Japan's Sakai Sets New World Swim Record
from AFP
Japanese high school student Shiho Sakai has set a new world record in the women's 100-metre backstroke, winning in 56.15 seconds at the Japan Open short course swimming championships. Sakai, one of Japan's top hopes for the London Olympics in 2012, broke the previous mark of 56.51 set by Natalie Coughlin of the United States. More

2009 Legends of Texas Clinic, April 2-5, San Antonio
from ASCA
The FINIS 2009 Legends of Texas Clinic will be April 2-5 in San Antonio, TX. Speaking at this year's edition of the Legends clinic are: Sean Hutchison, KING Aquatics (WA); Steve Bultman, Texas A&M; Rod Hansen, Irvine Novaquatics (CA); Jim Montrella and John Leonard. ASCA schools are behind held Thursday through Friday morning, with the clinic, itself, Friday afternoon through Sunday early afternoon. Cost: $175--clinic & schools; $99--clinic only; $40--Ideal First 2 Years course (only); $60--Level 2 course (only). For more information email asca@swimmingcoach.org or to register, call 1-800-356-2722. More

Weight of Shoe will Aid Runners' Performances
from Tallahassee Democrat
Are you ready for some track? If your gym bag isn't packed with racing shoes in addition to your training flats, you may not be. Running shoe technology has yielded plenty of highly cushioned, supportive trainers that are well-suited to the relentless impact of daily workouts. But all that cushioning and support comes at a price: extra weight. More

Jones Mentors Young Swimmers
from ESPN
After the massive success of Michael Phelps and Team USA, swimming has gone from geek to chic. Cullen Jones is still a casual celebrity, six months after his gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle relay, unencumbered by the Phelps-paparazzi baggage but popular enough to draw attentive young crowds. His old swimming pool in New Jersey is bustling now with Cullen wannabes. Whether they're in Speedos or a cutoff pair of jeans, Jones doesn't really care. He is just the third African-American swimmer to make the Olympics, but the story he always tells is from 20 years ago, when he almost became a much harder statistic. More

Gym Mistakes: 11 Ways to Botch a Workout
from ABC News- Houston
It's a new year and you're finally at the gym or outside, exercising, moving around and, generally, feeling good about what you are doing. Days, weeks, months go by and ... nothing happens. Or you are in pain. Or you hate your routine so much you break out in hives at the sight of a rowing machine. As it turns out, there are lots of little -- or big -- mistakes that you can make at the gym that can lead to an ineffective workout, or even injury. Many of the problems come from being distracted and not paying attention to what is going on. More

Accomplished UT Swimmer Still Wants a National Title
from The Daily Texan
You know the cliche. The one about the athlete who wants to go out on top and ride off into the sunset hoisting the championship trophy. That couldn’t be more true for Texas senior swimmer Michael Klueh. Klueh has had quite the career at Texas, holding five school records and representing Team USA in the 2007 World University Games, winning the gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle relay and medaling in two other events. He is a nine- time All-American and is looking to add a few more Big 12 championships to the 10 he already has. But even with all of his awards and accomplishments, there is still one thing missing from his resume: a team national championship. And at the end of March, Klueh and the No. 2 Longhorns look to fill that void by winning it all. More

When Exercising and Eating Healthy Does NOT Lead to Weight Loss
from News of the North
For weight-loss exercise, you should try to do aerobics 3 to 5 times per week (30-45 minutes per time) and strength training 2 to 3 times per week (20-30 minutes per time). I know not everyone can fit that into their schedule, but it is in your best interest to strive for that fitness plan. You need to form eating and activity patterns that can sustain you for a lifetime. Everyone says diets don’t work, and it’s half true. Diets can be effective forms of short-term weight loss, but they do not help you to keep it off. As soon as you go off of your diet, you will put the weight back on. Drastically restricting your food intake works the same way; it will help you lose weight immediately, but you will put it back on as soon as you return to your regular eating habits. If your goal is a healthy life, you have to make choices that you will stick to for the rest of your life, not just until you lose that 10 pounds. More

Alabama Receives Grant To Combat Obesity
from Medical News Today
The Alabama Department of Public Health is one of eight state health departments selected to receive grants to support the development of physical activity and nutrition programs in partnership with selected communities. Because of the BITE (Balancing InTake and Expenditure) grant, the department will provide $15,000 directly to community groups. More