A FREE WEEKLY E-ZINE OF MULTISPORT RELATED ARTICLES. The Runner's and
Triathlete's Web Digest is a weekly e-zine dealing with the
sports of running and triathlon and general fitness and health issues. The
opinions expressed in the articles referenced by the
Digest are the opinions of the writers and not necessarily those of the Runner's
Web. Visit the Runner's Web at
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our daily news, features, polls, trivia, bulletin
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SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS: All of the revenue from our advertisers and affiliates
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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. Tara Quinn-Smith set a new course record
of 16:15.7 beating the 16:29 set by Nicole Stevenson
in 1996.
364 women completed the race with 33 women running under 20:00
The 2010 race will be run on June 19th..
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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I've created a Runner's Web Group on Facebook. To join the Runner's Web Facebook
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At the Runner's Web site, click "Join this group". Once I have approved your
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Race Directors: Advertise your event on the Runner's Web.
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NEW THIS WEEK:
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Fitzgerald.
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b

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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. Achilles Heel: your running technique is affected by the condition of your
Achilles tendon.
2. To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes
3. Extended sleep may give athletes a boost
4. Sheila's Nutrition Digest Vol 17 - Energy Bars: What to look for, real food
alternatives, and a great recipe
5. Training Tip - You Need Tune-Up Races
6. Muscular Imbalances and Triathletes
7. A Novel Way to Recover Quicker
8. Your Ironman is Over; What About Life As You Know It?
9. Beat The Heat
10. Peter Bennett Interview
11. This Week in Running
12. Balance training may help prevent ankle sprains
13. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine
14. Toolbox: Pedaling Asymmetry
15. Wincatherine


RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
"Which of the following women played the greatest role in advancing women's
distance running globally?"
Joan Benoit (Samuelson)
Lynn Jennings
Nina Kuscsik
Kathrine Switzer
Joan Ullyot
Grete Waitz


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:
"These marathons were rated the top 10 in the world by Runner's World. Which of
them belong in your top ten?
1 Amsterdam 8% 5
2 Berlin 10% 6
3 Boston 13% 8
4 Chicago 11% 7
5 Honolulu 10% 6
6 London 11% 7
7 New York City 11% 7
8 Paris 8% 5
9 Rotterdam 8% 5
10 Stockholm 8% 5


FIVE STAR SITE OF THE MONTH: We Are Triathlon
The dedicated triathlon website that gives you the inside track on the sport,
whether you're a seasoned Ironman or limbering up for
your first race. We've got top tips from the pros, the latest interviews, news,
blogs and forums, all within a supportive community
to get behind you in your next event.
Check it out at:
http://www.wearetriathlon.co.uk/

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


BOOK/VIDEO/MOVIE OF THE MONTH: On the Wings of Mercury: The Lorraine Moller
Story (Paperback)
By Lorraine Moller
LORRAINE MOLLER is one of New Zealand's greatest women distance runners. Four
times an Olympic contender, winner of three Avon
Women's Marathons, winner of the Boston Marathon, three times the winner of the
Osaka international Ladies' Marathon, and a
Commonwealth Games medallist, she is indeed a living legend of the running
world.
After a childhood plagued with illness, Lorraine, the teenager, began running
barefoot with her father near her home in Putaruru.
She went on to win a bronze medal in the marathon at the 1992 Barcelona Summer
Olympic Games at the age of 37. She traces her
development as a world-class competitor during a time when women's distance
running was just hitting its stride. A longtime battler
for equality and professionalism in distance running, Lorraine is upfront about
her battles with officialdom, her struggles with
relationships, and the inner demons she strove to conquer.
With the roman god Mercury as her guide, Lorraine's adventures in her pursuit of
Olympic gold underscores an intense inner journey
of self-examination and personal transformation. Here is a candid, personal
story of an extraordinary life: spirited, intelligent,
insightful, and highly entertaining.
From: www.onthewingsofmercury.com.
Buy the book from Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1877361992/runnersweb/102-0182896-9006569\
?v=glance&s=books
The book is also available at: http://www.lorrainemoller.com

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. Achilles Heel: your running technique is affected by the condition of your
Achilles tendon:
Having a short Achilles tendon may be an athlete’s Achilles heel.
Having a short Achilles tendon may be an athlete’s Achilles heel. Clever runners
are always trying to improve their running economy
(the rate at which oxygen is used to run at a particular pace) because better
economy (lower oxygen consumption) almost always
translates into better race times and lower perceptions of effort during quality
running!
Runners who do a lot of work on hills and carry out frequent race-speed
intervals have better economy than runners who train
differently, but researchers at the Laboratory for Functional Anatomy and
Biomechanics at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark
have recently identified two key anatomical factors which can also account for
differences in economy. These factors are
Achilles-tendon length and Achilles-tendon width. Basically, the longer and
slimmer the Achilles tendon, say the Danes, the more
economical is the athlete. The Danes had previously noticed that economy can be
nearly doubled in humans just by improving the
‘elastic energy return’ of the tendons in the legs. To understand elastic energy
return, think about what happens to the Achilles
tendons during running. As one of your feet swings forward prior to footstrike,
the Achilles tendon attached to that foot is
stretched out greatly. As your foot hits the ground and you roll forward over
the ball of your foot just before toe-off, your
stretched Achilles tendon ‘recoils’ (shortens) just as an extended rubber band
snaps back when it is released.
This recoil of your Achilles tendon is good, because it pulls up on your heel
and helps you pitch forward on to your toes for
toe-off. Best of all, it doesn’t cost you anything in terms of energy or oxygen.
The energy comes from ‘stored energy’ put into the
Achilles tendon when it was stretched. In other words, your poor abused calf
muscles don’t have to use up glycogen or gobble up
oxygen in order to get you into a more powerful toe-off position. That makes you
more economical! Because your Achilles tendons are
good at ‘returning’ energy, you’re a better, more efficient athlete. It follows
that if your Achilles tendons get even better at
returning energy, your economy should improve and your race times should slim
down, too. But what separates great Achilles tendons
from mediocre ones? To find out, the Danes studied a group of young athletes and
found that if an athlete has Achilles tendons that
are about 10% shorter than average, mechanical efficiency (economy) is hurt by
about 6%. On the other hand, if the Achilles tendons
are 10% longer than average, economy is enhanced by 8%. Why should this be true?
Longer Achilles tendons can be stretched to a
greater extent than short ones. The greater the length of a stretched tendon,
the greater the force it can apply when it snaps back.
The greater the force, the lower the reliance on glycogen and oxygen and the
better the economy.
More...from Peak Performance Online at:
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0963.htm


2. To Run Better, Start by Ditching Your Nikes:
Before the Nikes, before the breathable, antimicrobial running shorts, before
the personal fitness coaches, heart rate monitors,
wrist-mounted GPS and subscriptions to Runner’s World, you were a runner.
And, like all children, you ran barefoot.
Now, a small but growing body of research suggests that barefoot is the way
adults should run, too. So, many runners have been
shucking off the high-tech trainers in favor of naked feet — or minimalist
footwear like Nike Free, the Newton All-Weather Trainer
and the glove-like Vibram FiveFingers.
“People have been running barefoot for millions of years and it has only been
since 1972 that people have been wearing shoes with
thick, synthetic heels,” said Daniel Lieberman, a professor of human
evolutionary biology at Harvard University.
Strong evidence shows that thickly cushioned running shoes have done nothing to
prevent injury in the 30-odd years since Nike
founder Bill Bowerman invented them, researchers say. Some smaller, earlier
studies suggest that running in shoes may increase the
risk of ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis and other injuries. Runners who wear
cheap running shoes have fewer injuries than those
wearing expensive trainers. Meanwhile, injuries plague 20 to 80 percent of
regular runners every year.
But the jury’s still out on whether going barefoot is actually an improvement.
“The running shoe right now is doing nothing for preventing injuries,” said Reed
Ferber, director of the Running Injury Clinic at
the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Kinesiology. But, he adds, going barefoot
has downsides too, and the research so far is still
inconclusive. “It’s a total tradeoff.”
Chris McDougall, author of the recent book Born to Run, goes further. “If this
were a drug, it would be yanked off the market,” he
said of running shoes. McDougall says his own persistent problems with plantar
fasciitis cleared up after he started running in
Vibram FiveFingers.
More...from Wired Magazine at:
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/07/barefoot/


3. Extended sleep may give athletes a boost:
Stanford University researchers have an idea that may be something to sleep on.
If not enough sleep is bad, they wondered, could extended sleep be good?
They had a hunch that getting more than the usual amount would improve athletic
performance and mood — a theory they say has not
been explored by exercise physiologists.
The researchers asked five members of Stanford's women's tennis team to be their
guinea pigs. After following a normal sleeping
pattern for a few weeks, the students, ages 18 to 21, were asked to sleep
longer; the goal was 10 hours a night.
The study was conducted during their regular tennis season; athletic performance
and mood were measured after every practice
session.
Cheri Mah, a researcher at the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research
Laboratory and lead author of the study, acknowledged
that the athletes didn't always hit the 10-hour mark. But they noticed a
difference even if sleep was extended by a half-hour, she
says: The athletes' sprinting drills were faster, their hitting was more
accurate and deeper, and their mood improved.
The study was part of a research abstract presented in Seattle last month at the
annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep
Societies.
More...from USA Today at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-07-13-sleep-athletes_N.htm


4. Sheila's Nutrition Digest Vol 17 - Energy Bars: What to look for, real food
alternatives, and a great recipe
By Sheila Kealey
Sheila's Nutrition Digest
In this series, XC Ottawa (and OAC Racing Team) member Sheila Kealey will help
athletes choose the best foods for performance and
overall health. Sheila 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.
Energy bars are popular with many athletes because they are a quick and
convenient source of calories that are easy to eat during
workouts or as a handy snack. Traveling, training camps, and races are great
times to have bars on hand, since it’s important to
have a convenient supply of food close by to refuel your working muscles.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A BAR
XC Ottawa athletes enjoy Clif Bars for their great taste, and organic, wholesome
ingredients. Bars vary widely in their ingredients
and nutrient makeup, so check the ingredient list and avoid the glorified candy
bars! Remember to consume bars with the appropriate
amount of fluid. Here are some general guidelines:
Before or during workouts you want something that digests well and fuels your
muscles. Look for a bar high in carbohydrates (about
70% or more of calories from carbs). Individuals vary in what their gut can
tolerate, and this might depend on your activity (i.e.,
many people have better tolerance cycling vs running) so see what works for you.
For more intense workouts, some individuals might
want to avoid bars with a lot of fiber since they could cause gastric distress,
or avoid solid foods altogether and opt for sport
drinks only.
Post workout: Again, bars rich in carbohydrates are what you need to replenish
muscle glycogen. A higher protein bar may help your
muscles recover, or consume your bar with a source of protein (e.g., glass of
milk).
Snacks: Look for a bar with more protein (about 8g or more/bar) to maintain
blood sugar levels. Also, choose healthier bars - like
higher fiber bars and bars made whole grains rather than refined carbohydrates.
Better still - skip the bar and choose real foods
(see below).
Avoid any bars that contain trans fats, which have been linked to many diseases.
More...from the Runner's Web at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/news_2009/rw_news_20090715_SK_Energy_Bars.html


5. Training Tip - You Need Tune-Up Races:
For every runner who can't stop racing long enough to actually train, there's
her counterpart, the one who seems to be always
training and never racing. The latter runner is the type who avoids races unless
the last several months of training have gone
perfectly; otherwise, they figure, they'll fall short of their standards, and
what's the point in that? Better to keep training,
training, training so that things will go as they should on goal race day.
One problem with that approach is that it ignores the old coaching saw that the
best workout is a race. Most of us can do all the
mile repeats and tempo runs and time trials in the world and get really, really
fit, but still not race to our potential without
some practice at actually racing.
A large part of what tune-up races provide is psychological. Scott Bauhs, who
has run 27:48 for 10K, calls it "race mode," that
mental state that's nearly impossible to produce at other times. He says, "A lot
of people ask me what I think about when I'm
racing. I'm thinking about the guy in front of me, the guy beside me and the
stopwatch. Even the hardest workout is different,
because you still know there are very few repercussions if you let up. You can
still think about what you're having for dinner
during your rest, or you can still think about what your girlfriend is up to
right now. You can't think about those things when
you're racing."
Recent research supports the wisdom of Bauhs' take on these different mental
states. When you perform any singular task, your brain
creates a "bookmark" of it, so that when you repeat the task, you can more
easily produce the psychological state needed to perform
it well. So to go to that special place needed for peak performance, you have to
have been there before, ideally recently and
repeatedly.
Of course, you don't want to go to the extreme and run every race within a
100-mile radius. To learn the best mix of tune-up races
and training, we talked with leading coaches, runners and psychologists. Read
their recommendations on how best to benefit from
tune-up races here:
http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=16844


6. Muscular Imbalances and Triathletes:
By Kelly Wissolik
Endurance athletes spend copious hours training every week. Triathletes in
particular spend many hours in the pool, cranking out the
miles on the bike and pounding the pavement running. Because swimming, biking
and running require athletes to use large muscle
groups primarily in the sagittal plane of motion, triathletes will naturally
develop muscular imbalances. Triathletes generally
become very strong in the larger muscle groups such as the quadriceps,
hamstrings, shoulders and sometimes the upper back. While
these large muscle groups have a tendency to become over-developed, the smaller
stabilizing muscles such as the low back, core,
adductors and abductors often become relatively weak by comparison.
In looking at an example of a swimmer, one will see a swimmer with a well
developed Latissimus Dorsi, upper back, shoulders and
triceps. However, swimmers may not have strong chest and pectoral muscles.
Runners on the other hand usually have strong quads due
to their constant forward propulsion, yet are likely to have weak abductors and
adductors since these muscles are rarely engaged in
forward motion. Unlike a soccer or tennis player, a runner must focus on
specifically strengthening the stabilizing muscles or risk
being injured while trying to catch their balance when running over uneven
terrain or across slippery surfaces. If endurance
athletes are experiencing overdeveloped muscles such as quadriceps and
underdeveloped muscles such as abductors and adductors, this
will create imbalances that may lead to injury, biomechanical inefficiencies and
wasted effort. Fortunately, if the right attention
is brought to these areas, performance can be enhanced and the chance of injury
can be lessened.
Focusing on various core conditioning and balance movements, along with
stretching is an effective way to improve muscular
imbalances in triathletes and endurance athletes, all while sharpening mental
focus. Furthermore, triathletes will quickly be able
to use the body’s entire core strength to generate significantly more
sport-specific power! Power from the core will enable an
athlete to snap the hips and pull through the water much more powerfully in the
swim. A stronger core will improve power and enable
athletes to turn the pedal cranks with fluid, complete circles throughout the
entire pedal stroke on the bike. A strong powerful
core will aid in achieving a more aerodynamic position on the bike while
allowing the athlete to run successfully with a forward
lean off the bike.
The core is the catalyst to higher levels of performance and reduced potential
of injury. Achieving core stability will propel
athletes toward more fluid, efficient movements in every swim, ride and run,
because the core is at the center of all we do! The
core consists of the muscles of the abdominals, Torso and lower back. It is the
vital link between hip and shoulder stability and it
includes such muscle groups as the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis,
internal and external obliques, the erector spinae and
many small stabilizer muscles between the vertebrae of the spine. With the right
types of recruitment and targeted exercises
athletes can help the core work together creating a framework of efficiency,
leading to higher performance!
Invest the time to find your muscular imbalances – your health, safety and
performance will be elevated to a whole new level.
Read more about muscular imbalances
(http://www.energyfitnesscoaching.com/article.cfm?id=141)
About the Author
Coach Kelly Wissolik is an elite triathlete and professional triathlon coach
(USAT Level 2 Certified). As an Energy Fitness Coach,
she performs Functional Strength Assessments on her athletes and provides them a
detailed analysis and personalized exercise drills
to correct muscular imbalances. Visit her website at
www.energyfitnesscoaching.com.


7. A Novel Way to Recover Quicker:
By Mary Dinehart-Perry
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is common among all triathletes from
beginners to elite and tends to be more severe at the
beginning of a training season, after a period of reduced activity, or with
changes in intensity and duration. Although numerous
hypotheses exist as to why this may occur from lactic acid and muscle damage to
inflammation, it is still unknown as to the best way
to recover quicker (1).
Varying results have been shown with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDS), massage, cryotherapy, stretching and electrical
stimulation, while reducing the intensity and duration of exercise 1-2 days
following DOMS is thought to be most effective (1). A
recent study may shed light on a novel way to address this issue.
In a previous USAT article, the well known anti-inflammatory properties of fish
oil, rich in omega-3 fatty acids (primarily EPA and
DHA) were addressed with regards to improvements in athletic performance. In
healthy individuals supplemented daily with 2.5 grams
of EPA and DHA for 35 days, there were significant improvements in inflammatory
markers, as well as improved feelings of vigor and
decreased negative mood associations such as anger, anxiety, fatigue, depression
and confusion (2). In addition, supplementation
with EPA and DHA was shown to significantly improve reaction times (3). Although
the anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil are a
relatively new concept with regards to athletic performance, reducing delayed
muscle soreness may be one more benefit to add to its
growing list.
In a recent study published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine,
untrained men were either placed into a fish oil (EPA and
DHA), placebo or control group, and performed bench stepping training with an
eccentric pattern. Indirect markers of muscle soreness
were measured including perceived pain, thigh circumference (indicator of muscle
inflammation), and range of motion in the knee
joint. Compared to the placebo and control group, at 48 hours post exercise,
individuals in the EPA and DHA group showed significant
improvements in measures of perceived pain and range of motion, with decreases
in thigh circumference at 24 to 48 hours post
exercise (4).
All triathletes are plagued by muscle soreness at some point throughout their
training schedule. While the data on other treatment
strategies is inconclusive and may even mask pain to the point of injury
(NSAIDS), supplementation with EPA and DHA proves to be a
natural anti-inflammatory that improves recovery, overall enhancing personal
performance.
1. Cheung K, Hume P, Maxwell L. Delayed onset muscle soreness: treatment
strategies and performance factors. Sports Med.
2003;33(2):145-64. Review.
2. Fontani G, Corradeschi F, Felici A, Alfatti F, Bugarini R, Fiaschi AI,
Cerretani D, Montorfano G, Rizzo AM, Berra B. Blood
profiles, body fat and mood state in healthy subjects on different diets
supplemented with Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Eur
J Clin Invest. 2005 Aug;35(8):499-507.
3. Fontani G, Corradeschi F, Felici A, Alfatti F, Migliorini S, Lodi L.
Cognitive and physiological effects of Omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in healthy subjects. Eur J Clin
Invest. 2005 Nov;35(11):691-9.
4. Tartibian B, Maleki BH, Abbasi A. The effects of omega-3 supplementation on
pulmonary function of young wrestlers during
intensive training. J Sci Med Sport. 2009 Jun 10. [Epub ahead of print]
Mary Dinehart-Perry MS, RD, LDN is the Clinical Trials Coordinator for USA
Triathlon Gold Partner Zone Labs Inc.
From USA Triathlon


8. Your Ironman is Over; What About Life As You Know It?
Fast forward to Tuesday or Wednesday after your Ironman. It's very likely that
you're sitting on the couch, with your shattered legs
on the coffee table, scratching your sunburned head as you try to remember your
dog's name--which you've forgotten--because all
you've thought about for the past 6-9 months is Ironman. Your former constant
thoughts about training, racing, nutrition, transition
bags, carbon aero widgets, and what-I-have-to-pack-for-my-workouts-tomorrow have
now been replaced with a single, all-consuming
thought:
What do I do now?
At Endurance Nation we have a lot of experience guiding athletes successfully
through a critical, and often messy, four weeks post
Ironman before they pick up the rest of the season. A proper transition is
critical to make sure that your fitness is where you want
it to be once you are done recovering.
Some of you are planning ahead for another 70.3 or Ironman event, some of you
might have a marathon on the books for the fall, some
of you (hopefully more than a few!) are ready to kick back for a bit and then
begin training for next year. Regardless of your
goals, a proper transition will make sure that you have recovered mentally and
physically. This combination is a pre-requisite for
being able to resume training, much less thinking, about a race. We have seen
the harm that unguided athletes can do to their
seasons -- and their long-term health -- through improper recovery. Follow our
guidance to avoid those pitfalls and make sure you
are positioned to take advantage of the fitness your Ironman race day brings.
More...from TriFuel.com at:
http://trifuel.com/training/triathlon-training/your-ironman-is-over-what-about-l\
ife-as-you-know-it


9. Beat The Heat:
By Coach Matt Russ
Unfortunately, heat is not something you can “beat,” but you can optimize your
performance by preparing for and acclimating to it.
It is important to understand your body’s individual physiological response to a
hot and/or humid environment, and how much energy
it must expend to cool itself. You may be surprised that most of the chemical
energy used for muscular contraction is lost as heat--
up to 90% at high intensities! And we must maintain core temperature in a range
of 35-42°C during exercise or our bodies will shut
down. The worst conditions an athlete can face are hot, humid, sunny, and
windless, in which exercise is occurring at a high rate of
intensity.
Lance Armstrong brought an interesting device into the media spotlight during
his last Tour. The Corecontrol glove is a relatively
simple tool used to help cool the body down. The athlete places their hand in
the glove and a slight vacuum is applied while the
hand is cooled. Why the hand? The body loses heat rapidly from certain areas of
the body where there is more blood flow, such as the
face, feet, and hands. Why would this make a difference? As noted, our bodies
expend enormous amounts of energy to maintain core
temperatures, and in an event such as a time trial, in which the podium is
gained by fractions of a second, even a slight cooling
effect will make a difference. Obviously, cooling the body is of great
importance for optimal athletic performance.
More...from the Sport Factory at:
http://thesportfactory.com/site/trainingnews/Beat_The_Heat.shtml


10. Peter Bennett Interview:
Dr. Peter Bennett is a practicing doctor of naturopathic medicine who works out
of Langley, British Columbia. He is an expert in
Traditional Chinese medicine, chelation therapy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy,
diet, nutrition, herbal extracts, homeopathy, physical
medicine and intravenous nutrition. He is the author of two books: the 7 day
detox miracle, which was featured on the LA Times best
seller list, and Energize Your Life, a manual to help people start eating,
moving and relaxing their way to more energy in their
lives. He has also made a name for himself in elite athletic circles, working
with such athletes as Gary Reed and Diane Cummins,
providing them with diet, performance nutrition and recovery strategies designed
to maximize their performance levels.
Listen to the podcast at:
https://apps.rampinteractive.com/athleticscoaching/mymediaview.aspx?id=783
[*Free Log-in Required*]


11. This Week in Running:
10 Years Ago- John Korir (KEN) won the Utica Boilermaker (NY/USA) 15K in 43:00
with David
Makori (KEN) 2nd in 43:06 and Abner Chipu (RSA) 3rd in 43:10.
Catherine Ndereba
(KEN) outran Lornah Kiplagat (KEN) to win the women's race, 48:52
to 49:08.
Margaret Okayo (KEN) was 3rd in 49:09.
20 Years Ago- American men went 1-2-4 at the Utica Boilermaker (NY/USA) 15K
with Jon Sinclair
winning over Bill Reifsnyder, 44:06 to 44:13. Rex Wilson (NZL)
was 3rd in 44:21
while Ben McIntosh was 4th in 44:45. American women went 1-3-4
with Michelle Bush
winning in 52:35 ahead of Jacqueline Gareau (CAN) at 52:48. Lisa
Vaill and Cynthia
Girard rounded out the top four with 53:11 and 53:34
respectively.
30 Years Ago- Eamonn Coghlan (IRL) was first across the finish at the AAA
(English) Championship
5000m with a 13:23.54 but Michael McLeod took the title with
13:24.25 (2nd). Rod
Dixon (NZL) was 3rd in 13:24.7 while Henry Rono (KEN) was 4th in
13:27.0.
40 Years Ago- David Bedford (ENG) won a 5000m in London ENG with a 13:42.8.
Geoff North (ENG)
was 2nd in 13:44.4 and Roger Matthews (ENG) was 3rd in 13:51.6.
50 Years Ago- Bruce Tulloh (ENG) won the AAA 3 mile title in 13:31.2 over Kevin
Gilligan (GBR)
at 13:36.4 and Stanley Eldon (ENG) at 13:38.6.
60 Years Ago- Alain Mimoun won the French 5000m title on Saturday in 14:40.8
and came back on Sunday
to win the 10,000m title in 31:28.2.
70 Years Ago- Donald McNab Robertson (SCO) won the AAA Championship (ENG)
Marathon in 2:35:37, defeating
Squire Stevens Yarrow (ENG) by more than two minutes (2:37:50).
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.


12. Balance training may help prevent ankle sprains:
Athletes who have suffered an ankle sprain can significantly cut their chances
of spraining their ankle again by doing balance
exercises, a study from the Netherlands shows.
Ankle sprains are common and costly injuries. In the United States, an estimated
23,000 people sprain their ankle every day, while
in the Netherlands, an estimated 234,000 ankle sprains are suffered annually,
costing more than 84 million euros. Athletes are at
high risk of repeat injury in the first year after an ankle sprain.
In the July 10th online issue of the British Medical Journal, Dr. Willem van
Mechelen from VU Medical Center, Amsterdam and
colleagues report that an unsupervised, in-home 8-week training program made up
of a series of exercises to improve balance and
motor coordination skills is effective in preventing re-injury to the ankle.
More...from Reuters at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE56C5ND20090713


13. Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine:
** Muscle Loss with Aging
As you age, it takes more effort and time to walk up stairs, mow the lawn, fix a
faucet or wash the dishes. Tasks that you did
without effort when you were younger can become major ordeals that leave you
exhausted when you are older. Dr. Jerome Fleg, a
cardiologist at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, tested 800 men
and women over several years and found that their
ability to sustain exercise decreased rapidly as they aged. The older they
became the faster they lost what researchers call aerobic
capacity (Circulation, July 26, 2005). Aerobic capacity is a measure of your
ability to use oxygen to do work. If your body can
process more oxygen than that of another person, usually you will be able to run
faster, walk or work longer, and have more energy
than that person. The men and women lost three to six percent per decade in
their 20's and 30's , and 20 percent per decade in their
70's. The men lost aerobic capacity faster than the women. The men lost 8.3
percent of aerobic capacity in their 40's and 23 percent
per decade in their 70's.
This study was done with people who were healthy enough for vigorous exercise on
a treadmill that measured their exercise capacity.
People who have had heart attacks, strokes, diabetes or other wasting diseases
would lose aerobic capacity much faster than healthy
people. The results showed that a regular exercise program can increase exercise
capacity by up to 25 percent, which would give the
older participants the same exercise capacity as you would expect in people who
are twenty years younger.
The loss of aerobic capacity with aging explains why older people cannot compete
effectively against younger ones in endurance
events. The good news is that a regular exercise program can increase your
maximum heart rate. By exercising regularly and
vigorously, your will develop stronger skeletal muscles. When you contract your
leg muscles, they squeeze against the veins in your
legs and pump blood toward your heart. When your leg muscles relax, the veins
dilate and fill with blood. This alternate contacting
and relaxing pumps extra blood toward your heart. The extra blood returned to
the heart stretches and strengthens the heart muscle,
causing it to beat faster and with more force. So strengthening your leg muscles
increases your maximum heart rate, even as you age.
** Getting Rid of Excess Belly Fat
Sit-ups will not get rid of belly fat because you cannot get rid of fat in a
certain area just by exercising the muscles underneath
that fat. You will lose the most belly fat by exercising
intensely in any sport (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, November
2008). Three groups of overweight, middle-aged women
who suffered from Metabolic Syndrome completed 16-week programs of:
(1) continuing their existing levels of activity with no change;
(2) low-intensity exercise training five times a week at a level that did not
cause breathing hard; and (3) high-intensity exercise
training with three days a week hard enough to become short of breath and two
days a week at an intensity not becoming short of
breath. Cat scan X rays and air displacement plethysmography studies showed
that the high intensity exercisers lost belly fat, both
underneath their skin and inside their bellies. The low-intensity exercisers
lost no measurable belly fat.
Storing extra fat in the belly causes people to become diabetic. Full fat cells
produce hormones that prevent the body from
responding to insulin so that blood sugar rises too high,
causing sugar to stick to cells and damaging cells anywhere in thebody. Those
who store fat primarily in the belly are the ones
most likely to suffer high rises in blood sugar. If you store fat primarily in
your belly, have high blood levels of triglycerides
and sugar, and low levels of the good HDL cholesterol, you meet the definition
of Metabolic Syndrome and the odds are that you are
diabetic, or will become diabetic soon. You are likely to suffer a premature
death unless you make major lifestyle changes: lose
weight, exercise, avoid refined carbohydrates (except during exercise), and make
sure you get enough vitamin D.
Exercise can cause heart attacks in people with blocked arteries, and intense
exercise increases the risk. Almost 80 percent of
diabetics die of heart attacks. Check with your doctor before starting a new
exercise program or increasingthe intensity of your
existing program.
** Dear Dr. Mirkin: Should a 65 year-old man who gets weaker every year take
testosterone?
Testosterone lowers body fat and increases muscle size and strength in older men
(The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and
Metabolism, June 2009). Men in their seventies received a skin patch containing
5 or 10 grams per day of testosterone for 16 weeks.
Their muscles enlarged, they became stronger and had greater endurance and lost
a lot of whole-body and trunk fat. However, I do
not recommend using testosterone because all of the research on the subject to
date fails to tell if taking testosterone increases
risk for arteriosclerosis, heart attacks or prostate cancer. We do know that it
can raise blood pressure and cholesterol; in this
study blood pressures rose 12mm systolic and 8mm diastolic.
** Dear Dr. Mirkin: My job requires a lot of heavy labor; is there anything I
can take to keep from feeling exhausted?
In one study, fire-fighters did far more work when they snacked frequently on a
sugar and caffeine field pack. Those who took sugar
and 665 mg of caffeine (the amount in six cups of coffee) had more energy and
did more work than those who took sugar and only 100
mg of caffeine (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, November 2008).
Athletes have known this for more than 60 years. Virtually all of the bicycle
racers in the Tour de France take caffeine and sugar.
Low sugar stores in muscles cause you to feel tired and your muscles to hurt.
Caffeine causes muscles to burn more fat and preserve
muscle sugar stores. Sugar provides immediate energy for your muscles.
However, taking sugar when your muscles are not contracting
increases risk for diabetes and heart attacks. Contracting muscles remove sugar
rapidly from the bloodstream to use it for energy.
This effect lasts maximally for 30 minutes after you stop exercising and tapers
off completely after about 17 hours. When your
muscles are not contracting, your cells are far less sensitive to insulin and
blood sugar levels rise much higher, so it is never a
good idea to take sugared foods or drinks more than a half hour after you stop
exercising.
See last week's issue for more on caffeine:
http://www.drmirkin.com/public/ezine071209.html
** Iron Supplements
Many people remember the old "tired blood" ads for iron pills and still believe
that iron supplements can treat fatigue. However, no
one should take iron pills unless blood tests show a deficiency. Several studies
have shown that high blood levels of iron are
associated with an increased risk of suffering heart attacks and cancers,
particularly, those of the esophagus and bladder. A study
from Harvard showed that it may be the meat source of iron, rather than just the
iron itself, that causes the heart attacks and
cancers. People who eat a lot of meat, fish and chicken have higher blood levels
of iron than vegetarians. The iron in meat, fish
and chicken is called heme iron, which is absorbed at a very high level, around
10-20 percent. On the other hand, the iron that you
get from plants is absorbed very poorly; only one to three percent of the iron
from leafy green vegetables and other plant sources
of iron is absorbed.
Other studies show that iron deficiency can be healthful. Before the bad LDL
cholesterol can form plaques in arteries, it must be
converted to oxidized LDL and iron causes this reaction. Lack of iron reduces
your chances of forming plaques in your arteries and
suffering heart attacks and strokes.
Less than 50 percent of the iron in your body is in your red blood cells. Most
iron is in your iron reserves in your liver, spleen
and other tissues. Your body needs iron to make red blood cells and if your body
does not contain enough iron, you will become
anemic, but you will not become anemic until you have depleted all your iron
reserves. You can be iron deficient but not anemic when
you have an adequate supply of red blood cells, but no iron reserves. Iron
deficiency does not make you tired unless you are also
anemic, but it can tire athletes exercising at their maximum.
You can find out if your iron level is too high by asking you doctor to draw
blood for a test called transferrin iron binding
saturation. People with a transferrin iron binding saturation of more than 60
percent are at increased risk for developing heart
attacks and cancers. If your level is greater than 60 percent, you can reduce
your intake of iron by restricting meat, fish, chicken
and iron-supplemented foods, and you can get rid of extra iron by donating blood
six or more times a year.
If your blood iron levels are low and you are not anemic, you need a special
test called ferritin to measure iron reserves. If your
ferritin is low, your doctor will look for a source of bleeding such as heavy
menstruation or bleeding in your intestinal tract. If
no serious source is found, you need no treatment unless you are a highly
competitive athlete. More on chronic fatigue
** Bunions (Hallux Valgus)
A bunion is a bony prominence on the side of the foot, at the base of the big
toe joint. This enlargement of the joint, spurring,
bump or lump can be aggravated by sports or tight shoes. There is progressive
movement of the big toe toward the other toes. As the
“bump” gets bigger, shoes can increase pressure on the base of the big toe
causing more and more discomfort or pain.
Bunions take years to develop, Flat feet with high flexibility are most likely
to form bunions. Abnormal mechanics increase the
bunion formation over time. Other causes of bunions include osteoarthritis,
gout, rheumatoid arthritis, trauma, and neurovascular
disease.
The most common complaint with bunions is pain that develops over the large bump
due to shoe pressure. A red, inflamed area can
develop, called a bursa. The inflammation can cause throbbing as it presses
against the blood vessels or swells in the joint.
Shooting pains occur when the swelling presses against the nerve. If left
untreated, the constant irritation can lead to arthritis
that breaks down the joint, resulting in pain and stiffness.
The size of the bunion doesn't necessarily correlate with the amount of pain.
Some bunions are very small and hurt terribly. Others
are very large and may not hurt at all. As bunions get larger, they can press
against the adjacent toes causing them to contract.
These contracted toes (hammertoes) are then prone to friction and pressure that
causes corns or calluses. Shoes that are tight or
those with high heels usually increase pain and deformity with bunions.
Treatments:
• Roomier or specially constructed shoes
• Orthotics (inserts) for the shoes
• bunion pads to reduce pressure and rubbing
• resting and elevating the foot
• anti-inflammatory and pain medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen on a very
limited basis
Orthotics may slow or stop the progression and decrease the pressure on the
bunion by limiting the rubbing against it. To see if
orthotics will help you, have your podiatrist apply a taping that will mimic
what an orthortic will do. If that relieves the pain,
you need new orthotics. If the taping doesn't help, new orthotics probably will
not help either.
If these methods fail and the pain is unbearable, then surgery may be suggested.
Bunion surgery is performed to improve function or
prevent pain by improving alignment and function to the big toe joint. The large
bump is removed and (sometimes) a cut is made into
the bone to move it to a more normal position. Screws, pins, and wires can be
used beneath the skin to improve healing and results.
Healing can range from 3-12 weeks, depending on the procedure. More from:
http://www.mirkinfoot.com/bunion.php
From Dr. Mirkin's e_zine at:
http://www.drmirkin.com


14. Toolbox: Pedaling Asymmetry:
Pedaling is such a simple thing that most cyclists never think about it.
However, any little improvement in the biomechanics can go
a long way to improving overall comfort and efficiency, along with decreasing
the risk of injury. We know we each have a strongly
preferred throwing arms, but do we have preferred pedaling legs?
Cycling is dictated by the rigid and repetitive motion of turning the cranks,
making an optimal interface between the body and bike
crucial. When pedaling over 5000 times every hour, it truly becomes critical to
understand as much as we can about the biomechanics
of the pedaling motion. This is important not just for optimizing performance,
but also to minimize the risk for injury.
We’ve said it before, but nothing beats a personalized bike fit by a
professional who knows their stuff. However, even with an
optimized bike fit, one hidden elephant in the room is that we are not mirror
images of ourselves. Specifically, our right and left
sides are not built equally.
First Amongst Equals
Externally, our right and left sides look pretty much alike. However, we are all
familiar with the fact that each of us possesses
varying degrees of ambidexterity, from our preferred eating and writing hands to
whether we are right-handed batters or hockey
shooters. Over time, the repetitive use of that one dominant hand or side
logically must cause differences in the balance of the
skeleton and muscles between the two sides.
Such is amply evident in very side-specific athletes, such as baseball pitchers,
where the bone thickness and muscle strength can be
dramatically higher in the dominant arm. Such marked side-dominance can
eventually emerge in the form of injury through to muscle
imbalances. Does the same side-dominance hold true for the lower body and legs,
though?
More...from Pez Cycling at:
http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=7181

15. Wincatherine:
Catherine set to defend her NYC Half Marathon Title in great company!
It was announced today that Catherine will be defending her NYC Half Marathon
title this year and running with a great field. Deena
Kastor and Lornah Kiplagat will both be among the women competing. I interviewed
Lornah last year during the NYC Marathon where she
was a spectator and again in Kenya a few short months ago. Deena has agreed to
participate in the film and I look forward to
interviewing her as soon as I raise the budget :) This is the fourth year for
the NYC Half Marathon race and Catherine won the first
and third years and came in a very close second the second year! All three women
are coming off of injuries earlier in the year;
Catherine with her toe injury from the London Marathon, Lornah with a knee
injury back in March and Deena suffered an inflammation
of the same foot she broke during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The three would
have competed in the NYRR New York Mini 10K back in
June if it weren't for the injuries. Catherine was the only one able to run and
she did well for still nursing a sore toe; she was
4th.
Catherine arrived yesterday from London and it will be good to see her! I
haven't seen her since leaving Kenya May 31st. Summer is
definitely in full swing back in Norristown, PA with the athletes house slowly
filling up as everyone is training for the road races
scheduled all over. This is the time of year that Lisa, as manager, is the
busiest and she can usually be found driving to or from
the airport, to or from the chiropractor will a van full of athletes, to or from
the track or various other destinations with
Catherine and the other athletes!
My journey to tell the story of how World Champion Kenyan marathon runner
Catherine Ndereba has inspired many through her running
and how her faith has guided her. This story will explore the many ways she
stands as a role model for Kenyan women and girls and
how she inspires others to pursue their education and dreams and not be bound by
the traditional role women have been bound to in
Kenya. Check back often as I'm sure the scope of this will change and evolve
through time.
More...from Wincatherine at:
http://www.wincatherine.blogspot.com



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

July 18, 2009:
Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Runs - South Lake Tahoe, CA
USA 100 Mile Trail Championships

July 19, 2009:
Jungle Run Half Marathon / 10K - Los Gatos, CA

Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon - Napa / Sonoma, CA

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
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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