July 6, 1987
Fitness
BAY IRONKIDS TRIATHLON DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY
During the past year I’ve found myself on several occasions in this space lamenting the pitiful state of fitness among America’s youth. Each year, as the results of various fitness studies come in, there is a vivid graph created that shows kids physically falling off the edge of a cliff.
The irony is that all this comes at a time when the segment of the populace that includes the kids’ parents is making real strides toward becoming the most fit in history. Incidence of heart disease is falling for the first time in nearly a century, nutritional awareness is increasing, and the ability to deal with stress is improved.
Perhaps the current generation of kids, like generations before them, are rebelling. Their parents are running 10K races, going on 40-mile bicycle rides, going to aerobics class four nights a week, eating foods that are good for them…and the kids are rebelling.
Recalling that as a 10-year-old I enjoyed spending Saturday afternoon ranging far and wide through the mountains around my hometown in Pennsylvania with an army of other kids, I also recall that when it came time to go on a hike with my parents, I could think up every excuse in the book not to go.
These days, maybe kids are rebelling against getting dragged along on their parents’ fitness pursuits. They’re being turned off; it is grossly uncool to do what the old folks are doing. On closer examination, however, this theory falls apart.
The segment of the 30-50-year-old population that is fit is greater than it was 20 years ago, but is still a pitifully small percentage of the whole. Even if every kid whose parents were fit rebelled, it would be a very small percentage of the Unfit Kid Mess. The problem goes far behind rebellion.
We could probably go into a litany of potential reasons for the problem. Everything from non-physical play patterns among grade-schoolers to phys-ed programs cut to the bone in high school to the evils of video games.
Dredging up the reasons for the lack of fitness would be concentrating on the negative, however. Perhaps a bit of attention to the positive is in order. After all, physical activity among the young should be fun.
There’s an interesting national triathlon competition among kids that was inaugurated in 1985. Known as the Ironkids, it’s a youngish version of the venerable Hawaii Ironman competition.
For 1987 the Ironkids competition takes place in eight metropolitan areas, with the finals scheduled for Phoenix on September 27. The Bay Area swim-bike-run extravaganza is set for August 2 at Sonoma State University.
The competition is broken down into two age groups: juniors (7-10) and seniors (11-14). The distances for juniors: swim 100 meters, bike 5K, and run 1K (.6 mile). The senior distances are doubled.
The deadline for entering the Bay Area edition of the Ironkids Triathlon is Wednesday, only two days away. Entry forms are available at selected sporting goods stores and bike shops. The entry fee is $5. The local competition is under the direction of Kees Tuinzing (phone: 415-472-7223).
All finishers receive pins, T-shirts, and bike and swim caps. All entrants will be required to drop by Sonoma State the day before the race to take a swimming test (between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.). The top male and female in both divisions will be sent to the championships in Phoenix.
July 13, 1987
Running Roundup
PUSHING 50—AND PUSHING THE OTHER RACERS
The hills are alive with the sounds of panting.
- When we talked with Doug Latimer about the then-upcoming Western States 100, he predicted his performance would be pitiful—he was suffering a groin pull, doing only 30 miles a week, weakly, and so on. In one of the toughest WS100s in years (temperatures began climbing from the 5 a.m. start and kept soaring), Dougie, pushing 50 years of age, finished seventh—the ninth time in 10 tries he’s finished eighth or better.
- The Double Dipsea was held in Marin on the same day as the Western States. Weather was completely opposite: overcast and foggy. Some 393 runners (of 410 registered) braved the hilly terrain. The rattlesnakes stayed home. Winner in the handicapped free-for-all was Russ Kierman (49), who matched Butch Alexander’s 1984 course record of 1:8:26. Christie Patterson (39) was second and the ageless Darryl Beardall (now 50) was third. Butch was fourth. For those who can’t get enough of the famed Dipsea Trail, the DSE has its Quadruple Dipsea scheduled for November 28. Yahoo.
- More hills, these on the bicycle portion of last month’s Monterey Bay Triathlon: The half-Ironman qualified 36 triathletes for the full Ironman. The 1.20mile ocean swim (53 degrees), 56-mile hilly bicycle ride, and rolling half-marathon run benefits the Friends Outside organization and is under the direction of Dave Potter. As always, a very serious field. Andrew McNaughton of West Hills won in 4:08:55. First female was Paula Newby-Fraser of Encinitas, 1986 Ironman champ, who did the course in 4:48:41. Last year she was in first place when she collapsed from exhaustion a half-mile from the finish.
- In the California 50, held near Santa Rosa, Doug Schrock was the winner in 6:40:15, while Melinda Creel won the women’s division with a 7:19:55 (eighth overall). Of the 65 entries, only eight encountered rattlesnakes.
- On the Gonzo/outrageous side: Santa Rosans Mike Witwer and Tom Crawford, who last July became the fifth and sixth persons to run across Death Valley and up Mt. Whitney (146 miles), have been challenged by Ken Crutchlow, who has lined up a woman as his partner. Crutchlow’s running mate is no slouch: Briton Eleanor Adams, first woman to run more than 200 miles in 48 hours. The race will begin at high noon on July 31. The site: Badwater, Death Valley.
- In non-hills news: The course for the San Francisco Marathon next Sunday is approved, and it is almost totally hill-less again this year. And it won’t threaten to evaporate marathoners by heading them back into the city for the second half of the race. The new—and we hope final—course winds through the heart of the city in the early going, but the second half stays near the water, virtually guaranteeing cooler temperatures. Congrats to race director Scott Thomason—who seems to spend half his energy each year on drafting a new course to keep the city officials happy—on coming up with a course that might stay with us for a few years.
- And speaking of the S.F. Marathon, the sponsoring Pamakids club can use as many volunteers as it can get. You don’t have to be a runner or know anything about running; if you’re willing to help in anything from manning information desks to handing out water, they’ll take you. There’s a big party after the race to which all volunteers are invited, and all volunteers get commemorative T-shirts, too. Call 415-681-7223.
- Walkers are athletes, too: S.F’s Mike Larsen suggests that running clubs offer a membership division for walkers. He says that at club races, walkers could be sent out on the course early (how about a half-hour for races below 10 miles and an hour for races above 10?) so that they can return to the finish line about the same time as the runners. That way, both runners and walkers can share the camaraderie of having done the course.
It almost sounds too logical to work.
July 20, 1987
Fitness
CALL IS ISSUED FOR SLIGHTLY OVERWEIGHT MEN
People who get into fitness are usually incredibly curious. Especially about their own bodies. They want to know their blood pressure, body fat level, resting pulse rate, VO2max, and blood lipid profile.
They revel in knowing just what their bodies are doing, and how much better they’re doing now than before they became fit. Their curiosity makes them perfect laboratory guinea pigs.
And within the general population, there is also a large number of potential guinea pigs: people who would like to know more about their bodies and who want to effect change, but who, for whatever reason, need a little encouragement.
Encouragement? We’ve got it.
The Standard Weight Control Project, under the direction of Marcia Stefanick, Ph.D., is looking for a few good men. A few good men, because they have been having no problem finding plenty of good women.
The project is designed to determine changes to the human body when weight loss is affected by diet alone vs. a combination of diet and exercise. It is also set up to determine if there are any sex differences in physiological changes following weight loss, and to identify differences in the maintenance of physiological changes between sexes.
What kind of men is Stefanick looking for?
They’ve got to be at least slightly overweight. Example: a 5-foot-10 male should weight between 195 and 236 pounds. Other requirements: They must be between 25 and 49; sedentary (do not exercise as often as three or more times a week); non-smokers; alcohol consumption cannot exceed four drinks a day; no interfering medications, hormonal therapy, or medical problems, will be living within 20 miles of Stanford for the next year; one person per household; blood pressure of less than 160/95; cholesterol below 260; clinically healthy, and willing to return for one-year measurements and two-year follow-up visits.
Volunteers will receive free cholesterol screening, blood pressure checks, treadmill exercise test, underwater weighing, and more.
For the first year, one-third of the volunteers will be laced on a dietary program, one-third will be on a diet and exercise program, and the remaining one-third will be used as controls—they’ll continue their lives much as they’ve always been. (At the end of the first year, the control group will be offered a weight-loss program combining diet and exercise.)
For the guy who’s been sitting on the fence for the past few years while contemplating making the great step into doing something about the expanding waistline, this is an excellent opportunity to contribute to science while science contributes to you: a weight-control program of this nature could set a person back several thousand dollars, and never offer half the motivation that comes with being part of a Great Experiment.
The research is not the type where there is a great deal of cutting into your time. There no overnight stays, there are no dangling electrodes, and no shock treatments if you stray from the diet one dark night.
In fact, a candidate who qualifies has nothing to lose but weight. Inquires should be directed to Stefanick at 415-725-5013.