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Lead Stories: Saturday, July 19, 2008

Ryan Hall: Post-London Recap “It’s Just the Beginning”
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #8)

Posted April 18th, 2008 at 7:00 PM by Ryan Hall

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Ryan Hall

Welcome to the official blog of top U.S. distance runner Ryan Hall as he begins his quest for Olympic gold! Check back every other Friday for Ryan’s latest entry at http://ryanhall.thefinalsprint.com/

As has become my custom before all my best races, my travel to London was crazy. Before breaking an hour at the Houston Half-Marathon it was a monster snowstorm that left us in a ditch and literally snowed in, before London last year it was nearly missing my flight as I realized that the train from San Diego would not drop me off at LAX like I had thought (although my tardiness did result in me getting the last available seat on the plane…in first class), before the Olympic Trials it was the fires and smoke that made for a juggle in travel arrangements and then an earthquake to shake things up just hours before our flight. So when travel got crazy heading to the London marathon you would think I would be excited to know that a good race was on schedule. However, I had a hard time seeing it that way.
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Your First Marathon:
You Can Do It!

Posted November 12th, 2007 at 6:30 PM by Andrew Goodman

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Motivation, Training Tips, Cross Training, Health & Fitness, Exercise

Completing a marathon puts ordinary runners in the company of elite athletes—finishing a 26.2-mile run is an impressive accomplishment.

But you don’t have to be an elite athlete to join the ranks of marathoners around the world. With dedication and training, most runners can complete a marathon—and then have the satisfaction of being able to say, “A marathon” Yeah, I’ve done that.”

So don’t shy away from a marathon because it seems too hard, too long, too painful. With the right attitude and a good training regimen, it’s just 26.2 miles away.
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NYRR Announces Top-Rate Broadcast and Web Coverage for U.S. Olympic Team Trials & ING New York City Marathon

Posted October 29th, 2007 at 10:03 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

New York Road Runners today announced an unprecedented level of broadcast and webstreaming coverage for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon on November 3 and the ING New York City Marathon 2007 on November 4. The two events will be broadcast and streamed around the world via NBC, WNBC-4HD, NBCSports.com, NBCOlympics.com and WCSN.com.

“We are pleased to have such extensive coverage of this unprecedented weekend of marathon running,” said Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of New York Road Runners and race director of both events. “By providing local, national and international options on both television and broadband of each race, we are better serving our sport’s fan base worldwide. Expanding broadcast options is a continued priority for New York Road Runners.”

On Saturday, November 3, the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon will be streamed worldwide for free on NBCsports.com, the first time an Olympic Trials event has been streamed live online. NBC’s “TODAY” will cut in live to broadcast the start of the race nationally at 7:35 a.m. EDT, and NBC will air a national half-hour highlights show from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m.
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Marine Corps Marathon buzz spreading through D.C.

Posted October 5th, 2007 at 4:12 PM by Megan Hueter

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The buzz is beginning to begin in the Washington, DC metropolitan area about an upcoming athletic event - the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM). As someone who resides in the area, I frequently see competitive runners and athletes out on the streets of DC, many lining trails along the Potomac as they train for the big upcoming event.

The Marine Corps Marathon will begin at 7:50 a.m. on Sunday, October 28, starting with the wheelchair and hand cycle participants. Runners will start at 8:00 a.m. and the MCM10K will kick off at 8:20 a.m.

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Video: Preview the Highly-Anticipated Third Season of chasingKIMbia

Posted September 20th, 2007 at 6:30 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

40K at Magnolia. Ugali and Chicken. Table Mountain. CNN and Fox News. Trips to Wal*Mart. Yep, it’s that time of year again. Welcome to Season Three of chasingKIMBIA; a video blogumentary detailing the lifestyle and training of some of the world’s best marathoners.

The Chicago and New York City Marathons are fast approaching, and the athletes have been getting fast. Season Three kicks off next Monday from Boulder. You’ll meet some new athletes this season, like Christopher Cheboiboch, who has a PR of 2:08 and has finished second in both New York and Boston. You’ll also see some old faces, like Baba (New York) and James Koskei (Chicago).

But the biggest change this year will be the addition of an American to the group. Fasil Bizuneh is an up-and-coming American marathoner. His half-marathon PR of 1:02:20 came in the US Championships where he finished second to Ryan Hall, and ahead of Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi and he’s been training with the guys in Boulder since the end of August in preparation for the November 3rd US Olympic Marathon Trials in NYC.

Play the video trailer below for a sneak-peak of chasingKIMBIA’s highly-anticipated third season!

Click To Play

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Impact of extreme weather conditions on marathon running performances

Posted May 23rd, 2007 at 1:00 PM by Megan Hueter

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Training Tips

In general, marathon races are among the most physiologically demanding endurance events in the world with runners competing for a distance of 42 kilometers (26.2 miles). (3,6) Competitive marathon runners often maintain a pace equaling 70-90% of their VO2max (max output) for over two hours. (6) Both biological and environmental factors affect the thermoregulatory balance in marathon runners.

Marathon races are considered mass participation events, and heat injuries occur in less extreme conditions. When running in closer proximity to other runners, it has been reported that the physiological heat stress is three times more straining on the body compared to someone running solo in identical weather conditions. (6) As mentioned earlier biological and environmental factors play a role in maintaining thermoregulatory balance in marathon runners. Biological factors such as dehydration, metabolic rate and gender limit thermoregulatory control. (3)
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Running Strength

Posted March 11th, 2007 at 10:21 AM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to TFS. Also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.

Running strength isn’t quite as definitive as VO2max or LT. It’s a bit ambiguous. However, as I view it, it has two components … physiological and psychological.

The physiological component is related to running economy, but it is also different. I think of both running strength and running economy as sub-elements of a broader subject that I call running efficiency.

Running economy is a measure of how efficiently you use oxygen while running at a specific pace. Improving running economy means that you can physiologically sustain a faster pace at a given percentage of VO2max, or a given pace at a lower percentage of VO2max, for a longer distance.
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Thanks for participating in our Gatorade Endurance Formula Sweepstakes!

Posted March 6th, 2007 at 5:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Special Features, Sweepstakes

The Final Sprint and I would like to thank the thousands of people who took the time to enter our Gatorade Endurance Formula Sweepstakes!

We also sincerely appreciate all of the support from our friends at Gatorade and thank them for generously awarding our lucky winners with four-month supplies of Gatorade Endurance Formula!

Speaking of our winners … check out the pictures of Andrew and Tom, two of the four randomly selected grand prize recipients, showin’ some love to their new and beloved training companions.

Thanks again … and stay tuned … because we’ll be announcing another exciting sweepstakes in just a few days!

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Heart Health and Marathon Running: Preparation is Key

Posted February 13th, 2007 at 3:02 PM by Megan Hueter

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Training Tips, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, Exercise

The risk of death from coronary heart disease is decreased almost two-fold in physically active people. Regular exercise has beneficial effects on blood pressure, lipid profile (fats in the body), insulin resistance (ability to break down sugar to use for energy), and overall decreased risk of death.

However, prolonged exercise (such as a marathon running) is hard for the body to endure, especially the heart. The risk of a cardiac event is there, as indicated by dozens of emergency crews present at various intervals of an event such as the Boston Marathon. A 2006 study shows that heart damage from a marathon is significantly related to inadequate training and preparation; a problem seen in some amateur marathon runners.
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Gatorade Endurance Formula Sweepstakes: You still have three more chances to win!

Posted February 8th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Special Features, Sweepstakes

The Final Sprint and I would like to thank the hundreds of people who have already taken the time to enter our Gatorade Endurance Formula Sweepstakes.

We would also like to announce that our first grand prize winner is . . .
Tom from Apple Valley, MN!

Tom was randomly selected on February 6th in the first of four weekly drawings and will be receiving six 50.2 oz canisters of Gatorade Endurance Formula Powder (retail value = $140.32) to help power him through his spring marathon training!

Wasn’t selected? … Don’t worry! … There are still three more chances to win!

So what are you waiting for? Hurry up and enter … because like they say - You’ve got to be in it, to win it!” All entries must be received by February 27, 2007 at 11:59pm EST.
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