WMAC 2008-2009 Notes

Please e-mail any news concerning WMAC members, running events, wildlife sightings, adventures on the trails, rules of thumb, etc. that you'd like to see posted. Email to: Webmaster.

Fall 2009

NSAIDS and Running

For you Advil (or other ibuprofen) pill poppers - Ben Nephew offers some wise advice:

"Besides that fact that the pain is there for a reason and it's trying to tell you something, ibuprofen use during endurance events can lead to kidney damage, especially when combined with dehydration. Some people are more susceptible to the adverse renal effects than others, but in my opinion, it is not worth the risk to use NSAIDs before, during, or soon after a long race. A recent incident occurred at the 100k national championship race:
Champion athlete from Ashland hit with hefty medical bills
For a more detailed discussion of NSAIDs and exercise, see:
Taking Ibuprofen before Endurance Exercise is Not Recommended."

Fall 2008

The Runner's Cookbook

Check out The Runner's Cookbook, Winning Recipes from Some of the World's Best Athletes, edited by Alison Wade, Amherst College XC coach and EliteRunning.com editor. Recipes from 90+ elite distance runners, including Deena Kastor, Catherine Ndereba, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Sebastian Coe, Alan Webb, and more. Proceeds benefit the Ryan Shay Memorial Fund and the Jenny Crain "Make It Happen" Fund.

10/22/08

Muscle physiology research needs runners 65-80 years old

My name is Ryan Larsen, and I am a doctoral student in Professor Jane Kent- Braun's Muscle Physiology Laboratory at University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

We are conducting research studies examining the effects of old age and physical activity on muscle function in humans. More specifically, we use magnetic resonance spectroscopy (a non-invasive technique) to measure the muscle's ability to produce energy. Basically, the subject performs a muscle contraction while lying in the MRI machine, and we can monitor the changes in muscle metabolites and pH.

It is to no surprise that physical activity plays an important role in maintaining muscle function; however we are interested in exploring this relationship in more depth. To do this, we are studying a group of older active individuals, more specifically: Runners between the ages of 65-80 yrs with an average weekly mileage of at least 20 miles/week. It is challenging to find active runners in this age category, but in order for us to be confident in our results; we are hoping to recruit and study a total of 14 runners (7 females, 7 males).

9/25/08

Jolly Jaunt 5K & 10K races to benefit Special Olympics

On behalf of Special Olympics Massachusetts, I wanted to introduce to you an exciting, holiday-themed 5K & 10K road race to benefit over 3,000 local Special Olympic athletes who train and compete year round in 26 various sports! The Jolly Jaunt will be held on Saturday, December 6th at the Crowne Plaza, Pittsfield with registration at 8 am. Not only is this a wonderful winter run, but also a 1 mile fun walk for those not interested in running (However, the run is professionally timed by Accu-Spec).

We invite you, Western Mass Athletic Club, to join us in raising funds to support your local athletes while having a great time. The race is followed by a holiday breakfast party with a brief program and lots of holiday music. Please take a minute to learn more about the Jolly Jaunt at www.jollyjaunt.org and click on Berkshires to learn more about this local event. We would love to have you join us and also to help us spread the word. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions via email or at 413-747-8946. To learn more about Special Olympics, please visit us at www.specialolympicsma.org/west. Thank you for you time and we look forward to hearing from you!

In the spirit of Special Olympics,

Jocelyn DeBlois
Associate Section Director
Special Olympics Massachusetts
425 Union Street
West Springfield, MA 01089
Phone: 413.747.8946 ext. 4

WMAC sadly notes the passing of Eric Westerdahl

who was our WMAC club vice president. (posted in News July 17, 2008)

Eric at Monroe, 2006.
Obituary in the Berkshire Eagle.

Marathon Study - participants wanted for survey

Prof. George Wu of the Univ. of Chicago is investigating how people make decisions, and wants to ask you, "What on earth made you decide to run a marathon?", and later, "So, how'd it go?". You might win an iPod Nano or Garmin Forerunner GPS watch...
(posted March 7, 2008)

Letter to Participants
The University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business is conducting a study on the relationship between marathon performance and satisfaction and we would like to invite you to participate. We are seeking individuals who plan to run in any of the following 2008 marathons: Boston, Grandmas, Los Angeles, or Rock 'N' Roll.

The study involves completing 3 online surveys, one taking place roughly 2 months prior to the marathon and the final taking place after the marathon. Each survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete and will include a variety of questions pertaining to the marathon, your training, and your general running experience. Participants will be entered into a lottery offering prizes including an iPod Nano, Garmin Forerunner GPS watch, and a Nike running jacket. The study has been approved by the University of Chicago's Institutional Review Board (IRB).

More information about the study (including a full listing of prizes), contact information, and an online registration form can be found [http://faculty.chicagogsb.edu/marathon/].

We also hope that this research will be of interest to you, and we would be delighted to provide you with the results of our research when the study is complete.

We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
George Wu, PhD
Professor of Managerial and Organizational Behavior
University of Chicago
Graduate School of Business

Dion Snowshoes

Forgot your password?

If there are any members who have forgotten their user name or password and were too shy to ask for it, there is a new link on our front page called [lostpassword.html]. It is completely automated, so nobody (Senior Webmaster Perry included) will know you had to use it. [ed.- obsolete as of Sept. 2007]