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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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.

3. Road Runner Sports, the world's largest running store at:
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4. Toronto Waterfront Marathon, September 27, 2009
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/STWM_Transporter.html

5. Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon - October 18, 2009
Register before the end of this month for the Marathon, Half Marathon, or 5k and
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8. 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/

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

10. 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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Race Directors: Advertise your event on the Runner's Web.
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NEW THIS WEEK:

Offer: Enjoy 20% off clearance items at Nikestore.com when you enter code
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Code: TRAINHARD
Dates: April 23, 2009 - May 6, 2009
Restrictions: Enter promo code TRAINHARD at checkout. Discount valid on
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after discount. Not transferable and not redeemable for cash, credit, towards
previous purchases. Redeemable at NikeStore.com, Swoosh.com, or via telephone
only. Can be used in combination with Free Shipping promo codes only. Offer
expires May 6, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. PST.
Text Link:
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Foot Locker:
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It's The Sports Bra Sale at ChampionUSA.com! All Bras are $19.99 and up! Valid
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The book "The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life: What 35 Years of Running
has Taught Me About Winning, Loving, Happiness,
Humility, and the Human Heart" is available FREE as a download from
MindsetTriathlon.com.
http://www.mindsettriathlon.com/product_info.php?products_id=1158&it=1#previews

FRS Healthy Energy Drink - Free Trial
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The Emilie Mondor Memorial 5K Race for Women - June 20, 2009
http://www,emiliesrun.com

Event directors, add your event to our Event Calendar 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:
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&SPSID=105551

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At the Runner's Web site, click "Join this group". Once I have approved your
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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:
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* 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
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Breaksweat.tv was recently launched to provide instant access to premium video
content covering outdoor sports. The innovative
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Breaksweat TV is not a user generated website, or a broadcasting channel; rather
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For more information and to visit other existing channels in the Simply Media
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* Sports Nutrition by Sheila Kealey. Sheila is one of Ottawa's top multisport
athletes and a member of the OAC Racing Team and X-C
Ottawa. She has a Masters in Public Health and works in the field of nutritional
epidemiology as a Research Associate with the
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* Peak Performance Online Peak Performance is a subscription-only newsletter for
athletes, featuring the latest research from the
sports science world. We cover the whole range of sports, from running and
rowing to cycling and swimming, and each issue is packed
full of exclusive information for anyone who's serious about sport. It's
published 16 times a year, including four special reports,
by Electric Word plc. Peak Performance is not available in the shops - only our
subscribers are able to access the valuable
information we publish.
Check out our article archive from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/PPO_index.html
Visit the PPO site at: Peak Performance Online:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/cmd.php?af=517509

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

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


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


THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. What Ruins Running
Tomorrow's marathoners who have suffered foot and knee injuries should ask: Is
the problem their body or their shoes?
2. Sportsmedicine: Understanding the Stretch Reflex (or Myotatic Reflex)
3. Educated's Excellent Ekstrand: His Fitness Is Up in Uppland
4. Runner's high
If judged by race times alone, 1992 was the pinnacle of my running career. It
was also 17 years ago.
5. Five common pre-race mistakes triathletes should avoid
7. How to prevent hyponatremia during long distance events
8. Heat Illness Study
9. Corrective Exercises That Triathletes Need To Do
10. Want to Go Faster? You Need a Trainer
Exercise physiologists and coaches say most people who want to run, swim, cycle
or row faster or improve in almost any sport do not appreciate what can be
accomplished with training nor how to do it.
11. Triathlon – why swimming, cycling and running training is not enough
12. U.S. nutritionists urge new, not-as-sweet drinks
13. What women want from mountain biking
14. Keep the running shoes, but hit the pool
15. Digest Briefs


RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"Which are your favourite places to run?
Cross Country
Indoor Track
Outdoor Track
Road
Trail
Treadmill"

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:
"Which aspects of race organization are important to you?"

Answers Percent
1. Certified course 14%
2. Accurate timing 14%
3. Traffic-free course 13%
4. Aid stations 11%
5. T-shirts 10%
6. Finisher medals 7%
7. Prize money 8%
8. Medical services 8%
9. Large field 6%
10. Other (Weather) 8%


FIVE STAR SITE OF THE MONTH: All-Athletics.com
A new subscription-based athletics Web site has been launched:
www.all-athletics.com. The site intends to provide an "unprecedented variety of
facts, figures, news and other features" on athletics, according to a recent
release circulated to journalists covering the European Indoor Championships.
Here is a partial list of the features the site is offering:
. In depth Overall and Event-by-event World Rankings with searchable archive and
history
. Area, regional and national Rankings
. Athletes Profiles including the athletes'€™ Personal and Annual Bests,
past and current results, records, honours, participations at major
championships, their World Ranking positions and Ranking calculations, etc.
. Head-to-head statistics against other athletes
. Winning streaks of the selected athletes
. Score Calculator
. Competition Results
. World and Area Records
. World news, Competition previews and reports and other Featured articles
The site is a "Service Partner" of the Weltklasse Zurich, and its full content
is only available by subscription. Pricing varies from USD 5 per day and USD 21
per month to USD 99 for a full year.
Currently, the only other athletics website charging a fee for usage is the
statistics site, www.Tilastopaja.org, which charges 90 Euros (USD 113) for two
years or 55 Euros (USD 69) for one year.
(This review was written by Race Results Weekly)
Visit the website at:
http://www.all-athletics.com

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

BOOK/VIDEO/MOVIE OF THE MONTH: Race Against Me: My Story
By Dwain Chambers
It is being billed as the book "they don't want you to read" and at its launch
in Soho, London last night, Dwain ­Chambers said he was braced for controversy.
'Race Against Me', due to be published on 9 March, is likely to upset some of
the most important and influential individuals in athletics.
"It's an opportunity to express my point of view," said Chambers. "It involves
some peoples' names being mentioned, not to upset them, but to set the record
straight. I'm just using it to voice my opinion. I am fully aware that I'm not
everybody's cup of tea but that's life and you can't please everybody."
The book is Chambers' side of the story since testing positive for THG in 2003,
his subsequent two year ban, his failed attempt to overturn a lifetime Olympic
ban in the high court and his opinion on his treatment by the sport's governing
bodies and leading individuals.
The title itself is provocative, with some suggesting it is a thinly veiled
accusation of racism. Asked if this was his intention Chambers replied: "If
you're a smart man you'll read between the lines. That's never been my point but
I understand how ­society works and it's something I'm accustomed to. I think
it's a fitting title."
Chambers, who is tipped to win gold at next month's European Indoor
­Championships in Turin, published and wrote the book on a shoestring budget.
He received no advance sum from the ­Spanish publishers Libros International.
"I'm using it to add a bit of balance to the story because so far it's been so
one sided and I haven't been able to get my point across," Chambers added. "It's
been very therapeutic to get everything off my chest."
Chambers, who is heavily in debt, insisted the book was not an attempt to earn a
quick buck. "I'm not doing it just to make money because I have no idea how well
the book's going to sell. Most importantly I just want to focus on Turin and
earn money on the track so I can pay off my debts and then see where it goes
from there."
From the Guardian
Buy the book from Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1905988753/runnersweb/102-0182896-9006569\
?v=glance&s=book

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. What Ruins Running:
Tomorrow's marathoners who have suffered foot and knee injuries should ask: Is
the problem their body or their shoes?
I'd been plagued by running injuries my entire adult life. I'd seen the best
sports-medicine physicians and podiatrists in the country, and they'd all
prescribed the same fruitless formula of orthotics, ice, and injections. Nothing
and no one could cure me. So a few years ago, I looked elsewhere: to a tiny
tribe of super-athletes in Mexico, who taught me that it's not running that's
dangerous -- it's running shoes.
That's right. Running shoes are a failed experiment. After nearly four decades
of technological gimmicks and outrageous prices, they simply do not perform the
function that's their only reason for existence -- protecting your feet. You can
now buy running shoes with steel bedsprings embedded in the soles or with
microchips that adjust the cushioning, but the injury rate hasn't decreased in
almost 40 years. It's actually inched up; Achilles' tendon problems have risen
by 10 percent since the '70s.
More...from the Boston Globe at:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2009/04/19/what_ruins_runnin\
g/


2. Sportsmedicine: Understanding the Stretch Reflex (or Myotatic Reflex):
The nervous system of mammals is very complex. For most major actions in the
body the brain must decide what movement or action must be taken, the nerve
impulses must be transmitted out of the brain, down the spinal cord and out to
the intended receiver. Then when the action is carried out the impulse must
return back the reverse pathway to tell the brain it was completed and start the
next process. This is the path for any brain-controlled, conscious, impulses.
Although it takes a lot of words to explain, it is really a very rapid process.
There are many processes in the body that do not require direct thought to
complete. The heart functions, breathing, metabolic processes, disease fighting
and many other autonomic processes happen automatically in the body. The body
uses signals to increase, decrease, or maintain many of these actions. If the
carbon dioxide levels in the body begin to rise, the autonomic nervous system,
through acid/base thermostats, calls for an increase in respiratory rate.
Another automatic response by the nervous system is the reflex. The body reacts
in a predetermined way based on specific stimulus. This may be a practiced
response or a pre-programmed one. The stretch reflex is one of those responses.
What is the Stretch Reflex?
The stretch reflex; which is also often called the myotatic reflex, knee-jerk
reflex, or deep tendon reflex, is a pre-programmed response by the body to a
stretch stimulus in the muscle. When a muscle spindle is stretched an impulse is
immediately sent to the spinal cord and a response to contract the muscle is
received. Since the impulse only has to go to the spinal cord and back, not all
the way to the brain, it is a very quick impulse. It generally occurs in 1-2
milliseconds.
This is designed as a protective measure for the muscles, to prevent tearing.
The muscle spindle is stretched and the impulse is also immediately received to
contract the muscle, protecting it from being pulled forcefully or beyond a
normal range.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news_2009/rw_news_20090421_TSH_Stretch_Reflex.\
html


3. Educated's Excellent Ekstrand: His Fitness Is Up in Uppland:
The runners coached by EducatedRunner.com have been doing extremely well. A case
in point is Ingmar Ekstrand, an intelligent, tough-minded, 63-year-old runner
who hails from the beautiful university city of Uppsala, Sweden. Ingmar has
life-time PR of 3:10 for the marathon and in the past year has hit 20:43 during
a club-run 5K and 3:34:00 for the 26.2-mile event. Before coming to
EducatedRunner, he was a confirmed Lydiardite, with weeks filled with 17- to
18-kilometer runs and a nearly mandatory 25- to 30-K, LSD workout each Sunday.
He arrived at EducatedRunner’s door step wanting to be faster in shorter races
and more-confident in competitions.
At the beginning of this month, coach Owen placed Ingmar on a lower-volume,
higher-quality training plan, dropping his weekly Ks from 100 to about 60,
boosting Ingmar’s workout intensity, and adding strength training to his
program (the combination of quality running and resistance work is a cornerstone
of the EducatedRunner philosophy).
Over the past three weeks, Ingmar has completed some notable workouts, including
the following:
(1) 7 X 400 in 87 seconds each, with 87-second jog recoveries (a
session which EducatedRunner.com would term a vVO2max-plus workout),
(2) 3 X 1000 in 3:50-3:55 each, with four-minute jog recoveries (the
projected split for this one was 4:18, but Ingmar felt so good with his reduced
volume that he took off and felt great at the faster speeds!),
(3) A marathon-prep session, with 6K easily, 12K at marathon tempo,
and 6K easily,
(4) Three circuit sessions with series of 10 different exercises
interspersed with high-quality running segments ranging in length from 400 to
800 meters, and finally
(5) A vVO2max test, which involved running all-out for six minutes
continuously. This was a shock to Ingmar’s system: After a winter of running
at tempos of 11 to 12 km/hour, his neuromuscular system was jolted by the update
to 16 km/hour! Ingmar covered 1610 meters during the exam, for an average of 4.5
meters per second (89.5 seconds per 400 meters). Completion of the vVO2max test
provides a benchmark which can be used to chart gains in running capacity in the
months ahead. vVO2max can also be employed to create a variety of high-intensity
workouts, including the vVO2max-plus session described above (# 1).
This kind of training pushed Ingmar’s fitness up so high that Saturday he won
the Regional (Uppland) Cross Country Championship (4K) in his division,
completed over a very tough and hilly course. The key period of the race was the
second lap, when Ingmar overtook his opponents during a challenging uphill
segment and then charged steadily toward the finish (the photo at the top of
this story shows Ingmar, in second place, getting ready to make his decisive
move). He is looking forward to a series of upcoming races and of course to
toeing the starting line for the Stockholm Marathon on May 30.
As Ingmar himself points out, moving his six-minute, vVO2max-test distance up to
1700 meters, a reasonable goal, would represent a close-to-6-percent upgrade in
vVO2max and thus in all of his race times. Before too long, he will be in
sub-20-minute territory for the 5K, for example, and he will knock about 13
minutes off his marathon time. Stay tuned to this blog for further reports on
Ingmar’s progress. He’ll be transitioning soon from general strengthening
(as represented by the circuit workouts) to running-specific strength training
and then on to hill and explosive work.
From the Educated Runner at:
http://www.educatedrunner.com/


4. Runner's high:
If judged by race times alone, 1992 was the pinnacle of my running career. It
was also 17 years ago.
Almost lost amid the clutter of our basement office are two cardboard file
boxes. They contain a nearly complete and mostly chronological record of an
amateur athletic career now well into its fourth decade.
One box covers the prehistoric era, roughly defined as the period from the
mid-1970s until 1990. To fully understand this era, you need to know that I
started running long before it was popular.
My early athletic aspirations followed the mainstream. Like my friends, I wanted
to play football or hockey. These dreams were gradually dispelled by the
overwhelming reality that I was neither big enough nor talented enough.
But when the dreaded one-mile run was forced upon us in gym class, I found
myself at the front of the pack. I did as I was told and reported to the
cross-country coach after school. My relationship with running had begun
More...from the Globe and Mail at:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090422.wfacts22/BNStory/lif\
eMain/home


5. Five common pre-race mistakes triathletes should avoid:
Mora offers tips for beginning triathletes
Champaign, IL--The days preceding a first triathlon can be nerve-wracking for
first time triathletes. In the new edition of Triathlon 101 (Human Kinetics,
2009), triathlon expert John Mora addresses five pre-race mistakes triathletes
should avoid:
~ Overreacting to new race course information. It's important to be familiar
with the race course on race day, but don't squeeze in some last-minute training
based on new information you learn about the race the day before the event. For
example, perhaps you discover that the bike course is hillier than you
thought--now is not the time to get in some last-minute hill training. You'll
risk injury or burnout, plus it won't do you much good, anyway.
~ Losing sleep. Chances are you'll be a little anxious the days before your
first triathlon. While it's not a big deal to get less sleep the night before,
long-term sleep deprivation over three or more days can cause you to lose your
edge and diminish your enjoyment on race day. Make a special effort to catch up
on your sleep the week before an event. This will also help your body recover
from training.
~ Becoming too preoccupied with details. Triathlon racing, like life, is a
balancing act. We've talked about the importance of covering all those details,
but there is such a thing as obsessing over insignificant particulars. Examples
include fussing over the lack of detail on the swim course map, fretting over
which flavor Gatorade to drink, and checking the race Web site every 15 minutes.
~ Not accounting for race-day conditions. Keep an eye on the weather forecast in
the days before the race. If there's even a slight chance of rain, pack a poncho
for prerace transition area setup and comfort. If conditions will be hot and
humid, pack extra fluids and your best moisture-wicking racing apparel. Of
course, don't forget your sunblock and sunglasses.
~ Not preparing for a flat. We've talked about the importance of having the
essential flat repair equipment on your bicycle--tube, frame air pump, tire
levers. Yet, you'll almost always see a novice triathlete walking his or her
bicycle back to the transition area or waiting for a rescue wagon during a big
race. Don't let that be you. You should have done it long ago, but if you
haven't, visit your bike shop for the gear and a flat-tire changing lesson the
week before the race.
Excerpt adapted from Triathlon 101, Second Edition (Human Kinetics, 2009). For
more information on Triathlon 101 or other triathlon books, visit
www.HumanKinetics.com or call 800-747-4457.


6. High Altitude Healing:
By Chris Carmichael
I’m less surprised that Lance broke his collarbone, and more surprised that
it’s the first time he’s broken it in the 19 years I’ve been working with
him. Come to think of it, he’s had remarkably few injuries in his adult life.
Back in 2000 he broke a vertebra in his neck in the process of flipping over a
car – if memory serves – while training in the mountains before the Sydney
Olympics. Beyond that, he’s really only had the normal scrapes, bumps, and
bruises that come with being a professional cyclist. And in typical Lance
fashion, he took his recent crash in stride and looked forward instead of
lamenting about what he could have done differently.
And as much respect as I have for European physicians, I glad Lance endured the
long plane flight home to be treated in Austin, Texas. I’m not an expert in
healthcare systems, but having been in and out of my share of hospitals around
the world with my own injuries, injured athletes and kids, there’s no place
I’d rather be treated than in the US. I broke my collarbone in East Germany in
the early 80s, and when I went to the hospital all the instruments and
facilities looked they were straight out of WWII. Then my doctor came into the
room and proceeded to smoke a cigarette throughout my examination. They told me
I needed surgery, and I could only imagine where the metal plate was going to
come from, so I gritted my teeth, got off the table and walked out. My plane
ride home was a lot longer than Lance’s, but probably just as painful, and in
my case it turned out I didn’t need surgery after all. In Lance’s case,
x-rays in Austin showed the fracture – and the subsequent repair - was more
complicated than previously believed. But the surgery went very well and he was
back on the bike within days.
More...from Carmichael Training Systems at:
http://www.trainright.com/articles.asp?uid=4260


7. How to prevent hyponatremia during long distance events:
By Monique Ryan, MS, RD
The past decade of triathlon long distance course competition has born witness
to the hyponatremic meltdown of many age-groupers and professionals competitors.
While this lowering of blood sodium levels can be dramatic, dangerous, and even
fatal, many half and full Ironman triathletes can experience mild to severe
degrees of this condition. The lower sodium blood levels drop, the more serious
and life-threatening the symptoms. At the very least, hyponatremia can slow your
competitive efforts and is best prevented. Anywhere from 3 to 27 percent of
ultra-endurance athletes seeking medical care may suffer from hyponatremia.
Researchers at one Hawaiian Ironman found that up to 30 percent of competitors
were hyponatremic.
Cause and effect
While the causes of hyponatremia are many and varied, there are two main
culprits. The first is excess fluid intake, which occurs when you drink too much
salt-free fluid leading up to competition and drink in excess of your sweat
losses during competition. High sodium sweat concentration is the second
culprit. Extensive and repeated sweating as seen during Ironman can clearly
result in large sodium losses. Triathletes with longer finishing times are also
at great risk for fluid overload, as there is simply more time to sweat and
drink during a race.
Simply put, excessive fluid intake is a big risk factor for developing
hyponatremia, and how you pre-hydrate and your drinking strategies during
competition can have a significant effect upon this precarious fluid balance.
Being a salty sweater also exacerbates this condition.
More...from USA Triathlon at:
http://usatriathlon.org/content/index/6036


8. Heat Illness Study:
Lora Harrison April 20, 2009
Heat Illness in Endurance Athletes
• How many athletes feel sick during hot races?
• Why do some athletes get sicker than others?
• What can be done to prevent these symptoms?
The Department of Sports Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical
Center is researching heat illness in endurance athletes. If you attempted a
marathon, half marathon, or triathlon within the past two weeks then you may be
eligible to complete an online survey about your race. The survey takes 5-10
minutes to complete and is completely anonymous. This will not affect your
participation in future races. Please click the link below if you are interested
in completing the survey.
Take the survey now at:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=gsh9UO8yOmlPD9ExC0UZJw_3d_3d


9. Corrective Exercises That Triathletes Need To Do:
This is the first of a 6 part series on corrective exercises triathletes (or any
athlete for that matter) must do everyday to balance their body. With so many
overuse injuries in the sport, these athletes must make it a priority to perform
these exercises as part of their daily workout routine.
With so much demand on the body from vigorous training, triathletes need to
build balance throughout their entire body. All athletes need core, hip and
shoulder stability and ankle, hip and thoracic (mid-spine) mobility. The
stronger your structure becomes the less you become injured and the higher your
performance will soar. Endurance athletes seem to wait too long to correct their
imbalances and issues. From an unstable lower spine, weak and “loose” hips
and shoulders, and a weak core, triathletes are destined for a physical therapy
clinic. These six corrective exercises can big a huge assistance to correcting
some major issues I see all the time in, not just triathletes, but a majority of
athletes. These movements need to be part of a regular routine so you can build
a balanced body, increase your flexibility and mobility and decrease your chance
of injury. Remember when you get hurt you can not train and when you can not
train you can not get better. Train smart and perform these exercises daily.
More...from TriFuel at:
http://www.trifuel.com/training/triathlon-training/corrective-exercises-that-tri\
athletes-need-to-do


10. Want to Go Faster? You Need a Trainer:
Exercise physiologists and coaches say most people who want to run, swim, cycle
or row faster or improve in almost any sport do not appreciate what can be
accomplished with training nor how to do it.
IF anyone ever wondered whether it was talent or sustained systematic training
that makes athletes so good, they need only look at Joshua Gordon, a
professional mediator in Boston.
Mr. Gordon ran cross-country in college before stopping completely to take up
baseball. Six years later, in 1999, he decided, almost as a lark, to run the
Boston Marathon. He joined a program to learn how to run longer distances, a
process that involved gradually increasing the length of his runs and focusing
only on distance, not speed.
He finished the marathon in a little over four hours, not especially fast for a
man of 24, but he did meet his goal. “I was thrilled,” he said.
And so he found himself edging back into running, entering shorter races, 5 and
10 kilometers. He tried to train on his own, but he never did particularly well
until he decided to start serious, rigorous marathon training with the Boston
Athletic Association. He received coached track workouts once a week, four to
six coached runs of 18 to 23 miles along the marathon course, and he had a group
of skilled and talented athletes to run with.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/health/nutrition/23best.html?_r=1&ref=nutritio\
n


11. Triathlon – why swimming, cycling and running training is not enough:
Triathlon may be the ultimate test of cardiovascular endurance, but according to
Nick Grantham, triathletes who neglect musculoskeletal strength and flexibility
will never fulfil their true potential
Triathlon is an endurance sport consisting of swimming, cycling and running over
various distances. In most modern triathlons, these events are placed
back-to-back in immediate sequence, and a competitor’s official time includes
the time required to ‘transition’ between the individual legs of the race,
including any time necessary for changing clothes and shoes.
While there are various race distances the three most common are Sprint, Olympic
and Ironman. Take a look at the breakdown (see table 1 below) for each stage of
the event and you can see that when it comes to the Ironman competitors, these
are no normal athletes!
More...from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/triathlon-why-swimming-cycling-and-running-train\
ing-not-enough-40780


12. U.S. nutritionists urge new, not-as-sweet drinks:
Soft drink makers should invent and market a new category of semi-sweet
beverages that will help wean Americans off their reliance on sugary drinks,
nutrition experts said on Monday.
They proposed a new class of reduced-calorie beverages with no more than 1 gram
of sugar per ounce, which with about 50 calories is about 70 percent less sugar
than a typical soft drink contains. They said such drinks should also be free of
artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharine.
"We need to retrain American tastes away from super-sweet drinks," Lilian Cheung
of the Harvard School of Public Health said in a statement.
"If we can shift the present American norm back to a lower expectation of
sweetness, people will adjust their palates, particularly the younger
population."
The American Beverage Association, which represents soft drink makers, was not
immediately available for comment.
The researchers cited evidence that sugary drinks are an important contributor
to the epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the United States, where more
than two-thirds of the population is overweight or obese.
More...from Reuters at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE53J6NE20090420


13. What women want from mountain biking:
Riding down a spongy, pine needle-covered trail in the North Cascade foothills,
one thing was clear: I did not want to hit a tree. Some of the hefty hardwoods
measured as wide as doorways and had withstood years of battering, coastal
storms and, more recently, mild assaults from clumsy mountain bikers.
My fellow biker babes and I were feeling confident, however, after three hours
of skills sessions during which we learned how to leap over logs, pedal up steep
hills, and do wheelie drops (a technique for clearing obstacles or descending
steep ledges). Even more important, we had mastered controlled braking, the
skill that would help ensure a safe, Band-Aid-free descent of Galbraith Mountain
in northwest Washington.
Thirty-four of us had signed up for the Dirt Series program, a women's weekend
mountain bike camp in Bellingham. This roving instruction program holds camps
throughout the Northwest, from its home base in Whistler, British Columbia, down
to Santa Cruz, Calif., and as far east as Park City, Utah.
More...from the Boston Globe at:
http://www.boston.com/travel/getaways/us/articles/2009/04/19/what_women_want_fro\
m_mountain_biking/


14. Keep the running shoes, but hit the pool:
Allan Rock, 61, is president of the University of Ottawa. An Achilles tendon
injury ended his 30-year, five-day-a-week running regime, which had included
four marathons and five half-marathons. But the injury introduced him to
cross-training, which improved his stamina as it restored his conditioning and
flexibility.
MY GOAL
"My goal used to be to bring my running time down. I did a half-marathon in
1:50. My first marathon was in New York and I ran it in 3:55. My best was 3:30,
because I knew the route and didn't start out too fast. I've been lucky with
health. ... Now I exercise for energy to endure long work days."
six days a week, and varies his activities. "I studied yoga, but haven't in 10
to 12 years. I do a series of my own design based on my general awareness of
what to stretch and for how long. As time goes by, it's increasingly difficult
to maintain flexibility."
Elliptical or rowing machine: 40 minutes.
Weights: three sets of 10 reps of bench press and biceps curls. "[They're] not
huge weights, but enough to provide sufficient challenge to the muscles."
"I walk to work every day." This amounts to about 10 kilometres each workday.
More...from the Globe and Mail at:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090417.LCRUNCH17ART1610/TPSto\
ry/?query=power+crunch


15. Digest Briefs:
** This Week in Running:
10 Years Ago- The London (ENG) Marathon had five men under 2:10, led by
Abdelkader El Mouaziz (MAR)
with a 2:07:57. Antonio Pinto (POR) in 2:09:00 and Abel Anton
(ESP) in 2:09:41
finished out the top three. Joyce Chepchumba (KEN) led seven
others under 2:30 in
the women's race with her 2:23:22. Adriana Fernandez (MEX) was
2nd in 2:24:06 and
Manuela Machado (POR) was 3rd in 2:25:09.
20 Years Ago- Susan Marchiano (USA) won the IAAF World Cup (ITA) Marathon by a
wide margin with her
2:30:48. The silver medal went to Misako Miyahara (JPN) while
Uta Pippig (GER)
collected the bronze medal with a 2:35:17. Metaferia Zeleke
(ETH) won the next day's
men's race in 2:10:28 with Dereje Nedi (ETH) and Gianni Poli
(ITA) getting the silver
and bronze medals with 2:10:36 and 2:10:49 respectively.
30 Years Ago- Tim Backenstose (USA) won the Penn Relays Etonic (PA/USA)
Marathon in 2:22:14. Diana
Golden (USA) won the women's race in 3:07:21. This was one of
several marathons
associated with spring relay meets in the USA, including the
Drake Relays, Kansas Relays,
and Florida Relays. All of these marathons have been long
discontinued.
40 Years Ago- Dave Bedford (ENG) won a 10,000m in London ENG with a 28:24.4.
50 Years Ago- John Macy (POL) defeated Leonard "Buddy" Edelen (USA) in the two
mile at the Kansas Relays.
Macy's winning time was 8:59.2. Edelen's time is not known to
ADR.
60 Years Ago- Gösta Leandersson (SWE) won the Boston (MA/USA) Marathon in
2:31:51.
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.
** Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine:
Dear Dr. Mirkin: I exercise heavily but still have high blood pressure. Do I
need to take drugs?
High blood pressure causes premature death from heart attacks, strokes and
kidney disease. Exercise and a high-plant diet are effective ways to lower high
blood pressure. However, if your blood pressure is still high after you have
done your best with lifestyle changes, your doctor will probably recommend that
you take drugs. Many exercisers and even elite competitive athletes suffer from
high blood pressure and should take medication (Journal of Clinical
Hypertension, April.2009). High blood pressure is dangerous when your systolic
blood pressure does not drop below 120 in the evening before you go to bed.
Angiotensin receptor blockers are the drugs of choice for exercisers because
they do not hinder athletic performance and may even enhance it. ACE inhibitors
are also safe for athletes with the exception that as many as 25 percent will
suffer coughing when they take them. Beta blockers are not recommended for
athletes or heavy exercisers because they slow heart rate, tire you during
exercise, and impair performance. Diuretics are very safe, but when you take
them, you will start each exercise session dehydrated which will make you tire
earlier.
Common brand names of Angiotensin Receptor Blockers: Atacand, Avapro, Benicar,
Cozaar, Diovan, Micardis, Teveten
ACE Inhibitors: Accupril, Aceon, Benazepril, Capoten, Captopril, Mavik, Monapril
Ramipril, Univasc, Vasotec
Beta blockers: Betapace, Blocadren, Cartrol, Coreg, Corgard, Corzide,
Inderal, Inderide, Kerlone, Levatol, Lopressor, Normodyne, Sectral, Tenoretic,
Tenormin, Timolide, Toprol,
Trandate, Visken, Zebeta, Ziac
From Dr. Mirkin's e_zine at:
http://www.drmirkin.com




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

April 22-25, 2009:
Drake Relays - Des Moines, Iowa

April 23-25, 2009:
Penn Relays - Philadelphia, PA

April 24-25, 2009:
American Odyssey Relay - Gettysburg, PA-Washington, DC

April 24-26, 2009:
St. Anthony's Triathlon - FL

April 25, 2009:
(10th) Country Music Marathon - Nashville, TN

East Beach Chesapeake Bay 10K - Norfolk, VA

Get in Gear 10K - Minneapolis, MN

Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon & Mini Marathon - Louisville, KY

Main Street 5K Festival - Sparta, NJ

April 26, 2009:
adidas MBC Marathon - Seoul, Korea

Big Sur International Marathon, Carmel, CA

London Marathon, London, UK

More | Fitness Marathon + Half-Marathon - New York City, NY

Run for Reach - Ottawa, ON

May 9, 2009:
Run For A wish - Ottawa, ON

June 20, 2009:
Emilie's Run - The Emilie Mondor Memorial 5K Race for Women - Ottawa, ON

August 15-23, 2009:
World Athletics Championships - Berlin, Germany

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
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