Inspiration Friday Track History….Black History Too

Wilma Rudolph

  When I was in my early teens,Wilma Rudolph inspired me to run faster and work harder. (I wasn’t even born when she ran in Rome and won 3 gold medals).

Last February, Lauren did a report on this amazing woman and track athlete and she, like me saw as Adidas says “IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING”  In Wilma’s amazing story of determination. She continues to inspire the future track and field athlete and those who love the sport. 

It is fitting today,the last day of Black History Month to share her legacy of greatness.  Encourage your track athlete to greatness on and off the track , this  serves Wilma’s memory and legacy best…    

NEW HAVEN, Ct. — Grace, beauty, and athletic skill. We’ve seen that over the years with many great female African-American runners such as Gail Devers, Evelyn Ashford, and Florence Griffith-Joyner. But the queen of this court may well have been Wilma Rudolph.

Born on June 23, 1940 at Bethlehem, Tennessee, Rudolph suffered from scarlet fever, double pneumonia, and polio as a child. This left her with limited use of her left leg and she wore a brace until age nine.

By age 12, Rudolph was the fastest runner in her school. At Burt High School, she starred in both track and basketball.

At a track meet in Tuskegee, Alabama, Rudolph impressed coach Ed Temple, who invited her to a summer track camp in Nashville. She went on to a place on the 1956 U.S. Olympic 4 x 100-meter relay team in Melbourne, which won the bronze medal.

In the 1960 Olympic games in Rome, Rudolph won gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and the 4 x 100-meter relay. Rudolph was the first American woman to win three Olympic gold medals.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=axLWjHi_NQs&feature=related

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FxWCZiNj5rM&feature=related

The next year, she received a Sullivan Award, which is given annually to the top amateur athlete in the United States. Subsequent honors included the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame and in 1993, she became the first recipient of President Clinton’s National Sports Award.

Rudolph held the world record in all three events when she retired from amateur competition in 1962.

After graduating from Tennessee State University in 1963, Rudolph dedicated her professional life to youth programs and education. She worked with the Job Corps in St. Louis and Boston, and the Watts Community Action Committee in Los Angeles, California.

Rudolph was also inducted to the Black Sports Hall of Fame in 1973, the Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1980, and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983.

In 1981, she founded the Wilma Rudolph Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on developing young athletic talent. In 1977, she published her autobiography, Wilma: The Story of Wilma Rudolph.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igl8DmcKRhQ&rel=1]

On Nov. 12, 1994, Wilma Rudolph died of a brain tumor at the age of 54. The Olympic flag covered her casket at her funeral.

She will always be remembered for her inspirational determination to overcome her physical disabilities. Her achievements led her to become one of the most celebrated female athletes of all time.

In addition, her celebrity caused gender barriers to be broken in previously all-male track and field events.

The Day I Became A Track Mom “The SCMAF Meets”

This is the day I became TrackMom.  I couldn’t have been more proud. That’s a Mom for ya! 

 

The SCMAF Meet is the place I discovered Lauren could run and she really enjoyed it. I had no idea there was a championship from the first very small meet she participated in.

She had a great time and it was very new runner friendly.No spikes, stop watches a bit off and alot of encouragement from the crowd. The kids really love this meet.

Lauren has participated in 2 seasons of SMAF and many youth age group runners  In So Cal  started at this very meet. I don’t think Lauren will have the opportunity to participate this year but, I have found memories of this meet and what it has done for Lauren as a track athlete at such a young age.

She currently shares the100m record  for the 6 year olds and holds the 200 record. In the 7 year old age group she is the record holder in the 100m and 200m.These records mean as much to me as the any other title or honor she has earned thus far. Check out the pictures  below . A blast from the not to distant past.  Pictures courtesy of Grandpa : ) They sure grow up fast………..

If you are interested in having your child participate in this series of meet(3-4 in total March,April, May and June 1st is the Championship.The children come from as far north as Glendale and  far south as San Diego . For more information click on information below.

The Southern Municipal Athlectic Federation

http://scmaf.com/exec/scmaf/Track_and_Field.cfm?publicationID=40

Imani Track All Comers Track Meet and Results

These Pictures were taken on February 23rd,2008   at the Imani All Comer’s Track Meet. Lauren wasn’t able to run yet but she had a great time seeing all the girls from last season.I was surprised how happy they all were to see each other. It was a great day of running and the best is yet to come.

Don’t see your picture here? Wanna be here next time? Send me a photo or catch me at  the meet and I would be more than happy to post your little athlete’s photo and any interesting information you would like to share.  I will do my best to hightlight your track star  trackmom1@gmail.com

See you next time!

 

Results

Feb 23: Imani Track Club - 200m

Feb 23: Imani Track Club - 800m

Feb 23: Imani Track Club - Field Events

Feb 23: Imani Track Club - Running Events

Stretching Pre ,Post,or During, What’s Best?

 There is much debate regarding stretching pre, post and during exercise. At this point most coaches and trainers know the answer. But for the parents and youth out there here is the latest info on the proper stretching techniques.

Can stretching really help you improve your flexibility, lower your risk of injury, and improve your performances, as many stretching advocates claim? If so, should you stretch before or after your workouts? Which of the many types of stretching is best for you?

New research makes it clear that - in terms of improving your flexibility - it’s probably best to stretch during or after your workout, not before. In a study carried out at James Madison University in Virginia, 12 healthy subjects tried out four different hamstring- stretching protocols: ( I ) after running at a fast-enough speed so that heart rate stayed above 70 per cent of heart-rate reserve for four minutes or more (heart-rate reserve is simply max heart rate minus resting heart rate), (2) after running at just 60 per cent of heart-rate reserve for three or more minutes, (3) after warming up the hamstring muscles with heating pads, (4) with the muscles in a ‘cold’ state - after no warm-up running or heat-pad application.

Stretching the hamstrings after vigorous running (at 70 per cent of heart-rate reserve or above) proved to be far superior to the other three methods at promoting hamstring flexibility. In fact, the range of motion at the hip was 5 per cent higher when stretches were carried out after vigorous running, compared to either light running or the application of heating pads. In addition, flexibility was nearly 10 per cent greater after strenuous running, compared with stretching muscles in the ‘cold’ condition.
the stretch and contraction period lasted for about 10 seconds, and each stretch and contraction of the hamstrings was repeated three times. The stretch- contractions were carried out one, five, 10 and 15 minutes after exercise or the application of heat pads, but no additional gains in flexibility were made beyond the one-minute period (adding stretches at five-minute intervals after the workout didn’t help unkink the muscles; the key was to carry out the PNF stretching right after the exertion ended).
 
 The improvement in flexibility and potential augmentation of recovery which are noted when stretching occurs after a vigorous workout may help to explain the findings of David A. Lally, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the University of Hawaii-Manoa who carefully studied 1543 participants in the Honolulu Marathon. Lally found that runners who stretched after their workouts had relatively low rates of injury, compared to runners who didn’t stretch, while runners who stretched “BEFORE” training sessions had HIGHER rates of injury.

Although this study seems shocking at first glance, since its results suggest that the conventional practice of stretching before workouts may be doing more harm than good, the research is not so surprising when examined carefully. First, remember that one goal of stretching is to improve flexibility, and we’ve already seen (from the James Madison study) that stretching muscles before a workout, when they are ‘cold,’ doesn’t always improve flexibility, while stretching the sinews after a workout makes them more like elastic rubber bands. Second, bear in mind that although it’s popular to position stretching before the beginning of a workout, there’s actually very little resemblance between the act of stretching out a muscle and the rapid shortenings (contractions) which muscles undergo during a typical workout. In other words, stretching doesn’t represent specific preparation for an actual training session. During a stretch, a muscle is elongated and then held in a static position; in a workout, a muscle shortens repeatedly.

On the other hand, muscles are often fairly tight - and in some cases close to going into a spasm - after a very strenuous workout ends. At that point, stretching is a fine way to transform a hypercontracted muscle into a relaxed collection of fibres which can comfortably adapt to the more passive activities which usually follow a training session. As mentioned, post-workout stretching may also be a fine way to help muscles recover in time for a subsequent quality- workout.
What kind of stretching works best?

Many different stretching techniques are available to athletes, but research carried out at the University of North Texas supports the idea that PNF stretching (the type used in the James Madison study) is superior to regular passive stretches at unkinking muscles and expanding joint flexibility (Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, vol. 63(3), pp. 311-314,1992).

In the Texas study, 120 college students were randomly assigned to receive one of four different stretching treatments, all of which were designed to lengthen the hamstring muscles in the posterior, upper portion of the leg. The treatments involved:
( I ) Regular passive stretching, in which the investigators manually flexed the legs of the students at their hip joints until tension or discomfort was felt behind the knee

(2) A passive stretch of the hamstrings (as above) followed by an ‘active’ stretch of the hamstrings which was the result of a strong contraction of the quadriceps muscles in the front of the thigh. After the active stretch, there was another passive stretch of the hamstrings.

(3) A passive stretch of the hamstrings, followed by a three-second isometric contraction of the hamstrings, an active contraction of the quadriceps muscles, and then a passive stretch of the hamstrings.

(4) The same as no. 3, except that the three-second isometric contraction involved the quadriceps, not the hamstrings.

Treatments 2-4 all can be classified as PNF stretches, because relaxation of the hamstrings is ‘facilitated’ by various nerve-muscle reflexes which are activated by muscle contractions (in this case by contractions of the hamstrings or quadriceps).

For example, when the quadriceps contract, reflexes automatically ‘tell’ the hamstrings to relax so that the quadriceps can carry out their task of flexing the leg at the hip without too much resistance from the hamstrings . Also, when the hamstrings themselves contract vigorously (as in the isometric contraction of treatment no. 3), other reflexes signal the hamstrings to relax and loosen up a little.

Some studies have indicated that chilling a muscle can actually expand its stretchiness by blocking a ’stretch reflex’ which normally keeps muscles from elongating too much, so half of the subjects also received 10 minutes of cold application to the hamstrings immediately prior to stretching.

Since all subjects had less than 18 per cent body fat, the cold (applied by means of ice in a plastic bag) could penetrate fairly quickly through the subcutaneous tissues into the actual muscles.

However, cold application had no significant effect on untightening the hamstrings, indicating that this time- consuming procedure is unnecessary. On the other hand, the three PNF techniques (nos. 2-4) provided about 10- 15 per cent greater hamstring flexibility than routine passive stretching 

( 1) There were no significant differences between the three PNF methods. Most athletes tend to use conventional passive stretching rather than PNF, but since PNF enhances joint flexibility and works more effectively than routine, passive stretching, sports-active people would be wise to include PNF techniques in their stretching routines.

The North Texas study is supported by research carried out at the famed Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. There, scientists were able to to improve the muscle flexibility of 47 athletes (runners, orienteers, soccer players, and ice-hockey participants) by about 6 to 10 per cent by using ‘contract-relax’ (PNF) stretching for the calf, thigh, and hamstring muscles. The PNF stretches were carried out quite easily: individual muscles were stretched for about eight seconds, contracted for eight seconds, and then stretched again for eight seconds. This sequence was repeated five times per training session per muscle group, with great results.

Fortunately, PNF is easy to carry out. If you want to use PNF on your calf muscles, for example, you can simply stretch your calves passively for a while, contract your ankle flexors (the muscles in the front of the lower part of the leg) and then passively elongate your calf muscles again (as in technique no. 2 from the North Texas study described above). Or, you can stretch your calves, isometrically contract your calves, work your ankle flexors, and then stretch your calf muscles again (as in North-Texas treatment no. 3). If you do this systematically - especially in areas of your body with excess muscle tightness - you should notice a marked improvement in your flexibility.
 

Before a workout?
So what should you do before your workout begins? Instead of stretching, try other, more specific preparatory activities. Walking, jogging slowly, skipping, hopping, walking on toes (with toes pointed to the inside, straight ahead, and to the outside), walking on heels (ditto), and carrying out the active-mobility exercises will in most cases prepare you more specifically for your workout than sitting on your rump while passively trying to unkink your cold muscles. These alternative activities bring hot blood to your muscles and wake up your cardiovascular muscular, and nervous systems, so that you’re really ready to train in a high-quality way.

But don’t throw away stretching altogether. You can complete your PNF stretching routine when your workout is over. After all, it’s easy ! Just remember to stretch each important muscle group for eight to 10 seconds, contract it for about the same amount of time, and then stretch it for eight to 10 more seconds.

Do this three to five times for each muscle group after a workout, and in short order you’ll be much more flexible. This improved flexibility should allow your muscles to contract more powerfully - and promote higher performances !

Jim Bledsoe

Lemon Wedges Can Make You Sick

Have you ever taken your athletes out for a meal during a travel meet and suggested they order water with lemon? You may think again after seeing this video ? These germs really make you want to stay home and eat…YUCK  think I will bring my own water next time.

Track Mom

 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeye8wnBJoU&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=0]

Religion Not An Issue Or Is It?

Religion Not an Issue
Incident involving the color of a Muslim girl’s uniform ‘has been blown out of proportion,’ D.C. schools athletic director says..
 Chay Rao and Stephanie Siegel | Staff Writers
Montgomery school officials have been criticized as insensitive and even racist after a Muslim girl was told she could not participate in a county track meet because of her uniform, which covered her head, arms and legs in accordance with Muslim customs.
But according to Montgomery County Public Schools officials, religion had nothing to do with the ruling made by an event referee and MCPS employees had no authority to overrule the decision.
‘‘This has been a colossal misunderstanding,” said Kate Harrison, MCPS spokeswoman.
Juashuanna Kelly, a senior at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Washington, was told she could not run in the Jan. 12 Montgomery Invitational indoor track and field meet because the garment she wore did not conform to color standards. Kelly, who is Muslim, was wearing a half-blue and half-orange unitard and head covering under her track uniform.
National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Indoor Track and Field guidelines state that a runner must wear a single-colored tracksuit under a school jersey - a rule to help identify runners at the finish line in case of close finishes.
‘‘The uniform rules are clearly stated within the rule book. … If she had worn a solid color, she would have been fine. It was something that could have been avoided early on,” said Becky Oakes, assistant director of NFHS. ‘‘No one wants the athlete DQ’d.”
Kelly, who had worn the special uniform to other meets, including the Montgomery Invitational last year, had been granted a waiver for meets in Washington, according to Allen Chin, director of athletics for District of Columbia Public Schools.
‘‘I feel sorry for the young girl, but frankly, this is something that has been blown out of proportion,” Chin said.
After being told she could participate if she wore a single-colored, long-sleeved T-shirt over the unitard, Kelly and her coach, Tony Bowden, decided to withdraw from the race, Harrison said. Kelly was not disqualified, according to Harrison.
‘‘Religion had no factor in the decision over whether she could participate,” she said.
Bo Meyers, a hired official who is qualified as a ‘‘master referee” by USA Track and Field, the national governing body for track and field sports, made the ruling, Harrison said.
Oakes said Kelly had time to make a change if she wanted. ‘‘Everything was handled properly by meet officials according to the rules,” she said.
However, for many in the Muslim community, barring Kelly from the meet because of the colors of her unitard was the wrong decision.
‘‘The people who made this decision were very insensitive,” said Rashid Makhdoom, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Muslim Council, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Muslim interests and involvement in the county. ‘‘I think there should be some sensitivity training. There is some feeling that there might be some kind of race [discrimination] involved.”
Harrison said training to make employees aware of cultural and religious differences is already required for school system employees; however, Meyers and other athletic officials are not considered MCPS employees.
One MCPS employee who was criticized for the decision was meet director Tom Rogers, a track and field coach at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda. Rogers was blamed by some for upholding the decision not to let Kelly participate.
‘‘There has been an enormous barrage of angry and even threatening letters,” Harrison said.
But it was never Rogers’ role to say who was allowed to compete, she said.
‘‘His role was as an administrator, to take care of the business aspects,” Harrison said.
Rogers was in charge of making sure the track and equipment was ready, sending out the invitations and hiring the officials, among other duties.
Makhdoom believes an exception could have been made for Kelly.
‘‘She has sacrificed quite a bit of her religious beliefs and compromised to participate,” he said.
‘‘Our religious beliefs are such that women, especially, are not supposed to show the body. I would call it a compromise,” he said of the garment Kelly wore. While it covered her skin, it was still tighter than clothes traditional Muslim women wear, he said.
The perception that Kelly was singled out for her religion is damaging for community relations between Muslims and others, he said.
In years past, several runners have competed in the Montgomery Invitational wearing head coverings, including Shakira Raheem, who competed for Albert Einstein High School before graduating in 2007, and Fatima Abbas, who ran for Rogers at Walter Johnson before graduating in 1999.
‘‘The head covering itself was never a violation,” Rogers said. ‘‘Fatima ran with a hejab for four years, and she never had any problems.”
He said there was another athlete, a boys hurdler from James Robinson High School in Virginia, who was not allowed to compete at the Montgomery Invitational this month because of uniform violations similar to Kelly’s.
‘‘The torso of [Kelly's] undergarment was multicolored, which was the same problem that the kid from Robinson had,” Rogers said. ‘‘The implication was religious discrimination, but that was absolutely not the case. It is a very one-sided view that has been out there and that has been hurtful.”

Inspiration Friday!! Training Well Counts

I have a new feature on TrackMom, “Training Video tips”

The commentator athlete  is Jabari Pride, Former National Collegate Champion.

These tips are featured via Youtube.com and Expertvilliage .They are short and to the point. You can share them with your athlete and watch over and over again. Enjoy and good luck this weekend! Here’s a sample….

For more video tips see  “Video Tips Pages” to the left on this site 

How to Stretch Your Pectorals  

Learn some great tips on how to stretch your pectorals for a track and field meet in this free video clip series on sports events, stretching and preparation. more »

Times Favorited: 0 How to Breathe Correctly When Jogging  

Learn some great tips on how to breathe correctly when jogging in a track and field meet in this free video clip series on sports events, stretching and preparation. more »

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcOwQY5x82o&rel=1]

Dynasty McGee AAU Most Valuable Female Athlete

  

Dynasty McGee (14) was named the meet’s most valuable female athlete at the AAU Northern Indoor Championships in Merrilleville, IN.. She broke two meet records in the 200 and 400 meters in the Intermediate girls division (16 under)both set by university of Florida bound Alishea Usery, her 200 time is the fastest ever ran in the history of the indoor nationals (on the 160 meter track without spikes). surpassing the young womens (19 and under) time of 25.77 set by Tracy Ball of Detroit Cass Tech in 1998. She also won the triple jump below are all the results. This is Dynasty’s 9th National title and 5th national record.

Article from Youth Runner’s Staff

 Side Note.  We did not travel to Indiana with  Lauren as planned due to her coming down with the Flu. She has been sick now for over 14  days but today she was feeling alot better. Training is a bit behind but we are most concerned with her health getting back to 100% before the training begins again. She will be out probably 3 more weeks . I can tell she is getting a bit antsy and wants to get going . She see results from meets here and across the country and is ready to role. Patience,Patience I tell her. : )

Track Mom

A New Track For Oceanside,California Kids

February 17, 2008 OCEANSIDE - Behind Ivey Ranch Elementary School is a brand new track and field - a labor of love for a local foundation dedicated to fighting childhood obesity.

For Karen Johnson, co-founder of the Gibraltar Foundation and an Ivey Ranch parent, building the track with the help of numerous donors has been part of a personal mission to help children exercise more and improve their nutrition.

Educators who gathered Friday at the school to dedicate the track and field said it should give children a strong incentive to stay active.

“A first-class facility like this makes a statement,” said Larry Perondi, Oceanside Unified School District’s superintendent. “It says we think fitness is important.”

The Gibraltar Foundation aims to build a track and field at elementary schools across California.

Johnson, a former cancer researcher at the University of California San Diego, said she came up with the idea for the foundation during a visit five years ago to a local YMCA.

“The kids were just big,” she said. “There were more children with love handles than not.”

That may sound funny, but childhood obesity is no joke. The prevalence of overweight children ages six to 11 more than doubled in the past 24 years - going from 7 percent in 1980 to 18.8 percent in 2004, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

The rate among adolescents ages 12 to 19 more than tripled, increasing from 5 percent to 17.1 percent. Obesity leads to numerous problems, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer.

“The government and insurance industry are panicking, because it is going to cripple our health care industry,” Johnson said.

The new track is made from sealed decomposed granite and the infield is synthetic turf. Thirty companies and organizations donated $200,000 in material and expertise for the project.

Ivey Ranch classmates Anashea Atempa, 9, Catherine Bowen, 9, McKenna Fix, 9, and Alex Espinosa, 10, said the track and field will augment an already active play schedule.

Before the track and field was built, students had to run their laps on a grass field.

“Now at PE, we’re going to start running more often,” Anashea said of using the track.

---

Bruce Lieberman: (760) 476-8205; bruce.lieberman@uniontrib.com

Sleep And The Youth Athlete

Americans now get about 25 percent less sleep than they did a century ago. This isn’t just a matter of fatigue, it causes serious damage to your athletes body.

Sleep deprivation can alter your levels of thyroid and stress hormones, which play a part in everything from your memory and immune system to your heart and metabolism. Over time, lack of sleep can lead to:

• Weight gain
• Depression
• High blood sugar levels and an increased risk of diabetes
• Brain damage
• Decrease sports performance

Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to get the sleep your body craves. Here are 10 to start with. 

1. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water, and then iron them before making your child’s bed. The scent is proven to promote relaxation.

2.  Have a certain time  the TV goes off and your child begins his nightly routine for sleep prepartion (bath,teeth brushing a story read by you or him etc.

 3. Choose the right pillow — neck pillows, which resemble a rectangle with a depression in the middle, can enhance the quality of your sleep and reduce neck pain.

4. Paint your bedroom sage green, or another soothing color, which will provide a visual reminder of sleep.

5. Move your bed away from outside walls, which will help cut down on noise.

6. Kick your dog or cat out of your bedroom — studies have shown that they snore!

7. Take a hot bath 90 to 120 minutes before bedtime; it increases your core body temperature, and when it abruptly drops when you get out of the bath, it signals your body that you are ready for sleep.

8.   Identify and play soft relaxing music your child enjoys at bed time. (Lauren loves Chris Botti)

9. Put heavier curtains over the bedroom windows — even the barely noticeable light from streetlights, a full moon, or your neighbor’s house can interfere with the circadian rhythm changes you need to fall asleep.

10. Eat a handful of walnuts or drink a warm cup of milk wit vanilla before bed — they’re a good source of tryptophan, a sleep-enhancing amino acid. 

                   ****WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY****

The study, authored by Cheri Mah of Stanford University, was conducted on six healthy students on the Stanford men’s basketball team, who maintained their typical sleep-wake patterns for a two-week baseline followed by an extended sleep period in which they obtained as much extra sleep as possible. To assess improvements in athletic performance, the students were judged based on their sprint time and shooting percentages.

Significant improvements in athletic performance were observed, including faster sprint time and increased free-throws. Athletes also reported increased energy and improved mood during practices and games, as well as a decreased level of fatigue.

“Although much research has established the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive function, mood and performance, relatively little research has investigated the effects of extra sleep over multiple nights on these variables, and even less on the specific relationship between extra sleep and athletic performance. This study illuminated this latter relationship and showed that obtaining extra sleep was associated with improvements in indicators of athletic performance and mood among members of the men’s basketball team.”

The amount of sleep a person gets affects his or her physical health, emotional well-being, mental abilities, productivity and performance. Recent studies associate lack of sleep with serious health problems such as an increased risk of depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

An abstract of this research was presented June 13 @ SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

Adapted from materials provided by American Academy of Sleep Medicine, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Track Mom

Next Page »