8 Signs You Are Overtraining
For those of you in the midst of heavy training sometimes its easy to overlook the symptoms of over training. For some guidance on this Mark Sisson of the Mark’s Daily Apple blog has just posted an excellent article explaining these symptoms which range from losing leanness despite increased exercise to suddenly falling ill a lot more often. His post can be read here. Read More
Inflexible Runners Faster than Flexible Runners
A recent article in the New York Times outlines recent research which makes that case that flexibility should not be considered a cornerstone of health and fitness. In fact, the latest science suggests that “extremely loose muscles and tendons are generally unnecessary (unless you aspire to join a gymnastics squad), may be undesirable and are, for the most part, unachievable,... Read More
The Road to Success, Paved With Bad Advice
As athletes we’ve all gotten bad advice before. So it seems fitting that endurance sports writer Gina Kolata of the New York Times has written about this phenomena in her most recent article… ================= THE talk, at the Expo Center at the Boston Marathon this year, had an intriguing title: Using Biomechanics to Predict Running Injuries. And the lecturer, Dr. Thomas... Read More
Want to Go Faster? You Need a Trainer
A great article from New York Times writer Gina Kolata: ================ IF anyone ever wondered whether it was talent or sustained systematic training that makes athletes so good, they need only look at Joshua Gordon, a professional mediator in Boston. Mr. Gordon ran cross-country in college before stopping completely to take up baseball. Six years later, in 1999, he decided, almost... Read More
No Gym Necessary
A new study shows that manual-resistance exercises work just as well as weight-based exercises. Written by Matt Allyn and published on Active.com. ========= Building muscle and strength doesn’t require a gym membership, or even weights, according to a new study from the University of Texas-El Paso. In a new test of manual resistance exercises, where a training partner... Read More
It’s Time to Make a Coffee Run
Written by Gina Kolata and published in the New York Times, March 25, 2009 =============== WELDON JOHNSON first tried caffeine as a performance enhancer in 1998. He was not a coffee drinker but had heard that caffeine could make him run faster. So he went to a convenience store before a race and drank a cup of coffee. For the first time in his life, he ran 10 kilometers in less... Read More
An Interview with Keith Livingstone, Healthy Intelligent Training
Christopher Kelsall’s latest interview is will Kiwi athlete, coach and author Keith Livingstone. Keith is a Lydiard method enthusist, and has just published a book on the famous training method titled: Healthy Intelligent Training (H.I.T). This is a long interview, but if you are a fan of the Lydiard method then it is well worth the read. Note: this interview was originally... Read More
Plan Your 2009 Race Season
It’s the new year and time to plan your 2009 training and racing scheduale. In a recent posting from Trifuel.com, triathlete coach Matt Russ offers steps for athletes to plan a successful racing year. He recommends dividing races into A, B, and C races in order to plan a calendar that won’t leave you overwhelmed… ======================= This is an excellent time... Read More
10 Active Ways to Celebrate the Holidays
Getting the modivation to exercise, smack in-between Christmas and New Years, can be challenging. But there are ways in which we can be active without beging active. In other words, forget that interval workout and try going for a hike instead. For more ideas, Mark Sisson, who blogs about fitness and nutrition on his blog, The Daily Apple , suggests 10 ways to stay active during... Read More
Don’t Starve a Cold of Exercise
New York Times fitness writer Gina Kolata writes about exercise and colds is her latest article…. ============== YOU have what seems to be a really bad cold. You are coughing and sneezing, and it is hard to breathe. Should you work out? And if you do, should you push yourself as hard as ever or take it easy? Will exercise have no effect, or make you feel better or worse? It... Read More
Relax For Better Performance
Science and fitness writer Gina Kolata has written a great article on the importance of relaxation and and how a lack of it can ruin performance. Published October 1st in the New York Times . ============ LIKE so many people around the world, Dr. Michael Joyner was transfixed watching Michael Phelps swim in the Summer Olympics. But while many of us focused on Mr. Phelps’s world... Read More
Is Stretching All It’s Cracked Up to Be?
Another great article by New York Times columnist Gina Kolata. INVESTIGATORS have begun two large studies of stretching, asking about its effectiveness in much the way scientists might ask about a new drug or medical device. They’re actively recruiting thousands of volunteers to participate, in the United States and elsewhere, and randomly assigning participants to use the method,... Read More
Join the hunt for geocaches in province’s parks
By Sandra Mcculloch and published in the Victoria Times Colonist Combine technology with a treasure hunt, set the venue in a B.C. provincial park and you have a new venture announced yesterday by the province, the B.C. 150 Secretariat and the B.C. Geocaching Association. Geocaching is a recreational activity that’s growing in popularity, with hundreds — perhaps thousands... Read More
Altitude update – Flagstaff, Arizona
Written by Christopher Kelsall and published Tuesday, March 18, 2008 on Flotrack (thanks again for this Chris!). Steve Osaduik is hunting down the Olympic standard, contesting the May 25th ING, National Capital Marathon in Ottawa, Ontario. This is absolutely his last chance to qualify for Beijing 2008. Eric Kiauka has his sites on the steeple. Last week he ripped a personal best... Read More
The push-up as the ultimate barometer of fitness
Written by Tara Parker-pope and published March 11, 2008 in the New York Times. As a symbol of health and wellness, nothing surpasses the simple push-up. Practically everyone remembers the actor Jack Palance performing age-defying push-ups during his Oscar acceptance speech. More recently, Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor whose last lecture became an Internet sensation,... Read More
The Unmaking Of An Athlete
This a great posting I found on bodybuilding.twentyninethings.com about over training and how endurance running as training is pretty much useless for all sports except for distance running. ================================ I sometimes wonder if there are any prerequisites at all to getting a job as a college strength and conditioning coach. As the owner of my private athletic... Read More
Does caffeine causes dehydration
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR and published March 4, 2008 in the New York Times Medical experts have been saying for years that caffeine acts as a potent diuretic. Consume too many caffeinated beverages, and you end up drinking yourself into dehydration. But research has not confirmed that notion. Most studies have found that in moderate amounts, caffeine has only mild diuretic effects —... Read More
Planning for perfection: nail your early-season peak
Written by Matt Fitzgerald and published in Triathlete Magazine Last summer one of the brightest young American long-distance running talents to come along in a generation decided to train for his first 26.2-miler. As part of his ramp-up for the New York City Marathon, Dathan “Ritz” Ritzenhein ran a half-marathon tune-up race. He blazed to a 1:01:25 clocking and a third-place... Read More
The BS factor
A great article (or rant if you want to call it that) written by Chris Kelsall (here’s a link to his blog). A warning however, it may be considered offensive – reader discretion recommended. =========================================== The B$ factor explodes this time of year; wicked fulminations of unadulterated bovine excrement are disgorged, exciting the masses. Myths... Read More
More triathlon training wisdom from Victoria’s Melanie McQuaid
From the Bermuda Sun Online Edition, published February 27, 2008 Red Bull. That stuff really gives you wings, man. It’s not the nugget of nutritional advice you might have expected from an Ironman World Champion. But Chris McCormack insists it’s what finally pushed him over the finish line to win the Hawaii event – the most gruelling athletic test in the world... Read More
