Strollerderby : running

A Genetic Test That Predicts Kids' Athletic Futures

JeanneSager — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:32:00 GMT

Think your toddler has the foot to bend it like Beckham one day? What if the only thing standing between you and knowing if they'd one day be kicking balls in the big leagues was $149? Oh yeah, and a cheek swab which should be bagged and sent out to a lab in Colorado for testing.

The Boulder-based Atlas Sports Genetics is touting a new test which they say can help pinpoint a child's natural athletic future. For that $149, you'll get a report telling you whether your kid is designed for speed or endurance.

It all sounds a bit West German, Soviet bloc to me, but Atlas owner Kevin Reilly says his test will actually help protect kids with an overzealous parent from being pushed into a sport they simply weren't made to play. The tests are built off of the 2003 study which linked the gene ACTN3 to athletic ability. The study found that the R variant of the gene directs the body to produce a protein used in developing the type of muscle mass needed for power and speed. By contrast, the X variant of the gene was found to be more prevalent in the elite endurance Olympians studied.

Atlas' test breaks down the ACTN3 gene from the swabs and looks for either R or X variants, then reports back to parents. They test kids ages one through eight, with the hopes of giving parents a chance to properly foster a kid's natural abilities from a young age (although, to give him credit, Reilly advises against heavily pushing children into competitive sports until at least eight years old . . . to avoid burnout).

Besides the fact that many scientists have said ACTN3 studies are still in their infancy, and a more in-depth look at the genetic make-up of athletes is in order, I'm skeptical. So a kid may have an R variant of a gene (the one supposedly pointing to power sports); what if he doesn't like football? Won't this promote more overzealous parents rather than limit them?

My husband is a big soccer fan, so he loves kicking the ball around with our three year old. For a tot, she's got a great handle on the ball. But does that mean we should cut out all requests for tee-ball, softball, even a bid to run cross country? Whatever happened to letting our kids play sports because they enjoy them, because they'll gain discipline, learn sportsmanship, get their butts off the couch? Last time I checked, it really is just a game.

Growing up in a small town where the fight for passing the school budget was to ensure we'd still have a football program every year - so boys would have a chance to get noticed by a college scout - I've got to tell you, excellent athletes are few and far between. The best athletes may not be the girls who score every goal or the quarterbacks who lead their teams to the state championships. The kids who are told constantly that they're destined for great things are often ball hogs and prima donnas.

But the kids who discover talent on their own . . . they're the kids who play just for the love of the game.

Image/Source: The New York Times

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Boy Grows a Second Skeleton

Cole Gamble — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:00:00 GMT

What sounds like a pretty cool X-Men ability is unfortunately a debilitating disease for 4-year-old Shane Terry. The boy was born with the genetic condition fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, or FOP. FOP causes ones muscles and connective tissue to ossify if damaged. In other words, they turn to bone.

This means outdoor play, running or any other physical activity common to young boys and girls are ripe with terrible consequences for Shane. Shane’s mom, Kimberly Hayes, must keep him indoors most of the time; one fall could cause a movement-inhibiting ossification. When a flare up does occur, it looks like a massive tumor on the small boy. In time the protrusions deflates, but the damage is done.

According to the International Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Association, FOP is one of the rarest, most disabling genetic conditions, with more than 600 confirmed cases across the globe. At present, the disease has no cure.

My wife and I went through a health scare with our own daughter. During a routine 9-month checkup, the doc did some measurements on Jillian’s body and then casually suggested that the girl might have Marfan’s syndrome. A rare condition, Marfan’s is a heart defect that spells out a short life for those afflicted with it.

As you can imagine, my wife and I were twisted into knots for the next wait as we waited to see a geneticist and get a final judgment. Upon visiting the genetic doctor, we were dismissed by her right away. “No way does this kid have Marfan’s.” She barely had to look at our child. I wanted to punch our pediatrician’s head off like a Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robot for the cavalier attitude he took in assigning a deadly disorder to our daughter.

That week we spent in limbo might be what day to day life is like for those who parent a legitimately afflicted child. We have all had health scares with our children, so we all have a sliver of an idea of what it’s like to have a heartbreaking love for a kid you can’t bear to see suffer. I’m not really going much further with this; it’s just one of those things that remind you how lucky you are to have a healthy child.

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Pregnant Women Compete in Marathon

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:50:00 GMT

Meet the Speed Bumps: a relay team of five women who are planning to beat the pants of off their competition in Ohio’s Road Runner Akron Marathon.

The only difference between this team and their 10,000 or so competitors is that the Speed Bumps will all be running for two. All five women are in or nearing their third trimester, with Kimberly Bucey (pictured) the farthest along at eight months.

All of the women got the OK from their doctors before agreeing to compete, but some of their husbands are nervous nonetheless. Naturally, the key to healthy exercise during pregnancy is to listen to your body’s cues (for instance, if you can’t catch your breath, your baby may not be getting enough oxygen), and this may be harder to do when you’re competing.

But the Speed Bumps are marathon buffs who are thrilled to be able to keep running during their pregnancies, and are confident they can do so in a healthy manner. “It’s great to keep running because it’s great to stay in shape,” said Monica Nowac, one of the Speed Bumps. “And it’s great to spread the word about staying in shape while you’re pregnant. To think anything else is simply archaic at this point.”

What do you think? Is "spreading the word" about exercise during pregnancy a laudable goal, or are those nine months when staying in shape should be the last thing you're worried about?

Photo: Ohio.com

Marathon Mom runs big race after birthing sextuplets

Brett Singer — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:00:00 GMT

OK, she didn't do it RIGHT after giving birth. But that's about the only thing about this story that doesn't make me feel like a big giant marshmallow.

Jenny Masche, the mother who last year gave birth to sextuplets, recently ran a 26.2 mile race. Yes, in her spare time. She trained after the kids, who are now 1 year olds, turned in for the night. "They’re good sleepers," she told Meredith Vieira on the Today show last week.

And did she enjoy herself? You bet! "The marathon was so fun for me — until I hit 21 miles," Jenny recounted. "Then you hit a wall. You push through and you’re so exhilarated." Oh yeah, I know exactly what you mean. That first 21 miles – just great.

That, in case it's not obvious, is sarcasm at its most sarcastical. If I get to the gym once every two weeks, it's a freakin' miracle. Jenny trained for, and then ran, a marathon. This is in addition to feeding, bathing and changing the diapers (30 per day) of six infants. Her husband helps, of course, and so do the grandparents (Bryan, the proud poppa, also ran the race with her). But, like, yowza. Good for her. This might be the only time in my life when I think it might actually be OK for me to say, "You go girl!" Well, almost.

image: Today Show

Source: ParentDish

Weekly Check-Up: Five Ways to Exercise With Kids

Kelly Mills — Thu, 29 May 2008 22:29:00 GMT

With all the news reports about childhood obesity and the sedentary lifestyles of kids, there's usually some plug for getting your kids off the couch and into some form of physical activity. This has not been a problem (so far) at my house, because I have a highly active child. My theory as to why? Exercise is a huge part of our family life. I report this without righteousness because for most of my life, I avoided physical activity, and thought I was a total shlump. It wasn't until after my child was born that I fell in love with fitness. Now here's five ways we work physical activity into our lives.

1. Take the baby out. I started my fitness endeavors in a simple way: My infant cried unless the person holding her was moving. So I was forced from the get-go to put her in a front pack and walk outside. I started opting for hills on my walks, and eventually graduated to running with her in a jogging stroller. Basically her colicky nature helped get me fit.

2. Be your own mode of transportation. When my child went to daycare, I put her in the stroller and ran the two miles to the sitter's house. Then I ran home. For preschool I put her in a bike trailer and rode ten miles to school, then a few more to get to work. Yep, this meant I had to get up extra early, I had to change in the bathroom at my job, and I was kinda sweaty at my desk. You know what? Still worth it, because it made me active.

3. Tag-team. When the kid was old enough to go to the park on weekends, my partner and I would bring her to a park with a track. He'd hang with her for a while so I could do laps, then it would be his turn. When I played with my daughter I'd do sprints--also known as "tag"--and give her piggyback rides and wrestle in the grass. Beats a thighmaster session any day. You can also work this deal out with another parent if your partner isn't on board.

4. Shared sports. My partner enrolled my child in the same martial art he enjoys, and now coaches the kids' class. He reports that coaching can be a good way to participate and improve in an activity yourself. I've also taken classes that met at the same time as some class my kid was enrolled in. It's a good way to share the love of a pursuit. I even bring her to the gym I work at from time to time and we mess around with the "toys" there. We have a pull up bar in our doorway we all use, and she practices on the monkey bars at school too. Her pull ups are way better than mine.

5. Dance party. My personal favorite workout is when the kid and I put on music and do some very graceless and athletic dancing around the living room. After thirty minutes, I'm sweaty. Good times.

'Retired' Tennis Star Returns to Court 6 Weeks Post-Partum

Madeline Holler — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 22:04:00 GMT

Tennis anyone? Oh, not me. I think the sport is as boring to watch and discuss as it is to play. But what I do love is sports talk that centers on motherhood. Obviously. I can't get enough of stories about women who not only continue to compete during and after pregnancy, but especially when the thrive because of it. Sometimes, kids do just the opposite of draining your aspirations. They turn it around an inspire them.

This is what happened to the 31-year-old tennis star Lindsay Davenport. She retired in 2006, pregnant with her son. But the retirement turned into maternity leave when a few weeks before giving birth, she got the strangest pregnancy craving yet: a return to the tennis court. Six weeks post-partum, she was playing in a doubles tournament.

Her boy, Jagger, is 7 months old now, and mom is making the rounds in the big tournaments. Serena Williams, for one, is in awe.

"I mean, I'm speechless because she looks better than me and she's seven months out of having a baby," Serena Williams said here at a pre-tournament news conference. "I'm convinced if I had a baby, seven months later I'd probably still be in the hospital trying to get over the pain."

Oh, Serena, it's not THAT painful. But the comeback is still pretty cool.

Having a kid has forced her to be selective and make difficult choices -- a refrain lots of mothers know. Baby Jagger's presence has changed her in more than one way. He helps to keep her temper in check -- or at least forces her to creatively manage it.

No matter what, win or lose, the presence of Jagger has changed everything for Davenport. She lost to Jankovic in Beijing and afterward told her nanny, who was with Jagger, that she needed a minute alone.

"I hit my racket on the ground, took a deep breath, and I thought, 'OK,' and we were all good again," Davenport said. "It took about hours less than it used to, to get the anger out. I didn't want him to see me do it.

"I was like, 'Would you mind walking outside for one second with him?' She did. [I] broke a racket. They came back in and it was fine."

With a mom on the court, I'm almost tempted to follow tennis. I mean, I won't, but I am tempted.

Marathoner Who Trained Through Pregnancy to Run in NY Race

Madeline Holler — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 12:12:00 GMT

A lot (most?) women work through their pregnancies, right up until the day before they give birth. Paula Radcliffe was no exception. Even full term with her first baby, she did the work she was accustomed to doing everyday: lacing up her shoes and heading out for a run.

The elite marathoner continued training throughout all nine months of her pregnancy. She gave birth to a healthy baby girl. And 12 days later, Radcliffe hit the road again to resume her running schedule.

Sunday, with her 9-month-old and husband watching, she’ll run in the New York City marathon – her first 26.2-mile race in two years. ** UPDATE Mama Radcliffe won the women's division Sunday running the course in 2 hours, 23 minutes and 9 seconds and taking home the $130,000 first-place prize. **

Radcliffe altered her training schedule when she found out she was pregnant -- for the first five months, she ran twice a day, 75 minutes in the morning and 30 to 45 minutes in the evening. (Is that all?) She cut back in the last trimester, running an hour in the morning and riding a stationary bike at night. (You know, during those months you were complaining about stairs and snacking a lot.)

Lots of scientists and sports doctors will have their eyes on the 33-year-old Radcliffe in the race, wondering whether the recent pregnancy will make her perform better or worse. Research into the effects of pregnancy on sports performance is difficult, since not a lot of women want to subject the fetus to potential harms.

Did you keep exercising all through pregnancy or quit the minute the stick showed a second pink line. Or, like me, did you promise to start and never quite get around to it, pregnant or not?

How Safe Are Jogging Strollers, Anyway?

Karen Murphy — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 12:04:00 GMT

So this short little local-news article, about a woman hit by a car while jogging with her baby along a road in Grand Teton National Park in Idaho, has got me to thinking. First, how is the poor woman, Michelle Benson, doing? She had to be airlifted to another hospital and usually that's not a good sign. Second, the baby was reported as being unhurt. How does that happen? Third, how the hell does a car doing the posted speed limit manage to hit what must be, at 9 am on a Sunday morning, a rather visible mama-baby-jogging -stroller combination? How?

I guess what concerns me most is my own sense of invulnerability while pushing my three-year-old in his snazzy red Baby Jogger (I actually loathe running, I truly do, but he won't keep a helmet on in the bike trailer and where I ride isn't appropriate for a trailer anyway, cars going too fast and all, so I'm reduced many days to running. Bleh). Those jogging strollers are big! And I always felt I could push him out of the way to safety if a car came bearing down on us unexpectedly, but now I'm wondering if my sense of safety isn't unfounded. Am I deceiving myself here? Are cars really that blind to strollers?

I'm not trying to showcase my own naiveté here, but I truly think that I'm not alone here in presuming safety where there isn't any. It's not like I'm taking risks: I don't run on freeways or anything, of course, and the one higher-speed road in my route has a posted speed limit of 45 mph and we're only on it for a block or two before turning on to a quieter street. And I run at midday and in visible clothing. Like, presumably, Michelle Benson was doing. It all obviously comes down to personal comfort and safety boundaries. My point is that maybe some of us (okay, me) might need to rethink those. What about you? Do you think you take risks with yourself and your child or do you consider yourself to be overprotective? Do jogging strollers provide a sense of security that doesn't exist?