A FREE WEEKLY E-ZINE OF MULTISPORT RELATED ARTICLES. The Runner's and
Triathlete's Web Digest is a weekly e-zine dealing with the
sports of running and triathlon and general fitness and health issues. The
opinions expressed in the articles referenced by the
Digest are the opinions of the writers and not necessarily those of the Runner's
Web. Visit the Runner's Web at
http://www.runnersweb.com The site is updated multiple times daily. Check out
our daily news, features, polls, trivia, bulletin
boards and more. General questions should be posted to one of our forums
available from our FrontPage.

SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS: All of the revenue from our advertisers and affiliates
goes to support clubs, athletes and clinics related
to multisport and Canadian Olympians.

1. Emilie's Run - The Emilie Mondor Memorial 5K Race for Women - Canada's
Fastest Women's 5K
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.

2. Cruise To Run -2010, THE ULTIMATE RUNNERS VACATION
January 24-31 www.cruisetorun.com
Registration is open for Cruise To Run 2010. If you are interested in going on
THE ULTIMATE RUNNERS VACATION it would be wise to
book early as Cruise to Run sold out to in 2009.
As the organizers of Cruise to Run we have emphasized that we have put together
runs that we are sure everyone will enjoy. But what
makes Cruise To Run special is the runners who attend. Over 300 runners together
on a vacation doing what they love to do. How can
we go wrong?
The 2010 Cruise will leave San Juan Puerto Rico on the Caribbean Princess and
visit St. Thomas, Tortola , Antigua, St. Lucia and
Barbados. The cruise will have something for everyone, a 5k race, prediction
run, group runs, hash run and a challenging mountain
run. Also included are cocktail parties an organized swim guest speakers, meals,
and much more.
The Caribbean Princess boasts casinos, restaurants, 24 hour buffet, 4 swimming
pools, hot tubs, entertainment, fully equipped gym,
and movies under the stars all for your enjoyment.
The Cruise is meant for everyone to enjoy from the serious to recreational
runner. Runs are a variety of distances and each run is
optional. With Cruise to run you will still have time to the beaches,
snorkeling, shopping and everything else the Caribbean has to
offer.
Guest speakers include Runner's World CRO Bart Yasso, eleven time Ironman
champion Lisa Bentley and marathon great Dick Beardsley.
For more information or to register visit www.cruisetorun.com

3. Road Runner Sports, the world's largest running store at:
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000010069822.

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
save $$. Fees increase March 1st!
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.
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/

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
www.GoodLifeFitness.com today to receive 3 FREE Visits! Your 3 FREE visits
include: . A Visual Fitness Planner Consultation . Fit
Fix Orientation to learn how to exercise safely and effectively . Access to all
cardio and strength-training equipment . Access to
all of our world-class Group EXercise classes . A copy of Living the Good Life
audio CD Get started today! Visit
www.GoodLifeFitness.com Limited time offer.

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/

11. Training Peaks
The Runner's Web has partnered with Training Peaks to provide online coaching
from experts such as Hal Higdon, Joel Friel and Matt
Fitzgerald.
Sign up at:
https://home.trainingpeaks.com/create-account-personal-edition.aspx?af=RunnersWe\
b

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Get the Runner's Web button for the Google Toolbar 4 for Internet Explorer from
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FACEBOOK
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
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and training.

If anyone is looking for a web mail provider, you might wish to consider
Google's GMail. You can now sign up for free Gmail at
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Race Directors: Advertise your event on the Runner's Web.
For more information:
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You can also list your events for free in our Interactive Calendars and on our
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NEW THIS WEEK:

ChampionUSA
Free Shipping With 4 Or More Purchased Items At ChampionUSA.com. This Offer is
Valid May 7th Through May 25th.
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It's The Shorts Sale at ChampionUSA.com! Get Shorts As Low As $8.99! This offer
is valid now through May 25th.
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Holabird Sports:
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000028013194

The Runner's Web has partnered with Training Peaks to provide online coaching
from experts such as Hal Higdon, Joel Friel and Matt
Fitzgerald.
Sign up at:
https://home.trainingpeaks.com/create-account-personal-edition.aspx?af=RunnersWe\
b

Under Armour is pleased to announce Free Shipping on Orders $75+ through May
31st! Please use the following code, UASPRING02, and
shop at Under Armour today!
Free Shipping on all orders over $75!
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000027927746&pubid=2100000000\
0028567

Event directors, add your event to our Event Calendar at:
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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

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

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
competitive training techniques. Whether your focus is recreational, advanced,
or you are a professional racer, the coaching
methodology employed by CTS will make you a better athlete. Check the latest
monthly column from CTS at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/cts_columns.html.
Carmichael Training Systems at:
http://www.trainright.com/promos.asp?code=DSBYBFCSP

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

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

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

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

THIS WEEK'S DIGEST ARTICLE INDEX:

1. Master training: the importance of maintaining strength and power
2. Engineered Sports Foods: Convenience or Necessity?
3. Calibrating your Inner GPS
Learning to Run by Feel.
4. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine
5. iRun Women Online Survey
6. This Week in Running
7. The Road to Success, Paved With Bad Advice
8. Plantar Fasciitis: the causes and treatment methods for foot injuries
9. Running and Arthritis: Worse for the Wear?
The facts on whether 'you're ruining your knees'.
Universal Sports- Athletics: Stockholm Marathon enjoys unique style
11. 'Invincible' athlete's death renews cardiac questions
12. Technology for Your Marathon Training
13. 3 Ways to Prevent Running Injuries
14. Mass Swim Starts
15. Digest Briefs


RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"The women's world record for the mile is 4.12.56 set by Svetlana Masterkova of
Russia in 1996. Will a woman ever break 4 minutes
for the mile?"

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:
How has the current economic situation affected your involvement in sports?
Answers Percent
1. Less travel to events 25%
2. Fewer equipment purchases 17%
3. Entering fewer events 14%
4. Spending less on sports supplements 14%
5. Fewer magazine subscriptions 17%
6. Paying less for online or in-person coaching 14%


FIVE STAR SITE OF THE MONTH: MirindaCarfrae.com
Name: Mirinda Carfrae
Nationality: Australian
Height: 161 cm Weight: 52 kg
Birthday: 26 March 1981
Occupation: Professional Triathlete
Coach: Siri Lindley: www.siri-lindley.com
Hometown: Logan City, Queensland
Training Camps: Queensland, Australia; California, USA, Colorado, USA
Federation Links : Triathlon Queensland and Triathlon Australia
Mirinda started sports at an early age, playing basketball and a variety of
other school sports. In 2000, at the age of 19, she
competed in her first triathlon. Even though she did not have a background in
swimming, running, or biking, she experienced success
in 2001 when she made the Australian Junior Elite Team. Mirinda then went on to
represent Australia at the ITU Triathlon World
Championships from 2001 through till 2005 earning silver medals in 2002 and
2003. More recently Mirinda has focused on the longer
distances. She won the Nice Long Course triathlon in 2004 and got silver at the
ITU Long Course World Championships in Denmark in
2005. With the introduction of the Ironman 70.3 series in 2006, Mirinda claimed
the St Croix and Baja titles early in the year,
going on to win a bronze at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in the same
year. In 2007, Mirinda came second in 4 half ironman
distance triathlons before winning the 2007 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in
world record time.
With four 70.3 wins already in 2008, Mirinda has clearly claimed the 70.3
distance as her own and leaves no doubt that she's a force
to be reckoned with in ironman racing.......
Check out her site at:
http://www.mirindacarfrae.com


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


BOOK/VIDEO/MOVIE OF THE MONTH: Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams At Any
Stage In Your Life
By Dara Torres
Product Description
From legendary Olympic gold medalist Dara Torres comes a motivational,
inspirational memoir about staying fit, aging gracefully, and
pursuing your dreams.
Dara Torres captured the hearts and minds of Americans of all ages when she
launched her Olympic comeback as a new mother at the age
of forty-one—years after she had retired from competitive swimming and eight
years since her last Olympics. When she took three
silver medals in Beijing—including a heartbreaking .01-second finish behind the
gold medalist in the women’s 50-meter
freestyle—America loved her all the more for her astonishing achievement and her
good-natured acceptance of the results.
Now, in Age Is Just a Number, Dara reveals how the dream of an Olympic comeback
first came to her—when she was months into her
first, hard-won pregnancy. With humor and candor, Dara recounts how she returned
to serious training—while nursing her infant
daughter and contending with her beloved father’s long battle with cancer.
Dara talks frankly about diving back in for this comeback; about being an older
athlete in a younger athletes’ game; about
competition, doubt, and belief; about working through pain and uncertainty; and
finally—about seizing the moment and, most
important, never giving up. A truly self-made legend, her story will resonate
with women of all ages—and with anyone daring to
entertain a seemingly impossible dream.
About the Author
DARA TORRES has set three world records and has brought home twelve Olympic
medals, including four golds. She is the first American
swimmer to have competed in five Olympics. She lives in Florida.
Buy the book at Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0767931904/runnersweb/102-0182896-9006569\
?v=glance&s=books

For more publications on running and triathlon visit:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/human_kinetics.html and
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/amazon.html



THIS WEEK'S FEATURES:

1. Master training: the importance of maintaining strength and power
Training for master athletes: plyometrics, explosive and maximal strength
training.
You can’t reverse the arrow of time, but according to John Shepherd, the good
news for master athletes is that a combined weights
and plyometric (mixed) training programme can help offset much of the
age-related decline in speed and power capability…
Master athletes are atypical compared to most sedentary adults, who display huge
physiological decline over their middle and older
years. However, despite this, the body of the master athlete still suffers the
‘typical’ physical decline (albeit far less so)
associated with ageing – eg a decline in speed- and power-producing fast-twitch
muscle fibres, and an associated declining muscle
mass. In this article, we’ll examine the ways that age-related physiological
decline can be slowed (and even reversed), with
specific reference to speed and power and muscle composition in master athletes.
Sprint times do decline
Sprint times do decline among the world’s elite master sprint performers. This
slowdown has been estimated as 5-6% per decade for
males and 5-7% per decade for females, with a more significant drop-off
occurring between the ages of 65 and 70 (1). With age,
muscle mass declines – in particular the proportion of fast-twitch (speed and
power producing) muscle fibres. This decline can be by
as much as 30% between the ages of 20 and 80 (see figure 1). Fast-twitch fibres
literally wither away with age as the nerves that
control them die. Looking at total muscle fibre decline – that’s including
fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibre – the biceps muscle of
a newborn baby, for example, has around 500,000 fibres, but 80 years later these
have reduced to 300,000. Why is this important?
Well, everything else being equal, a larger muscle can generate greater force.
And for those people who (like master sprinters) need
speed and power, a decline in fast-twitch fibre count will manifest itself in a
decline in these very capacities.
More...from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/master-training-importance-maintaining-strength-\
and-power-40888


2. Engineered Sports Foods: Convenience or Necessity?
By Nancy Clark, MS RD CSSD
To look at all the ads for sports drinks, energy bars, electrolyte replacers and
sports candies, you'd think these engineered
products are a necessary part of a sports diet, particularly if you are doing
endurance exercise such as training for a marathon or
a triathlon. When my clients ask for advice about how to use these products, I
first assess their daily sports diet to determine if
they can get—or are getting—what they want from standard foods (carbs, sodium).
In most cases, they can get their needs met with a
wisely chosen sports diet.
While there is a time and a place for engineered sports foods (particularly
among people who train at a high intensity), many
athletes needlessly waste a lot of money misusing them. The purpose of this
article is to help you become an informed consumer, so
you can wisely spend your hard-earned money.
Pre-Exercise Energy Bars
While fueling with a pre-workout PowerBar and Gatorade ($2-$3) is one way to
energize your workout, you could less expensively
consume 300 calories of banana+yogurt+water ($1) or pretzels+raisins+water
(50¢). Any of these choices are carbohydrate-rich and
will offer the fuel your muscles need for a stellar workout.
More...from Active.com at:
http://tinyurl.com/r9d5c6


3. Calibrating your Inner GPS:
Learning to Run by Feel.
When I started running way back in the 20th century, I wanted longer legs. Long,
lean legs for a flowing stride that would simply
eat up the ground. As a runner in the 21st century, I find that I need longer
arms. I’m up to my elbows in watches, GPS units,
heart-rate monitors, and iPods. And I’m not alone. Some runners look like they
are straight out of a science fiction movie—water
bottles in holsters circling the hips, gadgets running up and down the arms
relaying detailed information on location, position,
elevation, temperature, speed, heart rate, and distance from the target. A
pre-dawn encounter with a 21st-century runner in full
gear can be quite scary!
There is nothing wrong with our 21st-century technology. Over the last few
decades, remarkable advances such as heart-rate and
speed/distance monitors have enhanced our ability to better prescribe and
monitor training for a variety of runners. Coaching is now
so much easier, and new runners can avoid the problems runners in the 20th
century faced. Any training can now be adjusted to any
runner.
The problem is that we are at risk of becoming too dependent on the
technology—so dependent that we forget the art of learning our
bodies. And, learning our bodies is what this sport is about. After all, we
can’t predict the conditions for race day, so we need
some internal gauge to properly adjust our pace. How will you know how to adjust
your pace if your marathon day turns out to be hot
and muggy? What if it is windy? How can you adjust if you’ve only relied on
external devices to guide your training? Too often,
we’re slaves to the tools instead of using the tools to learn ourselves. We need
to calibrate our inner GPS.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=7203&PageNum=&CategoryID=


4. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine:
** Drop in Performance? Common Causes
1) The most common cause of a drop in performance in cycling, or any other
sport, is overtraining: going hard when you should go
easy. Hard-and- easy refers to intensity (speed and pressure on the pedals), not
to total mileage. On one day, you ride very fast
with your group, feel sore on the next day and go slowly for as many days as it
takes for the soreness to go away. When the soreness
goes away, you ride fast again. If you take hard workouts while your muscles are
still sore you can cause chronic muscle soreness.
2) A second cause is a low-salt syndrome caused by sweat loss. The only mineral
that you need in large amounts is sodium, common
table salt. All athletes have to salt food heavily and use lots of salt. Your
doctor can check for low-salt syndrome by having you
take a very hard workout on one day, replenish your fluids, and then draw blood
for sodium and chloride on the next morning. If you
are worried about developing high blood pressure, check your blood pressure
frequently.
3) The third most common cause is lack of vitamin D. Blood levels of vitamin D3
below 75 nmol/L can cause muscles to feel sore,
particularly in the wintertime.
4) You can also fail to recover adequately from intense workouts if you do not
carbohydrate- and protein-load within a half hour
after you finish a workout. Your muscles are maximally sensitive to insulin
during exercise and for up to a half hour after you
finish exercising. Sugar taken within a half hour after you finish your intense
workout will raise your blood sugar level enough to
increase insulin levels. Insulin then drives protein into cells to help you
recover faster.
5) Another cause of muscle soreness is not getting off your feet after intense
workouts. Muscles recover fastest when they are not
used. After intense workouts, lie down instead of sitting, standing or walking.
If you have had a marked drop in performance in your sport and none of these
causes applies to you, you may need a medical
evaluation.
** Dear Dr. Mirkin: Can deep massage help you recover faster from hard
exercise?
It may; a study from Chukyo University in Japan shows that a deep massage
technique called Petrissage improves cycle ergometer
pedaling performance, recovery from muscle stiffness and perceived lower limb
tiredness (British Journal of Sports Medicine, October
2008).
Petrissage is done by applying great pressure deep into the muscles, with
kneading, wringing, skin rolling and pick-up-and-
squeezing movements performed with the padded palmar surface of the hand,
fingers and thumbs.
** Dear Dr. Mirkin: Anything new for treatment of joint pain?
Two recent reports show that an extract from the inner membrane of an eggshell
helps to control the pain and flexibility of muscles
and joints in people suffering from osteoarthritis (Clinical Interventions in
Aging, May 19, 2009; Clinical Rheumatology, April
2009).
Glucosamine and chondroitin are extracts from cartilage that have been shown to
help control muscle and joint pain. The inner
membrane of egg shells contains glycosaminoglycans that are similar to these
cartilaginous extracts. Egg shell membrane may help to
control pain and suffering, but I am skeptical until further studies demonstrate
safety and effectiveness. The products are already
on the market before we have adequate data, and the studies are associated with
the company that sells the products.
** Older People Need More Sunshine
A study from the University of Warwick in England shows that more time in the
sun can help older people avoid diabetes and heart
attacks (Diabetes Care, July 2009). They evaluated 3,262 people aged 50-70
years old in Beijing and Shanghai, China, and found that
94 percent were low in vitamin D and 42 percent had metabolic syndrome:
abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, low HDL and high
blood sugar levels. This is consistent with world-wide studies that show that as
people age their skin atrophies, reducing their
ability to make vitamin D from sunlight. Seniors also usually exercise less so
they do not go outside as often. Since they are more
susceptible to cold, they usually wear more clothing when they do go outside.
Inadequate vitamin D increases risk for heart attacks,
strokes, certain cancers, arthritis, auto-immune diseases and many other health
problems.
A major function of vitamin D is to increase absorption of calcium from food.
When vitamin D levels are low, body levels of ionized
calcioum drop. This forces the parathyroid glands to increase production of
parathyroid hormone that blocks insulin receptors, to
raise blood sugar levels markedly and increase production of insulin. High
levels of insulin constrict coronary arteries to cause
heart attacks.
Vitamin D deficiency occurs when the concentration of D3 (25-hydroxy-vitamin D)
is less than 75 nmol/L. If you are deficient, you
need to expose skin to more sunlight or take at least 2000 IU of vitamin D3 per
day. To address skin cancer concerns, protect the
most frequently exposed areas, since it is cumulative life-long exposure to
sunlight that increases risk for skin cancer. For most
people, this means you should use sunscreen or wear clothing to cover your face,
scalp, neck, tops of the ears, forearms and hands
whenever you will be in the sun for more than 30 minutes.
From Dr. Mirkin's e_zine at:
http://www.drmirkin.com


5. iRun Women Online Survey:
www.irunwomen.ca is a web-based survey for ALL women runners, including:
low-to-moderately physically active women runners, recreationally
competitive women runners, AND elite competitive women runners.
The survey is anonymous. The survey needs to be completed all at once.
The survey will take approximately 25-35 minutes to complete.
The survey is NOW available on line until August 2009.
All woman involved in the sport of running are invited to participate in
this research. To get more information on the research study and/or to
participate in the survey go to www.irunwomen.ca
Please pass this information on to all your women runner friends throughout
Canada.
Elizabeth (Beth) Mansfield, MSc, RD
Registered Dietitian & Certified Exercise Physiologist
PhD Candidate, McGill University
School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition
mailto:elizabeth.mansfield@...
mailto:beth@...


6. This Week in Running:
10 Years Ago- Philip Tarus (KEN) won the 2nd edition of the Rock 'n' Roll
(CA/USA) Marathon with
a 2:08:33. Mbarek Hussein (KEN) was 2nd in 2:10:45 while John
Kemboi (KEN) was
3rd in 2:11:55. Irina Bogacheva (KGZ) won the women's race with
a 2:28:46 while
Russians Alla Zhilyayeva and Albina Gallyamova followed with
2:30:00 and 2:31:28
respectively. This race moved to the first weekend in June the
following year
and has been held on that weekend every year since then.
20 Years Ago- Eddy Hellebuyck (BEL) won the RevCo Cleveland (OH/USA) Marathon
with a 2:14:23.
Vladimir Kotov (BLR) was 2nd in 2:14:55; Kotov now lives in South
Africa.
Filemon Lopez (MEX) was 3rd in 2:15:33. In 4th, Doug Kurtis
collected another of
his 69 sub-2:20 marathons with a 2:16:19. Irina Bogacheva (KGZ)
won the women's
race in 2:35:55 with Irina Sklyarenko (UKR) 2nd in 2:39:01 and
Janis Klecker (USA)
in 3rd with 2:39:22. This was Bogacheva's second marathon win.
She would go on to
win 17 more covering a span of more than 17 years.
30 Years Ago- Joan Benoit (USA) ran 33:40.7 to win the AIAW Championships
(MI/USA) 10,000m.
Karen Cramond (USA) was next in 34:23.9 and Amy Laffoon (USA) was
3rd in 34:24.0.
40 Years Ago- Ken Moore (USA) won the Bay-to-Breakers (CA/USA) 12K by 15
seconds over Doug Wiebe (USA)
and Skip Houk who tied for 2nd, 38:40 to 38:55 (twice).
Six-year-old Mary Etta Boitano (USA)
won the women's race in 61:12.
50 Years Ago- John J Kelley (USA) won the Yonkers (NY/USA) Marathon in
2:21:54.4. Olympian Ted
Corbitt (USA) placed 11th in 2:44:42.
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.


7. The Road to Success, Paved With Bad Advice
THE talk, at the Expo Center at the Boston Marathon this year, had an intriguing
title: Using Biomechanics to Predict Running
Injuries. And the lecturer, Dr. Thomas W. Vorderer, a podiatrist at the division
of sports medicine at Children’s Hospital, one of
the Harvard hospitals, spoke with great conviction.
You can prevent injuries, Dr. Vorderer said, or, if you get them, can make them
heal if you learn the right way to stretch and if
you stretch regularly. And you should also learn the right way to run; in
general, he said, runners should strike the ground with
their heels first. If they strike with their midfoot or forefoot, he said, they
are just asking for injuries.
Dr. Vorderer speaks from experience: he was a competitive runner for years and
said he trained with fantastic coaches. And he says
he has helped countless runners rid themselves of chronic injuries by figuring
out why they were getting injured and teaching them,
for example, the right way to stretch. He has e-mail messages from grateful
patients, thanking him for solving problems that
threatened to end their running altogether.
But exercise physiologists say none of what he espouses has been established by
rigorous studies. Stretching evidence is so
inconclusive that two large studies are now under way that randomize people to
stretch or not and ask whether it prevents injuries,
does nothing or increases injury rates. No one knows what the answer will be.
As for running styles, a credible study in 2007 showed that running form often
depended on running speed. The slower people run, the
study found, the more likely they are to strike the ground with their heel
first. The same runners, going more slowly, run
differently from when they run fast.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/health/nutrition/28best.html?_r=1&ref=nutritio\
n


8. Plantar Fasciitis: the causes and treatment methods for foot injuries
Foot pain, don’t let it affect your performance
Plantar fasciitis is a common foot injury, which can plague male or female
athletes of any sport. As Alicia Filley explains, knowing
how to detect and prevent this injury can keep you training and away from the
physiotherapist’s clinic!
The fascia
Plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury whose incidence accounts for 10% of all
running injuries(1). A brief review of foot anatomy
and running biomechanics explains why this fibrous tissue is so important. The
foot’s amazing architecture enables it to be flexible
enough to accommodate changes in surface and speed, yet rigid enough to support
body weight and provide propulsion.
The plantar fascia plays a key role in these functions. It is located on the
plantar surface, or bottom, of the foot. It spans
between the anterior portion of the calcaneus, or heel bone, and the toes. It
helps to form the arch of the foot by serving as the
base of the truss. The tendon of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, also
known as the Achilles tendon, inserts into the heel
bone, just behind the plantar fascia
More...from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/plantar-fasciitis-causes-and-treatment-methods-f\
oot-injuries-40850


9. Running and Arthritis: Worse for the Wear?
The facts on whether 'you're ruining your knees'.
As health insurance premiums rise and employment rates fall, many Americans have
become particularly paranoid about their health.
We’re already strapped for cash. The last thing we need is to find out we have a
condition that sends us spinning into a virtual
turn style of referrals, co-pays, and pharmacies.
For the health-conscious runner, this is of particular concern. We rely on
running and expect it will serve as a fountain of youth,
the ultimate preventative against the effects of increasing age. So, what’s with
the old adage that running is bad for your knees?
Our beloved pastime couldn’t possibly be betraying our bodies, could it?
It’s time for a little myth debunking, anti-fear mongering words of wisdom:
running will not sentence you to being confined to a
motorized Rascal in your later years. In fact, studies suggest the effects are
quite the opposite. Among a long list of pros is the
prevention of osteoarthritis (OA), the most common type of arthritis in older
adults. Running isn’t bad for your knees; it’s good
for them.
Joint Solutions
Ligaments hold together every one of the many joints in the human body, and
those ligaments are stiffened and strengthened through
exercise, such as running. Stronger ligaments equate to more stable joints, and
more stable joints lead to less wear-and-tear
injuries, which means a lower risk of old injuries turning into OA later in
life.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=16646


10. Universal Sports- Athletics: Stockholm Marathon enjoys unique style:
From its afternoon start time to the inspiring course scenery, the Stockholm
Marathon is a unique race. One example: More than 5,000
runners come from neighboring Finland, and they generally arrive the night
before via ferry. Watch this year's race LIVE on
UniversalSports.com at 8 a.m. ET Saturday.
More...from Universal Sports at:
http://tinyurl.com/n4alh9


11. 'Invincible' athlete's death renews cardiac questions:
Every time an elite athlete dies suddenly from heart failure while competing –
and thankfully, that doesn't happen often – disbelief
and concern are the dominant reactions.
Such was the case Wednesday when triathlete, former professional cyclist and
ex-Davis resident Steve Larsen, 39, collapsed and died
on a track in Bend, Ore., during interval training with 40 other runners.
Medical examiners ruled the death the result of sudden
cardiac arrest; an autopsy is pending.
"I don't know a fitter human being," fellow triathlete Matt Lieto told the Bend
Bulletin. "I always thought of him as invincible."
Larsen's death, coming not so long after the sudden cardiac arrest deaths of
Ryan Shay during the 2007 Olympic Marathon trials and
Adam Nickel just after finishing 18th in the Little Rock (Ark.) Marathon in
2008, has made some wonder about the health and safety
of athletes in endurance sports.
Those raising concerns also point to the 1984 death of so-called running guru
Jim Fixx, who wrote the best-seller "The Complete Book
of Running" and dropped dead on the road of cardiac arrest.
Medical researchers and exercise scientists have long studied the effects of
exercise on the heart.
A study presented this month at the International Conference of the American
Thoracic Society in San Diego showed that marathon
runners' heartbeats and ventricle pumping capabilities had abnormalities
immediately after the race. But follow-up tests by
University of Manitoba (Canada) researchers showed the runners had no signs of
permanent injury to the heart.
The study rebuts a 2006 study in the journal Circulation that showed heart
abnormalities among 60 non-elite participants in the
Boston Marathon.
More...from the Sacramento Bee at:
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1882608.html


12. Technology for Your Marathon Training:
Today, the Gadgetwise blog debuts a new weekly Marathon Tech Review featuring
e-tools, gadgets and applications that runners can use
to monitor their workouts and train for race day.
In her first Friday review, Danielle Belopotosky tests out the Nike+ iPod Sport
Kit, which includes a sensor for your shoes that
collects information from your run. The gadget tracks pace, distance, duration
and calories burned, among other things. Danielle is
also training for her first marathon and will keep you updated on her progress
as she searches for gadgets and technology that can
make training easier.
To learn more, read the complete review on the Gadgetwise blog.
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/marathon-tech-review-nike-ipod/


13. 3 Ways to Prevent Running Injuries:
By Matt Fitzgerald
As a runner, understanding injuries and injury prevention is critical to your
longevity in the sport. A few years ago, Michael
Muller, a professor of physical therapy at Washington University, presented a
new theory of tissue adaptation to physical stress
that provides a helpful conceptual framework for runners seeking to stay healthy
without sacrificing performance.
Physical Stress Theory
Physical stress theory, as it is called, is based on the simple premise that
body tissues adapt in a predictable way in response to
changes in the relative level of physical stress they are exposed to. When
tissues are exposed to an accustomed level of stress,
they maintain their current structure and function at a state that is often
referred to as homeostasis.
When these same tissues are exposed to a slight or gradual increase in stress,
they modify their structure and function--after an
initial period of breakdown--to become more tolerant of that type of stress.
They achieve a new homeostasis at a greater level of
durability. For example, a recent animal study found that when rats were exposed
to a running program, fingerlike branches of new
tissue grew in the attachment between the tendons and muscles of their legs,
strengthening these important junctions. But if a
stress is increased too quickly or abruptly, the tissues never recover from the
initial period of breakdown. They lose their
homeostatic balance and progressively degenerate. All running overuse injuries
follow this pattern.
On the other hand, if the level of stress is reduced, the tissues adapt in the
other direction, finding a new homeostasis at a lower
level of durability and function.
More...from Active.com at:
http://tinyurl.com/qln3gb


14. Mass Swim Starts:
Practicing a mass swim start in the pool is a great drill to practice if you
have any race day anxiety about mass swim starts.
How to do it?
Simple: find a few friends, clear a few pool lanes and go!
Practice swimming down and back the length of the pool in close quarters with
your friends. Surge ahead or slip back to escape the
melee. Breathe to the opposite of a flailing arm or kicking leg and practice
sighting to both look where you are going and to find
less confined water space.
By practicing close up swimming in the safe environment of the pool, you will
become more comfortable in mass starts in open water
on race day.
Here's a link to a video I filmed demonstrating the drill at the recent She Does
Tri Camp for Women in Warrenton, VA in April.
http://usatriathlon.org/content/index/6241


15. Digest Briefs:
** Peaking by Coach Dean Yobbi
The outcome of any well-devised annual training plan should involve at least one
Peak Period. The Peak Period is the top of your
training plan pyramid, above the 8-week Build and 8-12-week Base periods. When
you're at your Peak, blood volume, red blood cells,
glycogen stores and leg power increase and lactic acid production at any given
power output decreases. Translation: You're ready to
race at maximum output.
In order to reach this physiological state, a reduction in training volume is
necessary. This scares a lot of endurance athletes who
fear fewer miles or laps means a loss of fitness.
During a Peak, every workout will be high in intensity but low in duration.
Weekly volume will also decrease. In between workouts,
you should do active recovery or no training. The goal is to be rested before
your workouts. Now is not the time to fret about
miles.
Every memorable season has a highlight or two. Make sure your annual training
plan can give you a chance to experience yours.
Dean Yobbi is an affiliate TrainingBible (www.TrainingBible.com) Coach and can
be reached at dyobbi@...


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

April 19 - June 21, 2009:
Trans Europe Footrace - Bari, Italy to Cape North, Norway (4485Km)
English Updates

May 29-30 2009:
Reno-Tahoe Odyssey Relay Run Adventure - NV

May 30, 2009:
Freihofer's Run for Women 5K - Albany, NY

Reebok Grand Prix - New York, NY

Stockholm Marathon - Sweden

U.S. Half Marathon - Sun Valley, ID

May 31, 2009:
SBS Christchurch Marathon - New Zealand

(The Original) Rock 'n' Roll Marathon - San Diego, CA

Team Ortho Downtowner Half Marathon - Minneapolis, MN

Toronto Women’s Half Marathon and 5k - Toronto, ON

ZOOMA Annapolis Half-Marathon - Annapolis, MD


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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Forward the Runner's Web Digest to a friend and suggest that they subscribe at:
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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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RUNNER'S WEB AFFILIATE PROGRAMS:
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All revenue from advertisers and affiliate programs goes into the support of
running and triathlon through sponsorship of events,
teams, clinics and fund raising programs for Canada's Olympic athletes.

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ShoeWallet.com has set out on a mission to enable people to easily carry ID and
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SportsShoes in the UK
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If you have an accident while running or cycling, do you want your family to be
contacted? Do you want to receive immediate and
proper medical treatment?
If so, make this cool item part of your gear -- for safety and peace of mind.
Road ID has created 4 awesome ways for athletes to
wear ID: the SHOE, the WRIST, the ANKLE, and the NECK. Get your RoadID at:
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The Stretching Handbook:
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/cmd.php?af=245575&u=http://www.thestretchin\
ghandbook.com/newsletter.php
The Stretching Video in a DVD version. With the DVD version you're able to use
the convenient menu facility to:
* Go directly to a specific stretch;
* View only stretches for a specific muscle group;
* Pause each stretch to get a good look at how it is performed;
* View only the introduction and rules for safe stretching; or
* Play the entire video from start to finish.

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