Long a Run Junkie favorite, the Gel-DS Trainer from Asics has spawned a 13th generation, which recently received a very favorable review in the March issue of Running Times (review). With a great mix of stability, cushioning, and lightness, the DS Trainers are a hard shoe to beat for big mileage runners with a need for speed (Asics' specs).
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) reports that of over 3,000 drug tests in track and field athletes, only 10 came out positive in all of 2007 (IAAF data; IHT story) . The small number shows general progress toward cleaner running competitions. While athletes will always be able to beat the system with undetectable drugs or "smart" timing with their doping, the absolute number of positive tests is so small it seems that balance may be beginning to shift toward a cleaner sport.
Jorge Torres and Shalane Flanagan took the honors at the United States 8k Championships in Central Park yesterday (USATF release; NY Times story). Torres won the men's race in 22:41.2; Flanagan, the women's race in 25:40. Each took home $10,000 for the effort. Pre-race favorite, Alan Webb, had stomach problems leading up to the race, ascribed to some bad cream cheese at a news conference for the event. He was able to start the race, and lead through most of it, but faltered with about 2k to go and had to walk a few steps. He eventually came in 16th, 50 second back (23:32).
Haile Gebrselassie, citing concerns about the pollution, heat, and humidity of August in Beijing, says he won't be running in the upcoming Olympic marathon (NY Times story). The Ethiopian and current world record holder in the marathon (2:04:26, Berlin), will, however, still compete in the 10,000 meters, an event where he's twice won Olympic gold (Atlanta '96 & Sydney '00). A noted asthma sufferer, Gebrselassie seemed to conclude that it would be too much of a risk to run 26.2 miles in the frequently smog-choked city. While asthma medication is permitted under doping controls, too much use can still trigger positive controls and the career-breaking sanctions that go with it.
It may seem silly to review a simple water bottle, but if you've ever spent four hours on the trail with leaky bottles, you know how much a good bottle actually matters. All it takes is an occasional drip to chill your hands or legs on a winter run, and in summer the drips can advance from simple annoyance to mental torture by mile 20 - turning your legs into a sticky, bug-catching mess all the while. At Run Junkie, we've tried a huge variety of bottles over the years - from the typical bike store offerings, to the typical running store offerings. And hands down, the best bottle we've tried to date is Ultimate Direction's Classic Bottle (site). What makes this bottle so great? Simple: It just doesn't leak. Year after year; dishwasher cycle after dishwasher cycle; it seals like an airlock. We know people who can baby other bottles to good performance with hand washing (read "Nathans" (site)), but the convenience of a bottle that stands up to the old Whirlpool is key. It's hard enough to find time to run, let alone hand wash water bottles. And while all of Ultimate Direction's bottles may work as well as the Classic, we just can't warm up to their bottles with the creepy rubber "kicker" valve. We much prefer the standard tops of the Classic. The relatively recent move to opaque sides was a bit strange. It makes it hard to keep track of how much Perpetuem you've downed. But that's a small nick in an otherwise great, if basic, bottle.
The 2008 ultra-marathon season got off to a great start this weekend with the running of the Way Too Cool 50k in Cool, Ca (race site). Used by many runners as a first test in their summer race schedules, the men's race was won by Todd Braje in 3:32:12, the women's race by Sussanah Beck in a blazing 3:55:22 that eclipsed Ann Trason's course record of 3:59:32 set in 1993 (results).
Eurosport.com reports today that marathon world record holder, Paula Radcliffe, won't be toeing the line at the London Marathon on April 13 (story; race site) The reason? Her toe, actually, which she injured in training in February. She would have been vying for her fourth London Marathon title.
If you've ever been there, you know it: the bone-crunching fatigue, the trouble sleeping, the lack of sex drive, the slow times. Yep, it's in the air: overtraining. And while many of us can wear its symptoms like a crown of motivation and dedication, overtraining really has no performance benefits, except for telling us it's time to cut back and get on track. Of course, this is tough for many of us, largely because optimal training can dance on the edge of overtraining, and it's hard to know when you cross over the line and your miles start to work against you rather than for you. In the periodic Play Magazine, put out by the New York Times, a great article talks about the ins and outs and biochemistry of overtraining (story). A key quote from the article by Bob Larsen, the co-coach of Team Running USA (link), seems to capture the training conundrum for most of us:
The last summer Olympics was a tough patch in Paula Radcliffe's storied career as a standout runner. Beat by the Athens heat and humidity - reaction to which was possibly made worse by some anti-inflammatories - she dropped out of the marathon at mile 20. She had another go in the 10,000 meters a few days later, but that race didn't come together either. Now in 2008, on the heals of winning the New York City Marathon, she's keeping her Athens performances in perspective and using the experience to build toward Beijing this August. Read Eurosport.com's interview with Radcliffe about her Athens races and views on Beijing 2008 (story).Postscript: (3-6-08) Injury keeps Radcliffe out of
