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
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.

3. Road Runner Sports, the world's largest running store at:
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000010069822.
New Arrivals from Nike With Web Exclusive Apparel and More!

4. Goodlife 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 our passion for excellence to help
you reach your athletic dreams. Trusted by thousands. Dedicated to you.
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/

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

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

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/

ASSOCIATIONS: The Runner's Web is a member of Running USA, The National
Professional Organization for the Running Industry.
http://www.runningusa.org/

NEW SUBSCRIBERS: Check the "New Subscribers' note at the bottom of the
newsletter

Check out our RSS auto-feeds page for automated news updates:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_auto_feeds.html

Webmasters: Get our Syndicated headlines for your site.
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_getRSS.html
Add the Runner's Web News feed to your site through a simple JavaScript. Check
out OnTri.com's implementation at:
http://www.ontri.com/runnersweb.html
The Runner's and Triathlete's Web Digest is now available
through an RSS feed for myYahoo at:
http://e.my.yahoo.com/config/cstore?.opt=content&.url=http%3a//rss.groups.yahoo.
com/group/RunnersWeb/rss [Long URL] The Digest is also available through other
RSS Readers on request.

Get the Runner's Web button for the Google Toolbar 4 for Internet Explorer from
the link on our FrontPage at:
http://www.runnersweb.com . We have added a button for Lauren Groves,
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
Google WITHOUT AN INVITATION at: www.gmail.com

Race Directors: Advertise your event on the Runner's Web.
For more information:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_advertising.html
You can also list your events for free in our Interactive Calendars and on our
Marathons, Races and Triathlons pages.

NEW THIS WEEK:

Free Shipping with Under Armour® for Father's Day
Shop a wide variety of men's clothing for Father's Day at Under Armour®. They
are offering their most compelling promotion yet!
Get Free Shipping with no threshold through June 9th! See below for more
details:
Free Shipping with no threshold!
Coupon Code: 1Father
Ends June 9th, 2008
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000024670010&pubid=2100000000\
0028567

Also, Under Armour® is pleased to announce the launch of their outlet page where
you can find top products at reduced prices
year-round. They're currently offering products with up to 25% in savings!
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000024671143&pubid=2100000000\
0028567

Nike Men's Shox Remix + II Running Shoe (Style: 318433 Color: 001) Only $109.99
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000024629786&pubid=2100000000\
0028567

Nike Women's Shox Remix + II Running Shoe (Style: 318434 Color: 161) Only
$109.99
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000024629800&pubid=2100000000\
0028567

Nike Women's Shox NZ Running Shoe (Style: 309206 Color: 013) Only $114.99
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000024629807&pubid=2100000000\
0028567

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

FASTSKIN LZR Racer Speedo has harnessed the expertise of NASA and a number of
international research institutes to create a faster
suit, the FASTSKIN LZR Racer. FASTSKIN LZR Racer Facts: 10% less passive drag
than Speedo's FASTSKIN FSII (launched 2004) 5% less
passive drag than Speedo's FASTSKIN FS-PROR (launched 2007) Swimmers broke 21
World Records wearing the suit The popularity of this
amazing new technology is making a splash, and now your customers can pre-order
this product! FASTSKIN LZR Racer - Pre-order now!
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000024077515&pubid=2100000000\
0028567

New Affiliates: Foot Locker: Footlocker Clearance Sale up to 50% off
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=pgaZgw/VDU4&offerid=101680.10000103\
&type=3&subid=0

FRS Healthy Energy Drink: A new kind of Healthy Energy Drink that provides
sustained energy without the Crash. Using a unique
patented formula powered by Quercetin, a potent antioxidant found in fruits and
vegetables. A breakthrough antioxidant energy
formula, FRS contains powerful nutrients and key vitamins to help you naturally
increase energy and stay healthy. Whether you're
dieting, starting an exercise program, or just looking for a healthy boost, FRS
can help. About FRS and Lance Armstrong Lance's
relationship with FRS is more than an endorsement deal, it's a partnership.
After carefully reviewing the science behind the product
and meeting our management team, Lance has joined our Board of Directors and
chosen FRS to be the exclusive beverage he represents
worldwide. FRS aligns with his lifestyle choices and what he believes in. Power
your life with FRS.
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000023989281

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
worthy of a Guest Column on the Runner's Web, email
us at:
mailto:webmaster@... or leave your comments in one of our Forums at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/forum.html or from our FrontPage.

We have 2,353 subscribers as of publication time. Forward the Runner's Web
Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join .

RUNNER'S AND TRIATHLETE'S WEB CONTENT PARTNERS

* ACTIVE.COM RunnersWeb.com has teamed up with Active Trainer coaches to offer
training programs that are a balance of aerobic,
anaerobic and cross-training workouts. These training programs are built to get
people of all levels across the finish line. From
the first timer to the seasoned veteran you will find the right training plan
for you. Good luck with your training and we will see
you at the finish line. Training Log and Analysis: Log your daily workouts and
monitor your progress along the way. Getting Started:
Set a realistic goal for training. Review the list of training programs
developed by Active Trainer Coaches. Select the program that
best matches your current training schedule. If you have been inactive, select a
conservative schedule to assure success and
decrease the risk of injury. Plug in the start date or the date of your target
race and go! The schedule will automatically be
entered into your log. It is as simple as that... Training: Select the daily
email to receive your training by the day or log on to
your account and review the entire schedule. Use the interactive log to enter in
valuable training information. The more information
you enter in your personal log, the better. You will be able to use this
information in the future to evaluate performance, keep
track of what works and what doesn't and stay motivated to see just how far
you've come.
Sign up at:
www.RunnersWebCoach.com OR
http://training.active.com/ActiveTrainer/listing.do?listing=51

* Sports Nutrition by Sheila Kealey. Sheila is one of Ottawa's top multisport
athletes and a member of the OAC Racing Team and X-C
Ottawa. She has a Masters in Public Health and works in the field of nutritional
epidemiology as a Research Associate with the
University of California, San Diego. Her column index is available at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/SK_index.html

* Carmichael Training Systems Carmichael Training Systems was founded in 1999 by
Chris Carmichael. From the beginning, the mission
of the company has been to improve the lives of individuals we work with through
the application of proper and effective fitness and
competitive training techniques. Whether your focus is recreational, advanced,
or you are a professional racer, the coaching
methodology employed by CTS will make you a better athlete. Check the latest
monthly column from CTS at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/cts_columns.html.
Carmichael Training Systems at:
http://www.trainright.com/promos.asp?code=DSBYBFCSP

* Peak Performance Online Peak Performance is a subscription-only newsletter for
athletes, featuring the latest research from the
sports science world. We cover the whole range of sports, from running and
rowing to cycling and swimming, and each issue is packed
full of exclusive information for anyone who's serious about sport. It's
published 16 times a year, including four special reports,
by Electric Word plc. Peak Performance is not available in the shops - only our
subscribers are able to access the valuable
information we publish.
Check out our article archive from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/PPO_index.html
Visit the PPO site at: Peak Performance Online:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/cmd.php?af=517509

* Peak Running Performance Peak Running Is The Nation's Most Advanced Running
Newsletter. Rated as the #1 Running Publication by
Road Runner Sports (Worlds Largest Running Store) , Peak Running caters to the
serious / dedicated runner. Delivering world class
running advice are some of running's most recognizable athletes including Dr.
Joe Vigil (US Olympic Coach), Scott Tinley (2 Time
Ironman Champ) Steve Scott (3 Time Olympian) and many more. This bi-monthly
newsletter has been around for over 13 years, and in the
past two it has been awarded the "Golden Shoe Award" in recognition of it's
outstanding achievements.
http://www.clixGalore.com/Sale.aspx?BID=37234&AfID=103794&AdID=5075&LP=www.peakr\
unningperformance.com
Check out the Peak Running article index at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/PRP_index.html .

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

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

THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. VO2max Newsletter
2. Strength Training Injury
Ten Common Causes and How to Avoid Them.
3. Fatigue examined
The mystery of Fatigue: Anticipatory Regulation and the limits to exercise
performance.
4. Swallow This
Forget the ice and ibuprofen. The best way to recover from exercise is through
your stomach.
5. The Wright Stuff
Treatments for cartilage issues in Masters athletes.
6. Deena Kastor
The Olympic Bronze Medalist Talks about Athens, Boston, and Beijing.
7. Children and Marathoning
At What Distance Can We Consider it Safe?
8. When to skip that massage
9. Rethink that sports drink
Sugar water or nutritional supplement?
10. Caffeine and Endurance
11. 5 Tips for Open Water Swimming
12. Marathoning and Skin Cancers
Science says there is no clear link between marathoning and skin cancer
(especially the really bad ones)
13. Seeking to Sponsor Socially Responsible Athletes
14. The Top Three Marathon Workouts
15. This Week in Running
16. The Coaching Files: Everything You Need to Know About Power To Weight Ratio
17. Muscle Cramps
18. Real Thought for Food for Long Workouts
How much truth is there to the myth that athletes should have a protein and
carbohydrates mix within a certain time frame after
workouts or else they risk slowing their recovery?
19. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine
20. Digest Briefs

RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"Do you agree with the IAAF's decision to allow Oscar Pistorius ("The Blade
Runner") to compete in IAAF competitions against
able-bodied athletes?"

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:
"Did you run at this year's Ottawa Race Weekend?"
Answers Percent
1. 2K 0%
2. 5K 11%
3. 10K 5%
4. Half-Marathon 16%
5. Marathon 11%
6. Did not run 58%


FIVE STAR SITE OF THE MONTH: IronDistance.com.
There is only one short cut on your way to the finish line. We are here to help
you find the race that is right for you.
An iron distance triathlon consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a
26.2 mile run. It is considered by many to be the
ultimate endurance test.
The Top Ten elements to look for in an iron distance race.
You put endless hours of training into preparation for your race. Make sure the
event you enter puts in the same effort to make
your day a memorable one.
The site has recently added a race rating system.
More...from www.IronDistance.com.

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

BOOK/VIDEO OF THE MONTH: Championship Triathlon Training
Train less to race faster
Triathlon expert offers tips for multisport conditioning
Windsor, ON-- George Dallam, PhD, USA Triathlon's first national team coach,
leads the way in triathlon coaching. As the longtime
coach of Hunter Kemper, the top-ranked triathlete in the ITU World Cup during
2005 and most of 2006, Dallam shares many of his
coaching insights for serious triathlon participants in an upcoming book.
In Championship Triathlon Training (Human Kinetics, May 2008), Dallam and
coauthor Steven Jonas, MD, address essential components
for effective triathlon training:
· Make transitions a competitive advantage rather than a drain.
· Use Dallam's novel method of projecting target training velocities in
swimming, cycling, and running.
· Employ simple technologies to maximize the adaptive process and get more
enjoyment out of training.
· Alter breathing patterns to improve ventilatory efficiency, reduce heart rate
and blood pressure, and improve training
consistency and performance.
· Develop the psychological skills to improve performance and enjoy the process
more.
· Build movement-specific strength to improve basic speed and endurance-related
speed in swimming, cycling, and running.
According to Dallam, by implementing particular training components, athletes
can train less to race faster. "These are
specific methods that any athlete can use to develop more effective technique in
swimming, cycling, and running to become faster,
more efficient, and less likely to be injured," says Dallam.
Championship Triathlon Training offers advice on complex speed and endurance
training, race-specific training and
strategy, and training for strength. For more information on Championship
Triathlon Training, contact Human Kinetics at 800-465-7301
or visit
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?associate=880&isbn=978-0-7\
360-6919-9
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
George Dallam, PhD, is the longtime coach of Hunter Kemper, the top-ranked
triathlete in the ITU World Cup during 2005 and most of
2006. Dallam is the founding member of the National Coaching Commission of USA
Triathlon, the sport's national governing body, and
was USA Triathlon's first national team coach. In 2004 he was a finalist for the
Doc Counsilman Award for the Science in Coaching
category of the United States Olympic Committee's Coach of the Year Award. In
2005 he was USA Triathlon's Elite Coach of the Year.
Dallam is an associate professor of exercise science and health promotion at
Colorado State University at Pueblo. As a sport
scientist, he has authored and coauthored numerous scientific papers relating to
triathlon. During his career at CSU-Pueblo, he has
received each of the university-wide awards for teaching, scholarship, and
service, becoming the only faculty member in the history
of the institution to receive all three awards.
During his triathlon coaching career, Dallam has served as a personal coach to
several elite triathletes, including Amanda Stevens,
Marcel Vifian, Callahan Hatfield, Michael Smedley, and Ryan BickerstaffAt the
Olympic Training Center, he served as resident and
collegiate programs coach for Olympians Nick Radkewich and Susan Williams as
well as perennial international stars Laura Reback,
Becky Lavelle, and Doug Friman. Before focusing on triathlon, he coached at
various levels in swimming, water polo, and cross
country.
Steven Jonas, MD, MPH, MS, FNYAS, has been a regular columnist and contributor
to The East Coast Triathlete, Triathlon Today,
Triathlon Times, and American TRI. Since 2006, he has written a column titled
"Ordinary Mortals: Talking Triathlon with Steve Jonas"
for USA Triathlon Life. He is the author of Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals
and The Essential Triathlete. He also serves as editor
in chief of American Medical Athletic Association Journal and has been a member
of the editorial board of ACSM's Health & Fitness
Journal since 1999.
Jonas is a professor of preventive medicine in the School of Medicine at Stony
Brook University in New York. As author, coauthor,
editor, and coeditor, he has published more than 25 books and 135 academic
papers on health policy, health promotion, disease
prevention, and fitness and exercise.
The year 2007 marked Jonas' 25th season as a recreational triathlete. He has
competed in more than 185 multisport races, including
115 triathlons, at distances up to the Ironman. He is also a certified
professional ski instructor.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1 Essential Training Elements and Guidelines
Chapter 2 Training the Mind
Chapter 3 Assessing and Improving Technique
Chapter 4 Training for Strength and Muscular Balance
Chapter 5 Complex Speed and Endurance Training
Chapter 6 Race-Specific Training and Strategy
Chapter 7 Creating a Long-Term Training Program
Chapter 8 Race-Specific Training Programs
Chapter 9 Health and Fueling Strategies for Optimal Performance
Buy the book from Human Kinetics at:
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?associate=880&isbn=978-0-7\
360-6919-9

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. VO2max Newsletter:
By Dr. Jason Karp
* The Runner's Heart
The amount of blood the heart pumps with each contraction of its left ventricle
(the heart?s largest chamber that is responsible for
sending blood to every part of your body except the lungs) is called the stroke
volume. Multiply the stroke volume by your heart
rate, and you get the amount of blood pumped by your heart each minute, called
the cardiac output. The larger your left ventricle,
the more blood it can hold; the more blood it can hold, the more blood it can
pump.
Interest in the cardiovascular adaptations to endurance training have been of
interest to scientists and health professionals since
at least the time of the documented enlarged heart of distance runner Clarence
DeMar, who won the Boston Marathon seven times
between 1911 and 1930. So characteristic is a large heart of genetically gifted
and highly trained runners that it is considered a
physiological condition by the scientific and medical communities called
Athlete's Heart. While you may never attain the heart size
and associated cardiac output of elite runners like Clarence DeMar, specific
training can make your heart larger and increase your
stroke volume and cardiac output.
Long intervals provide the heaviest load on the cardiovascular system because of
the repeated attainment of the heart's maximum
stroke volume and cardiac output (and your VO2max). Evolutionary biologists
believe that the structure of an organism evolves to
cope with the stresses to which it is subjected, which has led to the theory of
symmorphosis--that an organism's structural design
is regulated by its functional demand. Remarkably, structural changes can also
occur in the short term in response to training:
bones increase their density, muscle fibers increase their metabolic machinery,
and cardiac muscle grows larger. In response to the
imposed threat of running at your heart's maximum ability to pump blood, your
heart responds by increasing its contractility
(pumping velocity and strength) and by enlarging its most important chamber so
that more blood and oxygen can be sent to the working
skeletal muscles. The larger left ventricle is called left ventricular
hypertrophy, and is diagnosed from an electrocardiogram and
an echocardiogram.
So, how fast should you run to induce left ventricular hypertrophy? The best
stimulus is the speed that corresponds to your maximum
cardiac output (maximum heart rate times maximum stroke volume) which, along
with the maximum difference in oxygen content between
arterial and venous blood, determines your VO2max. Therefore, run at the
velocity at which VO2max is achieved (vVO2max). In lieu
of a laboratory test to tell you that velocity, you can use current race
performances or heart rate. vVO2max is close to 1-mile
race
pace for recreational runners and close to 2-mile race pace (10 to 15 seconds
per mile faster than 5K race pace) for highly trained
runners. Heart rate monitors are great for this type of workout--you should be
within a few beats of your maximum heart rate by the
end of each interval. Examples of workouts are: 3 x 1,200 meters (or 4-5
minutes) at vVO2max with 3 to 4 minutes recovery; 4 x
1,000 meters (or 3-4 minutes) at vVO2max with 2.5 to 3 minutes recovery; and 6 x
800 meters (or 3 minutes) at vVO2max with 2.5 to 3
minutes recovery.
* Muscle Fibers and Running Performance
When you race, are you able to hang with your competitors during the middle
stages, but get out-kicked in the last quarter- to
half-mile, or do you have a hard time maintaining the pace during the middle
stages, but can finish fast and out-kick others? Which
type of workouts feel easier and more natural--long intervals (800-meter to mile
repeats), long runs, and tempo runs, or short, fast
intervals (200s and 400s)? Which workouts do you look forward to more--long
intervals and tempo runs, or short and fast intervals?
Your answers to these questions get at an important, often overlooked concept in
running physiology?muscle fiber type. There are two
types of runners--those who have superior speed, whose performance gets better
as the race gets shorter, and those who have superior
endurance, whose performance gets better as the race gets longer. Most runners,
unless they are individually coached, follow some
generic training program. However, those programs don't acknowledge differences
in runners? muscle fiber types and their associated
metabolic profiles. The types of fibers that make up your individual running
muscles greatly influence your performance.
Humans have three different types of muscle fibers, with gradations between
them. Slow-twitch (ST) fibers are recruited for all of
your aerobic runs, while fast-twitch B (FT-B) fibers are only recruited for
short anaerobic, high-force production activities, such
as sprinting and jumping. Fast-twitch A (FT-A) fibers, which represent a
transition between the two extremes of ST and FT-B fibers,
are recruited for prolonged anaerobic activities with a relatively high- force
output, such as racing 400 meters. While distance
runners have more ST fibers than FT fibers, there is still a disparity in the
amount of ST fibers, as some runners may have 90
percent ST and 10 percent FT fibers, while others may have 60 percent ST and 40
percent FT fibers.
Understanding your fiber type can help you train smarter. While most runners do
the same workouts to focus on a specific race, your
training and racing should reflect your physiology. For example, if you have 90
percent ST and 10 percent FT fibers, your best race
will likely be the marathon and your training should focus on mileage and tempo
runs. If you have 60 percent ST and 40 percent FT
fibers, your best race will likely be the 800 meters or mile, and your training
should focus less on mileage and more on interval
training. If both runners want to race a 5K or 10K, the former runner should
initially do longer intervals, trying to get faster
with training, such as 1,200-meter repeats at 5K race pace, increasing speed to
3K race pace or decreasing the recovery as training
progresses. The latter runner should do shorter intervals, trying to hold the
pace for longer with training, such as 800-meter
repeats at 3K race pace, increasing distance to 1,200 meters or increasing the
number of repeats as training progresses. Thus,
there can be two paths to meet at the same point.
To view past newsletters go to: http://www.runcoachjason.com/newsletter
Copyright Jason Karp All Rights Reserved - http://www.runcoachjason.com


2. Strength Training Injury:
Ten Common Causes and How to Avoid Them.
Weight training isn't a picnic or a walk in the park; it's sweaty, gut busting
work that, if done correctly, has you treading the
thin line between growth and injury. If you train intensely - the only kind of
training that stimulates growth - you continually
flirt with muscle damage. Rubbing up against the danger zone is where the
muscular gains lie.
Injury is always just ahead for the careless weight trainer. There's something
inherently dangerous about pushing, tugging and
straining against cold, hard iron with all your might. But how else are you
going to stimulate those gains? Because the quickest way
to sidetrack progress or derail a bodybuilding career is through debilitating
injury, you need to be a bit clairvoyant, learning to
avoid injuries before they happen. You can accomplish this by listening to your
body's feedback and then making the appropriate
adjustments. Here are the 10 most common causes of injury - let the bodybuilder
beware.
1. Incorrect Technique
The most common weight training injuries are related to poor exercise technique.
Incorrect technique can pull, rip or wrench a
muscle, or tear delicate connective tissue quicker than you can strike a match.
An out of control barbell or stray dumbbell can
wreak havoc in an instant.
Each human body has very specific biomechanical pathways. Arms and legs can only
move in certain ways, particularly if you're stress
loading a limb with weight. Strive to become a technical perfectionist and
respect the integrity of the exercise - no twisting,
turning or contorting while pushing a weight. Either make the rep using perfect
technique or miss the weight. Learn how to miss a
rep safely; learn how to bail out.
2. Too Much Weight
Using too much weight in an exercise is a high risk proposition rife with injury
potential. When it's too much: if you can't control
a weight as you lower it; if you can't contain a movement within its
biomechanical boundaries; and if you have to jerk or heave a
weight in order to lift it.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news_2008/rw_news_20080603_TSH_Strength.html


3. Fatigue examined:
The mystery of Fatigue: Anticipatory Regulation and the limits to exercise
performance.
At the "centre of the physiology universe" lies the question of what limits
exercise performance? Even the definition of fatigue is
controversial, but once you get into this issue, the complexity and intricacy of
the human body becomes apparent.
We can't offer definitive answers here. As we've said often before, if anyone
tells you "THE ANSWER", they're either lying, or
ignorant, or both! We certainly don't purport to have the "key to fatigue", but
we can evaluate the theories, examine the evidence
and work towards proposing a model that will, hopefully, shed some light on the
issue!
So this is our series on Fatigue, our most epic series to date! Enjoy!
More...from the Science of Sport at:
http://scienceofsport.blogspot.com/2008/01/fatigue-examined.html


4. Swallow This:
Forget the ice and ibuprofen. The best way to recover from exercise is through
your stomach.
From the perspective of an athlete, few things top the virtuous satisfaction
that comes from a hard workout. That 10-mile run, that
1,500-meter pool sprint, that hour with the free weights. Makes you feel great,
right? You’ll do it again tomorrow, for sure. But
then it hits — the aftermath.
Within a few hours, your muscles begin sending vicious little reminders about
your impressive efforts. Delayed-onset muscle
soreness, as it’s called, settles in roughly 12 to 24 hours after an intense
bout of training, especially if it involved unfamiliar
or extreme movements. The affected muscles become so tender and strained that
the process of rising from bed the next morning
becomes a challenge.
Even if you haven’t arrived at this sorry state, repeated hard workouts can tax
the body in insidious ways. Muscles, over the course
of an hour or so of serious work, use up most of their stored energy. Without
remediation, those muscles won’t respond as well
during your next workout. They’ll be more prone to injury. You’ll be slower. The
70-year-old from down the street will pass you on
the running path.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/sports/playmagazine/601physed.html?_r=1&ref=he\
alth&oref=login
[Free Registration Required]


5. The Wright Stuff:
Treatments for cartilage issues in Masters athletes.
Here's the third installment in my series on treatments for cartilage issues in
Masters athletes. In this installment, I explore
"microfracture." Well Masters athletes, when conservative measures do not
relieve the pain and swelling of damaged knee cartilage,
there are several techniques for cartilage repair. The important factor to
remember, however, is that cartilage is inherently
avascular (it has basically no blood supply), and blood is vital for repair of
any tissue. When it comes to cartilage you are
essentially born with what you are going to have for the rest of your life.
More...from Masters Athlete at:
http://www.masters-athlete.com/


6. Deena Kastor:
The Olympic Bronze Medalist Talks about Athens, Boston, and Beijing.
Six weeks before she would run in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women’s
Marathon in Boston, Deena Kastor tuned up by winning the
Gate River Run in Jacksonville, Florida. The USATF 15-Kilometer Championships
attracted 12,008 finishers. Having won the “Gate” five
previous times, Kastor also was inducted into the River Run’s Hall of Fame.
Prior to her victory, the woman who is known comfortably
by all runners simply as “Deena” lunched with author Hal Higdon at The Lodge &
Club, where she stayed before the race in Ponte Vedra
Beach.
The Lodge’s dining room overlooked the Atlantic Ocean, but the pair could barely
see it because of persistent rain and fog, unusual
for early March. The next day’s weather was not much better, with gusts up to 40
mph that pummeled the slender Kastor as she crossed
the 180-foot-high Hart Bridge over the St. Johns River in the final mile of the
race. Deena’s time was 49:36, fast for the
conditions but short of her 47:15 American record for that event. Nevertheless,
Deena felt buoyed by her fitness and anticipated
success in the Trials and even more success in the 2008 Olympic Games in
Beijing, China, this summer, where her goal is (drum roll,
maestro) the gold medal. “And a very reasonable goal it is,” claims Higdon, a
winter resident of Ponte Vedra Beach, who conducted
this interview for Marathon & Beyond. He and Kastor began by discussing the
documentary film The Spirit of the Marathon, in which
she is featured.
KASTOR: I just got an e-mail from director Jon Dunham. He said that in Boston,
they are going to have multiple showings all over
town and an event at Bill Rodgers’s store on Thursday before the marathons. Jon
wants to get everyone involved in The Spirit of the
Marathon to come. Sounds pretty cool. During the next several months, they plan
to show the film at most major marathons: Chicago,
Marine Corps, New York, and Philadelphia.
More...from Marathon and Beyond at:
http://www.marathonandbeyond.com/choices/higdon.pdf


7. Children and Marathoning:
At What Distance Can We Consider it Safe?
Children and Marathoning: How Young is Too Young by Rice and Waniewski outlines
the theoretical concerns surrounding the issue of
children and adolescents participating in marathon runs. [3] There is little
evidence to support the suggested ban on youth
participating in marathons and the manuscript offers little advice other than
just say no. When I look at injury in youth sports, I
find it difficult to single out long distance running even at the marathon level
as a significant risk to long term health and well
being compared with baseball, ice hockey, soccer, gymnastics, figure skating,
and football, or the extreme sports that children and
adolescents choose to escape adult supervision. [2] The injury incidence cited
for both boys' and girls' cross country running is
most likely due to ill advised training programs that encourage excessive summer
running in the 300 to 500 mile range to prepare for
the 5 k and 4-5 k competitions, respectively, during the high school season. In
some states 11-year-old students are eligible to
participate in varsity level high school cross country racing.
Although cases and anecdotes do not constitute an evidence base to guarantee the
safety of children who choose to run a marathon, my
experience with young runners who have entered and completed the Twin Cities
Marathon over the past 22 years has not demonstrated
any adverse injury patterns. In the mid 80's we were faced with our first
10-year-old to enter the marathon. We were not sure how
to proceed and a literature search provided no defensible course of action. In
my role as medical director, I called the father who
related the following story.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=13368


8. When to skip that massage:
Massage, that art of laying on hands, has been around for a while and has seen
some changes through the years.
Gone is the simple back rub with some oil tossed in. Today's list of massage
options is long and varied, a veritable smorgasbord of
touchy-feely options: deep tissue, hot stone, underwater (watsu), massage for
couples, massage for your energy fields (reiki) and
even for Blackberry users.
What's next? Remote massage? Teenage texting massage?
Scary!
But no matter the variation, most experts agree that massage is a good thing.
"It increases blood flow to muscles, and that increases healing and speeds
healing time," said professor Allan Platt, who teaches
physician assistants at Emory University's School of Medicine in Atlanta,
Georgia. "It's also good for obtaining the relaxation
affect for the entire body, which lowers blood pressure, lowers the heart rate
and decreases stress, which is all good." Health for
Her: More on when massage isn't a good idea »
But there are times when massage is not the answer. Platt gives examples:
"If there's any damage to bones or muscles that could be manipulated out of
place," massage isn't a good idea, he cautioned. "Like a
slipped disc or things like that, where it actually may increase irritation of
the nerves or the nerve roots. Those are times where
it may be beneficial to stay away or stay away from that area."
More...from CNN at:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/05/30/hfh.no.massage/index.html


9. Rethink that sports drink;
Sugar water or nutritional supplement?
Deep Down Body Thirst
Summer's almost here, and that means heat, and with heat comes sweat -- and
often lots of it. For many, this means chugging back a
few glasses of water to stay hydrated, but for some people, it means turning to
a sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade.
When working with a sports team, especially if the athletes are younger, I am
often asked by parents whether their son or daughter
needs a sports drink. Similarly, my active adult clients are often curious to
know whether they should be drinking Gatorade at the
gym, on the golf course or if they're training for a 5 km race or a marathon. I
find that the perception of sports drinks is all
over the map; some see them as essential for an athlete to optimize their
performance, while others -- especially in our
increasingly carbphobic society -- see sports drinks as just another way for
clever marketers to sell us brightly coloured, but
nutritionally barren sugar water. Are these people doing the right thing for
their bodies, or are they being duped by good
advertising?
More...from the Ottawa Citizen at:
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/health/story.html?id=20954adf-42f2-42c6\
-bdc9-3ec060fe6d83


10. Caffeine and Endurance:
Reviewed by Patricia Rosen. M.D.
Introduction Coffee was first discovered over 1000 years ago although it has
been around and used by humans since the Stone Age.
People noted the affects on animals and used it by chewing on seed, bark or
leaves of certain plants to gain the effects of elevated
mood and decreased fatigue. It is thought to be the most widely used
psychostimulant in the world. Sources estimate 120,000 tons of
caffeine is consumed annually. 90% of adults in North America consume some
caffeine daily. Just witness the explosion of coffee
vendors on every street corner and the waiting lines at your local Starbucks.
Caffeine was discovered by a German chemist, Friedrich Ferdinand Runge, in 1819.
Caffeine is also called guaranine which is found in
guarana, mateine when found in mate and theine when found in tea but all of
these are synonyms for the same compound,
trimethylxanthine.
It is found in many plants and acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and
kills certain insects feeding on the plants. Note that
in many natural sources of caffeine other compounds are present that have other
effects such as theophylline and theobromine. In
humans, caffeine is used as a central nervous system stimulant and is most often
obtained from coffee.
More...from First Endurance at:
http://blog.firstendurance.com/2008/05/caffeine-and-endurance/


11. 5 Tips for Open Water Swimming:
By Lance Watson
As summer approaches and the lakes, rivers and oceans warm up, getting in the
open water to re-familiarize yourself with sighting,
drafting and cornering buoys becomes an integral part of swim training.
Practicing specific open water race skills will not only
make you a stronger swimmer, it will allow you to relax during the swim and be
able to exit the water further up and be fresher for
the bike and run.
The swim portion of a triathlon can be broken down in to 5 specific skills to be
developed. Think of these as tips, but also as
different kinds of workouts for separate open water swimming occasions:
~ Work on your start in different environments;
~ Develop the ability to find your rhythm after the start;
~ Train your aptitude to draft and sight without loosing energy;
~ Swim in close quarters and corner buoys efficiently;
~ Practice finishing a swim hard and exiting the water fast.
More...from LifeSport at:
http://www.lifesport.ca/newsletter/OpenWaterSwimmingTips.htm


12. Marathoning and Skin Cancers:
Science says there is no clear link between marathoning and skin cancer
(especially the really bad ones).
An Austrian study that made worldwide headlines last week suggesting a link
between marathon running and skin cancers, possibly
including the dangerous malignant melanoma (MM), turns out to be somewhat less
worrisome than many news reports indicated. Of
course, sun exposure is a known cause of skin cancers, and runners do go out in
the sun (in skimpy clothing), so they should be
careful. But the research study uncovered no melanomas among either the 210
marathoners or the 210 control group members, and never
attempted to measure skin cancer incidence. "On clinical examination, no skin
lesions suggestive of MM were diagnosed in either
group," wrote the authors, a group of running aficionadoes and
marathoners/triathletes from the University of Graz in Graz, Austria.

The endpoint of the study was the number of subjects from both groups who had
sun/liver spots or atypical moles, both possible
precursors to MM. In addition, the researchers noted the number of subjects
given "referrals" to skin cancer specialists for
possible removal liver spots and atypical moles. Because of medical privacy laws
in Austria, it's impossible to tell how many of
these subjects actually had non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC).
However, the marathoners clearly had more liver spots and atypical moles, and
received more referrals, than the control subjects. Of
particular interest to runners, all three findings were associated with
increased levels of training. In other words, those who
trained the most (over 44 miles a week) had more liver spots, atypical moles,
and referrals than those who trained less. Presumably,
the more you train, the more time you spend in the sun. Here's the data on
miles/week of training and incidence of atypical moles,
liver spots, and "referrals."
More...from Runner's World at:
http://tinyurl.com/5m52oa


13. Seeking to Sponsor Socially Responsible Athletes:
Youcode.com is a new website that allows its members to connect with people whom
they have seen out in public such as others who are
participating in the same athletic event. Users can enter an event on their
profile and then connect with others who are
participating in the same event to set up training sessions, social events,
share travel tips, etc…
To get the word out about our service, we are currently seeking to sponsor small
events and individuals who are participating in
athletic events that have a fundraising component. We've chosen to take a more
personal approach to our sponsorships. Currently,
we are sponsoring 20 riders on the AIDS Lifecycle ride from San Francisco to Los
Angeles. One of our corporate guiding principles
is to provide a service that promotes social responsibility. Check out the
Community link on www.youcode.com to learn more.
We are seeking individuals who are passionate about a cause and are raising
funds as part of a particular athletic event.
Youcode.com will make a donation towards an individual or team’s fundraising
goal in exchange for using our “Event” feature and
creating some “buzz” about our service. Ideally, the person we support will be
able to encourage other participants to join
Youcode.com, which in turn, will make a donation towards their fundraising goal.
If you are raising funds for an event or are organizing a small event in your
community and think Youcode.com can help, please send
an email to contactus@... to get more details. Thanks.


14. The Top Three Marathon Workouts:
By Jason Karp, M.S.
Whether you are a lawyer, a soccer mom or dad, or a professional runner, we all
want to make the best use of our training time.
Although it may take around 100 miles of running per week to reach your full
potential as a marathoner, you probably lack the time
or the inclination to run that much. So, how can you make your workouts more
efficient and obtain the greatest benefit in the least
amount of time?
If you only have time for a few runs per week, five or six miles at an intensity
easy enough to let you sing along with your iPod
isn't going to cut it. The fewer workouts you do, the greater the importance of
each workout. Below are the most effective workouts
for improving your marathon performance.
Long Runs
What: The staple of marathon training, long runs are significantly longer than
any of your other daily runs. Since your body has a
much better concept of time than of distance, the amount of time spent on your
feet is more important than the number of miles you
cover.
Why: It has been known since the 1960s that the ability to perform prolonged
endurance exercise is strongly influenced by the amount
of carbohydrates stored in skeletal muscles (glycogen), with fatigue coinciding
with glycogen depletion. To the marathoner's
benefit, the human body responds rather elegantly to situations that threaten or
deplete its supply of fuel. When glycogen is
depleted by running, muscles respond by synthesizing and storing more than what
was previously present. Empty a full glass, and you
get a refilled larger glass in its place. The more glycogen you have packed into
your muscles, the greater your ability to hold your
marathon pace to the finish.
More...from the Washington Running Report at:
http://www.runwashington.com/features/trainmara07.html


15. This Week in Running:
10 Years Ago- The Prefontaine Classic (OR/USA) 5000m saw a 1-2-3 sweep by the
Kenyan men, led by
Luke Kipkosgei in 13:07.83. Julius Gitahi and Simon Maina were
next in 13:08.32 and
13:10.71 while American's Robert Kennedy (13:21.38) and Alan
Culpepper (13:29.69)
were 4th and 5th. Thirty-nine year old Mary Slaney (USA) won the
women's 5000m in
15:23.72, more than 20 seconds ahead of Nnenna Lynch (USA) at
15:47.40 and Kristin
Ihle (USA) at 15:48.64.
20 Years Ago- Bruce Fordyce (RSA) won the Comrades (RSA) 87.5K in 5:27:42 (up
year) while Frith
vanderMerwe (RSA) won the women's race in 6:32:56. VanderMerwe
would set the still standing
(downhill) record the following year with a 5:54:43.
30 Years Ago- Alan Robb (RSA) won the Comrades (RSA) 90K in 5:29:14 (down year)
while Lettie vanZyl
(RSA) won for the third straight time with a 8:25:xx.
40 Years Ago- George Young (USA) beat Ron Clarke (AUS) over 2 miles (track) at
San Diego CA/USA,
8:22.0 to 8:22.6. Pat Traynor (USA) was 3rd in 8:32.6 and Kerry
Pearce (AUS) was 4th
in 8:35.6.
50 Years Ago- Nothing of note in the ARRS database.
60 Years Ago- Emil Zatopek (CZE) won a 10,000m in Budpest HUN with a 30:28.4.
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.


16. The Coaching Files: Everything You Need to Know About Power To Weight Ratio:
By Chris Carmichael
To reach the top of Cheyenne Canyon in Colorado Springs in 20 minutes, you have
to have a power-to-weight ratio (PWR) of 4 watts per
kilogram. When he was with Discovery Channel Tom Danielson set the record on
this climb during a 2006 visit to Carmichael Training
Systems, stopping the clock at 13:34 (6.7 watts/kg). PWR is the great leveler;
it’s the measure that allows us to compare the
strengths of cyclists side-by-side, even when the riders vary greatly in size.
Take for instance, two of my coaches, Craig Griffin
and Lindsay Hyman, who made a deal to see who could be first to break 20 minutes
up the 5-kilometer, 1200-vertical feet ascent. The
winner got coffee for a month. Griffin is 5-foot-10 and weighed 76 kg and
Lindsay is 5-foot-3 and weighed 55 kg, four weeks before
their final showdown, they were both sitting within .25 watts/kg of reaching
their shared target.
There’s far more than free coffee riding on the PWRs of the world’s top riders –
it can translate to minutes gained and lost on the
steep slopes of the Alps, Pyrenees, and Dolomites. The Holy Grail is a maximum
sustainable power of 6.8 watts/kg for 30 minutes –
the power to weight ratio necessary for winning the Tour de France. And as more
and more cyclists buy power meters, questions and
confusion abound about this crucial measure of performance.
How do I determine my PWR?
First of all, power to weight ratio isn’t a static number, but rather a number
that corresponds with a specific time. For instance,
6.8 watts/kg for 30 minutes. For 60 minutes that same rider would average lower,
like 6.4 watts/kg; and average higher, maybe 7.0
watts/kg, for 15 minutes. Following a good warmup, a 20- or 30-minute time trial
effort is a good test for most amateur cyclists
because they can maintain both consistent power and focus for the entire time.
Determining weight is much easier; just divide your
weight in pounds by 2.2 to convert to kilograms. Then divide your weight into
the average power from your time trial. Example:
Griffin weighed 76 kg and his 20-minute time trial power was 275 watts, so his
PWR for 20 minutes was 3.6 watts/kg (Lindsay’s sat at
3.8 watts/kg. Craig had some work to do).
More...from CTS at:
http://www.trainright.com/articles.asp?uid=3431


17. Muscle Cramps:
This is the time of year when I get a lot of email from athletes describing how
they just did their first races of the season and
were going great until a cramp came on. Should they eat more bananas, is the
most common question.
That cramps are more common in the first races of the year and not in the late
season probably tells us something. No matter how
hard you've been training this spring the workouts are not as hard as the races
are. The body simply isn't in race shape yet. By the
end of the season the body has adapted to the stresses of racing and is less
inclined to cramping.
But for a few athletes the problem continues throughout the year. There is no
more perplexing problem for these athletes than their
susceptibility to cramping. Muscles seem to knot up at the worst possible times
during their important and hard-fought competitions.
The real problem is that no one really knows what causes them. There are just
theories. The most popular ones are that muscle cramps
result from dehydration or electrolyte imbalances. These arguments seem to make
sense—at least on the surface. Cramps are most
common in the heat when low body-fluid levels and the possible decrease in body
salts are likely to occur.
But the research doesn’t always support these explanations. For example, in the
mid-1980s 82 male runners were tested before and
after a marathon for certain blood parameters considered likely causes of muscle
cramps. Fifteen of the runners experienced cramps
after 18 miles of the race. There was no difference, either before or after the
race, in terms of blood levels of sodium, potassium,
bicarbonate, hemoglobin or hematocrit. There were also no differences in blood
volume between the crampers and the non-crampers. Nor
were there any significant differences in the way the two groups trained.
More...from Joe Friel's Blog at:
http://www2.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2008/05/muscle-cramps.html


18. Real Thought for Food for Long Workouts:
How much truth is there to the myth that athletes should have a protein and
carbohydrates mix within a certain time frame after
workouts or else they risk slowing their recovery?
DR. MARK TARNOPOLSKY, a muscle physiology researcher at McMaster University in
Canada and a physician, knows all about the
exhortations by supplement makers and many nutritionists on what to eat and when
to eat it for optimal performance.
The idea is that you are supposed to consume carbohydrates and proteins in a
magical four-to-one ratio during endurance events like
a long run or bike ride, and right after. The belief is that such nutritional
diligence will improve your performance and speed your
recovery.
Dr. Tarnopolsky, a 45-year-old trail runner and adventure racer, might be
expected to seize upon the nutritional advice. (He won the
Ontario trail running series in 2004, 2005 and 2006.)
So might his colleague, Stuart Phillips, a 41-year-old associate professor of
kinesiology at McMaster who played rugby for Canada’s
national team and now plays it for fun. He also runs, lifts weights and studies
nutrition and performance.
In fact, neither researcher regularly uses energy drinks or energy bars. They
just drink water, and eat real food. Dr. Tarnopolsky
drinks fruit juice; Dr. Phillips eats fruit. And neither one feels a need to
ingest a special combination of protein and
carbohydrates within a short window of time, a few hours after exercising.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/health/nutrition/05Best.html?ref=health


19. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health e-Zine:
* New Theory on Recovery from Workouts
The soreness that you feel 8 to 24 hours after an intense workout is caused by a
tearing of the muscle fibers. The fastest way to
get muscles to heal is to have your body produce lots of insulin and also
provide a supply of protein to repair the damaged tissue.
We have known for a long time that insulin drives sugar into cells for energy.
Now we know that it also drives protein building
blocks called amino acids into the muscle cells to help them heal faster. A
study from New Zealand shows that protein loading
immediately after exercise helps cyclists recover faster so they can ride harder
for several days after an intense workout
(Physiologie Appliquée, Nutrition et Métabolisme, February 2008).
On the surface of muscle cell membranes are little hooks called insulin
receptors. Before insulin can do its job of driving sugar
and protein into cells, it must first attach to these receptors. Hard exercise
markedly increases insulin's ability to attach to
insulin receptors and therefore makes insulin more effective. However, this
increased response of insulin to exercise lasts only
during exercise and for perhaps half an hour after exercise. An hour after you
finish exercising, you have lost this added
sensitivity of insulin receptors to insulin. So to help muscles recover faster,
you need to take a carbohydrate source during a
hard workout and immediately after you finish. Any source of carbohydrates will
be broken down into simple sugars that call out
insulin. Then, as soon as possible after your workout, you should eat any
source of protein to supply the amino acids needed to
heal damaged muscle tissue.
Entrepreneurs will probably use this information to promote various protein
drinks and supplements, but you will get the same
results with any sugared drink and any food or drink that contains protein.
Soda and cheese or your favorite sports drink and
shrimp or nuts will work just fine.
* Synvisc Injections Eqal Cortisone For Knee Pain
A study presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic
Surgeons showed that Synvisc injections are as
effective as steroid (cortisone) injections in controlling the pain of damaged
cartilage in the knee. Synvisc costs around $5000,
compared to five dollars for steroids.
Synvisc (the brand name for hylan) is a gel that is injected three times into
the knee to serve as a padding to cushion broken
cartilage. The benefits of gel last only up to about six months. Cortisone
injections reduce swelling and pain, but weaken the
cartilage, so most doctors do not give these injections more than three times
into the same joint during a lifetime.
If only a small piece of cartilage is damaged, cartilage replacement may be
recommended. However, when a lot of cartilage is damaged
the only effective treatment is a knee replacement. Most doctors do not
recommend this until almost all of the cartilage is gone and
knee pain is so severe that it disrupts a person's life.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 2003
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: What is the best temperature for exercising?
For comfort, the ideal temperature during exercise is 60 to 80 degrees
Fahrenheit. Below that, you feel cold. Above that, you need
to keep your body temperature from rising too high. A problem with exercise is
that almost 80 percent of the energy used to power
muscles is lost as heat. Less than 22 percent drives muscles. So the body has
to work very hard to prevent your temperature from
rising too high. Of course, this is not a problem in cold weather. However,
when the temperature rises above 80 degrees, the body
loses tremendous amounts of salt and water in an effort to keep body temperature
from rising too high. The ideal temperature for
competition is 55 to 60. When it is warmer than that, you need to pay attention
to the signs of overheating and replace salt and
water throughout a long competition.
From Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine at:
http://www.drmirkin.com


20.Digest Briefs:
* Quick Tip
By Robert Kunz MS, First Endurance ( www.FirstEndurance.com)
For best results, use Optygen/OptygenHP during all intense training.
Optygen/OptygenHP will allow you to train at a higher level by
improving the body’s ability to adapt to physical stress, increasing aerobic
threshold and reducing lactic acid. These improvements
will help you race at a higher level. For best results, Optygen/OptygenHP should
be used consistently for many months. IF you start
taking Optygen a week before a race, benefits will be minimal.
* Warming Up on Race Day, by Adam Johnston, The Endurance Lab
(www.EnduranceLab.ca)
Do you warm up before your triathlons? Duathlons? Run races? For optimal
performance on race day, a proper warm up is an essential
part of your race day plan.
Examine for a moment what you do in training. How long does your typical Masters
swim warm up last? At least ten minutes, if not
longer. How about when you are getting ready to time trial on the bike with the
local bike group? Your warm up is likely a half hour
or more of easier riding. And when you head to the track to run repeat
kilometers, you are likely jogging or running easy for ten to
twenty minutes beforehand.
As well as we warm up in training, so very many of us neglect a proper warm up
on race day. Imagine hopping into the pool and
starting your main set without a warm up. Imagine jumping right into a time
trial on the bike with no warm up! It is an absolute
shock to your system, and should be (and can be) prevented on race day.
Warm up on race day similar to how you warm up in training. It'll do your race
good. Consider the following tips when warming up:
~ the shorter the race, the longer the warm up
~ warm up in the reverse order of the events you will race (ie, for a triathlon,
warm up first on the run, secondly on the bike, and
finally in the swim)
~ end your warm up with a few efforts at your target race pace
~ finish your warm up very close to the start time of the race
Warm up, and race well!
* Being Mindful of the Present, by Cheryl Hart
This month's training tip comes from Cheryl Hart, owner of 2nd Wind Motivation:
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what
lies within us." --- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thinking about the past rather than staying fully in the present, prevents peak
performance. Worrying about prior mistakes will
usually result in another just like it. Likewise, thinking ahead is a fatal
distraction.
Mental inventories can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Recalling negative
experiences adversely affects self-confidence and
muscle control, while positive memories reinforce feelings of competence.
In sport psychology, we emphasize that athletes should focus on the process
rather than obsessing on the end result. Success comes
with two disciplines: narrow concentration on the task at hand and
resiliency---the ability to bounce back from performance setbacks
by recreating the vision of a flawless performance. The primary goal should be
to perform to the best of your ability at any given
moment.
Cheryl is a Sport Psychology consultant, motivational speaker, endurance athlete
and instructor of Sport Psychology at the
University of Louisville. To contact Cheryl e-mail her at
mailto:offrunnin@... or visit www.2ndWindMotivation.com.


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

June 5-8, 2008:
Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships - BC

June 6, 2008:
Bislett Games - Oslo, Norway

Fremont 5K - Seattle, WA

June 6-7, 2008:
Reno-Tahoe Odyssey Relay - Reno, NV

June 7, 2008:
(35th) Hospital Hill Run - Kansas City, MO

Lilac Festival 10K - Mackinac Island, MI

Mickelson Fast 5K - Deadwood, SD

NYRR New York Mini 10K - New York, NY

Niketown 5K for Kids - Portland, OR

Television - CBC-TV, CBCSports.ca
Golden League Oslo - 12 Noon EDT

June 8, 2008:
Avon Foundation Need for Speed Relay - Westchester County, NY

Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon, Deadwood, SD
USA Marathon Trail Championships

Nike Women's Fitness Festival 5K - Sacramento, CA

Prefontaine Classic - Eugene, OR


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/

Send this to a Friend:
Forward the Runner's Web Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join

YOUR FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS:
Comments, contributions and feedback are always welcome via this list at:
mailto:runnersweb@yahoogroups.com and in our Runner's Web Forum, available off
our FrontPage. If you post to the mailing list and
get your email returned, please contact the Runner's Web at
mailto:webmaster@... to notify us of the problem. To update your
Runner's Web eGroups subscriber's profile, go to the
web.
site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join , sign in and update your
changes.
Forward the Runner's Web Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunnersWeb/join

Have a good week of training and/or racing.

Ken Parker
Runner's Web
mailto: webmaster@...
http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html
A running and triathlon resource portal
Runner's Web Online Store
http://store.runnersweb.com
RunnersWebCoach
http://www.runnerswebcoach.com

*********************************************
RUNNER'S WEB AFFILIATE PROGRAMS:
*********************************************
All revenue from advertisers and affiliate programs goes into the support of
running and triathlon through sponsorship of events,
teams, clinics and fund raising programs for Canada's Olympic athletes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reebok
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=h1QosBYBFXw&offerid=117802&type=3&su\
bid=0

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Instant Stretching Routines
Design unlimited stretching routines today, starting from scratch, in under 60
seconds!
http://www.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

NEW SUBSCRIBERS:
This newsletter has been composed using Outlook set to "Text" format. The Digest
is sent via an email list at
http://groups.yahoo.com.
If you experience any delays in receiving your copy of the Digest, please advise
us at:
mailto:webmaster@...
You can receive the digest in three ways:
1. Immediately, via email,
2. Daily, in an email summary, and
3. By accessing the YahooGroups.com web site on demand.
The mail list has been set to not allow attachments out of concerns for viruses.
Also, all messages must be approved by the monitor (me) prior to being released
to the group. If you have any questions regarding
the options available for receiving this digest,
please do NOT email the list, rather email me directly at
mailto:Webmaster@...
*NOTE*
**[ Some e-mail clients may split the URL address into two lines. If you have
trouble connecting to a link, be sure that you paste
the entire address into your browser, so that it ends in ".html" or another
appropriate suffix ].
Note: An increasing number of media sites require free registration. If you wish
to sign up for free access to sources for our
articles without using your main email address we suggest the use of a mail
alias program such as http://www.emailias.com.

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