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
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5. Toronto Waterfront Marathon. September 24, 2006.
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6. The Toronto Marathon, October 15, 2006
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7. LifeSport by Lance Watson - Professional Coaching
Lance Watson 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. A Human Kinetics
graduate (sport psychology minor), Lance has had the
opportunity to work with and be mentored by numerous world-class swim, bike, run
and triathlon coaches and liaise with many top
sport professionals (scientists, psychologists, nutritionists, therapists, etc.)
Lance has coached at the 2000 Olympics, 2002 Commonwealth Games and 2003 Pan
American Games. He has been head coach at several
national-team events and coached at various Ironman, ITU World Cup and world
championship events. As well, he was an award recipient
as "Triathlon Canada Elite Coach Of The Year" four consecutive years from
2000-2003. He was the 2004 Olympic Team Head Coach
(Triathlon).
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/LifeSport.html


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TRAFFIC CONTINUES TO GROW
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Daily
2005 2,749,670 7,753.35 14,652,389
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2004 1,786,510 4,881.17 9,564,629
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% Increase 54% 59% 53% 54%
33% 34%

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THIS WEEK:
There will be no Digest on February 24th as I will be travelling that week.
Digest publication will resume on March 3rd.

Up until April 1st (April Fool's Day!) you can get a FREE subscription to Geezer
Jock Magazine.
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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.

* 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 article archive 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

Running Research News:
RRN's free, weekly, training update provides subscribers with the most-current,
practical, scientifically based information about
training, sports nutrition, injury prevention, and injury rehabilitation. The
purpose of this weekly e-zine is to improve
subscribers' training quality and to help them train in an injury-free manner.
Running Research News also publishes a complete, 12-page, electronic newsletter
10 times a year (one-year subscriptions are $35); to
learn more about Running Research News, please see the Online Article Index and
"About Running Research News" sections below or go
to RRNews.com.
Check out the article index at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/RRN_index.html


THIS WEEK'S PERSONAL POSTINGS/RELEASES:
We have ONE personal posting this week:

ONE: I am part of a group of new race directors, resurrecting a 5k race.
We need a little bit of guidance and direction in this endeavor.
Does anyone have RD info we can use for our team.
Looking for Steps to take, who to see/contact, when etc...
A timeline on when would be great.
Food, drink, sponsors, prizes,...???
Thanks, Hank
mailto:richard_loin@...



THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. Multisport by Lance Watson: Recovery - Increase Performance by Attending to
the Basics
2. Sheila's Nutrition Digest Vol 11 - Chocolate - a Valentine's tradition is
good for the heart
3. Multisport: Nutrition Simplified
4. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Once A Marathoner
5. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine
6. The Clinic: Poor knee alignment
7. The history of nude running
8. Matter of timing as athletes chase perfect taper
9. Understanding progression
10. The Extra Mile
Marathon shortcuts are all the rage.
11. Cycling: Power Training I - The Concept of Power
12. From Running Times
13. Near Death and Resurrection
What happened to Alberto Salazar and Dick Beardsley after they almost killed
each other at the 1982 Boston Marathon?
14. Vitamins Keep Your Heart Fighting Fit
15. Maybe You're Not What You Eat
16. Braced for impact
Inexpensive knee sleeves can help relieve minor pain, but the jury's still out
on whether they can prevent injuries or enhance
performance.
17. The Marathon Long Run
How I Prescribe Long Runs for Maximum Success by Greg McMillan, M.S.
18. From Runner's World
19. Pacific Elite Fitness - This Week's Article: Perfect Aero Position
20. Racing & fuelling for runners
21. Asthma Shouldn't Stop Wintertime Fun
Expert offers tips on keeping cold weather wheezing at bay.
22. Triathlon Overtraining
23. An overview of energy sources
24. In Like a Lion - Preparing for the First Race of Spring
25. Digest Briefs


RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"Which of the following injuries (conditions) have you had:
Patellofemoral Syndrome
Pulled Hamstring
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
Shin Splints
Stress Fractures
Exercise Induced Compartment Syndrome
Achilles Tendonitis
Plantar Fasciitis
Hip Bursitis
Mononucleosis.?"

You can access the poll from our FrontPage ( http://www.runnersweb.com) 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:
"Should women's road race records("best times") be allowed to be established in
mixed (men and women) races?"
Answers Votes Percent
1. Yes 32 60%
2. No, women only races 21 40%
Total Votes: 53

FIVE STAR SITE OF THE WEEK: Metro Sports Running - NY
"Serving New York Runners of All Abilities".
This site provides Training Tips - expert advice for your next race,
Run of the Month - find, rate and discuss runs in your area,
Tech Talk - get the scoop on the latest gear...and more.
Check it out at:
http://localrunning.com/ny/index.php


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: Lactate Threshold Training
Whether you're a runner, skier, cyclist, triathlete, or rower, as an endurance
athlete you need to race and train as fast as
possible without hitting the wall from high levels of lactic acid in your
bloodstream. Elite athletes and coaches know that
increasing lactate threshold is essential to success. Now you can use this
knowledge to push your performance to the limit.
Lactate Threshold Training is an advanced training guide to help you improve
endurance performance. This innovative book explains
the theory behind the training and presents practical programs to improve your
lactate threshold and race faster than ever before.
The book also includes discussion on the use of EPO and the struggle against
doping in endurance sports.
Many elite athletes and coaches are using this innovative concept in their
training. The book includes:
. heart-rate based training programs,
. tests for self-assessment of lactate threshold,
. scientific guidelines to avoid overtraining,
. advice on nutrition, and
. workout examples of elite endurance athletes.
Author Peter Janssen, MD, is recognized as one of the pioneers in lactate
threshold training. Dr. Janssen has put together this
complete and comprehensive training manual through research, training, and
testing of elite endurance athletes. If you want to take
your endurance performance to the limit, this is one book you won't want to
miss.
About the Author
An athlete himself, Dr. Peter Janssen, MD, is a pioneer in the field of lactate
threshold training. Dr. Janssen has focused his
research on training for endurance sports, which benefits marathon runners,
cyclists, triathletes, swimmers, and rowers.
Research, training, and testing of elite endurance athletes at his sports
medicine advisory center has enabled Dr. Janssen to
radically change and improve coaching methods for a wide range of sports. He has
worked with both the PDM and Panasonic cycling
teams. Dr. Janssen resides in Deurne, Holland.
Buy the book from Human Kinetics at:
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?associate=880&isbn=0736037\
551


THIS WEEK'S NEWS:

1. Multisport by Lance Watson: Recovery - Increase Performance by Attending to
the Basics:
You may be one of the hardest trainers in the world, but if you don't let your
body recover you will never reap the rewards of your
hard work. Recovery is an around the clock process. Every workout has a certain
amount of physical and mental demand and each time
you train it's like pulling back on an elastic band: the harder you work or the
further you pull back on that band the further you
will go forward after you allow yourself to rest. If you simply continue to work
hard day after day, and week after week you will
snap that elastic band and find yourself no further ahead. Regularly scheduled
rest and recovery allows athletes to reach
increasingly higher targets with a lower risk of injury. A complete workout
routine includes not only the exercise itself, but also
caring for the wear-and-tear and minor injuries that naturally occur with
strenuous movement and activities.
Good nutrition has always been known as the fuel needed to get the most out of
yourself during a workout, but the benefits of
nutrition post-workout are just as important. After the workout has been
completed it is time to replenish the fluids, calories and
nutrients the body has used. The more intense the exercise or sport, the greater
the body's hydration and nutrient needs. Athletes
who participate in endurance activities of an hour or more have specific needs
because of what they demand from their bodies.
Endurance athletes lose more electrolytes (such as magnesium, potassium and
sodium) through perspiration and must diligently replace
them. Since muscle-tissue breakdown is common during intense exercise, athletes
also need more proteins to repair the tissues.
Prepare and plan for fluid and nutritional replenishment by having a recovery
drink bottle and light snack ready to eat within
30-60minutes of completing your workout. Consume 20-30 grams of carbohydrates
and 5-10 grams of protein in the form of an energy
bar, a shake, or a basic food like a bagel with almond butter and sliced banana.
The carbohydrates, proteins and fats you ingest
will help your body recover more effectively and be ready to go again during
your next workout.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060216_LW_Recovery.html


2. Sheila's Nutrition Digest Vol 11 - Chocolate - a Valentine's tradition is
good for the heart:
In this new series, XC Ottawa (and OAC Racing Team) member Sheila Kealey will
help athletes choose the best foods for performance
and overall health. Sheila 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.
"Research tells us that 14 out of any 10 individuals like chocolate." - - Sandra
Boynton, Chocolate the Consuming Passion
I must confess - hardly a day goes by that I don't eat chocolate. But I'm a bit
of a "chocolate snob." When it comes to this
indulgence, not any chocolate will do! Hershey's Kisses don't cut it, and it's
the rich dark chocolate that I prefer. But recent
research suggests that being particular when it comes to chocolate could be a
good thing.
Chocolate is rich in natural health-promoting substances called flavonoids,
which are powerful antioxidants also found in large
quantities in green tea, wine, purple grape juice, and many fruits and
vegetables. Antioxidants can help stabilize free radicals
that have the potential to damage our cells' DNA. A mounting body of evidence
shows that flavonoids can help protect against heart
disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.
Much of the research investigating chocolate has centered around heart health,
with numerous test tube and human studies suggesting
that flavonoids in chocolate had positive effects on potential risk factors for
heart disease. For example one study compared the
blood pressure and arterial function of two groups of moderately overweight
adults. One group consumed extra dark chocolate (60%
cacao), while the other consumed a low-flavonoid placebo. Researchers measured
blood pressure before and 2 hours after the little
chocolate feast (2 servings) and found that the chocolate-eating volunteers
blood pressure improved, and their blood vessels were
better able to dilate and increase blood flow. Of course, more research is
needed, and longer term studies are in the works.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060214_SK_Chocolate.html


3. Multisport: Nutrition Simplified:
As coaches of endurance athletes worldwide, we are flooded with questions on
nutrition. The funny thing is, behind all the
five-syllable biochemical names of nutrients, the keys to good nutrition are
really very simple. Our goal in this article is to help
you learn these fundamentals.
Each time you watch the evening news or read your local newspaper, you are
informed of some new nutrition "discovery". In reality,
what we need to know about nutrition, to optimize our health, we already know.
The "new discoveries" are mostly interesting bits of
science, but knowledge of these bits is not needed to optimize your health. In
reality, the keys to good nutrition lie in our
evolutionary history.
All too often, triathletes fall into the trap of following the latest trends in
nutrition attempting to gain a boost in performance.
The truth is that the principles of solid nutrition have not changed in
thousands of years. It is these principles that should guide
you and not the conflicting 30-second soundbites you hear on the evening news.
Ok, to get right too it, lets look at what foods to eat, why to eat these foods,
answers to common questions, and practical
suggestions for how to gradually implement changes to your daily nutrition
routine that will improve your health and performance.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060213_THS_Nutrition.html


4. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Once A Marathoner:
Once upon a time I ran marathons. That was long ago, six years since the latest
one. But the irony is that now I'm doing more
talking to, coaching of and writing for marathoners than ever before.
It isn't coincidental that these other roles grew to fill a void left by not
going this distance myself. I attended Jeff Galloway's
and Dick Beardsley's camps with marathoners, formed a Marathon Team to train
runners, signed on as a columnist for Marathon & Beyond
magazine.
When asked to move my byline to M&B from another magazine, I quickly agreed, but
then privately asked myself: Do I really belong
there? Readers were justified in asking the same: "How well can you speak to our
interests?"
What were my credentials, not as a writer but as a runner? They run marathons
and, for some, beyond that distance. Did I?
Well, no, not lately. My life as a marathoner had sputtered to a halt after four
dozen finishes spread over four decades. I wasn't
ready to say that the last one has been run, but the passing years had turned a
probably-soon into a maybe-someday.
I justified my new role in Marathon & Beyond by broadening the definition of
"beyond." It doesn't only mean "longer than." The word
can also imply "in addition to."
"Beyond" can include runs other than marathons and ultras, the shorter training
and racing that isn't devalued by the long. "Beyond"
can include what happens after the long races are finished, when the knowledge
of and appreciation for marathoning and ultrarunning
don't end at the final finish line.
My first column in M&B rationalized what a lapsed marathoner might offer to
active ones. I wrote in 2004 that we who stand by in
supporting roles also serve, and that we who once ran marathoners never really
retire.
Paul Reese, the grandest old man of the roads I ever knew, once bristled when I
referred to him as an "ex-Marine." Colonel Reese
corrected me by saying firmly, "There's no such thing as an EX-Marine." He
explained that once you've had the experience, and Paul
had it in three wars from the 1940s to the '60s, it never leaves you.
Likewise there are no ex-marathoners or ex-ultrarunners. Once you join this
club, you never really leave. The experience stays with
you, to share with the runners who follow you on these courses.
More...from Joe Henderson at:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/560.html


5. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine:
* Exercise Throughout Life Prevents Heart Attacks
Many research papers show that middle-aged and older women who are physically
active are far less likely to suffer from
heart attacks, the leading cause of death in women in America today. However,
there has been very little research on the effects
of physical activity during young adulthood on exercise patterns during middle
and later age, and whether they influence heart
attack risk in later life. Many years ago, researchers at Harvard Medical
School recruited nearly 40,000 healthy female
professionals, older than 45 years, for the Women's Health Study. Findings from
this ongoing study show that women who exercise when
they are younger are far more likely to exercise when they are older and are far
less likely to die of heart attacks (Medicine &
Science in Sports & Exercise, August 2005).
Women who exercised 12 months a year during high school years were more than
twice as likely to exercise when they became
middle aged and were also almost half as likely to suffer a heart attack as
women who did not exercise in later life. So if you
have young daughters, encourage them to start an exercise program that they can
keep the rest of their lives. If you are a
middle-aged woman and are not exercising regularly, get started now. It's never
to late; even 90-year-old women who begin a
supervised exercise program can see dramatic strength gains in as little as six
weeks.
* Q: Does drinking alcohol increase my risk for osteoporosis?
A: Yes; the person most likely to suffer from osteoporosis has pale skin, is
very thin and drinks a lot of alcohol. Pale
people often do not get enough sunlight to meet their needs for the
bone-strengthening vitamin D; skinny people often miss essential
nutrients necessary for bone health; and heavy drinking inhibits new bone from
forming (Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental
Research, December, 2005).
Bones are always remodeling. Certain cells called osteoblasts continuously
bring calcium into bones, while osteoclasts
continuously take calcium out of bones. However,
heavy drinking inhibits osteoblasts from forming new bone. So far, most studies
show that people can take up to two drinks a day
without harming their health. A drink is five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of
beer, or two thirds of a shot glass of hard alcohol.
However, exceeding that amount can hasten the onset of osteoporosis, in which
the slightest trauma can break bones and they will
heal much more slowly than normal.
http://www.drmirkin.com


6. The Clinic: Poor knee alignment
American Running Association
* Question: I have moderate patellar subluxation [a partially dislocated,
off-center knee joint] and over the years I've had
tendinitis on and off in my left knee. I completed my sixth marathon in December
and near the end of my training, I began to notice
a grating feeling as I was climbing stairs.
Due to rotator cuff repair, I took 10 weeks off from running after the marathon,
gradually built back up and now am running and
spinning at the gym on a regular basis. My longest runs are currently nine
miles.
I do feel knee pain at times going up the stairs, though I've done strengthening
exercises, such as lunges and squats, for a number
of years. My sports medicine orthopedist said the patellar subluxation was the
root cause, though now he has also diagnosed
arthritis in my knees.
I'm taking glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate and continuing the strengthening
exercises -- presently weight-bearing straight leg
raises. What sorts of outcomes have you seen for surgery to repair the
subluxation? And assuming I'm able to stabilize the alignment
problem in my knee and continue training, can running cause the arthritis to
spread more quickly?
* Answer 1: It's very important to increase the flexibility in your quads, ITB
and hamstrings. This takes pressure off the patella.
The strengthening regimen is good; now you must incorporate stretching. Most of
us have some arthritis in our knees. This won't
become worse with running. It's the lack of flexibility that could exacerbate
the arthritis. Regular stretching is essential, and
keep in mind that it takes a minimum of three months to really see flexibility
gains.
I feel that surgery is not a good option for you at this time. It could take up
to two years to fully recover, with compromised
running performance. After such a long period of time, you likely would have
found other ways to exercise.
Answer 2: An MRI will give you a look at the integrity of the bone coating
inside your knee, which may help you formulate a
long-term plan. To absorb shock, you may try wearing a Chopat band around your
patellar tendon just below the knee. A physical
therapist could try taping your knee to the inside to offset the subluxation. I
would avoid hills for now.
Answer 3: This maltracking of the kneecap is very common, and causes the
cartilage around the bone to prematurely wear away. I
recommend light weight, high-rep, pain-free quad strengthening. Running won't
make the arthritis worse, but you must be pain free.
Avoid downhill running in particular.
CAmerican Running Association, Running & FitNews 2005, Vol. 23, No. 5
American Running Association, empowering adults to get America's youth moving.
For more information or to join ARA, please visit
www.americanrunning.org.


7. The history of nude running:
In ancient Greece, athletic exercise played an important part of daily life: in
fact, the Greeks credited several mythological
figures with athletic accomplishments, and even male gods (especially Apollo and
Herakles, patrons of sport) were commonly depicted
as athletes. It is said that in the city-state of Sparta the custom of
exercising naked was first introduced. Anyhow, it spread to
the whole of Greece, and the athletes from all its parts, coming together for
the Olympic Games and the other Panhellenic Games,
competed naked in almost all disciplines, such as stadion and various other foot
races including relay race, and the pentathlon
(made up of wrestling, stadion, long jump, javelin throw, and discus throw) but
also boxing, wrestling, pankration. It is believed
to root in the religious notion that athletic excellence was an "esthetical"
offering to the gods (nearly all games fitted in
religious festivals), and certainly was welcomed as a measure to prevent foul
play, which was punished publicly on the spot by the
judges (often religious dignitaries) with a sound lashing, also endured in the
bare!
Evidence of Greek nudity in sport comes from the numerous surviving depictions
of athletes (sculpture, mosaics, and vase paintings).
Famous athletes were honored by a statue erected for their commemoration (such
as Milo of Croton, for example). A few writers have
insisted that the athletic nudity in Greek art is just an artistic convention,
finding it unbelievable that anybody would have run
naked. This view could be ascribed to late-Victorian prudishness applied
anachronistically to ancient times.
More...from Run the Planet at:
http://www.runtheplanet.com/pages/refer/articles/nuderunning.php


8. Matter of timing as athletes chase perfect taper:
The art of tapering correctly for a big event is a crucial but elusive skill,
Martin Blake writes.
Shane Kelly remembers it only too well. Kelly came to the world track cycling
championships in Melbourne in May 2004 ill-prepared
for the level of competition he was about to confront.
He was performing in front of his home crowd (Kelly hails from Ararat, where the
sign says: "Welcome to Ararat, home of Shane
Kelly"), with family and friends at Vodafone Arena. And, of course, there was
the expectation of simply being Shane Kelly, one of
Australia's greatest cyclists ever.
But he missed a medal in his favourite kilometre time-trial, an event in which
he is a triple world champion. It was the first time
since 1992 he had not been in the medals in the event - by Kelly's high
standards, a dramatic flop.
The reason? It was an Olympic year and Kelly didn't have his taper right for the
worlds, which were a month or so earlier. "I would
have loved to have done my best," he said last week. "But I had to push that
aside because the Olympics were the big one. That's how
I had to take it."
Tapering, the art of tailoring your practice to produce optimum performance on
the right day, has been around for years. Bart
Cummings does it with horses and has 11 Melbourne Cups to show for it and
sporting coaches have been trying to do the same thing
with varying success.
More...from the Age at:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/commonwealth-games/matter-of-timing-as-athletes-ch\
ase-perfect-taper/2006/02/11/1139542446124.html


9. Understanding progression:
Let's talk about progression in training.
Actually, let's first of all define progression so we all understand what it
means.
In last week's article I discussed how someone wishing to run a new Personal
Best (PB) in next month's half marathon might be going
to the track once per week at this stage and run a set of repetitions at race
pace.
I gave the example of someone running 4-6 sets of one mile (four laps at Marsa
track) at race pace and slowly jogging 200-400m in
between before beginning the next repetition.
They might begin with four repetitions (usually shortened to "repeats" or
"reps") at first, and slowly build over the weeks to six
at the same pace.
Assuming the runner gets to the stage where he/she can handle six mile reps at
race pace, what should they do next?
In other words, what is the progression for this type of training?
There are a number of options: Should they go down the following week and try
and run them faster? Should they shorten the length of
the recovery jog? Should they make each rep longer than four laps?
As you can see, there are a number of alternatives available, and if the athlete
is to continue to improve, they must make the right
choice, because not all options will lead to a faster performance in the race.
Many runners believe the obvious choice is to go down in subsequent weeks and
try and run the mile repeats faster.
That is, if this week your average was six mile reps at 7:00 minutes per mile
(which is your target Half Marathon pace) with 200m
jog recovery, they believe that the perfect training would be to go down to the
track the following week and try and run the same
six reps at 6:50m/m.
More...from the Times of Malta at:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=214436



10. The Extra Mile:
Marathon shortcuts are all the rage. No, not the course-cutting incident at last
fall's Marine Corps Marathon of which running
pundits nationwide are still pounding their ectomorphic chests. A more benign
training shortcut has captured the imagination of
non-runners and beginners. Call it Marathon Lite. Anyone who has seen the cover
of Runner's World knows the drill: "Run a Marathon
on Three Days [of Training] a Week," "Marathon Training Made Easy," "Run Your
Best With Less."
The disingenuousness of the programs is the least of it. Yes, one can finish a
marathon on three, two or even no days of training,
and yes, if one runs to the point of injury, less training can help complete the
race.
But running is not corporate accounting. It's about fitness, health and fun.
Speed-reading Proust is possible, too, but why would
anyone do that?
Experienced runners like to believe that the marathon is a noble endeavor, with
a history of courage and sacrifice. Incorporating
walking breaks into a training program and then into the event itself just to
complete 26.2 miles cheapens the achievement and
transforms the marathon into just another item on a to-do list. Too many runners
have adopted this "complete, not compete" attitude
and median finishing times reflect as much.
The marathon mystique is strong, and many find themselves drawn to the marathon
-- for admirable and often altruistic reasons --
before they have completed a half marathon or even a 10K. Take a step back.
Don't sell yourself short but train to do the best
you're able. Train properly, a minimum of 35 miles a week for 10 weeks, with the
goal of finishing without walking. It really is
about the journey.
From the Washington Post.


11. Cycling: Power Training I - The Concept of Power:
Now if you've been a good cyclist this past year, Santa may have dropped off a
power monitor under your tree. What to do with such a
bonanza? What to do if you got coal instead? We introduce a series on systematic
and scientific training with a power monitor and/or
a heart rate monitor.
The Art of Training
Have you heard the saying in cycling that any training program, even a bad one
is better than no program at all? Sounds crazy, but
it's true to some extent. There is no better recipe for at worst overtraining
and at best hitting a long flat plateau than going out
every day without a clear idea of what you are trying to accomplish and where
you are in the big picture of your training cycle.
Just by breaking the year down into a few basic cycles, you can at least improve
the chances that you will be riding strong at the
right time and that you will continue to improve from season to season.
Writing a program is actually fairly easy, (but that's a topic for another
article). As a coach, writing the actual training program
is only the very beginning of helping a cyclist reach their goals. So let's say
you've got a coach or you are your own coach. You've
laid out the training program for the year, the time, the distances, the zones,
the intervals. You're set right? Not yet. In fact,
this is only the start. Training is an art form that goes well beyond numbers
written on a piece of paper and the skills and
understanding of how to do it properly. Just like cycling itself, it requires a
lifetime of experience to prefect.
Just One Minute
It seems pretty self-explanatory. Ride for X amount of time at heart rate Y and
at cadence Z, and you get stronger, no worries.
However, to get the most out of your workout, it's actually a little more
complex than that and when you start to get into
intervals, things really get complicated. When I was first starting off as a
racer, my coach happened to see me doing some one
minute efforts on a ride. Later that night, I got a tentative phone call. "Uh.
Bloke, not sure how to say this, but you're doing it
all wrong."
More...from PexCycling News at:
http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=3703


12. From Running Times:
* Training Tip of the Month - No Pain, No Gain
The phrase, "Listen to your body" has been used in training advice for so long
it has become a veritable running chestnut. However,
there may be times when it is better to put in the earplugs, according to Kevin
Hanson, coach and sponsor of the Hansons-Brooks
Distance Project. "When you start to get tired, your body's natural response is
to want to stop, or at least slow down," he says.
"But that's the very point in a workout where you start to experience a training
effect. So if you're doing a tough workout, [what
the Hansons runners call 'Something of Substance' training] you have to plan it
out in advance, and make a mental commitment to
complete it, even when your body is telling you 'I'm tired, let's take it
easy'."
Hanson emphasizes that you shouldn't "run through" an injury that develops
during a workout, but normal fatigue and discomfort need
to be overcome to take you to the next level in your running.
--Jim Gerweck, Managing Editor
* Medical Corner
Q: I'm hoping you can help with an injury I sustained. While running I tore my
left soleus and gastrocnemius, probably from
overtraining. I've seen doctors, rested, and conducted therapy. Prior to the
injury I was running 5k's in 17 minutes ... now I'm
lucky to run 5k's in a week without discomfort. Any ideas?
A: Muscle strains range from a stretch to a complete tear. Most injuries fall
somewhere in between. There will be some scarring of
the muscle as the injury heals; additionally, there will be strength and
flexibility deficits. Flexibility should be comparable to
the non-injured side. Soleus flexibility is assessed with the knee flexed (bent)
while the gastrocnemius is tested with the knee
extended (straight).
Strengthening should be performed through the entire range of ankle motion from
flexed to extended (plantarflexion through
dorsiflexion). Stand with your heels hanging off of a step. Lower your heels
slowly, then rise on your toes. Repeat this 20-30 times
as long as you are able to do so without pain. Over several days, increase the
speed with which you perform this motion. After a
week or so, begin standing with your left foot on the step. Perform the
repetitions slowly and gradually increase the speed over
several days, as long as you can do so without pain.
Don't forget to apply ice to your leg following exercises. You may benefit from
deep tissue massage also.
If possible, see a physical therapist to maximize your strength and flexibility.
--Cathy Fieseler, MD


13. Near Death and Resurrection:
What happened to Alberto Salazar and Dick Beardsley after they almost killed
each other at the 1982 Boston Marathon?
In retrospect, one of the most surprising things is how young they were. Alberto
Salazar was 23; Dick Beardsley, 26.
At the time, though, what was near-shocking was that, with a mile to go in the
1982 Boston Marathon, the world's best marathoner had
company, in the form of an aw-shucks nice guy from Minnesota. The details are
still fresh: The 70-degree day. Salazar taking but a
few sips of water. Impossibly thin Beardsley wearing a painter's cap and running
with a sponge stuffed down the front of his shorts.
Bill Rodgers falling off the pace during the relentless push through the Newton
hills. Neither yielding. ("Just being so
cottonpickin' stubborn," in Beardsleyese.) Beardsley stepping in a pothole and,
miraculously, loosening his hamstring. Salazar
pulling away, inevitably, for a three-second course-record win in 2:08:51, then
needing intravenous treatment. And the anticipation
that the best was yet to come.
"It was just another date for us," said the drummer on the Miles Davis album
"Kind of Blue," which subsequently became the most
influential jazz recording ever. Those who make history often see it as another
day at the office, the work's importance coming into
proper focus only as it recedes. Certainly, if you had talked to Salazar and
Beardsley an hour after Boston '82, they wouldn't have
said that their competitive careers-and American men's marathoning-had just
peaked.
The Fall of Men
To be a competitive runner is to live in faith. This is not to suggest that
running is a religion, or even a spiritual undertaking.
But what impels runners out the door day after day? What creates the need to run
the sixth repeat of a workout faster than the
fifth, and then the seventh faster? Faith that infinitesimal changes at the
cellular level are occurring that will matter four
months hence; or, as the saying goes, the assurance of things hoped for, the
conviction of things not seen.
Growing up, Salazar wasn't even the best runner in his family, and his form
would make an apt "before" photo in a Pilates brochure.
Beardsley was a mediocre high school and college runner who thought his life's
work was dairy farming. Yet Salazar set an American
record at 5,000 meters before he was 25, while Beardsley casually resumed
running one day and soon after decided to qualify for the
1980 Olympic Marathon Trials.
Now, elucidating faith's genesis in a runner's make-up isn't a chicken-or-egg
process. Any number of latent qualities find
themselves on call in the first weeks of training, and they shine more brightly
as the running lifestyle dampens the unneeded parts
of personality. Often, the honed trait remains an integral part of the person
long after the last race has been run, a fact for
which Salazar and Beardsley have reason to be grateful
More...from the Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/issues/02apr/boston82.htm


14. Vitamins Keep Your Heart Fighting Fit:
When it comes to heart health, eating the right foods with less fat and
cholesterol can only go so far. You need help to keep you
body in the best shape to keep that heart
pumping for a long time. That's where vitamins can help you out.
Vitamin E is the first vitamin that pops into the mind of those that are looking
to improve their overall heart health. Vitamin E
seems to stop cholesterol in the body from oxidizing and harming the arteries
surrounding the heart. When cholesterol oxidizes,
it's more able to stick to the sides of the arteries and cause buildup and
possible blockage that can lead to heart attacks and
other infarctions.
Doctors recommend an additional dose of Vitamin E. They advise patients to eat
foods rich with Vitamin E such as nuts and almonds.
Even those patients who have had a heart attack seem to benefit taking vitamin
E. It seems the vitamin can be effective at reducing
artery blockages, helping to prevent any further heart attacks.
To make vitamin E work even better, those concerned about heart disease may want
to supplement their diets with vitamin C as well.
As an antioxidant, it also helps to prevent the damaging effects of cholesterol,
but it is also being shown to aid vitamin E in its
healthful effects.
Vitamin C works with vitamin E to improve the body's ability to maintain a
healthier arteries and heart. And allows your arteries to
function unhampered. If you are a heart patient, or think you are at risk when
it comes to heart problems, you might do well to take
supplements of vitamin C and E in addition to taking them in your diet.
So how much should you take? Well, ideal doses may vary from patient to patient,
but 400IU (international units) of vitamin E seems
to work well for most people. Vitamin C is
tolerable in higher doses without harmful effects. You can safely take
500miligram of vitamin C twice a day, mornings and evenings,
to help keep your heart fighting fit.
Endorsed by studies, additional supplements of vitamin C are good for your
heart. It is always a good idea, though, to consult your
doctor before taking any supplements. Just make
sure that the vitamin supplements you take don't interfere with some medication
you are already taking. Or your doctor may recommend
that you take your vitamins at a different
time.
While your diet is the best way to get your daily allowance of these vitamins,
supplementation is recommended for those who are
trying to improve their heart health.
Perry Stamide runs the web site Fed Vitamins, Inc. which is a premier resource
for vitamins on the Net. Fedvitamins.com accepts
article submissions. Get your
article archived on the Internet with a link to your site here:
http://www.fedvitamins.com/articles


15. Maybe You're Not What You Eat:
In an early 19th-century best seller, a famous food writer offered a cure for
obesity and chronic disease: a low-carbohydrate diet.
The notion that what you eat shapes your medical fate has exerted a strong pull
throughout history. And its appeal continues to this
day, medical historians and researchers say.
"It's one of the great principles - no, more than principles, canons - of
American culture to suggest that what you eat affects your
health," says James Morone, a professor of political science at Brown
University.
"It's this idea that you control your own destiny and that it's never too late
to reinvent yourself," he said. "Vice gets punished
and virtue gets rewarded. If you eat or drink or inhale the wrong things you get
sick. If not, you get healthy."
That very American canon, he and others say, may in part explain the criticism
and disbelief that last week greeted a report that a
low-fat diet might not prevent breast cancer, colon cancer or heart disease,
after all.
The report, from a huge federal study called the Women's Health Initiative,
raises important questions about how much even the most
highly motivated people can change their eating habits and whether the
relatively small changes that they can make really have a
substantial effect on health.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/health/14fat.html?_r=1&oref=slogin


16. Braced for impact:
Inexpensive knee sleeves can help relieve minor pain, but the jury's still out
on whether they can prevent injuries or enhance
performance.
ANYONE limping down the aisle at the local drug store has probably seen them:
inexpensive elastic or neoprene knee braces beckoning
- promising relief for aching knees.
Simple knee sleeves are popping up with greater frequency on professional
athletes and weekend warriors, who don them for pickup
basketball, softball and football scrimmages in hopes of staving off pain and
injury.
Although statistics aren't available on how many people are using these sleeves,
the number is probably high. An estimated 19
million Americans seek medical attention for aches and pains in their knees each
year, and many, sports doctors say, will treat
their bum knees with over-the-counter braces.
Although lacking the glamour of high-tech braces used for serious injury and
rehabilitation, inexpensive sleeves have their place,
says Dr. Marc Safran, chief of Sports Medicine at UC San Francisco. For people
with sore or mildly injured knees, mild arthritis and
even those recovering from a sprain or knee surgery, they serve three
therapeutic functions.
They can reduce swelling and keep the knee warm, both of which reduce pain.
They can also improve the mechanics of the knee joint through what is known as
proprioception - the body's ability to determine
where the joint is in space and time due to signals from sensors in the muscles,
skin and tendons. The brace reminds the brain that
there are restrictions on that joint and to modify motion to reduce knee stress.
But don't expect miracles from the sleeve. Although the brace may relieve pain
and swelling so the wearer can be more active, it
probably won't cure an underlying injury, says Dr. Ali Motamedi, an orthopedic
surgeon at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-brace13feb13,1,6001927.stor\
y?coll=la-health-fitness-news


17. The Marathon Long Run:
How I Prescribe Long Runs for Maximum Success by Greg McMillan, M.S.
Ahh, the marathon long run. What a worrisome thing for most runners. And for
good reason, the long run is such a crucial part of
marathon training. I don't think there's any other race distance where one
single workout plays such a large part in the success or
failure of the race. As a result, you're often left with many questions: How far
should I run? Do I run for time or distance? What
about pace? What to eat and drink? The list goes on and on.
In this article, I'll answer these questions for you as I describe my thoughts
on the marathon long run and how I utilize long runs
for the marathoners I coach. As I like to do, I'm not only going to give you the
"how-to" but I'm going to provide you with the
rationale for why I think this plan works. This way, you can take the
information and incorporate it into your specific training
plan.
I will preface this article with a note that these are simply my ideas. Some of
them have been widely criticized in forums. I aim to
address these concerns but in the end, you have to do what you think works for
YOU. And, I would also recommend that you experiment
in your training to determine what works for you. With that, here is how I
prescribe long runs in the marathon phase. The results
have been consistent and positive. You can hear from some McMillan Running
athletes by clicking here.
Two Types of Marathon Long Runs You Should Use
With long runs during a marathon program, you are trying to accomplish two
distinct purposes. On the one hand, you are trying to
maximize your ability to burn fat and spare your limited muscle carbohydrate
(glycogen) stores as well as improving your leg
strength and resistance to fatigue (both physical fatigue and mental fatigue).
You are also trying to teach your body to better
handle lowered blood glucose levels. On the other hand, you are trying to become
more economical at your marathon race pace
(learning to burn less fuel for a given pace) along with testing out your race
equipment and nutritional plan. You also want to give
the mind a taste of the focus and determination that will be required in the
latter stages of the marathon itself.
Therefore, when I design a marathon training program, I include two distinctly
different types of long runs. You're probably
familiar with the first type of long run - the long, steady run. In this run,
you simply go out for a steady, easy run and stay out
for a long time. The pace isn't fast and time on your feet is the most important
goal, not speed. The second type of long run,
however, is new to many runners. In this long run, you start at your normal run
pace but you try to average your goal marathon pace
for the last 30 to 60 minutes of the run. In most programs, I simply alternate
the two types of long runs - one weekend, long,
steady distance and the next, a fast finish long run.
More...from McMillanRunning.com at:
http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/Running%20University/Article%204/marathonlongrun.\
htm


18. From Runner's World:
* Coach's Corner
"Winter forces flexibility into your routine. You must run whenever, whatever
and wherever you can. You can't expect to run every
day. Instead, hope to have about three or four good workouts a week. But most
days, you can get out and do something. Few winter
days are so deep-frozen that running is foolishly risky." -Joe Henderson
* Injury Prevention
The older you are, the more important stretching becomes. Stretching helps to
maintain flexibility and balance keeping you sharp and
in-tune with your body.
* Performance Nutrition
Chocolate: the world's most acceptable addiction. Dark chocolate is great for
your cardiovascular health. One of the latest studies
found that eating 3.5 ounces a day lowered blood pressure in people with
hypertension. So it's a bonus that it does your romantic
heart good.
Compliment your chocolate fix with a glass of wine. Don't worry, a little bit
won't hurt your running--if you're smart about it.
* Editor's Advice
"When running in cold weather, apply lip balm under your eyes, as well as your
lips. Not only does the balm have screensaver SPF 15,
but it won't rub off easily while running.
-Kathleen Pennepacker, RW editorial intern
* Training Talk
"There is no single right way to cross-train for running. As with your running
itself, how you should cross-train depends on several
factors, including your goals, personal preferences, and past and present
injuries, as well as how your body responds to various
types of training.
-Runner's World Guide to Cross-Training by Matt Fitzgerald


19. Pacific Elite Fitness - This Week's Article: Perfect Aero Position:
Many triathletes experience low back tightness, occasional back discomfort, and
sometimes even debilitating pain when riding in the
aero position. The more "closed" the angle between the hip and the torso, the
more the low back muscles are stretched, resulting in
a constant tight feeling while riding. For a cyclist with poor back and
hamstring flexibility, or a history of low back injury,
prolonged time spent in this position can lead to severe discomfort while
riding.
A forward pelvic tilt, or rotating the hips forward in the saddle, can often
alleviate this problem. However, this is a function of
both bike setup and proper cycling biomechanics, and most cyclists instead
attempt to reduce strain on the low back by "reaching"
for the handlebars with outstretched or locked out elbows. For triathletes,
opening up the elbow angle in the aero position (and
thus sacrificing aerodynamics) is another common sign of an attempt to reduce
low back tightness.
Bike setup changes that can be made include: 1) raising the stem height to open
up the torso component of the torso/low back angle;
2) increasing the seat tube angle (i.e. move from 74 to 77 degrees); or 3)
shifting the seat horizontally forward. Unfortunately,
Option 1 increases drag and reduces speed as the torso opens up "into the air".
Option 2 will work in moderation, but as the seat
tube angle becomes more extreme, potential power production, especially from the
quadriceps, becomes smaller. Option 3 will also
work, although it can be risky to shift weight towards the front of the bike,
not only because handling becomes more difficult, but
also because micromotion in the steering tube increases, which results in a
speed loss to horizontal wheel movement.
An ideal solution would be to 1) increase low back and hamstring flexibility,
and 2) learn to rotate the hips forward, or "push the
butt back" while riding. Option 1 is a simple matter of stretching, which is why
I recommend a yoga or flexibility class for
triathletes with tight backs. Option 2 is a matter of practice. Simply focus on
slight hyperextension in the low back, which is best
achieved by "opening" the rib cage, or pushing the ribs slightly forward, while
pushing the butt back. This opens the hip/torso
angle and reduces low back stress, but takes quite a bit of focus to teach your
body to ride in this position. You may also find
that when you rotate your hips forward, especially if you are a male, that more
of the pelvic area contacts the fairly uncomfortable
nose of the saddle. Tilting the saddle slightly downward can help alleviate this
problem.
Once you've adopted the hips forward position, you will find that drag is
reduced, speed is increased, the lungs are opened, and low
back tightness is decreased. You're another step closer to a perfect aero
position.
Until next time, train smart,
Ben Greenfield
NSCA-CPT, CSCS
http://pacificfit.net./


20. Racing & fuelling for runners:
Planning your nutrition shouldn't start on race day. Sarah Coope gives practical
advice on how to get it right for the big day...
Sarah Coope is a nutrition and fitness consultant who holds the Sussex veteran
cross country title, has been European triathlon
champion six times and is a winner of the Seven Sisters marathon.
Each of the four articles look at what you need to be doing to get your
nutrition right both generally and for a specific event.
After covering general issues, Sarah looks at what to eat and drink at these
times:
* the week before
* on the day
* during the race
* after the race.
More...from Time Outdoors at:
http://running.timeoutdoors.com/health/3RUNS0C01011101E.htm


21. Asthma Shouldn't Stop Wintertime Fun:
Expert offers tips on keeping cold weather wheezing at bay
Cold winter air can exacerbate asthma symptoms but there are some simple methods
to help prevent asthma attacks, one expert says.
"The breathing of colder air itself can actually cause constriction of the
airway, leading to shortness of breath and wheezing
typical of an asthma attack," Dr. Monica Kraft, director of the Duke University
Asthma, Allergy and Airway Center, said in a
prepared statement.
Winter sports enthusiasts affected by asthma can protect themselves by wearing a
ski mask or scarf around the mouth and nose, she
said, but keep these coverings loose enough so they don't impair breathing.
Taking a preventative dose of a bronchodilating inhaler
before going out in the cold can also help reduce the risk of asthma symptoms.
The negative effects of breathing cold air can be more pronounced during
exertion, Kraft said. In fact, many children exhibit their
first signs of asthma while playing sports in cold weather.
"We have found that kids playing such sports as soccer, hockey or football in
the cold can suffer from the symptoms of asthma that
are noticed for the first time. For this reason it is important for not only
parents, but coaches and teachers, to be sensitive to
the symptoms," Kraft said.
More...from health Scout at:
http://www.healthscout.com/news/1/530691/main.html


22. Triathlon Overtraining:
By Kevin Koskella www.triswimcoach.com
Most coaches will subscribe to the "no pain, no gain" philosophy. More is
better, faster is better, tighter intervals are better,
etc. This is not the Tri Swim Coach method!
Especially with the sport of Triathlon, it is easy to overtrain your body. Most
of us belong to groups, whether it's a masters swim
team, bike club, or running group, and there will always be pressure to keep up.
It may be underlying or it may be outright, but no
doubt, that pressure to go faster is always there.
Overtraining can be worse than undertraining.
Some symptoms of overtraining include:
1. Fatigue
2. Problems with sleep
3. Easily stressed out
4. Getting sick often (weakened immune system)
5. Depression
If you have any of these signs you may be overtraining. Here are a few tips on
how to avoid this and recover:
1. GO AT YOUR OWN PACE!!! This is difficult for many triathletes that train with
groups. They are constantly pushing themselves to
keep up and go faster. Doing this often will hurt your training. Keep in mind
that you want to train mostly at an aerobic pace. If
you can talk to the person running next to you, you are probably training
aerobically.
2. Don't always listen to your coach. Ok, I know this sounds strange. But let's
say you're swimming with a masters group once a
week. The group likely consists of fitness swimmers, competitive swimmers, and
triathletes- all with different goals and different
reasons to train. The coach may be pushing the group to go fast on every set
that day, but this may not be the right thing for you.
Make sure to not get caught up with the group goals or the coach's goals for the
group, and swim at a pace that works for you.
3. Do yoga. If you are training hard, do yoga. In fact even if you are not
overtrained, yoga is an essential part of a triathlon
training routine. Once a week is all you need. This will make you more flexible
as well as clear your mind and make you stronger
mentally as well.
4. Wear a heart rate monitor. This is tougher to do in the pool, but for the
bike and run, this will save your body! Keep most
training sessions at or below your aerobic heart rate (I use 180-your age +
:05).
5. Take a day off. It is tempting to train daily when we have to contend with 3
different activities. However, this will hurt you in
the long run. Include 1 day a week where you just do some stretching, or go for
a walk, anything but a workout. Some triathletes
even take 2 days a week off, which is totally acceptable.
Following these tips will allow you to enjoy the sport, have a longer career,
avoid injuries, and overall be happier!
About the Author
Kevin operates the website www.TriSwimCoach.com, a resource for beginning
through intermediate level triathletes looking for help
with swimming. The site features a free email newsletter offering tips and
articles on triathlon swimming. Kevin has also written an
electronic book titled "The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming" which is sold
on his website in downloadable and hardcopy form.


23. An overview of energy sources:
Runners are accustomed to hearing terms like "lactic acid build-up" and "muscle
glycogen depletion" bandied about in the latest
training manuals. These concepts, along with anaerobic vs. aerobic exercise, are
occasionally reported inaccurately or with a host
of popular myths attached.
It's helpful to review how the body responds to different types of physical
activity, and, specifically, what occurs metabolically
when energy must get to the muscles during running.
The source of energy for all muscle contractions is adenosine triphosphate
(ATP). The central limitation on one's capacity to
exercise lies in the ability to maintain the availability of ATP; it's not
stored in large amounts in skeletal muscle. Viable
sources of ATP come from both anaerobic (doesn't require O2) and aerobic
(requires O2) means. The primary energy source for a given
activity mostly depends on the intensity of the muscle contractions.
High-intensity exercise
High-intensity exercise of a short duration requires anaerobic sources of ATP:
Phosphocreatine, as with all-out, 100-meter sprints
(exercise under 30 seconds); and anaerobic glycolysis (the breakdown of
glucose), which is the primary energy source for
high-intensity exercise of one to three minutes (say, an 800-meter race).
Through this process the body's glycogen stores are depleted as glucose is
burned. The limiting factor here isn't the depletion of
glycogen stores per say -- it's the accumulation of lactic acid, which is the
body's by-product of burning fuel. When lactic acid
builds up at a rate faster than it can be cleared from the muscles, the legs
cramp up and the capacity to continue exercise severely
diminishes.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=12799&sidebar=13


24. In Like a Lion - Preparing for the First Race of Spring:
Winter will soon be over and the spring racing season is only a few weeks away.
If you have taken time off from running or have
backed off from higher intensity workouts, it is time to start cranking up your
training. There is a risk, though, of increasing
your training more quickly than your body can handle.
Below is an eight-week training program to prepare you for the first 5K or 10K
of spring. The program assumes that you have been
running three to five times per week, with a longest run of six to eight miles.
How much training your body can positively adapt to
depends on a variety of factors, so it is unlikely that this program will be
perfect for you. The principles used in increasing the
various components of training, however, apply to everyone.
Mileage and long runs: If you cut your running back substantially over the
winter, one of your first priorities is to re-establish
your endurance by increasing your mileage and long runs. This program provides
upper limits so you do not increase your mileage too
quickly. The recommended increments in mileage are relatively ambitious,
however, and are based on the assumption that you are
increasing to a level that you have previously been able to manage without
injury. During week 8, you should reduce your mileage by
about 30 to 40 percent to recover for your race.
The longest run of the week increases from eight miles to 12 miles, which is
excellent preparation for races up to 10K (for the 5K
it is reasonable to hold your long runs to 10 miles).
Tempo runs: A tempo run is a sustained effort at approximately your 15K race
pace, which is usually three to five percent slower
than 10K race pace or about 80 to 92 percent of maximal heart rate. Warm up for
at least 15 minutes before your tempo runs, so you
are ready to run at the correct intensity. Tempo runs are very effective at
improving your lactate threshold pace, which is an
important determinant of the pace you can maintain in races of 5K or longer. The
concentration required also develops mental
toughness.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/issues/05mar/pfitz.htm


25. Digest Briefs:
* Mind Over Matter - Training Your Mind and Your Body
With the Winter Olympics now in full swing, it is apparent that training your
mental strength and your physical strength is critical
to athletic success. In almost every interview you see on television, the
Olympic athlete talks about his/her mental preparedness
and how it affected their performance. In many cases, the mental aspects of
competing are overshadowing all the hard work athletes
spend on the physical aspects of their sport. While you might not be competing
at the Olympic level, all athletes can improve their
performance by training their mind, along with their body (and you don't need a
sport psychologist to get started)! Here are a few
ways to incorporate mental training into your daily workouts:
Visualize success - when you're putting in those long, base hours, don't
daydream, think about racing. Visualize the start, your
transitions, the finish, and let the images motivate you.
Match your mental training to your physical training - when your workout
includes sprints, power bursts, or hill climbs, don't
simply focus on the mechanics of completing the task, visualize how these
efforts would look and feel in a race environment.
Reflect on how you overcome challenges on a daily basis - when you've had a
stressful or hectic day at work and you still need to
put in a quality workout in the evening, how do you focus your mind and body to
complete that workout properly? Reflect on the
tactics and strategies that you use to successfully get through training days
that are challenged by life's distractions (family,
work, other commitments). If you take the time to be aware of the tactics and
strategies you are already using, you will be better
able to deploy them before and during a race.
Adding some mental training to your daily workouts will build confidence and
help you achieve a higher level of physical
performance.
Martha Handford
MTB Coach
The Sport Factory: http://www.thesportfactory.com/

* Garmin Forerunner 305
It's difficult to imagine an improvement to the Garmin Forerunner 301. Released
a year ago, it quickly made a name for itself and
was recognized as the 2005 Gear of the Year by Outside Magazine. The Garmin
Forerunner 301 revolutionized training technology,
adding a heart rate monitor to its award-winning GPS unit. Users of the popular
product could accurately record their speed,
distance and heart rate with only two components.
We fell in love with its handy and creative features - our favorite of which
being the "auto pause" and "auto lap" features. These
two features make the Garmin watch hands-free; your speed and location indicate
when you're beginning or ending a training interval
or lap, and the watch starts or stops timing accordingly!
Now, a year after the Forerunner's 301's release, the leader in GPS technology
has released the Garmin Forerunner 305. It includes
all of the features of the Forerunner 301 and more. Its look has also changed to
make it extremely sleek and lightweight. While the
watch's good looks first drew us in, its accuracy has kept us hooked.
We normally recommend that our customers avoid GPS technology if they live in an
area with a lot of overhead obstruction. Tall
buildings and trees make the GPS signal on most watches to cut out from time to
time, which can be annoying in the middle of a run.
With its Forerunner 305, Garmin has improved upon this. By wrapping the GPS
antenna around the watch, Garmin has found a way to
better reception and has made this watch quite useable in forested areas and
cities.
In addition to this improvement, the Garmin 305 comes with a new "Courses"
feature, which serves as an excellent complement to its
virtual partner. The virtual partner feature (common across the Forerunner
series) keeps you motivated by providing you with a
"training buddy" - a virtual person that you program to train and progress at
your goal pace. Similarly, the Courses feature helps
you compete against your former and future self; it enables to you download
workout courses and compete against your results in
previous workouts.
Further new features of the Forerunner 305 include a softer, cross-talk free
chest strap and customizable data screens.
For more information on the Garmin 305 visit our online store at:
http://store.runnersweb.com



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

Ongoing:

February 18 - 19, 2006:

Edison Festival of Light 5K Classic - Fort Myers, FL
http://ftmyerstrackclub.com/index.html

Mardi Gras Beach Run - Galveston, TX
http://www.mardigrasbeachrun.com/

USA Cross Country Championships - New York, NY
http://www.nyrr.org/nyrrc/org/home.html
World Championship Team Qualifier

February 19, 2006:
Inaugural A1A Marathon - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
http://www.a1amarathon.com

Five Points of Life Marathon - Gainesville, FL
http://www.lifesouth.org/fivepoints/marathon.htm

Freescale Austin Marathon - Austin, TX
http://www.freescaleaustinmarathon.com/

ITU Hobart Oceania Cup Triathlon - Tasmania, AUS
http://www.triathlon.org/?call=TVRFdw==&id=Njkz&keep=sh

Lost Dutchman Marathon - Phoenix, AZ
http://www.lostdutchmanmarathon.org

Pensacola Marathon - FLA
http://www.pensacolamarathon.com

Tallahassee Marathon - FLA
http://www.tallahasseemarathon.com

Washington's Birthday Marathon - Greenbelt, MD
http://www.dcroadrunners.org/gwmarathon

March 10 - 12, 2006:
11th IAAF World Indoor Championships - Moscow, Russia
http://www.moscow2006.ru/eng/

March 15 - 26, 2006:
2006 Commonwealth Games - Melbourne, AUS
http://www.melbourne2006.com.au
Fox Sports Australia
http://foxsports.news.com.au/commgames/?from=FS_othersports
The Age
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/commonwealthgames


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:
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Mental Strength Training Center:
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National Bike Registry
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Axill
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Buy Paula Radcliffe's book, My Story - So Far, from Amazon UK at:
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Endurance Films
Triathlon Training DVDs
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Instant Stretching Routines
Design unlimited stretching routines today, starting from scratch, in under 60
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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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LX Sport - Leading Edge Sports Products for Women.
"We strive hard to bring you the best fitness and sports products on the market
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http://www.lxsport.com/products.php?PARTNER=runnersweb. Use the promotion code
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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
http://hop.clickbank.net/?rhianyth/triswim1

adidas' running apparel at 15% off! All running shorts, pants, and
shirts at reduced prices .
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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
wear ID: the SHOE, the WRIST, the ANKLE, and the NECK. Get your RoadID at:
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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:
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Buy all your sporting goods at Fogdog Sports, your anytime, anywhere sports
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Click here: http://www.fogdog.com/cgi-bin/affiliate?siteid=40054907

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