New technology helps athletes prevent dehydration and heat-related illness
With fall sports under way around the country, often in dangerously hot weather conditions, Mobile Sports, Inc. announced the official launch of iHydrate(TM), an innovative iPhone application giving athletes, parents of athletes, coaches, and athletic trainers the tools and information they need to avoid dehydration and other, more serious heat-related illnesses.
“One of the biggest challenges athletes continually face, not just in hot, humid weather, is consuming enough fluids before, during and after sports to maintain proper hydration,” says Brooke de Lench, Youth Sports Expert and Editor-in-Chief of the popular youth sports parenting website, YouthSportsParents.com and CEO and President of MSI. “iHydrate(TM) is designed to address this important problem,” says de Lench.
To help keep athletes of any age not only stay hydrated but avoid the catastrophic risks of heat-related illness or death, iHydrate(TM) is the first iPhone application to:
– provide the heat index–the apparent temperature on the basis of the current temperature and relative humidity at the user’s current location;
– display the level of heat-illness risk under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) heat index;
– allow parents, coaches and athletic trainers to schedule hydration reminders for before, during and after sports; and
– help facilitate the replacement of fluids lost during sports based on urine color and/or amount of weight lost.
In addition to these tools, iHydrate(TM) includes a helpful reference section, including basic information on dehydration and heat-illness prevention, signs, symptoms and treatment, and the Pre-Season Heat-Acclimatization Guidelines recently issued by the American College of Sports Medicine and seven other medical groups.
Facts about children and heat-illness
– Exertional heat stroke is the leading cause of preventable non-traumatic exertional sudden death for young athletes in the U.S.
– Dehydration is common in kids playing sports: Of kids studied at summer sports camps more than 50% were dehydrated and 25 to 30% showe
signs of serious dehydration, putting them at increased risk of heat-related illness. Dehydration occurred despite the availability of water and sports drinks, frequent breaks and coaches’ encouragement to stay hydrated. Once children were dehydrated, it was nearly impossible for them to catch up.
– Dehydration can begin when an athlete loses as little as 1 percent of body weight. In a 70-pound child, that is less than 1 pound of weight lost through sweat;
– Dehydration effects performance: as little as a 2% decrease in body weight from fluid loss (e.g. 1.2 lb for a 60-lb athlete) can lead to a significant decrease in muscular strength and stamina.
“We developed iHydrate(TM) to make it much easier for parents, coaches and athletic trainers to keep kids properly hydrated and avoid dehydration and other more serious forms of heat illness,” says de Lench, “by putting new technology – an application in their hands that not only informs them about the risk of heat-related illness in real time, but gives them the tools they need to ensure proper hydration and re-hydration.”
“One of the reasons kids don’t drink enough fluids before, during and after sports, is that they forget,” notes de Lench. “Parents and coaches can use iHydrate(TM) to remind them to drink on a schedule, not just when they are thirsty.”
Source: Mobile Sports, Inc.
Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year: Curtis Beach
First-ever decathlete and student-athlete from state of New Mexico to win honor
In its third decade of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in partnership with ESPN RISE, announced senior decathlete Curtis Beach of Albuquerque Academy (Albuquerque, N.M.) as its 2008-09 Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
Beach is the first student-athlete from the state of New Mexico to win Gatorade National Player of the Year honors in any sport. He is also the first decathlete to be named a Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the track, distinguishes Beach as the nation’s best high school boys track & field athlete. A national advisory board comprised of sportswriters and sport-specific experts from around the country helped select Beach from more than 548,000 high school boys track & field athletes nationwide. Beach is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special afternoon ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.
The 6-foot, 166-pound senior decathlete broke the national prep decathlon record at the Arcadia Invitational this spring, scoring 7,909 points to shatter the 16-year-old former record of 7,417 points. In that competition, Beach set personal bests in the high jump (6-9.5), the shot put (44-8), the javelin (155-9) the 400-meter dash (48.16 seconds) and the 1500-meter run (4:09.48). A three-time Gatorade New Mexico Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year honoree, Beach also led the Chargers to the Class 4A state championship as a team, winning five individual state titles in the process. He took first place in the 110-meter hurdles (14.53), the 200-meter dash (21.84), the 400-meter dash (47.99), the high jump (6-9.5) and the pole vault (15-3).
A 17-time individual state champion in New Mexico’s Class 4A, Beach holds all-class state records in the 200, the 110 hurdles and the long jump. Beach took third in the 800-meter run at the Nike Outdoor Nationals with a time of 1:50.75, the nation’s 11th-fastest prep clocking in 2009. His season-best time of 20.94 in the 200 ranks No. 3 in the nation among prep competitors.
Beach scored 7,466 points and won the Great Southwest Track and Field Classic in Albuquerque for the third straight year. Using international junior implements, he eclipsed a 37-year-old record of 7,359 points set by South Eugene (Oregon) star Craig Brigham in 1972. He also won the 2009 USA Track & Field Junior Outdoor Championships decathlon title, scoring 7,599 points using junior implements.
Beach has maintained a weighted 3.75 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as a youth coach with the Albuquerque Track Club, in a co-coordinating role on behalf of the Whittier Elementary School Health Fair and as part of multiple fundraising initiatives to benefit cancer research. Beach’s senior project involved an internship with the Sandia Chile Grill during which he developed a business plan that sold more than 600 sandwiches.
“It’s certainly been an amazing year for Beach,” said Albuquerque Academy Head Track and Field Coach Adam Kedge. “It has only been outdone by his loyalty to his performance and his loyalty to his team. He is truly the epitome of the ultimate multi-sport athlete. I’ve seen him put in five-, six- or seven-hour days just training with his coaches. Then he still finds the time to be a good student and give back to his community.”
Beach has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in track and field on scholarship at Duke University beginning this fall.
“Without question, Curtis is deserving of recognition as the nation’s best high school boys track & field athlete based on his statistics on the track and the impact his accomplishments had on Albuquerque Academy’s success,” said Gatorade Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing Jeff Urban. “But he is also a shining example to peers and aspiring young players of what a leader and a student-athlete should be. He represents everything we hope for in a Gatorade Player of the Year recipient.”
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE, which works with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
Former notable Gatorade National Players of the Year include:
- Reigning 200-meter world champion Allyson Felix
- Reigning American record-holder in the mile Alan Webb
- 2006 IAAF World Athlete of the Year and 400-meter American record-holder Sanya Richards
- NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith
- Softball Olympic gold medalist Cat Osterman
- Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning
- Kansas City Royals ace Zach Grienke
- WNBA all-time leading scorer and rebounder Lisa Leslie
For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information and lists of past winners and future announcement dates, visit gatorade.com/playeroftheyear.
ALL-TIME GATORADE NATIONAL BOYS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
YEAR NAME HIGH SCHOOL STATUS
2008-09 Curtis Beach Albuquerque Academy, High School Senior Albuquerque, NM
2007-08 German Fernandez Riverbank HS, Oklahoma State Riverbank, CA University
2006-07 Bryshon Nellum Long Beach Poly, USC Long Beach, CA
2005-06 David Klech California, University of San Ramon, CA Oregon
2004-05 Ryan Whiting Central Dauphin, Arizona State Harrisburg, PA University
2003-04 Jason Richardson Cedar Hill, Univ. of South Cedar Hill, TX Carolina
2002-03 Kerron Clement La Porte, USA Track & La Porte, TX Field/Nike
2001-02 Brendan Christian Reagan, Univ. of Houston Austin, TX Grad.
2000-01 Alan Webb South Lakes, USA Track & Reston, VA Field/Nike
1999-00 Donald Sage, Jr. York, Stanford Univ. Elmhurst, IL Grad.
1998-99 Jacob Freeman Bishop Hendricken, Manhattan College Warwick, RI Grad.
1997-98 Jon Stevens Mission San Jose, Stanford Univ. Fremont, CA Grad.
1996-97 Sharif Karie West Springfield, Univ. of Arkansas Springfield, VA Grad.
1995-96 Michael Granville Bell Gardens, UCLA Grad. Bell Gardens, CA
1994-95 Michael Stember Jesuit, USA Track & Carmichael, CA Field/Nike
1993-94 Andre Scott Seminole, Auburn Univ. Grad. Sanford, FL
1992-93 Charles Mitchell Waco High, Mississippi State Waco, TX Univ. Grad.
1991-92 Sheddric Fields South Oak Cliff, Univ. of Houston Dallas, TX Grad.
1990-91 Bryan Bronson Jasper, Rice Univ. Grad. Jasper, TX
1989-90 Brent Noon Fallbrook, Univ. of Georgia Fallbrook, CA Grad.
1988-89 Dion Bentley Penn Hills, Univ. of FloridaPittsburgh, PA Grad.
1987-88 Art Skipper, Jr. Sandy, Deceased Sandy, OR
1986-87 Kamy Keshmiri Reno, Univ. of Nevada Reno, NV Grad.
1985-86 Eric Mastalir Jesuit, Stanford Univ. Carmichael, CA Grad.
Source: Gatorade
A Marathon is not Enough: Dean Karnazes to Run 100 Miles to L.A. and Then Run the L.A. Marathon
Running one marathon is plenty for most people, but not Dean Karnazes.
The 46-year-old ultra-marathoner who grew up in Southern California will return – on foot – to run in the 2009 Los Angeles Marathon next Monday on Memorial Day, May 25, by running approximately 100 miles from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles on Saturday and Sunday!
“I’m an L.A. native, so I feel a certain affinity for the L.A. Marathon and I so look forward to running it every year,” he said on a video posted on YouTube on May 9. “In fact, one of my fondest memories ever is my Dad running the L.A. Marathon; he ran the inaugural L.A. Marathon and I was there to watch him cross that finish line. It left an impression on me forever.
“So the weekend of the L.A. Marathon, I’m actually going to be staying in Santa Barbara. It’s about 100 miles from Santa Barbara where I’m staying to the L.A. Marathon, so I’ll take off about 24 hours in advance to run the 100 miles. I’ll run right down the Pacific Coast Highway, right along the coast. It will be extremely beautiful, so I look forward to that. I’ll run to the Expo, actually, on Sunday and I’m going to give a talk, so if anyone wants to come listen to me talk, I’ll be at the Expo on Sunday afternoon and then I’ll probably kick about and run the Marathon with everyone on Monday. It seems like a great weekend.”
Karnazes will appear at free-to-the-public Run/Ex/09 at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. to share his experience of running down the coast over the prior 24 hours.
“My earliest recollection of running was running home from kindergarten,” he noted. “I started running at six years old.” He recalled that he ran his first marathon at age 14, but then gave it up as he matured, graduating from San Clemente High School and then majoring in food science technology at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
“I found myself in a bar on my 30th birthday,” he remembered in the video. “I said to my buddies at 11 o’clock at night, ‘I’m going to go running tonight. I’m going to run 30 miles to celebrate my 30th birthday.’ And they said, ‘You’re drunk,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I am, but I’m still going to do it.’ So I walked out of a bar at 11 at night and literally ran all night long.” That marked his return to running and he’s been on the roads ever since. “You really stretch the boundaries of the human spirit and human endurance,” he said, noting that he’s run as much as 350 miles non-stop.
Asked how many marathons he’s run, he replies that, “I stopped counting at 100; I don’t think I’ve quite run 200.” But he respects the distance and the effort required, “Completing a marathon is an incredible achievement; it’s something that 99.9% of people will never do.”
Karnazes, who lives in Marin County, isn’t planning on resting much after Monday’s L.A. Marathon, though. He’ll be on the road to race again in San Diego the next weekend.
For more information on the Los Angeles Marathon, visit www.lamarathon.com
For more information on the Acura L.A. Bike Tour, visit www.acuraLAbiketour.com
“We inspire athletes and connect communities. Anchored by the iconic Los Angeles Marathon, our three sporting events draw more than 25,000 athletes, 5,000 volunteers, and one million spectators along the route to sunny Southern California for the L.A. Marathon, the Acura L.A. Bike Tour, and our 5K Run/Walk, making race day one of the world’s largest days of participatory sport.”
~ Russ Pillar, President, Los Angeles Marathon
Source: L.A. Marathon
Full Calendar of Activities for 24th Los Angeles Marathon This Memorial Day Weekend
Runners, cyclists, fans and anyone interested in fitness will have plenty to see and do during the Memorial Day weekend leading up to the 24th Los Angeles Marathon to be held for the first time on Memorial Day, May 25. Coming up:
Saturday, May 23: Run/Ex/09
One of the largest racing expositions in the world, Run/Ex/09, will open in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. More than 140 exhibitors will offer innovative demonstrations and state-of-the-art products and services on running, health, fitness and lifestyle improvement on more than four acres of floor space. Saturday hours are from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and admission is free.
Saturday, May 23: The Carbo Load
The traditional pre-race Carbo Load dinner will be held for the first time at the ESPN Zone at L.A. Live, a short walk from the Run/Ex/09 site at the Convention Center. Tickets are $25 per person and seating is extremely limited.
Sunday, May 24: Run/Ex/09
The final day of Run/Ex/09 is the last chance to register for the 2009 Los Angeles Marathon or the Acura L.A. Bike Tour (no race-day registration) or the Los Angeles Marathon 5k Run/Walk (for which there will be race-day registration). Sunday’s Run/Ex/09 hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and admission is free.
Monday, May 25: Los Angeles Marathon XXIV
The Los Angeles Marathon will be held for the first time on Memorial Day, with more than 35,000 participants expected to run, cycle and walk in the Marathon, Acura L.A. Bike Tour or the 5k Run/Walk.
Start times:
5:00 a.m.: Acura L.A. Bike Tour start
6:55 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon wheelchair participant start
7:00 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon hand-cycle start
7:07 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon elite women’s start
7:24 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon field start
8:30 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon 5k Run/Walk start
8:50 a.m.: Springfield Kids Marathon start
9:45 a.m.: Awards presentation at the Los Angeles Central Library
Street closures in the downtown Los Angeles area will begin about 5:20 a.m. with all streets re-opened by 5:20 p.m.
Monday, May 25: Los Angeles Marathon Finish Line Festival
Beginning with a giant screen showing the live KNBC race broadcast, the annual Finish Line Festival will begin at 7 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m. at Flower and 3rd Streets in downtown Los Angeles. Live entertainment will be offered on the K-EARTH Stage beginning at 10:30 a.m., with the Michelob Ultra Beer Garden close by plus two dozen sponsor and exhibit booths, including the Family Reunion Area.
Admission to the Finish Line Festival is free.
For more information on the Los Angeles Marathon, visit www.lamarathon.com
For more information on the Acura L.A. Bike Tour, visit www.acuraLAbiketour.com
“We inspire athletes and connect communities. Anchored by the iconic Los Angeles Marathon, our three sporting events draw more than 42,000 athletes, 12,000 volunteers, and one million spectators along the route to sunny Southern California for the L.A. Marathon, the Acura L.A. Bike Tour, and our 5K Run/Walk for Charity, making race day one of the world’s largest days of participatory sport.”
~ Russ Pillar, President, Los Angeles Marathon, L.L.C.
Source: Los Angeles Marathon, L.L.C.
56-Year-Old Grandmother Heads to Antarctica to Run Her Seventh Worldwide Marathon in Under a Year
Compassionate Runner, Linda Quirk, Nationally Known for Her Quest to Raise One Million Dollars for Charity, Makes a Request for More Donations on www.Run7on7.com
At 56, Linda Quirk has undergone an amazing journey – seven marathons across seven continents in just under a year. She began her trek across the globe by running the Boston Marathon in April 2008 and has since gone on to run the Great Wall of China, Easter Island, Kenya (Safaricom), Reykjavik, and Melbourne marathons. Now she’s heading to Antarctica to run along its freezing glaciers on March 10, for what will be her seventh and final continent on her mission.
“I can’t believe it’s finally here,” says Linda Quirk. “This past year has been a whirlwind with national media, sponsorships and the support of so many incredible people.”
Linda’s goal has always been to help raise one million dollars for Caron Treatment Center’s addiction scholarship program that helps families in need get access to treatment at Caron. At close to $250,000, Linda has been able to reach a quarter of her goal, but in this economic climate, she sees this as a success.
“It’s been tough,” said Linda Quirk. “This is why we’re asking people to part with whatever they can afford, because even a little goes a long way. For example, the $250,000 raised thus far will help us put more than 20 people through Caron’s innovative treatment. People just like my stepdaughter Katherine who we almost lost to a methamphetamine addiction forever.”
Caron is a nonprofit addiction treatment center that helps those affected by alcohol and drugs and their families begin a new life. Linda’s stepdaughter, Katherine, began her journey from methamphetamine addiction to recovery at Caron Renaissance in Florida, something Linda is forever grateful for. In fact, five members of Caron’s staff have run alongside her to support this momentous initiative.
“We are honored by Linda’s efforts on Caron’s behalf,” says Missy Orlando, Executive Vice President, of Communications and Marketing at Caron Treatment Centers. “Linda’s worldwide mission, and her stepdaughter’s successful recovery, has been an inspiration to all of us.”
To document her mission, Linda launched www.Run7on7.com, a captivating Web site that has been following her adventure around the globe with video footage, media highlights and more while accepting the much-needed scholarship donations.
Linda’s been sharing the experience of helping a loved one overcome their chemical dependency on www.Run7on7.com and in public forums where she hopes to inform other families that addiction doesn’t discriminate but that there is hope for a successful recovery. Linda is also beginning the groundwork for a national recovery movement and will be making a special announcement about her plans to continue her mission to raise one million dollars for Caron sometime after Antarctica.
Physically, Linda is a far cry from your typical 56-year-old grandmother of three. She’s a trained runner who has participated in multiple marathons and triathlons around the world including Big Sur, Alaska and Berlin. She has also completed numerous extreme races including many Ironman full, half and Olympic distance triathlons, including: Ironman Florida, Long Course Worlds in Sweden, Ironman Lanzarote, Ironman World Championships, Kona, Hawaii and Ironman 70.3 Worlds in Clearwater, Florida.
To help get the word out and to support her mission, Linda has partnered with BP Products North America Inc. and SkirtSports. Currently, Linda – a member of BP’s “Team Invigorate” – is speaking on behalf of BP gasoline with Invigorate, a unique formula that helps cars run “younger for longer.” For more information about BP gasoline with Invigorate and Team Invigorate, visit bpinvigorate.com.
To learn more about Linda Quirk’s incredible story or to make a donation to her cause, log onto www.Run7on7.com.