Run Well *** Finish Strong

A hundred years ago, on 24 July 1908, a race was run that led to the marathon becoming a fixed length of 26 miles and 385 yards, or 42,195m. Up until that time – marathons had only been around for 12 years – the distance had been based on that between Marathon and Athens, about 40km, but not stated in any definite terms. The marathon race in the 1908 Olympic Games in London changed all that. See the entire story in a .pdf file, including pictures.

The race started near Windsor Castle with only a few officials and a field of 56 runners from 16 countries lined up. Re-matches occurred in the months following the 1908 Olympic thriller between three main Olympic protagonists. Dorando Pietri who was originally announced the winner but later disqualified due to going the wrong way at the finish, falling, and being helped by staff to go the correct way. Johnny Hayes, the American who was ultimately declared the winner. Hayes is the only American to win Olympic marathon gold prior to Frank Shorter in 1972. Tom Longboat a Canadian who dropped out of the race due to heat exhaustion, but had won the Boston Marathon in 1907 with a record setting time. This excitement of this finish caused increased interest in running as a sport.

GETTING READY TO START THE 2008 TACOMA NARROWS HALF MARATHON:

Here is a new run for all you half marathoners. The Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon. USATF certified. Reports indicate it was well organized, lots of fun, and great support. Best of all, next year it is on my birthday--August 1, 2009.

The International Association of Athletics Federations set the 2008 World Half Marathon Championships for Sunday, October 12 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In case you have not noticed...there is NO perfect training program. However, core conditioning is an essential part of any training program aimed at increased athletic ability. While experts vary in what muscles and muscles groups are considered part of the core, the following list is a general good start. Each group in the list has a link to more specific information.

There is the list of 13. (Just avoid exercise on Fridays!!! ) Are you not glad you do not need to condition each separately! And why condition the core? According to an article in About.com, conditioning is required because the muscles of the trunk and torso stabilize the spine from the pelvis to the neck and shoulder, they allow the transfer of powerful movements of the arms and legs. All powerful movements originate from the center of the body out, and never from the limbs alone. Before any powerful, rapid muscle contractions can occur in the limbs, the spine must be solid and stable and the more stable the core, the most powerful the extremities can contract.

So the 2008 Beijing Olympics are over and the discussions about money, politics and doping start. Read what Thomas Bach, one of the four IOC vice presidents, called the two grand delusions in sports:
1. Sports is not about money.
2. Sports is not about politics. (His comments are about half way down the page.)
Then read the third grand delusion: That top athletes are all clean and that world records are simply the products of a healthy mind in a healthy body. However, Bach states that the doping testing finds very few persons using performance enhancing substances. Bach is a strong potential candidate to succeed Jacques Rogge as IOC president.

You know how important your core muscles are to your performance capacity, here are a few sites with training/strengthening recommendations.

1. From Men's Health
2. From All About Abs.com
3. 8 Minute YouTube Video
4. General information on core training.