European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 05, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Cross country workout by Jane e. Brody new York times one of the Best activities to brighten dreary Winter is Cross country skiing which i suitable Lor nearly All Ages and stages of physical  gets you outdoors when you might be least inclined to Brave the elements. It can generate enough body heat to warm you even in subzero weather. It Burns up hundreds of those extra calories you May pack in while silting around on cold Winter Days. For years Cross country or nordic skiing took the Back seat to downhill or Alpine skiing but its popularity boomed this decade As millions of americans discovered ils relative simplicity and accessibility. All one really needs is equipment that costs no More than a pair of designer shoes a couple of lessons and a few inches of Snow ust enough to cover the rocks and twigs while Cross country skiing is More accessible and less dangerous than its downhill Cousin sports Medicine specialists caution that it is not free of risk though initially promoted As a Sale sport that can be readily Learned by anyone who could walk the experts now know this is an exaggeration the likelihood and seriousness of injuries Are believed to be considerably less than in downhill skiing but Cross country skiers have torn knee and thumb ligaments dislocated shoulders and broken limbs. Low Back pain can also be a problem especially among skiers with weak abdominal Muscles. A disproportionate share of the injuries have been incurred by novices attempting to descend Steep or icy slopes. Injuries Are also More common among skiers wearing ankle top ski boots especially those that Are fixed to the ski at the Heel instead of the More common Low shoes with bindings Only at the foe. Experts stress that Cross country skiers must prepare adequately Lor its demands and be aware of its hazards like swimming Cross country skiing is a total body exercise. Although people May think of it As walking on skis when done properly about one fourth of the Power is generated by the arms. It exercises the Muscles in the shoulders Back Chest Abdomen and buttocks As Well As the arms and legs. Ii can also be a High intensity aerobic activity that can significantly improve cardiovascular function and enhance the body s ability to use oxygen efficiently. In an aerobic activity the body s major muscle groups Are worked vigorously and continuously Lor at least 15 to 20 minutes at a time. When done at a steady Pace As a conditioning activity like jogging or swimming Cross country skiing uses about 600 to 900 calories an hour an Energy Cost matched Only by handball. For those More interested in skiing to enjoy the outdoors than to pursue fitness the activity can be done at a More leisurely Pace equivalent to strolling. Moreover if Snow covers the ground where you live you Don t have to travel for hours to special areas or pay Lor lodging. In any Case with Cross country skiing there Are no lilt Lees and it s not necessary to invest hundreds of dollars in equipment. When the Snow Falls you can Cross country ski in your backyard in City Parks on Golf courses hiking trails and Ball Fields. Cross country skis Are much thinner and lighter than those used Lor downhill skiing. The boots too Are lighter Shorter and More flexible not too different from Ordinary shoes. The most common boots fit into bindings that hold the loot Only at the toe. Which allows the Backol the foot to swing Oil the ski. This reduces the chances of a bad twist or fracture in a fall. Experts warn that bindings with a fixed Heel or Heel entering device greatly increase the risk of a fracture. A decent set of equipment skis bindings boots and poles can Cost about $150. Or roughly Hall the Price of a Good set of downhill equipment for novices the techniques of Cross country skiing Are usually much easier than those of downhill skiing. In fact experts often recommend that those interested in downhill skiing Start with Cross country which can be done on level ground you will feel More confident and stable when you gel on a slope on downhill skis. Fib photo croat country skis and boots Are lighter than the corresponding equipment used Lor downhill skiing. Running every Day by Marc Bloom new York times w Hile Cross training and easy does i running will continue to Mark illness programs for americans in the 1990s,there Are still individuals who run everyday and Prosper from it. At this time of year that approach comes under scrutiny because it s when some runners pledge to run every single Day without a voluntary break. Is a running Streak the ultimate excess or an admirable Model of consistency what Are the potential pleasures and hazards of running 300 or 3.000 Days in a Row and How should a Streak be carried out the High priest of streaking is Ron Hill of Britain who reached 25 years of consecutive Days running on dec 21 a past Winner of the Boston Marathon and other a or championships h la. 51 years old. Still is Youthful in appearance and spin. His achievement is considered a world lies and is listed in the guinness Book of records Hill lately gets sick or injured but when he does his running seems to serve As a Healing agent he is so accustomed to the activity that running in effect has become part of his body s natural processes. Such uncanny fortitude is characteristic of streakers Jimmy Behr. 42, of new York As a string of nearly 15 years one of the longest by an american the nation s longest is believed to be 2\vi years by Mark Covert of Northridge Calil the closest Behr a Vietnam Veteran has come to losing the Streak was in u33. When to severely bruised his ankle in a motorcycle Accident. I had to run on my toes to take the pressure Oil. The ankle left better alter i ran he recalled. Behr who is a stall supervisor at at to in Somerset. N j., currently trains 50 Miles a week and says to never gels sick or injured. And he does not allow Adverse weather to interfere with his routine. Remember the 22-Inch snowstorm of february 1984 in new York Behr was returning Home that evening on a commuter bus that got stuck after finally crossing the verrazano Narrows Bridge at 1 30 . Wearing a suit and dress shoes Behr put his attache Case under his  and ran 11 Miles Home. I fell exhilarated he said recently. People thought i was  Behr s adventurous chord is a sign that he does not feel trapped by the rituals of the Streak according to or. Ari Kiev a new York psychiatrist who has counselled athletes. Kiev believes those who run every Day May derive a sense of Freedom from their discipline As Long As they stay in touch with the spiritual dimension of their experience their is a risk in being run by the routine and not the Muse he said. You need  you also need to keep a diary says Behr. Whose daily leg is now in its third volume. Behr keeps the Streak alive to test his persevere no and to preserve this continuity at a time he says when so much of we is  several years ago feeling his running had turned stale. Behr Cut his mileage in half. He d been running twice a Day Over 100 Miles a week. He eliminated his second workout and took up karate to improve his strength and flexibility. In two years he earned a Black Belt by broadening his focus Behr was better Able to sustain his Streak also by containing his mileage his minimum distance is five Miles a Dayber could belter recover from Day to Day. While keeping his Muscles and joints Well oiled according to or. Norbert Sander director of the preventive and sports Medicine Center in new York. Sander who won the new York City Marathon in 1974, advocates running every Day because there s no proof you gain anything by resting and such consistency May alleviate the common discomfort of tight hamstring Muscles. I be seen hundreds of patients with hamstring soreness said Sander referring to the Bane of the recreational runner. The Only thing i be Ever found that works is to let the muscle adapt by  he emphasizes however that runners vary in How Well they tolerate stress on a daily basis. Without the safely net of a Day off streakers lend to train less aggressively than other runners. Many like Behr also sacrifice racing performance or refrain from Competition to avoid a breakdown. Behr now runs Only one Marathon a year new York which he has done the last 15 years even runners who would not dare attempt a Marathon May Benefit from daily running. People Tell me they re running three Days a week and not losing weight Sander said. Running three Miles every Day advises Sander is a faster route to weight loss than running six or seven Miles three Days a week. Do that for a while and before you know it. You la amass a mini Streak of your own. You la have 30 or 40 consecutive Days of running and May find it impossible to let go Elliott Rogers could to and he now has run 6,086 Days in a Row and counting. Rogers 39. A Wall Street securities analyst who competed in track and Cross country Lor the University of Pennsylvania is in his 17lh year of a Streak that began in May 1973 and has taken him almost 80,000 Miles. It s something that s yours so Why give it up he said. Page 14 stars and stripes monday Fet