**NOTE:**

There will be no Digest on Friday , September 25th as I will be travelling that
week. The Digest will resume publication on Friday,
October 2nd.

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

3. Toronto Waterfront Marathon, September 27, 2009
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/STWM_Transporter.html

4. 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/

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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/

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

9. 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/

10. ING Philadelphia Distance Run:
The Half-Marathon race will be run on September 20, 2009.
http://www.philadelphia.competitor.com


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

Shop Nike:
http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/click?lid=41000000028587454

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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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\
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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

* 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

* 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. What Factor is Most Important for Marathon Success?
Cohort Studies Don't Shed Much Light on the Matter
2. Caffeine on the brain
Don't overdo it: Moderation is key for health benefits.
3. Aging Muscles: 'Hard To Build, Easy To Lose'
4. Video: Masters Stars Demonstrate Running Form Drills.
5. Common Food Myths and Facts
Nutrition nuggets every runner should know.
6. Good Stretch? Bad Stretch?
How to decide for yourself - Learn how to decide which stretch is right for you.
7. Great 5K Workouts
8. Better Running Calculator
9. Phys Ed: What Sort of Exercise Can Make You Smarter?
10. Grooving Goal Pace
Workouts to dial in your marathon pace.
11. The Importance of the Taper
12. Feminine trials
Their bulky shoulders and bulging thighs may win championships. But accusations
of manliness still affect many female athletes' body
image.
13. Ask the Experts: Is it IT Band Syndrome or Not?
14. Exercise Tailored to a Hijab
15. Digest Briefs


RUNNER'S WEB WEEKLY POLL:
Which City will win the bid to host the 2016 Olympics?
Chicago
Madrid
Rio de Janeiro
Tokyo

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 charity fund raising aspect affected races?"
Answers Percent Votes
1 Positively 17%
2 Negatively 75%
3 No impact 8%


FIVE STAR SITE OF THE MONTH: Tirunesh Dibaba
"Hi there! My name is Tirunesh Dibaba and welcome to my official website.
For those of you who don't know me, I am the double Olympic 5000m and 10000m
champion; four-time world champion over the 5000m and
10000m; and a world record holder over the indoor and outdoor 5000m. In 2003, I
was the youngest ever individual gold medalist at a
world championship and also a three-time world cross country champion.
I hope this website gives you, my loyal fan, the chance to know more about me
and my career. For the next two weeks, we will also
have a special section featuring news and information about my wedding to
Sileshi Sihine. Feel free to browse across all sections
and don't forget to post a comment on my guestbook."
Visit the site at:
http://tiruneshdibaba.net/


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


BOOK/VIDEO/MOVIE OF THE MONTH: Second Wind
The Rise of the Ageless Athlete
Second Wind: The Rise of the Ageless Athlete is an inspiring account of a
growing subculture of Americans who are challenging the
notion of what it means to grow old. These baby boomers can hardly be considered
old, yet this huge group is rewriting the rules of
aging. These stories of trials and perseverance will motivate you to achieve
your best.
For more information or to buy the book visit:
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?associate=880&isbn=9780736\
074919
For more publications on running and triathlon visit:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/human_kinetics.html and
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/amazon.html


THIS WEEK'S FEATURES:

1. What Factor is Most Important for Marathon Success?
Cohort Studies Don't Shed Much Light on the Matter
Since the 1970s, exercise scientists have been keenly interested in discovering
the elements of training and fitness which are most
important for marathon success. The earliest studies focused on ingredients
such as maximal aerobic capacity, weekly training
mileage, number of miles per workout, training intensity (speed), running
economy, age, height, and weight, attempting to link these
variables with marathon finishing time.
One of the first such investigations was carried out by R. D. Hagan and his
colleagues at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
in Dallas (1). Hagan and company studied 35 female runners, age 19 to 54 years,
who trained for and competed in the Dallas White
Rock Marathon in 1980. Hagan's harriers were varied in experience and ability;
19 were novice marathoners, and the other 16 had
completed three or more marathons prior to White Rock.
Based on this careful, cohort study, Hagan and co-workers developed a predictive
equation for marathon finishing time, as follows:
Marathon Performance Time (in minutes) = 449.88 - (7.61) X (average number of
kilometers run per day) - (.63) X (average training
pace in meters per minute)
Please take note of what Hagan's equation suggests. First, your finishing time
for the marathon should be 449.88 minutes, or about
seven hours and 30 minutes, if you carry out no training whatsoever. This is
probably not far off the mark for individuals of
average physical capacity: I once attempted to run the London Marathon on a base
of zero miles per week and soared past the half-way
point in about 3:30, before taking the Tube to the post-race party. Had the
underground stop not been positioned conveniently at
mid-race, an omission which would have forced me to roam onto the Isle of Dogs
in East London to continue the 26.2-mile event, I
probably would have slowed my searing pace somewhat over the second half of the
competition, perhaps producing a 7:30 finish.
Second, please notice that Hagan's tinkering indicates that both training volume
and training intensity are predictive of marathon
success. In fact (as you can readily see from the numbers above), each
additional kilometer run per day seems to shave 7.61 minutes
from marathon finishing time. That seems to be a rather significant return on
investment, given that the average runner can cover a
kilometer in just four to five minutes or so, which is not too large an
infringement on one's daily time in front of the television.
As you will notice, also, the lucky runner who can manage a daily diet of
greater than 59.1 kilometers will finish the marathon
before he/she even starts it!
The factor (.63) associated with average training pace is also quite
interesting, suggesting that a mere average training-speed
upswing of a miserly one meter per minute will cut about (.63) (60) = 38 seconds
from marathon clocking. True, the four-hour-plus
marathoner may not be much interested in this, but the 2:06 man and the 2:20
woman surely will be. Note, also, that covering just
20 meters more in each minute of training will clip about 12:36 from end time,
surely a strong incentive to pick things up a bit on
easy runs.
However, a second glance reveals that 20-meter per minute swings are not so easy
to attain. Let's say, for example, that you
usually run your workouts at about 268 meters per minute, which happens to be
six-minute per mile pace. Moving up to 288 meters per
minute does not sound bad in the abstract, but bear in mind that such a move
means you'll now have to saunter along at 5:35 tempo,
clearly involving a major change in perceived effort.
Note, too, that Hagan's equation contains a strong element of circularity. That
is, superior runners tend to run their workouts
faster, compared with less-accomplished competitors. Superior runners also tend
to run their marathons more quickly, compared with
middle-of-the-pack material. Thus, marathon finishing time may simply be the
result of intrinsic running capacity, rather than
training speed per se. We have to remember that Hagan's work was a cohort
investigation, not a randomized trial. A cohort study
just follows runners along as they go about their business of training and
racing. A randomized trial, the gold standard of
scientific investigating, would divide the marathoners into groups of equal
ability - and then examine how differences in training
speed and volume influenced marathon finishing time.
I should point out, too, that other studies have not found training volume
(miles run per week or per workout) to be a very good
predictor of marathon success. For example, some research has suggested that
training volume can do a great job of prognosticating
marathon finishing time among novice runners - but is terrible when it comes to
seasoned 26.2-mile competitors. The reason for this
is quite simple. Among novice marathoners, there is often a large range of
weekly training distances. For first-time marathoners,
the difference between running 25 miles per week and covering 40 miles per week
(in terms of the resulting enhancement of fitness
and performance) is huge. The 40-milers will almost always have an edge in
terms of aerobic capacity and running economy, and -
provided they don't get hurt during training - will thus finish the marathon
faster, on average.
For experienced marathoners, on the other hand, a simple upswing in weekly
mileage is a much-weaker stimulus for physiological
improvement. Battle-scarred marathon runners have already made significant
gains in fitness, thanks to years of training, and a
15-mile per week uptick in mileage will have a much-milder impact on key things
like vVO2max, economy, and running speed at lactate
threshold, compared with the physiological tempests which take place in
first-timers when the log book fills up with more miles.
What will be more important for the seasoned marathoner is the quality of the
running training which is performed - and the types
and progressions of strength training which she/he utilizes.
The importance of the quality of marathon training also comes to the fore when
one considers the dominance exhibited by Kenyan
runners in the world of marathon running. When adolescent Kenyan runners and
same-age Caucasian runners are studied, it is found
that both groups run at about the same percentage of maximal aerobic capacity
during competitions (2). However, adult Kenyan
runners move along at a higher percentage of max aerobic capacity during
marathons, compared with Caucasian competitors, giving the
Kenyans a key edge. This move to a higher percent of VO2max sustained in racing
must be accomplished as a result of specific modes
of training, since similar percents are achieved by Kenyans and Caucs at earlier
ages. Close studies of Kenyan runners reveal that
a key difference in their training, compared with the programs employed by
non-African runners, is the higher average intensity of
each workout, rather than the daily or weekly volume of training. This spike in
average intensity builds stamina at higher
intensities, producing the situation in which Kenyans can cruise along for
26-plus miles at a higher fraction of max.
Another element in marathon success is clearly the extent to which a runner has
specifically prepared for the marathon. Compare two
runners, Joe and John, for example, both of whom are hoping to run the marathon
at 7:00 tempo. Joe has been running 100 kilometers
(62 miles) per week and appears to have the advantage over John, who has only
been hitting 70 weekly kilometers (43 miles).
However, John has covered a grand total of 50 miles at 7:00 pace during his
16-week marathon build-up, compared with a paltry 10
miles at 7:00 for Joe. John will probably beat Joe, other things being equal,
because John will have greater economy and confidence
at actual goal tempo. During any pre-marathon training period, it is best to
establish a reasonable marathon goal pace and then to
run for increasing distances at this pace as training proceeds. For example,
one might warm up, run 3 miles at goal marathon pace,
and then cool down with 1 easy mile 20 weeks before marathon day. Four weeks
before the big event, however, one should be able to
run 8 miles easily, scoot through 10 miles at goal pace, and cool down with 2
light miles, all without stopping, or trouble is
likely to occur on race day.
P.S. The very best workouts for improving marathon performance, including the
sessions carried out at goal pace, are described in
our book, Great Workouts for Popular Races.
To improve your marathon training, get this book now:
(http://www.runningresearchnews.com/catalog/workout_eb)
This is truly marathon season, with the Chicago Marathon coming up October 11th
and the New York Marathon just three weeks after
that. To celebrate marathon running, I have discounted our complete, 26-week
marathon training schedules by up to 33 percent. For
example, the advanced marathon schedule, usually $399, is now just $299, and the
intermediate marathon program, ordinarily $299, can
now be obtained for under 200 bucks. To get a full, 26-week marathon training
program which will help you unleash your true
marathon potential, click here (http://www.runningresearchnews.com/category/8)
now. This sale will end on Tuesday, September 22 at
midnight ET.
References
(1) "Marathon Performance in Relation to Maximal Aerobic Power and Training
Indices in Female Distance Runners," British Journal of
Sports Medicine, Vol. 21 (1), pp. 3-7, 1987
(2) "Kenyan Dominance in Distance Running," Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr
Physiol, Vol. 136 (1), pp. 161-170, 2003
From Running Research News at:
http://www.runningresearchnews.com/


2. Caffeine on the brain:
Don't overdo it: Moderation is key for health benefits.
Sarah Pullman has what she calls a long-standing relationship with caffeine.
When she doesn't have her morning latte, the John F.
Kennedy University graduate student feels sleepy and her head pounds. When she
has too much caffeine, she feels jittery. But most of
the time, caffeine makes her feel perky.
"I'm able to focus and concentrate better," says Pullman, 30, of Oakland, Calif.
"Sometimes, I think it enhances my mood, like 'Wow,
I feel great. Yippee!' "
Turns out caffeine, a naturally occurring, flavorless chemical that stimulates
the central nervous system, does more than wake us
up.
Medical researchers and nutritionists long have touted the health benefits of
black coffee, antioxidant-packed teas and dark
chocolate.
In moderation, these natural sources of caffeine are associated with weight
loss, the treatment of asthma and headaches and a
reduced risk of Parkinson's disease.
Coffee, in particular, is associated with a decreased risk of depression, colon
cancer and type two diabetes, according to
researchers at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies.
But that doesn't justify guzzling Joe all day. According to the American Medical
Association, moderation is considered three cups of
coffee a day, or 300 milligrams of caffeine.
More...from the Olympian at:
http://www.theolympian.com/health/story/970176.html


3. Aging Muscles: 'Hard To Build, Easy To Lose':
Have you ever noticed that people have thinner arms and legs as they get older?
As we age it becomes harder to keep our muscles
healthy. They get smaller, which decreases strength and increases the likelihood
of falls and fractures. New research is showing how
this happens - and what to do about it.
A team of Nottingham researchers has already shown that when older people eat,
they cannot make muscle as fast as the young. Now
they've found that the suppression of muscle breakdown, which also happens
during feeding, is blunted with age.
The scientists and doctors at The University of Nottingham Schools of Graduate
Entry Medicine and Biomedical Sciences believe that a
'double whammy' affects people aged over 65. However the team think that weight
training may "rejuvenate" muscle blood flow and help
retain muscle for older people.
These results may explain the ongoing loss of muscle in older people: when they
eat they don't build enough muscle with the protein
in food; also, the insulin (a hormone released during a meal) fails to shut down
the muscle breakdown that rises between meals and
overnight. Normally, in young people, insulin acts to slow muscle breakdown.
Common to these problems may be a failure to deliver
nutrients and hormones to muscle because of a poorer blood supply.
More...from Science Daily at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090911103807.htm


4. Video: Masters Stars Demonstrate Running Form Drills.
Learn to run like a kid again.
Here are a few simple (and a few not-so-simple) running technique drills that
will improve your running form. The drills focus on
exaggerating certain parts of the running gait to help build a stronger, more
fluid stride.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=17578


5. Common Food Myths and Facts:
Nutrition nuggets every runner should know.
We're said to live in the Information Age, but that doesn't seem to have
prevented many food-related myths around well past their
expiration date. Here are some common misperceptions concerning food that
runners need to know the truth about.
Myth: White breads, pastas, rice, and potatoes are not complex carbohydrates.
Truth: Somewhere along the line confusion has settled in over carbohydrates.
Sure, we all know that some carbohydrates are better
for you than others, but many carbs are getting a bad reputation as being simple
carbohydrates when they still ought to be
considered an excellent fuel source.
Classifying carbohydrates as complex or simple goes much deeper than whether
they're white. It actually refers to the chemical
structure of the food. All forms of carbohydrate are made of the same elements.
These elements are sectioned into sugar units. A
simple carbohydrate has only one or two of these units; complex carbohydrates
have many units. So yes, believe it not, all starches
and fiber are made up of many units of sugar! Although that may be hard to
swallow, the white pastas, breads, and cereals shouldn't
be. These foods still fuel your body with the carbohydrates it craves. The
"darker" starches hold greater benefit because they pack
better quality in providing more of the whole grain and keep you more satisfied,
but don't be mistaken-all of these forms of starch
are considered complex carbohydrates.
Myth: Being as lean as possible will always make you faster.
Truth: In the sport of running having a lean, fit frame is to your advantage.
However, you can cross over to a point of being too
lean. Excess fat makes for a heavy load to carry, but some body fat holds
benefit. Fat will actually help fuel your body to a strong
finish. Fat is utilized as a fuel source after your glycogen supply depletes.
It's also needed for basic functions like cushioning
organs and regulating body temperature. Having enough body fat also plays a part
in normal reproductive processes. In addition,
there's a risk of nutrient deficiency when you overly restrict calories. Aim for
a lean frame, but keeping good perspective is
valuable to your overall health.
More...from Running Times at:
http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=17452


6. Good Stretch? Bad Stretch?
How to decide for yourself - Learn how to decide which stretch is right for you.
Over the last few months our email server has been flooded with concerns about
which stretches are good and which stretches are bad.
In all cases someone has told the inquirer that they shouldn't do this stretch
or that stretch, or that this is a good stretch and
this is a bad stretch.
Some people have even seen stretches on our web site and emailed me to say (out
of genuine concern) that this is a bad stretch
because their coach, trainer or friend told them so.
So, are there only good stretches and bad stretches? Is there no middle ground?
And if there are only good and bad stretches, how do
you decide which ones are good and which ones are bad?
Let's put an end to the confusion once and for all...
There is no such thing as a good or bad stretch!
Just as there are no good or bad exercises, there are no good or bad stretches;
only what is appropriate for the specific
requirements of the individual. So a stretch that is perfectly okay for me, may
not be okay for you or someone else.
Let me give you an example. You wouldn't ask someone with a shoulder injury to
do push-ups or freestyle swimming, but that doesn't
mean that these are bad exercises. Now, consider the same scenario from a
stretching point of view. You wouldn't ask that same
person to do shoulder stretches, would you? But that doesn't mean that all
shoulder stretches are bad.
You see, the stretch itself isn't good or bad, it's the way it's performed and
who it's performed on that makes it effective and
safe, or ineffective and harmful. To place a particular stretch into a category
of "Good" or "Bad" is foolish and dangerous. To
label a stretch as "Good" gives people the impression that they can do that
stretch whenever and however they want and it won't
cause them any problems.
The specific requirements of the individual are what's important!
Remember, stretches are neither good nor bad. Just like a motor vehicle, it's
what you do with it that makes it good or bad.
However, when choosing a stretch there are a number of precautions and "checks"
you need to perform before giving that stretch the
okay.
More...from the Stretching Handbook at:
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/good-stretch-bad-stretch.php


7. Great 5K Workouts:
If you are going to run your best 5K your body needs to be finely tuned and
operating at peak efficiency. You can run well in some
race distances even when some of your body's energy producing systems aren't at
peak capacity. For example, when running a marathon
you may be able to get away with foot speed that isn't quite up to par. If your
pure endurance is good and your lactate threshold is
high, you will probably still run a good race. If you are running a mile, you
might be able to get away with a lower level of pure
endurance or a less than optimal lactate threshold. But the 5K distance requires
efficiency in all energy systems. You need the pure
endurance to get you through the 3.1 miles. Your lactate threshold must be high
so that you can maintain your speed for a long
period of time. Your vVO2 max should be optimized so that you are running at
your maximum running velocity when you reach your VO2
max. Your running economy needs to at peak efficiency so you are running faster
with less effort.
Contrary to popular belief each of the different types of workouts you do
contribute some benefit to each of your energy and
training systems. No single workout trains one isolated running system.
Endurance training, for example, is primarily intended to
develop your pure endurance. But is also helps improve your VO2 max. The main
reason you do lactate threshold workouts is to improve
the ability of your body to process accumulating lactate for energy, but it also
helps develop your running economy and VO2 max.
More...from Running Planet at:
http://www.runningplanet.com/training/great-5K-workouts.html


8. Better Running Calculator:
I don't have a time goal for my first marathon, but I'm still curious about my
pace. What do my training runs and 10K race times
tell me about my marathon running pace?
There are lots of great online running tools, but my favorite is the McMillan
running calculator. Developed by running coach Greg
McMillan, the calculator offers a variety of useful information to help you
estimate the pace of your training runs and uses your
current fitness level to predict your race pace.
Just type in your current race time for a given distance, and the calculator
will predict your pace for other distances. So if your
best 5K run took 25 minutes, the calculator shows you that your 8:04
minutes-per-mile pace translates to about an 8:38
minutes-per-mile pace in the 10K. At that pace, you could run a 56 minute 10K,
which means you're probably capable of running a 9:19
minutes-per-mile pace on average in the marathon, assuming you've put in the
miles and trained for it. (That's about a 4:04-hour
marathon.)
In addition to giving you race pace times, the calculator also spits out your
ideal running pace for various training runs, such as
long runs, tempo runs and recovery jogs.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/calculating-your-race-pace/


9. Phys Ed: What Sort of Exercise Can Make You Smarter?
Allow a laboratory mouse to run as much as it likes, and its brainpower
improves. Force it to run harder than it otherwise might,
and its thinking improves even more. This is the finding of an experiment led by
researchers at National Cheng Kung University in
Taiwan and placed online in May.
In the study, scientists had two groups of mice swim a water maze and in a
separate trial had them endure an unpleasant stimulus to
see how quickly they would learn to move away from it. For the next four weeks
they allowed one group of mice to run inside their
rodent wheels, an activity most mice enjoy, while requiring the other group to
push harder on minitreadmills at a speed and duration
controlled by the scientists. They then tested both groups again to track their
learning skills and memory. Both groups of mice
performed admirably in the water maze, bettering their performances from the
earlier trial. But only the treadmill runners were
better in the avoidance task, a skill that, according to brain scientists,
demands a more complicated cognitive response.
The mice who raced on the treadmills showed evidence of molecular changes in
several portions of their brains when viewed under a
microscope, while the voluntary wheel-runners had changes in only one area. "Our
results support the notion that different forms of
exercise induce neuroplasticity changes in different brain regions," Chauying J.
Jen, a professor of physiology and an author of the
study, says.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/what-sort-of-exercise-can-make-you-smar\
ter/


10. Grooving Goal Pace:
Workouts to dial in your marathon pace.
One of my first coaching mentors was Guy Avery. He had a knack for seeing the
simplicity in the sport despite being very detailed
and scientific. One of the cornerstones of his philosophy was specificity.
Training theorists advise that as you get closer to your goal race you focus
more and more on workouts that closely match the
demands of your event. In the marathon, this means running more economically and
relaxed at your goal marathon pace -- grooving it
in your muscles and your mind. This is not rocket science, of course, and you
likely do some goal pace running in your training
already, but I've found that if you combine the rule of specificity with another
concept Avery taught me -- the importance of
variety -- you will get even better results from your goal pace training and are
more likely to achieve your marathon goal.
Here are five workouts that provide the specificity to improve your marathon
pace running, plus the variety to help the body adapt
to marathon pace running quicker.
More...from Running Times at:
http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=17620


11. The Importance of the Taper:
The taper is probably one of the most important, and often overlooked, parts of
any training program. However, a well put together
and effective taper can make a huge difference on race day.
The taper is the period of reduced training volume before a major race. This
period allows the body to fully recover (without
losing fitness), so that maximum performance can be achieved during an important
race. One of the biggest mistakes triathletes make
when tapering is to continue doing long/slow distance work while removing all
moderate to high intensity workouts. What should
happen is that over a 2 to 3 week period your volume should be reduced and
intensity workouts should be maintained. Due to large
reduction in volume during this period, higher intensity efforts will be short
in length, and performed less often.
The part of the taper that I find most frustrating is the sluggish/lethargic
feeling you can get during this period. Mentally your
body is telling you that you are loosing fitness. In reality this is your body
adjusting to the changes you are making in your
training. Often athletes are tempted to "test themselves" and end up pushing
harder and longer than their plan indicates. This is
where the mental discipline comes in. You need to constantly confirm for
yourself that this is what needs to happen for a peak
performance during the race. There is a large amount of research on the subject
proving the benefits.
Depending on the importance of a race, and phase of your training program etc.,
a taper will usually last for between 4 days and 4
weeks. A taper of 3 to 4 weeks is normal for an Iron distance event. A good
rule of thumb with an Ironman taper is to reduce the
volume of your Ironman schedule by 20% each week, starting 4 weeks out from the
race. This will mean that in the week before the
race, you are only performing 20% of your biggest volume week. Resist the
temptation to do more, and don't fill up the extra time
with other physical activity.
More...from Running Free at:
http://resources.runningfree.com/articles.php?article=the-importance-of-the-tape\
r

12. Feminine trials:
Their bulky shoulders and bulging thighs may win championships. But accusations
of manliness still affect many female athletes' body
image.
The case of South African sprinter Caster Semenya, whose sex came into question
after she became the 800-metre world champion last
month, has dismayed many academics and female athletes.
And it wasn't because "a secret man," as one British tabloid called the
18-year-old runner, may be in their midst.
They say the Semenya case shows that an old, ugly paradox is alive and well in
women's sport: The same giant quadriceps and bulky
shoulders that can clinch championships make athletes look "unfeminine" in the
eyes of the world. And that can be a difficult
reality for many women.
"There is still a real image that women athletes should be tennis players
wearing short skirts and braided pony tails," says Kristin
Gauthier, 28, a kayaker on Canada's national team. "It's a hard mould to fit
into."
A study published by the International Journal of Eating Disorders in 2008
showed that athletic, university-aged women tend to have
higher rates of behaviours linked to eating disorders compared with those who do
not regularly exercise. Insecurity over certain
body parts is also common - even among the sporting world's most powerful stars.
"I think they're too muscular. They're too thick," tennis champion Serena
Williams said of her ripped arms in an Aug. 27 interview
with People Magazine. "I know that toned arms are in now. Look at Michelle
Obama. . I'm like, 'keep wearing strapless dresses!' But
I don't like mine."
More...from the Globe and Mail at:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/feminine-trials/article1290326/


13. Ask the Experts: Is it IT Band Syndrome or Not?
Q: I have a 14-year-old daughter who was diagnosed by a sportsmed doctor with IT
band syndrome. He told her to do stretches for
this.
After reading about IT band syndrome, I don't feel that her symptoms fit this.
She runs distance (3,000m and 1500m) and complains
that when she runs, she feels pain that starts as an "ache" in her right inner
thigh, approximately 3 inches above her knee. As her
practices progress, the pain becomes more generalized over the quad area, with
some numbing. She does not have pain on the lateral
side of her leg. She does feel better when she stops, takes Motrin, and applies
ice.
Does this sound like IT band syndrome to you? FYI, she wears orthotics for flat
feet.
-- Karen, California
A: I agree that the symptoms that you describe are not typical of IT band
syndrome. The symptoms start in the area of the hip
adductor muscles; some of the hamstrings and a hip flexor (Sartorius) attach at
the inside of the knee. The quadriceps are in the
front of the thigh and attach to the knee cap. It is not uncommon for muscle
pain to 'spread' as an activity is continued. Numbness
in the thigh is not a common occurrence, though.
Numbness in the front of the thigh could be due to pressure on a superficial
nerve at the front of the hip or possibly (not likely
based on the history) a ruptured disc in her back. Improving strength of the
core and hip muscles, in addition to working on
stretching, is the key to improving most hip and thigh problems in runners. She
should work with a physical therapist to maximize
her strength.
Another possible source of her pain is a stress fracture in her femur (thigh
bone). If she has pain with hopping on this leg, I
would be very concerned about a stress fracture. This would absolutely warrant
time off from running.
If she does not have a stress fracture, she may need to cut back on running as
she works with the PT. As strength improves, the
symptoms should resolve. If symptoms persist, further medical evaluation is
warranted.
-- Dr. Cathy Fieseler, MD, Running Times




14. Exercise Tailored to a Hijab:
THE first time Julia Shearson rode her bike after converting to Islam seven
years ago, her headscarf became stuck in the wheel.
She lost her balance, and by the time she got going again she was met with
stares as she whizzed along, arms and legs draped in
loose clothing, her scarf billowing in the breeze.
"You have to overcome the looks," said Ms. Shearson, 43, the executive director
of the Cleveland chapter of the Council on
American-Islam Relations. "It's already hard enough to exercise, and if you look
different ... it's even harder."
As a Muslim woman in the United States, Ms. Shearson has found it difficult to
stay fit while adhering to her religious principles
about modesty. Islam does not restrict women from exercising - in fact all
Muslims are urged to take care of their bodies through
healthy eating and exercise - but women face a special set of challenges in a
culture of co-ed gyms and skimpy workout wear.
Many pious Muslim women in the United States, like Ms. Shearson, wear hijab in
public, loose garments that cover their hair and
body, which can hinder movement and add to discomfort during exercise. Women may
show their hair, arms and legs up to the knees in
front of other women.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/health/nutrition/10fitness.html?ref=nutrition


15. Digest Briefs
** This Week in Running:
10 Years Ago- Benjamin Limo (KEN) won the IAAF Grand Prix Final (GER) 3000m in
7:36.32 with Paul
Bitok (KEN) and Mohamed Mourhit (BEL) very close behind in
7:36.60 and 7:36.73
respectively. Gabriela Szabo (ROM) also won a close race over
Zhara Ouaziz (MAR),
8:43.52 to 8:43.66. Irina Mikintenko (GER) was 3rd in 8:45.59.
20 Years Ago- Kathrin Wessel (GER) won the IAAF World Cup (ESP) 10,000m in
31:33.92, a good eight
seconds ahead of Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR) at 31:42.01. Natalya
Sorokivaskaya (KAZ)
took the bronze medal with a 32:15.53. Salvatore Antibo (ITA)
won the men's 10,000m
over Addis Abeba (ETH), 28:05.26 to 28:06.43. Antonio Prieto
(ESP) collected the
bronze medal with hus 27:07.42.
30 Years Ago- Tony Sandoval and Jeff Wells were declared joint winners at the
Nike-OTC (OR/USA)
Marathon with times of 2:10:20 and a new USA record. John
Lodwick (USA) was 3rd in
2:10:54. Joan Benoit-Samuelson (USA) won the women's race in
2:35:41, also breaking the
USA record. Gillian Horovitz (ENG) was 2nd in 2:41:03 while
Cindy Dalrymple (USA)
was 3rd in 2:43:38.
40 Years Ago- John Halberstadt (RSA) ran 19.517 km for an hour run in Durban
RSA (winning the race).
50 Years Ago- Stanley Eldon and Bruce Tulloh went 1-2 for the Brits in the
GBR-FIN 5000m in Helsinki
FIN with times of 13:59.4 and 14:19.0. Simo Saloranta and Matti
Huttinen were 3-4
with 14:19.6 and 14:33.0. Martin Hyman (ENG) won the next day's
10,000m in 29:18.0
with Erkki Rantala (FIN) 2nd in 29:21.0 and John Merriman (WAL)
3rd in 29:24.6.
60 Years Ago- Martti Urpalainen (FIN) won the Nordic Championship (SWE)
Marathon in 2:32:18.
70 Years Ago- Ivan Cheburkin (RUS) won the Russian marathon championship with a
time of 2:41:27.
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.



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

September 18, 2009:
Run@Work Day - Nationwide, USA

September 19, 2009:
Bolder Dash 5K / 10K - Minneapolis, MN

U.S. Air Force Marathon - Dayton, OH

September 20, 2009:
Army Run - Ottawa, ON

Community First Fox Cities Marathon - Appleton, WI

CVS Caremark Downtown 5K - Providence, RI
USA Championship

ING Philadelphia Distance Run - Philadelphia, PA
Live Race Day Coverage

NYRR Half Marathon Grand Prix - Queens, NY

real,- BERLIN-MARATHON - Germany


June 19, 2010
Emilie's Run
The Emilie Mondor Memorial 5K Race for Women
http://www.emiliesrun.com

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

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Have a good week of training and/or racing.

Ken

Ken Parker
www.RunnersWeb.com
The Running and Triathlon Resource Portal
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http://www.OACRacingTeam.com
http://www.EmiliesRun.com

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* Play the entire video from start to finish.

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