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
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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
Emilie's Run is over for another year. Almost 300 women completed the race with
38 women running under 20:00
For more on the race visit the website at:
http://www.emiliesrun.com.
Join Emilie's Run Community and contribute at:
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/emiliesrun?hl=en

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

4. Toronto Waterfront Marathon, September 28, 2008
http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/

5. Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon - October 19, 2008
http://www.torontomarathon.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.
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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
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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. On August 5, 2008, uber ultra-runner Karl Meltzer will set off on the
biggest race of his life. His challenge: to run the entire
length of the 2,174-mile in less than 47 days.
Definitely daunting. Absolutely grueling. Probably insane. But when he does it,
he'll rule the AT as the guy who conquered it, all
of it, the fastest on two feet.
This is going to be Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Self, Man vs. Clock - and it's going
to be good. So, check back. As Karl's start date
draws near, this site will transform into mission control. With an interactive
map featuring real-time GPS tracking of his progress,
a blog, forums, videos, pictures and podcasts, whereskarl.com will be the place
to keep track of the Speed Goat as he ticks off the
miles on his way from Maine to Georgia. In the meantime, sign up for email
updates* on Karl's training and racing leading up to his
AT attack, feature additions to this site, and occasional discounts from
Backcountry.com and other sponsors
Check it out at:
http://whereskarl.com/?utm_source=runnersweb&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=ad1&u\
tm_campaign=whereskarl

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/

13. Labour Day Oakville Half-Marathon and 10/2K - Oakville, ON
http://www.oakvillehalfmarathon.com/

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NEW THIS WEEK:

ROAD RUNNER SPORTS
We have partnered with Road Runner Sports, the world's largest online running
store, to provide a shopping portal. Check it out at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/Mobile_RSS.html

Free Shipping plus 10% Off All Orders at Road Runner Sports -ends 8/31
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000026055895&pubid=2100000000\
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Speedo Summer Sale - Up to 75% Off Select Items
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Watch live and webcast of Track and Field and Road races on WCSN.
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RUNNER'S AND TRIATHLETE'S WEB CONTENT PARTNERS

ROAD RUNNER SPORTS
We have partnered with Road Runner Sports, the world's largest online running
store, to provide a shopping portal. Check it out at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/Mobile_RSS.html

* BREAKSWEAT.TV
We have partnered with Breaksweat TV to provide us with video content.
Simply Sports Media is part of a large group called Simply Media, which operates
more than 25 digital TV channels, including 6 on
satellite and cable. Simply Media has developed and continues to expand on
premium content for TV, web, mobile, captive Audience
Networks, and IPTV.
Breaksweat.tv was recently launched to provide instant access to premium video
content covering outdoor sports. The innovative
online channel uses a system called, Brightcove to continually and seamlessly
deliver content to its users, whilst providing
easy-to-use navigation.
Breaksweat TV is not a user generated website, or a broadcasting channel; rather
it is a platform used to host Breaksweat.tv's
independently produced video content, and content it obtains from key
relationships in the outdoor sports industry. By applying this
strategy to supply content for its viewers, SnowZone.tv is able to showcase
video content that is unique, high-quality, and
continuous filled with updated material.
For more information and to visit other existing channels in the Simply Media
network, please visit:
http://www.simply.tv/

* 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. 10 Tips For An Olympic Body
Experts Share The Diet And Exercise Secrets Of Olympic Athletes.
2. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine
3. VO2max - The monthly newsletter of RunCoachJason.com
4. Pressurized treadmill eases impact on joints
5. Seven Habits of Highly Effective Triathletes
6. Aerobic and Anaerobic Energy Systems
Understanding your Energy Systems for Endurance and Speed Training.
7. Biomechanics and Injury
8. Long, slow distance training
A new slant on an old training concept.
9. The Fast Marathoner
10. Iron and Endurance Athletes
11. Strength Training for Endurance Athletes
Endurance Strength Training - Optimising muscle mass.
12. Olympic Games: Researchers Explore What Makes Better Athletes, The
Physiology Of Performance, And More
13. No-Nose Bicycle Saddles Improve Penile Sensation And Erectile Function In
Bicycling Police Officers
14. Cavemen vs. Us: Who'd Win the Evolution Olympics?
15. Will Respirators Help Our Olympic Athletes?
16. This Week in Running
17. Peak performance: The hard-body club - 41 and ripped: I want abs like hers
18. When's the best time for me to work out?
Am I better off getting up an hour early to work out, or sleeping for an extra
hour?
19. Post-Workout Nutrition
20. Digest Briefs


RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"What is an acceptable level of the use of drugs in sports?"


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:
"Who will win the men's 100M at the Beijing Olympics?
1. Usain Bolt 20%
2. Walter Dix 5%
3. Tyson Gay 35%
4. Francis Obikwelu 20%
5. Asafa Powell 20%
6. Other 0%


FIVE STAR SITE OF THE MONTH: The Educated Runner
Owen Anderson, Ph. D., started EducatedRunner.com to give runners of all ages
and ability levels factual information about training,
sports nutrition, and injury prevention. Anderson's goals include dispelling the
many myths associated with running training and
giving runners practical tips which can immediately be put to work to improve
their fitness and performances. Owen Anderson is the
author of three books - Lactate Lift-Off, Great Workouts for Popular Races, and
Aurora.
Click here for more about Owen and the Educated Runner mission:
http://www.educatedrunner.com/About.aspx
Visit the website at:
http://www.educatedrunner.com

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

BOOK/VIDEO OF THE MONTH: This Voice in My Heart: A Genocide Survivor's Story of
Escape, Faith, and Forgiveness
by Gilbert Tuhabonye (Author), Gary Brozek (Author)
Book Description
From Publishers Weekly
In this inspirational autobiography woven with a gruesome eyewitness account,
Tuhabonye recounts his maturation as a world-class
runner and his survival of a Burundi massacre. Born in 1974 to a minority ethnic
Tutsi family, Tuhabonye grew up in rural Burundi,
his intelligence and industry aided by spectacular athletic ability. The
narrative alternates between the author's life story and
events on the day of the massacres. In October 1993, after a Tutsi coup ousted
the Hutu president, a Hutu mob invaded Tuhabonye's
high school, hacked many Tutsi students to death with machetes and forced the
rest into a building that they set afire. Only the
author survived. After months of painful recovery from severe burns, he regained
the ability to walk and then run again, a healing
process facilitated by his faith-a devout Christian, he says he forgave the
murderers and praises God for sparing him. Tuhabonye
joined Burundi's national team, traveled the world, fell in love and moved to
the U.S., where he now lives with his wife and
daughter-an uplifting ending to a simply told story of a man who persevered
through hard work, luck, presence of mind and (he
emphasizes) God's love. (May)
Copyright C Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All
rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover
edition.
Buy the book from Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00121AESY/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. 10 Tips For An Olympic Body:
Experts Share The Diet And Exercise Secrets Of Olympic Athletes.
When the 2008 Olympic Games open in Beijing, millions will be marveling at all
the athletes' bodies. Muscled legs, backs, abs, and
arms - sure signs of the Olympic body, carefully sculpted for power, speed, and
endurance.
But what does it take to get that Olympic body? And could the average Joe (or
Joelle) ever hope to look like an Olympic athlete?
"Sure," says Sam Callan, an exercise physiologist and the coaching education
manager for USA Cycling. "If you're willing to spend
the time."
Of course, few people have the kind of time that Olympic athletes devote to
their training. But even if your best "event" revolves
around the remote, not all is lost. After all, when it comes to the competition
for a healthy body, it's often enough to join the
game.
So if you're ready to shape up, here are some cues from the pros to get you
started:
1. Know your body type.
Some of us are built for speed, some for endurance, says Callan. Figuring out
what feels natural -- and what you're best at -- will
help you determine which type of exercise will work for you.
Do you like to jump? Sprint? Spend time on the treadmill? Everyone has a unique
body composition, and which composition of muscle
fiber type you have will determine whether you will have more endurance or speed
and power.
"We're all born somewhere on that continuum, but all the training in the world
can only move you a little bit," he explains. That's
why Arnold Schwarzenegger probably couldn't have been a long-distance runner, he
says.
More...from CBS News at:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/08/health/webmd/main4332032.shtml


2. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine:
* Cross-Training for Fitness
Fitness refers to your heart, and the harder you exercise, the more fit you
become. But every time you exercise vigorously your
muscles are injured, and the harder you exercise, the longer it takes for your
muscles to heal. Muscle biopsies done the day after
a person exercises vigorously show bleeding into the muscles and disruption of
the Z-bands that hold muscle filaments together. You
are not supposed to exercise vigorously again until the muscle soreness
disappears.
Most competitive athletes set up training programs so they exercise vigorously
enough on one day to make their muscles feel sore for
the next day or two and then after the
soreness disappears, they exercise vigorously again. You can use the same
principle in your exercise program to achieve a higher
level of fitness. You can exercise vigorously on one day and easy on the next
few days or until he soreness disappears, or you can
train in two sports. This is called cross-training, and it can make you very
fit and help to prevent injuries.
Each sport stresses specific muscle groups. Cycling stresses the upper legs,
while rowing stresses your back and upper body. If
you cycle and row on the same day, you stress
your upper legs and upper body on the same day. To reduce your chances of
injuring yourself, you should take the next day off, or
at least exercise at a very low intensity. If you cycle on Monday and row on
Tuesday, you allow your muscles 48 hours to recover
from each sport. Pick two sports that use different muscle groups and do them on
alternate days. You can then exercise more
intensely in each sport and achieve a higher level of fitness.
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: My daughter plays soccer and complains about being tired all
the time. Will taking potassium supplements help?
Tiredness and cramps in athletes can have many causes, but lack of potassium in
their diet is not one of them. Many years ago, Dave
Costill of Ball State University tried to create potassium deficiency in
runners. He couldn't do it because potassium is found in
all foods except refined sugar, and his athletes would not stay on a diet that
consisted only of hard
candy.
The kidneys and sweat glands conserve potassium so well that you don't lose
much. If an athlete develops potassium deficiency, it
is usually caused by drugs, such as diuretics or
corticosteroids, or by diarrhea or repeated vomiting. Some athletes try to
control their weight by making themselves vomit. This is
called bulimia, and the person usually denies vomiting. Their physicians can
prove that they are vomiting by ordering blood and
urine tests. If blood levels of potassium are low and urine levels are high,
vomiting is a likely cause. Ask your daughter's
doctor to do a work-up for other causes of chronic tiredness. If none can be
found, she may overtraining and should talk to her
coach about changing her workouts.
From Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine at:
http://www.drmirkin.com


3. VO2max - The monthly newsletter of RunCoachJason.com:
* Running Twice Per Day
One of the most common questions I get from runners and coaches is whether it's
better to run once or twice per day. An excellent
question, I heard it again at the recent Elite Emerging Coaching Camp held at
the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA.
If you're running low mileage (less than about 30-40 miles per week), it's
better to run once per day. Running 5 miles all at once
is better than running 2 miles in the morning and 3 miles in the evening. But
once your weekly mileage reaches a level at which your
daily runs are averaging about an hour, I believe it's better to run twice per
day at least a couple of times per week as you
continue to increase your weekly mileage rather than to keep extending the
length of all your runs. Although it takes more time out
of your day to run twice, physically and psychologically, it's easier to run 4
miles in the morning and 6 miles in the evening than
it is to run 10 miles (or even 8 miles) all at once. Running twice per day
allows you to increase the training load while
minimizing stress. However, don't break your weekly long run into two separate
runs since there is a definite endurance and
metabolic benefit from running long.
For those of you who want to lose weight or work with people who do, running
twice per day also results in two separate elevations
in your post-workout metabolic rate, which will give you two opportunities to
burn more calories during the day. One study
published in British Journal of Sports Medicine had women run for 50 minutes at
70% VO2max one day and twice for 25 minutes at the
same intensity another day. Another study published in Canadian Journal of
Applied Physiology had men cycle for 30 minutes at 70%
VO2max one day and twice for 15 minutes at the same intensity another day. Both
studies found that the combined increase in
post-workout metabolic rate was higher after the two workouts compared to after
the single workout. By running twice per day, you
get two aerobic bangs for your buck.
* Negative Splits
(adapted from Karp, J.R. The Errors of Our Running Ways. Running Times,
July/August, 2006.)
I used to coach a talented runner who ran the first mile of every race too fast,
only to slow down dramatically during the latter
segments and end up disappointed with the result. He thought he was better than
his workouts and he let his competitive spirit and
pre-race adrenaline obscure his knowledge of his true fitness level. It was
frustrating to watch him start off so well and get
slower with each successive lap of the track.
The faster you run the first mile of a race, the more your muscles rely on
oxygen-independent metabolism to produce energy. With
the greater reliance on oxygen-independent metabolism and muscular work comes an
increase in muscle and blood acidosis and the
accumulation of metabolic by-products that cause fatigue. Whether the race is a
mile or a marathon, you can't put running time in
the bank. You will end up losing more time in the end than what you gained by
being "ahead of schedule" in the beginning. No
matter how strong your will is, the metabolic condition caused by running too
fast too early will force you to slow down during
subsequent stages of the race.
Although race strategy sometimes dictates that you change the pace during the
race to challenge your competitors, the best way to
run your fastest possible race is by starting out at the pace you can maintain
the entire race. While it may feel easy, especially
in the marathon, to run the first mile of your race at the same pace as the
last, your patience will pay huge dividends during that
last mile. The same can be said for racing the mile. If you run the first lap
of the mile at the pace you can run for the whole
race, you'll be able to run much faster during the last lap. Ideally, the
second half of your race should be equal to or slightly
faster than the first half. This is called running negative splits. To
negative split a race requires accurate knowledge of your
fitness level, confidence to stick to your plan when others have taken the early
pace out too fast, and a good dose of
self-restraint.
When you race, you don't run at some arbitrary intensity. The percentages of
your VO2max and lactate threshold you can sustain for
a specific amount of time are predictable. The longer the race, the lower the
percent VO2max at which you'll run it. Research has
shown that the speed at VO2max can be sustained for only about 8 to 10 minutes.
Talented, highly-trained runners therefore race
3,000 meters at 100 percent VO2max, 5,000 meters at 90 to 95 percent VO2max, and
a marathon at 80 to 85 percent VO2max (about 95
percent of lactate threshold). Your workouts, which should be performed at
specific speeds that correspond to specific percentages
of VO2max or lactate threshold, are invaluable for providing you with knowledge
of your fitness level and for predicting your
average race pace (assuming you account for such things like the terrain and the
weather). As I tried to convince my overzealous
athlete, your workouts don't lie.
To view past newsletters go to: http://www.runcoachjason.com/newsletter
Copyright Jason Karp All Rights Reserved - http://www.runcoachjason.com


4. Pressurized treadmill eases impact on joints:
Running in zero gravity would be great on the joints, but running on a new
pressurized treadmill that effectively cuts the body's
weight in half isn't bad either, a new study indicates.
A treadmill device that seals the runner's lower body in a low-gravity chamber
cuts the impact on the knees, heels and back by
almost half, says the study by the University of Colorado.
It's helping 2008 Olympic athletes ready for this month's games, and it can help
the average runner recover from injuries, says CU
Associate Professor Rodger Kram.
Running is great exercise, but the impact each time the heel strikes the road
can be jarring, eventually leading to back, knee and
foot problems, as millions of runners know.
If only runners could practice on the moon or, say, on board the space shuttle.
Until then, the best bet is the "G-Trainer," consisting of a treadmill
surrounded by a doughnut-shaped inflatable plastic chamber.
Runners are zipped into the chamber, which encases their body from the waist to
the knees, Kram said.
The system pumps pressure into an air-tight tent. The runner wears a spray
skirt, similar to the water-tight skirt on a kayak, that
has a lip on it to zip into that tent.
More...from the Rocky Mountain News at:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/01/pressurized-treadmill-eases-im\
pact-joints/


5. Seven Habits of Highly Effective Triathletes:
OK, some of you might be "Accidental Triathletes", barely remembering how and
why you got into this sport. For some of you, it may
have become a way to stay fit, or you like the image or lifestyle or like the
friends you've made along the way. Even so, the
majority of you are still drawn by the competition and want to actually get
better.
I've been lucky enough to spend time with some of the very best in triathlon and
I can't help but notice that those who are
maximizing their potential have some common habits:
1) They stay the course
The more successful athletes aren't training more than you, and they aren't
training less. They are doing just what's on their
schedule. They've hired a coach who knows their goals. The coach has determined
that the goals are realistic. They've made a plan
that takes into consideration the key races, the time constraints, the athlete's
current fitness level and hopefully the plan
includes some fun!
Are you one of those people who receives their schedule and looks it over then
never prints it, or prints it and sticks it
somewhere, never to refer to it again? Do you call your training partners and
ask, "What are we doing today?" Do you get an email
from someone who wants you to join their swim/bike/run and you don't even
consult your schedule - if it sounds like fun you say yes?
Good athletes almost never do that. In fact, the athlete who is suggesting that
you alter your schedule to fit their plan, thinks he
or she is a better or more dedicated athlete than you, and always counts on you
to change your plan to do what they want. Chances
are they are not inviting you because you will elevate their training. They are
inviting you because they know that you don't take
your training seriously and will probably say yes.
What to do about it
OK, that insulting bit of news aside, there are ways that you can still stay on
the guest list while sticking to your schedule.
First, you must actually REFER to your schedule! Then, figure out a way to make
it work for everyone. If your friend wants to run
long, but you have a short run on the schedule, tell them you'll meet them for
part of the run. Different paces? One of you plays
catch-up while the other gets a head start. If they are suggesting an entirely
different workout (run instead of bike, etc), figure
out if there's a way to get them done at the same location. One of you runs the
time trial course while the other bikes; both do the
training at the gym; or you train separately but meet for coffee afterward. And,
hey - why don't you suggest they do YOUR workout.
If they really like training with you, they will change their schedule to fit
yours. Rookies train in a haphazard, random fashion.
You are trying to do better than that.
More...from TriathaNewbie at:
http://www.triathanewbie.com/triathlon_article_highly_effective_triathletes.html


6. Aerobic and Anaerobic Energy Systems:
Understanding your Energy Systems for Endurance and Speed Training.
Your body is a machine and like any machine it needs energy to power it.
Understanding how its energy systems work and interact with
each other will put our workouts into context and direct our training. Training
the wrong energy system will be detrimental to your
sports performance.
The three energy systems
1) Aerobic energy system
Aerobic means 'with air'.
Oxygen provides the catalyst for a chemical reaction in our muscles (including
the heart) that generates aerobic energy. If it were
not for other factors - such as insufficient muscle fuel (notably, carbohydrate
or, more specifically, glycogen) over-heating and
dehydration, we could theoretically continue to exercise aerobically
indefinitely.
Aerobic workouts are often also called 'steady state'. This is because, during
them, the body's energy demands are balanced by
energy supply. This allows us to continuously exercise - hence the steady state.
When the steady state is breached, for example, by
increasing our effort and using more energy, our body will change the way it
produces energy. It will do this with less oxygen and
energy will be produced anaerobically - see below.
Whatever our sport, aerobic energy provides a base of fitness, regardless of the
specific energy system demands of our actual sport.
A good foundation will enable a sprinter (who relies predominantly on the
immediate anaerobic system) to recover more quickly
between training efforts or a football mid-fielder to sustain the high energy
output required over a match (football relies
particularly on the short-term anaerobic energy system). It should be noted that
certain sports require more aerobic fitness than
others, and others combinations of all three. Table 1 provides a breakdown of
the aerobic and anaerobic components of selected track
and field events and sports.
Fat as a fuel source for the aerobic energy system
Although carbohydrate is the body's preferred source of fuel during activity,
fat also supplies energy. Aerobic training increases
the body's ability to mobilise fat as an energy source at sub-maximal
intensities (as well as improving carbohydrate metabolism).
This will significantly improve the 'range' of endurance athletes. To develop an
improved fat burning capability you need to train
religiously at about 80% of maximum heart rate (HRmax). This is known as 'fat
max'.
More...from peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/aerobic-anaerobic-energy


7. Biomechanics and Injury:
If you are like many runners, you have probably wondered whether you could
improve your biomechanics - and whether that improvement
might upgrade your performances and decrease your risk of injury.
Before I address whether that is possible, let's take note of the fact that
biomechanics is the study of the forces which act on the
body during running, especially with regards to the muscles and skeletal system.
Kinetics is a branch of biomechanics which studies
the forces and motions which are characteristic of the running gait. Kinematics
focuses only on the motions of the body during
running without worrying about the forces, including the positioning of the
joints and the movements of the legs, arms, trunk, and
head.
In theory, there is an optimal way to move while running, a best-possible way to
position the joints and create propulsive forces as
you scamper along. This could be viewed from a performance-improvement or
injury prevention standpoint. In the former situation,
this would mean positioning the joints and creating forces in ways which
maximize speed. In the latter case, the idea would be that
there is a specific way of running which minimizes stresses placed on the bones,
connective tissues, and muscles of your legs and
thus keeps running injuries at bay.
Exercise scientists have searched for such optima among elite runners, thinking
that the very best runners would have naturally
developed biomechanical patterns which promote the highest-possible running
velocities and simultaneously block injuries. Instead
of finding predictable kinetics among the elites, however, the scientists have
discovered wide variation in biomechanical variables.
Take maximum knee flexion during the swing phase of the gait cycle, for example.
Some elites flex their knees a lot during swing,
reaching angles as great at 140 degrees, but others only flex to 109 degrees
(the angle of the knee during running is defined as the
angle between the actual position of the shin and an imaginary line drawn to
indicate the position that the shin would occupy if the
leg were perfectly straight; knee angle is zero when the leg is perfectly
straight). This kind of variation is found when almost
all other biomechanical variables are studied.
More...from the Educated Runner at:
http://www.educatedrunner.com/Blog/tabid/633/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1\
15/Biomechanics-and-Injury.aspx


8. Long, slow distance training:
A new slant on an old training concept.
In the 1960's, Arthur Lydiard contended that the most important aspect of
conditioning is volume. In the 1960's his LSD training
concepts were revolutionary and insightful, and brought phenomenal success to
many athletes who trained under Lydiard.
Metabolically, high-volume training makes sense. There are two main sources of
fuel for exercise: carbohydrates and fats. The energy
supply from carbohydrate and fat is inversely related. High rates of
carbohydrate use reduce combustion of fat. Carbohydrates are
used preferentially at very high efforts or at low fitness levels when fat
metabolism is underdeveloped.
Conversely, when you teach your body to rely on fat for fuel, your combustion of
carbohydrates goes down, thus sparing
carbohydrates. This benefits performance in endurance events. You become very
fatigued when you run too low on carbohydrates. We
store only a very limited amount of carbohydrate (glycogen) in our bodies.
Compare this with a relatively unlimited supply of fat.
Even an athlete with only 6 percent body fat will have enough fat to fuel
exercise lasting for many hours. When you use more fat,
you generate more energy and your carbohydrate supply lasts longer.
This sounds good. So why not stick to LSD over the next few months?
1. Misinterpretation of the term
2. New studies pointing to better over-all performance alternatives
3. The law of diminishing returns
4. Specificity
5. It depends
More...from TriFuel at:
http://www.trifuel.com/training/triathlon-training/contemporary-lsd


9. The Fast Marathoner:
C2001 Joe Friel
Maybe you've been thinking about running a marathon later this season. If your
only goal is to finish, which is a good idea if this
will be your first time at this distance, all you need to do is put in some long
runs. It will take about six runs of two to three
hours done over eight to 10 weeks to have you ready to go the distance. Expect
to do some walking every couple of miles both on the
long runs and in the race.
Or maybe your purpose in running a marathon is simply to build a good base of
aerobic endurance for running as a triathlete since
it's hard to bike much in the winter where you live. Marathon type training with
long runs and hills will certainly do that for you,
too.
But if you want to run a personal best time in a marathon while also building
your running base before launching into fulltime
triathlon training, there's quite a bit more to it. In this case, training goes
well beyond simply doing long runs.
What It Takes
First of all, you must forget the notion that weekly volume is the key to
running a fast marathon. Increasing logged miles every
week is not the way to get faster. Race specific
intensity is what will have you ready to run full out for 26.2 miles. Here are
the workouts that will prepare you to run well in a
marathon. . Long run. Before you can train for speed you've got to first be able
to go the distance. I call a "long run" for the
marathon one that is two and a half to three hours in duration. Regardless of
your race goal time this is as long as you need to
run. Going longer won't give you any additional aerobic fitness, but will
greatly increase your risk of injury and overtraining.
Start from your longest run now and add 15 to 20 minutes each time you do one of
these. The pace is moderate - about two minutes per
mile slower than your 10k pace or heart rate zone 2 (Friel system).
More...from the Training Bible at:
http://www.trainingbible.com/pdf/TheFastMarathoner.pdf


10. Iron and Endurance Athletes:
by Jeff Rocco MD
Iron is one of the most abundant mineral on earth and is essential to normal
human physiology. About 2/3 of the body's iron is found
in hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to cells. An
adequate supply of iron is necessary for the body to
produce hemoglobin and red blood cells. If too little iron is available, fewer
and/or smaller RBC's are produced, leading to
decreased oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. This is called iron deficiency
anemia and can cause fatigue, poor work capacity,
and decreased immunity.
Endurance athletes depend on efficient oxygen delivery to working muscles, so
even mild anemia can have deleterious effects on
performance. Some hypothesize that iron deficiency, even without anemia, can
impair endurance. However, one review showed that in
seven of 8 studies that although iron supplementation does increase iron stores,
as measured by ferritin levels, no increase in
performance was found unless hemoglobin also increased. In the eighth study,
there was an unexplainable drop in endurance
performance in the control group which confounded the results. (Garza 1997)...
More...from First Endurance at:
http://blog.firstendurance.com/2008/08/iron-and-endurance-athletes/


11. Strength Training for Endurance Athletes:
Endurance Strength Training - Optimising muscle mass.
Endurance athletes face an interesting paradox when it comes to muscle mass.
Bigger, stronger muscles generate more forceful
contractions, resulting in higher power and greater speed.
However, the weight of bulky muscles imposes greater demands on our limited
energy stores, especially in weight-bearing sports. But
as Professor Mike Saunders explains, maintaining adequate sport-specific muscle
mass is critical for optimal performance in
endurance athletes.
Let's begin by clarifying why muscle mass is important for endurance athletes:
~ Higher peak power output - Some endurance sports, such as marathon running,
are performed at relatively constant, moderate
intensities. As a result, peak power is of secondary importance in these events.
However, shorter high-intensity bursts are often
needed to power over hills, successfully execute breakaways and win sprints. If
you have higher peak power, you will be more
successful in these endeavours;
~ Lower relative muscular effort - Every sport movement (ie a running stride at
a certain speed) produces a given amount of force on
your muscles. By increasing muscular strength, this same force becomes a lower
percentage of your maximum effort, prolonging your
muscular endurance. This effect is largest in individuals who are the weakest.
For example, strength training alone, without any
cardiovascular training, can increase the treadmill endurance of the elderly;
~ Reduced injury risk - Stronger muscles are more capable of withstanding the
potentially injury-producing forces that inevitably
occur in sport. It is widely believed that increasing muscular strength can
reduce the risk for sport-related injuries.
More...from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/strength-training-for-endurance-athletes


12. Olympic Games: Researchers Explore What Makes Better Athletes, The
Physiology Of Performance, And More:
The world-record pace for the marathon continues to improve for both men and
women. For men, the record pace for the marathon is now
about as fast as the record pace for the 10,000-meter run just after World War
II. Today, champion athletes are running more than
four times farther at speeds of well under five minutes per mile.
How can this be? Are humans simply built better or is there something else
behind the mind-blowing speeds on the racetrack?
Michael Joyner, M.D., an anesthesiologist at Mayo Clinic whose research
interests extend to exercise science, says that a
combination of factors are leading to new world records in track and field and
other sports. He attributes the improved records, not
necessarily to genetics, but to training harder and longer, improved medical
care and the fact that people from throughout the world
now participate.
In studying the world records of sporting events like the marathon, the mile and
10,000- and 5,000-meter races throughout the last
125 years, Dr. Joyner says there are key primary factors at play. Prior to World
War I, athletes didn't train every day. They
trained three to four times per week out of concern they would "overtrain" or
become stale. By the 1920s, athletes were training
more often and by the 1950s, especially in Eastern Europe, athletes were
training daily for hours at a time.
More...from Science Daily at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731173157.htm


13. No-Nose Bicycle Saddles Improve Penile Sensation And Erectile Function In
Bicycling Police Officers:
An innovative study appearing in the August issue of The Journal of Sexual
Medicine examined, for the first time, if noseless
bicycle saddles would be an effective intervention for alleviating deleterious
health effects, erectile dysfunction and groin
numbness, caused by bicycling on the traditional saddle with a protruding nose
extension. Results from this study may be useful for
the estimated 5 million recreational cyclists to alleviate perineal discomfort
and maintain sexual health.
Ninety bicycling police officers from 5 metropolitan regions in the U.S.
(Northwest, Southern, Desert West, Midwest, and Southeast)
using traditional saddles were evaluated prior to changing saddles and then
again after 6 months of using the noseless bicycle
saddle.
The findings show that use of the noseless saddle resulted in a reduction in
saddle contact pressure in the perineal region. There
was a significant improvement in penile tactile sensation, and the number of men
indicating they had not experienced genital
numbness while cycling for the preceding 6 months rose from 27 percent to 82
percent using no-nose saddles. Use of the noseless
saddle also resulted in significant increases in erectile function as assessed
by the initial evaluation, but there were no
significant changes noted in RigiscanR measures, a method used to record penile
rigidity while the subject sleeps. With few
exceptions, bicycle police officers were able to effectively use no-nose saddles
in their police work and 97 percent of officers
completing the study continued to use the no-nose saddle afterward.
More...from Medical News Today at:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117663.php


14. Cavemen vs. Us: Who'd Win the Evolution Olympics?
Olympic athletes may benefit from today's sports drinks and high-tech training,
but their gymnastics or wrestling performance
probably pales in comparison to what early human ancestors could have pulled
off.
That's because we Homo sapiens have followed an evolutionary track away from
sheer body strength and toward the lean, mean endurance
qualities of a long-distance runner.
"The chimp-like ancestor was like a power athlete," said Dan Lieberman, a
biological anthropologist at Harvard University. "Much
stronger and faster than humans, but they had no endurance."
Neanderthals, who coexisted with Homo sapiens until roughly 20,000 years ago,
may have also posed a challenge to modern humans in
terms of power.
However, many experts agree that early Homo sapiens were not much different from
the burly Neanderthals - the biggest evolutionary
change had already taken place roughly 2 million years ago when human ancestors
became serious runners.
So in a hypothetical competition, if you wanted to bet on modern Olympic
athletes besting earlier humans, choose the endurance
events such as the triathlon or soccer.
More...from FOX News at:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,399045,00.html


15. Will Respirators Help Our Olympic Athletes?
Four members of the U.S. Olympic cycling team sparked outrage Tuesday when they
disembarked in Beijing wearing masks covering their
mouths and noses. The U.S. Olympic Committee has issued several hundred
respirators to its athletes to use as they prepare to
compete at the Games. Will those masks actually help?
Yes-as long as they have activated carbon in them and the athletes put them on
correctly. If you're going for gold in the Madison
cycling event at the Olympics, you are probably most anxious about two types of
pollution: particulate matter and ozone. (Readings
for other hazardous pollutants, like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and
carbon monoxide, haven't been quite as bad in Beijing.)
For competitive reasons, the USOC is not revealing the secrets behind its masks,
but a team physiologist has claimed that they'll
keep out "between 85 percent and 100 percent" of Beijing's pollutants.
How plausible is that claim? The simple act of holding a hankie over your nose
and mouth might screen out about 20 percent of dust
particles that are 3 microns in diameter. Respirators are designed to protect
against the smaller particles that do more damage to
your lungs. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health certifies
respirators that are effective at filtering out at
least 95 percent of all particles as small as 0.3 microns. (See, for example,
this in-depth guide.) Some doctors, however, worry
that NIOSH doesn't test for even smaller, "ultrafine" particles. A recent
University of Cincinnati study suggested NIOSH-certified
masks weren't reaching the 95 percent-protection level for ultrafine matter, but
the best masks did score well enough to suggest the
USOC's goals are within reach.
More...from Slate at:
http://www.slate.com/id/2196988/?from=rss


16. This Week in Running:
10 Years Ago- Million Wolde (ETH) won the World Junior Athletics Championships
5000m in Annecy FRA
with a 13:47.49. He went on to win the gold medal in the 5000m at
the 2000 Olympic
Games and lowered his 5000m PR to 12:59.39. Li-li Yin (CHN) won
both the women's 5000m
(15:29.65) and the women's 3000m (8:57.09) but never improved on
her pre-champs 5000m PR
of 14:39.96, set when she was age 17. She did lower her 3000m PR
to 8:44.64 but never
again won any major races.
20 Years Ago- Sydney Maree (USA) won the Herculis (MON) 3000m with a 7:42.94,
defeating Pierre Deleze
(SUI) and Vincent Rousseau (BEL) who ran 7:43.46 and 7:44.08
respectively. Yobes Ondieki
(KEN) placed 5th with a 7:49.05. Five years hence, Ondieki would
become the first man
to run 10,000m under 27 minutes.
30 Years Ago- Brendan Foster (ENG) won the Commonwealth Games (CAN) 10,000m in
28:13.7 with Michael
Musyoki (KEN) taking the silver medal in 28:19.1 and Michael
McLeod (ENG) taking the
bronze medal in 28:34.3.
40 Years Ago- Alan Blinston (ENG) ran 13:40.6 to win a 5000m race in London
ENG. He was followed by
Allan Rushmer (ENG) in 13:41.2 and Derek Graham (NIR) in 13:41.42.
Robert Finlay (CAN)
was 4th in 13:42.0.
50 Years Ago- Albert Thomas (AUS) won the 3 mile at the Empire and Commonwealth
(ENG) with a 13:20.6.
Stanley Eldon (ENG) was next in 13:23 and Gordon Pirie (ENG) was
3rd in 13:34.0.
The next day's 6 mile saw John Merriman (WAL) take the top honors
in 28:33.2 with Martin
Hyman (ENG) 2nd in 28:43.2 and Arere Anentia (KEN) 3rd in 29:05.8.
60 Years Ago- Delfo Cabrera (ARG) won a marathon in London with a time of
2:34:51.6, ranking in #9 in
the world for that year.
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.


17. Peak performance: The hard-body club - 41 and ripped: I want abs like hers:
It's difficult to speak of U.S. Olympic swimmer Dara Torres without the use of
superlatives. Those chiselled biceps. Those sculpted
thighs.
And especially those six-pack abs.
More than her athletic performance - she's faster now than she was in her 20s -
it's Ms. Torres's stunning, 41-year-old physique
that has bloggers, columnists and morning talk shows abuzz over the new standard
of physical perfection for women of a certain age.
"She is fit, with abs that would make a Photoshop editor cry at their
perfection," one blogger gushed after the nine-time Olympic
medalist donned a bikini in a recent issue of The New York Times Magazine.
"It makes me feel even more inadequate to know that Torres is a 41-year-old
mother of a two-year-old. Where, I'd like to know, are
her stretch marks and postpregnancy pooch?" wrote Deborah Kotz of U.S. News and
World Report.
Further fuelling the hoopla, Ms. Torres bared her washboard stomach again on the
cover of Time magazine's Aug. 4 issue.
Ms. Torres, who is competing in her fifth Olympic Games in Beijing, tops a
growing pack of female personalities who are creating a
stir with their muscular, vein-popping forms. Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker,
celebrity fitness guru Jackie Warner and bicep-bulging
television host Kelly Ripa are all members of the sinewy, hard-body club that is
redefining the ideal female form and motivating
average women to hit the gym in droves.
More...from the Globe and Mail at:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080808.wlabs08/BNStory/spec\
ialScienceandHealth/home


18. When's the best time for me to work out?
Am I better off getting up an hour early to work out, or sleeping for an extra
hour?
THE QUESTION - Am I better off getting up an hour early to work out, or sleeping
for an extra hour?
THE ANSWER - Needless to say, your best bet is to get both the exercise and the
sleep. That's certainly the advice that Charles
Samuels, medical director of the Centre for Sleep and Human Performance in
Calgary, gives to the Olympic athletes he works with.
Back in the real world, though, that's not always practical.
"It's average athletes who are the most likely to curtail their sleep to train,"
Dr. Samuels says. "They're getting up at 4 a.m. to
run for an hour so they can get to work by 7 a.m."
But that's not necessarily a winning strategy, especially for people who are
already operating on the least sleep they can handle.
Incurring a steadily mounting sleep debt has well-known effects on mood and
cognitive ability, and a few studies suggest that sleep
also has direct links with physical performance.
Stanford University sleep researcher Cheri Mah presented preliminary results in
June from a small study of five Stanford swimmers
who increased their sleep time to 10 hours a night from their typical six to
nine hours. The swimmers improved their reaction time
off the start by 0.15 seconds, and similarly improved their turn time, 15-metre
sprint time and kick rate.
For top athletes, getting enough sleep has long been considered the sort of
bland good advice - like eating lots of vegetables -
that is obvious but easy to ignore. Ms. Mah's continuing study (she reported
last year that increased sleep improved the sprint time
and the free throw percentage of Stanford basketball players) is far from
definitive, but it represents a first step in the attempt
to put this advice on more solid scientific footing.
More...from the Globe and Mail at:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080808.wljockology08/BNStor\
y/specialScienceandHealth/home


19. Post-Workout Nutrition:
by Bob Seebohar MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS
Post-workout or recovery nutrition? The terms have been somewhat interchangeable
among athletes and there is a distinct difference
which is important to know.
Recovery nutrition, often thought of as the "window of opportunity" in the first
30-60 minutes following a workout includes
everything but this time period. "Recovery nutrition begins before a training
session starts". Think about that and it will make
complete sense. The goal is to be well-hydrated and nourished before a training
session in order to maximize the training session
quality. It will be extremely difficult to maintain a certain power output, pace
or heart rate if the body is not properly fueled
beforehand. Thus, recovery nutrition is actually comprised of your daily
nutrition along with the before and during training session
nutrition. Remember again, "recovery nutrition begins before a training session
starts".
Enter the term post-workout nutrition, which is a much more accurate description
of recovering nutritionally following a tough
training session. There are a number of nutrition tips that will maximize your
ability to completely replenish the carbohydrates
that you use during your workout which I will list shortly. First, it is
important to understand that, coupled with proper recovery
nutrition as I described above, a well-executed post-workout nutrition plan can
fully replenish glycogen stores in 12-16 hours...
More...from First Endurance at:
http://blog.firstendurance.com/2008/08/post-workout-nutrition/


20. Digest Briefs:
* The role of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in sports medicine.
Sports Med 2000 Dec;30(6):395-403 (ISSN: 0112-1642)
Babul S; Rhodes EC
British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, British Columbia
Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, Canada.
During the past decade, we have seen a growing number of individuals
participating in sport and recreational activities. All
indications show an increase in sport participation at every age level. However,
the number of sport and recreational injuries as a
result of this increase has also risen. Unfortunately, a primary cost related to
injury recovery is the time lost from participating
in and resuming normal functional activity. This has compelled health care
professionals to seek more efficient and effective
therapeutic interventions in treating such injuries.
Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy may serve to provide a means of therapy to
facilitate a speedier resumption to pre-injury activity
levels as well as improve the short and long term
prognosis of the injury. Although a growing interest in sports medicine is
becoming evident in the literature, the use of HBO as an
intervention in this field has received a great deal of cynicism. To date,
numerous professional athletic teams, including hockey
(NHL), football (NFL), basketball (NBA) and soccer (MLS), utilise and rely on
the use of HBO as adjuvant therapy for numerous
sports-related injuries acquired from playing competitive sports. However, to
date, very little has been published on the
application benefits of hyperbaric therapy and sports injuries. The majority of
clinical studies examining the efficacy of HBO in
treating soft tissue injuries have been limited in their sample size and study
design. Further research needs to be conducted
suggesting and validating the significant effects of this treatment modality and
further grounding its importance in sports
medicine.
* Quick Tip
By Robert Kunz MS
ORAC antioxidants in MultiV
The antioxidant profile in Endurance MultiV is unmatched. ORAC-Oxygen Radical
Absorbance Capacity testing is recognized as the "Gold
Standard" for measuring antioxidant protection against oxidative damage. This
new testing method allows nutrients to be qualified in
their antioxidant capacity with a number. Endurance MultiV, which has the
highest possible ORAC score, is one of the first products
to utilize this important technology to ensure superior antioxidant protection.
Endurance MultiV contains an antioxidant support
blend that includes Bioflavanoids, Turmeric extract, Grape Seed extract and
Alpha Lipoic Acid. These antioxidants are widely
considered to be the best antioxidants available. This is one of the many ways
Endurance MultiV helps protect endurance athletes
from the stresses and demands of everyday training and racing.
* Training for and Racing the Ironman Run by Joe Friel
Let's start by quelling a common belief that Ironman triathletes perpetuate. It
is not necessary to run a marathon in training for
an Ironman. In fact, it is a mistake to do so for most triathletes. A marathon
run has little in common with an Ironman run.
Twenty-six-point-two miles are a lot longer after several hours of swimming and
cycling. And you'll run much slower in an Ironman. A
stand-alone marathon is also not the best use of your valuable and limited
training time. With a taper before the marathon and the
necessary recovery after you can easily lose four to six weeks of Ironman
training.
There are better ways to prepare. The journey to your iron-finish line starts
with determining the best use of your training. The
minimum for truly affective training is about 23 weeks. That allows for 12 weeks
of Base period training, 11 weeks of Build period,
two weeks of the Peak period and a Race week.
Continue the topics of Base, Build and Peak training periods along with a number
of lessons you should keep in mind when racing an
Iron-Marathon by reading my full article located in the Free Resources
(http://www.trainingbible.com/resources.aspx) portion of the
TrainingBible (http://www.trainingbible.com/) website.
* Monthly Training Tips
This month's training tip comes from our coach Jim Dicker in Wisconsin:
Negative Splitting
To successfully negative split a race, you must practice the pacing by doing it
in your workouts.
A good place to begin is a long easy recovery run. Do this on a course that you
know well so that you can track your pace by known
landmarks. The first time out, make sure that you maintain an easy pace that you
know you can slightly increase at the halfway
point. Joe Friel calls this 51/49 pacing. As you become comfortable with
negative splitting, incorporate it in all your workouts,
recoveries, tempo efforts, and intervals. On race day, this investment will pay
out impressive returns.
To contact Jim with questions, please email mailto:jdicker@...



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

August 9, 2008:
Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon - Georgetown, CO

August 10, 2008, 2008:
Chicago Distance Classic, IL

CIGNA Falmouth Road Race - Falmouth, MA

(25th) Footloose / Charthouse 10K - Mammoth Lakes, CA

Greater Cleveland Triathlon - OH

August 15-24, 2008
Olympic Games - Beijing, China

June 20, 2008
Emilie's Run - The Emilie Mondor Memorial 5K Race for Women - Ottawa, ON
http://www.emiliesrun.com


For more complete race listings check out our Upcoming Races, and Calendars.
Check the Runner's Web on Sunday and Monday for race reports on these events at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/

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Have a good week of training and/or racing.

Ken Parker
www.RunnersWeb.com
The Running and Triathlon Resource Portal
mailto:kparker@...
613-746-4053
http://www.OACRacingTeam.com
http://www.EmiliesRun.com

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