A FREE WEEKLY E-ZINE OF MULTISPORT RELATED ARTICLES.
The Runner's and Triathlete's Web Digest is a weekly e-zine dealing with the
sports of running and triathlon and general fitness and
health issues. The opinions expressed in the articles referenced by the Digest
are the opinions of the writers and not necessarily
those of the Runner's Web. Visit the Runner's Web at http://www.runnersweb.com
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questions should be posted to one of our forums available
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Canadian Olympians.

1. Emilie's Run - The Emilie Mondor Memorial 5K Race for Women:
The RunnersWeb5K.com Race for Women has been renamed in memory of Canadian
Olympian Emilie Mondor who died in a car crash September
9th on her way to her high-school reunion. Emilie had just completed a 2 hour
plus run along the Ottawa River during which she
talked with her coach about the upcoming Philadelphia Half-Marathon (September
17th) and the New York City Marathon in November.
For a story on Emilie read Emilie Mondor: Life Cut Too Short at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060913_LB_Mondor.html
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.emiliesrun.com

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

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

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

6. Carmichael Training Systems
http://www.trainright.com/promos.asp?code=DSBYBFCSP


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THIS WEEK:
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worthy of a Guest Column on the Runner's Web, email
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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.
Carmichael Training Systems at:
http://www.trainright.com/promos.asp?code=DSBYBFCSP

* 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.
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* Peak Running Performance
Peak Running Is The Nation's Most Advanced Running Newsletter. Rated as the #1
Running Publication by Road Runner Sports (Worlds
Largest Running Store) , Peak Running caters to the serious / dedicated runner.
Delivering world class running advice are some of
running's most recognizable athletes including Dr. Joe Vigil (US Olympic Coach),
Scott Tinley (2 Time Ironman Champ) Steve Scott (3 Time Olympian) and many more.
This bi-monthly newsletter has been around for over
13 years, and in the past two it has been awarded the "Golden Shoe Award" in
recognition of it's outstanding achievements.
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unningperformance.com
Check out the Peak Running article index at:
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* 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:
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THIS WEEK'S PERSONAL POSTINGS/RELEASES:
We have ONE personal postings this week.
ONE:
Steve Bethune, a middle school teacher from California, is taking time off from
his teaching career to raise funds for the American
Heart Association by running from NYC to San Jose, California. He left NYC on
August 15 and has run about 750 miles as of September
16, most days running 30 miles per day. He has a friend accompanying him as his
chase vehicle driver. His website is at
http://www.aheartinmotion.com and contains progress maps, blogs and photos from
his run.




THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. The Marathon Long Run
How I Prescribe Long Runs for Maximum Success.
2. Body Posture
From Triathlete's Edge by Marc Evans.
3. Multisport: Run and Bike Cross Training
4. Marathon training growing stale? Then take some time off
5. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Music in My Ears
6. 359 Days – 26 miles 385 yards
7. In combo workouts, pacing counts
8. The breakfast hype
Be it eggs or a hearty bowl of oatmeal, morning fare has long been branded the
most important meal. Now some scientists are saying:
Not so,
9. Sweating It Out at the Airport
10. Ten things to do when you finish the last race of the season
11. The Body's Slow Burn
12. All Systems Go
To run your best, you need to learn to read your body's signals--and then react.
13. From Runner's World
14. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine
15. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
16. Engaging the Core (from October 2006 Issue)
Performance Improvement and Back Pain Prevention.
17. Weight Training For Runners
If you want to improve performance, the cardinal rule is: be more specific.
18. Running and Rusting
19. Endurance - Widen Your Horizon
20. From Running Times
21. Trainers Who Want to Be Just What the Doctor Ordered
22. Fat Metabolism At Rest And During Exercise
23. Marathon Training, Phase One - Resistance Training
24. Tip for Runners - Base Phase
25. Digest Briefs


RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"Regarding China's record of human rights abuses, what is your opinion regarding
a boycott of the Olympics?"

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 altitude tents and similar training aids be banned?
Answers Percent
1. No 55%
2. Yes 34%
3. No opinion, don't care 10%



FIVE STAR SITE OF THE WEEK: Emma-Snowsill.com, 3-time World Champion Triathlete.
Emma's site has recently been redesigned.
Emma is a full time Professional Triathlete, totally dedicated to excellence in
this gruelling multi-sport Olympic event.
Competing year round in this, one of the world’s fastest growing sports,
pleasantly necessitates following the summer sun, so each
year between May & October Emma is usually located in the Rocky Mountains of
Colorado USA where the fresh air & high altitude makes
for great race conditioning. From this base she may travel anywhere in the
Americas or Europe depending on her race schedule and the
type of triathlon she plans to enter, until early in the Fall.
From November to April she is based on Australia’s Gold Coast for the southern
summer racing program as the beautiful area has the
best of training facilities and climate.
From there she may race in South America, Africa, Asia, Southern Pacific or the
Middle East.
Training for the sports three consecutive disciplines of 'Swim, Bike, and Run”
typically consumes six hours of Emma's day, six days
a week & involves pool or ocean swimming, biking over mountain passes or open
plains, running endless alpine or beach-side trails,
plus Pilate's& indoor training, very often to music.
At this time in her career Emma mostly competes in the International Triathlon
Union (ITU) governed, Olympic distance, elite women's
World Cup series events comprising a 1.5k swim, 10k bike (drafting / slip-stream
legal), and 10k run for which she has become the
highest awarded woman in Triathlon Sport History.
Additionally, Emma contests non-drafting ‘ironman’ format events over Olympic &
other distances as part of a long term strategic
athletic objective.
Her aim in pursuing this lifestyle is to become the very best multi-discipline
Triathlete that she can be, which is only made
possible through the generous assistance of her wonderful sponsors & supporters.
This website is designed to keep you updated on her progress as she travels &
competes in many countries around the globe, plus you
can ‘Link’ to her sponsors & other interesting websites from here.
Visit the site at:
http://www.emma-snowsill.com


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


BOOK OF THE WEEK: Marathon Training-2nd Edition
Save 30% on Marathon Training, Second Edition!
Reach your race day potential in 100 days, no matter what level of runner you
are, with author Joe Henderson's proven system in
Marathon Training. Road-tested by thousands of runners, this book presents three
separate 100-day training programs that combine
carefully crafted workouts, expert advice, and timely inspirational messages to
ensure your success all the way to the finish line.
Order now and save 30% through September 30th.
About the Product
Once you commit to running a marathon, you need to start preparing for
it—mentally and physically. Marathon Training presents three
separate 100-day training programs to maximize your efforts:
If you can comfortably run six miles and have finished an organized race in the
past, the Cruiser program enhances your chances of
finishing your first marathon.
After you’ve cruised your first marathon, you’ll want to set your personal
record (PR) by using the Pacer program. You’ll run the
entire distance of the race at your own pace and set goals for future finishes.
Whether you want to beat your own PR or someone else’s, the rigorous training
schedule in the Racer program will help you achieve
that goal.
A prolific writer, coach, and runner, author Joe Henderson has designed daily
log pages to help you monitor all the variables that
affect training, including weather and course conditions; training
effectiveness; mental and physical benchmarks; and time,
distance, and pace goals. Each day, as you fill out your log page, Henderson’s
sage advice and “thought for the day” will give you a
greater understanding of, and a deeper commitment to, your goal of running a
marathon.
Use Marathon Training as you would a personal coach: to motivate, inform, and
inspire you through 91 days of marathon training and 9
days of post-race recovery.
About the Author
Joe Henderson has been writing about running for more than 40 years. He’s the
West Coast editor for Runner’s World magazine and the
author of more than 20 books on running, including several by Human Kinetics:
Better Runs, Running 101, and Fitness Running. He is a
columnist with Runner’s World, publishes the newsletter Running Commentary, and
teaches running courses at the University of Oregon.
The Road Runners Club of America has twice named Henderson Journalist of the
Year. He is also a member of the club’s Hall of Fame.
He lives in Eugene, Oregon, with his wife, Barbara Shaw.
Words of Praise
"Joe Henderson has more insight on the running scene, and how it has developed,
than anyone I know. His advice is the gold
standard."
Jeff Galloway
Competitor in more than 100 marathons
Author of Galloway’s Book on Running
"Joe Henderson’s 15-week marathon training plan covers all the bases—and
provides the ideal mix of tips and motivation."
Amby Burfoot
Executive editor, Runner’s World magazine
1968 Boston Marathon winner
From Northwest Runner
"This simply-titled book is typical of the way Joe approaches running -
straightforward - and contains a blessedly small amount of
hype and big promises on the cover. What it does deliver is a common-sense
approach to training for and running a marathon from the
man whose advice Jeff Galloway describes as the ’gold standard’…Throughout the
book are many examples of Joe’s own brand of homespun
running wisdom as well as daily training tips, each worth the price of admission
alone."
Buy the book from Human Kinetics at:
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?associate=880&isbn=0736051\
910


THIS WEEK'S FEATURES:

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


2. Body Posture:
From Triathlete's Edge by Marc Evans.
Perfecting body posture is a fundamental, and perhaps even the single most
important, part of becoming an efficient triathlete.
Sagging, rounded shoulders and a hanging head restrict rhythm and balance and
increase the oxygen debt during movement, whether it
is swimming, cycling, or running. The musculoskeletal system is designed to
maintain posture—the foundation of movement—and support
body weight during movement. Therefore, posture and stabilization exercises for
the muscular support systems are central to
educating the athlete about body awareness.
Because every athlete is different, a “blanket” postural or musculoskeletal
assessment cannot be made. Later in this chapter, we
review parts of the musculoskeletal assessment process as performed in a
physical therapist’s evaluation. A few postural positions
are essential for triathletes to be aware of as they train for competition.
These essential positions are not to be used only when
working out; they are even more beneficial if they become habitual in everyday
activities, as well—from working at your workstation,
driving, standing, rising from a bed or chair, bending over, and so on.
Remember these key postural points:
Always hold up your chin (about three inches above your collarbone) while
swimming, biking, and running. Try running or biking up a
hill with your chin tucked in toward your chest and you’ll see how much more
difficult the effort becomes.
Keep your back straight and your chest high (the high chin will help you with
this). Running uphill is much more strenuous if you
lean forward.
Position your earlobes directly over your shoulders at all times while swimming,
cycling, and running.
Adhering to these three key postural points during your daily training (and
other activities) will help you maintain the
musculoskeletal and anatomical functional positions that will improve your
technique and elevate your performance.
Once you have evaluated and are working to improve your postural position when
training, it’s time to work on the limitations of
functional muscular strength and muscle length (flexibility) that may be holding
back your performance. Functional strength permits
the most effective and efficient performance of swimming, cycling, running,
flexibility exercises, and dryland training.
© 2006 Human Kinetics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Buy the book from Human Kinetics at:
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?associate=880&isbn=0736046\
53


3. Multisport: Run and Bike Cross Training :
Question: Why does it seem like cycling and running are not good cross training
companions when one is trying to excel at running?
Answer: The value of cycling with running for cross training is dependent on
several factors, the most important being the purpose
behind the cross training. To improve running specifically, there are several
areas in which cycling will have limited value.
1. Exercise technique. Running technique is obviously different to cycling
technique. Where cycling has several mechanical-based
constraints that have to be incorporated, running involves the manipulation of
stride length and stride frequency along with the
reciprocal arm pattern required for the upper body. With this in mind, the basic
principal of practice, practice, practice is
appropriate. When cycling, you are using time that could otherwise be allocated
to improving running technique and most importantly
efficiency. For those considering the mental fortitude that can be gained by
improving training time via use of cross training, also
consider that it is hard to incorporate mental running techniques (e.g.,
concentrating on breathing patterns, changing stride and
cadence in relation to terrain, concentrating on arm lines etc) when cycling.
2. Neuro-Motor Patterning. Along with exercise technique comes the neurological
component of motor patterning. While cycling and
running both use similar muscles (lower legs in particular), the muscle strength
ratios, ranges of motion and timing are unique to
each discipline, and numerous research studies have shown a poor transfer effect
(although to be fair, a few have found gains).
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060921_PTontheNet_Cross.html


4. Marathon training growing stale? Then take some time off:
Have you ever asked the question, "Why don't I feel like getting out and running
my scheduled marathon-training miles?"
During marathon training, as weekly mileage increases and the length of a run
may be in the 18- to 20-mile range, muscle damage
takes place at the cellular level.
At first, you may think it is just the body's complete loss of carbohydrate
stores.
If you replace these depleted carbohydrates, take 24- to 48-hours off from
training, then you will know if this is the reason, as
you will once again feel fresh and eager to run.
However, if you still feel like staying in bed the morning of your scheduled
training, you may be experiencing what has become known
as overtraining syndrome. This may also happen to those who are not training for
a marathon.
Typically, once you have reached a stage in training that you no longer want to
get out and do it, it is too late. You are a victim
of overtraining and only complete rest will reverse this feeling.
Over the years, this syndrome has been studied by exercise physiologists. Not
only did they observe its impact on runners, but
athletes in all endurance sports.
These scientists categorize overtraining into three distinct forms.
First is acute exhaustion, found in athletes with a distinguishable lack of
breath, immediately following exercise.
Recovery from this is very rapid.
More...from the Sheboygan Press at:
http://www.sheboygan-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060915/SHE0204/60915\
0646/1882/SHEsports


5. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - Music in My Ears:
Learn that I teach running classes and coach marathon teams, and you'd think I
ran with these groups. I don't, for lots of reasons.
The main one is that almost all of these runners are younger than I am, some
young enough to be my grandchildren. Only a few run at
a pace as slow as mine.
My job is to set everyone off, watch their gear while they're gone and cheer
their return. Which means I spend lots of time -- most
of an hour for the University of Oregon classes, several hours for the Marathon
Teams -- standing and waiting.
These runners sometimes ask, "What do you do while we're out running?" I tap the
device beneath my jacket or shirt and say, "Listen
to this."
A student once asked, "What's that, your pacemaker?" In a way, yes, but not the
way he meant. It's a music player.
I'm one of the world's oldest iPod users. The music library in my computer
numbers almost 2000 tunes and keeps growing. I can
program my own iPod playlists for the workday and travel time instead of
trusting a DJ to do it.
Songs run through my head whether music from an outside source is playing or
not. Always have. And for as long as I have written,
I've shared snippets of songs with readers.
Early selections appeared in my books as epigraphs, the theme-setting quotes at
the start. Authors often chose poetry, but my
choices were song-poets.
For the LSD booklet, I used words from Simon & Garfunkel's "59th Street Bridge
Song" (aka, "Feelin' Groovy") to promote slower
running:
"Slow down, you move too fast,
you got to make the mornin' last.
Kickin' down the cobblestones,
lookin' for fun and feelin' groovy."
My book Run Gently, Run Long took these lines from Bob Dylan's "It's All Over
Now, Baby Blue" to emphasize lessons learned from my
most serious running injury:
"The highway is for gamblers,
better use your sense.
Take what you have gathered
from coincidence."
In Run Farther, Run Faster I quoted Jackson Browne's "Your Bright Baby Blues" to
describe (and somewhat mock) the mindset of a
racer:
"I've been up and down this highway,
far as my eyes can see.
No matter how fast I run,
I can never seem to get away from me.
More...from Joe Henderson at:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/home.php?article=2074


6. 359 Days – 26 miles 385 yards:
Saturday November 12th, 2005 - John McConnell was ridding his bike to meet up
with his friend and coach, Tim McNamara. 6 Days
earlier, Alan Schwartz had achieved his goal of finishing his first marathon,
and planned to meet up with John and Tim that morning
for an easy run now that marathon training was over.
A mile is 5,280 feet, the exact distance from Tim’s house in which the
unimaginable happened. John’s sneaker became lodged
in-between his front wheel and the fork on his bike. This caused John to go from
ridding 20 mph to an immediate dead stop, which
resulted in John flying over his handlebars. John landed on his head, and while
he was wearing a helmet, the helmet cracked in 7
different locations due to the impact. John was put on a backboard and was
rushed to the emergency room. Tim went to John’s home,
rang the door bell with John’s helmet in his hands, and informed John’s wife of
the terrible accident that had just taken place.
After what seemed like eternity, the doctors appeared with what we hoped would
be good news, that John wasn’t paralyzed from the
accident. The doctors informed us that John had broken his neck in 2 places,
both the C1 & C2 vertebras. It was a miracle that John
was still alive after what had happened; it was even more amazing that John was
not paralyzed.
John was facing a long recovery, and decided that he needed a goal to help keep
him motivated while undergoing the months of
physical therapy that it would take to regain the range of motion in his neck.
John decided with the help and support of his friends
that he would train for and run the 2006 NYC Marathon on November 5th, 2006.
Five weeks after the accident, while still wearing a HALO, John took the first
step forward and returned to Tim’s Monday 6 AM spin
class. The class helped to move a recumbent bike into the spin room to better
accommodate John. After a few months of spinning, John
was ready to start running.
The group took their first step forward in April and started their quest to
train for and run the 2006 NYC Marathon. With the motto,
“You are only as strong as your weakest runner”, the groups trains together in
both good times, and in bad. The group plans to be at
the starting line together, and after covering 26.2 miles, plans to cross the
finish line together, all while raising money and
awareness for the Christopher Reeve Foundation (www.christopherreeve.org).
John McConnell, along with Bill Randall, Aaron Drucker, Alan Schwartz, and Tim
McNamara ran the Nike NYC ½ Marathon together as
training run to see how there training has progressed since starting this past
April. The team crossed the finish line together just
under 2 hours and 8 minutes and is looking forward to doing it again on November
5th, 2006.
From Tim McNamara at mailto:mangomcnamara@...


7. In combo workouts, pacing counts:
For most readers — i.e., people who exercise at light to moderate intensities —
performing cardio and strength training on one day
is fine. But the asterisks begin to fly as intensity levels increase.
The majority of exercisers, according to the American College of Sports
Medicine, aren't putting high enough demands on their bodies
to significantly compromise the value of either activity or risk injury.
So do your 20 minutes on the treadmill watching CNN and follow it up with a
half-hour set of strength-training moves. Or do a
strength-training circuit of six exercises with no rest between sets and keep
your heart tapping throughout.
"You wouldn't want to have a heavy lifting day after running 10 miles" on the
same day, says William Kraemer, a professor of
kinesiology, physiology and neurobiology at the University of Connecticut.
That's because your body is restoring energy, rebuilding
damaged tissue and recovering hormones exhausted during the first exercise bout.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-sameday18sep18,1,1660546.st\
ory?coll=la-health-fitness-news


8. The breakfast hype:
Be it eggs or a hearty bowl of oatmeal, morning fare has long been branded the
most important meal. Now some scientists are saying:
Not so,
SHELLEY RATTET of Framingham, Mass., has lost about 25 pounds these past few
months. It was the first time the 55-year-old clinical
psychologist had lost weight in 10 years.
One of the changes she made: Making sure that she ate a good breakfast.
Mark Mattson, a neuroscientist at the National Institute on Aging, disdains the
morning repast. He hasn't eaten breakfast in 20
years, ever since he started running early in the mornings.
He says he's skinny and healthy and never felt better.
Whatever you do, don't skip breakfast.
Breakfast: It's the most important meal of the day.
Such pronouncements carry almost the aura of nutritional religion: carved in
stone, not to be questioned. But a few nutritionists
and scientists are questioning this conventional wisdom.
They're not challenging the practice of sending children off to school with some
oat bran or eggs in their belly. They acknowledge
the many studies reporting that children who eat breakfast get more of the
nutrients they need and pay more attention in class.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-breakfast18sep18,1,3878399.story?co\
ll=la-headlines-health


9. Sweating It Out at the Airport:
TWO hours before his flight to Los Angeles, Mordechai Cohen lay on his back in
the basement of McCarran International Airport in Las
Vegas, pumping iron.
Mr. Cohen muscled out one set of bench presses, then another. Around him, other
guests at the 24 Hour Fitness gym near Terminals C
and D were engaged in similar pursuits — running on treadmills, bicycling in
place, curling dumbbells. It was 8 a.m., when many
visitors to Sin City call it a night. For Mr. Cohen, a long day was just
beginning.
He was headed for work. As owner of VIPnVegas.com, a guest hosting company, Mr.
Cohen, 30, travels regularly to visit high-powered
clients across the country. Between plane time and meetings, his days on the
road involve a lot of sitting. Thanks to this gym,
however, Mr. Cohen now can do it all without missing a workout.
“It used to be that traveling for work meant skipping a day or two at the gym,”
he said. “Now working out is just part of the
routine.”
Mr. Cohen isn’t the only traveler exercising on the go; a number of airport gyms
are making it easier for other people like him to
follow his lead. For a daily fee of $8 to $15, many of these gyms are available
at all hours. Most are part of hotels. One —
McCarran’s 24 Hour Fitness — is independent.
Most of these gyms offer cardio equipment, weights and a few spa services,
including steam rooms, saunas and massage. The gyms have
showers, too, so travelers can clean up after a good sweat. The luxurious
Absolute Spa in the Fairmont Vancouver Airport hotel even
has a lap pool.
“Sometimes our guests come in for a quick swim, take a shower and get right back
to a connecting flight,” said Joseph Lattanzio, the
spa’s general manager. “They see this as a place to burn off some of the stress
they might feel after a day of traveling.”
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/18/business/businessspecial2/18gym.html?_r=1&ref=\
fitnessandnutrition&oref=slogin


10. Ten things to do when you finish the last race of the season:
As the season winds down, some athletes feel lost. These athletes want to keep
training and racing because they had so much fun over
the summer. Other athletes are physically and mentally drained. These athletes
are tired and need a break.
If you are finished, or near finished, with your last event of the season and
you are looking for some ideas about what to do next,
check out the list that follows:
1. If you have been following a structured training plan, take a break from the
structure. Take one to two days off per week, for
two to four weeks, and only workout when you feel like it. Stay aerobically fit,
but keep all the workouts easy.
2. Spend time with your training and racing support team. How about spending
time with them doing something that is not focused on
your racing? Also spend time with people that care about you, but don't get to
spend much time with you in the summer months.
3. Try a new skill. Take some lessons and expand your knowledge base. How about
yoga, golf, rock climbing, dance, singing, play an
instrument, learn to paint or sculpt, ride a horse or racquetball? The
possibilities are endless. This new skill might even help
your racing next season.
4. Read something that is not triathlon or training related. Expand your breadth
of knowledge.
More...from Active.com at:
http://active.com/story.cfm?story_id=13537


11. The Body's Slow Burn:
Understanding your Resting Metabolic Rate and its powerful connection to weight
management and training
By Jay T. Kearney, Ph.D.
In our mania to count every calorie we eat and drink, burn during exercise, or
cut from our diet, there's a calorie number that's
often overlooked: Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). This is the minimum number of
calories your body uses every 24 hours to keep you
alive. It varies from person to person, and knowing your RMR is an important
part of reaching your desired bodyweight or fitness
level.
RMR 101
Sedentary and active individuals can use their respective RMR's for different
purposes. Let's say Couch Potato Bob and Triathlete
Chuck both have identical RMR's of 1,700 Calories per day. Bob's RMR can
represent up to 80 percent of the calories he burns
throughout the day, while Chuck's RMR, because he's so active, may only cover 50
percent of his total energy needs for the day.
Sedentary people like Bob need to know their RMR in order to reduce or maintain
their caloric intake to avoid gaining weight. At the
other end of the spectrum, Chuck and other active types want to know their RMR's
because an accurate tally of their daily caloric
needs helps them make sure they eat enough to optimally support their bodies and
their training. If they don't eat enough to meet
these demands, they'll simply run out of gas before completing quality workouts.
More...from TriFuel at:
http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/nutrition/the-bodys-slow-burn-001603.php


12. All Systems Go:
To run your best, you need to learn to read your body's signals--and then react.
The track at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field is legendary (think Steve
Prefontaine and Coach Bill Bowerman). It's also
really hard. I found this out firsthand after coming face to face with
it--literally--as a college freshman.
I was so psyched to be racing against the Ducks at storied Hayward Field, that I
convinced myself mental strength would make up for
my relative lack of physical conditioning for the 5000 meters. I decided to
stick with the leaders as long as I could. We passed the
one-mile mark faster than I had ever run an open mile. The enthusiasm from the
enormous crowd somehow masked the burning in my
lungs. As we neared the two-mile mark, the leaders pulled away, even though my
legs felt like they continued to pound away at the
same rate. By the last few laps, I was oddly alone and could barely hear the
cheers from the crowd. Ten meters from the finish, I
experienced the leg-lock usually reserved for marathoners. I fell to the sacred
track and wriggled toward the finish line.
Had I been as eager to listen to my body as I was to listen to the crowd, things
could have ended differently. That's because during
any run your body provides internal cues as to whether you're running too fast
or too slow. Ignore them and you're likely to blow up
or deliver a sub-par performance (if not fall flat on your face).
When you start a run or race too fast, all of your physiological systems spike.
Your heart rate, body temperature, and respiration
rate all rise, and sweat production increases. It's the physiological equivalent
of revving your engine. You can maintain these
heightened physiological levels for a short time, but if you don't soon back off
on the accelerator, fatigue will set in.
More...from Runner's World at:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267--6947-0,00.html?cm_mmc=Tra\
ining%20Extra%20NL-_-2006_09_19-_-Training-_-All%20S
ystems%20Go


13 From Runner's World:
* Stride Drills Can Help
Most world-class runners do some sort of stride drills after their daily
workouts.
Over years of running, inefficiencies can creep into your stride. Often, an
injury changes the way you run. Or maybe one leg has
become stronger than the other for some reason, or you've started swinging your
arms across your chest too much.
Stride drills can help. Most world-class runners do some sort of stride drills
after their daily workouts. They know these simple
exercises optimize their stride by searing proper mechanics into muscle memory.
Niggling flaws work themselves out, posture
improves, forward movement is accentuated. Following are four excellent stride
drills to incorporate into your running program (a
level grass field is the best place for them). Aim for two to four of each drill
per session and cover at least 50 meters when you
do each one.
High knees
Just like it sounds. Drive your knees skyward with each stride, like a drill
major in a marching band. Don't worry about forward
speed. Simply lift those knees high. This drill strengthens your hip flexor
muscles and improves your push-off power.
Butt kicks
Almost the opposite of high knees in that you're doing an exaggerated back kick.
Literally, you should be "kicking your butt" with
the heel with each stride. This drill stretches and strengthens your quadriceps
muscles.
Skipping
Yep, just like you used to do in grade school. Use a slightly exaggerated arm
motion to propel yourself upward and forward. Skipping
improves your coordination and push-off power.
Bounding
As if you were jumping from one rock to another, exaggerate your normal running
stride's height and length. Run in slow motion,
alternately letting each foot do all the work of absorbing impact, then pushing
off. This drill improves coordination and
strengthens glutes and calves.


14. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine:
* Protein drinks during competition do not increase speed
Adding protein to a sports drink does not help athletes cycle faster in a
50-mile time trial, according to a study from McMaster
University in Ontario (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, August,
2006). Many studies show that taking in a carbohydrate
drink helps improve performances in athletic events lasting more than an hour.
Two recent studies showed that adding protein to a
carbohydrate drink improves performance even more. However, in these studies,
cyclists worked at a fixed rate of effort, rather than
using spurts of energy as athletes do in competition.
When you compete in an athletic event lasting more than an hour, you need fluids
and calories. In events lasting more than three
hours, you also need salt. Calories come from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
During highly-intense exercise, your muscles use
carbohydrates more efficiently than proteins or fats. So carbohydrates are the
calorie source of choice during intense exercise.
Furthermore, drinks containing protein often taste bad and are not as refreshing
as water, soda or sports drinks, so you don’t drink
as much.
High-protein meals eaten immediately after hard exercise have been shown to help
athletes recover faster, but the data that taking
protein during exercise improves an athlete’s performance is extremely weak. In
competitions lasting more than an hour, athletes
should take drinks that contain carbohydrates, or water plus food. In events
lasting more than two hours, they also need to replace
salt, either with salted drinks or with salty foods such as salted peanuts.
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: Are cortisone injections into joints safe?
A: Doctors often inject cortisone-type medications into painful damaged joints
and tendons. Single injections can relieve pain and
swelling and appear to be safe, but many studies show that repeated injections
can damage joints and delay healing. Most doctors
will recommend having no more than three injections into the same joint in a
lifetime.
Athletes and exercisers often experience pain from injuries to their tendons,
muscles, fascia or ligaments. When an injury heals in
a few days, no treatment is indicated, but
sometimes they persist for months, particularly in the fascia on the bottom or
back of the heel, in the large tendon in the back of
the lower leg, or in the tendons on the elbows or shoulders. Cortisone-type
drugs reduce swelling and lessen pain and can allow an
athlete or exerciser to get back to sports, but cortisone injections can weaken
the tendons for several months.
If you suffer pain in tendons, muscles, ligaments or fascia, check with your
doctor to see if you have a treatable chronic disease
causing it, such as hepatitis or reactive arthritis.
Non-steroidals that are usually prescribed can help to block pain but do not
heal damaged tissue. If you receive a cortisone
injection, make sure that you protect that area from hard exercise for at least
two months.
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: Is there any real proof that exercise prolongs life?
A: Dr. Todd Manini of the National Institute on Aging reports that older active
people who walk, climb stairs, do household chores,
or even wash windows are 69 percent less likely to die in a year, compared to
people who are far less active (JAMA, June 2006).
This study was far more dependable than previous studies because, instead of
using a questionnaire, researchers measured how active
a person was by measuring the metabolic end products of activity. They used a
doubly-labeled water method that directly measures
carbon dioxide production over an extended period, the most accurate estimate of
energy expenditure.
If you are inactive, you should check with a cardiologist who will do a stress
test. If you pass, you should start an exercise
program. If you fail, you should work with your doctor to
correct the problem and then start an exercise program.
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: How many miles should I run each week to train for a
marathon?
A: Many runners have the mistaken impression that they have to run a lot of
miles every week to be able to run fast in a marathon.
Most will find that running too many miles slows them down. To run fast in
races, you have to run very fast in practice. However,
on the day after you run very fast, your muscles will feel sore. If you run
fast while you are sore, you are likely to injure
yourself and not be able to run at all. Take easy workouts until your muscles
feel fresh again. Most competitive runners set up
their programs so that they run fast on Tuesdays and Thursdays and longer on
Sundays. The rest of the time they run slowly or not at
all.
Before you increase the intensity of your running program or any other exercise,
check with your doctor. Once you are in good shape,
your goal on your fast days should be to run
repeat intervals with short rests between each. For example, on Tuesdays try to
run four half-mile repeats at a very fast pace with
a quarter mile jog between each. If you can run a mile flat out in six minutes,
you probably will try to run each half-mile repeat
in about three minutes and 15 seconds. On Thursdays, try to run eight to 12
repeat quarter miles at close to the same pace of about
90 seconds each. On Sunday, try to run briskly for 90 minutes. The rest of the
time, jog slowly, being careful not to run so much
that it interferes with your two fast days and one long day each week.
From Dr. Gabe Mirkin at:
http://www.drmirkin.com


15. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome:
Patellofemoral pain syndrome can be defined as a Retro-patellar (behind the knee
cap) or Peripatellar (around the knee cap) pain,
resulting from physical and biomechanical changes on the patellofemoral joint.
It should be distinguished from chondromalacia, which
is an actual fraying and damage of the articular cartilage of the patella.
People that have PPS have anterior knee pain that typically occurs with activity
and often worsens when going down steps or hills.
The pain can occur with sitting for prolonged periods of time, and affect one or
both knees at the same time.
At this time there is a lack of consensus regarding the cause and treatment of
the syndrome. To understand PPS we first need to
understand the anatomy.
Anatomy of the Knee
The bones that make up the knee joint are the Femur, Tibia, Fibula and Patella.
The Femur has a groove that the patella sets in
which is named the patella groove also known as the patellofemoral groove. It is
lined with an articular cartilage, the same as the
back of the patella.
Ligaments hold the knee together and keep the bones from moving; the ligaments
of the knee are; Anterior cruciate ligament,
Posterior cruciate ligament, Medial collateral ligament, Lateral collateral
ligament, Transverse ligament, and the ligament of
Wrisberg and the medial and lateral meniscus. The medial and lateral meniscus
also works as a shock absorber for the femur and the
tibia so that they don't collapse onto each other.
The muscles that affect PPS are the Quadriceps, Hamstrings, and Planterflexion
muscles of the lower leg. The muscles of the
Quadriceps are the Rectus Femoris, Vastus Intermedius, Vastus Lateralis, Vastus
Medialis; the muscles of the Hamstrings are the
Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, and Semimembranosus. The Planterflexion muscles
are the Soleus and Gastrocnemius. All these muscle
play a role in PPS and the treatment of the syndrome.
More...from The Stretching Handbook at:
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/resources/articles/patellofemoral-pain.htm


16. Engaging the Core (from October 2006 Issue):
Performance Improvement and Back Pain Prevention.
Most runners are familiar with the increased attention the “core” has received
in the popular media lately. Exercises to address the
core are designed to improve performance and prevent back pain and other
injuries. Why then, do many people continue to have back
pain after performing thousands of crunches and sit-ups?
Recent studies suggest that some back pain is closely related to a lack of
muscle activity in key core muscles of the lumbar spine.
These muscles include deep lumbar stabilizing muscles that form a protective
corset around the spine. Activating these muscles may
help prevent low back pain and improve running performance. Unfortunately,
crunches and sit-ups do not automatically stimulate this
are of the trunk. We need to return to the basics to activate this important
area.
One of the most basic core exercises is the Transversus Abdominus (TA)
contraction. To perform this exercise you must first
understand how to find the neutral spine position. This is the back position
that creates balance in the trunk and allows for an
effective co-contraction - or cooperation - among the stabilizing musculature.
To find the position, lie on your back with your knees bent. Slowly press your
low back into the floor then slowly arch your back to
form a hollow space between your back and the floor. Repeat this several times
maximally until you have a good feel for the overall
range of motion. On the final repetition, maximally arch again until you feel
slight tension in your low back. Now, back off about
10 percent until the tension eases. This is neutral spine.
Next, begin the TA contraction. While maintaining the neutral spine position,
slowly breathe in and out, pulling your navel inward
toward your spine or imagine drawing your abdominal contents inward. Hold your
navel inward while continuing to breathe in a relaxed
manner. Maintain the contraction for 5-10 seconds, then relax. You can monitor
the effectiveness of your exercise by pressing your
fingers deeply into the abdominal area just inside the bony protuberances of
your pelvis. You should feel a tensing of the TA in
this area. Perform the exercise in sets of 10 repetitions until you are
confident in your ability.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=8656



17. Weight Training For Runners:
If you want to improve performance, the cardinal rule is: be more specific.
Your best gains in performance will be achieved when key parts of your training
closely mimic what you do when you compete. To put
it another way, the more specific your training, the greater the impact of your
training on your performances. Expressed one final
way, as the specificity of your training increases, the likelihood that your
training-induced physiological gains will actually be
beneficial in your races also increases.
This is absolutely true in running training: conducting 5-minute intervals at
your 5-K pace will do far more for your 5-K race
performances than will long runs at slower paces, and carrying out 10-minute
intervals at your 10-K race pace will improve your 10Ks
more than 25-minute 'tempo runs' at a speed slower than 10-K velocity.
It also applies to strength training. For example, scientific studies have shown
that when individuals isometrically train their arm
muscles at an elbow-joint angle of 150 degrees, they achieve major gains in
strength at that specific elbow angle but almost no
improvements at an angle of 60 degrees, even though exactly the same arm muscles
are involved.
And when strength athletes train with very heavy weights and therefore slow
lifting velocities, they make major gains in their
abilities to handle high resistances at slow speeds, but they're still very poor
at lifting more moderate weights at high
velocities. Conversely, when strength athletes train with moderate weights and
high velocities, they become very adapt at such
activity - but have little capacity to lift extremely heavy weights at slow
speeds.
Expressed yet another way, the performance of slow, heavily loaded strength
training tends to aggrandise maximal strength but does
not improve the rate at which athletes can apply force (ie, it helps their
strength but not their speed or power). On the other
hand, doing explosive stuff makes athletes great at developing muscular force
quickly, but maximal strength doesn't budge. The
latter effect has been documented in work with plyometrically trained athletes;
for example, athletes who carry out 'drop jumps'
during training (in a drop jump, an athlete jumps off a box or step, lands on
the ground, and then explodes into the air as quickly
as possible), develop useful upgrades in the rate at which they can develop
force in their leg muscles, but their maximal leg
strength may not improve by even one uptick
More...from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0096.htm


18. Running and Rusting:
You head out the door for an eight-mile run. Right from the start, your energy
level is down, and your legs feel heavy. After 2
miles of uncharacteristic drudgery, you stop-then jog and walk home.
What's the problem? Could be low iron. Iron is vital to running performance.
Despite this importance, many runners do not monitor
their body's iron levels. Even many physicians do not understand the complete
role of iron for endurance athletes.
To find out the latest on iron and running, the Pfitzinger lab report talked
with two experts in the field, Dr. E. Randy Eichner,
Chief of Hematology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, and
David Martin, Ph.D., of the Department of
Cardiopulmonary Science at Georgia State University. Dr. Eichner has worked with
distance runners and other athletes for over 15
years, and Dr. Martin has been Physiology Chair in charge of testing elite
distance runners for USA Track and Field since 1981.
Why do runners need iron?
Iron is necessary for production of hemoglobin in your red blood cells.
Hemoglobin carries oxygen from the lungs to the muscles. If
your hemoglobin level is low, less oxygen reaches your muscles, and your VO2 max
and racing performances suffer. In addition, iron
is a component of many other substances in the body, such as enzymes in your
muscle cells for aerobic energy production.
With iron deficiency anemia, your iron stores are gone, and your hemoglobin
level is reduced. With iron depletion, on the other
hand, your iron stores are low but not gone, and your hemoglobin is still
normal.
Why do runners tend to have lower iron levels?
Runners tend to have lower iron levels than sedentary folks due to the following
factors: increased blood volume, low iron intake,
foot strike hemolysis, iron loss through sweat and urine, and iron loss through
the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Let's look at each
of these factors.
More...from Pete Pfitzinger at:
http://www.pfitzinger.com/labreports/iron.shtml


19. Endurance - Widen Your Horizon:
What defines endurance? How about running six-minute miles for an entire
marathon with a heart rate of 155—a number most people hit
on a light jog? That's what 34-year-old Tim DeBoom, two-time Ironman world
champion, can do. The secret resides in a body that's
become hyperefficient at burning oxygen to power athletic activity and equally
efficient at removing stride-slowing lactic acid. The
fuel efficiency was cultivated over seven years of consistent, focused training;
the superior lactic flush comes from a few weeks of
race-pace work prior to competition.
Ed McNeely, a strength-conditioning coach at Rowing Canada who has worked with
31 Olympic athletes in 17 different sports, explains
the success of DeBoom's approach. "You can't gain endurance by training at your
limit all the time," he says. "You'll exhaust
yourself before your body creates the mechanisms needed to boost its
efficiency."
Ideally, says McNeely, you should develop your aerobic foundation first and save
speed work for last. "You need to spend at least
six weeks exercising four times a week to build a base," says McNeely. Then,
like DeBoom, you'll go faster and farther each year.
More...from Outside Magazine at:
http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200405/fitness_training_workouts_2.html


20. From Running Times:
* Medical Corner: Avoiding Cramps During the Marathon
Q: I have run three marathons in the last five years--I cramped up the last two
to four miles in the thighs and hamstrings. I am 60
years old, and before the latest of these races, I ran approximately 60 miles a
week. This included four 20 milers and several 18/16
milers over four months, plus some speedwork. Before the race, I ate a light
breakfast, took water and Gatorade every mile after
four miles and took a Clifshot at mile 10. One other thing, I usually run seven
days a week but I do run easy several times a week,
especially after a hard run. What could be my problem, and how do I avoid it in
my next marathon?
A: Muscle cramping occurs due to dehydration, fatigue and/or electrolyte
imbalances. Any of these factors may play a role in your
recurrent problem. I cannot comment on whether you drank an adequate amount of
fluid in your most recent race. Fluid needs are
dictated by your sweat rate and the climate. This may have been an appropriate
amount, too much or too little. You are aware of the
problems associated with drinking an inadequate amount of fluid, but remember
that too much fluid may cause your sodium level to
drop. There is not enough sodium in any of the usual sports drinks to prevent
this from occurring. If you have salt crusted on your
shorts or skin following a workout, you may need to supplement your salt intake.
Fatigue is also a factor. Despite your easy days, you may be over-training. As
we age it takes longer to recover from workouts. You
may want to consider taking a day or two off from running each week, possibly
adding non-impact cross training on these days.
Despite running, you may have weakness in your legs (especially hips) and core
muscles. Consider adding strength training to your
workout routine twice a week.
Your muscles probably have scarring from years of training. Deep tissue massage
and stretching programs may help "loosen up" tight
muscles. Make sure that you have recovered from your last race before training
hard again. Taper adequately before your next race.
Good luck!
--Dr. Cathy Fieseler
* Speedwork for the Marathon
The marathon is about endurance, but that doesn't mean speed work isn't
important. Running faster than race pace improves both
running economy -- how efficiently you can move at pace, or your mpg, so to
speak -- and your body's ability to utilize oxygen for
energy and process the byproducts of that energy production. That said, given
the marathon's distance, you won't want to spend a lot
of time running 400m and 200m repeats all out.
As Peter Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas wrote in Advanced Marathoning, "In the
long run, so to speak, it's your long runs and tempo
runs that have the most relevance to your performance on marathon day, not how
often you've churned out a sterling set of half mile
repeats." They do have workouts such as 8X800 in their schedule, but they have
far more runs of 4-6 miles at lactate threshold pace
(15K to half marathon race pace) and runs of up to 14 miles at marathon race
pace. Bob Glover's Competitive Runner's Handbook
presents a similar strategy, with a preponderance of tempo runs, tempo
intervals, long hill repeats and marathon pace runs mixed in
with a few 800m to mile repeat sessions. The coaches of runners like Paul Tergat
and Tegla Loroupe reported to me that their
athletes' speed work consists of repeats and steady runs at marathon race pace
down to 10K race pace. They do a lot of them,
workouts like 10X2,000m or uphill 12 to 15 mile runs, but keep in mind that they
are also running 120 miles per week.
During your last few weeks of marathon training, make sure to get in some
quality workouts that work a variety of paces and
physiological systems, with an emphasis on tempo runs and marathon pace runs as
you prepare specifically to run 26.2 miles at your
goal pace.
--Jonathan Beverly, Editor


21. Trainers Who Want to Be Just What the Doctor Ordered:
FITNESS clients can make unreliable sources. They may tell their personal
trainer about their recurring back pain, but neglect to
mention their hypertension medication. They may disclose on a health
questionnaire that they are diabetic, but not disclose a bad
ankle sprain. They may feel embarrassed to share that they had a pectoral muscle
removed to treat breast cancer.
Conscientious trainers say they would love to have a better relationship with
their clients’ doctors, mostly to make sure that while
working their cardiovascular systems and muscles they will do no harm. But
breaking down the wall between the gym and the consulting
room has been difficult, say trainers who have tried.
“I’ve been rejected or blown off or gotten the ‘Give me your card’ kind of
thing,” said Derek Dodd, a certified trainer and a
registered nurse in West Palm Beach, Fla., referring to his contacts with some
doctors.
Some doctors are reluctant to form an alliance with trainers, since it’s hard to
know whom to trust, when far too many have
certifications that are questionable, at best.
But some personal trainers not only have more demanding certifications, but also
academic degrees in relevant fields. And unlike
those who push “no pain, no gain,” they say they are concerned not only with how
many pull-ups their clients can do, but also with
how their medications and old injuries may affect their workouts.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/fashion/21Fitness.html?_r=1&ref=fitnessandnutr\
ition&oref=slogin


22. Fat Metabolism At Rest And During Exercise:
Many of my clients ask what they can do to "burn more fat". In order to better
understand fat metabolism, it is important to
understand how fat moves through the body. The two main energy sources during
aerobic exercise are carbohydrates and fat. In this
article, I will give a brief overview of fatty acids, discuss fat mobilization
and oxidation during exercise, and list some factors
that may limit fat oxidation.
FAT VS. Carbohydrates
Most fatty acids are stored in the body in the form of triglycerides. Fatty
acids that are not incorporated into a triacylglycerol
molecule are known as "free fatty acids" (a small percentage of fatty acids are
really "free", most are bound to another compound
such as protein: i.e., albumin). Further, most of the body fat in humans is
stored in subcutaneous (just under the skin) and deep
visceral adipose tissue (fat that surrounds the internal organs). The remaining
percentage is stored in the skeletal muscle cells.
Fat contains more energy than carbohydrates (9 kcal x 4 kcal per gram). In fact,
body fat stores are much larger than carbohydrate
stores. Thus, theoretically, one would have enough energy from fats to last for
days of activity. On the other hand, carbohydrate
stores for exercising muscles may be depleted within just 60 to 90 minutes of
activity.
FAT MOBILIZATION AND OXIDATION
At rest and during exercise, most of the fat used for fuel comes from the
adipose tissue triglycerides. Lipolysis, a breakdown of
triglycerides, occurs when fatty acids are released from the adipose tissue and
delivered to the skeletal muscles for further energy
production, also called oxidation.
When the free fatty acids are released from the adipose tissue, they bind to the
protein albumin. Once inside the cell, fatty acids
undergo a series of metabolic reactions, and eventually become fully oxidized
for the production of energy.
More...from Dr. Kenneth Cooper at:
http://www.coopercomplete.com/articles/article/12.php


23. Marathon Training, Phase One - Resistance Training:
By: David Holt
Phase one of four...Hill training
Marathon Training.
It’s a given that we increase mileage for strength, endurance and the ability to
prevent the wall, by burning fat. Yet many marathon
runners still avoid any form of quality training which also enhance these needs.
Here is a humane way to use all the marathon
training an international class runner will use.
Note: Those reading this with 8 weeks to the marathon can run each training
element three times during a fourteen day period.
Based on material in Running Dialogue by David Holt 280 pages.
Hill Repeats or Resistance Training Marathon race preparation has four phases.
The first three phases each last three to six weeks,
as you increase the long run by 3 to 4 miles per phase--up to a maximum of 20 or
so; AND bring in one special element of marathon
training. The fourth phase is the taper of 2-3 weeks. Phase one is resistance
training; phase two will be anaerobic threshold; phase
three VO2 maximum sessions.
If your current long run is eight miles, you will peak at 20 miles at the end of
phase 3, doing perhaps two 20 milers at five and
three weeks pre marathon. If you are already used to 14 miles each week, you’ll
reach 20 in phase 2, and enjoy six to eight runs at
the 20 mile level. All of you can include the three special sessions during your
preparation. Increased mileage will give you
strength, but resistance training improves strength while you train at high
speed...with minimal injury risk: Running hills, sand,
mud, or into the wind is not easy, but nor is it tough if you simply maintain
the same effort level.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20060921_Holt_Marathon1.html


24. Tip for Runners - Base Phase:
During the winter you should be focusing on two things - building base mileage
and building strength. The majority of your efforts
and training time should be spent on those two goals.
Racing During Base Phase Training
Races are to be avoided. Not all together, but they must fit your training plan
and not take away from your training time or effort.
Don't sacrifice a long workout for a race. If your plan calls for a long ride on
Saturday and a long run on Sunday, it is possible
to race on Sunday. Just add miles before the race. Adding miles before (instead
of after) the race allows you to get in the long
workout and race at less than race effort.
Build Mileage
Increase your mileage during the Base Building Phase. Work in two and four week
training blocks. Weeks one and two do the same
mileage for the week and for your long workout. Week three increase the distance
of your long workout. Week four do the same mileage
as week three. Week five is a recovery week - decrease your weekly mileage and
the distance of your long workout by 10 to 20%. This
will allow your body to recover and rebuild muscle.
More...from TriFuel at:
http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/run/tip-for-runners-base-phase-001610.php


25. Digest Briefs:
* Marathons can upset GI tract
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I'm a beginner marathon runner. I have run one, and that was
last year. About halfway through the race, I began to
have stomach cramps -- not so bad that I had to stop, but bad enough that I had
to slow down for about 15 minutes. I plan to run
another marathon this year, and I'd like to do it without cramps. How do I go
about that? -- R.N.
ANSWER: Long-distance runners often suffer from digestive-tract upsets, and
stomach cramps are one of those upsets. The explanation
has to do with the diversion of blood from the intestines to the leg muscles.
The gastrointestinal tract makes its displeasure known
by cramping up -- and in other ways, like diarrhea, for some.
You ought to start training six months to a year before the actual event. Are
you running distances that approach marathon mileage
(26.2 miles, 42.2 kilometers)? Part of that training is running distances
greater than 16 miles and gradually increasing the
distance to 20 to 22 miles. You can't expect to run these long distances every
day. You've got to give your body a chance to
recover. In the two weeks before the race, don't run such long distances. You'll
retain your level of training by running a more
reasonable number of miles. However, getting your body adapted to long runs will
make your digestive tract immune to them.
During long runs, keep yourself hydrated. Drink water with some salt in it, or
drink commercial sports drinks. You have to replenish
not just water but also sodium during long runs, especially long runs in hot
weather.
On race day, eat at least three hours before the marathon starts. The meal
should be one that's composed mostly of carbohydrates --
pancakes, for instance. Carbohydrates leave the stomach more quickly than fats
or protein.
In the days before the race, stay away from gas-producing foods: beans, onions,
peas, corn, broccoli, apples, peaches and bagels, to
mention a few. Stop dairy products. For some people, they create havoc in their
digestive tract.

* Pre Event Hydration
I recently had an athlete ask me if he could "load" his body with water prior to
an event just as someone would load carbohydrates.
The answer to this question is "no" and "yes." Your body stores carbohydrates in
the muscles and liver as glycogen. This stored
energy awaits utilization on race day. Water, however, moves through the body
very quickly, as you probably have experienced. Once
your body senses it has reached a point of hydration, it triggers the kidneys to
move the excess fluid through your system. Any
water you try to "load" would be quickly eliminated; if it was not, you would
blow up like a balloon.
Although your blood volume can increase rapidly with fluid intake, your cells
hydrate much more slowly. It can take up to several
days to fully hydrate on the cellular level after being dehydrated. The
implication is that, although you have been drinking plenty
of water the day before a race, you could reach the start line still slightly
dehydrated on the cellular level.
The solution to this is to pay particular attention to your hydration several
days before an event. Hydrate often, especially during
and after training. Clear urine is a good indicator although it may be affected
by vitamin intake.
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 and websites. Visit www.thesportfactory.com for more
information or email him at
mailto:coachmatt@...

* Hyperinsulinemia, hyperaminoacidemia and post-exercise muscle anabolism: the
search for the optimal recovery drink.
Manninen AH
Br J Sports Med. 2006 Sep 1;
Dietary supplements and other ergogenic aids are popular among athletes. Recent
studies have demonstrated that nutritional mixtures
containing protein hydrolysates, added leucine, and high-glycemic carbohydrates
strongly augments insulin secretion compared with
the high-glycemic carbohydrates only trial. When post-exercise hyperinsulinemia
is supported by protein hydrolysate and leucine
ingestion-induced hyperaminoacidemia, net protein deposition in muscle should
occur. Thus, post-exercise recovery drinks containing
these nutrients may lead to increased skeletal muscle hypertrophy and strength
in conjunction with appropriate resistance training.
However, the long-term effects on body composition and exercise performance
remains to be determined.

* 30 Years Ago This Week - Erik Ostbye (SWE) won the Goteborg (SWE) Marathon
in 2:26:35, at age 55.
This was a world 55-59 record at the time and still ranks as the #2 performance
ever for this age group.
From the Analytical Runner at: http://www.arrs.net

* Sports Drinks and Tooth Decay: Is the Connection Real?
By Grant Davis, CTS Editorial Director
Last spring, a small rumbling among dentists surrounded the news that sports
drinks such as Gatorade and energy drinks (think: Red
Bull) were more corrosive than sugar-laden Coca-Cola when it came to rotting
teeth. Then later this year, another study expanded the
range of drinks to include lemonade, ice tea, and fitness water, and came up
with roughly the same results but with a twist: It
turns out citrus-flavored juices and drinks are the most corrosive fluids of
them all. But lost in this dental freak-out was the
fact that none of the research tested people, nor did the dentists track
athletes and their consumption of sports drinks. If they
had, they might have spit out very different results.
A Simple Test Doesn’t Translate to Real Life
These studies were conducted on extracted teeth that were dunked for an extended
periods of time in each different drink.
Researchers then deduced how much enamel had been burned off the tooth due to
the acidic nature of the fluids. The initial study by
the University of Iowa, School of Dentistry used visual evidence. The second
study by the University of Maryland’s Dental School
weighed each tooth before and after subjecting them to the liquids.
Our main problem with this method of testing is that it doesn’t replicate how an
athlete chugs down a bottle of, say, PowerBar
Endurance sports drink during a workout. In response to these studies, the
sports drink people point to earlier research which
focused on the dental health effects of athletes who made knocking back a bottle
or more of sports drink a regular part of their
training. In a study sponsored by Gatorade that tracked over 300 athletes at
Ohio State University, no link was found between
drinking a sports drink and dental erosion.
Drink Like an Athlete, Protect Your Teeth
In the course of a workout, you’re more than likely going to turn to a water
bottle filled with a sports drink to meet your
hydration needs. And a water bottle’s design means that most of the fluid
squirts past your teeth when guzzling it down. After all,
your number one aim is to get that liquid down your hatch, not to rinse out your
mouth with it like it’s mouthwash. Also, after your
workout, you’re likely to slurp down a couple mouthfuls, or up to another full
bottle of water, after polishing off your sports
drink to help rehydrate. That water helps flush any residue left on your molars
down your throat.
There is, however, one piece of advice from the concerned dental community that
we do agree with: Don’t brush your teeth after
sucking down a sports drink. Toothpaste is already abrasive, and it’ll work any
corrosive acids from a citrus-flavored drink deeper
into your choppers. Instead, rinse your mouth with some water and eat some food,
which will activate your saliva. Saliva naturally
starts neutralizing acids and helps keep your choppers healthy and whole.
From Carmichael Training Systems at:
http://www.trainright.com/promos.asp?code=DSBYBFCSP


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

September 23, 2006:
St. Luke's Women's Fitness Celebration - Boise, ID
http://www.celebrateall.org

Steve Hall Memorial 5/10K - Ottawa, ON
http://www.events.runningroom.com/site/?raceId=1927

September 24, 2006:
Beijing BG Triathlon World Cup - China
http://www.triathlon.org/?call=TVRFdw==&id=Njg2&keep=sh

Community First Fox Cities Marathon - Appleton, WI
http://www.foxcitiesmarathon.org

GoLite Boulder Backroads Marathon/Half Marathon - Boulder, CO
http://www.boulderbackroads.com

Heritage Oaks Bank Family Fun Run 10K - Paso Robles, CA
USA Masters Championship
http://www.heritageoaksbank.com

Nike Run Hit Remix 5 Mile - Los Angeles, CA
http://www.nike.com/nikerunning/usa/home.jhtml#run_hit_remix

Omaha Marathon - Omaha, NE
http://www.omahamarathon.com/06site/home.html

real,- Berlin Marathon - Berlin, Germany
http://www.scc-events.com/events/berlin_marathon/2006/
Live on Demand from MediaZone at 3 AM EDT
http://www.mediazone.com/channel/marathon/2006/index.jsp

Somersault Duathlon Festival - Nepean, ON
http://www.somersault.ca/eventduathlonfestival.htm

Toronto Waterfront Marathon - Toronto, ON
http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com
Live Results from SportStats
http://www.sportstats.ca/livedefault.php?racecode=55

Turin Marathon - Italy
http://www.turinmarathon.it/

Walt Disney World Triathlon - Florida
http://disneyworldsports.disney.go.com/dwws/en_US/endurance/events/detail?name=E\
ndurance2006WALTDISNEYWORLDTriathlonEventInfoEventDe
tailPage
[Multi-line URL]

RACE PREVIEW:

October 7, 2006:
TransCanada National 10K Championships and Fun Run - Ottawa, ON
http://www.transcanada10km.ca

2007:

June 23, 2007:
Emilie's Run - The Emilie Mondor Memorial 5K Race for Women - Ottawa, ON
http://www.emiliesrun.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
mailto: webmaster@...
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:
*********************************************
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.

Carmichael Training Systems at:
http://www.trainright.com/promos.asp?code=DSBYBFCSP

Reebok
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=h1QosBYBFXw&offerid=117802&type=3&su\
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Your very own personal trainer at a fraction of the cost
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Check out TotalWellness's mp3 Personal Training Program - only 5% the Cost of
Regular Personal Training!
http://www.totalwellnessconsulting.ca/fitter_u_totalwellness.htm

Geezer Jock Magazine, The Masters Sports & Fitness Magazine
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Athletes, Coaches, Trainers and Physio's
...new software designs unlimited stretching routines with ease!
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Mental Strength Training Center:
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National Bike Registry
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Axill
Sony vs Panasonic:
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Buy Paula Radcliffe's book, My Story - So Far, from Amazon UK at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/074325242X/runnersweb-21

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

Instant Stretching Routines
Design unlimited stretching routines today, starting from scratch, in under 60
seconds!
http://www.instantstretchingroutines.com/cgi-bin/a.cgi?a=runnersweb

ShoeWallet.com has set out on a mission to enable people to easily carry ID and
medical information at all times. Basically, anyone
who is out on the roads or trails needs a convenient place to carry this vital
information.
http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?joggerscompanion+pXgxpm+index.html+

SportsShoes in the UK
http://www.sportsshoes.com/index.php?id=149

Visit on AssociatesShop.com Online Bookstore for running and triathlon books:
http://associatesshop.filzhut.de/shop/index.php?ID=90c9f271c1a519abc4a69299be707\
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LX Sport - Leading Edge Sports Products for Women.
"We strive hard to bring you the best fitness and sports products on the market
that we can find. Our product range is constantly
evolving"
http://www.lxsport.com/products.php?PARTNER=runnersweb. Use the promotion code
"RWEB".
This application was recently featured on National TV - please see the following
link:
http://easylink.playstream.com/networknewssource/hdo/onlinetrainer.wvx

TrainingPeaks.com by Wes Hobson.
Find the training program that fits you at:
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/rw

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

TriSwim Coach - The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming
http://hop.clickbank.net/?rhianyth/triswim1

Adidas
http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-2141789-10440258

If you have an accident while running or cycling, do you want your family to be
contacted? Do you want to receive immediate and
proper medical treatment?
If so, make this cool item part of your gear -- for safety and peace of mind.
Road ID has created 4 awesome ways for athletes to
wear ID: the SHOE, the WRIST, the ANKLE, and the NECK. Get your RoadID at:
http://www.roadid.com/?referrer=50

The Stretching Handbook:
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/cmd.php?af=245575
The Stretching Video in a DVD version. With the DVD version you're able to use
the convenient menu facility to:
* Go directly to a specific stretch;
* View only stretches for a specific muscle group;
* Pause each stretch to get a good look at how it is performed;
* View only the introduction and rules for safe stretching; or
* Play the entire video from start to finish.
Buy the DVD at:
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/cgi-bin/at.pl?a=286905&e=products/video-dvd\
.htm


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