Run to Win

Should prosthetics be banned from IAAF sanctioned events such as the Olympics? IAAF officials think so.

The proposed rule would prohibit “use of any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides the user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device.”

The rule was originally meant to ban sophisticated gadgets that manufacturers add in the shoes of top athletes to make them run faster. But it would also cover the prostheses used by Pistorius.

This and other proposed rule changes will be submitted to the full IAAF Congress at its Aug. 22-23 meeting in Osaka, Japan, on the eve of the world championships.

I am not sure what I think about this. On the one hand, I don’t think that an amputee should be barred from competition. On the other hand, I can see the point of view of the IAAF and why they want this rule in place. What I wonder is whether prosthetics can be designed that would still allow an athlete to compete without bending or breaking the new rules, while at the same time not giving them an unfair disadvantage. Not having one or two of their legs is already enough of a disadvantage, I would think.

(Source: ESPN)

Photo by Jonas WittAsafa Powell announced at the beginning of the month that he was going to be out for a few weeks due to tendonitis. Just over 3 weeks later, he has run what is currently the fastest 100 meters in the world so far this year.

World record holder Asafa Powell won the 100 meters Tuesday with the fastest sprint in the world this year. Powell led from start to finish to clock 9.97 seconds in his season-opening return from a bout with knee tendinitis at the Artur Takac Memorial meet.

It is good to see that he is back on his feet and has managed to avoid gaining any rust. Having had tendonitis in my knee before, I can sympathize with what he had to go through. Hopefully the tendonitis was not very bad, because he has bounced back quickly and is pretty close to top form. We may even see a new record out of him later in the season.

(Source: ESPN)

What are the best shoes to wear when racing down hill? That was the topic of the evening while on my group run tonight. One of the gentlemen I ran with tonight, Peter Buchanan of Edinburgh, is running the Mount Everest Marathon, which has a net loss of almost 6000 feet from start to finish. It has to be the ultimate in downhill racing, with steep drops and very rough terrain, all at altitude. It takes the runners almost a month to get acclimated to the altitude before the start of the race.

We did not come to a consensus on what we thought would best serve his feet during the marathon. Our best guess was that he should get some trail shoes custom made that were tight in the heel but long in the toe. What suggestions would you have? I have to admit that my down hill racing has been a bit limited, and I have not done any real trail racing for years.

In a continuing collaboration with Scott over at Straight to the Bar, we will be writing about timeless exercises in different disciplines throughout the month of May. This week I would like to talk about another of important type of workout for any competitive runner.

What is a tempo run?
A tempo run, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (see tempo and pace), is “a rate of performance at a steady pace.”

Tempo runs are workouts where you run at a steady pace that is around 70% to 80% of your max aerobic capacity. Tempo runs are just past the point where you begin to build up waste product in your legs at a rapid rate during a run, which is called the lactate-threshold velocity.
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When was the last time that you went running (or cycling or roller blading or skiing) as a way to get somewhere rather than as just a workout or leisure activity? Do you ever commute with your workouts? Or is it all just “wasted effort” that does not actually produce anything?

A friend of mine who grew up on a farm could never understand why people go to a gym to lift weights. He would always ask why people would bother engaging in what is obviously a strenuous activity when nothing actually got done. As anybody who has ever lived or worked on a farm, or even just done their own yardwork, can attest, it is very easy to get a good workout while still doing something useful with your energy.

Photo by Curtis PerryI have always agreed with him in principle, but have never let it deter me from going to a gym and working out. Instead, I just plan my yard work or snow shoveling or carrying 80-100 pound printers at work into my weight schedule.

Running always involves going from one place to another. In general, my workouts always involve me going from one place back to that same place. Nothing besides the running (and thinking) ever gets done in the mean time.

When I was growing up, that was not always the case. When I started running on a regular basis, my mother started sending me to the store if we only needed a couple of small items for a meal. There was one Saturday afternoon where I ran back and forth between the store and home a half dozen times between requests from my mother and my step-father. I very rarely carry anything on my runs anymore, though.

Today I needed to run at least 16 miles. I was not expecting to have time to see my aunt this weekend while I am up visiting in her neck of the woods, and she lives 8½ miles from my mother. My run today was not a fruitless endeavor. I travelled over to my aunt’s house, got to visit with her for 20 or 30 minutes, and then travelled back to my mother’s house. It was a good use of my morning.

I do not actually believe that running is a pointless endeavor, or that lifting weights or any sort of exercise is. The physical and mental health benefits are always worthwhile. Every now and again, though, it is good to look back at the work you did or the roads you ran and feel a sense of accomplishment.

This week last year was a taper week leading up to my Spring Marathon.

The biggest news this week last year, though, had to be Braxton Bilbrey’s swim to shore from Alcatraz. I fully expect that we will be hearing his name quite a bit in a decade or so when he starts getting up to a competitive level. There are not many people who can set a long term goal that requires as much training for an open water swim like that at 7 years of age.

In running news, the Nike+ system was announced this week last year. Things have changed in the last year for me; I now wear Nike shoes and in the near future all Nike shoes will be Nike+ ready. However, since I still do not plan on purchasing an iPod let alone running with one, I don’t expect that this is a technology that I will buy into.

If you would like revisit a great exercise, Bud Gibson introduced me last year to the bridge w/knee tuck. You balance your arms on a bench and your legs on the swiss ball, and roll the ball to your chest. I really enjoyed this one, and have worked into my exercise routines a few times over the past year.

Photo by Studeo GrintaRunning in the heat brings with it plenty of perils that you need to watch out for. Here are a few quick tips to keep yourself safe while still getting your exercise for the day.

• Avoid running during the worst heat. Early in the morning is best, and late evening trumps a lunch time run. Temperatures may not be quite as high, and it will be easier to find shade to run in since the sun will not be as high in the sky.
• Avoid running with traffic. Your body absorbs up to 8 times more oxygen and pollutants when you breath through your mouth instead of your nose. Try to avoid running with traffic and definately do not run with rush hour traffic. Your lungs will thank you.
• Drink plenty of water before your run. This should go without saying, but being hydrated before you begin your workout is important. You will have more energy to do the work itself, and your body will not have to work quite as hard to cool itself down.
• Drink plenty of water during your run. If you can manage it, drink plenty of water while you are working out. The ultimate goal is to weigh the same after your run as you did before your run, but this is especially difficult on hot days. If you have extra water you can dump some over your head or shoulders, but be sure that you have had plenty to drink first. Your body will cool off better if you consume the water instead of splashing yourself with it.
• Slow down. In extreme heat, you will require more effort for a slower pace. Don’t try to push it, and if you start to feel dizzy or nauseous then you should immiediately slow down or even stop.
• Wear sunscreen. If it is sunny out, wear some sunscreen that will stay on through your sweat. It will help prevent your skin from getting burned (which will decrease the likelihood of getting cancer later in life) and can help provide another layer between your skin and the hot air. It won’t keep you cool on its own, but every little bit helps.
• Wear technical fabrics. Cotton and sweat are a bad combination; wear technical fabrics such as gore-tex that will wick the sweat away from your body. Cotton absorbs the sweat which will then provide an extra layer of insulation that you do not need. Technical fabrics wil help keep you cool, and will help prevent chafing and blisters.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is a quick list of the easiest steps to keeping cool if you are going to run in the heat.

The Mud Hog Trail Race is debuting this year at the Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford, New Hampshire. The race is on June 16^th and will be a team effort between two people. One person will run the course while the other bikes it, and after completing an obstacle they will switch off. At the end of the race there will be a 60 foot mud pit that both members of the team will need to crawl through in order to get to the finish line. There will be a BBQ complete with beer at the finish line for all participants.
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