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Lead Stories: Thursday, August 28, 2008

Ryan Hall: The Countdown
(Elite Athlete Blog Entry 12)

Posted June 20th, 2008 at 7:55 PM by Ryan Hall

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Olympics, Elite Athlete Blogs, Ryan Hall, Road Racing

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 I laid awake last night trying to fall asleep, I did what I have a tendency to do once training is clicking well and I feel my legs beginning to feel “alive” again after the initial callusing is complete from the first month of marathon training; I began the countdown. Only a little more than two months until I run in the Olympic marathon.

Countdowns are nothing new for me. When I was a little kid my siblings and I used to fight over who gets to open the next day’s door on a Christmas countdown board. I am not going to lie, it was the chocolate behind the door that we were really fighting over, but it did make Christmas all the more special once it finally arrived.
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Ryan Hall: The Team
(Elite Athlete Blog Entry 11)

Posted June 7th, 2008 at 11:30 AM by Ryan Hall

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

Eleven weeks to go. I go back and forth between thinking I have too much time before the games, and then feeling like there is not enough time. Eleven weeks sometimes feels like a long time to train at the intensity that I am now daily putting forth, but then when I think to myself that in two months I will be heading out to Beijing, I wish I could sneak in a few more weeks at altitude before then. I have found that it is usually a good sign to feel like I wish I had one or two more weeks of training. It is a sign that I am still fresh, still hungry, and still moving forward. Contrast this with my first marathon run at the 2007 London Marathon when I had been hanging on for a month after training for what seemed like an eternity.

Today I will be repeating the same workout I ran two weeks ago before I left for Bolder Boulder—a ten mile tempo run. Last time out it didn’t go so well. Waking up to snow was my second sign that I was going to have a tough day, with the first sign being my cranky ankle that had been bothering me after doing an hour and a half run on a rocky—yet beautiful—single track trail in Big Bear. So between my cranky ankle, snow falling, and being out there all by myself without my shuffle (which I forgot at home) I set myself up for a long day. Let’s not get too much into the specifics; we can just leave it at that I went out slow and came back even slower. Not to mention picking up my bottles off the ground didn’t seem to speed things up any. I left for Boulder concerned.
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Eight strategies for reducing knee pain

Posted August 9th, 2007 at 4:12 PM by Julie R. Keen

Section: Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, Exercise

knee pain ice pack injury prevention injury treatement Knee injuries are common for the weekend warrior and athlete alike. The best way to handle knee injuries is by prevention. Once they start, they can be tough to treat, depending upon the structure injured.

When we look at the anatomy of the knee, there are some major structural elements that can be injured, usually from traumatic events. By this I mean an landing wrong in the midst of your big 5k race, improper tackle playing football, or missing the landing on the jump when skiing.

If you have injured one of these structures, and didn’t notice, you have a bigger problem than just some knee stiffness! If your knee is really swollen, painful, and feels unstable, go see a good orthopedic surgeon immediately. If your knees give you occasional trouble during your workouts, or you find that you can’t do certain exercises because of your knees, then these tips might help…

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Massage offers benefits for athletes and exercisers at all levels

Posted July 17th, 2007 at 9:00 AM by Bridget Sullivan

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

Back pain massage muscles injury prevention and treatment Summer is the season of swimming, tennis, and being outdoors. But along with summer sports, the season brings sprained ankles, pulled muscles and shin splints. This summer, and all year round, athletes of all levels are turning to massage therapy to combat these mishaps.

Once considered an alternative medicine, massage has staked its claim to the mainstream. Americans make about 114 million visits to massage therapists each year, and spend about $6 billion total. Moreover, the American Massage Therapy Association reports that 2 million more people sought out massage therapy in 2005 than in 2004.

Robin Helton, massage therapy department chairperson instructor at Everest College, in Burr Ridge, Ill., says that the massage industry’s huge growth is about more than just our nation’s need for relaxation. “Medical professionals now recognize the benefits of massage, not only in alleviating certain medical conditions, but also as a form of preventative medicine, and a key to overall well-being.”

Massage Offers a Range of Benefits for Even Casual Exercisers

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