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| Lynn Grieger of the Manchester Center Rec Center led a group of 31 particpants (some pictured here) on a one mile loop run on May 6, 2008 as part of ARA's National RUN A MILE DAY |
MILERS hit their Stride
National RUN A MILE DAY inspires all ages to run
A family in Eagle Fork Alaska, a group of Moms and kids in Manchester Center VT, and a corporation in the Research Triangle Area of central North Carolina all had something in common on May 6, 2008. They hit the road, track and trails to run a mile. The day was billed as a tribute to the first sub-4 minute mile by Sir Roger Bannister back on May 6, 1954. The MILE RUN effort meant a bit more. It was kids running side-by-side with their parent. It was a boss leading his “troops” around a track. Running the Mile was simply a day to get out and get inspired to do more; to run, walk or just get moving.
“We see the RUN A MILE DAY as a kick-start for parents and teachers and office workers. So often, a new year hits and plans to start a fitness program get bogged down or fall victim to procrastination”, said Dave Watt, Executive Director of National Organizer, the American Running Association. “Running the mile in track is a true test of endurance, stamina and speed”, added Watt. Even though track and field events are measured by the metric distance, runners worldwide still check to see how their mile times rank. Running the mile has cache.
Plans for the 2nd year are already being discussed. ARA expects to partner with other companies to get more adults and kids out running. Websites will showcase group photos from around the country. MILER t-shirts will be available to groups to resell as part of fundraisers.
Running a mile. Four laps on a track, a single loop around a field or a straight line path along a country road. No matter. The RUN A MILE DAY got the fitness and running plans for several groups jumpstarted this May 6th. We have to believe even Sir Roger Bannister would be proud of this new group of “milers”.
American Running Celebrates
40 years
On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in June 1968, Dr Richard Bohannon (LtGen USA) kicked off the first day of a new organization, the National Jogging Association (NJA). NJA would adapt and morph over time and stand today as The American Running Association (ARA). Dr Bohannon or simply his nickname, “Dr Bo”, was a true visionary. He was one of those physicians who took the charge from President Kennedy. He wanted to affect change in all Americans to get them physically fit. There was nothing better in his mind than a brisk walk or jog. He tapped his friends and associates for advice and ideas. Two of our nation’s most noted experts on fitness and running joined his Board of Directors. One was Dr Ken Cooper, a fellow Air Force physician when they met. The other was Bill Bowerman, legendary distance running coach at the University of Oregon and co-founder of Nike. These were heady times for the fitness movement. Ken Cooper coined a new word in his book simply titled, “AEROBICS”. He opened a research center in Dallas Texas called “The Institute for Aerobics Research”. His friend “Dr Bo” was there to help launch Cooper’s new venture.
We are proud to maintain the vision of Dr Bohannon. Running is here to stay. No one drops the “jogging” word these days when they go out for a “run”. Dr Bo was right on one count: Walking and running leads to a healthier more productive life.
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| Deena Kastor starts to move up on race leader Magdalena Boulet in the 2008 Womens' Olympic Marathon Trials in Boston on Sunday April 20, 2008. |
Look for a special issue of e-Running & Fitnews in late June to celebrate 40 years of ARA.
OLYMPIC TRIALS in BOSTON: WOMEN’S MARATHON
Samuelson passes the baton to Kastor in her final marathon
Deena Kastor was more concerned with running a smart race, a race that would set the tone for the upcoming Olympics in Beijing China. It must have been of some concern that Magdalena Lewy Boulet had taken the pace out so fast in the opening loop of the 5 loop course set in Boston and Cambridge Mass. Deena stuck to her plan to put down the hammer in the 2nd half of the marathon. It took a little longer than planned, but Kastor caught the front-running Boulet and charged down Boylston St with a victory, her first, in the Women’s Olympic Trials Marathon. Magdalena Lewy Boulet finished 2nd and the 4th place finisher in 2004, Blake Russell, held onto 3rd for the final team berth for the marathon in Beijing.
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| Members of the Bates College track team are joined by fellow Bates athlete Abby Samuelson as they cheeer on Abby's Mom (Joanie Samuelson) during the Womens' Marathon Olympic Trials in Boston. |
It was quite the site in Boston. Crowds lined the loop course and kept cheering for all the competitors. No one had more cheers from the fans along the course than 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson. Look for a special e-Running & Fitnews story and photo gallery on Joanie in the next month.
Sports Medicine Symposium in Boston studies Cardiac Issues in Runners
Nationally respected cardiologists discuss recent fatalities and risks seen in marathoners.
Dr Paul Thompson, a noted cardiologist and marathoner, was joined by Drs Aaron Baggish and Mark Link to discuss the “heart and the competitive athlete”. The question and answer forum touched on several interesting aspects of heart injury and death. Press reports on a road race fatality have given the impression that running has a higher risk than most endurance sports or contact sports. Dr Link’s research on chest wall impacts and heart injuries and deaths was an eye-opener for this layperson. He showed a video of a young teen competing in a TaeKwon Do or Karate tournament. Early in the match, a swift kick to the chest was followed by a stagger and then collapse. One kick was all it took to cause sudden death or heart stoppage.
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| Chris Troyanos, Medical Coordinator for the Boston Marathon and George Chiampas, MD---Medical Director for the Bank of America CHICAGO MARATHON confer on challenges with high temperatures in big-city races. |
ARA and AMAA hope to provide a synopsis of this AMAA BOSTON event and the topics covered on running and sports medicine issues.
ICE- ICE-Baby ICE….
New Products assist in injury prevention and treatment
How many of us have heard the phrase, “Ice it” and you’ll be fine. In fact, icing or applying cold applications to a muscle, tendon or ligament can be the difference between injury recovery in a day or two and a week. Yet icing can get messy especially when the ice melts. The need arises at night when you want to rest in a chair or couch and put ice on an injured or sore muscle. No longer do you have to take ice cubes and roll them up in a wet towel. Enter the reusable cool pack or the hot-cold pack. We’ve seen products like cold packs for years. Too often the case is that the ice pack leaks, it gets too stiff to apply to a wide area. The trouble is that our arms, legs and joints are cylindrical and not flat. One new product that can assist is the TOREX sleeve (www.torexhealth.com). It comes in a shape that can be worn like a sleeve on your leg or arm. Keep the TOREX sleeve in your freezer and insert it into an outer sleeve to keep it in place on the affected area on your arm or leg. Sizes vary for men and women. It can also be used for heat applications. The TOREX and similar plastic products with the gel-type mix inside the outer casing cannot be heated up in a microwave. I’ve made the mistake with other similar products: they expand too rapidly and leak or burst. Same thing for the TOREX. Heating up a pad is not as easy as the “toss in the freezer mode” for the icing process. You need to heat up a bowl of water and place the sleeve in the water. To be honest, the TOREX will find most its use in the “ice” process. Look for TOREX in specialty stores or check out their website. Similar products can be found in the health and fitness aisles in major grocery stores and in sports or running specialty stores.
I’d recommend that every serious runner have an ice pack in their freezer at home. Products like the TOREX can be especially useful on an entire knee or shoulder or elbow. Similar gel-type ice packs can be wrapped on sore ankles or feet.
There are other home remedies that can do the icing trick without messy melting water. For all you Achilles heel pain sufferers, try the old frozen pea bag treatment. It conforms to your heel and does the trick for a good 15 minutes.
I never talked about the need for icing until the mid-life of running hit. Now, icing is a runner’s best friend for longevity on the trails and roads
ENJOY THE RUN…
Dave Watt
Executive Director
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