A FREE WEEKLY E-ZINE OF MULTISPORT RELATED ARTICLES.
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1. Emilie's Run - The Emilie Mondor Memorial 5K Race for Women - Canada's
Fastest Women's 5K
November 10, 2007: Prize Money Announced for Teams
RunnersWeb.com Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of $2,250 in prize money
for the top teams for the 2008 Emilie's Run. This
prize money is in addition to the previously announced $5,500 in individual
prize money for the top open and masters runners and the
primes for the leaders at 1 through 4K.
The team prize money will be allocated as follows:
1st (Open): $1,000,
2nd:$750,
3rd: $500
A maximum of 5 entrants per team, top 3 to score.
The 2008 edition of Emilie's Run will take place on Saturday, June 21st at the
Aviation Museum in Ottawa with $5,500 in cash prizes
for the top open and masters and merchandise prizes for the top teams and
age-groupers.
There will also be a 1K run for children.
For more on the race visit the website at:
http://www.emiliesrun.com.
Join Emilie's Run Community 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.
New Arrivals from Nike With Web Exclusive Apparel and More!

4. Toronto Waterfront Marathon, 2008
http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/

5. 26.2 with Donna:
The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer
"The only U.S. marathon dedicated solely to raising funds to end breast cancer."
February 17, 2008 8 a.m.
Location: Near Mayo Clinic
Jacksonville, Florida
Beneficiaries: Donna Hicken Foundation and Mayo Clinic
Proceeds from the race will go directly to The Donna Hicken Foundation, a
charitable organization dedicated to helping women with
breast cancer. While a portion of the proceeds will be used by the Donna Hicken
Foundation for the critical care of breast cancer
survivors in need, the foundation has pledged to donate the majority of funds
raised to Mayo Clinic for research and its
Multidisciplinary Breast Clinic, which specializes in the detection and
treatment of breast cancer.
Visit the website at: http://www.breastcancermarathon.com

6. 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/

7. Running Free
Running Free is a complete online running store with everything for the casual
to serious runner.
They also have retail stores in the GTA (Toronto) and Markham.
Check them out at:
http://www.runningfree.com

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NEW THIS WEEK:
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I've created a Runner's Web Group on Facebook.
To join the NCRA Facebook group, if you are not a member of Facebook, you must
first create a free Facebook account at
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"Groups". At the Runner's Web site, click "Join this
group". Once I have approved your request to join, you'll be able to visit the
site, post race photos, discuss training tips, and
share information about running, racing and training.

Finish Line is offering Free Shipping now through December 11th on orders over
$75.
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RUNNER'S AND TRIATHLETE'S WEB CONTENT PARTNERS

ACTIVE.COM
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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
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focus is recreational, advanced, or you are a
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CTS at: http://www.runnersweb.com/running/cts_columns.html.
Carmichael Training Systems at:
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* 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.
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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 will only post notes here regarding running and triathlon topics of interest
to the community.
We have ONE personal posting this week.
ONE:
Sneakers
Recycle: There are a number of charities that send your used sneakers to
impoverished places with little access to athletic shoes.
Shoe4Africa (http://www.tanser.org/shoe.htm) collects running shoes, cleans them
up and ships them to East Africa to encourage
sport. The first pair of Shoe4Africa shoes to be donated back in 1995 went to
Mark Wendot Yatich, then an unknown runner—he went on
to win the Los Angeles Marathon. Another runner to get shoes that year was
Japheth Kimutai, who three years later won the
Commonwealth Games 800m gold medal.
There are a number of options for donating old sneakers. Nike has a fantastic
recycling program called Reuse-A-Shoe
(http://www.letmeplay.com/reuseashoe), which is working to close the loop on the
life cycle of literally millions of pairs of old,
worn-out, or otherwise unusable athletic shoe material. Nike collects worn-out
athletic shoes of any brand, not just Nike, and
recycles them into a material that is used to make new soccer and football
fields, tennis and basketball courts, running tracks and
playground surfaces around the world.
From ~Kelley Brooke


THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. Effects of Altitude on Fueling and Hydration
2. Iron And Endurance Athletes
3. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine
4. Testosterone prohormone supplements - The Risks
Andro supplements don’t help and can be harmful.
5. Going the Distance — Learning the value of VO2 testing
6. Running 338 Kilometres Within Five Days Has No Effect On Body Mass And Body
Fat But Reduces Skeletal Muscle Mass - The Isarrun
2006
7. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine
supplementation and exercise
8. Could phosphatidylserine be the next big ergogenic aid for endurance
athletes?
9. Ultrafit December's e-Tips
10. Low Carb Diets May Stress Body Too Much
11. Yoga for athletes
12. Putting Very Little Weight in Calorie Counting Methods
13. Built-in exercise monitor predicts fitness
14. Fitness Has Fallen Since The Days Of Ancient Greece
15. Tempo Runs Done Right
Learn how to hit and hold your lactate threshold pace on your next training run.
16. The Endurance Nation "Four Keys" To Ironman Execution
17. The Challenging Periods of Training for Women
18. Why Do Triathletes Run Funny?
19. Dealing with the Body's Bumps, Folds and Curvy Bits!
20. Digest Briefs


RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"Do you plan to work out on Christmas Day and New Year's Day?"

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:
"How many miles will you have run in this year by the end of December?"
Answers Percent
1. < 1000 30%
2. 1001 - 1500 24%
3. 1501 - 2000 33%
4. 2001 - 2500 6%
5. 2501 - 3000 3%
6. 3001 - 3500 0%
7. 3501 - 4000 0%
8. 4001 - 4500 0%
9. 4501 - 5000 0%
10. > 5001 3%


FIVE STAR SITE OF THE MONTH: Cynthia Wilson, Canadian Triathlete.
Cynthia is a 33 year-old triathlete who is a Physics PhD candidate at the
University of Ottawa. She recently placed 11th pro at the
Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Clearwater, FLA in a time of 4:20:01.
Check out her blog and Harley's blog (Harley is Cynthia's cat!) at:
http://www.cycnthiawilson.ca

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

BOOK/VIDEO OF THE MONTH: Canadian Marathon Stories.
""Linda Wagar's selected stories convey the spirit and spark of a new wave of
marathon enthusiasts. It is enriching to share in the
realization of so many unsuspected capabilities in this most basic of human
activities."
~ Ron Wallingford, author, former Canadian record holder in the 5000m, 3000m
steeplechase and marathon.
The Canadian Athletes Now fund receives $10 from the sale of each book.
Visit the website where you can buy the book online at:
http://www.marathonstories.ca/

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. Effects of Altitude on Fueling and Hydration:
By Neal Henderson MS, CSCS
Traveling to higher altitude for a training camp is a method used by many elite
athletes to help improve performance in sea level
competition. Ideally, an altitude training camp should last for 3 to 4 weeks to
receive an optimal amount of exposure to high
altitude. Most studies indicate that performance can be increased by 1-2% when
using altitude training. For that average Joe, that
doesn’t sound like much but for a high performance athlete, the margin between
1st and 4th place can be less than 1%. Typically,
staying at a moderate elevation of 5,000-8000 feet allows for maintenance of
relatively high training volume and moderately high
training intensity. At very high elevations, training stimulus will be reduced
significantly while using a lower elevation may not
cause any positive adaptations in red cell mass or hemoglobin concentration.
Another reason that you might be traveling to higher
altitude is for a competition that is held at high altitude, such as the
Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race or Boulder Peak Triathlon.
Whether for a training camp or a competition, there are several changes to your
typical nutrition habits that will improve your
body's ability to adapt to the stress to moderate to high altitude. The primary
concerns are changes in resting metabolic rate,
increased use of carbohydrate, changes in fluid balance requirements, and iron
status.
Resting Metabolic Rate and Carbohydrate Use
First, there are initial responses to altitude, which cause an increase in
stress hormones such as epinephrine and nor-epinephrine.
The hormones that are associated with the "fight or flight" syndrome that causes
your body to use more carbohydrate than it would
normally use. As a result, it is important to slightly increase your
carbohydrate intake at higher altitude as compared to normal.
This is both true at rest, and during exercise. At any intensity of effort, you
will be using a higher percentage of carbohydrate to
fuel your exercise at altitude. Being conscientious about replenishing your
glycogen stores following long or intensity training
sessions is critical at higher altitudes, as well as fueling yourself during
long distance races at altitude. (Also see First
Endurance Carbohydrate Newsletter for more tips on Carbohydrate needs with
exercise.) In the first week or two, there is also a
slight increase in your resting metabolic rate. Many athletes that I see going
to a training camp at altitude also increase their
training volume, so accounting for the increased total caloric needs, and again
- especially carbohydrate, is critical.
More...from First Endurance at:
http://www.firstendurance.com/coaches_altitude.html


2. Iron And Endurance Athletes:
Iron is one of the most abundant minerals on earth and is essential to normal
human physiology. About 2/3 of the body’s iron is
found in hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to
cells. An adequate supply of iron is necessary for the
body to produce hemoglobin and red blood cells (RBC). If too little iron is
available, fewer and/or smaller RBC's are produced,
leading to decreased oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. This is called iron
deficiency anemia and can cause fatigue, poor work
capacity, and decreased immunity. It is important to understand there are
different levels of iron deficiency. The least severe is
when someone has low iron stores (low serum ferritin levels), the next is
depleted iron stores (using cut-off values), while the
most severe category is iron deficiency anemia.
Endurance athletes depend on efficient oxygen delivery to working muscles, so
even mild anemia can have deleterious effects on
performance. Some hypothesize that iron deficiency, even without anemia, can
impair endurance. However, one review of iron
supplementation showed that in seven of 8 studies iron stores increased with
supplementation as measured by serum ferritin levels,
while no increase in performance was found unless hemoglobin also increased. In
the eighth study, there was an unexplainable drop in
endurance performance in the control group which confounded the results (Garza
et al.,1997).
Dietary iron comes in two forms: heme and non-heme. Heme iron is found in animal
foods that originally contained hemoglobin, such as
meat, fish, and poultry. Non-heme iron comes in foods such as beans, spinach,
raisins, and fortified cereals and breads. Heme iron
is better absorbed than non-hem iron, but most dietary iron sources are
non-heme. The recommended daily value for iron intake is 18
milligrams of elemental iron for women (19-50 yr) and 8 milligrams for men and
women over the age of 50.. Three ounces of beef
contains 3.2 mg of heme iron and one cup of lima beans contains 4.5 mg of
non-heme iron. Absorption of non-heme iron can be
increased by consuming it with heme iron or with ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Some
substances that decrease iron absorption are the
tannins and polyphenols found in tea and coffee, calcium, and phytates found in
whole grains and legumes. One study showed that
taking 30-50 mg of ascorbic acid can overcome the inhibitory effects of tannins
and phytate on iron absorption (Siegenberg et al.,
1991).
More...from First Endurance at:
http://www.firstendurance.com/newsletter_iron_vol5_12.html


3. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine:
* Warm Up Your Heart
Most people know that you have to warm up skeletal muscles to help protect them
from injury, but many do not know that warming up
the heart muscle also helps to prevent heart attacks in people with blocked
arteries leading to the heart
Before you try to run very fast, you can protect your muscles from injury by
performing a series of runs of gradually-increasing
intensity to increase the circulation of blood to your muscles. The same
principle applies to the heart. Angina is a condition in
which the blood vessels leading to the heart are partially blocked so the person
has no pain at rest, but during exercise, the
blocked arteries don't permit enough blood to get through to the heart muscles,
causing pain. A study from the Quebec Heart
Institute shows that exercising very slowly before a person with angina picks up
the pace allows him to exercise more intensely
before he feels heart pain.
If you have any suspicion of heart problems, always check with your doctor
before you begin an exercise program or increase the
intensity of your existing program.
What induces the warm-up ischemia/angina phenomenon: Exercise or myocardial
ischemia? Circulation, 2003, Vol 107, Iss 14, pp
1858-1863. P Bogaty, P Poirier, L Boyer, J Jobin, GR Dagenais. Bogaty P, Hop
Laval, Quebec Heart Inst, 2725 Chemin St Foy, St Foy,
PQ G1V 4G5, CANADA
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: Is it true that you are more likely to have a heart attack
when you have a cold?
Having an upper respiratory infection more than doubles your chances of getting
a stroke or heart attack in the next week and more
than triples your chances in the next three days, according to a study that
appeared in the European Heart Journal (December, 2007).
Nobody really knows why, but inflammation is the leading theory on the cause of
heart attacks and strokes. Your immunity is good for
you because it helps protect you from infections However, if your immunity stays
active, it can attack your body to cause
inflammation which damages blood vessels and sets you up for clots that cause
heart attacks and strokes.
This study does not mean that you should panic every time you get a cold.
Tripling your chance of a heart attack still leaves you
with a very low chance of suffering a heart attack or stroke. However, it does
show the importance of getting flu immunizations,
avoiding crowds during flu epidemics, and treating chronic infections.
* Carbohydrate Snacks for Endurance
If you have a physically demanding job that keeps you moving all day,
you may have greater endurance if you eat small snacks
throughout the day instead of having a single large meal at lunchtime.
Researchers at the University of Montana in Missoula showed
that snacking on carbohydrates may prolong your endurance during a long day of
continuous movement (Medicine & Science in Sports &
Exercise, December 2007). They asked men and women to exercise intermittently
for ten hours. Each hour, they performed nine
minutes of upper-body weight lifting, 19 minutes of cycling, and 20 minutes of
walking on a treadmill, with a 1-minute rest between
each exercise. This was followed by a
10-minute rest and feeding period. Those who took carbohydrates every hour were
able to keep more sugar (glycogen) in their
muscles, and were able to exercise longer without feeling tired.
When you exercise, your muscles get their energy from muscle sugar and
fat stored in muscles, sugar and fat from the
bloodstream, and to a lesser degree from protein. When your muscles run out of
their stored sugar, they require more oxygen to burn
food for energy. This can make your muscles feel tired and be more difficult to
coordinate. Eating any source of sugar or
carbohydrates during exercise preserves muscle sugar and increases endurance.
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: Should older people take growth hormone to preserve muscle
size and strength?
A: As you age, expect to lose muscle fibers and strength unless you
exercise. A study from the University of Florida in
Gainesville shows that a program of exercise training later in life helps aging
rats to reverse this age-related loss of muscle size
and strength (American Journal of Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and
Comparative Physiology, November 14, 2007). The study
also showed that short-term administration of growth hormone late in life does
not prevent loss of muscle strength. Previous studies
show that it may help people get rid of fat.
At this time, there is not enough evidence for an older person to take growth
hormone to improve muscle strength, and there
is no long-term data on safety. Sudden deaths reported in athletes who have
taken growth hormone are probably due to the effect of
enlarging the heart muscle without also adequately enlarging the blood supply.
The larger heart requires more blood and cannot meet
its needs for oxygen, so it starts to beat irregularly.
From Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine at: http://www.drmirkin.com


4. Testosterone prohormone supplements - The Risks:
Andro supplements don’t help and can be harmful.
Testosterone prohormone sports supplements like DHEA and androstenedione are not
just potentially harmful to health: they don’t
actually do what they say on the tin. That’s the key conclusion of a major
review carried out by US researchers.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione, androstenediol and a range of
similar chemical compounds are marketed as prohormone
nutritional supplements. They are frequently referred to generically as ‘andro’
supplements. Proponents claim that these supplements
are converted to testosterone or testosterone analogues in the body where they
enhance an athlete’s adaptations to resistance
training and so build muscle.
Sales of androstenedione and 17 similar compounds are now specifically banned by
the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the US Food
and Drug Administration, largely because of their supposed anabolic effects. But
in fact, a comprehensive review of the research
carried out to date reveals that andro supplements produce neither anabolic nor
ergogenic effects in men.
According to the reviewers, DHEA, androstenedione, anadrostenediol and related
supplements do not enhance the gains in muscle size
or strength obtained from strength training alone. Furthermore, the change in
hormone levels following the use of these supplements
can lead to serious side effects, including heart disease and cancer.
More...from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/the-risks-of-testosterone-prohormone-supplements\
-35906


5. Going the Distance — Learning the value of VO2 testing:
ENERGY IS THE key to life, and runners need lots of it. I got a chance to find
out just how much energy I have, and how much I burn.

Eva Rosvold, owner of Fundamental Fitness Personal Training Studio in Frederick,
recently began offering resting metabolic rate
testing and anaerobic threshold testing, better known as VO2 max testing.
Runners are generally obsessed with numbers. They count the miles they run each
week. Many of us know our personal records from 5K
to marathon. As we get older, we may not be setting PRs, but we know where we
should be when we run a race. Some runners even time
workouts to better gauge their training.
Metabolic testing and VO2 max are tools in our quest to become fitter, faster
runners. Metabolic testing shows how many calories you
burn in a half-hour of moderate exercise.
More...from the Frederick News-Post at:
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/reporters_notebooks_display.htm?S\
toryID=68946


6. Running 338 Kilometres Within Five Days Has No Effect On Body Mass And Body
Fat But Reduces Skeletal Muscle Mass - The Isarrun
2006
ABSTRACT
We investigated the change of body composition in ultra- endurance runners
during a multi-stage ultra-endurance run, the Isarrun
2006 in Bavaria, Germany, where athletes had to run 338 km within 5 days. Body
mass, skin fold thicknesses and circumferences of
extremities were measured in 21 well-experienced extreme endurance male runners
(mean ± SD, 41.5 ± 6.9 years, 72.6 ± 6.4 kg, 178 ± 5
cm, BMI 23.0 ± 2.0 kg·m-2), who finished mainly within the first half of the
ranking, in order to calculate skeletal muscle mass and
body fat mass to prove changes after the race. Body mass and calculated fat mass
did not change significantly (p>0.05), but,
calculated skeletal muscle mass decreased significantly (p<0.05) by 0.63 ± 0.79
kg by the end of the race. The most apparent decline
(p<0.01) of the calculated skeletal muscle mass was during the first stage, and
no changes were observed during the last 4 stages.
We conclude, that a multi- stage ultra-endurance run over 338 km within 5 days
leads to no changes of body mass or body fat mass,
but a statistically significant decrease of skeletal muscle mass of 0.63 ± 0.79
kg by the end of the race in well-trained and
well-experienced ultra-endurance runners. The change of skeletal muscle mass has
to be evaluated in further studies at
ultra-endurance races with suitable methods to detect changes in hydration
status and water metabolism.
KEY WORDS: Body composition, anthropometry, ultra-running, stage race, fat mass,
ultra-endurance.
INTRODUCTION
It is well known that fat is the main energy-rich substrate for long lasting
endurance performance (Frykman et al., 2003; Helge et
al., 2003; Raschka and Plath, 1992; Reynolds et al., 1999) and endurance
exercise leads to a reduction of adipose subcutaneous
tissue as shown in laboratory (Boschmann et al., 2002) and field studies (Helge
et al., 2003; Höchli et al., 1995; Raschka et al.,
1991; Raschka and Plath, 1992).
Ultra-endurance races are a good opportunity to study the decrease of adipose
subcutaneous tissue in long lasting endurance
performances. But there seems to be a difference between performances with
defined breaks - for example during the night - and
non-stop performances without defined breaks. In long lasting endurance
performances with breaks such as multi-stage events, body
mass may be stable (Cox et al., 2003; Dressendorfer and Wade, 1991; Nagel et
al., 1989; Väänänen and Vihko, 2005) or even increase
(Raschka and Plath, 1992) and body fat will be reduced (Cox et al., 2003;
Raschka et al., 1991; Raschka and Plath, 1992) whereas
skeletal muscle mass seems to be spared (Cox et al., 2003; Dressendorfer and
Wade, 1991; Reynolds et al., 1999). In contrast, in
ultra-endurance performances for hours or even days or weeks without a break, a
decrease of body mass (Bircher et al., 2006; Helge
et al., 2003; Knechtle et al., 2005; Lehmann et al., 1995) has been
demonstrated, where body fat as well as skeletal muscle mass
seems to decrease (Bircher et al., 2006; Knechtle et al., 2005; Knechtle and
Bircher, 2005).
Due to the fact, that up to now, the decrease of skeletal muscle mass in
ultra-endurance performances has been demonstrated only in
case reports (Bircher et al., 2006; Knechtle et al., 2005; Knechtle and Bircher,
2005) or small series (Helge et al., 2003), we
wanted to investigate in this present study in a greater sample of
ultra-endurance athletes, whether ultra-endurance runners would
suffer only a degradation of adipose subcutaneous tissue or whether they would
experience an additional loss of skeletal muscle
mass. In addition, we intended to quantify the loss of body fat mass and the
loss of skeletal muscle mass.
More... from the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine at:
http://www.jssm.org/vol6/n4/3/v6n4-3text.php


7. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine
supplementation and exercise:
Introduction
The use of creatine as a sport supplement has been surrounded by both
controversy and fallacy since it gained widespread popularity
in the early 1990's. Anecdotal and media reports have often claimed that
creatine usage is a dangerous and unnecessary practice;
often linking creatine use to anabolic steroid abuse [1]. Many athletes and
experts in the field have reported that creatine
supplementation is not only beneficial for athletic performance and various
medical conditions but is also clinically safe [2-5].
Although creatine has recently been accepted as a safe and useful ergogenic aid,
several myths have been purported about creatine
supplementation which include:
1. All weight gained during supplementation is due to water retention.
2. Creatine supplementation causes renal distress.
3. Creatine supplementation causes cramping, dehydration, and/or altered
electrolyte status.
4. Long-term effects of creatine supplementation are completely unknown.
5. Newer creatine formulations are more beneficial than creatine monohydrate
(CM) and cause fewer side effects.
6. It's unethical and/or illegal to use creatine supplements.
While these myths have been refuted through scientific investigation, the
general public is still primarily exposed to the mass
media which may or may not have accurate information. Due to this confounding
information, combined with the fact that creatine has
become one of the most popular nutritional supplements on the market, it is
important to examine the primary literature on
supplemental creatine ingestion in humans. The purpose of this review is to
determine the present state of knowledge concerning
creatine supplementation, so that reasonable guidelines may be established and
unfounded fears diminished in regard to its use.
Background
Creatine has become one of the most extensively studied and scientifically
validated nutritional ergogenic aids for athletes.
Additionally, creatine has been evaluated as a potential therapeutic agent in a
variety of medical conditions such as Alzheimer's
and Parkinson's diseases. Biochemically speaking, the energy supplied to
rephosphorylate adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to adenosine
triphosphate (ATP) during and following intense exercise is largely dependent on
the amount of phosphocreatine (PCr) stored in the
muscle [6,7]. As PCr stores become depleted during intense exercise, energy
availability diminishes due to the inability to
resynthesize ATP at the rate required to sustained high-intensity exercise
[6,7]. Consequently, the ability to maintain
maximal-effort exercise declines. The availability of PCr in the muscle may
significantly influence the amount of energy generated
during brief periods of high-intensity exercise. Furthermore, it has been
hypothesized that increasing muscle creatine content, via
creatine supplementation, may increase the availability of PCr allowing for an
accelerated rate of resynthesis of ATP during and
following high-intensity, short-duration exercise [6-12]. Theoretically,
creatine supplementation during training may lead to
greater training adaptations due to an enhanced quality and volume of work
performed. In terms of potential medical applications,
creatine is intimately involved in a number of metabolic pathways. For this
reason, medical researchers have been investigating the
potential therapeutic role of creatine supplementation in a variety of patient
populations.
More...from the Journal of The International Society of Sports Nutrition at:
http://www.jissn.com/content/4/1/6


8. Could phosphatidylserine be the next big ergogenic aid for endurance
athletes?
Phosphatidylserine is a naturally occurring lipid, which is located on the inner
surface of cell membranes in most tissues of
animals and plants and which is also found in micro-organisms. But according to
a team of Welsh scientists, it could also have
potential to enhance endurance capacity when taken as a supplement.
In this study, the Swansea team examined the effect of 750mg of soybean-derived
phosphatidylserine, supplemented for 10 days, on the
exercise capacity, rate of oxygen uptake and the perceived rate of exertion
during exhaustive intermittent exercise in 14 male
cyclists.
The subjects were split into two groups; those taking phosphatidylserine and
those taking a placebo. After 10 days, both groups then
completed a staged exercise test consisting of three 10-minute stages of cycling
at 45, 55, and 65% VO2max, followed by a final bout
at 85% VO2max, which was continued until exhaustion. After a 16-day ‘washout’
period, the supplementation and testing protocol was
repeated a second time. Breath-by-breath respiratory data and heart rate were
continually recorded throughout the exercise, and
blood samples were obtained before, during and after.
Although there was no difference in the rate of oxygen uptake or perceived
exertion between the two groups, those taking the
phosphatidylserine experienced a dramatic increase in the time to exhaustion at
85% VO2max – up from an average of 7mins 51secs to
9mins 51secs. This is the first study to report improved exercise capacity after
phosphatidylserine supplementation, so the possible
mechanisms for this effect are as yet unclear. However, these findings do
suggest that phosphatidylserine might possess ergogenic
properties.
Med Sci Sports Exerc 2006; 38(1):64-71
From Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/ergogenic-supplements-phosphatidylserine-35866


9. Ultrafit December's e-Tips:
* All Athletes: Improving Core Strength and Stability
A great deal of research has been done and many articles have been written on
the importance of improving core strength and
stability to ward off injury, not just for the spine, but also for distal
segments such as the shoulders, knees, ankles and feet.
Core stability is defined in sports medicine circles as a “foundation of trunk
dynamic control that allows production, transfer and
control of force and motion to distal segments of the kinetic chain.”
In some ways, we can think of our core as being the entire kinetic chain from
the tips of our fingers to the tips of our toes. Every
swim, bike or run movement we do is controlled and transferred through our core.
All of the muscles of our trunk, back and abdomen
contribute to core stability and the contribution of each muscle group changes
depending on the activity.
Simply put, if you have a weak and unstable core, your risk of injury to your
shoulder, knee or ankle is much greater. Similarly,
any injury that you may have to those areas can adversely affect the integrity
and stability of your core.
Endurance athletes are always looking for a “secret weapon” for improved
performance. I submit that having a higher level of core
and functional strength reduces “energy leaks,” improves efficiency and power,
and, most importantly, reduces risk of injury!
The off-season training period is the ideal time to begin integrating smart,
effective and efficient core and functional strength
exercises into your weekly training routine.
Coach Al Lyman, CSCS, is the owner of www.Pursuit-Fitness.com. Besides being an
Ultrafit Associate and certified with USA Triathlon,
USA Cycling, and the NSCA, he is the creator of Runner-CORE, a new fast,
effective, time-saving program for triathletes and runners
of all levels. For more information and tips, go to: www.Runner-CORE.com.
E-mail: mailto:coachal@...
* All Athletes: Post-Season Anxiety
For most of the country the weather has turned cold and gray and it is time to
settle in for the winter off-season. However, for
many athletes the off-season can be just as anxiety provoking as showing up to
your A-race without your bicycle. Often times I hear
from athletes comments like, “everyone else is training” or “people in warm
climates do not have an off-season.” Joe Friel’s article
in Inside Triathlon explained the importance of losing your physical fitness in
the off-season in order to get more fit the next
year.
Mentally, we need to do the same thing. We need to allow our bodies to mentally
rest from the stress and anxiety that we perceived
during the racing season. Stress has a cumulative effect and over time too much
stress affects us in a variety of ways, none of
which are healthy. Therefore, the off-season should be a time for releasing,
reducing and recovering from stress.
Some suggestions include:
Reading a book on physical training from a different coach than yours.
Reading/studying various mental skills—imagery, relaxation, etc.
Setting your 2008 season goals.
Spending time with family, friends and others.
Enjoying other physical activities.
Marc Strickland is a Licensed Psychologist in Phoenix, Ariz. specializing in
Sport Psychology. He focuses on helping endurance sport
athletes improve their performance through mental preparation. For more
information go to his website,
www.multisportpsychological.com.
From Ultrafit December's e-Tips at:
www.Ultrafit.com.


10. Low Carb Diets May Stress Body Too Much:
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - MESA, Ariz. — For most of the past decade, there was
much hubbub about the Atkins and Zone diets. Both
focus on quick, effective ways to lose weight through high protein and low
carbohydrate foods. Today, many still swear by them.
However, research on these diets has been limited if nonexistent, until now.
Arizona State University scientists from the
departments of Nutrition and Exercise and Wellness along with other colleagues
have been studying the diets since 2005, and find
many biomarkers being negatively impacted by the severely low carbohydrate
intake.
The ASU researchers Carol Johnston and Pamela Swan, along with collaborators
Sherrie Tjonn and Andrea White, both registered
dietitians, and Barry Sears, of the Inflammation Research Foundation and creator
of the Zone diet, have published three papers
during the last two years, appearing in Osteoporosis International, The American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition and most recently in
the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
The biggest difference in these types of diets is the amount of carbohydrate
prescribed. The Atkins diet entails very low
carbohydrate, less than 20 grams daily, whereas the Zone promotes a more
moderate intake of carbohydrates, up to 180 grams daily.
“The downside of severely low carbohydrate intake is that dieters go in to
what’s called ketosis or the inefficiency of the body to
oxidize fat,” said Johnston, chair and professor in the Department of Nutrition,
School of Applied Arts and Sciences.
The term used to describe diets that produce this biological effect is
ketogenic; hence, Atkins is a ketogenic, low carbohydrate
(KLC) diet, and the Zone diet is considered a nonketogenic low carbohydrate
(NLC) diet.
More...from Health News Digest at:
http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Food_and_Nutrition_690/Low_Carb_Diets_May_S\
tress_Body_Too_Much.shtml


11. Yoga for athletes:
It may have started out being popular only in select circles — new-age
philosophy acolytes, neo-hippies or celebrities such as
Madonna and Sting. But the yoga craze has since become part of the general
consciousness.
When Sage Rountree — author of The Athlete's Guide to Yoga — took her first yoga
class she nearly walked out, planning never to
return. She was a casual gym goer — happy and comfortable doing cardio and
resistance work. She saw no point to yoga.
During her first pregnancy she was persuaded to take a prenatal yoga class and
changed her mind.
A year later, while training for a marathon, she found that yoga helped protect
her from some of the aches and pains suffered by
first-time endurance athletes.
Now, Rountree teaches yoga to athletes and is a certified cycling and triathlon
coach. She fielded your questions on Friday, Dec.
14, 2007. Here are her answers:
More...from the CBC at:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourinterview/2007/12/yoga_for_athletes_1.html


12. Putting Very Little Weight in Calorie Counting Methods
THE Spinning class at our local gym was winding down. People were wiping off
their bikes, gathering their towels and water bottles,
and walking out the door when a woman shouted to the instructor, “How many
calories did we burn?”
“About 900,” the instructor replied.
My husband and I rolled our eyes. We looked around the room. Most people had
hardly broken a sweat. I did a quick calculation in my
head.
We were cycling for 45 minutes. Suppose someone was running and that the rule of
thumb, 100 calories a mile, was correct.
To burn 900 calories, we would have had to work as hard as someone who ran a
five-minute mile for the entire distance of nine miles.
Exercise physiologists say there is little in the world of exercise as wildly
exaggerated as people’s estimates of the number of
calories they burn.
Despite the displays on machines at gyms, with their precise-looking calorie
counts, and despite the official-looking published
charts of exercise and calories, it can be all but impossible to accurately
estimate of the number of calories you burn.
You can use your heart rate to gauge your effort, and from that you can plan
routines that are as challenging as you want. But,
researchers say, heart rate does not translate easily into calories. And you may
be in for a rude surprise if you try to count the
calories you think you used during exercise and then reward yourself with extra
food.
More...from the New York Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/health/nutrition/20BEST.html?_r=1&ref=fitnessa\
ndnutrition&oref=slogin


13. Built-in exercise monitor predicts fitness:
We all hold the secret to getting fit, according to researchers from the
University of Exeter. The research team has shown that we
each have a built-in ability to judge how hard our bodies are working, often
with remarkable precision.
A series of studies over the last two years, culminating in three academic
papers in the past two months, has shown a consistently
close correlation between actual and perceived exertion in people of all levels
of fitness. The team has found that an individual’s
own sense of how hard he or she is working corresponds exactly with actual level
of exertion, measured by heart-rate and oxygen
uptake.
According to a press release by EurekAlert, the experiments involved people
being asked to exercise at various levels of intensity
on a scale of six to 20, with six being completely inactive and 20 being on the
verge of exhaustion.
The amount of exertion was determined purely by the individual, who made a
judgement on how hard to work based on his or her
interpretation of the scale. The researchers simultaneously monitored the
person’s heart-rate and oxygen uptake, which are the most
widely-used measures of physical exertion. In almost all cases the results
matched exactly the levels that would be predicted for
each specific number on the six to 20 scale. This demonstrates our ability to
judge precisely how hard our bodies are working.
More...from the Hindu at:
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200712191643.htm


14. Fitness Has Fallen Since The Days Of Ancient Greece:
We may not be as fit as the people of ancient Athens, despite all that modern
diet and training can provide, according to research
by University of Leeds (UK) exercise physiologist, Dr Harry Rossiter.
Dr Rossiter measured the metabolic rates of modern athletes rowing a
reconstruction of an Athenian trireme, a 37m long warship
powered by 170 rowers seated in three tiers. Using portable metabolic analysers,
he measured the energy consumption of a sample of
the athletes powering the ship over a range of different speeds to estimate the
efficiency of the human engine of the warship. The
research is published in New Scientist .
By comparing these findings to classical texts that record details of their
endurance, he realised that the rowers of ancient Athens
-- around 500BC -- would had to have been highly elite athletes, even by modern
day standards.
Says Dr Rossiter: "Ancient Athens had up to 200 triremes at any one time, and
with 170 rowers in each ship, the rowers were clearly
not a small elite. Yet this large group, it seems, would match up well with the
best of modern athletes. Either ancient Athenians
had a more efficient way of rowing the trireme or they would have to be an
extremely fit group. Our data raise the interesting
notion that these ancient athletes were genetically better adapted to endurance
exercise than we are today."
More...from Medical News Today at:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/62712.php


15. Tempo Runs Done Right:
Learn how to hit and hold your lactate threshold pace on your next training run.
By Ed Eyestone
It seems to me that at least part of the recent resurgence of American distance
running has to do with the tempo run. Twenty years
ago, elite runners logged only five to 10 percent of their weekly runs at tempo
pace. Today, American Olympic Marathon medalist Meb
Keflezighi puts in 15 to 20 percent of his miles at his "comfortably hard" pace,
according to his coach, Bob Larsen.
For good reason. Studies show that one of the best predictors of
distance-running excellence is your lactate threshold, the pace at
which your body's ability to buffer lactic acid is surpassed by lactic-acid
production, and you fatigue. Tempo runs put you at that
lactate-threshold pace, which trains your body to become better at buffering the
acid, thus increasing your ability to run faster or
longer.
But the point is moot if you don't train at the right pace. Run too slowly, and
you'll fail to produce excess lactic acid. Run too
fast, and lactic acid will build up too quickly, bringing you to fatigue before
you've hit the 15 to 20 minutes necessary to gain
the desired training effect.
More...from Runner's World at:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-263-265-12224-0,00.html?cm_mmc\
=training-_-2007_12_18-_-training-_-All%20in%20the%2
0Tempo
[Long URL]


16. The Endurance Nation "Four Keys" To Ironman Execution:
I'm flying home from IMFL, the last Ironman of the 2007 season, and the end of a
long season of Ironman coaching, speaking,
clinic-ing and spectating. I'd like to take this time to deliver to you, one
last time, the end-all, be-all of how you should race
Ironman. Frankly, because after six years of full-time Ironman coaching I'm
tired of seeing people screw it up! We're absolutely,
100% convinced that what we're going to share with you works. Our observations
this season -- and the results of our athletes --
speak for themselves. Note that we're writing this a little tongue in cheek,
using humor to get our point across. This is the style
of our live schtick, delivered to you in pixels.
First, our CVs...
Rich: Ironman coach since 2001, has personally coached 200+ Ironman finishers.
Over 800 athletes have used Crucible Fitness training
plans since 2005. I have delivered pre-race talks at 2-4 Ironman races per year
since 2003 to about 50-70 athletes per talk. This
year alone I've:
~ Conducted race specific training camps (ie, how to train and racing Ironman)
on the IMLou, IMLP, and IMWI courses for over 70
athletes.
~ Delivered pre-race talks at IMCDA, IMLP, IMWI, and IMFL to over 200 athletes.
~ Ridden motorcycle support for IMCDA and then stood at the turnaroud at mile 7
for three hours. Rode the IMLP course backwards
during the race, then stalked the run course on my bike. That is, I've seen,
first hand, hundreds of athletes hammering up a hill at
mile 60, and the same athletes walking at mile 10.
Patrick: Triathlon coach since 2002, with over 150 one-on-one athletes and 400
training plan athletes sucessfully hitting the
finishline in the last five years. I have conducted over 15 race-specific and
epic training camps. My personal best is a 10:01 at
IMUSA and a 10:37 at Kona 2007.
In short, we have a lot of experience with what works, what does not work, and
we've honed this message through the results of our
athletes, our observations while being ON the course during the race, and the
feedback we've received from pre-race talk attendees.
This is the official Endurance Nation Ironman Kool-Aid, we hope you enjoy it.
Help us help you!
More...from TriFuel.com at:
http://www.trifuel.com/training/triathlon-training/the-endurance-nation-four-key\
s-to-ironman-execution


17. The Challenging Periods of Training for Women:
By Coach Wendy
I'm not sure if is the pre menstrual irritability or the dealing with the
inconvenience of the actual period that often cause the
most hassles for us active women. I would imagine it would depend on who is on
the receiving end of the period!!! For the most part,
we have probably become used to this monthly ritual and the general feeling
associated with it... but for those of you new into the
active lifestyle or for those old hand athletes, juggling period needs with
being active does have its challenges.
You will all recognise the variety of common symptoms of feeling bloated, or of
having a slightly dull ache in your back. The
feeling of a deep dull tension in the lower abdominal region (dysmenorrhea) and
then there is the general feeling of being tired
especially in the first 3 days of the cycle. For some women, their monthly
period is accompanied with minimal symptoms and for
others it is a time of great discomfort and requires considerable planning when
it comes to exercise.
The effect of menstruation on training is varied. Most active women notice
minimal change in their 5 day cycle and if anything they
comment on their increased awareness as to how the body is feeling during this
time. Their heighten sense of body awareness is one
of the many benefits that comes from training and listening to their bodies.
More...from Endurance Coach at:
http://www.endurancecoach.com/default.asp?PageID=(10665)


18. Why Do Triathletes Run Funny?
By Matt Russ
“Why do triathletes run funny” was a question I was recently asked. The athlete
was comparing the run form of elite marathoners to
triathletes. The answer is- because they swim.
It is fairly easy to identify an experienced swimmer from a postural standpoint.
Swimmers tend to have tight neck, chest and
anterior shoulder muscles that cause them to assume a hunched over posture.
Their shoulders are usually slightly internally rotated
(thumbs turned in towards the body) and their shoulders may be high (picture a
shrug) due to tight trapezius muscles. Each sport
produces specific muscular adaptions and swimming uses the pectorals, latisimus,
and trapezius to a high degree. Imbalanced caused
by over-strengthening these muscles can not only lead to swimmers shoulder, but
it can also affect run form as well.
The result of this tightness and imbalance can be excessive shoulder rotation as
you run. Some shoulder rotation naturally occurs
with all runners, but it does not contribute to speed. Remember, all your energy
should be directed to moving you in a forward
direction; lateral movement is not desirable. Good arm motion requires a loose
pendulum-like swing from the shoulder joint, not
rotation of the shoulders. This rotation over activates the oblique muscles
wasting energy. It can also cause a counter-rotation at
the hips throwing the stride out of balance. Triathletes with very tight
shoulder capsules and trapezius tend to have a difficult
time swinging their arms from the shoulder joint. If posture is significantly
hunched due to tight anterior muscles, the forward
drive of the leg can also be affected; one of the key components of a good run
stride.
More...from the Sport Factory at:
http://thesportfactory.com/site/trainingnews/Why_Do_Triathletes_Run_Funny.shtml


19. Dealing with the Body's Bumps, Folds and Curvy Bits!:
By Coach Wendy
We've all done it at least once! Many have experienced it. Some still have the
scars to prove it. Yes, even the pro's find it a
challenge. Finding the best gear to fit ones unique body bits is often a
trialing experience!
You know the old saying "What do gynaecologists, urologists and triathletes have
in common?" Well, from the medical perspective, the
two pursue the endless juggle of playing with physiology and the challenge of
performance. In the case of the triathletes, they just
want to avoid having to make an appointment to repair any damage caused through
ill-fitting equipment causing unfavorable injuries
to sensitive regions!
Yes, choosing a good seat and or wearing a well fitting sports bra are two of
the most common issues that cause triathletes concern
in these sensitive regions. Ironically, they are topics often the first to be
'swum' over and avoided - especially the seat
department!!!
We often hear the comment "You'll be right, you'll get used to it". Well excuse
the cow-shed terminology but guys, the short answer
is that num nuts and unresponsive willies is not good for your health let alone
any family planning that may be on the agenda.
Girls, feeling like you're crotch is made of sand paper may mean that you need
more lubricant and feeling like you've been punched
in the chest after a run means that you need a more supportive sports bra!
More...from Endurance Coach at:
http://www.endurancecoach.com/default.asp?PageID=(10842)


20. Digest Briefs:
* Do-it-yourself Cardiac Bypass Surgery: All You Need is Walking Shoes
By Harvard Heart Letter
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - BOSTON—When cholesterol-clogged plaque narrows an
artery that feeds the heart, the body responds by trying
to bulk up tiny blood vessels in the heart. As these so-called collateral
vessels grow more muscular and interconnected, they begin
to reroute some of the blood flow around the blockage. Scientists have been
trying for years to nudge collateral blood vessels to
develop and prosper, but without great success. However, you can do it at home
without anything more high-tech than a comfortable
pair of shoes, reports the Harvard Heart Letter in its January 2008 issue.
Growing new collateral blood vessels can ease chest pain (angina), limit heart
attack damage, improve survival, and perhaps even
offer extra time for emergency therapy in the case of a heart attack. And
exercise can boost these blood vessels.
Exercise dramatically increases blood flow through the coronary arteries. The
inner lining of the arteries responds to this "stress"
much as it does to the stress of atherosclerosis, by stimulating collateral
blood vessels to elongate, widen, and form new
connections.
The Heart Letter notes that a little bit of exercise won't do the trick. You
need to push your heart. If you aren't used to
exercising, that may mean brisk walking. Any activity that gets your heart
beating faster will do as long as you keep it up for 20
to 30 minutes at a time and do it several times a week.
Exercise is a great way to prevent heart disease, and a host of studies show
that it can help some people with narrowed coronary
arteries safely avoid bypass surgery or angioplasty. The Harvard Heart Letter
asks: Why not give yourself a natural bypass before
you need a surgeon to perform a more painful and hazardous one?
* Quick Tip
By Sally Warner MA, PhD
Fueling on a technical course.
It is really easy to get dehydrated and into a caloric deficit when the terrain
gets nasty. Plan ahead: figure out how technical or
hilly the course is in advance and bring easily accessible fuel (i.e. liquid
shot and hydration pack fastened to the bike or body).
Mentally prepare to consume this fuel when the terrain is least challenging so
you do not miss the rare opportunities!



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

December 31, 2007:
Emerald Nuts Midnight 4 Mile Run - New York, NY

New Year's Eve 2 Mile Run - Sacramento, CA


Saturday, June 21, 2008
Emilie's Run - The Emilie Mondor Memorial 5K race for Women
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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teams, clinics and fund raising programs for Canada's Olympic athletes.

SweetskinsZ Bicycle Tires:
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000018791523&pubid=2100000000\
0028567

XM Satellite Radio
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000021517490

Puma
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000005110141&pubid=2100000000\
0028567

Champion
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=h1QosBYBFXw&offerid=113858.10000144\
&type=1&subid=0

Nike
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000015009821

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:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/cmd.php?af=517509

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\
bid=0

Your very own personal trainer at a fraction of the cost
http://www.cartville.com/app/?af=473063

Check out TotalWellness's mp3 Personal Training Program - only 5% the Cost of
Regular Personal Training!
http://www.totalwellnessconsulting.ca/fitter_u_totalwellness.htm

Geezer Jock Magazine, The Masters Sports & Fitness Magazine
http://www.geezerjock.com/index.cfm?affID=runnersweb

Athletes, Coaches, Trainers and Physio's
..new software designs unlimited stretching routines with ease!
Design unlimited stretching routines today, starting from scratch, in under 60
seconds!
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/cmd.php?af=245575&u=http://www.thestretchin\
ghandbook.com/products/instantstretch.htm

Mental Strength Training Center:
http://www.memberstar.com/redir_a.php?LFAId=1027

National Bike Registry
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=vVGS2V*0iZg&offerid=21387&type=3&sub\
id=0

Buy Paula Radcliffe's book, My Story - So Far, from Amazon UK at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/074325242X/runnersweb-21

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

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

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

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

Visit on AssociatesShop.com Online Bookstore for running and triathlon books:
http://associatesshop.filzhut.de/shop/index.php?ID=90c9f271c1a519abc4a69299be707\
5a9

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

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

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:
** You can get the new 3rd Edition of The Stretching Handbook at the old version
price of only US$19.97. But only until the 1st of
May!
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/cmd.php?af=245575&u=http://www.thestretchin\
ghandbook.com/specials.php#stretch_book
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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