Being a runner over 40 has presented new areas of interest (and concern) for me on the road and more importantly in my training and recovery off the road. I love to run and it’s great to see research being done on older runners…the Stanford study that shows that running slows aging or the Yale study that shows that older marathon runners (women in particular) are improving their running times more than younger runners.
I would like to share some insights and tips that I have learned along the way. Many of these women’s running tips can apply to all runners, but they definitely take on a new perspective as the years go on and we get older, wiser, and perhaps, faster…
Training Tips:
1. Adding Miles: SLOWLY! Use the 10% rule. Add no more than 10% increase of the mileage each week. Here’s more detailed explanation and chart from FitSugar.
2. Warmup: As we get older, the body needs time to get going and giving it that time will help avoid injuries. See “The Perfect Warmup” from Runner’s World.
3.Cross-Training: Is a must for any runner, but as you age the relationship between cross-training and running becomes even more important. For a different, low impact, cross-training option, see our recent post on Aqua Running (Pool Running). Core exercises have become another essential, here’s some good ones from Runners World.
4.Strength Training: There is a lot of information out there on lifting weights and strength training, but being careful to start this in the “right” way is important as we get older. Running Planet has done a nice job w/ laying out The 8 rules of Strength Training”. We have some good videos on our Resources page.
5.Stretching/Yoga: Another must for the aging runner (and this has certainly been debated by many). Dara Torres proved this in her Olympic effort that stunned us all. She adhered to a strict resistance stretching regime (see previous post – Doing the Home Stretch with Dara Torres). I am not a huge fan of yoga, but here’s a good article by Runners World about a runner w/ a ITB injury who didn’t like yoga at the beginning, then became a convert. My always injury free LDF (“Long Distance Friend”) swears by power yoga!
6.Rest: This has become one of the most important parts of my training. If I don’t get enough rest, my body begins to break down. Listen (very closely) to your body.
7.Massage: Another Dara Torres staple and one of my personal favorites. It does not matter if you have a fabulous husband like I do or get from a pro, it works to relieve the stress of training and tired muscles. You can even do it yourself w/ some videos by Rich Poley who wrote “Self Massage for Athletes”.
8.Set a Goal: Having a goal or a race to strive for makes the training have a purpose and keep me focused.
9.Training Programs: A little planning goes a long way. If possible, try to plan your training to run more often on softer surfaces like trails, dirt roads, grassy parks, or even the track. A few good programs are on our resource page. There are many good ones out there–find one that suits you.
10.The Track: Most marathon training programs will include track work as it helps develop the fast twitch muscles to build speed and lung power during a race…getting older does not mean getting less competitive:) If I am training for a marathon, it really makes a difference for me especially in the later miles of the race. Good article from Runner’s World called “Running in Circles”.
11.Injury/Recovery: This one is hard for me as I have had many… at 46, I still like to run fast. There are several common injuries to running and I think I have had them all. See “Coming back from an injury” posts. I have learned to recognize my body’s warning signs and back off. Many of these tips (see Rest, Diet, Stretching/Yoga, Massage, Weight/BMI, Orthotics, and more) are meant to help avoid injuries or help w/ recovery.
12.Running with Music: Running with music can help motivation and provide a needed distraction. I have also learned about the importance of BPM (beats per minute) and ensuring that if you are listening to a song, be sure it is not too slow and unconsciously slowing your pace. Find 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s music along w/ best bands of today and learn more about BPMs in this post: Best Running Music Ever
13.Weight/BMI: It seems that fast marathoners have a low Body Mass Index (BMI). Marathon Guide has a quick tool to calculate your BMI. Knowing yours can help to find the “right” BMI for your best running performance. See also post: What’s the ‘right’ BMI for a woman marathoner?”
14.Running in Different types of Weather: I am not a treadmill runner, so I will run in anything short of a blizzard. With the right layers of clothing this is possible. However, if you are training in summer for a fall race, beware of weather differences. The weather during your race may be very different then when you are training. Don’t be discouraged if you are not able to run 17 miles the way you think you should when you are in 80-90 degree heat and high humidity.
15.Travel Running: Always bring the running shoes along! Some of my best runs have been among the monuments of parks, cityscapes and beaches of sand. Hotels (see this post that mentions WestinRun) now will provide maps (and sometimes runners) to guide you. With the help of Map My Run you can find a route from anywhere. Take a look at some of our Travel running posts.
16.Running and Sex: Here’s an interesting article by Running Times that quotes an Israeli scientist who declared “Women compete better after orgasm, especially high-jumpers and runners”…who am I to argue w/ Israeli scientists?
17. Fartlek Training: Sports Fitness Advisor has some good tips on how to incorporate fartlek into your training (psst…if you don’t know what fartlek is, check out 10Ktruth.com’s “Runnerspeak – Dictionary of Running Jargon and Other Sport Terms”).
Nutrition and Hydration Tips:
18. Type of Diet: Adhering to a well-balanced, low-fat, wholegrain diet that is higher in carbs has always been the best route for me. I love a good smoothie (see post Smoothie Operator –quick nutritional training meal”) while training. Here’s an interesting article w/ good tips on eating from Cool Running called “The Runner’s Diet”.
19.Hydration: It used to be all water and Gatorade for me, but now as I get older I don’t want the same amount of calories. I opt for the lower calorie alternatives like electrolyte powder mixes (see post: “Water log: Hydration and road recovery options for runners”).
20. Eating after Running: The window for eating after running is small, but important. See post “Refuel ‘Right’ after a Run”
Gear Tips:
21. Running Clothes/Bra: I like my running clothes sporty–not funky, but this is obviously personal preference. A good running bra will go a long way…avoid cotton at all cost. I have learned that running skirts are the most polarizing of all apparel items. However, if you love wearing a skirt, check out the Skirtchaser Race Series…looks like fun!
22.Running Shoes/Socks: Running shoes are so personal the only way to really find a pair is to go to a running store and keep trying them on until you find one that feels comfortable. There are tons of shoe guides for different types of feet that are helpful in narrowing it all down. Learning about pronation and choosing a shoe that fits whether you have normal pronation, underpronation (or supination), or overpronation (or hyper-pronation) is key. Runner’s World has a good article along with videos on pronation here. I have changed my shoe once. I alternate pairs of three for marathon training (it used to be two but with my foot issues, it’s now three). Here’s Runner’s World’s “Spring 2009 Running Shoe Guide”. The Asics Gel Kayano 15’s are the “Editor’s Choice” winners and also the shoes I use. A few other quick tips:
Measure your feet: As you age, your foot size may gradually change. Make sure salesperson measures your foot while you are standing up
Shop later in day: As the day goes on, you feet get slightly larger.
Orthotics and socks: Wear socks you use and bring orthotics to store when trying out shoes. Find “dry-wick” type of socks instead of cotton.
Check wear: Most shoes give you between 300 – 500 miles of running. Keep track of the miles (see #24- Running Log). Replacing shoes can avoid unnecessary injuries. Check for wear on soles and inside the shoe as well.
Local running store: Find a good store that specializes in running shoes. Bring in your old shoes when looking for new ones. A good running shoe specialist should be able to look at old shoe and note the wear/fit when choosing a proper new shoe. As about return policy, many stores will let you run in the shoes and return them if they cause problems. Once you’ve found the shoes that work for you, you may be able to find the shoes again on-line at places like Runners Warehouse (a bold pace readers get 15% off), Overstock, or Holabird Sports.
Break in the shoe: Don’t wear a new shoe to a marathon, be sure you have had time to break it in. However, when buying a new shoe, it should feel good when you are trying it on.
Thumb-width: Have a thumb width between the end of your longest toe and the end of the shoe. I wear a 1/2 size bigger to make sure I have room in the toe box.
Get medical advice: If you have a persistent problem with your feet, get the advice of a medical professional. Believe me, waiting for a foot to heal can be agonizing. Don’t make it take any longer by waiting to get help.
Here’s a great video from Howcast that covers many of these tips: “How to Choose a Running Shoe”
23. Orthotics: I overpronate and could not live without these. If you have foot issues (plantar fasciitis, heal spurs, significant overpronation or underpronation, etc.), I’d recommend seeing a sports doc to consider orthotics as your new sole-mates:)
24.Running Log: Memory is not one of my strongest assets, so having a log to record my training keeps track of: weekly mileage, meals, shoe purchases (so I know when to retire shoes), favorite routes/runs, etc.
25. Running Watch/GPS: At heart, I am more of a zen runner (would rather not wear a watch or calculate each mile’s pace…just run), but the NYC marathon last year changed that for me. I went out too fast and had a hard time at the end. I now wear one again. There are great watches and GPS devices (see article from NY Times) that make it easy to calculate pace/time/distance. Another option in a marathon is to make use of “pacers” at a race…here’s Clif Bar’s Marathon Pace Team info.
26. Running Bag: See “What’s in your Running Bag? 10 Essential Items for Taking your Run on the Road”
27. Chaffing: Avoid blisters, use BodyGlide, Vaseline or new Asics Chafe Free. Apply anywhere that rubs…feet, nipples, etc. For more on Asics, see “The End of Run Chaffing?”
28. iPods: The must have for runners (even if you need to borrow from your child). I understand why a lot of runners do not like to use during races , but if you love music, this can be a great way to relax and keep going (ipods are now allowed at some races, see post “Music to my ears”). Be sure to choose songs that work w/ your pace/BPM.
29. Reading about Running: There are so many fabulous books out there on running that are fun to read. They can motivate and excite you. We have a few posted on our Amazon Store.
Racing Tips:
30.Finding a Race: Marathon guide or Racevine can help you find a marathons and other shorter races. These sites not only list races, they rate them.
31. Racing for a Charity: Millions of dollars a year are raised by runners for charity. It can make the race more meaningful if you have someone in mind as you run the miles. Supporting a good cause can also be a way into a sold-out race.
32.Women only Races: More magazine’s Marathon/Half-Marathon (they have the best expo), Zooma Women’s Race Series, Nike Women’s Marathon and See Jane Run are just a few of the women only races out there. They are fun, lively and a bit more polite then the co-ed races:)
33.Pace your Race: It is helpful to know your race goal and have the mile split times easily accessible. PaceTat is a durable, lightweight (actually weightless), and unobtrusive way to keep track of your pace while racing. These are simple transfers that you apply before you race and shows your mile split goals in clear large font. Brilliant idea, and only $2.00 – $2.99 per transfer. Or go the simple and FREE route w/ this tool from Clif Bar.
34.Speed at 40/Beating your PR:There have been numerous articles about how women are older women are getting faster and staying there (see ABC News article on Yale University Study). As we gain experience, we become more efficient runners. We know to run the tangents, prepare properly, and read tips like many we have listed here. We also have more time to train as our children get older.
35.Qualifying for Boston/The Boston Times: Boston is a great, tough race. It is an honor to run it. This is not one to be missed if you qualify. See some of our posts about the Boston Marathon. Check out the “Boston Marathon Qualifying Times.
36. The Race Day Survival Kit: You don’t want any last minute surprises on race day. Having a race day kit can help you to know you are prepared and keep you focused on the race. Assuming you already are wearing your clothes, shoes, have your watch, etc…there are still some items you need. There are two options… you can use a “check-in bag” where you have to wait in-line to get a claim ticket or use a “disposable bag” that has just the essentials and can be tossed. Here are checklists for both:
Check-in Bag:
____Extra Clothes: Nice to have a spare top, shorts, and socks to change into after the race.
____Sunglasses and sunscreen: If it’s a hot and sunny day, you’ll be glad you have these.
____Towel: There may be a shower at the end of the race, but even if not, nice to have to towel off.
____Phone: To contact friends after race
____Money: For any emergency needs
____Pre-race food and fluids
____Post-race food and fluids
____Race Number (if already have) and safety pins: Bring a few extra and you’ll make lots of friends:)
____Race Chip (if already have)
____Course map/Race instructions
____Band-aids/Athletic Tape/First aid
____BodyGlide/Vaseline/Chafe Free
____Deodorant
____Large garbage bag: Helpful if windy or raining before the race or just to sit on.
____Wipes: Useful for nasty porta-potty
____Magazine: Nice to catch up on Vanity Fair while waiting in line for race to start:)
____Extra Goo packets: Use safety pin to keep a couple with you for during the race.
Disposable Bag:
____Pre-race food and fluids
____Wipes: Useful for nasty porta-potty
____Throwaway old clothes: Sweatshirt or long-sleeve shirt. Most races donate discarded clothes to charity.
____Race Number (if already have) and safety pins: Bring a few extra and you’ll make lots of friends:)
____Race Chip (if already have)
____Magazine: Nice to catch up on Vanity Fair while waiting in line for start:) Put in garbage before start.
____Large garbage bag: Helpful if windy or raining before the race or just to sit on.
____Extra Goo packets: Use safety pin to keep a couple with you for during the race
The Running Psyche Tips:
37. Making time for yourself: Running = sanity. Alone or with friends it has fantastic therapeutic results that last all day. I find doing it early in the morning is best as I know I’ll get my run in and “life stuff” during the day will not get in the way.
38.The Running Group: One of my LDFs and I always joke how we are going to write a book about the nuances of our running group. Finding friends to share running with is a wonderful thing and helps you to stay motivated and enjoy the company along with the run.
39. Running Websites/Blogs: There is so much on the web now that you can tap into for running advice, training, support…see our blogroll. It’s a great time to be a runner. If you’re not getting automatic e-mail updates from a bold pace, don’t miss out! Or if you prefer, get our RSS feed.
40. Going beyond your limits: I have to add this because it is the reason I give my son every time he asks why I run…”running for me is about going beyond the limits I have of myself in my mind”. He’s very logical and always answers…”limits are definitive–you can’t go beyond them”…I keep trying to prove him wrong.
Perhaps it is the fresh air or the hours of laboring over one subject with LDFs but from running has come some profound realizations. My LDF Heidi and I have decided that everything our children need to know about life we can relate to running. A life manual in the making perhaps? There is always “One for the THE Book…” decided on a run.
Monica Anderson is the founder, owner and creator of Remanents. She is a mother of three and avid marathon runner. She launched a new line of running themed tees and notecards along with a new running blog for women called: a bold pace-running for our lives. The high-quality papers, witty wordplay, clean design, and innovative packaging have made Remanents a favorite of discerning customers. Remanents has been sold in many exclusive stores including, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Henri Bendel, Nordstrom and Anthropologie-and in hundreds of paper and lifestyle stores across the US. Also sold internationally in Japan, Australia, U.K. and directly at http://www.remanents.com. Remanents products have been featured in In-Style, Bridal Guide, on ABC News and many other media outlets.
10 Best Cardio Workouts for Women – Every woman is different. And like just about anything, what works best for one may not be the best idea for another. This fact is especially true when it.
A diet rich in carbohydrates that are quickly transformed into sugar in the blood raises the risk of heart disease for women, a new Italian study finds.
The same effect, however, is not seen in men, according to the report, published April 12 in the Archives of Internal Medicine .
The study, by researchers at Italy’s National Cancer Institute , looked not only at total carbohydrate intake but also at what is known as the glycemic index of those carbohydrates — a measure of how quickly and to what extent blood sugar rises after intake of specific carbohydrates.
Carbohydrate foods with similar calorie content can show widely different scores on the glycemic index. Carbohydrates with a high glycemic index include corn flakes , white bread and white rice . Those with lower scores include whole wheat products and sweet potatoes .
“A high glycemic index is known to increase the concentration of triglycerides and lower the concentration of HDL cholesterol, the good kind,” explained Victoria J. Drake, director of the Micronutrient Information Center at the Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon State University , who has studied the subject. “Those adverse effects make it a stronger risk factor for heart disease .”
The Italian researchers got their information on dietary intake from questionnaires filled out by 15,171 men and 32,578 women. Following them for nearly eight years, the researchers found that women who consumed the most carbohydrates overall had about twice the incidence of heart disease as those who consumed the least. Closer analysis showed that the risk was associated with higher intake of high-glycemic foods.
“Thus, a high consumption of carbohydrates from high-glycemic index foods, rather than the overall quantity of carbohydrates consumed, appears to influence the influence of developing coronary heart disease ,” the researchers wrote.
Previous studies have seen the same effect in other groups of women, Drake said. They include the Nurses Health Study , done in the United States, and studies of women in the Netherlands.
No effect from total carbohydrate consumption or consumption of foods with a high-glycemic index was seen in men in the Italian study, a pattern also seen in other studies, Drake added.
“There is definitely a gender difference ,” she noted.
The difference might be due to the action of sex hormones, the researchers speculate. Male hormones, androgens, appear to slow the transformation of carbohydrates into blood sugar , whereas the female hormone estrogen speeds the process, she said.
Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said the study shows the need for women to be more aware of the nature of the carbohydrates in their diet.
“An emphasis needs to be placed on a diet that is not simply low in carbohydrates but rather low in simple sugars, as measured by the glycemic index,” Steinbaum said.
There’s a simple way to determine the glycemic index of a food, she said.
“Look at the label,” Steinbaum said. “It says ‘carbohydrates.’ Under that, it says ’sugars.’ When you have a high number for sugars, that’s a way to know what the glycemic index is.”
That index can differ widely in foods that don’t appear to be different, she said. One breakfast cereal may have a sugar content of 16 grams, but another may have just 3 grams to 6 grams.
“If you see a high level of sugar, that’s the one to stay away from,” Steinbaum said.
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. , April 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — While everyone knows that getting an adequate daily dose of vitamins and minerals is important in maintaining one’s overall health, many question whether or not the vitamins touted in skin care products work in reducing the signs of sun-damaged skin. Now, a new study reviews the currently published scientific literature to determine what evidence exists to support the use of vitamins in skin care products to slow or reverse the effects of sun damage.
In the report entitled, “Vitamins and photoaging: Do scientific data support their use?”, published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, dermatologist Jenny Kim , M.D., Ph.D., FAAD, associate professor in the division of dermatology, department of medicine, at the University of California, Los Angeles ( UCLA ), David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles , presented results of a study that may support the use of certain vitamins in oral or topical formulations.
“It is well documented that ultraviolet (UV) radiation contributes to premature skin aging through the process of photoaging, and there is increasing evidence that the antioxidant properties of vitamins may contribute to the prevention and treatment of photoaging,” said Dr. Kim. “In fact, numerous companies developing cosmeceuticals base their effectiveness claims on the fact that their formulations contain vitamins proven in laboratories to modify cellular processes thought to contribute to the appearance of photoaged skin. As dermatologists, we can help our patients navigate this maze of marketing claims by sharing scientific data on the known efficacy of vitamins in skin care products.”
Based on a comprehensive review of the available published data on the role of vitamins in skin care products, Dr. Kim and her colleagues, Jamie Zussman , M.D., FAAD, and Jennifer Ahdout , M.D., found there is evidence to support the potential role of vitamins A, C, E, and B3 in modifying the photoaging process.
“While it’s evident that these vitamins can play a role in fighting sun damage, the question still remains whether these properties are effective when delivered in skin care products,” notes Dr Kim.
Vitamin A: Effective in treating a variety of skin conditions
The two most common forms of vitamin A studied for their role in protecting the skin from UV-induced damage are retinols and carotenoids. Retinol is found in foods such as liver, milk and eggs, and is the most biologically active form of the vitamin. Carotenoids are found in many fruits and vegetables, and have strong antioxidant capabilities.
While carotenoids are not shown to be beneficial in the treatment of photoaging, research suggests that they may play a role in photoprotection by preventing UV-induced collagen breakdown.
“Although the evidence available at this time is not strong enough to offer definitive support for the use of dietary carotenoids for photoprotection, a role for carotenoids as a supplement to photoprotective agents should not be discounted yet,” said Dr. Kim. “We hope to see larger-scale clinical trials conducted to further explore the photoprotective effects of carotenoids.”
Unlike carotenoids, there is vast evidence supporting the role of topical retinoids (the class of substances formed by retinol and its natural and synthetic derivatives) in treating photoaged skin. For example, prescription retinoid formulations have the most scientific data to support their use in this area.
Dr. Kim noted that both tretinoin cream (0.025% and 0.05%) and tazarotene cream (0.1%) are already FDA-approved for the treatment of fine wrinkles, skin roughness and mottled hyperpigmentation caused by aging and sun exposure. In addition, she added that studies of other retinoids have shown that a once-daily application of 0.1% isotretinoin cream for 36 weeks was effective in reducing fine wrinkles.
Retinoids also are found in over-the-counter cosmeceuticals, but there is less clinical evidence supporting their effectiveness in improving photoaged skin. “An important point to remember with retinoids is that we cannot assume that all retinoids are equal in their ability to fight photoaging,” said Dr. Kim. “In over-the-counter products, retinol appears to be the most effective retinoid based on clinical studies completed to date. However, patients should consult their dermatologist before using any topical retinoid, as side effects can occur when used with other topical products. When properly instructed by a dermatologist, most patients can tolerate topical retinoids and benefit from their effect.”
Dr. Kim added that unlike topical retinoids, there is minimal evidence supporting the use of oral retinoids in the treatment of photoaging.
Vitamin C: Possible skin care product value
Vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin also known as ascorbic acid that is found in citrus fruits and dark green leafy vegetables, plays an essential role in the production of collagen and elastin. Because of its antioxidant properties, vitamin C may reverse the negative effects of UV radiation in the skin, but there are few clinically controlled studies to confirm this theory.
“An animal study examining the role of vitamin C in reversing sun damage found that when 5% ascorbate was applied two hours before UVB and UVA exposure, UVB-induced skin wrinkling was reduced,” said Dr. Kim. “Some of the human clinical trials have shown similar favorable results when applying a daily dose of L-ascorbic acid treatment, but all of these studies involved small sample sizes.”
In addition, Dr. Kim pointed out that one concern of adding vitamin C to cosmeceuticals is that vitamin C is unstable when used in formulations, and it is not known how much, if any, intact molecule remains when applied to the skin.
“This problem has been partially overcome by chemically modifying ascorbic acid,” said Dr. Kim. “However, for the body to use the supplied ascorbic acid, it must convert it to L-ascorbic acid, and many of the stabilized, commercially available forms have not been examined to determine whether this conversion is possible. For that reason, the average consumer will not be able to determine if a cosmeceutical containing vitamin C will be effective.”
Vitamin E: A primary antioxidant
Vitamin E, or tocopherol, is a fat-soluble vitamin, and its synthetic form is found in many over-the-counter products. Working as an antioxidant, vitamin E protects cell membranes and is thought to play an important role in skin aging because of its antioxidant properties. While topical vitamin E is available in a variety of products, there is no data which support claims that it improves skin wrinkling, discoloration and texture.
“Topical vitamin E has been studied in humans, as in mice, more as a protectant to be used before sun exposure than as an agent to be included in cosmeceuticals to reduce the signs of skin aging,” said Dr. Kim. “Through research we have learned that UV exposure significantly decreases levels of cutaneous vitamin E, and vitamin C should be included in any formulation containing vitamin E because of the important role it plays in maintaining active vitamin E levels.”
Research also has explored combining vitamins E and C as an oral supplement to provide sun protection. Multiple studies suggest that this combination therapy is beneficial for photoprotection. However, Dr. Kim noted that overzealous oral vitamin E supplements may be harmful, and two new studies also suggest that a high intake of vitamin E may be associated with an increased risk of basal cell carcinoma.
Vitamin B3: A possible treatment for photoaging
The B vitamins consist of eight different water-soluble vitamins that are found in a variety of foods. Vitamin B3 has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol and atherosclerosis (a condition in which fatty materials collect along artery walls), but now new insights are examining its role as an effective treatment for several skin conditions from acne to photoaging.
Specifically, Dr. Kim noted that vitamin B3 has been found to increase collagen production in in vitro studies and to reduce skin hyperpigmentation (dark spots) in clinical studies.
“There has been one clinical trial conducted in Caucasian women in which 50 women applied 5% niacinamide (topical vitamin B3) to one side of their faces twice per day for 12 weeks, and these women experienced significant reductions in the appearance of hyperpigmented spots, redness, wrinkles, and yellowing, as well as improved skin elasticity,” said Dr. Kim. “While initial studies show promise that topical vitamin B3 may prevent UV-induced skin aging, larger clinical trials are needed to confirm its role as a definitive treatment of photoaging.”
Bottom Line: Maintain healthy lifestyle, healthy diet, practice sun protection
Dr. Kim added that it is important for everyone to get an adequate daily supply of vitamins to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and any insufficiencies may negatively impact the skin’s overall appearance.
“Research has shown a potential role for various vitamins in reducing the damaging effects of sun exposure on the skin. Whether topical or oral formulations containing these vitamins have a protective effect is uncertain. Given the number, type and variability of preparations available, consumers should understand from our study that skin care products with vitamins may not provide clinically meaningful improvement,” said Dr. Kim. “What is known is that proper sun protection is key to the prevention of photoaging and should be top of mind at all times.”
For more information on improving the appearance of your skin, go to the “AgingSkinNet” section of www.SkinCarePhysicians.com, a Web site developed by dermatologists that provides patients with up-to-date information on the treatment and management of disorders of the skin, hair and nails.
Headquartered in Schaumburg, Ill. , the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy), founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential, and most representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of more than 16,000 physicians worldwide, the Academy is committed to: advancing the diagnosis and medical, surgical and cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair and nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education, and research in dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care for a lifetime of healthier skin, hair and nails. For more information, contact the Academy at 1-888-462-DERM (3376) or www.aad.org.
Mumbai: Undeterred by the complications arising out of clinical trials of human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to introduce the vaccine in the city in its fight against cervical cancer. You may also want to see
Two manufacturers have offered the vaccines at a subsidised rate. Considering the rising incidence in the city of cervical cancer, we are planning to implement the cervical cancer control programme with the vaccines, said Dr Sanjay Oak, dean, KEM Hospital, and medical director, major hospitals on Thursday.
The vaccine is mandatory for girls in Australia, France and the US. In India, the Indian Association of Paediatrics (IAP) as well as the Federation of Obstreticians and Gynaecologists Society of India (FOGSI) have recommended it.
The vaccine does have some minus points, Oak admitted. Side-effects of the vaccine include fever and rashes. But every vaccine is a foreign protein injected into your body, which is capable of producing an adverse reaction, said Oak. But it is the cost of the vaccine, and not its side-effects, that pose a big problem, he added. The vaccine costs about Rs2,800 per dose. It is targeted at women, in the age group of nine to 26, and has to be given in three doses at 0 (first date of injection), 2 and 6 months.
With premarital sex getting more and more common, there is a rising incidence of cervical cancer cases, that too among the younger female population. This, feels the civic health department, is the right time to take active steps to fight the most prevalent cancer among women, whether it is by offering subsidised vaccines or by urging women to take a pap smear test at regular intervals.
In the UK, women undergo pap smear every three years under the National Health Scheme (NHS) and in the US, every year. In India, many women don’t even know where the cervix is, let alone opting for a pap smear test which costs about Rs600, said Dr Padma Vishawa-nathan, gynaecologist.
Ensuring that the women take all the three doses is a problem. Therefore, we are going to first target the educated class, who will be able to take an informed voluntary decision, said Oak.
A big worry is that the quadrivalent vaccine offers protection only against four types of viruses out of the 16. Even after receiving the vaccine, you still need to get pap smear tests done. Also, it is not 100% efficacious, said gynaecologist Dr Pratima Chippalkatti, Bombay Hospital, who has offered the vaccine to three of her patients. According to another gynaecologist, the demerits of the vaccine far outnumber its merits.
Question: What kinds of things happen to our skin as we get older?
Answer: There are many things that happen to our skin as we age. Firstly, the collagen in our skin, that is, the supportive structure, starts to break down and it’s more difficult for our skin to build it back up again. Also, the supportive subcutaneous fat, which supports our skin, we tend to lose that with age. This makes our skin much thinner. That means that if you get a cut or an ulcer, your skin will also be less likely to heal as well as it did before.
Because of this loss of subcutaneous tissue more structures become prominent in the skin as we age, such as pores, follicles and oil glands. Our skin structures are less efficient, meaning that we sweat less with time and some people notice that their skin is more fragile meaning that it’s more sensitive to the light and to heat and extreme temperature.
When we age we also notice the signs of photoaging more, such as sun freckles, liver spots, etc. Also, the incidents of skin cancer rises with age especially after the age of 50, or if you’ve had extreme sun exposure over your life or a genetic condition that predisposes you to skin cancer.
By Rita Rubin, USA TODAY A government-sponsored study of more than 10,000 women failed to find that large doses of vitamins C and E cut the risk of complications from pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, scientists report today.
Pre-eclampsia, a condition characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine, occurs in up to 8% of pregnancies, says Catherine Spong, a co-author of the study in The New England Journal of Medicine . A leading cause of illness and death in pregnant women and infants, pre-eclampsia can be cured only by delivering the baby.
BABIES: Women donate to breast milk banks BIRTH RATES: Fall in U.S., except in women 40+
“It’s like most pregnancy conditions: We don’t have great preventative therapies,” says Spong, chief of the Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Only baby aspirin seems to help protect against pre-eclampsia, she says, but only in high-risk women and only by a modest 10% reduction in risk.
More than a decade ago, a British study of fewer than 300 pregnant women found that taking vitamins C and E lowered the risk of pre-eclampsia. But scientists have repeatedly failed to replicate that finding.
The new trial enrolled more women and began treatment earlier than any previous study. To join, women had to be pregnant for the first time and at low risk for pre-eclampsia. They began taking their pills between the ninth and 16th week of pregnancy and continued up to delivery.
In the end, the study “found no evidence of benefit to either the mother or the baby,” says lead author James Roberts, an obstetrician/gynecologist at the University of Pittsburgh. In fact, Roberts and his collaborators at 15 other medical schools found that women randomly assigned to take the vitamins were slightly more likely to develop high blood pressure than those assigned to take placebo pills, although the difference could have been the result of chance.
Caroline Crowther, a maternal fetal medicine professor at Australia’s University of Adelaide, co-wrote a similar study of nearly 2,000 women published in 2006.
“With another large trial of vitamin C and E supplementation during pregnancy now showing no benefit in reducing the risk of pre-eclampsia, they clearly cannot be recommended,” Crowther said in an e-mail.
Roberts and Spong emphasized that their findings don’t mean that women should stop taking prenatal vitamins.
“This has absolutely no relevance to the use of standard doses of vitamin C and E as part of prenatal vitamins,” Roberts says. “These (study) doses were enormously higher, where they act as a drug rather than a vitamin.”
Regular walking exercise may keep women suffering a stroke, according to a new study. One need not to be a marathon runner to lower the risk of heart attack, but needs to develop the habit of regular walk.
A data on about 39,000 women, who were 45 years of age and older, was examined who were followed for about 12 years. About 579 suffered from stroke during the study.
It was discovered that the women who walked at least 2 hours in a week had 30% lower risk of heart attack as compared to women who did not go for regular walk. According to the report the women who walked faster during the exercise managed to reduce their risk of stroke by 37%.
Jacob Sattelmair, lead author of the study said, This certainly speaks to walking for a certain amount of time and walking briskly as well .
Vigorous exercises like running, swimming and biking were also examined but the study found no link between those forceful exercises and a reduced stroke risk. Researchers concluded that moderate activity is better at lowering blood pressure.
Dr. Anand Rohatgi, a cardiologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center revealed it to the Associated Press that moderate activities are powerfully effective in reducing the risks of stroke. »
If you’re watching the Crescent City Classic on Saturday, look closely at the female runner wearing No. 203. She’s come a long way since you saw her last.
David J. Phillip/The Associated Press archive Four-time Boston Marathon winner Catherine Ndereba has won 120 of 224 events (road, cross country and track) and finished second 45 times. Catherine Ndereba was 23 and beginning her second year on the international road racing circuit when she last ran in New Orleans, a fresh face from Kenya among many from that country that had begun to flood the American tour. She won that CCC in 32 minutes, 26 seconds not a great time, but strong enough to prompt running aficionados to claim affable and personable Ndereba might be good.
That was 1996, and time has proven them very, very wrong.
Ndereba quickly left good behind, and returns to the CCC this year as one of the greatest women distance runners ever just as remarkable still a force at 37.
She’s one of the great athletes and great stories in the history of women’s running, said Gary Gomez, the elite runners coordinator for the CCC, which is sponsored by The Times-Picayune. What she has accomplished is just hard to measure.
Indeed. If Ndereba were forced to run with all the hardware and prize money she has won in her 16-year career, she would never leave the start of the CCC.
Since 1995 the Kenyan has earned $1.7 million, second only to Paula Radcliffe’s $2.4 million. She has done it by winning 120 of 224 events (road, cross country and track), and finishing second 45 times.
Her accomplishments read like something a team of runners would put together, not an individual:
Only woman to win the Boston Marathon four times: 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005.
Marathon silver medalist in the past two Olympics: 2:27:06 in Beijing, 2:26:32 in Athens in 2004.
First woman to win two World Championships Marathons 2007 in Osaka, Japan, 2003 in Paris and silver medalist at the 2005 World Championships.
Former marathon world record-holder: 2:18:47 .
Three-time Road Racer of the Year by Running Times magazine.
No. 1 road racer in the world by Runner’s World magazine five times.
Winner of 120 road races, including titles on every continent except Antarctica, where she has never raced.
And she is hardly slowing down at the ripe old runner’s age of 37. Saturday’s 10-K is just a warm-up for the Boston Marathon on April 19.
She sees her running as a command from God.
I believe my talent is a gift from God, and I believe the Lord has given me it so that I may continue to admire him through it, she said. So I continue to run because that is what he wants me to do. That is it.
Ndereba recounts her entire career in an equally matter-of-fact style. She began running as a barefoot school girl in Nyeri, a city of about 100,000 in the shadows of Mount Kenya, as part of her P.E. class. She developed a passion for running, she said, because she was good at it.
I found myself good at it, she said. I didn’t start competing for a reason, I just kept finding myself getting better and better. Nobody asked me to do it. I just did it because I was good at it.
People noticed when the tiny girl was beating the boys in primary school, but the eyebrows really started rising in 1995 when Ndereba, already a champion in Kenya, competed on the world stage.
Her first years as a road racer were peerless. She won 19 of 30 races in 1995 and 1996, then after taking 1997 off to have her daughter, she came back in 1998 to win an astounding 15 of 16 events.
By the time she began running marathons in 2001, she had defeated the elite fields in 60 of 79 road races around the world, and finished in the top three in most others.
The fame and payday at marathons such as Boston led Ndereba to focus on those longer events. Her rising bank account would make her rich in any country, but in a nation where the annual family income is about $300 and 50 percent of the population lives in poverty, Ndereba is one of the super-rich.
The income allows her to spend half her year running from a home base in Philadelphia, and the other half in Kenya, where she can rest and spend time with her husband and daughter.
It also has allowed her to begin working on a legacy, the Catherine Ndereba Foundation, a sports academy for talented young Kenyans.
It is nothing yet, still an idea we are working on, she said.
In the meantime, she will continue doing what she has a talent and passion for. I will run as long as my body holds up, she said.
She has done that with more success than any woman in history.
Here’s another interesting article that may interest you:
The Unofficial Stanford Blog » Blog Archive » Support Your … – This summer, 8 Stanford students will travel to the Mwange refugee camp in northern Zambia to implement community development projects in collaboration with the community. Undergrads Rhianon Liu, Emily Allegrotti, Elizabeth Kersten, Daniel Gonzalez, Annie Kalt, Katrice Williams, Liz Brody and Alison Root , are the eight Project Facilitators on the 2007 Mwange FORGE team. A nonprofit organization founded in 2003 by Stanford student Kjerstin Erikson, FORGE, an NGO committed to empowering and enriching the lives of refugees, stands for Facilitating Opportunities for Refugee Growth and Empowerment and works to engage U.
By Dana Jacobi for the American Institute for Cancer Research
What people hate, evidently, also fascinates them. Since Julie Deardorff, a blogger for the Chicago Tribune , posted last November about foods people hate most, the content of that post has gone viral. I know because I was quoted in the piece and my Google Alert keeps flagging sites using it. My favorite version is headlined “Yucky Foods Deserve a Second Tasting.”
Sardines head her list of nutritious foods people shun, which also includes three cruciferous vegetables cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. I quite agree that overcooking these vegetables and the sulfurous compound released as they cook are the main reasons why they turn people off. These potent compounds, which may provide protection against cancer, are also a major reason to eat cruciferous vegetables regularly, ideally every day.
Making Brussels sprouts palatable, and even appealing, is easy. Roasting them eliminates their offensive odor, avoids turning them mushy, grey and bland-tasting, and it caramelizes the natural sugar in Brussels sprouts for a bit of sweetness. Plus dry heat, by evaporating liquid from the sprouts, makes them pleasingly firm and creamy.
To further seduce Brussels sprout-haters into lovers, and to give those who appreciate them incentive to enjoy them even more often, I pair the sprouts with everyone’s favorite vegetable, the potato. Roasting sprouts and small potatoes, then mashing them roughly together, makes a dish no one can resist.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes
3/4 lb. Brussels sprouts, preferably large
2 small onions
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
3/4 lb. small potatoes, preferably 2-inches or smaller diameter
Salt and ground black pepper
If your oven holds two baking sheets side by side, place rack in center. If not, arrange racks in top and bottom thirds. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Remove tough outer leaves from Brussels sprouts and cut crosswise into three to four rounds about 1/2-inch thick. Halve onions and cut crosswise into very thin slices.
In medium mixing bowl combine sprouts and onions, add 2 tsp. of oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and mix to coat vegetables. Spread them in thick layer on foil-covered baking sheet.
In same bowl, place potatoes and drizzle on remaining 1 tsp. of oil. Mix with your hands to coat them. Place potatoes on second baking sheet. Set oily bowl aside.
Place both baking sheets in oven. Bake Brussels sprouts with onions for 15 minutes. Stir, mixing in any browned bits, rearrange in thick layer, and roast until Brussels sprouts are almost tender, about another 10-15 minutes.
Bake potatoes for 30 minutes, or until a knife pierces larger ones easily. Return roasted sprouts to mixing bowl. Transfer potatoes to cutting board and cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Add potatoes to sprouts. Using fork, roughly break up potato slices and mix with roasted sprouts and onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
Makes 4 servings
Per serving: 150 calories, 4 g total fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 24 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein 6 g dietary fiber, 30 mg sodium
Something Different is written by Dana Jacobi, author of 12 Best Foods Cookbook and contributor to AICR’s New American Plate Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life.
On a chilly winter morning, just before dawn, a young woman dressed in a black tracksuit runs hard along the seafront of her home town. She shadowboxes as she runs seven miles around the picturesque coastal town of Bray in Co Wicklow. Over the past six years this morning workout has been a daily ritual for Katie Taylor, the two-time and current amateur lightweight world boxing champion. It is part of a gruelling regime that she hopes will help her achieve her ultimate goal: to become the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal at boxing.
The London Games in 2012 will be the first time women have been allowed to compete in this most visceral of sports at Olympic level. Last August the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decreed that 36 places would be available in London to the world’s elite female fighters, who would compete across three weight classes: flyweight (48-51kg), lightweight (56-60kg) and middleweight (69-75kg).
Taylor knows that women’s boxing is a mystery to the majority of sports fans, but is certain that is about to change. ‘People will be shocked by the standard of the sport at London 2012,’ she tells me after her run. ‘We’ve been invisible up until now. I think if I had achieved what I’ve achieved and I was a man, I’d have got much more recognition. Hopefully, more recognition will come with the Olympics.’
She certainly has recognition within her own sport other female boxers talk about Katie Taylor with awe. She is supremely skilful and has lightning reflexes. ‘I like to sit in the pocket [boxing speak for fighting at close range], to fight on the inside,’ she says. ‘I do like a bit of a war.’ Her hero is Sugar Ray Leonard, the flamboyant American champion of the 1980s.
Eloquent and attractive, Taylor, 23, is a promoter’s dream, tipped to be one of the stars of the 2012 Games, and the athlete who can lead women’s boxing into the mainstream. Like many of her fellow fighters, she is an all-round sports enthusiast, and has also represented Ireland at football. She started boxing at the age of 10 one day, when it was raining too heavily to play football, her father took her to the local boxing gym instead; she was
a natural. Thirteen years later, she wants to repay her father, Peter, a former amateur light-heavyweight champion of Ireland and now her trainer. ‘He’s sacrificed so much to work with me full-time,’ she says. ‘I wouldn’t be where I am now without him.’
Peter Taylor runs the Fergal Bray Amateur Boxing Club, located in a former boathouse in the town. This is where Taylor does her day-to-day training, though after our interview she will head for Dublin for a sparring session with Oisin Fagan, an Irish professional (male) fighter. She spars three times a week (12 three-minute rounds each time), and trains twice a day, six days a week a mix of cross-training, weights, fitness circuits, padwork, bagwork and skipping to stay in peak condition.
Taylor won her first world title in 2007, and her second in Ningbo, China, last year, defeating China’s Cheng Dong, 6ft to Taylor’s 5ft 5in. It was Taylor’s 100th competitive bout. This year, she will seek a third world title in Barbados at the Amateur International Boxing Association Women’s World Championships. But it is hard not to think ahead to 2012.
The IOC decision which Tessa Jowell, the Olympics minister, called a ‘historic, landmark moment’ shows just how far women’s boxing has come in recent years. In 2005 the IOC had opposed it as an Olympic sport on the grounds that there was insufficient strength in depth around the world to ensure equitable contests. But with many women switching to boxing from other sports, and a growing pool of global talent, the committee was forced to rethink. Which is good news for Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, which both have a real chance of medals.
‘If I didn’t say I was delighted when the Olympic breakthrough was announced, I’d be lying,’ Taylor says. ‘It’s a dream to go to the Olympics, obviously the pinnacle of every athlete’s career. Everyone is looking at me as
the one to beat, but you put yourself under that pressure anyway. You need it inside the ring. You don’t play at boxing, like you do some other sports.’
Like their male counterparts, the leading female boxers make enormous sacrifices for their sports. They are on hardcore training programmes and strict diets, and have very limited social lives. There are marked differences, of course women boxers are more likely to rely on skill, tactics, technique and accuracy than on raw power.
When it comes to commitment, the girls are often ahead of the boys. Mick McAllister, who trains Natasha Jonas, one of Taylor’s rivals for gold in London, tells me that there are often ‘fewer issues’ when training young female fighters. ‘Sometimes the lads have an attitude,’ he says. ‘You can get more from the girls they tend to be very focused and extremely dedicated.’
At the Rotunda Amateur Boxing Club in Liverpool, Jonas, the current European lightweight champion, picks her way through a specially prepared lunch of boiled chicken, rice and salad. She has to monitor her weight carefully she used to fight in the welterweight division, but because that weight won’t be represented in London she has dropped two divisions (and shed 8kg) in the hope of securing Olympic qualification.
Petite, engaging and pretty, Jonas runs on an empty stomach every morning, in order to maintain a high metabolism throughout the day. She has a voracious appetite for training, but the dietary demands are difficult. ‘I just love chocolate,’ she tells me. ‘Now I have to eat it in moderation. On the plus side I can eat more fruit. And I love fruit.’
Jonas, 25, was born in Toxteth, historically one of the most deprived areas of Liverpool, and was raised there by her maternal grandmother, the family matriarch (‘a special lady,’ Jonas says). She is close to her parents, who live ‘across the water’ in Wirral. Her father, Terry Molloy, dabbled in boxing, and sponsors the Rotunda gym. ‘Dad’s very proud of me for taking up the sport,’ she says. ‘Mum’s supportive, too, but she cries when she watches me box.’
Like Taylor, Jonas was a promising footballer. After leaving school she spent 18 months in America on a football scholarship, and then enrolled on a media studies course at Edge Hill University in Lancashire, before returning to Toxteth, where she works for the council and does part-time youth work. The rest of her daily schedule is devoted to running, sparring, strength training and swimming. ‘I get flexible working hours. The council has been great accommodating my boxing,’ she says.
Jonas started boxing five years ago, at first as nothing more than a way to maintain her fitness, but became hooked. She has been four times the Amateur Boxing Association champion of England, and won the European title in the lightweight division last year, beating Margarita Chaneva of Bulgaria. She is excited about the prospect of helping to bring her sport to a wider audience. ‘This is a pioneering moment for women,’ she says. ‘It will be make or break at these Olympics, but I’m confident that people watching us will be pleasantly surprised. Even judges and referees from the men’s amateur sport are often surprised by the standard.’
Ignorance is something female boxers learn to live with, but criticism from those who say that women shouldn’t be allowed to box at all is harder to brush off. Possibly more than any other sport in which females compete, boxing provokes strong views arguments range from the old-fashioned view that it’s ‘unladylike’ for two women to throw punches at one another, to more serious concerns about the potential health risks. Common boxing injuries include facial cuts, broken noses and damaged hands. But amateur boxing bouts, where the aim is to score points over four three-minute rounds, not to render the opponent unconscious, are less risky than professional fights. The gloves are bigger, and inflict less damage, and all fighters wear headguards.
The renowned British boxing promoters Frank Warren and Frank Maloney have said forcefully that they would never represent women. ‘I don’t like watching women fight for the same reason I don’t watch male synchronised swimming,’ Warren said following the IOC announcement. ‘They are not built for it. And I find the idea of allowing women to be put in harm’s way troubling.’
The veteran American promoter Bob Arum, who promoted Muhammad Ali in the 1960s, regards women’s boxing as ‘a joke’. ‘It will be laughed out of the Olympic Games,’ Arum, who now promotes the Filipino world champion Manny Pacquiao, told me.
Jonas’s brow furrows when I mention some of the comments her sport has attracted. ‘There’s no reason not to like it,’ she says. ‘Barry McGuigan [the former world featherweight champion] was one of the biggest critics of women’s boxing,’ he said it might ‘attract unsavoury elements and appeal to voyeurs’ ‘but he changed his mind after seeing Katie Taylor box.’
Jonas was angered by comments made last year by the world light-welterweight champion Amir Khan, who won silver for Britain at the Athens Olympics. ‘I don’t think that women should be in the ring getting hurt,’ Khan said. ‘Boxers get hurt and bloodied all the time and I don’t agree with the idea of women going through the same thing. If women do start getting seriously hurt, then it would reflect badly on the sport as a whole.’
Jonas shakes her head. ‘I couldn’t understand that coming from him. He should know how hard it is to get on in this sport.’
Neither Jonas nor Taylor has suffered any serious injuries. ‘I’ve never really been cut,’ Jonas says. ‘Had a few black eyes, mind you.’ I ask her about a two-inch scar above her eye. ‘I got caught by someone who was carrying a dumbbell as I was running circuits around the gym. A bit embarrassing.’
According to Peter Hamlyn, a consultant neurosurgeon and the director of the Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine at Queen Mary University, London, ‘The medical risks associated with women boxing aren’t any more serious than for men. There are no medical statistics to say female boxing is not as safe, and I can’t see a physiological reason why it would be more dangerous. If anything, the boxers punch less hard. The only thing is breast injuries, but I don’t see that as a major problem because it is not a common place to get hit.’
Implicit in most of the negative comments is the idea that the participants do not have the necessary mental and physical toughness to be taken seriously as fighters. Jonas believes that’s a myth:
‘I spar in here with lads. I haven’t sparred with women for 18 months. The boys are quick. They keep me on my toes, get me to move more.’
A lot of the criticism directed at women’s boxing is really focused on the professional code. ‘The professional side of women’s boxing really isn’t a great standard,’ Taylor says. Professional boxing is still seen as a man’s world; the professional women’s sport is underdeveloped, uncompetitive and of poor quality. Fights are often hopelessly one-sided, and the purses are small compared with those in men’s boxing, so there are few financial incentives for women to turn pro. ‘Women’s boxing in the Olympics will drag up the standards in the professional sport,’ Taylor says. She would like to turn pro herself at some point, but for now amateur boxing is more challenging and competitive.
UK Sport, the agency that allocates elite exchequer funding, will inject almost £2 million over the next 30 months to fund the Great Britain women’s boxing squad leading into the Olympics. Five British women are already ranked in the world’s top 10, although no more than five British and Irish women are likely to box in London (each country can select a maximum of three fighters), so competition is fierce. Great Britain is in the process of building an elite team for London. Thirteen women, including Jonas, are in the mix at the moment, and that number will soon be whittled down to nine.
The sport is growing internationally, too. More than 120 national boxing federations around the world now have registered female boxers competing in amateur bouts, and about 20 countries are likely to represented in London. Among the developing nations in particular, women’s boxing is booming. In China 24 regional squads are in training to create an elite team for London. Where once boxing was, for many men, seen as a potential escape route from a life of poverty, the pattern is being repeated for women in parts of Asia. In India large numbers of women from deprived rural areas attend government-run boxing camps. If selected to become a national team athlete they may also secure government jobs, military posts or positions in the police force. In Britain there are different motivations. For some, it’s a chance to prove that women can thrive in what used to be seen as a male environment.
Lt Lucy O’Connor, a Warfare Officer in the Royal Navy, works as a physical education staff officer at HMS Temeraire, the Navy’s centre of sporting activity in Portsmouth. She is also one of the most senior and experienced women boxers in Britain, and the country’s number one female featherweight. At the last World Championships in China, she finished with a world ranking of number five. The Navy gives her special dispensation to compete in international tournaments (she will represent England in six competitions this year) and she spars every day with the elite men in the Navy’s boxing team.
‘I’m not a feminist by any stretch of the imagination,’ O’Connor says, ‘but I am already part of a change within the Navy. In the past, women weren’t allowed to serve alongside men in ships. That changed in 2001. With boxing, we are breaking new ground.’
O’Connor is 31, which means that 2012 will be her first and only chance for Olympic glory. She will be too old to qualify for Rio 2016 (the age limit is 34). She took up boxing by chance four years ago, while training in HMS Grafton in the Caribbean. ‘I joined in just to get fit,’ she says. Since then she has shed 28kg as a result of intensive training, and now competes in the flyweight division. Motivation is never far away. Her husband, Stuart, is the head coach of the Navy boxing team, and boxed as a heavyweight himself. ‘Stuart taught me to box on HMS Grafton. He turned me into a boxer first, and then we got married.’
To demonstrate their working relationship, O’Connor steps neatly through the ropes and into the ring at the Naval base in Portsmouth to work on the pads with Stuart. She instantly transforms into a steely-eyed fighter, throwing her full bodyweight behind her punches. She circles in and out, unleashing quick four-punch combinations. Pap-pap, pap-pap. It’s an impressive display.
O’Connor, whose father was a fisherman, is a determined, focused individual. At 13 she decided on a career in the Navy; after graduating from university, she was given a fast-track officer scholarship. ‘I was a real tomboy, always very active, who played any sport going,’ she says. ‘But I never dreamt that one day I’d be boxing.’ She now has high hopes of being selected for London.
Sue Tibballs, the chief executive of the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation, a charity that promotes female participation in sport, regards the decision to allow women’s boxing into the Olympic fold as ‘the culmination of a long, hard fight’. She also hopes it is a step towards greater gender equality at the Olympics. ‘There’s still a long way to go,’ she says. For example, male boxers will compete in 10 weight divisions in London, the women only three. ‘In Beijing, across all sports, 165 medals were available to men, versus 127 to women. The numbers should be equal.’
For that to happen, the sporting bodies, the media and the wider public need to be convinced that women’s sport can be just as competitive and exhilarating to watch as men’s sport. O’Connor believes that women boxers simply need the opportunity to show the world what they can do. ‘I’ve met plenty of sceptics,’ she says, ‘and 99 times out of 100 they know very little about female boxing and have never seen it. But once they’ve seen us fight, they tend to reverse their views.’
Being a runner over 40 has presented new areas of interest (and concern) for me on the road and more importantly in my training and recovery off the road. I love to run and it’s great to see research being done on older runners…the Stanford study that shows that running slows aging or the Yale study that shows that older marathon runners (women in particular) are improving their running times more than younger runners.
