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
The site is updated multiple times daily. Check out
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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. 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.
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/

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If anyone is looking for a web mail provider, you might wish to consider
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Advertise your event on the Runner's Web.
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THIS WEEK:
We have a winner in our March Pegasus Quiz. We have a winner! Chris Curtis of
Oxford, UK correctly identified the photo as Valeri
Borzov.

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

If you feel you have something to say (related to triathlon or running) that is
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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
programs that are a balance of aerobic, anaerobic and
cross-training workouts. These training programs are built to get people of all
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Training Log and Analysis:
Log your daily workouts and monitor your progress along the way.
Getting Started:
Set a realistic goal for training. Review the list of training programs
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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
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.
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
13 years, and in the past two it has been awarded the "Golden Shoe Award" in
recognition of it's outstanding achievements.
http://www.clixGalore.com/Sale.aspx?BID=37234&AfID=103794&AdID=5075&LP=www.peakr\
unningperformance.com
Check out the Peak Running article index at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/PRP_index.html .

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

THIS WEEK'S PERSONAL POSTINGS/RELEASES:
We will only post notes here regarding running and triathlon topics of interest
to the community.
We have NO personal postings this week.

THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. Steady As She Goes: Strengthen your ankles and build a solid foundation
2. Pieces of the Weight-Reduction Plan
From Vegetarian Sports Nutrition by Enette Larson-Meyer.
3. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine
4. A fresh perspective on recovery runs
5. How to Grow a Super Athlete
6. A better time to exercise?
7. From Running Times
8. Running takes more effort, burns more calories than walking
9. The Fit Life: Weather or Not, It's a Good Day to Run
10. This Week in Running
11. U.S. study tips scale in favor of Atkins diet
12. The effectiveness of negative strength training
A muscle is taxed more during an exercise's release move than when it's being
contracted.
13. Makers of Sodas Try a New Pitch: They’re Healthy
14. Athletes’ Hearts Bulk Up
Study finds that endurance training enlarges athletes’ heart chambers.
15. Burning More Fat to Increase Periodization
16. Grocery Store Runs
What's the best fuel for before and after your runs? Experiment to find out
which foods work well for you, and hit the grocery store
to stock your home full of optimum pre and post-run fuel sources.
17. The Creatine + Carbohydrate Formula
18. Climate Control
The best tip for keeping warm or cool during wacky spring weather is to work the
gloves.
19. Unconventional Twist in Yoga: Younger Teachers
20. Digest Briefs

RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"Which of the following magazines do you read on a regular basis?
Runner's World
Running Times
Triathlete Magazine
InsideTri
Competitor
Sports Illustrated?"

You can access the poll from our FrontPage ( http://www.runnersweb.com) as well
as checking the results of previous polls.

LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULTS:
"What effect will the acquisition of Running Times by Rodale (publisher of
Runner's World) have on the sport of running?"
Answers Percent
1. Negative 68%
2. No impact 32%
3. Positive 0%

FIVE STAR SITE OF THE WEEK: Athletics Australia.
In 1897, the Australasian Athletic Union was established to coordinate the
activities of the states.
It was one of Australia's earliest national sporting organisations.
It encompassed New Zealand and catered only for male athletes.
In 1928, New Zealand was separated and the name changed to the Amateur Athletic
Union of Australia.
In 1932, the Australian Women's Amateur Union was formed.
In 1977, the men's and women's unions amalgamated to form a united body.
The first full-time officers were employed, which until then, had been run by
honorary officers.
In 1989, the organisation changed its name to Athletics Australia.
The website has recently been completely redesigned.
Check it out at:
http://www.athletics.com.au/


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

BOOK/VIDEO OF THE MONTH: Run Like Hell by Anthony Famiglietti
Fatto A Mano Studios has produced an extraordinary DVD to give fans of distance
running a first hand glimpse into what it's like to
be a professional runner. 'Run Like Hell' is a documentary that takes you
through the beginning of Fam's running career up to the
2006 season. It offers specific training and workout knowledge directly from
Fam, packaged in an interesting and entertaining
fashion. The DVD also includes steeplechase drills and advice on the event in
the extras section. This is a truly unique video that
will both enlighten and inspire you. Watch it, and you will understand what it
takes to 'Run Like Hell'.
Read Scott Douglas's review in the April issue of Running Times Magazine.
Order the video from runfam.com at:
https://shop.runfam.com/displayProductDocument.hg?productId=1&categoryId=1

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. Steady As She Goes: Strengthen your ankles and build a solid foundation:
By Phil Astrachan, CTS Senior Coach
We all know the dreaded feeling of taking a step on unstable ground and feeling
an ankle buckle underneath us. We can be four weeks
or four months into a marathon training plan, playing catch with our kids, or
walking out the front door when it happens. And when
it does it painfully halts any grand ideas we had about taking another step.
Of the injuries faced by walkers, hikers, and runners, ankle tweaks and sprains
account for a fat majority. But here’s the good
news, it’s easy to diagnose whether you’re at risk for this critical joint
failing underneath you (You’d want to know this before
your ankle crumples beneath you on a trail five miles from your car, right?).
And it only takes a couple of basic exercises
performed a few times a week to shore up the ligaments and muscles that support
this crucial structure.
Loose Ligaments Sink the Fit
Three of the most common reasons for ankle sprains and pains are the following:
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_CTS_20070308_Ankle.html


2. Pieces of the Weight-Reduction Plan:
From Vegetarian Sports Nutrition by Enette Larson-Meyer>
The meal plan for an athlete trying to lose weight is similar to the meal plan
for any athlete, but it contains slightly fewer
calories than are necessary to maintain weight. Exactly how many fewer depends
on your body size or total energy requirements and
training and performance goals. I firmly believe that athletes should not
restrict calories during the regular season or peak
season, unless of course they have been benched, are sitting out that season, or
are not expecting a peak performance that season.
Restricting calories is a goal for the preseason and off-season. During this
time, athletes on a weight-reduction plan should strive
to eat 300 to 500 calories per day less than their required energy needs, which
would promote a weight loss of about half a pound to
a pound (0.22-0.45 kg) per week. Athletes weighing more than 200 or 250 pounds
(90-112 kg) can get by restricting up to—but no more
than—1,000 calories a day, which should promote a reduction of one to two pounds
(0.45-0.9 kg) per week. An athlete wanting to cut
weight or body fat during the season should instead strive to improve his or her
eating habits, and then embark on weight-loss
efforts during the off-season. Although it is common for athletes in certain
sports to restrict calories to make weight or cut body
fat, this practice is not healthy and may result in poorer-than-expected
performance.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news/rw_news_20070308_HK_Weight-Reduction.html


3. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine:
* What’s the best time for future athletes to start training?
A study from Sweden suggests that the best time for future athletes to start
training is probably before they go into puberty,
because strength training before puberty gives a person larger and stronger
bones.
The study also shows that the best way to prevent osteoporosis may be to start
exercising against resistance before puberty and
continue weight bearing exercise for the rest of your life.
Having large strong muscles makes you a better athlete, and muscle growth is
limited by the size of the bones on which they attach.
Training before puberty enlarges bones more effectively than at any other time
in a person’s life.
Children who start to play tennis before they go into puberty have larger bones
in the arm that holds the racquet. The larger the
bone, the stronger the muscle. The larger and stronger your muscles, the harder
you can hit a ball. Lifting weights during growth
does not prevent children from growing to their full potential heights, and
children who lift weights with good supervision do not
suffer more injuries than adults.
The study from Malmo, Sweden suggests that exercising while the bones are still
growing may help to prevent osteoporosis. All women
and most men will develop osteoporosis if they live long enough.
A woman has the most and strongest bone when she is 20, and from then on, she
will continue to lose bone every year of her life.
When she stops menstruating permanently at the average age of 52, the rate that
she loses bone increases to 3 to 5 times for several
years.
Men have the most bone when they are age 30, and after that it’s downhill for
them also. You have to exercise against resistance to
make bones stronger. This study suggests that to avoid osteoporosis, people
should start lifting weights before puberty and continue
to weight lifting or other exercise against resistance for the rest of their
lives.
* Speed up Recovery with Food
A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that eating any source
of protein and sugar immediately after finishing a
workout helps athletes grow larger and stronger
muscles (November 2006). Athletes train by taking a very hard workout that
damages muscles. They can tell that their muscles are
damaged by the delayed onset muscle soreness that starts 8 to 24 hours after
they finish a workout. They then take easy workouts
for as many days as it takes for their muscle to heal. They can tell their
muscles are healed when the soreness goes away and they
are able to take another very hard workout. Anything that helps them recover
faster will allow them to do another hard workout
sooner and they will become much stronger.
Extensive research shows that muscles healing occurs when protein building
blocks called amino acids move into muscles cells and
repair the damaged muscle protein. Healed
muscles are stronger than they were before the damaging workout. To hasten
recovery, you need both amino acids and insulin to
drive the amino acids into cells. When your blood sugar rises after eating,
your pancreas releases large amounts of insulin. So
eating foods that cause a high rise in blood sugar (high-glycemic-index foods)
along with foods that are good sources of amino acids
will help muscles recover faster. Many athletes are encouraged to take protein
supplements and sugar gels, but any food sources of
protein and sugar or flour will work just as well. Food tastes better than
supplements and usually is less expensive. Good protein
sources would be seafood, nuts, peanut butter, dairy products, or any
combination of beans and whole grains. High-glycemic-index
foods include fruits, fruit juices, potatoes and bakery products.
* Recovery Heart Rate
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that one of the best tests
to predict your risk for having a heart attack is
your Recovery Heart Rate.
Recovery heart rate is a measure of fitness and a slow recovery from exercise
means that you are out of shape. The study really
shows that being out of shape increases your chances of having a heart attack.
To measure recovery heart rate, exercise on a treadmill until you breathe hard,
record your heart rate, and hold that pace for at
least a minute. Then cool down and measure your pulse rate exactly one minute
after stopping. If your heart does not slow down at
least thirty beats in the first minute, you are in poor shape and at increased
risk for a heart attack. If your heart rate slows
down more than fifty beats in the first minute, you are in excellent shape.
You can also use the recovery heart rate to measure improvement as you get into
shape. This test can cause irregular heart beats in
people with damaged hearts, so check with your physician before you try it.
Cole CR et al. Hear-rate recovery immediately after exercise as a predictor of
mortality. New England Journal of Medicine 1999
(October 28);341(18):1351-7.
~ These articles were written by Dr. Gabe Mirkin, M.D. and used with permission.
Dr. Mirkin is board certified in Sports Medicine
and has practiced for over 40 years. He has completed more than 40 marathons and
was a talk show host of a nationally-syndicated
radio program for about 25 years. For more articles by Dr. Mirkin, please check
out: www.DrMirkin.com


4. A fresh perspective on recovery runs:
By Matt Fitzgerald For Active.com
It is widely assumed that the purpose of recovery runs -- which we may define as
relatively short, slow runs undertaken within 24
hours after a harder run -- is to facilitate recovery from preceding hard
training. You hear coaches talk about how recovery runs
increase blood flow to the legs, clearing away lactic acid and so forth.
The truth is that lactic acid levels return to normal within an hour after even
the most brutal workouts. Nor does lactic acid cause
muscle fatigue in the first place. Nor is there any evidence that the sort of
light activity that a recovery run entails promotes
muscle tissue repair, glycogen replenishment or any other physiological response
that is actually relevant to muscle recovery.
What is the real benefit of recovery runs?
In short, recovery runs do not enhance recovery. Nevertheless, recovery runs are
almost universally practiced by top runners. That
wouldn't be the case if this type of workout weren't beneficial.
So what is the real benefit of recovery runs? The real benefit of recovery runs
is that they increase your fitness -- perhaps almost
as much as longer, faster runs do -- by challenging you to run in a pre-fatigued
state (i.e. a state of lingering fatigue from
previous training.)
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=13761&sidebar=13


5. How to Grow a Super Athlete:
This story could begin in many places — it's about beginnings, after all — but
I'd like to start with the recent evening when my
4-year-old daughter, Zoe, appeared before me wielding a yellow baseball bat and
an important announcement: batting tees were for
babies. From now on, she would hit real pitches, like the big kids.
By way of biography, I should mention that Zoe, the youngest of four, is
considered one of the finest all-around mini-athletes in
the history of our house. She's widely celebrated for her ability to throw balls
really far, to hop on one foot across the whole
front porch, and to run faster than a superfast airplane can fly. So as I walked
(and she raced) down to the basement and located an
inflatable purple ball, I fully expected Zoe to take to hitting like she'd taken
to everything else.
But Zoe, it turned out, pretty much stunk.
Toss after toss, she missed. Five tosses. Then 10. I tried throwing the ball
softer, harder, lower, higher. I got a different bat,
offered advice and abundant encouragement, tried covertly to pitch the ball so
it hit the bat. Nothing worked. Zoe whiffed with
virtuosity and enthusiasm. Against my nobler instincts, I found myself, like the
purple ball, getting a bit deflated. I felt as if I
were receiving a grimly polite report suggesting that Zoe, despite her athletic
promise, had regrettably tested negative for
hand-eye coordination.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/sports/playmagazine/04play-talent.html?_r=1&re\
f=fitnessandnutrition&oref=slogin


6. A better time to exercise?
By Peter Hadzipetros
Been trying to fit in that workout? No time like the present, right? Well, maybe
not.
Seems your body may respond better to physical exertion at certain times of the
day. It's all about circadian rhythm — a kind of
biological clock that's generated within your body and reset almost every 24
hours.
Circadian rhythms are in almost every organism — plant or animal. There are
enough researchers interested in them that they have
their own journal, where you can catch up on the latest research, like the
effects of altitude on circadian rhythm of adult
locomotor activity in Himalayan strains of Drosophila Helvetica or theories on
how central fatigue may limit endurance capacities
for race horses.
May sound a tad obscure. But there could be implications for people, too.
A group of researchers wanted to find out whether there was an optimum time for
elite swimmers to compete, taking into account the
possibility of a circadian rhythm.
More...from the CBC at:
http://www.cbc.ca/health/fitness-blog/2007/02/a_better_time_to_exercise.html


7. From Running Times:
* Training Tip of the Month - Floating AT's
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. Or put
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%. In
short, 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 thru 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.
Many Happy Heart Beats,
– Coach Roy Benson
* Medical Corner - Cramping/Tightness of Diaphragm
Q: I am 35 years old and started seriously running about 3 years ago. I have
completed 6 marathons. During the last 4 races, I have
experienced a cramping/tightening in my diaphragm that forces me to take quick,
shallow breaths. This problem occurs late in the
race (anywhere between miles 17 and 22) and seems to start as a side stitch that
quickly moves into the diaphragm area. It forced me
to walk in one race, but I ran through it in the other three. Once it's gone,
it's gone for the rest of the race. I have had a full
cardiac work-up, complete with stress test, and all tests have come back great.
I do not experience this problem on any other run
(training runs, shorter races, etc.) except in an actual marathon.
A: Since you are new to running, I am guessing that you have been trying to
improve your marathon PR during the last several races.
The tightness or cramping that you describe may be due to irritation of your
diaphragm or more likely, spasm of some of your chest
muscles. The prolonged periods of rapid breathing while racing a marathon,
possibly in conjunction with a breakdown of running form
and dehydration, can cause this problem. The soreness after the race is akin to
the leg soreness that you experience.
Here are a few things that may help. Your long runs are typically slower than
marathon pace and your speedwork is faster, but for a
much shorter distance. Add runs at your planned marathon pace to your training
schedule. Start at 6 or 7 miles and build up to 15
miles. Become accustomed to running at this pace for a longer period of time.
Make sure that you are staying well hydrated. Check your weight prior to and
following your longer runs. Each pound of weight that
you lose is equivalent to a 16-ounce fluid deficit. You generate more heat when
training at a greater intensity, so check your
weight when you do your planned marathon pace runs. During longer runs, have
someone check your running form intermittently,
especially as you become tired. Many runners increase their forward lean as they
fatigue, which puts stress on the trunk muscles
(including the chest wall).
Hope this helps.
– Dr. Cathy Fieseler
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8. Running takes more effort, burns more calories than walking:
Q: I have always heard that whether walking or running a mile, a person burns
the same number of calories. Is this a fact?
A: For years exercise physiologists believed running or walking the same
distance burned about the same number of calories. The
reasoning was that although a person burned more calories per minute running
(versus walking) it took much less time to cover the
same distance so the caloric expenditure evened out. Simple physics seemed to
dictate that the same person covering the same
distance (walking versus running) burns about the same number of calories
although the times will differ. Recent evidence, however,
indicates running burns far more calories per distance covered than walking.
Running and walking are excellent forms of exercise because they are the primary
forms of human movement. In a recent study
published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, a group of Syracuse
University researchers measured the calories burned by 12
men and 12 women while walking and running 1,600 meters (about a mile) on a
treadmill. The results showed that per mile, men burned
an average of 124 calories while running, and just 88 while walking. Women
burned 105 calories running and 74 walking. Men burn more
calories simply because they are larger.
Runner's World magazine published a great article on this exact subject by Amby
Burfoot. Burfoot stated, according to professors
David Swain of Old Dominion University and Ray Moss of Furman University, that
walking causes a person to keep their legs mostly
straight putting their center of gravity just above their legs. While running, a
person jumps from one foot to the other At times
the runner is totally in the air - not so with walking. Each jump of the foot
raises and lowers the center of gravity and this
continual rise and fall of body weight requires an incredible amount of force to
fight gravity on both takeoff and landing. This
causes running to burn about 50 percent more calories than walking.
Walking is still a great aerobic exercise - burning calories, strengthening the
heart and relieving stress. It should also be noted
that running isn't for everyone and proper shoes and instruction are a must for
beginners. According to the article, your total
calorie burn per mile is .75 times your body weight (in pounds) for running and
.53 times your weight for walking.
More...from the Clarion Ledger at:
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070306/HEALTH/70306031\
9/1242/health


9. The Fit Life: Weather or Not, It's a Good Day to Run:
This article was written by Take The Magic Step™ team member Scott Douglas, a
runner since 1979 and a writer about the sport for
almost as long.
Those of us who haven’t been to San Diego will have to take it on faith that 70
degrees and sunny gets old ’round about the 138th
consecutive day. But wouldn’t it be great to find out for ourselves? From my
perspective on the Maine coast, the main drawback would
be having to come up with a whole new list of gripes once “It’s too
cold/hot/rainy/snowy/windy/icy” are taken away. I suppose you
could always complain that there’s nothing to complain about.
Like most people, runners complain about the weather and don’t do anything about
it. But unlike most people, we often do something
despite it. One of the great appeals of running its minimalism—little gear
needed, all the world a playing surface. So unlike
participants in other sports, who might occasionally face a snow-covered tennis
court or roads too icy for cycling, we’re usually
out there plying our craft regardless of conditions. In fact, sometimes plying
our craft because of the conditions. I can’t be the
only one who has gone out on the coldest day of the year just to see what
running in a -30 wind chill feels like.
There have been, alas, lapses. Some days, my primal self has shuddered
insistently enough at the thought of being half an hour from
home in the day’s dreadful weather to win out, even though my rational self
argues for at least a token run. (Or is it my rational
self that opts for the day off? Better not probe this one too deeply.) I can
honestly say that I’ve never regretted going for a run
on horrible-weather days, but I have gone to bed a little disappointed with
myself when Wimpy Scott has prevailed. Fortunately, I
now own a treadmill, so I don’t miss days because of weather, thereby freeing me
to berate myself in bed for other of the day’s
shortcomings.
More...from Uta Pippig at:
http://www.uta-pippig.com/site/85-0-news.html?nid=813


10. This Week in Running:
10 Years Ago- Todd Williams won the USA Indoor Champs (GA/USA) 3000m in
7:50.49, comfortably ahead
of Marc Davis (7:55.00) and Reuben Reina (7:55.66). Amy Rudolph
took the women's title
in 9:01.27 with Cheri Kenah (9:01.54) and Tracy Dahl (9:11.55)
following.
20 Years Ago- Carla Buerskens (NED) won the Nagoya International Women's (JPN)
Marathon in 2:28:27.
Kazue Kojima (JPN) was well back with 2:34:59 and Kersti Jakobsen
(DEN) was 3rd in
2:35:37. Toshihiko Seko (JPN) won the men's 30K in 1:28:52, only
six seconds off the
world record. Shuzo Nakajima (JPN) was next in 1:32:02. The
men's 30K was discontinued
after the 1995 race.
30 Years Ago- Karel Lismont won the Belgian Crosscountry Champs 12K, 18 seconds
up on Leon Schots.
Hendrik Schoofs was 3rd, one second behind Schots.
40 Years Ago- Hirokazu Okabe (JPN) won the Kumanichi (JPN) 30K in 1:32:51.6
with Hidekuni Hiroshima
(JPN) next in 1:33:00.4.
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.


11. U.S. study tips scale in favor of Atkins diet:
A study of four popular diets found that women put on the one with the least
carbohydrates -- the Atkins plan -- lost at least twice
as much weight as those on the others, researchers said on Tuesday.
"Many health professionals, including us, have either dismissed the value of
very-low-carbohydrate diets for weight loss or been
very skeptical of them," said Christopher Gardner, assistant professor of
medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center in
California, lead author of the study.
"But it seems to be a viable alternative for dieters," he added, for whom the
basic message is cutting down as much as possible on
refined carbohydrates such as white bread and carbonated drinks.
The research was described as the largest and longest comparison yet done on the
four diets.
They were Atkins, the lowest in carbohydrates for the four; the Zone diet, also
low in carbohydrates and based on a 40:30:30 ratio
of carbohydrates to protein to fat; the Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitudes,
Relationships and Nutrition (LEARN) diet which follows U.S.
government guidelines for low fat but higher carbohydrates; and the Ornish diet,
which is very high in carbohydrates but very low in
fat.
More...from Reuters at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN0639062620070306


12. The effectiveness of negative strength training:
A muscle is taxed more during an exercise's release move than when it's being
contracted.
If you're just getting into regular weight training, or have hit a plateau in
your progress, here's an offbeat suggestion:
Accentuate the negative. You'll get a positive boost for your workout, and
you'll show up those grunt-and-jerks at the next bench
for the ignoramuses they are.
Negative strength training — also known as negative resistance training (NRT) or
eccentric muscle training — is the yin to the yang
of a particular exercise. If you are working your bicep by lifting a dumbbell,
for example, you're using concentric muscle action —
meaning that the muscle is contracting. Eccentric, or negative, action refers to
the lengthening of a muscle, as when you lower the
weight or allow a machine to retrieve the bar.
The power of negative thinking, so to speak, is based on a little-known fact: A
muscle can handle substantially more weight when
it's lengthening than when it's contracting, when you're fighting either gravity
or the machine's recoil. The alternate part of the
exercise — the exhale move, the release, the return — which is so often shrugged
off, should really be exploited as a work-down.
Practicing controlled returns, with the muscles fully engaged, is like adding an
extra set for the opposing muscles without changing
machines or moves. (It's true: Less is more.)
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-negexercise5mar05,1,7317430\
.story?coll=la-health-fitness-news


13. Makers of Sodas Try a New Pitch: They’re Healthy:
That may strike some as an oxymoron. But for Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, it’s a
marketing opportunity.
In coming months, both companies will introduce new carbonated drinks that are
fortified with vitamins and minerals: Diet Coke Plus
and Tava, which is PepsiCo’s new offering.
They will be promoted as “sparkling beverages.” The companies are not calling
them soft drinks because people are turning away from
traditional soda, which has been hurt in part by publicity about its link to
obesity.
While the soda business remains a $68 billion industry in the United States,
consumers are increasingly reaching for bottled water,
sparkling juices and green tea drinks. In 2005, the amount of soda sold in this
country dropped for the first time in recent
history. Even the diet soda business has slowed.
Coca-Cola’s chief executive, E. Neville Isdell, clearly frustrated that his
industry has been singled out in the obesity debate,
insisted at a recent conference that his diet products should be included in the
health and wellness category because, with few or
no calories, they are a logical answer to expanding waistlines.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/07/business/07soda.html?ref=fitnessandnutrition


14. Athletes’ Hearts Bulk Up:
Study finds that endurance training enlarges athletes’ heart chambers.
Harvard athletes have the biggest muscles on campus and their hearts are no
exception, according to a recent study that tracked the
heart development of Harvard football players and rowers.
The findings, presented by researchers Massachusetts General Hospital and
Harvard University Health Services, suggested that aerobic
and endurance training can cause the chambers of the heart to enlarge, while
short-burst activities can increase heart muscle mass
by up to 12 percent.
Using ultrasound technology, researchers evaluated the heart structures of
athletes belonging to the Harvard football team as well
as the men and women’s crew teams at the beginning of the study and reassessed
them after a three month period of “fairly intense
training,” according to Research Fellow in Medicine Aaron L. Baggish, one of the
study’s lead researchers.
“There were changes in [the heart structure of] almost every athlete,” said
Baggish, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General
Hospital.
But he also emphasized that one of the key results of the study is that
“different types of training affect the heart in different
ways.”
By the end of the fall season, many of the football players’ hearts had
accumulated up to 12 percent more muscle mass due to a
thickening of their heart walls. While the mass of the rowers’ hearts did not
increase as significantly, the chambers of their
hearts increased in size.
The Harvard researchers attributed the different forms of heart growth to the
emphasis on endurance in the sport of crew as opposed
to the short, but intense bursts of energy required in football.
More...from the Harvard Crimson at:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=517522


15. Burning More Fat to Increase Periodization:
Dietary periodisation – can you enhance performance by burning more fat?
Many athletes are familiar with the concept of training ‘periodisation’, where
training volume and intensity are deliberately
structured in distinct phases in order to peak for a specific event, while
allowing adequate recovery. In recent years however,
‘dietary periodisation’ has been proposed for endurance athletes as a way of
enhancing fat metabolism and conserving precious muscle
glycogen. But does it work? Andrew Hamilton looks at the evidence…
Although it sounds exotic, if you participate in an endurance sport such as
running or cycling, dietary periodisation is something
that you’ve probably already practiced without realising. Think about your last
long-distance event. Did you manipulate your dietary
patterns away from normal in the days leading up to that event, for example by
increasing your carbohydrate? If you did, you were
practising a simple form of dietary periodisation!
The consensus among sports nutritionists is that athletes need to ensure optimum
dietary practices each and every day in order to
fully support training and recovery. This leads to a ‘steady state’, where the
composition of the diet stays fairly constant and
(hopefully) optimised for that athlete. Dietary periodisation on the other hand
involves departing from the normal ‘best practice’
in order to bring about a specific metabolic adaptation that might improve
performance in a future event.
More...from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/node/31178


16. Grocery Store Runs:
What's the best fuel for before and after your runs? Experiment to find out
which foods work well for you, and hit the grocery store
to stock your home full of optimum pre and post-run fuel sources.
By Kimberly Eberl
The beginning of the new running season always brings for me a sense of urgency
to focus on self-improvement, like so many other
people. My running routine has slowly improved by training smart over the winter
months, and I have made good choices for a
nutritional remodel, but how do I merge the two—eating to fuel a running
workout?
I did an informal poll of my friends who run and there doesn’t seem to be a gold
standard for eating before, during and after
workouts. Some people heavily fuel before a run while others prefer a post-jog
meal.
So what should you buy at the grocery store when you’re working out regularly?
Are carbs still bad like promoted by some sources?
There has to be a diet combination that can fuel your workout without turning
your taste buds sour.
You Are When You Eat
Registered dietitian Mindy Hahn says that runners should fuel their bodies every
two to four hours rather than having one or two big
meals per day. Eating three balanced meals with two snacks will prevent hunger
and prevent weight gain.
During extensive runs that last for more than 60 to 90 minutes, runners should
try to balance water and energy output with enough
fluid to match sweat losses, and enough carbohydrate to provide energy and
maintain normal blood sugar levels. Consuming 100-250
calories after the first hour of running can significantly increase stamina.
Carbohydrate sources include sports drinks, energy gels
and bars.
More...from Competitor Magazine at:
http://www.competitorsocal.com/article/?Guid=46e2824a-3d2b-4674-a933-f6b64018abc\
b


17. The Creatine + Carbohydrate Formula:
Introduction
The difference between 1st and last, gold and silver or a 1st team place and the
subs bench is often just a small margin. To be
successful, athletes must be better than their opponents and are often looking
to achieve this by securing improvement in a
particular area - and recovery is an area where athletes can gain that edge over
their competitors.
Athletes love to experiment with nutrition and, indeed, they do need to try
different strategies to find what suits them,
particularly when it comes to competition day where the timing, quality and
quantity of the food and fluid consumed is crucial.
Competition day aside, the daily training routine of an athlete must encompass a
sound nutrition plan and if the daily routine is
not optimum then the end result will be sub optimal too. A major competition is
not the time to experiment with something new; this
has to be done during training and during minor competitive events.
Some of the key areas in nutrition that may give athletes that 'edge' include
fuel availability i.e. carbohydrate, fluid and
hydration status, their nutritional recovery strategy and include legal,
contaminant free supplementation. The focus of this article
will be recovery and a discussion of one of the most popular legal supplements,
creatine.
Recovery
Every athlete needs a recovery strategy, which should include good quality
sleep, rest days and nutrition to name but a few.
Effective recovery is essential, especially during periods of intensive training
or competition. Carbohydrate stores (glycogen) must
be rapidly replenished during these periods to enable quality training to
continue over extended periods. The highest rates of
glycogen storage occur during the first hour after exercise so consuming
carbohydrate as soon as possible after training is crucial,
particularly when athletes are doing more than one session per day. The aim
should be to have 1 - 1.2g carbohydrate per kg body
weight within 30 minutes and then repeat after 2 hours until normal meal
patterns are resumed. (1)
Recent research in this field has looked at the effect of providing low or high
GI foods in the recovery phase and its effects on
metabolism and subsequent exercise capacity. Researchers found that a low GI
recovery diet consumed in the 24 hour period following
prolonged heavy exercise resulted in a greater endurance capacity during steady
state exercise (run to exhaustion test) the
following day, compared to a high GI diet. All participants felt hungry before
the run to exhaustion when eating the high GI
recovery diet, but not with the low GI diet. Participants in the low GI group
also reported that the trial 'felt easier' and fat
oxidation rates were higher in this group (i.e. they used more fat as an energy
source) due to the sparing of limited muscle
glycogen stores. The higher rate of fat oxidation may explain why subjects ran
for longer. (2)
Although it is well established that muscle glycogen is the primary fuel source
during prolonged exercise, evidence is accumulating
that intra muscular triacylglycerol (fat) is also an important substrate during
prolonged exercise. Using low GI foods for recovery
may prevent the suppression of fat metabolism that occurs when high GI foods are
consumed and so allow fat to be mobilised (useful
if reduction in body fat is a goal). However, having said that, when recovery
time is short (i.e. less than 8 hours), some high GI
foods should be consumed to allow maximum glycogen replenishment to occur in the
time given. In a competition situation it is
important to provide mainly high GI foods and fluids immediately with some lower
GI foods in the later meals. Sports drinks are an
obvious choice as they provide rapidly absorbed carbohydrate as well as
maintaining hydration.
Examples of lower GI recovery foods include milk, yoghurt, smoothies, bananas
(if not overripe), multigrain sandwiches, pasta and
porridge. Examples of high GI recovery foods/drinks include sports drinks,
cereal bars, white bagels, and rice.
The addition of protein to the recovery mixture (10-20g) has been shown to
enhance muscle recovery and reduce protein breakdown. (3)
Milk or yoghurt-based drinks will provide protein as well as some carbohydrate
or perhaps try using an approved commercial recovery
drink which contains both carbohydrate and protein. Including creatine in this
mix will also enhance glycogen storage and may be
useful for athletes during intensive training camps where recovery is critical.
Creatine
Creatine is a legal supplement which occurs naturally in food, primary sources
being fish and red meat and it can also be produced
by the body at a rate of 1-2g/day from the amino acids, glycine, arginine and
methionine. The average adult stores 120g of creatine
of which 95% is stored in skeletal muscle with higher concentrations in
fast-twitch muscle fibres. 60-70% of this creatine is
creatine phosphate and the remainder is free creatine. The typical concentration
of creatine in muscle is 120-125mmol/kg dry weight
of muscle. Creatine is a muscle fuel and the Creatine phosphate (PCr) in muscles
provides a rapidly available but small source of
phosphate for the resynhthesis of Adenonsine-Tri-Phosphate (ATP - the universal
energy currency) during maximal exercise and is
therefore an important fuel source in maximal sprints or 'all-out' muscular
effort lasting up- to 5-10seconds. Other metabolic
functions of PCr include the buffering of hydrogen ions produced during
anaerobic metabolism. (4,5)
What are the effects?
Supplementation with creatine can increase muscle PCr concentration by 6 ¯ 16%.
(6) The major benefit of creatine supplementation
appears to be an increase in the rate of creatine phosphate resynthesis during
the recovery between bouts of high intensity
exercise, producing higher creatine phosphate levels at the start of the
subsequent exercise bout. Therefore, supplementation may
enhance training performance and long term adaptation to exercise programs based
on repeated high intensity exercise, so may be
useful for athletes who undertake interval or resistance training (e.g
sprinters, swimmers or power athletes) and those who compete
in team sports and possibly racquet sports. However, although a recent study
showed no performance benefit to tennis players, there
are studies which show performance benefits for individuals. More research is
therefore needed in individual sports. (7)
Studies indicate that Creatine supplementation in conjunction with heavy
resistance training (4-12 wks) enhances the normal
physiological adaptations to the weight training program such as increases in
body mass, fat free mass, maximal strength and power,
lifting volume, and muscle fibre hypertrophy. (8)
Creatine has also been shown to enhance the storage of glycogen in the muscle
when taken with a high carbohydrate diet, which may be
particularly useful during intensive training bouts when recovery time between
sessions is short. It has also been shown to
facilitate recovery of muscle mass and function following a period of immobility
after injury which may help athletes return to
training more quickly and enhance post-injury rehabilitation. (9)
Creatine dosage
Many creatine supplementation protocols involve a loading and maintenance phase.
The most commonly used research protocol for
loading is to take a daily total of 20-30g of creatine, usually creatine
monohydrate, in four equal doses of 5-7g dissolved in 250ml
of fluid, over the course of the day for a period of 5 to 7 days.
Alternatively a daily creatine dose of 3g/day will increase muscle total
creatine to the same values, however it takes longer ¯28-30
days. Once muscle Cr is elevated, ingesting only 2g/day is sufficient to
maintain Cr stores. (4,10) Adding carbohydrate increases
creatine transport into the muscle.
Exercise may enhance creatine uptake at a level similar to that achieved when
creatine is combined with carbohydrate. Loading can
cause rapid weight gain of 1-3kg due to fluid retention and can be a potential
problem for weight category/sensitive sports. So for
many athletes creatine may be beneficial but care must be taken to buy from a
manufacturer with good quality control protocols in
place to avoid problems of contamination, which may lead to a positive drugs
test.
A sound nutrition plan is an integral part of an athletes training program and
once good dietary habits are established it is
important to take this a stage further and look at nutrient quality, quantity
and timing as well as legal supplements that have
established research-based efficacy.
Summary
Current evidence suggests that carbohydrate remains crucial during the recovery
phase. Whether combined with protein after endurance
exercise or with creatine after explosive exercise, dosage, timing, taste and
quality of supplementation remain fundamental to the
success of a recovery strategy.
References
Burke L, et al. Energy and carbohydrate for training and recovery. J sports
science 24 July 2006
Stevenson E, Williams C Improved recovery from prolonged exercise following the
consumption of low GI carbohydrate meals. Int. J
sport Nut & Ex met. Vol15, no 4 Aug 2005
Burke L, Tipton K. Nutrition for optimal recovery and training. AIS
Williams, M. H., Kreider, R. B., Branch, J. D., Creatine the power supplement.
(Pub. Human Kinetics) 1999.
Burke L, Deakin V, Clinical Sports Nutrition 3rd edition 2006
Juhn, M. S.: Oral creatine supplementation separating fact from hype. Physic.and
Sportsmed.vol.27, no.5, May 1999.
Pluim BM, et al The effects of creatine supplementation on selected factors of
tennis specific training Br J Sports Med 2006; 40,
507-512
Kraemer W. J, Volek J S.: Creatine supplementation, its role in human
performance. Clinics in sports medicine Vol 18. No. 3 July
1999
Hespel P, Maughan RJ, Greenhaff P. Dietary supplements for football. J sports
sciences Vol 24 No 7 July 2006
American college of sports medicine: The physiological and health affects of
oral creatine supplementation. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc.
Vol.32, No3 pp 706-717, 2000
From the LSSA Newsletter at:
http://www.thelssa.co.uk/lssa/newsletter/Newsletter9.html?x=1&uid=L37A001583w&


18. Climate Control:
The best tip for keeping warm or cool during wacky spring weather is to work the
gloves.
Freezing morning temps, warm afternoons, and brisk evenings are signs that the
seasons are about to turn. It must be March, the
month that teases us with her longer days and drastic temperature swings. For
athletes like you, this invariably means you end up
overdressed and sweaty on a day that becomes warmer than you thought. Or
sometimes worse, you shiver your way home from a run that
started in balmy temps. Staying comfortable this time of year can truly be a
constant battle — with Mother Nature.
But before you arm yourself with duffel bags full of gear for any weather, look
down at your hands and wrists. You’re looking at
your body’s most accessible — and vulnerable — thermostat. The amount of skin
surface and the close proximity of blood vessels to
the skin’s surface make your digits and wrists the easiest escape route for body
heat. When those fingers start going numb from
cold, it’s hard for the rest of your body to feel warm.
More...from Carmichael Training Systems at:
http://www.trainright.com/info.asp?action=display&uid=4676


19. Unconventional Twist in Yoga: Younger Teachers:
MOST first jobs require the bare minimum: fetch coffee, take meeting notes,
dress up or down as appropriate. But teaching yoga
requires not only a knowledge of anatomy and alignment but also more intangible
qualities. Radiating calm. Embodying wisdom. Being
centered.
It’s enough pressure to make a new yoga teacher wince — especially if they’re
instructing people their parents’ age.
“They are looking for you to be a holy body,” Nick Beem, 26, said only half
seriously. “You’re supposed to exemplify lofty ideals.”
That is a tall order at any age, but a taller one when college is still a recent
memory. Mr. Beem and his fiancée, Lela Schneidman,
also 26, invested $4,000 each in a 200-hour residential course to become yoga
teachers in 2005. Within a month of graduating from
the Kripalu Center in Stockbridge, Mass., the couple moved back in with Mr.
Beem’s mother near Chicago and got studio jobs.
With a dozen classes and 10 private students between them, they jointly make
$60,000 a year, three times more than their first year
as instructors.
Still, each new class remains a proving ground because many studio attendees
expect yoga teachers to have a few wrinkles, even if
they look taut in hip-hugging pants.
“I’ve never had somebody directly come up to me and ask, ‘How old are you?’ ”
said Ms. Schneidman, whose smooth skin could get her
carded at a bar. “Someone will come into the class and wonder who the teacher
is. And I’ll say ‘Yeah, it’s me’ and think, ‘He could
be my father.’ ”
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/08/fashion/08Fitness.html?_r=1&ref=fitnessandnutr\
ition&oref=slogin


20. Digest Briefs:
* For a tight piriformis muscle try massaging the area with a tennis ball.
Place the tennis ball on the floor or a chair and sit
down on it. Using your arms to help support your body weight, shift around until
the ball is under the most tender part of the
muscle. Stay on that tender spot for 60 seconds or until the muscle relaxes.
* Brisk walking
Women older than 50 who regularly take brisk walks have fewer colds, according
to a U.S. study. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center in Seattle found that a group of older women who did
moderate exercise -- generally brisk walking -- had half
the risk of catching a cold compared to a group that did not exercise. The women
who exercised did it regularly, 45 minutes a day
five days a week.
Source: The Indianapolis Star
* LOCO Running Shoe Guide for Dummies
A not too techie series:
So you run on down to your local running shoe store and see that wall of running
shoes, your vision blurs, your head pounds. You ask
yourself:
"What do I need to run and stay injury free?"
The “running shoe wall” has shoes with all sorts of technical features. Each
seems to outdo the other with patented claims for
stability, cushioning, maybe weight loss or hair growth and whatever this motion
control stuff is. There’s this year’s model and
left over shoes from last year. What’s a runner to do?
If you’re confused about running shoes – join the club. Read our multi-part fun
series on understanding running shoe technology and
picking the right shoe – for you.
More...from LOCO Running at: http://www.locorunning.com/dummies.php


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.

March 9-10, 2007:

NCAA Championships - Fayetteville, AR

March 9-11, 2007:

Telstra Selection Trials & 85th Australian Athletics Championships - Brisbane,
Australia

March 10, 2007:

Bayou City Classic 10K, Houston, TX

Gate River Run - Jacksonville, FL
USA 15K Championship

Niketown 5K - Atlanta, GA

Shamrock'n Half Marathon - West Sacramento, CA

March 11, 2007:

Harry's Spring Run-Off 8K - Vancouver, BC

Runnin' of the Green Lucky 7K - Denver, CO

Valley of the Sun Marathon - Mesa, AZ

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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Forward the Runner's Web Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe at:
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YOUR FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS:
Comments, contributions and feedback are always welcome via this list at:
mailto:runnersweb@yahoogroups.com and in our Runner's Web Forum, available off
our FrontPage. If you post to the mailing list and
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mailto:webmaster@... to notify us of the problem. To update your
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changes.
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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
http://store.runnersweb.com
RunnersWebCoach
http://www.runnerswebcoach.com

*********************************************
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.

Free Ground Shipping on Orders of $175 or More at Patagonia.com
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000012303508&pubid=2100000000\
0028567

Peak Performance Online:
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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!
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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
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=vVGS2V*0iZg&offerid=21387&type=3&sub\
id=0

Axill
Sony vs Panasonic:
http://www.axill.com/trackingcode.aspx?affid=8001&pid=1762&bid=4677&c=8001

Buy Paula Radcliffe's book, My Story - So Far, from Amazon UK at:
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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
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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\
5a9

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