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Lead Stories: Monday, December 1, 2008

Renaissance Athlete: Micheline Ostermeyer

Posted March 15th, 2007 at 11:30 AM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: Columns, SPOTLIGHT

It takes so much work and time to train to become outstanding at any endeavor that there are very few people who have risen to the top of the world’s stage in more than one field. At age 26, Micheline Ostermeyer of France won Olympic gold medals in both the shot put and discus, and a third place bronze medal in the high jump.

She was the niece of composer Lucien Paroche, and three months before the Olympic games she graduated with high honors from the Paris Conservatory of Music. She said that piano gave her strong biceps, and a sense of rhythm. She celebrated her victories with a recital of Beethoven at France’s team headquarters and went on to become a famous concert pianist.

Her accomplishments compare with Paul Robeson, who was an All-American football player at Rutgers, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Cornell and a great opera singers.
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Tai Chi: Excellent cross training since 1460 AD

Posted January 27th, 2007 at 2:12 PM by Valerie Cerami

Section: Running & Training, Cross Training, Health & Fitness, Exercise

Tai Chi is a series of gentle, graceful movements designed to exercise the body and clear the mind. Tai chi is a noncompetitive, non-aggressive, self-paced system of continuously flowing postures, using every part of the body and benefiting all bodily parts, while stimulating the psyche. It is also an effective exercise for overall health and improving athletic performance.
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Switch it up and challenge yourself with a trail running adventure!

Posted January 22nd, 2007 at 2:30 PM by Kathryn Magro

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips, Cross Training, Health & Fitness, Exercise

We’ve all experienced that day when we finally grow tired of seeing the same houses and landmarks along our running route. What’s a runner to do? Fear no more! Add some excitement, change your scenery, enjoy nature and increase your workout intensity by trying: Trail Running!

Trail running typically takes place on hills, mountains, hiking paths, etc - and is exponentially growing in popularity among runners, triathletes, hikers and other athletes. As a matter of fact, there are now approximately 6.5 million regular trail runners in the United States. The main allures of trail running comes from the more challenging and scenic courses. Constant changes in terrain are common; therefore, proper training and equipment are recommended before participating in any sort of formal races or events.
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Will lifting weights make
me musclebound?

Posted December 31st, 2006 at 12:00 PM by Jamal Walker

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise

In 1937, Dr. Peter Karpovich of Springfield College in Massachusetts published a ground-breaking paper showing that lifting weights helped men improve their coordination. At the time, his paper was ridiculed by most athletes, particularly professional baseball players. They were afraid that lifting weights would cause them to develop such large muscles that they would lose the fine coordination necessary to hit and throw a baseball.

Today we know there is no such condition as “muscle bound”. Baseball players all lift weights and they are so much better as athletes that the best baseball players in the world before 1940 probably would not even make today’s professional teams.
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What’s the big hubbub about Pilates? Can it help runners?

Posted December 17th, 2006 at 10:00 AM by Valerie Cerami

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, Exercise

So, what’s all the hubbub about Pilates these days?

The name seems to pop-up everywhere: magazine covers (as I wait online), DVD’s (as I wait for someone to move out-of-the-way down the music aisle), overheard lunch conversations (as I wait for my salad), the gym’s class schedule board (as I wait to scan my card), the new boutique studio’s neon sign (as I wait at a red light on the corner).

Seems like Pilates is everywhere (and that I’m always waiting somewhere!) - So, what am I waiting for? A long overdue meeting is needed between my oldest and favorite pals:

“Runners, allow me to introduce you to Pilates, your new best friend”

It’s the time to dig-in, give-in and drop-in on one of those omnipresent and popular Pilates classes.
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Running Form

Posted November 10th, 2006 at 7:30 AM by Martha Jones

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

Many people look terribly uncoordinated when they run. Telling them to change their form will just make them more uncoordinated. If a coach criticizes a team member for poor running form and doesn’t correct the underlying causes, the person is likely to become self-conscious about how he or she looks, and run even more slowly. Coordination usually improves just with repeated practice in the chosen sport.

Running form can improve markedly if you can correct muscle imbalances and structural abnormalities with appropriate exercises and perhaps mechanical devices. A coach can videotape the athletes while they run, then review the tape in slow motion to analyze the mechanical defects. For example, leaning forward during running is often caused by weak back muscles, which can be treated with exercises to strengthen the back. Pointing the toes out is often caused by weak lower leg muscles and can be corrected by doing exercises to strengthen the shin muscles. Leaning back on the heels after foot plant can be caused by excessive rolling-in motion of the feet or weak calf muscles. Read the rest of this entry »

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