Among the mix of Olympic medal winners, former record holders, and major marathon winners, two Foot Solutions teammates plan on making their presence known among the elite field at the New York City Marathon this Sunday. Sergey Kaledin of Russia will compete for the men's Master's Division and Meseret Kotu of Ethiopia will take on the women's field. A race that takes almost 40,000 participants through 26.2 miles attracts runners of all experience and ability.
Kaledin will face tough competition in the Master's Division. With his first race as a Master this year, he competed in the Siberian International Marathon in Russia with a time of 2:22:38. In the past two years, the New York City Marathon Master's winner did not break 2:26:00. With the prestige of the New York City Marathon, Kaledin has been training with increased intensity in order to perform at the top of his ability this weekend.
On the women's side, Kotu has a stacked race. Paula Radcliffe holds the women's world record for the marathon, Catherine Ndereba also known as "Catherine the Great", as well as multiple other elite runners will be competing for the women's title. With a personal best of 2:30:26, Kotu will dig deep to break into the lead pack.
As both athletes are apart of Team Foot Solutions, they have learned a new recovery activity, Balance Walking. Kaledin and Kotu are both long standing veterans to the marathon distance and understand what is necessary for the body to recover after such a feat. In order to deal with the added stress of the distance, elite athletes and everyday runners alike are learning the recovery benefits from Balance Walking. The technique mimics that of nordic pole walking, cross country skiing without the snow, and incorporates revolutionary rocker sole shoes.
Balance Walking is a total body workout that takes pressure off of the back, knees, and hips, which are worn down after a marathon. After a race, it is important to continue exercising the days after the event to encourage continual blood flow for a speedier recovery. As some athletes pick up a daily walk following the race to remain active, now many are incorporating the poles which enhances the cardiovascular aspect and loosens the tension in the shoulders and neck. The rocker sole shoes, Chung Shi, uses the negative heel technology to engage larger muscle groups in the legs and increase blood flow. Overall Balance Walking is used for recovery, a cross training exercise, and when a runner is returning from an injury. Learn more about what the elite athletes are beginning to practice at http://www.balancewalking.com
This Sunday will be a historic day as the New York Marathon attracts the world's greatest and Kaledin and Kotu will have the opportunity to compete with the best.
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