Anyone know of a good Triathlon in the Midatlantic that includes Kayaking?

I want to do a triathlon (or Duathlon) in the Spring of 2007, but with Canoe/Kayak, I am willing to go anywhere in the mid atlantic plus Connecticut.

 

5 Ways to Avoid Knee Injuries While Running

By Marrecca Fiore

 

Whether you're training for a marathon or enjoying a daily jog, running may be a good way to maintain good health. But it’s hard on the joints, especially the knees.

As many as 70 percent of runners may experience knee injuries at some point in their lives, according to Dr. Kevin Plancher, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist.

And spring is one of the most common times of the year for running injuries to take hold.

“We see a lot of runners with injuries in the springtime and it’s not because they did anything wrong,” said Plancher, who owns Plancher Orthopedics and Sports Medicine with offices in New York City and Greenwich, Conn. “Runners get so excited once the warm weather hits that they go out and start running without stretching and without replacing their shoes from last year. And injuries can occur in runners whether they’re 20 or 40 or 60 years old.”

The most common knee injuries are patello-femoral pain, also known as runner’s knee, and iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome.

Runner's knee occurs when the kneecap (patella) rubs against the bottom of the thighbone, and can result in irritation and erosion of cartilage, Plancher said. ITB syndrome involves irritation to the band of tissue that runs along the outside of the thigh, which can become irritated from repetitive rubbing over the outside of the knee.

There are ways to prevent knee injuries, however.

“Just because you're a runner doesn't mean you'll have runner's knee — or any other knee injury," Plancher said. "These problems are typically caused by overuse or by a misalignment of the joint that's exacerbated by improper running habits — all things that can be avoided."

Here are some tips on how to prevent knee injuries:

1. Wear the right shoes. Forget cushioning for a second. First, runners need to find a shoe that fits their feet correctly. For example, some people have wide widths, others have more narrow widths. A doctor can help you find the right the fit for your foot.

 

Also, Plancher warns that even the most expensive pair of sneakers probably won’t provide runners with adequate support.

“A lot of running shoes nowadays have little support,” Plancher said, suggesting that users remove the inserts or insoles that come with their sneakers and buy new ones that offer better support.

“There are good inserts and bad inserts, it doesn’t really matter the brand,” he said. “The most important thing is to buy one that has a little rigidity to it. If you can bend it in half, it’s not going to offer you enough support.”

2. Always stretch. Stretching your muscles is necessary before any run whether long or short, fast or leisurely, Plancher said.

“Don’t underestimate the importance of stretching,” he said. “It’s the best way to get the blood flowing, especially in cool weather.”

In addition to knee injuries, stretching can also help runners prevent hip injuries, shin splints, and foot-cramping, Plancher said.

3. Cross train. Not surprisingly, runners tend to focus on one and only one method of exercise: running. Doing so tends to bring the body out of balance. In the case of runners, they tend to end up with hamstrings (the muscles the run along the back of the thigh) that are stronger than their quadriceps (which run along the front of the thighs.)

Plancher recommends runners add core-strengthening workouts to their routine that strengthen both the front and the backs of thighs, as well as the muscles of the hips and buttocks.

4. Don’t over do it. Once the warm weather hits, runners tend to immediately begin running long distances. Often, it’s a matter of taking on too much too soon. Plancher recommends starting out slowly and building your way back up to the longer runs you were doing last spring and summer.

For those who run year-round, overtraining can occur from running long distances too often without any breaks in between.

“Be sure to incorporate one or two days of rest each week, and mix a few easy or short runs in with the hard or long ones,” Plancher said. “Don't increase your mileage by more than 10 percent a week. Start at a slow pace and be sure to stretch before and afterwards, to keep your muscles limber and your joints flexible.”

5. Eat right, supplement wisely. Runners need to the right types of nutrients in order to maintain healthy joints. Experts recommend adults get 1,000-1,200 milligrams of calcium each day, Plancher said. Dark green vegetables and dairy products are the best sources of calcium.

Additionally, many runners take glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements. Glucosamine is an amino sugar that seems to play a role in cartilage formation and repair, and chondroitin is a complex carbohydrate that helps cartilage retain water and maintain its elasticity. Plancher said some doctors even offer glucosamine shots to their patients.

Although the supplements don’t help everyone, some research has shown that taking the two together can provide relief for people with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis pain. Plancher recommends a dosage of 1,500 mg per day of glucosamine and 1,200 mg a day of chondroitin sulfate.

 

 

Caffeine Increases Endurance

By: Dr. Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

Caffeinated drinks increase endurance during long events such as a marathon, triathalon or bicycle race. A study from the University of Birmingham in England shows that caffeine helps the body use more carbohydrates from drinks that you take during exercise (Journal of Applied Physiology, June 2006). Those who took sugared drinks with caffeine were able to absorb and use 26 percent more of the ingested sugar than those who took the same drinks without caffeine.

Previous studies show that caffeine helps athletes run faster in both short and long-distance races. In short races, it makes athletes faster by causing the brain to send messages along nerves to cause a greater percentage of muscle fibers to contract at the same time. In longer races, it delays fatigue by preserving stored muscle sugar. Muscles get their energy from sugar and fat in the bloodstream, and from sugar, fat and protein stored in the muscles. When muscles run out of their stored sugar, they hurt and become more difficult to coordinate. Caffeine causes muscles to burn more fat, thus sparing stored muscle sugar to delay fatigue.

Nobody really knows how much caffeine you can take in without harming yourself. At rest, caffeine is a diuretic, but during exercise it does not increase urination. Caffeine is a potent stimulant that can cause irregular heartbeats in people who already have heart disease, and raise blood pressure in people with hypertension. Most research shows that it doesn't take much more than one or two soft drinks to increase endurance. Caffeine loses its beneficial effects with repeated exposure, so athletes who want to gain maximum advantage from caffeine during competition should avoid drinking caffeinated beverages when they are not exercising.

 A study from the University of Connecticut shows that caffeinated drinks are safe for most people when they exercise. When you take caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea or cola and do not exercise, the caffeine can act as a diuretic and drain fluid from your body. However, during exercise, caffeine does not increase urination, so it does not take fluid from your body.

Caffeine also can help you exercise longer. Your muscles get much of their energy from sugar that they store inside their fibers. When a muscle runs out of its stored sugar, it hurts and cannot contract as effectively. Caffeine raises blood levels of a fat called triglycerides, causes the muscles to burn more fat for energy and thus spares the sugar inside muscles to prolong endurance. So drinks containing caffeine can help increase endurance during exercise.

Caffeine, body fluid-electrolyte balance, and exercise performance. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2002, Vol 12, Iss 2, pp 189-206. LE Armstrong. Univ Connecticut, Dept Kinesiol, Storrs,CT 06269 USA

 

4 Ways to Make Your Treadmill Workouts Fun

By The Editors of Women’s Health
Women’s Health

 Just think: If global warming were a good thing, you’d never have to run indoors on a treadmill ever again. You can see where we’re going with this. The next time you’re running bored on the belt, change your routine with one of these four programs. They’ll help you burn calories, without burning you out.

 

Play By Numbers

First, calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR) by subtracting your age from 220. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends hitting at least 70 percent of your MHR while you exercise to maximize your calorie burn and fat loss. If you don’t have a heart rate monitor, count your pulse for 10 seconds, and multiply that number by 6. Keep working at 70 percent of your MHR for as long as you can. When you get tired, slow the treadmill to an easy jogging pace, and rest for a few minutes. Next, see how long you can go at 85 percent of your MHR.

 

Random Pickup

Tom Holland, a triathlete and physiologist in Darien, Connecticut, suggests watching a 30-minute TV program, like the nightly news. Increase your speed so that you’re running hard (about 80 percent of your maximum) during the commercials. When Katie Couric returns, slow your pace to an easy jog.

 

Take a Hike

Rebecca Rusch, top adventure racer and 2003 winner of the Raid Gauloises, likes to walk or run on an incline to mimic hiking outside. Some treadmills have preprogrammed hiking trails, but if yours doesn’t, Rusch recommends this: Walk at 3.5 miles per hour on a flat belt. Increase the incline every minute until it reaches 5 percent, and stay for three minutes. Next, lower and raise the belt every two minutes until you’ve been exercising for 25 minutes. Gradually lower the belt and decrease your speed over five minutes to cool down.

 

Weight it Out

If you’re short on time, do double duty with your cardio and grab a pair of two to five pound dumbbells. Perform biceps curls as you walk, raising and lowering your arms with each step. Next, perform military shoulder presses. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height, with your palms facing forward. Press them up overhead, and return them to start. Do 10 repetitions of each exercise. If you need your hands for balance, try this on a stationary bike.

 

 

 

10 Running Rules to Remember

Yishane Lee
Runner’s World

1. Do Your Own Thing

Whether you’re running or racing, go your own pace, in your own space. "It gets on my nerves when people sprint ahead, then stop and walk in front of me," says a high school harrier who goes by Sonic Runner online. "When you catch back up to them, they start sprinting." Conversely, ask before you match strides. A "partner" joined Tricia Lee of Flushing, New York, for the entire length of her very first race. "He kept bumping into me—for 13.1 miles."

What annoys me? Guys that can’t handle being beat by girls and try to sprint by me at the end!" —Kelsey Scheitlin Tallahassee, Florida

2. Know Your Place

With 10.5 million people in races in 2007, starting lines get crowded, especially when ambitious (or impatient) runners and walkers start too far in front. "At the Disney marathon, there were some walkers four or five abreast, holding balloons and singing," says Stephan Pinchac of Jackson, New Jersey. "It was exhausting to get around them." If you find yourself slowing down, pull over to one side to let faster runners pass by.

3. Keep it Down

Sure, chatting helps pass the miles, but not everyone wants to eavesdrop. "I had to listen to three ladies discuss their bathroom schedules, and the impact of calcium on their you-know-what," says Margaret Vento-Wilson of Long Beach, California. Other irritants: too-loud iPods, slapping footfalls, jangling keys, and beeping heart-rate monitors. "I ran a 5K next to a guy who kept screaming, ‘Hell, hell, hell,’" says Tom McKlin of Decatur, Georgia. "It was hell!"

4. Leash Your Best Friend

Bringing your pooch to road races is discouraged by most race directors, but many of your fellow competitors won’t mind too much, as long as you keep your four-legged friend close. "At a crowded 8K last fall, a guy running with two dogs refused to tighten up their leashes, so they were constantly moving around and tripping people," says Gwyneth Shaw of Tucson. And no dog imitating, either, please. "A guy at the Lilac Bloomsday Run, in Spokane, Washington, barked like a dog for 7.46 miles," says John Hildebrand of Saint Regis, Montana.

5. Watch Your Step

There is a reason why aid stations are often on both sides of crowded race courses—so you don’t have to cut people off to get to them. "One year at the Lilac Bloomsday, a young runner crossed right in front of me to get to one of the tables, forcing me to come to a near-abrupt stop," says Rod Steadman of Spokane. "After a sip or two, he did it again!" Doing a run-walk plan? "Pull over to the side so you don’t hurt someone behind you," says Laresa McIntyre of Singer Island, Florida.

"To the guy at the Napa marathon who used his cell to let his friends know the view at mile 14 was great: Please hang up the phone!" —Ron Harvey Tracy, California

6. Aim Fluids Carefully

Yes, sometimes the fastest thing running is your nose. But please, focus on where you aim your snot rocket, or your spit. "One guy actually nailed me with a giant loogey during a training run on a path," says Wendy Shulik of Chicago. "I was behind him, unfortunately. I’ve also been splattered by spitters during many a race. So gross!" Also watch where you toss your half-finished cup of water. "I have never had blisters so huge, thanks to the butterfingers who poured a cupful down the back of my legs during the Miami Marathon," says Chris Sahs of Miami.

7. Don’t Stink

"I once got stuck on a treadmill next to a person who reeked of smoke," says C.J. Epperson. Unpleasant odors carry outdoors, too. It should go without saying, but wear clean clothes and limit your use of personal products. "I ran the Chicago Marathon next to a guy who had slathered on smelly menthol stuff," says Pat Agnello of Brook Park, Ohio. "Phew-ee!" Runners tend to be forgiving of bodily functions, but there’s a limit. "I ran behind a guy who smelled like he ate a ton of bean burritos and drank a gallon of green chile before the race," Joe McLennan of Denver says. "He stunk, bad."

8. Dress for Your Mom

Unless it’s part of the program, as with San Francisco’s Bay to Breakers, refrain from silly costumes and minimalist attire. "Some friends and I ran the ING Georgia Marathon in Atlanta last year, and if you were there, you’ll remember the guy who was wearing nothing but a canary-yellow Speedo," Tom McKlin of Decatur, Georgia says. "Mr. Banana Hammock was a little doughy, and once the sweat seeped through the Speedo…let’s just say that parents were covering their children’s eyes."

9. No Whining

"The ones who quit a quarter of the way through a race because they’re tired—or worse, not beating everyone else—now that’s infuriating!" says Coyla Coblentz of Geneva, Indiana. Lapsed runners who have quit running entirely because they think it has wrecked some aspect of their bodies—and remind you repeatedly it will happen to you, just you wait!—deserve special opprobrium. Michael Chertoff, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, notes that his boss warns him off running all the time. The president, he says, "consistently tells me that I’m going to ruin my knees and that I should start to bike. I tell him I’m going to run as long as I can."

"I hate it when people yell, ‘You’re nearly there!’ when there are still several miles to go. When there’s no finish line in sight, I’m not ‘nearly there’!" —Heather Shea Danbury, Connecticut

10. Just Run

"The most annoying runners are those who are sure their way is the only way—no headphones, no loud talking, no this, no that," says Susan Funk of Mystic, Connecticut. "Better to see more people out and exercising than defining who is doing it ‘right.’" Adds Cindy Cauzzort of Zephyrhills, Florida, "I don’t mind making room for someone faster or going around someone slower. After all, we are only in competition with ourselves. It’s not about winning—it’s about finishing what you start."