Women in Motion
October 2000
Newsletter
enhancing
female performance
Vol 2.
Issue 3
October 2000
WOMEN
IN MOTION NEWSLETTER - October 2000
Vol. 2, No. 3
This
Month Contains:
~News
~Articles
Running
Footwear Variables
~From
Around the 'Net
1. Smoking and Exercise
2. Home Gyms
3. Ambition and Motivation
4. Coffee
5. Running Surfaces
6. Overload
7. Inactive Lifestyles
8. Burning Fat
~Words
of Inspiration
~The Running Woman Board
-The Runner's Club
Monthly
Tip:
Drinking
Too Much Water
Too much water consumption can result in hyponatremia, a
medical term for low sodium (salt) in the blood. Symptoms
may include extreme diarrhea, headaches, confusion,
weakness, and sometimes personality changes. The most
severe cases will result in seizures, respiratory arrest,
coma, and death.
Some people most likely to develop this condition are
ultra-endurance athletes who spend long hours exercising
or participation in activities of a long duration.. If
during physical activity an athlete drinks excessive
amounts of water, the sodium level of the blood may drop
lower than 130 milliequivalents per litre, resulting in
hyponatremia.
Ultra-endurance athletes who enter events such as the
Ironman Triathlons, Ultra-Marathons or Full Marathons on
hot humid days need to be aware of the prevention methods
for hyponatremia. The following are some suggestions:
- Salt food more than the average person. Start
your event with plenty of sodium in the body.
- Drink water before your event, but soon after (60
minutes) switch to sport drinks or fluids containing
salt.
- Weigh yourself before, during, and after
ultra-endurance events thus monitoring body fluid levels.
For every kilometre lost, one litre of fluid should be
consumed.
Survey
Results
Women
in Motion September Survey: Do You Like the New Web
Page?
The
responses were as follows:
Yes
- 50%
No
- 50%
I
learned something from this survey and that was not to
have surveys on things outside of running. As there were
only two responses to the survey question, it was obvious
that runners are not interested in non-runner questions.
And this was one. In the future, surveys will be limited
to running.
Visit
the site to see the October survey and weekly results.
Advance Article:
Running Footwear Variables
Be Informed
When you step into your local
running store or into a sports chain, it is wise to know
and understand the basics of running shoe construction.
This lets the salesperson know that you have an
understanding of how a shoe is put together and helps you
to find out if the salesperson is knowledgeable about
running shoes.
The following is meant to
provide some general information as well as information
that focuses on specific fit and performance variables.
This list consists of fit and performance variables that
provided by adidas during a north american foot study
done to establish criteria for the construction of
running shoes. Each participant received 5 pairs of shoes
to run with for a day and were asked to complete a
questionaire based on the variables below:
Forefoot/Toe-box Room: This
refers to the volume in the forefoot inside of the shoe.
It could be that the shoe fits too tight, too loosely, or
just right in the forefoot. For example, feeling pressure
on the outside (lateral side) of your forefoot, would
indicate that there is not enough forefoot room on the
lateral side.
Arch Support: How
much arch support your foot needs is based both on the
strength of your arch as well as the physical height of
your arch. If you feel your feet getting tired, but there
is no accompanying pain, then the footwear is not
providing you with enough arch support. However, if you
are experiencing discomfort or pain under the middle of
your foot, then your footwear is too supportive in the
arch.
Forefoot Cushioning:
Forefoot cushioning can be too soft, absorbing too much
of your energy during each foot-ground contact phase,
raising your level of fatigue. However, forefoot
cushioning can also be too hard, putting excess force on
your ankle, knee and hip joints, causing you to feel pain
in any or all of those areas.
Rearfoot Cushioning (shock
absorption): The ability of the
material beneath your rearfoot to absorb the impact of
foot strike. The same principles as in forefoot
cushioning apply.
Medial Support: This
term applies to the footwear's ability to limit the
amount of pronation experienced during the foot-ground
contact phase of the gait cycle.
Weight: The
weight of a shoe refers to how heavy the shoe is. A shoe
that is too heavy for an individual requires them to use
extra energy when they are running, resulting in a raised
level of fatigue.
Forefoot Flexibility: This
refers to the stiffness characteristics of the forfoot
region of the shoe.
Collar Height: The
height of the collar, or top most part of the upper that
surrounds the ankle. An ankle collar that is too high
will irritate your ankle bone(s), while an ankle collar
that is too low, will cause your heel to slip out of the
shoe too easily.
Ride: This
is the ability of the shoe to provide a smooth weight
transfer from heel-strike to toe off.
These descriptors should
provide information on what to look for or to lookout
for, in running shoes.
Women in Motion October 2000
          
FROM AROUND THE 'NET
1.
Smoking and
Exercise
Nicotine is a stimulant that increases nerve activity. It
imitates the action of epinephrine, a natural stimulant
that causes normal increases in heart rate and blood
pressure. Research indicates that after extensive use of
nicotine, a smoker's heart may become less responsive to
epinephrine when the heart to speed up to handle the
extra demand of exercise.
The American Heart Association reports that if your heart
rate fails to increase during exercise, you may have up
to 5X higher risk of heart attack or death than
non-smokers with a normal heart-rate response. Smokers
should check with their physician for recommendations for
an exercise routine. Most physicians will recommend
moderate physical activity for smokers along with a
smoking cessation program.
Exercise can help you to stop smoking and to minimize the
weight gain.
To begin an
exercise program, you should consider the following:
1. Check with your physician and get permission to start
an aerobic program.
2. Start your program slowly and increase gradually. If,
while exercising, you're getting out of breath, slow
down. Also, stop exercising if you feel tightness in the
chest or have other cardiovascular problems.
3. Increase activity sessions at appropriate intervals
until you reach sessions of 45 to 60 minutes.
4. Exercise three times a week.
2. Home Gyms
Working out at home can be convenient for people
with hectic schedules. Some find it more economical than
an expensive gym membership or find it more enjoyable
than waiting in line for an exercise machine or shower.
Having a home gym is a decision that requires some
careful thought and planning. Too often, the exercise
bike becomes a clothes rack, the barbells become
doorstops, and the exercise mats are nice for the
childrens' naps.
Consider
your exercise interests and your level of fitness. This
will help you select exercise activities that are
enjoyable andchallenging enough to increase your level of
fitness. Every home gym should include equipment
for aerobic, strength, and flexibility training. Write a
list of possible equipment for each of the areas. For
example, strength training can be developed through the
use of elastic bands, free weights, or machines that
resist your movements. Finding all of your choices may
take research, visits to fitness centers, or talking with
experts.
Whereever possible, see the equipment. A fitness
equipment retailer should have floor models for you to
try. Trying out the model will give a better indication
whether the equipment is for you. Viewing the equipment
firsthand will give the opportunity to determine how this
equipment is going to fit into the available space in
your home. Most exercise equipment seem to end up in
family rooms, garages, or the basement. It also helps to
place the exercise equipment near the TV and stereo,
where you can keep yourself entertained during your
workout.
You get what you pay for. Equipment that has a lot
of moving parts (treadmills, etc.) will need to be made
of quality materials. It's better to look for other
options rather than sacrifice quality for price.
You may want to consider to purchase used exercise
equipment. Always buy from a reputable dealer and get a
warranty in writing. Always ask for a discount or for a
complimentary accessory. Many dealers will give a
discount to close the deal or provide a free item
Asking questions about the warranty and service plans
ahead of time is wise.. Who's going to fix the equipment
if it breaks down? A good warranty isn't going to help
you if the equipment has to be sent away for many weeks.
Look for a fitness store that can have someone from the
store who can come to your house and repair the
equipment.
Ask about a money-back guarantee and the length and
conditions of the warranty. Aerobic and weight machines
should have at least a one-year warranty. If you're
choosing between two similar machines, choose the one
with the better warranty.
3. Ambition and Motivation?
Sometimes you just seem to go flat and lose your
ambition,motivation and drive. To avoid overtraining
remember that a cycle of stress and rest is how your body
best absorbs the effects of your training. So this may be
the time for rest or some alternative exercise. - from
Joan Benoit Samuelson and Gloria Averbuch, Running for
Women, page 65.
4. Coffee
When it comes to boosting energy for exercise, a cup of
coffee may be better than other sports drinks. According
to an article in Chiacago's Amateur Runner, studies have
shown that caffeine has a beneficial effect on athletic
performance. Before you start drinking coffee as part of
your regular exercise routine: keep in mind, caffeine
also often brings upset stomach, reduces absorption of
necessary nutrients, and tends to dehydrate you.
For the details, check out the full article:
http://www.chicagoaa.com/tips/drewjune00.html
5.
Running
Surfaces
The conventional wisdom for runners is that hard surfaces
are bad and soft surfaces are good. Concrete and asphalt,
in other words, promote injury more than the soft earth
of nature's trails. But in his weekly running column, Joe
Henderson suggests that running on hard surfaces doesn't
necessarily result in more injury, and the reason may be
our running shoes.
"Today's running shoes are made to work best on
hard, smooth surfaces," Henderson writes.
"These shoes work worst on soft, rough, natural
surfaces. Our thick, heavy, well-supported shoes can
increase pains when we take them where they aren't
designed to go. A flimsy racing shoe probably works
better off-road."
For more, check out Joe's full article:
http://www.joehenderson.com/archive/144.html
6. Overload
Most
successful training programs are based on variations of
the progressive overload theory. You gradually overload
the system with progressively more mileage or the same
mileage at faster paces. To achieve peak performance, you
train to just under the point that your body would break
down if you went further. - from Hal Higdon,
Marathon:The Ultimate Training Guide, page 86.
7. Inactive Lifestyles
An inactive lifestyle often results in obesity.
Obesity is the major risk factor for heart disease, high
cholesterol, and high blood pressure. The good news is
that dropping five to ten percent of body weight can have
a significant, positive impact on the health of
overweight individuals. Many people assume that you must
lose huge amounts of weight to modify cardiovascular
risks. They set their goal to lose a huge amount of
weight, hoping to return to the weight of their teenage
years. In some cases, this amount is 50 to 80 pounds of
body weight. Although a person may want to lose a huge
amount of weight, that's not necessary in order to reduce
the risk of heart disease. A three-hundred-pound person
with a 30-pound weight reduction will reduce blood
pressure and lower blood cholesterol.
Researchers for the American Journal of Public Health
found that sustained weight loss of ten percent reduced
coronary heart disease in obese persons from 50 to 38
cases per 1,000 individuals; reduced the number of years
with hypertension from 4.1 to 2.9 years; and increased
life expectancy anywhere from two to seven months in men
and two to five months in women. Also, individuals who
lost ten percent of body weight saved about $5,200 in
medical costs over the course of their lifespan.
To read more go to:
http://www.apha.org/journal/abstracts/abstostr.htm
8. Burning
Fat
Fat cells are the storage bins of the extra energy
(digested food) not used by the body. To reduce size, the
body must use the stored fat. Muscles always burn a
combination of sugar and fat. When your exercise is
aerobic (walking, jogging, swimming, etc.), you are
burning mostly fat. When it is anaerobic (sprinting), you
are burning mostly sugar. If your main goals are to burn
calories and reduce body fat, aerobic exercise is the
answer. In addition to burning fat, it will train the
muscles to burn mostly fat for fuel all the time.
Overeating can decrease the ability of the cells to
release fat during exercise. Hormones, such as
adrenaline, send messages to the fat cells to release fat
during exercise. Adenosine tells the cells to hold onto
their fat. Exercise helps the fat cells to ignore
adenosine. Exercise encourages the fat cells to ignore
adenosine, overeating reduces the ability of the cells to
do this and the fat cells stay fat. It is important to
stay on a restricted diet that eliminates overindulgence,
inappropriate food choices, or self-reward of food after
exercise.
Words of Inspiration
"Overtraining
is the biggest problem incurred by runners who lack the
experience or discipline to cope with their own
enthusiasm."
- Marty
Liquori, who won the famous "Dream Mile"
against Jim Ryun at Franklin
Field in 1972 to cap a brilliant career at Villanova
The
Running Woman Message Board in Diet and Fitness
The Running Woman Message board continues to be active
although it shows a reduction in the number of posts in
September. Because a number of our members are university
and college students, this time of the year finds them
back at studies. Let's hope they remember the benefits of
running and return soon to our board.. We continue to
offer advise to all posts. Thanks to all of you who have
provided assistance to members old and new. Good Luck and
Continued Running to all.
Gord
The
Runner's Club
The RUNNER'S CLUB is still quiet, but with the number of
members just over 500. If you are a member, please take
the time to ensure that your email address is the one you
want to use. Members with incorrect email address will be
deleted from the membership as we are unable to contact
them with club information.
A reminder that two features of the CLUB still remain the
ability of members to communicate with each other
privately in the CLUB and the ability to arrange to chat
with each other in the 24 hour chat facility.
Members
have been asked to post on the calendar, their upcoming
race events for the year.
Good Luck and Great Runs
Gord
About
This Newsletter
A reminder that experts - we are not. Information
presented here is a collection of research with a taste
of experience and opinion added for flavour. We don't get
upset if someone disagrees with anything that has been
said or written. In our experience with running groups
here at home, it is difficult to get agreement on most
anything. If it works for you, then it works.
Neither Women in Motion nor the author of this newsletter
provides professional medical advice. The information in
this newsletter is intended to help you better understand
running issues. It is not intended to replace the advice
of a physician. If you read something in the newsletter
that contradicts what your physician tells you in any
way, always follow your physician's advice.
SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE INFO
You are receiving access to this newsletter because you
have subscribed via Listbot. If you do not wish to have
future newletters sent to you, please use that same
system found on the home page to unsubscribe.
If you have any suggestions for topics or questions
please email us. We would like to publish a monthly
newsletter that reflects the interests of the female
runner.
Gordon Samson, Editor
Women in Motion
LEGAL STUFF / SUBSCRIPTION INFO.
"Women in Motion Newsletter" is free, but its
articles are
copyrighted. No one may use the content without
permission of
the author and "Women in Motion". So please let
us know if you
think the information here is important enough to be
re-written.
Spread the Word
Tell your friends they can get the email link to this
free monthly newsletter.
Gordon and Fariyal Samson
Women in Motion
Visit us at
run.to/womeninmotion
Practice
doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.
-Fariyal Samson, B.PE, B.Ed
© Women in Motion
 Women in Motion October 2000
|