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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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. A children's (12 and under) 1K run will
also be held.
More information at: http://www.emiliesrun.com and at http://www.somersault.ca
Online race registration is now available through Events Online at:
http://www.eventsonline.ca/events/somersault_rweb/
We have added a Google Group for Emilie's Run. Join and the group and contribute
at:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/emiliesrun?hl=en

3. Road Runner Sports, the world's largest running store at:
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000010069822.
Check out their Perfect Fit Finder for running shoes.

4. Toronto Waterfront Marathon. September 30, 2007.
http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/

5. The Toronto Marathon, October 14, 2007
http://www.torontomarathon.com

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

7. The ING Ottawa Marathon.
Ottawa's Race Weekend returns next May 25 to 27 with a new course for the
marathon and new (earlier) start time for the
Half-Marathon.
For more information and online entry visit:
http://www.ncm.ca

8. PattSttrap.com.
Free Shipping World Wide on all Products. PattStrap.com Products relieves the
stress and pain associated with ailments facing many
people, including; Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS), Patella Tendonitis, Shin
Splints, Knee Sprains, Runner's Knee, Achilles
Tendonitis, Osgood Schlatter's Disease, Chondromalacia, Plantar Fasciitis,
Chronic Heel Pain, Excessive Pronation, Heel Spur
Syndrome, and many other foot, leg and knee ailments.
PattStrap.com has just launched a full redesign of their website at:
http://www.pattstrap.com/

9. Training Peaks
Training Peaks, LLC is dedicated to the endurance athlete and coach. With our
industry leading software products, we're committed to
help you monitor, analyze and plan your training. We encourage you to draw on
our passion for excellence to help you reach your
athletic dreams. Trusted by thousands. Dedicated to you.
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THIS WEEK:

Our latest advertiser is Training Peaks. Visit them at:
http://www.trainingpeaks.com

The Runner's Web is pleased to be the presenting sponsor for the Mark Allen
triathlon clinic January 19-21, 2007. For more
information, visit www.triathlonOttawa.com

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RUNNER'S AND TRIATHLETE'S WEB CONTENT PARTNERS

ACTIVE.COM
RunnersWeb.com has teamed up with Active Trainer coaches to offer training
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Sign up at: www.RunnersWebCoach.com OR
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* 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
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focus is recreational, advanced, or you are a
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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.
Check out our article archive from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/PPO_index.html
Visit the PPO site at:
Peak Performance Online:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/cmd.php?af=517509

* 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
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Check out the Peak Running 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 postings this week.
ONE:
Hi,
My name is Denis Bernicky and I am the webmaster for Club des courreurs Phoenix
Runners http://www.club-phoenix.org .
We have been collecting stories from runners entitled Why I Run and was
wondering if you could let your membership know about our
desire to post their story about why they run. If they want to check out the
existing stories on the website they can be found at
http://www.club-phoenix.org/listreviews.php?rev=running . We really would like
to grow this into a group of stories from runners all
over the world.
All stories will include the name of the club the runner runs for and where that
club is located. If the club has a website a link
back to that club's website will be part of the story.
Thank you for taking the time to consider this email.
Sincerely,
Denis Bernicky

TWO:
Join Ultramarathon Man, Dean Karnazes, for the most fun events in California -
the 199-mile Calistoga to Santa Cruz Relay Run and
the 128-mile Marin to Santa Cruz Relay Walk. "California's Longest Party" is on
May 5-6, 2007 (www.TheRelay.com). As discussed in
Runner's World (Feb. 2005 cover story), Time Magazine (Feb. 28, 2005), Marathon
& Beyond (April 2005) and on David Letterman (March
16, 2005), 12-member teams run 36 legs through 36 cities from the wine country,
across the Golden Gate Bridge at midnight under a
full moon, to the beach. 12-member walk teams walk 24 legs through 28 cities
across the Golden Gate Bridge to the beach.
Please forward this invitation to your club members and friends who run or walk.
Hope that you will join us for a little (199-mile) run or (128-mile) walk!
Sponsorships available. Find a sponsor (Major level or higher) or raise money
for Organs 'R' Us to enter a free team.



THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. Triathlon: Nutrition Simplified
2. Training Tip of the Month - Why Your Anaerobic Threshold Floats
3. Study says wearing ice vests aids cross country runners
4. A Speed, Power & Core Workout for Triathletes
5. The Three S's of Training, by Joe Friel
6. Better, faster, smarter
Today's shoes do everything except talk-and that's on the horizon.
7. Back of the Pack - No magic pill
8. The Science of Speed - Why you have to train fast to run fast
9. Calf Heart Attacks
Dealing with a Weird but Serious Injury.
10. To Stretch, Or Not to Stretch?
11. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - New Year's Revolutions
12. First Time Marathon Runners - Study Compares Dropouts And Race Finishers -
Motivation Factors Predicted Completion Of Race
13. The Ideal HR for IM Racing
14. This Week in Running
15. Winter Weight Training (Part 1)
Every Human Motion is Muscular.
16. When does REST become DETRAINING?
17. Fifteen Simple Ways To Improve Your Athletic Performance Right Now
Fueling Guidelines That Are Easy to Follow and Incorporate.
18. What is Cortisol?
19. The TRI-SO Perspective
20. Digest Briefs

RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"What should be the waiting period before an athlete is allowed to compete for a
country other than the one of which he was
originally a citizen?"

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:
"In which of the following distances will we see a new men's world record in
2007? (current records in brackets)
Answers Percent
1. 1500M/Mile (3:26:00/3:43:13) 9%
2. 3000M SC (7:53.63) 29%
3. 5,000M (12:37.35) 9%
4. 10,000M (26:17.53) 9%
5. Half-Marathon (58:55) 11%
6. Marathon (2:04:55) 34% "

FIVE STAR SITE OF THE WEEK: SportStats.ca.
Professional Computerized Finish Line Timing and Results
Sportstats is the largest timing company in Canada with over 220 events every
year. We are the official timing company for Ironman
Canada, Ironman USA Lake Placid, Ironman Florida, Ironman Coeur d'Alene, Ironman
Arizona, Ironman Wisconsin as well as the Ironman
World Triathlon Championships in Kona, Hawaii. We also have a US based division
of Sports Technology and Timing System USA in
Delaware. We are also involved with major events such as the National Capital
Race Weekend and every major marathon event in Eastern
Canada.
SportStats has completely revamped their site and they now offer the ability for
an individual to browse up to ten years of their
race results.
Check it out at:
http://www.sportstats.ca/


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

BOOK OF THE WEEK: The Psychology of High-Performance Track & Field
Edited by Ralph Vernacchia and Traci Statler. This is a major contribution to
sport psychology, centering on the needs and problems
of track & field athletes and coaches. Contributors include sport psychology
consultants who have advised junior and senior U.S.
international t&f teams, as well as Olympic teams, along with coaches such as
Rick McGuire and Cliff Rovelto who have special
interests in these areas. Part 1 addresses the basics of psychology as related
to track & field; Part 2 provides mental approaches
and techniques for each event category; Part 3 is the Developmental Path to
Success; and Part 4 covers performance and lifestyle
issues, such as coping with injury, eating disorders, spirituality, stress, and
the like. 29 chapters in all, this is the bible on
the subject. 273pp. Illustrated.
Buy the book from Amazon at:


For more publications on running and triathlon visit:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/human_kinetics.html and
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/amazon.html

THIS WEEK'S FEATURES:

1. Triathlon: Nutrition Simplified:
As coaches of triathletes and other endurance athletes worldwide, we are flooded
with questions on nutrition. The funny thing is,
behind all the five-syllable biochemical names of nutrients, the keys to good
nutrition are really very simple. Our goal in this
article is to help you learn these simple fundamentals. Each time you watch the
evening news or read your local newspaper, you are
informed of some new nutrition "discovery". In reality, what we need to know
about nutrition, to optimize our health, we already
know. The "new discoveries" are mostly interesting bits of science, but
knowledge of these bits is not needed to optimize your
health. In reality, the keys to good nutrition lie in our evolutionary history
and in nature.
Don't fall into the trap of following the latest trends in nutrition attempting
to gain a boost in performance. The truth is that
the principles of solid nutrition have not changed in thousands of years. It is
these principles that should guide you and not the
conflicting 30-second soundbites you hear on the evening news. Ok, to get right
too it, lets look at what foods to eat, why to eat
these foods, answers to common questions, and practical suggestions for how to
gradually implement changes to your daily nutrition
routine that will improve your health and performance.
What Foods to Eat
A few very straightforward guidelines will help you determine what are the best
foods to eat:
. Any foods that would naturally occur in nature and that can be eaten by humans
with minimal processing are good food for you to
eat. These foods that naturally occur fall into one of two categories: plants
and animals. Think of it this way: If you were not a
modern-day human with a car and a grocery store that provided hundreds of
processed-food choices, what would you eat? You would eat
plants and you would eat animals. More specifically, you would eat fruits
vegetables, nuts, and seeds and the lean meat from animals
like fish, red meat (beef, venison, buffalo, etc.), poultry, and eggs. Nature
does not make mistakes. If you eat what is found in
nature, you can rest assured of two things. First, you will be consuming
everything that you need and second, you will not be
consuming anything that you do not need.
. The less it goes through before it goes through you, the better the food
choice. This means that just choosing naturally occurring
foods is not enough. It means that you should also eat foods in as close to
their whole state as possible. When a whole, natural
food undergoes processing of any kind, its chemical structure is changed,
thereby altering its nutritional value. Consider an apple.
You could go to an apple tree, pick an apple and eat it. In this case, you
consume the apple in its most whole state thus ensuring
that you receive all the nutritional benefits of the apple. Then consider apple
pie purchased at your local grocery store. This is
what happened to the apples. First, their skin was removed. Then, they were
chopped up and mixed together with many other
ingredients for the pie including sugars and hydrogentated oils. Lastly, the
mixture of apples and other ingredients were exposed to
350 degrees of heat for an hour. This processing alters the normal chemical
structures of the apples in the pie thus dramatically
reducing their nutritive power.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20070112_THS_Nutrition.html


2. Training Tip of the Month - Why Your Anaerobic Threshold Floats:
Runners need to keep in mind that their anaerobic thresholds (AT's) are not
static, but are a fluid condition. AT's are not always
experienced at the same numbers of beats per minute or minutes per mile. To put
it another way, AT's change with different levels of
fitness. While many runners, coaches and experts typically identify AT's at
around 85% of max effort (i.e., of max O2 uptake), your
anaerobic threshold can range from the low 70% to the high of around 90%. It all
depends on what kind of shape you're in.
For example, let's consider a runner who has had a great season with several
peak performances of new PR's. He then took a couple of
weeks of complete rest in order to recharge his physical, emotional and
psychological batteries. Next, he spent 8 weeks building a
new base foundation of endurance with just easy, aerobic mileage in the zone of
60-75% effort. As a result, he would find that his
cardiovascular system is in surprisingly good shape, as evidenced by his very
low resting heart rate, probably just 4 or 5 bpm's
above his all-time low. However, due to the very aerobic nature of his workouts,
he would also find his anaerobic conditioning to be
quite lousy. Why? Because his respiratory system had done nothing except easy
breathing at these highly conversational levels of
effort and his leg muscles were not used to cycling through a full range of
motion. Thus, with a change of training from Phase 1 to
Phase 2, our example would now find, as he increased the effort and ran faster
paces, that he would start some serious huffing and
puffing, but at surprisingly low heart rates and disappointingly slow paces.
Well, what are workouts for if not to get in better shape? And, sure enough,
over the next several weeks by pushing the effort
harder a couple times per week doing tempo runs or long repeat interval
workouts, it will take faster and faster paces to reach the
huffing and puffing stage. And another surprising adjustment will occur: heart
rates will get higher and higher until they reach
that 85% target HR. Now, there will finally be a much stronger correlation
between the expected number of heart beats and heavy
breathing and the desired paces.
Ultimately, another improvement of several more percentage points can be
realized from a combination of Phase 3 workouts and racing.
At this point I would advise our sample runner planning to run a 5K race that he
should find his AT at race pace somewhere between
85 and 90%. Hello. It's PR time!!
To conclude, let me point out that the three systems that contribute to one's
max O2 uptake¯the cardiovascular, the respiratory and
the muscular¯are all independent systems that can be affected separately by
different types of workouts. Therefore, each can
actually have its own AT. However, when all are fully conditioned to take in,
distribute and absorb O2, you're ready and off to the
races.
- Coach Roy Benson
From Running Times Magazine at:
http://www.runningtimes.com


3. Study says wearing ice vests aids cross country runners:
When runners compete in hot and humid weather, it's no surprise that athletic
performance can suffer. As core body temperature
rises, the risk of heat illness increases. A recent study out of Brigham Young
University showed that wearing ice vests before
cross-country races allowed athletes to start and finish the competition with a
lower core body temperature in a warm, humid
environment than those who did not wear one.
"Warming Up With an Ice Vest: Core Body Temperature Before and After
Cross-Country Racing," was published in the winter issue of the
Journal of Athletic Training, the quarterly scientific publication of the
National Athletic Trainers' Association. The research
subjects were 18 women from an NCAA Division I cross-country running team who
participated in either the 2005 Big Wave Invitational
4-km race in Hawaii or the 2005 Great American 5-km Race in North Carolina.
The ice vest used in the study sported 20 pouches that were loaded with ice
packs. Adjustable straps allowed for a relatively tight
fit to avoid excessive movement of the vest while the athlete warmed up. Four
hours before the start of each race, the athletes
ingested radiotelemetry temperature sensors to record their core body
temperature, which was assessed pre-warm up, just before the
race and just after the race. Then half of the athletes donned ice vests, which
were removed immediately before the race began.
"The results of the study showed that the ice vest slowed the increase in core
body temperature throughout cross-country warm-up and
racing among the participants," said Douglas J. Casa, PhD, ATC, director of
athletic training at the University of Connecticut. and
one of the study's authors.
The report hypothesizes that pre-cooling can reduce the physiological strain
associated with intense exercise in the heat. "Although
our study did not investigate performance among our subjects, earlier studies
have tested the effects of pre-cooling on performance
and observed improved performance in endurance events of this type," Casa said.
In the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, a few American distance
runners and all Australian Olympic athletes were fitted
with prototype ice vests, which were designed to lower body temperature prior to
the start of a race.
"Although the ice vest was only one of many strategies used by the American and
Australian Olympic runners to enhance performance in
the heat, this intervention appeared to be effective among the marathoners who
used the vests," Casa said. "In fact, Deena Kastor
and Meb Keflezighi of the United States exceeded early expectations and earned
Olympic medals - and both of them wore ice vests
before competing."
To review "Warming Up With an Ice Vest: Core Body Temperature Before and After
Cross-Country Racing" in its entirety, visit:
www.nata.org.
-Courtesy National Athletic Trainers Association


4. A Speed, Power & Core Workout for Triathletes:
A challenging speed/plyometric/core course is a great way to introduce some
spice and variety into your triathlon training program,
giving your mind a mental break from the long base training sessions and giving
your body a chance for force and power development
sets, an often neglected portion of
multi-sport training.
This particular workout begins with several dynamic stretching and warm-up
exercises, which is a necessity for any type of high
intensity training. While gentle stretching may sometimes be sufficient for a
slow endurance run, more ballistic stretching is
beneficial for explosive training. After a dynamic warm-up, you will move on to
power and plyometric box training. Force application
potential will be highest early in the workout, which is why you perform these
sets prior to the speed sets. Your speed work will
focus on two primary characteristics of fast runner: a center of gravity that
continually "rolls" forwards and a high leg turnover
rate. Finally, your last set will include several triathlete specific core
exercises, designed not only to improve buoyancy
potential in the water, but also pelvic and abdominal stability for the bike and
run.
Dynamic Stretching
Lumbar Circles - relieves head/neck tension and improves low back mobility.
To perform lumbar circles, stand as tall as possible with feet in neutral
position. Bending to the side with the trunk, allow the
body to "fall" to the side, keeping the arms hanging at the side and the body
limp like a rag doll. Circle the torso in front of the
body, keeping the head and arms relaxed, and back around to the other side. All
movement should originate from the spine, not the
head. Perform 5 repetitions, or "circles" in each direction.
More...from TriFuel at:
http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/triathlon-training/a-speed-power-core-workout-f\
or-triathletes-001758.php


5. The Three S's of Training, by Joe Friel:
When I periodize an athlete's season I consider many issues. One is the general
progression of training from a big picture
perspective. I think in terms of three training elements and rank them in the
order they will be introduced into the athlete's
annual plan. In order they are "skills," "strength" and "specificity."
Skills refer to sport movement patterns necessary for good efficiency. The
athletes I coach start working on this before anything
else-in the Prep period. If skill is poor there is no reason to start doing
endurance training which is usually associated with this
time of the year. You will only ingrain poor movement patterns.
All athletes can improve their basic skills and by doing so their race
performances will improve. A 5% improvement in economy is as
good as a 5% improvement in aerobic capacity-and a lot easier to achieve. Even
when I've coached elite athletes there was room for
improvement of skills. You may need some help with this. Coaches, instructors
and winter camps may be of assistance. The frequent
use of a good video camera may also help you to assess and improve your skills.
Devote at least four weeks to skill training. You
won't have perfect technique in a month but should be able to make great gains.
More...from Training Peaks at:
http://blog.trainingpeaks.com/2007/01/three-ss-of-training-by-joe-friel.html


6. Better, faster, smarter:
Today's shoes do everything except talk-and that's on the horizon.
ATHLETIC footwear's come a long way from the days when runners strapped pieces
of leather to the bottoms of their feet.
The biggest improvements now and on the way involve new mechanisms in midsoles -
the slice of protective cushion between the shoe's
upper and its outer sole - to better absorb impact; shoes that sense the
pressure you need and let you "adjust your ride"; and smart
shoes that incorporate computer technology and provide feedback about your
performance.
Soon, even smarter shoes than today's may strike up conversations with you -
telling you how to avoid an injury, when you're off
balance or to pick up your pace.
"Everyone making athletic shoes is out to accomplish the same goals: absorb
impact, give runners a plush ride, and take the strain
and stress off their bodies," says Patrick O'Malley, vice president of product
for Saucony, an athletic shoe company in Lexington,
Mass.
Breakthroughs usually hit running shoes first, and then basketball shoes.
"Runners and hoopsters tend to be the early adopters of
new technology," says David Cornwell, lead patent attorney for Adidas, which
owns Reebok.
But if you're a baseball or soccer player don't despair: Eventually, the
technology will percolate down to your footwear too. "Every
serious athletic company is making great shoes. Athletes can and should expect a
great fit and better protection," says David
Jewell, director of running for Road Runner Sports, a San Diego-based chain of
running stores.
The hard part for buyers, he adds, is choosing. There is so much product on the
shelves that knowing what to select can be
overwhelming.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-footwear1jan01,1,6360786.st\
ory?coll=la-health-fitness-news


7. Back of the Pack - No magic pill:
By Peter Hadzipetros
They're everywhere - all those annoying ads for things that will help us keep
our New Year's resolutions. And since the top
resolution of them all is losing weight and getting fit we're inundated with
low-cost offers for joining gyms, the latest cheap home
exercise equipment and weight-loss in a bottle.
The diet industry alone is estimated to be worth about $100 million US a year -
including everything from mainstream weight loss
clinics to the latest quick fix pill. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has
slapped fines of $25 million on the makers of four
brands of diet pills - Xenadrine EFX, One A Day Weight Smart, Cortaslim and
TrimSpa - for misleading advertising.
The companies made claims their products are clinically proven to help customers
rapidly lose or control their weight. Some also
said their products may decrease risks of osteoporosis, Alzheimer's and cancer.
Health Canada has not authorized any of the drugs
for sale in Canada.
"You're not going to find weight loss in a bottle of pills," said FTC
commissioner Deborah Platt Majoras.
"By promoting unrealistic expectations, deceitful advertising discourages people
from taking the effective steps that they really
should take to manage their weight."
More...from the CBC at:
http://www.cbc.ca/health/fitness-blog/2007/01/no_magic_pill.html


8. The Science of Speed - Why you have to train fast to run fast:
Have you ever run a 400 so hard you could barely take the last few steps? Lactic
acid kicked your butt, right? Not exactly.
Sprint-induced fatigue is actually caused by a by-product of lactic acid:
hydrogen ions.
When you run hard-faster than 10-K race pace-hydrogen ions accumulate in your
muscle cells, which causes an increase in
intracellular acidity. Since muscles don't function well in an acid state,
muscle contraction becomes impaired and fatigue quickly
follows. Our bodies have the natural ability to buffer, or neutralize, these
hydrogen ions to a certain degree. But buffering
capacity can also be improved through high-intensity training-workouts featuring
lots of short, fast repeats with limited
recovery-which, in turn, can boost performance in hard efforts lasting less than
an hour. In essence, the better you buffer hydrogen
ions, the faster and longer you can sprint without tiring.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Western Australia examined
how muscle-buffer capacity is affected by training at
different intensity levels. In the study, 16 subjects were divided into two
groups. The high-intensity group focused on anaerobic
training, performing two-minute intervals on a cycle ergometer at 120 percent
(week one), 130 percent (weeks two and three), and 140
percent (weeks four and five) of lactate threshold with a short 60-second
recovery between intervals. The lower-intensity group rode
continuously at 80, 90, and 95 percent of lactate threshold, thus staying just
within their aerobic zone. At the start of the study,
the buffer capacity of the subjects in the two groups was the same. After five
weeks of training, the high-intensity group had
improved buffer capacity by 25 percent, while the lower-intensity group had no
change in buffer capacity. In another study, a group
of untrained male cyclists improved their buffer capacity by almost 37 percent
after eight weeks of anaerobic training.
More...from Runner's World at:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244--11274-0,00.html?cm_mmc=RS\
S-_-rwrsshome-_-NA-_-NA


9. Calf Heart Attacks:
Dealing with a Weird but Serious Injury.
It's possible to diddle around with micro-tears for months. One miscalculation
and you might be back to square one.
About ten years ago, I started having a lower-leg problem that I assumed was a
pulled calf muscle. The calf would get tender,
sometimes knotty, after hard training (usually intervals); then a few days
later, while out on a run, I'd feel a sharp pain very
deep in the gastroc, and bingo, I'd be out of business.
The injury would respond to massage and rest, and after a few days, it would
seem to be fine. Here's the tricky part, when I'd start
back running after a few days off, things would go well for a mile or so, and
then, yikes! The sharp pain would be back!
So I'd take a few more days off, more massage, and then start back. Deja vu all
over again. And I found I could repeat the cycle as
many times as I wanted, and the injury would just keep popping back up. It was
the most frustrating injury I had ever dealt with.
I finally mentioned it to my old mentor, Roy Benson, and he set me straight.
"It's probably not a calf pull at all", he said. "More likely, it's a microtear
deep in the muscle. A spasm forms around the torn
muscle, that's the knot you feel in there. It starts to heal; that's when you
think you're OK. But the process takes longer than we
usually think - several weeks at least. When you start back too soon, you're
simply re-injuring yourself".
Roy was right. I found that I had to say off the injury for several weeks, and
even then, I had to take it easy when I started back.
One miscalculation, and I was back to square one. It was possible, I soon
discovered, to diddle around with this injury, literally,
for months. (Ironically, I did pull my calf muscle in a skiing accident a couple
of years ago, and though it seemed to be a fairly
serious injury at the time, I was back to running much sooner afterward than
with this pseudo-pull).
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=6071&c=371


10. To Stretch, Or Not to Stretch?
We all know to do our stretches, right? We might struggle to find time to do
them, we don't really want to do them, but we know we
should do them.right? Well, maybe not. At least that's what the recent research
is pointing to for the sports included in triathlon.
Before we get started, let's go over some basics on the muscle/tendon
relationship. Our tendons are more involved in contractions
than previously understood. The muscle actually doesn't move much at all, but
builds up tension and has the tendon do the majority
of the work. Think of the tendon as a spring; the muscle contracts or relaxes to
control the tension of this 'spring', which then
facilitates joint movement.
There are ideal flexibility levels for certain types of movements. Depending on
the activity you are participating in, you will want
more or less flexibility or 'stretch' in the working muscle/tendon unit (MTU).
If you want to transfer power (swim, bike, run), less
flexibility is better because a more elastic tendon will actually absorb energy.
That means you have to generate more power to get
the same result as someone with a less elastic MTU. This may be why static
stretching prior to activity has been shown to compromise
muscle strength 5 - 30%. In fact, as little as two minutes of static stretching
can impair power performance (1).
In addition to detrimental performance effects, there is evidence that
stretching does not protect against injury, and prior to
exercise may actually increase the rate of muscle injury. There are several
theories as to why this is the case, ranging from
decreased stability from increased range of motion created by stretching, to
increased pain tolerance leading to tissue damage we
could otherwise avoid (4).
More...from Competitor Magazine at:
http://www.competitor.com/article/?Guid=fe01f157-8e07-4fd6-9bf4-05a8f0c3a89f


11. Joe Henderson's Running Commentary - New Year's Revolutions:
You never know when a new year begins just where it might take you before it
ends. The path through those 12 months usually has
little or nothing to do with your resolutions made in early January.
Never was a year of mine more different than intended than 1967. Only my first
marathon, at Boston, would go roughly as planned.
And even it would hold surprises that I couldn't have imagined a few months
earlier. For one, the time would be faster than I'd ever
run again.
That January I was into my first full-time job in journalism but was looking for
a way out of it. The year before, I'd taken a
newspaper copy-editing position by default. It had been the only one available
to me in any field.
I liked the work on the Des Moines Register's sports section, but the
swing-shift hours were killing this morning person. And the
weekend duty, with Mondays and Tuesdays off, was erasing most of my racing
opportunities.
I'd been accepted into a grad-school program at Drake University that would lead
to a teaching credential. This would start in the
fall.
Meanwhile the newspaper work continued, but it wasn't a writing job. I collected
and corrected other writers' stories before they
went into print.
But I wanted to write, and my only outlet at the time was a club newsletter
called Iowans on the Run. It was the humblest of
publications: mimeographed (a word you younger readers might not know; ask your
parents or grandparents) with its pages stapled
together at the top. Only about two dozen runners ever saw this newsletter.
Fateful forces, as yet unknown to me, were at work in early 1967. One was a
draft board that would nab a junior editor at Track &
Field News, leaving a job opening there that needed to be filled immediately.
I'd be available to take that job, my first in this
sport, as editor Dick Drake's assistant in California.
In Kansas a young publisher-editor needed help filling his magazine, then
entering its second year, with articles. By the end of
1967, I would be writing for Bob Anderson's Distance Running News. It would
later become much bigger and better known as Runner's
World.
More...from Joe Henderson at:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/home.php?article=2091


12. First Time Marathon Runners - Study Compares Dropouts And Race Finishers -
Motivation Factors Predicted Completion Of Race:
First-time marathon runners who drop out of training are motivated by different
factors than race finishers, according to a study
presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine
(ACSM) in Denver. Dropouts were more motivated by a
desire to lose weight and gain recognition than those who successfully completed
their first marathon.
Specifically, first-time marathon finishers were less concerned with their
weight and recognition than those who eventually dropped
out of training. The motivations of dropouts were compared to those of race
finishers to see which group's motivation factors were
linked with exercise adherence.
Prior research on marathon runners has revealed participation motivations vary
among individuals. The research team used the
Motivations of Marathoners Scales (MOMS), an instrument designed to measure the
motives of these endurance athletes. Its categories
include health orientation; weight concern; personal goal achievement;
competition; recognition; affiliation; psychological coping;
life meaning, and self-esteem. Their results suggest weight concern and
recognition are predictors of attrition within six months of
beginning an exercise program.
The study focused solely on first-time marathon runners and is the first to
analyze the motivations of dropouts. Other studies have
compared the motives of groups with varying levels of marathon experience,
noting experienced marathon runners are more likely to
have undergone motivational changes since their initial race.
One-hundred six first-time runners completed the MOMS assessment prior to the
first training session. The group was tracked over the
20-week training program, and results from the race Web site were used to
determine the number of race finishers and the number of
dropouts. Of the original group, 31 participants completed training and finished
the race. Seventy-five of the original group
dropped out before the 10th week of training. With these results, researchers
compared dropouts to race finishers on each of the
nine categories of the MOMS.
The dropout rates among first-time marathoners appear to mimic exercise
attrition rates among the general public. The dropout rate
among marathoners was at the high end (70 percent) of the average dropout rate
of exercisers in the general population. The average
attrition rate (50-70 percent) includes all exercise programs lasting for at
least six months. Researchers suspect the intensity of
a marathon training program is the cause for high dropout rates in runners.
More...from mediLexicon at:
http://www.pharma-lexicon.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=60119


13. The Ideal HR for IM Racing:
By Coach Mike Ricci
From the Mailbag:
A question for the first timers, or seasoned Ironman finishers who are familiar
with HR zones for first timer: What is the ideal HR
zone for the Bike & Run portion of a full IM for someone just hoping to finish?
I was thinking it is high Z2 and low Z3. And what is
the BPM difference between Bike and Run LT HR zones?
Answer:
While training for an Ironman race - most of our training should be done in Zone
2 - this is the 'Endurance Zone' - and where we can
sustain an even heart rate for the longest amount of time. Why? When our heart
rate is about 20-30 beats below our Race Pace HR or
Lactate Threshold, we are tapping into the biggest resource we have for fuel -
fat. When we are above this HR and into Zone 3, we
are tapping into more of our glycogen stores for fuel and this supply will not
last very long - maybe two to three hours at most
before it needs to be restocked. The glycogen is a limited supply of fuel, while
fat is limitless. Zone 3 efforts should be reserved
for the final miles of a Half Ironman or even a marathon in a well conditioned
athlete. But going into Zone 3 in an Ironman for an
athlete who is racing for longer than 11 hours, would be a big mistake.
When an athlete takes on a new training regimen or has not been training as
much, they will experience cardiac drift at first. This
is when the effort stays the same, yet the HR rises. I will allow myself to let
this happen once per week when I am starting up my
training again, but typically I back right down and stay within my HR
parameters. Once you have a solid endurance base, you
shouldn't see much in the way of cardiac drift unless you are dehydrated and
that is pretty normal. So, stick with the HR guidelines
you have when you are starting out and try to avoid Zone 3 when in your early
stages of IM training. If you are racing in the heat,
you may need to go on RPE and let your HR drift, but only if you start to take
on extra fuel b/c you will be burning through your
fuel sources quicker.
Training our bodies to work efficiently in Zone 2 will help us keep our HR and
pace even throughout an Ironman. This theory would
hold true for the bike and run portion of an Ironman. When I write a workout and
I give an athlete a 'Zone1-2' workout, I expect the
athlete to find the happy medium and train at a pace they could sustain all day.
What I usually get when I check over a log is "..I
went out too hard, and well I bonked.." or "..I was much faster on the first
hour of my ride and then I kind of faded..."
My solution is to do a better job of explaining 'exactly' what I want from my
athletes. To provide you with a frame of reference, my
LTHR (lactate threshold heart rate) on the run is about 168-171. My Zone 1 ends
at about 155 bpm (beats per minute).
When I run train in a Zone 1-2 workout, and I am running 'easy' which is like a
'guilty pace', and my HR is around 140 bpm. That
would put me close to the top of my Zone 1. When I am running 'Steady' (which I
also call my Aerobic Threshold or AeT) I am usually
around 148-150 which puts me about the middle of my Zone 2. This would be right
about IM effort. After 112 miles, if I can maintain
this HR for another 26 miles, I should be able to run the same pace as I do on
my long runs, with all things being equal.
If you can follow the above and practice the discipline of just running 'Steady'
when you are assigned those 'Zone 1-2' runs, you
will improve your running. Spend as much time as you can running 'Steady' and it
will pay off.
Now how does this apply to biking? Once again, to provide you with a frame of
reference, my LTHR (lactate threshold heart rate) on
the bike is about 155-160. My Zone 1 ends at about 141 bpm (beats per minute).
Most of us have about a 8-12 beat difference between
bike and run LTs.
When I bike train in a Zone 1-2, and I am riding 'easy' I am around 125 bpm.
That would put me close to the top of my Zone 1. When I
am biking 'Steady' I am usually around 135-140 which puts me about the middle to
the top of my Zone 2. With the exception of
climbing hills, I don't ride over 140 in training. Sometimes I may see 145 on a
steep hill, but I quickly get my HR back down by
spinning easy. Most of my 'Steady' or AeT biking is done at 135-140 bpm. Once
again this is my IM pacing effort. Realize that I have
to run 26 miles after this 112 mile bike ride, so I won't punch the accelerator
at all if I want to run well. I hope this helps you
in your IM quest!
Michael Ricci is a USAT Level III certified coach. He can be reached for
personal coaching at mike@.... Please visit
his website at www.D3multisport.com.


14. This Week in Running:
10 Years Ago- Paulo Guerra (POR) won the Cross Internacional del Calzado
(Fuensalida ESP) 10.2K,
defeating Shem Kororia (KEN), Andrew Pearson (ENG), and Fita
Bayissa (ETH).
The women's 5.1K race was won by Mariana Chirila (ROM) who was
well clear of
Fernanda Ribeiro (POR) and Maria Conceicao Ferreira (POR).
20 Years Ago- Roger Hackney (WAL) won the Mallusk Crosscountry (NIR) 8K in a
squeaker
over Gerry Curtis (IRL), both given the same time (24:23). Jon
Richards (ENG)
was 3rd. Liz McColgan (SCO) won the women's 5K by more than 30
seconds over Jane
Shields (ENG). This race is now known as the Belfast
International Crosscountry.
30 Years Ago- Gerard Deegan (IRL) won the inaugural Mallusk Crosscountry (NIR)
8K by an 11 second margin
over England's Brendan Foster. Gregory Hannon (NIR) was 3rd,
another 24 seconds back.
40 Years Ago- Ron Clarke (AUS) won a 2 mile track race in Geelong with a
8:35.2.
50 Years Ago- Nothing of note in the ARRS database.
From The Analytical Distance Runner, the newsletter for the Association of Road
Racing Statisticians with a focus on races, 3000m
and longer, including road, track, and cross-country events.
The ARRS has a website at http://www.arrs.net.


15. Winter Weight Training (Part 1):
Every Human Motion is Muscular.
By Roger Burrows
Every human motion is muscular. If your "cardio" is your motor, your muscles
make up your power train. Stronger muscles transfer
greater force to the ground, and reduce the amount of wasted energy. When you
watch the unfaltering rhythm of an elite runner, you
are watching gifts of genetics and dividends of training. But you are also
watching muscles hard at work.
How often have we said admiringly that elite runners "look like
they are hardly touching the ground." The compliment has considerable truth:
they are definitely touching the ground for a shorter
time than most of us. The shorter the ground contact time, the quicker the next
stride happens. Now multiply even a few hundredths
of a second per stride by every stride in a 10K!
During each stride, the weight of that elite athlete's body is supported by
muscles that contract instantly to provide a solid
platform for the next forward drive. This is muscle strength, pure and simple.
The strength allows the twin actions of support and
drive to take place almost simultaneously.
The rest of us need more time to absorb the impact of each landing, and to
gather ourselves for the next push. We may have the lungs
of an elephant, and the mileage of a Greyhound bus, but when our present level
of strength can't handle our "cardio," energy squirts
away on each stride. All runners perform much the same muscular actions;
stronger muscles perform them quicker.
More...from Running Times Magazine at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=5456&c=82


16. When does REST become DETRAINING?
There have been a few studies done on detraining. How quickly you lose fitness
depends on how fit you are, how long you have been
training, and how long you stop.
From the Mailbag:
I imagine it will be very different for different physiques, different
metabolisms, and different people. But, is there a GENERAL
formula that we could subscribe to? I ask because I travel frequently for work.
While I always attempt to fit in workouts of one
sort or another, it's not always possible. So, I try to plan my rest days and or
easy weeks around this fact. But, I'd like to know
where rest is no longer helpful, but actually becomes detrimental (i.e.
detraining).
Answer:
Hi and thanks for the question. You are 100% correct that athletes will all
differ on how much fitness they lose. How quickly you
lose fitness depends on how fit you are, how long you have been training, and
how long you stop.
Detraining studies
There have been a few studies done on detraining. One group were exercisers that
have been training for one year and then were told
to stop training for three months. These athletes lost about 50% of their
fitness. People who were newer to exercise had it much
worse off. In this study the new exercisers were started on an exercise program
for two months and then told to stop exercising for
two months. These people made huge aerobic gains during the two months of
training, but when they were re-tested after the two
months off, it was apparent that they lost almost all of their fitness gains!
More...from TriFuel at:
http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/triathlon-training/when-does-rest-become-detrai\
ning-001764.php


17. Fifteen Simple Ways To Improve Your Athletic Performance Right Now:
Fueling Guidelines That Are Easy to Follow and Incorporate
By: Steve Born
Proper fueling of the body prior to, during, and after exercise requires
personal experimentation to find the ideal fit for you, the
individual athlete. There is no "one size fits all" approach; we are all
"experiments of one" when it comes to fueling during
exercise. You need to determine, through trial and error in your training, what
works best for you. However, there are some basic
guidelines that will enable you to eliminate much of the guesswork, so you can
more rapidly learn how to properly fuel your body,
allowing you to enjoy higher quality workouts and better race performances.
Some of these recommendations may seem pretty foreign to you, especially in
regards to fluid, calorie, and electrolyte replenishment
during exercise, where some "experts" tell you that you need to eat and drink at
or near depletion rates. Before you subscribe to
and follow those suggestions, consider the words of Bill Misner, Ph.D.:
The human body has so many survival safeguards by which it regulates living one
more minute, that when we try too hard to fulfill
all its needs we interfere, doing more harm than good. If I replace all the
fuels I lose at the rate of 700-900 calories per hour, I
bloat, vomit, present diarrhea, and finish the event walking or at an aid
station. If I replace all the fluids lost all at once, I
end up in the emergency tent with an IV for dilutional hyponatremia. If I
replace all the sodium my body loses at the rate of 2
g/hour, I end up with swollen hands, eyes, ankles, feet, and noticeably labored
exercise, or hypernatremia-induced bonking.
At an easy aerobic pace, the rate of metabolism increases from a sedentary state
to a range of 1200-2000%. As a result, the body
goes into "survival mode" where blood volume is routed to working muscles,
fluids are used for evaporative cooling mechanisms, and
oxygen is routed to the brain, heart, and other internal organisms.
Interestingly, it NOT focused on calorie, fluid, and electrolyte
replacement, as some of the "experts" advise.
Pretty bold words (and warnings), indeed. The truth is that you don't need to
suffer the undesirable maladies Dr. Misner describes;
they're not a mandatory part of being an athlete. If you follow our suggestions,
we believe you will not only avoid
performance-ruining and potentially health-threatening consequences, you will
also have much more enjoyable experiences and achieve
better performances in your workouts and races. These suggestions have their
roots in science and have been proven time and time
again (and again and again) over the course of several years in working with
endurance athletes. You have nothing to lose, and a
whole lot to gain, by testing them in your training. I'm betting that the more
of the following recommendations you adopt and
practice in your training and racing, the fewer problems you'll run into
fueling-wise and the better your performance will be.
More...from the Sport Factory at:
http://thesportfactory.iuplog.com/default.asp?item=226718


18. What is Cortisol?
By Jeff Rocco MD
What is cortisol? Cortisol, known as the regulator of immune response, is a
hormone controlled by the adrenal cortex. This powerful
hormone is also known as an adrenalcorticol hormone, a glucocorticoid and
hydrocortisone or simply cortisone. Cortisol has a
catabolic (muscle breakdown) effect on tissue and is associated with a decrease
in anabolic (muscle growth) hormones like IGF-1 and
GH. Thus reducing levels of cortisol is ideal for an athlete to achieve tissue
growth and positive adaptations to exercise training.
Playing many different roles in your body, cortisol can have a negative impact
on sleep, mood, sex drive, bone health, ligament
health, cardiovascular health and athletic performance, potentially causing
fatigue and inflammation. Its primary functions are to
increase protein breakdown, inhibit glucose uptake and increase lipolysis (the
breakdown of fats). While these effects are
undesirable for endurance athletes, they do serve to elevate serum glucose so
the brain has fuel to operate during times of physical
and emotional stress.

What does an increase cortisol level mean to me?
While cortisol in normal amounts is necessary for proper metabolic function, a
chronic elevated cortisol level has adverse effects
on your health, mood, body composition and performance. Here's the cycle:
elevated cortisol secretion from physical or mental stress
causes fat, protein and carbohydrates to be rapidly mobilized in order for you
to take action against the stressor. This is
sometimes referred to as the 'fight or flight' response. The mobilization of
these nutrients in addition to epinephrine and a number
of other endocrine hormones allows you to take quick action when presented with
stress. During this mobilization, cortisol and
adrenaline increase while DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) and testosterone
decrease. A chronic elevated cortisol level causes your
body to enter a state of constant muscle breakdown and suppressed immune
function, increasing your risk of illness and injury while
reducing muscle.
More...from First Endurance at:
http://www.firstendurance.com/newsletter_cortisol2.html


19. The TRI-SO Perspective:
By Coach Mike Ricci
D3 is offering a new column - from the perspective of the triathlon significant
other - a 'tri-so' as we call it. Since I have a lot
of experience as a tri-so, I am here to offer valuable information into your
triathlete's mood, mindset, and actions. I also hope to
draw attention to the significant other in the triathlete's life by sharing
advice and suggestions on how to manage training, racing
and relationships! My years of being a tri-so, having seen my triathlete race
everything from sprint to Xterra to Ironman races on
different continents - and my own training and race experience - will hopefully
lend to a lighter side of the sport. I hope my
column enlightens you on the triathlete mindset and helps your relationship
prosper in 2007! Enjoy the ride!
The Spouse's Perspective - Resolution Suggestions for '07!
I had to laugh when I heard a spouse proclaim, "now my season is longer", as
her husband verbally committed to several cyclo
cross races this fall/winter. I realized that when you are "involved", this
sport requires a lot of negotiation and compromise in
order to make it work in the relationship. As a spouse of a very invested
triathlete, I thought I might be able to share some
friendly suggestions with other "involved" triathletes and their significant
others. So from this coach's wife, read on and line up
a successful training and race season in 2007 ensuring your partner's complete
support!
Resolution #1
We are there for you. That's right, it's true, we want you to be happy, and
if triathlon makes you happy, then by gosh . do what
you need to do and train! However, remember this: For each race that you might
schedule or plan, that's one day or weekend away from
an activity that your significant other would want to do - with you. Resolution:
For each race scheduled, commit to another day
doing something your significant other plans.
Resolution #2
Spontaneity is essential in any relationship. If every weekend, every
afternoon, every morning is blocked off for training, it
limits the opportunity for spontaneity. Spontaneity and variety add spice to the
relationship - it keeps things diverse and
interesting. A little spice leads to positive results in other training zones
and hubba hubba - who doesn't want that. Resolution:
Occasionally, deviate from the training plan and embrace some variety.
Resolution #3
Speaking of variety, breakfast conversations that start with heart rate
zones, dinner chatter that includes lactate thresholds
and emails that include pace charts are ok to a certain point - 'cause it's
interesting to you and well, your significant other is
probably trying to stay healthy and is - to a degree - almost interested.
However, if your significant other doesn't wear a heart
rate monitor, it's really not so easy to follow along and understand. It would
be like discussing the $25 savings card for future
purchases she just picked up at Ann Taylor because she spent $100 on her new
cashmere sweater. The card must be used before January
1st, and the sales are happening now, so she's got to get back there soon. Do
you like the color? Resolution: Recognize that some of
your significant other's interest are perhaps not your own, but make a
concentrated effort to pay attention to things he/she wants
to discuss.
Resolution #4
Tag-a-longs! No, not the Girl Scout cookies. If you've got a significant
other that likes to train, welcome them as a
tag-a-long. Your training pace might be faster than his/her fastest day, but
sharing the sport together, at any level, is important
to the quality of both your lives. Resolution: Carve out a work out or two that
you can do together.
Implement those resolutions and I'm certain your relationship will blossom and
your race season will hit PRs!
Michael Ricci is a USAT Level III certified coach. He can be reached for
personal coaching at mike@.... Please visit
his website at www.D3multisport.com.


20. Digest Briefs:
The Medical Corner - Running and Menopause:
Q: I have not yet seen any articles on how menopause affects women runners. I am
58 and went through an early menopause. At age 43 I
had surgery to remove my uterus, retaining my ovaries. I realize our bodies go
through many changes after 40, but I was wondering if
menopause causes the body to overheat more than it did before the change. I had
a bad experience with sodium depletion after a
marathon and have been quite afraid since.
A: The average female goes through menopause around age 51 when her ovaries fail
and her menses stop for a period of about 12
months. By leaving your ovaries in place, your doctor actually allowed your body
to go through a natural hormonal menopause, most
likely later than the time of the removal of your uterus. It is the ovaries that
control menopause hormonally, even though you are
no longer having menses due to the loss of your uterus.
Many women will experience vasomotor symptoms, which present as hot flashes and
night sweats, for anywhere from six months to two
years. Less than 3% of women will experience these symptoms for a longer period.
If you are experiencing menopausal symptoms, herbal
supplements such as red clover, soy products, black kohosh and also green tea
can often ease the symptoms.
Your body should not overheat as a result of the changes of menopause. Don't be
nervous about running marathons with sodium
depletion. This is a natural body reaction to excessive sweating. It is very
important to drink lots of fluids with some electrolyte
replacement prior to and during the run. The amount of sodium depletion depends
on the amount of exertion, the distance you run, the
external environment and your own internal core body temperature. It is also
important to dress lightly, pace yourself, and have
fun. As always, learn to read how your body reacts and figure out what
fine-tuning needs to be done to make your race more
enjoyable.
- Sheila Pinette, D.O - From Running Times Magazine
* Training for Altitude
What happens when humans are quickly moved into a high altitude environment is
due to hypoxia as well as other factors. Apparently
the fitness of individuals does not correlate with the occurrence of altitude
related illnesses. The rabidity of ascent, genetic
predisposition and degree of exertion at altitude do. Some recommendations are:
1) Ascending no more than 3000 feet a day.
2) Sleep high, train low. This can be done by traveling to and from altitude
daily or by using a hypoxic tent system.
3) Intermittent hypoxia training. Training through short intermittent
inhalations of 3 to 5 minutes of hypoxic air interspersed with
inhalation of ambient air for 2 to 5 minutes.
From First Endurance at: http://www.firstendurance.com/organic.html




THIS WEEK'S FEATURED EVENTS:
*Please verify event dates with the event websites*
Check the Runner's Web FrontPage for links to the race sites.

January 13, 2007:
St. Pete Beach Classic 5K / 10K - St. Pete Beach, FL

January 14, 2007:
Chevron Houston Marathon / Aramco Half - Houston, TX
USA Half-Marathon Championship

Lahore Marathon - Lahore, Pakistan

Maui Surf & Sand 5K / 15K, Kapalua, HI

P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona - Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, AZ

Richmond Road Races - Richmond, ON

January 19-21, 2007:
Mark Allen Triathlon Clinic
http://home.cogeco.ca/~geordiem/triathlonottawa/2007/home.htm

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
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