18th Asian Masters Athletics Championships
Awarded to Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
Iwate Prefecture

Iwate Prefecture is the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka.

Area: 15,280 km² Population: 1,374,530 (2006)

http://www.japan-iwate.info/

Iwate Prefecture (岩手県 Iwate-ken^?) is the second largest prefecture of Japan afterHokkaido.^[2] It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point.^[3] The capital isMorioka.^[4] Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido. Famous attractions include the Buddhist temples of Hiraizumi, including Chūson-jiand Mōtsū-ji with their treasures, Fujiwara no Sato, a movie lot and theme park in Esashi Ward, Oshu City, Tenshochi, a park in Kitakami City known for its big, old cherry trees and Morioka Castle in Morioka City.

How to Recover from Injuries: PRIDE vs RICE?

Here is another guest article from By Thach Ho, the creator of REgel. 

REgel is an all-natural anti-inflammatory topical gel popular with athletes to relieve pain, repair injuries, and recover faster from workouts .

His previous article on this Blog was titled Cramping: Reasons and Possible Solutions

Visit his website at http://www.re-gel.com/Athletes_Almanac

How to Recover from Injuries

R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) has been a standard for clinicians to treat injuries. 

Recently, a new shift of using a holistic approach with a proactive progression will speed up recovery process, and that is called P.R.I.D.E.

RECOVERY 2.0:  P.R.I.D.E.

• Protection
• Range of Motion
• Intake of Proper Nutrition
• Decrease Inflammation/Increase Blood Flow
• Exercise & Loading Progression

During the first three days during the acute phase of an injury, rest should be limited to a short time protecting the injury from further trauma. Within the last few years, numerous studies have shown prolong periods of rest can create adverse reactions and slow the healing process.

A cascade of events of an injury include, inflammation creating a barrier around the area with stagnation of blood and metabolic waste blocking new oxygenated blood flow.  A proactive progression of increasing the range of motion, proper intake of nutrients, while decreasing inflammation will allow new blood flow to the injury. An exercise and loading progression is needed to correct any imbalances and weaknesses to rehabilitee and prevent re-injury.

PROTECTION

24-36 hours of immobilization of an injured area to prevent further trauma to the injury.  Tools included splints, crutches, and ace bandage to create a compression of the injury. Elevating the injury can reduce swelling.

RANGE OF MOTION

After the protection period, emphasize on progressively increasing the range of motion by stretching and lengthening the muscle. Also, focus on isometric contractions of the muscle to rebuild proprioceptive sensory and motor control. This should be done multiple times per day especially after prolong sedentary states.

INTAKE OF PROPERNUTRITION

Numerous foods and naturalsupplements have been studied to speed recovery. The body needs extra nutrients to rebuild the body. Examples include:

1. Ginger, papaya, and pineapple- Contain Proteolytic Enzymes which breakdown proteins to speed recovery, repair damaged areas and reduce scar tissue.
2. Turmeric, garlic, ginger- Anti-inflammatory & anti-oxidant that improves circulation, removing toxins and metabolic waste from damage areas.
3. Chamomile tea- Relaxes muscle and nerves allowing the body to rest and repair.
4. Tart cherries- Contain the highest anti-inflammatory & anti-oxidants content of any food. Tart cherries are great for people suffering from arthritis and pain.
5. Avoid foods that can cause inflammation such as alcohol, sugar, and processed foods.

DECREASE INFLAMMATION & INCREASE BLOOD FLOW

After a muscle tear internal bleeding may occur. Ecchymosis or bruising will form and will remain until swelling and inflammation is reduced. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to protect it from injury and foreign invasion. For example, a fever when a person is sick or puffiness around the skin after a mosquito bite. By decreasing inflammation, blood flow can bring important nutrients to the injury.

Various techniques include:

• Ice-15-20 minutes to help reduce swelling and inflammation. Ice has only been readily available for the last 50 years due to the commercial availability of the refrigerator. Some countries do not use ice for inflammation and use other techniques.
• Ice/Heat Contrast- Technique that decreases inflammation but increases blood flow where it is applied.
• Cool Bath- Submersion under water can lower core temperature throughout the body to reduce inflammation.
• Arnica Montana-Diluted homeopathic pills can reduce bruising, reduce pain, and increase blood flow.
• Certain Foods- Turmeric, ginger, garlic, salmon can reduce inflammation and promote healing
• REgel- All natural topical anti-inflammatory gel that includes arnica, turmeric, and ginger.
• NSAIDs-Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug which includes ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen. NSAIDs should be used sparingly and for a short duration. Taking NSAIDs for prolonged periods can cause ulcers, bleeding, kidney problems, and heart problems.

EXERCISE AND LOADING

A complete rehabilitation program must have an exercise and loading progression to correct weaknesses and imbalances to handle the stress of competition. Selections of exercise should include surrounding muscles with dynamic stretching and drills along with strengthening eccentric loads.

R.I.D.E.

The RIDE portion of recovery process must be reviewed and reevaluated periodically. Selecting and changing these variables allows the athlete to adapt to the stimulus. Understanding the reason for the injury and making necessary changes to training can reduce the chances of re-injury.

Structuring a Workout
Middle Distance Training
Scott Christensen

The useful thing about modern training theory is that it was put together by scientists using empirical and replicable evidence rather than a hodge-podge of ideas and intellectual artifacts advanced by coaches.  Because it is rooted in science, training theory is an ever-changing set of principles and concepts that evolve as better scientific testing is done.  The primary literature has been very beneficial to middle-distance coaches over the past ten years especially.  Scientists working in sophisticated, modern laboratories have provided coaches with contemporary research findings such as rest issues, recovery protocol, economy efficiency and muscular actions such as stretching guidelines to apply to their athletes.  This information is just reaching the secondary literature and there are many questions from middle-distance coaches as to what they have recently heard.  Much of this new information is directly applicable to setting up a modern practice session for the athlete in such a way as to not only attain more work, but also to aid in regeneration issues as the athlete recovers.

Physiologists recommend a preferred order in the units that an athlete does in a practice session.  Generally speaking, the more technical or skilful the activity, the earlier in the practice session it should be done.  Conversely, the more endurance related the practice unit, then the later in the practice session it should be done.  A classic example in middle-distance training is the concept of maximum speed work sessions, and by this do we mean “strides” at the end of practice?  Maximum speed work is always done with work of 60 meters or less on the fly.  It is also characterized by at least three minutes of recovery between bouts of work in order to ensure full recovery of the alactic anaerobic energy system.  Having a middle-distance runner do 8 x 40 meters on the fly, with three minutes rest between is a very technical workout.  The athlete should be as fresh as possible and this should be done as the first unit following a dynamic and thorough warm-up routine.  The force production necessary to attain maximum speed is more then four times the force needed to maintain VO_{2 max} pace.  This is a great dynamic strength unit as well as a unit to promote more efficient neuro-muscular technique.  Flying 40 meters make you faster!   Strides at the end of middle-distance practice are a different story.  Strides are usually done in distance of 50-100 meters and usually done on football fields or on track straight-aways.  A short jog or walk back is the popular rest technique.  Doing strides at the end of practice moves the focus from a technical unit to an endurance unit.  Why?  When an athlete is fatigued their stride length decreases and stride rate diminishes.  Both of these factors must be at optimal levels to improve maximum speed.  In addition, strides done as described are too far in distance.  Running fast for more than 60 meters places a greater emphasis on the lactic energy system and leads to acidosis which mot only deteriorates performance, but influences recovery.  This information does not mean you should give up strides at the end of a practice session.  What it does say, is use strides to enhance the anaerobic speed endurance, but not as a tool for maximum speed development.

Tip from Coach Christensen: How to Run the 800 Meter (video)

Another area that has been thoroughly investigated over the past ten years is the concept of static stretching muscles and where to place that unit in a practice session.  There is no doubt that the static stretching of muscles leads to a deterioration of their maximal force production for a time.  Just pick up a rubber band and perform your own experiment.  Long distance runners do not need much force production to run at speeds slower than the lactate threshold pace and hardly any force production is needed at the aerobic threshold pace, so pre-exercise stretching is not harmful to them.  It does feel good to stretch and it helps remove crystallized salts from muscle membranes and joints so some light static stretching has application with these athletes.  Middle-distance runners who practice at 120-134% of their VO_{2 max} pace on a regular basis do have an issue with pre-exercise stretching.  Necessary force production is compromised.  For middle-distance athletes the primary use of static muscle stretching should occur as the last unit of a practice session.

The enzymes that regulate all of the elevated aerobic and anaerobic reactions that surround distance running perform better at a metabolic temperature above the basal level.  For that reason the first unit of any middle-distance practice session should be an extensive dynamic session that emphasizes slow metabolic temperature elevation and an increase in range of motion activities.  Once this unit of “warm-up” occurs the athlete can move on to their major unit of focus that day, keeping in mind once again that endurance units always follows technical units.  Strength units need to be characterized as to what they are: endurance, power, or maximum strength work (technical) in order to place them in the session as well.  Set them up in the same manner as your running units.  For example, the core body work that has become very common in middle-distance training should be done as the last unit of the session.  The goal of the activity is to maintain body posture as the athlete fatigues during the workout or race and thus is an endurance activity.