Before you head out for your weekend, check out some of this week's best posts from the Cool Running and Active communities:

•      Half Marathon substitute for long run?

”My question is, can the intensity of the races balance out the mileage lost each time? Or do I need to add something during the weeks after?”

•     At what distance should I start Hydrating?

” Right now, I'm training for a 10K. At this point in my program, my max distance is 6 miles. At what distance do you start to consider taking water or other liquids with you on your run?”

•     Pace vs HR Question

“I am wondering what is better in the long term, a very slow jog where I can keep my heart rate lower or shorter faster runs where I would have to stop sooner. I am 38 and about 50 pounds overweight.”

•     sub 2-hour marathon?

”Two of my friends made a bet back in college - one friend said in the next 50 years, someone will run a sub 2-hour marathon and the other friend disagreed. This was 12 years ago so the questions is, in the next 38 years, will someone break 2-hours?”

•     Keeping the Rubber Side Down: Toshi’s Mini-Cal Tour on Lil’ Giant

“I will be cycling from Nor-Cal to Central California and back starting from Thursday 8/28 to Monday 9/1. The trip will be from San Jose, CA to Bakersfield, CA and the distance is about 240 mile one way, 480 miles total.”

Active Endurance Weekly: 4/7

Ryan Hall is back in London for the London Marathon on April 13, check out the racing news at Runner’s World, where Hall says I don't think I've ever been this fit in my life" and listen to a podcast with Hall over at TFS.

There have been 19 world records set in the sport of swimming and 18 of them using one suit - the Speedo LZR Racer since its debut in February, 2008. Swimsuit manufacturer/competitor, Arena, is pushing the governing body of the sport, FINA, to ban the Speedo suit on the grounds that it is illegal. The swimsuit debate continues.

It looks like Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. will be the official outfitter for the U.S. team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Here is the article in the Wall Street Journal.

Have you heard the latest craze over the detoxifying magic of apple cider vinegar?

Check out this and the 10 Outrageous Diet Scams at Mark Sission’s Daily Apple.

Set your TiVo tonight because the Ironman World Championship 70.3 will air on NBC April 12.

TCSD (Triathlon Club San Diego) released a preview of their 2008 race apparel:

For those of you coming down from your weekend runner’s high, check out this article posted by Active Expert Charles Stuart Platkin, where researchers have finally demonstrated the existence of an 'endorphin driven runner's high'. 

Do you get enough sleep? Check out this study released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggesting that Americans aren’t getting their Zzzz’s.

Did your favorite marathon make the list? Check out the Guide to Some of the Best Marathons in North America and let us know.

"You can't keep those women down, you can't get them back in the kitchen." Read the full story to find out which major marathon event director has his foot in his mouth.

Listen to this podcast from Endurance Planet, where USAT Coach Troy Jacobson answers a question about strength training for the marathon, finishing strong in a 70.3, and full Iron-distance event.

And last and certainly not least, ActiveX: ARMaggedon

[http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/05/15/woodbat.jpg]In response to Trish's post, the New York City Council banned metal bats in high school baseball because of a belief that such bats increase the risk of injury. The decision to change the rules for one geographical location has potential repercussions that may provide an unfair advantage to athletes elsewhere who aren’t forced to use wooden bats. It is paramount that consistency is restored throughout the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSH) in order to preserve the integrity of the sport. 

In the endurance-sports world, competitors abide by the many rules and regulations set forth and enforced by larger governing bodies. The International Cycling Union (UCI), which sets industry standards governing the rules for competitive cycling, enforces a rule relevant to the metal-versus-wooden bat debate. The UCI does not have rules for which materials may be used for bicycles because there is minimum mass limit of no less than 6.8 kg (~15 lbs). With a baseline rule established for weight, a rider with greater financial resources will not have a significant advantage over a rider with inferior sponsorship. Thus the focus shifts to the individual rider’s level of fitness, skill and team strategy.

In baseball, the NFSH has an equivalent role to the UCI. And similar to bikes, bats have design restrictions too. In high school baseball in the United States, the bat is not allowed to be more than 2 5/8 inches in diameter and 42 inches in length. The difference between inches of length and ounces of weight must be no greater than 3. An example of this is that a 34-inch bat must weigh at least 31 ounces.

With these restrictions in place, there is predictability in performance allowing athletes to showcase their skills on a level playing field. Thus, the high school athlete that has what it takes will stand out to scouts and be recruited to play at the college level. It has already been determined, by the recent court ruling, that metal and composite bats produce faster, harder and longer hits than wooden bats. If New York or only a few places ban metal bats, then these players will be at a disadvantage. The resulting discrepancy in performance across the nation will skew statistics and the integrity of the sport will be diminished. There must be a uniform ruling -- if this is going to happen in New York, it must also hold true for all of high school baseball.