A FREE WEEKLY E-ZINE OF MULTISPORT RELATED ARTICLES.
The Runner's and Triathlete's Web Digest is a weekly e-zine dealing with the
sports of running and triathlon and general fitness and
health issues. The opinions expressed in the articles referenced by the Digest
are the opinions of the writers and not necessarily
those of the Runner's Web. Visit the Runner's Web at http://www.runnersweb.com
The site is updated multiple times daily. Check out
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questions should be posted to one of our forums available
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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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. 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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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
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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
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of key International Federations and National Governing Bodies. Major
championship events in sports ranging from Athletics (Track &
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Taekwondo are featured online at
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television program, World Championship Sports, available in
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partnership with International Federations, National
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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
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Visit WCSN at:
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10. Canadian Running Magazine:
Subscribe at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/CanadianRunner.html

11. BeatRunning Music for runners:
Music to start running, for experienced runners and for interval training.
Check it out at:
http://www.beatrunning.com

12. Mi-Sport - The Ultimate Sports MP3 Player
Introducing the world's first and only waterproof and wireless sports mp3
player. These Mi-SPORT mp3 headphones have a 1GB memory
built into a cool neckband design. At last no wire tangle and no earbuds to fall
out. The patented design makes this
waterproof/sweatproof mp3 player great for running, cycling and gym work. The
player however is more than splash proof! It can be
completely submerged with no harm to it making it perfect for swimming,
kayaking, and water skiing. Now incorporating the latest 3D
music quality with it's adapted waterproof speaker. Relax to music in the bath,
or push out that training session with no fear of
losing your player or tangling the wires. Circuit training is so much easier
with your own music. Enjoy the waves wire-free.
This is the only waterproof pair of classic headphones with a built in mp3
player in the world. The stylish looking headphones play
the usual MP3, WMA and WAV formats and are compatible with
Windows98/98SE/2000/XP and Apple MAC. Depending on track length, the
headphones hold well over 14 hours worth of music and the rechargeable battery
life is about 8 hours.
Nick Matthew, the 2006 British Open squash champion now uses the player to train
with and Mi-SPORT are endeavouring to encourage
more athletes to enjoy the benefits of training to wire-free music, podcasts or
coaching aids.
Inspiration and freedom at last, for athletes and exercise enthusiasts
everywhere.
Check it out at:
http://www.mi-sportmp3.com/

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Get the Runner's Web button for the Google Toolbar 4 for Internet Explorer from
the link on our FrontPage at:
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Triathlete.

If anyone is looking for a web mail provider, you might wish to consider
Google's GMail. You can now sign up for free Gmail at
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www.gmail.com

Race Directors:
Advertise your event on the Runner's Web.
For more information:
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NEW THIS WEEK:
Watch the on-demand webcast of the Boston Marathon FREE on WCSN.
Sign up at:
http://www.wcsn.com/sport/index.jsp?id=34003&affiliateID=hptRunWebLNAV1A021208&p\
artnerId=hptRunWebLNAV1A021208

Nike:
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Redeemable only online or via telephone and cannot
be combined with other promotion codes. For 20% discount to apply the minimum
merchandise total must be $100.00 before shipping,
handling and taxes are added. Discount applies to purchase price only, and does
not include select merchandise including launch
products, Jordan, Golf, Gift Cards, NIKEiD, Members Only Store, Nike + iPod
Sport Kit, Nike Sportband, Apple products, and Gift
Cards. Shipping charges calculated after discount. Offer expires May 11, 2008 at
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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
www.facebook.com. Once you have your own space, search "Runner's Web" under
"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.

If you feel you have something to say (related to triathlon or running) that is
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RUNNER'S AND TRIATHLETE'S WEB CONTENT PARTNERS

* ACTIVE.COM
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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
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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
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Check out our article archive from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/PPO_index.html
Visit the PPO site at:
Peak Performance Online:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/cmd.php?af=517509

* Peak Running Performance
Peak Running Is The Nation's Most Advanced Running Newsletter. Rated as the #1
Running Publication by Road Runner Sports (Worlds
Largest Running Store) , Peak Running caters to the serious / dedicated runner.
Delivering world class running advice are some of
running's most recognizable athletes including Dr. Joe Vigil (US Olympic Coach),
Scott Tinley (2 Time Ironman Champ) Steve Scott (3 Time Olympian) and many more.
This bi-monthly newsletter has been around for over
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Check out the Peak Running article index at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/PRP_index.html .

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

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

THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. For Peak Performance, 3 Is Not Better Than 1
To run faster, triathletes need to stop swimming and cycling.
2. Disordered eating is rare in Chinese athletes
3. The Power of Interval Training
4. Hill Training
5. You Name It, and Exercise Helps It
6. Canada's Middle-Distance Depth
7. Study Finds Number of Fat Cells Doesn't Change
8. Sleep May be the Athlete's Best Performance Booster
9. Younger people getting joint replacements to restore active lifetsyles
10. Protein and Amino Acid-their role in endurance training
11. The Endurance Lab at Toronto SEMI Newsletter
12. This Week in Running
13. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine
14. Sushi: The Miracle Recovery Food?
15. Training intensity distribution for elite endurance athletes
16. How to Get Fat When You Fly
17. The Most Efficient Athlete Wins
18. Drink To Your Health
Sure, you should drink regularly. But exactly how much water do you need? And
why are some runners dying from excessive fluid
consumption?
19. Effects of training intensity on muscle acid buffering capacity in females
20. Digest Briefs

RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"Which of the following magazines do you read?"


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:
"Do you support the setting aside of race entries for charity organizations at
the expense of serious runners?"
Answers Percent
1. Yes 18%
2. No 82%


FIVE STAR SITE OF THE MONTH: Ironman.com.
Ironman Announces New Look To Web Site
Visitors to www.Ironman.com will enjoy a new experience as they log on to the
event-based brand's official Web site. The site has
an enhanced look and feel that offers more photos and video, along with an
easier interface for visitors to access information.
"Our new site provides users with better navigability, therefore making it more
user-friendly and accessible," says
Ironman's Director of Interactive Media, Travis Sitzlar. "We have worked hard to
design a system that will allow us to keep up with
the ongoing growth of the sport by providing more integration with social
networking and technology." Enhancements to the
new Ironman.com site include:
. A new live coverage system that will provide more interactive opportunities
throughout race day.
. Easier access to Ironman's YouTube channel via the main page, showcasing a
variety of award-winning coverage and
inspirational videos.
. A chronological overview of races along with information relating to the
event's registration status.
. A revamped Media Center offering access to event imagery, press materials and
top contender information.
. An updated Marketing section highlighting Ironman's sponsors and licensees.
. The opportunity for athletes worldwide to enroll in a daily newsletter
providing them with the latest news from Ironman and
a subscription to an improved RSS feed system, which allows visitors to stay
updated on Ironman news right from their desktop.
Ironmanlive, known as the live coverage of Ironman events around the globe, has
been in existence since 1998. More than eight
million viewers tune in annually to the site for its Online telecasts and
content, including more than 1.5 million who view the
coverage of the Ford Ironman World Championship each year from Kailua-Kona,
Hawaii.


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


BOOK/VIDEO OF THE MONTH: The Exercise Balance: What's Too Much, What's Too
Little, and What's Just Right for You!
by Pauline Powers (Author), Ron Thompson (Author)
Book Description
Healthy exercise means finding a balance between overtraining and inactivity. By
using a combination of clinical studies and
real-life examples, this book shows readers how to develop their own personal
prescription for discovering that balance. Written by
two specialists in the field of eating disorders, it details both ends of the
exercise continuum, from compulsive exercisers who
push their bodies to the limit to people with little or no physical activity in
their daily lives. The authors explain the
psychological and health issues that can result from compulsive exercise -
including bone loss, fractures, amenorrhea, and unhealthy
eating. They also cover the problems arising from inadequate exercise and
provide ways that ill people can safely implement fitness
programs. The book is not a weight-loss guide; instead, it emphasizes the
importance of proper exercise, offering readers of all
sizes, ages, and health levels practical solutions for changing their routines
and finding a healthy exercise balance.
Buy the book from Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0936077026/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. For Peak Performance, 3 Is Not Better Than 1:
To run faster, triathletes need to stop swimming and cycling.
WHEN Jenny Higgins started doing triathlons, she discovered something peculiar.
She had been on her high school cross country and
swim teams and her college swim team. But in 2003 she started running, swimming
and cycling, and tried to excel in all three at
once.
"I noticed that in the pool, my legs felt very heavy," she said. "I was dragging
my legs more than I used to and it hurt my
swimming."
Other times, she would swim fluidly but feel lifeless when she ran or cycled.
After five years as a multisport athlete, Ms. Higgins, now a 32-year-old
postdoctoral research fellow at Princeton University, said
the push-me-pull-you feeling has not gone away.
It made Ms. Higgins wonder something that may be on the minds of the nation's
more than 100,000 triathletes, too: Is it even
possible to peak in more than one sport at once?
Anne Gordon, 51-year-old triathlete and a partner at Dubilier & Company, a
private investment group, has never gotten a personal
record in each leg of a triathlon on the same day. "I find it is possible to
peak in two out of the three sports, but no matter how
hard I try the third eludes me," she said.
Neither, though, is about to give up triathlons. They love the training, the
discipline and competitions that allow a little leeway.
For instance, if you are a weak cyclist, you may still do well with a fast run
and an adequate swim. Multisport athletes can play on
their strengths.
"If you want to run faster you have to give up swimming and cycling." - Joe
Friel.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/health/nutrition/08BEST.html?ref=othersports


2. Disordered eating is rare in Chinese athletes:
A number of recent studies have shown that disordered eating is common in female
athletes in developed countries, particularly in
endurance and aesthetic sports that emphasise the importance of a lean body.
This disordered eating increases the risk of developing
two associated disorders - amenorrhoea and osteoporosis - giving rise to what is
known as the 'female athlete triad'.
Now a study comparing the incidence of disordered eating in Japanese and Chinese
female athletes sheds a fascinating new light on
the sociocultural triggers of disordered eating and its links with menstrual
irregularities.
The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) and self-administered questionnaires were used
to survey eating attitudes and menstrual status of
large numbers of Japanese and Chinese collegiate female runners, rhythmic
gymnasts and gymnasts, and compare them with each other
and with non-athletic controls from each country.
More...from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/disordered-eating.htm


3. The Power of Interval Training:
Looking to get in peak condition... Fast? Looking to melt away slabs of adipose
tissue? (Fat). Are you still doing steady state
aerobics? If so, then it's time to get with the program... Another type of
program. An interval program.
It's not uncommon for me to be bombarded with the same questions day in and day
out about weight loss. Questions such as: "What's
the fastest way to shed weight?" (Why does everyone always want everything
fast?), "Hey John, I've been doing this program for some
time now, and I'm just not getting any results. What am I doing wrong?" Or if an
athlete does have an optimal program, they'll still
ask from time to time... you've guessed it. Where's the hour cardio?
To be honest, I feel like a tape recorder playing the same message over and over
again (sigh). But I'll keep hitting rewind until
the message hits home.
Let's face it, it's as if the general public is brainwashed. Living in the
matrix! It's now time to wake up!
Why do people in this day and age think that this training method (steady state
aerobics) is so effective for achieving lean body
mass and improving athletic performance? When it comes to team conditioning some
coaches only use aerobic training. I even know some
boxing coaches that still have their guys running 10 to 12 kilometers on a
regular basis! We all know that boxing is anything but
long and tedious.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news_2008/rw_news_20080506_TSH_Interval_Traini\
ng.html


4. Hill Training:
Overview
Welcome to hill training. The Learn To Run programme is based predominantly on
base training, we will start to work on building some
specific running strength. It is easier to incorporate some higher intensity
workouts once you have been running for a few months.
The reason that you start hill training later in the program because aerobic
fitness has improved and the body has become more
accustomed to the forces of running. Hill workouts are the easiest and most
efficient way to improve running specific strength,
which will increase your overall leg strength, benefit your running form,
enhance recovery and increase your fitness. The whole idea
is to stress the body with hard work and then allow it to recover. During the
recovery, strength is built.
Let's talk about how to do the hill sessions. Firstly, and not surprisingly, you
should find a hill. The hill should be anywhere
from 300 metres to 600 metres in length, and should have an incline of 8-10 per
cent. Prior to starting the hill session, be sure
that you have warmed up and are relaxed and fluid. If after your 2K warm up you
still feel fatigued from the previous day, do not do
the hill session. This high quality session should only be done when you are
fully ready to work hard.
* Note - Hill training has also been described as a speed workout in disguise.
Running up a hill not only builds endurance but also
strengthens all those important muscles that help to make you go faster.
Proper Hill Form
When you are warm and ready to start after you have done some stretching
especially the calves, this is what to do. Always start at
the top of the hill and run down easily. Think of this as part of your warm up
or recovery from the previous hill. When you get to
the bottom, don't stop and rest do make sure that your heart rate has slowed
down and that you are able to carry out a conversation
before you begin your journey back up the hill. If you feel that you are still
short of breath then do a brisk walk for a couple of
minutes before starting back up the hill. Begin your journey up. Try and
maintain the same stride frequency as you would on flat
ground and shorten it as you adjust to the grade.
More...from Sporting Life at:
http://www.sportinglife.ca/MyLifestyle/running/articles/hillTraining.asp


5. You Name It, and Exercise Helps It:
Randi considers the Y.M.C.A. her lifeline, especially the pool. Randi weighs
more than 300 pounds and has borderline diabetes, but
she controls her blood sugar and keeps her bright outlook on life by swimming
every day for about 45 minutes.
Randi overcame any self-consciousness about her weight for the sake of her
health, and those who swim with her and share the open
locker room are proud of her. If only the millions of others beset with chronic
health problems recognized the inestimable value to
their physical and emotional well-being of regular physical exercise.
"The single thing that comes close to a magic bullet, in terms of its strong and
universal benefits, is exercise," Frank Hu,
epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, said in the Harvard
Magazine.
I have written often about the protective roles of exercise. It can lower the
risk of heart attack, stroke, hypertension, diabetes,
obesity, depression, dementia, osteoporosis, gallstones, diverticulitis, falls,
erectile dysfunction, peripheral vascular disease
and 12 kinds of cancer.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/health/29brod.html?_r=1&ref=fitnessandnutritio\
n&oref=slogin


6. Canada's Middle-Distance Depth:
In the late eighties and nineties Canada was known internationally as a
sprinting power with names like Bailey, Surin, Gilbert,
McKoy and Esmie. Canada's current depth now lies in middle-distance events with
names like Nate Brannen, Reid Coolsaet, Kevin
Sullivan, Gary Reed, Diane Cummins, Carmen Douma-Hussar, Hilary Stellingwerff
and Megan Metcalfe.
Martin Goulet, Athletics Canada Chief High Performance Officer, feels the depth
is representative of strong middle-distance coaching
and expertise in Canada, "Our middle-distance strength is a reflection of the
quality and expertise of our coaches and the training
groups they have been able to institute." Goulet mentions, "Strong training
groups, such as the ones established in Victoria and
Guelph, and the newly formed group in Toronto, play a large factor in bringing
together our athletic talent with equally talented
coaches who can bring these athletes to the next level. For example, the
University of Toronto project is bringing together a group
of coaches and athletes under the mentorship of coach Hugh Cameron, a
world-renowned distance running expert. These coaches used to
be working in separate groups - the synergy of working as one larger group and
sharing knowledge and ideas is already making a
difference. We caught up with a few of these athletes and their coaches as they
prepare for Beijing.
More...from iRun.com at:
http://www.irunnation.com/june-2008/the-fast-lane.php


7. Study Finds Number of Fat Cells Doesn't Change:
Every year, whether you are fat or thin, whether you lose weight or gain, 10
percent of your fat cells die. And every year, those
cells that die are replaced with new fat cells, researchers in Sweden reported
Sunday.
The result is that the total number of fat cells in the body remains the same,
year after year throughout adulthood. Losing or
gaining weight affects only the amount of fat stored in the cells, not the
number of cells.
The finding was published online Sunday in the journal Nature.
Obesity investigators say the study raises tantalizing questions: What
determines how many fat cells are in a person's body? When is
that number determined? Is there a way to intervene so people end up with fewer
fat cells when they reach adulthood? And could
obesity be treated by making fat cells die faster than they are born?
"This is a new way of looking at obesity," said Dr. Lester Salans, an obesity
researcher and emeritus professor at Mount Sinai
School of Medicine.
But for now, researchers say, they do not have a clue about how to answer those
questions.
"There is a system waiting to be discovered," said Dr. Jeffrey S. Flier, an
obesity researcher and dean of Harvard Medical School.
He and other obesity researchers cautioned, though, that even if scientists knew
how the fat cell system worked, it is not clear
that it would be safe or effective to treat obesity by intervening. One of the
hard lessons of the past couple of decades has been
that the body has redundant controls to maintain weight.
"I suspect that the body's regulation of weight is so complex that if you
intervene at this site, something else is going to happen
to neutralize this intervention," Dr. Salans said.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/health/04cnd-fat.html?_r=1&ref=health&oref=slo\
gin


8. Sleep May be the Athlete's Best Performance Booster:
By Coach Lance Watson
We all know we feel good after a good night sleep. Have you noticed when you
come home from a road trip, or finish a big day of
training, there is nothing like your own bed? Or is there? For years I have been
preaching to my national team athletes to get a
good bed as an essential piece of equipment. For young athletes with tight
wallets, pulling the cash out for a mattress is often
tougher than ripping off a double glued tubular tire from a rusty rim! But they
always thank me later.
So, if you are waking up with sore shoulders, back or neck, or fighting an
neck/shoulder/back injury, then the quality of sleep
affected by your mattress is obvious, as are the implications for your
performance. But did you know there were other major
performance pitfalls to poor sleep?
Here's why you need your sleep:
1: Sleep deprivation can slow glucose metabolism - Eve Van Cauter, Ph.D., from
the University of Chicago Medical School, studied
the effects of three different durations of sleep in 11 men ages 18 to 27. For
the first three nights of the study, the men slept
eight hours per night; for the next six nights, they slept four hours per night;
for the last seven nights, they slept 12 hours per
night. Results showed that after four hours of sleep per night (the sleep
deprivation period), they metabolized glucose least
efficiently
More...from LifeSport at:
http://www.lifesport.ca/newsletter/LifeSportNewsletter-coachestip-recovery.htm


9. Younger people getting joint replacements to restore active lifetsyles:
Imagine the worn-out treads on an old tire. That's what happens to the
cartilage, or cushioning, in our joints as we age, or after
one of many degenerative diseases ravages them. After nature's shock absorbers
wear out, joint movement often causes bone to hit
bone. The pain, commonly known as arthritis, can become intolerable.
As recently as the 1970s, few solutions existed for relieving joint pain and the
resulting limitations to one's mobility. Joint
replacement surgeries had high failure rates and were considered a last resort
reserved for the senior population.
"Joint replacement was a salvage procedure," says Dr. Jay Mabrey, chief of
orthopedics at Baylor University Medical Center at
Dallas.
No more.
For young patients, most doctors no longer advise trying to tolerate the pain
until they are older. A clearer understanding of how
joints work has resulted in better products, giving patients more choices and
consistently favorable, long-lasting outcomes.
"We're trying to make people feel better and function better," says Dr. James
Brodsky, director of the Foot and Ankle Surgery
Fellowship training program at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas and a
past president of the American Orthopaedic Foot and
Ankle Society.
More...from the Dallas News at:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/lifetravel/stories/050508dnlivfe\
tterman_0506liv.cfeedafb.html


10. Protein and Amino Acid-their role in endurance training:
Protein
Reviewed by Sally Warner, PhD
Introduction: A protein is any one of a large number of organic compounds that
make up living organisms and are essential to their
functioning. First discovered in 1838, proteins are now recognized as
predominant ingredients of cells, making up more than 50
percent of the dry weight of animals. The word protein is coined from the Greek
proteios, or "primary."
Protein molecules range from the long, insoluble fibers that make up connective
tissue and hair to the compact, soluble globules
that can pass through cell membranes and set off metabolic reactions. Humans are
made up of an estimated 30,000 different proteins,
of which only about 2 percent have been adequately described. Proteins in the
diet serve primarily to build and maintain cells, but
their chemical breakdown also provides energy, yielding approximately 4 calories
per gram, similar to carbohydrates.
Proteins are composed of about 20 different amino acids which in turn, are
composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and
sometimes sulfur. In a protein molecule, these acids form peptide bonds between
amino and carboxyl (COOH) groups in long strands
(polypeptide chains). The numerous combinations, in which the acids line up, and
the helical and globular shapes into which the
strands coil, help to explain the great diversity of tasks that proteins perform
in living matter.
Besides their function in growth and cell maintenance, proteins are also
responsible for muscle contraction. Digestive enzymes are
proteins, as are insulin and most other hormones. The antibodies of the immune
system are proteins, and proteins such as hemoglobin
carry vital substances throughout the body.
More...from First Endurance at:
http://blog.firstendurance.com/2008/04/protein-and-amino-acid-they-role-in-endur\
ance-training-by-sally-warner-phd/


11. The Endurance Lab at Toronto SEMI Newsletter:
* General to Specific, by Adam Johnston
Given the time of the year, and the proximity to the upcoming racing season,
it's important that an athlete ensures that their
training is becoming ever-more specific to their goal event/distance.

We typically start the training year off with fairly general, non-specific
training. But before too long, the athlete should start
to differentiate their training and make it specific to the goal event/distance
that they're training for. If you haven't done so
yet, now would be a swell time. Moving from general training to specific
training would include some or all of the following:
~ incorporate brick runs in your training
~ identify the nutritional demands of your event, and start practicing meeting
them in training
~ ensure your long rides and runs will be long enough for your goal event(s)
~ identify ideal pacing requirements of your event, and start incorporating
race-specific pacing sets into your training
~ open water swimming. Preferably with a bunch of other like-minded athletes, so
that you can experience pack-based open water
swimming long before your actual triathlon races
~ get your wetsuit on and wear it in the pool/lake a few times before race day
The list can go on and on, but you get the idea. Ensure by now that your
training is rather specific to the event(s) you're
training for this year.
* Transition Magic, by Tereza Macel
Transitions, the fourth component of a triathlon, and free speed I might add.
You don't have to train harder or longer to shave
minutes off your race times. It just takes some planning and a bit of practice.
The transition zone can be chaos. It can turn into the Bermuda triangle if you
are not prepared. A friend of mine, who shall remain
nameless, has the ability to enter the transition zone and come out 12 or 15 or
18 minutes later with no recollection of how he lost
that much time! Why give up any extra time in transitions when you will be
working so hard for every second out on that bike and run
course?
The most common mistake an athlete makes in transition is not knowing where
their bike is! In races where there are bikes crammed
into every inch of space on a bike rack, it all looks alike. You are lucky to
get a spot, and even luckier if you remember where it
is once you are running out of the water, with no blood in your brain, and no
sense of direction. Remember, you can't go by the
pretty blue bike on the edge of the rack, that bike might not be there when you
come out of the swim.
The first thing to do is a walk-about. Before the start of the race, when you
have everything ready, walk down to the water and walk
or jog back to your bike, paying attention to land marks like trees, buildings,
distinct posters or banners, and count what bike
rack number you are from the edge. I usually do this, and come up with a cue
like, "3rd rack on right, orange banner on fence". Now
you have found the rack, where is your bike? A colourful towel laid out under
you shoes right by your bike can help. Find the
ugliest, loudest towel you can, it does not have to be large, just big enough to
fold and place by your bike, so when you look down
you see those bright orange leopard spots and know exactly where your bike is.
Keep your transition area simple. I see transition spots that look like spas!
They have a basin with water to wash feet, towels,
baby powder, socks, food, water, lucky charms, etc, etc. The less there is to
look at and think about the faster you will be. If it
is not of absolute importance don't put it out there. For the bike everything
you need should be in your helmet, which can rest on
your aerobars. For the run it should be shoes, and anything else you need should
fit in your hand so you can grab it and run, and
put it on as you are moving. I usually have a gel in my hat or visor, as well as
my sunglasses, grab the whole thing and start
moving while I put it on.
I must admit when I check in my transition bag the night before an Ironman race
it is pretty much empty. I sometimes second guess
myself as I see people checking in bags filled to the top, and wonder what they
have in there. The less you need to think about in
transition the better.
Finally, be sure to practice transitions. A park, your front lawn (or back lawn
if you are shy!) will suffice. Lay out your
transition the way you would in a race, put your bike there, and have a go at
it. Run around the block, into your yard, grab what
you need and do it quickly. Eventually you will create a system and a layout
that works for you. Practice the order:
shoes...helmet...glasses...until it is always the same and does not require a
spread sheet to remember.
Transitions are a skill, like anything else, and a bit of extra time and effort
spent at the beginning of a season will be worth it.
Once you have a system, and have raced a few times it become seamless, and you
will no longer have your family waiting outside
transition, debating whether to send out a search party for you. You might
become so quick that they will have to start training of
their own to get from one spectator spot to another quickly enough to see you!
About The Endurance Lab at Toronto SEMI
The Endurance Lab at Toronto SEMI is an endurance coaching, consulting,
training, and testing facility which helps adult athletes of
any ability achieve their endurance-related athletic goals. We provide
expertise, practical experience, and a deep level of caring
for our athletes throughout their endurance journey.
Subscribe to the Subscribe to The Endurance Lab Newsletter at:
http://www.endurancelab.ca/maillist.asp



12. This Week in Running:
10 Years Ago- Keith Brantly (USA) won the Pittsburgh (PA/USA) Marathon and the
USA marathon title
with a time of 2:12:31, winning by more than two minutes (and
winning US$100,000).
Alfredo Vigueras (USA) was 2nd in 2:14:52 and David Morris (USA)
placed 3rd with a
2:15:25. In the non-championship women's race, Albina Gallyamova
(RUS) took top
honors with a 2:36:50, nearly five minutes ahead of Tatyana
Zolotareva (RUS) in
2:41:45. Tammy Slusser (USA) was 3rd in 2:46:24.
20 Years Ago- Pittsburgh (PA/USA) hosted the USA women's marathon trials with
Margaret Groos
collecting the win in 2:29:50. Nancy Ditz (2:30:14) and Cathy
O'Brien (2:30:18)
rounded out the USA team. Eighty-one runners were under 2:50.
30 Years Ago- Anthony Simmons (ENG) won the AAA Marathon title at Sandbach ENG
with a 2:12:33.
Jeffrey Norman (ENG) was runner-up in 2:12:50 while Trevor Wright
(ENG) was 3rd in 2:13:00.
Twenty-three runners broke 2:20; 19 of them were Brits.
40 Years Ago- Antonio Ambu won the Italian 20 km title in Rome ITA with a
59:52.
50 Years Ago- Nothing of note in the ADR database.
From The Analytical Distance Runner, the newsletter for the Association of Road
Racing Statisticians with a
focus on races, 3000m and longer, including road, track, and cross-country
events.
The ARRS has a website at http://www.arrs.net.


13. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine:
* Progesterone, IUD's and Uterine Cancer Risk
They're supposed to prevent pregnancy, and they do, but intrauterine devices
(IUDs) also reduce uterine cancer risk by more than 40
percent (Meeting of the American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists, May 6, 2008).
An IUD is a small, T-shaped plastic device inserted into the uterus. Only two
percent of women who use contraception in the United
States choose an IUD, despite the proven safety and effectiveness of this
long-term method. Worldwide, however, IUDs are the most
widely used reversible contraceptive. Most IUD's prevent pregnancy by releasing
small amounts of the hormone progesterone into the
uterus. This is also why they help to prevent uterine cancer.
The ovaries of healthy women are supposed to produce two hormones: estrogen and
progesterone. Many women lack progesterone and they
are the women who are at increased risk for uterine cancer. Estrogen stimulates
the uterus to grow, and progesterone stops the
stimulation. If a woman has estrogen and no progesterone, her uterus is
stimulated all the time, which can lead to uncontrolled
growth which is cancer.
The woman most likely to get uterine cancer has high blood levels of insulin.
Insulin acts directly on the ovaries to stop them
from releasing eggs. Women who do not release eggs have no progesterone and
therefore are at high risk for uterine cancer. A woman
can find out if she has high insulin levels just by getting a blood test, called
C peptide, that measures insulin production by the
body. If it is above 3, her body makes too much insulin.
However, you can usually tell if a woman has too much insulin just by looking at
her. Insulin causes a person to lay down fat
primarily in the belly. Women with big bellies and small hips usually have high
insulin levels and are also at high risk for
diabetes. Most people who will develop diabetes usually stop responding to
insulin. This causes the pancreas to release increasing
amounts of insulin, until the pancreas eventually dies and then the person must
take insulin.
If you are a woman who stores fat primarily in your belly, you should get blood
tests called C peptide and HBA1C to see if you are
already diabetic. You can also tell if you are pre-diabetic if your good HDL
cholesterol is low, your triglycerides are high, or
your liver shows excessive amounts of fat. Start a supervised exercise program,
lose weight, and restrict refined carbohydrates.
You may also want to see if your doctor advises using an IUD to help prevent
uterine cancer.
From Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine at: http://www.drmirkin.com


14. Sushi: The Miracle Recovery Food?
By Alicia Kendig, RD, CSSD
I hear from a lot of athletes who love visiting their local sushi restaurant
following a hard day of training or racing. The
benefits of sushi seem reasonably obvious: fish is a great source of protein,
many types used in sushi are rich in omega-3 fatty
acids, and a typical sushi dinner also provides plenty of zinc and iodine.
Beyond the nutrients, many athletes gravitate toward sushi because they perceive
it to be a "clean" meal, meaning the ingredients
are largely unchanged by cooking or laden with heavy sauces. The simplicity of
sushi seems to be appealing because some athletes
like to take a minimalist approach to nutrition; they want fresh, unadulterated,
pure sources of carbohydrate, protein, and fat
without the extra calories that are often added to foods in the process of
making them into a finished dish.
After talking with a lot of sushi-craving athletes, I also believe the soy sauce
plays a role in the attraction. Soy sauce contains
so much sodium it could almost be considered liquid salt, and sodium-depleted
athletes are known to crave salty foods following -
and even during - workouts and competitions. One tablespoon of soy sauce has
about 900mg of sodium, and while sushi itself is often
a low-sodium food choice, the soy sauce/wasabi mixture most people dip it into
provides the sodium that tired athletes are craving.
More...from CTS at:
http://www.trainright.com/articles.asp?uid=3405


15. Training intensity distribution for elite endurance athletes:
Researchers from Norway did a very interesting study on the training pattern of
well-coached junior cross-country skiers. The
Norwegian elite cross-country skiers have dominated in this event on the work
stage, having won 14 gold, 13 silver and 6 bronze
medals at the Olympic finals between 1992 and 2004. At issue was how much of
their training was done below their lactate threshold
(LT), how much was done around the LT and how much was done well above the LT.
In untrained subjects, training for 2-3 months, 4-5
days per week at an intensity near the LT zone has been shown to stimulate
significant improvements in VO2,max, LT and endurance
performance. The intensity region at or near the LT represents the highest work
rate that can be maintained for an extended period,
making it an attractive intensity for daily training. However, with well-trained
athletes who train once or twice daily throughout
most of the year, repeated training bouts at the lactate threshold might
generate significant sympathetic stress (resulting in
overtraining) while still providing a sub-optimal stimulus for further
performance gains. Rather than train every time in the LT
zone, elite endurance athletes with unrestricted training time appear to select
a training pattern involving large volumes of work
at intensities below LT and 1-3 weekly bouts where significant time is spent at
intensities greater than 90% of VO2,max. Since elite
athletes (and their coaches) are usually unwilling to alter their training
schedules in the interests of science, we can learn from
their training patterns, developed after years of iterative changes and
experience.
More...from AmateurAthlete.com at:
http://amateur-athlete.com/may2008/seiler2004.html


16. How to Get Fat When You Fly:
by Ben Greenfield on May 7, 2008 in Health & Nutrition
Sabotaging your power to weight ratio is a great way to slow yourself down in a
triathlon. Since many triathletes travel via
airplane during race season, this is a perfect time to inhibit performance. It
is very easy to get fat when you fly. Traveling,
especially via airplane, may be one of the best possible methods for you to pack
a few extra pounds on your waistline.
Think about it. Not only are you sedentary for long periods of time in the car,
shuttle van, airport terminal, airplane and taxi,
but you're also dehydrated (water is completely necessary for the fat burning
process), living off packaged food products (the body
takes any unmetabolized preservatives in those packages and stores them as fat
cells), and slightly stressed (cortisol, the body's
stress release hormone, triggers fat storage).
Wow, what a great 1-2-3 combo for individuals with lofty fat gain goals!
As a case study on the success of a person trying to get fat while flying, let's
follow Laura (a real coached athlete of mine) from
her home to her final destination. Laura's name has been changed to protect her
identity, but these travel tidbits were gleaned from
Laura's online nutrition log and our e-mail discussion afterwards.
More...from TriFuel.com at:
http://www.trifuel.com/training/health-nutrition/how-to-get-fat-when-you-fly


17. The Most Efficient Athlete Wins:
by Coach Matt Russ
One of the values performing VO2 tests on a large body of athletes is that you
gain perspective on how unique athletes really are.
My run VO2 testing protocol is the same for each athlete, and involves an
alternating increase in speed / incline every 1 min.. This
continues until the athlete basically "taps out" or their oxygen consumption
plateaus. Presumably the longest test would correspond
to the highest VO2 (or vice versa), but that would take out one key factor in
running speed; efficiency. The highest max VO2 values
(those that can take in the most oxygen volume in milliliters per kilogram of
body weight per minute) for the most part have been
posted by our pros or elite age groupers, but there have been some surprises.
Remember that your max VO2 is largely determined by
genetic factors and is only partially trainable.
I recently tested a beginner triathlete that posted a very good test result-
max. VO2 of 71 ml/kg/min.. What was interesting about
his test was that although he had a good aerobic capacity, he only lasted 10
minutes and 30 seconds on the treadmill. He had perhaps
the most inefficient running form I have observed; very low stride rate, high
vertical oscillation, excessive arm movement, over
striding, etc.. He looked like he was leaping over his own feet! A few days
later I tested another athlete with a max. VO2 of 51
ml/kg/min.. She lasted just over 11 minutes using the same protocol. How is this
possible? Athlete number two had a very, very
efficient stride. When I questioned her she said she had worked with some elite
level running coaches and groups that really
stressed running form, and that she has worked on it for a number of years. Her
form was nearly perfect; lose swing from the
shoulders, elbows at 90 degrees, low vertical oscillation, stride rate 190, and
a perfect foot strike. Even though she was consuming
and utilizing almost 30 percent less oxygen she was a faster athlete! Now this
is perhaps an example in the extreme but it does
demonstrate how important efficiency is, and that the most fit athlete does not
always win.
More...from the Sport Factory at:
http://thesportfactory.com/site/qt/The_Most_Efficient_Athlete_Wins.shtml


18. Drink To Your Health:
Sure, you should drink regularly. But exactly how much water do you need? And
why are some runners dying from excessive fluid
consumption?
By Amby Burfoot
Your Daily Drinking Requirement
The old formula--everyone needs eight glasses of water a day--is out. It has
been replaced by formulas based primarily on your
gender and body weight. Here are the formulas for moderately active men and
women:
Male Drinking Requirement, in fluid ounces:
Body Weight x .35
Female Drinking Requirement, in fluid ounces:
Body Weight x .31
Example: A 132-pound women needs to drink 41 ounces of water a day (132 x .31=
41). She'll get the rest of her daily water supply
from food and metabolic processes. Runners need to drink extra to cover daily
sweat losses.
As she passed her coach and friends at the 15-mile mark of the 2002 Boston
Marathon, Cynthia Lucero smiled and waved cheerily. It
was typical behavior for the petite Ecuadorian native. According to all who knew
her, Lucero loved life, loved to help others, and
loved running. Seven miles later, however, something went horribly wrong.
It should have been the best of times for Lucero. The previous week she had
defended her doctoral dissertation to become, in effect,
Dr. Cynthia Lucero. The dissertation studied the positive effect of marathon
training on cancer victims and their families. A member
of Team in Training herself, Lucero had run her first marathon 2 years earlier,
finishing in 5:19 at the Rock 'N' Roll event in San
Diego.
Now Lucero was running her first Boston Marathon. She had trained well, and
eagerly anticipated the day. Things seemed to go
smoothly until the 22-mile mark, where she stopped to drink a cup of fluid.
Another runner remembers hearing Lucero say that she
felt dizzy and disoriented.
A few steps later, Lucero staggered briefly, then fell to the pavement,
unconscious. She never regained consciousness, becoming just
the second runner ever to die in the Boston Marathon, and the first to die of
hyponatremia, which is caused by excessive fluid
consumption.
More...from Runner's World at:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-302--5382-0,00.html?cm_mmc=nut\
rition-_-2008_05_03-_-nutrition-_-Eat%20This,%20Not%
20That
[Long URL]


19. Effects of training intensity on muscle acid buffering capacity in females:
The role of acid buffering capacity in muscles is generally considered to be
influential in short term and long term race
performance. The accumulation of acid (H+) has been shown to contribute to a
reduction in exercise performance by affecting the
perception of effort, enzyme activity, ion regulation and contractile proteins
during some tasks. Acid comes from the build up of
lactic acid/lactate. Both intra and extracellular buffer systems act to reduce
the build up of H+ and therefore aid in the
regulation of intracellular pH. The intracelluar contents of protein, inorganic
phosphate and the dipeptide, carnosine, have been
identified as important physiochemical buffers and have been shown to be
affected by training status. References for these results
are provided in the article by Edge et. al.1 who did a study on the role that
exercise intensity has on muscle acid buffering
ability.
What this Australian group did was to divide sixteen female students, who played
recreational team sports and volunteered for this
study, into two groups. Each group exercised three times a week on a stationary
bike (cycle ergometer) for the same total amount of
work. The difference was that one group trained continuously just below their
pre-program lactate threshold (LT). The other group
trained in intervals at intensities well above their pre-program LT. The
training program was fairly short in that it was only five
weeks.
More...from AmateurAthlete.com at:
http://amateur-athlete.com/may2008/edge2006.html


20. Digest Briefs:
* Quick Tip
By Robert Kunz MS
Using PreRace during your race
Athletes who compete in longer events often experience fatigue or a "lull" in
the ladder part of the race. This can cost you to miss
the crucial break, or your chance to podium. For races that last six hours or
more, First Endurance recommends one serving of
PreRace before the event and another half-serving two-thirds through the race to
help you stay focused and energized. PreRace can be
mixed into EFS or any drink, so it's easy to make sure you're getting PreRace
when you need it. Dosing appropriately takes practice
and tolerance and should be tested during training.
* Owner's Manual: Do Compression Socks Work?
By Brian Metzler
As featured in the Web Only issue of Running Times Magazine
At first glance, they appear to be a statement of retro style. But a closer look
reveals the knee-high tube socks many elite
distance runners race in are anything but rekindled 1970s apparel.
They're graduated compression socks -- snug-fitting, over-the-calf socks (some
of which start at the ankle) aimed at improving
oxygen delivery to muscles, speeding lactic acid removal and stabilizing the
lower leg for greater muscle efficiency. A handful of
front-of-the-pack road runners swear by them, including Lornah Kiplagat, Gete
Wami and women's marathon world-record holder Paula
Radcliffe.
But do they work? Compression socks and wraps have been widely accepted in
clinical and post-surgical settings for the treatment of
edema, lymph edema, phlebitis, varicose veins, spider veins and deep vein
thrombosis. Most theories about how the socks can improve
running performance focus on the physiological and biomechanical support of the
lower extremities.
The primary rationale behind wearing compression socks in a race is that they
may enhance venous return to the heart through a more
efficient calf muscle pump, leading to increased endurance capacity. And there
is the notion that because muscles are kept more
compact, balance and proprioception are improved and muscle fatigue is
minimized.
However, a study presented at the 2007 American College of Sports Medicine
annual meeting in New Orleans suggested there were no
statistically significant differences in maximal oxygen consumption, heart rate
or minute ventilation between treadmill runners who
wore compression socks and those who did not. According to the study, conducted
at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, subjects
did, however, show a faster lactate recovery rate after exercise when wearing
the compression socks, suggesting that compression
socks might speed recovery after a strenuous workout or a race.
So wear them in a race if it suits you, but definitely wear them after the race.


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

May 10, 2008:
Fifth Third River Bank 25K - Grand Rapids, MI
USA Championship

Medtronic TC 1 Mile - Minneapolis, MN

Niketown 5K for Kids - Seattle, WA

Ontario Masters East Regional Track and Field Championships - Brockville, ON

Running With the Rats 5K - Minneapolis, MN

Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon - Santa Ynez, CA

May 10-11, 2008:
Mississauga Marathon Race Weekend - ON

May 11, 2008:
Kirkland Half Marathon - Kirkland, WA

Volkswagen Prague Marathon - CZ


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.

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Runner's Web
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