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Daily Headlines From The World Of Running

Saturday/Sunday, November 28-29, 2009
LINK: LetsRun thread, "MASTERS LONG WEEK OF TRAINING & RACING"
LINK: Steve Holman on American Running - the former American mile great talks about the American resurgence in distance running, his own efforts at the marathon, and the recent restructuring of USATF, on whose Board of Directors he serves
LINK: Will America join Germany in thumbing nose at WMA rules? - On the USATF docket for the annual meeting are some masters rules changes that will allow unchallenged membership transfers between Associations within 100 miles of the athlete AND will keep the age of entry into masters road running at 40, instead of WMA's edict of 35 (see here, Item 10, page 4) ... it's preposterous that the age might be lowered to 35; unlike masters track, which is starved for numbers, there are 6-10 million hard core competitive 40+ road runners in America, and we don't need age 35 elites hanging on for just one more year in order to win all the masters prizes in the USA as the final exclamation point on their careers
LINK: LetsRun thread, "50+ Weekly Training Thread"
LINK: LetsRun thread, "If humans evolved to run, why do we suffer so many injuries?" - lots more hogwash on this thread from the barefoot crowd (sheesh, it's like listening to climate change deniers, arguments manufactured out of hooey and nothingness), but still an interesting read
LINK: LetsRun thread, "John Molvar's 0 to 100 MPW in 10 weeks theory is proven false" - can an untrained person go from 0 to 100 miles in 10 weeks? ... one group of former college runners, one year removed from any training, gave it a try
LINK: Photos of Meb at the 2009 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - love the photos of Meb with the Statue of Liberty float ... would be nice if the "Meb isn't a real American" crowd bothered to read the inscription on the actual Statue of Liberty some time
LINK: Blue Zones - Dean Karnazes asks, "Where do the world’s hardiest humans live, and what makes them so healthy?" ... and then goes on to answer his own question (FYI: this will make those who drink, sleep late, and eat loads of fat very happy)
LINK: “Core” Stability “Training” - Your Humble Blogger has secretly made fun of the complex and demanding "core" workouts that his peers have recently decided are the root of all running (preferring to limit his public mockery to the practice of barefoot running), but this article is too good to pass up
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "How Far Is Too Far? Pushing our bodies to do more can be dangerous. Even fatal"
LINK: Jeff Galloway answers the question, "Can a longer long run help me run faster in my marathon?"
LINK: Sanya Richards, “Track and Field athletes deserve more $$$” - Sanya thinks because track is as "grueling" as football and basketball, its athletes deserve an equal payday ... sigh ... Sanya, that's not how it works, or else we masters cross country runners would be pocketing 9 figures!


Friday, November 27, 2009
LINK: Sudden death of an athlete - more info on Sudden Cardiac Death (SDC), in both younger and older athletes ... "Estimates in US range from 1:160,000 to 1:300,000 competitive athlete deaths a year due to cardiovascular disease"
LINK: Runners angry after receiving parking tickets during race - some a few hundred Turkey Trotters in New Orleans returned to their cars to find $75 tickets tacked to their windshields ... gobble gobble NOPD
LINK: How many miles a week should we run a couple months out from a half-marathon? - Runner's World's The Penguin answers by ignoring the question and talking about the long run, but in fairness to TP, it's the best answer for the runner who asked the question
LINK and LINK: Two links to the most stunning articles on doping by Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones that you'll ever read - Montgomery says of Jones, "She could make herself cry for the cameras ... Her best work was when she passed a lie detector test."
LINK: Salazar Named Nike Coach of the Year by USATF - yes, it's sorta strange for Nike to name the coach on their own payroll as "coach of the year," but read this article and you'll be hard-pressed to disagree with the pick!
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Tight hamstrings" - your Humble Blogger also suggests that you do the Beach Towel Hamstrings, Lazy Cat, and Daydreamer (among others) from the video Grace and I did for Running Times, available here


Happy Thanksgiving!
- no new links today -

Wednesday, November 25, 2009
LINK: 5 Minutes with Colleen De Reuck - meant to post a link to this awhile back ... great interview in which De Reuck describes the changes she's made in her training since becoming a masters runner
LINK: Phys Ed: How Necessary Is Stretching? - study showed that "for both men and women, those with the tightest hamstrings had the best running economy. They also typically had the fastest 10-kilometer race times" ... this explains your Humble Blogger's inability to touch his knees while still breaking 15 minutes for 5K! ... my son's advice for keeping objects from me, "Hide it from Dad - put it on the floor"
LINK: Ya Gotta Fight. For Your Right. To Pie. - Some people want to take the pie out of Thanksgiving, and Mark Remy's not going to take that lying down ... unless, of course, he just ate three servings of pie and needs to nap on the couch
LINK: Is Chocolate Milk Really That Bad? - Has the world gone mad?! First no pie for Thanksgiving, now they want to take chocolate milk out of our schools! ... Hey, spoonheads, living healthy isn't about taking away chocolate milk (while keeping the "fried mozzarella sticks!"), it's about exercise, smart food choices, good social networks, an optimistic attitude, and NOT blaming chocolate milk for the 5000 calories a day you stuff into your and your kids' faces every day!
LINK: LetsRun thread, "To all Masters Runners desperately hanging on to the dream...Good luck at your Turkey Trots!!" - the thread starts as kind of a slam on masters, but turns into one of the funnest masters threads in awhile ... worth a read!


Tuesday, November 24, 2009
LINK: High Impact Sports Improve Bone Density in Older Athletes! - “You take it easy, I have a hockey game,” said the 65 year old to her doctor ... A new study of 560 athletes from the Senior Olympics shows yet another benefit to masters running!
LINK: Barringer Falters, Bizzarri Wins - Everybody's top pick tumbled to the ground around halfway ... this was a truly bizarre (one might say "Bizzarri") twist to what was expected to be Jenny Barringer's curtain call on the NCAA stage
LINK: Rita Hanscom savors her Cinderella moment at IAAF Gala - San Diego's Rita Hanscom shared the stage in Monoco with Usain Bolt and Sandra Richards as she received the women's half of the World's Best Masters Athlete award ... Congrats, Rita!!!
LINK: Wanted: Running Intern - Mark Remy is looking for someone to bring him beverages at work and stand in the porta-potty line at races
LINK: Liberty's Sam Chelanga wins NCAA cross country championship - after getting caught and passed by Galen Rupp last year, Chelanga scorches the course for win and record ... meanwhile, Oklahoma State puts the "team" in team effort
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Is Fernandez the next Jeff Nelson" - amazing, Fernandez has a bad xc finale and people forget that he set the NCAA indoor mile record as a freshman and ran in the 13:20s for 5K ... and as for Jeff, he won the Cal JC xc meet by about two minutes, then decided to hang up the running shoes, play in a rock 'n' roll band, and then settle down with his current wife (assistant coach for Saugus, one of the best girls xc teams in the country) and a couple great kids, and he remains one of the nicest guys on the planet ... yeah, let's hope Fernandez doesn't do that
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Should I run slower, to run faster?" - YES, a thousand times "Yes!" ... Repeat after me, "Slower is Faster, Slower is Faster" ... We don't train in order to practice running fast, we train to improve the physiological and psychological process that allow us to run faster; there's no reason to run our distance any faster than we have to, as long as we add a couple sessions a week that will target threshold, anerobic energy systems, and intermediate fast twitch muscle fiber
LINK: German high jump record restored after 73 years - Nazis refused to ratify it because the record-setter was a Jew


Monday, November 23, 2009
LINK: Link to live streaming of NCAA XC Championship (12 Noon EST) - meet will also be on Versus
LINK: Usain Bolt and Sanya Richards win IAAF World Athlete of the Year awards - no big surprise for either athlete ... they were simply the best
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Masters Runners when did you notice yourself slowing down?"
LINK: LetsRun thread, "50+ Weekly Training Thread"
LINK: Getting Ready for Winter Running - The Penguin from Runner's World gives some tips on dressing for winter
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "how long is a pre-race warm-up helpful for?" - a very interesting response here, although your humble blogger still believes that there's no reason to start warming up more than 30-35 minutes before a race and maximum benefit if the race can start within 2-3 minutes of your warm-up's completion
LINK: Stephen Francis advocates tax exemptions for athletes - methinks someone is taking this running thing a little too seriously


Saturday/Sunday, November 21-22, 2009
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Masters Weekend Runs and Races"
LINK: Great Wall Streeet Journal interview with Meb - "What's the list of things you need to be an American? ... You live here, you pay taxes, you live by the American way. I've been here for 22 years. I'm as American as you can get."
LINK: Are Barefoot-Type Shoes Appropriate for New Runners? - a sensible response to a question that's still making the rounds ... even after Meb won New York wearing shoes ... Has a barefoot runner won any major race in the past few decades? (Zola Budd doesn't count since she gave up bare feet for shoes ... neither does Abebe Bikila, since he put on shoes for his second Olympic victory and, um, set the world record in the process
LINK: The Main Causes of Hip Pain in Athletes - a list of all the ways we can hurt at the hip ... how many of these have you had?
LINK: Phys Ed: Why Exercise Makes You Less Anxious - in a study on rats, the brain cells developed during exercise remained calm in a stressful situation while normal brain cells had a cow
LINK: Caster Semenya 800m gold medal claims are denied by the IAAF - looks like the South African sports ministry can't get anything right ... and doesn't seem to care (again!) what effect their actions have on Semenya
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Sebastian Coe: 1984 Olympic 1500m" - a look back and discussion of this great race ... Seb Coe finished the last 100 meters in 12.7 seconds on his way to the Gold!
LINK: ... and video of Coe's 1984 win
LINK: 5-Hour Energy: Too Good to Be True? - well, okay, we all know the answer to this one, but it's nice to have someone else spank this nonsense in print
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Gloves for very cold mornings" - discussion about what are the best gloves for those very cold mornings ... this blogger's suggestion - move to Southern California and run in shorts and a singlet all "winter"
LINK: 10 seconds over 400m - the magnitude of Oscar Pistorius' advantage in a 400m race ... turns out the team that cleared Pistorius to compete at the CAS hearing in 2008 knew he had a huge unfair advantage - it's only that no one asked the right question then!
LINK: New study, for better or worse, puts Pistorius' trial in limelight - and a Sports Illustrated story that's a little clearer on the same subject ... makes it pretty easy to go from applauding Pistorius's story to just wanting him to go away


Friday, November 20, 2009
LINK: Kara Goucher Interview - more on how she runs by how she feels, says, "Sometimes I feel great and a recovery day may be 6:30 pace, but other days it may be literally eight-minute pace" ... honestly, if more masters runners followed that philosophy, there'd be far fewer injured, burned-out, disappointed masters runners
LINK: Caster Semenya to Keep Gold Medal - and also to keep the secret of her sex-verification results ... seriously, there will be no public announcement of the results of her testing and no word on whether she'll be allowed to continue to compete as a woman ... yeah, that should kill the story....
LINK: Bahrain Runner Rashid Ramzi Stripped of Olympic Gold Medal - Ramzi stole the greatest moment of a lifetime from a fellow competitor ... stole money and fame and glory and the culmination of years of training from a clean athlete ... What's wrong with sports that more money isn't being spent on drug testing and harsher penalties aren't being meted out to athletes who piss all over the work and dreams of clean athletes?
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Question for Ed Whitlock" - a quick question to Ed on how he trains in the cold, Ontario weather ... answered by the man himself, Ed Whitlock
LINK: North Americans picking up the pace - another pat on our collective backs for the resurgence in American distance running
LINK: Why Blood Dope When Drinking Blood-Red Beet Juice Is Just About As Good? - recent studies indicate it has an almost miraculous effect on oxygen consumption, and hence endurance performance ... but then there's what Paula Radcliffe said when asked if she'd tried it: "I tried it once," she said, "but most of it came out the other end."
LINK: Jeff Galloway answers the question, "How should I choose a marathon if I want to run a fast time?" - Shouldn't the question read, "... if I want to walk a good time?"


Wednesday, November 18, 2009
LINK: Simple Tactics for Successful Racing - interesting tactics, but I'm not sure these are a good idea for the non-elite runner ... surges at any point in a race (other than the last 100 meters) are extremely taxing and almost always come back to bite you
LINK: For 'Mega Marathoners,' the Race Is On -- to Run More Races ... Wall Street Journal article on runners who obsess over racing as many marathons as possible ... of course, it's not really "racing" when you do it all the time, it's just very expensive high volume training
LINK: Joe Rubio gives us the blow-by-blow on this year's Running Event in Austin, TX - great insight from the annual running shoe expo, with the latest word on the new lines of running shoes
LINK: Exercise-Linked Rapid, Erratic Heartbeats Not a Risk to Healthy Older Adults - In adults with no earlier signs of heart disease, researchers found no adverse effects resulting from brief episodes of exercise-induced ventricular tachycardia
LINK: USATF announces 2009 Hall of Fame Inductees - Some of the greatest athletes of their generations, including track & field legends Joetta Clark Diggs, Andre Phillips, Randy Williams and Willie Steele, are joined by coach Dr. Ken Foreman as the 2009 inductees into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame
LINK: LetsRun thread, "What is your all time favorite workout?" - for the record, your humble blogger believes that there are no "good workouts," only good training programs


Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Delayed ... Your humble blogger is late for work!....

Monday, November 16, 2009
LINK: Running Times "Weekly Racing Recap" of open-level racing
LINK: What is the best part about being 40? - Kristin Armstrong celebrates a friend's 40th and relates the various answers her group came up with for the question of what's best about being 40 ... your blogger would add increasingly beneficial age-grading to her list
LINK: Mark Remy gets the best pre-marathon horoscope ever! ... of course, that means that he reads horoscopes....
LINK: LetsRun thread, "50+ Weekly Training Thread"
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "How do you deal with bad colds w/ coughs and your running schedule?" - actually, this blogger would highly recommend disregarding all the advice on this thread to run with a cold, which is incredibly self-destructive, and instead take a couple days off and then feel your way from there ... but it is interesting how many running addicts can't step away from the Nikes for even a day
LINK: Double Olympic Gold Medalist Kelly Holmes says Usain Bolt has saved the sport - “Athletics is now interesting because of one man, I’m sorry to say that, but the only reason athletics was popular this year was because of Bolt”
LINK: Dibaba shatters 15Km World record in Nijmegen! - 24-year-old runs 46:28!!! ... beats old record by (are you serious?) 27 seconds!


Saturday/Sunday, November 14-15, 2009
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Masters Weekend Runs and Races"
LINK: LetsRun thread, "IAAF world male athlete of 2009: BEKELE or BOLT?" - as this blogger opined when covering this topic a few days ago ... It's Bolt all the way ... No one is even close to Bolt and the impact he's had on this sport ... and 9.58 and 19.19 don't hurt his chances either!
LINK: Rethink for calorie eating levels - turns out we can eat more calories than we thought without gaining weight ... anyone want to guess how long it takes obese people in America to latch onto this as an excuse to eat even more - and to let their kids get even heavier?
LINK: A Brief Chat With Chris Lukezic - Lukezic ran 3:33 for 1500 at age 22, but now says he's retiring at age 25 ... I don't mean to kick a guy when he's down, but what is it with Americans thinking that if they can't have something right now doing exactly what they've been doing, then it isn't worth working for ... or at least changing up your training and priorities for a little bit to see if that was the problem?
LINK: LetsRun thread, "How far into a 5K before you start hating life?" - for this blogger, it's usually about 2/3 of the way through ... if I'm in pain before the halfway point, the race is lost
LINK: Chip Time vs. Gun Time: Who Decides? - good Q & A on how race directors decide whether to honor winners based upon chip or gun time ... When your humble blogger won the 2005 USATF Masters Club XC Championship, I hit the finish line first but finished second according to chip time ... the second place finisher was about 6 inches behind me at the line, but his chip was on his lead foot crossing the line while mine was on my trail foot, meaning his chip crossed the line before mine!
LINK: Intervals, Thresholds, and Long Slow Distance: the Role of Intensity and Duration in Endurance Training - "Elite endurance athletes perform 80% or more of their training at intensities clearly below their lactate threshold and use high-intensity training surprisingly sparingly
LINK: IAAF legends support anti-doping education program - Mike Powell, Kajsa Bergqvist, Stéphane Diagana, Wilson Kipketer and Dame Kelly Holmes have all recorded video messages for the programme and thrown their support behind the concept


Friday, November 13, 2009
LINK: Apparently, it's all downhill after Age 45 - good article on the decline of cardiovascular fitness in both men and women ... and how smart training can slow it down ... and speaking of "slow it down," slowing down your daily runs is one recommendation
LINK: Hasay has Ducks in hunt - article on the charismatic Oregon freshman, who has helped the Ducks emerge as title contenders by virtue of the "Hasay effect"
LINK: Boys' Team Sports May Encourage Bad Behavior - and now for something completely ridiculous, a study that relies on correlation - namely, that in a large survey it was found that boys in team sports were more likely to engage in fighting and drinking - to suggest that maybe sports aren't so good ... um, hey doofus, here's another possible explanation: boys who go out for linebacker on their school football team are ALREADY more likely to engage in fighting and drinking than the nerd in the back row who just wants to survive freshman year ... and here's another reason: testosterone
LINK: Catherine Ndereba Will Chase an Olympic Gold Medal at Age 40 - let's face it, women slow down more slowly than men ... I personally think it's all that fighting and drinking we male athletes do because of our participation in team sports
LINK: "After a four-year layoff, I'm finding running more difficult," says Terry. "Is muscle memory a myth?" - The Penguin gives his answer ... here's mine, "You're OUT OF SHAPE!"
LINK: Essential Lydiard - Principles, not formulas, are the keys to successful training ... terrific read that begins with explanation and great example of Lydiard axiom: "Good training and bad training look exactly the same on paper."
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Speed and Running Form"


Thursday, November 12, 2009
LINK: USADA chief: rogue doctors, laboratories the biggest threats - WADA is quick to congratulate itself, but still seems to have its head in the sand ... as evidenced by United States Anti-Doping Agency chief executive Travis T. Tygart, who said, "Most importantly, you've yet to see a cheat — and include Marion Jones, include Floyd Landis, include the other Balco athletes — who were proud of the fact that they cheated" ... um, both have yet to admit that they even cheated, with Jones claiming someone else cheated for her!
LINK: LetsRun's, "The Week That Was" - more the week that "wasn't" this time around
LINK: THE BEST OF RUNNING - Who's the top distance runner in history? What are the truly must-run races? The tastiest energy bar? Here's a complete rundown of the most sublime aspects of our sport.
LINK: Marathon Landmines - Mark Remy finds danger lurking in every nook and cranny of his office environment
LINK: Running's African Origins - "Running, like human life, began in Africa."
LINK: Happy Runners, Thirsty Thursday - video with Jack Daniels in which he gives his thoughts on if a happy runner will make a faster runner


Wednesday, November 11, 2009
LINK: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Goes Public With Leukemia Fight - apparently, it's not a death sentence for Kareem, but it certainly reminds us that we're all in this boat together - all equally human - when an athlete of Kareem's stature gets cut down to size by an illness like this
LINK: It's all about relaxation - World Championships Gold Medalist Sanya Richards says she learned from Usain Bolt that "you run fast when you just have fun and relax" ... 9.58 here I come!
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Hellebuyck is racing and stealing prize money" - Hey, at least he isn't winning the World Series!
LINK: Electrolyte Replacement, Explained - Find out if and when you need to sweat the small stuff ... Aren't those the things you make coolaide with? ... or are they those sprinkles you put on cakes?
LINK: Burn, Baby, Burn--Of Exercise and Calorie Burning - Amby Burfoot tackles the question of how many calories we're really burning when we're running ... Claiming all intensity levels of walking and running a mile burn the same amount of calories has annoyed me for years - it's simply not true, and Amby's column is a good start at taking down that misconception
LINK: Best and brightest to speak at Podium Education Project - Some of the world's most respected coaches and scientists are among the scheduled presenters for USATF's Podium Education Project, Dec. 10-13 and Dec. 17-19 in Orlando, Fla


Tuesday, November 10, 2009
LINK: Running Times "Weekly Racing Recap" for open level running
LINK: 2009 Athletes of the Year - and the Finalists are... - they're kidding, right? ... I mean, I wonder who's going to win, Tyson Gay or Usain Bolt?
LINK: Stasi dumped syringes in St. Lawrence in 1976: report - "About 10 suitcases of medical packaging, needles, tubular instruments, etc. were sunk in the St. Lawrence River," the file says ... of course, in the modern era of bicyclists, runners, and MLB stars, the mere act of your team dumping out suitcases of used PED products wouldn't be considered evidence at all ... Lance
LINK: Pekka Viippo tells why he doped before Lahti world meet - he uses all the usual excuses, makes the absurd claim that he didn't dope in boxing because it wouldn't have helped him in that sport, and never really admits why he used the drugs, which would be because he's a cheater who thought winning a medal himself trumped any concerns with legitimate competion and didn't give a damn about the hard work, dreams, and fairly obtained results of his competitors
LINK: Freedom of the Hills - "running slow and steady on the trails can be as freeing as skinny dipping in a mountain hot spring under a moonlit sky" ... hmmm....


Monday, November 9, 2009
LINK: New Course for Los Angeles Marathon - Runners go from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica
LINK: Anti-doping agency studying new method for EPO testing - why bother? ... athletes will just find a new drug, or the public won't care anyway ... the Yankees just won the World Series with two PED cheats - until real penalties for PED use are enacted, like forcing drug cheats to return every dime and award they ever earned from sport, nothing is going to change ... sigh....
LINK: LetsRun thread, "50+ Weekly Training Thread"
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Pepper spray a dog to teach the owner a lesson?"


Saturday/Sunday, November 7-8, 2009
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Masters Weekend Runs and Races"
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Worried after what happened at a meet today, should I go to the police?" - no, she should go to her parents ... I know I'd want to have a "chat" with this young man if he said this to a child of mine
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Converting marathon fitness to shorter races"
LINK: The Science of Aging Tips - How Tony Young stays young ... Tony Young ran 3:42 for 1500 as a youngster and 3:46 as a masters runner - as well as 3:57 indoors at age 46 to set a world age group record
LINK: Are running records nearing their limits? - You betcha! ... I have it on good authority that it's physiologically impossible to break 4 minutes for the mile and that the only reason Jim Hines was able to run under 10 seconds (9.95) in the 1968 Olympic 100 final was because it was held at altitude
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Should The Beer Mile Be Illegal/Banned?" - well, of course it shouldn't ... that said, this blogger prefers not to mix his racing with beer - I want to be at least halfway through the finish chute before popping the first cold one
LINK: Lahti silver medalist gets 2-year ban for doping violation - that's right, a 45-year-old shotputter, Pekka Viippo, was caught doping (anabolic steroids, etc.) at the recent World Masters T&F Championships ... what a dick
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Possible Stress Fracture in lower leg"


Friday, November 6, 2009
LINK: The What Went Wrong Log - A simple tool to help diagnose performances ... Greg McMillan helps you figure out whether you're incurring too much stress from workouts or life
LINK: Caster Semenya given unconditional apology from Athletics South Africa - and she deserves one, as this should never have become the international incident that it did
LINK: Terrific email from Merhawi Keflezighi, Meb's bro: "Meb's Achievement in NYC 'Transcended Running'"
LINK: Meb Keflezighi Wins the NYC Marathon in 2:06, Sorta - Amby Burfoot's take on Meb's NYC win, and he doesn't even use age-grading to justify his conclusion about Meb's time!
LINK: New York Marathon Winner Tests Positive For Performance-Enhancing Horse - The Onion reveals Meb's drug-testing showed that he'd been riding a horse during his epic marathon victory
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Jim Ryun - Runner's World Top 5????" - let the bantering (and childish name-calling) begin!
LINK: Pregnant Athlete Faces Sanctions - that's right, Malaysian sports authorities concerned at the loss of a genuine medal chance want to punish Yuan Yufang for daring to be pregnant without giving them adequate notice ... um, sometimes it happens that way, guys....
LINK: Juan Antonio Samaranch, former President of the International Olympic Committee, worked as a secret agent for the KGB - so says Vladimir Popov, formerly a top official in the Soviet Union secret police


Thursday, November 5, 2009
LINK: Five Resistance Training Myths in the Running World - YL blogger Liz Palmer sends along this link ... Great Stuff!!! ... If you aren't doing resistance training now, you will be after you read this article!!! ... (unless you're this humble blogger, who hasn't lifted a weight not already attached to his body or edible in a decade)
LINK: Masters floppers can benefit from high jump curve calculator - yes, now all you high jumpers out there can calculate the optimal curve for your approach, and you can do it online
LINK: Fast Facts on Sunday's Record-Breaking NY Marathon Field - Running Times notes that while there were 43,741 starters, there were 43,475 finishers ... could a broken centipede account for this? ... or did Rosie Ruiz finish the course 5 times? ... note also that NY Road Runners claims this as a record for marathon finishers ... yes, well, um....
LINK: Take Me Out From the Ball Game - Mark Remy states EXACTLY what your Humble Blogger is thinking ... in fact, last night, as the final Philly hit into an out at first, my son and I cheered, "The Simpsons are back! The Simpsons are back!"
LINK: What is the optimal time frame for doing your last long run (20 miles) before a marathon? - The Penguin over at Runner's World takes on this question ... Your Humble Blogger, on the other hand, feels that a 20 mile long run is good enough, so why not just skip the marathon and get back to 5 & 10Ks?
LINK: LetsRun compiles all the Meb coverage into one place!
LINK: How the Kenyans Take On New York - In the days leading to Sunday’s marathon, Dr. Gabriele Rosa gave The New York Times full access to the preparations and strategy of Cheruiyot and his countryman James Kwambai
LINK: LetsRun thread, "How fast can you run a 5k off 35 miles per week? Thank you!"
LINK: Are marathon times getting faster or not? - The Science of Sport answers the question, and the answer is ... available when you use the link!


Wednesday, November 4, 2009
LINK: MEB'S WIN: ONE FOR THE MELTING POT - great article countering the bigoted yowling about Meb's American-ness (hat tip to Running Times for plucking this one from the "Tennessee Running" site)
LINK: How Do You Handle 'Calls of Nature'? - In this edition of "Ask the Race Director," we learn the proper ratio of porta-potties to runners
LINK: I Have Irritable Bowel Syndrome; What Should I Eat? - And is this episode of "Ask the Sports Dietitian," a runner asks what to eat since her system can't tolerate pasta ... I'll take this one: Twinkies and beer
LINK: LetsRun's "The Week That Was" - recap of open-level racing
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Are we witnessing the onset of the greatest era of American distance running?"
LINK: Usain Bolt's life in the fast lane - "Sometimes it gets kind of crazy, but I know they mean me no harm," Bolt says of the crowds. "It might get out of hand, but they just want to touch me and want to take a picture."
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "When compression shorts don't, well, compress enough"
LINK: 2009 ING NYCM Photo Gallery: A Salute to Meb, by Larry Eder


Tuesday, November 3, 2009
LINK: Meb does David Letterman - Gives the Top 10 list, Things You Think About During the NY Marathon ... includes, "Is that the finish line or crime scene tape?" ... Great honor for Meb, but, um, he probably wants to keep his day job
LINK: Doc, I just finished the New York City Marathon, but last night both my feet started killing me! - advice from Runner's World's Running Doc
LINK: To Some, Winner Is Not American Enough - bigots and racists are after Meb because they claim he wasn't born in America and should be considered an "African" ... funny, no one makes the same argument about Alberto Salazar, who emigrated from Cuba at age 2 ... or John McCain, who was born in Panama ... Do these people even understand the basic principles upon which our nation was founded?
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "If you could make your own marathon what would it be like?"
LINK: Bolt adopts baby cheetah - before you start thinking that Bolt is going all "Michael Jackson" on us, the cheetah will be raised at an animal orphanage in Nairobi, and the money he paid ($3000) goes to the Kenya Wildlife Service
LINK: USA masters indoor nationals results posted 1975-present
LINK: Mobile Link to 430m Brain Cancer Epidemic - “There is a significant and increasing body of evidence – at least eight comprehensive clinical studies internationally – for a link between mobile phones and the life ending diagnosis of brain cancer.”
LINK: Paula Radcliffe Says She Gets Better with Age - "In some ways you get better with age," she told BBC Sport last week. "Things like endurance and mental strength, if anything, get stronger."
LINK: Jeff Galloway's Blog, "Cross Training for Fat Burning" ... or you could run....
LINK: Not so fast! Andre Agassi wrote about some crystal meth use in his recently published autobiography, admitting he lied to doping authorities about it at the time ... Now WADA wants to take a second look ... Oops!


Monday, November 2, 2009
LINK: Meb Does It! - Running Times and Runner's World's recap of Meb's great win
LINK: Inspiration for a New Crop of U.S. Runners - The NY Times looks at the resurgence of American distance runners as displayed by Meb's win
LINK: Keflezighi’s ‘U.S.A.’ Breaks the Tape - “U.S.A. gave me all the opportunities, education, sports, lifestyle,” Keflezighi said. “When you dream, you dream. You don’t give up.”
LINK: City (Running) Mouse, Country (Running) Mouse - Mark Remy, in New York for the marathon, cites some of the obstacles one runs into when attempting to traverse the Big Apple ... plus adds a few notes on the NY Marathon
LINK: LetsRun's splash page for Meb's victory - thought I was done with the Meb links, but since LetsRun is the heart of the running community, this is touching
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Joanie Samuleson did it again! 2:49 in NYC" - amazing ... simply amazing....
LINK: It's Just Agony For Radcliffe - another injury does in the world record holder in the marathon ... has age caught up to Paula?
LINK: A long and healthy life has a lot to do with balance - excellent post on aging and balance ... includes a method for testing your own balance and some tips for improving it if you come up a little wobbly!


Saturday/Sunday, October 31 - November 1, 2009
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Masters Weekend Runs and Races"
LINK: LetsRun thread, "100 mpw guys what shoes do you use?"
LINK: Usain Bolt: I am drug-free without a doubt - this blogger believes him ... most anabolic steroids and other PEDs improve stride length, which improves speed when combined with a sprinter's natural turnover, but Bolt's stride length is not at all surprising for his height, and drugs that would improve turnover (stimulants) are easy to test for ... Bolt's stride actually looks far more "natural" than his closest competitors in the sport
LINK: Runner's World and Running Times joint coverage of everything having to do with the 2009 NY Marathon - lots of great pieces here! ... and live-blogging the day of the event!
LINK: Why drinking makes you a better runner - there should be more great articles like this!!
LINK: The Next Superstars - meet two incredible high school runners from last year ... who will still be incredible high school runners this year ... and next year
LINK: More on the Chinese sprinter who has been banned for life for PED use - and a startling admission by ex-Olympic official, Yuan Weimin that the remarkable Chinese distance runners, coached by Ma Junren, had used illegal drugs!!!
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Unlocking the magic goodness of vegetables" - I prefer unlocking the "magic goodness" of Twinkies and beer, but whatever floats your boat ... is sausage a vegetable?
LINK: Boulder's Naked Pumpkin Run May Be Coming to an End - Sheriff Stick-Up-His-Bum from Boulder doesn't like nakedness (probably makes him feel icky in a way his mother told him was bad), so wants to end the tradition ... and replace it with a new one of arresting naked people so he won't have to feel icky
LINK: Blog The Science of Sport previews the New York Marathon


Friday, October 30, 2009
LINK: Runner's World and Running Times joint coverage of everything having to do with the 2009 NY Marathon - already includes "Brief Chats" with Meb Keflezighi and Joan Benoit Samuelson
LINK: Things Were Going Good Until Mile 20...What Happened? - Runner asks Runner's World columnist why his time didn't match what pace calculators said he should run ... based on a 10K time ... um, well here's the thing ... oh heck, what RW said....
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Have you ever had such a bad race that you considered committing suicide?" - I think we all need to remember that it's just running ... and our best memories will be of the people we shared it with and not of the results
LINK: Sebastian Coe: Gender test queries must be expedited - "I think it is crucial that the IAAF have the ability to deal with such a situation as Caster Semenya's ... We should put in place a protocol that is very tough and without the need for a five-to six-month investigation" ... of course, what really struck me about the article is that Seb Coe is now 53 ... good grief, where have the years gone?!
LINK: Time magazine's " A Brief History of The Marathon"


Thursday, October 29, 2009
LINK: Video of Bill Rodgers talking about NY Marathon and marthoning in general - he won NY 4 times!
LINK: Pushing Past the Pain of Exertion - good NY Times article on dealing with pain during performance ... but after all the scientific and experiential suggestions, finishes with this advice, "Exertion pain comes down to three words: ‘Suck it up.’"
LINK: #1 Training Secret: Many Hours of Sleep - Mark Remy gets some sleep and just has to lord it over all the rest of us
LINK: The Wet Foot Test - yet another gimmick for figuring out the perfect pair of training shoes to purchase - Runner's World's The Penguin says as much, then suggests some other gimmicks ... or you could just purchase a neutral, lightweight trainer and spend all the time running that you're going to waste on picking out a pair of shoes that won't help you anyway
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Research paper about women's participation in long distance running"
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Two Runs per day (Doubles)"
LINK: RBR Interview: Rich Bourne, President & COO, ASICS America - a Larry Eder interview
LINK: Carney fears ban over heart condition - former triathlon world champion Emma Carney fears she will be banned from the sport she loves because of her well-publicized heart condition ... your blogger quit running in his 20's at one point because of concern over some nasty PVC's, only to discover that they were benign in the absence of heart disease, but I still hear it from friends and family who think I shouldn't be running, so Go Emma!


Wednesday, October 28, 2009
LINK: Trade Secrets of the Kenyans - this piece by Scott Douglas isn't new, but it's great ... and a good follow-up to a recent link to Scott's video on running diagonals
LINK: High School XC team loses country championship when runner is discovered to have stitching in his compression shorts that didn't match the shorts color - yes, this really is a rule violation ... sigh....
LINK: And a LetsRun thread on the DQ, "MD XC kid dq'd for shorts - RAMPAGE!!!" - someone on the thread claims the unlawful stitching was a Nike logo ... "Just DQ it!"
LINK: Loaded field set for USA Men’s Marathon Championship - Hall and Meb lead the field of entrants ... seems like just yesterday this blogger was watching both win California high school state 3200 championships!
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Expired Gels"
LINK: The Human Body Is Built for Distance - ignoring their own recent, rational, and well-researched article on the subject, the NY Times pulls out the usual scientific studies showing that evolution favored distance running characteristics in humans ... and leaps to the completely unjustified conclusion that this in some way lends credence to the barefoot running craze ... NY Times, you get a D- in Scientific Method 101
LINK: Sub-2:07 marathons reach historic point - 40% of sub-2:07s have been run since start of 2008, and 98% have been run since 1998 ... Man, that's some evolution going on there! ... Call the NY Times so they can see how many of those marathons were run in bare feet!!!


Tuesday, October 27, 2009
LINK: Children of the Marathon Recall a Forgotten Time - back in the early days of the running boom, kids could be found toeing the start line for races like the New York Marathon ... and running pretty darn fast too!
LINK: Should Adults Run Marathons? - forget about kids running marathons, Mark Remy questions the sanity of adults who tackle the task
LINK: LetsRun's "The Week That Was" - recap of open-level racing
LINK: What makes Usain Bolt the fastest man on the planet? - a breakdown of Bolt's strengths from head to toe ... literally
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Plyometrics - Good idea?"
LINK: Great interview with Todd Williams by Larry Eder - this is definitely worth a read!
LINK: Third positive test rocks National Games - China's handing out lifetime bans to anyone who tests positive at the National Games - Good for them! ... a far cry from Americans cheering A-Rod as the steroid cheat powers the Yankees into the World Series
LINK: Video - fun interview with Nick Willis! ... some good advice for kids and for middle-aged kids too
LINK: And the read of the day - Coaching and science: What's the big deal and who cares for the science?


Monday, October 26, 2009
LINK: Can you catch Alzheimer’s disease? - research links Alzheimer's to "cold sores" ... and it's a much stronger link than you might think!
LINK: What Do You Really Need in a Trail Shoe? - Brian Metzler, who oversees Running Times' shoe reviews, describes what to look for in selecting a shoe for running on trails
LINK: Athletics: good guys like Usain Bolt do finish first - ‘One day, daddy, I’ll be a legend’ ... This is a terrific read on track's most famous competitor
LINK: Linda Somers-Smith and the Asics Aggies post victories at Shoreline Open PAUSATF Cross Country - 48-year-old Smith runs near course record in defeating some top open-level competition!
LINK: Women Running Together has posted pics and stories of WOMEN from the World Masters Games
LINK: Women Running Together has also posted pics and stories of MEN from the World Masters Games
LINK: Let Us Now Praise Brian Sell - Amby Burfoot asks us to join him in saluting Brian Sell for this, his final bigtime marathon
LINK: Profile of Steve Jones, Britain's marathon record holder ... for 25 years - a coach now, Jones says of his training methods, "There's no science in it – no heart-rate monitors. It's just running – running instinctively."
LINK: Trevor Graham, world class doping coach, gets released from home confinement and says, "I didn’t do anything wrong." - Travis Tygart, the head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, responds, "It’s clear that Mr. Graham is still living in La-La Land"
LINK: LetsRun thread, "High protein diet SHRINKS brain"
LINK: Deaths during running: Is exercise safe, Part 2 - Science of Sport follows up on their last post about running safety ... studies show running is about as dangerous as scuba diving, and about 100 times less dangerous than skydiving ... no data on the risks involved in pie-eating contests


Saturday/Sunday, October 24-25, 2009
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Masters Weekend Runs and Races"
LINK: At 70 years of age, Rayfel Roseman runs 18:11.4 for 5000 meters to better Ed Whitlock's world record!
LINK: Tyson Gay undergoes successful groin surgery - even though he ran with the injury all season, he still tied second fastest 100 of all time with his 9.69 ... man, what kind of talent does it take to run 9.69 with that bad an injury....
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Cleaning Running Shoes"
LINK: Fall Running Outfits - Runner's World's Coach Jenny helps with your fall fashion choices ... me, I favor my normal running shorts with maybe a singlet (um, because I live in Southern California where it's still 85-90 degrees and sunny every day)
LINK: Amby Burfoot profiles Ryan Hall - "We've waited nearly three decades for an American to not just run fast against the world's best marathoners—but to beat them. It's tempting to think Ryan Hall is the one."
LINK: LetsRun thread, "R.I.P. Soupy Sales (Milton Supman) 1926-2009"
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Horwill's training - is this even possible?" ... The answer for us masters runners is NO!
LINK: Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot: training log - a great snapshot of how one of the world's top marathoners trains
LINK: USOC wants a spot on IOC executive board - I'm not one for nationalistic drum beating, but our Olympic team is the world's greatest, our television dollars make the Olympics possible, and it's an absolute crime that we don't have more say on the Olympic stage ... we don't have to rule it, but we should have a loud voice



Friday, October 23, 2009
LINK: Spare Parts may Revolutionize Anti-aging Sector - The "50 active years after 50" plan aims to transplant own-grown tissues, beginning with hips, knees and heart valves
LINK: The Ten Worst Olympians - list includes Abdul Baser Wasiqi of Afghanistan, who "ran" the marathon in 4:24:17 at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics ... and, of course, the Jamaican bobsled team
LINK: Beer Miles - Do alcohol and training mix? ... La la la - la la la ... sorry, I have my fingers in my ears and can't hear you....
LINK: Video - Jack Daniels on getting people into our sport ... "We've got to do a better job of making running an attractive sport"
LINK: A Brief Chat With Brian Sell - Sell couldn't break 10 minutes for 2 miles in High School, went on to become an Olympic marathoner, and now hopes to begin dentistry school
LINK: Plodders Have a Place, but Is It in a Marathon? - NY Times wonders if "slow runners have disrespected the distance" ... personally, I don't care how slow they run, as long as they stop shaking their heads sympathetically when I tell them I haven't run one, and then telling me I can finish a marathon in 6 hours too if I just train a little harder
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Car vs. Biker -- biker wins!" - definitely worth a visit!
LINK: US athletes ranked among world’s best - For middle-distance running, US Women rank #1 and US Men #2!!!
LINK: A race against climate change in Ethiopia - the region that produced Haile Gebreselassie and Kenenisa Bekele can't produce enough food to feed its next generation of potential champions


Thursday, October 22, 2009
LINK: Running Times Podcast with Jenny Spangler: Better Base Training - How base training is different from easy mileage
LINK: Masterstrack.com blogger Ken Stone is denied his request to transfer from USATF's San Diego Association to the Southern California Association - SDI USATF scolded Ken and his wife for their transfer request after forcing him to stand in front of the board ... what a bunch of dweebs!
LINK: Help, I've Got a Race This Weekend, but My Wife Is Trying to Kill Me - Amby Burfoot is finally feeling fit, and his wife has gone and gotten a cold ... you know, the contagious kind! ... oh, and Amby doesn't like paying bills either
LINK: A reader asks Runner's World's Penguin how to lose fat (without really trying) - the Penguin sets him straight on the hard truth of training ... a few cookies after dinner pretty much cancels out the weight-loss benefit of the run ... hmmm, wonder how long I have to run to have ice cream with those cookies....
LINK: Median and Mean 5K times for LetsRun message board posters - if you can believe the posters at LetsRun ... which you can't
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Serial Marathoners Ever Think You're Running Too Many Marathons..."
LINK: Larry Eder interviews Tom Carleo, GM of Running at New Balance
LINK: Sudden death during exercise: The media, risk and running - The Science of Sport weighs in on the recent marathon deaths, opining that "reports that marathon running is dangerous are simply irresponsible, the result of a classic 'media-led knee-jerk reaction" ... and, as always with SOS, they have the figures to back up their opinion! - MUST READ
LINK: Kenyan training camps running into trouble - Kenya's reputation for producing gold medal-winning Olympic athletes is taking a hammering following allegations of sex abuse and financial double dealing at unregulated training camps


Wednesday, October 21, 2009
LINK: What insects tell us about lifespan, aging - includes the "nine principles of lifespan and aging" as they apply to us humans ... though, again, they are derived from studies on insects ... which some people I know certainly resemble
LINK: Dr. J on marathon deaths in Detroit - "Dr. J" offers a sane commentary on the risk of dying while running a marathon, and revisits some famous running deaths, pointing out that on "the day Jim Fixx died, 1,000 other Americans would also have died of heart attacks"
LINK: The Science of Aging and Running - Why your body slows and what you can do about it ... good article - for this blog's own take on the subject, revisit 10 Things We Can Do To Ensure Running Longevity
LINK: Nike Updates Lunar Models - Expansions planned for customizing shoes to your feet ... another neat gimmick from Nike, which is all well and good as long as they don't touch the Skylon - the best training shoe ever made!
LINK: Flu Shots for Marathoners: Yea or Nay? - Runner's World's Running Doc weighs in ... you know what he's going to say, right?
LINK: Usain Bolt follows up his cricket heroics by scoring a goal in a soccer game - next up: bowling, polo, and badminton?
LINK: LetsRun's "The Week That Was" - recap of open-level racing
LINK: Is Running Barefoot Better for You? - This NY Times article says (sorry, cult followers of this latest fad) "No" ... in fact, studies seem to indicate that our feet will adapt quickly and efficiently to whatever we wear, whether that means Nikes or nothing at all


Tuesday, October 20, 2009
LINK: Deaths shadow long-distance runners - since the mythical Athenian collapsed and died following a 25-mile run home from a battleground in Marathon, death has always been a part of distance running, but lately, the numbers seem to be climbing ... here's a look at why this is happening
LINK: Train stops Des Moines Marathon in its tracks - Simon Sawe (sometimes masters runner, sometimes younger runner with a D.O.B. of 3/23/74 - see post here) and David Tuwei had to stop 400 meters from the finish line to wait for a train ... then it was a sprint to the finish!
LINK: USATF head honcho Doug Logan discusses why the USA lost its bid to host the Olympics in Chicago, and he delivers a powerful reminder that Americans need to think outside the border
LINK: And back to the subject of marathon deaths, Amby Burfoot has a chat with running heart doctor Paul Thompson - when I suffered from bad PVC's back in my 20's, it was Dr. Thompson, responding to a letter I sent to Runner's World, who explained why I could keep running without dropping dead
LINK: Germs, Filthy Germs, Everywhere - Mark Remy writes about the fear marathoners experience in their final weeks of training for all possible contact with germs ... um, it's not just marathoners, I spend all Fall feeling the same
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "How does one make arrangements with the race day fairy?"


Monday, October 19, 2009
LINK: Sarah Plaxton, a 41-year-old mother of three, wins the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon - "I was just hoping to place as a masters runner today, so I’m thrilled," says Plaxton
LINK: But the Detroit Marathon also had a sobering downside, as 3 runners died
LINK: Running Times "Weekly Recap" of open-level racing
LINK: World Masters Games results!
LINK: Not About the iPod, Part II - A reader disagrees with Mark Remy's column from last week that sided with officials in the DQ of 2 women in the Lakefront Marathon ... and argues his point with a whole lot of words signifying nothing
LINK: See the Chicago Marathon in 3 Minutes - Great video from Runner's World
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Top Arizona H.S. Team Forfeits XC Season in Protest of Fired Illegal Immigrant Coach"
LINK: And here's the story that inspired the LetsRun thread - coaches let go had led school to state title and state runner-up in last two seasons, have sent 10 athletes to college with full or partial scholarships
LINK: TrackAlerts Video of Bolt playing cricket - world's fastest man returns to his first love
LINK: Lamine Diack, president of the IAAF, will travel to South Africa to give Caster Semenya the results of her gender verification test - hopes to ease racial tensions that have emerged as a result of the case ... Athletics South Africa president has said: “Who are white people to question the make-up of an African girl?"


Saturday/Sunday, October 17-18, 2009
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Masters Weekend Runs and Races"
LINK: LetsRun's 2009 Pre Nationals NCAA Cross Country Recap - Jordan Hasay hangs tough with the big girls
LINK: Nobody likes "Short Races" - a take from Down Under on courses that can't quite measure up to their billing ... you may remember that this blog tackled this maddening situation twice right here and here
LINK: Fatigue and the brain - Anticipatory regulation of exercise ... which is Science of Sport's way of introducing a terrific post on how we regulate our race pace ... DON'T miss this read!
LINK: [A repeat from yesterday's links, because this is a great piece] Video - "Diagonals, A fun turnover workout" ... Scott Douglas of Running Times demonstrates this staple of most Kenyans' training"
LINK: Sometimes Younger Legs contributor Roger Sayre named assistant coach for the Fairbanks Alaska Ski Team
LINK: Masters World Rankings for 2009 T&F have been posted - several Younger Legs contributors have made the list, including Grace Padilla in the W35 1500, Brian Pilcher in the M50 5000, your Humble Blogger in the M45 5000, and Earl Fee in just about everything
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Age Appropriate Beers"
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Undertrained marathoner - 1 day out" - this runner has a problem and thinks it's that he has 2 marathons this weekend but has come down with a cold ... um, Dude, the problem isn't the cold
LINK: "Masters Games an absolute joke" - this Australian journalist has a decidedly negative take on the World Masters Games in Sydney ... of course, she probably got beat in her event
LINK: Olympic Games: Money Maker or Fool's Gold? - Newsweek looks at how cities that hosted recent Olympics have fared with the $


Friday, October 16, 2009
LINK: Video - "Diagonals, A fun turnover workout" ... Scott Douglas of Running Times demonstrates this staple of most Kenyans' training"
LINK: Positive-Thinking Techniques to improve your performance - learn how to control your "inner chimp"
LINK: More on the "inner chimp" - What drives men and women? Psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters believes he knows
LINK: LetsRun thread, "USA XC All Time Team"
LINK: Does Exercise Boost Immunity? - in a study that will produce a loud "Duh!" from competitive runners, those athletes who exercise heavily are found to be more susceptible to infection by viruses and to suffer more severe symptoms
LINK: Dean Karnazes loves Mark Remy's new book, The Runner's Rule Book, as much as Amby did - does this make me want to buy it more ... or less?
LINK: What should you do if you can't run straight on a treadmill? - Runner's World's "Penguin" answers the question ... although I might suggest a simpler one: Go run outside
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Are racing spikes absolutely neccessary?" - or I'll just give you the answer right here: Yes


Thursday, October 15, 2009
LINK: Pete Pfitzinger on Optimal Marathon Pacing - Pete tells us how to do it ... and how NOT to do it too!
LINK: Video of Jack Daniels on "Coaching - Art vs. Science"
LINK: Mark Remy hits the nail on the head in his "It's Not About the iPod" - discusses the recent DQ of two women at the Lakefront Marathon
LINK: Amby Burfoot reviews Runner's World colleague Mark Remy's new book - calls it by far the best running book you didn't know you want to read
LINK: ASICS Develops Custom shoe for Ryan Hall for ING NYCM - Larry Eder gives us the rundown
LINK: Video on Kiwi Liza Hunter-Galvan, Olympic marathoner (and masters runner) who was caught using EPO - claims she only took it 3 times AFTER the Olympics, etc. ... liar, liar, pants on fire ... her competitive resume is textbook drug-user, and since EPO only stays in the system for a couple days max, it's impossible to believe she was unlucky enough to get drug-tested within a day of 1 of the 3 times she claims to have used
LINK: And speaking of drug-cheating masters athletes, here's a LetsRun thread, "Dieter Baumann 10k 32:53 at age 44 (Asics 10k Berlin)"
LINK: Modern man a wimp says anthropologist - claims prehistoric Aborigines could have outrun Usain Bolt, Neanderthal women could all have beaten Arnold Schwarzenegger in an arm wrestle, blah, blah, blah


Wednesday, October 14, 2009
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Masters runner dealing with younger competition"
LINK: Ask the Doctor: Platelet-Rich-Plasma Treatment for Tendinosis - a promising new method for healing injured tendons!
LINK: Keeping up with Steve Moneghetti, M45-49 WR holder for 10K (road) at 30:00 - and Monghetti gets a big thumbs up from your Humble Blogger for his good taste: "I love my coffee. I have a lot of meetings, so that's a good excuse to drink plenty" ... hey, if it's good enough for Steve....
LINK: Is the Exercise Cool-Down Really Necessary? - The NY Times contacted experts who say "No" ... and prove it by pointing to studies that fail to distinguish between easy runs, hard interval workouts, and races, by discounting the long-discredited lactic acid theory of leg soreness without addressing all the current theories concerning post-100% effort leg soreness and inflammation, and by coming up with their conclusions without asking any of the people who might really know - like top coaches and athletes
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Alanis Morrisette Runs 4:17 Marathon"
LINK: And last but not least ... The Great Earl Fee lowers his own M80 WR in the 800 with a 2:49.30 at the Sydney World Masters Games!
LINK: Scratch that "last but not least" ... today's MUST READ: "On his 99th birthday, 99 things about John Wooden" - includes this Wooden quote, "Talent is God given; be humble. Fame is man given; be thankful. Conceit is self given; be careful."


Tuesday, October 13, 2009
LINK: At 22, Wanjiru already a legend in the making - Chicago Marathon champion Wanjiru believes he can run 2:02
LINK: Rita Hanscom and Guido Müller named WMA Best Masters Athletes of 2009 - Hanscom, who smashed Phil Raschker's heptathlon record at Lahti on the way to winning five gold medals, is the third American to claim this honor
LINK: Syringes found: Armstrong's team investigated - suspicious drugs also seized by Tour officials
LINK: The Best Running Book Ever? - author Mark Remy admits it isn't, but then urges us to buy it anyway ... you know what? ... I just might!
LINK: LetsRun's "The Week That Was" - recap of open-level racing
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "easy run pace" - personally, I think this is where 90% of masters make their biggest mistake ... I've gone on runs with numerous groups of masters runners who do their "easy" distance at about 1 minute per mile slower than 5K race pace! ... it's a wonder they can survive a week!
LINK: Olympic athletes face new drug tests - Behind the scenes, USADA is currently following several athletes and examining their chemical makeup over a series of blood and urine tests
LINK: Ex-NFL Players Hold Their Own Health-Wise - study found that fat former NFLers have fewer heart disease risk factors than fat non-football players at the same age ... so I guess if you plan on being obese, it's best to have a few years of football under your belt (if there's any room left under your belt)


Monday, October 12, 2009
LINK: 100-year-old Ruth Frith sets shot put record at World Masters Games - puts 4.07 meters!
LINK: Running Times "Weekly Recap" of open-level racing
LINK: The Mystery of Honking: Why do runners make drivers honk like geese? - Scott Douglas ponders this eternal mystery
LINK: How Can I Prevent My Own 'Sudden Death' While Running? - The "Running Doc" at Runner's World gives us some tips ... I put my fingers in my ears and hummed during the part where he talks about limiting caffeine intake
LINK: LetsRun thread, "When did the price of Asics skyrocket?"
LINK: LetsRun thread, "50+ Weekly Training Thread"
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Can I expect to go much faster?"
LINK: Split comparison: Wanjiru vs. World Record - a fascinating look at how things unraveled for Wanjiru after 25K


Saturday/Sunday, October 10-11, 2009
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Masters Weekend Runs and Races"
LINK: World Half Marathon Men's Championship Recap - Ritz runs 60:00 ... doh! ... one tick of the clock from a sub-hour performance!
LINK: Chicago Marathon Recap - Wanjiru wins in American soil record of 2:05:41 ... Deena Kastor runs 2:28:50 for 6th in women's race
LINK: The Science of Sport breaks down the split times for today's Chicago Marathon
LINK: Are the Mountains Killing Your Brain? - Alarming new science shows that thin air can wreck brain cells—at lower altitudes than you'd think ... looks like it's back to training at the beach
LINK: LetsRun thread, "common misconcetions about Prefontaine"
LINK: The Beauty of the Horrible Run - Mark Remy waxes poetic about crappy runs ... and how they lead to better runs ... can't they all just get along?
LINK: Why Haven't I Lost Weight? - Runner's World columnist tries to answer the question ... one thing she forgets to mention: new and returning runners can add up to 2-4 pounds of muscle glycogen as they get fit
LINK: Study on Aging Muscles - Researchers at Berkeley have been able to reverse the aging process by manipulating biochemical pathways and restoring the muscle’s ability to repair and rebuild itself
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Running and Motrin (Ibuproen)" - some scary stuff about what ibuprofen can do to our kidneys during a run ... not that any of us older runners would ever think of using the stuff
LINK: Two videos from the guys at The Science of Sport, including one that covers the eternal science-coach-athlete conflict - these guys have done a great service to sport when it comes to reporting scientific angles on stories ... it's definitely worth giving them a listen!
* and, yes, the link to Lolo Jones in the buff is still available below the fold ... sheesh, you'd think this blog's visitors were all teenage boys! (the link's gotten hundreds of hits!)....


Friday, October 9, 2009
LINK: Letter to the Editor: Older athletes aren’t juiced - 93-year-old masters star Bob Matteson sends a letter to his local paper disputing NY Times recent characterization of older athletes as druggies
LINK: The next Pre? - The Oregon Daily Emerald is ready to anoint Jordan Hasay after a single 6th place finish in a college race ... premature?
LINK: The official Runner's World/Running Times everything-you-could-possibly-want-to-know-about-the-Chicago Marathon page! - even lets you know how to get in on the shoe recycling drive
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Hall calls out the letsrun b-board peanut gallery" - Good for Ryan! ... When your Humble Blogger set his first M45 record in the 5000, a LetsRun poster responded by accusing me of being a bad father ... you know, because how else could I run faster than him? ... spoonheads
LINK: Lolo Jones in the buff - hey, I'm only linking to it because it's nice camera work ... really ... no really ... okay, okay, not really
LINK: How slow can you run and still be "running" - The Penguin at Runner's World gives his answer ... and it's actually a pretty good one
LINK: Alberto Salazar speaks about his new athletes, Ritz and Webb - predicts some pretty amazing things for both of them!
LINK: Man borrows catheter from stranger's car to finish Twin Cities Marathon - really, what can I add to that?
LINK: Len Johnson remembers "The time ‘Boston Billy’ came to town" - reflections on the Melbourne Marathon in 1982


Thursday, October 8, 2009
LINK: They prove you're never too old to run - "They all have plenty of reasons not to run. Brain tumor surgery, sleep apnea, liver failure. Age." ... this is a great read about some older runners living the life
LINK: The Calorie-Restriction Experiment - The study asks whether calorie restriction allows people to grow older in better health — with less disease, fewer drugs and shorter hospital stays — through a method that neither medicine nor scientific technology have yet come close to approximating
LINK: How to Offset Muscle Fatigue - some great advice about (and sample workouts for) improving both lactate threshold and muscle power/fatigue resistance
LINK: Has Hard Training Made Me Anemic? - Runner's World's Running Doc tells us everything we need to know about anemia and pseudoanemia
LINK: Spanish hurdler is banned for 2 years after Spain looked the other way when she was caught for PEDs twice! - Onyia tested positive for the substance methylhexaneamine at a meeting in Lausanne in September 2008 and for the anabolic agent clenbuterol at the world athletics final in Stuttgart ... apparently, Spain saw nothing wrong with that
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Core is overrated"
LINK: Thoughts on pacing and the limit to performance - THIS IS THE MUST READ OF THE DAY!!! ... Seriously, this is an amazing piece of the evolution of pacing and how it's affected performance


Wednesday, October 7, 2009
LINK: Great Interview with Terrence Mahon - coach of Ryan Hall and Deena Kastor lays out some principles for younger runners' training that are equally good for older runners
LINK: Will Our Robot Overlords Be Friendly? - Singularity Conference addresses urgent problem of how to create super-smart AIs that are friendly to human beings ... suggests arresting human aging by uploading our brains to computer facsimiles [no word on how this would impact neuromuscular aspects of running]
LINK: Running Past Illness - the NY Times looks at 3 athletes who have "trained through" congenital heart disease, cystic fibrosis, and Parkinson's
LINK: First and Second-Place Women at Lakefront Marathon DQ'd - first received water bottle from friend between water stations and second wore an iPod ... yes, it's picky to DQ like this, but then again, why would a leader have a friend placed at 19 miles with a water bottle, and the runner-up apparently knew the rules about iPods!
LINK: And while we're on the subject of the previous link, a LetsRun thread, "Fastest woman at Lakefront Marathon DQ'd for taking water between aid stations"
LINK: "How I Beat Matt Tegenkamp in the Fifth Ave. Mile" - Amby Burfoot creates a preposterous mathematical equation to prove to us [and entertain us along the way] that he beat Teg in the Fifth Street Mile
LINK: In ESPN's magazine, showing skin is no issue - Lolo Jones (and Serena Williams and Adrian Peterson) is among those posing nude or semi-nude in ESPN The Magazine's first-ever "Body Issue" ... Think she'll be captured mid-hurdle?
LINK: Bolt tops Obama in ‘most influential’ poll
LINK: Ask Jeff: What is the most difficult thing in adapting your method by someone who has been running in a different style or way? - hopefully Jeff Galloway's answer is easier to understand than the question
LINK: Coe welcomes Rio's Olympic victory - thinks pick will help develop the Games as a "global brand"


Tuesday, October 6, 2009
LINK: "I Don't Feel Fit" - Fine-tuning your race fitness ... breaks down sub-par racing and training into 3 specific categories and then gives you the workouts to remedy the problem!
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Masters Weekend Runs and Races"
LINK: USATF National Masters 5K Road Race Championship recap - see blog entry below for more details
LINK: Running Times "Weekly Recap" of open-level racing
LINK: 45-year-old Colleen DeReuck nearly claims women's overall title at Twin Cities Marathon with her 2:32:37 - Tracy Lokken wins Men's Masters title with a 2:22:34
LINK: Vibram's Five Fingers foot gloves runaway hit - because where else can you pony up $85 a pair for shoes that are the equivalent of going barefoot ... hey, next I think I'll buy sunglasses without lenses
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "The dumbest sports team name of ALL TIME"


Weekend, October 2-5, 2009
LINK: Shocker! Chicago eliminated in 2016 voting - first city eliminated!!!
LINK: Researchers manipulate mouse genes to produce longer-living mice - only females live longer, but males see health benefits too ... another step toward anti-aging drugs
LINK: Vitamin D may protect against common cold - 50% of 19,000 people in a new study had Vitamin D levels that suggested less-than-optimal protection against respiratory tract infections
LINK: And while we're on the subject ... Canada Looks at Vitamin D for Swine Flu Protection - one doctor believes that influenza is merely a symptom of vitamin D deficiency
LINK: How Do Marathons Affect Your Heart? - in a recent study, a third of marathoners showed significant calcification or plaque build-up in their heart arteries, and several also had scarring in their hearts
LINK: Overzealous training has some marathoners suffering injuries that threaten to keep them from the start line - one runner who experimented with the Vibram Five Fingers ends up with stress fractures in both feet ... go figure....
LINK: My Stomach Is a Mess After Long Runs; What Should I Eat? - Q & A with Runner's World's Sports Dietitian
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Colorado High School XC runner dies during run"
LINK: LetsRun thread, "5K to Half Marathon: Consuming Energy Gel During Race?"
LINK: Again, Larry Eder brings us a terrific interview, this time with journalist and publisher Duncan MacKay - covers everything from the 2016 Olympic bid to Caster Semenya to Haile Gebrselassie to MacKay's new website


Thursday, October 1, 2009
LINK: Were masters competitors from India forced to pay bribes to compete at the WMA Championships in Lahti - and if so, is that why they stunk up the joint?
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Why are there age groups?" - some youngsters try to convice all us oldsters that it isn't really "sport" if 70-year-olds won't compete straight up with 20-year-olds ... spoonheads....
LINK: Paula Radcliffe will run the New York Marathon - at age 35, she'll be going for her 4th win in 4 tries
LINK: Obama's Headed to the Olympic Vote, but Why? - Amby Burfoot, an admitted supporter of the President, still isn't quite sure whether he supports the President's lobbying effort in Copenhagen
LINK: Loss of Running Mojo - Runner's World answers a reader's concern about her slow-down during training runs and the accompanying plummet in her self-confidence
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "URG... bathroom breaks on long runs"
LINK: Larry Eder interviews Fritz Taylor, VP/GM, Running Division, Mizuno - another great interview from Larry! ... great insights into the thought process behind Mizuno's shoes, which your Humble Blogger has included in his shoe rotation for the last few years


Wednesday, September 30, 2009
LINK: Dathan Ritzenhein runs faster than U.S. record for 10 miles in a workout - barely misses 15K world record en route ... is Salazar the greatest coach in the world or what?
LINK: iPod Volume: Is It 'Safe'? - Mark Remy alerts us to a European Commission plan to prevent millions of people from damaging their hearing
LINK: LetsRun's "The Week That Was" - recap of open-level racing
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Can triglycerides cause a heart attack? Can this happen from carb loading?"
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "Are my runs too short?"
LINK: Marion Jones - the best liar in the business - your Humble Blogger took a battering on another blog for his comment that Jones' refusal to take responsibility for her PED use disqualified her from a forgiving embrace from the track community ... exhibit one....
LINK: Powell confident in Jamaica’s sprint dominance - "We have put a big dent in the sprints which can’t be straightened out for now," says Powell
LINK: Helpful tips to stay healthy as you grow older - pretty generic advice, but it's always good to hear that we older runners are doing the exact right thing


Tuesday, September 29, 2009
LINK: Yreka High School cross country runner dies - temperature was 107 degrees for the race ... this is really horrible, not sure what to do when faced with these kind of temps
LINK: Athletics Kenya closes running camp over allegations of athlete abuse that has led to some of them getting pregnant - Coach David Koskei says it's just part of bigger scheme aimed at clipping his wings ... the same David Koskei whose athlete-turned-wife celebrates her 18th birthday in October
LINK: Video interview with Maggie Vessey - ran 1:57 for 800 this summer, but admits she's still battling the nerves that have plagued her for years ... and is scared of losing what she's gained this year
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread, "I hate the taper."
LINK: Obama goes after 2016 Olympics - Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Olympic Gold medalists Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Michael Johnson, among others, will make presentations to the IOC during Friday’s session detailing why Chicago should host the 2016 Summer Games
LINK: Lagat making full-time move to 5000m - will begin a gradual transition away from the middle distances and into the longer-distance races


Monday, September 28, 2009
LINK: Intro to Ultras - audio interview offering tips on making the transition from being a road marathoner to a trail ultramarathoner
LINK: Running Times' "Weekly Recap" of open-level racing
LINK: Colleen De Reuck has a shot at winning both the open and masters titles at next Sunday's Twin Cities Marathon!
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Why can't we follow the Kenyan training philosophy????"
LINK: Ed Whitlock's latest stroll: Half-marathon in 1:37 at age 78 - averages about 7:12 a mile!
LINK: Mark Remy can't stop talking about his Mister Softee - no ... not that! ... he's talking about ice cream!
LINK: Leonard Chuene survives (for now) - the Council of Athletics South Africa decided to give their President Leonard Chuene a vote of confidence to continue to lead the federation ... even as it emerges that Chuene DID in fact agree to withdraw Semenya based on the medical advice, then changed his mind after consulting a politician


Saturday/Sunday, September 26-27, 2009
LINK: Tylenol may be an anti-aging drug! - studies show acetaminophen may help prevent muscle loss due to aging
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Eccentric training regimen increases collagen synthesis in injured Achilles tendons" - includes this link for site explaining some eccentric exercises
LINK: Barefoot Running Gains Toehold - more barefoot running mania ... um, has anyone noticed that runners in shoes have been recording 2:03-2:04 marathons?
LINK: How Effective is Treadmill Running Compared to Running Outside? - not mentioned are the injuries some runners (moi) suffer from the treadmill belt meeting and then dragging our feet ... of course, if I lived in the snow....
LINK: Newspaper rumour forces Antiguan Bailey off track - rumor of positive PED test at World Champs caused Bailey to take his ball and go home ... huh? ... because sub-10 sprinters aren't prepared for such rumors? ... hmm, or maybe he thought it wasn't a rumor....
LINK: Pole Vault Pioneer Stacy Dragila takes a bow - the first women's Olympic pole vault champion has called it a career
LINK: LetsRun thread - "Masters Weekend Runs and Races"
LINK: Marion Jones wants to teach our kids how to be good citizens of our sport - yes, the same Marion Jones who emerged from prison to claim, "I thought I was taking a supplement ... Never knowingly did I take performance enhancing drugs," now wants to teach our children how to lie, cheat, and refuse to take responsibility
LINK: Leonard Chuene Must Go - Larry Eder lays out the case for why Chuene, president of the ASA, the man who ignored the advice not to send Caster Semenya to the World Championships, must resign


Friday, September 25, 2009
LINK: When the Running Is R-Rated - author laments that the sex-fueled talk during the long runs of her youth have been replaced by chats about jobs and the kids' homework ... um, she apparently hasn't been running with my middle-aged friends
LINK: A college coach inspired by 95-year-old Frank Levine decides to run a marathon and breaks 3 hours his first time out!
LINK: Training the Lydiard Way - A podcast with Olympic marathon medalist Lorraine Moller
LINK: Competing at an average age of 73, Oatmeal Milers still going strong - With over 365 years between them, they hope to finish in the top half of the relay teams at the Road Runner Akron Marathon
LINK: USA Today editorial - "In the end, South African runner Semenya is a human being"
LINK: Amby Burfoot asks, "Why would two experienced ultrarunners ever allow themselves to be separated while training in a remote forest area?" - it's the same question I've been asking myself after this week's strange incident north of San Diego
LINK: The Runner's Tribe interviews Asafa Powell


Thursday, September 24, 2009
LINK: Mind Over Matter - We’ve all heard the old adage about running being 90% mental. Turns out it might be true! ... as readers of this blog know, from your Humble Blogger's recent post, "To Train in the Membrane"
LINK: Both missing California ultrarunners found safe! - this is the best-possible ending to what looked like a story heading in a bad direction
LINK: Can Vitamin D Improve Your Athletic Performance? - a growing body of research suggests that it’s vital in multiple different bodily functions, including allowing body cells to utilize calcium, muscle fibers to develop and grow normally, and the immune system to function properly
LINK: W90 superstar Olga Kotelko breaks 3 minutes for 400!
LINK: Its' National, Punctuation Day! - Mark Remy celebrates National Punctuation Day with a few good examples of how to use (and to abuse) your favorite punctuation marks
LINK: Sweating Buckets? - some tips for arriving at work without still being drenched from your morning run
LINK: Was Usain Bolt actually offered $115 million over Five years? - Larry Eder puzzles this one out and makes some very good points!
LINK: Video - Haile Gebrselassie on everything from world records to coaches - includes some terrific insight into the relationship between coach and athlete ... definitely give this a watch!!


Wednesday, September 23, 2009
LINK: Just Tell Me What to Eat! - Five days' worth of simple, nutritious meals ... I've only linked to this for the benefit of some of this blog's more ambitious food preparers ... me, I stopped reading when I didn't see "Taco Bell" or "Hostess" in the first couple days
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Would Henry Rono be a contender today?" - yes, he would ... he would be stride for stride with any clean athlete on the planet
LINK: Pronation, Explained - comes complete with nifty videos ... beware though, just because they can explain it doesn't mean they're right when they tell you what to do about it
LINK: Agent says Bolt is the highest paid track star ever - rumors have Nike ready to offer him a $40 million package and a Chinese firm upping the ante to $100 million!
LINK: Is a medal worth a young woman's sanity - supposedly, Semenya watches her world champs 800 every day, then repeats the commentator's words over and over to herself, "But is she a man or is she a woman? But is she a man or is she a woman?"
LINK: Report Finds Alzheimer's Killing More People Than Breast And Prostate Cancer Combined - Studies have shown that foods rich in Vitamin E, beta carotine, B12 and Vitamin D have shown promise in slowing down Alzheimer's disease
LINK: Are You Too Old – or Too Young – to Run your Best Marathon? - a 2004 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that between 1983 and 1999, New York City Marathon finish times for top runners age 50 and older improved more rapidly than did times for younger athletes


Tuesday, September 22, 2009
LINK: Ed Whitlock returns to the scene of his 2:54 marathon (as a septuagenarian) - joins ninety-eight year old Fauja Singh and Joan Benoit Samuelson as "The Legends" at this year's 20th Anniversary Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
LINK: A Runner's Guide to Jogging Strollers - great idea for an article! ... includes the latest models, plus training tips and user tips
LINK: The Science of the Semenya Speculation: Why Sex Determination Isn't Always Black And White - Matthew L. Goodwin PhD breaks down the process of gender determination, then makes the suggestion that the IAAF award two gold medals instead of stripping Semenya of hers
LINK: Coach Brad Hudson opines on former pupil Dathan Ritzenhein and then on everything else while he's at it - great read!
LINK: LetsRun thread, "There is no way Geb is 36"
LINK: LetsRun thread, "50+ Weekly Training Thread" - spin-off of the popular "Masters Weekend Runs and Races" thread
LINK: Introducing another major player: mastersathletics.info - Ken Stone and masterstrack.com have the skinny on this new masters site
LINK: 5 foods to keep your mind agile - and what's best, you can make a sandwich out of all of them ... well, maybe minus the blueberries ... and the kale ... and if you added a bratwurst....
LINK: Exercise overload: Ability fades as people age, professor says - and your Humble Blogger says that the "professor" doesn't really understand the mindset of aging athletes at all
LINK: Caster Semenya - Cover-ups, lies, and confusion ... Athletics South Africa boss Leonard Chuene admitted that he received medical advice from the team doctor that she should NOT run against women - great summary of events, complete with timeline, from the Science of Sport
LINK: Time and place: Sebastian Coe recalls happy, hectic teenage years in South Yorkshire, where his athletics career was forged
LINK: Is Geb still great? - article asks this question, proving once again that you're only as good as your last race


Monday, September 21, 2009
LINK: Running Times "Weekly Racing Recap" of open level running
LINK: Video of Haile Gebrselassie speaking after his Berlin Marathon victory
LINK: Tegenkamp, Yoder Begley win USA 5 km Championships - quick recap of the youngin's 5K championships (masters 5K champs are in 2 weeks!)
LINK: LetsRun thread - "Carmelita Jeter - Are you a fan?" ... sure ... then again, I was a fan of Jerry Garcia so apparently I don't mind my performers doped to the gills
LINK: Nadine O'Connor makes her debut in the 300 Hurdles a W65 American record!
LINK: How to Pick Your Marathon Pace if the Weather Turns Warm - claims your marathon time is likely to slow by three percent for every 10 degree rise in temperature from 50 F
LINK: Oh, and in case you didn't hear, Tyson Gay ran 9.69 for 100 over the weekend - same time as Bolt's WR from the Olympics a year ago


Sunday, September 20, 2009
LINK: The 7 Pillars to a Longer, Healthier Life ... because it's worthwhile to review these effective, simple lifestyle strategies - though I think this blog's own "10 Things We Can Do To Ensure Running Longevity" is a more comprehensive post
LINK: Geb Wins Berlin, But Pays for Fast Early Pace - pre-race co-favorite Kibet drops out, but Geb manages "only" 2:06 for the win
LINK: Fresh doubts cast on South Africa's claims about Caster Semenya's gender test - after denying emphatically that Semenya had gender-testing done before the World Champs, an email exchange indicates otherwise
LINK: LetsRun thread - "Masters Weekend Runs and Races"
LINK: Mary Travers of Peter, Paul, and Mary dies - A dragon lives forever but not so little boys ... or little girls
LINK: Roadie Bill Rodgers among Masters Hall of Fame nominees - I notice that there are no cross-country runners on the ballot ... guess Tom Dalton's 5-time XC masters runner of the year doesn't cut it!
LINK: Best. Runner. Ever. - Runner's World is conducting a survey and would like your input
LINK: Carmelita Jeter roars again with 10.64 world 100 lead, bringing her 2009 improvement to more than 3/10 of a second (at age 29), and her improvement since 2006 to 8/10 of a second - passes drug cheat Marion Jones's 10.65 for second all-time behind Flo-Jo's equally questionable 10.49
LINK: RunningAHEAD thread - "Glycogen Depletion Long Runs"
LINK: Berlin Marathon 2009: Live splits and first report - the Science of Sport breaks down the race into 5K splits


Friday, September 18, 2009
LINK: Adidas and Puma end 60-year-feud - German sportswear companies Puma and Adidas are to end a feud started 60 years ago by their founding brothers ... Puma's still in business?
LINK: Middle-aged male smokers with high blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels face dying about 10 years before healthier counterparts - and in other news ... the earth orbits the sun, colds are caused by viruses and not evil spirits, and Bruce Willis is a ghost
LINK: Can training with a group help you to improve performance? - this NY Times article says "yes," though my personal experience is that it generally helps the best runners in the group while eventually burning out those who struggle to keep up
LINK: LetsRun thread, "Anyone else tired of nonrunners telling you that they don't have time to run?" - almost as tired as I am of having runners my age tell me they'd be just as fast if they had more time to train
LINK: Runner's World Q&A - "My muscles tighten up when I start running," says Jeffrey. "I stretch before I begin. Is this normal?" ... Jeffrey stretches for 15 minutes before running ... hey, Jeffrey, Bruce Willis is a ghost
LINK: Bolt’s coach puts 400m on hold until post 2012 - why on earth would anyone want Bolt to change events when what he's doing has captivated the world and brought universal interest back to our sport?!
LINK: Kenyan Duncan Kibet believes he can challenge world record holder Haile Gebrselassie in Sunday's Berlin marathon - Kibet has run 2:04:27 to Haile's 2:03:59
LINK: And lucky for us! - The Science of Sport breaks down Gebrselassie's WR run at Berlin last year and makes a prediction for who will win this year - spoiler ... it's not who you think


Thursday, September 17, 2009
LINK: Sebastian Coe wants to change the way the IAAF treats future cases like that of Caster Semenya - "We can never allow this to happen in this way ever again."
LINK: LetsRun thread - "Think you're not fit?...Biggest Loser" ... the winner of the Mile race in the season opener ran 14+ minutes
LINK: Nude runner sitings reported - Mark Remy asks, "Is nude running the logical extension of barefoot running?"
LINK: Another day, another set of tips for preparing for a marathon - and still not as good as those provided by the Fluffy Bunny Track Club in a video posted to this site
LINK: 75-year-old Bruno Kimmel clocked a legal 13.54 for 100 meters this summer - yes ... at SEVENTY-FIVE years old!
LINK: Interview with Drew Beynon, VP, Beynon Sports, maker of Track Surfaces - another of Larry Eder's fascinating interviews covering aspects of our sport we don't always think about ... in this case the nuts and bolts of synthetic track surfacing
LINK: Details of South Africa's own gender testing of Caster Semenya leaked - tests "humiliated" Semenya ... ASA later criticized IAAF for doing the same
LINK: Six former NY Marathon winners commit to run this year's race - includes Marilson Gomes dos Santos, Martin Lel, and Paul Tergat


Wednesday, September 16, 2009
LINK: Key found to muscle loss as we age - 3 exercise sessions a week was enough to reverse muscle loss by increasing blood flow to the legs of older people to a level identical to a younger group!
LINK: The Origins of Cross Country - Of hares, hounds and hurdles
LINK: Running For My Life - how Daniele Seiss used (and uses) running to crawl back from the brink of major depression ... your Humble Blogger used running to escape a similarly dark lifestyle and can attest to the honesty of this read
LINK: LetsRun interview with Oklahoma State Cowboy coach Dave Smith - great read with lots of info on German Fernandez too!
LINK: Interview with Will Leer - this young up-and-coming 1500 runner was dueling it out with your Humble Blogger just a couple years back and is one of the nicest, most impressive young men I've known
LINK: LetsRun thread - "There are over a billion people in India. So why havent they had any great runners yet?" ... cricket? ... the weather? ... the food?
LINK: Marathon Pre-race and Post-race Tips for the Newbie - frankly, I think this blog's video on marathon tips is better, but good info here too
LINK: The Honorable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ (Order of Jamaica), Ambassador-at-Large - Larry Eder gives us the lowdown on Bolt getting full diplomatic status


Tuesday, September 15, 2009
LINK: Grooving Goal Pace - Workouts to dial in your marathon pace ... some good commonsense workouts for achieving your marathon goal
LINK: Jamaican dopers suspended for the next 3 months - yeah, that should teach them a lesson
LINK: LetsRun thread - "Unspoken rules when running with the opposite gender?" ... an idiot (or a troll) runs a girl into the ground and wants to know what he did wrong
LINK: The Week That Was - LetsRun's weekly recap of open-level running
LINK: Bacteria, Rain O'er Me - Mark Remy scares us with his column on showerheads and Mycobacterium avium ... be very afraid
LINK: Galloway blogs about bringing Run-Walk-Run to Japan and about Marine boot camp training mistakes - no comment
LINK: Does Schopenhauer or Nietzsche sport the best philosophy for, well, sports? - age-group world triathlon champion Dr. Don Ardell offers his opinion ... worth a read!
LINK: Bolt quickly nixes any speculation about going for indoor records - Can you even imagine Bolt - with his height and stride - trying to navigate a 200 indoors?!
LINK: Meeting Death At The Finish Line - "The mile run can be viewed as a microcosm of life. The four laps of the mile are youth, young adulthood, middle age, and old age. The finish line is death." ... great piece by Michael Tymn, longtime columnist for National Masters News (and other running mags)!

Click Here to Read More..

Linda Somers Smith Shatters American W45-49 5K Record!!!

Running in the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot (San Jose, CA) on Thursday, 48-year-old Linda Somers Smith shattered the W45-49 American age group record for 5K with her time of 16:14. [Photo: Somers Smith wins the 2006 USATF Masters Club XC Championship.]

The previous record of 16:50 was set by Carmen Ayala-Troncoso at the 2006 Carlsbad 5000, at which Ayala-Troncoso won the Women's Masters Race.

More than 11,000 runners turned out for the 2009 Turkey Trot, which featured a 10-kilometer run, a kids' "fun-run," and two 5-kilometer races that attracted world class male and female runners. It was in the latter race that Somers Smith competed.

Pacing herself with a 5:10 first mile, Somers Smith finished sixth overall in the open level race. Her 16:14 chip time age grades at 101.7% (making it comparable to a 14:33 time for an athlete in her 20s). Sally Kipyego won the women's race in 15:41.

Somers Smith was a 1996 Olympian whose career highlights also include: 7th 1995 World Championships Marathon, 1996 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials runner-up (2:30:06) and 1993-94 USA Marathon champion [from USATF bio]. In that 1996 Olympic Marathon, Somers Smith finished 31st despite running with a torn Achilles tendon.

Just last weekend, Somers Smith competed in the highly competitive USATF Pacific Association cross-country championships, winning the women's 4+ mile race to take both the open and masters titles.

Top 10 Results from the 2009 Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot:

Women

1 Sally Kipyego 15:41
2 Genoveva Kigen 15:49
3 Irene Kimaiyo 15:56
4 Barbara Parker 15:57
5 Sara Hall 16:00
6 Linda Somers Smith 16:14
7 Aziza Aliyu 16:32
8 Lisa Galaviz 16:33
9 Kara June 16:37
10 Hellen Jemutai 16:43

Link to USATF biography on Linda Somers Smith is right HERE.

Click Here to Read More..

New Video of Post-Run Stretches, Exercises, and Recovery!

Running Times has just posted a video Grace and I did for them on the "first 15 minutes" post-run ... including some stretches, exercises, food suggestions, icing advice, and more that will ensure you're recovered from today's run so that you can be fully prepared for tomorrow's workout! Just click on the photo below for the link:




Includes demonstrations of exercises for preventing and relieving the symptoms of plantar fasciitis, hip pain, lower back pain, calf and hamstring soreness, and more!

END OF POST

Click Here to Read More..

Linda Somers Smith Scorches PA USATF XC Championships!

48-year-old Linda Somers Smith turned back the clock and didn't put much time back on it as she covered 4+ miles of tough cross country in 22:47 to win both the Women's Open and Masters titles at Saturday's Pacific Association XC Championships!

As Lynn Walker of the San Jose Running Examiner reports:

By the mile mark Smith had surged to a 75 yard lead and maintained it throughout, touring the 4.06 mile course in 22:47. Her closest competition came from fellow Aggie, Kara June, but June was never able to close the gap and finished 15 seconds back in 23:02.

Also running in the women's race was 4-Time member of the United States World Cross Country Team Carmen Ayala-Troncoso, whose 24:10 finish was good enough to win the Women's Senior title (by almost 2-1/2 minutes!).

The men's masters race went to Jim Sorensen, the Masters World Record Holder at both 1500 and 800 meters. Walker writes:

After a somewhat disappointing 2008 that was hampered by injuries, Jim Sorenson returned to PAUSATF Cross Country competition with a victory in the 2009 master's men championship race. Unlike 2007, where Sorenson ran away from the field at the start, this year he ran with a pack of four others for the first lap, before taking the lead and cruising to an easy victory in 33:44, over the sloggy 6.09 mile course.

To read Walker's full report on the Women's Race, click HERE.

For his report on the Men's Masters Race, go HERE.



Women's PAUSATF Race:





Men's Masters PAUSATF Race:

Click Here to Read More..

New Blog Entry from Liz Palmer!

Since when did marathons make their way onto life’s checklists?


In her latest blog entry, champion hurdler and sprinter Liz Palmer deals with a question we distance runners hear all the time, "Have you run a marathon?" ... and Liz gives a great answer, as well as giving lots of respect to the marathon (and the training it takes to really "run" a marathon, as opposed to just finishing one).

To read Liz's blog, click her photo or click HERE.

Click Here to Read More..

Morning Read: Wired Into the Club Scene

What's the most important thing you can do to improve your running?

Answer: Join a running club.

We masters runners are busy adults. We work. Have families. And social obligations. And have a lot of things we just want to do, given that life is a one-time opportunity. We want to travel. And go to movies, museums, and out to dinner now and then. Sometimes we just want to watch football games on the weekend and to hell with anything else. [Photo is of Andy DiConti, John Moss, Dan Arsenault, and myself enjoying the post-race electric stim recovery provided by our club's sponsor, Compex.]

So why run?

Let's face it, there are few reasons to stick with a training program throughout the year. Diets crash into the Holiday Season. Staying fit isn't always enough motivation to brave winter storms. And stress relief is a stressor in itself when our schedules require 4 AM runs, intervals on almost no sleep, or races that conflict with family plans.

Simply put, this isn't a sport we can go alone.

And that's where clubs come into play.

Running clubs are not just about running. Running clubs about people. They're about making new friends. And connecting with old friends. They're about setting group goals and, in turn, having a group to support and cheer on our invidual goals. They're about camaraderie. [Photo is of Compex Racing's Jeff Ambos and Ken Ernst from recent Southern California USATF Cross Country Championship.]

But, of course, they're also about running.

This coming December's USATF Club Cross Country Championships (Lexington, KY - December 12) will be my 7th Club XC Nationals in a row. Six years ago, my Team Runner's High clubmate David Olds had to drag me to the competition. I hadn't run x-country since my 20's, and I had less-than-fond memories of the experience.

Now Club XC Nationals is my favorite event of the year.

Here's why: win or lose, it gives me and my clubmates a reason to train for another year.

It makes that whole year of training fun. Because we have a group goal: to excel at the next Club Nationals.

After a dust-up with my last club, Fluffy Bunny, over some issues that are best not revisited (they don't make either myself or the club look very good ... funny how middle-aged tantrums are like that), I was left clubless going into this past summer.

On a LetsRun thread, a poster asked me, "What are you going to do now that you don't have a club for cross-country nationals?"

I didn't even have to pause a second before responding, "I'm going to form another club, and we're going to win the damn race!" [Photo: your humble blogger and Gray Mavhera lead the Compex charge up a long hill during the So Cal USATF XC Champs.]

The point wasn't that I was going to form a club that really was going to win the race. The point was that I was going to make that my goal. Because that would give me a reason to keep training. To keep logging the miles and going to the races and living this great lifestyle we call "running."

And that's what I did ... with the help, of course, of other runners with whom I've shared this life over the years!

First, both Danny Martinez and Andy DiConti voiced their interest in forming a club that included all three of us - something that's never happened since we became masters runners. Danny, Andy, and I competed against one another in high school. Then we ran on a club, Atzlan, in our 20's (and took 3rd in the Open division at the Club XC Nationals). And have trained together in our 40s, with Andy and I briefly teammates for Team Runners High. [Photo: Andy DiConti at the So Cal XC meet.]

Now, we were all on the same club.

Next, Greg Houlgate of Compex contacted me. Greg and I raced against each other a couple-decades-and-change ago as California Junior College runners. At the State Championships my last year, I beat Greg by a few places ... and his team crushed mine.

Greg had heard that I was a man without a club. Would I be interested in having Compex sponsor a new club? If I put the club together, Greg would see to it that we had uniforms, some travel funds, and (best of all) access to Compex machines to erase those aches and pains that are so familiar to us masters athletes.

After that, it got easy. Some of my former Fluffy Bunny clubmates signed on. Gray Mavhera, a new masters runner and good friend of several guys on the club, asked if there was room for him. I told him there was room for everyone. We weren't exclusive. Then he ran a 15:24 5K in his first race for us. Good call, Pete. [Photo: Michael Buckhoff, Dan Arsenault, and Ken Ernst on the hill at So Cal XC meet.]

Other guys trickled in. Chris Tregillis emailed me that he'd like to run with us. He'd run about 19 minutes for his first 5K in forever. I said sure, even helped prepare a training plan for him. Then Chris ran under 17 minutes for 5K. And then 26:59 for 8K cross country. He's headed for sub-16 minutes and a nice masters career. Good call, Pete.

My point is that, once again, I'm fully involved in the running life. Am super-charged by the rush of getting the club ready for another championship run.

And if we lose in Lexington ... oh well, there's always beer.

And next year.

After another entire year of training.

That's how you improve as a masters runner.


A video of Compex at the (very) sparsely attended So Cal XC meet:

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Jack Daniels: Altitude & East Africans

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

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Older Athletes: Images of Positive Aging

Photos from the 2009 Sydney World Masters Games ...



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Human Mammal, Human Hunter - Attenborough - Life of Mammals - BBC

A tribesman runner persues his prey in a gruelling eight hour chase ...



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Competition Drives Fast Times

Guest Blogger:
Reno Stirrat
Age 55
Dorchester, MA
Accountant, Coach
Family: Susan - wife (senior PR of 22:45 for 5K!)
2009 USATF National Masters 5K Champion (M55) - 16:45
Senior PRs ...
5K - 16:51
10K - 35:04
Marathon - 2:44:46


Competition Drives Fast Times

Watching Meb win the NYC Marathon we see the epitome of competition and a fast time. Meb did his PR at NY. Running, we all strive to win in our own way… 1st place, age group, beating Joe or a PR.

When we were younger our goal may have been to be the first runner across the tape, then we started to chase times. Chasing times can lead us to a dead end because we are more concerned about racing a ghost. We cannot see the time but only have an awareness of it.

Competing against our fellow runners gives us a tangible object to compete against. To see someone in front of you that looks tired brings out the best runner in us. With the crowd yelling at us to catch them it adds to our energies. With these new energies we forget about the pain of pushing our bodies and move to a new level and faster times; ah the ghost.

When running the Masters 5k National Championship in Syracuse, NY I knew the course was fast and there would be a lot of competition. I decided I wanted to try to win my age group. Each age group had their own color on their back. My age group, (55-59) had blue racing bibs. At the 1k mark there was a blue tag runner about 100 yds in front of me, and another one 10 yds further in front. I pulled up behind the first one and then passed him at the 1/2 way mark and had gained on the other blue tag. Knowing that I was gaining gave me new energy and hope, so I pushed and with about 600 yds, caught the lead runner in my age group. After the last turn and a downhill finish, I kicked and won. Much to my surprise I had run my fastest time since turning 50 years old by 12 seconds.

In all my years of running, all my PR's came from Championship races and ones that I got my butt kicked, never when I won. Now being older I don't win many races overall, but when I do they tend to be slower.

In your next race don’t think about how you’re feeling but concentrate on the runners in front of you and go after them. You might surprise yourself with more PR's!

Reno Stirrat

distancerunningtips.com

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The Story of My Life

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New Blog Post from Earl Fee!

In this post, Earl shares the speech he gave at the recent Ontario Senior Games. Besides recapping some of the highlights of the World Championships from Sydney, Earl also shares many nuggets of training wisdom. He even reveals the secret to his racing success ... aging slower than his rivals! Seriously, this is a fun, funny, and informative post! To read it, either click on Earl's blog link in the right sidebar, or just click HERE.

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Morning Read: Winning - It's a Personal Decision

This first thing I used to tell my high school track and cross country teams was this: "If you want to win, you have to accept that you're going to win."

That's right.

You have to accept the inevitability of your winning.

Once that's accomplished, you can begin to train.

It's been two decades since I was a high school head coach. But with my son in high school now (he plays football instead of running distance like his dad did), I'm reminded of that simple lesson.

Sean is a sophomore and plays on both his high school's JV and Varsity teams. One of the teams is headed toward a possible league championship. The other is headed for almost as many losses as there are toes on my feet.

Guess which is which ...

In Sean's JV game on Thursday, with under a minute to go in the first half, his team was tied with the undefeated, defending JV league champions. Sean's team had just gotten the ball back on their own 20 yard line. Instead of running out the clock, the coach called for a double-reverse capped by a long bomb to the receiver.

In Sean's varsity game Friday night, with under a minute to go in the first half, his team was nipping at the heels of the #1 ranked team in his CIF (regional) division. Sean's team had just gotten the ball back at their own 45 yard line. The coach called for a run up the middle, then followed with a short, safe pass to the running back while he was still behind the line of scrimmage.

Okay, here's which team is which: Sean's JV team won the game and plays for the league title next week. Sean's varsity team is headed for their second straight 2-8 season.

Sean's JV coach believed that his team would win, but he knew they couldn't do that without scoring points. So he called a play that could get them closer to that goal (the long bomb he called was completed for a 40 yard gain). Sean's varsity coach knew losing was inevitable and called two plays that would get his team into the locker room with the least likelihood of a turnover.

I know, I know. Some of you are thinking that the varsity coach was wiser, playing it safe with a whole second half to go ... Hey, maybe in the pros. But what he accomplished at the High School level was to send his players into the locker room with a lethargic sense of doom ... which is how they played the second half, surrendering 3 or 4 touchdowns in the third quarter before the other team mercifully put in their third stringers.

But accepting the inevitability of winning goes a lot further than play calls in a football game.

Unlike the team that walloped Sean's varsity squad last night, Sean's team doesn't have a year-round weight lifting program. I mean, why bother if you're just going to lose anyway? And athletes are allowed to cut workouts and miss some practices without more than a slap on the wrist, because, you know, think how bad the team might lose if you ended up disciplining some players you really needed to keep the score close ... like under 5 or 6 touchdowns difference.

When you think you're going to lose, you practice like losers. You shrug off poor training habits. You go through the motions and cross your fingers that the Sports Genie will give you an upset win here and there ... or maybe curse your opponents with poor players (which never happens, because great high school teams are built, not inherited).

And the message is the same for running.

When you accept that you're going to win (whatever "winning" implies for you, whether it's finishing first in a race, setting a PR, or just beating that old bastard down the street who always sprints past your house to show you up), you do the things that it takes to win.

You run the volume you need to build endurance.

You run the right effort level in hard workouts, knowing that the race is the place where you will shine (NOT the workout itself).

You run long hill repeats.

And short hill repeats.

And do technique drills.

You stretch and ice and do exercises after your runs that will keep you injury-free.

You stick to the diet that will get you to your proper race weight.

You have patience, spending the time to train yourself into top fitness instead of racing every weekend to see if you've arrived.

You don't do something stupid, like playing pick-up basketball with race day approaching ... or "training through" the race by running 10 miles the morning before it.

You have confidence that you WILL win.

So you do all the things that are necessary to win.

You don't cross your fingers and hope for a miracle. That's for all the losers who didn't do the correct training and preparation. All you need to do is run a good race, one that reflects your training, and you'll finish far ahead of those losers.

Like my son's JV team did to their opponent on Thursday.

Like my son's varsity opponent did to his team on Friday night.

My masters cross country club is preparing for December's USATF Club Championship right now. Our top returning runner from last year (when a lot of us were Fluffy Bunny ... we're now Compex Racing) has such a bad calf injury that he hasn't been able to run for two weeks. I'm getting over 4 weeks of flu. Our number three runner from last year can't make the race. Our new number four runner just caught the flu. Four of our five projected "Top 5" runners are 47 or 48, and we're competing in the M40-49 division ... against teams with much younger guys.

We're going to kick ass.

We're going to win.

And then we're going to start another year of proper training so that we can win it all over again in 2010.

Just like we did 5 out of the last 6 years.

Just like we're going to do for the next 5 or 6 or 50 years.

Get used to it.

Or get winning yourselves.

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New Blog Entry from Liz Palmer!

Today, Liz takes us through "A great training session on a lovely fall day" ... Which actually sounds like a killer workout while a couple walkers gawk.

To visit Liz's blog, use the link on the right sidebar or click right HERE.

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