If you are a looking for a great way to get in shape while enjoying the outdoors, trail running may be the perfect sport for you. Trail running is a lot like hiking, except instead of taking your time while enjoying the scenery, trail running pushes your physical limitations and has you including speed in your exercise.

It is important to make sure that you are in good physical condition before heading out to the trails. If you have never hiked before, you may want to try that a few times before increasing your walking level to running. If you havent exercised in a long time or have any health problems, it would be a good idea to check with your doctor before beginning.

There are numerous benefits to trail running as opposed to running in the city or a residential town. The first benefit is the decreased pressure on your knees and your ankles. When you run on pavement or an equally hard surface, your joints absorb a great deal of shock. Running on a softer surface such as dirt or sand, is less harsh on your joints and will cause fewer problems over time. Another benefit that you wont get from running in civilizationis inhaling fewer toxins. When you run in areas that are highly polluted and congested from vehicles and buildings, you are more likely to breathe in potentially harmful substances. You breathe deeper when you exercise, so you would be inhaling more pollutants than during regular daily activities. Trails are generally set away from commercial or residential areas and have much less pollution in the air. You can breathe easier!

Trail running also provides for a varied workout. As the trails are often made up of uneven terrain, your legs will get more exercise as they adapt to changing angles and surfaces. What you will still get from trail running (as opposed to regular track or street running) is the great cardiovascular benefits of running, the increased strength, stamina and flexibility.

You should be prepared if you are going to hit the trails. Know where you are going, bring a map or research the trail before hand. Running in the woods or in desert areas is not like running on streets with street signs. It is very easy to get lost and there are very few people that will be around to help you. You should have a backpack with water and a first aid kit in case you run into an emergency. The pack will also provide a bit of extra weight for your workout, increasing your strength as you go. Keep in mind though that if it is too heavy, you will get more easily fatigued and may not be able to run as far.

Having the proper shoes is also important. You should find shoes specifically made for trail running as they will offer support for your foot and will have special soles for increased traction.

Trail running is a fabulous way to get in shape while enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

Mike Direct is an avid cyclist and sports enthusiast. He is also a partner in an online bike rack store

[tags]trail running, running, hiking, outdoors sports, walking[/tags]

Do you need shoes for stability, for long runs, with cushioning or without? Here’s a quick guide to help you choose the right running shoes for your needs.

Shoes With Cushioned Soles

Cushioned shoes are an excellent choice for the runner who needs minimum support on the sides of the arches, but plenty in the midsole. These are ideal for people who don’t suffer from overpronation (the tendency to roll the foot as you run) and people who strike the ground with the middle or front of their foot. People with high arches are likely to do well in cushioned running shoes.

Running Shoes For Motion Control

This type of shoe is best for someone who suffers from moderate to severe overpronation, since it gives you the most control of the back of your foot, as well as plenty of support on the sides. These are excellent for people who are heavier or larger, since they tend to need durable shoes that offer lots of support. Runners who do well in motion control shoes may have flat feet or a lower arch.

Shoes For Racing

These are another type of shoe for people who don’t overpronate. They won’t work well for people with injuries, either new or old, but they’re very light and fast - perfect for racing. Some people choose to use performance training shoes, described below, in their racing, while others buy specific racing shoes and use them only for this purpose. The choice is one of personal preference, as both methods work well.

Performance Training Shoes

This is a well balanced, light shoe that works for daily training, as well as for racing and speed. To wear them, it’s best to be an efficient, fast runner with a fair amount of experience. Some people with moderate overpronation can race and train in these shoes, but they may have trouble if the problem is too severe.

Shoes For Stability

A combination of cushioned shoes and motion control racing shoes, stability types offer both midsole cushioning and side arch support. If you need durability and support, or if you overpronate mildly to moderately, these may be the best choice for you.

Shoes For The Trail

Do you prefer to run off road? These rugged running shoes offer outsole traction and a degree of weather resistance to meet your need. They’re often built to be low to the ground, in order to give you more stability on a rough trail.

As you can see, there are many types of running shoes and finding the right one for you is a matter of type of running you will be doing, budget, and comfort. Do your research ahead of time and you’ll be able to get a great running shoe that will make your running program more enjoyable.

Looking for discount running shoes? Then a visit to the Jogging Spot is a must. You’ll find great jogging tips, videos, and more, for all levels of runners.

[tags]running,running shoes,jogging,jogging tips,walking,walking shoes,treadmills[/tags]

There are too many people that walk along the road at night and don’t wear the appropriate clothing. For safety reasons, it’s important that walkers wear bright colored clothing so that drivers can see them.

However, there are those who do not wear bright or white clothing and put themselves at risk of being hit by a vehicle. Some of the vehicles just whiz through. By the time to get to you, you could be an unintended target. It’s very crucial that drivers are able to see you while you’re walking in the dark.

In one state, there were a bunch of people that were hit by vehicles in the evening time after the sun went down. Most of them were injured; however, there were a few fatalities. Even then, there may not be enough lighting for the driver to see you, especially if you are walking in a rural area, where it’s usually pitch black.

There is another alternative to wearing light clothing while you’re walking at night. Since having a flashlight may be too cumbersome, you can use a special reflector that can help you and the drivers while you’re walking along the road in the dark of night. The reflectors can be made and placed around your waist. You can also wear it in other places where drivers will be able to see it as they’re driving.

It doesn’t matter if you’re walking, jogging or running at night, you need to have something so that people will see you as they drive past you on the road. That can make the difference between life and injury or death.

There are times when drivers drive too fast on the road and don’t pay attention to what is ahead of them. With this special reflector, they will be able to see it from afar and have enough time to slow down.

If there are a group of children riding their bikes at night, they also need reflectors so that people can see them. Safety is very important when out on the road, whether it’s a pedestrian, biker or driver.

Everyone has to look out for themselves as well as the next person. Having a reflector is a way that lets drivers know that there is somebody up ahead. Having lights that are half lit is not the answer.

The reflector should be a source of safety anytime a pedestrian or other person has to walk home on a dark road. Having this will prompt the drivers that they need to slow down and decrease the danger factor for pedestrians and bikers.

Ray Subs is a public relations specialist working with RoxiesShop.com. More information about this product can be found at RoxiesShop.com

[tags]running reflectors, walking reflectors, reflectors, runner’s safety[/tags]

The Dipsea race in Mill Valley is a fantastic tradition dating all the way back to 1905, making it the oldest trail race in America and the second oldest continuous foot race in America. Mill Valley’s Dipsea race is an intense trail run that winds 7.4 miles over a gorgeous, but steep and hilly, terrain. The race is run every year on the second Sunday in June, and there is a very unique one of a kind “handicap” system that allows winners of all genders and ages. The fastest time is always honored, but that doesn’t always translate to first place.

While runners from all over the world participate in the Dipsea Race, it is mainly a northern California event, although the rising popularity makes it more and more difficult to get in. Only 1,500 runners are allowed each year, even though there are over twice as many applicants.

Why is this trail so popular? For one it is considered one of the most scenic races in the world. In addition to this, the race starts in Mill Valley’s downtown, but then runners have to climb a hamstring burning 671 stairs that lead up the side of local Mount Tamalpais, before the trail of single track footpaths weave through seven miles of wilderness before reaching Stinson Beach, on the Pacific Coast. The highest point of the race is at “Cardiac Hill,” which is a hair over 4 miles into the race. The 2,200 feet of shifting elevation also add to the challenge.

What might make the Dipsea Race even more famous among runners is that there are multiple paths and routes on trails that split up and come back together. This allows for some really specific strategy on which route to run, and adds some strategy to the physical challenge. The best times each year now tend to be between 52-58 minutes.

Like many local events like this that become popular, this one had its own local legend of a celebrity. Jack Dirk passed away in January of 2008 at the age of 100, and was known as “The Dipsea Demon,” since he ran every single Dipsea race in Mill Valley from 1930 through 2003. Even after 2003 he appeared at the beginning and end of the race, and as part of the tradition of the Dipsea, he will certainly be missed.

If you wanted to know all about the Dipsea Race in Mill Valley, hopefully this article helped. It is an incredible and challenging race, and if you want in you had better apply to run early since this is a very popular race that is sure to continue to grow in popularity with runners throughout Northern California.

Renee Adelmann is a realtor with extensive knowledge of Mill Valley homes and Mill Valley condominiums. Her website includes helpful information on the town as well as a Mill Valley MLS property search feature.

[tags]running, mill valley CA, jogging, san francisco sports, sporting events in California[/tags]

Runners always have to deal with motions. Therefore, normal bras will not work well for you. Bras for female runners are often neglected when you think of professional running. However, they play a very important role, which you cannot deny. In this article, we are going to give you some tips for choosing a good bra for your running exercise.

First of all, you have to choose the size carefully. It is not like your normal bra, which you are going to tell them that you need the small or big size. You have to measure the cups so that they fit you perfectly. Also, the band is so important. Some people just think that they are big, and they need the big band. This is so wrong. You have to measure them precisely so that when you run, it does not make you feel uncomfortable. A perfect bra for female runners would fit you the most precisely, and make you feel comfortable while supporting your breasts well. Trying the sport bra is also different. You do not just put them on to see if they fit or not. You have to put them on actually, and run a bit to see if they are comfortable or not. Some people just try them as normal bras, and when they run, it hurts them or makes them feel uncomfortable. So make sure you run a bit when you try the sports bras.

Materials are a very important factor when you choose a good bra to run. Some materials which are good but not suitable for runners are not in the list of the materials you are going to pick. First of all, you have to think of the flexibility of the bras. A good bra is the one which would provide you the most flexibility when you run. When you move a lot and your breasts will move along with your running motions. If the bras are not flexible enough, they may hurt you if you use them for long. So, when you try them, make sure they are flexible so that you can move freely. Materials also need to be good at wicking away the sweat. For sure if you run, you are going to sweat a lot. Normal materials will not be good at absorbing the sweat. However, you have to choose the materials which are good at absorbing the sweat so that you do not feel like you just jumped out from the swimming pool and also it helps to keep your bras longer than usual.

Another note for you when you buy bras is that you should find it fit the first hook. Your bras are elastic. Therefore, they will be only bigger and never get smaller. Once it loses its elasticity, you are going to make it smaller by putting it on the second hook or even the third hook. However, if it fits the last hook, you will have nothing left to make it smaller and it will be of no use.

James Brown writes about Macy’s coupon, FansEdge.com coupon and Under Armour coupon

[tags]Macy’s coupon, FansEdge coupon, Under Armour coupon[/tags]

In international sprinting, false starts are automatically called if an athlete’s foot leaves the blocks before a threshold of 100 milliseconds (1/10th of a second) after the firing of the gun. Automatic pressure sensors in the blocks make this determination. The IAAF decided upon this threshold in the belief that humans cannot react to an auditory stimulus in less than 1/10th of a second.

However, new research by Ian Franks at the University of British Columbia and David Collins at the University of Alberta, suggests that humans can indeed react more quickly than 1/10th of a second and that this threshold may be unfair.

THE RESEARCH

Non-athletic subjects were strapped into a chair and told to move an arm after the commands, “Ready, set, go!” Under such conditions, a normal reaction time is about 200 milliseconds (2/10’s of a second).

Then, the same students were startled by a loud noise at the moment the “Go” command was given. Reaction times improved dramatically. In fact, some times clocked in at under 60 milliseconds - well below the IAAF threshold of 100 milliseconds.

In addition, a study performed by David Collins at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, found that 21% of his participants exhibited reaction times faster than the Olympic threshold of 100 milliseconds.

EXPLANATION

It is believed that the startle response bypasses normal processing in the cortex of the brain. Since subjects were told to move their arm in response to a sound, these arm-movement instructions were pre-programmed in the subcortex of the brain. The researchers theorize that the startle sound automatically triggered these pre-programmed signals - a survival instinct that we all possess.

It takes an extra 10 milliseconds for the body’s electrical signals to reach distant limbs like the legs. As a result, the researchers believe that 70 milliseconds is the limit at which sprinters can react to auditory signals. And it is 70 milliseconds that Franks believes should be the false start threshold.

It is plausible that highly trained sprinters can tap into this fast-reaction potential that we all possess.

This research lends a different perspective to incidents such as the 1996 Olympic 100m final, in which British sprinter Linford Christie became the first athlete to be disqualified from an Olympic 100m final. Christie was so convinced that he had not jumped the gun that he refused to leave the track for several minutes. His reaction time had been recorded at 86 milliseconds.

In view of this new research, it is possible that Christie truly didn’t anticipate the gun and had reacted fairly.

Frank’s next step is to determine whether athletes can be trained to take advantage of the startle response to increase their reaction time.

References:
1. Brown, A. M. et al. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 40, 1142-1148 (2008)

2. Peter Calamai, False starts fail to clock true reaction time: study. The Toronto Star, August 20, 2004.

Dick Moss is the editor of Physical Education Update.com, the Fun Stuff for Physical Education Newsletter and the Physical Education Update Blog.

[tags]athletics,track,sprinting,false start,physical education[/tags]

The aerobic/anaerobic threshold is the point at which the body changes from the aerobic system (sustainable almost indefinitely) to the anaerobic system (limited sustainability).

It is also the point at which lactic acid, our bodies EXHAUST FUMES, begin to build up faster than the body can dispose of them. This point is thus variously referred to as the aerobic threshold, the anaerobic threshold, or the lactate threshold.

For an athlete, understanding what it is and how to use it is critical if you want to run faster.

What it has to offer:

Why is the Anaerobic Threshold (AT) so important to runners and other endurance athletes? Because when you train at this point you are holding your body right on the edge of breakdown, as long as you are using the aerobic metabolism, you can keep going for an extended period.

However, once the anaerobic metabolism begins to kick in, excessive lactic acid begins to accumulate in the body, and your days are numbered!

By regularly training around the AT you will increase your lactate threshold, this means that you will be able to run faster for longer. In other words, the higher your lactate threshold, the faster you will be able to run in an endurance event such as a 10K race.

How to use it:

Fashions change in running, and that tends to affect how runners train.

In the 1970s and 80s, most coaches and athletes believed that long, slow distance (LSD) was the most effective way of training the aerobic system for endurance events such as the 10K. They did include speed work (intervals), but the emphasis was often on racking up the miles.

These days, there is much more emphasis on efficient workouts, how can you achieve the maximum benefit in the least time possible? Thus many coaches now advocate using anaerobic threshold training to push the AT upwards.

However, before you can train the AT, you have to know where it is! There are several methods of determining where your AT lies, the most accurate ones involve testing under laboratory conditions.

For most people this is neither practical nor affordable. Fortunately, there is an easier way. An analysis of the various rigorous and expensive methods of testing shows a curious thing, no matter how you test the AT, you come up with a figure that is around 85% of your maximum heart rate (MHR).

Thus, if you know what your maximum heart rate is, you can quickly figure out where your AT lies.

Many people base their maximum heart rate on the published charts, these use the formula of 220 minus your age to give you a MHR. The problem is that this formula is not very accurate, particularly for trained, experienced athletes, thus if you have been working out hard for years, chances are your MHR will be up to 10 beats per minute higher than the charts estimate.

The only accurate way to train using the AT is therefore with a heart rate monitor. Using a monitor it is pretty easy to get a figure for your MHR, warm up, do a series of sprints, and on number 7 and 8 go flat out. The reading you get at the end will be your max heart rate. Multiply that by .85 and you have your AT.

To improve your AT you need to train at around 5% below your known threshold. The aim is to keep your heart rate there without ever actually going over your AT.

Those of you who have been training for a long time will recognise this type of workout, these are tempo runs. The difference is that rather than estimating what seems a good tempo, you will be working out at an exact pace that will maximise your gains.

If you are not familiar with this type of running, here is what you do.

Begin by running with one or two 5 to 6 minute repetitions, working at keeping your heart rate at around 80% of your MHR. So if your max heart rate is 180, you will be running with a steady heart rate of around 144 BPM (Beats Per Minute). Your AT would be around 153 BPM, so your goal is to keep your heart rate below that point.

Building up from there is easy. Perform these tempo, or AT workouts once per week, and add one minute per week until you can perform two ten minute intervals.

From here, you can play around a little, you can either add more intervals (e.g. 3 or 4 X ten minutes) or more time (e.g. 2 X 15 to 20 minutes).

Between the intervals, slow the pace down and jog an easy five minutes recovery.

This is great method of training for 10K runners, as it teaches the body to run at just a little below race pace for an extended period, bridging the gap between long slow runs, and intervals.

You can also use the AT in your hill training. Choose a long, easy hill, and try to run up it without ever going over your AT. Record your time and final heart rate, then on subsequent weeks, try to lower your time without ever going over your AT.

This is an intense workout, so limit it to once per week. When added to your distance work and intervals, it will give you the perfect balance in your training.

For more information on Training for a 10K Race and to download a FREE Report on Common Running Injuries please visit our website 10K Training http://www.10krace.co.uk
Article by James Pilgrim

[tags]Anaerobic Threshold, Threshold Training, 10K Training[/tags]

Knowing how to stay injury free when training for a 10K is thus as crucial as knowing how to run faster. There are a number of reasons why runners get injured, but most injuries can be traced back to a violation of the principles below. As one running coach once told me, running does not cause injuries, running badly causes injuries.

Seven rules to stay injury free:

Warm up and cool down:

You should always warm up and cool down. Research has repeatedly shown that warming up and cooling down is crucial in avoiding muscle and ligament damage.

For runners that means starting out slowly, gradually building up to peak intensity, then easing off gently at the end. Walk for a couple of minutes, then stretch to complete your cool down.

Listen to your body:

Remember the old 1970s workout mantra, No Pain No Gain? That confused a lot of people, who began to equate pain with progress. However, there are different types of pain, and you have to distinguish between them, that means learning to listen to your body.

The good pain is the type you feel when you do a hard workout, tired muscles, burning lungs. The bad type is the pain you get in your joints, your muscles, your tendons or ligaments, the pain that does not end a few minutes after your workout.

If you experience this type of pain, the first thing to do is stop! Then you need to follow the RICE formula:

R (Rest) Stop whatever is hurting
I (Ice) Apply ice for 15 to 20 minutes
C (Compression) After icing, wrap the injured area in an elastic bandage
E (Elevation) Raise the injured body part

Use the RICE procedure as soon possible, experts estimate that each minute you delay icing an injury slows recovery by an hour. You can continue to use this several times a day for three or four days.

If pain persists for more than a few days, consult a doctor.

Rest:

When scientists recently took blood samples of competitors before a marathon, they estimated that 95% of them were over trained, in other words, they would have performed better if they had trained less!

When you exercise, your body needs time to recover, if you perform another hard workout too soon, you dont make progress, you break down. Muscles need 48 hours to recover between workouts, so after a hard run (intervals, long distance), the next day needs to be either a day off, a recovery run, or an alternative workout (swimming, biking, yoga etc).

You also need down time, as a general rule, you should take one or two days off per week. Finally, you need sufficient sleep. In a recent experiment, a group of college athletes had an extra hour of sleep every night for two weeks before a competition, on average, they increased their personal best by 5%!

Good Nutrition:

Imagine the scene, a Formula 1 race, Lewis Hamilton pulls into the pits to refuel, and they fill his car up with diesel! That is what you do to your body every time you eat junk food.

When you work out hard you place huge extra demands on your body. In order to cope, that is, get fitter and stay injury free, you need a healthy diet.

Your diet should therefore be based around plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, quality protein (chicken, fish, lean meat, beans), and whole grain carbohydrates (bread, rice, pasta). Be sure to also drink plenty of water, eight glasses per day minimum for an athlete.

The 10% Rule:

There is probably nothing that causes as many injuries as people increasing their mileage too quickly. It is easy to do, you run 10 miles per week and it feels easy, so the next week you bump it up to 15. That does not seem too hard, so the next week you do 20. The week after that you get an injury!

For that reason, coaches teach the 10% rule, this means that you keep increases in distance and speed to 10% or less.

At first that sounds pretty small, like you will never make progress, but in reality it can add up quickly. For example, by adding around 10% to your mileage each week, you can go from 15 miles per week to 30 in around 8 weeks.

Stretching:

Just about all runners know that they should stretch, but few of them do. Indeed, for most, stretching involves nothing more than a few quick moves at the start of a run.

Ironically, this is the worst possible time to stretch. There is a growing body of research that demonstrates that the best time to stretch is immediately following a workout, when the muscles are warm. In fact, stretching before a workout, with cold muscles, is counter productive, it can temporarily shorten your range of motion.

You should thus stretch immediately after you finish your run. This will maximise the gains in flexibility, speed recovery, and reduce your risk of injury.

Cross-training:

It is an anathema to many runners, but it seems that cross training does not only reduce your risk of injuries, it might just help you to run faster.

Cross training is of course what triathletes do, and involves using a variety of different forms of exercise (for example swimming or biking) on a regular basis.

The advantage for runners is that you can use it for your recovery workouts (i.e. those workouts between the hard days like hills and intervals), and also to build your basic endurance with less strain on your legs.

You still get the benefits to your cardio system, but without the pounding on your joints.

Combine these practices with smart training, and you should be raring and ready to go when your next 10K rolls around.

For more information on Training for a 10K Race and to download a FREE Report on Common Running Injuries please visit our website 10K Race http://www.10krace.co.uk

[tags]Injury Running, Running Injuries, Injury Free Running, Injuries From Running[/tags]

It’s common to see runners flapping their hands as their arms move back and forth. With their palms pointing down, they allow their wrists to relax, allowing their hands to flop up and down on each arm movement.

Most claim it helps to keep their arms relaxed as they run. For others, it’s simply an unconscious action. Surprisingly, this error in technique is frequently seen among accomplished athletes as well as casual joggers.

However, it’s a technical quirk that should be avoided because it makes runners less efficient. Here are two reasons why:

1. LONGER LEVERS

According to basic physics, a longer lever is harder to move than a shorter lever. Here’s a demonstration. Straighten your arms and swing them as fast as you can. Then, without stopping, bend your arms to a 90 degree angle. They will be able to swing much faster and with less effort. That’s because the length of a bent arm, when measured downward from the shoulder joint, is only the distance from the shoulder to the elbow - about half the length of a straight arm.

When the wrists are allowed to dangle, the length of the arm (when measured downward from the shoulder joint) increases, becoming the distance from the shoulder to the elbow plus the distance from the wrist to the tips of the fingers (which are dangling below the level of the elbow). This lengthens the length of the lever that must be moved, making it slower and harder to swing.

2. TOO MUCH RELAXATION IN THE BICEPS

When swinging the arms, the focus should be on backward movement, not the forward swing. It’s the backward movement of the opposing arm that corresponds to the backward thrust of the drive-leg, and that’s where the propulsion comes from in running.

A good cue for the arm action is to focus on driving the elbows backward when swinging the arms.

In contrast, the forward swing of the arms should be a more relaxed movement, not a driving action. It should be initiated by an elastic stretching of the biceps and shoulder muscles as they reach the end of their backward range of motion. These muscles stretch and rebound the arm forward, keeping it relaxed and saving energy.

And here’s where flapping the hands can cause problems. Rotating the wrists so the palm faces down causes the biceps to relax. As a result, the biceps don’t stretch as the arms are driven backward and can’t contribute to initiating the forward swing of the arms. It’s one case where too much relaxation isn’t good!

BETTER TECHNIQUE

A better technique is to cup the hands slightly, so the thumb rests on top of the slightly bent index finger. The palm should face sideways - not upwards - throughout the arm swing. This will place the hands in an ideal position to minimize the length of the arm-levers and produce a good elastic rebound of the arms after being driven backwards.

Dick Moss is the editor of Physical Education Update.com, the Fun Stuff for Physical Education Newsletter and the Physical Education Update Blog.

[tags]running,physical education,sports[/tags]

Tennis shoes, which were earlier designed exclusively for Tennis, are now extensively used for other sports activities such as running, basketball and jumping.

In the beginning tennis shoes were simple in their look with no designs on them, but with this rapid changing fashion era, now many styled and uniquely designed tennis shoes brands are available. Not merely restricted to sport activities, now people prefer to wear the latest branded tennis shoes for just about anything. The new age tennis shoes give ultimate comfort and are a symbol of latest fashion statement too.

Even though meant for strenuous physical exercises, the tennis shoes are delicate and are prone to daily wear and tear and frequent laundering. The worse thing is, once even a slight wear and tear happens; it can not be repaired unlike leather shoes. Considering the costliness of the tennis shoes, extensive care is required for them to last longer. This article talks about a few maintenance tips on how to take care of your tennis shoes.

Regular cleaning is a must:

Dirty shoes can not only decrease the longevity of your tennis shoes, it also emits one of the worst smells in the world. Hence regular cleaning is mandatory. There are few tricks on how to clean your tennis shoes. You can opt for a quick wash if the outside of your tennis shoes are dirty while the inside soles don’t smell bad.

At first, brush off mud or any other loose dirt with the help of a brush. It is a daunting task to remove the scuff marks and other stubborn stains on the rubber soles. Make a solution of comet cleanser and tap water scrub off the marks with the help of any old toothbrush after dipping it into the solution. Finally rinse the soles with water.

There are many types of shoe cleaners, washing liquid and liquid bleach available to clean any strong stain the upper part of tennis shoes. Use a soft toothbrush to apply the cleaners onto the tennis shoes surface and clean them well with tap water. Then wipe the tennis shoes well and dry them out in the direct sunlight. The sunlight helps deodorize the insoles and keep them smelling clean. It also helps maintaining the whiteness of your tennis shoes.

Thorough wash in washing machine:

It is a good idea to go for a thorough wash of tennis shoes once in a while and washing machines are best for this purpose. A thorough wash will let go for all the horrible smell of your tennis shoes. However there are a few points to remember while washing your favorite tennis shoes in washing machine. They are summarized as follows:

* Always wash tennis shoes with warm water.

* Make sure to remove the laces and insoles of tennis shoes before washing so as to prevent them from tangling up in the agitator of washing machine.

* It is a good idea to use soft towels along with tennis shoes before putting them onto the washing machine tumble. The towels provide them a sort of cushion support while tumbling.

* To prevent the rubber soles of your tennis shoes from making marks on the drum of your washer, you can opt for mesh bags. These mesh bag also prevent your shoes from rubbing each other.

Drying is equally important:

After cleaning, it is always recommended to dry the tennis shoes with a clean and dry towel. Opt for white porous paper for next phase of drying but before drying, make sure to remove the shoe pad, or sock-liner from your tennis shoes. Sunlight is best for drying. Also you can dry your tennis shoes in a well-ventilated area at room temperature.

These simple tips will help you to preserve your expensive tennis shoes for a longer period.

You can have access to portuguese articles about tennis shoes from page www.polomercantil.com.br/tenis.php

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for www.polomercantil.com.br