By GINA KOLATA
Published: December 6, 2007 in the NY Times

BILL MORGAN, an emeritus professor of kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin, likes to tell the story, which he swears is true, of an Ivy League pole vaulter who held the Division 1 record in the Eastern region.

His coaches and teammates, though, noticed that he could jump even higher. Every time he cleared the pole, he had about a foot to spare. But if they moved the bar up even an inch, the vaulter would hit it every time. One day, when the vaulter was not looking, his teammates raised the bar a good six inches. The man vaulted over it, again with a foot to spare.

When his teammates confessed, the pole vaulter could not believe it. But, Dr. Morgan added, “once he saw what he had done, he walked away from the jumping pit and never came back.”

After all, Dr. Morgan said, everyone would expect him to repeat that performance. And how could he?

The moral of the story? No matter how high you jump, how fast you run or swim, how powerfully you row, you can do better. But sometimes your mind gets in the way.

“All maximum performances are actually pseudo-maximum performances,” Dr. Morgan said. “You are always capable of doing more than you are doing.”

One of my running partners, Claire Brown, the executive director of Princeton in Latin America, a nonprofit group, calls it mind over mind-over-body.

She used that idea in June in the Black Bear triathlon in Lehighton, Pa., going all-out when she saw a competitor drawing close. She won her age group (30 to 34) for the half-Ironman distance, coming in fourth among the women.

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Simple at-home exercises to help you deal with the holiday madness
By Grace Toby

Does the holiday season zap your energy and raise your stress level? Well you’re not alone. A recent survey by Time magazine found that the majority of people find the winter holiday season more stressful than tax season. This time around - before hitting the crowded shops or prior to Aunt Lucy’s early arrival for dinner - try taking a few minutes (like even 5-10) for yourself. To de-stress your mind, try this quick meditation exercise and to relax your body, try these simple yoga stretches.

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By Neil L. Cook, BS, MS, Med

Marathons are the “ultimate” goal for many runners. But there’s a core group of runners that believe the marathon isn’t long enough; not enough of a challenge. They feel the need to go longer, sometimes A LOT LONGER! These are different runners, not your average 10 K weekend racer. And although they are fiercely competitive, the camaraderie of ultra-marathoners is legendary. The support for fellow runners during an ultra extends further than any other running event.

What Is An Ultra Marathon?
A marathon is 26 miles 385 yards long. An ultra-marathon is any event longer. Typically, 30 miles, 50 miles, and 100 miles. There are other distances, but those are the most popular. There are also timed events: 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, and even multi day-races. Some are run on roads, some on trails, and some (mainly timed events) on a track.

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A great article from Forbes Magazine. Written by Rebecca Ruiz.

Jerry Armstrong’s body began failing him at mile 75. The 30-year-old San Diego native felt tendinitis in both knees and severe ligament pain in both ankles, which caused his limbs to lock up. He struggled to imagine how he might finish the 100-mile ultra endurance race known as the Angeles Crest, which takes runners through the San Gabriel backcountry in southern California. The former tri-athlete had readied his body for the 21,000 feet of climbing by running 70 to 100 miles a week for a year, but this was his first 100-mile race.

“People told me to treat [the race] with respect,” Armstrong says. “I thought I was. I was humbled by the race.” With the help of a good friend who served as his pacer for the last 25 miles, Armstrong power-walked the final miles after dunking himself in a cold stream to decrease the inflammation of his tendons and ligaments. He finished 23 minutes before the race’s 33-hour time limit.

“Some people might say, ‘Oh, hey, you barely finished,’ but for me it’s about the adventure, not the finishing time,” he says. “It’s about managing your body, solving problems and working under stress. It’s not about running as fast as you can.”

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