Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Ovett!


The autobiography of Steve Ovett offers an inside look at 70s-80s middle distance running by an Olympic Champion (800 meters, 1980), and former world record holder (1500 meters and 1 mile).

By today's standards, Ovett's racing schedule is something from another planet.  In 1980, Ovett set world records in the one mile run (3:48.8) and the 1500 meters (3:31.36), not to mention winning an 800m Olympic gold medal (1:45.4) and bronze in the 1500m ( 3:39). From April 30- Sept. 6, Ovett competed in  25 races.   He raced June 27 (1500 meters), July 1 (Bislett Games mile world record), July 3 (800 meters), and July 6 (3000 meters) prior to his July 15 world record 1500 meter run and first Olympic race on July 24.  

He set the 1 mile world record just 4 days following a 3:35 effort in the 1500 meter run, and the 1500 meter world best just 2 days after running a 3:52 mile.

Ovett followed up with another great year in 1981, competing in an eye popping 27 races between April 19 and Oct 13, setting another one mile world record (3:48.4) and winning the Dream Mile and World Cup,

What an amazing talent!

Monday, May 27, 2013

Is 30 Miles Per Week a "Health Threshold For Runners"

Recent research shows that the extra six years of longevity gained by running regularly may disappear beyond the 30-mile per week mark
Read more at http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/15908/20130525/long-distance-running-endurance-exercises-limited-health.htm#1F0vqVWGDPhQgafk.99

And Now a Word from Our Sponsors... Are America’s Nutrition Professionals in the Pocket of Big Food?

Virtually all of the major junk food purveyors buy sponsorships to be at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ annual trade meetings. Besides showcasing their food products in the largest booths on the expo floor, they’re also allowed to hold educational sessions, teaching dietitians about everything from the virtues of aspartame to the appropriate place of sugar in a child’s diet
  • Food companies are equally as powerful and pervasive as the pharmaceutical industry, and perhaps even more pernicious in their influence on people’s health because more often than not it’s your food choices that produce the disease
  • A group of concerned registered dieticians have formed a more formal organization called Dietitians for Professional Integrity, aimed at pushing for more transparency and independence from industry   Are America's Nutrition Professionals in the Pocket of Big Food?


  • Distance Running and Osteoarthritis

    Although the existing evidence on whether long-term long-distance running causes osteoarthritis is currently insufficient for researchers to draw unequivocal conclusions, the preponderance of data seems to indicate that moderate levels of running do not increase the risk of osteoarthritis of the knees and hips for healthy people and that this activity might even have a protective effect."

    Read more: Medical studies: Long-term long-distance running - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/running/ci_23326932/medical-studies-long-term-long-distance-running#ixzz2UXSzgeRy


    Tuesday, May 21, 2013

    Warming Up for Running: Less May Be Better in the Heat

    In this particular study, runners completed 3 treadmill runs to exhaustion in a warm environment:  One trial was precluded by a 20 min warm-up, one wearing a cooling vest for 20 min, and one "without particular preparation." 

    Runners ran for 32.5 minutes after pre cooling, 26.9 min after the 20 min warm-up, and 30.3 min after doing nothing.  Effects of warm-up and precooling on endurance performance in the heat.

    In this small study that controlled for increase in body temperature, runners did better on a 4 min maximal treadmill run  with lower levels of lactic acid produced and a higher blood pH maintained (blood pH decreases when lactic acid increases).  Effects of active, passive or no warm-up on the physiological response to heavy exercise.

    MY COMMENT: Adjust your warm-up to the conditions, and do whatever you can do stay cool: stay inside if an air conditioned room is convenient, jump in a lake, or take a cold shower).   

    Sunday, May 5, 2013

    Hip Range of Motion and Running Efficiency

    Interesting study here that found you can increase hip range of motion with a targeted exercise routine, however that does not mean you automatically transfer to a greater stride length or improved efficiency as a runner. Improvements in hip flexibility do not transfer to mobility in functional movement patterns Authors suggest you may need additional focus on 'grooving' new motor patterns if new found movement range is to be utilized,in other exaggerated range of motion drills. warm-up-exercise