Super-close finishes at Boston, a European record in London, fast times at Rotterdam, why diabetics need to be careful with glucosamine, new reports on vitamins and interviews with the Boston winners.
Last weekend was a marathon fan's dream. With big races in Boston, London and Rotterdam it was easy to overdose on the 26.2 mile distance. But that's how marathons fans like it. Kenyans were the big winners in Beantown with Elijah Lagat (2:09:47) and Catherine Ndereba (2:26:11) stealing top honors away from Ethiopian competitors. Both the men's and women's race were the closest three-runner finishes in Boston Marathon history.
At the Flora London Marathon, Portugal's Antonio Pinto's love of wine seemed to be the secret behind his European record of 2:06:36. Pinto, who admits to drinking a bottle of wine per day, battled what some claim to be the strongest field of competitors at London ever. His stunning time ranks him as the fifth fastest marathoner ever.
Running often follows the principles of the Japanese art of aikido: Taking the line of least resistance will create a smoother, more efficient, and more effective action. - from Amby Burfoot, Runner's World Complete Book of Running, page 191. You can buy this book at: http://rodalepress7.cam-colo.bbnplanet.com:8080/T/A7.10.59.2.4141
Vitamins in check: Taking too many over-the -counter supplements can be harmful. A new government report lists the safe upper limit for vitamin C as 2,000 International Units, for E it's 1,000 IU, and for selenium it's 400 micrograms.
Glucosamine warning: This popular over-the-counter supplement may indeed reduce joint pain. But new research shows that the pain relief may come with a cost if you have diabetes. In a small, preliminary study, people who took the supplement experienced a decreased effectiveness of insulin, which throws off blood sugar control.
Ouch, that hurts! Injury got you down this week? Knee problems, groin pain, tendonitis and ITB syndrome are some of the injuries being discussed this week on our Injury Forum. Talk to other runners who share similar problems and find out what treatments get them back on the roads after a setback. You'll find the Injury Forum at http://proxicom.rodalestore.com:8080/servlet/AppServer?t=login/login_rw .
You never would have guessed by their calm demeanors at the Friday morning press conference three days before the 104th Boston Marathon that Kenyans Elijah Lagat and Catherine Ndereba were going to inject so much drama into Monday's race. It was the first Boston crown for each, and the first sweep of the men's and women's crowns by a single nation at Boston since 1983. Looking back is always fun, so here's a rear-window glance at what the Boston 2000 champions had to say several days before their big victories. Runner's World spoke with both winners: http://www.runnersworld.com/dailynew/archives/2000/April/000420.html#chat .
To Our Readers: Due to technical difficulties last week, we were unable to mail Friday's Extr@ on time. Our apologies.
A 2- or 3-mile jog with a few strides the day before a race will loosen up your legs and help ease anxiety. If you want to take a "zero," take it two days before your race. - Alisa Bauman, RW senior editor
In every race there is a crucial moment when the body wants to quit. Then it needs imagination and mental tenacity to survive the crisis. Otherwise the penalty is defeat.- Derek Ibbotson