Runner's Web Digest - January 9, 2004

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running and triathlon and general fitness and health issues.
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New This Week:

Our latest column from Carmichael Training Systems is
available: Should a Power Meter Be At the Top of Your Wish List?
Written by: Lance Watson, CTS Multisport Head Coach
Check it out at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/cts_columns.html

Fed up with Spam, try Cloudmark's SpamNet for Outlook and Outlook Express:
http://www.cloudmark.com/?rc=hvx4hl


Digest Article Index:

1. Fitter Than Thou
2. In the short run
Some joggers report a "runner's high" after exercising for extended periods, but
Canadian researchers have found that longer runs
are not always better when it comes to mood improvement.
3. Magazine Names Honolulu the Fittest City
4. Doc Counsilman, 83, Coach and Innovator in Swimming, Dies
5. You call that exercise?
Leisure and recreational activities aren't enough to build endurance and
strength. For that, you must exert yourself.
6. From Running Times
7. What actually happens to our bodies when we get moving?
8. The Quick and the Dead: Slick Transitions for Additional Speed
9. Safe Winter Running
10. From Runner's World
11. Winners Never Quit
12. Evidence mounts for carb-protein sports drink mix
13. Steve Larsen Retires
14. Workout in a Winter Wonderland
Cold weather exercise calls for preparation.
15. 2004 Ultimate Triathlon Camp
16. Survey: Detroit is nation's fattest city
17. The Man Behind The Man
Without Chris Carmichael, there'd be no Lance Armstrong. Without Lance
Armstrong, there'd be no Chris Carmichael.
18. Core strengthening - More than just a crunch
19. Couple turning fun ride into African fundraiser
Heading for Tour d'Afrique. From Cairo to Cape Town in four months, they'll
raise money for Ryan's Well project
20. Using Protein and Carbohydrate in Recovery - A Sport Science Perspective
21. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
22. Finding the "Best" Exercise All Miavita Features
23. A look at how to set up your triathlon season
24. Yoga for runners
25. Catering to the Atkins Craze
Restaurants, even fast-food chains, squeeze out the carbs


We have NO personal postings this week.
Personal Postings, when available, are located after the Upcoming Section
towards the bottom of the newsletter.

Looking for help training for your big race?
321 Coaching is an online coaching business run by 4-time National
Triathlon Champion Mark Bates. Mark has been very successful in
developing programs for all levels of athletes, for both short and long
course racing. Group Training Programs are available for $45/month, and
are designed to give you a structured program with feedback aimed at a
goal race. More details are available at http://www.321coaching.com


This week's poll is: "Which events will you do in 2004?"

Cast your vote at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html
Post your views in our Forum at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/runnersweb_forum.html
[Free Registration Required]

The previous poll was: "What was your favourite athletic moment(s) of 2003?"

The results at publication time were:
Answers Votes Percent
1. Cycling: Lance Armstrong's 5th TDF win 72 33%
2. Marathon: Paula Radcliffe's new marathon record 68 32%
3. Ironman: Peter Reid and Lori Bowden win Hawaii 39 18%
4. Athletics: IAAF Championships in Paris 6 3%
5. Marathon: Paul Tergat's new marathon record 20 9%
6. Triathlon: Emma Snowsill's ITU Championship win 7 3%
7. Athletics: Talk of a re-run of the Seoul Olympics 100M 3 1%

Total Votes: 215


You can access the poll from our FrontPage as well as voting on and/or
checking the results of previous polls.

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Book of the Week: Physiology of Sport and Exercise-3rd Edition.
In 1994 and again in 1999, respected scholars Jack Wilmore and David Costill
published the first and second editions of Physiology
of Sport and Exercise, presenting a solid foundation of basic exercise
physiology and redefining the discipline's standard for
textbooks. Now, with Physiology of Sport and Exercise, Third Edition, the
renowned authors offer an improved version of their
comprehensive text that frames the latest and most significant research findings
in a reader-friendly format and makes it easier-and
more exciting-than ever for students to learn and for teachers to teach.
Buy the book at:
http://www.humankinetics.com/products/showproduct.cfm?associate=880&isbn=0736044\
892

If you feel you have something to say that is worthy of a Guest Column
on the Runner's Web, email us at
mailto:RunnersWeb@...
or leave your comments in one of our Forums at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/forum.html
or from our FrontPage.

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

The FiveStar Site of the Week: Toronto Waterfront Marathon.
This popular marathon, half-marathon, 5K, walk and wheelchair event will be run
on September 26, 2004.
The site has results, reports and photos from previous years, training links,
information on hotels and travel and more.
Check out the recently redesigned site at:
http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/

Send us your suggestions for our Five Star site. Please check our list
of previous Five Star Sites available from the Five Star Window under
the link "Previous Five Star Sites" as we do not wish to repeat a site
unless it has undergone a major redesign.

Be sure to check out our Flash Page where we list all recent additions
to the Runner's Web. This page is updated before Monday morning each
week.


This Weeks News:

Articles:

1. Fitter Than Thou:
For a growing number of apparently sane adults, running a marathon is mere
child's play. These hyperfit people flock to classes,
programs and adventure races that leave them absolutely exhausted. They do it,
says exercise extremist Sean Burch, because "life's
become so easy that people need to make something challenging for themselves."
The Post's Paula Span, whose article "Insanely Fit" appeared in Sunday's
Washington Post Magazine, was online Monday, Jan. 5 at 1
p.m. ET to field questions and comments about the article and the phenomenon of
hyperfitness.
Span is a Magazine staff writer.
More...from the Washington Post at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39450-2003Dec29.html


2. In the short run
Some joggers report a "runner's high" after exercising for extended periods, but
Canadian researchers have found that longer runs
are not always better when it comes to mood improvement.
They recruited 69 physically active women from university recreation classes and
running clubs and divided them into three groups.
Two groups were instructed to get their heart rate up to 70% of its maximum
while running on an indoor track. One group ran 25
minutes, the other ran 40 minutes. The third group was told to sit in the
bleachers for 40 minutes and observe what was happening
around them.
After the workouts, participants rated their levels of physical exhaustion
(feeling fatigued, tired, worn out); revitalization
(feeling energetic, refreshed, revived), tranquility (feeling calm, peaceful and
relaxed) and positive engagement (feeling
enthusiastic, upbeat, happy).
Only the 25-minute runners reported a significant increase in tranquility. Both
running groups reported feeling less fatigued than
the no-exercise controls, but only the 40-minute runners experienced a
statistically significant decrease in fatigue.
Regardless of how long they stayed on the track, runners reported feeling
happier and more refreshed after exercising.
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-maincapsule29dec29,1,633319\
5.story?coll=la-health-fitness-news


3. Magazine Names Honolulu the Fittest City:
A new survey by Men's Fitness magazine shows Honolulu is the fittest city in the
country for the second straight year, followed by
San Francisco and Virginia Beach, Va.
The fitness magazine rated the nation's 50 largest cities using 14 criteria,
including the number of health clubs and sporting goods
stores per 100,000 people; fruit and vegetable consumption; commute times; and
the number of public basketball and tennis courts,
golf courses and swimming pools per capita.
Denver; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Seattle; Boston; Portland, Ore.; Tucson, Ariz.;
and Sacramento, Calif., rounded out the top 10
list. The magazine will hit newsstands on Tuesday.
This is the fourth consecutive year Virginia Beach has been placed among the top
10 fittest cities. "I think it shows that Virginia
Beach has multiple opportunities for recreation and that people are taking
advantage of it," said recreationist and City Councilman
Jim Reeve. "We're getting off the couch. Good!"
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/ats-ap_health14jan05,1,36048\
59.story?coll=sns-ap-tophealth

4. Doc Counsilman, 83, Coach and Innovator in Swimming, Dies:
James Counsilman, perhaps the most innovative coach in United States swimming
history, died yesterday at a nursing home in
Bloomington, Ind. He was 83.
He had Parkinson's disease, his son, Brian, said.
Counsilman, known as Doc, was a molder of champions, an inventor, a consultant,
an author and an authority on exercise physiology
and stroke mechanics. In 1979, at age 58, he swam across the English Channel. At
the time, he was the oldest person to have done so.
He was the head coach of the United States men's swimming teams that won 9 of 11
gold medals in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and 12 of 13
in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The two gold medals that eluded Americans in 1964
were won by Australians coached by Counsilman at
Indiana University.
His first head-coaching job was from 1952 to 1956 at Cortland (N.Y.) State
Teachers College. There, he turned George Breen, a former
rower who had never swum competitively, into a world-record holder and Olympic
medalist.
From 1957 to 1990, he was the men's coach at Indiana. His teams there won 6
consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association
championships (1968 to 1973), 23 Big Ten titles (including 20 straight from 1961
to 1980) and 140 consecutive dual meets over 13
years.
Of his Indiana swimmers, 48 competed in the Olympics, representing 10 nations,
and they won 46 medals (26 gold). Those swimmers
included Mark Spitz and John Kinsella, each a Sullivan Award winner as America's
outstanding amateur athlete, and Charlie Hickcox,
Chet Jastremski, Gary Hall Sr., Mike Troy, Jim Montgomery and Frank McKinney.
More...from the NY Times at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/05/sports/othersports/05COUN.html



5. You call that exercise?
Leisure and recreational activities aren't enough to build endurance and
strength. For that, you must exert yourself.
He comes home from a round of golf. She comes in from an afternoon of horseback
riding. Both feel invigorated. But was it exercise?
Those at the forefront of America's just-get-moving movement consider just about
any activity more vigorous than pushing buttons on
the microwave as beneficial.
But for most people - those with a modicum of stamina - such leisure and
recreational activities probably aren't enough to build
cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength. That takes a bit more work.
"To achieve improvement, you need to overload either your heart or your muscle,"
says Melissa Johnson, executive director of the
President's Council on Physical Fitness. Those who already are somewhat active
will need to do more than play a round of golf using
a golf cart, plant a few bulbs out back or take a trail ride with the horse
doing most of the work. As one health expert put it:
"Getting fresh air is not the same as getting exercise."
Moreover, it's not just what you do but how you do it that counts. Exertion
levels within one sport can range dramatically, as the
following calorie statistics from the American College of Sports Medicine
demonstrate. Calories burned is a good measure of effort,
because the more calories you burn per minute, the greater the load you put on
your heart and muscles, which builds strength and
conditioning:
More...from the LA Times at:
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/fitness/la-he-whatexercise5jan05,1,565030\
4.story?coll=la-health-fitness-news


6. From Running Times:
Injury Corner - Abdominal Pain
Q: I am a sophomore college student who hasn't competed since high school, but
runs roughly 30 miles per week on my own time. I
noticed that, for the past 1.5-2 years, I have been getting terrible, sharp,
long-lasting lower abdominal pains. It begins soon
after I start running, and often lasts up to 3 hours after I stop running. I
have seen doctors, but no one seems to know what's
wrong. I had an ultrasound done last summer, but nothing unusual was found.
A: It sounds like you are able to run despite the pain, since you are running 30
miles per week. You did not state whether this
occurs every time that you run, but I will assume from your description that it
occurs frequently. You did not describe any diarrhea
or bleeding associated with the pain, so I assume that neither of these is an
issue.
Lower abdominal pain has several different causes. Working from the outside to
the inside, we must first consider a muscular source.
A hernia could be present; with increased abdominal pressure during exercise, a
hernia could be trapped in the muscle wall, causing
pain. This may be difficult to detect; it is repaired surgically. Your pain does
not sound like a muscle strain. A superficial nerve
could be entrapped in the muscle and become irritated by the jostling and
increased abdominal pressure while running. This is also
difficult to diagnose; it could respond to a cortisone injection.
Irritation of the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum) is a cause of abdominal
pain. If you have had any previous abdominal or pelvic
surgery, scars inside the abdomen (adhesions) may cause significant abdominal
pain, especially during an activity that causes a lot
of jostling. Clinical exam is normal, other than a visible scar from previous
surgery. This is a difficult problem, because
surgically cutting the adhesions may put you at risk for more adhesions.
Next, we will consider the intra-abdominal and pelvic organs. Ultrasound is
helpful in evaluating the kidneys and reproductive
organs. Since this was normal, an enlarged uterus, abnormal ovaries and enlarged
or cystic kidneys are not present. Ultrasound is
also used to evaluate the aorta for aneurysms, which cause abdominal pain.
Another source of vascular abdominal pain is compression
of several of the intra-abdominal arteries by a ligament of the diaphragm; this
is not a common problem and basically every other
possible source of pain should be ruled out. Diagnosis requires vascular
evaluation. This condition is treated surgically.
The other main organ in the lower abdomen is the colon. Distension of the colon
can be quite painful. Constipation may cause some
distension, which is aggravated by the increased activity in the gut caused by
exercise. Cramping caused by decreased blood flow to
the gut during exercise may also cause abdominal pain. Dehydration will
aggravate the problem.
My recommendations to you: adjust your diet. Gradually increase fiber in the
diet; this may help decrease or eliminate the pain.
Evacuate your bowels prior to running. Maintain a good hydration level. Avoid
stimulants, such as caffeine and decongestants. Try
running at different times during the day to see if this helps.
--Dr. Cathy Fieseler, M.D.

Women's Running:
Are you a woman looking for information on how to get started with running, or
nervous about running your first race? Are you
wondering how pregnancy will affect your running? Looking for an all-women's
race, considering buying a running stroller, or wanting
to read about elite women runners? We have answers to all those questions and
more in our Women's Section sponsored by Moving
Comfort at http://www.runningtimes.com/issues/02oct/womenindex.htm.



7. What actually happens to our bodies when we get moving?
If he were to list the benefits of exercise, Tom Thomas says there would be
1,000 entries, no sweat.
High on the list would be a decreased risk of heart attack and stroke. And lower
blood pressure. And a boost in high-density
lipoprotein, the good cholesterol.
And there's no doubt that Thomas, who directs the exercise physiology program at
the University of Missouri-Columbia, would mention
increased insulin sensitivity, a lack of which often leads to Type 2 diabetes.
And a probable decreased incidence of some cancers.
And weight control.
He'd point out the benefits to bone density, and to muscle maintenance. And then
there's the whole cognitive and emotional piece.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=10355&sidebar=575&category=keep_fit


8. The Quick and the Dead: Slick Transitions for Additional Speed:
By Coach Brendon
If you have a look through race results you can often see that the difference
between final placings is the transitions. Even at the
elite level there can be as much as 10 seconds between a good transition and a
poor one.
Let's take a closer look at the two transitions in triathlon.
BASIC PRINCIPLES
Where ever possible do two things at once - that's running and taking off your
goggles, wetsuit top and swim cap or putting on your
helmet while kicking off your wetsuit.
More...from Endurance.com at:
http://www.endurancecoach.com/Slick_Transitions.htm


9. Safe Winter Running:
Runs in cold weather can be some of the most wonderful experiences. They can
also be some of the roughest, if a few key safety rules
are overlooked. So before you roll out into the cold, take a quick inventory of
the following:
Don't Wear Headphones.
It gets dark earlier these days, and danger cannot be heard as well with
headphones on. During these shorter days you need to rely
on your auditory senses even more.
Vary Your Route and Tell Someone Where You Are Running.
Have emergency identification (preferably waterproofed) in a pocket or somewhere
on your person.
Keep Your Outer Layers Light and Reflective.
Light colored material is visible even without a strong light source. Reflective
materials work only if there is a light source.
Blaze orange becomes poorly visible at night. However, during snowy days, dark
or bright colors provide visible contrast and attract
solar energy.
More...from Nike at:
http://www.nike.com/nikerunning/index.jhtml?loc1=ne&loc2=2003December1&at1=yes


10. From Runner's World:
"Winter motivation is increased if you maintain a regular series of even short
runs throughout the fall. If you're gearing up for a
challenge, like a half marathon or marathon, be sure to look at the "predicting
race performance" chart in the back of my book. This
will give you a reality check on your goal. When in doubt, it is always better
to run the first third of the race more
conservatively."
-Jeff Galloway

Injury Prevention
Don't forget that socks are part of your gear. The major requirement of socks is
that they keep your feet warm (or cool depending on
the climate) and dry. They should be absorbent and should not bunch up causing
friction or irritation

Performance Nutrition
Avoid cramps--grab a Kiwi! Kiwis have more vitamin C than oranges and as much
fiber as a bowl of bran cereal (and are a whole lot
tastier!). Kiwis also contain magnesium and potassium, both of which fight
muscle cramps.
Try this Kiwi Salsa: Peel and coarsely chop three kiwis; puree half of the
fruit. Place the pureed kiwi in a bowl and add the
chopped kiwi, a tablespoon of lime juice and a pinch of salt. Add a peeled,
chopped hot red chili pepper and a tablespoon of fresh
coriander and toss gently. Goes well with grilled fish.

Mental Mode: "For most runners, it's not training errors but mental mistakes
that limit racing performance. Monitor your racing.
Understand how you tolerate pain, and forge a strategy for overcoming stress in
a race."
-Tish Hamilton, RW deputy editor

Another Kind of Whether: "If the weather is such that you are going to be
endangering yourself, such as running through snow on a
road with poor visibility, don't do it. Practice good old common sense and
cross-train indoors."
-Traci Conrad, RW marketing design manager



11. Winners Never Quit:
Joe Henderson
(This is the first of my writings to be left homeless at Runner's World after
the magazine dropped my column. It was meant to appear
in the April issue, from which I'll now disappear.)
A big lesson to learn early about running is how to win at it. Without this
lesson the others never get learned. People who think of
themselves as "losers" don't last long as runners.
I was lucky to last beyond the second minute of my first raceday. Everything I
do now in this sport is a thank-you to my first high
school coach, Dean Roe, who spoke just the right words at the critical moment.
Running my first mile race, I thought the only way to win was to stick with the
leaders. Their pace chewed me up and spit me off the
track after little more than a lap.
My coach rushed up to ask what was wrong, and I told him with my pained look
that distance running wasn't for me. He patted me on
the back and said, "You owe me one."
More... from JoeHenderson.com at:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/408.html


12. Evidence mounts for carb-protein sports drink mix:
Thirty-five years ago, a physiologist at the University of Florida created the
first sports drink.
Dr. Robert Cade hypothesized that the addition of electrolyte minerals and
carbohydrate to water would facilitate fluid replacement
and provide an energy source to working muscles, thereby enhancing athletic
performance and delaying fatigue.
Clinical trials of this revolutionary new sports fuel showed that it did in fact
enhance athletic performance and delay fatigue more
than plain water.
Sports drinks hydrate athletes better because they replace not only the water
content but also electrolytes such as sodium that are
lost in sweat.
The result is less accumulation of heat in the body, less stress on the
cardiovascular system, and less chance of muscle cramping,
all of which adds up to better performance.
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=10356&sidebar=573&category=eat_right


13. Steve Larsen retires
by Dan Empfield, 12.31.03 (www.slowtwitch.com)
We've never before interviewed anyone twice. But if there's a person who
deserves it two times, it's headliner Steve Larsen. His
first interview with Slowtwitch is below, and his second one (we're not yet
prepared to say his last one) is below.
Steve Larsen speaks
by Amy White, 11.29.01 (www.slowtwitch.com)
By now, everybody in triathlon should know the Steve Larsen story. The two-time
national NORBA champion in mountain biking, a road
cycling teammate of Lance Armstrong in the Motorola days, an Xterra winner.
The guy who showed up at his first road triathlon, Wildflower, this year and
stormed the field during the bike ride, turning in the
day's fastest bike split and hanging on during the rugged run for a fourth-place
finish against a class field. The winner of the
Vineman half-Ironman. Winner of his first Ironman, in Lake Placid. And, of
course, the guy who made up a good-sized deficit on the
bike in wicked conditions in Kona to hold the front of the race until mile 10 of
the marathon, ultimately ending the day in ninth
place.
There were hints that he'd be good at this triathlon thing last year: He won the
Xterra Half Moon Bay, beating Xterra and mountain
biking legend Ned Overend by almost a minute and leaving Mike Vine, Kerry
Claussen and Wes Hobson in his wake, too.
More...from SlowTwitch.com at:
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/interview/larsen.html


14. Workout in a Winter Wonderland:
Cold weather exercise calls for preparation.
Sleigh bells ring, children sing, and you tear your meniscus the first time you
hit the slopes.
Better yet, you get frostbite from running outside or strain your shoulder from
shoveling heavy snow.
These are some common scenarios that give a bad name to winter activities, but
none of them are inevitable if you're willing to prep
your body before you head out into the cold weather, health professionals say.
People think, 'OK, it's time to ski,' but they're not preparing their bodies
ahead of time," says Renee Daniels, a New York City
fitness trainer with an expertise in medical exercise. "The body needs
conditioning as it gets older. Muscles get tighter and lose
flexibility, but people don't pay as much attention to training because they're
busy at work, so they jump into skiing and blow out
their ACL [anterior cruciate ligament]."
More...from HealthScout.com at:
http://www.healthscout.com/news/1/516600/main.html


15. 2004 Ultimate Triathlon Camp:
The Canadian National Triathlon Training Centre is pleased to announce that the
2004 Ultimate Triathlon Camp will take place from
May 10th - 16th in beautiful Victoria, BC. Mark your calendars to join the
world's best triathletes and coaches.
Registration is limited and will take place in January.
For more information please email mailto:nttc@...


16. Survey: Detroit is nation's fattest city:
HOUSTON, Texas (AP) -- This city, judged the nation's fattest for the past three
years, is starting to look thinner -- but only when
it's measured against Detroit.
Houston is now the second-fattest city among 25 compared by Men's Fitness
magazine in its February issue, due out this month.
The scales tipped Detroit's way because of a jump in television viewing, a
worsening commute time and a scarcity of gyms, the
magazine said.
Houston officials were pleased, although the sixth annual survey made it clear
their city still could stand to lose more than a few
pounds.
"We were just ecstatic to not be the fattest city," said Lee Labrada, a former
Mr. Universe, who was named Houston's first fitness
czar in 2002.
More...from CNN at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/01/02/fattest.city.ap/index.html


17. The Man Behind The Man:
Without Chris Carmichael, there'd be no Lance Armstrong. Without Lance
Armstrong, there'd be no Chris Carmichael.
By Bill Gifford
Chris Carmichael is having a hard time with it. His riding partner dropped him
on the very first pitch, just after Michael Jackson's
ranch, and now Carmichael's alone, on a hill so steep he can barely stay
upright. He tries to downshift, but he's already in his 25.
Rising from the saddle, he rocks his team-issue Trek back and forth, gaining a
few feet with each lurching pedal stroke. His sandy
hair is plastered to his neck and sweat drips from the end of his freckled nose,
even though the temperature is in the 40s. "Ooh,"
breathes Wendy, the massage therapist, who's driving a support van. "That looks
painful."
Indeed. Even Lance Armstrong, Carmichael Training Systems' most famous client,
hates Figueroa Mountain Road, which rises 4,500 feet
above California's Santa Ynez Valley. The mud-smeared, crumbling asphalt reminds
Carmichael of the worst of the Pyrenees, and today
it's especially grim as a Pacific storm sweeps gray rain across the state. Once
he could have aced this climb--this is a guy who
survived the mountains of the Tour de France--but that was a couple of
lifetimes, 10 pounds and one nasty broken leg ago. Now, at
42, he's getting smoked by a hairy-legged amateur from the Czech Republic. As
Wendy eases the van past him, he doesn't even look up.
A full kilometer ahead, Pavel Popiolek, 38, spins comfortably up the mountain.
"How is Chris enjoying?" he asks, barely suppressing
a grin. "I hope he is not suffering."
More...from Bicycling Magazine at:
http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,5073,4887,00.html?category_id=363


18. Core strengthening - More than just a crunch:
When you walk or run, you're probably thinking more about putting one foot down
in front of the other than you are about your core
muscles. But did you know that your core is where all movement in your body
originates? Not only that, but when you run - or walk,
ride a bike or skip across a room - your core muscles are hard at work, keeping
you upright, stabilizing your body as your weight
shifts and absorbing impact from ground forces.
Your body's "core" - the area around your trunk and pelvis - is where your
center of gravity is located. When you have good core
stability, the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen work in
harmony. They provide support to your spine for just
about any activity.
Over time, a weak core can make you susceptible to poor posture and injury. For
instance, the weaker your core muscles, the more
likely you are to experience lower back pain. Strong core muscles keep you
protected from such injuries.
"The best brace you can give yourself is your muscle brace - the best corset is
your muscle corset," says Edward Laskowski, M.D., a
physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist and co-director of the Sports
Medicine Center at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
More...from MayoClinic.com at:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=2CEDAD10-1A8A-42F5-8A629A8DD15444F\
C


19. Couple turning fun ride into African fundraiser:
Heading for Tour d'Afrique. From Cairo to Cape Town in four months, they'll
raise money for Ryan's Well project.
Retirees Edwina and Joe Mattinson believe in living life to the fullest.
For the two West Island residents, that means lots of travelling and a
complimentary dose of physical activity. Like the bicycle
race they took part in at the beginning of 2003 - a one-day 109-kilometre ride
in Cape Town, South Africa.
"We love biking," says Edwina, 57. So when she encountered information about the
Tour d'Afrique, and found out a dozen of the 30
bikers on this newly created bicycle tour were over 45 - and even a few in their
50s and 60s - she thought it might be an ideal trip
for herself and her 61-year-old husband.
And while the scale of the expedition they will embark on in a few days is
daunting in itself - from the pyramids at Cairo on Jan.
17 to Cape Town, South Africa by May 15 - Edwina decided to up the ante by using
her ride as a fundraiser for African relief.
It will be a massive undertaking: about 110 kilometres per day, stopping to camp
along the way
More...from Canada.com at:
http://www.canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=2cf507a5-2413-4566-94c8-e31c76a7ea22


20. Using Protein and Carbohydrate in Recovery - A Sport Science Perspective:
Confusion among athletes regarding sports drinks and nutritional supplements
such as recovery drinks may be preventing some athletes
from maximizing their performance. Liz Broad, a sport dietitian from the
Australian Institute of Sport states that "athletes need to
understand that isotonic (sport) drinks are primarily about staying hydrated
whereas nutritional supplements are about helping to
achieve a balanced and nutritious diet during periods of exercise, competition
and recovery. " What is the secret to more effective
recovery? It's no secret! But here are 3 golden tips to optimal recovery:
1. Carbohydrate taken immediately post-exercise is rapidly stored in the muscle
as glycogen - this can reduce recovery time between
sessions and improve the quality of training during subsequent sessions.
Dietary factors affecting the rate of storage of glycogen in exercise depleted
muscles include the amount and timing of post
exercise carbohydrate intake and the type of carbohydrate feeding. The most
important factor in muscle glycogen resynthesis appears
to be the amount of carbohydrate consumed. Athletes should consume 150-300 kcal
of food (predominantly carbohydrate) as soon as
possible after exercise as a function of their weight, gender, and training
intensity. The higher glycemix index foods consumed
after exercise promote recovery of muscle glycogen stores and reduce muscle
fatigue.
More...from peak Performance at:
http://www.peakperformance.on.ca/sports/protein.htm#Using%20Protein


21. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome:
(including CMP or Chondromalacia Patellae)
What is Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome?
Patellofemoral syndrome is the term used to describe pain on and around the
patella or kneecap. A common cause is damage to the
surface underneath the kneecap. It can be started by an impact or it gradually
comes on from rubbing on the bone underneath. The
injury is often referred to as chondramalacia patellae, patella pain syndrome or
runner's knee.
The injury is common among girls aged 10 - 20 years . Correct rehabilitation is
essential for this injury along with taping. Do not
ignore this injury because if it gets very bad it is extremely difficult to
treat.
What are the symptoms?
Pain occurs in the knee joint, around and under the patella.
Pain under the patella when bending and straightening the knee.
Tenderness along the inside border of the kneecap.
Usually swelling is present.
Is often worse when walking up or down hills or stairs.
More...from SportsInjuryClinic.com at:
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/knee/indexcmp.html


22. Finding the "Best" Exercise All Miavita Features:
by Steven Blair, Miavita Scientific Adviser
Is cross-country skiing the "best" exercise? Some experts say so. But that's not
my final answer.
Years ago, researchers found that of all championship-level athletes,
cross-country skiers recorded the highest maximal oxygen
uptake values - a peak measure of aerobic fitness. As a result, some experts
proclaimed cross-country skiing the "best" exercise.
Get Out My Skis? Puh-leeze!
But I've long felt that this idea of a "best exercise" does a disservice to the
average person. First, for most people, pursuing the
highest possible oxygen uptake has little relevance. It may mean something for
elite athletes who train to perform at a highly
competitive level, but not for the rest of us who just want to be fit.
More...from Yahoo at:
http://health.yahoo.com/search/miavita?lb=s&p=id%3A38102


23. A look at how to set up your triathlon season:
I know a guy who gets up at 4:30 every morning, greeted by his Mr. Coffee which,
preprogrammed to brew at 4:15, is the closest
approximation to anything else awake and functional in his time zone at this
time of the morning.
He needs no alarm clock. By 6 he's training, his coffee machine already cleaned,
refilled, and set to auto-brew the next day. By
8:30 he's working. And so his life goes.
As it goes for many of you. You may be competitive, meticulous, driven,
hyper-organized, in control, and preplanned. I'm sure you've
heard that these assets you exude are just those which have brought you the
success you've achieved.
You've also probably been told that they are the pathologies that keep you from
getting what has so far eluded you. In all
likelihood both views are correct. But that's the way you are, and there's no
changing it ...
More...from Active.com at:
http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=10373&sidebar=26&category=triathlon


24. Yoga for runners:
Haven't you heard? Didn't you see it on Oprah? Didn't you see it on the cover of
"Time"? Yoga is the next Big Thing. Doubters
beware. Soon your friends will be toting sticky mats, sipping chai, and greeting
each other with Sanskrit words. You'll officially
be behind the times. Hatha Yoga is a centuries-old system of physical postures
and breathing techniques. In 1966, B.K.S. Iyengar
codified Hatha Yoga's meticulous alignment principles in his treatise "Light on
Yoga". It was a watershed in the history of Yoga,
opening its esoterica to an audience of millions in the West. Hatha Yoga,
largely based on Iyengar's axiomatic approach to fine
muscular control, is a perfect complement to your running practice. It promotes
refined attention to balance, posture, and
alignment, thereby improving your form and performance and preventing injury.
Hatha Yoga may be summarized as a process of
self-discovery. I initiated a Yoga practice while training for a marathon. I
soon discovered I had held all my weight on my right
leg for the first 25 years of my life. As a result, I found that my hips weren't
aligned and that the nagging knee pain I was
getting in longer training runs was caused by the misalignment. It was Yoga that
cultivated my awareness, allowing me to diagnose
the problem. It was Yoga that helped treat it and prevented further damage.
More...from Run the Planet at:
http://www.runtheplanet.com/pages/refer/articles/yogarun.php


25. Catering to the Atkins Craze:
Restaurants, even fast-food chains, squeeze out the carbs.
There once was a time -- say 2002 -- when cheeseburger fans who were trying to
shed a few pounds would order their burger without
cheese. Or mayonnaise. Or both.
These days, they have another option: Hold the bun, but pile on the mayo and
cheese.
And remember when party guests would ask, "May I bring something, perhaps an
appetizer?" Now they're likely to say, "I'll bring
something with protein in it. Got to balance out all those carbs."
More...from HealthScout at:
http://www.healthscout.com/news/1/516699/main.html


This Weeks Events:
*Please verify event dates with the event websites*

January 9, 2004:
Dubai Marathon - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
http://www.dubaimarathon.org/

January 9-11, 2004:
35th Annual Dartmouth Relays - Hanover, NH
http://www.lancertiming.com/relays.htm

National Conference for the Running Industry - Phoenix, AZ
http://www.runningusa.org/

January 10, 2004:
Run For Peace Charlotte Marathon - NC
http://www.runforpeace.active.com/

January 11, 2004:
Disney Marathon - Orlando, FL
http://dwws.disney.go.com/wideworldofsports/sportingevents/sportingevent/sportin\
geventindex?id=SPORMarathon04SporEvn
[Long URL]

Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon - Phoenix, AZ
http://www.rnraz.com/

This Weeks Personal Postings/Releases:
We have NO personal postings this week.


Television and Online Coverage:
[Check local listings as event times are subject to change]

Check out our new Runner's Web Television Links page at:
http://www.runnersweb.com/running/rw_television.html



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Have a good week of training and/or racing.



Ken Parker
Runner's Web
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