This week's Digest is being sent one day early due to my travel schedule. There
will be NO Digest on December 19th and 26th due to
our holiday schedule. The Digest will resume on January 2, 2009

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
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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
Emilie's Run is over for another year. Almost 300 women completed the race with
38 women running under 20:00
The 2009 race will be run on June 20th.
For more on the race visit the website at:
http://www.emiliesrun.com.
**Register before December 31, 2008 and get a 20% discount**

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 27, 2009
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/STWM_Transporter.html

5. Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon - October 18, 2009
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. January 4, 2008: Goodlife Fitness has come on board as a sponsor of Emilie's
Run GoodLife Fitness - Coed or Women's Only Visit
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include: . A Visual Fitness Planner Consultation . Fit
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www.GoodLifeFitness.com Limited time offer.

8. 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://www.universalsports.com 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://www.universalsports.com

9. iRun Magazine
More than a million Canadians are runners, making it this country's most popular
recreational and fitness activity. Canadians run
for exercise and we run to raise money for important causes. We run alone and in
groups. And every year, hundreds of thousands of us
participate in organized races, from fun runs to marathons, which are growing
steadily.
Until now, Canadian runners haven't had our own running magazine. But now,
there's iRun, providing a uniquely Canadian perspective
on the activity and the sport. Published six times a year, iRun educates,
informs and inspires Canadian runners.
The Team
Mark Sutcliffe, Publisher and Editor
Mark has more than 20 years of experience in the Canadian media business. An
avid runner, he has completed five marathons and 10
half-marathons. He writes a popular weekly column on running in the Ottawa
Citizen and co-hosts The Running Show every week on The
Team 1200 radio. Mark is the former Executive Editor of the Ottawa Citizen and
has also launched several publications, including the
Ottawa Business Journal, now in its second decade, and the Kitchissippi Times, a
successful community newspaper in Ottawa. His
writing has appeared across the country in daily newspapers, and magazines like
Macleans and Canadian Business.
Ray Zahab, Contributing Editor
Ray Zahab is Canada's most renowned ultramarathon runner. A former pack-a-day
smoker, Ray transformed his life by becoming a
successful long-distance runner, winning some of the world's most challenging
foot races. Beginning in November 2006, Ray and two
other runners ran across the Sahara Desert in 111 days, averaging 70 kilometres
per day without a single day's rest. Ray is an
accomplished public speaker, writes regularly about running and coaches athletes
striving to achieve their own goals.
Distribution
iRun is Canada's highest-circulation and most popular running magazine. With a
total distribution of 50,000 and more than 9,000
subscribers, iRun is leading the market in the rapidly growing and highly
desirable demographic of Canadian runners.
iRun Magazine is a sponsor of Emilie's Run
http://www.irun.ca/

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

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

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Get the Runner's Web button for the Google Toolbar 4 for Internet Explorer from
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If anyone is looking for a web mail provider, you might wish to consider
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Race Directors: Advertise your event on the Runner's Web.
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You can also list your events for free in our Interactive Calendars and on our
Marathons, Races and Triathlons pages.

NEW THIS WEEK:
Spirit of the Marathon Holiday Sale
http://www.marathonmovie.com/store.html

Register for Emilie's Run - June 20, 2009 before December 31, 2008 and get a 20%
discount.
http://www,emiliesrun.com

We have added a new event calendar. It is available for event directors to add
events at:
http://runnersweb.mhsoftware.com/
Events must be approved before going live.

Watch live and webcast of Track and Field and Road races on Universal Sports
Sign up at:
http://www.universalsports.com//SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23000&KEY=&SPID=13055\
&SPSID=105551

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:
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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_RRS.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/

* 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
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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. The Art and Science of Interval Training
2. Why does lactic acid build up in muscles? And why does it cause soreness?
3. Fueling the Runner: Running for Two
Nutritional guidelines for the marathon of pregnancy.
4. A Drop in Pay, but a Leap in Karma
5. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine
6. Antioxidants Are Unlikely To Prevent Aging, Study Suggests
7. The Wisest Wrap-Up, by Cheryl Hart
8. Six Tips To Make the Most of Your Off-Season
9. Nutrition Simplified
10. 'Injectable bone' helps fractures
11. Gluten Free. Is it a new fad diet?
12. The Importance of Proprioceptive Training
Proprioception - taking a balanced approach to sport.
13. This Week in Running
14. Sugar Can Be Addictive: Animal Studies Show Sugar Dependence
15. Digest Briefs


RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"What will your first competition of 2009 be?
Marathon
Half-Marathon
5/10K
Track Race
Triathlon
Half-Ironman
Ironman
Other"


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:
"What is the toughest feat to accomplish in track and field?
Answers Percent
1. Sub-10 seconds for 100m 8%
2. Sub-4 minutes for the mile 8%
3. Sub-13 minutes for 5km 20%
4. Sub-2 hours, 10 minutes in the marathon 36%
5. Pole vault 6m+ 4%
6. Shot put 20m+ 0%
7. Score 8500+ points in the decathlon 12%
8. Run the steeplechase sub 8:30 4%
9. Throw the javelin 80m+ 4%
10. Triple jump 17m+ 4%


FIVE STAR SITE OF THE MONTH: Charlotte's Journey
"The journey of Ironman Champion Charlotte Paul"
"2007 was a breakthrough year for Charlotte, winning her last 3 races of the
year; Ironman Western Australia, Sydney Sprint
triathlon and the Port Macquarie Half Ironman. Ironman Western Australia was the
BIG KAHUNA for Charlotte having raced here 3 times
already. She smoked the course setting a 10 minute record in 9:00:55. Join
Charlotte in her journey to Western Australia in 2008..."
Visit Charlotte's blog at:
http://www.charlottepaul.blogspot.com/


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


BOOK/VIDEO/MOVIE OF THE MONTH: Advanced Marathoning - 2nd Edition
Day-by-day training advice for serious marathoners
Windsor, ON - Finishing a marathon might be enough for some runners, but not for
serious marathoners. The updated second edition of
Advanced Marathoning (Human Kinetics, December 2008), written by two-time
Olympic marathoner Pete Pfitzinger and coauthor Scott
Douglas, offers competitive runners the training tools they need in order to
excel in a marathon.
"Many runners aren't content with saying, 'I finished,'" says Pfitzinger.
"Competing in a marathon, as opposed to completing the
distance without regard for time, requires thorough, intelligent preparation."
Pfitzinger and Douglas know what it takes to compete in a marathon and stress
the importance of understanding the training process.
According to Pfitzinger, understanding why certain training runs are needed will
help marathoners stick with their program and
prepare them to assess the progress made toward their marathon goals.
The updated second edition of Advanced Marathoning offers the most up-to-date
methods for training runs and programs for weekly
distance goals. The book also offers the latest information on supplemental
training, nutrition and hydration, and tapering for peak
performance.
For more information on Advanced Marathoning:
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?associate=880&isbn=9780736\
074605

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. The Art and Science of Interval Training
Benefits of Interval Training
Interval training can be an extremely potent training technique to improve your
racing performances. It's also widely avoided by
recreational runners because it's considered a sharpening technique for elite
runners only. This should not be the case, and runners
at all levels should be able to utilize this mode of training and receive
significant improvements (SEE Benefits of Interval
Training: below) in their racing times, regardless of where they finish in the
pack.
Unfortunately, insufficient knowledge and understanding concerning the
principles on which interval training is based leads to
inefficient workouts for many runners who attempt to use it, and worse, may
cause injury or sickness if it's overdone.
Interval training is "repeated bouts of high intensity running, each followed by
a limited rest period", which involves running a
short distance repeatedly at a speed that is always greater than could be
sustained continuously for the full session. In other
words you run shorter bursts faster than you would run a race, with much slower
recovery intervals between these fast bursts.
This is how we get the name "intervals". With recovery intervals, we eventually
adapt to sustaining the workload for a longer
period, and by manipulating the length of the recovery interval, we create the
desired training effect; that is short recovery
intervals create an oxygen debt, so we improve faster.
Finding your level of performance for interval sessions is tricky, and you need
to take several factors into account. These factors
can be remembered in the acronym DIRT which stands for:
. D = Distance of each fast burst
. I = Interval, or length of recovery jog or walk between fast bursts
. R = Repetitions. How many fast bursts we do in one session.
. T = Time for each fast burst.
This is an especially appropriate acronym--you'll feel like dirt if you
miscalculate any of these factors. Most runners go wrong by
using incorrect distances for their fast bursts and/or recovery distance, then
wonder why they aren't improving their times, or
their times are getting even slower. Here are some key guidelines for interval
training and for determining appropriate distances
for fast bursts and recovery:
. It's important to exercise the energy system your competitive racing distance
stresses. (More about this follows). Your fast
bursts need to be the correct distance for your main racing event.
. It's critical you recover completely between interval training sessions so
your energy reserves are replenished and your muscle
tissue has time to recover and rebuild.
. Don't do too many fast interval bursts in each workout. More about this later.
. Experiment with adjusting your recovery interval to get the desired training
effect for your racing distance.
. Interval workouts should not become the focal point of your weekly training
program--you don't want to become over competitive
with yourself and obsessed with your interval times.
. Establish your limitations with all of the above.
Benefits of interval training
. Improves competition
. Improves neuromuscular coordination
. Less lactic acid accumulation at a given pace
. Thermoregulatory system is not as stressed
. Runners of all abilities can use it
. It simulates the stress of race pace and conditions athletes for competition
. Your nervous system gets used to running at a faster pace
. It trains the athlete to run faster and accumulate less lactic acid at a given
pace
. Body heat does not accumulate as rapidly as during continuous running
. Joseph and Kimberlie Nitti, in their book Interval Training for Fitness write,
"Interval training can benefit almost any health
person, from beginning exercisers to world class endurance athletes".
Finding the Right Energy System for Your Interval Sessions (Table 2)

ATP-PC Lactic Acid Aerobic
Anaerobic or Aerobic Anaerobic Anaerobic Aerobic
Speed of action Very Rapid Rapid
Slow
Power Output High Power Moderate Power Low Power
Time Duration < 10 seconds 1-3 minutes > 3
minutes
Fuels ATP-PC Glycogen
Glycogen, Fats

Three energy systems can be stressed with interval training .
The first is the Adenosine Triphosphate--Phosphocreatine (ATP-PC) System which
is used for very short-term fast energy release
activities of less than 10 seconds (such as high power events like shot put,
100m sprints).
The second system is the lactic acid system that primarily uses glucose as its
energy source and is used for events lasting 1-3
minutes (such as 400 meters, 800 meters, and part of 1500 meters).
The third energy system is the aerobic system that uses oxygen as its catalyst
for energy release while burning fats and
carbohydrates and is used in events that last longer than 3 minutes. Unless
you're a sprinter or field-eventer, the ATP-PC system is
not worth using in your training.
The lactic acid system becomes more important because middle distance runners
stress it when they compete. The main system
recreational and semi-serious distance runners utilize is the aerobic pathway.
So your fast bursts in an interval workout need to be
long enough to dip into the aerobic system; that is, they should be 3-10
minutes.
How to Estimate the Speed of Your Fast Interval Bursts
The longer the fast bursts, the slower they need to be because of our limited
ability to supply oxygen to the working muscles and to
disperse fatiguing by products (such as lactic acid) as they build up. So, if
you do mile repeats, do them 10-25 seconds faster than
your average 10K race pace, or slightly faster than your average 5K race pace.
Once you reach your repeats comfortably, you can
increase your pace by about 2-3 seconds in subsequent sessions.
General Advice for Doing Your Interval Workouts
Many runners waste their time solely doing 100, 200 and 400 meter bursts until
they're blue in the face, and wonder why their times
don't improve. They're not exercising the right energy system for their racing
distance. However, you can benefit from shorter
interval bursts when used in moderation, or when you're sharpening up in the
last few weeks for a race. Short interval bursts can
improve your neuromuscular coordination of running at high speed, making you
more efficient, and thus run faster in your races. The
disadvantage of these shorter faster intervals is that as intensity increases,
so do your chances of injury, because of the higher
impacts.
The Length of Your Interval Bursts
Because of the precise nature of the distances and times you'll be running,
interval training is best done on the 400 meter track.
What distances should you be running your fast bursts? Distances that stress the
aerobic system includes 800m (2laps), 1200m (3
laps), 1600m (4 laps), and even 2000 meters (5 laps).
How Many Fast Bursts should You Do in an interval Workout?
The cumulative distance of the fast bursts in your interval workouts should add
up to 1.5 to 2 miles for beginners. For example, a
session of 8 times 400 meters should be the absolute maximum number
prescribed--and that would certainly not be recommended for your
first interval workout. You might start with 4 repeats of 400 meters, adding two
to that workout next time you do it. Running a
cumulative total of fast bursts exceeding 3 miles in an interval workout
significantly increases your chances of injury, while
incurring diminishing benefits.
What to do in the Recovery Intervals
Walking or jogging, or a combination, is recommended in the interval between
fast bursts. Your first goal is to adapt to the
interval workouts by attaining the maximum number of repetitions over the
determined fast burst distances. Then, for continued
improvement, increase your running speed for the fast burst, or decrease the
recovery interval between bursts. Decreasing the length
of the recovery interval between fast bursts achieves great results because this
doesn't allow your energy sources (ATP and glucose)
to completely resynthesize. Thus you draw on the emergency backup system, the
lactic acid system. Your body adapts to this by
tolerating smaller amounts of lactic acid, enabling you to cruise at a "higher
wattage", or a much faster pace with less lactic acid
building up.
From Running Research News at:
http://www.runningresearchnews.com


2. Why does lactic acid build up in muscles? And why does it cause soreness?
Stephen M. Roth, a professor in the department of kinesiology at the University
of Maryland, explains.
As our bodies perform strenuous exercise, we begin to breathe faster as we
attempt to shuttle more oxygen to our working muscles.
The body prefers to generate most of its energy using aerobic methods, meaning
with oxygen. Some circumstances, however, --such as
evading the historical saber tooth tiger or lifting heavy weights--require
energy production faster than our bodies can adequately
deliver oxygen. In those cases, the working muscles generate energy
anaerobically. This energy comes from glucose through a process
called glycolysis, in which glucose is broken down or metabolized into a
substance called pyruvate through a series of steps. When
the body has plenty of oxygen, pyruvate is shuttled to an aerobic pathway to be
further broken down for more energy. But when oxygen
is limited, the body temporarily converts pyruvate into a substance called
lactate, which allows glucose breakdown--and thus energy
production--to continue. The working muscle cells can continue this type of
anaerobic energy production at high rates for one to
three minutes, during which time lactate can accumulate to high levels.
A side effect of high lactate levels is an increase in the acidity of the muscle
cells, along with disruptions of other metabolites.
The same metabolic pathways that permit the breakdown of glucose to energy
perform poorly in this acidic environment. On the
surface, it seems counterproductive that a working muscle would produce
something that would slow its capacity for more work. In
reality, this is a natural defense mechanism for the body; it prevents permanent
damage during extreme exertion by slowing the key
systems needed to maintain muscle contraction. Once the body slows down, oxygen
becomes available and lactate reverts back to
pyruvate, allowing continued aerobic metabolism and energy for the body's
recovery from the strenuous event.
More...from Scientific American at:
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=why-does-lactic-acid-buil


3. Fueling the Runner: Running for Two:
Nutritional guidelines for the marathon of pregnancy.
What a magnificent miracle it is to carry new life into the world. Running and
fitness take on a whole new meaning when running for
two. Suddenly a heightened awareness as to every sensation felt over the course
of each mile consumes each run. There is a quick
mental transition from focusing on the execution of the racing schedule to
preparing for doctors appointments and fitness friendly
maternity clothes.
Although running was once considered an unnecessary exertion and unnatural
during pregnancy, it is now recommended for the healthy
veteran runner. Running offers numerous benefits to pregnancy. Many have
found that running can actually minimize some of the
common early symptoms of pregnancy such as nausea, constipation, and fatigue.
It reduces common back pain, insomnia, stress, and
anxiety. Running can help prepare the body for the challenge of delivery. Not
to mention it helps ward off excess weight gain and
facilitates the return to your prepregnancy body. The good news is pregnancy
doesn't have to hold you back from the sport you
love.
A marathon may not be on the calendar during this pregnancy, but pregnancy
itself can be thought of as a marathon. The pregnancy
nutrition marathon begins long before you get a positive test result.
Preparation should start with a daily prenatal vitamin and a
healthy prepregnancy body weight. Taking a daily prenatal vitamin containing
folic acid will minimize your baby's risk of having
neural tube defects. And, achieving a healthy prepregnancy weight allows for
fewer complications throughout pregnancy.
The next stage of the pregnancy marathon is the first trimester. This is the
time women battle early symptoms such as nausea,
fatigue, breast tenderness, and constipation. One of the most common causes of
nausea during pregnancy is an empty stomach.
Although the nausea may turn you off to the idea of eating at all, small
frequent meals can help combat a queasy stomach. Also try
avoiding foods with strong odors, taking prenatal vitamins at a different time
of day, sipping on fluids throughout the day, and
avoiding foods high in fat and with strong flavors. If you are disappointed
that nausea continues to hinder you from running, try
running at a different time of day.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=15110


4. A Drop in Pay, but a Leap in Karma:
CHRISSY CARTER, a former equities sales trader, has many traits of a successful
entrepreneur. With a mind she calls "a giant
calendar," the 30-year-old from Jersey City plans ahead, keeps appointments and
puts in long hours on marketing plans and e-mail
lists. She promotes her enterprise through newsletters and a Web site.
Ms. Carter's business? She's a yoga instructor.
Like others who have traded life as "a suit" for life in a track suit (or its
breathable yogic equivalent), Ms. Carter finds herself
using skills she learned in the corporate world. And, like others, she knows the
change can require a pay cut. Her annual income
fell to about $20,000 from six figures when she started teaching full time in
2004. While business has "grown tremendously" since,
Ms. Carter said, it will never match her finance-industry earnings.
"I've worked harder in the last four years than I ever have in my life," she
said.
What avid exerciser hasn't mused - while huffing and puffing toe-to-toe with a
trainer, maybe, or hitting an endorphin peak during a
run - about chucking the desk job and going into fitness full time? Counting
those who do is hard, if not impossible, but some
indications suggest that more people are mothballing their briefcases to enter a
field that the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics
forecasts will grow 27 percent from 2006 to 2016, as measured by the number of
"fitness workers" (instructors, trainers and program
directors).
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/health/nutrition/04fitness.html?_r=2&ref=healt\
h


5. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine:
* Dear Dr. Mirkin: Do athletes have an advantage over non-athletes as they age?
Athletes who compete into their eighties suffer few medical problems, but those
who lapse into inactivity regress toward the general
population norms for fitness, weight control
and health problems, according to a study in the Clinical Journal of Sport
Medicine (November 2008).
People who compete into later life in sports such as running or cycling can
maintain their competitive edge into their eighties and
beyond. Each muscle is made up of millions of muscle fibers. With aging,
particularly after age 50, you lose muscle fibers so you
become weaker. You cannot slow the loss of muscle fibers, but you can
compensate for the loss of fibers by increasing the size of
each remaining muscle fiber with regular vigorous exercise. If the results of
this study can be extended to all regular exercisers,
you can also expect to live longer and suffer fewer health problems than your
non-exercising peers.
* Exercisers Age Better
Athletes who compete into their eighties suffer few medical problems, but those
who lapse into inactivity regress toward the general
population norms for fitness, weight control and health problems, according to a
study in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine
(November 2008).
People who compete into later life in sports such as running or cycling can
maintain their competitive edge into their eighties.
Each muscle is made up of millions of muscle fibers. With aging, particularly
after age 50, you lose muscle fibers so you become
weaker. You cannot slow the loss of muscle fibers, but you can compensate for
the loss of fibers by increasing the size of each
remaining muscle fiber with regular vigorous exercise. If the results of this
study can be extended to all regular exercisers, you
can also expect to live longer and suffer fewer health problems than your
non-exercising peers.
* Understanding Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness
If you exercise properly, you are supposed to work hard enough to damage your
muscles so they feel sore on the next day. This is
called delayed-onset muscle soreness. You should then exercise at reduced
intensity for as many days as it takes for the soreness to
go away.
An article from St Mary's University College in New Zealand reviews scientific
studies on exercise-induced muscle damage (Sports
Medicine, December 2008). When muscles feel
sore from exercise, they are swollen and leak proteins from inside their cells
into the bloodstream, and they cannot generate their
usual force. You really have no choice. You must put far less pressure on sore
muscles or you will injure them, delaying recovery
and your ability to exercise intensely again.
Sore muscles heal faster if you take the next day off, but exercising gently
during recovery will make your muscles more fibrous so
they can withstand more pressure when you take your next intense workout.
Eating foods with protein and sugar within four hours after you finish a hard
workout helps muscles recover faster. The sugar
raises insulin levels which helps to drive protein into the muscle cells to
promote healing.
Aspirin and nonsteroidals such as ibuprofin may help reduce muscle soreness, but
they can delay healing. Stretching and massage
make your muscles feel better but there is little
evidence that they make you recover faster. Studies of electrical muscle
stimulation and cold therapy (ice packs) are so
inconsistent that most exercise researchers do not recommend them. On the other
hand, virtually everyone agrees that each bout of
intense, muscle-damaging exercise followed by reduced intensity exercise makes
muscles stronger.
* What Causes Muscle Soreness?
Your muscles should feel sore on some days after you exercise. If you go out and
jog the same two miles at the same pace, day after
day, you will never become faster, stronger or have greater endurance. If you
stop lifting weights when your muscles start to burn,
you won't feel sore on the next day and you will not become stronger. All
improvement in any muscle function comes from stressing
and recovering. On one day, you go out and exercise hard enough to make your
muscles burn during exercise. The burning is a sign
that you are damaging your muscles. On the next day, your muscles feel sore
because they are damaged and need time to recover.
Scientist call this DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness.
It takes at least eight hours to feel this type of soreness. You finish a
workout and feel great; then you get up the next morning
and your exercised muscles feel sore. We used to think that next-day muscle
soreness is caused by a buildup of lactic acid in
muscles, but now we know that lactic acid has nothing to do it. Next-day muscle
soreness is caused by damage to the muscle fibers
themselves. Muscle biopsies taken on the day after hard exercise show bleeding
and disruption of the z-band filaments that hold
muscle fibers together as they slide over each other during a contraction.
Scientists can tell how much muscle damage has occurred by measuring blood
levels of a muscle enzyme called CPK. CPK is normally
found in muscles and is released into the bloodstream when muscles are damaged.
Those exercisers who have the highest post-exercise
blood levels of CPK often have the most muscle soreness. Using blood CPK levels
as a measure of muscle damage, researchers have
shown that people who continue to exercise when their muscles feel sore are the
ones most likely to feel sore on the next day.
Many people think that cooling down by exercising at a very slow pace after
exercising more vigorously, helps to prevent muscle
soreness. It doesn't. Cooling down speeds up the removal of lactic acid from
muscles, but a buildup of lactic acid does not cause
muscle soreness, so cooling down will not help to prevent muscle soreness.
Stretching does not prevent soreness either, since
post-exercise soreness is not due to contracted muscle fibers.
Next-day muscle soreness should be used as a guide to training, whatever your
sport. On one day, go out and exercise right up to the
burn, back off when your muscles really start to burn, then pick up the pace
again and exercise to the burn. Do this
exercise-to-the-burn and recover until your muscles start to feel stiff, and
then stop the workout. Depending on how sore your
muscles feel, take the next day off or go at a very slow pace. Do not attempt to
train for muscle burning again until the soreness
has gone away completely. Most athletes take a very hard workout on one day, go
easy for one to seven days afterward, and then take
a hard workout again. World-class marathon runners run very fast only twice a
week. The best weightlifters lift very heavy only once
every two weeks. High jumpers jump for height only once a week. Shot putters
throw for distance only once a week. Exercise training
is done by stressing and recovering.
From Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine at:
http://www.drmirkin.com


6. Antioxidants Are Unlikely To Prevent Aging, Study Suggests:
Diets and beauty products which claim to have anti-oxidant properties are
unlikely to prevent aging, according to research funded by
the Wellcome Trust. Researchers at the Institute of Healthy aging at UCL
(University College London) say this is because a key fifty
year old theory about the causes of aging is wrong.
"Superoxide" free radicals - oxygen molecules that have an imbalance of
electrons to protons - are generated in the body through
natural processes such as metabolism. These free radicals can cause oxidation in
the body, analogous to rust when iron is exposed to
oxygen. Biological systems, such as the human body, are usually able to restrict
or repair this damage.
In 1956, Denham Harman proposed the theory that aging is caused by an
accumulation of molecular damage caused by "oxidative stress",
the action of reactive forms of oxygen, such as superoxide, on cells. This
theory has dominated the field of aging research for over
fifty years. But now, a study published online today in the journal Genes &
Development suggests that this theory is probably
incorrect and that superoxide is not a major cause of aging.
"The fact is that we don't understand much about the fundamental mechanisms of
aging," says Dr David Gems from UCL. "The free
radical theory of aging has filled a knowledge vacuum for over fifty years now,
but it just doesn't stand up to the evidence."
More...from Science Daily at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201105711.htm


7. The Wisest Wrap-Up, by Cheryl Hart:
This month's training tip comes from Cheryl Hart, owner of 2nd Wind Motivation:
As 2008 comes to a close, let's take time to reflect on our racing season to
assess what worked and what didn't. The "out with the
old and in with the new" theory should be serve as a reality check based on an
honest personal inventory.
So where do we start? One of the best resources is your training logbook or
journal. If you have not kept one, this should be your
first step of the new season. Remember: knowledge is power. If you had a
personal best this season, look back at how you trained in
the months prior to the race. Congratulate yourself for accomplishments before
moving too quickly to criticize areas where you fell
short. If you incurred any injuries, note sudden mileage increases or skipped
recovery days. If you didn't achieve your goals, what
were the deterrents?
Careful scrutiny highlights strengths and weaknesses. Athletes tend to steer
away from areas of inadequacy and devote the majority
of time to reinforcing the ego. Let's face it. It's more fun to do what we like
and what we do best. However, to improve you must
train your weakness.
Next, ask yourself if the commitment was worth it in the end. How much time,
money and energy are you willing to devote to your
goals? Plot out all races and specific goals for the year, assigning each a
priority. Then create a detailed plan of action. If
2008 was unsuccessful, it might have been a faulty training program, rather than
you. It's time to try a different approach.
Einstein once said that "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again
and hoping for different results."
Consider adding core-strength, flexibility exercises, mental skills training, or
a form analysis. Plan your training specifically to
peak for a priority race and use B and C priority races as stepping stones. If
your motivation has become stale, try a different
distance. Consider out of town races with fresh scenery and new challenges.
Take a moment to reflect on the miles and memories of 2008 before turning your
focus to those ahead.
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.


8. Six Tips To Make the Most of Your Off-Season:
Congratulations. You've just finished a fun-filled, yet challenging triathlon
season. Maybe you set a PR this year on your favorite
course. Maybe your goal was to finish an Ironman distance race. Either way, it's
that time of the year when all things triathlon
begin to wind down. We like to call this the 'off-season'. However, if you are
anything like many of my clients, you're doing
everything but turning off, and this could be a mistake. In this article, I'll
share with you six ideas for getting the most out of
your off-season.
Get some rest. Taking time off from training at the end of a season is, simply
put, just as important as any other phase of a well
constructed, periodized training plan. In a way, it's what will allow your next
season to be even more successful. For example, if
an athlete begins the season at a certain level of fitness, and successfully
works all season to improve that fitness, he or she is
at new, higher level of fitness at season's end. Then, the athlete takes a short
amount of time off to "recharge". His or her
fitness decreases a bit naturally during this time; however, not so much that
the athlete is less fit than when the previous season
began. Thus, with each passing year, the athlete is actually getting stronger
and faster each year. So, in effect, time off is
actually allowing this athlete to grow and progress.
See your doctor. The off-season is a great time to get in to see your physician.
Request blood work analysis and have a general
physical performed. If you've had any chronic or recurring injuries or even just
slight muscle ailments over the past season, this
would be a great time to find and visit a physical therapist. Additionally,
consult with a sports nutritionist to analyze your diet,
a critical component to triathlon success.
More...from TriFuel.com at:
http://www.trifuel.com/training/triathlon-training/six-tips-to-make-the-most-of-\
your-off-season


9. Nutrition Simplified:
Jason Gootman & Will Kirousis
Tri-Hard Endurance Sports Coaching
This article was published in the September 2004 issue of Trail Runner.
As coaches of triathletes and other endurance athletes worldwide, we are flooded
with questions on nutrition. The funny thing is,
behind all the five-syllable biochemical names of nutrients, the keys to good
nutrition are really very simple. Our goal in this
article is to help you learn these simple fundamentals. Each time you watch the
evening news or read your local newspaper, you are
informed of some new nutrition "discovery". In reality, what we need to know
about nutrition, to optimize our health, we already
know. The "new discoveries"
are mostly interesting bits of science, but knowledge of these bits is not
needed to optimize your health. In reality, the keys to
good nutrition lie in our evolutionary history and in nature.
Don't fall into the trap of following the latest trends in nutrition attempting
to gain a boost in performance. The truth is that
the principles of solid nutrition have not changed in thousands of years. It is
these principles that should guide you and not the
conflicting 30-second soundbites you hear on the evening news. Ok, to get right
too it, lets look at what foods to eat, why to eat
these foods, answers to common questions, and practical suggestions for how to
gradually implement changes to your daily nutrition
routine that will improve your health and performance.
More...from Tri-Hard Endurance Sports Coaching at:
http://www.tri-hard.com/SCC%20Materials/Nutrition%20Simplified.pdf


10. 'Injectable bone' helps fractures:
A material that can be squirted into broken bones, where it hardens within
minutes, has been developed by UK scientists.
The toothpaste-like substance forms a biodegradeable scaffold over which the
body's own bone grows.
Its makers, from Nottingham University, said it could help remove the need for
painful bone grafts in many cases.
They are working to start clinical trials in the UK, and expect it to be used in
the US within 18 months.
The "injectable bone" won a prestigious medical innovation award last week, and
is the brainchild of Professor Kevin Shakesheff,
from the University of Nottingham.
Its advantage over traditional bone cements is in the hardening process.
While conventional cements give off heat as they harden, killing surrounding
cells, and making them unusable in some parts of the
body, this polymer does not.
The material has the texture of toothpaste at room temperature, and when it
rises to body temperature, this is enough to trigger the
hardening reaction.
More...from the BBC at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7767406.stm


11. Gluten Free. Is it a new fad diet?
By Shawn Dolan PhD, RD, CSSD
What is gluten?
Gluten is a storage protein in wheat, rye, barley, triticale (cross between
wheat and rye), and possibly oats. Gluten consists of
two proteins gliadin and glutenin. Gluten is formed when dough is made from the
kneading process of flour and water.
Why do people eliminate gluten from their diet?
There are a variety of reasons people follow a gluten free diet (GFD). Some
people choose to while others must in order to prevent
adverse effects on their gastrointestinal (GI) system. Consider some of the
following reasons people follow a GFD.
. Individuals who are diagnosed with celiac disease
follow a strict GFD as their treatment plan. Celiac
disease is a permanent intolerance to gluten. The walls of the small intestine,
which are necessary for absorbing and digesting
nutrients, become inflamed and interfere with absorption. Injury to the
intestinal walls usually resolves itself when gluten and
gluten containing products are eliminated. The disease affects as many as 1 in
every 200-400 individuals in North America and
Europe. However, many cases go undiagnosed due to the vague nature of and wide
variety of symptoms. The disease is diagnosed with a
biopsy of the small intestine. A blood test can measure the level of antibodies
to gluten, but is limited as a screening tool rather
than a diagnostic tool.
. Some individuals have an intolerance or sensitivity to
gluten, but are not diagnosed with celiac disease.
These people often experience GI symptoms and begin to experiment by eliminating
different foods from their diet (e.g. lactose,
gluten, sugar).
. Individuals who follow extended cleansing programs
often are instructed to eliminate gluten from their diet
during this period.
. Athletes involved in weight class or aesthetic sports
sometimes choose to eliminate gluten surrounding
competitions. The goal is follow a low residue diet by eliminating gluten and
minimizing sodium and fiber 24-36 hours prior to
competition. This minimizes fluid retention and assists with emptying the gut of
undigested food and fiber. This method helps
athletes "feel light" while still fueling and hydrating adequately prior to
competitions.
. Recently, there are individuals who experiment with GFD
who do not have an intolerance or sensitivity to
gluten. These individuals simply believe they feel better, perform better, or
lose weight easier when they do not eat gluten and
gluten containing foods. Keep in mind, by following a GFD, you often eliminate
processed, packaged, and fast foods. Be sure to ask
yourself "Is it the elimination of gluten or other qualities of the foods you
eliminated that makes you feel better?"
More...from First Endurance at:
http://blog.firstendurance.com/2008/12/gluten-free-is-it-a-new-fad-diet/


12. The Importance of Proprioceptive Training:
Proprioception - taking a balanced approach to sport.
When it comes to sport performance, power, strength and endurance can only take
you so far. Whether you're a footballer dribbling
the ball, a gymnast on the bars, or a rugby player diving for the line while
fending off tackles, balance is absolutely critical for
performance. John Shepherd takes a look at how balance and proprioceptive
training and the mechanisms that lie behind this skill can
be improved.
Balance in sport involves a complex interplay between numerous factors. A number
of these are conscious - such as deciding to move a
limb to prevent yourself falling at the same time as performing a skill eg a
basketball shot - while many more are unconscious. The
unconscious element involves the 'use' of in-built sensory mechanisms and
programmed responses. This is known as 'proprioception'.
Proprioception has been called the 'sixth sense' and is basically a mechanism
(or, more accurately, a series of mechanisms) that
keeps track and control of muscle tensions and movement in the body.
When you consciously make movements or are subjected to external forces, your
muscles, ligaments and joints will be making their own
'judgments', based on the information that they receive from their own sources.
These judgments are then used to invoke mechanisms
to control movement (more about this later). These mechanisms are known as
sensorimotor processes, and scientists have been
investigating how the senses consciously and subconsciously react with one
another to control movement (known as sensorimotor
research). Sports scientists now believe that sensorimotor ability and
proprioception can be enhanced by specific practices.
More...from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/balance-in-sport-the-importance-of-proprioceptio\
n-35880


13. This Week in Running:
10 Years Ago- Luke Kipkosgei (KEN) won the Optus Zatopek Classic (AUS) 10,000m
in a still-standing
record for December of 27:22.54. Only the months April thru
September have seen faster
10,000's. Benjamin Maiyo (KEN) was 2nd in the race, also under
28 minutes with a 27:40.34.
Lee Troop won the AUS title in 3rd with a 28:04.64. Natalie
Harvey won the women's
race and the national title with a 32:20.58. Kerryn McCann (AUS)
was 2nd in 32:23.79
and Kylie Risk (AUS) was 3rd in 32:33.18. McCann died this past
week from cancer.
20 Years Ago- Toshihiro Shibutani (JPN) won the 42nd edition of the Fukuoka
(JPN) Marathon in 2:11:04,
just five seconds up on world-record holder Belayneh Dinsamo
(ETH) at 2:11:09. Not far
back in 3rd was Ravil Kashapov (RUS) in 2:11:19.
30 Years Ago- Jeff Bradley (USA) defeated Ron Hill (ENG) at the Maryland
(MD/USA) Marathon, 2:19:36.2
to 2:22:38. Charles Trayer (USA) was 3rd in 2:23:24. Kathy
Heckman (USA) won the women's
race in 2:55:35 while Marilyn Bevans (USA) finished 2nd with a
2:57:32.
40 Years Ago- William Adcocks (ENG) won the 22nd edition of the Fukuoka (JPN)
Marathon in 2:10:47.8,
almost two minutes up on Yoshiako Unetani (JPN) at 2:12:40.6.
Tadaaki Ueoka (JPN) was
3rd in 2:13:37.6 while Ismail Akcay (TUR) was 4th in 2:13:43.6.
Runner's World editor
Amby Burfoot (USA) finished 6th in 2:14:28.8.
50 Years Ago- Nobuyoshi Sadanaga (JPN) won the Asahi Shimbun Marathon, held in
Utsunomiya JPN, with
a time of 2:24:01. Veikko Karvonen (FIN) was 2nd in 2:24:04.
Pavel Kantorek (CZE)
finished 4th in 2:24:56.0. The following year, this marathon
returned to Fukuoka where,
with the exception of 1963 when it was held in Tokyo, it has been
run every year since.
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.


14. Sugar Can Be Addictive: Animal Studies Show Sugar Dependence:
A Princeton University scientist will present new evidence today demonstrating
that sugar can be an addictive substance, wielding
its power over the brains of lab animals in a manner similar to many drugs of
abuse.
Professor Bart Hoebel and his team in the Department of Psychology and the
Princeton Neuroscience Institute have been studying signs
of sugar addiction in rats for years. Until now, the rats under study have met
two of the three elements of addiction. They have
demonstrated a behavioral pattern of increased intake and then showed signs of
withdrawal. His current experiments captured craving
and relapse to complete the picture.
"If bingeing on sugar is really a form of addiction, there should be
long-lasting effects in the brains of sugar addicts," Hoebel
said. "Craving and relapse are critical components of addiction, and we have
been able to demonstrate these behaviors in
sugar-bingeing rats in a number of ways."
At the annual meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology in
Scottsdale, Ariz., Hoebel will report on profound
behavioral changes in rats that, through experimental conditions, have been
trained to become dependent on high doses of sugar.
More...from Science Daily at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210090819.htm


15. Digest Briefs:
* Compression Socks: Fashion or Function?
Compression socks, once the domain of diabetics and frequent flyers, have slowly
trickled their way into endurance sports. We have
seen Paula Radcliffe wear them for the last few years; long white knee high
socks - quite a fashion statement. Having used CW-X
products for almost 4 years now, I really believe in the benefit of compression
technology. Just before I left for France for the
Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), Team RF member Bill Logie gave me a pair of
calf compression sleeves. Having been in France racing
the previous month, he told me everybody was wearing them. At worst, I figured I
could wear them on the flight there along with my
CW-X pro shorts under my jeans. I wore them for the flight overseas and my
calves and legs felt pretty good, all things considered.
While in Chamonix, I tested them on some non strenuous training runs. They
didn't seem to bother me so I decided that I would wear
them for my race. I know you are not supposed to try anything new in a big race
but with 31,000ft of climbing, I figured it couldn't
hurt.
Like CW-X tights, compression socks or sleeves are designed to compress the
muscle to reduce muscle vibration. This reduces muscle
fatigue, cramping and more evenly distributes muscle strain.
The socks use a graduated pressure that is heavier near the foot and reduces
pressure towards the knee, which aids blood flow back
to the heart. The idea is to let fresh oxygen rich blood return more efficiently
to the legs and feet. In Kona this year, 25% of the
racers wore them and at the UTMB this year, I would have to say over 40% did.
After 42 hours and 31000 ft of climbing through 3 countries, I was completely
sold on them. (No matter what they look like) It was
the only clothing that I didn't take off during the race. Usually near the end
of a mountain ultra, my calves are usually toast.
After using the compression sleeves, I was amazed that I didn't cramp once. This
weekend I tried the new Sugoi R & R Knee High
versions and although not as snug as other brands, I found them to be very
effective while skate skiing and my legs felt great even
after 8 months of no skiing.
Give them a shot this winter - No one has to know since you can hide them under
your tights for the next couple of months and unveil
them this spring.
From www.RunningFree.com
* Nuts boost health benefit of Mediterranean diet
Adding nuts to a traditional Mediterranean diet rich in fruit and vegetables
appears to provide extra health benefits, Spanish
researchers said on Monday.
A daily serving of mixed nuts helped a group of older people manage their
metabolic syndrome, a group of related disorders such as
obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and abnormal blood sugar, Jordi
Salas-Salvado of the University of Rovira i Virgili
in Spain and colleagues said.
"The results of the present study show that a non-energy-restricted traditional
Mediterranean diet enriched with nuts, which is high
in fat, high in unsaturated fat and palatable, is a useful tool in managing the
metabolic syndrome," they wrote in the Archives of
Internal Medicine.
The findings add to existing evidence of the health benefits of a Mediterranean
diet that emphasizes vegetables, fish and healthy
fats such as olive oil over red meat and alcohol. Studies have linked the diet
to reduced risk of diabetes, asthma and a range of
other conditions.
The researchers looked at 1,224 people in Spain aged 55 to 80 at high risk of
heart disease. One group received advice on a low-fat
diet while two others followed a Mediterranean diet, one getting an extra liter
of olive oil per week and the other receiving an
additional 30 grams of mixed nuts daily.
At the start of the study nearly two thirds of the men and women met the
criteria for metabolic syndrome, but after one year the
condition decreased by about 14 percent among those who ate nuts compared with 7
percent in the olive oil group and 2 percent in the
control group on a low-fat diet.
Nuts contain beneficial nutrients such as fiber, arginine, potassium, calcium
and magnesium, as well as a high level of unsaturated
fats similar to olive oil, the researchers noted.
From www.Reuters.com


THIS WEEK'S FEATURED EVENTS:
*Please verify event dates with the event websites available from our FrontPage
(www.runnersweb.com)

December 13, 2008:
(30th) Foot Locker Cross Country Nat'l Championships - San Diego, CA

RDV Sportsplex 5K Reindeer Run - Maitland, FL

Rocket City Marathon - Huntsville, AL

Rose Bowl Half Marathon - Pasadena, CA

Santa to the Sea Run - Ventura County, CA

Toronto Santa Speedo Run - Toronto, ON

Thunder Road Marathon - Charlotte, NC

USATF National Club Cross Country Championships - Spokane, WA

December 14, 2008:
12Ks of Christmas Holiday Run - Kirkland, WA

Dallas White Rock Marathon - TX

Honolulu Marathon - Honolulu, HI

June 20, 2009
Emilie's Run - The Emilie Mondor Memorial 5K Race for Women - Ottawa, ON
http://www.emiliesrun.com
**Register before December 31, 2008 and get a 20% discount**


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

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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