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. RunnersWeb5K.com Race for Women
The first RunnersWeb5K.com Race for Women was held on June 24th at Ottawa's
Aviation Museum. Canada's #2 ranked marathoner, Nicole
Stevenson, won the race in 16:28.
Thirty-five women ran under 20 minutes. For a race report and photos go to:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060624_RunnersWeb5K.html.
The 2007 race date will be Saturday, June 23, 2007.
The prize money will be increased from $3,000 to $5,000 for open and masters
runners. The team competition will be expanded to
include Open, Club and University Teams.
More information will be posted at:
http://www.runnersweb5k.com

2. 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 now available with FREE shipping.
http://store.runnersweb.com

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

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

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

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

7. Triple Your Endurance
The Ultimate Triathlete Training, Time-Shaving, Injury Healing, Mind Focusing,
Endurance Boosting System Perfect for the Beginner
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THIS WEEK:

For a limited time, shopadidas.com is offering 15% off running apparel when you
purchase any running footwear.
Hurry, because this promotion ends on August 29, 2006.
Coupon Code: RUN15AF
Start Date: 8/15/06
End Date: 8/29/06
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New affiliates:
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Check out TotalWellness's mp3 Personal Training Program - only 5% the Cost of
Regular Personal Training!
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Your chance to win free shoes for life!
Contest rules:
For US residents with US address only. No purchase necessary.
One winner will be selected in a random drawing on August 31st, 2006 from all
entries received by August 27, 2006. (Pearl Izumi
reserves the right to extend the entry deadline to a later date. The deadline
extension date will be posted in this section of the
contest rules no later than August 15, 2006.)
One Pearl IzumiR prize package will be awarded consisting of: 4 pairs of running
shoe, per year, for the life of the winner. Prizes
will be redeemed through the Pearl Izumi's web-site www.pearlizumi.com. The
winner will be given a custom Pearl Izumi on-line
account with USD credit towards 4 pairs annually of Pearl IzumiR running shoes
that they can select solely through the web-site.
Prize is non-transferable.
Sign up at: http://www.pearlizumiactive.com

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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
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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
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Scott Tinley (2 Time Ironman Champ) Steve Scott (3 Time Olympian) and many more.
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* WatsonLifeSport
Lance Watson is "Just The Winningest Coach in Triathlon". He has been coaching
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years, Lance has coached some of the most successful athletes in the sport of
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Check out the Lance Watson Online Article Index at:
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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 TWO personal posting this week.
ONE:
Hey all just joined the group. I'll cut to the chase. I am a long time runner
and currently employed by the best company on the
plant Jamba Juice!!! The reason I am writing to you all is to ask, beg, and
plead for a very small donation to help us (Jamba) build
a running track for the Community Transitional School. This is a school that
offers education and athletics to homeless and
disadvantage children. All I am asking for is a mere 10 bucks. To learn more and
donate on our secure web site please go to :
www.active.com/donate/jamba/bellaterra
So please check it out and if you feel comfortable you can donate to a really
great cause to introduce some kids to a sport we all
have come to love, RUNNING!
mailto:scottrmitchell@...
TWO:
Grab the latest on SAF Games 2006 @ www.tomorrowsrilanka.com
mailto:kushan0705@...


THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. Science of Sport: The Lactate Threshold Reality or Fallacy?
2. Training or Maiming?
3. Science of Sport: Fueling for a 24 Hour Mountain Bike Race
4. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - As the World Runs
5. Sports Medicine: Medical Directors Issue New Guidelines for Fluids During
Marathons
6. Under Pressure: Using Your Watch Barometer
Train right with tips and tricks and of the trade from Chris Carmichael and
Carmichael Training Systems.
7. Super-Hydration in a Tube? Not So Fast
8. Conquering peloton position: Learn your way around the pack
9. The Essential Encyclopedia of Marathoning
10. Coffee as a Health Drink? Studies Find Some Benefits
11. Nutrition During Injury: Can you eat your way to a quicker recovery?
12. Plantar Fasciitis
Treatment - Causes - Surgery - Exercise - Night Splint.
13. Get the right fuel for your workout
Healthy before- and after-exercise meals.
14. From Runner's World
15. Battle of the Sexes: Body Health Is What They See
Companion studies show how men and women differ in diet, exercise behaviors to
alter looks.
16. IT Band Syndrome: Treatment and Prevention
17. Two Days before the Marathon
18. Studies Divided on Value of Adding Protein to Sports Drinks
19. Spinach to the rescue
20. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine
21. Training Hard? Ease off on the Mega-Multivitamin
22. Answering your questions about immunity
23. Pilates for back pain
24. Drink to Your Health
Sure, you should drink regularly. But exactly how much water do you need? And
why are some runners dying from excessive fluid
consumption.
25. Digest Briefs


RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"How should potential Olympic athletes be supported?"

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:
"Has the threat of terrorism caused you to reconsider flying to competition
sites?"
Answers Percent
1. No 63%
2. Yes 37%

FIVE STAR SITE OF THE WEEK: James Raia Communications.
James Raia is a writer, editor, author and publisher who lives and works in
Sacramento, California . . . . Since 1978, he has
reported sporting events as well as contributed business, travel, lifestyle and
human-interest articles to numerous publications,
news services and web sites . . . . Following a decade of staff writer and
columnist positions with three daily newspapers, Raia
became a full-time freelancer in 1987. He's contributed thousands of articles to
such publications as the New York Times, Golf
Magazine, the Miami Herald, USA Today, Newsweek and People . . . . Raia also
writes the syndicated car review column, The Weekly
Driver, and the monthly lifestyle column, On The Beat, for Inside Publications.
James is co-author of the book Tour de France For
Dummies and he publishes the free electronic newsletter Tour de Sport . . . .
James has also authored three electronic books, The
Tour Within The Tour de France, How To Run & Enjoy The Marathon and How To Make
As Living As A Freelance Sportswriter & Publicist .
. .. As an endurance sports enthusiast and participant, James has attended the
Tour de France, Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon World
Championship, the World Cycling Championships as well many other sporting events
in numerous countries . . .. A veteran
long-distance runner, James has completed more than 75 marathons and
ultramarathons . .
Visit his website at:
http://www.byjamesraia.com


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


BOOK OF THE WEEK: Lactate Threshold Training.
*Save 30%*
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 FEATURES:

1. Science of Sport: The Lactate Threshold Reality or Fallacy?
For many years exercise science has perpetuated the concept of a lactate
threshold - a point during exercise where a sudden, sharp
increase is noted in the concentration of lactate in the blood. This phenomenon
is supposedly noticed when blood samples are taken
from subjects performing incremental to max exercise tests much the same as a
VO2 max test. Traditionally, it has been noted that
when concentration of lactate is plotted against running speed (or %VO2 max) on
a graph, as the individual runs faster the quantity
of lactate in the blood remains constant up to a certain speed, after which a
sudden inflection in the gradient occurs. This
inflection point has been dubbed the lactate threshold - the point during
intense exercise where the muscles become increasingly
anaerobic, generating vast quantities of lactate. Therefore, this phenomenon has
also become known as the anaerobic or ventilation
threshold.
As discussed in an earlier article on lactate featured on this website, early
exercise scientists (and even some present day ones)
attributed the increasing amounts of lactate in the blood during exercise to a
lack of oxygen supplied to the muscles. This theory
holds that the cardiorespiratory system must be inefficient at matching blood
(oxygen) supply to the muscles and exercise intensity.
Therefore, as the intensity of exercise increases, the muscles have to rely
increasingly on "oxygen independent" (anaerobic)
metabolism and its associated lactate generation. What these researchers failed
to understand, or were unaware of was that as the
intensity level (power output) of exercise progressively increases, there is a
corresponding increase in the dependence of the
glycolytic energy system. It is now universally accepted that energy systems are
exercise intensity dependent. As explained in the
previous article on lactate, this accumulation of lactate is a necessary
consequence to maintain the increased flow of energy
through the glycolytic pathway.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060815_Boss_Lactate.html


2. Training or Maiming?
By Coach Oliver
Recently I was fortunate enough to spend time training on the Gold Coast with
some of NZ multisports heavy hitters, namely Cameron
Brown & Gordon Walker. The invite was an informal one - 5 weeks in Burleigh
Heads of training, eating & sleeping and it was just the
prescription I needed to escape Auckland in the middle of winter.
This article will cover aspects of the training and other details of what was
required to get the most out of my time away, and will
hopefully encourage you to apply some of the principles followed.
No. 1 - Environment
Get this right and you have taken the first step: Burleigh is stuck in a time
warp (think early 90's) close to the beach, sunny,
flat in & out of town, cheap long-term accommodation, which are all big ticks
for triathletes. Swimming - always done in the morning
in one of two (yes two!) 50m outdoor pools 5mins drive away. When it's light, as
it was there, a 5:30am session is not too hard to
get up for. Cycling - continuous long smooth roads in all directions with plenty
of shoulder and small towns/service stations
conveniently located as fuel stops. Running - Plenty of grass & tracks that
allowed for continuous running, lots of 5-6min steady
climbs and a grass 400m track. Perfect surroundings, we were there for long
distance triathlon training - making the environment as
specific and convenient for us to use was top priority. It made getting out the
door that much easier
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060814_ECoach_30Hours.html


3. Science of Sport: Fueling for a 24 Hour Mountain Bike Race:
By Sally Warner MA PhD
Twenty-four hour mountain bike races are just one of the many different types of
ultra endurance events that have recently been
gaining popularity. Relative to the traditional 1-3 hour endurance competitions,
ultra events are longer in duration and require a
greater caloric expense. So you can imagine that nutrition is even more
important for success in these longer events. Nutrient needs
for a 24 hour mountain bike race can vary based on your fitness and experience,
the difficulty of the race, the weather, and the
available equipment, support and facilities. As such, it is to your advantage to
pay attention to these factors and plan a strategy
in advance!
Tips to help you be efficient with your time and energy so you can pay more
attention to your rest and nutrition: Regarding the
race.Will you be riding the 24 hrs solo or doing a relay? How long are the
course laps? How difficult is the terrain? Do you have
lap time goals? What is the weather forecast (temperature, precipitation,
headwinds, etc)? If you will be doing a relay, encourage
your teammates to train and plan a strategy too. Who will start? Will you do
back-to-back laps or will you be passing the baton
after each lap? Regarding equipment, support, and facilities. Is your bike in
good working order? Do you have tools and spares? Do
you have a mechanic to wash, clean and lube between laps? Do you have head
lights with spare batteries? Make sure your base camp is
well furnished with lamps, heaters, fridge, stove, microwave, etc. A tent is
helpful, but an RV can provide cushy digs for a 24hr
race. Will you have access to a shower, massage and food vendors? Though these
points about the race details and gear preparations
may sound off the topic of nutrition, please take note that anything that wastes
time or energy during the 24hr event will take away
from your ability to rest and replenish your fuel stores!
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060814_ERB_24HR_Cycle.html


4. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - As the World Runs:
In 1991, Runner's World marked its 25th anniversary. Now, as you surely know if
you read the current issue, the magazine has turned
40. Here is a timeline column that appeared in the January 1991 RC, updated to
reflect my ex-employer's current age.
1966-69. A high school senior from Overland Park, Kansas, identifying himself
originally as John R. Anderson, starts a magazine
called Distance Running News. A two-issue subscription for the first year costs
$1. Hal Higdon is the earliest "name" writer to
appear. My column debuts in 1967. DRN publishes its first shoe survey in '67,
conducted by future Nike executive Jeff Johnson. A
year later Anderson drops out of Kansas State University in Manhattan to work
fulltime on his growing magazine, whose publication
pace jumps to six times a year before the decade runs out.
1970-74. Bob Anderson relocates to Mountain View, California, changes his
magazine's name to Runner's World and hires me as his
editor. Dr. George Sheehan becomes the featured columnist. RW steps up into
promotional efforts by co-sponsoring the Golden Gate
Marathon, and launching national 24-hour relay and Fun-Run programs. Publishing
expands to include the newsletter Racing Report and
the Booklet of the Month series. In 1972, RW conducts its first Olympic tour. In
'73, the magazine goes monthly, adds color
photography and stops issuing Racing Report.
1975-79. Amby Burfoot and Don Kardong first write for RW. A Runner's Book
Series, with Dr. Sheehan on Running as its first offering,
replaces the monthly booklets. The magazine celebrates its 10th birthday with
the first of several annual National Running Weeks.
Bob Anderson leads a tour group of 300 to the Montreal Olympics. RW's
circulation and book sales boom along with the sport. In 1977,
Anderson announces a goal of "one million circulation" (the figure has just
topped 100,000). He becomes the editor, with Rich Benyo
as his chief assistant, after I "retire" to column and book writing. The company
issues two short-lived spinoffs, On the Run and The
Marathoner. Running Times and The runner arise as RW's first serious
competitors. RW-promoted Corporate Cup competitions begin.
1980-84. Discontent with the shoe-ratings issue lead Nike to pull its ads and
buy its own magazine called Running. Several writers
join George Sheehan, Hal Higdon and me in defecting to Running or The Runner. RW
sends reporters to the boycotted Moscow Olympics
but must can cancel its tour. The magazine starts publishing regional editions.
In 1981, Alberto Salazar, at the peak of his career,
sets a long-standing national 8K record at an RW event. In '83, Running magazine
dies, Nike resumes advertising in RW, and I come
back as a columnist. RW's pre- and post-Olympic issues reach record size. Rich
Benyo steps down as de facto editor in '84.
More...from Joe Henderson at:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/home.php?article=2069


5. Sports Medicine: Medical Directors Issue New Guidelines for Fluids During
Marathons:
How much and what types of fluids should marathon runners drink during a race?
CJSM offers guidelines on the best approaches to
fluid replacement according to updated recommendations by the International
Marathon Medical Directors Association (IMMDA).
Newswise - How much and what types of fluids should marathon runners drink
during a race? Rather than hard-and-fast rules, drinking
when thirsty and drinking the types of fluids the runner has a taste for are the
best approaches to fluid replacement in most
situations, according to updated recommendations by the International Marathon
Medical Directors Association (IMMDA).
"Drinking to thirst is the body's dynamic physiologic fluid calculator and in
most cases will protect athletes from the hazards of
both over and underdrinking," according to the IMMDA Position Statement. The new
statement appears in the July/August issue of the
Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.
In developing the recommendations, the IMMDA reviewed current scientific
evidence on the often-complex physiologic processes
governing fluid balance. Past guidelines for fluid replacement during prolonged
exercise have recommended estimating fluid losses
due to sweating, measuring changes in body weight during the race, or following
prescribed amounts of fluids. However, these
"static" approaches don't consider the "dynamic" processes governing fluid
balance-not to mention the wide range of shapes, sizes
and speeds seen in today's marathon runners.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060814_IMMDA.html


6. Under Pressure: Using Your Watch Barometer:
Train right with tips and tricks and of the trade from Chris Carmichael and
Carmichael Training Systems.
One question we hear a lot from people who buy a heart-rate monitor like
Suunto's t6 is, "Why the hell do I need a barometer on this
thing?" Well, it's there-among other reasons-because it could save your hide
from a torrential afternoon downpour.
Think about it: If you're on an all-day bike ride, hike, or multi-hour training
run, you'd like some advance warning that the
darkening skies overhead are indeed going to dump instead of pass on. That way,
you can seek shelter or head home sooner rather than
when it's too late. That's where the barometer comes in.
By checking the barometric pressure (a number usually between 28.00 and 31.00
Hg, or inches of mercury) throughout your workout, you
can get a good sense of how the weather's going to play out. According to Dennis
Feltgen, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a rapid fall in pressure-up to one tenth
of an inch in less than an hour-may signify the
impending approach of a strong to severe thunderstorm. If the Hg reading holds
steady or rises, then the weather is getting better,
and you may be alright.
More...from Outside Online at:
http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/carmichael-training-systems-5.html


7. Super-Hydration in a Tube? Not So Fast:
After almost disappearing off the sports performance radar for over a decade,
the hydration helper glycerin (or more specifically,
glycerol) is back. Its comeback is due to a July 18th article in The New York
Times which quotes an official with USA Track &
Field's marathon program who touts the benefits of using glycerin to help
endurance runners stay better hydrated in hot and humid
climates-the same kind of heat runners can expect during the marathon at the
2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
You Need H20 to Go
In these extreme conditions, an athlete's going to find himself drenched in
sweat as his body fights to cool him down. Part of this
internal air-conditioner involves the body rushing blood to the skin's surface.
While this is good for cooling down, it cuts into
performance in much the same way turning on the A/C in your car saps its
horsepower. As more blood is diverted to the skin and more
fluids are lost to perspiration, the amount of blood available for the muscles
to use shrinks and causes the body to slow down. The
volume of nutrients and oxygen flowing to your blood can drop by up to 10
percent. To make up for it, your heart beats faster, your
body works harder. The harder you work, the more you sweat and so on. You're in
a vicious cycle that will ruin your performance. In
effect, the hotter the day, the slower you go.
More...from Carmichael Training Systems at:
http://www.trainright.com/info.asp?action=display&uid=3331


8. Conquering peloton position: Learn your way around the pack:
By Chris Carmichael
Among the benefits of live Tour de France coverage on the Outdoor Life Network
this summer, was the opportunity to observe the
benefits of riding near the front of the peloton. By maintaining a constant
presence on the front of the race, teams kept their
leaders out of trouble and in position to win.
You, however, probably don't have eight men committed to keeping you in perfect
position, so you better know how to maneuver through
the peloton on your own.
Every racer has heard someone yelling, "Move up," or "Get to the front," in the
middle of a criterium or road race. Of course, the
processes of getting there and staying there aren't as simple as they seem. With
100 riders all trying to be in the top 15, people
are passing and being passed constantly. Your ability to move through the
peloton efficiently plays a significant role in the amount
of energy you use during a race or group ride, and hence influences the power
you have left for the finish.
Never Sleep
Keeping your head up is the most important key to improving your position in the
peloton. You have to be aware of what's going on in
the field, and that means keeping an eye on the riders around you as well as the
riders far to your front and sides. You need to see
the big picture of the peloton so you can react to surges or decelerations from
riders near or far away from you.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=13435


9. The Essential Encyclopedia of Marathoning:
By Richard Benyo
For the digest-oriented, a manual of essential marathon listings, each held to
25 words or less.
Although marathoners like to trace their avocation and lifestyle back to the
often misrepresented legend of Pheidippides, for all
intents and purposes the marathon as we know it is barely into its second
century. For newcomers and hoary vets alike, here's a
pocket guide to the basic names and concepts that form the foundation of modern
marathoning:
A
adidas. Major German sport shoe manufacturer well known throughout the world but
able to get only tentative toehold in the U.S.
market.
AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Road Races). Group of concerned
marathon directors banded together to promote,
market, and standardize marathons throughout the known universe.
air sole. Late 1970s Nike solution to providing ultimate impact protection for
distance runners while buoying Nike sales through the
1980s, especially in basketball via "Air Jordan."
AAU (Amateur Athletic Union). Governing body of amateur U.S. sports in 1970s,
a.k.a. "Antiquated Attitudes Updated" as it struggled
through women's rights to compete in distance events.
Anderson, John Robert "Bob" (see Distance Running News, Runner's World).
Eccentric, prickly Kansan boy who pioneered many of today's
taken-for-granted institutions, including Runner's World (originally DRN,
1966-69), expos, Corporate Cup, and more.
Asics (see Tiger shoes). Modern name of Japanese Tiger running shoe, a brand
made popular from the car trunks of Nike creators Phil
Knight and Jeff Johnson.
Athens, 1896. Modern Olympic Games added a novelty event called "Marathon" to
commemorate a fabled run from the Plains of Marathon
to Athens; event may outlive Games.
Averoff, Georgios. Shipping magnate patron saint of first Modern Olympics went
so far as to offer daughter's hand in marriage to
Marathon winner (if a Greek).
More...from Marathon and Beyond at:
http://www.marathonandbeyond.com/choices/encyclop.htm


10. Coffee as a Health Drink? Studies Find Some Benefits:
Coffee is not usually thought of as health food, but a number of recent studies
suggest that it can be a highly beneficial drink.
Researchers have found strong evidence that coffee reduces the risk of several
serious ailments, including diabetes, heart disease
and cirrhosis of the liver.
Among them is a systematic review of studies published last year in The Journal
of the American Medical Association, which concluded
that habitual coffee consumption was consistently associated with a lower risk
of Type 2 diabetes. Exactly why is not known, but the
authors offered several explanations.
Coffee contains antioxidants that help control the cell damage that can
contribute to the development of the disease. It is also a
source of chlorogenic acid, which has been shown in animal experiments to reduce
glucose concentrations.
Caffeine, perhaps coffee's most famous component, seems to have little to do
with it; studies that looked at decaffeinated coffee
alone found the same degree of risk reduction.
Larger quantities of coffee seem to be especially helpful in diabetes
prevention. In a report that combined statistical data from
many studies, researchers found that people who drank four to six cups of coffee
a day had a 28 percent reduced risk compared with
people who drank two or fewer. Those who drank more than six had a 35 percent
risk reduction.
Some studies show that cardiovascular risk also decreases with coffee
consumption. Using data on more than 27,000 women ages 55 to
69 in the Iowa Women's Health Study who were followed for 15 years, Norwegian
researchers found that women who drank one to three
cups a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent compared
with those drinking no coffee at all.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/15/health/nutrition/15coff.html?_r=1&ref=fitnessa\
ndnutrition&oref=slogin


11. Nutrition During Injury: Can you eat your way to a quicker recovery?
Introduction
A fact of life is that injury during training can happen to any of us. Whether
you suffer from niggling injuries or have more severe
damage, not being able to exercise can be highly frustrating so a successful and
speedy recovery is crucial. The most common
injuries you may experience are tears in muscles or tendons, inflamed tendons
(tendonitis) e.g. the Achilles, stress fractures,
ankle/knee sprains, shin splints to mention but a few. Some may require surgery
to repair such as cruciate ligament tears.
If you suffer from an injury it is crucial to get the correct advice from a
qualified sports doctor or physiotherapist to ensure the
best chance of a rapid recovery. Remember prevention is always better than cure
so it's vital to spend time planning the correct
clothing, shoes, training, adequate recovery time and, of course, optimum fuel
and fluid for the engine! It's important to note that
deficiencies in essential nutrients may increase the risk of injury as well as
slowing the recovery process.
What happens when you get injured?
The body is a complex machine and thankfully has mechanisms in place to deal
with most eventualities. Let's take a brief look at how
it deals with an injury by reviewing the process of wound healing.
There are three phases of wound healing - inflammation, proliferation and
remodeling:
Inflammation is the body's initial response to the acute injury and during this
phase the body seeks to control cell damage and
blood loss, remove debris and control or eliminate invading bacteria. It lasts
2-5 days and is marked by platelet (type of blood
cell responsible for clotting) accumulation, coagulation (i.e. clotting), and
leukocyte migration (white cells gather to engulf
bacteria and debris to clean the wound site).
More...from the Lucozade Sport Science Academy at:
http://www.thelssa.co.uk/lssa/article/article.asp?article=239&t=na_newsletter


12. Plantar Fasciitis:
Treatment - Causes - Surgery - Exercise - Night Splint.
Plantar-Fasciitis.org is a collection of medical knowledgeon Plantar Fasciitis
including Treatment, Surgery, Exercise, and Night
Splint.
Plantar Fasciitis:
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. It occurs when the
long, flat ligament on the bottom of the foot (plantar
fascia) stretches irregularly and develops small tears that cause the ligament
to become inflamed. This inflammation is caused most
often by walking with an abnormal step (abnormal inward twisting of the foot,
called pronation). Over time, this slightly abnormal
step may increase tension on the plantar fascia and cause it to become inflamed.
Treatment without surgery is usually successful in relieving the inflammation
and pain of plantar fasciitis, especially if treatment
is started when the symptoms of heel pain are first noticed.
Plantar fasciitis can be aggravated by certain activities that put repeated
stress on the plantar fascia ligament. Activities such
as prolonged walking or standing, or sports such as running or basketball, can
put additional stress on the plantar fascia ligament.
If the heel pain is not treated, plantar fasciitis can become long-lasting
(chronic) and cause constant heel pain while standing or
walking. Other health conditions, such as being overweight, can put additional
stress on the ligament.
Although plantar fasciitis is a common problem among middle-aged adults and some
athletes, treating can be easy to follow and
usually successful if started soon after the symptoms begin.
More...from Plantar-Fasciitis.org at:
http://www.plantar-fasciitis.org/


13. Get the right fuel for your workout:
Healthy before- and after-exercise meals.
Chances are you're not training for the Olympics, but if you exercise regularly,
take a cue from elite and professional athletes
regarding how to eat to gain the most from every workout. Sports nutritionists
encourage the following strategies for eating before
and after exercise depending on when -- morning, noon, or after work -- you
exercise.
Morning wake-up
Challenge: Fit in exercise and breakfast before work.
Strategy: No matter what time of day you exercise, your muscles need
carbohydrates as fuel, says University of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, sports nutritionist Leslie Bonci, R.D., the dietitian Pittsburgh
Steelers football players seek for advice. And
because you've had nothing to eat all night, your body needs fuel before
exercising in the morning. Make it something "that's fairly
easily digested" so that it doesn't feel heavy in the stomach, says Bonci. She
suggests eating a small carbohydrate-rich snack about
an hour before you work out.
If you're up too early for that, Seattle, Washington, sports nutritionist and
author Susan Kleiner, Ph.D., suggests drinking a glass
of hot cocoa at bedtime the night before. That way, your muscles will have
stored a little extra fuel for the morning.
More...from CNN at:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/diet.fitness/07/14/fit.food/index.html


14. From Runner's World:
* Coach's Corner
Set visible goals: Have a vision of the future. Set specific training and racing
goals, then use those goals to focus your running
life. You have to know where you're going in order to get there. -Ed Eyestone
* Injury Prevention
Shoes that are slightly short, causing the nail plate to become compressed or
separated from the nail bed, generally cause black
toenails. Blood then pools in the space between the two. To prevent black nails,
get fitted for shoes professionally at your local
specialty running shop. Your feet swell during the course of a run, so get
fitted for new running shoes late in the day.
* Performance Nutrition
Drink plain old tap water, bottled spring water, or sparkling mineral water,
which are naturally calorie-free. Some bottled waters
even supply a dose of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. If you're looking
for flavor, try unsweetened iced tea (black, green,
or herbal) flavored with lemon, lime, or fresh peppermint leaves.
* Editor's Advice
"Being mentally prepared won't guarantee you a personal best or even that
you'll run well every time you race. What being mentally
ready to race will do is lessen your chances of doing poorly."
-Charlie Butler, RW deputy editor
* Training Talk
"When trying on sunglasses, see if they'll stay on top of your head. Since
weather can change while you're out running, it's an
added convenience if they stay put in that position." -From Runner's World
Complete Book of Women's Running by Dagny Scott




15. Battle of the Sexes: Body Health Is What They See;
Companion studies show how men and women differ in diet, exercise behaviors to
alter looks.
New research on how men and women view their bodies shows that women who accept
their looks are more likely to eat healthy, but men
feeling pressure to have a lean, muscular image may engage in unhealthy eating
and exercise behavior.
Presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Psychological
Association, in New Orleans, an Ohio State University study
found that men with low opinions of their bodies engaged in dangerous behaviors,
such as eating disorders, steroid use, and an
unhealthy preoccupation with weightlifting. Companion research presented at the
meeting found that women who accept their bodies are
more likely to eat healthy.
The male study included 285 college students who were asked a series of
questions to determine how much pressure they felt to be
muscular and lean from family, friends, romantic partners and the media. The
more pressure the men perceived, the more they felt
they had to live up to the muscular ideals.
"They start to believe that the only attractive male body is a muscular one. And
when they internalize that belief, they judge
themselves on that ideal and probably come up short, because it is not a
realistic portrayal of men," study author Tracy Tylka,
assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State, said in a prepared statement.
More...from Health Scout at:
http://www.healthscout.com/news/1/534327/main.html


16. IT Band Syndrome: Treatment and Prevention:
By Steve Elton
Often an athlete trains to perfection only to be stopped in their tracks by
stinging pain on the outside of the knee. Ice and
medicines can't stop it, and frustration grows as training degrades. This all
too familiar problem runners, cyclists and triathletes
face is caused by tightness in the Iliotibial band, commonly referred to as the
ITB. The correct term for this malady is Iliotibial
band friction syndrome or ITBFS.
The ITB is a broad band of connective tissue that spans the hip and the knee
joints. As it tightens during movement, this structure
rubs against the outside of the femur causing inflammation and pain. So, how
does one approach the treatment of ITBFS? The first
part is finding out the cause.
There are many predisposing factors to ITBFS, which can include but are not
limited to: training errors, improper foot wear,
hyper-pronation, muscle imbalances and a lack of flexibility. The sports
medicine clinician must address any and all issues, and
perform a thorough exam to set up a treatment protocol. In my experience, ITBFS
is most accurately treated by addressing muscle
imbalance and poor flexibility. Once the cause is known, and any training errors
are eliminated, a treatment plan can be
implemented.
The primary reason for the muscle imbalance that leads to ITBFS is actually
simple. The gluteus medius, the primary hip stabilizer
during gait, is located on the outside of the buttocks. This muscle is
constantly firing to keep the pelvis level during running.
Now, the hip joint needs to keep a constant amount of force across itself to
maintain stability. When the gluteus medius fatigues,
other muscle contract around the hip joint to maintain or take over its
stabilizing role. The problem lies in that these muscles are
not designed for the job! This results in gait and the biomechanics of the hip
being altered, and tightness in the ITB is the
result.
More...from the Sport Factory at:
http://thesportfactory.iuplog.com/default.asp?item=190704


17. Two Days before the Marathon:
Hello to all who are participating in the great sport of marathoning. Running a
marathon is a three-fold process: First comes the
commitment to take part in the event. After making this perhaps overwhelming
decision, you then commit to train for this momentous
challenge. With two days to go before your marathon, these most challenging
aspects of the event is behind you. Now it's time for
the most rewarding and satisfying phase of the marathon - the event itself.
Throughout the course and at the finish line, you'll be
provided endless memories and satisfaction. Congratulations on your efforts so
far, and I wish you good luck in your marathon.
To help you relax, enjoy the race and have fun, I want to point out some short
and pragmatic tips for your marathon. I've grouped
them in four categories: training, equipment, nutrition and general tips.
TRAINING
It's important to avoid the common mistakes that many marathoners (including the
professionals!) fall victim to during the week and
days leading up to the marathon. The most common error is training too much too
close to the marathon. Studies have shown that the
training completed in the final days before the race serves no use on marathon
day; if anything it might harm your performance by
leaving you unnecessarily tired or sore.
So take a break for these two days, or go out and enjoy a short walk. If you
feel like you need a run to release pre-race anxiety,
then jog an easy 2 to 4 miles on the day before the marathon. If you do go out
for a short run, make sure to run very gently the
entire time to conserve all of your energy for the marathon.
Another important tip: don't try anything new before the marathon. Absolutely
avoid new speed workouts, weight training, tree
climbing or anything else that you aren't used to. At best, trying something new
will deplete some of your reserves for the race. At
worst, you could get injured. It's best to save your energy for race day.
At some point during these two days, treat yourself to a massage to loosen tense
muscles and relax tight nerves.
In summary, everything you do in the days before the marathon should be geared
toward placing you in the optimum position to run the
marathon of your life.
More...from Uta Pippig at:
http://www.uta-pippig.com/site/85-0-news.html?nid=503


18. Studies Divided on Value of Adding Protein to Sports Drinks:
Two company-funded studies offer differing views on the benefits of adding
protein to everyday sports drinks.
One Canadian study, sponsored by the makers of Gatorade, found that adding
protein to sports drinks does not improve exercise
performance.
"Sports drinks improve performance during prolonged exercise because of two key
ingredients: carbohydrate, which provides fuel for
working muscles, and sodium, which helps to maintain fluid balance," researcher
Martin Gibala, an associate professor of kinesiology
at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, said in a prepared statement.
"Research also supports the practice of consuming protein after exercise to
promote muscle recovery. However, the alleged benefits
of consuming protein during exercise is controversial," he added.
The study included 10 trained cyclists who, on three occasions, did a simulated
80-kilometer (50-mile) race. During these sessions,
the cyclists were given either a sports drink, a sports drink with protein, or a
placebo that provided no energy.
Compared to the placebo, the sports drink improved performance. The sports drink
with protein was no more beneficial than the
regular sports drink, the researchers said.
"Our study shows that protein confers no performance benefit during 'real-life'
exercise when athletes consume sufficient amounts of
sports drink," Gibala said.
The findings were published in the August issue of the journal Medicine &
Science in Sports & Exercise.
However, another study -- funded this time by the makers of the protein-rich
Accelerade sports drink -- found that the drink
rehydrated endurance athletes better than Gatorade or water.
More...from Forbes at:
http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2006/08/16/hscout534324.htm\
l


19. Spinach to the rescue:
Doug Cook, RD MHSc CDE
"I'm Popeye the Sailor Man"..the star of the famous cartoon made spinach a food
well recognized for its powerhouse nutrition. All it
took was a can of spinach for Popeye to gain the strength to take on the world.
It's no wonder Popeye always received superhuman
strength after eating spinach; it's packed with nutrition. While eating spinach
will not produce instant magical effects, it is
exceptionally rich in nutrients such as beta-carotene, lutein, quercetin (a
phytochemical with antioxidant properties), folate,
vitamin K, magnesium, manganese and an excellent source of calcium and potassium
and fresh spinach has only 13 calories per 2 cups.
Raw spinach is a healthy addition to salads or it can be used as the main green
for a salad, but to get the full benefit from this
leafy green, eat it cooked at least some of the time. Cooking spinach makes the
antioxidant carotenoids easier for the body to
absorb much in the same way that lycopene is better absorbed from cooked tomato
products. There are three basic types of spinach:
Savoy: has a crinkly, curly leaf with a dark green colour; it is the type sold
fresh in bunches at most markets. Fresh and crisp,
it's particularly good in salads.
Flat or smooth-leaf: has unwrinkled, spade-shaped leaves that are easier to
clean than savoy; this is the type generally used for
canned and frozen spinach as well as soups, baby foods, and other processed
foods.
Semi-savoy: increasing in popularity, they have slightly crinkled leaves. These
offer some of the texture of savoy but are not as
difficult to clean, they are used for both fresh market and processed foods.
More...from Total Wellness Consulting at:
http://www.totalwellnessconsulting.ca/spinach.htm


20. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine:
* Know When to Change Sports
If your favorite sport causes chronic pain or an injury that does not heal, you
should probably switch to another sport. Two recent
studies from the Argentine Tennis Association followed players with knee and
shoulder problems (British Journal of Sports Medicine,
May 2006). In the first study, men who had anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
tears showed a great drop in their tennis performance.
The knee is just two sticks held together by four bands, called ligaments. Two
ligaments are located on the outside of the knee and
two ligaments cross in the middle of the knee joint. The ACL runs from the
bottom of the upper bone of the knee joint forward to the
top of the lower bone of the knee joint. It prevents the upper bone of the knee
joint from slipping forward when your knee hits the
ground. When this ligament is torn, each foot strike causes the upper bone to
slide forward over the lower bone, shears off
cartilage in the process and hastens a knee replacement. It is downright
dangerous for a person with a torn ACL to play tennis or
run until the ligament is
replaced. Even then the surgical replacement is not as strong as the original
ACL and that person risks joint damage every time he
runs, jumps and turns on his knee joint.
The second study followed older men who had played tennis for many years and had
no shoulder pain, surgery or trauma to their
shoulders. Even with no symptoms, thirty-three
percent of these men had significant x-ray findings of joint damage called
osteoarthritis in their dominant shoulder, and the older
they were, the more likely they were to have this damage. X rays showed
increased incidence of joint space narrowing, joint cysts,
bone fragments, flattening of the joint cartilage, displacement of the upper arm
bone and erosion of the joint cup. If you are a
long-time tennis player and have shoulder pain, your doctor will probably
recommend that you stop playing tennis.
The good news is that switching to a new sport is much easier than starting from
inactivity. Training principles are the same for
all sports. Give yourself time to learn new skills and
build up the muscles you have not used before.
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: What should I eat after a hard workout?
Eating a protein-rich meal as soon as possible after this hard workout hastens
muscle recovery. Intelligently-increased workloads
make an athlete stronger, and anything that helps you recover faster allows you
to do more work. When you feel the burn during
intense exercise, you are damaging your muscle fibers. The pain that you feel 8
to 24 hours after a hard workout is due to muscle
damage. It is now fairly well established that your muscles recover faster if
you eat protein as soon as possible after a hard
workout or competition.
You'll be happy to know that a study from Indiana University in Bloomington
shows that chocolate milk helps athletes to recover
faster from hard exercise than drinks that
replaced only carbohydrates or fluid (International Journal of Sports Nutrition
and Exercise Metabolism, February 2006). Milk is
full of protein, but so are, fish, shellfish, meat, chicken, whole grains and
beans, and so forth. Eat any source of protein that
tastes good to you.


21. Training Hard? Ease off on the Mega-Multivitamin:
It almost sounds counterintuitive: The harder you train the less you may need to
worry about getting your recommended daily
allowance (RDA) of the vitamins and minerals you need to function as a
finely-tuned physiological machine. If you're like most
people, you probably assume that you need a supplement-store's worth of extra
vitamins and minerals when you're burning through so
many calories in a day. But here's what's missing from this assumption: you're
also eating a heck of a lot more food when you train
hard, and if you're downing quality fuel from a variety of healthy sources such
as fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, lean
meats, and fish, then you're already taking in high doses of vital vitamins and
minerals.
While we'd rather see athletes get all their nutrients from food, since a
natural delivery vehicle for that good stuff is always
best, we understand that a basic multivitamin can be an effective insurance
policy against any deficiencies. Just be careful about
the multivitamin you choose. Look for products that provide as close to 100
percent of your RDA and stay away from supplements
promising 500 percent or more of anything. At best those gigantic amounts are
overkill. At worst, they could, with the additional
nutrients flooding your body from food, turn toxic as can happen with an
overdose of Vitamin A.
More...from Carmichael Training Systems at:
http://www.trainright.com/info.asp?action=display&uid=3394


22. Answering your questions about immunity:
Your immune system is crucial in maintaining your health-so it's important to
keep it in good order. But how do you do that? People
talk about boosting immunity as if it were a task similar to building muscles or
reducing blood cholesterol. Hundreds of ads for
supplements and other products promise to boost immunity. But keeping your
immune system in good shape is a complicated task. "How
do I boost immunity?" is really the same question as "What can I do to stay
well?"
How does the immune system fight disease?
Because war is a handy metaphor for the human body's reaction to disease,
science writers like to describe the immune system in
militaristic terms-the body's department of defense. But unlike the Armed
Forces, the immune system has no headquarters or
commander-in-chief. And its operations are usually swifter and more efficient
than any army's could be.
Rather than "making war," your immune system is really more like an immigration
service: a highly differentiated cellular
bureaucracy that supervises your biological commerce with the outside world,
sorts through billions of pieces of information about
incoming materials, and takes routine action as required. Only occasionally does
it declare an emergency.
The immune system's basic task is to recognize "self" (the body's own cells) and
"nonself" (an antigen-a virus, fungus, bacterium,
or any piece of foreign tissue, as well as some toxins.) To deal with nonself or
antigens, the system manufactures specialized
cells-white blood cells-to recognize infiltrators and eliminate them. We all
come into the world with some innate immunity. As we
interact with our environment, the immune system becomes more adept at
protecting us. This is called acquired immunity.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=13485


23. Pilates for back pain:
Pilates routines are an effective method of obtaining the strength and
flexibility that your back needs, in order to function
properly and without pain. To understand how pilates exercises can help reduce
and eliminate back pain, let's first take a look at
how the back works.
Understanding how your back works
When considering back pain, it's important to understand that the human back is
a highly functional and robust part of the human
body. The back is so important because it functions as the support center for
practically every move that we make.
Because the back plays such a pivotal role in the functions of our movement, the
structure of the back is designed to be
exceptionally durable, making it difficult to cause extreme injury. For this
reason, even if you experience severe pain in your
back, in most cases, the damage is not permanent. Pilates exercises can help you
reverse any damage that you may have caused.
The back is a highly evolved combination of bones, muscles, tendons and
ligaments. There are 31 layered back muscles that tie into
the pelvis. These muscles protect the spine by wrapping around it from the neck
to the tailbone. Furthermore the spine's 24
vertebrae are protected by intervertebral discs that lie between each vertebrae
and act as pads that provide cushioning and absorb
shock and impact.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=13469


24. Drink to Your Health:
Sure, you should drink regularly. But exactly how much water do you need? And
why are some runners dying from excessive fluid
consumption.
Your Daily Drinking Requirement
The old formula--everyone needs eight glasses of water a day--is out. It has
been replaced by formulas based primarily on your
gender and body weight. Here are the formulas for moderately active men and
women:
Male Drinking Requirement, in fluid ounces:
Body Weight x .35
Female Drinking Requirement, in fluid ounces:
Body Weight x .31
Example: A 132-pound women needs to drink 41 ounces of water a day (132 x .31=
41). She'll get the rest of her daily water supply
from food and metabolic processes. Runners need to drink extra to cover daily
sweat losses.
As she passed her coach and friends at the 15-mile mark of the 2002 Boston
Marathon, Cynthia Lucero smiled and waved cheerily. It
was typical behavior for the petite Ecuadorian native. According to all who knew
her, Lucero loved life, loved to help others, and
loved running. Seven miles later, however, something went horribly wrong.
It should have been the best of times for Lucero. The previous week she had
defended her doctoral dissertation to become, in effect,
Dr. Cynthia Lucero. The dissertation studied the positive effect of marathon
training on cancer victims and their families. A member
of Team in Training herself, Lucero had run her first marathon 2 years earlier,
finishing in 5:19 at the Rock 'N' Roll event in San
Diego.
Now Lucero was running her first Boston Marathon. She had trained well, and
eagerly anticipated the day. Things seemed to go
smoothly until the 22-mile mark, where she stopped to drink a cup of fluid.
Another runner remembers hearing Lucero say that she
felt dizzy and disoriented.
A few steps later, Lucero staggered briefly, then fell to the pavement,
unconscious. She never regained consciousness, becoming just
the second runner ever to die in the Boston Marathon, and the first to die of
hyponatremia, which is caused by excessive fluid
consumption.
More...from Runner's World at:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,5033,s6-78-0-0-5382,00.html?trafficsource=\
NL_RW_TrainingExtra_2006_08_15


25. Digest Briefs:
* Nutrition: The Best Watermelon May Not Be the Coldest
Some people think that watermelon is more refreshing when it's cool, but a whole
watermelon is more nutritious if it is stored at
room temperature, an experiment performed by scientists at the United States
Department of Agriculture suggests.
In the test, the researchers used three different types, or cultivars, of
watermelon, storing them separately at 41 degrees
(refrigerator temperature), 55 degrees and 70 degrees for 14 days. The findings
appear in the Aug. 9 issue of The Journal of
Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Watermelons contain significant amounts of
lycopene, which is also found in tomatoes and a few
other fruits and vegetables. Lycopene, an efficient scavenger of free radicals,
has been associated with various beneficial health
effects, including a reduced risk of prostate cancer.
At 41 and 55 degrees, the lycopene content changed little compared with fruit
fresh off the vine. But the content when stored at
room temperature increased as much as 40 percent in some types.
Julie K. Collins, a food technologist at the Agriculture Department and a
co-author of the article, stressed that the experiment
used only whole watermelons. "If the watermelon is already cut," she said, "it
needs to stay cold and should be kept in a
refrigerator. We only saw an increase in lycopene in melons that were whole and
had never been cut."
By the time a consumer buys a watermelon, Dr. Collins said, it is usually fully
ripe and can be consumed the same day. But if it has
not been cut, it can be safely stored at room temperature for three or four
days. In that time, its ripeness and nutritional value
may increase.
From the New York Times at: http://www.nytimes.com/

* Quick Tip
What is the best pre-exercise meal or snack?
A primary purpose of the pre-exercise meal or snack is to top off your fuel
stores so you are assured plenty of fuel for your
workout. It is far more critical to be consistent than to try and analyze what
magical food is best. Offering your body the same
snack 30 minutes prior to each workout will go a long way to assuring
consistently great workouts. More importantly, consume the
exact same snack on race day. Figs, nutrition bars, EFS, fruit, PB & J are all
good options.
by Robert Kunz MS, Sr VP Research
From First Endurance at:
http://www.firstendurance.com



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

August 18, 2006:
Weltklasse - Zurich, CH
http://www.weltklasse.c

August 19, 2006:
A Mid Summer Nights Run - Toronto, ON
http://www.amidsummernightsrun.ca

Canadian Sprint Triathlon Championships - Drummondville, QC
http://www.triathlon.qc.ca

Guidant Heart of Summer 10K / 5K - Minneapolis, MN
http://www.heartofsummer.org

August 19, 2006:
Maggie Valley Moonlight 8K/5K, Maggie Valley, NC
http://www.mvmoonlightrace.com/

Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half-Marathon, Parkersburg, WV
http://www.newsandsentinel.com/halfmarathon/index.html

Kids of Steel Triathlon - Ottawa, ON
http://www.ottawakidstri.ca

Television - CBC 4:30 p.m.
Zurich Golden League Athletics

August 20, 2006:
America's Finest City Half Marathon and 5K - San Diego, CA
http://www.afchalf.com/

Humpy's Marathon, Anchorage, AK
Half-Marathon, 5-K
http://www.humpysmarathon.com/

Ironman UK Triathlon - Sherborne, UK
http://iron.ironmanuk.com

ITU Continental Cup Kelowna - BC
http://www.appletriathlon.com

Leading Ladies Marathon - Spearfish, SD
http://www.leadingladiesmarathon.com/

Pikes Peak Marathon - Colorado Springs, CO
http://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/

Thousand Islands Triathlon & Duathlon - Brockville, ON
http://www.somersault.ca/event1000islands.htm


2007 RACE PREVIEW
June 23, 2007:
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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http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html
A running and triathlon resource portal
Runner's Web Online Store
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RUNNER'S WEB AFFILIATE PROGRAMS:
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All revenue from advertisers and affiliate programs goes into the support of
running and triathlon through sponsorship of events,
teams, clinics and fund raising programs for Canada's Olympic athletes.

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SportsShoes in the UK
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TrainingPeaks.com by Wes Hobson.
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Triathlon Meetup
http://triathlon.meetup.com/r/d5n6/d5n6/0/http://triathlon.meetup.com/?a=d5n6/
Triathlon Meetups! Happening THIS month, find out when .

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The Stretching Handbook:
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The Stretching Video in a DVD version. With the DVD version you're able to use
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