Body in Motion

Body image

Some women are too obsessed with their bodies. You can blame men, who pressure  women to be thin. You can blame parents, who fed their children pizza, burgers and fries, and then nagged them well into adulthood about being overweight. Or you can blame the media, as this video from Dove does: http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/home.asp

There's nothing wrong with wanting to look good, but when it becomes an obsession it can be detrimental your health. Calorie deprivation and over-exercising can lead to osteoporosis, a weakened immune system and cardiovascular problems, among other things.

The character Courtney on Survivor said she does not want to be judged by the way she looks. I don't believe it because she is a former model and models are hired based on their looks. She has lost a significant amount of weight on the show, yet she doesn't seem to be care. Does CBS care?

Oh, baby!

Should you run during pregnancy or soon after? That's a question for your obstetrician. If you need inspiration to lose your baby fat, look no further than Paula Radcliffe, female winner of the New York City marathon, 291 days after giving birth:

  CHICAGO -- (AP) -- For bleary-eyed new moms, the image of Paula Radcliffe celebrating her stonishing New York marathon victory just nine months after giving birth is more than slightly surreal.

   There she was, one sinewy arm holding a baby, the other victoriously waving a British flag, ribs visible beneath a washboard-flat torso, not an ounce of visible fat on her sleek body.

   "Running whilst preggers? Winning 9 months after? Yo!'' read one blog comment. "She is phenomenal and a role model to all new Mums!'' said another.

   Radcliffe's triumph Sunday, running 26.2 miles in two hours, 23 minutes just 291 days after childbirth, inspires equal amounts of awe and envy. But it also highlights a medical debate about just ow gung-ho women should be about exercise during pregnancy and afterward.

   Some doctors believe women used to rigorous exercise can continue it at least early in pregnancy and resume soon afterward, but that this is not the time for inactive women to suddenly decide they want to try a marathon. Their advice is often that it's OK to continue what you're used to, but don't push it.

   Other doctors are "pretty nervous about women exercising during pregnancy'' and advise against, said Dr. Linda Szymanski, a Johns Hopkins obstetrician and exercise specialist.

   The problem is, guidelines are vague and there's not much research, she said.

   Most medical advice on the topic is based on "pretty poor evidence," and there's even less data on the effects in highly trained athletes, Szymanski said. "It's a really tough area."

(Run Miami: www.ingmiamimarathon.com)

Marathoner dies

    NEW YORK -- (AP) -- Top distance runner Ryan Shay died during the U.S. men's Olympic marathon trials Saturday, overshadowing what was supposed to be a showcase day for the sport. Shay collapsed about 5½ miles into the race and was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:46 a.m., New York Road Runners president Mary Wittenberg said. He was 28.  "It cuts a knife through everybody's hearts," said Wittenberg, whose group organized the race.  She said Shay received immediate medical attention. The medical examiner's office said an autopsy will be performed Sunday.

Run faster

If you want to run fast, run fast. That's the only way you'll get faster. I figured this out when I was training for a black belt several years ago in Fort Lauderdale. One of the requirements for all black belt candidates was a 3-mile run in less than 24 minutes. Back then I thought an 8-minute mile was fast, faster than I could ever run. And it was, until I just started running faster. I set a treadmill to 7.5 mph to see what an 8-minute mile felt like. Then I ran outside until I felt like I was running an 8-minute mile. It was tough, but I got familiar with that feeling and soon completed my 3-mile run in 23:50, then 23:40 something and then 23:20 something. This morning I ran on the treadmill at a 10 mph hour pace. Now, that's fast.

In training

Completing  a marathon is easy. Training for a marathon is difficult -- getting out bed before dawn for those long runs, struggling with blisters and mangled toenails, and popping Advil for to soothe sore muscles. But nothing compares to getting that finisher's medal on race day. To catch a glimpse of some ordinary people in training, visit www.health.com/marathon, then sign up for the ING Miami Marathon or Half Marathon at www.ingmiamimarathon.com.

Marathon world record

Two hours, four minutes, 26 seconds. That's the new world record, thanks to Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie, winner of Sunday's Berlin marathon. His average pace: 12.65 mph. That's faster than  a squirrel (12 mph), domestic pig (11 mph), chicken (9 mph) and house mouse (8 mph). But not a cheetah (70 mph). Read more about Gebrselassie at www.runnersworld.com. And if you haven't registered already, visit www.ingmiamimarathon.com, and sign up for the Jan. 27 ING Miami Marathon or Half Marathon before fees increase tomorrow.

Train, Train, Train!

If you're training for the ING Miami Marathon (www.ingmiamimarathon.com), my advice is to be prepared, whether this will be your first marathon or your 15th. This is advice I should have taken myself when I trained for the 2001 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. My longest training run, which should have been at least 20 miles, was only 13. Well, actually, I ran 11 miles, rested about 30 minutes, then ran 2 more miles. (What a slacker!) When I reached mile 15 in Oklahoma City, my feet ached, my thighs throbbed and I wanted to quit. But I didn't. I walked most of the next 11 miles and made it across the finish line. I spent the rest of the evening in bed. The Corporate Run was held the following week, but I was still too sore. I didn't run for about 2 weeks. I figured since I had already completed 5 marathons I idn't need to train for the 6th. Boy, was I wrong.

Firefighter's 5K

Are you a solo runner? Get off the treadmill and pound the pavement at Sunday's Firefighter's 5K, 7 a.m. on the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk, A1A and Johnson Street. If you're planning to run Miami (www.ingmiamimarathon.com) and you've never raced before, add a few 5Ks to your training, see how it feels to run with a pack, see how many people you can pass, see how much fun you'll have. To register, click here: http://www.goldcoastrunners.org/events/firefighters.htm When it's over, tell me how you did.

Swim, bike or run?

What shall I do today? Swim, bike or run? No, I'm not training for a triathlon. I just like to cross-train, add some variety to my workout, shake things up a bit. My favorite is running because swimming makes me hungry and some people drive way too close to those bicycle lanes. Recently seven bicyclists were sent to the hospital after and accident in Kendale Lakes. Two of them were in critical condition. I know runners can get hit by cars, too. That's why I run on either a treadmill or a jogging path. Tell me, what's your favorite workout and why?