Sal's runners are doing pretty well in the Rochester Runner of the Year series. Jan moved up to 7th place in the 50-54 age group (top 5 get awards), Al zoomed into 14th after his 5th place finish in the Medved 5k for the 50-54 group. I finally got on the board after three non-top ten finishes and am 26th place! Yea for me!
MikeidontcareaboutrroythisyearW is tied with Loooiiiiee for 22nd in the 55-59 group and Cousin Ken Katz is in contention in the same group for a top five finish! Jen K is in 21st place in a tough group, but no one in that age group has completed four races yet so the field is wide open.
PickleJuicePete took over first with an age group victory in the 65-69 division. New Roger is holding on to fourth place.
There are two keys to doing well in the RROY series; Be fast and run as many of the races as possible because you never know who will show up race day and the more RROY races you run the better chance you have at scoring points. Four is the minimum to be eligible for prizes but your best six races count for total points.
Next race is July 3rd, the Fairport 5miler. I will be working the race so come out and run, maybe I'll pull your timing chip off at the end?
The Erie Canal, Running Paradise
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Open Water Drafting
Several of us will be doing triathlons with open water swimming this summer and can use all the help possible to save energy and swim faster. The following technique is from :Steven Munatones The Daily News of Open Water Swimming
Cyclists, race car drivers and open water swimmers all know the benefits of drafting and positioning.
As swimmers take off in an open water race or triathlon and go from buoy to buoy, they create a conga line with seemingly everyone chasing after the person in front of them. Where ideally should you position yourself?
It helps to know a bit about water movement.
The Ideal Draft
A swimmer in the open water is essentially a displacement vessel. The bow wave created by a swimmer has forward and lateral movement. These waves move at an angle relative to the direction of the swimmer and are based on the swimmer's speed and size.
There are three key facts to keep in mind:
1. The faster the lead swimmer, the better your draft will be with all other things equal.
2. The physically larger the lead swimmer, the more beneficial the draft is for those behind.
3. The closer you are to the lead swimmer, the better your draft.
The Perfect Position
In a fact known by world-class swimmers, drafting between the ankles and hips is more beneficial that drafting directly behind the lead swimmer's feet for various reasons:
1. When the drafting swimmer reaches near mid-body of the lead swimmer, the lead swimmer's wake (i.e., spreading of the bow wave) has moved laterally, so the drafting swimmer can take maximum advantage of the bow wave. That is, the drafting swimmer has reached the center of the complete wave created by the lead swimmer. Basically, the drafting swimmer is surfing a bow wave.
2. The bow wave cannot extend beyond the length of the swimmer who creates it. The bow wave lifts up at the end of the swimmer's body. The most efficient swimming is when a drafting swimmer cruises in that wave. The most efficient drafting is achieved if you cruise at the same speed in the wake of the lead swimmer off to the side—but away from the eddies caused by their kick.
3. In the middle of a race, when the kick of most swimmers is less than the end of the race when they are sprinting, the optimal drafting position is slightly different. At the end of the race when the kick increases, swimmers create swirls by their kick. The more swirls, the more drag. So if your opponent's kick increases, move up higher alongside their body to utilize their bow wave, but far enough away from the swirls and eddies caused by their kick.
4. Combine your speed with the speed of the lead swimmer. If they speed up, you speed up. If they slow down, you slow down. If you are directly behind them, lead swimmers make the water smoother, but you are not efficiently utilizing their bow wave.
5. If you swim alongside a lead swimmer, you do not have to lift your head so often to navigate. This saves energy that can be utilized at the end of the race. If you swim directly behind a swimmer, you must often lift your head to confirm your direction and position behind the lead swimmer.
6. Even if the water is clear and you can easily see the lead swimmer under the surface of the water, your head is in a sub-optimal position. The most optimal head position is when you are looking straight down. This creates a more streamlined and efficient body position, saving you energy and creating less drag.
7. When you swim parallel to the lead swimmer, you can effectively navigate off them when you breathe. The need to lift up your head to sight is significantly reduced and your head is positioned in the most streamlined position.
Cyclists, race car drivers and open water swimmers all know the benefits of drafting and positioning.
As swimmers take off in an open water race or triathlon and go from buoy to buoy, they create a conga line with seemingly everyone chasing after the person in front of them. Where ideally should you position yourself?
It helps to know a bit about water movement.
The Ideal Draft
A swimmer in the open water is essentially a displacement vessel. The bow wave created by a swimmer has forward and lateral movement. These waves move at an angle relative to the direction of the swimmer and are based on the swimmer's speed and size.
There are three key facts to keep in mind:
1. The faster the lead swimmer, the better your draft will be with all other things equal.
2. The physically larger the lead swimmer, the more beneficial the draft is for those behind.
3. The closer you are to the lead swimmer, the better your draft.
The Perfect Position
In a fact known by world-class swimmers, drafting between the ankles and hips is more beneficial that drafting directly behind the lead swimmer's feet for various reasons:
1. When the drafting swimmer reaches near mid-body of the lead swimmer, the lead swimmer's wake (i.e., spreading of the bow wave) has moved laterally, so the drafting swimmer can take maximum advantage of the bow wave. That is, the drafting swimmer has reached the center of the complete wave created by the lead swimmer. Basically, the drafting swimmer is surfing a bow wave.
2. The bow wave cannot extend beyond the length of the swimmer who creates it. The bow wave lifts up at the end of the swimmer's body. The most efficient swimming is when a drafting swimmer cruises in that wave. The most efficient drafting is achieved if you cruise at the same speed in the wake of the lead swimmer off to the side—but away from the eddies caused by their kick.
3. In the middle of a race, when the kick of most swimmers is less than the end of the race when they are sprinting, the optimal drafting position is slightly different. At the end of the race when the kick increases, swimmers create swirls by their kick. The more swirls, the more drag. So if your opponent's kick increases, move up higher alongside their body to utilize their bow wave, but far enough away from the swirls and eddies caused by their kick.
4. Combine your speed with the speed of the lead swimmer. If they speed up, you speed up. If they slow down, you slow down. If you are directly behind them, lead swimmers make the water smoother, but you are not efficiently utilizing their bow wave.
5. If you swim alongside a lead swimmer, you do not have to lift your head so often to navigate. This saves energy that can be utilized at the end of the race. If you swim directly behind a swimmer, you must often lift your head to confirm your direction and position behind the lead swimmer.
6. Even if the water is clear and you can easily see the lead swimmer under the surface of the water, your head is in a sub-optimal position. The most optimal head position is when you are looking straight down. This creates a more streamlined and efficient body position, saving you energy and creating less drag.
7. When you swim parallel to the lead swimmer, you can effectively navigate off them when you breathe. The need to lift up your head to sight is significantly reduced and your head is positioned in the most streamlined position.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Pickle Juice
We should always trust the wisdom from fellow Sal's runner Father Time. For years Pete has promoted the use of pickle juice as the fluid replacement drink of choice during long runs or races. Now there is scientific proof to back up Father Time's homespun knowledge. An article in the New York Times summed up the results of a study:
"Pickle juice had “relieved a cramp 45 percent faster” than drinking no fluids and about 37 percent faster than water.
The pickle juice did not have time” to leave the men’s stomachs during the experiment, Mr. Miller points out. So the liquid itself could not have been replenishing lost fluids and salt in the affected muscles. Instead some other mechanism must have initiated the cramps and been stymied by the pickle juice.
Something in the acidic juice, perhaps even a specific molecule of some kind, may be lighting up specialized nervous-system receptors in the throat or stomach, he says, which, in turn, send out nerve signals that somehow disrupt the reflex melee in the muscles. Mr. Miller suspects that, ultimately, it’s the vinegar in the pickle juice that activates the receptors."
This ultimately means that we need to be diligent about saving the juice from our pickle jars and having pickle stops during our long runs on the canal path.
"Pickle juice had “relieved a cramp 45 percent faster” than drinking no fluids and about 37 percent faster than water.
The pickle juice did not have time” to leave the men’s stomachs during the experiment, Mr. Miller points out. So the liquid itself could not have been replenishing lost fluids and salt in the affected muscles. Instead some other mechanism must have initiated the cramps and been stymied by the pickle juice.
Something in the acidic juice, perhaps even a specific molecule of some kind, may be lighting up specialized nervous-system receptors in the throat or stomach, he says, which, in turn, send out nerve signals that somehow disrupt the reflex melee in the muscles. Mr. Miller suspects that, ultimately, it’s the vinegar in the pickle juice that activates the receptors."
This ultimately means that we need to be diligent about saving the juice from our pickle jars and having pickle stops during our long runs on the canal path.
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