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
our daily news, features, polls, trivia, bulletin boards and more. General
questions should be posted to one of our forums available
from our FrontPage.

SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS:
All of the revenue from our advertisers and affiliates goes to support clubs,
athletes and clinics related to multisport and
Canadian Olympians.

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
January 4, 2008: Goodlife Fitness has come on board as a sponsor of Emilie's Run
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Visit www.GoodLifeFitness.com today to receive 3 FREE Visits!
Your 3 FREE visits include:
. A Visual Fitness Planner Consultation
. Fit Fix Orientation to learn how to exercise safely and effectively
. Access to all cardio and strength-training equipment
. Access to all of our world-class Group EXercise classes
. A copy of Living the Good Life audio CD
Get started today! Visit www.GoodLifeFitness.com Limited time offer.

3. Road Runner Sports, the world's largest running store at:
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New Arrivals from Nike With Web Exclusive Apparel and More!

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

5. Mississauga Marathon
The 5th anniversary edition of the Mississauga Marathon will be run on May 11,
2008 with the 10K the evening before on May 10th.
Register before February 6th to beat the price increase.
For more visit the race site at:
http://www.mississaugamarathon.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
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athletic dreams. Trusted by thousands. Dedicated to you.
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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

8. January 4, 2008: Goodlife Fitness has come on board as a sponsor of Emilie's
Run
GoodLife Fitness - Coed or Women's Only
Visit www.GoodLifeFitness.com today to receive 3 FREE Visits!
Your 3 FREE visits include:
. A Visual Fitness Planner Consultation
. Fit Fix Orientation to learn how to exercise safely and effectively
. Access to all cardio and strength-training equipment
. Access to all of our world-class Group EXercise classes
. A copy of Living the Good Life audio CD
Get started today! Visit www.GoodLifeFitness.com Limited time offer.

9. Watch over 50 IAAF Events Live and On-Demand.
World Championship Sports Network
ABOUT WCSN
World Championship Sports Network (WCSN) is the premier destination for fans of
Olympic and lifestyle sports, delivering an
immersive experience via exclusive live and on demand coverage of world class
competitions, interaction with top athletes and in
depth access to sports news and information year round.
WCSN offers comprehensive coverage of over 60 sports disciplines, through
exclusive long term programming agreements across a number
of key International Federations and National Governing Bodies. Major
championship events in sports ranging from Athletics (Track &
Field), Skiing, Swimming, Gymnastics and Cycling to Volleyball, Karate and
Taekwondo are featured online at
http://tinyurl.com/ysnvnh and on television via WCSN's weekly syndicated
television program, World Championship Sports, available in
more than 45 million US households. WCSN also markets Olympic sports in
partnership with International Federations, National
Governing Bodies, local organizations, clubs, sponsors, and through related
websites and publications.
WCSN is dedicated to providing year round, in depth coverage of these important
and exciting sports to reach millions of fans around
the world for whom they represent a way of life. WCSN is committed to expanding
the audience by delivering programming that
exemplifies the best of the human spirit. WCSN enables fans to interact with
world class champions as well as get to know the up and
coming athletes through blogs, interviews and their broadcast commentary.
Consistent with the world class caliber of the sports it celebrates, WCSN
delivers high quality production values, leveraging
state-of-the-art-technology and next generation distribution platforms to
provide an immersive, interactive experience available
anytime, anywhere.
Visit WCSN at:
http://tinyurl.com/ysnvnh

10. Canadian Running Magazine:
Subscribe at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/CanadianRunner.html

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Advertise your event on the Runner's Web.
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NEW THIS WEEK:
Road Race Management Newsletter
Save $30 off a new 1-year subscription to Road Race Management, the must-have
monthly newsletter covering the operational,
administrative and marketing elements of the sport of long distance running.
Want to learn more?
http://www.rrm.com/rrmnewsletter/newsletter.htm
If you like what you see, Click Here
(http://www.rrm.com/directory/08newslspringmid.htm) to Subscribe at the special
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($82 for overseas). That is $30 off the regular price. Once you subscribe, you
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mailbox 11 times a year.

FREE Stretching, Flexibility & Sports Injury Information!
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I've created a Runner's Web Group on Facebook.
To join the Runner's Web Facebook group, if you are not a member of Facebook,
you must first create a free Facebook account at
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If you feel you have something to say (related to triathlon or running) that is
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We have 2,329 subscribers as of publication time. Forward the Runner's Web
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RUNNER'S AND TRIATHLETE'S WEB CONTENT PARTNERS

* ACTIVE.COM
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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
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Associate with the University of California, San Diego. Her
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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
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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:
Hi Everyone,
I am new to this yahoo group, but am not new to running. I have been running
since I was a kid with my father who was a veteran New
York City Marathon runner.
I have trained in Tai Chi and the cultivation arts for the past 15 years.
I have just written a brief yet concise report on "chi Running" and am looking
for runners of any level or ability to review and
write an honest testimonial for me.
If you would like more information on this subject which has helped tons of
runners get back on the road after serious injuries of
all kinds, then just email me at:
mailto:qpuncturist@...
Best,
Justin



THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. Concurrent Training
2. Killer Stairs? Taking The Elevator Could Be Worse For Your Body
3. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine
4. Strong Hips Help to Keep us Running Injury Free
5. Antioxidant Function of Vitamins A, C and E
6. Overtraining And The Role of Pharmacology
7. This Week in Running
8. Cortisol may alleviate chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia symptoms: study
9. Skipping Cereal and Eggs, and Packing on Pounds
10. Two Oceans Ultra Marathon, and the state of the "industry" - more on the
running shoe market
11. Time To Rethink Your Marathon Training Program?
Turning the Tables
12. Bonus Commentary on Time to Rethink Your Marathon Training program?
13. Ouch, Hamstring Strains
14. This Week in Running
15. Yes, Running Can Make You High
16. Fueling the Runner: Pumping Iron
It's Not Just For The Weight Room.
17. 10 Iron-Clad Ways to Boost Endurance
18. Improved Flexibility Yields Better Performance
19. Strong Hips Help to Keep us Running Injury Free
20. Digest Briefs

RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"What is the longest road race or triathlon you will do this year?"

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:
"Have you watched a sporting event via the internet on WCSN.com?"
Answers Percent
1. Yes 50%
2. No, but plan to 25%
3. No 25%


FIVE STAR SITE OF THE MONTH: Tim Don - World Triathlon Champion 2006
As a junior, Tim was soon marked out for great things. His swift and easy
running style made him ideally suited to take his place in
the new wave of triathletes who used their pace in the third discipline to
distance their cycling and swimming peers.
Bad luck was never far from the heels of the young Don however, with stolen
bikes and crashes all looming large in his early career.
One aspect of his abilities was never called into question: stomach for the
fight. He quickly gained a reputation for being one of
the bravest emerging talents, often attacking from the front on the bike to stir
up the action. His willingness to take races by the
scruff of the neck often left him staring at silver medals rather than gold, as
more canny rivals took advantage of his enthusiasm
to split the field, but a strong character was starting to shine through.
Those 2nd places were beginning to make Tim look like the nearly-man. A Silver
at the 1998 European Junior Duathlon Championships
was followed by another at the same season's European Junior Triathlon
Championships. Fortunately for Tim, his family and
supporters, they were merely indicators of the good things to follow, as he
shrugged off those disappointments to become World
Junior Triathlon Champion.
He made a quiet but successful transition to the senior ranks, featuring in
1999's ITU World Cup series. In losing out to Spencer
Smith in a thrilling finish to the Windsor ITU race that still lives in the
memory of the huge crowds who lined the streets below
the castle, Tim displayed the guts that he would need to call upon again and
again.
Read more about Tim Don at:
http://www.timdon.com


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

BOOK/VIDEO OF THE MONTH: 30 Years of the Ironman Triathlon World Championship
Available May 13, 2008 - Pre-order Now!
Buy the book at Amazon.com at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841261149/runnersweb/102-0182896-9006569\
?v=glance&s=books

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. Concurrent Training:
The interference effect: do aerobic and strength training cancel each other out?
Many sports are characterised by the need to blend multiple fitness components
in order to achieve optimum performance. These
include football, hockey, netball, basketball and many others. As an athlete
involved in such a sport, you are unlikely to have the
luxury of training any one of these components in isolation over a period of
time, and your conditioning programmes probably involve
the concurrent training of several fitness components across a number of
microcycles.
But is there a risk that by engaging in two or more different types of
conditioning at once, the differing stimuli will interfere
with each other - even, in effect, cancel each other out?
Recent research on the effects of concurrent strength and aerobic training
appears contradictory, with some authors suggesting that
gains, particularly in strength, may be compromised and others detecting no such
'interference'. In order to maximise your training
investment, you need to be aware of whether this interference effect really does
exist, when and why it occurs, what harm it does
and what strategies can be employed to minimise its effects.
More...from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/1031.htm


2. Killer Stairs? Taking The Elevator Could Be Worse For Your Body:
For years, scientists have been proclaiming the benefits of exercise. Studies
showing that regular exercise benefits human health
have exploded in number, examining many health problems ranging from cancer and
diabetes to arthritis and pre-mature death.
Now, a University of Missouri researcher has found direct evidence to support
the claim of the Centers for Disease Control that a
reduction in daily physical activity is an actual cause of many of the risk
factors for chronic diseases, including diabetes and
cardiovascular disease. The research team also found that it only takes about
two weeks of reduced activity for individuals to start
noticing the effects.
More...from Science Daily at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318182741.htm


3. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine:
* High Fructose Corn Syrup No Worse Than Sugar
You may have heard that the obesity epidemic in North America is caused by high
fructose corn syrup (HFCS) found in most sugared
drinks and many types of foods. However, the evidence now blames any sugar in
drinks and not the high fructose corn syrup in
particular.
Researchers in the Netherlands showed that beverages sweetened by HFCS do not
affect energy levels, appetite-related hormone levels
or obesity any more than milk or drinks sweetened with sucrose (American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition, December 2007). People did
not eat more food after drinking HFCS beverages than they did after drinking
milk or non-HFCS sodas. They also showed that the
obesity hormones (insulin, ghrelin, glucose and glucagon-like peptide 1 or
GLP-1) remained the same after all types of sweetened
drinks.
A sucrose-sweetened beverage contains 64 per cent glucose and 36 per cent
fructose, while the HFCS is 41 per cent glucose and 59
per cent fructose, a not very significant difference. The researchers concluded
that "energy balance consequences of HFCS-sweetened
soft drinks are not different from those of other iso-energetic drinks: a
sucrose soft drink or milk." Currently, many scientists
believe that any sugar in drinks promotes obesity because sugar in liquid form
does not fill you up to make you eat less in the same
way that sugar in solid food does. If you want to lose weight, I recommend that
you exercise more and eat less, and avoid sugar in
liquid form.
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: My daughter's coach is encouraging her to take creatine. Is
it safe?
When you exercise almost at your maximum, you start to run out of oxygen and
must get your energy from a system that does not
require oxygen. Muscles contain creatine that can serve to power your muscles
when you run out of oxygen, so in theory you can do
more work using creatine. Some athletes take creatine supplements to help them
take harder workouts which, in turn, make them better
athletes. A concern is that if creatine helps them work harder, it might
increase their chances of injuring themselves, particularly
in the heat. Flat-out exhausting exercise in hot weather can raise body
temperature and even cause heat stroke. However, a study
from the University of Wisconsin- LaCrosse failed to show any harm from hard
exercise in the heat when an athlete takes creatine
(Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, August 2007).
No good studies have been done to show what amounts of creatine are safe to take
beyond what your own body makes, so let the buyer
beware. Taking too much creatine can cause weight gain, increased insulin
production and possibly kidney damage. Also, the industry
that distributes creatine is unregulated and you have no way to know what you
are actually buying.
* Men Underestimate Their Waist Sizes
Men report that their waist circumferences are an average of 3.1 inches slimmer
than they actually are, according to a study from
University of Leicester in England (BBC News, February 29, 2008). They can die
from this vanity. Storing fat in your belly is a
major risk factor for diabetes that causes blindness, deafness, heart attacks,
strokes, amputations and kidney disease.
Almost all men who have more than three inches of fat underneath the skin over
their bellies are either diabetic or pre-diabetic.
More than 80 percent of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight at
the time of their diagnosis. Since insulin causes
fat to be deposited primarily in the belly, storing more than three inches of
fat underneath your skin is a sign of high insulin
levels. Almost all type 2 diabetics who still make insulin go through periods
of extremely high insulin levels long before their
insulin levels drop. The disease is usually caused by inability to respond to
insulin, so blood levels of insulin just keep on
rising as a person gains weight. If these men would accept the existence of
their fat bellies, they might recognize that they are
at risk for diabetes and change their lifestyles before they develop
complications from a potentially fatal disease.
* Exercise bikes without pain
If your exercise bike hurts you, switch to a recumbent stationary bike or do
short, intense workouts where you alternate between
sitting and standing on your bike. When you ride a conventional stationary
bicycle, you sit on a narrow bicycle seat because your
legs have to reach around the seat down to the pedals. The pudendal nerve in
your pelvis can be pinched by the seat to cause
numbness and pain in your crotch and genitals. When you sit on a recumbent
bicycle that has the pedals at the same height as your
pelvis, your legs are not separated by the seat so you don't need a narrow
bicycle seat. You sit on a seat shaped like a regular
chair which is contoured to fit your back and is very comfortable. Anyone who
can sit in a chair can use a recumbent stationary
bike, so even elderly people with poor coordination and weak muscles can get the
benefits of exercise.
My current favorite workout bike is a "spinning" bike, the same kind used for
classes in many gyms. It's an upright bike with a
standard narrow seat, but you don't get sore because you never sit for long. In
a "spinning" workout you cycle as fast and as hard
as you can for brief periods, changing positions and resistance frequently. The
bike has a very heavy wheel that moves smoothly and
adjusts easily. In spinning classes, you have an upbeat instructor, music and
other cyclists to keep you motivated, but you can do
the same workout on your own. Used, reconditioned spinning bikes are available
at reasonable prices if you decide you'd like to have
one at home. Diana prefers the recumbent stationary bike for indoor workouts
because she likes the comfortable seat. Her outdoor
single bike is recumbent too -- a Greenspeed trike, which she loves.
From Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine at: http://www.drmirkin.com


4. Strong Hips Help to Keep us Running Injury Free:
At this time of year, when we as runners are thinking again about building up
mileage for the upcoming spring races, it's a good
time to also think about building strength in a few key muscles. Often, we fail
to recognize the importance of strength to keep us
running at our best and also injury free.
Stabilizing muscles in the hip (muscles that keep the hip and pelvis in an
optimal position while running) are often weaker in
comparison to our large prime mover muscles (muscles that propel us forward
while running). The main hip stabilizer that has been
researched the most is called the Gluteus Medius muscle, although it does get
assistance from other smaller deeper muscles in the
hip. Mainly, these stabilizing muscles in the hip act to hold the ball at the
top of the thigh bone in the centre of the hip joint
socket, they externally rotate the thigh (turn the thigh outward) and they
abduct the hip (ie: keep the pelvis level, stop the trunk
from moving side to side, stop the knees from knocking together, and generally
help to keep us moving ahead in a straight line!).
More...from Running Free at:
http://resources.runningfree.com/articles.php?article=strong-hips-help-to-keep-u\
s-running-injury-free


5. Antioxidant Function of Vitamins A, C and E:
Vitamin C, vitamin E (tocopherols), and some precursors to vitamin A (the
carotenoids) exhibit antioxidant activity. Each of these
vitamins has independently been shown to alter immunity. The antioxidant
function of these vitamins is of interest to some athletes
primarily because exercise increases the production of reactive oxygen species
(ROS) which have been associated with muscular
fatigue and muscular damage. In addition, neutrophils and macro phages produce
ROS. The ROS produced by the immune system may have a
role in modulating postexercise muscle damage. The other reason that vitamins A,
C, and E may be of interest to athletes relates to
their potential immunostimulatory properties. The antioxidant properties of the
vitamins may differ from the immunomodulatory
effects.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during strenuous exercise, result in
oxidative stress, and are associated with a
depletion of antioxidants, muscle damage, and fatigue. High concentrations of
antioxidants may protect against the damaging effects
of ROS. An assumption has been made that a high intake of vitamins A, C, E, or
beta-carotene may protect against the
exercise-induced oxidative stress and several studies have examined this
possibility. Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) is considered the
most important scavenger of ROS at the level of membranes and is probably the
most well studied with respect to exercise.
More...from Best Syndication at:
http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=20080317_antioxidant_supplements.htm


6. Overtraining And The Role of Pharmacology:
By Dr. Kaidu Meitern
Dr. Kaidu Meitern, who is the medical advisor of the Estonian Republic's track
team in the Soviet Union, looks at the problems and
symptoms of overtraining and the role of pharmaceutical aids to secure
restoration after heavy workloads. The article, that once
again stresses the importance of recovery in contemporary training, is a
slightly condensed translation from Kehakultuur, published
by Periodika, Tallinn, Estonian SSR, No. 10 and 11, 1988. Re-printed with
permission from Modern Athlete and Coach.
ABOUT OVERTRAINING
The volume and intensity of training continue to increase and are responsible
for the improvement of performances. Athletes often
attempt to copy the number of training sessions, the duration of workouts and
other indicators related to the training of top level
performers, overlooking the fact that all athletes don't tolerate similar
training loads. The organism can easily be overloaded when
inherited characteristics and the prerequisites to lift the training load are
not taken into consideration.
Finnish sport physiologist V. Harkonen defines overtraining as a state where,
despite intensive training, the work capacity of an
athlete fails to improve, or even drops. West German sport medicine specialist
W. Kindermann claims that "overtraining is reflected
in a drop of performance capacities, in the absence of illness, of an athlete
who trains regularly. It is expressed in modest
subjective and objective symptoms".
What leads to overtraining? The inherited capacity to tolerate certain workloads
has already been mentioned. The most common
additional reasons are:
. Incorrect training methods, including frequently a monotonous and rapidly
increased training volume. Most often, however, it is the intensity of a
forced training load that is responsible for more damage than a large
volume.
. The failure to understand the restoration processes of the organism.
. Training while ill or training immediately after an illness.
. Work or study loads and stresses that coincide with hard training.
. Psychological problems.
How is it possible to anticipate overtraining?
More...from the Canadian Athletics Coaching Centre at:
http://www.athleticscoaching.ca/?pid=7&spid=41


7. This Week in Running:
10 Years Ago- Clement Kiprotich (KEN) won the Hans Verkerk (NED) 20K in 58:42.
Joseph Kibor (KEN)
and Mohammed Baket (PLE) followed in 58:45 and 59:01
respectively. Lornah Kiplagat
(KEN) won the women's 15K in 49:13. Lucia Subano (KEN) also
broke 50 minutes with a
49:47 and Nadezhda Wijenberg (RUS) was 3rd in 50:23. This race
is now known as the
Alphen aan den Rijn 20K and both men and women run 20 km.
20 Years Ago- Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR) won the 4th IAAF Women's World Road
Championships (AUS) 15K
by nearly two minutes over Xiu-ting Wang (CHN), 48:24 to 50:18.
Zoya Ivanova (KAZ)
was 3rd in 50:28. This short-lived championships was supplanted
by the IAAF World
Half Marathon Championships in 1992.
30 Years Ago- Martha Cooksey (USA) won the Avon (GA/USA) Marathon by more than
five minutes over
Sarolta Monspart (HUN), 2:46:26 to 2:51:40. Manuela Angenvoorth
(GER) was 3rd in
2:51:53 with Cindy Dalrymple (USA) and Gayle Barron (USA)
rounding out the top five
with 2:52:10 and 2:53:05 respectively.
40 Years Ago- Mohamed Gammoudi (TUN) won the gold medal at the IAAF World
Crosscountry Championships
(TUN) 12K by two seconds over Ron Hill (ENG). Roy Fowler (ENG)
was 3rd, another five
seconds back.
50 Years Ago- Ted Corbitt (USA) won the inaugural Macombs Dam Park (NY/USA)
Marathon in 2:41:49. This
race was renamed the Cherry Tree Marathon for 1969-1970. The
race was moved to Central Park in
1971 and renamed the Earth Day Marathon. In 1973, the Earth Day
Marathon was moved to Westbury
on Long Island and in 1978, was moved to East Meadow and the name
was changed to the Long Island
Marathon.
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.


8. Cortisol may alleviate chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia symptoms: study
Sufferers of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome may see significant
relief from their symptoms when administered the stress
hormone cortisol, finds a new study.
A review of 50 published studies conducted by researchers in California has
found that people who suffer from chronic fatigue and
fibromyalgia have adrenal dysfunction, meaning their adrenal glands, which
produce sex hormones and cortisol, don't work
effectively.
Chronic fatigue is a condition in which people have debilitating fatigue that
may be get worse with activity and is not relieved by
rest. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by multiple pain points in
muscles throughout the body and fatigue. Chronic fatigue
and fibromyalgia affect 0.5 to five per cent of the population, according to the
study's authors.
"My review of existing studies suggests that a treatment protocol of early
administration of cortisol may help improve and reduce
the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia," said Dr. Kent
Holtorf, medical director of the Holtorf Medical Group
Center for Endocrine, Neurological and Infection Related Illness in Torrance,
Calif., in a release.
More...from the CBC at:
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/03/19/cortisol-study.html


9. Skipping Cereal and Eggs, and Packing on Pounds:
Researchers have found evidence that Mom was right: breakfast may really be the
most important meal of all. A new study reports that
the more often adolescents eat breakfast, the less likely they are to be
overweight.
The researchers examined the eating and exercise habits of 1,007 boys and 1,215
girls, with an average age of 15 at the start of the
five-year study - a racially and economically diverse sample from public schools
in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
The authors found a direct relationship between eating breakfast and body mass
index; the more often an adolescent had breakfast,
the lower the B.M.I. And whether they looked at the data at a given point or
analyzed changes over time, that relationship
persisted.
Why eating breakfast should lead to fewer unwanted pounds is unclear, but the
study found that breakfast eaters consumed greater
amounts of carbohydrates and fiber, got fewer calories from fat and exercised
more. Consumption of fiber-rich foods may improve
glucose and insulin levels, making people feel satisfied and less likely to eat
more later in the day.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/health/nutrition/25brea.html?_r=1&ref=fitnessa\
ndnutrition&oref=slogin


10. Two Oceans Ultra Marathon, and the state of the "industry" - more on the
running shoe market:
A rather "South African-centric" post today, but for those outside SA, please do
read on, or bear with me for the post focusing on
one of South Africa's biggest road races - The Two Oceans Ultramarathon (and
Half-marathon). This is a race that few outside of SA
will likely have heard of, but it's one of the big 2 ultra-marathons in South
Africa, along with the 89km Comrades in June.
The race, a 56km cruise around the Cape Peninsula, is without doubt one of the
more beautiful races in the world, and if you're
reading this from outside SA, and feel inclined to take a "running holiday" in
the future, next year in April is a good bet - you
won't be disappointed, either by the race or by Cape Town! There is also a half
marathon, for those interested in the shorter races.
The race profile, incidentally is shown below - a tough final 28km, the marathon
mark falling in the middle of the most challenging
climb of the race, with another 14km to go.
Most of the runners who've actually completed the race will only read this on
Tuesday, after returning to work after the weekend,
and so their legs will testify to the toughness of the final few kilometers!
Well done, and take a few days off!
The Two Oceans Expo - some observations
But the main focus of the post today is the Two Oceans expo - as with many big
races, the three days leading up to the race involve
an expo where all the 'players' in the running industry get to show their wares
and promote their goods. Think running shoes,
clothing, gels, sports drinks and other gadgets and "necessities" for runners.
I was at the Two Oceans Expo for the last three days, and given our recent
series on running shoes, it was a first hand tour through
the technology. So I thought I'd share some insights and thoughts.
Running shoes - the industry is shifting
Over the last few days, we've done a series looking at running shoes and the
possibility that the expensive shoes you were fitted
out in might actually be the cause of the injury, and not the solution! And the
response has been fantastic - we've received many
comments and emails from people, supporting, refuting and discussing the topics,
and so it's quite clear that shoes, more than any
other topic, touches runners where it counts - their feet! And, unfortunately,
their wallets, for it's still the largest expense a
runner incurs for the sport.
So it's not surprising that when 20,000 runners gather for a serious running
event, the shoes take centre-stage.
I was fortunate enough to wander around and interact with various shoe
companies, and have their sales and technical staff explain
to me the latest innovations and gadgets that are "guaranteed to make me faster,
and injury-free".
More...from the Science of Sport at:
http://scienceofsport.blogspot.com/search/label/running%20shoes


11. Time To Rethink Your Marathon Training Program?
Turning the Tables
By Greg McMillan, M.S.
As featured in the November 2006 issue of Running Times Magazine
A few years ago, I worked for Gabriele Rosa, arguably the world's greatest
marathon coach. His athletes, mostly Kenyan, have won
every major marathon on Earth. During my tenure under him, Rosa-coached athletes
won world cross country titles, world track titles,
Olympic medals and set numerous world and marathon course records. As of this
writing, his top athlete, Paul Tergat, is the world
record holder in the marathon (2:04:55: 4:46 per mile). As you might imagine, I
learned a lot.
My job was to assist with Rosa's U.S.-based training camps - modeled after his
successful Kenyan camps - in which he hoped to
develop U.S. runners into world-class marathoners. After a couple of marathon
training cycles, I realized that the U.S. athletes
simply were not ready for the rigors of his marathon training program. I felt
that if we created a "pre-camp" training program for
them, they'd show up better prepared for the marathon-specific training phase.
When I discussed this with Rosa, I fully expected him to propose a program that
would build the athletes' mileage (base building) as
well as a strength phase prior to the marathon phase. WRONG. To my surprise, the
pre-marathon phase was nothing like I expected.
Instead it was all speed work. That's right - 200s, 400s, 800s, mile repeats,
and so on. Traditional "track work" like you might
find a 5K or 10K runner doing before a competitive season. Rosa's experience
showed that it was first important to develop the
athlete's speed so this would not be a limiting factor in the marathon training
phase. The goal in marathon training is to fatigue
the athlete with the duration of the workouts and not the speed, so speed needed
to be developed first.
More...from Running Times at:
http://runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=9254&page=1


12. Bonus Commentary on Time to Rethink Your Marathon Training program?
As featured in the November 2006 issue of Running Times Magazine
The recent article in Running Times discusses a subtle but important change in
your marathon training program that may be very
beneficial. In an nutshell, many coaches are finding that rearranging the phases
to focus on speed before stamina provides a better
path to marathon success.
A correction: In the article, you may notice a reference to the "Exceptions to
the Rule Sidebar." You won't, however, find that
sidebar in the article because the name was changed to "Another Option: The
Volume Method."
Some caveats to the article:
1) Proper Base Training: After discussing the article with my friend, Kevin, his
complaint was that going from base to speedwork was
dangerous. The muscles and tendons would be "shocked" going from easy distance
training right into fast speedwork. "This is true," I
said. But followed with the suggestion that most runners have not been taught
how to do a proper base training phase.
I am a student of Arthur Lydiard and toured with him on his last tour in the US.
It's unfortunate but Arthur's training ideas have
been misrepresented over the last few years. Everyone thinks that a proper base
training phase (as popularized by Arthur) is simply
easy running - each day, each week for the duration of the phase. This is not
true. In his original training schedules released with
his first book back in the 1960s, there was a fartlek workout on Tuesdays. If
you were lucky enough to come to Arthur's last tour,
then you will remember this program on the video screen. I asked Arthur (and
Peter Snell) about this workout since it just listed
"fartlek." Runners in the late 60s and early 70s knew what a true fartlek run
was. It included a free-form workout where you surged
and slowed down to whatever your body felt like doing. You might run very fast
for 10 seconds (from a telephone pole to another
telephone pole) or run at a fast pace for a couple of minutes. The recoveries
were likewise free-form and this fun speed play
workout provided some stimulus to the muscles and tendons but lacked the
anaerobic/lactic acid build-up of true speedwork.
More...from McMillan Running at:
http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/rtarticle.htm


13. Ouch, Hamstring Strains:
Wednesday is track day for me. Intervals, anaerobic intensity and intense pain
are the order of the day. This particular day
however, I was running late and didn't get to the track early enough. A 500
meter warm up jog for the 6 x 400 meter repeats at 75
seconds didn't quite work. Leading on interval number 5, I felt a twinge in my
left hamstring 180 meters out. I thought I could run
through it, but the sharp pain had me limping off to the side of the track 10
meters later. Voila.instant hamstring strain and it
was totally my own fault! The lesson here: do as I say, not as I do!
What is a hamstring strain?
The hamstrings consist of 3 muscles at the back of your thigh (semimembranosus,
semitendinosis, and biceps femoris). In a very
simplified explanation, these muscles function to extend the hip and flex the
knee joint. Overstretching or tearing any of these
muscles is considered a hamstring strain.
Muscle tears are graded from 1 to 3. A grade 1 tear is considered a mild injury
with microscopic tears, a grade 2 is a partial tear,
and a grade 3 injury is a complete tear.
More...from the Complete Running Network at:
http://completerunning.com/archives/2008/03/25/ouch-hamstring-strains/


14. This Week in Running:
10 Years Ago- Paul Tergat (KEN) won his 4th (of 5) gold medal at the IAAF World
Crosscountry Championships
(MAR) 12K. Paul Koech (KEN) was 2nd, 5 seconds back while Assefa
Mezgebu (ETH) broke
up a perfect Kenyan team score, taking the bronze, 22 seconds
behind Koech.
Sonia O'Sullivan (IRL) took the women's gold medal by a 3 second
margin over Paula
Radcliffe (ENG) while Getenesh Wami (ETH) took the bronze,
another 7 seconds back.
20 Years Ago- Won-Tak Kim (KOR) took a "domestic" Dong-A Marathon victory in
2:12:41. He was
followed by Jae-Song Yoo (KOR) in 2:12:49 and Song-Rak Kwon (KOR)
in 2:12:51.
Mi-Ok Lee (KOR) won the women's race in 2:33:14 by a huge margin.
Eun-Joo Im (KOR)
was 2nd, more than eight minutes back in 2:41:52 while Young-Ok
Ahn (KOR) rounded
out the top three with a 2:42:08.
30 Years Ago- Roelof Veld (NED) won the Paderborner Osterlauf (GER) 25K in
1:18:10. Gerard Mentink
(NED) and Barry Kneppers (NED) followed in 1:18:16 and 1:18:24,
leading a Dutch sweep
of the first five places. Irene Pirang (GER) won the women's
race in 1:34:32. This
race is now held at the half marathon distance.
40 Years Ago- Doris Brown (USA) won the gold medal at the World Crosscountry
Championships
(ENG) 4.5K. Vicki Foltz (USA) took the silver medal, 12 seconds
back while Pam
Davies (ENG) captured the bronze, another 9 seconds back. This
race was held entirely
separate from the men's championships.
50 Years Ago- Stanley Eldon (ENG) won the World Crosscountry Championships
(WAL) 14.5K by one second
over Alain Mimoun (FRA). Frank Sando (ENG) took the bronze
medal, another three seconds back.
From The Analytical Distance Runner, the newsletter for the Association of Road
Racing Statisticians with a
focus on races, 3000m and longer, including road, track, and cross-country
events.
The ARRS has a website at http://www.arrs.net.


15. Yes, Running Can Make You High :
THE runner's high: Every athlete has heard of it, most seem to believe in it and
many say they have experienced it. But for years
scientists have reserved judgment because no rigorous test confirmed its
existence.
Yes, some people reported that they felt so good when they exercised that it was
as if they had taken mood-altering drugs. But was
that feeling real or just a delusion? And even if it was real, what was the
feeling supposed to be, and what caused it?
Some who said they had experienced a runner's high said it was uncommon. They
might feel relaxed or at peace after exercising, but
only occasionally did they feel euphoric. Was the calmness itself a runner's
high?
Often, those who said they experienced an intense euphoria reported that it came
after an endurance event.
My friend Marian Westley said her runner's high came at the end of a marathon,
and it was paired with such volatile emotions that
the sight of a puppy had the power to make her weep.
Others said they experienced a high when pushing themselves almost to the point
of collapse in a short, intense effort, such as
running a five-kilometer race.
But then there are those like my friend Annie Hiniker, who says that when she
finishes a 5-k race, the last thing she feels is
euphoric. "I feel like I want to throw up," she said.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/health/nutrition/27best.html?_r=1&ref=fitnessa\
ndnutrition&oref=slogin


16. Fueling the Runner: Pumping Iron:
It's Not Just For The Weight Room.
By Jackie Dikos, R.D.
It makes sense that incorporating a good strength regimen would be a great way
to improve fitness and help avoid injury. Have you
thought much about the importance of dietary iron on your performance? Iron may
seem like the last thing on your mind when you are
breaking a good sweat. But you are actually losing a small amount of iron with
that sweat. Ensuring that dietary iron is up to par
is an important factor in performance.
So, what is it about iron makes it so important? It is an essential
micronutrient - a mineral that helps red blood cells transfer
oxygen to body tissues. It also plays a role in the transfer of energy within
cells. Hopefully you can appreciate the need for
oxygen transport and adequate energy release in your capabilities as an
endurance athlete. We can't forget that iron is also
needed for the production of red blood cells and it supports the maintenance of
a healthy immune system. An iron depleted state can
lead to iron deficiency anemia. Ultimately, iron deficiency anemia makes you
less aerobically efficient and reduces your endurance
capabilities - in other words, you will tire more easily.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=13012


17. 10 Iron-Clad Ways to Boost Endurance:
Iron is a key component of your body's oxygen carrying and distribution
pathways. But for many females, endurance athletes, or
individuals predisposed to anemia, it can be difficult to practically consume
enough iron.
As with all nutritional habits, rather than just blindly "popping pills" and
relying strictly on supplements, it is ideal for your
body to achieve adequate vitamin, nutrient, and mineral intake via natural
means. Supplements can be highly effective, but remember
that you must eat real food!
So I'm going to share with you 10 very effective, practical, easy and tasty ways
to optimize your iron intake, designed with the
busy triathlete in mind:
Eat the following "Power-Iron" salad 4-5x/week: Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of wheat
germ or unsweetened bran cereal (available in cereal
section of grocery store) on a 1-2 handfuls of spinach and romaine lettuce.
Include a handful of chopped broccoli and 2 tablespoons
of garbanzo, kidney, lima, pinto, black beans, or navy beans. You can also
include a 1-2 teaspoons of chopped olives and 1-2 chopped
celery stalks. Use an olive oil/vinaigrette dressing, and include if available
1-2 pinches of parsley, thyme, oregano and/or basil.
More...from TriFuel.com at:
http://www.trifuel.com/training/health-nutrition/10-iron-clad-ways-to-boost-endu\
rance


18. Improved Flexibility Yields Better Performance:
Many of us do not give sufficient time and effort to developing our flexibility.
Some may feel they are already doing enough and
skip on stretching because it is not swimming, biking, or running. Others may
feel they do not have the time for it or they just
don't understand the link between flexibility and performance. However, clear
evidence suggests that keeping your body flexible
will help decrease your chance of suffering injuries and increase your
performance, both during training and on race day.
When Lance Armstrong was preparing for the 2001 Tour, he added a full hour of
stretching to his daily routine. This helped him
improve his strength and power and helped him recover during the stage races he
dominated in that year. So, how can flexibility
help you in your athletic performance?
Smooth, effortless performance is a by-product of flexible, relaxed muscles
working in concert with mobile joints and supple
connective tissue. While many of us believe that creaking joints and tight
muscles simply come with age, we are more in control
than we think. By implementing a regular stretching routine, we can help supply
more mobility in the joints, elasticity in the
ligaments and tendons, and relaxation in the muscles.
More...from the Sport Factory at:
http://thesportfactory.com/site/trainingnews/Improved_Flexibility_Yields_Better_\
Performance_by_Jolene_Wilkinson.shtml


19. Strong Hips Help to Keep us Running Injury Free:
At this time of year, when we as runners are thinking again about building up
mileage for the upcoming spring races, it's a good
time to also think about building strength in a few key muscles. Often, we fail
to recognize the importance of strength to keep us
running at our best and also injury free.
Stabilizing muscles in the hip (muscles that keep the hip and pelvis in an
optimal position while running) are often weaker in
comparison to our large prime mover muscles (muscles that propel us forward
while running). The main hip stabilizer that has been
researched the most is called the Gluteus Medius muscle, although it does get
assistance from other smaller deeper muscles in the
hip. Mainly, these stabilizing muscles in the hip act to hold the ball at the
top of the thigh bone in the centre of the hip joint
socket, they externally rotate the thigh (turn the thigh outward) and they
abduct the hip (ie: keep the pelvis level, stop the trunk
from moving side to side, stop the knees from knocking together, and generally
help to keep us moving ahead in a straight line!).
More...from Running Free at:
http://resources.runningfree.com/articles.php?article=strong-hips-help-to-keep-u\
s-running-injury-free



20. Digest Briefs:
* Prevention: At Middle Age, Add Alcohol to the Diet?
By Nicholas Bakalar
Several recent studies have found that moderate drinking is associated with a
lower risk for cardiovascular disease. Now a new
study, published in the March issue of The American Journal of Medicine,
suggests that teetotalers who begin having a drink or two a
day in middle age may also get significant benefit.
Adopting Moderate Alcohol Consumption in Middle Age: Subsequent Cardiovascular
Events (The American Journal of Medicine)The
researchers followed 7,697 healthy men and women ages 45 to 64 enrolled in a
large study of atherosclerotic illness, focusing on 442
who were nondrinkers at the start of the study but moderate drinkers at the
six-year point. Then they tracked this group for
cardiovascular disease over the next four years and compared them with people
who continued to abstain.
After controlling for age, physical activity, smoking and other cardiovascular
risks, they found that new moderate drinkers were 38
percent less likely than abstainers to suffer a cardiovascular event during the
four-year period. On average, they also had lower
cholesterol and lower blood pressure, and there was no increase in mortality.
So, should middle-aged nondrinkers start imbibing?
"If there's a benefit to it, I'm not sure it should be restricted to people who
just didn't happen to start yet," said the lead
author, Dr. Dana E. King, professor of family medicine at the Medical University
of South Carolina. "Exercise is good for you, but
you have to be cautious if you start in middle age. In the same way, moderate
alcohol consumption can be part of a healthy lifestyle
if you don't have contraindications to it."
From the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/health/18prev.html?_r=1&ref=fitnessandnutritio\
n&oref=slogin


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

March 29, 2008:
CNL Bank Winter Park Road Race 10K - Winter Park, FL

Papa John's 10 Miler - Louisville, KY

SunTrust National Marathon - Washington, DC

March 30, 2008:
Around The Bay Road Race - Hamilton, ON

Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon - Knoxville, TN

ING Georgia Marathon - Atlanta, GA

TTTS Race for Hope 5K - Los Angeles, CA

Mooloolaba BG Triathlon World Cup - Australia

World XC Championships - Edinburgh, Scotland


Saturday, June 21, 2008
Emilie's Run - The Emilie Mondor Memorial 5K race for Women
http://www.emiliesrun.com
Over $7,000 in prize money for top individual and teams
In 2007 45 women broke 20:00!

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/

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Have a good week of training and/or racing.

Ken Parker
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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.thestretchinghandbook.com/cmd.php?af=245575&u=http://www.thestretchin\
ghandbook.com/newsletter.php

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:
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/cmd.php?af=245575&u=http://www.thestretchin\
ghandbook.com/newsletter.php
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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