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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1. Scotiabank Bay Street Rat Race for United Way - 5k Run - Toronto, ON June 15,
2006
Join us for a 5km run through the streets of downtown Toronto. Fantastic
entertainment, food and prizes in celebration of United Way
of Greater Toronto's 50th anniversary
http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/volunteer/uw_events_calendar.html#Ratrace

2. Challenger World.
Using our unique Intelligent SportT concept, Challenger World has developed the
most advanced, fun and diverse corporate team
building challenges in the world with one aim in mind - to create great teams
for your business
http://www.challengerworld.com/
What is Intelligent Sport:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060518_Challenger_World.html

3. RunnersWeb5K.com Race for Women
Women's only racing returns to Ottawa June 24th with a 5K race along the
Rockcliffe Parkway from the Aviation Museum.
More....
http://www.runnersweb5k.com

4. 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. The new Garmin 305 is not available with FREE shipping.
http://store.runnersweb.com

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

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

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

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

10. 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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If anyone is looking for a web mail provider, you might wish to consider
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THIS WEEK:
Women! You can now win an entry into the RunnersWeb5K.com Race for Women in
Ottawa on June 24th through Road Race Results at:
http://www.roadraceresults.com/road-race-results-free-entry-draw.php.
One entry will be awarded each Monday up to and including June 19th.

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WIN a Trip for 2 to Scotiabank TORONTO WATERFRONT MARATHON
Flat, fast and festive!
Exciting, cosmopolitan, international, but right next door! "Experience middle
earth and marathon heaven all in one trip to
Toronto!" Join RW Hero Ed Whitlock, John "The Penguin" Bingham, and 10,000+
runners from 30 countries and 40+ states.
More...
http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/en/rwcontest_us.htm

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We are running a weekly quiz - starting Monday, March 20th - with the weekly
winner getting FREE entry into the RunnersWeb5K.com
Race for Women which will be held in Ottawa on June 24, 2006. Check it out at:
http://www.runnersweb5K.com.
Sub 18:00 5K women runners should contact me for FREE entry into the race.

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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.
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unningperformance.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 postings this week.
ONE:
From: "Bobby Bostic - Race Director - Pony Express Run"
<mailto:ponyexpressrun@...>
Date: Tue May 30, 2006 11:23pm
Subject: $1 for 1 step of the Badwater Ultramarathon for the Challenged
Athletes' Foundation
Hey everyone!
As you all may know, this year I was one of ninety ("lucky") people invited
to compete in the Kiehl's Badwater Ultramarathon on July 24th. The event is
a 135-mile run in the heat of Summer from Death Valley to 8,300 feet up the
side of Mount Whitney. It should be quite the adventure.
Through my participation in the Badwater Ultramarathon, I am raising money
for the Challenged Athletes' Foundation; a not-for-profit organization that
provides funding for adaptive sports equipment and training to people with
physical disabilities (www.challengedathletes.org)
My goal is to raise $237,600, which equates out to (roughly) $1 for each
step I plan on taking over the course of the 135-mile event. If you would
like to sponsor a single step of my journey for the princely sum of $1.00,
please visit my event website (www.ponyexpressrun.com). Everyone who
donates will be entered in a drawing for hundreds of items donated by my
sponsors.
In the three weeks since announcing my $1.00/One Step Challenge, over
$20,000 has flowed in for the CAF.
Any help you can give is greatly appreciated!
Thanks everyone,
Bobby
www.ponyexpressrun.com
mailto:bobby@...

THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. Triathlon: Holistic Training
By Rich Strauss
2. First-Time Marathon Runners: ACSM Study Compares Dropouts, Race Finishers;
Motivation Factors Predicted Completion of Race
3. Nutrition: Eating our Way In and Out of Symptoms
4. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Moving Pictures
5. Catch Me If You Can:
Unleash your potential. Learn how a weekly track workout can boost your speed,
improve performance and energize your routine.
6. Racing in the Heat By Coach Mike Ricci
7. Get Course Specific
8. Maximizing Peak Performance Through Healthexcel's System Of Metabolic Typing
9. From Runner's World
10. From Running Times
11. Easy ways to boost your speed
12. Dr.Gabe Mirkin's E-Zine
13. Mind Over Matter
14. Science of Sport: Biomechanical Assessment
15. The Fundamentals of Fuel
16. Calorie Restriction and Aging
17. Heart attack risk with pain drugs
People taking high daily doses of two common painkillers are at increased risk
of heart attack and stroke, say Oxford researchers.
18. Drug Test:
Everybody knows that many athletes cheat by using performance-enhancing drugs
like steroids, testosterone, and EPO. But what is it
like to take these banned substances? Do they really help you win? To find out,
we sent an amateur cyclist into the back rooms of
sports medicine, where he just said yes to the most controversial chemicals in
sports.
19. Get Off The Beaten Path
Branch out from your typical 10K for inspiration. Check out some of the fastest
growing - and most unusual - events out there. Mud
racing anyone?
20. Finding Your Core
21. Exercise reverses unhealthy effects of inactivity
22. Hazards of running a marathon
Creatine Kinase MB can be raised without myocardial infarction.
23. Athletes take note: Not all energy bars built the same
24. Eat Like a Kenyan
Will a Kenyan Diet Help You Run Faster?
25. Digest Briefs



RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"Should there be temperature restrictions for long distance events such as the
marathon and Ironman triathlon?"

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 charities get guaranteed entries into marathons which have an entry
limit?"
Answers Percent
1. Yes 13%
2. No 81%
3. No opinion, don't care 6%

FIVE STAR SITE OF THE WEEK: Mary Onyali - Official Website.
Mary Onyali-Omagbemi has truly made a name for herself in the track and field
world, establishing several prestigious marks on the
way. Popularly called the Queen of Nigerian sprints, Mary continues to hold the
Nigerian 200 meters record, and is still ranked in
the top 10 of the collegiate all time list in both the 100 and 200 meters.
Check out her site at:
http://www.maryonyali.com


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


BOOK OF THE WEEK: "STRETCH TO WIN"
About the Product
Leave the old static stretches, muscle tightness, and movement restrictions
behind. Stretch to Win presents a complete flexibility
training system-a proven winner for today's athlete. This is the new way to both
loosen up and perform your best.
Learn the dynamic exercise techniques that most closely represent the movements
and loads that will be required of your body on the
court, field, course, track, or mat or in the water. After you complete a simple
self-evaluation, a special science-based stretching
matrix enables you to tailor a program specifically for your body, your sport,
your position, or your event.
Authors Ann and Chris Frederick have trained many elite and aspiring athletes to
achieve optimal muscle and joint function. Now you
can stretch to win and enjoy the same results champions in all sports have
achieved through this modern, customized flexibility
training program.
About the Author
Ann Frederick is the director of flexibility training for the Stretch to Win
Clinic, where she has worked with many elite athletes,
including Philadelphia Eagles star quarterback Donovan McNabb and numerous
Olympians and members of the NFL, MLB, and NHL. Ann was
the first flexibility specialist ever to work at the Olympics, consulting with
the 1996 U.S. wrestling team and both the 2000 and
2004 U.S. track teams.
For more than 35 years, Ann has studied, performed, and taught movement through
multiple dance disciplines. In 1997, upon completion
of her studies, Frederick defended her master's thesis and established that her
stretching technique outperformed conventional
methods with lasting flexibility gains of 36 to 52 percent. She continually
refined and improved these techniques, which ultimately
developed into the Stretch To Win system of flexibility training and stretching.
Today, professional athletes and Olympians from all
over the world use this system to achieve higher levels of performance.
Ann is a member of the International Association of Structural Integrators and
is part of the associate faculty at Arizona State
University.
Chris Frederick is the director of sports and orthopedic rehabilitation at the
Stretch to Win Clinic. After an injury sidelined his
professional dance career, Chris went on to receive his degree in manual
orthopedic physical therapy from Hunter College, City
University of New York. To get a well-rounded background in many disciplines,
Chris trained privately with several master physical
therapists, rolfers, chiropractors, osteopaths, two chi kung and tai chi
masters, and an Olympic strength coach.
As a result of his education and training, Chris lends a nontraditional,
complementary approach to flexibility training, physical
therapy, sport rehabilitation, and fitness. Using the Stretch To Win system of
flexibility training and stretching, he has designed
many effective injury-prevention programs for both professional and collegiate
athletes and sport teams as well as professional
dancers and dance companies. Chris is a member of the American Physical Therapy
Association, the International Association of
Structural Integrators, and the International Association of Dance, Medicine and
Science.
The Fredericks are also renowned international speakers and codirectors of the
International Institute of Flexibility Sciences
located in Tempe, Arizona. There, they train and certify professionals to become
flexibility specialists who may use the Stretch To
Win system to enhance their current careers. The Fredericks are dedicated to
advancing the emerging field of flexibility sciences by
promoting and engaging in research on connective tissue and related topics.
The Fredericks reside in Tempe, Arizona.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Ten Principles for Stretching Success
Chapter 2. Anatomy of Athletic Flexibility
Chapter 3. Flexibility for Sport Performance
Chapter 4. Personal Flexibility Assessment
Chapter 5. Your Customized Program
Chapter 6. Matrix Stretching Techniques
Chapter 7. Sport-Specific Stretches
Chapter 8. Assisted Stretching Routines
Words of Praise
"Flexibility is a key to an athlete's success. The advice, exercises, and
programs in Stretch to Win will enable your body and mind
to be balanced and connected so you can perform your best."
Donovan McNabb
Quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles
Five-time Pro Bowl selection
"Stretch to Win has been a tremendous asset to me. I always had trouble with my
hamstrings, but after working with Chris and Ann I
was able to compete without pain. I use the routines every day, and they help me
stay injury free."
Sanya Richards
2004 Olympic 4x400-meter gold medalist
2005 world outdoor 400-meter silver medalist and U.S. outdoor champion
"The artistry and rhythm of the Fredericks' approach to stretching are supported
by the science of flexibility. The debate may
continue over the efficacy of stretching, but in the real world of athletics,
the Fredericks' method answers the challenge and meets
the need of certified athletic trainers and certified massage therapists."
Benny Vaughn, LMT, ATC, CSCS, NCTMB
Athletic Therapy Center
Fort Worth, Texas
"Making the Stretch To Win System an essential part of my off and in-season
training has maximized my athletic performance and has
eliminated major injuries so that I'm able to play my best at each and every
game."
Na'il Diggs
Green Bay Packers
For more information and to buy the book go to Human Kinetics at:
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?associate=880&isbn=0736055\
290


THIS WEEK'S NEWS:

1. Triathlon: Holistic Training
By Rich Strauss
The most dangerous times of day for me, from a thinking perspective, are walking
the dog, showering, and driving. Well today Sonny
walked me for an hour and I took a 25 min shower (shaving day), so I am about to
unleash the product of some thinkin'. Stand by for
heavy rolls as the ship comes about.
Yesterday I asked my athletes to complete an end of season assessment of their
training and our time together. I did the same
exercise this morning. One thing led to another and here I am. I'm even out of
the house. I am in this thing called a "coffee shop,"
surrounded by these things called "other people." Lots of changes in the
off-season.
Since Wisconsin my thoughts have naturally turned to "what can I do better next
time," and specifically what I need to work on
during the off-season. My talents, training, and implementation are very similar
to most top age groupers. "Training," and
everything that goes in that word, has been my focus. And like most athletes I
have difficulty applying consistent attention to the
"small details." These small details are nutrition, flexibility, strength
training, core strength, and mental skills (race-day
decision and execution skills).
So I'm walking Sonny and I'm thinking that my off-season is a perfect time to
work on my weaknesses and hopefully develop good
habits that will carry themselves into my regular season. Then I thought,
wouldn't it be more efficient to learn to apply myself to
these details consistently, year round?
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060530_RS_Holistic.html


2. First-Time Marathon Runners: ACSM Study Compares Dropouts, Race Finishers;
Motivation Factors Predicted Completion of Race:
First-time marathon runners who drop out of training are motivated by different
factors than race finishers, according to a study
presented today at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports
Medicine (ACSM) in Denver, Colo. Dropouts were more
motivated by a desire to lose weight and gain recognition than those who
successfully completed their first marathon.
Specifically, first-time marathon finishers were less concerned with their
weight and recognition than those who eventually dropped
out of training. The motivations of dropouts were compared to those of race
finishers to see which group's motivation factors were
linked with exercise adherence.
Prior research on marathon runners has revealed participation motivations vary
among individuals. The research team used the
Motivations of Marathoners Scales (MOMS), an instrument designed to measure the
motives of these endurance athletes. Its categories
include health orientation; weight concern; personal goal achievement;
competition; recognition; affiliation; psychological coping;
life meaning, and self-esteem. Their results suggest weight concern and
recognition are predictors of attrition within six months of
beginning an exercise program.
The study focused solely on first-time marathon runners and is the first to
analyze the motivations of dropouts. Other studies have
compared the motives of groups with varying levels of marathon experience,
noting experienced marathon runners are more likely to
have undergone motivational changes since their initial race
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060602_ACSM_Study.html


3. Nutrition: Eating our Way In and Out of Symptoms:
By Colleen Huber at Naturopathyworks.com.
Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food. - Hippocrates
We truly live at a strange crossroads in human history.
Over the last few decades, the human species has been hypnotized by the
temptations offered by the chemical and pharmaceutical
industries. The 1950s ushered in the "better living through chemicals" age. And
we believed, and we bought and swallowed and
injected and are still consuming them in massive amounts, and, most recklessly,
injecting such chemicals as ethyl mercury, ethylene
glycol (antifreeze), aluminum and formaldehyde into our babies as part of
vaccines, without any prior safety testing.
But now with massive chronic disease plaguing our most industrialized
populations, autism closely following children's shots, and
more pathology coincident with concentrated chemicals, we are beginning to wake
up from our long post-World War II slumber. Now
begins the next era when synthetic chemicals are starting to be seen as, however
useful in many applications, best kept at a
distance from our bodies, homes, public spaces and wilderness.
The old era of unthinking reliance on a synthetic existence is showing severe
disadvantages, just as the urgency to forge new
relationships with nature is becoming apparent. Plants and other whole foods are
coming into their own new era as naturopathic
physicians and other well-informed health practitioners rely on them for their
central role in healing.
Big Surprise
Within our lifetimes, whole food will eclipse pharmaceuticals in medical
practice, as the general public awakens to its far superior
healing capacity. But the allopathic profession will be the slowest to catch on,
just as most physicians of the early 20th century
refused to believe that absence of certain nutrients could bring on such
horrible diseases as scurvy, pellagra and beriberi.
Then as now, allopaths were eager to lay blame for these diseases on microbes,
until--surprise, surprise--limes cured the "limey"
British sailors of their scurvy, and we saw that Vitamin B3 prevented pellagra,
while Vitamin B1 prevented beriberi and Vitamin D
prevented rickets.
As usual, allopathy corrects itself long after the natural physicians are
already healing patients. In fact, evidence now shows that
even bubonic plague, which allopathy still attributes to bacteria known as
Yersinia pestis, was more likely to strike those with low
Vitamin C intakes.
More... from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060530_DT_Eating.html


4. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Moving Pictures:
I blame the oversight on being a word guy. I've never had anything to do with
the illustrations and layout of my work, only with the
words, so my thoughts on the visual are few.
Rich Benyo is more versatile. My partner on the Running Encyclopedia book, being
written in 2000, noticed that the master list I'd
compiled had reached thousands of entries but never once mentioned running
movies.
Now they're in the book, and the list of those that fit within our limits --
including racing scenes from road events, 5K to
marathon -- is short. Outside these boundaries lie those with running titles
("The Running Man," an Arnold Schwarzenegger thriller,
and "Marathon Man," a look at sadistic dentistry) but which are about this sport
in name only.
Also missing from the book are the "Without Limits" and "Prefontaine," since Pre
was never a road racer. "Personal Best" is a track
film with marathoner Kenny Moore playing another brand of athlete, a swimmer.
The 1960s classic "Loneliness of the Long Distance
Runner" is only marginally about running, and not very long at that.
In the maybe category fall "On the Edge," whose Dipsea-like race runs partly on
the roads and whose cast includes several road
racers. "Running Brave" has no footage of Billy Mills's anticlimactic Olympic
Marathon, which he ran after winning the 10,000.
The fictional movies with road racing at their heart are mostly forgettable.
Joanne Woodward in "See How She Runs," Michael Douglas
in "Running," Ryan O'Neal in "The Games" -- come across as actors trying and
failing to look like runners. They lack The Look.
The videos I like best are the real ones. I much prefer the Steve Prefontaine
documentary that Kenny Moore co-authored, "Fire on the
Track," to either of the theatrical productions.
"Endurance" is a true story, with Haile Gebrselassie playing himself. In an
unintentionally comical scene he pretends to be a novice
marathoner and almost trips over his feet at six-minute-mile pace.
Best of the lot are the various Olympic films, because real runners run real
races. Setting a high early standard was director Leni
Reifenstahl with her "Olympia," an almost-four-hour look at the 1936 Games.
Bud Greenspan directed the 1984 Olympic summary, "Sixteen Days of Glory." The
Munich Games report, "Visions of Eight" (the combined
effort of eight directors), carries memorable footage of Frank Shorter's
marathon victory.
Nothing I've ever watched on screen was as memorable as the marathon in "Tokyo
Olympiad" by Kon Ichikawa. The late-race, slow-motion
closeups of an apparently tireless Abebe Bikila give a look into the face of
this sport's African future.
UPDATE. Since this writing, runners-on-film (or videotape, or DVD) have found
their best friend ever in Mark Hale-Brown. He manages
the website http://www.runningmovies.com, which describes more than 650 titles.
A must-see is the recent Canadian production, "St.
Ralph," about a 14-year-old marathoner. Sadly, the Running Encyclopedia that I
co-wrote with Rich Benyo passed out of print this
spring.
From Joe Henderson at:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/


5. Catch Me If You Can:
Unleash your potential. Learn how a weekly track workout can boost your speed,
improve performance and energize your routine.
Ever notice how much kids love to sprint?
Reaching top speed is incredibly invigorating. But if you're like most runners,
chances are you haven't in a while. A weekly track
workout can change that, and help energize your routine. Whether you're a
dedicated marathoner, trail runner or just a casual
jogger, integrating a track workout into your schedule can unlock your
potential, increase your speed, and bring back that natural
urge to sprint.
Running Alone Won't Improve Your Speed
One common misconception among runners is that simply running more will improve
one's speed. But the fact is, after initial
conditioning, this is not likely to happen.
Another common misconception is that developing endurance is only possible
through long slow workouts. In fact, sprint training,
when implemented correctly, helps build endurance too. So you don't have to
think of your once-a-week track workout as sacrificing
endurance training.
More...from Nike.com at:
http://www.nike.com/nikerunning/usa/home.jhtml?loc1=tools_training&loc2=runners_\
library&loc3=128&promoID=USRU_EM_052006_maynewsmen#r
unners_library
[Multi-line URL]


6. Racing in the Heat:
By Coach Mike Ricci at www.d3multisport.com
Dealing when the temperatures rise
Across North America, racing in July, August and early September can be
challenging due to the temperature. Racing during these
months usually means you are performing in hot and humid conditions. If you
train in this type of environment, that is optimal for
conditioning your system to the stress. For those of us coming from a milder
climate there are a few things we can do to prepare to
race our best to race well.
The most important thing you can do is learn your sweat rate. Before you run,
weigh yourself without any clothes. Then go run for
one hour, take in whatever water you need, and then come back and re-weigh
yourself again. Your difference in weight, plus the
addition of the water or fluid you drank will give you how many pounds you lost
during your run. Divide that number by your starting
weight and you will know your fluid loss per hour. If you start a log, figuring
out percentage lost at what temperature you could
really help yourself plenty. By doing this test regularly you in different
temps, you will start to see how your body reacts to
different temps. Knowing that on a hot day you lose 2% of your body weight would
be a big advantage over others who don't keep
track. You will know you need to take in 'x' ounces of water, which will
eliminate your chance of dehydration. Of course don't drink
too much as that can cause hyponatremia - and that can be deadly.
Another idea is to hit the sauna - after your swim practice or weights is good
time. Just get in there two-three times per week and
get used to the heat. I know athletes that ride their trainers in the sauna but
I don't think that is necessary. One more option is
to train indoors, with a long sleeve shirt on, no fan and with the doors/windows
closed. If you want to take it to the next level,
throw some wet clothes in the dryer and viola you have humidity too. Training
with the long sleeves is something I have done with
success for a number of years.
Lastly, in order to prepare yourself to race in a hot and humid environment,
make sure you are properly hydrated and even add a
little salt to your meals to help you retain more water. You can train with salt
tablets or electrolyte pills too - these have been
used successfully for years by many athletes in longer hotter races. Whatever
you do, try it in training before you try it in a
race.
Just like preparing for a hilly course, we train in the hills. So, to race well
in a hot environment, we need to simulate those same
conditions. Don't get caught unprepared. Use the tips listed here to help you
overcome the more extreme conditions you may be faced
with racing in this season.
Michael Ricci is a USAT certified coach. He can be reached for personal coaching
at mailto:mike@...


7. Get Course Specific:
In order to train specifically for an event you must consider your race course.
Although this is logical, athletes will often stick
to their usual training routes out of habit and convenience. This may leave
their preparation lacking on race day.
A hilly race requires intervals of strength and power, a flat course requires
sustained strength endurance, and a rolling course may
be a combination of the two. As you approach your goal race it is important to
train as you will race. During your base period "time
in zone" aerobic development is the focus and course specificity is not as
important. But the athlete that addresses course
specifics in their training will have a leg up on the competition.
I advise my athletes to have a "tool box" of courses. This means a flat course
for sustained strength endurance work or tight zone
work outs, a rolling course for repeatability, a long hill for sustained
repeats, and a track for speed work, and an open water swim
course. It is important to match the training course to the work out in order to
gain maximum benefit from it. We will use these
various courses throughout the year depending on the work out, but during the
peaking phase we will match the training course to the
race course.
I work with athletes that live in many areas of the country. Some have to drive
miles to find a small hill and some have to do the
same to find a flat section. This requires some adaptability and may mean
spending time on a treadmill or trainer in order to be
able to "dial in" training load. Another way we address these limitations is to
schedule course specific work on the week ends when
travel time is less of an issue. This is usually the case for open water swims,
especially ocean swims.
Make sure you do some recon of your race course. Many races now have elevation
maps which are very helpful. It is good to get
feedback from other athletes as well but beware this can be unreliable. Remember
one person's mountain is another person's hill.
Riding the course is always a good idea. If you have a GPS meter you can record
the grade, elevation change, and length of the
course. Get some perspective on what a 7 percent vs. a 10 percent grade feels
like, and what gearing you use to climb it on the
bike. There are simple devices that mount on the handlebar to estimate grade as
well.
If you find your race course has one long climb of 5 miles and 8-12% grade then
it is time to start looking for a similar place to
train. You can break the course of into segments and train the harder sections
individually. In other words you can practice
climbing this hill on the trainer with an elevated front wheel for the
approximate time and resistance you will need on race day.
The first rule of training is specificity and the last thing you want to be is
surprised on race day.
Matt Russ has coached and trained elite athletes from around the country and
internationally for over ten years. He currently holds
expert licenses from USA Triathlon, USA Cycling, and is a licensed USA Track and
Field Coach. Matt is head coach and owner of The
Sport Factory, and works with athletes of all levels full time. He is a free
lance author and his articles are regularly featured in
a variety of magazines such as Inside Triathlon, and Triathlete. Visit
www.thesportfactory.com for more information or email him at
mailto:coachmatt@...


8. Maximizing Peak Performance Through Healthexcel's System Of Metabolic Typing:
There are three major components in the consideration of excellence in
athletics: talent, training and potential. Of the three,
potential is the foremost, for on the foundation of potential will depend the
capacities for and qualities of expression of the
other two categories: talent and training.
Talent can be God-given. It can also be learned, a skill honed by time and
experience. It can remain in a raw, undeveloped state, or
it can be matured to maximum perfection. But, without availability of potential,
talent is restricted -- like a sailor on a boat
without a sail, or a saxophone player without wind.
Training and conditioning are certainly vital to the development of peak
performance. No one can dispute that. But, without the
availability of full potential, the fruits of training and conditioning are
wasted. Of what benefit are training and conditioning to
a long distance runner who develops the flu the day before the race?
TAPPING FULL POTENTIAL
So, just what is meant by potential? Potential refers to genetic capacity,
design limit, inherited abilities: physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual. Everyone has a different design limit; some are like a
race car, others are like a Mack truck. Some are
gifted with speed, others with strength and endurance. Some are creative and
intuitive, while others are more logical, rational
thinkers, etc. But, whatever the unique combination of genetically inherited
capacities one may possess in one's potential, the
ability to manifest, express and utilize one's full potential is highly
dependent upon the presence of one essential, imperative
ingredient: ENERGY.
If one does not have the energy needed to express his full potential, whatever
talent is possessed will be limited; whatever
training and conditioning has been accomplished will be wasted. Whatever aspect
of life is considered, energy will be found to be
the basic consideration for the quality of that aspect of life.
What else is emotion if not energy? The ability to feel and to have emotion,
whether it be love or hate; anger or laughter; is
dependent upon the availability of energy. Fatigue or the absence of energy can
reduce the tidal wave of emotion to a mere ripple.
Aggression, competitiveness, drive, motivation, high emotion and the sustained
will to win are all dependent upon the body's energy
production and its sustained availability.
What else is thought if not energy? When one is "too tired to think," the
ability to think clearly and quickly is diminished. Mental
reaction time slows; mental lapses and "space-outs" occur. Quick reaction time,
intelligence, concentration, the ability to focus
and yet see the big picture at the same time, awareness itself, all are
dependent upon energy availability.
And naturally, all physical activity is dependent as well upon sufficient energy
production by the body. The activity of the senses
(sight, touch, hearing); speed; agility; coordination; strength; endurance;
quickness; all the bodily processes (cellular, organ,
glandular, etc.) -- each depends upon energy availability.
If ever there can be said to be a bottom line ingredient necessary for the
manifestation of peak performance in athletics, it would
have to be energy. The ability to manifest one's genetic potential, to reap the
rewards of training and conditioning, and to express
the fullness of one's talent, all require peak and sustained production of
energy by the body -- the realization of optimum health.
More...from Health Excel at:
http://www.healthexcel.com/docs/_sport1.html


9. From Runner's World:
* Coach's Corner
"To avoid mental roadblocks write out a script of positive thoughts like "it's a
fabulous day. I know I can go faster." Writing down
your positive thoughts and reviewing them is like studying for a test. Work at
it, and you might get an "A" on race day." -New York
sports psychologist Mary Ellen Duane, Ph.D.
* Injury Prevention
Cutting a hole in your insole can reduce pressure on a tender callus, neuroma,
or heel spur, making running more comfortable. Try
this: Using lipstick, mark the spot on the bottom of your foot where you feel
pain when you run. Take the insole out of your shoe.
Step on it with your marked foot, transferring the lipstick to the insole. Place
a quarter over the mark. Trace the coin, and then
cut out the hole. Return the insole to your shoe.
* Performance Nutrition
Peanut butter is super-high in vitamin E, the most potent antioxidant vitamin in
foods. For prerace energy, spread 2 tablespoons of
peanut butter on half a bagel, and eat it 2 hours before race time. The good
fats (monounsaturated) in peanut butter will "stick to
your ribs" and help you feel full. Plus, you'll be energized with slow-release
carbohydrates.
* Editor's Advice
"If you suffer from chafing during a long run or race, you need to reduce
friction. So, before you head out apply a lubricating
product to all chafe-prone areas and avoid cotton clothing since it increases
friction by staying wet longer."
-Kory Kennedy, RW art director
* Training Talk
"Frustration is the first step toward improvement. I have no incentive to
improve if I'm content with what I can do and if I'm
completely satisfied with my pace, distance, and form as a runner. It's only
when I face frustration and use it to fuel my
dedication that I feel myself moving forward."
-From No Need for Speed by John Bingham


10. From Running Times:
*Training Tip of the Month - Hills and Knee Drills Can Get You Ready for the
Summer Racing Season
Given the heat and humidity in most states this time of year, many summer races
are shorter, and thus faster. Many adult runners
focus their training on spring and fall marathons, and feel that they just don't
have speed, so are content to run these races at
less than their best. Their aerobic strength could benefit them in shorter
events, however, if they had more power in their stride.
Two simple elements to add to your program to improve your pure speed are short
hills and high knee drills. Short hills are used by
top coaches like Brad Hudson to improve pure, explosive power without taxing
other body systems. Simply find a steep hill that takes
about 10-12 seconds to ascend at top speed. A short run of stadium steps or
similar will work as well. Start with 1-2 full-speed
ascends with easy, full recovery on the way down and work up to 10-12 repeats a
couple times a week. High knees are simply running
in place with quick turn-over, bringing your thigh up to parallel with the
ground with each step. Do 1 set of 30 seconds to start
and work up to 3 sets a couple times per week. You'll soon find your stride
lighter and more explosive on all your runs, and
particularly when you want to kick it in during your next 5K.
Details of Brad Hudson's training for short hills is available on Running Times
Online at Everything Matters: Brad Hudson's
Targeted Training at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=5765
Details of high knee drills are available on Running Times Online at Spring
Training: Training Distance Running Speed at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=5181
--Jonathan Beverly, Editor in Chief
* Medical Corner - Piriformis Syndrome
Q: I have self diagnosed piriformis problems in my lowback/butt
muscles/hamstring. I have had deep tissue massage, back x-rays, and
some bad Physical Therapy. What can I do to rid myself of this painful
condition? My PCP says my Right ITB is tight but it's my left
side that hurts worse than my right. I've taken a month off and when I start
back up...it's still there. It has already changed my
range of motion and stride from a heel striker to a mid foot striker. If
anything I under-pronate.
A: Piriformis syndrome is due to inflammation of one of the gluteal muscles. The
inflammation may be due to a direct blow, a sudden
twist of the hip or overuse. There will be pain in one buttock that may be
aggravated by sitting or certain activities. It may cause
sciatica, with pain and tingling or numbness radiating into the leg. Not all
pain in the buttocks is due to piriformis syndrome, so
it is important to be evaluated by a sports medicine professional to rule out
other causes and to assess your alignment. Various
combinations of flexibility and strength deficits in the trunk and pelvis
contribute to the development of this problem and must be
corrected; a good course of physical therapy would be extremely beneficial (find
a therapist who is a runner). Your tight IT band on
the right side may be due to weak gluteal muscles, which in turn places excess
stress on the left. Stretching your gluteal muscles
will involve various degrees of hip rotation and pulling one knee towards the
opposite shoulder. Hamstring, hip flexor, hip adductor
and IT band stretches are also important. Make sure that your trunk (core) and
hip muscles are strong. You should work with a
physical therapist or knowledgeable personal trainer to develop a good program.
You need to take more time off from running because your gait has changed
significantly. The last thing that you need is a stress
fracture or other injury in addition to the Piriformis Syndrome.
For more on stretching exercises for piriformis problems, check out A Pain in
the Butt: Prevention and Treatment of Piriformis
Syndrome on the Running Times website at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=4220
--Dr. Cathy Fieseler


11. Easy ways to boost your speed:
Everyone wants to run a little bit faster. Sure you do. But to run faster, you
must run faster in training. There's no way around
it. Fortunately, training to run faster doesn't have to be painful or even
complicated.
Here are some workouts that you can use that will easily and safely boost your
speed. Best of all, they are fun and can be performed
anywhere, anytime. They do not have to be done on a track.
Greg's Three-Speed System
While many runners-particularly, beginners--feel they don't even have one fast
running speed, I believe you have three. And in this
program, you develop all three in a precise order to safely maximize your speed.
1) Basic Speed Training
The first speed is basic speed - short and fast stuff. Training for basic speed
coordinates your brain with your muscles. Think of
it like learning to type. At first, the fingers don't always go where you want
them to go but with practice, you become more
coordinated and the fingers seem to dance on the keys.
The same can happen with your running. At first, basic speed workouts feel
awkward but over time, your brain and your body will get
on the same page. Your running form will improve, you develop better rhythm and
fluidity in your stride and it becomes easier to run
at near top speed.
Basic speed training also helps reduce injuries. One note, basic speed training
doesn't "feel" like normal speed training. You
shouldn't get out of breath in these workouts. Your legs shouldn't feel heavy
either like most speedwork. That's because the
neuromuscular system is challenged more than the metabolic system, which sends
different signals to your body. Its normal to feel
like these workouts don't challenge you enough. But, you will be getting a speed
boost. Trust me.
My favorite basic speed workout is the stride drill. Strides are not all-out
sprints, but simply accelerations that are faster than
your 5-K race pace and get increasingly fast.
More...from Devine Sports at:
http://www.devinesports.com/Article.7+M5acdbe0dab1.0.html?&cHash=036e1f7ee4


12. Dr.Gabe Mirkin's E-Zine:
* Hyponatremia - too much water
By Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
For the last 40 years, sports medicine experts have told athletes in endurance
events that they should take fluids frequently during
events lasting more than one hour. However, three years ago, a 28-year-old woman
collapsed and died after finishing the Boston
Marathon. Her blood salt levels were extremely low and she died from a condition
called hyponatremia. A few weeks ago, a policeman
training for bicycle duty died of the same condition. On July 26, 2005, sports
medicine experts issued a warning to all athletes
from the First International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus
Development Conference.
I have never seen this syndrome in well-conditioned athletes. It has been
reported almost exclusively in very thin, less-fit, slower
and novice athletes, and is far more common in women. This condition is caused
by drinking too much fluid and is not caused by
excessive loss of salt in sweat or by exercising. When people with psychiatric
problems force themselves to drink huge amounts of
water while sitting still, they also can die of hyponatremia, only in this case,
it is called water intoxication.
The extra fluid expands blood volume and dilutes blood salt levels. This causes
blood salt levels to be very low, while brain salt
levels remain normal. Fluid moves from an area of low salt concentration into
areas with high salt levels. So fluid moves from the
bloodstream into the brain, causing brain swelling. Since the brain is enclosed
in the skull, which is a tight box, the brain
expands and has nowhere to go, so it is squashed to cause headache, nausea, and
blurred vision. Since these are the same symptoms
caused by pure dehydration with normal blood salt levels, the only way to
diagnose the condition is with blood tests. As blood salt
levels drop even lower, the person becomes confused, develops seizures and falls
unconscious. You should suspect hyponatremia when
the event takes more than four hours, the athlete is a thin woman in her first
ultra-long endurance event, and when she has been
drinking heavily as she exercises. All people who are confused, pass out or have
seizures should be sent to a hospital immediately.
The condition requires skilled management because the first impulse of an
inexperienced physician is to give intravenous fluids,
which dilute blood salt levels further and swell the brain and can kill the
patient.
How much fluid should you drink? You will not become thirsty during exercise
until you have lost between two and four pints of
fluid, so you can't wait for thirst to encourage you to drink. Dehydration makes
you tired and it is unlikely that you can replace
the lost fluid during a race after you have become thirsty. Blood has a much
higher concentration of salt than sweat, so when you
sweat, you lose far more water than salt. This causes blood salt levels to rise.
Thirst is controlled by certain cells in your brain
called osmoreceptors which are stimulated to make you thirsty only after blood
salt levels have risen considerably. So you will not
become thirsty until you are significantly dehydrated.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a limit of 1200cc (5 cups,
2.5 pints, a little over 1 quart, or 2 average size
water bottles) per hour, but for a person who is not exercising near his or her
maximum, this could be too much. A person exercising
near his capacity and not slowed down by fatigue probably does not have to worry
about limiting fluid intake. He is working so hard
at maintaining intensity, he doesn't have enough time to drink too much. On the
other hand, people slowed down by fatigue or those
out of shape, should limit fluid intake, probably to less than two large water
bottles per hour. If you are exercising for more than
an hour, you should also replace salt, either with salted sports drinks or
salted foods.
From Dr. Gabe Mirkin at:
http://www.drmirkin.com/


13. Mind Over Matter:
There is no question that it takes more than skill and conditioning to be
successful as an athlete, but sports scientists, coaches,
and even athletes have struggled to define the precise extra component that
separates champions from pack fodder. The clearest
answer seems to lie with the mind's power to either enhance or hinder your
ability to perform at your best.
The Mind's Impact on Performance
Sports scientists tend to focus on performance tests that minimize the variables
between test subjects; in other words, they like
the lab-based lactate threshold or VO2 tests because they can control the
temperature, equipment calibration, etc. Yet, there are
abundant examples of athletes who test poorly in the lab and then go out and
uncork phenomenal performances in competition.
Conversely, there are athletes who test wonderfully and then fail to perform
anywhere near their potential in competitions.
The lack of a good, scientifically-proven, physiological reason for the
discrepancies between test results and actual performance
leads to the conclusion that successful athletes possess mental and behavioral
attributes that enhance their ability to capitalize
on their physical potential. Athletes who have the engine and skills to be
successful may not be able to reach their potential if
these mental and behavioral attributes are absent or underdeveloped.
With the use of power meters, we can even see these discrepancies between
individual workouts in training. One of the most common
situations is a drop in wattage when a workout is moved from outdoors to
indoors. Even after taking into account variables like tire
pressure and the pressure of the flywheel on the tire, athletes consistently
report difficulty reaching and sustaining the same
power output indoors that they can achieve outdoors. And when they can reach the
desired power output, their perceived exertion and
heart rate are both considerably higher than during the outdoor workout. For
instance, when an athlete is asked to perform 15-minute
lactate threshold intervals outdoors, he may be able to hold 285 watts, but only
be able to sustain 270 for the same workout on the
indoor trainer.
More...from RoadCycling.com at:
http://www.roadcycling.com/news/article1611.shtml


14. Science of Sport: Biomechanical Assessment:
Running with an injury or over-training? Often it is best to go back to basics
Injuries can affect us all regardless of age, sex or ability. But can we manage
or limit the number of times we get injured? We can
by going back to basics.
But we are not talking about fitness levels and stretching. Instead we mean back
to biomechanics.
By assessing, on a regular basis, your biomechanics you can help eliminate and
prevent a number of injuries and problems that
athletes suffer from. The body compensating for weak links can cause restriction
that in turn can cause pain and injury.
Calf and hamstring injuries are commonly caused by a tight sciatic nerve. The
muscles provide a protective spasm to the nerve during
locomotion and if stretched or loaded sufficiently the muscles can spasm enough
to cause themselves to tear - or cramp up - which
can feel like a tear. By mobilising the nerve it releases tension in the muscles
and reduces the likelihood of this event.
. Tight calves
TIGHT calves can cause over pronation. The dorsi-flexion (moving the ankle
upwards) is not available from the ankle joint due to the
tight calves, so it has to come from the sub talar joint. It comes as part of
the pronation mechanism though and so increases the
amount of pronation as well. This causes shin related injuries as well as knee
and Achilles problems.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060531_HLS_Biomechanics.html


15. The Fundamentals of Fuel:
As we all know, triathlon is a demanding sport requiring lots of energy. But we
usually pay more attention to how we burn energy
than we do to how we create it.
Using and producing energy are equally important things. Understanding what,
when and how much to eat is critical to any successful
endurance training program. Top performance is difficult to achieve, if not
impossible, without adequate nutrition.
Of course, "proper" nutritional intake varies from person to person. What may
work for one athlete may not work for another. There
are some basic nutrition guidelines to follow, however. Take a quick review and
see how your current nutritional approach stacks up.
1. Know the breakdown. Endurance athletes' diets should consist of 60-70 percent
carbohydrates, 10-15 percent protein, and 20-30
percent.
2. Remember that carbohydrates rule. Carbs serve important functions related to
exercise performance and metabolism. They're also
considered to be the primary provider of energy fuel, particularly during
high-intensity exercise. Consuming less than 55 percent is
counterproductive to performance. Whole wheat breads, brown rice, whole wheat
pastas, oatmeal, and granolas are great carbohydrate
sources.
More...from Lifetime Fitness at:
http://www.ltftriathlon.com/website/resources/index.cfm?strWebAction=article_det\
ail&intArticleId=97


16. Calorie Restriction and Aging:
Investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have
found that eating a low-calorie yet nutritionally
balanced diet lowers concentrations of a thyroid hormone called triiodothyronine
(T3), which controls the body's energy balance and
cellular metabolism.
The researchers also found that calorie restriction (CR) decreases the
circulating concentration of a powerful inflammatory molecule
called tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF). They say the combination of lower T3
levels and reduced inflammation may slow the aging
process by reducing the body's metabolic rate as well as oxidative damage to
cells and tissues.
Previous research on mice and rats has shown that both calorie restriction and
endurance exercise protect them against many chronic
diseases including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of
cancer. However, the research has shown that only
calorie restriction increases the animals' maximum lifespan by up to 50 percent.
These animal studies suggest that leanness is a key
factor in the prevention of age-associated disease, but reducing caloric intake
is needed to slow down aging.
For the new study, researchers examined 28 members of the Calorie Restriction
Society who had been eating a CR diet for an average
of six years. Although the calorie restriction group consumed fewer calories -
averaging only about 1,800 per day - they consumed at
least 100 percent of the recommended daily amounts of protein and
micronutrients. A second group of 28 study subjects was sedentary,
and they ate a standard Western diet. A third group in the study ate a standard
Western diet - approximately 2,700 calories per day
- but also did endurance training. The researchers found reduced T3 levels -
similar to those seen in animals whose rate of aging is
reduced by CR - only in the people on calorie restriction diets.
More...from eMaxHealth at:
http://www.emaxhealth.com/8/6095.html


17. Heart attack risk with pain drugs:
People taking high daily doses of two common painkillers are at increased risk
of heart attack and stroke, say Oxford researchers.
But the British Medical Journal study says the risk is moderate, with only an
extra three people in every thousand suffering from an
adverse reaction.
Long term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen and diclofenac
have raised fears before.
They are standard drugs for those with chronic pain, like arthritis sufferers.
Concern had focused on the newer COX-2 drugs, but there are now also fears over
NSAIDs.
The doses given for chronic pain conditions are much higher than those used by
people taking the drugs as occasional painkillers.
The newer COX-2 inhibitors were developed to avoid the side effects of gastric
bleeding and ulcers which sometimes occurred with
traditional NSAIDs.
One COX-2, Vioxx, was taken off the market after concerns about the risk of
heart attack.
More...from the BBC at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5037350.stm


18. Drug Test:
Everybody knows that many athletes cheat by using performance-enhancing drugs
like steroids, testosterone, and EPO. But what is it
like to take these banned substances? Do they really help you win? To find out,
we sent an amateur cyclist into the back rooms of
sports medicine, where he just said yes to the most controversial chemicals in
sports.
"OK," the doctor said when we settled into his examination room. "What do you
want to be?"
I looked confused, so he explained.
"You want to be bigger? Leaner? Faster longer or faster shorter? More overall
endurance? You want to see better?"
"See better?"
"Human growth hormone does that for some people. It improves the muscles in the
eyes." He tried again: "So, what do you want?"
This was quite a concept. Freud wrote that anatomy is destiny, and here was a
doctor giving me a chance, in my late forties, to
alter my body in the most fundamental way. It was strange, but also strangely
alluring.
It had taken me a while to arrive at this moment. I was sitting in the San
Fernando Valley offices of a physician whose identity
I've agreed to conceal-let's just call In His Own Words
Listen to Stuart Stevens' interview on NPR's "All Things Considered."
him Dr. Jones. For reasons I'll explain shortly, my goal was to experience
firsthand some of the banned performance-enhancing drugs
that are often abused in the endurance sports I participate in, like cycling and
cross-country skiing. The menu I had in mind
included human growth hormone (HGH), testosterone, and some variety of anabolic
steroid, all of which are used to increase strength
and shorten an athlete's recovery time by repairing muscle cells faster. Also
high on my list was that powerful stuff called
erythropoietin, better known as EPO, a hormone that boosts oxygen levels in the
blood by prompting the bone marrow to produce more
red blood cells. EPO is known to have amazing endurance-boosting effects; not
surprisingly, it's been a scourge for years in
professional biking and skiing. In 1998, to cite one famous example, the Tour de
France nearly came to a halt when a leading team,
Festina, was caught using EPO, HGH, steroids, and testosterone. The entire squad
was disqualified, and dozens of riders either
staged protests or withdrew in reaction to the drug tests and police raids that
followed.
More...from Outside Magazine at:
http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200311/200311_drug_test_1.html


19. Get Off The Beaten Path:
Branch out from your typical 10K for inspiration. Check out some of the fastest
growing - and most unusual - events out there. Mud
racing anyone?
Mix it up to stay motivated.
Finding a new race that inspires you requires stepping out of your comfort zone.
Trying something unusual. Something you never
considered before.
Of course there are the familiar favorites: 5K and 10K races; half and full
marathons. And if you've never participated in one of
these events be sure to check out our Race Prep Guide. It breaks down each event
and features easy-to-follow training schedules.
But more and more runners are discovering new sources of inspiration. Many of
these "alternative" races involve a lot more than just
running. We looked into some of the more popular events. And while our list
only scratches the surface of what's out there, it will
hopefully spark an idea to try something new. As a runner, that's what it's all
about.
Relay Races
Ready to run with a team? Relay races are ideal for runners who want something
beyond the individual challenge. One of the most
well-known events in this ever-expanding category is the annual "Hood to Coast
Relay" in Oregon.
Like a lot of other runners nowadays, the race founder, Bob Foote, decided he
needed a new challenge. He came up with an idea that
involved a group of runners forming teams and switching off every 5 miles. Now
the largest relay race in North America, the race
stretches 197 miles from the top of Oregon's Mt. Hood, down to the Pacific
Ocean, in Seaside, Oregon. Relay teams of 12-people each
come from around the world to participate. And like many other adventure races,
the event welcomes both elite and casual runners.
More...from Nike at:
http://www.nike.com/nikerunning/usa/home.jhtml?loc1=tools_training&loc2=runners_\
library&loc3=129&promoID=USRU_EM_052006_maynewsmen#r
unners_library
[Multi-line URL]


20. Finding Your Core:
Core conditioning is trendy these days, among runners as much as any other
group. But even though we're all talking about core
conditioning, and some of us are actually doing it, many of us misunderstand its
purpose and practice it incorrectly.
The most common misconception about core conditioning is that its main purpose
is to strengthen the muscles of the trunk. In
reality, developing strength is only a secondary purpose of core conditioning.
Its primary objective is to teach you how to activate
important stabilizing muscles and coordinate the use of these muscles with other
muscles in sport-specific movements.
The reason this objective is so important is that most of us are unable to
functionally activate some of our most important
stabilizing muscles during running, and this problem reduces our efficiency of
movement and contributes to overuse injuries. It
doesn't take any special strength to use the key stabilizers correctly. It takes
coordination between the brain and muscles.
Consider the example of the deepest muscles of the abdominal wall (the
transversus abdominis and internal obliques). According to
Michael Fredericson, M.D., a sports medicine specialist at Stanford University
and one of the world's premier experts on core
conditioning for runners, these muscles are vital to proper stabilization of the
pelvis during running.
Yet the vast majority of runners (including most elite runners) are unable to
activate these muscles functionally to maintain pelvic
stability on the run.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=13099


21. Exercise reverses unhealthy effects of inactivity:
DURHAM, N.C. -- Many of the detrimental effects of physical inactivity can be
reversed, and in some cases improved, by a similar
period of moderate exercise, Duke University Medical Center researchers have
found in a new analysis of data from the first
randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effects of exercise in sedentary
overweight men and women.
Just as important, the trial participants who exhibited the greatest decline in
physical status during inactivity benefited the most
from exercise training, according to the researchers.
These findings linking the ability of exercise training to reverse the negative
effects of inactivity can be attributed to the
exercise alone, because the participants did not alter their diets during the
trial, the researchers said.
"Continuing to lead an inactive lifestyle leads to a gradual decline in many
important markers for cardiovascular health," said
Jennifer Robbins, an exercise physiologist at Duke, who presented the results of
the study June 2, 2006, at the annual meeting of
the American College of Sports Medicine in Denver.
"The good news is that a small amount of physical activity can make a big
difference in reducing the risks for developing such
conditions as heart disease, stroke or diabetes," she said. "Our findings
demonstrate that while the cost of choosing a sedentary
lifestyle can be high, switching to an active way of life can be beneficial at
any time."
The current study stemmed from a recently completed trial known as STRRIDE
(Studies of a Targeted Risk Reduction Intervention
through Defined Exercise). The trial, funded by a $4.3 million grant from the
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, investigated
the effects of exercise on sedentary overweight adults at risk for developing
heart disease, diabetes, or both.
More...from Eureka Alert at:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-06/dumc-eru053006.php


22. Hazards of running a marathon:
Creatine Kinase MB can be raised without myocardial infarction.
The notion that participating in strenuous physical exertion could be hazardous
to health dates from 490 bc, when Pheidippides
allegedly dropped dead after running 39 km to Athens and delivering news of
victory over the Persians on the battlefield at
Marathon.
A 61 year old physician volunteered to run in the 1993 London marathon to raise
money for a medical charity. He trained for the
previous four months, running an average of 35 km a week, and in the marathon he
completed the 42.2 km in about 4.5 hours. His race
was uneventful apart from a brief spell of dizziness towards the end, which was
relieved by carbohydrate and which he attributed to
hypoglycaemia. Earlier in the race he had passed a middle aged runner who was
being resuscitated unsuccessfully after sustaining a
cardiac arrest.
Apart from myalgia in his legs he felt well after the race (fig 1) and dined out
with friends and relatives that evening. He went to
work as usual the next day, but in view of the persistence and severity of his
myalgia he had blood taken for measurement of serum
creatine kinase activity. The results showed a total creatine kinase activity of
1800 IU/l (normal <200 IU/l) and a creatine kinase
MB of 38 ng/ml (normal <6 ng/ml). The chemical pathology registrar on duty
regarded these values as pathognomonic of myocardial
infarction. However, in view of his general wellbeing and lack of
cardiorespiratory symptoms the physician discounted this
diagnosis. His myalgia gradually subsided, and he was jogging again within a
week.
Because of his secretary's success in raising sponsorship money the physician
won a free trip to participate in the New York
marathon later that year. He again completed the race uneventfully but
afterwards learnt that two other runners had sustained fatal
cardiac arrests.
After publication in a newspaper of an item describing his experiences, the
physician received a letter from a runner who, several
years previously, had been admitted to hospital after falling and sustaining
concussion during a 16 km race. "The enzyme test
suggested that I had indeed had a heart attack. But I did not seem to have any
of the regular symptoms-breathlessness and the
like-and I did not feel unwell. The doctor in charge told me `marathon running
is not for you, old boy.' I celebrated that by
winning the National Veterans over 55 marathon in 2 hours 54 minutes ... only 14
months after my `heart attack."' The runner
subsequently ran several more marathons including the London marathon, which he
completed in less than three hours at the age of 60
years
More...from the British Medical Journal at:
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/314/7086/1023?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hit\
s=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=marathon&andorexactfullt
ext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT24
[Multi-line URL]


23. Athletes take note: Not all energy bars built the same:
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Energy bars, touted for improving athletic performance while
providing the right combination of essential
nutrients, may not always give endurance athletes the boost they expect.
An Ohio State University researcher compared two popular energy bars and found
that one of the bars didn't give the moderate
increase in blood sugar known to enhance performance in endurance athletes.
Instead, its effect was much like a candy bar - giving a
big rush of sugar to the blood, followed by a sharp decline.
"Theoretically, energy bars produce more moderate increases and decreases in
blood sugar levels than a typical candy bar," said
Steve Hertzler, an associate professor of medical dietetics at Ohio State. "But
these claims aren't necessarily valid." His study
appears in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Hertzler wanted to know how energy bars affected blood glucose levels. Glucose
is a sugar that provides energy to the body's cells -
for example, red-blood cells and most parts of the brain derive most of their
energy from glucose.
"Athletes - especially those involved in endurance sports - want to enhance
performance, and energy bars claim to help keep blood
sugar levels at a moderate level," Hertzler said.
Volunteers had to fast for at least 12 hours before taking part in each of four
experiments. Then, they ate one of four experimental
"meals" consisting of either four slices of white bread; a Snickers bar; an
Ironman PR Bar; or a PowerBar. Each experimental meal
provided the same amount of carbohydrates (50 grams.)
More...from Eureka Alert at:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2000-03/OSU-AtnN-2003100.php


24. Eat Like a Kenyan:
Will a Kenyan Diet Help You Run Faster?
By Suzanne Girard Eberle
Whatever the venue-a road race, track meet or cross county run-do not bet
against a Kenyan, or several Kenyans, finishing first.
Kenyan runners are legendary for their unique ability to recover from daily
bouts of strenuous training and to perform well when it
really counts. Since it is impossible to train hard and race well without
optimal nutrition, what role does diet play in the
Kenyans' success? And, more importantly, could eating like the Kenyans help you
run fast too?
Nutrition Facts
Kenyan food is remarkably basic: small amounts of roasted meat, cooked greens,
fruit, milk and, always, ugali, a thick,
polenta-style cornmeal porridge. Made from water and maize (corn), which is
traditionally ground by hand into flour, ugali serves as
the national dish of East Africa (click here for recipe). Bland and tasteless by
itself, Kenyans eat ugali daily, typically as a
base for a meat stew and thinned with milk or water into a thin gruel for
breakfast. Unappetizing as it might sound to you, Kenyans
love it. Lisa Buster, who manages a host of Kenyan runners, including two-time
New York City Marathon winner John Kagwe and Boston
Marathon winner Catherine Ndereba, can attest to ugali's lure. "After my runners
have been away a day or two to a race," says
Buster, "I can hardly get them back from the airport quickly enough so they can
have ugali."
Ugali's central role makes the typical Kenyan diet rich in carbohydrates and
very low in fat. The emphasis on dark green leafy
vegetables, such as collard greens and kale, fruit, and milk, provides ample
amounts of key nutrients: folic acid, vitamins A and C,
iron and calcium. Small servings of meat and several glasses of whole milk
(consumed in hot tea) provide quality protein and a small
amount of fat. Hard-training athletes consciously keep added fat to a minimum,
primarily supplied by small amounts of vegetable oil
used in cooking.
Mike Kibe, a promising young Kenyan runner living in the United States, provides
an inside look into the Kenyans' typical eating
habits. "We basically eat two meals a day: lunch and dinner," Kibe explains,
"unless someone is training three times a day to get in
shape. That runner will have something easily digested, such as bread and butter
or two boiled eggs, following the first early
morning run, so they will be ready to go again a few hours later. Otherwise,
we'll drink tea made with lots of milk and sugar before
and after our first workout, as well as fruit [following the run] to settle our
stomachs."
More...from Running Times Magazine at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=3955


25. Digest Briefs:
* Will adding protein to your carbohydrate beverage improve your endurance and
reduce muscle damage?
Recently researchers from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia
examined the effects of consuming a carbohydrate and
protein beverage on endurance cycle performance and post-exercise muscle damage.
Fifteen male cyclists were tested on two occasions
that were designed to compare the effects of a carbohydrate-only beverage with a
carbohydrate and protein beverage.
During both testing sessions, supplement beverages were consumed every 15
minutes during the exercise bout. The performance test
consisted of one ride to fatigue performed at 75% of VO2max, with a second ride
being performed at 85% of VO2max, 12 - 15 hours
after the completion of the first ride.
The results of the study revealed that the subject rode 29% longer during the
first ride when they consumed the carbohydrate and
protein beverage when compared to the carbohydrate-only beverage. During the
second ride the subjects who consumed the carbohydrate
and protein beverage rode 40% longer when compared to the carbohydrate-only
supplement. Additionally, the use of a carbohydrate and
protein beverage resulted in 83% less muscle damage when compared to the
carbohydrate-only beverage.
Based upon these data it might be warranted to recommend that endurance cyclists
consume supplements that are composed of a mix of
carbohydrates and proteins while performing their exercise bouts. This
supplementation regime could result in significantly enhanced
exercise performance while decreasing the muscle damage that would be associated
with the exercise bout.
Saunders MJ, Kane MD, Todd MK. (2004). Effects of a carbohydrate- protein
beverage on cycling endurance and muscle damage. Medicine
& Science in Sports & Exercise, 36(7):1233 - 1238
From DynamicSports Training at:
http://www.dynamicsports.net

* Recovery Pulse Rate - Heart Attack:
Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that one of the best tests
to predict your chance of dying in the near future
is the Recovery Heart Rate.
To measure recovery heart rate, exercise on a treadmill until you breathe hard,
record your heart rate, and hold that pace for at
least a minute. Then cool down for two minutes and measure your pulse rate
exactly one minute after stopping. If your heart does not
slow down at least thirty beats in the first minute, you are in poor shape and
at increased risk for a heart attack. If recovery
heart rate slows down more than fifty beats in the first minute, you are in
excellent shape.
You can also use the recovery pulse rate to measure improvement as you get into
shape. This test can cause irregular heart beats in
people with damaged hearts, so check with your physician before you try it. The
authors don't tell you that recovery heart rate is a
measure of fitness and that a slow recovery from exercise means that you're
out-of-shape. The study really shows that being out of
shape increases your chances of dying.
Reference: Cole CR et al. Hear-rate recovery immediately after exercise as a
predictor of mortality. New England Journal of Medicine
1999(October 28);341(18):1351-7.
From Dr. Gabe Mirkin at:
http://www.drmirkin.com

* Individuals with an ACL injury may compensate with their hips
Individuals with injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) -- the main
stabilizing ligament of the knee joint -- may be
unknowingly compensating for their ACL deficiency with increased internal hip
rotation, potentially furthering the progression of
osteoarthritis, according to a study at the University of Pittsburgh
Neuromuscular Research Laboratory.
Ten non-injured subjects and 9 ACL-deficient subjects pedaled on a stationary
cycling ergometer at a constant speed with the foot
securely attached in a neutral position. Using infrared motion analysis,
researchers captured hip, knee and ankle internal/external
rotation. They found that the ACL-deficient group had significantly greater hip
internal rotation than those of the control group,
and the increased hip internal rotation was observed in both the injured limb
and the uninjured limb, without any rotational changes
at the knee.
"This altered hip motion may be an attempt to minimize lower leg internal
rotation, which has been seen in previous studies of
ACL-injured individuals. The altered hip motion in both the uninjured and
injured limbs suggests a central regulation of the
compensatory mechanism due to the deficiency or loss of the ACL and its
mechanoreceptors," said John Abt, Ph.D., A.T.C. "Future
studies should focus further on the compensatory mechanism as well as its
association with the progression of osteoarthritis."
* Asymmetrical cycling patterns may contribute to overuse injuries
The repetitive motion of cycling requires efficient, symmetrical movement
patterns to prevent excessive stresses from being
transmitted to the muscles and tendons of the lower extremities, which may be
partially responsible for the development of overuse
injury, according to John Abt, Ph.D., A.T.C., a researcher at the University of
Pittsburgh Neuromuscular Research Laboratory.
In a biomechanical study using a 3D motion analysis system, Dr. Abt's research
team found asymmetrical movement patterns in 31
competitive cyclists who participated in the study. The asymmetrical cycling
patterns were found specifically in knee and hip motion
that is in the plane of the top tube as it splits the bike into right and left
halves. "The differences in hip and knee motion may
be related to compensatory adaptations to unequal musculoskeletal
characteristics or inappropriate bike fit," said Dr. Abt.
"Prolonged cycling with asymmetrical mechanics may contribute to the development
of overuse injury, particularly as it relates to
diagnosis of one limb."
About the University of Pittsburgh Neuromuscular Research Laboratory
The laboratory is housed within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's
Sports Performance Complex, in the Center for Sports
Medicine. Laboratory faculty includes those from the sports medicine program at
the university's School of Health and Rehabilitation
Sciences and the orthopaedic surgery department at the university's School of
Medicine.
To learn more, go to http://www.pitt.edu/~neurolab/.

* Fat Loading
By Coach Matt Russ
You are probably familiar with carbo-loading or consuming extra carbohydrate in
the days leading up to a race. This "topping off
the tank" attempts to maximize energy stores. Some athletes are now adjusting
their diets to consume mainly fat in a period of a
few days to a week prior to carbo-loading. This is in an effort to get the body
to utilize more fat as a fuel source and spare
precious glycogen stores.
Glycogen, the stored formed of carbohydrate is a valuable commodity for an
athlete. We have only enough glycogen stored in the body
to perform about two to four hours worth of exercise depending on intensity.
This only amounts to roughly around 2000kcals. Once
this is used up we rely solely on fat and protein as an energy source and
endurance and intensity are severely compromised. This is
called "hitting the wall." However, we have enough fat in our bodies to
complete virtually any event with energy to spare. Better
utilization of this stored energy for long endurance events could give an
athlete a key advantage.
Does it work?
It appears that consuming a high fat diet followed by a high carbohydrate does
increase fat metabolism. In one study, a group of
cyclist following this protocol did increase fat burning- and lowered
carbohydrate oxidation. Although this process raises the
level of an enzyme that is important in fat metabolism, it also LOWERS levels
of one responsible for carbohydrate breakdown.
The conclusion; don't change your diet yet. The access and utilization of
carbohydrate is very important for athletic performance
and decreasing the ability to utilize carbohydrate adversely affects
performance. There may be some benefit to ultra-endurance
athletes but it has yet to be proven.
References
Peak Performance Cycling; number 227: 1-4
From the Sports Factory at:
http://www.thesportfactory.com/fatloading.shtml



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

June 2, 2006:
Bislett Games - Oslo, Norway
http://www.bislettgames.com

June 3, 2006:
Freihofer's Run for Women - Albany, NY
http://www.freihofersrun.com

Hospital Hill Run - Kansas City, MO
http://www.hospitalhillrun.com

Reebok Grand Prix - NYC, NY
http://www.ReebokGrandPrix.com

Salt Lake City Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT
http://www.saltlakecitymarathon.com

Sunburst Races - South Bend, IN
http://www.sunburstraces.org

USA Trail 10K Championships - Vail, CO
http://www.tevamountaingames.com/index.cfm

June 3 - 4, 2006:
Accenture Escape from Alcatraz - San Francisco, CA
http://www.escapefromalcatraztriathlon.com

June 4, 2006:
Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon - Deadwood, SD
http://www.deadwoodmickelsontrailmarathon.com/

Dublin City Duathlon - IE
Irish Duathlon Championships
http://www.dublincityduathlon.com

Lafarge Abbotsford International Track Classic - Abbotsford, BC
http://international.valleyroyals.org

Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, San Diego, CA
http://www.rnrmarathon.com

June 6, 2006:
Review Kajaks International Track Classic - Richmond, BC
http://www.kajaks.org/events/kajaksinternational.ht

June 8, 2006:
Harry Jerome Track Classic - Vancouver, BC
http://www.harryjerome.com

June 24, 2006:
RunnersWeb5K.com Race for Women - Ottawa, ON
http://www.runnersweb5k.com



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

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

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Have a good week of training and/or racing.

Ken Parker
Runner's Web
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* 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

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**END OF RUNNER'S AND TRIATHLETE'S WEB DIGEST...**