The Running Life

Runner's Gift List

2011-12-14T20:28:00.000-08:00

We’ll be the first to admit it: living with a runner isn’t always easy.

You have to hear the alarm go off in the dark when he (or she) wakes up for an early morning run. You live with muddy shoes and sweaty clothes strewn all over the house. You can’t go 2 days without hearing about some past or upcoming race. It’s enough to drive you crazy sometimes.

The good news is that when December rolls around, runners are extremely easy to shop for. With that in mind, here are some last-minute gift ideas for that obsessive (and sometimes irritating) runner in your life. Most of these can be picked up locally at The Treadmill, Fleet Feet, or REI stores as well as online - see our archive webpage for good product links.

**Online version: all links are to product pages on Amazon.com or other online vendors.

1. Moisture-wicking cap and/or gloves. Cold-weather running is especially harsh on exposed fingers and ears, so if your runner doesn’t already have a nice moisture-wicking cap or gloves, these will be a welcome sight in the stocking. Sugoi makes a great Firewall LT glove and subzero skull cap to keep you warm on cold mornings.

2. Reflector vest or headlamp. Winter brings extended darkness, and your number one priority on the roads is safety. Most running apparel today has reflective accents, but if you really want to stand out, a thin mesh reflective vest will ensure visibility from hundreds of feet away.

Headlamps are doubly effective in that they can be seen from farther away by oncoming traffic, and they also help the runner see any hazards in the road. One lamp in particular, Black Diamond's Sprinter, has an additional blinking LED behind you for even more safety.

3. Car seat cover: Your runner probably drives somewhere for a workout; after the run, chances are that he sits back behind the wheel with muddy calves and sweaty clothes, perhaps on top of an old gym towel. A car seat cover has fabric on one side and an impermeable plastic on the back side, can be tossed over the seat in seconds, and is machine washable. And it’s a lot cheaper than shampooing your car upholstery.

4. CLIF Bloks: These are a chewy version of energy gels, and CLIF makes the best flavors going, including a new citrus flavor introduced this fall that is fantastic.

5. Socks: In the words of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, “One can never have enough socks.” Mike likes Balega, Donald likes Drymax. Your runner may vary.

6. GPS device: These used to be big-ticket items, but the price of technology gets more affordable every year. A company called Soleus makes a wrist-mounted GPS that’s as small as a watch and as accurate as a big-ticket Garmin – all for less than $100.

7. WNLR membership: Every runner needs some kindred spirits, and the Wednesday Night Laundry Runners have members to match nearly every talent level and type of running you can think of. For annual dues of $15 you get social gatherings and running store discounts as well, making it one of the best deals going. Send us an e-mail for details.

8. The Running Life book: Did you think we’d forget to mention our book? If you know a novice runner, someone who is training for the Big Sur marathon, or anyone who enjoys life from a runner’s perspective, this would make a perfect gift under the tree. It’s available for purchase from our website - see the sidebar at top right.

Happy holidays, and happy shopping!

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Running For Life: The Ric Munoz Story

2011-11-29T23:04:00.001-08:00

Author's note: This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the Monterey Herald on December 1st.

**

In January 1987, Ric Munoz sat stoically inside a health clinic, waiting to hear news that he long expected. He was a 28-year-old marathoner who was logging increasing mileage and faster race times with each passing year. He also had very good reason to believe that he might soon be dead.

Munoz’s fears were confirmed that day: his physician informed him that he was HIV+, and that his life expectancy might be as brief as a handful of months. However, on this World AIDS Day 2011, nearly 25 years later, Munoz is not only still among the living, but remains a talented and successful runner well into his 6th decade of life. His story represents not only the tremendous advances in the medical fight against AIDS, but also the healing, life-sustaining benefits that running offers to all of us.

Along the way, he enjoyed 15 minutes of celebrity fame thanks to Nike – but by the time the company discovered him, Munoz had already been been inspiring people and defying conventional wisdom for years. He welcomed the opportunity to be interviewed – at one time, it was something he was very accustomed to – to share the long, strange, often scary but ultimately uplifting adventure his life took after being diagnosed with HIV.

His story began in the spring of 1983, when his friend Teri Tait Gabrielsen kept pestering him to run a 10K with her. Munoz trained with Teri for a few days, mainly so she’d stop nagging him, and he ultimately finished the 10K race. As it often happens with new runners, 10Ks soon turned into marathons, and Munoz discovered his love for the sport. It’s very likely that his journey would have taken a much different turn if not for his “nagging” friend, and Munoz now says that, “Everything I’ve ever accomplished is owed completely to Teri.”

Ric Munoz and Teri Tait Gabrielsen, 1984

For the next few years, Munoz was what anyone would call a strong, healthy recreational runner; he trained 40 miles per week, and entered dozens of road races from 5Ks to marathons. However, he also harbored a nagging certainty that his life was increasingly at risk with each passing day, which ultimately led to his fateful clinic visit in 1987.

Munoz was “100% certain” of what the result would be. Gay media outlets had alerted people to the looming epidemic as early as 1981, and Munoz realized that he was too deep within the circle of impact to emerge unscathed. “If testing had been available in the late ‘70s or early ‘80s, I likely would have tested positive then, too, primarily because I was part of the group - sexually active gay men - that was at highest risk.” By the time the mid-1908s rolled around, Munoz had already lost several of his friends and running partners to AIDS-related illnesses.

Accordingly, he received the positive diagnosis with complete calm – in fact, he vividly remembers how stunned the person at the clinic was when Munoz heard his test results. “I’m pretty sure he expected everyone who got a positive test to break down and cry or otherwise collapse emotionally,” he recalls. When you’re 100% certain that something is going to happen, it’s tough to have a look of surprise when you find out you’re correct.

Under the surface, however, the notion of being HIV+ was terrifying. Fatality rates for HIV in the mid-1980s were in the high 90th percentile, thus making a positive diagnosis akin to a death sentence. Munoz had already seen many close friends die, usually in horrifying fashion as their bodies progressively deteriorated over a period of several months. “The fear level was indescribable,” he stated. “One guy in my neighborhood, upon learning that he definitely had AIDS, killed himself by drinking a bottle of Drano. He was convinced he had no hope to survive.” The pervading hopelessness was like almost nothing else in the history of modern public health.

Like any dedicated runner would do, Munoz used running as an outlet for his sadness, for his anxieties, for all the uncertainty and emotional thunderstorms that accompany such a dire circumstance. “I opted to accelerate my training and racing schedule immediately after the diagnosis,” he says. “I viewed it as counterproductive to wallow in worry or fear about the unknown.” His weekly mileage and training intensity sharply increased, and Munoz began running the fastest times of his life.

He also noticed that he was very slow to develop any of the tell-tale symptoms of AIDS. At the time, there wasn’t any medical consensus about the impact of exercise in HIV patients, but many feared that physical strain would accelerate the disease process. Munoz challenged his physician: “I put my doctor on the spot and asked if pursuing distance running unchecked would cause the HIV to change from its dormant state to something actively harmful. When he replied, ‘I don’t know,’ that was enough information for me to roll the dice and carry on with my running – an activity I grew to be passionate about and a world I could retreat to indefinitely.”

It wasn’t until several years later that HIV specialists came to accept that physical activity does more help than harm – and it wasn’t until a high-profile superstar athlete contracted HIV that the athletic community felt the impact of what had previously been considered simply a “gay disease”. Ironically, Magic Johnson’s surprise retirement from the Los Angeles Lakers in November 1991 also triggered Ric Munoz’s rise to public prominence as an athlete who had been successfully battling HIV for years.

Munoz is a native Los Angeleno, so when his city went into a frenzy in the wake of Magic Johnson’s announcement, he wrote a letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Times. “I basically said people were overreacting to Johnson’s news, and that he should work to avoid the ‘death sentence mentality’ maintained by many who were HIV positive. With the right attitude, he still had a long life ahead of him,” he reports.

“Thank goodness I was right! I also pointed out all the marathons I’d run to that point (40) and how I never would have run them if I’d bought into the type of ‘it’s-just-a-matter-of-time-before-he-dies’ speculations that his fans and the media were ignorantly tossing Johnson’s way.” Munoz seemed like a lone voice in the wilderness at the time, but it was hard to argue with his own success: in June 1992, five years after being officially HIV+ and six months after Magic Johnson’s retirement, Munoz ran a lifetime-best 2:44 marathon. He was now running more than 10 marathons per year, and still not showing signs of the disease.

Columbus Marathon, 1992

Munoz’s story was compelling enough that the Times did a profile of his marathoning and living with HIV. Over the next couple of years Munoz would be profiled by other publications including the New York Times – and in November 1994, he received a phone call from an advertising agency representing Nike. The company was inspired by his story, and recruited Munoz to appear in one of its popular “Just Do It” television ads.

“I’ll never forget the phone call,” he says, “from the creative executive asking if I’d be interested in appearing in the commercial. I thought he was kidding, of course. But after repeated assurances that Nike was very serious about doing the ad, I immediately agreed.” Sure, the personal exposure would be nice, but Munoz had a higher purpose in mind. “It also occurred to me that if I turned them down, there was a strong possibility the ad might never get made.”

The resulting commercial was filmed in one day on the trails of Malibu Canyon State Park. The director was Joe Pytka, a legendary ad industry figure who was also responsible for Nike’s “Bo Knows” series as well as the Larry Bird / Michael Jordan “Nothin’ But Net” spots for McDonald’s. It’s beautiful in its simplicity: interspersed among scenes of Munoz running on scenic trails, a series of black title cards appear onscreen: Ric Munoz, Los Angeles … 80 miles every week … 10 marathons every year … HIV positive.

Nike’s landmark “HIV Runner” spot premiered on February 9, 1995 during that night’s episode of ER. It had an immediate impact on the running community, and shattered popular misconceptions about living with HIV. Director Joe Pytka later said it was one of his proudest ads, and it was ultimately named one of the 50 greatest TV commercials of all time by Entertainment Weekly magazine. Munoz spent time hobnobbing at Nike headquarters in Oregon and became friends with company founder Phil Knight. The commercial aired globally, and Nike flew Munoz to London to help promote its original airing in England on World AIDS Day 1995.

Ric Munoz and Phil Knight, 1995

Of course, fame doesn’t ensure ongoing health, and running doesn’t provide immunity from disease. Munoz had typically been reluctant to take AZT or DDI, the treatment drugs available at the time, because of their significant side effects. “My doctor respected my wishes, but also warned me that one day the HIV would be too strong for my immune system to handle,” he says. The doctor’s prediction came true in 1998, when Munoz acquired an opportunistic infection called cryptosporidiosis, and his T-cell count dropped significantly. Normal healthy individuals have a T-cell count between 500 and 1500, and a count below 200 in HIV+ individuals increases the risk of fatal infection. In mid-1998, Munoz’s T-cell count was 3; if he had deferred treatment just a bit longer, he most likely would have perished.

Fortunately for Munoz, his crisis coincided with the advance of antiretroviral medicines called protease inhibitors, and he finally relented to his doctor’s urging to try the new medications. His T-cell count began to rise, and the infection eventually was entirely cleared. The brush with death taught Munoz an important lesson: from that moment on, he reports, “I never doubted my doctor’s advice again” on the importance of a regular medication regimen.

He also never relented on his determination to push the limits of his athletic performance – and shortly after the deathly scare, Munoz turned his attention to ultramarathons. In November 1998 he completed his first 50-mile event, and for the past decade he has competed in some of the most famous ultramarathons in the world, including the Comrades 56-miler in South Africa, and the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Nowadays, however, he does so with the blessing of his medical team.

“My current doctor is a marathoner,” Munoz says. “Hearing me describe the six 100-milers I’ve completed over the past two years has gotten him thinking about trying an ultra himself; he’ll likely start by doing a 50K. He’s voiced no objection whatsoever to the ultra distances I’ve raced.” His physician monitors Munoz’s bloodwork closely and tests his T-cell count four times annually; last year, Munoz’s number was a robust 904, the highest count he’s ever recorded.

He has also enjoyed a string of good health enviable by anyone, regardless of their HIV status. “My health is really good these days, and it’s kept stable for at least the past 10 years,” he reports. “The last time I had a cold or flu was nearly two years ago. I can recall numerous times over the past few months when I’ve felt the rumblings of a cold coming on and then seen those rumblings disappear after I’ve gone out for a run.”

To date, Ric Munoz has completed 155 road marathons and 26 ultras, including six 100-mile finishes. He’s still a member of the Nike family, receiving free shoes and apparel, and he occasionally gets invited to the Nike campus to speak with employees or share his story for other promotional purposes. Sometimes he gets recognized at races, but he says, “So many years have passed since the commercial first aired, that makes it a less frequent occurrence.” As each race and each year go by, he becomes more like another face in the crowd – a notion that he wouldn’t have believed in his wildest dreams more than 20 years ago.

At the Western States 100, 2011

More importantly, his journey has instilled the same blessings of peace and insight that many cancer survivors experience: the knowledge that every day is precious, and that life needs to be savored and enjoyed, because we never know when we’ll cross our final finish line. “I never lose sight of the fact that today could easily be my last day on Earth,” Munoz says. He’s “grateful to be around to see another World AIDS Day”, and takes life one fragile day at a time.

Munoz considers his identity as a runner and that of an HIV carrier to be one and the same. He states that, “My resiliency has endured over the years; I owe a huge chunk of that resiliency to the inner strength and physical strength I’ve developed through long distance running - the 100-mile events in particular.” He is just as disciplined about his medical regimen – regular checkups, blood testing, two drugs taken every day of his life – as he is about his training, where he continues to log 70-80 miles per week. He has a list of ambitious running goals, and one very ambitious health goal: “I hope to be around to see the eradication of AIDS, as difficult as that may seem today.”

That last notion might not be as far-fetched as it initially sounds. Given how utterly bleak things looked 30 years ago, and realizing how far medicine has progressed since then, it’s not hard to imagine that another 30 years from now we might be talking about AIDS in the past tense, just as we do with polio today. And as a robust 53-year-old with healthy activity habits and a potent treatment regimen on his side, there’s no reason to think that Munoz won’t be there to enjoy it.

*
Purchase the Running Life book via PayPal at top right of page

Women Rule!

2011-11-21T23:19:00.000-08:00

We were prepared to title this column “Wet and Wild,” but with the rain holding off just long enough for all but the late finishers, weather wasn’t a major factor on Sunday. Instead, the story of this year’s Big Sur Half marathon weekend was the women, who truly shined.

US Olympians Magdalena Lewy Boulet from Oakland and Blake Russell from Pacific Grove battled in an epic women’s race, with “Magda” coming out the winner. Watching them in full flight with Monterey Bay in the background is awe inspiring.

65% of our half marathon entries were women, and this is not unusual. At the fitness expo, Lisa Beckham of the Competitor Group reported that they organize 28 marathons and half marathons across the nation, all with similar demographics.

We asked some women runners at the weekend’s events why they ran and some themes were evident. Tracy Clark, a young mother from Elk Grove said,”It’s ME time, a much needed break, and it’s energizing.” Tara Clark and Avril Waddle, competitive local runners in their 40’s who often train together, commented, “It helps us stay sane, we can talk both good and bad about our husbands, and we can eat chocolate guilt-free.”

Females of every age gave impressive answers at the weekend races. Sisters Alondra (age 9) and Andrea (age 7) from Del Rey Woods Elementary said, “It’s healthy, it’s good for you, and it’s fun.” Emily Passey and Olivia Chapa, freshman runners from Aptos High School who just finished their cross-country seasons, said, “Running is relaxing, and you can think about life.” Sharron Douglas, the 73-year-old retired principal of Carmel River School, runs for health, explaining “It makes me feel good both during and after any run.”

It was hard not to notice Norina Florendo and her friends from San Francisco, celebrating loudly and happily after the 5K on Saturday. Norina just started running two years ago and has already helped 7 of her friends start running programs. They finished their first 5K at Lovers Point on Saturday and proudly displayed their medals, then headed down the coast to Nepenthe to celebrate their acheivement.

Several businesses that cater to women runners were present at the expo. Sunny Arada is a runner and recent Fresno State grad who started a business called “Endure” that sells running-themed jewelry, necklaces, and shirts for women. She says, “It takes a certain personality to run regularly.”

It also takes a certain personality to be a mother – and according to local psychologist (and mother of 4) Dr. Kathryn Hambley, “Running makes me a better mother.” There were also more than 100 members of the group Athletes for Adoption in bright red shirts at all the weekend events. November is National Adoption Month, and the group picks our race weekend as their annual fundraiser. According to Darren Denlinger, the Chairman of their Board of Directors, “It’s the best race there is anywhere in November.” We wholeheartedly agree.

Motherhood almost came early to one runner, who didn’t want her name mentioned. She is seven and a half months pregnant and felt contractions just before the mile 4 aid station of the half marathon. Although the race has outstanding organization, labor and delivery services are a tall order for most aid stations. Luckily it turned out to be false labor, and our mom-to-be cautiously dropped from the race.

It was a day for the women all around; even the local running club’s “predict your own time” contest was won by a female, Anne Goode. Anne takes home a 6-pack of Sierra Nevada for running just a few seconds off her predicted time. She wouldn’t share any with us – she must be waiting for her girlfriends.

Congratulations to everyone who ran on Sunday – even the men! We’ll see you all next time.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Star Gazing

2011-11-17T23:15:00.000-08:00

The Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay is Sunday and for once we almost feel like watching instead of running.

The elite coordinators, Steve Butler and Greg Mislick, have assembled one of the best fields for any race in the country. Rudy Novotny, who travels around the U.S. to announce races says, “it’s the best woman’s field I have seen in quite some time.” And we know the men’s field is full of stars as well.

We have the second (Magdalena Levy Boulet), third (Blake Russell), and fourth (Zoila Gomez) finishers from the 2008 Women’s Olympic Trials marathon in Boston.

If you are not running on Sunday we suggest you take the whole family and find yourself a great position to watch the race. We recommend standing near Lovers Point on Ocean View Boulevard. The course turns left from Ocean Avenue up Fountain into Pacific Grove, then back down to Lovers Point on 17th, then heads out to Asilomar and back. You should be able to see the elite runners go by 3 times – at 3.75 miles, 4.5 miles and 11 miles into the race.

While you are waiting for the elites to come back you can encourage the 8,000 other runners who are giving their all. Maybe they will inspire you or your kids to start running and enter the race next year.

Channel your inner Kenyan or Ethiopian: When you are watching the elites look for several things about their running form. It can make you a better runner. Look for how relaxed they run and how great their posture is. Look for quick leg tempo – try to incorporate that in your own running. Kenyan runners Fred Tumbo, Bernard Langat, Benson Cheruiyot, and Abdelaziz Atmani should be at the front of the men’s race with Ethiopian’s Ezkyas Sisay, and Gishu Dida. Sisay just finished 9th in the New York City Marathon on November 6th after leading for much of the race.

Belainesh Gebre, from Ethiopia, last year’s woman’s Half Marathon winner and course record holder at 1:09:43 recently withdrew, but according to Steve Butler, we have 15 women entered this year who are faster than last year’s second place time. And 9 of them have sub 1:15 half marathon times.

Root for the Home Team: You can admire the Kenyan’s and Ethiopians but we want you to yell loudly for our local heros who also happen to be national stars. We’ll even tell you their numbers so when you see them you can yell their names frantically. Believe us when we tell you it helps.

Blake Russell from Pacific Grove is number 38. Blake was on the U.S. Olympic team in the marathon in 2008 and the only U.S. finisher in Beijing. She has a half marathon best of 1:11:45. A few weeks back she came in 3rd in the U.S. 10 mile championship.

Brooke Wells, a Carmel High and U.C. Berkeley grad, who now lives in San Francisco is number 7. Brooke has a half marathon best of 1:15:40 set earlier this year.

Fasil Bizuneh, born in Indiana but lived on the Monterey Peninsula for 4 years when he was with the Big Sur Distance Project. Fasil is number 45. He was the winner of the very first Big Sur Half Marathon and should be right in the mix with a half marathon best of 1:02:47.

Crosby Freeman, is a Monterey Peninsulan by association, as he is Brooke Wells boyfriend. Crosby is number 24 and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has a half marathon best of 1:04.

Whether you are running or watching we know it’s going to be an exciting day on Sunday.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

You Be the Coach

2011-11-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

Many of our running partners have sons and daughters running on local high school cross country teams this fall. It’s fun to follow the progress of the 2nd and often 3rd generation kids from running families. It is encouraging to see the kids following the healthy habits of their parents and enjoying the sport.

Running is one of the few high school and college sports that can be a lifelong participant hobby. Most people don’t realize that Cross Country is the largest participative sport in the country at the high school level. It’s easy to have a team as costs are low, you can have a competitive team with only 5 runners, you can train almost anywhere, and both girls and boys can participate.

But many kids leave the sport after their high school experience for various reasons; including time and pressure from college and family commitments. Many find the competitive grind difficult and never equate their running with fun; it becomes work and full of pressure. Many get injuries during cross country season and become frustrated.

We feel it’s the coach and the parents responsibility to emphasize to high school runners that running is not only an individual challenge but it can be a lifelong way to health and well being. Student runners should understand the link between running and health as well as reasons for the types of training they are asked to do. The coach should explain the reasons for speedwork, running hills, gradually increasing distance over the course of the season, running drills, and other workouts they are asked to do.

One issue that always comes up in our discussions is if you were a high school coach would you allow runners to miss practice for other activities? Would you allow runners to run in competition if they miss several practices? Would you allow the talented faster runner that competes in another sport during cross country season to come out and run for the team, even though you have very hard working runners that practice every day that are not as fast?

We may be idealists, but if we were coaching in high school we would let any student run and compete for the top 5 spots, that wanted to. We would want to get as many kids running as possible. An uncertain and slow Freshman or Sophmore, if coached and motivated properly, may become a Senior Star.

High school students should be encouraged to try different things. If someone wants to be in band or math club or student government or drama, and it’s the same time as cross country practice, then make arrangements for the student to run on their own.

We still feel that cross country is an INDIVDUAL sport where the team environment can be extremely motivating in having runners go faster. Training together provides motivation and spirit and improvement but it’s basically an individual sport and improvement and performance is based on internal motivation and desire.

And what about fast talented runners that do other sports or miss practices due to other activities. We say “Let Them Run” in meets if they are faster than those that are practicing every day. In scholastic classes, do teachers on tests, ever make allowances for those that aren’t “intellectually gifted” by giving them extra credit for studying more, even if they do worse on the test?

Success in life and running depends on a combination of talent and hard work. It’s an important lesson that is best learned early.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

A Wife On Your Back

2011-10-20T23:18:00.000-07:00

Guys out there, listen up: Maybe distance running isn’t your thing. And maybe you’re not particularly suited for track races either. That doesn’t mean you have to give up your dreams of athletic glory through running.

Maybe what it means is that you have to find the right wife.

More specifically, perhaps it’s time to find a female partner and try your skill at wife carrying, a sport where men race each other through an obstacle course of dirt, ramps, forest terrain, giant logs, and a 1-meter deep water hazard – all while physically carrying a woman along the way.

Wives can be carried one of four ways: 1) traditional piggyback (considered very amateur), 2) Santa Claus-style with the wife flung over one shoulder, 3) Fireman style with the wife around the neck and over both shoulders, or 4) the Estonian carry, where the wife hangs upside-down on the man’s back, with her legs around his shoulders and her face at his rear end.

Yes, it sounds funny, but wife-carrying is serious business. The 12th annual North American Championships just took place over Columbus Day weekend - giving you 50 full weeks to prepare for next year’s event –and the World Wife Carrying Championships (WWCC) have become hugely popular. Competitors from all over the world square off in this unique test of fitness, strength, agility, and teamwork, and the winners are rewarded with the wife’s weight in beer.

That’s right … beer. So the heavier your wife, the greater the reward – but only if you win. But don’t think you can just marry some anorexic in order to gain a competitive advantage; the minimum wife weight is 108 pounds, and females weighing less are required to wear a weighted rucksack to meet the standard.

Wife Carrying Championships feature many similarly strange rules, and perhaps the oddest one is this: the wife you carry doesn’t even have to be your own. According to the official rules, “The wife to be carried may be your own, the neighbor's, or you may have found her further afield.” The only requirement is that she is at least 17 years old.

The World Championships originated in Finland and take place there annually. There’s historic context to all this: some say the event commemorates a 19th-century marauder whose gang raided small villages to steal food and kidnap the town’s women. Others think it recalls a custom of young men sneaking into neighboring villages to steal someone’s wife for their own, literally carrying them back to their own house. Sure, it’s barbaric, but realistically, there probably weren’t many other sports in early Finland aside from wife stealing.

As you might expect, Finns dominate the world championships, but there’s another country whose runners do shockingly well: Estonians, whose carrying method revolutionized the sport. Although it looks ridiculous, the Estonian Carry is remarkably efficient, and Estonian teams ran away with multiple titles before the rest of the world finally followed suit.

The Estonian Carry is fraught with all sorts of embarrassment and/or danger; consequently, the wife’s spirit and determination are often considered equally important to success as the husband’s physical skill. The WWCC page describes the ideal wife as, “composed of humor and hard sport on a fifty-fifty basis.” Which brings us back to our original thought: if you’re not finding the success you seek in running, maybe the best thing you can do for yourself is to find the right girl.

Come to think of it, that’s not a bad lesson for our non-running lives as well.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Running Characters

2011-10-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

Characters make your Running Life more interesting and we’ve run with our share. Usually what happens on the roads and trails stays on the roads and trails; but we’ve decided that the statute of limitation has expired and we’re going to tell a few stories. These characters have moved away and we’ve changed the names below anyway.

You can definitely learn from your running partners and have a lot of laughs as well.

The Stealth: “Doug” had a job that kept him travelling a lot and even when he was home his hours were unpredictable. He knew where and when we ran each morning, but we never knew when he was going to show up. Even though most of our early morning runs were done in the dark “Doug” always wore black shorts and a black shirt.

He was a very fast, efficient, and quiet runner and loved to unexpectedly come up behind us and yell loudly; or sometimes lay in wait ahead when he knew we would be passing. Believe us when we say this is startling and caused an adrenaline rush that lasted for several miles. It helped our training.

“Doug” also provided some unexpected advice when we had a discussion of what male runners wore under their running shorts. The choices were to just use the lining of the running shorts (nothing), a jock, boxers, or briefs. “Doug” added another choice as he casually commented that he wore his wife’s underwear as it was more comfortable and didn’t chafe. Stealth indeed.

The Pitt: The conversation in our group (both men and women) is typically wholesome, family oriented, and rated G, but when “Dave” was running the subject always turned to sex. He had a “Brad Pitt” complex, thinking he was irresistible to women. Whenever we ran by any attractive woman on the trail, “Dave” would politely wait until she passed and was out of earshot, and then say, “She wants me.”

It became so standard that whenever the group ran by any woman, the entire group, including the women, would chant, “She wants me!” at the same time as “Dave”.

Often on very long training runs, typically over the 20 mile mark, a type of Runner’s Tourette’s Sydrome sets in where the mouth doesn’t filter what the brain is thinking. It was then that EVERYONE on the trail would hear “she wants me”, “he wants me”, or “it wants me” as they were near our group. It made for some embarressing moments but like the stealth, caused a training benefit, as the group tried to sprint away from “Dave” whenever another walker or runner approached.

Special Forces: We had a military Special Forces officer run with us for quite a while and he taught us one very important thing. Experienced runners are usually very aware of their bodily functions and timing and if there is a possibility of “going” on the run they carry toilet paper and a plastic bag.

One early morning on the roads, the Special Forces guy had a need and no one had toilet paper. “Paul” did what none of us would have even considered in a time of need and resourcefully headed to the nearest house that had newspaper delivery. He politely ripped the classified ads for his own use, and folded the rest of the paper back the way it was.

Unfortunately when we started writing our column and he had a need on Thursdays he made a point of grabbing the sports. This wasn’t so Special.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Go Out and Play!

2011-09-22T23:23:00.000-07:00

“Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth.”
- Clinical report in PEDIATRICS, January 2007

“We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves ... The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom.”
- Sir Roger Bannister

When it comes to playtime, our society actually starts children out pretty well. It’s not until adulthood that things get screwed up.

The vast majority of elementary schools – including all of them on the Monterey Peninsula – include daily recess as part of the curriculum. It’s the time when kids leave the world of book reports and multiplication tables behind, and escape to a world of four square battles, double-dutch routines, JUST RUN, or any magical adventures they can imagine.

In middle school, recess is gone, but most kids have physical education classes every day, an “active break” where hopefully they are instructed in the importance of regular exercise and exposed to a variety of sports and games. When they get to high school, unfortunately P.E. isn’t required for 4 years, but there is a wide selection of athletic teams awaiting their participation.

Anyone who has played high school sports can tell you those memories are among the most cherished in their entire lives; every practice they attended, and every play of every game makes some tangible contribution to their experience and emotional happiness. Even for those who didn’t play sports, the fondest childhood memories are typically related to time spent playing outdoors: climbing to a tree fort, bike riding through the neighborhood, or splashing in a river or lake.

But when kids become adults and eventually take on jobs and families, they find that the world doesn’t place the same priority on recess and playtime. If they cling to those games they loved as children – by playing in rec leagues, taking lessons from a local club, or signing up for various races – they sometimes sense the “real world” frowning upon them. Parents aren’t supposed to leave their kids with a babysitter so they can work out; upwardly mobile career workers aren’t supposed to have free time for exercise; respected professionals aren’t supposed to be seen in sweaty running clothes.

Grown-ups gradually internalize these expectations and feel guilty or self-centered for taking time to exercise, even though it still stimulates their emotional well-being. And when life gets crazy and schedules get tight, exercise is almost always the first thing to drop off the priority list. “I just don’t have the time any more” is the most common remark you’ll hear from former lifelong athletes, and it’s the reason we hear most frequently when catching up with runners who used to train with us.

The irony, of course, is that exercise never ceases to be a necessary part of our happiness and healthy development. Adults can find the same satisfaction and enjoyment from games and races that they did as children. For the two of us, running offers the same escape from the troubles of the world that play breaks did when we were in elementary school. In fact, we find that whenever life gets the most difficult, stressful, or hectic, those are the times when we need our exercise outlet the most.

Exercise is recess, and it’s just as important now as it was when you were a child. Go outside and play!

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Honoring September 11th

2011-09-08T23:25:00.000-07:00

“I ran. I’ll never forget the sound of the building crumbling behind me. I didn’t turn around. I just ran and ran and ran.”
One survivor of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

Mike gets personal about September 11th.

Screaming and running have always been our primal human fear defense mechanisms. Running away is the natural thing to do.

At some point in every race and often in daily runs every runner is faced with a moment of decision; do I keep on running hard and be physically uncomfortable or do I back off and take it easy? It is at these moments that each runner looks within and often discovers who they are or who they can be.
It’s at that moment and by that decision that the runner feels most alive.

In three days I honor the 17th anniversary of September 11th. No, that’s NOT a typo. Actually the story starts on Friday October 15th, 1993. My first wife Sue was running at the Hartnell College track in Salinas and suffered a cerebral hemorrhage due to an aneurysm. No warning signs, no behavioral changes, no headaches in the previous months. She required immediate surgery and an MRI indicated she had Glioblastoma Multiforme 4, a diagnosis you never want to hear, advanced brain cancer.

She was 46 and outwardly extremely healthy; maintained a healthy weight, a runner, a swimmer, never smoked, only drank alcohol occasionally and it was red wine. She ate all the recommended foods, with a lot of fruits and vegetables; never used extra salt, didn’t have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, always ordered dressing “on the side”. She maintained a fairly easy-going personality and we had three relatively stressless and wonderful children.

All of us runners and health addicts who think we are “bulletproof” should think again. Lifestyle choices are only one part of the puzzle. After the surgery, the doctor said the prognosis was less than a year and she passed away 11 months later on September 11th, 1994; a precious and vibrant life gone at a far too early age.

She and our family struggled during that 11 months, but my running thrived (as meaningless as it seemed), as I used it and my running partners for stress relief, strength, and comfort. I ran and ran and ran.

September 11th was our unique family day for memories for seven years until 2001. It still is, but we now share it with the entire country. Somehow it only feels right that September 11th should be a national day of honor and reflection.

We had 11 months to confront and face death and talk about it and the consequences. I can only imagine and pretend to feel the pain of those whose loved ones left for work on a “normal” day, or to take a plane on a “routine” business trip, and they never saw them again. No time to even think of goodbyes. Nearly 3,000 people died; 411 were firefighters, police, and paramedics who ran into the World Trade Center buildings and overcame their fear.

On September 11th, instead of re-creating pictures in our mind of the horrors of tumbling and broken buildings, and airplanes falling from the sky, we should think compassionately of those precious and vibrant victims that died and their grieving family members. Make it personal.

Before you go for a run on September 11th, and every day after, make sure you are running toward something and not away from it. And hug your family before you go.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Lessons From Your Pacers

2011-08-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

At this month’s Salinas Valley Half Marathon several members of the Wednesday Night Laundry Runners club joined the race as pace group leaders, or “pacers”. They compared notes afterward and their observations are both instructive and insightful for novice racers.

Here’s the job description of a pacer: given a target finish time they try to finish just under that goal time; it’s best to run each mile as consistent as possible based on the course conditions and hills. They carry balloons so other runners can pick them out and try to keep up. Pacers provide encouragement to those following them.

Pacing is a fun job; you experience all the excitement of a race without the stress of competing for best times or age group awards. There’s a bit of pressure, however, to keep the right pace all the way through. We’re happy to report that all of the pacers at the Salinas Valley Half finished in exactly their assigned goal times.

Here are some of the lessons they learned en route:

1. Everybody starts too far up. This is epidemic at nearly every race. Even though there were prominent signs marking the projected pace times at the start line, each of the pacers ended up passing dozens of people who thought they’d try to get our fast and get a head start on. In the age of chip timing, this strategy is especially foolish.

2. Even splits result in a lot of passing. This is the related corollary of observation #1. During the early miles, pacers running even splits had to avoid runners who shot off the start line with more ambition than talent. Later on, a steady pace assures you of passing these same runners who are now struggling just to make it to the finish.

3. Trust your body - not the runners around you. Some pacers remarked that runners with them made comments about going either too fast or too slow at various points of the race. Good pacers – and any good distance runners – learn to know different paces by feel, not by how the “starting too fast” and “finishing too slow” crowds are moving. The best even-pacing strategy is to practice a given speed in training and then work within that same zone on race day.

4. You can rally. All the pacers observed that during the final few miles of the race, whenever they passed somebody, that person would try to keep up for a while, recognizing that he (or she) was slipping behind the goal pace. Many runners rallied enough to stay ahead of the pace balloons – so just because you’ve hit a bad patch doesn’t mean you can’t regroup and finish strong.

5. Keep your eyes on the prize. Pacers reported that runners approached them after the race to say they could see the balloons in the distance and they kept them in sight all the way to the finish. Sometimes you need a visible beacon to keep you focused; if there isn’t a pace group in front of you do the same thing with a fellow runner in the distance ahead.

6. Races are parties. Spectators aren’t used to seeing runners with helium balloons tied to them; some pacers heard comments like, “Happy Birthday!” and “Where’s the party?” That’s a nice mindset to have during a race – because really, any race should be a celebration.

The next time you’re at a race, feel free to match strides with a pacer; you’ll end up running a smart race, have shared fun with the group, and you might learn a few tips along the way.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Changing Your Running Form

2011-08-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

“Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy.”
- The Eagles, “Take It Easy”

Historical running wisdom has been that you cannot change the way you run; the way you looked while running around the playground as a kid is basically the same way you look when running on streets or trails as a grownup today. The biomechanics you were born with either provide you a lifetime of injury-free running, or a plague of constant injuries.

However, in the last few years there has been a lot of scientific research indicating that you can change your running form – and doing so might actually be good for you. Whether you are a beginner or elite, making your running form more efficient can make you not only faster, but less likely to incur injuries.

This “unconventional wisdom” started a few years back with the barefoot and minimalist shoe boom. Running barefoot or with minimal shoes forces your foot strike - the way your foot hits the ground - to be on the midfoot or forefoot, with a much softer impact than traditional running shoes. Traditional running shoes have highly padded heels and more lift in the heel and promote a heel strike while running.

However, the question is still very contentious among medical professionals. Many still believe that runners with less-than-perfect biomechanics have no business trying to run barefoot, and should rely on structured shoes or even orthotics. However, most are beginning to accept that efficient running isn’t dependent nearly as much upon the shoe as it is upon the runner.

Whether you wear shoes or not, there are several things you can work on in order to reduce your chances of injury. Next time you are out for an easy run, listen to determine how your foot strikes the ground. Are you a “noise-maker” who lands on your heel and then slaps the ground with your forefoot, or do you run silently with a soft footstrike?

Practice running quietly. There are several ways to do this and all require repetition, concentration, and practice. Try to land more in the midfoot. Take shorter quicker strides. Don’t overstride. You might try leaning a bit more forward but when you do this don’t bend from the waist, but from the ankles.

Danny Dreyer wrote a popular book called “Chi Running,” in which he claims you can improve your running form by concentrating your energy on balance and flow. He identifies 10 components of good running technique and we’ve added some explanatory advice after each one: flexibility (stretch for a few minutes each day), posture (run upright, no slumping), good leg motion (don’t overstride), cadence (quick short steps), body sensing (sense tension and relax your muscles), mental focus (concentrate on making changes), upper/lower body coordination (both work together rather than in opposition), good breathing habits (deep belly breathing), bent knees and elbows (improves arm and leg swing), and staying relaxed (consciously relax your muscles and run comfortably fast).

More and more runners are now doing actual drills once or twice a week, usually before or after running, to improve their form and flexibility. You can have fun with skips, high knees, butt kicks, irish dance, striders, hurdle step-overs, quick feet, and many more. Just Google “running drills” and you’ll find lots of them.

Like anything worthwhile, changing your running form takes a bit of effort and some study, but there’s no question it can lead to a healthier and more enjoyable running life.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Local Race Information

2011-07-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

One of the most common topics of conversation among runners is what their next race will be, or how their friends did in recent events. This week we’re keeping you up to date on local running news - or as our Wednesday Night Laundry Runners newsletter puts it, “All of the news of the fit in print.”

If you are thinking about running the Big Sur International Marathon on April 29th, 2012 – we know it seems like a lifetime away – you better enter NOW. Marathon entries went on sale July 15th and close to 1,500 people registered the first day and 2,000 the first week. Race entries are limited and the field is already about 65% full. Go to www.bsim.org to enter.

The Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay on November 20th is about 65% full as well. The 5K and JUST RUN 3K on November 19th are going to be in downtown Pacific Grove this year instead of Cannery Row. Races will start at Jewell Park, be on fairly rolling paved streets, and finish at Forest and Lighthouse.

The 2nd annual Salinas Valley Half Marathon is August 6th and is extremely close to a sellout even though the field was expanded from 1,300 to 1,800 this year. This popular race also added a fitness expo at Hartnell College, open to the public, from 2PM to 7PM on August 5th. The elite men’s field is like a who’s who of former Salinas Valley high school and Hartnell College runners that have become national stars. Included are Diego Estrada, Danny Tapia, Jesus Campos, Mario Mendoza, Miguel Nuci, and Anthony Solis.

The very next day, Sunday August 7th, will see the Carmel Valley Fiesta Mountain Run, a challenging trail run for everyone with a sense of adventure. Some hardy local athletes are doing the SV Half and the Fiesta Run on back to back days, and the Fiesta run will recognize those runners with their own race category. Register at www.active.com.

The Just Plane Fun Run, kids’ mile and half mile races, will be September 25th at the Salinas Airport. Put on by the Salinas International Air Show and the Just Run program, kid’s last year started near Monster Trucks and did a few laps on the runway after they were “cleared for takeoff” from the control tower. Kids and their families received discounted tickets to air show events as well. This one is a “can’t miss” if you have kids under 14.

Some other local favorite races you should put on your calendar are the RLS Run in the Forest (5K and 10K) on October 8th and the Big Sur River Run (5k and 10K) on October 22nd.

Finally, a couple of local running notes: Congratulations to Dan Zulaica from North County and Stella Gibbs from Marina for competing well in the master’s (over 40) track World Championships in Sacramento last week. Stella finished 10th in the 50-54 age group 5,000 meters on the track. Dan finished 13th, and 2nd from the United States, in the associated 50-54 marathon.

We hope to see you at all these local races.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Ten Rules From Above

2011-07-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

A few days ago we were running in the heat to get Donald acclimated for a 100-mile run on the Tahoe Rim Trail this coming weekend. It was a long hilly run on the trails of Fort Ord, at the hottest time of day in the mid-afternoon. We were both wearing thick cotton sweats and hadn’t had any water for a few hours.

We had placed water bottles under a large rock a few days earlier, but when we got there the bottles had evidently been tampered with, and water was spilling out from under the rock, completely undrinkable. Disappointed and parched, we continued up the hill. At the summit, the sun shone brightly from behind a bush that made it look like it was on fire.

It was then that we heard the voice.

Each of us thought it was a hallucination, but we both heard it: deep, powerful, and mysterious. “Fear not,” the voice said, “for I have wise advice for you.”

Donald was too overwhelmed to talk, but Mike said, “What advice can you give Donald for his 100-miler?” The voice replied sternly, “Listen carefully to these ten rules.”

“First, and most important: I will be your only coach. Don’t take advice from anyone else!” We both nodded our agreement.

“Run only for enjoyment and personal challenge; don’t idolize the finisher’s medal or the glory of spectators.” That sounded profound, and it seemed like the voice was indeed rather wise.

“When the miles grow difficult, don’t start cursing me. Remember, you’re the one who signed up for this crazy thing.” Fair enough, we suppose.

“Take a good long rest at sundown on Friday until your race begins on Saturday morning. It probably wouldn’t hurt to say a few prayers that night, either.” That sounded reasonable.

“Be thankful for the slow twitch muscle fibers you inherited from your father and mother, and honor them by not overworking your muscles to cause lactic acid buildup.” Apparently the voice had some exercise physiology background as well.

“Speed kills! Pace yourself wisely throughout the race, and don’t race to keep up with any competitors.” Coincidentally, this is one that Donald struggles with quite often.

“If your pacer [a safety companion for the last half of the race] is a female, be careful of becoming too emotionally involved with her!” Our wives would appreciate that rule. Suddenly the sun started to set lower in the sky, and the voice began speaking really fast.

“Eat and drink properly at every aid station, but don’t steal anything from another runner’s drop bag!” That one seemed like common courtesy.

“Don’t exaggerate or complain about factors that might slow you down, like illness or injury. Everyone faces similar challenges, and nobody likes a sandbagger!” The voice seemed to be scolding us a bit, before taking a more respectful turn …

“Don’t covet the lifestyles of your neighbors who seek short term pleasures. You’ve trained diligently and faithfully – now run with perseverance, and in striving for the larger prize you’ll be generously rewarded.” And with that, the voice fell silent.

We stared at the bush and each other for a few minutes in silence, then started back down the hill slowly. Donald said, “Well I guess we know what our next column is going to be.” Mike replied, “Sure … but who will believe us?”

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Motivation

2011-06-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

What gets you out the door to run each day? How do you stay motivated? How do you lace up your running shoes when you really don’t feel like hitting the streets or trails?

The answer is different for everyone – you are an experiment of one – but there are several ways to increase your chances of doing your daily run and continually enjoying it.

Schedule your run like any other meeting: If you have regularly scheduled runs and places to meet it becomes easier. Put your runs on your calendar and it becomes a priority. Eventually it will become your favorite habit.

Find a group or a friend: When you run with others it becomes harder to miss a running appointment. For most runners it is more enjoyable to run in the company of friends. Time passes more quickly and you share everyone’s successes in running and in life.

Enter a race: For most people entering a race becomes a fun commitment to train properly and a challenge to try and run faster. Runners realize there is a direct correlation between how well and consistently you train and how you will run in the race.

Learn about your sport: Reading health related articles about the benefits of running and an active lifestyle make you more aware of what a great thing you are doing for your body and spirit when you hit the roads and trails. It’s the best gift you can give to yourself each day.

Mix it up: Don’t get in a rut of always running in the same location each day. Running and your life become more interesting if you run trails and hills, rather than always pounding the pavement. Choose different locations, terrain, and challenges when you can.

Get Competitive: Try to improve your times by doing some speed work and faster running on some of your training days. Even if it is just short “pickups” from telephone pole to telephone pole, it improves your efficiency as a runner and leg turnover. Compare your times from one race to another and challenge yourself to do better. Pick a “nemesis” who you want to beat and know that they are out there training every day. Try to beat them in your next race. Make yourself a faster runner.

Take it Easy: On the other hand, if you are naturally competitive and feel a bit burnt out by always “training” and being race ready, then step back and take it easy for awhile. Don’t enter any races for 3 or 4 months. Just go out and run easy and run with joy. Learn to enjoy the act of running and feeling good in the moment.

Take on a new challenge: Tired of the same old 5 and 10K’s? Challenge yourself and add variety by entering some trail races; or pick a new distance and location. Look for 8K’s or 20k’s or try to do an ultra. Choose a vacation destination and look for a race there. Try an overseas marathon. The possibilities are endless to spice up your Running Life.

List your reasons to run: Go ahead make yourself a list of all the benefits of running. Then take a few days off and see how you miss it. Come back eager to get out the door and run.

Volunteer at a local race or get someone new started in the sport: When you help at a race or see someone new get started the eager enthusiasm is infectious.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Are you Race Ready?

2011-06-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

We are entering the summer racing season and most of you have entered some important local races. You might have a sense that you are ready to set some Personal Records but how do you tell for sure? We’ve developed another self administered test that you can pull out and take a few days before your next race to judge just how ready you are to run fast. So get out your scorecard, and let’s get started!

Followed the Training Plan: You had a well conceived training plan you followed to the letter obsessively for the last 3 months - Score 10. You followed a training plan, except for a few missed days here and there, for the last 2 months - score 7. You didn’t have a plan – but ran very consistently for the last 2 months – score 5. You’ve been running a few times a week for the last 2 months – score 3. You just realized you have a race this coming weekend – score minus 1.

WEIGHT: You look so skinny that your friends ask you if you have been sick – score 10. You are at the lowest weight you have been in the last 3 months – score 8. You have maintained your goal “happy” weight for the past month – score 5. You’ve gained a few pounds lately but you are sure it’s all muscle – score 3. Let’s go have another donut – score minus 1.

Speedwork: You have been doing speedwork consistently over the past 2 months and your times have been getting faster on the track – score 10. You have been doing speedwork once a week for the past 2 months – score 8. Occasionally you try some faster running on the roads or track – score 5. You don’t do speedwork but know what it is – score 1. You don’t know what speedwork is – score minus 1.

Shoes: You are going to run your race in racing flats – score 10. You don’t own racing flats but are going to run in your lowest weight shoes – score 7. You are going to wear your most comfortable running shoe – score 5. You only own one pair of running shoes – 1 point. You are going to buy a new pair of shoes for the race – score minus 3.

Attitude: You are totally going to “go for it” and try to set a Personal Record – you know it’s going to hurt - score 15. You aren’t totally confident, but feel pretty good about your fitness and don’t mind feeling a little pain – score 8. You are going to start conservatively then ease into speed mode – score 5. You are going to be social and enjoy the scenery – score minus 1. You don’t know what pain is – score minus 5.

OK it’s time for the results! Check your race–ready score and place it in one of the following groups:

50 to 55: As good as it gets. You are ready. Just go do it.
38 to 49: Be confident. It looks for sure like you will have a good race.
25 to 37: This is OK. No P.R’s for you, but a good consistent time you’ll be happy with.
15 to 24: Have you ever been called a “plodder”?
Under 15: We certainly applaud you for being off the couch and participating. Have fun.

Best wishes to everyone in your upcoming races.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Elevation Confusion

2011-05-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”
- Bob Dylan, “Subterranean Homesick Blues”

Any runner will tell you that it’s incredibly easy to realize when you are running into a headwind, or whether you are headed uphill or downhill. You can also be relatively certain about the distance you’ve traveled, especially if there are mile markers on the road or if you’re wearing a GPS.

But how high are the hills you climbed? And how much climbing have you done over those miles you’ve measured? Answering those questions sometimes requires an advanced degree – and even then, you’re probably not certain of your accuracy.

Case in point: prior to our Big Sur Marathon preview article, we attempted to quantify the differences in climbing between the traditional course that features Hurricane Point and the out-and-back course that includes the rolling hills of Carmel Highlands twice. Researching the subject was one of the most mind-boggling ordeals we’ve experienced lately.

We started with the elevation profile on the race website, which indicated that the total climbing over the new course was 2400 feet. The data came from a Naval Postgraduate School scientist who used a USA Track and Field website mapping tool. He explained to us that the elevation information is stored in US Geological Survey NED database tables, and then extrapolated over a known distance (in this case, 26.2 miles).

Another tech-savvy friend of ours used his Garmin GPS watch for two previous Big Sur Marathons as well as this year’s modified course, and shared with us his GPX files, which plot latitude and longitude points alongside data from the USGS database. His readings showed approximately 1750’ of climbing for the standard course, and 1630’ on the new course. He also explained that handheld devices rely on triangulation of satellites in the “GPS constellation” for accurate position reporting, and visibility of a 4th satellite to add the elevation component – and it was right around here that our heads started to spin.

That’s not all, however … because our friend’s data from his two Big Sur Marathons on the standard route also deviated by about 100’ from each other. We asked him to explain, which opened the floodgates to a whole world of fractals, calibrated barometric variables and fluctuating weather permutations, smoothing algorithms, and numerous other scientific conditions that we couldn’t begin to comprehend. Suffice it to say that any elevation data you see in course profiles is going to have a degree of uncertainty – in some cases, quite a significant amount.

Fortunately, none of this distracted from the task at hand on race day for our tech-savvy friend Brian Rowlett, who ran 2:53:05 for 15th place overall last Sunday, using his Garmin GPS watch as usual. It’s worth noting that his time this year was virtually identical to his personal record from the standard course, even though there was (according to his watch) slightly less climbing this year. External conditions such as wind and air temperature might have made an impact as well, but honestly, who the heck really knows?

All that the two of us learned for sure in this process is that we like to stick to simple considerations like knowing which way the wind is blowing. From now on we’ll just refer to our local marathon as a hilly, challenging course, and leave the elevation data for the scientists to figure out.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Scenes From A Marathon - 2011

2011-05-01T21:36:00.000-07:00

This year’s Big Sur Marathon was somewhat strange – and we’re not talking about the revised course. Rather, it was because neither of us ran in the main event; Mike was busy fulfilling his board member duties, and Donald ran the 5K with his daughter. However, hanging around the expo and marathon village all weekend gave us plenty of interesting stories to share.

JUST RUN 3K: The festivities started on Saturday with a record number of kids and a magnificent day at Lovers Point. The marathon was proud to give $12,000 to local schools based on participation.

Largest Fitness Expo ever: There were 70 exhibitors this year – the most ever – and some very interesting new additions to the bunch. Perhaps the most intriguing was the Regenerect booth, where visitors could win samples of an herbal non-prescription product that is “better than Viagra”. They claimed their product helps male performance on the road as well as the bedroom, but cautioned, “if take it before the race, make sure you in the front instead of behind anyone.” We swear we’re not making this up.

“Just the 9 miler” syndrome: A lot of runners at the expo, when asked what event they were doing the next day, had a tendency to look at the ground with hang dog expression and say, “I’m just doing the 9 miler,” or the 10-miler, or even the 21-mile walk. To all of those participants: there’s no reason to apologize for your event, so be proud of whichever one you’re doing. It sure is better than sitting on the couch.

Toughest Double Award: About 10% of the starters (322), in this year’s marathon, had run the Boston Marathon 13 days before - but we’re awarding our “toughest double” award to local CSUMB Corporate Relations Officer John Houseman, who completed the half ironman Wildflower Triathlon on Saturday, and finished the Big Sur Marathon in 4:00 on Sunday. He looked great after the race as well.

The Out and Back: We spoke to several experienced runners after the race to get their opinion on the differences between the “regular” course and the “out and back” course used this year. Mark Ferlito of Carmel who ran 2:31 at Boston and 2:47 at Big Sur, Ian Hersey of San Francisco who has done 9 Big Surs, and Aracelly Clouse of Santa Cruz who finished 6th woman, all agreed: this year’s course is a minute of two slower for the “good” runner. The uphill start, rather than the downhill first 4 miles in Big Sur, have you mentally struggling to make up time. The beauty and difficulty is about the same. They all enjoyed the “mental diversion” of Point Lobos as it was new scenery near the end of the race.

How do you say chafing in German? We met Mario Peschke, who came from Munich to run the marathon and stay with his friends, local runners Bob and Linda Bebermeyer. Mario ran the race in lederhosen and when we asked him why, he answered in broken English, “Because een Germany it ees not funny to run in lederhosen, but in California eet ees.” Mario ran 3:50 on a day that ended up very very warm.

The Reale/Lohrmann family: 6 months ago Bob Lohrmann passed away at age 45 from cancer. His wife Allison, son Peter, and nephew Robert Reale, from Connecticut were inspired to train for the Big Sur Marathon and ran in Bob’s honor. It was Robert Reale’s first marathon and he ran 4:50. Son Peter ran an inspired 3:10 in his father’s honor.
We were honored to meet and talk to them.

LEI Day: We learned from Melanie Block of Carmel that May 1st is Lei Day in Hawaii. Every year Melanie and 4 friends compete in the relay under a different themed team name. This year it was The Wicked Wahinis in honor of Lei Day. Last year they were Gang Green for environmental reasons.

Best Predictions: We have two friends who proved to be somewhat clairvoyant. Brian Rowlett of Carmel Valley predicted he would break his own Big Sur best of 2:53:14 and ran 2:53:05. Nick Fleming of South Carolina wanted to break 3 hours at both Boston and Big Sur and ran 2:59:30 at Boston and 2:58:57 at Big Sur.

Hospitality: We want to thank Jefferson Seay for being hospitality manager for Big Sur events. It’s a big job to feed 14,000 people. Among some of the items: 350 gallons of coffee, 24 kegs of beer, 100,000 compostable cups, 275 dozen bagels, 75 gallons of hot soup, 9000 boxes of raisins, 1,725 artichokes, 11,000 juice boxes, 100 cases of bananas. You’ve earned a break, Jefferson! But don’t rest too long; it’s almost time to start training for next year’s marathon.

Likewise, to everyone else, we hope to see you all again next year.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Out and Back Race Day Strategy

2011-04-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

In most years, a milestone moment for runners in the Big Sur International Marathon is turning the corner at the 10-mile mark and staring up at Hurricane Point, the most intimidating climb in the race.

On March 16, a large section of Highway 1 just north of Hurricane Point slid into the ocean, forcing the marathon board to create a revised out and back course from Carmel that eliminated the climb up Hurricane Point. So this year’s course must be easier, right? Well, not exactly … in fact, it could actually be more difficult.

Losing Hurricane Point wasn’t the only major change in the course; also gone is the Bixby Bridge, the Point Sur lighthouse, and the redwood forests of Big Sur. However, the course is more easily accessible to spectators and race support volunteers, and there are a couple of new additions that make the course just as appealing and rewarding as ever for runners.

For those 3,000 athletes entered in Sunday’s marathon, here are some strategic tips for taking on the new course.

The new course isn’t easier – it’s more difficult: Don’t believe us? Here are two numbers for you: the traditional Big Sur course has roughly 1700 feet of climbing; according to the BSIM website, this year’s course has 2400’. Veteran BSIM runners know that the hardest hills are in Carmel Highlands – and this year you get to run all of them twice. So if you were complaining about not getting to run up Hurricane Point, fear not – your legs will get an even tougher hill workout this year.

Start conservatively! The hills will punch you in the nose right off the bat this year; there’s no gentle 4-mile downhill to warm your legs up. It’s always sound advice to start marathons conservatively, but it’s especially important this year, otherwise you’ll be red-lining before you reach the first aid station. Through the first 10K, whenever you’re in doubt about your pace, slow down. Be patient.

Watch the camber: When running through Carmel Highlands, the road is cambered in places from inland side to coastal side. Normally, these miles are the end portion of the course so runners have enough space to choose the most efficient line. This year that stretch starts at mile 3, where runners will definitely be more crowded. It’s worth spending a few extra seconds to maneuver onto the best part of the road – and this year, the aches you feel from the camber will be equal on both sides, since you’ll run it in the opposite direction on the return. Lucky you!

Enjoy the tailwind (for a while): Most years the prevailing wind blows northwest to southwest, which is a problem for runners heading due north. This year you’ll most likely have a tailwind for the first 12 miles to help push you over all those early hills.

Feed off the crowd: One of the coolest aspects of an out and back course is that you see every single other runner in the race, which makes for a nice mental distraction if your legs are getting weary. You’ll see the leaders – that will be easy. Look for the first woman. Check out the relay runners and make up your own distractions; the first teenager, the first gray-haired guy, the first fat guy, the first woman wearing a skort. Look for people who seem the same age as you. Look at the crazy outfits that people wear. When you get close to the turnaround, look for people who look tired and resolve to reel them in later. As you make your way back celebrate all the people who are out there with you; feed off their collective energy to make your own efforts a little easier.

Beware of landmarks: This is for previous BSIM runners. During the last half of the race all of those familiar landmarks that designate certain points of the course will be completely off. Rocky Point doesn’t mean you have 10 miles left, it means you have more than 12. Soberanes Canyon and Garrapata Park don’t signal the final 10K. The Highlands Inn is a lot more than 5K from the finish. Keep reminding yourself of this so you don’t get discouraged when the numbers on the mile markers are smaller than you expect.

Savor Point Lobos: No, you don’t get to run over the Bixby Bridge this year, but from a scenic standpoint you get a very fair exchange: passing through Point Lobos State Reserve, one of the most beautiful sections of real estate in Monterey County, which has never been part of the Big Sur Marathon course before. Enjoy the breathtaking views in Point Lobos and know that you got a great tradeoff; after all, when you run the regular course you only actually see Bixby for a few seconds before you’re on top of it and gone.

It’s still magnificent: Just like any other year at Big Sur there’s a lot of remarkable stuff to enjoy throughout the race. You’ll probably have the fog early and the sunshine later. You’ll have pastoral hills on one side and a majestic coastline on the other. You’ll hear plenty of music, including the grand piano and the famed Taiko drums – and because of the course layout, you’ll get to hear each of them twice. You’ll see oversized mile markers that are whimsical and motivational. You’ll get free hugs near mile 21 and fresh strawberries a half-mile later. And you’ll get a hand-carved finisher’s medal signaling that you’ve completed one of the best marathons in North America.

Good luck to everyone who is running tomorrow. We hope you enjoy every minute of it.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Out and Back

2011-04-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

As practically everyone knows by now, a sizeable piece of Highway 1 is currently sitting in the Pacific Ocean. To runners, Highway 1 is better known as the Big Sur International Marathon course – so when the announcement was made that the world-famous course would be altered, some portions of the running community went into a bit of a tizzy.

Take it from us: don’t worry about the Big Sur Marathon. Everything will be fine.

First, let’s clarify something from a practical standpoint: there’s absolutely no way that the regular course could be used this year. Even if a makeshift road is in place by race day – an uncertain bet thanks to weather complications and inevitable construction delays – the road can’t possibly handle the nearly 200 buses that travel back and forth on race morning. Concern for runner safety has to be the top priority, and the race board made the right decision in changing the course for this year’s event on May 1st.

A similar natural disaster caused a re-routing in 1998, which marathon veterans lovingly call the “out and back” year. If you’re superstitious, it’s interesting to note that 1998 was the 13th presentation of the Big Sur Marathon and this year is the 26th. 1998 was also the first year Wally Kastner was Race Director and Dr. Hugo Ferlito was Chairman of the Board, presenting them with a significant trial by fire. Ferlito stepped down last year, but Kastner is still the RD, so the reroute isn’t uncharted territory for him.

We checked statistics from the out and back 1998 race and the regular course in 1999, which both enjoyed nearly perfect weather. The average men’s finishing time in 1998 was 4:08 and in 1999 was 4:09. The average woman’s finishing time was 4:27 in 1998 and 4:26 in 1999. It’s likely that the supposed “advantage” of not climbing Hurricane Point is compensated by running through Carmel Highlands twice. Course times were so similar that the men’s winner in 1998, Srba Nikolic, ran 2:21:36 and the following year ran 2:21:37 while finishing second to Arsenio Ortiz’s 2:19:16.

The big difference in logistics is that in 1998 the course repairs were on Hurricane Point, south of Bixby Bridge, which allowed a full 13.1 miles of road from Carmel before the turnaround point. This year’s damage is north of Bixby, requiring an additional 1.75-mile detour through Point Lobos on the way back up the coast. This year’s runners will be the first ever to race through the breathtaking coastline of Point Lobos, which could provide a much-needed pick-me-up between miles 22 and 24.

Another difference from 1998 is what we’ll call the Facebook effect, which has proven to be something of a mixed blessing. When the course change was announced, runners took to posting hundreds of comments on the BSIM Facebook page. Some of the initial commenters were out of town participants who questioned whether the road was really unrunnable, or whether the race should offer refunds because runners couldn’t experience the Big Sur coastline or Hurricane Point. The anger and rudeness of some of them made us cringe, but each one was replied to professionally by the BSIM staff.

Fortunately, the majority of comments were sympathetic, encouraging, and upbeat, and it’s been great to see how most of the running community has resolved to make the best of a difficult situation and embrace this year’s race for the unique challenge it offers. We can assure them that the race will be just as fantastic as usual.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Running In Place

2011-03-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

It’s never easy to watch a friend go to prison – but that’s exactly what we experienced last month with a training partner named Charlie Engle, a former Salinas resident who began his running career as a member of the famous Big Sur Marathon “centipede” team in 1991 before becoming one of the most admired and accomplished adventure racers in the world.

Last month, Charlie was sentenced to a 21-month prison term after being found guilty on 12 counts of bank and mail fraud, and using that money to help fund his ambitious adventures. The story of how Charlie went from that first marathon to running in place inside a jail cell is a cautionary tale about how our passions can sometimes overwhelm us.

Charlie always had an intense fire burning inside him; his ongoing struggle was how to channel that fire into something constructive rather than destructive. Although he was seemingly healthy during that Big Sur centipede run, he was battling a 10-year addiction to drugs and alcohol that started when he was only 17. He went “cold turkey” on July 23, 1992 and has been clean ever since – he simply found a more legitimate outlet for his energy and compulsive behavior. He traded in his drug use for excessive adventure running.

He eventually moved to North Carolina and immersed himself in the world of ultrarunning, continually looking for harder and harder challenges. He did the Badwater race, 135 miles from Death Valley to Mount Whitney, where it’s common for the soles of your running shoes to melt from the heat. He ran the 130-mile Amazon Jungle Marathon in Brazil, and won the 155-mile Gobi Desert Marathon in 2006. He competed in several Eco-Challenges, involving running, hiking, canoeing, swimming, climbing, and lots of all-around suffering, and became a charismatic star when those events were regularly televised.

Along the way, Charlie also became a very sought-after public speaker, using his life as an example of overcoming challenges and living life to its fullest potential. Anyone who’s heard him will tell you that Charlie lights up a room: he’s charismatic, funny, entertaining, self-deprecating, and above all else, inspiring to listen to.

Charlie’s next ambition was to be the first person to run across the Sahara Desert. He dreamed of the run serving a humanitarian mission to raise awareness and money for the clean water crisis in Africa. Part of his outreach effort was creating a movie called Running the Sahara, which documented the journey of Charlie and two other adventurers as they successfully ran for 111 days across 4,300 miles of the African continent in 2007. Although it was an extremely noble accomplishment, this is also where Charlie’s ambition apparently began to get the best of him.

According to federal prosecutors, Charlie partially financed his movie by money obtained by real estate loans and mortgage fraud involving properties in Virginia, as well as exaggerating his income to become eligible for these loans. When the financial downturn hit, no matter how far he ran, Charlie could no longer stay one step ahead of his collectors and prosecutors.

Charlie tells his version of the events and about his life in prison on his personal website at www.charlieengle.com – a blog fittingly called “Running in Place”. He views his situation as just another physical and psychological challenge to overcome, and vows to get through it and back to serving the public as he did before. For everyone’s sake, we hope he’s able to succeed.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

On The Cover

2011-03-10T06:56:00.000-08:00

Pay attention, kids - it’s time for a pop quiz! Here’s a two-part question for you:

1. Who was the last distance runner to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, and

2. What year did this happen?

If you don’t know the answers, don’t worry – we didn’t either. We had to look them up.

Making the cover of Sports Illustrated is a coveted honor, placing an athlete in the spotlight of the American sports scene. Considered cumulatively, cover appearances indicate who our greatest icons have been through the years. Michael Jordan leads the pack with 56 covers, followed by Muhammad Ali (38), Tiger Woods (30), and a three-way tie at 22 between Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Jack Nicklaus. Lance Armstrong, the world’s most famous cyclist, has 10.

Still scratching your head about our quiz? 50 years ago, you wouldn’t have had any problem. During the first half-century after SI’s first issue in 1954, runners appeared on nearly 60 covers, averaging at least one per year. The magazine’s very first Sportsman of the Year was awarded to Roger Bannister, and in the era when milers ruled the Earth, distance runners were commonly featured in the magazine, especially during Olympic years. But somewhere on the road to the 21st Century, distance runners seemingly fell off the map.

In the last 15 years, only 2 covers have featured runners, both of whom were sprinters: Marion Jones in October 2000, and Usain Bolt in August 2009. The good news is that Jones’s appearance wasn’t related to her drug scandal, which happened several years later. The bad news is that by the time it did, the sports world seemingly didn’t care about track anymore.

With 30 million runners in the United States and 11 million race finishers last year, we would think that American distance running accomplishments would be recognized more regularly. It’s not as if our athletes haven’t done amazing things recently. Alan Webb broke a high school mile record that stood for more than 30 years. Meb Keflezighi and Deena Kastor won Olympic marathon medals in 2004, and last year Meb became the first American in to win the New York Marathon in more than twenty years. Ryan Hall ran the half marathon in less than 60 minutes a few years back, and Chris Solinsky broke the American 10K record last year in Palo Alto.

It’s not just Americans who get overlooked: the two greatest distance runners in history, Haile Gebreselassie and Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, who have dozens of world records between them in distances from 3000 meters to the marathon, have never made the cover. In fact, being featured in SI is perhaps the only accomplishment that neither of them has captured.

Which brings us to our quiz answer: if you go all the way back to July 29, 1985, you’ll find Mary Decker Slaney on the cover after defeating Zola Budd in the first rematch after their fateful collision at the 1984 Olympics. It wasn’t her first cover appearance, as two years and one surname earlier – at that time she was simply Mary Decker - she had been named 1983’s Sportswoman of the Year for setting six world records between the mile and 5K. Despite her brilliance, nowadays Mary isn’t even the most famous Decker to appear on the cover – that honor undoubtedly goes to 2010 swim suit cover model Brooklyn Decker (but we can certainly understand the popularity of that one).

You have to go back even farther – more than 30 years - to find the last marathoner on the cover, when Alberto Salazar was featured after winning the 1980 New York Marathon. Before that, Bill Rogers made the cover in 1979 after winning at New York for the 4th time in a row.

So if you’re a runner looking to get on the cover of SI someday, your best options appear to be 1) set multiple world records, 2) win the New York or Boston Marathons 4 times, or 3) become a swimsuit model. Although running has innumerable benefits for all of us, it’s clear that becoming famous isn’t one of them.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Beauty in Darkness

2011-01-27T07:11:00.000-08:00

Author's note: this week's Herald column is an excerpt from a longer article on Donald's website, which you can read in its entirety here.

*

Many runners have a sense of foreboding about venturing into darkness - the vast unseen, unknown, and potentially dangerous realm that awaits us in the early mornings or late evenings. And at this time of year when darkness consumes larger portions of our waking hours, fear of the dark is enough to keep some runners stuck in bed, or retreating to the drudgery of an indoor treadmill.

Ultrarunners, on the other hand, grow to embrace the dark. Many 50-mile or 100K races require some dark miles at the beginning or end of the course, and 100-mile events necessitate running through the entire night. We build up to the challenge of braving the night gradually, typically rising early or staying up late to get our long training mileage in, developing a comfort level with the darkness in small doses from one workout to another - from one rewarding moment stacking upon others - until the inconveniences of the task are nearly forgotten.

To novices, the darkness causes an uneasiness like feeling adrift on uncharted waters – but once you’ve navigated it a number of times, that sensation becomes familiar, and you develop a greater appreciation for the experience of traveling through. Eventually, for many of us, those dark hours are actually some the most memorable and rewarding portions of our running adventures.

Donald was reminded of this recently, as he has a standing date to go jogging with his 9-year-old daughter one night per week after he gets home from work. In December and January, that means running in the dark for part or all of their time together – a prospect that was initially met with some reluctance by his daughter, but one that she’s gradually embraced a little more with each passing week.

Her acceptance started during the Christmas season, running through neighborhood streets lined with holiday lights. It continued as the stars became more prominent in January, and they talked about the constellations and all the stories across the sky. Finally, it was cemented while running on an abandoned airfield, where the ambient lights disappear, and the darkness becomes expansive. With nothing but quiet solitude and a pair of headlamps, his daughter initiated the following conversation one night:

Daughter: This is kind of neat, with everything quiet while we’re staying in this little dome of light.

Donald: I know. This is actually one of my favorite things about doing long ultra races – you spend a lot of time running in the dark like this, just enjoying the darkness and silence.

Daughter: It’s peaceful.

Donald: Yup. And a lot of other things. I really love it.

They’ve developed a familiarity with the night, finding beauty in the darkness, enjoying their time together and the experience they’re sharing. For Donald, it’s been an unexpected pleasure of these dark, cold months.

Don’t let fear of the darkness prevent you from finding similar pleasures. Grab a headlamp, recruit a training partner (this is a huge motivating factor), and venture outside to chart your own journey through the great unknown.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Who Won?

2011-01-13T17:12:00.000-08:00

We often make fun of sports like gymnastics and figure skating where victors are determined by judges. There are no style points in running, and the first person to reach the finish line is the winner … right? Surprisingly, it doesn’t always happen that way.

Age group road racing may be the only sport where you don’t know who your rivals are, or where they might be on the course. Heck - even in competitions where napping is commonplace, such as the Iditarod dogsled race or multi-day boat races, you’re usually aware of your competitors’ relative standing. In running, sometimes you don’t know these things until the race is over – and even then, it still might be a mystery.

We were reminded of this after last fall’s Big Sur Half Marathon, where Mike was engaged in a battle he thought he won, only to realize that wasn’t the case.

After pushing the pace for the first 10 miles, Mike was unexpectedly passed at mile 11 by a runner that looked old enough to be in his age division. He courageously hung with the challenger for 2 more miles before summoning a furious sprint in the homestretch, ultimately passing and beating the other runner by 3 seconds.

It wasn’t until the award ceremony that Mike realized that his heroics were for naught; because the race was chip timed, each racer’s overall time was calculated from the time they crossed the start line. As it turned out, the other runner had crossed the start 5 seconds later than Mike – giving him a victory over Mike by 2 seconds.

It wasn’t the first time Mike was on the wrong side of a chip controversy; one year earlier at the San Francisco Marathon, he entered the day before the event, placing him in the 10th starting corral. In a race of 20,000 runners, the start is controlled by having corrals of 1,000 runners begin at two-minute intervals to ease congestion on the course. The race used microchips so each person received an accurate time from the starting mat to the finish line, and Mike ran 12 minutes faster than anyone else in his age group.

Naturally, he should have won – except that at San Francisco, age group awards were based on gun time, and some of the runners with 20-minute head starts crossed the finish line ahead of him.

In that same race, the woman who crossed the finish line first overall wasn’t declared the winner, and didn’t receive the prize money she had earned. Race organizers ruled that since she didn’t declare herself an elite runner before the race started, the other top runners didn’t recognize her as a competitor. Clearly, it was a strange day all the way around. To their partial credit, race organizers eventually awarded the first female her winnings, but Mike’s age group situation was never remedied.

Such problems would be eliminated if everybody clearly knew who they were competing against. To improve visibility in competition, USA Track and Field now requires runners in championship races to wear bibs on their back indicating their age group. Triathletes have done this for years, as part of the pre-race check-in process is to have your age group stamped on your calf muscle.

Until all road races adopt similar policies, the best you can do to avoid this controversy is to and know the rules of competition for each particular race. And of course, if you’re going for an age group award, it always helps if you can train hard and run extremely fast.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Race Planning for 2011

2010-12-30T16:17:00.000-08:00

Get out your calendar, iPhone or Blackberry and get ready to enter some key dates. We are going to help you plan your race schedule for 2011.

In the “old days” most runners decided what race to run based on whether your training was going well and if you had sufficient sleep the night before. On race morning all you had to do was pull on your nylon shorts and white cotton t-shirt, head for the starting line, sign up, pay your $5.00, and you were ready to race.

There are a few races early in the year where you can still do that (except for the $5.00). See how you feel after New Year’s Eve, then head out to the Rio Resolution Run on January 1st. You can choose the 5K or the 10K and sign up at the Rio Grill at the Crossroads shopping center in Carmel. On February 13th you can run the 5K or 10K Together with Love run at Lover’s Point with your favorite valentine.

After that it gets more difficult. The Big Sur Marathon used to be the only “destination” race in our area that required early entry, but now we have four others that are going to draw not only local runners but runners from virtually every state as well. Planning your schedule requires some logistical support.

Do you want to run the Big Sur Marathon on May 1st? We hope we are not the first to tell you that it’s too late. That’s right – it sold out over six months before race day. You cannot get in. Check out Bsim.org and see if some of the shorter races are still available. Better yet, think outside the box and enter the relay; you can still run the whole course by running each leg yourself.

Two other Big Sur events needing very early entry are the March 26th Mud Run and the November 20th Half Marathon on Monterey Bay.

We also have a first time event in Carmel on Father’s Day, June 19th, called the Run in the Name of Love. This 5k for runners and 2K for walkers and their dogs will certainly become one of the most popular events in our area. Enter early because it is limited to 1,000 runners and 300 walkers. The website is runinthenameoflove.org. This unique event is dedicated to the memory of Brian Love, a Carmel High graduate, who died in a tragic snowboard accident while competing for the University of Virginia.

The race offers runners and walkers the opportunity to honor a loved one of their choice. The 5K course is extremely fast, starting at the Sunset Center, and passing the Carmel Mission and Carmel River State Beach, and finishing along Scenic Avenue near Ocean Avenue. The 2K course is equally scenic and encourages dogs, even offering doggie race shirts.

Last year’s inaugural Salinas Valley Half Marathon sold out two months early and the 2nd edition scheduled for August 6th is sure to sell out even more quickly. Last year runners loved the wine country course along River Road, the finish line festivities with wine and beer, the luxurious buses used for transportion, and the Double Magnums given to age group winners. This year’s race has even more surprises. Go to salinasvalleyhalfmarathon.org for more information.

On-line entry to all these races, except the Big Sur Half Marathon (opens April 1st), are available now on active.com. We hope to see you at all of these great local races.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Gifts From Head to Toe

2010-12-15T21:50:00.000-08:00

Don’t look now, but Christmas is practically here! If you need a last-minute gift for the runner on your list, or if you’re a runner looking to exchange some of the useless gifts you receive for something you really want, we’ve created the following head to toe gift guide.

Most of these items are available at one of our local running stores – The Treadmill, Fleet Feet, or REI – and you probably even have time to grab them online if you hurry, so keep this list with you, and get moving!

(*Online note: items purchased through Wilderness Running Company are eligible for a 10% discount with coupon code R&R10.)

Head: Black Diamond’s Sprinter headlamp has a bright LED in front for visibility, blinking red LED in back for safety, is super-lightweight for comfort, with rechargeable batteries for eco-friendliness. It’s one of the best pieces of gear out there to stay safe on dark roads.

Brain: Stimulate your mind with a great running book. Last month we listed our favorites, and that list is still available on our website archive, where you’ll also find a new book from your favorite Herald running columnists.

Mouth (and/or Stomach), Part 1: Seasonal CLIF Bars come in cranberry orange nut bread, spiced pumpkin pie, or iced gingerbread flavors, all of which taste amazing. Look for them at REI or Trader Joe’s, but hurry: CLIF only makes limited quantities each year, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Mouth (and/or Stomach), Part 2: GU energy gel also makes two awesome holiday flavors: vanilla gingerbread and chocolate mint. A handful of these make a perfect stocking stuffer.

Trunk: Reflective vests are the cheapest insurance you can buy to increase your visibility to oncoming cars. They can be worn over any shirt or jacket, and typically last for several years.

Hands: Warm gloves make winter running much more bearable. Manzella's Hatchback Glove is a clever little creation: use the soft fleece moisture-wicking glove for mildly cold days, and pull out the retractable water-resistant hood to cover the fingers when temperatures drop even lower.

Delicates, Part 1: Some folks might snicker, but any cold-weather runner will tell you that keeping your unmentionables warm is a crucial part of winter running, and a good pair of moisture-wicking underwear is worth its weight in gold. Pick up a couple pairs for yourself or a loved one at Target or our local running stores, and thank us later.

Delicates, Part 2: The other way to keep those areas comfortable is to prevent chafing, and Bodyglide is your best weapon against a friction-related crisis. One stick of this stuff is the most useful under-10-dollar gift a runner can receive.

Legs: A pair of tights can be bundled up small enough to fit in a stocking. Salomon’s Trail III tights are super comfortable, but tough and durable enough to handle any trail or weather conditions you’ll encounter this winter.

Feet: Runners can never have too many good socks – and Drymax makes the most effective moisture-wicking and blister proof socks on the market, in both road and trail versions. Dry feet are happy feet, in winter time and all year round.

If you need additional gift ideas, check out Donald's 2010 Gear of the Year guide at Running and Rambling. Happy Holidays to everyone, and happy winter running!

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis

2010-12-02T07:12:00.001-08:00

Running and arthritis seem irrevocably linked in the minds of casual observers; we wish we had a nickel for every time someone said, “You’re going to get arthritis!” after learning that we are runners. So when we heard about a great new race called the Run for Arthritis, we figured the name might generate a bit of discussion.

Is there a connection between running and arthritis? Well, yes … but probably not in the way you suspect. But before we get to that, let’s talk about the race.

The Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis takes place on Saturday, December 11th at Lover’s Point Park in Pacific Grove. The timing is ideal, as December has been a blank entry on our local race calendar in recent years. Even better, it has a fun holiday theme, includes special children’s events, and encourages participants in all shapes, sizes, and breeds.

Festivities kick off with a kids’ “Fun Run with the Elves” at 8AM, followed by a timed 5K run at 8:30. Everybody is welcome to take part: walkers, parents with strollers, wheelchair athletes, dogs on leashes … or even cats on leashes if you could somehow manage it. Entrants are encouraged to wear holiday colors, decorative costumes, jingle bells on their shoelaces, or any other creative getup to help celebrate the holiday season. It’s rumored that Santa might even show up to say hi to the kids.

You can register on race morning beginning at 7AM, or prior to race day online at www.jinglebellrunpacificgrove.kintera.org. The local event is part of a nationwide effort by the Arthritis Foundation for fundraising and awareness regarding the leading cause of disability in the United States.

Which brings us back to the question: does running cause arthritis? Contrary to what you’ve probably heard, there’s no increased incidence of arthritis among runners compared to the general population – in other words, if you’re genetically predisposed to getting arthritis, it will probably develop at the same rate whether you’re a runner or a couch potato. In fact, some studies suggest that running might actually DECREASE your risk of developing arthritis.

Leg strength built through running helps the muscles around the hips and knees support the joints more effectively. Running also improves overall bone density, giving the cartilage at the end of each bone a firm platform to anchor itself. Erosion of cartilage is what causes arthritis pain – so if your bones give it a strong support system and your muscles protect it from excess impact, you can see how running contributes to improved joint health.

We figured the perfect person to ask about this would be Dr Marc Lieberman, an exceptional local runner and veteran of more marathons than we can count, who also happens to be a rheumatologist and member of the advisory board for the Arthritis Foundation. He told us about Stanford University studies showing decreased knee and hip osteoarthritis among recreational runners – although the rate was somewhat higher among elite (national-caliber or better) runners, presumably due to their extremely high training volumes.

Dr Lieberman pointed out two other factors, calcium deficits and high body mass index, which both carry an increased risk of osteoarthritis. He recommends that runners take calcium supplements, and to exercise consistently for weight management and general overall health. “Run to stay healthy, and stay healthy to run” he says.

So follow the doctor’s orders, as well as your authors’ recommendation, and take part in this year’s Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis to celebrate the season in a healthy, fun manner.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Best Running Books

2010-11-18T16:16:00.000-08:00

Our last column introduced our newly released Running Life book, now available from this website (see sidebar). Ours is just the latest entry in a long history of running books, many of which are truly outstanding both for their subject matter and for their wordplay. Since the holiday season is approaching, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite books that would make great stocking stuffers for any runner on your gift list.

We thought of doing a top-5 list but decided to go the extra mile and make this a top-6 list of the best running books ever, presented here in no particular order:

Once a Runner by John Parker: The only fiction entry on our list has developed a fanatical cult following among runners for three generations. The plot is only fair, but the prose taps into the mental struggles of running like no book before or since. A few years ago, the book was out of print and fetching up to $300 on eBay; today you can find it on Amazon for 10 bucks.

The Perfect Mile by Neal Bascomb: It’s no hyperbole to say that breaking the 4-minute mile was the greatest athletic accomplishment of all time. More than a few people, including respected scientists, believed that such an extreme effort would cause an athlete’s heart to burst, resulting in sudden death. Roger Bannister’s breakthrough run forever changed the way athletes pursue accomplishments that others think impossible.

The fact that the race to 4 minutes was also a three-way intercontinental drama involving two of the most popular athletes in the world, as well as one who never truly got his due, just adds to the compelling nature of this tale – and Neal Bascomb’s account of this golden age of running is the most comprehensive ever written. It also manages to be a good page-turner, even though you pretty much already know the outcome of Bannister’s quest.

The Four-Minute Mile by Roger Bannister: Have we mentioned that we’re big Roger Bannister fans? This memoir showcases Bannister’s refreshingly old-school properness and humility, and you may never find a better role model for idealistic young athletes.

Running with the Buffaloes by Chris Lear: Lear caught lightning in a bottle during the season he embedded himself with the University of Colorado cross country teams, featuring superstar runner Adam Goucher and tough-as-nails coach Mark Wetmore. This is an excellent account of the work ethic that is required to succeed in intercollegiate cross-country; one example is an exchange between Wetmore and inquisitive students who express an interest in trying out for the XC team. Wetmore’s standard response was to, “Run 100 miles per week, every week for a year, and then come talk to me.” Even more astonishingly, one kid actually did it.

Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes: The book that helped launch the fringe sport of ultrarunning into the national conscious. Karnazes is probably more responsible for the explosive popularity of modern day ultrarunning than any single person, and his personal story will inspire anyone to give this so-called extreme sport a try.

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall: A modern day classic that triggered the current barefoot renaissance. McDougall chronicles the legendary Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s Copper Canyons, and describes how a maniac American gringo and a group of crazy ultrarunners banded together to help preserve their remarkably simple existence.
Check out any of these books, and we’d love to hear your suggestions for titles we overlooked.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

Inside the Big Sur Half Marathon

2010-11-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

We soaked up the excitement of all the events on Big Sur Half Marathon weekend and enjoyed some great conversations with some very interesting runners from all parts of the country; 49 States and 8 countries were represented. No…we don’t know the state that was missing.

Marathon Memories: Deborah Telesmanic (her real name…and yes she is) from Santa Rosa showed us her ankle and calf. She has done 23 marathons and gets a tattoo to memorialize each one. The Tat is typically the logo of the marathon she completed. Very cool idea actually.

Sisterhood: Four wonderful women from the Riverside Road Runners, Teresa Pofahl, Barbara Edmunds, Pam Durazo and Romana Fierro started planning to run the Big Sur Half Marathon almost three years ago. They started training together specifically for the race in February and training was going great until Ramona had a serious bike injury just two weeks ago. Ramona wasn’t going to be able to run….in fact Ramona couldn’t even walk. BUT…this didn’t stop the 3 other friends from pushing Ramona in a wheelchair the entire half marathon. And they finished happily about 30 minutes ahead of the 4 hour course time limit. We’re impressed.

Kids say the darndest things: At the Just Run 3K and Bubba Gump Run Forest Run 5K on Saturday one little kid had a great time running the 3K and getting a medal, but he was seen being dragged by his mother over to the 5K finish area yelling over and over, “I DON’T WANT TO SEE DADDY RUN!” He’s learned really early that it’s better to be a competitor than a viewer.

Bad Juju: We’re constantly dismayed that even though we have mentioned this several times before that there are still dozens of half marathon runners who wear the race shirt during the race. One of the cardinal rules of racing is never wear a race shirt until you have completed that race. Really bad Juju.

Really Enjoying the HALF: During last year’s Big Sur Half, local runner and MPC Nursing Program instructor Eileen Lamothe, was in the hospital hemorraging and in danger of losing her leg from Peripheral Artery Disease. She recovered and this year ran the half and was smiling the entire race.

Running Shoe names: At the expo, one runner from Kansas was examining the running shoes for sale and seeing the usual names that are designed to make us want to buy running shoes: Mizuno Wave Nirvana, Nike Free, Mizuno Inspire, Asics Cumulus, Asics Nimbus, Asics Speedstar, Saucony Grid Hurricane. The names of the shoes make you feel fast and powerful. The Kansas man had obviously thought about his before as he started pontificating on possible alternative names for shoes that we agreed would probably never sell: The Blister Maker, The Bunion Blaster, the Sloth, The Pain Machine, The Quicksand, The Molasses, and the Fungus.

5K Course Record: Danny Tapia, who was this year’s Big Sur Marathon winner ran the Run Forrest Run 5K and set a course record 14:52. Danny is preparing for a “money” 5K in San Jose on Thanksgiving day. An impressive performance for a training run.

Setting a great example: We congratulate Cle Thayer, Cross Country coach at Stevenson School. Cle’s teams qualified for the State Cross Country Championships on Saturday at the CCS regional meet at Toro Park, with most runners getting personal best times. Even with all the excitement and work on Saturday, Cle ran well and placed high in his age group at the Half Marathon.

Purchase The Running Life Book via PayPal button on right sidebar.

The Running Life Book!

2010-11-03T23:41:00.000-07:00

It seems hard to believe that we’ve had this column for more than six years; you could say the time has sort of raced past us.

We hope to continue for many years to come – but in the meantime, we thought it was time to take a look back at all the roads and trails we’ve traveled thus far, and compile them into a collection we can share with everybody.

The result is The Running Life: Wisdom and Observations from a Lifetime of Running, our new book which is scheduled for release next week. It's effectively a "greatest hits" collection of our writing over the course of six years, organized into sections that represent the topics we most frequently write about: the benefits of running, basic training guidelines, inspirational stories and motivational boosts, social commentary, and accounts of our running and racing adventures.

Our goals in starting this column back in 2004 were to promote the sport of running in Monterey County, be an informative resource for runners, and give non-runners a glimpse of what the running life is all about. The content of the book reflects this as well: whether you are an advanced runner, a novice, or even a non-athlete, we’re confident that you’ll find something in this collection that you’ll enjoy.

Much of our writing has a local focus, but many articles in the book have been revised to be applicable to anybody, anywhere. However, we haven’t lost our appreciation for the best of what’s around us – in fact, there’s a special 40-page section on the Big Sur Marathon and Half-Marathons featuring all our coverage of the events over the years, and training advice for runners who hope to complete those events someday.

It shouldn’t surprise you to hear that there’s a fair amount of silliness as well, as a healthy portion of our columns are only peripherally about running. Letters to Santa, Wizard of Oz metaphors, sexual activity of Olympians, Kenny Rogers lyrics … you’ll find it all in the book. There’s even an article that was deemed too scandalous to print in the Herald – and no, it’s not the sex one. You’ll just have to read and guess for yourself.

While publishing a book is a nice accomplishment for us, we recognize that it never would have happened without an enormous amount of support from multiple allies. Sports editors Dave Kellogg and Scott Forstner have been extremely supportive of our efforts – really now, how many newspapers even have a running column? – and the Monterey Peninsula running community has been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement for us. And obviously, our families deserve some kind of medal for putting up with our nonsense all these years, but that should go without saying.

The Running Life book is now available on Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle versions, and can be purchased directly from our website via PayPal or credit card (click link on sidebar). To celebrate the release, and in conjunction with next weekend’s Big Sur Half-Marathon, the book is being sold for 20% off the cover price from now through race day on November 13th.

You can also look for us at the Big Sur Half-Marathon race expo next weekend, where we are sharing a booth with The Treadmill running store to sell the books in person. We look forward to meeting you there, hearing about your plans for race weekend, and sharing a few stories of our own.

Cemetery Run

2010-10-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

**Author's note: this week's Herald article was excerpted from a photo essay Donald published on his website last year. See the complete post here on Running and Rambling.

*
“The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living”
- Cicero (106-43 BC)

One of the most mysterious and fatefully haunted locations in Monterey County also happens to be the destination of one our favorite trail runs.

The “cemetery run,” as we refer to it, takes us approximately 8 miles along the fire roads and single track of Fort Ord, and ultimately to the graveyard of a long forgotten pioneer family. Very little is known about the souls who rest there, and the few visible details only cause further speculation, like a real-life Monterey County ghost story.

The area was once the homestead of the Whitcher (seriously, that’s the name) family in the late 1800s, who vanished almost without a trace towards the end of the 19th century. They occupied this land for nearly 60 years, and once owned thousands of acres. However, unlike other owners of original “rancho” or “adobe” land grants, practically nothing in Monterey County bears their name.

We run up and down two major climbs on our way to the site, passing silent trees that probably knew the Whitchers personally. Their reaching branches seemingly strain to tell us about other explorers of these trails so many years ago. Finally we reach the outskirts of an abandoned military community, and about 100 yards off the main road is our destination: a humble cemetery, only 20’ long by 10’ wide, that is the resting place for five members of the Whitcher family.

Grass grows long in the center of the plot, but the site shows signs of occasional visitation: a wreath on a cross, flowers at its base, and trampled weeds on the perimeter. Below the cross is a marker for Mary H. Pearson, who at age 36, represents the oldest person in the plot. The remaining stones decrease in size according to the age of the deceased. They contain brief, touching hints of the hardships the family experienced:

Ned Eliger Whitcher, November 8, 1862 - April 29, 1879. Ceased breathing.

Floria Elvira Whitcher, July 19, 1866 – February 17, 1875. Returned to God who gave her.

Harry Whitcher, August 5, 1875 - September 16, 1875. Quit acheing.

It’s enough to break your heart, even 130 years removed. Little Harry’s marker is the most heartbreaking, but another is the most mysterious: a small, plain, chipped slab, with nothing more than the initials H.W. No indication if this is another infant, or a pet, or a member of the family who died when the family couldn’t afford a proper tombstone.

The answer might be in the wind, or in the trees ... but when our group of runners visit, neither of them are ever talking. So we ponder the gravesites for a few minutes before it’s time to be on our way.

As the minutes tick away on our return trip, the Whitcher plot is a somber reminder that time is always running out: on our days, on our precious moments shared with those we love, on our very existence. The run back is generally quieter than the journey out, as we contemplate the scene we’ve just visited.

Ideally, those who came before us – even the most downtrodden, star-crossed, and unfortunate souls among them – can live on somehow in those of us who remain here afterwards. We honor the dead by remembering them – and running to the cemetery is our unique way of ensuring that this particular family stays with us for a long time.

2500 Years

2010-10-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

Last spring we made a big fuss about the 25th running of the Big Sur Marathon. It’s a very impressive accomplishment, and our local running community was proud to celebrate the world-class event. Imagine, then, if there were a race that was 100 times older than Big Sur – that would be pretty amazing, right?

Such a race does indeed exist: the Athens Marathon on October 31st, honoring the 2500th anniversary of the world’s first recognized marathon, run by a messenger of the Athenian army in 490 B.C.

According to popular legend – it’s hard to verify how much is actually true – the mighty Persians, with the most formidable military force the world had ever seen, invaded Greece with more than 25,000 soldiers, and were met by the undermanned Athenian army on the plains near a town called Marathon. The 10,000 Athenian soldiers didn’t stand a chance.

However, Greek General Miltiades and his courageous troops had other ideas: they surprised the Persians by going on the offensive, and the Athenians ultimately scored one of the most shocking and decisive battles in world history. As military historian Edward Creasy explains, it “forever broke the spell of Persian invincibility…and secured for mankind the intellectual treasures of Athens, the growth of free institutions, and the liberal enlightenment of the Western World.”

In other words, it was kind of a big deal. But since civilization was more than 2490 years away from cell towers, texting, or Tweeting, news of the triumphant battle was communicated the VERY old-fashioned way: a messenger soldier was dispatched to run from Marathon to Athens to tell his countrymen about the great victory.

You’ve probably heard of the messenger, Pheidippides, whose name is now immortalized in Greek lore. You’re also probably familiar with the message he delivered: Nike, a one-word phrase meaning “victory”. There’s a little shoe company in Oregon that’s made quite a name for themselves with that word.

The end of the story, as you’d expect from the Greeks, isn’t nearly as pleasant: Pheidippides died in the town square immediately after delivering his famous message. And the whole incident would have been forgotten completely if not for the historian Lucian, who came along nearly 700 years later and thought the story deserved to be documented.

Most estimates of Pheidippides's fateful run place it around 24.85 miles, and that distance was used for the first “official” marathon event at the modern Olympic Games, held in Greece in 1896. The course ran from Marathon to Athens, re-tracing the famous messenger’s steps as closely as possible.

In the 1908 London Olympics, King Edward VII wanted the race to start in front of her Windsor Castle home, which was roughly an extra 2 miles from the stadium finish area. The resulting course was 26.2 miles, which is now the officially recognized distance – but the marathon is still recognized as a classically Greek event. In fact, runners from all over the world flock to Athens each year to run the city’s marathon in the footsteps of history.

The race sells out 12,000 entries each year, but a few Monterey County runners are lucky enough to be entered in the 2500th anniversary race later this month. But if you can’t make it this year, don’t worry: the 2501st anniversary will probably be cool as well. And it will be one year more historic.

So if you’re a runner who likes to travel – or a traveler who likes to run – make a point to put the oldest and most famous marathon in the world on your to-do list.

Catching Up With Blake Russell

2010-09-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

You’ll be forgiven if you have a hard time keeping up with Blake Russell. The Olympic marathoner from Pacific Grove is one of the fastest runners in the United States, and finished in 27th place at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Blake took some well-earned time away from running after those Games, but is currently in the midst of a comeback to competitive racing, and will run her first marathon since the Olympics at the New York City Marathon on November 7th. This time, she’s got one very important addition to her team to cheer her on: her 17-month-old son Quin, who was born to Blake and her husband Jon in April 2009.

Quin’s still practically a baby but he’s already developing a taste for Mom’s unique lifestyle. When Blake laces up her shoes, Quin yells “GO RUNNING!” Blake’s coach, the legendary Bob Sevene, has supervised both Quin and Blake during hill workout sessions; like his mother, Quin seems to have an affinity for going up and down hills.

The parenting is a joy, but returning to world-class racing shape has been a huge challenge. It’s taken much longer than she expected to get back to her regular workouts, and she’s heavily dependent on an extended support network: in addition to husband Jon, Blake’s mother and her husband have moved to Pacific Grove to assist with child care, and nanny Jenny Davis helps out as well. It’s a true team effort, and Blake couldn’t log all the necessary miles without them.

Blake trains in all the usual places that the locals run. A typical weekday finds her on roads and trails near her home in Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach. She does speed work at the Monterey Peninsula College track. Weekends are reserved for longer runs on the trails of Fort Ord. She often trains twice per day, and has been running about 100 miles a week this summer. Hang around outside long enough, and you’re bound to see her somewhere.

Her return to racing has been slow, and Blake considers her results earlier this year disappointing. By virtually any other standard, she should be proud of taking 8th place in the U.S. National Cross Country Championships in February and 4th place in the U.S. Outdoor National 10K in June – but when you’re an Olympian, your expectations are at a higher level.

Fortunately, she’s now in better shape and feeling stronger, and her coach says she’s got “all the bullets in her gun” as she heads to New York later this fall. She’ll use the San Jose Rock and Roll Half Marathon on October 3rd as a tune up, and try to return to the form that earned her an Olympic spot back in 2008.

Blake’s long-term goal is to make her second Olympic team for the London Games in 2012, with the Olympic trials race in Houston in January 2012. As you’d expect from a dedicated, successful athlete, the date is already circled on Blake’s calendar.

So what can you learn from an Olympian? Blake’s advice is to emphasize quality workouts over quantity. Keep your easy days easy and run your hard days hard. Have a recovery drink within 30 minutes after every workout, and maintain a healthy diet throughout the day. And if you happen to get some downtime, it’s OK to take a nap while the baby is sleeping.

Inside the Salinas Valley Half Marathon

2010-08-12T21:56:00.000-07:00

It’s very difficult for a first-time event to score high marks across the board, but last weekend’s Salinas Valley Half Marathon was a success in virtually every aspect. We were both fortunate enough to participate, and decided to provide “behind the scenes” accounts of a few memories from race day.

Great first impressions: Logistics of the race were a little complicated, but the race committee went all-out to minimize the inconvenience. Transportation between the parking area and start area was provided by luxury touring buses, a dramatic improvement over the cramped, bouncy school buses that most runners are accustomed to riding before races.

Prayers welcome: The Soledad Mission was a truly unique and distinctive setting for the start area. It’s historic, allows plenty of space for bib pickup and staging, and provides nervous runners a nice spot to ask for some divine intervention before the race. Many of those runners could use it, because the race was a …

Beginner’s delight: Of the nearly 1300 runners in the race, more than 400 identified themselves as first time half marathoners. More than 200 of those attended the training clinics put on by local race veterans, and the success rate for these first-timers was impressively high. For them, it was truly a day to remember; for others, however, it was …

Business as usual: Seeing field workers laboring in the Salinas Valley as we ran past gave us both an appreciation for the agriculture industry that figures so prominently in our local economy, and gratitude for the people who were up early on a Saturday morning not to have fun at a race, but because it was their occupation. The ag industry was also the star one of our favorite spots on the course …

Strawberry love!: The Salinas Valley Half took a page from the Big Sur Marathon’s playbook, placing an aid station stocked entirely with strawberries late in the race. Strawberry season may be coming to an end, but you sure couldn’t tell by tasting the wonderful offerings at mile 10, which were a major highlight of the day. The great berries were only a sampling of what was to come, however, at the …

Luxurious finish: Pessagno winery hosted the finish area, which was as loaded with perks and goodies as any race we’ve seen. Runners enjoyed musical entertainment while helping themselves to bagels, fruit, water, beer, first aid, physical therapy, massages, and even free Jamba Juice served by a guitar-playing banana. (Seriously.) There was plenty of stuff for runners to talk about, including this …

Conversation starter: If you ever want to meet a lot of new people, try racing in a pair of bright white and red Vibram FiveFingers, which look like gloves for your feet, complete with separate toes. Donald has been running in FiveFingers for over a year now, and this race was the debut of his new Bikila model, which are admittedly a little bit eye-catching. They led to a lot of curious questions and discussions about barefoot running and the Vibram phenomenon, which is becoming more popular all the time.

Generally, though, the most common topic of conversation was what a wonderful race this turned out to be, from the perfect weather to the beautiful course to the outstanding organization from start to finish. Congratulations to Karen Nardozza, Kristina Morales, and the entire race staff for putting together such a great event. We’re already looking forward to doing it again next year.

We Have a Race!

2010-07-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

Here’s a guarantee: we will definitely have a course record at the Salinas Valley Half Marathon on August 7th. There will be records set in every age group as well. That’s what you get with a first time event.

The race sold out about a month ago with more than 1,250 runners entered. 414 of these claim it’s their first half marathon, so the race organization’s goal of finding new runners and promoting healthy lifestyles is already achieved. Over 200 runners participated in the Salinas YMCA’s training program.

The event also looks to be very competitive, with big guns from the local running scene battling it out against runners from 20 states and 2 foreign countries. If everyone shows up that is expected to, we’ll see some fast times from some great runners.

On the men’s side, Hartnell grad and Big Sur Marathon winner Danny Tapia from Castroville won’t have it easy. Danny ran a 1:05 half marathon last year but Crosby Freeman from the San Francisco Bay Area track club has a previous best of 1:04. Last week, Ethiopian born Tesfaye Sendeku, who now lives in the Bay Area contacted the race director about his intention to run. He won the recent Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon in a course record time of 1:03:58, but he has a half marathon best of 1:01.

The women’s race is equally competitive. Olympic Trials marathon qualifiers Brooke Wells and Shalluin Fullove from San Francisco seem to be the class of the field. Brooke is a Carmel High and Cal Berkeley grad now living in San Francisco and has run 1:18 for the half marathon. Shalluin, a friend of Brooke’s was the woman’s winner of the Napa to Sonoma half a few weeks ago in 1:22.

Also coming out of running semi-retirement for this race is another previous Olympic trials marathon competitor, Laura Sanchez, from Salinas. Laura turned 48 this year.

Some of the best master’s (over 40) runners in the United States live in our area and it seems they are all coming out to run this exciting half marathon.

Carmella Cuva, who just turned 40 is making her master’s debut, and has been the fastest Monterey County woman a record 4 times in the Big Sur Marathon. Other fast master’s women locally who are competing and should do well in their age groups are Sophia Robinson (47) from Monterey, Christina Price (50) from Carmel, Stella Gibbs (51) from Pacific Grove, Jan Holloway (74) from Monterey, and Gloria Dake (75) from Salinas.

Top age groupers on the men’s side are Keith Hedlund (47) from Salinas, Brian Robinson (49) from Monterey, Rosalio Campos (50) from Salinas, Dwight Smith (51) from Seaside, Dan Zulaica (52) from Carmel Valley, Jefferson Seay (56) from Salinas, Steve Marshall (56) from Seaside, Gerry Reynolds (61) from Salinas, Bill Garwood (65) from Salinas, and Dave Cortez (65) from Salinas.

The race also has an interesting array of young and future stars who are running their first half marathon to get ready for their high school or college cross country seasons. Nina Anderson, age 17, from Notre Dame high school, and State qualifier in the 2 mile during the track season, will be making her first try at the substantially longer distance. Sumeet Mudahar, who just graduated Notre Dame, and won the local Wednesday Night Laundry Runner scholarship as best graduating senior runner, will also be racing her first half marathon.

It promises to be a great race, and we can’t wait to see how everyone does.

Running Obsession

2010-07-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

So you call yourself a runner? Think you’re obsessed with your running life? Let’s find out.

We had some fun a few months ago when we created a test to rate your running partners – so we’re doing it again, but this time you’re rating yourself! Get yourself a piece of paper, and let’s see how dedicated a runner you really are.

MILES: Give yourself 1 point for each mile that you run in the average week. If you don’t keep track of your miles then give yourself 5 points for each day of the week that you run 30 minutes or more.

RUNNING SHOES: How many types of shoes do you have? If you own regular running shoes, add 5 points for each pair. Add 7 points for each pair of trail shoes. Add 10 for each pair of racing flats, 15 for each pair of running spikes or Vibram FiveFingers, and 20 if you’re brave enough to go barefoot!

PERIODICALS: Award 5 points if you subscribe to Runner’s World magazine, 10 Points for Running Times, and 15 points for Marathon and Beyond. Score 20 Points if you regularly get Running Research News.

BOOKS: Add 5 points for the number of times you have read each of these books: Once a Runner by John L. Parker Jr., Running and Being by Dr. George Sheehan, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, Galloway’s Book on Running by Jeff Galloway, and Running with the Buffalos by Chris Lear.

WORKOUTS: Give yourself 5 points for each type of workout you’ve done in the last 3 months. Fartlek. Hill repeats. Form drills including butt kicks, high knees, and karaoke. Tempo. Planned marathon pace. Yasso 800’s.

RUNNING HEROES: If your role model is Dean Karnazes give yourself 1 point. If you are motivated by Kara Goucher and Ryan Hall give yourself 5 points. If you admire Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi, score 10. Likewise with Bill Rogers or Frank Shorter (for you older folks) – still 10. If you are inspired by Terry Fox or Sarah Reinertsen, score 15. If Scott Jurek or Anton Krupicka are more your style give yourself 20. If no one impresses you but Quenton Cassidy, score 25. If you don’t recognize any of these names, minus 50.

TRAVEL TO RACES: Score 25 points for each trip you’ve made to a race in the last six months that required a passport. Score 20 for each race that required air travel. Give yourself 15 for races that required at least one night in a hotel. Add 5 for each race you did that you slept at home.

THURSDAY MORNINGS: If your first thought on Thursday morning is about reading The Running Life, give yourself 20 points.

Yes, that last category was self serving … but we’re just trying to fluff up your score a bit. And now it’s time for the results! Check your total score and place it in one of the following groups:

OVER 300: Dude … wow. You’re totally obsessed. Have you seen your spouse or kids lately?
200 to 299: You’ve always got running on the brain … and your friends probably consider you absent-minded.
100 to 199: This seems about average – we’ll call this “running balanced”.
60 to 99: So you have a running life … but not very much of one.
Under 60: You want to learn about this strange lifestyle, but haven’t quite jumped in yet; we’ll call you “run-curious.”

Born to Golf?

2010-06-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Think you know who invented golf? If you’re like most observers, you believe that the sport as we know it was invented in Scotland in the late 1400s.

Some historians also note that the ancient Romans played games with sticks hitting stones on the ground, but this pastime had no link to modern day golf. Others attribute some influence to activities called kolven in Holland and chole in Belgium that involved sticks and rudimentary balls or stones - but for the majority of golf purists, the pursuit of hitting round objects into slightly larger holes in the ground is strictly attributed to the Scots.

However, with all due respect to those historians, we have another theory: maybe golf was created by a band of runners.

Chris McDougall’s book Born to Run describes the reclusive Raramuri, indigenous people of the treacherous Copper Canyon region of northern Mexico. Raramuri are the world’s greatest distance runners, whose “superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity.” These natives were so reclusive that they were not discovered by the outside world until the 1500s by the Conquistadors, who mispronounced the name to call them Tarahumara. (They are still commonly called Tarahumara by outsiders today.)

The name Raramuri means “runners on foot” or “those who run fast”, and the entire culture of the tribe involves running for joy. McDougall set out to chronicle the Tarahumara to understand how they could run for hundreds of miles without getting injured. Among other observations, his documentation of huarache-clad ultrarunners has greatly influenced the recent barefoot running boom in the United States.

And what does any of this have to do with golf? McDougall also observed that the favorite pastime among the Tarahumara is a game called rarjiparo. These contests are typically held between village teams and involve running continuously for 36 or 48 hours over hilly and dangerous terrain. The object is for each team to move a small wooden ball called the rarajipari, made of hard wood from tree roots.

Men kick the rarajipari to advance it, but women are allowed to use an implement called the ariweta – “a ring of strong plant fibres or twigs which are hooked with a curved wooden end which allows the ball to be hit”. They hit the ball, then chase after it – up and down hills, around curves, into the dirt or bushes, and occasionally dropping into holes in the ground. Sounds like a group of amateurs on the back nine, doesn’t it?

Furthermore, Tarahumara villagers gather from miles around to watch these events - a primitive gallery, if you will - and bets are often made involving pelts, livestock, blankets, jewelry, and other items. After a rarjiparo, it is traditional that “winners do not demonstrate arrogance, and the losers show no anger” – as rivals often gather together and spend the next 48 hours drinking tesquino, a corn-based beer, until they pass out. Since the Tarahumara have no refrigeration devices, all of the tesquino had to be finished within the 48-hour party.

So let’s recap: a game that involves using sticks to knock little balls around, which claims specific rules of decorum, features large spectator galleries, and encourages betting, beer drinking, and camaraderie. What game does that sound like to you?

The Tarahumara have been doing this for more than 2000 years. Perhaps they weren’t just Born to Run, but Born to Golf as well - and maybe all the passionate golf fans at this week’s US Open owe a tip of the hat to these natural born runners.

Running Salinas

2010-05-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

If it takes a village to raise a child, how much more is necessary to get an entire city up and running? A wide-ranging community effort is underway right now to accomplish exactly that goal, beginning with the first annual Salinas Valley Half Marathon which is scheduled for August 7th.

For the last several years, the only road race in the community has been Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital’s popular Heart and Sole 5K/10K, which just finished its 13th edition last weekend. However, for a town that’s supposedly committed to fighting the obesity epidemic, one lonely running event seems like it’s not nearly enough.

That’s why Karen Nardozza stepped up and started planning the Salinas Valley Half Marathon. Her vision is to develop a destination race that will also showcase the Valley’s world-class agriculture, wine, and tourism industries. The Salinas Valley Half Marathon is part of a larger non-profit agency she created to promote health, fitness, and community spirit in Salinas.

Karen gathered a who’s who of Salinas professionals with a track record of success to help plan and organize the race. The list includes retired Salinas City Manager Dave Mora, retired CEO of the Central Coast YMCA Sharron Gish, recent CEO of the Salinas Chamber of Commerce Tiffany D’Tullio, Kristina Morales from Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital (who happens to be the race director of the Heart and Sole race), Francine Sullivan of Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway, John Lewis, owner of National Property Inspections, and Brad Griffin of Alvarez Technology.

She is also getting advice and guidance from the Big Sur International Marathon organization and even had the foresight to have KION meteorologist Tamara Berg on the planning committee. Tamara, who recently ran her first marathon at Big Sur, has promised to try to predict perfect weather for August 7th.

The 13.1-mile half-marathon starts, somewhat fittingly, at Soledad Mission, the 13th Mission founded in California. The majority of the course runs north on Foothill and River Roads, traversing beautiful fields and vineyards with slightly rolling elevation changes before finishing among the vines at Pessagno Winery. Every finisher receives a medal as well as a Salinas Valley Half Marathon logo wine glass to use at the post race celebration.

As for that larger community effort: the Salinas YMCA is hosting training programs for the half marathon, and saw more than 200 people at the first training session on May 6th. Training sessions continue every Thursday at 6PM, alternating between advice and discussions at the YMCA, or group track sessions at Hartnell track. For more information, call Lulu Vargas at 758-3811.

Financially, Karen has generated overwhelming support from the Salinas business community, with generous support from Taylor Farms, Monterey Pacific, Rotary Club, D’Arrigo Brothers, Foodsource, Ocean Mist Farms, Mann Packing, Rabobank, Balance Physical Therapy, Advance Tech Aircraft, and UCP East Garrison, LLC. However, more support is still needed, so if you want to contribute or volunteer please contact Karen via e-mail at karen@nardozzaandassociates.com.

This year’s inaugural event is already selling out quickly, with entrants from 17 different states and 2 foreign countries. The race will be capped at 1,000 runners, and the $55 race fee increases to $65 on June 1st, so we suggest that you sign up quickly on active.com. You can find any additional information about the race at www.salinasvalleyhalfmarathon.org.

Whether you’re looking to run a beautiful half-marathon course, to support health promotion in your local community, or just be part of a wonderful day, get involved with the Salinas Valley Half Marathon to help get Salinas running again.

How Young Is Too Young?

2010-05-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

As you’re reading this, 13-year-old Jordan Romero of Big Bear, CA, is bivouacked at 22,000’ on the slopes of Mount Everest, preparing for a summit bid that would make him the youngest person ever to stand on the world’s highest peak.

Despite his age, Romero is no novice; he’s climbed to the highest points on five other continents, and has more mountaineering experience than many “tourist climbers” who pay for guided expeditions on Everest. However, his attempt has been met with equal parts praise and outrage by experienced mountain climbers. Some see him as a role model for a generation of unhealthy, overweight kids. Others consider him a poster boy for reckless ambition and misguided parental prioritization.

The question is simple, but the answer is incredibly complex: how old should kids be before taking on extreme athletic challenges?

The running community grapples with a similar dilemma – albeit on a less dramatic scale than mountain climbing – in considering at what age children should be permitted to enter marathons or ultramarathons. Nearly every race today has a minimum age requirement, but in the 1970s, very young runners were somewhat commonplace at major marathons.

Prior to instituting a minimum age of 18 in 1981, the New York City Marathon saw approximately 75 runners aged 8 to 13 cross its finish line in the late 1970s. The Los Angeles Marathon’s “Students Run LA” program annually trains kids ages 12 to 18 to finish the event. Locally, the Big Sur Marathon’s minimum age is 16 – although in an interesting twist, its medical director ran his first marathon at age 13. Last month, four 16-year-olds successfully completed the challenging 26.2-mile Highway 1 course.

So how young is too young? Is 12 or 16 more risky than 18? What about 10 or 8? And what exactly is the rationale for any of these guidelines?

The American Academy of Pediatricians recommends that runners focus on shorter events like the 10K or half-marathon until age 18. A group called the International Marathon Medical Directors Association cites the AAP guideline in its own recommendation for an 18-year-old age requirement. Generally, the standards are based as much on psychological considerations as they are on physiology.

For example, it’s true that kids with developing bones and muscles are highly susceptible to overuse injuries with endurance running – but this is a consequence for many adults who train excessively as well. Children’s bodies aren’t as adept at thermoregulation, leaving them susceptible to heat-related problems during a race – but the bodies of novice marathoners are equally unprepared in this regard. Overall, the physical risks of the marathon for youngsters aren’t significantly greater than those for adults.

Instead, the primary concern expressed by most running authorities, as well as grown-ups who started as extremely young distance runners, is that kids might be trying the marathon for the wrong reasons, and might burn out on running relatively early in life. From a standpoint of promoting lifelong health, it’s always better for runners of any age to build up to the marathon gradually, over a period of years instead of weeks. And if parental pressures are any factor in a child entering the marathon, the likelihood of he or she continuing as independent adults is fairly low.

In the end, every situation is unique to the individuals involved, in running just as it is in mountain climbing. The only things we can wish for Jordan Romero or any other young athletes are for them always to be safe, have fun, and develop a passion for healthy activity that lasts a lifetime.

Scenes From a Marathon 2010

2010-04-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

With Big Sur’s 25th Anniversary in the books, we’re sharing a final handful of observations from another wonderful BSIM weekend …

Hometown Victory!

Even though it started as a small hometown event, the Big Sur Marathon never saw a local runner win the overall men’s title – at least, not until the 25th presentation. Big congratulations to Danny Tapia of Salinas, a recent Hartnell College runner coached by Chris Zepeda. Even more impressive is that this was Danny’s first marathon; it’s possible that we’ve got a legend in the making for future editions of the race.

Coach Zepeda tried making arrangements on Saturday afternoon for Danny to ride the elite bus, a privilege that top contenders in the race are offered by the race committee. Unfortunately, the van was already full, so Danny got up early to catch the Carmel Middle School buses with the “regular” schmoes, before taking off like crazy at the starting gun. He built a big lead after 5 miles, and never looked back en route to a 90-second victory. Next year, we’re guessing he’ll be on the elite bus.

Fast Ladies of Pacific Grove

Note that we said Danny was the first local men’s winner; on the women’s side, the Big Sur Marathon has had 3 local champions: Patty Selbicky in 1987, Nelly Wright in 1988, and legendary ultrarunner Ann Trason in 1989. Interestingly, all of these women were from Pacific Grove, the same town where 2008 Olympic marathoner Blake Russell currently resides. The lesson, perhaps: if you’re a speedy girl looking to win the Big Sur Marathon, you should definitely consider moving to PG.

Blake was at this year’s event as a spectator greeting runners after the race. She has recently returned to competitive running after having a baby a year ago, so if you ever see her on the start line at Big Sur, the smart money will be on her to win big.

Smiling Happy Little People

The JUST RUN Kids’ 3K was held in Pacific Grove for the first time on Saturday and had a record number of participants. About 3,000 kids and parents ran on a beautiful out and back course from Lovers Point. 33 schools participated, and smiling faces were everywhere. Hopefully these are the marathoners of tomorrow.

Boston to Big Sur Forever!

The Boston to Big Sur Challenge was a huge success, with fantastic feedback from everybody who participated. We’re happy to report that the challenge will be continued indefinitely in years to come. Like this year, the races will probably sell out early; mark your calendars now for the July 15th online entry date for Big Sur’s 26th presentation on May 1, 2011.

Where We Shamelessly Take a Portion of Undue Credit

A special shout-out goes to our running partner Carmella Cuva, for completing the Boston to Big Sur Challenge, for winning the top local female award at Big Sur, and for characteristically smiling her way through both races. We’ve run more miles than we can count with Carmella, so we like to think that some of those mornings together contributed to her amazingly successful week of racing.

By the Numbers

This year’s race saw 12,000 participants in the various events, with 2,800 volunteers helping them. 365 Porta Potties were picked up. 350 gallons of coffee were consumed, along with 85,000 cups of Gatorade on Highway 1. Post race, 25 kegs of beer vanished, as well as 2400 bagels, 72 gallons of soup, and 100 cases of bananas. The numbers keep getting bigger, and the race keeps getting better.

See you next year.

Big Sur Centipede

2010-04-23T16:06:00.001-07:00

One of the more unusual moments in Big Sur Marathon history took place in 1991, when a 26-leg centipede ran the race. At least, it started the race with 26 legs – the rest is something of a story.

Centipedes are typically seen at shorter, quirkier races such as San Francisco’s Bay to Breakers, but rarely in marathons, which are difficult enough for one person without your fate hinging on conditions of several other runners.

According to the International Centipede Congress – yes, really – official ‘Pedes must consist of 13 team members, measure at least 60 feet long, and have each runner connected by any non-polyester material. Twinkie feelers are to be worn on the head of each member, and the person in the rear wears a “stinger of appropriate design and toxicity.” All 13 must stay attached throughout the race and finish together.

Official rules get even weirder: A Lenichi Turn - a 360-degree rotation made famous by 18th-century Eastern European centipeders Oscar and Igatoo Lenichi - must be made twice in the race. One occurs at midrace, and another before the finish; neither of these shall interfere with other runners.

The spirit of the Centipede is best captured in the official motto: “Length, Joy, Togetherness”. Trust us, though - 26.2 miles is a very long way for anyone to be together.

The ’91 Pede was the brainchild of Dr. Marc Lieberman, who gathered 13 runners of various abilities. 12 men - Marc, Mike (your Herald columnist), Doug Colton, Wally Kastner, Don King, Dean King, Pete Sullivan, Jim Eagle, Gus Halamandaris, Skip Latham, Jay Cook, and Charlie Engle – were joined by one brave woman, Julie Lyonhardt. They were tied together with a bungee cord around each waist, with a shared (if somewhat ambitious) goal of breaking 3 hours and 30 minutes.

The Pede started far back in the pack, crossing the start line 4 minutes after the gun. Shortly thereafter, disaster struck: as the centipede reeled in some slower runners, a newbie marathoner stopped without warning in the middle of the road to re-tie her sweatshirt directly in front of the Pede. The 13 runners couldn’t stop and became tangled in bungees, with several falling. Pete Sullivan was injured so badly that he couldn’t continue, and the Pede’s numbers were down to 12, making it “officially unofficial”.

Good miles lay ahead, as the Pede gradually picked up momentum, completed a successful Linichi turn on Bixby Bridge, told jokes, sang songs, talked to other runners and had a great time until about mile 21, when attrition began to take its toll.

Wally and Jim both aggravated previous knee injuries and were forced to unhook. Gus, undertrained but overdetermined, was struggling – so badly that the other 9 runners can still show you their bungee cord burn scars from pulling him up the hills of Carmel Highlands that day.

Eventually, the remainder of the Pede completed another Lanichi turn just before the finish line, and completed the run successfully. In the 1991 results sheet you’ll see 10 runners with times of 3:33:44 to 3:33:47 – but with the 4 minute delayed start (before the era of chip timing), the sub 3:30 goal was met.

An epilogue to the story……Wally is now better known as Race Director of the Big Sur Marathon. Charlie became one of the world’s craziest and most renowned ultra-runners. Mike and Julie got married in 1995. Gus and Pete never ran another Big Sur marathon. Marc put together one more centipede in the 1996 race, which remains the last time a centipede competed at Big Sur.

Big Sur Memories

2010-04-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

In honor of this weekend’s 25th Big Sur International Marathon, we asked some local runners for their most memorable moments from the first 25 years of the Big Sur International Marathon. Here are some of their responses.

Rich Hollaway, founder of Cornuts Inc., heard a rumor in 1985 that Judge Bill Burleigh wanted to start a marathon from Big Sur to Carmel and needed financial support. Rich left a message for the visionary yet resourceless Burleigh, who returned the call in less than 2 minutes. And the marathon was born.

Nelly Wright wrote this poem after winning the 1988 women’s race:

I start the Big Sur Marathon in 1988,
I’ve trained hard and I feel strong.
I surge ahead and all feels well,
My pace is fast, so what can go wrong?

I slip into a rhythmic zone,
The miles fly by, as along I roll.
As I run a thought occurs,
Will the Hurricane Point take its toll?

Now I wonder where the hill begins,
And as I pass a runner, I pause to ask.
His gaze is odd as he replies,
“We’re at the top, the hill is past.”

My spirit soars and down I fly,
In my focused state, I missed the hill they dread.
My exhilaration soars and carries me to the end,
To receive the laurel wreath upon my head.

Dr. Marc Lieberman and Andrew McClelland independently commented fondly on scenes from the marathon; running near Pt. Sur Lighthouse in silence and solitude with only cows as company, the struggle with the wind at Hurricane Point, the hail years, the camaraderie of friends running alongside, and being rewarded on the podium for a race well run.

15-time finisher Rick Leach recalled camping at Pfeiffer to get some extra sleep near the starting line. Brushing his teeth in the washhouse, he heard the Star Spangled Banner wafting through the trees, at which point he spit, rinsed, and started running. Crashing through the deserted start area, he caught up with the pack went on to run one of his best marathons – possibly due to the super adrenaline charge at the start.

Glynn Wood, the Peninsula’s runner emeritus, housed a young Japanese runner with no marathon experience for the 2nd Big Sur Marathon in 1987. Glynn and his wife Suzie knew no Japanese and their house guest knew no English. At the carbo-loading party before the race, Olympic marathon gold medalist Frank Shorter was the host, and went from table to table with a videographer. For $30 anyone could buy a video of themselves with Frank.

Frank asked the visitor, “How fast do you expect to run tomorrow?” The reply was, “No English…Sorry.” Frank, with extensive international experience but limited political correctness, looked into the camera and said, “We all know that Japanese are great marathoners, and that he’ll be with the leaders tomorrow!”

The guest wasn’t exactly with the leaders – he ran 4 hours and 30 minutes, but gave Glynn $30 to get a copy of the video, and flew back to Tokyo a satisfied finisher.

Sally Smith, the marathon’s long time registrar, focused on last year’s race. For the participants everything always goes smoothly, but for the race committee, it’s a very nervous time. 15 minutes prior to the start, the timing company was no where to be found. Cell phone service in Big Sur is sporadic at best; a connection was made but all that could be heard was “we’re on the way.” The company arrived 6 minutes before the race, set up quickly, and the race started only 1 minute late. The runners never knew, but Sally aged 5 years in those few minutes.

For those of you running this year, we hope all your memories are good ones.

Remembering Wayne Collett

2010-04-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

Last month marked the passing of a remarkably talented runner who once reached the pinnacle of athletic accomplishment, but was unfortunately remembered more for his role in a collision of athletics and politics on the global stage nearly four decades ago. He also had ties to the Monterey Peninsula, and those of us fortunate enough to experience Wayne Collett’s friendship and goodwill are feeling great sorrow in the loss of such an admirable man.

Wayne is best known – and most misunderstood – for his actions at the 1972 Munich Olympics, where he won the silver medal in the 400m dash. During the awards ceremony, Collett and fellow American (and gold medalist) Vince Matthews visibly disregarded our National Anthem by not standing at attention, and diverting their gaze from the flag while casually fidgeting and chatting.

This came four years after the more famous medal ceremony demonstration by African-Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos in Mexico City, and the International Olympic Committee had zero tolerance of further political statements intruding upon their Games. The IOC immediately banned Collett and Matthews from future competitions for acting disrespectfully, and that was pretty much the last the track world saw of Wayne Collett.

Wayne was frequently criticized for his actions, but he held strong to his principles in explaining his conduct. He felt strongly that the promise and potential of America were unattainable for many of its citizens due to widespread social and institutional injustices. He was often compelled to affirm his nationalism, once telling the Los Angeles Times, “I love America … to suggest otherwise is to not understand the struggles of blacks in America.” Wayne was never Anti-American; he simply wanted his country to be a better place, with equal opportunities for all.

Nowadays, the racism and exclusion that Wayne spoke out against are much more easily recognized; with historical hindsight, we can better appreciate the frustrations of his experience and the accuracy of his point of view. For those who knew Wayne personally, there was never – at any point in his life - any question about his patriotism or his passion for social justice. And although he couldn’t compete in track meets anymore, Wayne never stopped excelling in all aspects of life.

Once called the “greatest athlete I’ve ever coached” by UCLA track coach Jim Bush - no small statement considering the number of Olympians Bush trained during his 56-year career - Wayne was also one of that college’s most successful students, earning an undergraduate degree in 1971, an M.B.A. in 1973, and a law degree in 1977 all on the same campus. He worked against many of those injustices he demonstrated against in Munich, in hopes that today’s children enjoy the opportunities that many of his generation lacked. He gave his time and effort generously to many charitable organizations, with some of his fundraising efforts bringing him to our Monterey Peninsula, where he enjoyed a wide network of friends. Wayne also spent several years working for the United States Olympic Committee prior to the Los Angeles Olympics, and carried the torch in the 1984 relay through his hometown.

Wayne died last month at age 60 after a nearly four-year battle with cancer. While the most public moment of his life occurred at age 22, all who had the privilege of knowing him will remember his lifelong accomplishments, integrity, and commitment to social equality. For track fans as well as Wayne’s friends and family, we know we’ve lost one of the great ones.

Bug Sur 25

2010-03-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

This April marks the 25th presentation of the Big Sur International Marathon, and the race’s Board of Directors is planning a whole series of special events to celebrate the occasion. What started as a gleam in Judge Bill Burleigh’s eye after a drive down Highway 1 in the mid 1980’s has turned into one of the most respected, honored, and best-run marathons in the world.

Here are some of the festivities planned for next month:

April 5 to April 30th: Art show at the Monterey Convention Center. Featuring a special exhibit of Big Sur Marathon posters, programs, shirts and memorabilia through the years. Several Big Sur artists will have works on display that reflect the beauty and spirit of their community.

April 19th: Start of the Boston to Big Sur Challenge. A special challenge issued by Big Sur Race Director Wally Kastner for this year’s race. 350 intrepid runners, including 20 locals, signed up to run both the Boston Marathon and the Big Sur Marathon - 2 marathons, on 2 coasts, in 6 days. The Big Sur Marathon will provide a special finisher’s tent, medals, jackets, and other surprises for those completing the challenge.

April 23 and 24: The Marathon Health and Fitness Expo. Located at the Monterey Conference Center, and open for the entire community. You’ll find the latest in shoes, running gear, and health products, as well as a whole collection of 25th Presentation clothing and merchandise. There will be clinics on race strategy and general running advice. Go see what the running community is buzzing about.

April 24th: The JUST RUN 3K. This special race for kids and their parents is held at Lovers Point at 8AM. The course runs toward Monterey on Ocean View Blvd and joins the Rec trail near Hopkins Marine Station to return to the finish at Lovers point. A record number of 33 schools have already entered, and nearly 3,000 kids and parents. The Marathon will also provide a record amount of money in prizes to local schools based on participation. Enter online at www.bsim.org, be there by 7:15 AM to register on race morning.

April 25th: The 5K and other marathon events. You can still enter the 5K online at www.bsim.org, but all other events - the 21 miler, 10.6 miler, 9 miler, and marathon relay - are sold out.

April 25th: The MAIN EVENT. As usual, the marathon sold out long before race day – and the 25th edition has lots of new treats for the runners. Go to the special interest section at www.bsim.org to check out the unique new mile markers created by local muralist John Cerney; they’re certain to entertain, motivate, and inspire every runner. This year’s runners will also be treated to more musical groups than ever before, as well as perennial favorite Michael Martinez and his grand piano at the Bixby Bridge.

After race party: New this year, when the race is over and everyone has had time to freshen up, there is a special celebration at the Monterey Marriott at 4:30 on Sunday. Like the marathon, this event is sold out – but if you’re already signed up, be sure to have a great time!

Afterward, start making your plans for the 26th presentation of the Big Sur Marathon in 2011. It’s an event that just keeps getting better and better.

Take 5 To Run

2010-03-11T20:35:00.000-08:00

Our previous column was delivered from atop a soapbox, lamenting the obesity problem that plagues the health and well-being of American children. Unfortunately, the last 30 years of public service announcements, nutritional education, and instruction on physical activity has done little to curb the epidemic, as kids (not to mention adults) are still getting fatter.

So this week’s column is a call to action, and we’re encouraging all of our running friends to get involved. It’s time to stop talking about the issue, and start DOING something about it.

If you’re like us, you know how great running makes you feel, both physically and mentally. You know how beneficial it is for your cardiovascular health and emotional well being. You also know how rewarding it feels to share these experiences with others.

So here’s what we want you to do: participate in an effort called “Take 5 to Run”. It’s not an official program; in fact, we just made it up. But the premise is pretty simple, and has the potential to be highly effective.

Look at the numbers. There are currently 30 million adults who claim they run at least a few times a month. 10 million of them run “regularly” and entered organized races last year. These are the people who we’re asking to Take 5 to Run.

Over the course of one year, invite 5 of your non-running friends for a run. Encourage them to get started, help them select shoes if needed, and take them on an easy jog. Help them through the initial uncertainty, and celebrate their every accomplishment on their way to starting a running program.

Later, ask them to pay it forward; once they are established runners, recommend that they take another 5 people out for a run. And so on and so on. Do the math: if 10 million runners recruit 50 million non-runners, and that group grows to 250 million in a couple of years … before you know it we have a nation of runners and the obesity trend is reversed.

Obviously, we aren’t naive enough to think that everyone will successfully convert 5 others, but we optimistically believe that many of you are capable of drawing new runners in. As long as the numbers trend in the right direction, we’ll still end the epidemic. So how do you instruct someone to start? Remember the name of the game.

Take 5 to Run is a phrase that can also be used as a blueprint to get friends or kids started. The first run or walk should only be 5 minutes. Aim for a habit of 5 minutes per day, 5 days a week. Tell 5 people about it, for moral support and to hold yourself accountable. Select one day to increase your distance by 5 more minutes, and then another day, and then another and another as you continue to improve.

We’d also love to see the running industry step up and help people Take 5 to Run. Shoe companies or specialty running stores could give discounts to those who are buying their first pair of shoes and mention Take 5 to Run. Races should give discounts to those who are entering their first race after they’ve Taken 5 to Run. Get some national running organizations on board, and who knows where this might end up.

But for the time being, it can all begin with you. Take the pledge, and Take 5 to Run.

Dear Mrs Obama

2010-02-25T20:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Mrs. Obama,

Thank you for making the fight against youth obesity your primary concern as First Lady. As runners, parents, and community activists, we share your passion in this challenge.

We completely agree with the goals you have established: access to healthy, affordable food for all kids; increased physical activity in schools and in the community; healthier school meal programs; parents empowered with the information and tools to make good choices.

Since we have some experience in this area, we thought perhaps we could share some of our ideas and observations with you.

Make Physical Education and active recess mandatory from kindergarten to 12th grade: Include activities and lessons to emphasize how running or other aerobic exercise should become a lifetime habit. This is a low-cost initiative, needing no equipment and no new teachers: for example, Monterey County’s JUST RUN program is free, can be led by any teacher or parent, and has positively impacted more than 7,500 kids.

Health education should be an important part of school rather than an afterthought. Having “No child left inside” is just as important as “No child left behind.”

Make BMI measurements and fitness goals part of school programs: This might be a controversial step – but any executive will tell you that you can’t manage what you can’t measure. Kids should know their fitness levels – and these assessments are a great way to open a dialogue with parents as well.

Simplify: Please avoid the typical bureaucratic solution of just throwing more money and researchers at the problem. We all know that poor nutrition + sedentary lifestyle = obesity. Most health agencies already have programs in place – the problem is that they have NOT been working. Find the few good programs out there (see Just Run above) to direct resources toward, and make them more accessible nationwide.

Use “Foot Soldiers”: Any battle needs lots of foot soldiers. In this case, use established community organizers and advocates, and recruit new ones as well. Newly proposed programs should have advocates in every school, workplace, and health organization. Encourage people to get involved at school or in the community.

Lose the anti-running bias: Maybe we’re paranoid, but we’ll put this one out there ... but we’re a bit offended that the Surgeon’s General’s “Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation 2010” says children should have 60 minutes a day of vigorous exercise but doesn’t mention running. Included in the activity examples are softball, racquetball, kayaking (Really? In inner cities?), skating, mall walking, and washing the car, but somehow running didn’t make the list.

The President’s Active Lifestyle award is based on kids being active 5 days a week for 6 weeks. 100 activities are mentioned and running is (thankfully) one of them, but so are archery, billiards, croquet, darts, gardening, horseshoe pitching, ski-mobiling, skeet shooting, and even shuffleboard.

See, here’s the thing: running is the simplest, cheapest, most accessible and most effective means of exercise there is. Although we risk offending the kayaking or shuffleboard lobbies by saying so, we feel our sport deserves a much higher profile in fitness programs.

Make it permanent: Kids need more than 6 total weeks of exercise; it has to be daily, it has to be a life-long habit, and it has to be fun and rewarding in order to be successful. If your legacy is a generation of healthy, happy kids, that’s something to be enormously proud of.

Good luck with your initiative, and feel free to contact us if you need some free consulting!

Swifter, Higher, Stronger ... Prettier?

2010-02-10T20:34:00.000-08:00

Just for kicks, imagine the following: you’re charging through the final mile of a 10K, on pace to set a personal record or win an age group award, and giving it every ounce of effort you have.

The situation grows more difficult with every step - legs screaming, lungs burning, heart pounding like a jackhammer – but you somehow muster the courage and determination to stay on pace all the way to the finish. Finally you cross the line and almost keel over from sheer exhaustion, filled with satisfaction and pride from a maximal effort and a long-awaited goal.

Shortly thereafter, you’re approached by a race official, where the following exchange begins …

Official: Nice job – it looks like you might win an age group award. Of course, your official result is pending final review.

You: Review? What kind of review?

Official: By the judges, obviously. They deduct or add seconds to your time based on style. Like the way you were really grunting during that last mile – that might cost you about 15 seconds.

You: Seriously?

Official: Uh-huh. Also, your arm swing looked kind of funny throughout the race – that’s probably another 10-second penalty. And you had this strange grimace on your face towards the end – maybe another 5 or 10 seconds for that. Honestly, you weren’t as graceful as the other runners, and some of them really impressed the judges out there.

You: But this was my fastest time ever - I set a PR!

Official: Yeah … about that. By my calculations, your clock time was 39:35, and factoring in style points, your official time will probably be about 40:10 or so. Congrats on almost breaking 40 minutes! Unfortunately, two guys behind you earned time deductions, so they passed you in the age group standings. Something to work on for next time, maybe.

You: This is insane.

And you’d be justified in thinking so. Nevertheless, every four years we embrace and celebrate a whole collection of sports that rely on just such a premise to separate winners from losers. Tomorrow evening, the craziness begins all over again; that’s right … we’re talking about the Olympics.

Before you get the wrong idea, we’ll say very clearly that we both LOVE watching the Olympics. We love the ideals they embody: pursuit of the highest levels of human performance, uniting people from all corners of the globe, who set political and religious and cultural differences aside in the name of brotherhood through competition.

It’s just that last part – the “competition” thing – that rubs us the wrong way sometimes. In our book, sporting competition consists of either 1) defeating someone face to face, or 2) outperforming everybody on the same field at the same time. It doesn’t include who looks the prettiest, who puts the most flair into their routine, or who benefitted from better course conditions earlier in the day.

The Summer Olympics, particularly gymnastics, feature an element of this capriciousness, but the Winter Games are the stage when such absurdity truly shines. However, we realize that most of the events don’t lend themselves to side-by-side competition, and that won’t stop us from watching and appreciating the grand spectacle that every Olympiad offers.

But deep inside, part of us will be wishing for an eight-lane luge track, full-contact figure skating (have them all do their routines at the same time; last one standing wins), or a simultaneous downhill ski event – anything where we don’t need judges to tell us who the winners are.

Feel the Love

2010-01-28T20:32:00.000-08:00

In hindsight, 1986 turned out to be a fortuitous year for creating road races. Several debut events that year – big ones and small ones, over long distances and short ones - would go on to enjoy enormous success. This year marks the 25th anniversary for many of our favorites.

In Southern California, the Los Angeles Marathon drew thousands of runners, and the Carlsbad 5K began its reign as the World’s Fastest 5K. Closer to home, the Big Sur International Marathon started from humble beginnings to become one of America’s top road races. Demand for this April’s 25th running was so overwhelming that the race has already sold out.

Another of our favorite local races keeps a lower profile, but is equally successful. The Together With Love 10K and 5K in Pacific Grove is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this year – and best of all, there’s still plenty of room to enter. All you have to do is show up at Lover’s Point in time for the 9AM start, and you’re good to go. The race is always held on the Sunday closest to Valentine’s Day – and this year, the run falls exactly on February 14th. A special anniversary on Valentine’s Day at Lover’s Point; what could be more romantic?

Together With Love features everything that makes our sport great, and supports a very worthy organization. The Monterey Rape Crisis Center provides counseling, crisis intervention services, and community prevention education programs. Clare Mounteer and her staff do noble work at the Center, and they do a superb job in organizing the race as well.

This is the largest 5K/10K race in our area and often has as many as 1,500 entrants. For the last six years they have also hosted a 1-mile children’s race. The kids’ race starts at 8:15 AM, and each runner gets a medal and goodie bag. It’s a great way for kids to have fun while enjoying some healthy activity.

Befitting the race’s title, the 5K/10K course is absolutely lovely. It starts near Lover’s Point and goes around Ocean View Blvd toward Asilomar before heading back. The gently rolling course on the cool, scenic coastline is a perfect venue for fast times.

This year each participant receives a long-sleeved technical performance T-shirt, as well as the usual post-race refreshments and entry into a random drawing for a whole lot of prizes.

Together With Love also celebrates the Valentine’s Day theme in a unique way, with couples divisions in addition to the usual age division awards. Ceramic Heart awards are given to the fastest 10K couples in various age divisions. There are male/female, male/male, or female/female categories – but if you want to participate in the couples division, you have to register before January 31st, so don’t procrastinate.

Race registration for couples and singles alike is on www.active.com or www.mtryrapecrisis.org. You can also register in person on race morning if you arrive before 8:30. If you have any questions, call the Rape Crisis Center at 831-373-3955.

Mark your calendar for a fun morning, a fast race, and a great anniversary celebration on Valentine’s Day. Enter the race, and feel the love!

Compatibility Test

2010-01-14T20:29:00.000-08:00

Don’t laugh when we say this, but picking a running partner is nearly as important to overall wellbeing as picking a spouse. Accordingly, we’ve developed a sort of “e-harmony” test to rate your potential running mates.

For the sake of brevity, we’ll assume that you can handle the logistics of meeting times and locations. The rest of the profile gets more subjective, and that’s where the rating system comes into play. So get out your scorecard, and let’s get started!

Timeliness: Is your partner always a few minutes early for the meeting time? Score 10. Always on time, score 5. Always late, score 0. Unpredictable -sometimes early, sometimes late - minus 5.

Pace: The best partners help you become a better runner. If your partner’s comfortable pace is slightly faster than yours, score 10. Same pace, score 5. Slightly slower, score 0. Significantly slower, minus 5.

Versatility: Give your partner 5 points for each type of running terrain they enjoy: Roads. Trails. Track. Adjacent treadmills. 20 possible points.

Attitude: If your partner has a positive and enthusiastic demeanor, score 10. If it seems like he (or she) is just logging the mileage, score 5. If he constantly talks about his injuries, score 0. If he’s a constant whiner, complainer, and a downer, minus 5.

Reliability: Will your partner show up when the weather is nasty? For a partner who’s never intimidated by foul weather, score 10. For someone who takes on anything short of a hail storm or typhoon, score 5. For one who says he’ll show up only if it’s not raining, score 0. If he bails whenever there’s a 30% chance of rain, minus 5.

Low maintenance: If your partner knows all the roads and trails in the area, and always comes prepared with the right gear, score 10. If he knows where to show up to meet the group every morning, score 5. If he always asks for toilet paper or a sip of your Gatorade, score 0. If he calls you late every evening to ask you what’s going on tomorrow – minus 5.

Sense of Humor: If your partner brings new jokes and laughs at yours, score 10. If he tells the same funny jokes a lot, score 5. If he tells jokes that aren’t funny, score 0. If he tells the same unfunny jokes a lot, minus 5.

Worldly: Does he or she watch the news and know about current events? Score 10. If he likes to discuss other topics besides running, score 5. If ALL he talks about is running, score 0. If he’s overbearingly political, religious, or dogmatic, minus 5.

Running Life Fans: If they mention a Buraglio and Dove column during a run, score 10. If they know we write a running column, score 5. If they’ve never heard of us, score 0. If they’ve written a nasty letter to the editor about us, minus 5.

OK, maybe that last category was self serving … but it’s time for the results! Check your compatibility score and place it in one of the following groups:

80 to 100: As good as it gets. Let’s grow old together.
65 to 79: I’m mostly happy, but it feels like I’m settling.
50 to 64: This is OK for now, but I’d still like to see other people.
40 to 49: We need to talk. This isn’t working out.
Under 40: Have a nice life. Maybe you should get a dog.

Best wishes to everyone in seeking the ideal running partner.

The Year That Was

2009-12-16T15:54:00.000-08:00

December is just as popular for year-end reviews as it is for menorahs and Christmas trees – yet somehow, running news typically goes underreported. We’re correcting that trend today, with a 2009 retrospective specifically for the running community:

January: Hundreds of runners participate in Rio Grill’s Resolution Run, and over a delicious post-race pancake breakfast, discuss the annual question: “How long do you think the race was this year?” Several hours later, thousands of slackers groggily roll out of bed and postpone their New Year’s Resolutions until 2010.

February: Pacific Grove’s Together With Love run triggers a collective awkwardness to rival a junior-high prom, as runners choose “partners” for the competition. Conversations like “I really like him, but I don’t want to give him the wrong idea,” or “Do you think she knows I even exist?” become frighteningly commonplace.

March: The Big Sur International Marathon’s JUST RUN Youth Program increases to over 6,000 participants for the school year. Appropriately, all of them get to wear bib number 1 in local races.

April: A huge month for running! At the Boston Marathon, Kara Goucher turns in the best American performance in 25 years, missing victory by a mere 9 seconds, then politely stands shivering in her singlet through an interview from a TV reporter who calls her “Sara”. Mike finishes 1 minute slower than his son at Boston, and suddenly feels old, but proud.

Meanwhile, back in Monterey County, the Big Sur marathon enjoys its most successful year ever, and will later be ranked one of the top 3 marathons in America. Afterward, a Herald columnist makes fun of the race’s periwinkle race shirts. Columnist gets in big trouble.

May: Christopher McDougall’s landmark book Born to Run is released, inspiring thousands of runners to ditch their shoes and run barefoot like the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico. In a related story, stock prices for Band-Aids and blister relief kits reach an all-time high.

June: Donald runs in the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run, finally confirming what many people long suspected: “Has he lost his mind?”

July: The Spreckels 4th of July 10K is as traditional as barbecues, parades, and fireworks. Veteran runners suspect the course is short, but nobody says anything so they can all enjoy their PRs.

August: The first-ever Carmel Valley Fiesta Run delights hundreds of trail runners in Garland Ranch, as well as dozens of yellow jackets who enjoyed a much heartier than usual breakfast feast. A few runners complain, skittish park officials panic, and the race is in jeopardy for 2010. We’re hoping this one stays on the calendar.

September: On-line entries open for next year’s Boston to Big Sur challenge; two marathons, two coasts, 6 days apart; 300 people sign up the first week. Mike’s son Bryan gets married, making Mike feel even older, but even prouder.

October: Birth and rebirth: the first ever Just Run for Peace takes place in Salinas, and the Big Sur River Run returns after a one-year hiatus due to wildfires. It’s good to see both races on the schedule.

November: Southern California-raised, UCLA-educated Meb Keflezighi becomes the first American in 27 years to win the New York Marathon – prompting a handful of idiot sportswriters nationwide to publicly ask “Wait … Is Meb really an American?” We wish we were making this up.

December: Tiger Woods hits a fire hydrant with his SUV at 2AM – and absolutely nothing else newsworthy happens anywhere in the world.

We hope that you had more good miles than bad ones in 2009. Thanks for sharing the year with us!

Answering Your Questions

2009-12-03T15:51:00.001-08:00

Running Life 12/03/09 “Answering your Questions”

We get quite a few e-mails from interested readers with questions about running – and of course, we’re always happy to answer. Here are some frequently asked questions:

I’d like to run, but won’t it just damage my knees?
This is a common misconception. Numerous studies have shown that runners and non-runners develop arthritis with the same frequency. What’s more, running actually improves bone density, flexibility, and strength, which can decrease your chance of injury as you age.

Are there any books you recommend for new runners? Jeff Galloway’s “Book on Running,” published originally in 1984, is still a must-read for all beginners. Also, if you want to be encouraged and inspired, read George Sheehan’s “Running and Being” from 1978.

My friend ran the Big Sur Half Marathon without paying and seems to be proud of it. Isn’t that wrong?
Your friend has violated the honor code of ethical behavior. “Banditing” a race is wrong on many levels; not only is it morally reprehensible, but it’s also considered fraud and theft. Races are very expensive to put on, and race fees support local charities and youth groups. Aid station goods are provided for paid participants, and course support (including medical personnel) that is intended for legitimate entrants could be diverted if something goes wrong. Your friend needs a “Come to Jesus” talk. Friends don't let friends run as bandits.

What’s the best running shoe? The answer varies for everybody. Each runner is an experiment of one. Comfort and fit are the most important aspects; don’t go simply for style, and don’t go cheap – plan on paying at least $75 for a good pair of running shoes. Stick with one of the major brands, and go to a specialty running store (Fleet Feet in Monterey or The Treadmill in Carmel) to address your individual needs.

How do I get my kid to get off the couch and start exercising? First, be an example. Many young kids respond positively to just being at a track while one of their parents run. Kids like to run around or just play in the long jump pit for a bit, but eventually they’ll start walking or running around the track. Older kids probably need some positive encouragement to start, and may be motivated by a parent challenging them. Tell your child to set a goal – either for a mile, or a lap around the track - and bet him (or her) them on how quickly he can reach it. Be persistent, and keep it positive.

Is it better to run in the morning, at lunch, or after work? Short answer: YES! Any time that you can fit running in is the right time. Schedule your run like you would any other appointment you must keep. We both find it easier to wake up early and get in our runs before work - typically there aren’t many work meetings or other distractions before 6AM. If you schedule later in the day, things tend to come up or interfere. On the other hand, many working moms may find it easier to run after dropping off the kids at school, or to do laps around the field during soccer practice. Run whenever it works for you, but make it a priority. If you’re not successful at one time of day, switch things up and try another. Above all else, don’t make excuses for denying yourself the gift of running.

Feel free to continue sending your questions, and we’ll respond directly or print them here.

Be Careful Out There

2009-11-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year when many of us start doing it in the dark. (Running, that is … what else did you think we meant?)

It’s also an important time for a refresher on running safety, so we can all be careful out there. Running in the dark requires some equipment, some advance planning, and vigilance.

Clothes and equipment: Wear light colored clothing, with reflective striping or accents wherever possible. Put some on your dog as well, if you run with one. Many runners wear flashing LED lights on their backsides – they’re inexpensive and easy to find at running stores or on-line. Use a headlamp to help you see the road and to alert oncoming cars to your presence. (Contact us for more info about headlamp shopping.)

If you wear a thick hat to keep your head warm, make sure you don’t pull it too far over your ears or eyes. You still need to hear and remain alert.

Routes: Run on roads that are familiar, and preferably well lit. Stay on the left side of the road to face oncoming traffic. Always assume that the driver doesn’t see you, or even worse, is out to get you - because some day, he actually might be. Be wary of sideview mirrors that stick out from trucks, and give them a wide berth. Above all, don’t be afraid to step off the road and stop; your time doesn’t matter as much as your life.

Most critically of all – NEVER assume that a car sees you, or that the driver will do the right thing and avoid you. Some drivers feel like they own the entire road – and all it takes is one arrogant jerk to end your running career for good.

Form: Running in the dark naturally makes you more adept at “high stepping” to avoid small bumps. If you typically shuffle with your feet low to the ground, a few stumbles will quickly teach you to raise your feet a bit higher with each stride. Doing so is actually good for your overall form as well.

Partners: Find a friend or group to run with, for added security in numbers – an issue of increased importance for women. Each person takes responsibility for his (or her) own well-being, but also looks out for those around him. For example, don’t hesitate to yell a warning when you notice a car coming or see a hole in the road.

A recent running magazine study found that more runners are hit by cars when they run abreast of each other than when single file. We call this a “Well, DUH” kind of study … but just because the point is obvious doesn’t make it less important. If you’re running with a large group, the person out farthest into the traffic lane is in the most danger. So whenever a car approaches, cut the chit chat and quickly go single file.

Headphones and Ipods: In a word: NO. Don’t use them in the dark. Sure, music is cool, but being safe is even cooler. In the darkness, you rely on your sense of hearing more than anything to keep you safe. You have to be hyper-alert to noises around you – especially in the era of whisper-quiet hybrid cars that can inadvertently sneak up on you.

Above all, don’t get complacent. These rules are simple, but they should be adhered to every single day that you venture into the dark. Be careful out there, and run safely all the way to springtime.

Insider's View of the Big Sur Half-Marathon

2009-11-16T10:52:00.000-08:00

With each passing year, it’s getting harder to come up with new complimentary adjectives to describe the Big Sur Marathon’s events – so we’ll just preface our report of yesterday’s Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay with the word PERFECTION. By race standards, events don’t get any better than this.

So what makes an event perfect? Start with the weather: cool at the start but with clear skies – conditions that were ideal both for running fast times, and for viewing the race as a spectator. Then consider the course: a beautiful coastline route with rolling hills that are challenging enough to provide variety but still gentle enough to allow great times. Large numbers of spectators congregated to boost the runners’ adrenaline and enthusiasm. And the out and back layout gives you the diversion of watching other runners for a while.

Logistically, the race went very smoothly as well. The wave start system was flawlessly executed and allowed runners to avoid congestion from start to finish. The d-chip timing system made sure everyone’s time was recorded accurately, regardless of starting wave. Course organization and volunteer support were second to none, as usual. The local military community and the Defense Language Institute provided hundreds of volunteers to help the race go smoothly.

And if all that wasn’t enough … we even loved the color of the race shirts; there wasn’t a trace of periwinkle in sight.

Although we’re veterans of countless road races, we still take away lessons from nearly every event – and here are some things we learned from this year’s race:

You can’t keep runners from their beer: Mike was in the inflatable Michelob Ultra beer tent waiting for an after race treat when the tent started to deflate slowly, causing some out-of-staters to think we were having an earthquake. The locals didn’t panic, however – and before the tent could collapse, a hero we’ll call Big John (“he stood 6 foot 6 and weighed 245”), stepped to the middle of the tent and held it aloft, allowing the beer pouring to continue. It should be noted that Big John was wearing a race medal and most certainly had to be one of the biggest finishers on Sunday.

Old dogs can still learn some tricks: Rod MacKinlay holds the course record for the 65 to 69 division, and recently turned 70, so he should have been a lock to set another record for his new age group. Rod felt so good he ran the first mile in a bit over 6 minutes and 30 seconds, but paid dearly for his ambitious start later on and missed setting a record. We predict that next year he’ll start a bit more conservatively – and will almost certainly take the record down.

Persistence wins: Some local runners always win or finish high in their age divisions – and normally, Peter Krasa from Pebble Beach isn’t one of them. However, this year Peter has been on a tear, and won the 65-69 year age division yesterday. He’s made himself a fast runner by dedication and persistence. Peter also has a great sense of humor and a love of running that is contagious; so watching him win his age division was something that all local runners cheered about.

NO soup for you: Steve Marshall from Seaside ran the race, then stayed on his feet for hours providing hot soup to later finishers. At one point a table tipped and Steve bravely tried to right the listing soup tureen. Spilling hot soup on his bare legs apparently wasn’t a problem - but he did complain that his racing shoes and new socks were drenched. At his next race, he’ll be the guy who smells like minestrone.

Big Sur Half Marathon in Afghanistan: The marathon organization sent race shirts to soldiers who ran the first Big Sur Half Marathon in Afghanistan. 85 military personnel completed their race simultaneously with those in Monterey. We thank them for their brave service, and gladly welcome them to the family of Big Sur runners.

Pre-race Routines

2009-11-12T10:56:00.000-08:00

Professional golfers talk with reverence and almost mystical terms about their pre-shot routines. Having a consistent routine calms the nerves, heightens the mind/body connection, instills confidence, and sets the stage for the perfect shot.

Although neither one of us claims to be mystical, we believe strongly in the ability of a pre-race routine to improve race performance for runners just as much as whispering to the putter helps a golfer sink a high-pressure shot. If you’re preparing to run this Sunday’s Big Sur Half Marathon, you have a chance to put our theory to the test.

Here is a typical pre-race routine that has worked for us and thousands of other runners. It’s not a magic formula, but it is very simple and practical, and will prepare you to run your best when the gun goes off.

We’ll assume that you’ve spent several months doing all the proper training to carry you to the starting line healthy and capable of running a great race – but most of this advice will even help you slackers out there who haven’t prepared at all. So here we go.

Above all else, the most important rule is don’t do anything before or during the race that you have not done before. In other words, don’t try anything new. Don’t let a friend talk you into their special “good luck” dinner of spicy enchiladas. Don’t wear the super-sexy race outfit you bought at last night’s expo to show off your physique. Don’t accept gummy worms or Advil from fellow runner who promises that they’ll make you feel great. When in doubt … Just. Don’t.

But enough of what not to do; here are some things you should do:

The night before: Carbo-load with pasta or potatoes. Drink water with your meal. The combination of carbohydrates and water helps store glycogen in your muscles.

Lay out your race clothes and put your number and chip on so you don’t have to worry about it in the morning. Don’t wear the new race shirt – trust us, it’s bad juju. If you see anyone at the start wearing the race shirt, know that you have one advantage over him or her.

Set two alarms - one that is battery operated - and go to bed early. Try to get a good nights sleep, but don’t worry too much if you toss and turn. It won’t hurt you. While you drift off to sleep, visualize yourself running strong and smooth, having a great race, and finishing with a smile.

Race Morning: “Top off your tank” with a light meal, but not too close to race time. Try to get about 400-600 calories into your stomach before 5AM. The best options are carbs like a bagel, banana or a bit of oatmeal – something that won’t upset your stomach.

Do some light stretching at home and drink a bit of water. Leave home in time to allow for traffic and be comfortably parked by 6 A.M. Drink some coffee on the drive – the caffeine perks you up, and also provides an endurance benefit by helping you maintain your glycogen stores longer.

When you arrive at the start area, immediately go to the porta-john line and use the facilities. Then walk to the race staging area and determine exactly how you access your starting corral and what time you have to be there. Find the sweats/clothing drop area as well.

At 6:35, start a light warm up. For some this is 15 minutes of running and for some it can be 15 minutes of walking and stretching while you are talking to friends. It is important to warm up your body even if you do not have a time goal.

At 6:50 put on your Vaseline or body-glide, drop off your sweats, use the porta-johns for the last time if you need it. Be aware if the lines are long you might have to line up before 6:45 to insure getting to the starting area in time. Have a few last sips of water. At 6:55 if you have a time goal do some quick sprints to prime your muscles for running fast.

Make sure your shoe laces are double knotted. Get in position at the starting line. Do more visualization and think positive thoughts. Keep your legs moving a bit as you wait for the start.

At 7:05 start having the race of you life and enjoy every minute of it.

Footwear Review

2009-11-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

Hi there! If you're looking for Donald's reviews of minimal and natural footwear, follow these links:

Vibram FiveFingers

Feelmax Niesa

Nike Free Everyday

Newton Gravity

ECCO BIOM

Thanks for reading!

Natural, Minimal ... or Naked?

2009-11-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

We recently reported on the barefoot running craze that’s gaining popularity, and how several shoe manufacturers are designing “barefoot shoes” to combine the benefits of barefoot running with the protection of a traditional shoe.

When done correctly, the biomechanics of barefoot running have been shown in some studies to be more efficient and less injurious than using traditional shoes. However, even the most hardcore barefoot runners wear something on their feet occasionally – in which case they look for footwear that mimics naked feet as closely as possible.

The problem is that barefoot running form is completely different than the biomechanics of traditional footwear. That’s why footwear companies have developed two distinct new categories of shoes with barefoot biomechanics in mind.

Minimalist footwear

This style means just what the name implies: the absolute minimal covering you can get by with short of leaving your feet naked. Typically, the underside of the shoe is very thin and flexible, made of some kind of puncture-resistant rubber just a few millimeters thick. There’s no heel, no midfoot cushioning, no arch support, and nothing to give the shoes structure; in fact, most shoes of this variety can be rolled upon themselves like a sleeping bag.

Vibram is clearly the industry standard in this category, with its revolutionary FiveFingers gaining in popularity with each passing month. Check them out at www.vibramfivefingers.com.

Feelmax is a small Finnish company that is just beginning to make inroads among American consumers. Their styles have a casual athletic-shoe look to them, and can be used for exercise or casual wear. They’re sold at www.giftsfromfinland.com

Other runners wear aqua socks or thin moccasins to maintain the barefoot feel with a thin layer of protection and warmth.

Natural footwear

These shoes replicate the biomechanics of barefoot running – in particular, a forefoot strike instead of heelstrike - while still providing most aspects of normal shoe construction that consumers expect. This category has attracted the heavy hitters of the shoe industry.

Compared to traditional running shoes, natural footwear has a lower heel angle, less midfoot cushioning, and more forefoot flexibility. They represent a great intermediate step for someone looking to gradually shift towards minimalist or barefoot running.

With that in mind, here are some key players:

Nike: You may have heard of these guys before. Ironically, the company who almost singlehandedly kicked off the running shoe boom is now a leading proponent of barefoot running, and has several different lines of Nike Free footwear available online and in stores.

Newton: Their Gravity shoe is a lightweight trainer that is built for a pure forefoot running pattern. They’re also built for speed – and Newton enjoys a significant following among elite triathletes. See www.newtonrunning.com

ECCO: Better known for their high-end dress shoes, ECCO created the BIOM as a super-durable high-performance natural running shoe. It’s loaded with unique features and design innovations born from the company’s extensive background of research and expert craftsmanship. Learn more at www.biomproject.com.

Naked feet

Of course, nothing will truly replicate the feeling of running completely barefoot, but these shoes provide you many of the benefits without nearly so much risk or discomfort from cruising around with naked feet.

The worlds of minimal and natural footwear are definitely worth exploring if you suffer from frequent injuries, or want to gradually progress toward becoming a barefoot runner. Donald has done in-depth reviews of each of the products mentioned here; check out our website for all the links.

What a Relief!

2009-10-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

When running towards an aid station in the final miles of a marathon, most runners are looking for similar things: fluids, energy gels, some uplifting words from the volunteers, and perhaps a little Vaseline for problem areas.

At this month’s Twin Cities Marathon, Jerry Johncock was looking for a urinary catheter.

According to the Minneapolis-St Paul Star Tibune, Johncock is an 81-year-old who has finished more than 100 marathons since taking up running at age 50. He also suffers periodically from blood clots that block his urinary tract. During the marathon he recognized the painful condition happening again and stopped to ask for assistance at the mile 22 aid station. He had hydrated well, but his bladder was struggling, and he couldn’t relieve himself. The medical staff at the race told him they didn’t have the necessary equipment to assist him, and recommended that he drop out of the race and go to a hospital for treatment.

To nearly everyone’s surprise, a spectator in the crowd stepped up to say that he had a catheter in his car that the runner could borrow. The anonymous stranger retrieved it, the first aid worker helped insert it, and … problem solved! Johncock later called the Good Samaritan’s act “a gift from the Lord” in his time of need.

With his bladder freshly drained, Johncock was completely relieved and ready to roll. He ran strong to the finish, and even with the delay was the winner in his men’s 80-84 age group (there were only two runners in the category, but still). At the Twin Cities Marathon, that honor carries a cash prize of $225.

Strangely, since nearly no good deed goes unpunished, when race officials heard of the incident they suspended the official race results pending an investigation and consultation with USA Track and Field, the national governing body of road racing. They were trying to determine whether Johncock should be disqualified for violating race rules when he received the assistance.

According to USATF rules, a competitor who receives assistance from any other person aside from official medical staff may be disqualified. There was also a question of whether Johncock re-entered the course at the exact same location where he stepped off the road while using the catheter.

Fortunately, common sense prevailed – although it took four full days to get there – as Johncock’s time was allowed to stand. He collected his money and was declared the official age group winner. When the race director called him with the news, Johncock had no hard feelings – in fact, he said that he plans to return to the race next year.

If that happens, he said he’ll take one additional precaution: "I'll strap a catheter around my waist."

People say that marathon runners have to be tough, and they have to be willing to overcome whatever adversity they face on race day - and the two of us have faced enough difficult extremes in marathon racing to appreciate just how challenging those rough moments can be. But in all our years of watching and participating in marathons, the toughness and determination shown by this octogenarian may be one of the most impressive displays we’ve ever heard of.

We know this story reads like satire, but it’s absolutely true. It’s also a nice lesson on the positive attributes that years of marathon running can instill in someone. Our congrats go out to Mr Johncock for finishing his race, and we wish him many more in his future - although we hope they won’t be quite as eventful.

Running in Hard Times

2009-10-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

The economy is finally improving! Or maybe it isn’t. It depends on who you talk to, and what indicators you consider. One thing is certain, however: at some point – whether in a few months or a few years – our economy is going to recover, and people will begin to feel a bit more financially secure.

When that time comes, it will be almost universally welcomed – by everyone, that is, except for runners.

There’s a curious running-related corollary to the ebbs and flows of our national economy: namely, hard times tend to produce more and faster runners. It’s a pattern that goes back more than 30 years, to the recession of the mid-1970s – which also happened to see the biggest running boom in modern history. The historical phenomenon is so notable that the Wall Street Journal has dedicated two separate articles this year to the relationship between the economy and the running community.

When disposable income becomes scarce, gym memberships and personal trainers are often the first casualties of personal rebudgeting. By comparison, running looks like a tremendous value: the price of entry is a t-shirt, shorts, and pair of shoes. The club facility is any road, park, or trail you choose. The hours of operation are whatever works with your schedule.

Running is also proven to be a great stress reducer, triggering the release of brain neurotransmitters that make us feel more content. For many people who are struggling financially, running is a great healthy outlet to vent their fears and frustrations - or perhaps just a place to escape them for a little while.

That last point may be especially appealing to people who have been laid off during the current economic meltdown. When full-time workers involuntarily find themselves with nothing but down time, many of them pursue fitness goals that were deferred while climbing the corporate ladder.

Despite their sometimes big-ticket entry fees, nearly every major marathon in America has seen increased numbers of participants in 2009, or filled to capacity in record time. Usually when races grow in size, it’s on the back end of the pack – but over the past year, the quality of the fields has improved significantly as unemployed (or underemployed) runners have more time to spend developing their fitness and speed in preparation for these events.

For example, the gold standard for marathon runners is running a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon. In one study cited by the Wall Street Journal, there was an overall 39% increase in Boston qualifying times at races across the country during 2009 compared to 2008.

There’s even a potential “trickle-UP” effect from the increasing ranks of marathoners, making everybody better by consequence. For the amateurs, laid-off marathon runners help to raise the level of competition within age groups. Among elite athletes, Olympic-caliber collegiate runners may be more inclined to pursue their athletic goals instead of hunting for work in a dismal market. So when the economy tanks, it’s potentially great news for the entire community of runners.

Of course, we’d never recommend quitting a job or blowing your retirement savings as a strategy to help you (or us) run faster – but in stormy times, any glimmer of positive reassurance may serve as a temporary port of shelter. When the economy finally recovers, we’ll be as happy as anyone else – but we’ll also be hoping that some of those newfound converts to our sport can figure out a way to stick around and enjoy running’s benefits in good times as well as bad.

Fall Racing Season

2009-09-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

Let’s say you’ve been running all summer and getting into pretty decent shape. The timing is perfect to test your fitness in some races.

Fall is a popular racing season nationwide, and the Monterey Peninsula is no exception. There are several great events coming up in the next few months – so break out your racing shoes and get your game face on; fall racing season is officially here!

This Saturday (Sept 26th) is the Stevenson Run in the Forest at 8AM. Registration starts at 7AM at Wilson Field at Stevenson School. There is a 10K and a 5K Run/Walk. Proceeds benefit Stevenson’s academic, athletic, and financial aid programs. It’s the ONLY road race held within the secluded confines of Pebble Beach. $30 will get you a wonderful buffet breakfast and a t-shirt as well.

This run is what we affectionately like to call a “SDFU” race: start downhill, finish uphill. SDFUs are the toughest test for a racer. Many runners fly downhill past the 1st fairway at Spyglass, only to have the wheels come off when they face the long uphill at the end of the race. Race smart out there.

October 4th brings a new race called the Grape Stampede that starts at the Soledad Mission at 8AM. Registration begins at 7AM for the 10K run, 5K run/walk, or Just Run kids race at 9:15. Your $30 entry goes to the Soledad Recreation Foundation and the Soledad-Mission Recreation District. Racers receive a t-shirt and raffle ticket. The Soledad Mission Fiesta and Grape Stomp follows the race.

This run is relatively F and F: flat and fast. There’s a little bit of dirt and a few rolling hills, but come ready to blaze a fast time.

The Big Sur River Run is October 24th. We’ve written about this race before as it’s always one of our favorites. Wildfires cancelled last year’s event, but the race is back on the schedule this year. The River Run is a 10K through the campgrounds at Pfeiffer State Park. Start time is at 10AM, so you don’t have to rush the scenic drive down Highway 1 to the race. Registration starts at 9AM and costs $28.

This one is a slight SDFU as you make two loops through the beautiful redwoods alongside the Big Sur River. You’ll see the beauty of Big Sur, smell the bacon and pancakes cooking in nearby campgrounds, and possibly even catch a scent of the previous night’s ganja parties lingering in the air. Good times all around.

November 14 and 15 is Big Sur Half Marathon race weekend. Our local half-marathon has become one of the best and most popular half marathons in the United States - and like all Big Sur International Marathon races, it is a world class event, where every runner is treated like royalty.

Saturday’s events include the Just Run 3K for all family members and the Run Forrest Run 5K along Cannery Row. Sunday morning is the main event – the Big Sur Half-Marathon on Monterey Bay.

If you’ve been procrastinating, it’s too late to sign up for the Half-Marathon, which is officially sold out. There’s a 10-mile event you can sign up for instead, or pick one of the shorter Saturday races – and make sure next year that you register early.

Choose one race, or choose them all, and put your summer training to good use by participating in these great local events. We’re certain that you’ll enjoy the experience.

Fountain of Youth

2009-09-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

Any runner will tell you that age is just a number. Our local running club has about two dozen members who are in their seventies, many of whom can keep up with the youngsters. The younger runners don’t see this as unusual at all; they know that age doesn’t matter if someone can keep the pace.

Legendary Bay Area runner Jack Kirk ran the fabled Dipsea race in Marin County a record 67 times, up to his most recent finish at age 95. The race starts with a climb up 700 stairs – equivalent to the height of a fifty-story building - before rambling up and down mountainous trails and treacherous terrain for over 7 miles. Kirk once famously said, “You don’t stop running because you get old. You get old because you stop running.”

The Tarahumara Indians in the desolate Copper Canyons of the Mexican Sierra Madres are folk heroes of distance running. They reside in caves and adobe huts separated by great distances, and their only means of transportation is running on narrow footpaths up and down the steep canyons. Running is part of their culture, as kids play games where they run up to 100 miles at a time. Amazingly, their civilization knows no heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, depression, or hypertension.

Furthermore, many of their best runners are 50 to 60 years old.
The lesson from these stories is this: if you want to be healthy and productive in your golden years, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to get running. It’s like sipping from a fountain of youth.

Our local “older” runners are a great example of this. They make running a daily activity. Instead of talking about ailments and medications, they talk about their next race or next vacation. Many of them are among the fastest seventy plus runners in the country - In fact, four of them will be attempting to break a world record later in the year.

The world record for an age 70-and-over, 4x1500m relay (yes, they keep track of such things) is 27 minutes, 50.22 seconds. This works out to a 6:57.5 minute pace for each mile – and our local runners Rod MacKinlay, Jim Allen, Doug Shankle, and Jay Cook have a real shot at taking the record down. Rod turned 70 on September 1st and has run a 6:20 mile in a recent workout. The four of them will be setting up a certified attempt in December when Jay Cook turns seventy. We wish them luck and will follow their training progress closely.

Our outstanding local septuagenarians aren’t confined to the track, however. Phil Short, who took up distance running at age 60, does about 15 marathons per year, and plans on making his 200th marathon finish at next April’s Big Sur Marathon. Gloria Dake is 76 and has run every one of Big Sur’s 24 previous marathons. Next year will be Gloria’s 25th.

In addition to being great mentors to their younger training partners, all of these great older runners are perfect examples of how the benefits of running are available at any age. Even if you’re in your fifties, sixties, or seventies, it’s never too late to start! The fountain of youth is right before you; feel free to take a sip.

The Barefoot Revolution

2009-08-26T22:25:00.001-07:00

“The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.”
- Leonardo da Vinci

We’re on record several times claiming that running is the simplest sport in the world; all you need is a pair of shoes.

However, a steadily growing contingent of runners is determined to prove that notion incorrect. Not the part about the simplicity - the part about needing shoes.

Barefoot running is nothing new, of course – it dates back many millennia before the waffle sole launched Nike into the stratosphere. Some anthropologists believe our prehistoric ancestors were tremendous runners, hunting animals by chasing them to the point of exhaustion. (It makes sense if you do the math: hominids were on Earth 6 million years ago, but mankind’s first known weapons are only 500,000 years old. Unless those cavemen were vegetarians, they must have had some means of catching and killing prey.)

Even in the modern era, barefoot runners have competed at world-class levels. Abebe Bikila won a gold medal and set a world record in the 1960 Olympic marathon. Zola Budd is notorious for her collision with Mary Decker at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, but she also won back to back world cross-country championships in the 1980s. A handful of elite ultrarunners often run barefoot on mountain trails to complement their high mileage training routines.

Your may think that this is terrible for your feet – but the truth could be exactly the opposite. There’s currently a philosophical war among shoe manufacturers: on one side, the folks who think that foot asymmetries and irregularities should be corrected by various means of support and motion control. The other side believes that less is more: just allow the foot to work naturally, and the other irregularities don’t matter. Not only that, but overcorrecting the foot’s natural motion actually leads to higher injury rates.

Think of it this way: if you were engineering the perfect weight bearing structure, you’d create an arch. For perfect shock absorption, you’d allow that arch to flex slightly upon impact. For dynamic energy transfer, you’d surround it with several interlocking components that move in multiple directions. For durability, you’d make the building blocks out of the hardest material you can create.

Well, guess what you’ve just designed? The human foot!

From a biomechanical standpoint, there’s no reason why you need to wear running shoes – so why doesn’t everyone just run barefoot? The primary drawbacks are comfort and speed.

Running barefoot is certainly uncomfortable right off the bat; our feet aren’t used to the lack of artificial cushioning, and our skin needs time to build resiliency to irritants like gravel, sticks, and pointy rocks. In order to accommodate these, the runner is forced to slow down much more than he’s normally accustomed to.

Most of us aren’t patient enough to put up with it – but the drumbeat of barefoot runners is growing ever louder; so much, in fact, that the running industry has taken notice.

Vibram makes a brilliant product called Five Fingers, which is basically a glove for your foot with a thin rubber coating underneath: they allow you to run barefoot without worrying about injuring yourself on ground hazards. Other high-profile shoe companies, including Nike, ECCO, and Clark now have shoe models that allow the natural biomechanics of running barefoot.

One important caveat to all this: to become a barefoot runner, you have to progress extremely slowly to avoid injury. Donald has been experimenting with barefoot running recently; if you’re interested in finding out how to start, contact us.

Fighting Obesity

2009-08-12T11:29:00.001-07:00

The Center for Disease Control recently sponsored the first “Weight of the Nation” conference, where it was announced that the medical cost of obesity in the United States each year is $147 BILLION. Almost one-third of American adults are officially categorized as obese, with rates in many (mostly Southern) states approaching 40%. Even Oprah Winfrey is overweight again.

What’s the solution? The CDC has a standard laundry list of recommendations to stop the obesity epidemic, but it’s the same things we’ve been told for years: healthier food choices, lower caloric intake, more physical exercise. This is all old news, yet obesity rates continue to rise.

So we’d like to suggest some changes in perspective for all of us – the first of which is to encourage support from selected “influencers” who can connect with large numbers of people.

One such program is right in our backyard: the Big Sur International Marathon’s JUST RUN program. As we said, the formula for what works is no secret: less food, more activity. The Just Run program instills this lesson in elementary school children, and gives them opportunities to make healthy choices from a very early age. Good habits start young.

Our educational system can go one step further and make physical education mandatory in all schools. Programs can be supported with minimal cost, even at schools without a dedicated PE teacher – all it takes is a committed volunteer to get students walking or jogging every day. Healthy activity is just as important to our kids’ quality of life as art and music and great literature.

Parents play a key role as well. We should teach our kids to be participants in athletics instead of spectators. Modern-day sporting events (and their accompanying advertisers) emphasize tailgating, beer drinking, and pigging out on unhealthy food just as much as they inspire sandlot games and schoolyard shoot-arounds. It’s our job as parents to remind kids that the fun of sports is in doing, not watching.

Professional sports leagues can even get in on the act. Imagine if championship sporting events had associated running races, like a marathon on Super Bowl Sunday, or a 5K before the local pro golf tournament. Have the pro athletes make an appearance beforehand, or provide discount tickets to encourage participation.

Another approach is to borrow a page from the anti-smoking playbook, and make it cost-prohibitive for people to be unhealthy.

For instance, what if you had to pay for cable or Internet screen time in the same way that you pay for excess usage of water or electricity? Since obsessive screen watching makes people less active and obese – how about creating a graduated “sin tax” beyond a certain threshold?

Insurance companies can base their premium rates on physical fitness tests like the ones that used to be given in grade schools. Cardiovascular fitness is the most important predictor of overall health – and if you struggle with a 2-mile test, chances are that your health is lousy. People can be recertified every 2 or 3 years, just like smog inspections, where an independent timer verifies your 2 mile time, and insurance rates would correspond to your speed. Would that make you take your fitness more seriously?

These ideas may sound crazy – but that’s indicative of a larger problem, which is complacency to let things carry on the same way they’re currently going. If prioritizing our health continues to be seen as the “counterculture” approach, we’re in for far more troubling costs in the days ahead – both from a health standpoint, and a financial one.

Running Tweets

2009-07-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

First things first: We’re not on Twitter. We’ve never tweeted. We’ll never make our fellow columnist Laura McCoy’s top five list.

However, we were curious as to whether Twitter had any value when it comes to dispensing sage running advice – so we asked many of the best local runners and coaches to tell us how to be a better runner. We only gave them one rule: their answer had to follow twitter rules and be 140 characters or less.

Here are our favorite responses from the experts …

Former Olympic marathoner Nelly Wright from Pacific Grove: “It is all about attitude. Be positive. Be a good sportsman. Be consistent. Be passionate. Don’t let setbacks get you down. Have fun.”

Professional triathlete Alexis Smith from Seaside: “Set a goal. Write out the training plan. Follow through with your workouts; consistency plays a major role in becoming a better runner.”

North County coach Gus Ibarra took the team approach: “Everyone is a winner. Running takes work. Expect the best. The Team/Family concept overrides any individual achievement.”

Chris Zepeda, Hartnell College coach: “As you get older focus less on the mileage and go back to your youth and hit the track. Train like you did in high school and college.”

Jeff Magallanes from Marina was very specific: “Get Fast! Mon. do 3 to 7 one mile repeats at 10K pace. Weds. do 16 one minute “pulls” at 5K pace. On Sat. a four to 10 mile tempo run at half marathon pace.”

Jim Scattini from Salinas showed impressive versatility, as his answer qualified as both a tweet and a rhyme: “You want to run fast? Just get off your behind or you will place last!”

Matt Clayton, a former 2:14 marathoner from Salinas: “There are no secrets or shortcuts in this sport. Train hard, but be smart enough to listen to what your body is telling you. Don’t let your ego get in the way.”

Some local runners didn’t even need the full 140 characters to dispense their wisdom …

Former Olympic Marathoner and Runner’s World Magazine runner of the year Maria Trujillo: “Run fast and work hard.”

Patty Selbicky, former winner of the Big Sur Marathon: “Intervals, intervals, and more intervals…..and listen to Glynn Wood.”

Of course, we then went straight to Glynn Wood, the dean of local runners, with over 65 years of competitive running and coaching experience. His tweet? “Run Run Run!” It’s kind of eloquent in its simplicity.

We were actually fairly surprised to discover some valuable lessons in these short bursts, and considered our Great Twitter Experiment a bona fide success. Each individual tweet is interesting on its own, and when we put all the recommendations together, an ideal overall strategy emerges:

1. Be positive and optimistic.
2. Be consistent in your training.
3. You have to be thoughtful and have a plan.
4. To be fast you have to practice running fast.
5. There are no secrets and there is no substitute for hard work.
6. Enjoy the process and the running life.

Sounds like great advice to us.

Western States 100 Race Report

2009-07-15T03:28:00.000-07:00

Hello! If you're looking for Donald's full report and photo tour from the Western States 100, it's right here on his website. Previous editions of his Western States training diary are on the right-hand sidebar of that site as well.

Thanks for reading!

Western States 100 Summary

2009-07-15T03:26:00.000-07:00

This week, Donald reports on his experience at last month’s Western States Endurance Run …

Last year, I wrote several articles about training for the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, only to have the race cancelled due to wildfires. Don’t worry - I won’t take it personally if you’ve forgotten.

On the other hand, I never forgot about the race – if anything, my desire to participate grew even stronger during the fall and winter. This spring, I trained my tail off, and finally toed the line last month with the best ultrarunners in the world.

Western States took me to some unbelievable places, both physically and psychologically. Some were wondrous and exciting. Others were dark and terrifying. A few were just plain bizarre. The end result was a journey that was both humbling and empowering, discouraging yet ultimately uplifting.

The race begins in the former Olympic Village of Squaw Valley. When you’re milling around the start area, rubbing elbows with the superstars of ultrarunning, seeing the Olympic rings everywhere, and gazing at the tall mountains you’re about to climb, you can’t help but be inspired - and more than a little bit intimidated.

Over the next 100 miles, I would complete 18,000’ of climbing, and 21,000’ of descent traversing one rugged canyon after another en route to the finish line in Auburn. In the two steepest and tallest canyons, temperatures reached 105 degrees on race day. Fortunately, there were river crossings at the bottom of each canyon, where I soaked in the water for several minutes in order to lower my body temperature enough to survive the heat.

The river crossings continued throughout the race – in fact, the biggest one came in the middle of the night. It’s situations like this – standing waist deep in class 3 rapids of the American River at 1:30 in the morning, after running 78 miles with another 22 still to go, so fatigued that you have spasms in every muscle of your body and so sleep deprived that you start to hallucinate – that make you either fall in love with ultrarunning or realize just how crazy the sport is. Or, if you’re like me, both these things happen.

During the 28 hours I was on the course, I battled blisters, muscle pains, dehydration, mild renal failure, and severe nausea. I danced on the razor’s edge of medical stability, needing several minutes of observation at some mandatory health checkpoints. I was so debilitated that I could barely walk at times, and so discouraged that I wondered why I wanted to.

There’s a popular saying that the person who crosses the finish line of a 100-mile race is far different than the one who starts it – and at Western States, that’s especially true. The course breaks you down in every conceivable way - physically, spiritually, psychologically - and makes you question every aspect of your being. It strips you of all pretense and reveals the very nature of your soul.

Sure, it’s not the most pleasant place to be, but surviving such a gauntlet instills an unbelievable feeling of accomplishment, as well as a sense that anything is possible. All from the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other.

If all this sounds insane, believe me – this summary barely scratches the surface. There’s a very detailed race report and photo tour of the Western States 100 on my website which may give you the full measure of how crazy and amazing ultrarunning really can be.

Carmel Valley Fiesta Run

2009-07-02T03:22:00.000-07:00

Carmel Valley is known for its blue skies, warm weather, and adventurous spirit. It also enjoys a small-town charm – and one of the best examples of this ambience is the Fiesta in the Park hosted by the Carmel Valley Kiwanis Club, held in Carmel Valley Village on the first weekend in August.

This year, local runners have an extra reason to celebrate the Fiesta: the inaugural edition of the Carmel Valley Fiesta Mountain Run, an 8.3-mile trail running adventure through the hills and canyons of Garland Ranch Regional Park. The race takes place on August 1 at 8AM at the Dampierre Little League Field off Paso Hondo Road.

In creating this course, the race organizers weren’t messing around: the route includes single track trails through remote canyons, and challenging climbs up to beautiful vistas. Runners of all ages and abilities are welcome – but be sure to bring your spirit of adventure. As the race brochure explains, “The terrain is often rugged, twisty, steep, rocky, dusty, narrow, challenging, and dangerous.” You sure can’t blame the committee for lack of disclosure.

The Mountain Run is a second-generation race of sorts, and is especially nice to see in light of an article we wrote this winter lamenting how many local races had disappeared over the past decade. For several years, the Carmel Valley Fiesta featured a 5K and 10K run, but the mid-summer race calendar remained vacant after that race folded (sadly, under somewhat tragic circumstances) about eight years ago.

With the sponsorship of the Kiwanis Club, a group of Carmel Valley runners have reinvented the Fiesta Run this year – but it’s an entirely different event than its predecessor. Race committee members Mahir Agha, Richard Averett, Brian Rowlett, Grant Swanson, and Chris Hanson are all prolific trail runners, and the race reflects their dedication to enjoying our natural surroundings.

This year’s race features a completely new course that is 100% on trails, and is significantly more challenging than your typical neighborhood 10K. The committee also provides many of the perks that runners appreciate such as generous sponsors, tech fabric race shirts, and awards in each age group.

The race is unique in another way as well: since the official distance is unconventional, no matter how slow you run, your time this year will be a guaranteed PR – unless, of course, you happen to have done another 8.3-mile race somewhere. You won’t have to worry about getting faster for another whole year!

When you come to the Fiesta Run, be sure to bring the family with you, because there is a 1-mile kids race through Carmel Valley Village beginning at 10 AM. This fun run is sponsored by the Big Sur Marathon’s Just Run kids program, and parents are welcome to include strollers and dogs in this event as well. There is a parade immediately following the kids race, and a classic car show and free concerts throughout the remainder of the day. It all makes for a pretty great way to spend a midsummer’s day.

Race fees are very reasonable, and benefit the Tularcitos Technology Fund and trail maintenance at Garland Ranch Regional Park. Register for $25 online at www.active.com by July 22, or for $32 on race day (registration begins at 6:30 AM on race morning). You’ll have a great time for a good cause, then enjoy the rest of the day under the Carmel Valley sun.

Hydration Pack Review, Part 2

2009-06-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

Hi there - if you're looking for Donald's review of hydration packs, follow this link to his website, which is a summary review plus links to each of the five packs reviewed this spring.

Thanks for reading!

Hydration Pack Review, Part 1

2009-06-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

Summer is nearly upon us, which means that runners need to pay attention to hydration needs when exercising in warm weather. In recent years, hydration devices have become a multidisciplinary science, with several options available. We’re reviewing the most common types here, along with our recommendations for use of each kind.

As a general rule, unless you’re exposed to extreme heat or humidity (upper 90s for either category), you probably don’t need to take in fluids during your workout if you’re exercising for 30 minutes or less. If you are exercising for less than an hour, you can probably do just fine with water instead of sports drink.

When your body is working for more than one hour, make sure that you drink small amounts of fluid on a regular basis during the activity. There are a few different ways to carry fluids on the go:

Hand held bottle carriers: of course, before hydration accessories were invented, everybody did it the old fashioned way: by carrying a bottle of water in your hand while you run. Hand-held bottle carriers are little more than a comfortable elastic strap that fits around the bottle and the back of your hand; this way, you don’t have to grip the bottle to keep it in contact with your palm.

Most hand-held carriers support a 20-oz bottle, and many have small pockets on the backside to stash things like keys or an ATM card. Some runners find it awkward to carry bottle holders at first, but before long you’ll hardly notice a difference.

Waist packs: These are probably the most common option, and come in several varieties. Most packs hold a 20- or 24-oz bottle on your backside, often angled one way or the other for easier access. Waist packs also have larger pockets with storage space for cell phones or energy bars.

Variations on this design include packs that hold two full-size bottles, and others with several smaller bottles distributed all the way around your waist. In our opinion, the single bottle option is the simplest and most convenient, and should suffice for activity in the one to two hour range.

If you are running or hiking for more than two hours, a single bottle won’t be enough to sustain you – and that’s where the next category comes in.

Hydration packs: These lightweight packs are typically worn like a backpack, but contain a fluid reservoir that can hold up to 100oz of fluid. Models that are marketed towards runners typically hold about 70 oz.

Since they are designed for longer activity, hydration packs also feature a lot more storage space for food, clothing, or other gear. Modern materials and designs make these packs quite comfortable to wear, even when running at high speed.

Fluid reservoirs are slightly more high-maintenance than a typical water bottle - they’re a bit more difficult to clean and dry after each use – but they’re generally very easy to use, and the benefit of having adequate fluids during a long run is usually worth a little inconvenience afterwards.

Hand held bottle carriers and waist packs can be found in both of our local running stores. If you’d like more information about hydration packs, Donald did an extensive review of five different models this spring; go to www.montereyrunninglife.com to check them out.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to take care of your hydration needs so you can enjoy a healthy and safe summer of running.

Props for Monterey High

2009-06-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

The Monterey Bay Wednesday Night Laundry Runners club has provided college scholarship funding to local high school distance runners since 2000. This year the club, along with a large donation from the Big Sur International Marathon, is providing $7,500 in scholarship money split among six Monterey County senior runners.

For the first time in ten years, three of these runners are from one school - Monterey High School. Congratulations to Monterey High and Coaches Alex Peterson and Rob Erlich for developing three wonderfully talented student runners. Looking at the accomplishments of Kayla Harvey, James Caress, and Jake Arveson gives us confidence and makes us proud of our younger generation of runners. Props to their parents and teachers as well.

The scholarship recipients are nominated by coaches. They must be high school seniors who participate in both cross-country (XC) and distance track events. They must be talented and successful enough in their running to compete in college, as well as demonstrating academic success and leadership skills.

Kayla Harvey is something special. She competed in cross country and track all 4 years, as well as basketball. She joined a select few by earning the “Iron Woman Award” at Monterey high for her sports participation. She has earned all league in both Cross Country and Track for the last 3 years. She was MBL league champion in the 3200 this year.

Kayla has a 4.2 GPA and is ranked 4th in her class academically. She takes the most rigorous AP classes. She has been team captain in both track and cross country, as well as President of the film club, and secretary of the Christian Youth Group.

She has done Missionary work in Africa and Mexico and still managed to run while in Swaiziland. Kayla will be attending the Air Force academy because “she firmly believes you must contribute back to your country.” Her plans in the Air Force include Foreign Area Studies and Environmental Engineering. She wants to return to Africa some day to assist the people and the land.

James Caress has qualifications that seem to be made up but they are real including Valedictorian of his class and a 4.35 GPA in the toughest classes that are offered. He is an Eagle Scout, National Merit Finalist, and is active in World Without Borders, and the schools mock trial team. He even was a guest commentator in the Herald describing the effect CO2 gas has on oceanic PH levels.

James’s running is at the highest level as well in both cross country and distance track. He is current MBL champion in the 3200. He has qualified for the CCS and State meets in cross country.

James will be attending UCLA and majoring in English. He will write and possibly be a lawyer.

Jake Arveson is the most accomplished track and cross county runner in Monterey High history, holding records or top two times in distances from the 800 meters up to 3200 meters. He has run in California State meets in both cross country and track. He has been MBL league champion in several events for multiple years. Jake is running in the State finals of the 800 meters this coming weekend in Fresno.

Jake volunteers with the Monterey Reads project and MY Museum and works with kids to help give them a love of reading and music. He will be going to Sacramento State, running on the Cross Country and track teams, and majoring in History.

We’re thankful to have such talented and giving individuals on the Central Coast and proud that they are part of the Running Life community. If you want to help these and other student runners you can make a tax deductible donation to WNLR Scholarship Fund c/o 24630 Avenida Principal, Salinas, CA. 93908.

National Running Day

2009-05-21T14:34:00.001-07:00

Are you getting excited for National Running Day yet?

If you’ve never heard of National Running Day, don’t feel bad – neither had we until recently. That’s because this is the first annual event – and it’s taking place on Wednesday, June 3rd.

Of course, regular runners already recognize the many gifts that running provides. However, National Running Day is a great chance to get the word out and help our friends and co-workers get started.

If you’re not a runner, this is a golden opportunity to give it a try – use this occasion as your first day to get out and run.

National Running Day is a grassroots effort to promote the benefits of running as a healthy, fun, easy, accessible, and inexpensive form of exercise. Across the country, the day will celebrate the benefits of running as an integral part of a healthy and active lifestyle.

The foremost race organizations in the country, including the Big Sur Marathon, are encouraging everyone of all ages and fitness levels to get out and run. Big Sur Race Director Wally Kastner says the message of the day is that “Everyone can run.”

Anybody can join in the National Running Day festivities simply by going for a run. A website has been created, www.runningday.org with advice for beginners and activity ideas for June 3. You can even download an “I’m a Runner/I Ran Today” Facebook button - because as everyone knows, it’s not a real party until someone puts it on Facebook.

Your responsibility as a runner is to find one non-runner and get them started. Provide advice to one person, or schedule an informal run at work and encourage sedentary co-workers to get involved. Teachers or administrators can have their students run that day as part of relays or other fun activities. Look at www.justrun.org for great running related activities for kids.

If you manage or own a business, make it a priority for your employees to schedule a run that day. Give them time off in the middle of the day and encourage them to start a healthy lifestyle. It will save you medical costs and raise employee energy and morale.

If you have a retail or food service business you can provide special discounts to runners on that day. How do you know who is a runner? By the smile on their face and the sweat on their brow when they ask you for the discount. Or just check their shoes.

Our two local running stores are both providing great deals. The Treadmill in the Carmel Crossroads is providing a 25% discount on running shoes on National Running Day and will throw in a free pair of socks as well. Fleet Feet at Del Monte Center is providing a 10% discount on shoes from now through June 3rd as an incentive to get started – just mention our article and say that you’re a new runner. Fleet Feet also has programs to help new runners train for local races.

Doug Logan, CEO of USA Track and Field, says, “This is a day to celebrate the most universal of all sports. You might be running toward a goal, running with a purpose, or even just running away from your problems. Any reason is a good reason to run, especially on National Running Day.”

We encourage you to get out and run on June 3rd. Wave and smile to others who are doing the same thing. Remember, if you get someone started, it’s the best gift you can give to a friend.

Try the Tri

2009-05-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

Let’s say you’ve just completed a marathon, and you’re wearing your periwinkle race shirt with pride, but wondering what your next big challenge could be. Or maybe you’ve done so many road races that they seem repetitive, and you’re looking to add a little more excitement to your athletic exploits.

If so, we’ve got the perfect antidote for you: taking on the Triathlon at Pacific Grove this fall.

September 12th and 13th will be the fifteenth anniversary of the PG Tri (as it’s locally known), which was one of the first races created by Tri-California Events, owned by Terry and Betsy Davis of Pacific Grove. The race is another example of the world-class offerings we have right in our Monterey Peninsula backyard.

Through the years, both Tri-California and the PG Tri have enjoyed enormous growth in size and prestige. The first Pacific Grove race had just over 200 entrants, and the business operated out of the Davis’s garage on David Avenue. This year nearly 2000 triathletes will participate in what has become a two-day event, with an Olympic Distance race (1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run) on Saturday and a shorter Sprint Triathlon (.5mi swim, 12.4mi bike and 2mi run) on Sunday. Go to www.tricalifornia.com for detailed race information.

Tri-California has expanded to include races throughout California (including the world-famous Wildflower and Escape From Alcatraz triathlons), and has grown from a shoestring budget to a successful enterprise that also raises thousands of dollars for charity. Their events attract top professional talent as well as amateur and novice triathletes of all ages – and the PG Triathlon is definitely the best opportunity for locals to get their feet wet in the sport of triathlon.

Transitioning from running to triathlon isn’t as complicated as it might initially seem. Obviously, you’ll need to adjust your training schedule a bit, and make a few investments in (or borrow some) basic gear - but your general fitness from being a runner will carry you a long way towards getting started in triathlon.

The timing of the PG Tri is perfect, as warm summer days and long daylight hours provide expanded opportunities for training. The race date in September typically sees ideal weather conditions. And if you start now, you’ve got more than three months to prepare, which is plenty of time.

Here are some tips to get started …

· Assuming you’re already a runner, decrease the number of days per week that you are running, and substitute a swim or bike workout instead. You won’t lose overall fitness by cutting down running mileage to cross-train; in fact, it will probably improve. Try to bike and swim at least once per week.
· Get a bike – but it doesn’t need to be expensive or fancy. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be a road bike; many first-time triathletes use off-road bikes for the sprint distance. Use whatever you already have or can borrow; you can splurge on a bike after you decide to become a full-time triathlete.
· Likewise, you’ll definitely need a wetsuit for the cold ocean swim. If you can’t borrow one, you can rent one online at www.wetsuitrental.com or similar sites. Until then, your swim training can be done in a pool.
· Fleet Feet Sports in Monterey schedules coaching sessions for new triathletes. Call 372-5664 for details and times.

Many local athletes successfully jump back and forth between the sports of running and triathlon; with a good plan and a little bit of help, this may be the perfect time for you to join them.

Scenes From a Marathon - 2009

2009-04-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

Donald ran the 24th presentation of the Big Sur Marathon, while Mike did the 5K and worked at the finish line for an hour in his capacity as a race board member. Here are some observations from inside the lines and behind the scenes:

Real men wear … lavender? We’ll get this one out of the way early: The color of this year’s race shirts seemed awfully girly. So much so, that it triggered a conversation between Donald and the expo volunteer handing them out:

Volunteer: Here’s your shirt.

Donald: OK, but … can I have the men’s color please?

Volunteer: Yeah, um … that’s the one. Sorry.

Donald: Me too.

It never gets easier: No matter how many times we do this race, the 3AM wakeup call is always the hardest part of the day. You’d think we’d eventually get used to it, but we guess we’re still waiting.

Are we there yet? Part 1: As soon as the course left the trees at mile 5, someone near Donald looked at the road ahead and asked, “Is that Hurricane Point?” Not yet … but keep running. You’ll find it.

Most unexpected dose of hipness: was provided by the Palma High School band, overheard playing a Violent Femmes song at mile 9. Sure, the song was “Blister in the Sun”, which isn’t the most promising phrase for a group of marathoners, but the simple fact that they know that tune is pretty darn cool.

The beast is back: For the last couple of years, runners have been lucky to enjoy very mild breezes – but this year, the wind roared back with authority. It slowed everybody down by several minutes, and even pushed some folks around near the top of Hurricane Point. We kind of like it when the wind flexes its muscles – we don’t want anybody tempted to call this race easy.

Are we there yet? Part 2: At two different points on the Hurricane Point climb, a group of runners crested a hill around a curve and shouted “Woo Hoo! Made it!”, only to peer around the bend and realize that the hill keeps going. Here’s how you know you’re at the top: when you’re leaning downhill, but not moving because the wind is blowing so hard. Until then, it’s better not to ask.

You’ve heard of us? Having names on race bibs ensured that nobody was anonymous on the course. We’d like to think that the people yelling “Go Donald!” and “Nice job, Mike!” happen to be fervent readers of our column, but we know better. The bibs were a nice touch.

If you want a lot of friends, carry balloons: there were huge swarms of people around each of the Clif Bar pacesetters, who carried balloons indicating their estimated finish times. In between, there were long stretches of open pavement. The pacesetters did a great job bringing hordes of runners home right on their predicted pace.

Ask an obvious question … : the most common answer by finishers when asked "how do you feel?" by Mike: “Tired!”

However, by Mike’s estimate, 98% of the finishers crossed the line with a smile. We’re guessing that the other 2% were happy, but just too tired to smile.

We hope your experience at this weekend’s marathon was a good one. Congratulations to everyone who finished. Rest up for a while, then get training – there are only 52 weeks until we get to do it all over again!

Wednesday Night Laundry Runners

2009-04-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

If you stand anywhere near the finish line of Sunday’s Big Sur Marathon, one of the most frequent cheers you’ll overhear is “Go Laundry Runner!” The athletes receiving those cheers aren’t dry cleaners – they’re members of the Monterey Peninsula’s biggest running club.

Laundry Runners are the heart and soul of the Monterey and Salinas running community. The official name of the club is a strange one: the Monterey Bay Wednesday Night Laundry Runners – typically shortened to WNLR - and we are both long time members.

The club has almost 300 members, from all walks of life. Many have been running for decades, but there are also a large number of beginners. There are teenagers and septuagenarians. The percentages of men and women are roughly equal.

The only qualification to become a member is to have a love of running - but that’s not to say there aren’t some serious runners. Over the years, a few WNLRs have become Olympians, and many others compete in local, regional, and national competitions.

The club’s origins go back more than 40 years, to a group of runners who met on a weekly basis every Wednesday night. The meeting place was near the Pacific Grove High School track, across the street from the Mission Laundry office. (The club name makes perfect sense now, right?)

The club’s official newsletter, The Communique - with the apt slogan, “All of the news of the fit in print” – describes it this way: “a loosely organized running club was formed one August in the mid-1960’s after several runners ran as fast as they could through the Del Monte Forest for about an hour and then consumed large quantities of pizza and beverages.” With that, the Wednesday Night Laundry Run was born.

The Laundry Run continues to this day, and anyone is welcome to attend. The 7-mile route starts at 5:30PM, and newcomers are always welcome to join in. Feel free to follow the runners to a pizza joint or local pub afterwards.

There are group runs just about every day of the week, with the largest meeting on Saturdays at 7:15AM near the foot of Ocean Avenue in Carmel, or Sundays at 8:30AM at the Fishwife restaurant in Pacific Grove. The WNLRs also have a strong Salinas contingent, with runners meeting at the Toro Park shopping center at 6:30AM on Saturdays or Sundays. WNLRs can also be found on the track (in Monterey or Salinas) and the trails (Friday 6AM at Garland Park), and at just about every local race.
WNLRs also give back to the Central Coast community in various ways. They serve on race committees and volunteer at races, and donate money towards college scholarships for local high school senior distance runners.

Even if you’re not a marathon runner, there are many benefits to joining the club. It’s probably one of the best bargains in town.

For a mere $15 per year, you get a quarterly newsletter, invitations to free pizza parties and other social activities, and 20% off shoes at The Treadmill in Carmel or Fleet Feet in Monterey, which might offset your membership costs right away. You also receive e-mails announcing events in the running community, and you have access to great advice from fellow runners.
Best of all, you’ll improve your chances of getting in shape, and meet people who are interesting and fun. There are certainly worse ways to spend fifteen bucks.

Check out www.wnlr.org or contact us for more information about the Laundry Runners, and be sure to cheer for them when you see their racing shirts during Sunday’s marathon.

The Big Sur Marathon for Dummies

2009-04-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it’s hard for non-runners to understand what all the excitement is about when it comes to marathons. Here’s a primer on basic facts about the event, and this weekend’s Big Sur Marathon in particular, so you can dazzle your friends with your newfound knowledge.

Q: The marathon is a long race, right?
A: Ummm…yes, it’s very long. The standard distance is 26.2 miles.

Q: Who came up with that number?
A: The race commemorates a victory of the Athenian Army over the invading Persians at the city of Marathon in 490 B.C. The Greeks dispatched a messenger to announce the victory back in Athens, approximately 24 miles away. The messenger, Phedippides, died from exhaustion immediately afterward. Uplifting story, huh?

Q: What about the extra 2.2 miles?
A: At the 1908 London Olympics, England’s Royal Family wanted the course lengthened so that it would start in front of their residence at Windsor Castle, and finish in front of their viewing box at Olympic Stadium. The distance was changed to 26.2 miles and sanctioned as the official distance.

Consequently, it’s not uncommon for exhausted marathon runners to repeatedly curse the Queen during the final two miles of the race.

Q: Do the runners get any help?
A: Definitely. Several hundred volunteers work at aid stations along the course handing out water, Gatorade, and nutritional aids to the runners. Many others provide things like traffic control and medical support throughout the event.

Q: How come on the other 364 days of the year, runners won’t drink anything that isn’t in a factory-sealed, tamper-resistant container, yet on marathon day they’ll gladly grab unmarked open cups from any potential psychopath standing on the side of the road?
A: Good question. Maybe runners are inherently trusting. Maybe their judgment is impaired from glycogen depletion. Probably a little of both.

Q: Almost every city has a marathon. Why is Big Sur so special?
A: Easy - it’s because of the course. The coastline between Big Sur and Carmel features one of the most spectacular vistas anywhere in the world. The relentless hills and wind of Highway 1 make the BSIM very challenging (even by marathon standards), but most runners find that the beauty they experience is well worth the physical suffering.

Q: Why do local runners get so geeked over this weekend?
A: Think of it this way: if you could get a group of your best friends together to play a softball game at Fenway Park, would you do it? Local runners are a close community, and our hometown marathon is one of the most prestigious in the world. The friendly competition in such a famously beautiful setting is an opportunity that’s hard to pass up.

Q: Great, but I’m not a runner. Why should I care?
A: Because those people crossing the finish line at Big Sur aren’t professional runners - they’re everyday folks. They are your neighbors or co-workers who are giving a supreme effort on Sunday, then returning to work on Monday (OK, maybe not Monday…but probably by Tuesday) to resume their routine lives.

Many of them are fulfilling a dream by doing the marathon, and every one of them has overcome numerous challenges just to finish. Sure, by the time they reach Carmel, most of them look like hell and stink to high heaven - but each runner is a reminder that through hard work and dedication, great things can be accomplished by all of us. It’s an idea that anyone can get excited about.

Good luck to everyone who is running - or watching - the race this Sunday!

Boston or Big Sur?

2009-04-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

As soon as the calendar turns to April, the dreams of marathon runners take flight. Springtime marathons are marquee events in all the greatest cities in the world: Boston, London, Paris, and of course, Carmel.

Yes, our hometown event ranks right up there with the most highly respected marathons in the world. Runners from every state and all corners of the globe come to the Monterey Peninsula to run the Big Sur Marathon on the last Sunday in April.

Likewise, it’s nearly every marathoner’s dream to run the famed Boston Marathon, traditionally held on Patriot’s Day, a Massachusetts holiday observed on the third Monday of April. In 2009, as most other years, the Boston Marathon is a mere six days before Big Sur. Therefore, local runners face a dilemma each spring in deciding which marathon to attend.

Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either choice – and for a handful of hardy (feel free to substitute crazy) local runners, the decision is too agonizing, so they just do both. This year the two of us are doing split duty: Mike will join about 15 other Central Coast runners who are running at Boston on April 20th, and Donald will stay home to run Big Sur six days later. Although both races are world-class events, the experiences we will take away from each will undoubtedly be quite different.

Big Sur will always be our favorite. It’s our hometown marathon. We know how much time is donated by local volunteers and how hard everyone involved with the race works to ensure its success. It’s an opportunity for friendly competition with our friends on one of the most challenging courses in the world. The scenery is breathtaking, and it’s the only day of the year that it’s safe to run on Highway 1. Big Sur has been voted the best marathon in North America by several publications.

No other marathon can compete with the sights and sounds of the Big Sur Marathon (as we’ll describe in two weeks) – so why would locals go anywhere else? Only the allure and history of Boston can occasionally take us away from home.

Simply put, Boston is the most famous and prestigious marathon in the world. Running there is like playing baseball in Yankee Stadium, golf at Augusta National, tennis at Wimbledon, or driving at the Brickyard – while competing right alongside the professionals. Boston has more history - over 110 years worth – and attracts more talented runners than any other footrace. Runners are required to meet qualifying standards in order to enter, so participation in the race is considered an honor by all marathoners. Best of all, the entire city goes marathon crazy and treats every athlete like a star for the entire weekend.

In addition, Mike has extra incentive to travel east: his son Bryan lives in Boston and will also be running the marathon. It’s going to be a father-son dual for family bragging rights.

The choice between Boston and Big Sur is always tough – and next year, the temptation to do both races will be greater than ever. For Big Sur’s 25th presentation in April of 2010, there will be a special “Boston to Big Sur” challenge. Any runner who does both marathons will receive a special award, jacket, and recognition on race day. If you’re someone who likes to experience the best of both worlds, maybe you can join them.

Lessons From a Loser

2009-03-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

Of all the cardinal sins a runner can commit, the greatest is claiming to run a marathon when you really haven’t. The commandment is clear: Thou shalt not call thyself a marathoner if Thou hast not covered the entire 26.2 miles.

Dane Patterson, a contestant on this season’s Biggest Loser, learned that lesson the hard way last month, and incurred not only the wrath of God, but of thousands of angry marathoners. His is a cautionary tale that highlights a couple of vital lessons for novice runners.

First, some background. After being voted off of the show’s Feb 25th episode, the follow-up piece showed Patterson running a marathon in Arizona. Viewers saw him cross the finish line, and wear a finisher’s medal as the crowd cheered him. Meanwhile, a caption reported that he completed the race in 3 hours, 53 minutes, and Patterson’s voiceover described it as “the most amazing experience of my life to run an entire marathon.”

It was a great story, except for one problem: he didn’t actually do the whole marathon.

Patterson entered the marathon and ran about 17 miles before NBC producers realized that he wouldn’t make the finish line before the race finished and the sun went down. Somewhere around mile 23, Patterson agreed to ride the NBC van to the finish, where he was filmed crossing the line victoriously.

Like other scoundrels of the information age, Patterson’s undoing came via the Internet. Two runners reported on their personal blogs that they saw Patterson and his wife get out of the van just before the finish line. Mainstream media picked up the story, and NBC was soon apologizing for creating a staged accomplishment.

After the controversy broke, Patterson reasserted that he only rode for 3 miles in the van - but to anybody who has ever run a marathon, it didn’t matter. He became a lightning rod for an angry mob of runners accusing him of the highest form of treason.

The whole fiasco raises two interesting points – the first of which is that almost everybody is trying to do a marathon these days.

Twenty years ago, new runners targeted 10K races as incentives to get in shape; today, the marathon is an entry-level race. Training programs (many of which are fundraisers) promise to turn sedentary people into marathoners in a period of weeks. 10Ks and half-marathons aren’t impressive enough anymore; everyone is reaching for the brass ring right out of the gate.

While the notion is admirable, this isn’t always a good thing in practice. The injury risk for a novice runner starting a marathon program is quite high – and many of those who do complete the race find the process so dreadful that they never return to it.

Which brings us to the second lesson from Patterson’s story: the importance of setting manageable goals.

A new runner would probably benefit more by building up to the marathon challenge slowly, after successfully completing shorter distances over a longer period of time. Your chance of long-term success is much greater, which should be the primary reason you start running in the first place. Besides, it’s not like marathons are going away anytime soon – your goal race will still be there for you to tackle when you’re properly prepared.

We’re glad Dane Patterson was able to run 23 miles last month. He is trying another marathon in April, and we sincerely wish him the best of luck in finishing it. Above all else, we wish him the many years of health and happiness that dedicated runners have come to enjoy.

Running Innovations

2009-03-12T03:11:00.000-07:00

These days, it seems like technology is taking over every aspect of our lives. Even the sport of running – the simplest activity imaginable – is susceptible to the avalanche of high-tech innovation, as Mike learned at the 2009 Running USA conference in San Diego last month.

That’s not to say that all of the applications are beneficial; in fact, many of them seemingly exist just to make an otherwise basic pursuit overwhelmingly complicated.

For example, you can now download something called iMapMyRun for your iPhone to help measure your distance, speed, and average pace with GPS tracking. Because as we all know, you really can’t have peace of mind on a run unless you’re carrying your iPhone. The product is marketed as “Your Redefined Running Partner,” so be sure to let your current partners know that their services are no longer necessary.

Many years ago, races started with someone yelling “GO!” and the first person to the finish line was the winner. Then we evolved to the more sophisticated method of giving every finisher a numbered popsicle stick. When we first strapped timing chips to our shoes, we felt like we’d entered the Space Age – but nowadays, race timing continues to evolve exponentially.

One company offers modular timing systems that are flexible and scalable. Another uses a disposable RFID tag placed on each runner’s shoe. Another has a J Chip attached to the race bib to time the athlete’s torso instead of his or her feet. We have no idea what any of this technical jargon means – but we’re eagerly awaiting the inevitable ZZ tag as all the letters of the alphabet are eventually exhausted.

Modern timing systems also allow runners to have their split times during a race e-mailed or texted to their relatives and friends, via desktop, laptop, cell phone, or other hand-held devices. This way anyone wanting to see you at the finish line can wait until the last possible moment to finish their latte before heading to the finish line to scream your name.

Besides being technical, many races are striving to be greener as well – which is the kind of technology we all appreciate. For instance, some race bibs are now recyclable, and others have self-adhesive to avoid the use of safety pins – an especially nice perk for small children doing youth races. You can even buy race bibs that have seeds in them, so that instead of recycling the bib after the race, you can plant it in your garden, water it, and a short time later you have flowers. Honestly, we’re not making this stuff up.

Technology is also changing the way races are promoted. Several speakers told race directors to create “virtual velocity” for their races by generating buzz about the event on YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, blogs, running forums, and other on-line communities. One went as far as to say that, “Any race that doesn’t use virtual velocity is in the dark ages.”

Listen to these sales pitches for long enough, and it seems pretty amazing that we were ever able to run races and enjoy them without all these modern advances. While we appreciate any development that improves the experience for race committees or participants – as well as anything that helps the environment – we never want to lose sight of the basic qualities of running that we fell in love with in the first place.

Jokes on the Run

2009-02-26T15:12:00.001-08:00

Everyone knows about the healing power of laughter – but did you know that it can also make you a better runner?

Nothing makes a run seem shorter and easier than someone sharing a great joke along the way. The longer the joke takes to tell – and the more mileage it preoccupies – the better. Whenever someone tells a “shaggy dog story”, the pace of the group inevitably picks up, adrenaline surges, smiles appear, and fatigue dissipates. Whether you are the storyteller or the listener, the effect is the same.

That’s why it’s wonderful to have someone in your running group who stays up to date on the latest jokes. It’s also a great idea to have a “joke day” run when everyone in the group is required to bring a new joke to share. Include some stakes to make it interesting: the worst joke teller has to buy beer or coffee after the run.

We’ll get you started: there once was a running club that valued humor so much that they issued every member a copy of “The World’s Best Joke Book”. Each joke was numbered and everyone memorized the book. That way, instead of telling the whole joke, a runner could just yell, “Number 23!”, and everyone exploded in wild laughter.

One day a new runner joined them, and tried to embrace the joke tradition by yelling, “Number 71!” There was a long, absolutely dead silence and the pace slowed dramatically. Finally one of the group members said, “Nah … you didn’t tell it right!”

Obviously, this kind of group misses the point of utilizing jokes on the run. The benefit is in the telling. It’s in the anticipation and mystery of the punch line. It makes time go faster. It gives camaraderie to the group.

As longtime runners, the two of us have more than a few all-time favorite jokes that are told in our group over and over again. When somebody new joins in, it won’t be long before he (or she) hears all of the group favorites. And his reactions to the jokes are closely observed – sometimes, the amount of laughter might even determine whether he is invited back to the next run. Have we mentioned yet that we take joke-telling seriously?

We’d love to share our favorite jokes here, but they would take way more column space than this skinny sidebar allows us. Besides, we’re told that this is a family-oriented newspaper, and many of our jokes would definitely tarnish that reputation.

So what we’ll do instead is to give you our favorite punch lines. The next time you see us or e-mail us, feel free to ask for the “the rest of the story.”

This might even be a fun game: can you identify any of these jokes just by their conclusions? Here are the top 10 punch lines that have entertained our running group through countless miles:

1. Death............BY BONGO!
2. JUST YOU AND ME!
3. They call me Pierre, the Famous Architect!
4. You have to see her Trot!
5. It’s a Long Way to Tipperary.
6. OK, your pace or mine?
7. KOOSH!
8. Typically nasty weather!
9. I’m not really a Navy pilot!
10. Thanks, most people leave me on the swing.

If by chance you recognize any of them, we give you complete permission to use these jokes to improve your next run.

The 10,000 Hour Rule

2009-01-29T15:00:00.000-08:00

Most runners probably don’t think they have much in common with the likes of Mozart, or The Beatles, or Bill Gates. However, according to Malcolm Gladwell, we have more in common than we ever realized.

Gladwell is the author of Outliers: The Story of Success, currently sitting atop bestseller lists nationwide. In the book, he analyzes countless factors – many of them unknown to the people they most impact – that determine why some people enjoy abundant success in life, while others toil in frustration and obscurity.

One of his revelations is the “10,000 Hour Rule”: in order to maximize any given talent, you need to spend approximately 10,000 hours practicing it. This rule partially dispels the myths of the child prodigy or the naturally gifted artist that many of us accept at face value.

For example, Bill Gates is widely considered a genius – but he also happened to have extraordinary access to cutting-edge technologies as far back as junior high school, and he spent nearly every night and weekend of his youth experimenting with computer programming. Mozart wrote symphonies at age 4, but the body of work he’s recognized for was composed after he had spent another 10 years perfecting his craft. And by the time The Beatles broke on the American scene, they had developed their songwriting and polished their musical chops in thousands of shows in various foreign nightclubs.

The 10,000 Hour Rule has implications for runners as well - in fact, veteran runners have used a variation of it for a long time, known in running circles as the 10-Year Rule. Basically, it says that runners will get gradually faster during their first 10 years, before their performances plateau for another 10 years, then decline precipitously over the next 10 years.

It doesn’t matter what distance you run, or what age you start at: whether you’re 15 or 55, your best race times in any event will improve for up to 10 years if you train consistently. If you could somehow manage to run 1000 hours per year, you’d develop abilities on par with some of the greatest achievers of our age. Yes, natural talent also plays a role – but not nearly as much as most people attribute to it.

(Sure, at first glance, training for 1000 hours per year – 3 hours per day, every day - seems shocking. However, if you ask just about any Olympic athlete, they’d tell you this is consistent with their typical regimens. There’s a reason why it’s so hard to make the Olympics.)

Perhaps the most well-known novel about running is Once a Runner by John Parker. In one famous passage, the author ponders how somebody becomes a great runner: “What was the secret, they wanted to know … and not one of them was prepared to believe that it had not so much to do with chemicals and zippy mental tricks as with that most unprofound and sometimes heart-rending process of removing, molecule by molecule, the very tough rubber that comprised the bottoms of his training shoes."

In other words, there’s no secret, and no trick. Do you want to be a better runner? Go for a run. Wake up the next day and do it again. Keep doing it until you wear out the bottoms of your shoes, then buy some new ones and start again. Repeat that process over and over until you’ve done it for 1000 hours, then 2000, then 10,000.

It’s really quite a simple process. Sometimes we just need to be reminded.

Running With The Raven

2009-01-15T17:47:00.001-08:00

On January 1, 1975, 23-year-old Robert “the Raven” Kraft, ran 8 miles in the sand on Miami’s South Beach. He started running because he felt frustrated that his songwriting career was at low ebb; one of his songs had been stolen and made into a fairly large country hit and he received no credit.

A funny thing happened that day; something that happens to a lot of new runners. Kraft was invigorated yet calm. His anger had mellowed, and he felt great satisfaction from those 8 miles. Running often grabs you when you most need it.

He made running a habit. Many would call it an obsession. Amazingly, the Raven just completed his 34^th year of running on South Beach without missing a day. That’s over 12,400 days of running in a row.

Along the way, he’s become a bit of a celebrity. He’s an icon on Miami Beach, and his fan base extends around the world. People travel from far and wide to run with the Raven. He maintains a list of them - one that now approaches 800 runners, from every state and 54 foreign countries. To date, the Raven has run 99,300 miles, and should pass 100,000 on March 29. When he does, ESPN will be there to cover it.

In a sport where injuries are the norm, the Raven never misses a day to sickness or muscle pain. He runs through all kinds of weather: hurricanes, hail storms, heat and humidity. He’s as reliable as the US Postal Service.

He came close to missing a run once, when he was hospitalized for a concussion and needed 17 stitches to close a nasty wound. Luckily, some lifeguard friends smuggled him out of the hospital for his daily run, then returned him after the eight miles were finished.

As you can imagine, Kraft is a creature of habit. He’s called the Raven because he always wears Black spandex shorts, black socks, black headband, and one black wristband. He has long black hair, mustache, and beard. He always runs shirtless and has a dark tan.

The Raven’s also a bit of a philosopher. He chose 8 miles for his run because “7 seemed too short, and 9 seemed too long.” He runs the same 8 miles each day, in loops starting from the 6^th Street lifeguard pier. Sometimes he loops in one direction, sometimes the other. He never travels out of Miami; in fact, he doesn’t even own a car.

The Raven never does races. He runs for the simple pleasure of how it makes him feel, although he admits that his streak has become an obsession.

Nicknames are a big part of his persona, as Mike and his family found out while running with the Raven on a vacation to South Beach a few weeks ago. During the run, the Raven questions you on your life, and annoints you with a nickname after you have completed the run. Then he inscribes you on “the list”.

The day Mike ran there were a dozen runners who earned the nicknames Burke’s Law, Chapter 11, The Reverend, Seaside Sparrow, Interrogator, Cooker, Tax Man, Wine Taster, and Unruly Julie. Mike is now known as Just Run, his wife is the Fiction Reader, his son Bryan is Pedicab Man, and Bryan’s fiance Melanie is Zot.

It is a pleasure and an honor to run with the Raven. Next time you don’t feel like running think about the Raven. May he and you run evermore.

You Can't Be Perfect

2009-01-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

Wait! Don’t tell us – you are reading this with bleary eyes and a pounding head from last night’s festivities. Or maybe you made a resolution to lose weight and get healthy this year, and you’re already questioning your motivation.

Everybody sabotages their fitness plans from time to time – even your local running columnists. So we’re not going to beat you over the head today about all the reasons you should be running.

Runners certainly aren’t perfect. Many of us will overindulge at New Year’s Eve parties, throwing back drinks and eating dozens of little sausages on toothpicks, finally crashing into the sack in the wee hours of the morning. So if you chastise yourself for not beginning your training program today, don’t take it too hard.

Just start in small doses, a little bit at a time. Even walking a mile is an accomplishment if you haven’t done it for a while. Start with small changes, and they’ll eventually become larger ones. You don’t have to be perfect every day.

Most health experts say that you need sixty minutes of daily activity, but that’s tough for anyone to do. On the inevitable days when you fall short, your long-term success and self-esteem depend entirely on your outlook. Don’t feel bad if you only have time to walk for a twenty minutes instead of an hour, or if you run only two miles when your training plan called for three. Just keep plugging along and don’t quit or lose your focus.

The key to any training program is to simply do something more than you used to. Or – in the case of eating – do something less than usual. Switch from walking one mile to jogging two, or from eating double cheeseburgers to frequenting Subway. Remember, progress happens in little steps on a regular basis.

Bad habits don’t become perfect ones overnight and fitness doesn’t happen immediately. Don’t get discouraged if changes are small at first – just dedicate yourself to achieving them, you’ll gradually make big improvements over the course of the year.

Perhaps by next January 1st, you can join the hundreds of runners who, by the time you are reading this, have already finished the Rio Resolution run and are eating a great post-race breakfast. Even though many of them were up late, they all made the decision to make fitness a priority for the New Year’s holiday.

On a personal note - many of us at this year’s race are wearing shirts in honor of Mickey, a local running club member who had run every one of the 17 previous Rio Resolution Runs prior to today, and always brought champagne to celebrate with everyone after the run. This year Mickey is recuperating from a very tough operation due to his recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and was unable to attend the race.

Running makes our lives better, but it doesn’t make us invincible. We hope that your 2009 is filled with fitness and health, and many more good days than bad ones. And please join us in thinking good thoughts for Mickey.

Gifts of Giving

2008-12-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

To: Santa Claus, North Pole
From: Running Life
Re: Wish List

Dear Santa –

Hi! It’s your favorite Monterey County running columnists again. You’ve been great at giving us the stuff we’ve asked for in years past.

Honestly, Santa, we know that 2008 has been a brutal year. You’ve probably got people asking for jobs or retirement funds that have vanished, or for help paying mortgages and medical expenses. So we understand if the requests of two crazy runners fall pretty low on the list of priorities.

But you know what, Santa? The two of us are actually doing OK. We’re fortunate to still have those things that are most dear to us, and we’ve enjoyed another healthy year of running. So we thought we’d help you out by sharing in the gift-giving this year.

Under the right circumstances, runners can be a pretty generous group – but we sometimes need a little bit of help. This year, the following gifts would allow runners to help others:

1. Continued success for local races

Almost all of our local road races were created as fundraisers for charities or nonprofit organizations. The more successful the race is, the more the charities benefit.

Unfortunately, in tough economic times, it gets harder to justify paying $30 for a 5K or $80 for a half-marathon, so a lot of races struggle to survive. We hope that more runners can still afford to help these races stay successful in 2009.

2. Second life for old shoes

Santa, we don’t have to tell you how quickly runners go through running shoes. The two of us are ashamed to admit how many pairs we wore out in the past 12 months.

However, just because a shoe is too broken down for training doesn’t mean it’s not good for anything. Most of the shoes we discard can still be used for many months by people less fortunate than us.

Luckily, both of our local running stores – The Treadmill in Carmel, and Fleet Feet in Monterey – accept used running shoes, which they redistribute to charity organizations. We’d like for those old shoes to serve others for as long as possible.

3. A Just Run program in every school

You know all about our Just Run program – right, Santa? It teaches elementary students all about healthy eating and exercise, and is an easy way to promote fitness and combat childhood obesity.

The program has had great results, but we’d like for it to do even better. Could you please help the adult volunteers in each school get the support they need to succeed, and help any interested parents to implement the program in schools that don’t have it yet?

And if for some reason you don’t know about Just Run, go to www.justrun.org and learn all about it.

4. Shared blessings

New running programs aren’t just about kids, though – and we’d like to see the gift of running shared with more people next year, Santa.

Like we said before – running has been good to us. And since Christmas is supposed to be about giving, here’s what we’d like most of all: to inspire one person, or maybe two, or even 100 (but we don’t want to seem greedy) to start a running program for their own health and enjoyment. If you could somehow help us to do that next year, Santa, you will make both of us very happy indeed.

Thanks a lot, Santa. Best wishes and safe travels next week!

Sincerely,

Mike and Donald
Monterey County, CA

Banned From Pebble Beach

2008-12-04T23:11:00.000-08:00

You may recall a recent column when we took some shots at the Pebble Beach Company for restricting our running club from an access point to the Pebble Beach Golf Links, even though the club had been using the route for nearly 30 years. They even went as far as stationing a guard at the crossing, which – in light of the PBC recently issuing nearly 30 layoffs – seemed quite excessive in its severity.

Needless to say, the crackdown made very little sense to us. So you can imagine our shock when, shortly after our column ran, the PBC constructed a giant fence across the access point that says “access prohibited” in large red lettering. The guard was gone (perhaps one of the layoffs?), but the message remained clear: runners were personae non gratae around the Pebble Beach links.

The two of us shifted into attack mode. We decided to do a little bit of muckraking, and sharpen our journalistic teeth on the meat of the soulless corporate monster. It would be an investigative report to make Woodward and Bernstein proud.

It was a great plan, until we actually picked up the phone and started talking to people.

In particular, we had a long conversation with Mark Stilwell, an Executive Vice President at the PBC. He’s a descendent of the famed General Stilwell – which is mildly impressive – but more impressive was that the first thing he told us is that he’s a runner. He runs in local races and exercises with his kids, and enjoys running and hiking on the roads and trails of Pebble Beach.

What was MOST impressive (to us, anyway) was that he actually reads our column – and he was aware of the Headwind razzie we gave the PBC last month. So, while we felt a little guilty about that, we were happy to have apparently found a sympathetic ear to our running club’s plight.

Then Mark started telling us the difficulties he’s dealt with from the access point just inside the Carmel gate. Golfers – many of whom travel here from all over the world, and pay several hundred dollars to play a round on the famed course – frequently encounter runners, off-road bikers, and equestrians at all hours of the day.

Most of this public traffic crosses the 11th hole fairway, sometimes as golf patrons are playing on those very same holes. Tournament play doesn’t deter some headstrong folks, either – as Mark reported that runners took to the Pebble Beach course during last month’s Callaway Tournament.

As a result, the PBC now enforces a rule that has been on its books all along: no foot traffic on the links while the course is open to golfers. Since the course opens at 7:30, and the running club departs Ocean Avenue in Carmel at 7:15, there’s no practical way for runners to cross and exit the course by 7:30.

There are also liability concerns from runners crossing the links, as they pose unexpected hazards for golfers and runners alike. The thought crossed our minds that a runner hit by a car on 17-Mile Drive could still leave the PBC potentially vulnerable to a lawsuit – but Mark disagrees with this, as standard rules of the road (sharing the roadway, staying alert for other users, etc.) apply within Pebble Beach borders as they would in any neighboring municipality.

As a runner, Mark appreciates our dilemma – and during our conversation, we discussed some practical suggestions for the Saturday running club. Since he’s a trail runner, his main recommendation was for runners to get off of the roads, and onto the 26 miles of public trails that crisscross Pebble Beach.

The trails are a combination of fire roads, equestrian trails, and single track, offering steep climbs and breathtaking views within a few miles of Carmel Beach. There is a trail entrance close to the intersection of Carmel Way and 17-Mile Drive, so runners can avoid most of the shoulderless road that leads to the Pebble Beach Lodge.

Obviously, if you run the trails, you’ll need a map. Mark provided some at the Carmel gate for runners to pick up upon request, and he mailed us a stack of maps – so if you’d like a map, send us an e-mail and we’ll get one to you.

Another option is for runners to run south from Carmel instead of north. The views are still quite impressive from Scenic Drive to the Carmel River Beach area. From there, runners can head past Mission Ranch to the Mission trails, or across the river (except in high water, of course) on the trails to Monastery Beach and Point Lobos and back.

We understand that there’s no substitute for running along one of the most fabulous roads in the world, so we’re not saying that runners should stay out of Pebble Beach. Realistically, it’s only the half-mile stretch of 17-Mile Drive between Carmel Way and Live Oak Road (or the quarter mile between Carmel Way and Crespi Lane) that is especially dangerous – so if you’re cautious, there’s no reason to deny yourself the pleasure of running amidst the mansions and majestic beauty of 17-Mile Drive.

Unfortunately, crossing the golf course links at the 11th fairway will likely become a thing of the past. We don’t have to like the decision (honestly, neither of us do – let’s just say we’re not revoking their Headwind award), but we should abide by it. Hopefully, the change of routine won’t detract from what is an otherwise perfect way to spend a Saturday morning.

The Marathon Bug

2008-11-20T18:37:00.000-08:00

Let’s say you’re one of the thousands of runners who finished this month’s Big Sur Half Marathon. Your body is now reasonably well recovered. You’ve got a great sense of accomplishment from running 13 miles, and you’re feeling pretty darn good about your running life.

Maybe you still look adoringly at your finisher’s medal – and perhaps, every so often, you squint your left eye closed so that the word “half” is obscured, but “marathon” is still visible. Maybe you find yourself wondering what it would take to get a medal that looked like that. Sometimes you talk yourself out of it, but the idea lingers, and preoccupies your thoughts with each passing day.

If this is you – congratulations! You’ve caught the Marathon Bug. Trust us, it probably won’t go away. The only question now is, what should you do about it? How do you make the leap from 13.1 to 26.2?

The answer isn’t as hard as you may think. In fact, you can probably have yourself ready for the Big Sur Marathon next April. It is still 22 weeks away, which gives you plenty of time to train.

Your first, most important step is to commit yourself NOW to reaching the goal. Go to www.bsim.org and register for the race. Your motivation to train will be much greater after you’ve officially signed up. Where your money goes, your body is likely to follow.

Between now and the end of April, you’ll gradually progress your training towards your marathon goal. At first, you don’t have to change the number of days you run, or the number of miles. The most important adjustment is to reserve one day per week for a marathon-specific training run.

For instance, from now until the end of the year, do a long run of 10 or 12 miles every other weekend. On the opposite weekends, run three to five miles at a pace that’s slightly faster than your target marathon pace. This isn’t dramatically different than most half-marathon training plans.

Starting in January, your overall mileage will gradually build, as the length of your training runs increase. Long runs should increase by 1 or 2 miles every other week, and marathon pace workouts can be anywhere from 5 to 12 miles. Many runners will raise their mid-week mileage as well, but this is depends on how your body responds to the longer weekend runs.

Your longest run should be three weeks before the race, and should be at least 22 miles. Working backwards, your long runs in March should be 18 to 20 miles, in February should be 16 to 18, and in January should be 14 to 16. If you just ran a half-marathon this month, and you keep training through December, starting a 14-mile long run in January shouldn’t be too intimidating.

Finally, don’t hesitate to enlist some help. Find someone who runs marathons and pester them for advice. If you have nowhere else to turn, contact your local running columnists – we’re glad to give training tips.

Yes, the road is hard sometimes, but the rewards are worth it. If you thought the sense of accomplishment from running 13 miles was great - believe us, the pride of a marathon finish is exponentially more. And it’s available to anyone who wants to make the leap.

Don’t be afraid to take a bold step and scratch that Marathon Bug. Chances are, it will never go away unless you do.

Yes We Can!

2008-11-10T18:25:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of election week, we’re dedicating this column to the 6,000 runners who declared “Yes we can!” on the streets of Monterey and Pacific Grove this weekend during the Big Sur Half-Marathon events.

Some are well-known, such as KSBW anchor Erin Clark, who stated on the air that her main goal was simply to finish the 13.1 miles. Erin finished in 2:26. Some are celebrities within the local running community, like 67-year-old Hansi Rigney, who always wins her age group. She won by about 30 minutes in 1:47; but this year was mainly excited to see her husband Bob, who at age 75 ran his first half-marathon. Bob said “Yes we can” and finished 2nd in his age group.

Two friends of the Rigneys from Berlin, Hans Sherler and Kristina Otto, travelled all the way from Germany to participate in the race. They belong to a Berlin Running club named “Kilometerfresser” – literally, mile-eaters. They joined runners from every state and several foreign countries who visited here to run.

Shirley Smith from Salinas also ran her first half marathon (2:09). She has two young boys, and did all of her training while pushing her 2-year-old, Tallon, in a baby stroller. Tallon’s favorite comment is, “Faster Mommy, faster!” Shirley raced without the stroller but almost certainly with her son’s voice in her ear.

Veteran runners are used to saying “Yes we can,” and ran yesterday’s race with various hopes and expectations. For example, Carolyn Walter from Salinas ran on her 47th birthday, and her wish was to beat her brother, who was here from Southern California for the run. Carolyn ran 1:55, but lost to her brother, whom we’re sure she’ll beat next year.

Steve Souza is a local runner with loftier goals. He trained on his own for five years and consistently ran about 1:45 in the race. Earlier this year he joined the local Wednesday Night Laundry Runner’s club and has gotten considerably faster, clocking a sub 1:33 on Sunday.

Our favorite Yes We Can story concerns a strong young woman we first met in 2003. Celise Rogers was 28 and hadn’t run competitively since her college track days six years earlier. She trained for the Big Sur Marathon with us that year and completed her first marathon in 3:12 - she was the 4th overall woman, first Monterey County woman, and won her age group. Besides being a great runner, her energy and smile and enthusiasm are infectious.

Shortly thereafter, Celise and her husband moved to Sonora, and she put her running on hold to have a child. Her son Egan was born in 2004, very premature and weighed only 2 pounds at birth. Celise kept watch on her son who required hospitalization and home medical monitoring for a year.

Shortly thereafter, Celise was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had chemotherapy, surgeries, and treatment until February of this year, and is still taking medications in the aftermath. Today she is grateful simply for the opportunity to return to Monterey and run in another race.

We’re happy to report that Celise is now cancer-free, and her son is a happy and healthy 4-year-old. She ran yesterday’s race in an outstanding 1:44. It’s great to have her back, and she’s a perfect example of the power in saying “Yes we can” – in a footrace, or in any of life’s challenges.

Racing the Big Sur Half Marathon

2008-11-06T18:27:00.000-08:00

Some folks enter races just to finish; others are gunning for their fastest times. If you fall in the latter category at this Sunday’s Big Sur Half-Marathon, here are some tips for RACING the 13.1 miles:

Have the eye of the tiger: Racing isn’t easy! The race itself should be a battle. The satisfaction comes after. Be mentally ready and don’t feel intimidated.

Warm up: If you are going fast from the gun a thorough warm up is important. Run an easy mile, do three or four short sprints, then jump in the starting chute about 5 minutes before race time. And remember the starting chute is a bit further down Del Monte Avenue than last year’s race.

Hitch a ride: in the slipstream of your competitors. Drafting off fellow runners is perfectly legal and saves significant energy, especially if running into a headwind on Ocean View Boulevard in Pacific Grove.

Anytime you get passed by a slightly faster runner make sure to tuck in behind them. If running with similarly paced runners, talk them into taking turns leading and blocking the wind.

Be uncomfortable: If you are truly racing, it should hurt! If you feel comfortable, you probably aren’t pushing hard enough. Races are for going beyond your comfort zone and giving your best effort. On the other hand …

Don’t bonk: Keep your engine at the absolute fastest speed you can maintain, but not so fast that you flame out in the final miles. You want to push the envelope, but be sure to save something for the last 5K. Proper pacing is the hardest part of racing, requiring experience learned from trial and error, and usually a lot of discomfort.

Halfway done isn’t halfway out: The course is roughly out and back, but the first few miles around El Estero Lake and downtown Monterey make it asymmetrical. If you start looking for the turnaround point at mile 6.5, you’ll have a long time to wait, since it’s actually near mile 8. But once you get there, remember to…

Lower the hammer: After the turnaround, the course is almost entirely downhill or flat, and you’re more than halfway done. This is the time to crank your speed up another notch, and gut it out for as long as possible (have we already said that racing hurts?).

Have no friends: Think of everyone around you as a competitor. Get mean. Be aggressive. Breathe fire. Even if you are racing with training partners, during the race you should be enemies. After all, they’re trying to beat you!

Fight for your place: Once you reach the rec trail before Fisherman’s Wharf, the game is on. Try to improve your position as much as possible and don’t let anyone pass you – or keep up with runners who try.

Don’t get complacent to run behind people. Reel in as many people as possible. The last person you pass might be the place that earns you an age group medal. Some people let up a bit just before the finish line, so a well-timed kick can sometimes gain you an additional place or two.

Obviously, racing requires a different mindset than running just to complete the distance. It’s definitely not for everybody. Whether you are going for an age group award, a personal record, or just trying to make it to the finish, we hope everyone has a satisfying race on Sunday.

Tailwind Awards

2008-10-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

The award show season doesn’t start for a few months, but these are slow times around Running Life headquarters, so we decided to start our own brand of accolades and jeers. Oscars and Razzies. Roses and thorns. You get the idea.

Since we’re runners, we’ll give “Tailwinds” to local groups or individuals who make positive contributions to our running community, and “Headwinds” for the opposite.

Please note that these designations are determined by a committee of exactly two people – the ones pictured above. When we disagree, we flip a coin. It’s a very scientific process.

So without further ado, we present the first annual Running Life Tailwind awards! (Drumroll please …)

1. Big Sur International Marathon: No doubt about this one. The Big Sur Marathon organization puts on several world-class races, gives hundreds of thousands of dollars to local charities, and supports the outstanding Just Run program to prevent childhood obesity.

2. Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital: A tie here. Both support local races with financial and volunteer support. They also put on valuable health related clinics and provide their facilities to host information programs about running. Both are generous supporters of the Just Run program as well.

3. City Council of Monterey: For sponsoring and hosting two new Just Run races for families over the past year.

4. Rio Grill and The Monterey Rape Crisis Center: For organizing and maintaining popular races for over 20 years. The Rio Resolution Run on New Year’s Day and the Together with Love Run near Valentine’s Day are long established races and have inspired many locals to start and maintain running programs.

5. Mahir Agha and Karen Nardozza: Both are behind the scenes establishing groups to create more races on the Central Coast. Mahir is trying to bring back the Carmel Valley Fiesta races. Karen is working to create a Salinas Valley Half Marathon and resurrect the Salinas Main Street Mile. Good luck and Tailwinds to both of them.

We’re putting a stone in our slingshot and taking aim at a local Goliath for our first Headwind awards. (Kazoo noises please …)

1. Pebble Beach Corporation: For posting signs – and even hiring a guard - to keep runners, joggers, and walkers off the Pebble Beach golf course cart paths. For 30 years, the most popular local Saturday morning group run starts on Ocean Avenue in Carmel at 7:15 AM, enters the Carmel Gate and crosses the golf course cart paths near the 11th hole, long before any golfers are playing those holes. Now instead of enjoying the ocean view and beauty of the course, runners must use the dangerous (and shoulderless) 17-Mile Drive, watching for traffic and dangerous blind curves - just so we don’t leave footprints in the morning dew.

2. Pebble Beach Corporation: A two-time winner, for “advising” Robert Louis Stevenson School not to have a youth race in association with the school’s annual Run in the Forest. The school implemented a youth race in 2007 to promote youth health but was then advised to discontinue it. It was not held this year.

We called the Pebble Beach Company and were told that both of these issues were “insurance and safety” related. They’re also worthy of our fiercest Headwinds.

Feel free to contact us with nominees for future Tailwind or Headwind awards.

15 Extra Years

2008-10-09T18:33:00.000-07:00

We would love to give you 15 extra healthy years of life, make you more intelligent, and improve your emotional mood. Hopefully these gifts will keep even our non-running readers interested and those of you that are not runners will finally decide to start.

It is a constant mystery to us that we don’t see more of you out on the roads and trails. We never have any trouble finding room to run. We rarely see anyone on the back roads of Garland Park or the former Fort Ord. The Monterey Rec trail should be completely full of runners and walkers but we typically recognize virtually everyone we see. We want to see new runners.

Many recent publications and studies again confirm the numerous health benefits of running. A continuing study from the Stanford School of Medicine tracked over 500 runners for more than 20 years. The research concluded that running slows the effects of aging; runners have fewer disabilities, a longer span of active life and are half as likely as aging nonrunners to die early deaths. Dr. James Fries, the study’s senior author said, “If you had to pick one thing to make people healthier as they age, it would be aerobic exercise. Runners’ initial disability as they aged was 16 years later than nonrunners.”

The effect of running on delaying death is more dramatic than the scientists expected. Running not only slowed cardiovascular deaths, but the runners had fewer early deaths from cancer, neurological disease, infections and other causes. Running was also NOT associated with greater rates of osteoarthritis.

A University of Cambridge study from the United Kingdom reported that people that do aerobic exercise regularly, don’t smoke, limit their alcohol intake, and eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, on average live 15 years longer than people who didn’t have similar lifestyle habits.

A recent study at Columbia University Medical Center revealed that aerobic exercise results in tremendous benefits in brain function. If you want some technical terms, aerobic exercise generates a chemical called brain-derived neorotrophic factor (BDNF) which helps the processes involved in learning. The research found FIFTEEN to TWENTY PERCENT IMPROVEMENT in various areas of cognition. Want to improve your memory as you age or do better in school? Just run!

Earlier in the year a survey of existing research published by the Cochrane Library concluded that aerobic exercise is good for your heart and improves cognitive function—specifically, motor function, auditory attention, and memory. Psychiatrist John Ratey says that, “Even people who are overweight who start exercising see improvements in mood and cognition in as little as 12 weeks." One study found that exercise improved depression symptoms better than medication.

We know you are now eager to get out and run. You want to get your entire family out walking and running and being active. Your next question is probably “how much activity do I need?”
The answer is “the more the better”, but evidence indicates that even 10 minutes of physical activity can significantly boost attention and problem-solving skills in kids and adults. A study published online earlier this month in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that mental health benefits were observed after 20 minutes of physical activity, though the more exercise and higher intensity, the better the effects.

If you do 30 minutes a day of running you will be giving a significant gift to your heart and your brain, as well as possibly adding those 15 important years of healthy living.

The Running-While-Injured Life

2008-09-25T05:02:00.000-07:00

We typically utilize this space describing all of the benefits of running – however, sometimes it might be possible to have too much of a good thing.

Many avid runners become so hooked on the sport that it often consumes their thoughts. Sure, a hardcore runner may appear alert and attentive on the surface - but it’s a good bet that internally, that otherwise normal-appearing person is completely preoccupied with all manner of details pertaining to his or her running.

They’ll spend countless waking hours thinking about how many miles they logged today, what their average time for the run was, when and where their next run will be, how many miles they’ve run this week, how much longer it will be until they need a new pair of shoes, which running clothes they need to buy once the weather changes, how much fluid they should be consuming during the day, when their next race is going to be, and whether or not one of those nagging sore areas is going to turn into an injury.

That last point is a critical one – because when a runner develops physical problems, all other concerns get pushed to the back burner. Runners are notorious for having tunnel vision when it comes to focusing on (and worrying about) anything that prevents them from doing the activity they love. Unfortunately, injuries are an all too common occurrence among this crowd.

For example, here’s a typical conversation that might take place between any of our group of friends who cross paths in their everyday (non-running) lives. Let’s say they meet unexpectedly on Alvarado Street this week. They certainly have a wide variety of discussion topics to mull over: the economy, the presidential election, the war, career changes, or family developments. Despite all of that, it’s a virtual certainty that the conversation would unfold something like this:

Joe: “Hi Susie, haven’t seen you for awhile. How are you doing?”

Susie: “Good to see you Joe. I’m OK but I’ve hardly been running at all. My piriformis problem just isn’t going away. I’ve been stretching, doing ice massage, and taking Advil. I’m even going to Bikram yoga a few times a week, which helps for a few hours, but by the next morning it’s bothering me again.”

Joe: “That’s too bad. I haven’t been running much either. My left shin is really painful when I run, and hurts all day long afterward. I had an x-ray and MRI last week and there’s no stress fracture right now but the doc says it looks imminent if I keep running. I don’t think its shin splints. It could be compartment syndrome. I’m seeing my physical therapist but the progress seems really slow. Occasionally I’ll try the elliptical machine but it’s just too boring.”

Susie: “Yeah. It’s really frustrating…. Oh, look, there’s Ted.”

Ted: “What a coincidence. How are you guys? I’ve been decreasing my mileage because of some Achilles tendonitis. Luckily, it’s not a complete tear, but when I run it’s extremely painful. I’m also doing some pool running, but I don’t get the same endorphin high in the water. And I feel like everyone’s laughing at me when I’m wearing my swimsuit.

Joe: “Yeah, I hate it when that happens. My wife just had a knee operation for patellofemoral syndrome and did some pool running during her rehab. She’s favoring her right side a bit now, so her left plantar fascia is becoming a problem. She does ice massage and flexion exercises using toe curls and a towel. It takes about an hour a day - really a hassle.”

Ted: “Hey Susie … how is Dave doing?”

Susie: “He hasn’t been running a lot either. His right hip hurts and he aggravated his left illiotibial band because he was running funny to protect his hip. He’s going to both the physical therapist and chiropractor but he still has problems. He’s also trying myofascial release therapy and it seems to be helping a little.

Ted: “Wow, good luck to him for sure. Did you hear about Rod? He ran a race last month and right near the end he pulled a calf muscle. He had to beat someone in his age group so he gutted it out, but now he’s injured again. He’s doing intermittent heat and ice treatments. He also sees a massage therapist twice a week for really deep muscle work. Hope he gets better soon.”

Joe: “So … are we all running at the regular place tomorrow morning? 12 miles on the Wharf starting at 5AM?

Susie: “Sounds great to me. See you then.”

Ted: “Someone should call Rod and tell him – he’ll probably show up.”

Joe: “Yeah. It will be great to talk with everyone again!”

Race Shirt Blues

2008-09-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

If you’re a runner who enters a lot of races, sooner or later you’ll get a case of the race shirt blues.

It’s standard practice for every race to provide entrants with shirts for doing nothing more than paying the entry fee. Once you accumulate enough shirts to overflow your dresser drawers, some kind of selection hierarchy is implemented, where the oldest or least attractive shirts are cleared out and given to relatives or to Goodwill. Only the best and most memorable shirts are saved.

While we don’t hesitate to unload such unwanted clothing, the shirts from our favorite races often foster an emotional attachment for us. For many runners, they may provide an identity or sense of pride. Wearing a race shirt is often a statement declaring that we enjoy healthy activities and participating in challenging events.

The more difficult the event, the greater “prestige” factor of the shirt - for example, among locals, wearing a Big Sur Marathon shirt is something like a badge of courage and accomplishment. That’s why we sometimes feel a bit protective about who should rightfully wear shirts from certain races.

In previous articles we’ve mentioned a few rules of etiquette about wearing race shirts. You should never wear a shirt from a race you haven’t run. It’s bad juju to wear a shirt prior to the race (for instance, if you pick it up at the expo the day before), and even worse juju to wear the shirt in the actual race. These rules have all been scientifically proven to bring disaster upon the naïve runner (OK, not really – but just trust us on these).

This cardinal rule for runners - that you have to participate in an event before you wear the shirt - is why we’re somewhat discouraged and mystified by people who wear event shirts from other sports which merely advertise their attendance as spectators. This peculiarity seems especially prevalent among the golf community.

Someday, if you want to stir up some trouble, try this: the next time you’re in an elevator with someone wearing a U.S. Open golf shirt, ask them how they played. When they look at you like an idiot and answer, “Oh, I didn’t play, I watched the Open at Pebble Beach”, you can say, “Wow … that must have been a lot of work. You should be proud of yourself.” (On second thought, maybe you should wait until you’re out of the elevator to say this – then you can run away. Don’t worry – there’s no way that duffer will be able to catch you.)

Here’s another game you can play sometime: go to Del Monte Center or Costco, and start looking around for race shirts. On an average day you’ll probably see several people wearing the shirt of one race or another. Your task is to guess whether the person wearing the shirt is actually the one who ran the race, or a relative of a runner, or just somebody who shops at thrift stores. This game is harder than you think; many fit-looking people may in fact be imposters, and many with “non-athletic” appearances might be the real deal. Of course, since you’ll never actually ask them (we hope), there’s no way of keeping an accurate score - but it’s a fun diversion nevertheless.

In larger cities, the misuse of race shirts has reached epidemic proportions – as we’ve each discovered while running in San Francisco during and after the city’s marathon.

The San Francisco Marathon starts at the Ferry Building and heads out the Embarcadero toward the Golden Gate Bridge. Typically, runners wear their least favorite old race shirt at the start line to keep warm in the early morning chill. They then jettison the extra top somewhere along the Embarcadero as their bodies get warmed up.

It only takes a matter of minutes before the discarded shirts are claimed by spectators – the majority of whom are the homeless population. It’s a bonanza morning for people who sleep on the streets, as shirts rain down like manna from heaven. The week after the marathon, it’s common to see vagabonds pushing shopping carts and wearing layers of Napa Marathon and Bay to Breakers shirts to keep warm.

This chain of events causes potentially confusing sights for untrained tourists walking along the Embarcadero or Fisherman’s Wharf. Someone might look around the sidewalks and storefronts and conclude that a lot of local runners have somehow fallen on very hard times. A worse scenario would be if an actual runner collapses on the ground, and no one stops to help because he seemingly fits right in with the other nearby derelicts all wearing race shirts.

Incidentally, the same wardrobe tossing ritual happens along beautiful Highway 1 during the Big Sur Marathon - but to their credit, the race organization makes sure that all the clothing is picked up by volunteers immediately afterwards. Each year, about 15 to 20 large trash bags filled with discarded shirts are brought to a warehouse, and shortly thereafter given to local charities.

As we consider this, maybe the misuse of old race shirts isn’t such a bad thing after all. Our discarded clothing provides benefit to other people, whether for basic comforts like warmth, or for bargain hunters who might feel some sense of participation by wearing someone else’s marathon shirt.

In an ideal world, some of those folks would then be motivated to start a running or exercise program of their own. Later on, they’ll enter races and receive their own shirts – and once they’ve done a lot of races and have to weed out the old ones, they’ll pay it forward by tossing those old shirts onto some new owners. While such a scenario might be unlikely, just knowing that it’s possible helps to relieve the race shirt blues a little bit.

Olympic Depression

2008-08-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

Runners are used to being misfits – so it will be no surprise to us if we’re in the minority with the opinion we’re about to offer: namely, that we didn’t enjoy watching the Beijing Olympic Games very much. Instead of being impressed by all of that “faster, higher, stronger” stuff, we found ourselves depressed about the competitions that interested us the most.

See, here’s the thing about being a distance runner: no matter how old you are, or how fast you are, you get extremely little recognition for your accomplishments. Even when you’re among the best in the world, you’re doomed to an anonymous, impoverished career. You can even be overshadowed under the bright glare of the Olympic flame.

This wasn’t always the case. There was a time not too many Olympiads ago where the 1500m run was the premiere event of the Games, with the 10K and marathon a close second and third. While we understand the interest in the seemingly huge variety of sports that have attained Olympic status recently, we hate seeing our beloved events kicked to the curb. (In a related story, we’re puzzled over NBC’s determination to make every person in America a platform diving fan.)

We’ve always known it was tough to be a competitor in distance running events – what we didn’t realize was how difficult it would be just to watch these races at home. Most nights, we waited patiently through synchronized diving and trampoline gymnastics and preliminary BMX heats (called “motos” – see? We were actually paying attention) without any idea when our coveted events might appear.

Unfortunately, TV listings weren’t much help to us, either – they’d only list “track and field” without mentioning whether it was the 5K final or the prelims of the women’s shot put. Our options were to record and wade through 20 hours of coverage each day, or take our chances that some of the high-profile distance races would be shown in prime time. You already know how that one panned out.

Even when we found our races, the coverage was sadly limited. For example, the women’s 10K was televised at 2AM - and even at that late hour, NBC only aired the first 4 minutes and last 4 minutes of the race. Consequently, most U.S. viewers missed an incredible performance from Shalane Flanagan, who won a bronze medal in an American record time of 30:22.

It’s almost certain that nobody at NBC suspected Flanagan was going to medal, which explains how the coverage got buried in the middle of the night. It also illustrates another sad truth of distance running: if there aren’t any Americans competing for medals, you have NO chance of seeing the event on TV. During the women’s marathon, American cameras didn’t even show the finish of Blake Russell, the only U.S. woman to complete the race, who came in less than one minute behind world-record holder Paula Radcliffe.

However, fans of distance running enjoy these races even if U.S. athletes are not involved. It’s like being an American soccer fan who enjoys watching David Beckham or Cristiano Ronaldo. We always cheer for American favorites like Blake Russell, Ryan Hall, and Dathan Ritzenhein, but we also enjoy the brilliance of Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele, Aussie Craig Mottram, Kenyan Catherine Ndereba, and other foreign distance running heroes.

Unfortunately, we realize that these folks will always play second banana to marquee names like Phelps, Nastia, or Walsh & May (all very attractive to look at, by the way – which is no small factor in TV exposure) – so it’s clear that distance running needs a bit of an image makeover. At the same time, maybe we could infuse a bit of running’s old-fashioned sensibility into some of the higher profile sports.

For example, it seems like there’s always a controversy about gymnastics scoring. This year, Nastia Liukin lost a gold medal to a competitor with the exact same score. If runners were in charge, we’d alter the events to eliminate any scoring issues. Take the balance beam; instead of 90-second routines that are different for each competitor, we’d set up a row of several parallel beams that are about 50 meters in length, then have the gymnasts race on the beams simultaneously. They’d still be required to do 4 back flips and 2 pirouettes and other tricks before they dismount at the other end – but in this case, the fastest gymnast who gets across without falling wins. Controversy solved!

There’s no question that swimming is one of the most popular events at the Games, even when Phelps isn’t in the pool. Some runners might find it strange that swimming has several races over the same distance using four different strokes. For runners, the object of races is to reward the person who gets from point A to point B the fastest, regardless of what type of stride they use - but maybe this is an area we could tweak to our advantage for next time.

We’re thinking that the runners could have competitions at all the standard distances, but include hopping, skipping, and backward running categories in addition to the usual “running forward” technique. They could also have medley events for those who excel in all four disciplines. Throw in a couple of relays (forward-style and medley), and a talented guy like Usain Bolt could definitely win 8 or more gold medals.

It’s sad that we may someday need to resort to carnival-style stunts in order to attract viewers to what were once the most prestigious events in the Olympics. What we really need is a stunningly beautiful, overwhelmingly dominant, American-born runner who can enter 10 different events as the odds-on favorite – but sadly, that wish may go ungranted for quite a while.

In the meantime, we’ll continue to hunt around the TV dial in the dead of night, resigned to our pitiful fate as frustrated fans of long distance running.