THE
ROAD RACER
Racing to Train It Runs In the Family
How running and racing brings families closer
Overcoming Frustration NUMERIC RUNNER:
THE SOUTH MOUNTAIN CLASSIC
The Arizona Road Racers Newsletter
March / April 2012
arizonaroadracers.com
Volunteers do it for the races Donate a little of your time to help your club and earn free races! I can’t express enough how thankful I am for our great volunteers. In January the club held its annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner where we honored our volunteers in person to show our gratitude for their hard work. As a non-profit organization run by volunteers, the Arizona Road Racers simply could not put on races without them. But we need more! By volunteering at our races you can earn ARR Bucks redeemable for discounts off future race entries. Accumulate enough bucks and you can earn a free race entry—all for simply showing up and lending a helping hand on race day! Even if you are running the event there are still opportunities to volunteer. Maybe you’ve never signed up because you weren’t sure how or you didn’t want to get stuck doing a task you didn’t like. Never fear! ARR is pleased to announce that we will soon be using technology from ivolunteer.com to help the volunteer sign-up process. With this new tool, volunteers can sign up for specific tasks at specific times that fit their schedules. It’s really a very cool feature and is just one of the new ways we are looking to improve the club and make our volunteers lives a little easier. So one more time, to all of our volunteers, I want to express a heartfelt thank you. See you on the roads! Trent Collicott President, Arizona Road Racers
2011-2012 ARIZONA ROAD RACERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Trent Collicott
arrboard@arizonaroadracers.com
Secretary Tricia Schwenk
Treasurer Hal Gensler
Business Operations Norm Janoff
Marketing & Race Shirts Erin Woodell
Pace Teams Tina Berlingeri
Registration Sandra Fontaine
Timing John Zatarski
Equipment & Staging Charlie Benson
Membership Brian Burns
Practices & Procedures Raj Gangadean
Social Events Lindsay Rusk
Volunteers Ryan Karylyle
VICE PRESIDENTS
The ROAD RACER The Road Racer is published bimonthly by the Arizona Road Racers, 428 E. Thunderbird Rd. #425, Phoenix, AZ 85022-5229. Newsletters are distributed free to Arizona Road Racers members. Individual issues are not for sale. Material in The Road Racer may be reproduced if the purpose is to promote running. Reproduced material must be accompanied by an acknowledgement to the Arizona Road Racers. Contributing photographers and writers retain all rights to their works. The views and opinions expressed by writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Arizona Road Racers, its partners, or advertisers. Deadline for articles, photos, and advertisements is the 15th of the preceding month. Submit all copy and photos to newsletter@arizonaroadracers.com.
1
Editor Erin Woodell erin@arizonaroadracers.com Contributing Columnists Trent Collicott, Derek Delancy, Norm Janoff, Paul E. Ruckel, Tricia Schafer
On the Cover Ian Thomas Photo courtesy of Michael Ratcliff / Zazoosh.com
Contributing Photographers David Bluestein, Life, Zazoosh Printer Short Run Printing, Ltd. • Scottsdale, AZ Electronic copies available.
The Road Racer
Racing to Train In 2005 I had worked my way into good shape and ran the St.
George Marathon in a time of 2:36:08. My wife is also a runner and we planned a month break from serious running. That break turned into five years and two children. We continued to run but usually no more than five miles just to stay in shape. In January 2011 I got my annual "I want to train again" bug but something was different this time. I actually entered a race longer than a 5K and I was now committed. I entered the Lost Dutchman Half Marathon held in February which gave me about seven weeks to train. I thought if I trained well I could make it back to 1:30 shape and that was my goal: break 1:30. I ran a very surprising 1:23:50 and that was the springboard I needed to get all the way back. By doing that race I learned something about myself and the once impossible now seemed possible. I ended up racing a total of 14 races in 2011. My race schedule included three half marathons, a 15K, two 10Ks, a 4.2 mile race, and seven 5Ks. That is by far my most in one year. Each race served a purpose for me and helped me improve. Sometimes I hear people say that they're not training for anything or that they're not in shape to race. For me, races serve as training tools to build toward my goals and 2011 proved that. Some of my races were mental breakthroughs, some were learning lessons, and some were proud achievements. The one thing all my races did is help me improve as a runner. In my 14th and final race of the year I ran a half marathon PR at the Tucson Half Marathon. My time of 1:13:30 was over 10 minutes faster than my first race of the year. I made it all the way back and racing was one of the key components to my training. How Races Can Help You Train First just signing up for a race can get you going. Once signed up for a race you are committed to it and are more likely to put in the training. If already training, races are great benchmarks to see where your fitness is at. By doing a small 5K at the beginning of a training cycle you can see where you are at and where your workout paces should be. That result can help you create a realistic goal going forward. Races can also serve as rewards for the hard training you've been putting in. If you schedule a race every 3-4 weeks during a training cycle you will be able to see tangible results and know that your work is paying off. It can be tough to go weeks and weeks training hard without real proof that your training is working. This can lead to burnout and a reduction of training and motivation. A positive race result can give you the extra March / April 2012
Race Your Way to a Better 2012 by Derek Delancy
motivation you need during the toughest parts of training while a bad result can show you where you need to improve. Races can also harden you mentally. There are more nerves on race day and practicing dealing with those nerves will make you stronger. Also, races that are all-out efforts will put you in a spot where you contemplate not finishing. I often have conversations in my head during races where I am explaining to my coach, friends, and family why I quit. Thankfully, I never have and I am stronger for it. Getting through the mentally tough parts of a race will make you a stronger runner the next time you’re in that situation. How You Can Use Smaller Races as Tune-Ups If you are entered into a longer race like a half marathon or marathon you can use races that are shorter to practice for your goal race. Just practicing the routine of a race morning will help you for your goal race. Things like how early to get up, what to eat, how long to warm up and stretch, how much water to drink, and what to wear are just a few things you can learn in a tune-up race. You can also practice certain paces and strategies in a real life situation. For instance, you could enter a 10K and run it at your goal half marathon pace as a training session if your goal race is a half marathon. Doing this gives you the feeling of race day and a great workout. You will also complete the race with confidence about your upcoming goal race. A real world example of this is my friend and training partner Ariana Hilborn who is training for the Olympic Trials in the marathon. She recently ran the Fiesta Bowl Half Marathon at her marathon pace as a training run. She finished the race feeling strong and confident about her ability to hold that pace for 26.2 miles. All-out efforts at shorter races also make excellent training sessions for your goal race. In my last training cycle which ended in a half marathon I did two 5Ks and two 10Ks during my buildup. You can never get a better workout than a race. Just be sure to take the proper recovery. Words of Caution With Racing Make sure you don't race too much. Races are great workouts but they take more time to recover from than standard workouts. If you are entering a race weekly or consistently every other week you will be at more risk to injury and you Continues ononpage continues page 54
2
We’ve All Felt It Some advice on overcoming frustration
by Paul E. Ruckel
We’ve all felt it– the feeling of frustration.
We’ve put in so many miles, lifted so many weights, pounded the pavement for so many years, run so many track workouts, run so many races. There comes a time when the human body just does not want to cooperate with all of that anymore. We realize we are getting older and slower. The recovery from an injury takes longer. We may even get an injury we’ve never had before! Heck, the recovery from a long run or intense track workout takes days! It feels so frustrating. Like all athletes, even the famous ones, as we get older skills wane, the mind weakens and muscles soften. Father Time waits for no man or woman. What, then, is the mindset we need to have? For one, there is no value in dreaming about the runner you once were. Those days are gone, that runner is history. You had a great ride. It is time to adjust – both mentally and physically. Adjust mentally to realize that running is supposed to be fun. Enjoy your run everyday and The Mick returning to the Yankee dugout after grounding out in a game late in his career. Photo courtesy of Life. don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s okay if you have a bad run or if you skip a workout. Develop new goals. Just don’t get hurt and don’t make mistakes in your training. We all know being hurt is not fun. So, take a deep breath, relax your mind and let go of the frustrations. As John Lennon wrote in The Beatles song Tomorrow Never Knows,“turn off your mind, relax and float downstream / it is not dying, it is not dying.” Welcome the next phase of your running life and be kind to yourself. You will find that is a prerequisite to being kind to others. What a joy it would be to see a runner on the roads with a smile on his or her face! Paul E. Ruckel has a 2:33:16 marathon personal best and is the race director of the Moon Valley Grasshopper Bridge 5K benefiting Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Team Jaydie.
ROADRACER PROFILE
RYAN KARYLYLE
AGE 35 • OWNER/OPERATOR ADT ALARM DEALER • HOMETOWN: PHOENIX, AZ
When did you start running? June 2010 What is your training schedule like? I run 4-5 times per week. I start from my house and map out a loop. Lately I’ve been training with longer runs in preparation for a marathon. How do you keep yourself motivated? My brother passed away from cancer last year. Before he passed, I promised him I would take better care of myself. I lost 65 pounds, joined a gym, and started running. My goal was to run a full marathon, and so far I’ve completed my first half marathon and just ran 20 miles for the first time in February 2012. What is your proudest running moment or accomplishment? Completing a 20 mile training run in preparation for my first marathon. How has running improved your life? It has improved my life so much! I have so much energy. I feel weird if I don’t get to run at least every other day. What kind of music do you run to? I listen to a lot of hip hop. I play Pandora through my phone. N.E.R.D. is my favorite station.
Ryan Karylyle runs in memory of his brother who passed away from cancer last year.
What is your power song? I’m not sure I have one, but I’m a drummer so I enjoy anything with a good beat that helps me keep a good pace. What other hobbies or interests do you have? I’m a father, musician, and computer nerd. I enjoy skateboarding, going to the gym, and running (obviously). What advice would you give new runners? Believe in yourself! I smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for 16 years. I never thought I would be in this great of shape. I finally have the body I’ve always wanted, and my wife doesn’t mind the new look either! Make a commitment to yourself and stick to it. Running is the most rewarding exercise and also the most mental.
3
The Road Racer
It Runs In the Family How running and racing brings families closer • by Tricia Schafer
That skinny lady in blue jeans who power-walked Sally’s Run 5K on December 10 in
under 45 minutes was my mom, visiting from Federal Way, WA. Thanks again to my friends who introduced themselves. What most people didn’t know, however, was that this visit was our first serious attempt at reconciliation in more than 11 years. It was racing that reconnected us. Mom’s peak running years were in Oregon, from the mid-1980’s through the early 2000’s. I didn’t race back then, but I used to accompany her as a kid, and I rode my bike alongside her on long training runs. Though never a speedster, she earned a reputation for tenacity and consistency. Her favorites included Hood to Coast, the Steens Rim Run, and the Prefontaine Memorial 10K in my hometown of Coos Bay. When I started racing consistently with ARR in 2008 I began to email her my times. This piqued her interest. She began to open up a bit, and we compared stories. In 2009 and 2010 I ran the Prefontaine 10K. She enthusiastically responded to my emails about race strategy and the unique features of the course, which she had last run a quarter-century ago. In early 2011, we exchanged emails about Sally Meyerhoff ’s tragic death, which mom had read about in the national press. A few months later, I invited her to participate in Sally’s Run with me. Imagine my surprise (and mild apprehension) when she said yes! Though some tensions remain, we made huge progress, and I credit ARR for helping me get my mom back. My experience prompted me to explore other out-of-state family bonds that ARR members have forged and maintained through running. Let’s start with Louise Turner. (She was easy for me to find, as I spent about a half-dozen races in 2011 plodding hopelessly behind her). “When I was a teenager,” Louise explains, “my dad ran the 75th Bay to Breakers 12K in my hometown of San Francisco. It sounded like so much fun that I started running so I could participate the following year. I ran the race annually until I moved out-of-state. I never forgot how that race, along with my dad, inspired me to start running.” This year, the 100th Bay to Breakers took place the same week as Louise’s 40th birthday. “I could think of no better way to celebrate than to run the centennial race with my dad, age 72. Together we covered the hills of San Francisco, weaving our way through Golden Gate Park soaking up the smell of the eucalyptus trees, and crossed the finish line on the Great Highway. It was a trip down memory lane!” Louise’s Dad must have enjoyed the camaraderie as well, as he came to Arizona to run the 2011 ARR Thanksgiving Day Classic with Louise and her kids. Siblings also use running to bridge the distance gap. Melissa Grass, who is originally from Louisiana, explains, “In 2009, on a whim, my sister and I decided to run the Crescent City Classic 10K, a New Orleans tradition. Neither of us had ever run for fitness before, but we were determined to start a new tradition of our own, despite the many years (13) and miles (1313) that separate us. The experience brought us even closer and has given us many laughs, memories, pictures, inside jokes, and secrets only sisters can share. We’re currently registered for our 4th race together in 2012 – a new tradition indeed!” Though the benefits of running are obvious, sometimes the most important steps we take are those that connect us with the ones we love.
Tricia Schafer has been a runner since her late teens, and cross trains with swimming, spin, and yoga. Professionally, she wears many hats, including attorney, editorial consultant, personal fitness trainer, and Race Director for The Night Run™.
Tricia Schafer and her mom Donna Brown at Sally’s Run 5K 12/10/11
Louise Turner and her dad Wayne Saylor at Bay to Breakers 5/15/2011
Racing To Train continued from page 2
will be losing out on other workouts that you are not fully
recovered for. Sometimes the race calendar doesn't always work out for ideal race spacing so you may have to enter back-to-back races or races two weeks apart. Just try to avoid doing it too often. I would suggest a tune-up race every three to four weeks during a cycle. This will allow you to get the benefits of your training in between races without having to take extra recovery time. When running all-out efforts at a race I take the following amount of days without hard workouts post-race: two days for 5K, 3-4 for 10K and 5-6 for a half marathon. If you use shorter races as training runs you should be able to follow your normal training schedule. Remember that when racing tune-up races you won't be tapered like you will be for your goal race and your performance will reflect that. If you have a goal of eight minutes per mile for a half marathon and that pace feels kind of hard in a 10K tune-up race it’s okay. It’s completely normal to not have your best performances in the middle of a training cycle. Please note that this advice is for people who have a goal race in mind. If you love racing every week and you don't have a goal race then go for it.
March / April 2012
Set Up Your Schedule The way I plan my race schedule is to start with my goal race and work backwards trying to set up a race every three to four weeks. I try to put shorter races like 5Ks in the beginning of my training cycle and longer races that more closely simulate my upcoming goal race later in the cycle. You also want to make sure you allow enough time for a proper taper prior to your goal race. Now its time to set some goals for 2012 and race your way to them!
Derek Delancey is a 2:36 marathoner who trains with the Bandidos running group. You can follow Derek on his website, www.azparentsontherun.com.
4
NORM JANOFF South Mountain Classic
could try to coast down and save it all for coming back. Then, once past ten, it was mostly down.” The toughest race in Phoenix that relatively few know about is the Gary also recalls a comment from Arizona Road Racers South Mountain Classic (SMC) 20K. First run Steve Pulos who called it “the in September 1988, this hidden gem starts at the eastern end of the stupidest course.” main ramada area and climbs up and down the park road heading to What’s interesting in the San Juan Lookout. The race was moved to March to avoid these comments from talented conflicting with the YMCA ½ Marathon that runs the same route, runners is how their race strategy just 0.7 miles longer. is a function of their personality. Talking with runners who have raced the SMC many times They clearly go hand in hand. is like the old joke about asking five runners about race strategy and Another veteran of getting six answers. Everyone has an opinion. The one common many South Mountain races, theme is the temperature: hot. That may moderate a bit now with the move to March from September. The other common oxymoron about Steve Lyding recalled the year the course was infested with white the race, as stated by Paul Bonnett, is that the race is uphill in both flies, small little white bugs that directions. The website Halfmarathons.net has a nice interactive got in your eyes and generally elevation graphic that actually depicts the YMCA half, but it is made conditions miserable when basically the same profile as the SMC. The graph shows the elevation you were compelled to run at the start as 1352 feet and the high point at 2.65 miles into the race through a swarm. Fortunately we haven’t seen white (about a half-mile beyond the turn-off that flies in years. leads to the top of South Mountain) of 1632 My own recollection of the course illustrates my feet. From there the course drops with hills ARR love/hate relationship with the South Mountain here and there to keep you guessing for about SOUTH MOUNTAIN Classic. The years I ran good races there, the three miles to the low point of 1204 feet. The temperature was generally moderate. On a warm course then climbs to nearly 1300 feet at the CLASSIC morning it seemed like you would take the turn in the turnaround. Coming back, after a nice road at the beginning of the climb back and the sun downhill, runners face three miles of climb March 24, 2012 would hit you right between the eyes. From that point with an occasional downhill that is so brief you had to deal with the sun and heat for the next that it is hardly worth it. Once gaining the high arizonaroadracers.com/southmountain three miles. Like any difficult undertaking, when you point of the course, less than three miles finished a good race at South Mountain, you were on remain, and while not all downhill, it certainly the top of the world. Unfortunately, a bad race left feels good knowing that the end is within reach. you totally depleted. Judy Newman highlights the rugged desert beauty of the This all adds up to a great opportunity to test your running course. Once past the ranger station at the one-mile mark and you ability on a truly challenging course close to home and at a have pretty much abandoned civilization with the course moving manageable distance. If you go in with the idea that your 20K time beyond South Mountain and your view dominated by the Sierra will be roughly comparable with your run-of-the-mill half marathon Estrella mountain range. March also brings the opportunity for an abundance of wild flowers, although predicting wild flowers is almost time, then you will have your expectations set. Also, Paul Ruckel points out that if you are going to run as difficult as the South Mountain Classic road race. Paul Bonnett’s other comment was that the South Mountain the Boston Marathon or are thinking about trying to qualify for Boston, what better course to use as a training run in your Boston Classic is a good course to run negative splits, an opinion certainly Marathon preparation than the South Mountain Classic, falling as it not shared by many other runners. You have to know that Bonnett’s does four weeks before Boston. running style is to go out at a reasonable pace and then pick it up as To get a better sense of the history of the South Mountain he warms to the race. Also, Paul is an excellent hill runner. That hill Classic, I took a trip to the ARR Warehouse (quite an experience, but coming back is just a big attractive challenge to him. probably better saved for another column) and leafed through old Another runner with a long history of races at South Road Racer newspapers to find the results from the first South Mountain is Paul Ruckel, presently the race director of the Moon Mountain Classic 20K held on September 25, 1988. Below is a Valley Grasshopper Bridge 5K. Ruckel remembers running the SMC partial list of finishing times of runners that you may know or have as a final tune up for the St. George Marathon that was typically run heard legend of. on the first Saturday in October. He certainly acknowledges the There are some very special times run in that inaugural difficulty of the course. “Nothing compares to it,” according to Paul, SMC. What was a little disappointing was that there was no article but characteristically, his race strategy was to “run it as hard as I about the first South Mountain Classic 20K. Apparently there was could.” In retrospect, Ruckel now concedes that such an aggressive little to no awareness of the historical significance of this race, back race approach so close to his target St. George marathon race may not have been the best tactic, but hindsight often brings greater clarity. in 1988. Now however, knowing the history of the race, its elevation chart and the comments from your running peers, there is no reason Gary Grierson is another veteran of many South Mountain for you not to sign up today. Classic road races, actually fifteen of them. Grierson views it as “the thinking man’s race. The technical nature of the course made it a good race for older guys who were experienced at running it. You
NOTABLE SOUTH MOUNTAIN CLASSIC FiniSHERS 5
Jeff Wentworth Tom Davidson Steve Greenspan Tom Postorino Carol Kollstedt (Bennett) Ken Hopes Bob Oliva Gary Grierson
28 39 30 43 34 29 46 38
1:06:16 1:18:07 1:23:02 1:23:54 1:24:06 1:24:14 1:24:42 1:27:38
Nancy Howe Don Newman Bob Meyer Lyle Langlois Barb Postorino Charlie Rice Deborah Gobins Novi Milicevic
33 44 51 58 41 58 31 60
1:32:49 1:34:48 1:38:51 1:45:35 1:50:19 1:50:37 1:54:40 1:56:48
The Road Racer
For a complete list of races, visit our online calendar: arizonaroadracers.com/racecalendar
MARCH 2012 3
10
Market Street @ DC Ranch
The Nun Run 10K - 5K
Run for Ryan House Half Marathon, 10K, & 5K Ostrich Festival 5K Chandler, AZ
One for Water 4-Miler Rio Vista Park • Peoria, AZ
Kiwanis Park • Tempe, AZ
11
Phoenix Marathon
Mesquite Canyon Trail Run 8K, 13.1 Mile, 30K, 50K
4
Rio Vista Park • Peoria, AZ
Usery Pass • Mesa, AZ
Stride for Sight 5K
Kiwanis Park • Tempe, AZ
17
Kiss Me I'm Irish 17K, 8K, 4K
Westgate City Center • Glendale, AZ
St. Patrick's Day Run Old Town • Scottsdale, AZ
24
Arizona Road Racers South Mountain Classic 20K and 5K
South Mountain Park • Phoenix, AZ
25
XTERRA Trail Run Black Canyon Mesa Table Trail head
31
Mountain to Fountain 15K
Emma's Run 10K & 5K
Fountain Hills, AZ
Anthem Community Ctr • Anthem, AZ
APRIL 2012 7
14
Cave Creek Trail Run 5K, 10K, 2 Mile Kids Run
Havasu Half Marathon & 5K
Cave Creek, AZ
London Bridge Beach Lake Havasu, AZ
Toro Loco Challenge Mud/Obstacle Race
Pioneer Days 5K
TLC Field • Eloy, AZ
Peoria Community Ctr. • Peoria, AZ
Sabino Canyon Sunset Run 7.4 Miles Sabino Canyon • Tucson, AZ
21
Brian Mickelsen Memorial Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K and 2 Mile Run Cottonwood, AZ
8th Annual Pat's Run ASU Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, AZ
AZ Oral Cancer 5K El Dorado Park • Scottsdale, AZ
28
Girls On The Run 5K Kiwanis Park • Tempe, AZ
Glow Run At Encanterra
Encanterra, A Trilogy Country Club San Tan Valley, AZ
29
Childhelp Run the Course McCormick Ranch Golf Club Scottsdale, AZ
MAY 2012 5
12
26
Courthouse Square • Prescott, AZ
Rio Vista Park • Peoria, AZ
Papago Park • Phoenix, AZ
6
The Night Run 8K
Prescott YMCA Whiskey Row Marathon
Tucson Heart Group Cinco de Mayo 10K
Cholla High School • Tucson, AZ
Arizona Road Racers Luck of the Draw 8K
Arizona Road Racers Summer Series #1
Old Town • Scottsdale, AZ
13
Tucson 5000 - 5K
Reid Park • Tucson, AZ
March / April 2012
6
428 E. Thunderbird Rd. #425 Phoenix, AZ 85022-5229
Annual Awards Dinner
At the 2011 Annual Awards Dinner, ARR recognized the club’s outstanding volunteers of the year and announced the Grand Prix winners. Thank you to all our volunteers and congratulations to our Grand Prix winners! It’s not too late to sign up for the 2012 Grand Prix-- download the application online at www.arizonaroadracers.com/grandprix
2011 Grand Prix Winners
First Place
First place winners Mike Bruns, Norm Brouillard, Louise Turner, Brian Burns, Charlie Balchumas and Aaron Berger.
Second Place
Louise Turner Christine Zamboni
0-39 40+
Kristina Pham Demetra Reynolds
0-39 40+
Brian Burns Aaron Berger Norm Brouillard Mike Bruns Bill Scheel Charlie Balchumas
0-34 35-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60+
Trent Collicott Thomas Hickernell Brent Gifford Joe Wells Norm Janoff
0-34 45-49 50-54 55-59 60+
2011 Volunteers of the Year Dave Arnold Lisa Barnes Curtis Bray Connie Garrity John Greer
Tammy Hellenthal Carol Janoff Ellie Kallal Yong Kim Ron Ledesma
Bill Lynn Lia Mann Pat Richert John Robinson Tom Solnit