
adrenaline levels drop.
They also have much lower levels of the fat hormone, leptin. And they usually
stop losing weight and gain back what they have lost.
A group of researchers at Columbia University devised an experiment to see if
they could prevent these changes. Leptin, they
reasoned, tells the brain how much fat is on the body. If people lose weight,
they have less leptin.
But what if the researchers put people - fat and thin - on weight-reducing diets
and gave them enough leptin to make their bodies
think they were still fat? The leptin would then serve as a sort of virtual fat.
Would the subjects still show the metabolic changes
of starvation?
The answer, published in the current issue of The Journal of Clinical
Investigation, was that the leptin trick worked.
More...from IHT at:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/07/healthscience/snfat.php


15. Are you Reaching your Personal Performance Potential?
3 Steps to getting stronger without pedaling.
By Marlon Familton, CSCS - USA Cycling Expert Coach
Why do we cycle? Is it because we enjoy being outside? When you’re climbing
that monster hill with your heart in your throat and
the muscles in your legs screaming to ease up – yet you fight to stay on that
wheel directly in front of you – are you thinking how
much you love to be outside with the wind flowing through your hair? Doubtful.
Yet, we come back for more each weekend.
We ride our bikes for the challenge of seeing how good we can get. Pedaling a
bike twenty five miles, once an incredulous goal,
becomes thirty then more. Now fifty miles every Saturday is nothing more than
base miles. Some of us find distance events the call
to action; others need the intense pressure of racing head to head to satisfy
our inner warrior. The one single thread through all
our different motivations is simple; we want to know what we are capable of
accomplishing. We want to know how good we can get with
the time and resource available.
Unlike traditional team sports, cycling is an opportunity to compare ourselves
in 100% real time with others around us. We either
keep up or get dropped. If you want to be the first to the top of the hill,
there is only your strength and your will power to get
you there. There is no team mate to pass the ball to, no referee to affect the
play, and no fans to cheer you on. It’s all about
your inner desire to be better than last weekend; better than the other riders
in the group.
We’ve all heard the story of Lance Armstrong weighing his food and shake our
head at the attention to detail this exemplifies. Deep
down we know this is but one example of how his commitment to details supported
his success and can be sure he applied the same
level of attention to every other area he could. While you might not be ready
to weigh your food before every meal, why not take
inventory of your own lifestyle and consider what details might better support
your performance goals, or currently be prohibiting
them? Does it matter what you eat before a long ride? Does it matter that you
stayed up until midnight playing video games the
night before a ride? It all depends on your commitment to your own success.
More...from Transition Times at:
http://www.transitiontimes.com/viewstory.cfm?ID=7879


16. “Limiter Season” Guidance:
Now is often the time of year when athletes begin planning their training time
in preparation for next season’s goals. Motivation
levels may be running low, with many athletes experiencing mental fatigue after
a long season of focused training. Or motivation may
be high, as athletes have seen a glimpse of what can be possible next season.
However, shortened daylight hours, cold weather,
indoor training, holiday family commitments and simply the need to regenerate
mental strength demand a reduction in available
training hours. These elements require an increased efficiency in our training.
By focusing on your limiters during the off-season you can accrue your highest
rate of return for training time invested and set
yourself up well for next season. The following are my tips and guidance for
setting up your off-season:
Primary Goal: Regenerate Your Attitude and Conserve Mental Strength for the Next
Season, ie HAVE FUN!!
In September and October my phone starts ringing with people seeking coaching
for races nine to thirteen months away. The first
thing I do is to find out where the athlete's head is. In December, will he put
his feet on the floor at 5:30am and say "I am
training for an Ironman in September of next year"?
Folks, that is a very dangerous place to be. If that's where your head is,
you're at high risk of being in a bell tower by June. All
of the tips below are focused on tricking you into thinking you are NOT training
for the race you're actually training for. My
method is very simple, fun, and it works:
· Insert Cool Events (CE's) on the calendar.
· CE's should come in two flavors: what you love to do and what you need to do.
· Train for these cool events.
· Move from CE to CE throughout the year.
· Wake up 8-12 weeks out from your goal race, realize that you're in pretty damn
good shape, physically and mentally.
· Apply that fitness and fresh head to focused training for your goal race for a
relatively short period of time.
More...from TriFuel.com at:
http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/triathlon-training/limiter-season-guidance-0011\
45.php



17. Distant Heroes - Running Times:
By Joan Nesbit
As I approach my 20th anniversary of competitive running, I have begun to ponder
(and panic), "How will it end? How does an athlete
gracefully retire?" Surely we cannot all go out with the game-winning,
world-championship basket, Michael Jordan style. There must
be those in my sport whose quieter endings bring wisdom and peace. It is to
those distant heroes that I send my plea: How did you do
it? How did you quit? Was it in little deaths along the way, or in a final blaze
of glory? Are you burning still, in embers of
bitterness and regret—or has the fire ignited other areas of your life?
For the Ken Doherty Memorial Fellowship, I proposed a research project that
would allow me to interview a dozen former
distance-running greats from the United States. I intentionally chose runners
who have been left out of the "recognized" annals of
history. We have read countless articles on whom I call "the big five" in
distance running: Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Joan
Benoit-Samuelson, Billy Mills, and Steve Prefontaine. There doesn’t need to be
another book—or movie!—written about them. I wanted
to focus on the lesser-known heroes (and she-roes) who made incredible, if
unheralded, impacts on the running community.
We all know Billy Mills won the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics in the 10,000
meters. But few people realize that Mills’ teammate,
Bob Schul, won a gold medal in the 5,000m that same Olympics. Was Schul not
colorful enough to garner equal respect and recognition?
Is Schul bitter today? What would he have to teach me about retiring with
dignity?
And what about the Julie Shea, winning the 3k, 5k and 10k at the 1980 National
Championships, yet being told women could race
nothing longer that the 1,500m at the Olympics. Is she angry? Or is she
satisfied with her role in helping to drag the sport of
women’s track and field out of the dark ages?
Who has ever heard of Jack Bacheler, aside from a few local runners known as the
Bacheler Boys? Frank Shorter was HIS protégé. The
now-famous Florida Track Club, which arguably spawned the United States distance
running boom, was started by Bacheler.
My list of distant heroes also includes: Horace Ashenfelter, 1952 gold medallist
in the steeplechase; Jim Beatty, first sub 4:00
indoor miler and world best in the 5,000m; the Jan Merrill and Francie
Larrieu-Smith duel; Kim Gallagher, 1984 silver medallist in
the 800m; Mal Whitfield, two-time gold-medallist in the 800m (‘48 and ‘52);
George Young and Tony Waldrop, along with others yet to
be discovered through my research in the track and field archives at Butler
University.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/issues/01sept/nesbit.htm


18. Beating Stress:
Defined simply, stress is the body’s reaction to a threat or challenge resulting
from a situation (called a stressor) that can be
either positive or negative. The body does not differentiate between
physiological and psychological stress, and simply prepares you
for action by going into a state of alarm. Glands release hormones that trigger
a series of events that include an increased heart
rate, shallow and more rapid breathing, increased muscle tension, and
perspiration. Essentially, the body is preparing itself to
either confront the challenge or retreat from it (i.e., fight or flight).
Continued uncontrolled exposure to stressors can have
chronic and adverse affects on your health, personality, and relationships with
others. Controlled exposure to these same stressors,
however, will diminish the severity of their effects as your body adapts
physiologically to handle the stressors.
What Triggers Stress?
* Stressors are categorized as daily triggers, major events, and ongoing events.
Examples of each are listed below.
* Misplacing or losing something
* Traffic delays or long waits
* Unexpected failure of equipment (mechanical or otherwise)
* Oversleeping or running late
* Disagreements with spouse, child, friend, or coworker
More...from ACE Fitness at:
http://www.acefitness.org/updateable/update_display.aspx?pageID=689


19. Fat-burning issue:
Debate over how to boost metabolism.
if you want proof of life's unfairness, just look at the matter of metabolism.
Some people seem born with supercharged metabolic rates, allowing them to
subsist entirely on fettucine alfredo and chocolate
without ever gaining an ounce.
Others seem born with sluggish metabolic rates that keep them from losing weight
despite earnest attempts at exercise and healthy
eating.
"There is a great deal of variability in resting metabolic rate between
individuals," said Cedric Bryant, chief exercise
physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, based in San Diego, Calif.
"There is truth to the statement you'll hear people
say: `It seems like if I look at a donut I gain weight,? vs. a person who can
eat a dozen donuts and seemingly not gain an
ounce."But does that mean we are all predestined to our physiological fates? Or
is it possible for a metabolic tortoise to transform
itself into a hare? The good news from fitness professionals is that exercise
can positively affect metabolism ? the rate at which
the body burns calories. The bad news is the effect has definite limits. Bryant
says resting metabolism accounts for about
two-thirds of the energy expended each day. Resting metabolic rate - also known
as basal metabolic rate - describes the number of
calories you would burn in one day without any activity.
More...from OCALA.com at:
http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/FP/20051129/HEALTHMATTERS/511280\
01/-1/health01



20. Take your coaching online:
You may not have heard of Blandine Baritaud, but odds are you've heard of her
coach. Baritaud, a 50-year-old marathon and ultra
runner from British Columbia, trains under the tutelage of U.S. Olympian and
world-renowned marathon guru Jeff Galloway.
Baritaud is among a growing number of everyday folks turning to expert coaches
on the Internet simply because they can. While she
works with Galloway from two time zones away -- he lives in the southeastern
United States, she in Canada's Columbia Mountain Range
-- expert advice is never more than a few mouse clicks away. Baritaud uploads
her training results via the Internet, and Galloway
keeps her fueled with regular training advice by e-mail.
The longtime runner turned to online coaching a year ago after a hamstring
injury sidelined her from training and competing.
Uninspired by "one size fits all" training plans, Baritaud came across
Galloway's approach online and decided he was the coach for
her.
It was a leap of faith that paid off, but one that challenged her to shift her
training focus from the beginning. When Baritaud
first received her personalized plan from Galloway, she was shocked to see it
called for much less running than she was accustomed
to.
"What do you mean I'm not going to run every day, twice a day?" she remembers
thinking. "But it came down to a matter of trust. And
who doesn't trust Jeff?"
Thanks to her cyber training with Galloway, Baritaud, a full-time park ranger,
is injury-free and gearing up for a 50-mile Canadian
wilderness ultra.
More...from Active Women at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=12586&sidebar=630&category=activewomen
Note: The Runner's Web offers a leading edge online coaching service through
www.RunnersWebCoach.com.


21. Weight Tested: Tanita Ironman InnerScan:
Tanita Ironman InnerScan Body Composition Monitor
Before entering University, I had a summer job working as a fitness instructor
at a club that focused on one-on-one training of
clients. Understand, this is well before the day of the modern Personal Trainer,
so it was a new concept. The majority of our
clients were overweight and their goal was to lose excess pounds. Their initial
work-up included a relatively new test for
Percentage Body Fat which involved running a low-level electrical signal through
the body. The impedance, or resistance, of this
current is measured, and because the signal passes faster through lean muscle
than fat (muscle contains 70-75% of the body's water,
and fat has almost no water content) one can calculate a Percentage Body Fat.
This was an invaluable tool in training individuals
who were focused on weight loss, because our approach was one of aerobic
exercise combined with resistance, or weight training.
Those clients who were WEIGHT conscious often complained after just a few weeks
that they were gaining weight! I had to explain that
muscle weights more than fat, and as you build muscle your metabolism will
increase and in the long run that will help burn even
more fat. But in the meantime, they should stay off the scale and rely more on a
full length mirror or the fit of their pants to
determine their progress. Eventually, as they were re-tested for Percentage Body
Fat, they could quantify their gains, but it was
very difficult for many of them to break the habit of relying on weight to gauge
their progress.
More...from Xtri.com at:
http://www.xtri.com/article.asp?id=1612


22. Triathlon - Upgrading your equipment:
The early season transition and prep phases are excellent times to reexamine
your equipment. Throw in the holiday season, and the
smell of a bike upgrade is in the air. Here's a quick list of cycling and
triathlon-related items you could be thinking about these
days.
Running shoes: You can never have enough running shoes. Buy two pairs and rotate
them for longer life; throw out old shoes after 300
to 400 miles depending on your weight and stride. The staff at a
running-specific shoe store can help you decide what type of shoe
is best for you. Cheap shoes are usually cheap for a reason.
New tires: No one likes sliding out on a rainy corner due to worn-out tread.
High quality tires are an easy upgrade that makes a
huge safety difference.
Power meter: If you're not training with power yet, you didn't get the memo!
Check out some of the Ultrafit sponsors.
A better fitting bike: Now that you're in the game, you realize not all bikes
are built the same. You need one that fits you, not
the retired pro you bought it from.
A time-trial frame: If you race primarily in triathlon, take a close look at
some of these frames.
More...from Active.com at:
http://active.com/story.cfm?story_id=12609&sidebar=26&category=triathlon


23. Exercise advice for boomers:
For David Kozlow, turning 40 was a major pain in the neck. And in the ankles,
back, groin, shoulder and hamstrings.
A lifelong athlete who played high school lacrosse and college football, ran a
5:20 mile and bench-pressed 300 pounds, the attorney
found himself approaching his 40th birthday with a laundry list of
exercise-related injuries.
One of those ailments, a herniated disk in his neck, took two years of
acupuncture and heat therapy to alleviate the pain.
"I still had the mind-set that I was in my 20s," he said. "It took a few years
for me to come to the conclusion that I couldn't
really do what I used to do, and I had to readjust my sights."
Getting older hurts -- and when it comes to exercise injuries, doctors say
that's more the case than ever before. Many are seeing
increasing numbers of baby boomers with blown knees, sore backs, stiff shoulders
and other complaints.
"The volume of people in their 40s, and even in their 30s, coming in with (knee)
osteoarthritis is much higher than a decade ago,"
said Dr. Jess Lonner, director of knee-replacement surgery at Pennsylvania
Hospital in Philadelphia. "It's a highly motivated
generation that plays harder than a generation ago."
Sports injuries among baby boomers increased by 33 percent from 1991 to 1998,
according to figures cited in a U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission report. Baby boomers in 1998 suffered more that 1 million
sports injuries, to the tune of nearly $19 billion in
medical costs, said the report from 2000, the most recent data available.
More...from CNN at:
http://us.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/diet.fitness/11/15/boomer.exercise.ap/index.html


24. Active Women - Fit facts: New exercise guidelines, muscle tone, perfect bra
fit:
New exercise guidelines established for women
Finally, women have exercise guidelines based on actual studies of women. Until
now, doctors have used activity assessment standards
based on research done only on men, essentially making educated guesses where
women are concerned.
Using data from 5,721 stress tests from women over 35, researchers found that
women's capacity for exercise is slightly lower and
declines a little faster with age than men's. They also found that women whose
exercise capacity is less than 85 percent of what it
should be are twice as likely to die within eight years.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, estimated exercise
capacity in metabolic equivalents (METs), based on
treadmill testing. One MET equals the amount of energy or oxygen used at rest.
To relate this to working out, walking burns three to
six METs per minute while running consumes more than six METs. According to the
guidelines, a 50-year-old woman should be able to
reach 8.2 METs.
Go all the way
Want to add muscle tone? Make sure you're pumping your iron through a full range
of motion.
A study at the University of Southern Mississippi compared women following a
10-week, two-day-a-week regimen of full-range-of-motion
bench presses with those who performed the same exercises with only partial
range of motion. The result: the full-range group built
more muscle.
More...from Active Women at:
http://active.com/story.cfm?story_id=12593&sidebar=630&category=activewomen


25. Digest Briefs:
* Buzz Factor
Researchers at the University of Connecticut have discredited the belief that
downing caffeine—a known diuretic—increases the risk
of dehydration in active people. During a 2005 study, fit male subjects who
exercised four times a week were split into three
groups. One group knocked back a placebo, one gulped down the caffeine
equivalent of 14 ounces of coffee, while the other swallowed
a double dose of the energizer. The results showed no increase in urine
production by any group, indicating that a caffeine boost
each day won't put the active set into a liquid deficit.
* What causes shin splints?
Claude T. Moorman III, director of sports medicine at Duke University Medical
Center, explains.
The simple answer to this question is that "shin splints" is a layman’s
wastebasket term to describe pain felt between the knee and
the ankle after athletic activity. Although there are different reasons why pain
is felt in this area, shin splints are considered a
cumulative stress disorder as opposed to an acute injury. They occur when the
constant pounding and stresses placed on the bones,
muscles and joints overwhelm the body’s natural ability to repair the damage and
restore itself.
The root causes of the pain of shin splints can be divided into two areas:
muscle and bone. The muscles that connect to the ankle
are covered by a "sausage skin" known as fascia. This fascia holds the muscles
together, and it is quite tough and inelastic. When
the muscles naturally expand as a result of exertion, the resulting pressure
causes the pain. We see this form of shin splints,
known as exertional compartment syndrome, in athletes who play field sports like
soccer or run a lot on hard surfaces.
The second major source of shin splint pain stems from the bones and ranges from
stress reactions to full-blown fractures. The
constant pounding the skeleton endures during running, for example, can cause
many microscopic cracks to appear on the bones of the
leg. Normally, with rest, the body easily repairs these cracks. Over time,
however, these tiny cracks can coalesce into a complete
stress fracture, or even a complete fracture.
Shin splints are commonly seen in athletes, military recruits and even
middle-aged weekend warriors, especially at the beginning of
the season. Treating them can be as simple as adding extra arch support to shoes
to redistribute the stresses or changing to softer
running surfaces. Doctors also recommend active rest, which means that a runner,
for instance, should take up swimming or biking for
a while, which gives the affected areas time to heal but maintains the
cardiovascular benefits of exercise.
Warming up before exercise is controversial, with smart people on both sides
arguing for and against it as a preventive measure for
injuries such as shin splints. We at Duke, based on research at the Michael W.
Krzyzewski Human Performance Laboratory (K Lab),
recommend a slow warm-up period before beginning the activity. We believe that
about 10 minutes of graduated activity is the best
way to prepare the body for exertion. In general, like most things in life,
moderation appears to be the best medicine for shin
splints.
From Scientific American at: www.sciam.com

* Cold weather may help cause colds: scientists
CTV.ca News Staff
Mom may have been right. The Oxford Journal of Family Practice in England will
report this week that a leading cause of the common
cold is simple exposure to cold weather.
This may have been common knowledge to mothers for years, but now, for the first
time, science seems to have proved them right.
Scientists have scoffed at the notion for years, arguing it's the cold virus
that actually causes colds, not exposure to increment
weather.
But a study by Dr. Ron Eccles and his colleagues at the Common Cold Centre at
the Cardiff School of Biosciences in Wales suggests
exposure to cold weather is indeed a major contributing factor. According to
their study, being outside in winter without a hat, or
getting your feet wet, makes people more susceptible to catching the cold.
"Chilling causes a constriction in the blood vessels in the nose, and this
reduces our resistance to infections within the nose,"
Dr. Eccles said.
Dr. Eccles and his colleagues studies about 180 healthy participants who were
split into two groups. Both were asked to remove their
socks, and one of the groups was told to put their feet in a bowl of cold water.
Over the next four or five days patients in the chilled group caught
approximately 10 to 12 per cent more colds than the controlled
group.
The study suggests that the best precautions for avoiding a cold are still the
ones mom recommended: wearing a warm hat and keeping
your feet dry.



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

December 10, 2005:
Anthem Holiday Classic Triathlon - Anthem, AZ
http://www.dcbadventures.com

Chase Mortgage Rudolph Ramble - Chicago, IL
http://www.caprievents.com

Reindeer Romp 5K - Charlotte, NC
http://www.runforyourlife.com

Rocket City Marathon - Huntsville, AL
http://www.runrocketcity.com/

Sunmart Texas Trails Endurance Runs - Huntsville, TX
http://www.sunmart.net

Venice-Marina Christmas Run - Santa Monica, CA
http://www.w2promotions.com/public/start.php

December 11, 2005:
Bill Rodgers Jingle Bell Run - Boston, MA
http://www.billrodgers.com/

Brunei Marathon - Brunei Darussalam
http://www.bruneimarathon.com

Florida Gulf Beaches Halfathon - Madeira Beach, FL
http://www.FloridaHalf.com

Honolulu Marathon - Hawaii
http://www.honolulumarathon.org

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/

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
RunnersWebCoach
http://www.runnerswebcoach.com


********************************************
RUNNER'S WEB AFFILIATE PROGRAMS:
*********************************************

Mental Strength Training Center:
http://www.memberstar.com/redir_a.php?LFAId=1027

National Bike Registry
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=vVGS2V*0iZg&offerid=21387&type=3&sub\
id=0


Axill
Sony vs Panasonic:
'http://www.axill.com/trackingcode.aspx?affid=8001&pid=1762&bid=4677&c=8001'

Buy Paula Radcliffe's book, My Story - So Far, from Amazon UK at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/074325242X/runnersweb-21

Endurance Films
Triathlon Training DVDs
https://endurancefilms.hivelocity.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_C\
ode=EF&Affiliate=runnersweb


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

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
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 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

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







Fri Dec 9, 2005 7:56 pm

runnersweb
Offline Offline
Send Email Send Email

Forward
Message #522 of 734 |
Expand Messages Author Sort by Date

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...
Ken Parker
runnersweb
Offline Send Email
Dec 9, 2005
7:59 pm
Advanced

Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Guidelines - Help