Runner's World Extr@

for Friday, February 4, 2000

==== In this issue ====

Reports from the Osaka Marathon, Jenny Spangler drops out of Olympic Marathon Trials, how to increase your reaction time, new news on ibuprofen, coming events for this weekend and Joetta Clark Diggs.

==== News ====

In the U.S. and Europe, "marathon season" is usually autumn. In Japan, it's winter. Last weekend's Osaka women's marathon was a scorcher despite the season, with Romanian ace Lidia Simon running a 2:22:54 PR to win her third in a row. But Simon had to run down hard-charging Japanese newcomer Harumi Hiroyama to score the win, and Hiroyama's 2:22:56 put her ninth on the all-time marathon list, right behind Simon in eighth. More remarkable is that Hiroyama may still not be selected to Japan's Olympic team, since Ari Ichihashi, silver medalist at the Seville World Championships, has already been selected, and Naoko Takahashi and Eri Yamaguchi, both have recent times ahead of Hiroyama on the all-time list. 

• Simon beats Hiroyama in 2:22 thriller at Osaka Marathon <http://www.runnersworld.com/dailynew/archives/2000/January/000131.html> 
• World all-time top-50 women <http://www.runnersworld.com/stats/mthnlist.html#world50women> 

Four weeks away from the women's Olympic Marathon Trials in Columbia, South Carolina, the defending champion, Jenny Spangler, has pulled out due to a stress fracture. Spangler did not finish the Olympic marathon in Atlanta, and in fact has not completed a marathon since her upset win in Columbia in 1996. 

• Spangler to miss Olympic Marathon Trials <http://www.runnersworld.com/dailynew/archives/2000/January/000128.html>
•  A Brief Chat with Joe Douglas [coach of Jenny Spangler] <http://www.runnersworld.com/dailynew/archives/2000/February/000203.html#chat> 

As the Golden Spike Tour kicked off at the adidas D.C. Invitational, spectators at the George Mason University fieldhouse had to wonder if it was the Golden Oldies tour. Reason: there was Johnny Gray winning the 800m. Gray, who will turn 40 this year, found a lane on the inside to nose out Bryan Woodward, who was 10 when Gray made his first Olympic team in 1984. 

• The "Graying" of athletics <http://www.runnersworld.com/dailynew/archives/2000/January/000131.html#head2> 
• A Brief Chat with Joe Douglas [also coach of Johnny Gray] < http://www.runnersworld.com/dailynew/archives/2000/February/000203.html#chat >  

======= Training Tip ======

One of the main differences between men and women is strength. Exercise scientists frequently cite this strength difference to explain why female athletes in all sports cannot compete on equal terms with their male counterparts. Thus, women probably can benefit more from strength training than men - as long as the extra strength does not equal extra weight. --from Hal Higdon’s Run Fast, page 167.You can buy this book at:  http://rodalepress7.cam-colo.bbnplanet.com:8080/Unity/UrlView/7/10/48/2/4141   

======== Health and Fitness ========

Speed up your reactions: Numerous studies over the years have criticized ginseng, showing time and again that the herb most likely does not boost athletic performance. A new study, however, looked at reaction time instead of speed or endurance. And it finds that ginseng may in fact have some promise. The researchers tested 15 soccer players. Half took 350 milligrams of ginseng daily for 6 weeks, while the other half took a placebo. Those who had the ginseng performed better on a test of reaction time during and just after cycling to exhaustion. How could this help your running? Well, it probably won't. But it might help you avoid the occasional deer that jumps in front of your car. (The study was published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition.) 

Avoid ibuprofen before your marathon: Runners who take NSAIDS such as ibuprofen just before and during a marathon may be putting themselves at risk for GI problems, according to a recent study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition. Researchers tested 34 Chicago marathoners after they crossed the finish line. Those who had taken ibuprofen before the race had a significant increase in intestinal permeability compared to those who did not. (The study was published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition.)  

======== In our forums ========

Discover what other runners think about cottage cheese, mushrooms, beans, lentils and other out-of-the-ordinary foods in our Nutrition Forum. Whether you're simply a nutrition nut, or just looking to turn your diet around, you'll find plenty of support from conscious minded eaters at: < http://proxicom.rodalestore.com:8080/servlet/AppServer?t=login/login_rw >    

======== Interview ========

Joetta Clark Diggs, 37, will run in her 22nd, and last, Millrose Games on Friday night. Clark Diggs, a 1988 and 1992 Olympian, has won the Millrose 800 meters six times and was the World Indoor Championship bronze medalist in 1993 and 1997. She has the all-time U.S. indoor bests of 1:09.75 for 500 meters and 2:23.5 for 1000 yards. Runner’s World spoke with Clark Diggs: < http://www.runnersworld.com/dailynew/archives/2000/February/000202.html#chat >

====== Coming this weekend =======

Sunday, Las Vegas International Marathon and Half-Marathon. Two fast courses with net downhill elevation losses. Web site: < http://www.lvmarathon.com >. 

Sunday, Pomoco Group/Hampton Coliseum Road Race Half-Marathon and 8-K. Two very fast, flat courses. Pasta dinners with guest speakers on Saturday. 

Sunday, 3M Half-Marathon. Downhill point-to-point course in Austin has traditionally meant some very fast times. Web site: < http://www.3M.com/races > 

Sunday, Nokia Sugar Bowl Mardi Gras Marathon/Half-Marathon/5K. The 35th annual edition of one of America's oldest marathons.

======= Editor's Advice =======

Your "base layer" shirt should be synthetic (to wick away perspiration), but just as important: It should fit snugly. If there's air space between you and your first layer, sweat will stay on your skin, cold air will find its way in and you'll get chilled in a hurry. – Eileen Portz-Shovlin, RW senior editor

====== Words to think about ======

As runners, I think we reach directly back along the endless chain of history. We experience what we would have felt had we lived ten thousand years ago, eating fruits, nuts and vegetables, and keeping our hearts and lungs and muscles fit by constant movement. We are reasserting, as modern man seldom does, our kinship with ancient man, and even with the wild beasts that preceded him. This, I think, is our remarkable secret, one we share every time we go running. --Jim Fixx, from The Complete Book of Running

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