WANTED & UNWANTED » today. A relegation that has been five year

AMMAN, Jordan -- After 16 hours without food or water, Moath al-Khawaldeh laces up pink training shoes and begins working up a sweat sprinting across a track in the Jordanian capital of Amman.Running slower than his 4:19 mile best, al-Khawaldeh grimaces on the final lap and looks to the golden sky of sunset.The 27-year-old is on a multiyear quest to run in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.With guidance from nutritionists and coaches in Jordan and the U.S., the runner follows a training program that has lowered his body fat, cut his marathon time by 15 minutes and has enabled him to train while fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.I forget that Im fasting and I just do it, he said. I feel that Ramadan is a one-month marathon.Believers abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk in one of Islams central tenets. Fasting aims to remind Muslims of the hunger pains of the poor.Al-Khawaldeh said fasting also builds mental strength.God will never change a person who hasnt changed themselves, he said, quoting the Muslim holy book, or Quran. For him training, or making the best of ones ability, is a form of faith just like fasting.Fasting for a month changes sleep cycles, body temperature, hormone and blood sugar levels -- all of which can reduce athletic performance if not properly handled, said Asma Aloui, an associate professor at Gafsa University in Tunisia.Her research on fasting athletes playing soccer and judo suggests that those who drink enough water, eat, sleep and train properly can maintain their speeds and strength.A starving body absorbs food differently as it adapts to a lack of minerals, nutrients and water, said al-Khawaldehs nutrition coach Aseel al-Saleh.After a few days of fasting, an athletes body switches quickly into deficiency mode to build up fat reserves, al-Saleh said in her office at DNA, a fitness center in Amman.The funny thing about human physiology is that it cant differentiate between dietary restriction and starvation. It just cant, it shuts down, she said.On the road to Tokyo, Al-Khawaldeh cant afford catabolism, or muscle loss, so he and al-Saleh crafted an athletes Ramadan diet.Instead of five small meals a day, he switched to eating the holy months traditional two meals loaded with vegetables, lean protein and nutritional supplements like omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, fish oil and branch-chain amino acids.During the day, he works as a program officer for the Jordanian peace-building nonprofit Generations for Peace. He naps after work, then rises for the first training session, which ends with the sundown call to prayer -- the signal that its time to eat.Al-Khawaldeh eats a few dates and drinks water at the track, then heads home to a sufra, or Ramadan table laden with foods selected to recover nutrients and hydration lost during the days fast.At the post-sundown meal, or iftar, he typically eats chicken on brown rice and steamed vegetables and washes it down with a smoothie of skim milk, dates, bananas, almonds and protein powder.The meal contains easily digested nutrients and proteins, while the second meal, suhour, eaten before sunrise contains slow-burning proteins.People often gain weight during Ramadan because the days hunger drives many to gorge on fatty foods and sugary drinks, said al-Saleh, the nutrition coach. Many also cut sleep to enjoy social gatherings often surrounded by calorie-heavy snacks.But Al-Khawaldeh interprets Ramadans tradition to his advantage with a support network of people helping him eat, sleep, hydrate and train safely.Two years ago, al-Khawaldeh began working with Lee Troop, a high performance coach at the Boulder Track Club in Colorado, a nonprofit running club and training center. At the time, he could run a marathons 42 kilometers or 26.2 miles in 2 hours and 40 minutes, but he needed to lower that to 2:18:59 to qualify for the Olympics.With Troops regimen and guidance, al-Khawaldeh got faster -- 2:33:36 in Vienna, 2:30:57 in Berlin and 2:27:35 in Hamburg. He still faces thousands of training miles over the next three years to try to shave nearly 10 more minutes off his time to get to Tokyo.Troop said the key to long-term success in long-distance running is determination and steady work. Al-Khawaldehs program during Ramadan left the runner leaner, but not faster, yet the mental exercise of fasting is preparing him well for Tokyo, the coach said.His work ethic is second to none, Troop said. Hes been very resilient and the key for success is that long-term development of every day, week, month and year.If al-Khawaldeh qualifies for Tokyo, he will be only the second Jordanian to ever run in the event, according to the Jordan Olympic Committees website.Jordan has competed in the Summer Olympics since 1980, mainly in skeet shooting and taekwondo. Five Jordanians will compete in martial arts, boxing and the triathlon in this years games in Brazil.The centerpiece of al-Khawaldehs Ramadan training is a midnight run, monitored and timed by Osama al-Qattan, 52, a Jordanian ultra-marathon runner.After a recent night session, al-Qattan drives while al-Khawaldeh relaxes in the backseat, sipping water and a protein shake. Running is 30 percent physical and 70 percent mental, the older runner said. And Moath has a strong will.Al-Khawaldeh said Ramadan is a welcome test of strength.Its a great feeling, the sense that you have that power in your body that you didnt know was there but comes out during Ramadan, he said. Nike Shox Clearance Uk . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. Nike Shox Uk Sale . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. http://www.cheapnikeshoxuk.com/ . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Nike Shox Cheap Free Shipping . Cote was eligible to become a free agent Feb. 15. Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player. Nike Shox Cheap Wholesale .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed centre Cody Hodgson on injured reserve and recalled two players from their AHL affiliate in Rochester.Aston Villas relegation was confirmed when they lost 1-0 at Manchester United on Saturday, but the Premier League obituary could have been written in December, and drafted years ago. It was seven years ago last week that Villas new-found success under the ownership of Randy Lerner showed its first signs of falling apart at the seams. Then-manager Martin ONeill, criticised for playing a second-string side in Villas UEFA Cup round-of-32 second leg at CSKA Moscow, hosted a dinner in front of the 295 fans who had travelled to Russia to see a 2-0 defeat, justifying his decision to all but give up on the tie with the score at 1-1 on aggregate. Aston Villa brought a third-string side to CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Cup A three-course dinner was washed down by five drink vouchers at a reported cost of £15,000 to the club, a thank you and sorry to the fans as they reminisced with ONeill and others about past European success.The evening was more or less viewed positively, but the damage had been done weeks before. Ask Villa fans where it started to go wrong as they taste relegation for the first time in Premier League history, and many will point to the final months of the 2008/09 season.It was Villas first appearance at this stage of European competition for 11 years, and the decision not to take the likes of James Milner, Ashley Young, Gareth Barry, Stiliyan Petrov and Gabriel Agbonlahor to Moscow left a sour taste in fans mouths. But the story is more complex than one result.A win over Stoke at Villa Park three days after the Moscow tie would have stretched their fourth-place lead over Arsenal to eight points with 11 games remaining. It was a must-win for ONeill to justify the selection in Russia, but Villa threw away a two-goal lead, conceding twice in the final three minutes. The Villa Park crowd have seen only two home wins in the league this season The players and fans were deflated, and Villa went on to take just 10 points out of a possible 33 in the Premier League, finishing 10 points behind Arsenal in sixth. But to fully understand the impact of the swing-and-miss 2008/09 season, Villa fans will take you back to the start of Lerners tenure two years previous.It is my belief and the basis for my bid that Aston Villa can compete at the highest level within the Premiership and in Europe, said Lerner after the Americans £62.6m takeover from Doug Ellis in 2006.The Holte End sang USA, USA during the good days, and kept faith in ONeill and Lerner during the bad. The owner even had the Villa crest tattooed on his ankle, and a new £8m training ground was built to improve the clubs academy. Randy Lerner ploughed millions into the club, but pulled the plug on spending when Villa missed out on the top four Villa were once again an attractive option, but they initially spent modestly, signing John Carew, Petrov and Young before an 11th-place finish in ONeills first season in 2006/07. Proud history, bright future was the motto on free scarves handed out on the final home game of the season, and that claim was correct for the short term at least.They finished sixth in 2007/08, and the foundations were there for the fourth-place push Lerner had promised. He opened his wallet further, and as spending went up, so did expectation.ONeills transfer pool didnt stretch further than the UK as Villa spent nearly £50m in the summer of 2008. Milner (£12m), Curtis Davies (£8m), Carlos Cuellar (£7.8m), Steven Sidwell (£5m), Luke Young (£5m), Nicky Shorey (£4m), Emile Heskey (£3.5m) and Brad Friedel (£2.5m) arrived, while only £3m went out of the door. The fees and wages spent would come back to hurt the club. Martin ONeill was in charge at Villa until 2010, leaving five days before the start of the season Villa recovered from their 2008/09 disappointment to threaten again in 2009/10, and continued to spend in the market. Another £40m worth of talent came in, but the result was similar; a sixth-place finish as Villa lost in the League Cup final and FA Cup semi-final.Barry started a worrying trend by leaving Villa in the summer of 2009 for Manchester City, whose spending left ONeill, Lerner and co trailing behind.Lerners media appearances were few and far between, but he was quick to assure fans that both ONeill and star player Milner were going nowhere despite strong rumours of unrest. Eric Black reflects on Aston Villas relegation, which was sealed with a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday I am not worried about losing James Milner, he said in May 2010, before adding: Martin will be back next year managing.dddddddddddd It has already been settled.Milner was soon to follow Barry out of the door to City, after a long-running transfer saga which left ONeill frustrated. The Northern Irishman wanted another go at fourth-place to match Citys spending, but Lerner had one hand on the plugs chain and spending was halted.Villa had yet to make a senior summer signing when ONeill shocked everyone by leaving the club five days before the start of the 2010/11 season, and despite his replacement Gerard Houllier showing glimpses of a promising project, he left at the end of the season with health issues after a ninth-place finish. Villas 2008/09 season saw them challenging for a top-four spot Lerner and the boards decision-making was then heavily criticised as Villa appointed Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish, despite the spray-painted bed sheets and protests from supporters pleading with the club not to appoint the man who relegated their bitter rivals from three miles down the road.A new approach to transfers followed as Villas books were splattered in red. Young and Stewart Downing left, and the transfer policy was made clear to McLeish from day one.Lerner and the board simply asked if we could reduce the wages to get to a certain level but remain competitive within the league, McLeish told Sky Sports. I knew right away it was going to be a tough task. Alex McLeish was brought in to reduce the wage bill Villa survived, just, in 16th place, and after a final day defeat at Paul Lamberts Norwich, the travelling support were calling for the man in the opposition dugout to save them.McLeish was sacked, Lambert arrived, but it merely delayed the inevitable. His first transfer window was promising, bringing in Christian Benteke, Ron Vlaar and Ashley Westwood, among others, for £25m. Benteke was a masterstroke, and his goals, along with the rise and rise of Fabian Delph, kept Villa in the Premier League for two more seasons.I have come to know well that fates are fickle in the business of English football, and I feel that I have pushed mine well past the limit, said Lerner in May 2014 upon announcing the club was up for sale.Fans felt Lerner had outstayed his welcome, but the club continued to outstay theirs in the Premier League as Villa remained unsold. Tim Sherwood kept Villa up and got them to an FA Cup final, but was sacked in the autumn They were heading for relegation last February before Lambert was replaced by Tim Sherwood, whose short-term invigoration saved the club and led them to an FA Cup final.Villa failed to turn up against Arsenal at Wembley, and the current campaign was played out in similar fashion.It needs investment, Lambert had pleaded 12 months earlier, but Villa had to sell to buy. Benteke and Delph left for £40m, 11 senior players arrived for over £50m, but never gelled.Sherwood was sacked, and Frenchman Remi Garde was chosen as the sacrificial lamb when managers with survival and Premier League experience seemed a brighter option. Remi Garde was sacked in March after winning just two Premier League games He failed to make a team out of the misfits, and Jamie Carraghers comments after Villas 6-0 defeat by Liverpool in February summed it up.I always think when teams go down theres always two or three players where other managers in the Premier League will try and take them.I cant imagine one Premier League manager looking at that team and thinking theres one player there hed want to take into his squad. Thats how poor they are.That brings us to today. A relegation that has been five years in the making sees the Premier League lose one of their seven ever-present clubs. Villa must now rebuild in the Championship, but no new manager has been appointed Fans will have a glimmer of hope that stability upstairs can aid a clean restart and rebuild after some staffing shake-ups in recent months, but the current squad needs an injection of intelligence, fight and second-tier experience. That goes for the new manager, too.The feeling around Villa Park is that fans have been starved of a team to support for the last nine months. Fans are struggling to identify with current players, and affiliation more or less stops at the club crest.That crest was altered last week, the word Prepared removed for a new design. Preparation for the Championship starts now as fans pray for a team they can love once again. Aston Villa supporters hold protesting banners during their dismal 2015/16 campaign ' ' '