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Re: [RC] Lactic Acid - Jon . LindermanTruman you forget one tidbit bit of your history on Ryan & Keino. The '68 Olympics were in Mexico City, altitude 6560 feet (2,000 m). Maximal aerboic capacity decreases ~10% for every 1,000 meters above 1600 meters, so Ryun, who did not train at altitude arguably was at about 95% of his peak form. Keino came from and trained at altitude. In fact all of the distance gold medals were won by altitude natives in '68, Mohamed Gammoudi (TUN) 5,000; Naftali Temu (KEN) 10,000; Wamo Walde (ETH) in the marathon. Genetics yes, but beginning in 1960 in Rome when Abebe Biekiela ran barefoot through the streets of Rome to become the 1st Black African to win an Olympic medal running became a matter of great pride among the Kenyans, Ethopians, etc. Walde Gold was the 3rd marathon Gold in a row for Ethiopia. It is for them "their" national sport. Check the top-10 finishers for the last 10 years in the Boston, NY, Chicago marathons: Kenya, Ethiopa predominate for men and women. By shear mass of numbers, as well as gentics, these countries produce large numbers of great runners, but few hoops stars or football players. American marathon running is so bleak that the #1 ranked male & female can barely make the Olympic qualifying standard. Jon K. Linderman, Ph.D., FACSM Associate Professor of Health and Sport Science University of Dayton 300 College Park Dayton, OH 45469-1210 Voice:(937) 229-4207 FAX: (937) 229-4244 http://homepages.udayton.edu/~lindermj/
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