The Cancun Marathon, World-Cross results, Erica Palmer, how music helps your running, keeping tabs on Runner’s World editors and New Year’s resolutions.
In the holiday season running can sometimes feel more like a defense against stress and celebratory overeating, but for some pros the season is still on. Sixteen-week programs for the Boston Marathon start on the 27th, the London Marathon is announcing its field for the same weekend, and Olympic selection buzz is ongoing. But some athletes are still racing. For instance, at the Cancun marathon, just a few weekends ago, Mexican pro Isidro Rico experienced a marathon the way many regular runners do - he hit the wall, hard. Dave Kuehls tells the story:
- Courage in Cancun < http://www.runnersworld.com/dailynew/archives/1999/December/991220.html#head2 >
In Europe, cold, snow, slush and mud can mean only one thing: cross- country season. The opening of the IAAF's World Cross Challenge, in Belgium, lacked mud only because the ground was frozen. The season ends with the World Cross-Country Championships in March, safely before the onset of more comfortable weather.
And as the Olympic buildup shifts to a higher gear, USATF sponsor General Motors delivered some of its support directly to the athletes, in the form of 100 cars.
- General Motors' Olympians < http://www.runnersworld.com/dailynew/archives/1999/December/991220.html >
The muscular tension associated with running requires that the therapist work the entire body: upper back, lower back, buttocks, hamstrings, calves, shins and feet. Massage encourages the muscles to relax, thereby helping the athlete to recover from the last training session and prepare for the next one. - from Joan Johnson's The Healing Art of Sports Massage, page 110. You can buy this book at: http://rodalepress7.cam-colo.bbnplanet.com:8080/Unity/UrlView/7/10/42/2/4141
Speed up the beat: If you need some motivation to stay on the treadmill for another 10 minutes, try changing the type of music in your Walkman. A recent study published in Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that switching to faster tempo music later in a workout can delay those initial feelings of fatigue.
Show them the numbers: If your health insurance company doesn’t give you a break on your deductibles simply because you run, mail this study to someone in charge. It found that insurance companies must spend on average $1000 more a year for each subscriber who smokes, doesn’t exercise and basically doesn’t practice good health habits. You can find a hard copy of the study at < http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v282n23/full/joc90579.html >.
========= In our forums ===========
There's no better time than right now to create some New Year's running resolutions. With the millennium looming, there's no excuse not to make some changes in 2000. Uncover what other runners have in store for training in Y2K. You just might pick up some helpful tips. < http://proxicom.rodalestore.com:8080/servlet/AppServer?t=login/login_rw >.
========= Interview =========
Erica Palmer of the University of Wisconsin celebrated her 20th birthday by winning the 1999 NCAA Cross-Country Championship in Bloomington, Indiana. She has run 34:03 for 10,000 meters, 16:03 for 5000, and 9:21 for 3000. Runner’s World spoke with her: < http://www.runnersworld.com/dailynew/archives/1999/December/991220.html#chat >.
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Mental imagery can be a very powerful tool. The next time your legs feel heavy, imagine that you're suspended just above the earth's surface by a giant harness and your feet are barely scraping the road as you run along. -- Adam Bean, RW managing editor
The most exhilarating runs are often on the stressed-out days when we don't want to run. -- Jeff Galloway