20081101footnotes

FOOTNOTES

For the Members of the RRCA by the Members of the RRCA

NOVEMBER 2008

RRCA 51st National Convention Pheidippides

Who Let the Mice Out?

Run@Work

Increasing Mileage

BOSU Ball Table of Contents

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FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

Cover: Big Tesuque 11.6 Mile Trail Run Santa Fe, NM October 4, 2008

FEATURES 51st RRCA National Convention Registration.....................................6 A Tale of Two Miller’s..................13

by Jack Anthony BOSU Balance Trainer..........................45

by Roy Stevenson Hood to Coast Relay: 360 Goes 180.....40 Pheidippides Diary .........................8

by Brett Busang Theyerl Logs 20K Miles...............48 Universal Benefits of Running.......44

by Bee McLeod Who Let the Mice Out?................14

by Bob Kopac

REGULAR CONTENT 3rd Annual RRCA Run@Work......20 Executive Director’s Note..............4 FoodFit Recipe..............................17 From the Experts...........................19 Increasing Mileage

by John Colianni, M.D. Kids Run the Nation.....................12 RRCA Coaching Certification......15 RRCA Personal Fitness.................49 Running Around the Nation: Eastern Region..........................22 Southern Region.......................26 Central Region..........................33 Western Region.........................36 The UN-Comfort Zone...................16 What’s the BIG Idea......................18

TO DO LIST:

4th Annual RRCA

National Run @ Work Day Join thousands of people on September 18, 2009 as they incorporate 35 minutes of exercise into their daily routine by running before work, during lunch or immediately following their work day.

35 minutes of exercise several days a week can improve a person’s overall health and fitness.

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

Road Runners Club of America RRCA Board of Directors

Brent Ayer..................................................President David Cotter......................................Vice President Dennis Novak............................................Treasurer Mark Grandonico.............................Eastern Region Ken Bendy.....................................Southern Region Mitchell Garner.................................Central Region David Epstein..................................Western Region Lisa Paige...................................................At-Large Bob Holmes................................................At-Large

Executive Director

Jean Knaack ..................................execdir@rrca.org

Program Services Director

Jessica Sleight.......................membership@rrca.org

Office Manager

Dorothy Commock.......................dorothy@rrca.org

Webmaster

Warren Finke...........................webmaster@rrca.org

Editorial Committee

Cathy Fiesler, MD……............…………...Medical Patti Finke….……………...........………..Coaching Mel Williams, PhD…............. Exercise Physiology

FOOTNOTES Managing Editor

Sandy Walton.............................footnotes@rrca.org

Please submit materials for publication via email to the editor at footnotes@rrca.org. Submission Deadline for the December FOOTNOTES is Friday November 14, 2008.

All materials herein are fully protected and may not be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the RRCA or the author.

Views expressed herein are those of the authors exclusively. No advice should be taken as medical advice. Consult your physician if you have questions about your health and fitness.

The Road Runners Club of America is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

Road Runners Club of America 1501 Lee Highway, Suite 140 Arlington, VA 22209 Phone: 703-525-3890 Fax: 703-525-3891 Email: office@rrca.org

FOOTNOTES

Executive Director’s Note: In August 2008, we sent an outstanding team of distance runners to the Olympics in Beijing.

Congratulations to Shalane Flanagan for her third place finish in the 10,000 meter.

While no medals were brought home in the marathon, the RRCA celebrates the accomplishments of the USA Olympic Marathon team, and thanks them for positively representing their country and their sport on the world stage. You faced adverse conditions, and your perseverance and grace under pressure are truly an inspiration for us all.

Speaking of the 2008 Olympics, a big thank you is in order to Mitch Garner for his wonderful day-by-day journal entries during his trip to Beijing. If you missed any of Mitch’s blog, you can relive his journey at http://www.rrca.org/news/.

Bridge to the Future is the tagline for the 51st Annual RRCA National Convention that will be held in San Francisco, CA, March 26-29, 2009. This tagline could not be more fitting as the RRCA’s 50th Anniversary year draws to a close. As of posting this issue of FOONOTES, there are over 960 RRCA member running clubs and events, an all time high. The sport of long distance running has never been stronger. But we must all work together to keep our favorite activity alive and thriving. To do this, we must do a better job of engaging the next generation of participants, future leaders, and race directors in our sport.

To help engage young runners and to foster a life-long-love of running, the RRCA has developed the turnkey Kids Run the Nation Program that can be implement in communities around the country. You will learn more about the program in the pages of this issue of FOOTNOTES, and you can find information online at http://www.rrca.org/programs/kids/.

We look forward to seeing a Kids Run the Nation Program in every town and in every grade school in the United States.

Please help us achieve this goal by spreading the word about this great program or by starting one in your town today!

Jean Knaack

NOVEMBER 2008

Road Runners Club of America MISSION The Road Runners Club of America is the national association of running clubs, running events, and runners dedicated to promoting long distance running as a competitive sport and as healthful exercise. RRCA’s mission is to represent and promote the common interest of its member clubs, events, and individual runners through education, leadership, programs and other services.

VISION The Road Runners Club of America is the premier national organization dedicated to promoting the development and growth of running clubs, running events, and supporting the interests of recreational runners throughout the country including those that walk because they are unable to run. The RRCA strives to provide quality programming that can be replicated throughout the country by member clubs from small towns to large cities that promote and support running, runners, and supporters of the sport at all stages in life. The RRCA is dedicated to providing the running community with educational information and programs that will keep them safe, healthy, and informed.

Furthermore, the RRCA strives to promote excellence in nonprofit management for the National Office as well as member clubs by providing services, benefits, and regular communication that support this vision.

VALUES • •

• •

•

• • • •

•

Running, runners, and the promotion of running as a healthy lifestyle choice Strength and support of its network of grassroots members and volunteers, and as such, we strive to maintain positive relations will all of our members Diversity in its member clubs and encourages all clubs to maintain an enjoyable atmosphere for all members Promotion of safety for all runners and the enforcement and development of laws and infrastructure that protects runners’ safety Running as a competitive sport and we support the Zero Tolerance Policy for the use of performance enhancing drugs in the sport.

Participation of people who support the sport of running but are unable to run due to various circumstances Financial contributions and support of members, sponsors, volunteers, and donors to the organization Good communication with its members and the running community as a whole Prudent financial management that enables the organization to achieve its mission while ensuring adequate cash reserves Strong relationships with national and local media that cover the sport of running and running as a healthy lifestyle choice

Photo by Vikki Lang

Your donation helps...

Kids Run the Nation!

Start Running: Stay Running Established in 2007, the Kids Run the Nation Fund raises money and awards small grants to nonprofit running clubs and events that have youth/children running programs. Grants are awarded to new or existing programs to help support their efforts. We hope to engage the next generation of runners through youth programs or encourage youth to change their life through running. www.active.com/donate/Getmoving

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

51st RRCA National Convention San Francisco, USA March 26-29, 2009 www.rrcaconvention.org

ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA

PURPOSE

The Road Runners Club of America is the national association of running clubs, running events, and runners dedicated to promoting long distance running as a competitive sport and as healthful exercise. RRCA’s mission is to represent and promote the common interest of its member clubs, events, and individual runners through education, leadership, programs and other services. The RRCA website can be found at: www.rrca.org

Each year the RRCA gathers in a different city for its annual convention, business meeting, workshops, and national awards banquet. The convention has taken st 1958 without fail. Hundreds of runners and club and event delegates place since attend the convention. The convention includes an RRCA Board meeting, training for RRCA state representatives, seminars, coaches training, luncheon banquets, fun runs, and an awards dinner banquet.

HYATT: HOST HOTEL & EXPO

COMPANION RACE: PRESIDIO 10 www.rrcaconvention.org

51 RRCA Annual Convention San Francisco, USA March 26-29, 2009

Run across the Golden Gate Bridge! The Presidio 10 has been selected as the Most activities, meals, and seminars will be at the Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf. companion for the convention. PURPOSE Attendees are eligible for a $5 discount off Located in the heart of world-famous Fisherman’s Wharf, this four star hotel has ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OFrace AMERICA the pre-registered rates. Useof code “2009RRCA” (use gathers separate entry form). easy access to Pier 39, the Cannery, Harbor Cruises, and Ghirardelli Square;Club of America The Road Runners is the national association Each year the RRCA in a race different city for its annual clubs,Union running events, anddetailed runners dedicated to about the Presidio convention, For information 10,business and tomeeting, registerworkshops, for eitherand thenational 10K across from the Powell & Mason Cable Car Line, about a running mile from promoting long distance running as a competitive sport and as awards banquet. The convention has taken place since 1958 or 10 mile race, visit Square, Chinatown and Nob Hill. The convention room rate is $172 perexercise. night forRRCA's mission healthful is to represent andwww.presidio10.com. promote without fail. Hundreds of runners and club and event delegates interest of its member clubs, events, and individual attend the convention. The convention includes an RRCA a room with either 1 or 2 beds. For a special discounted rate, the callcommon reservations runners through education, leadership, programs and other Board meeting, training for RRCA state representatives, at 402-592-6464 or 800-233-1234. (Be sure to mention you are attending the services. The RRCA website can be found at: www.rrca.org RUNS/WALKS seminars, coaches training, luncheon banquets, fun runs, and RRCA Convention!) an awards dinner banquet.

EXPO! Check out products & races from the sponsors, bookHYATT: signings,HOST silent HOTEL & EXPO Attendees will be guided on scenicCONVENTION runs/walks aroundHOSTS the Fisherman’s Wharf auction, and learn the history of the host clubs.

Most activities, meals, & seminars will be at the “Hyatt at Four of the leading clubs in the Bay Area are heading up the area that take in many of San Francisco’s iconic sights.

Fisherman’s Wharf.” Located in the heart of world-famous effort: Dolphin South End Runners (DSE), Pamakid Runners, attendees trail running, the Tamalpa Runners hostand a Lake run Merritt Fisherman's Wharf, this four For star hotel has easy who accesslove to Pier San Francisco Road Runners Club will (SFRRC) 39, the Cannery, Harbor Cruises Ghirardelli Square; across JoggersDipsea & Striders (LMJS). with& light refreshments on the infamous trail.

This run is limited to 40 TRAVEL from the Powell & Mason Cable Car Line, about a mile from Union participants whoroom liverate outside California. RACE: PRESIDIO 10 COMPANION Square, Chinatown & Nob Hill.

The convention is $172of Northern Run across the Golden Gate Bridge! The Presidio 10 has been per Mention night for a room JetBlue will offer a 5% discount on flights to San Francisco. codewith either 1 or 2 beds. For a special selected as the companion race for the convention. Attendees rate, call reservations at 402-592-6464/800-233-1234.

“RRCA2009” when making reservations at www.jetblue.com.discounted [CONDITIONS are eligible for a $5 discount off the pre-registered rates. Use (Be sure to mention you are attending the RRCA Convention!) EVENING THURSDAY RECEPTION code “2009RRCA” (use separate race entry form). For APPLY.] EXPO! Check out products & races from the sponsors, book detailed information about the Presidio 10 & to register for signings, silent auction, & learn the history of the host clubs.

Once you arrive, take the Super Shuttle from the airport to your hotel in Convention attendees will gather at either the historic End Rowing Club to learn the 10K South or 10mile race, visit www.presidio10.com.

Fisherman’s Wharf. To take advantage of a discounted price for each way, about how this historical site laid theRUNS/WALKS roots of Bay Area running. Attendees will TRAVEL mention code “3WG4F” when making reservations at www.SuperShuttle.com.

JetBlue will offer a 5% discount on flights to San Francisco.

Attendees be guided on scenic runs/walks around the meet national RRCA board officers and statewill representatives.

[CONDITIONS APPLY.] Fisherman’s Wharf area that take in many of San Francisco’s Mention code “RRCA2009” when making reservations at

AWARDS BANQUET

www.jetblue.com. [CONDITIONS APPLY.] Once you arrive, take the Super Shuttle from the airport to your hotel in Fisherman’s Wharf. To take advantage of a discounted price for each way, mention code “3WG4F” when making APPLY.]is reservations at www.SuperShuttle.com.

The heart[CONDITIONS of the convention

iconic sights.

For attendees who love trail running, the Tamalpa Runners will SEMINARS host a run with light refreshments on the infamous Dipsea trail.

This run is limited to 40 participants who live outside of

Northern California. the seminars such as: Included in the full convention fee is the RRCA awards banquet highlightedBANQUET by AWARDS THURSDAY EVENING RECEPTION • Careers in the Running Industry Panel - hosted by Runner’s World’s Bart Yasso keynote speaker, Frank Shorter, Gold Medalist in the 1972 Olympic Included Marathon in the full convention fee is the RRCA awards banquet Convention attendees will gather at the historic South End • " How to Make a Race a Real Event" presented by the Big Sur International Marathon highlighted by keynote speaker, Frank Shorter, Gold Medalist in Rowing Club to learn about how this historical site laid the and Silver Medalist in the 1976 Olympics. Take part as national award winners • Ultrarunning Panel highlighted by Western States 100 winner Timwill Twietmeyer the 1972 Olympic Marathon and Silver Medalist in the -1976 roots of Bay Area running.

Attendees meet national are honored.

Olympics. Take part as national award winners are honored.

RRCA board officers and state representatives.

• Healthy Training Tips for Runners - presented by Presidio Sport & Medicine OTHER SPECIAL MEALS/ACTIVITIES SEMINARS • Advanced Trail Running - Nancy Hobbs, Executive Director of the American Join us for other meals (see fees) with special guests & activities.

The heart of the convention is the seminars such as: Trail Running Association SPECIAL MEALS & ACTIVITIES • Friday Luncheon - RRCA State Representatives are honored • Careers in the Running Industry Panel - hosted by • Runners with Panel

by Runner’s World’s Chief Running Officer, BartDisabilities Yasso, who will Runner’s World’s Bart Yasso give a slide show presentation ofarathon his running aroundTraining•Program "How to Make a Race a Real Event" - presented by the Big • M & adventures Half Marathon Join us for other meals (see fees) with special guests & activities. the world which was the basis for his book, “My Life on the Run.” Sur International Marathon • How to Utilize Active.com for Your Running Club/Race • Friday Luncheon - RRCA State Representatives are honored

by Runner’s • Friday Dinner - Join runners from around the nation for a • Ultrarunning Panel - highlighted by Western States 100 hildren’s Running World’s Chief Running Officer, Bart Yasso, who will givespecial a slide show shopping experience • atCSports Basement along with winner Tim Twietmeyer contests by East Bay Gay Men Choir.

Dthe iversity in Running: Frontrunners • Healthy Training Tips for Runners - presented by Presidio presentation of his running adventures around the world which was and themusic basisprovided• • Saturday Marathon & Beyond Magazine’s Luncheon Sport & Medicine • C lub College: RRCA Programs, Club Governance for his book, “My Life on the Run.” Keynote speaker is Ultramarathon Man & local Dean Karnazes • Advanced Trail Running - Nancy Hobbs, Executive Director Checkin website • Friday Dinner - Join runners from around the nation for a special shopping who ran 50 marathons in 50 states 50 days. for other seminars & schedule! of the American Trail Running Association Saturday Morning • Runners with Disabilities Panel experience at Sports Basement along with contests and music• provided by the Cruise - Take a cruise as a local bay swimmer explains the sights & quirks of the bay. Light • Marathon & Half Marathon Training Program East Bay Gay Men Choir. refreshments offered. LIMITED TO 40.

• How to Utilize Active.com for Your Running Club/Race CONVENTION HOSTS • Saturday Marathon & Beyond Magazine’s Luncheon - Keynote speaker is • Course Measurement - Hands-on session on course • Children’s Running measurement.

LIMITED TO 15.

• Diversity in Running: Frontrunners Ultramarathon Man & local Dean Karnazes who ran 50 marathons in 50 states Four of the leading in ofthe Bay Area are heading up the effort: Dolphin South • RRCA Coaches Continuing Education Course clubs - 4 hours • Club College: RRCA Programs, Club Governance in 50 days.

End Runners (DSE), San FranciscoCheck Roadwebsite Runners Clubseminars (SFRRC), Lake Merritt seminars in addition to convention.

See website for more details. for other & schedule!

• Saturday Morning Cruise - Take a cruise as a local bay swimmer explains the Joggers & Striders (LMJS), and Pamakid Runners, . sights & quirks of the bay. Light refreshments offered. LIMITED TO 40.

• Course Measurement - Hands-on session on course measurement. LIMITED www.rrcaconvention.org TO 15.

• RRCA Coaches Continuing Education Course - 4 hours of seminars in addition to convention. See website for more details.

Convention Hosts: Dolphin South End, San Francisco Road Runners, Lake Merritt Joggers & Striders, Pamakid Runners

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

51st RRCA NATIONAL CONVENTION REGISTRATION FORM Registrant Information Last Name

First Name

Mailing Address City

State

Primary Phone

Email

Club Name

Title/Position in Club

PRICES

Zip

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Circle)

$250 x # _______= $ ______ until January 15, 2009.

Convention registration (includes shirt, workshops, meetings, Thursday evening reception, goodies, CD of seminar handouts, 1 ticket to awards banquet)

$275 x # _______= $ ______ postmarked after January 15, 2009.

Convention registration (same as above)

$325 x # _______= $ ______ postmarked after March 1, 2009.

Convention registration (same as above, but limited in shirt sizes)

$50 x # _______= $ ______ Must register for convention as well. RRCA coaches only.

Continuing Education RRCA Coaching Certification (15 student limit) (Two 2 hour seminars.)

MEAL TICKETS

T-Shirt Size: Is this your first convention?

Do you want vegetarian meals?

S

M

Yes Yes

L

No No

XL

XXL

RECEPTION & RUNS Do you plan to join us at the Thursday evening reception?

Do you plan to join us for the scenic runs?

Thursday AM: Yes No Friday AM: Friday PM: Yes No Saturday AM:

Yes

No

Yes Yes

No No

PAYMENT INFO Please sign waiver, mail, and make checks payable to:

RRCA Convention 2009

$40 x # _______= $ ______

Friday Luncheon with Bart Yasso

$35 x # _______= $ ______

Friday Dinner Party & Contest

$40 x # _______= $ ______

Saturday Luncheon with Dean Karnazes

Refund Policy: You may cancel your registration for the convention up until February 25, 2009 and receive a refund minus a 10% service fee. After that date no refund can be issued.

$100 x # _______= $ ______

Meal Package (Friday Luncheon, Friday Dinner, and Saturday Luncheon)

Convention Use Only

$60 x # _______= $ ______

Awards Banquet (one ticket is already included with each convention registration)

P.O. Box 475224 • San Francisco, CA 94147

OTHER

$25 x # _______= $ ______

Bay Cruise with light refreshments Limited to 40.

$25 x # _______= $ ______

Course Measurement Session Limited to 40.

TOTAL

$______________

Check #: Amount:

Dipsea Run with Tamalpa Runners on Saturday morning (includes transportation and light refreshments) Non-Local Attendees Only. Limited to 40.

$30 x # _______= $ ______

Date Received:

Comp: Comp plus additional: Database Entry: Remarks: Quicken Entry:

Questions about registration: Contact 850-438-9589 or rrcaconvention2009@sbcglobal.net For more information, go to www.rrcaconvention.org

Release form: I know that running is a potentially hazardous activity. I should not participate in the running activities unless I am medically able and properly trained.

I assume all risks associated with running in these convention runs & other activities, including but not limited to falls, contact with other participants, the effects of the weather, including high heat and/or humidity, traffic and the conditions of the road, all such risks being known and appreciated by me. Having read this waiver and knowing these facts and in consideration of your accepting my entry, I, for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf, waive and release the Road Runners Clubs of America, Pamakid Runners, Lake Merritt Joggers & Striders, San Francisco Road Runners, and Dolphin South End Running Club, all city, county, and state governments, the Hyatt, South End Rowing Club, transportation, volunteers, and all sponsors, their representatives and successors from all claims or liabilities of any kind arising out of my participation in this convention & related activities. I understand that all entries are final with no refunds. The official convention hosts reserve the right in any event of emergency or local or national disaster to cancel the convention or to change the day and/or time to a later day and that in the event of cancellation or change there is refund of entry fees minus a service fee. The official convention hosts reserve the right to change the schedule of activities and seminars without warning. I grant permission to all of the foregoing to use any photographs, motion pictures, recordings or any other record of this event for any legitimate purpose.

I have received a copy and read the above. ______ [initials] Sign Name_________________________________________________________ Print Name______________________________________________ Date________________________

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

Runners Unite Across the Ages: Pheidippides Diary Found By Jogger

by Brett Busang

By way of introduction, I’d like to say that I’m tickled pink to be bringing forth, for the first time, words that have been sequestered from humankind for more than half the length of civilization as we largely white and moderately affluent men (and some women) have come to know it. These words were allegedly written by the world’s first professional runner.

A figure whose legendary stamina ended in tragedy, his greatest race would be his last. As the world knows, this valiant competitor died shortly after delivering the news that his beloved Greek soldiers had routed the Persians at Marathon which, as few of us know today, did not involve water-stops and achievementoriented platitudes, but sun, spear, and blood; as one empire’s youth languished on the field, another’s rose triumphantly to greet a new morn. It was a battle that would usher in the Golden Age of Greek Civilization - and what better harbinger than a runner, who might “kick off” dawning greatness? Who could better deliver a tide-turning message than a super-achiever - even if he’d live just long enough to speak his nation’s nascent glory to the world? We can only regret that this splendid splinter of a man had not completed greater distances in order to fortify himself against the task and lived to hear the stunning rhetoric of Euripides; watch Plato watch Socrates kick butt on the Open Schoolroom floor; thrill to the hammer-notes of the stonecutter as he raised the noble Parthenon from the soil?

I guess almost any ultra-runner of our day could’ve delivered the news (“We conquer/you got trounced, dude/we’re yo’ daddy!”) and done another 26.2 miles just to cool down. But Pheidippides lacked our training modalities; our sophisticated coaching techniques; our energy-restoring gels and carbohydratepacked sports drinks. On just a little food (probably a lamb sandwich) and water (over-consumption of which was considered “sissy”), Pheidippides managed to do the nearly impossible.

His was a breakthrough experience we

FOOTNOTES

runners of the future have taken to our hearts; out of his tragic failure, we can all glean benefits, such as stopping to drink openly and not worry about what a bunch of scruffy-looking guys from Syracuse might think about you. Pheidippides paid the ultimate price for “getting there on time.” Modern runners are generally content to have finished a marathon; bragging rights such as these would have been incomprehensible to any Greek.

On the other hand, Pheidippides’ time wasn’t very good. He ran at about an eight-minute pace - over terrain that was, however, *spirit-breaking in the extreme.

He was also “under the gun” in a way few competitive runners are today. He couldn’t rest even if he wanted to. Most of us can drop out of a race anytime we like - though few of us do because other people will read about it. Yet even if we cut him a little slack, he still wasn’t what I’d call a great runner - or even a good one. (Laboratory analysis of his spinal column shows a distinct slouching pattern; special x-rays indicate splayed feet. And bunions.) We might regard him as the First Runner, but hardly the best. In fact, as we read his journals, we get mixed messages. He doesn’t seem to care about running at first, but then he gets interested. What’s that about?

Then. . .well, you read it. I quit after a few pages myself. *He ran through fennel - whose spiritbreaking capacity is controversial. It would depend on whether you care for its aromatic properties or not. From what I hear, you either love the stuff or hate it. .

THE JOURNAL Entry #1 (sometime during the Year of Our Gods, 490 B. C.) I didn’t ask to do this. They lined us up and said, “Hey, you! Yeah, you - the skinny one!” And from that day, my life has been absolute hell. They say a person can run five miles at a time. Tell that to my hamstrings! If I didn’t have that guy poking me from the back with that pointy

NOVEMBER 2008

stick, I’d’ve called it quits after they got me out on that rocky road outside camp, where a cadre of special operatives, like yours truly, are being trained for stuff that’ll probably kill us. They say all I’ve gotta run is five miles, but I can’t really believe them: for one, I’ll never be able to run that far; for another, I think it’s gonna have to be more than that. If we whup up on the Persians, it’ll have to be at some place called “Marathon,” which is in the goddamned middle of nowhere – and only the gods know how many miles’ march it is from Athens. If they think I can run that, they’re off their nut. But it’s part of our Greek code or whatever to say we can do anything (if we don’t, they’ll kill us), so I said, sure I can do that, no problem, let’s get on with it. I’m just hoping it’s a draw or something. Or - the gods forgive me the Persians give us the ass. I’d wind up a slave, which doesn’t pay real good, but it’ll get you three squares a day and a work schedule you can rely on.

Entry: #2 (see “Entry #1”) Is there anything more tedious than running? I do five miles, then they say ten; I do ten, and it’s fifteen. Now I’m doing twenty like nobody’s business. Just kickin’ up and down the cobblestones with no pointy stick up my butt and a fine downhill stretch in front of me.

Meanwhile, the army’s getting nervous.

Terrible and humiliating routs elsewhere have done something bad to the morale and everybody’s either grumping or picking a fight or playing this stupid new game in which you sit at a board and you move these little guys around until somebody yells “Checkmate!” And then a real fight breaks out because the rules are so complicated and few ordinary grunts are willing to learn them. But I’m up to thirty miles now and I’m beginning to feel like a real “athlete”, whatever that is; it’s what the soldiers call other soldiers who knock themselves out when nobody’s around. Do I do that? Maybe I don’t know what I do anymore; I’m in See DIARY, page 9

DIARY, continued from page 8

the army and I do what I’m told. I’m just a proly sorta guy who had to enlist ‘cause he couldn’t buy his way out of it.

Yeah: they’ve got this payoff system that allows you to get off if you can come up with the cash. Not fair, but nothing’s fair in this society. In fact, I’m not even sure what “fair” is. There’s “fair play” and “all’s fair in love and war”, but that doesn’t give me much of a leg-up on meaning. I use a lotta words I really don’t know because I didn’t really get a good education and have had to pick up stuff here and there, now and then, over and under; that is to say, empirically and not in one of these fancy-schmantzy schools you gotta sell your firstborn to get into – the second too, if they’re girls.

So what’s “fair” mean? Dunno. I just know it ain’t fair to be doing what I’m doing when you can buy your way out of this particular situation if you’ve got the dough. In fact, it looks like what I’m doin’ is just playing around anyway ‘cause no way we’re gonna win this thing. The Persians are superior in every way; they have the strategic advantage of being on home ground; they’ve got fresher troops who are also battle-trained; and they’ve got this leader, Zirtzees or something, who’s really on a roll and probably isn’t gonna do anything stupid. So I’m just universe. I want that more than anything visibility to die for. And since I’m going to do that, I should know.) running now because it’s my job. And, on this earth. hey, I never thought anybody could run Here’s the thing. I decided to consult so far without croakin’.

Entry #4 (Just stay with me, okay?) an oracle and guess what he told me: I’m gonna die after I give out with the Rumbles of war.

Cries of “Checkmate” Entry #3 (You should know the drill by news. Great! All this training and I’m are no longer heard in the camp; guys now) are polishing up their gear, tending to just gonna croak?!? What’s the meaning I’m up to forty-five miles. Nobody - the horses, putting the game-face on in of that? So I went back for a second including myself - would’ve thought the morning and leaving it there through opinion. Same thing. Are you sure?

I could do it. I’m getting a reputation the night. I’m up to over fifty miles per I asked. “What is it about the word even. But it’s kinda boring to be able to diem and am considered a real athlete ‘die’ you don’t understand?” asked the run so far because you wouldn’t believe now. (I guess they weren’t serious about oracle, in that rumbling voice they all the things you think about. Not girls (or me being one earlier on. You gotta prove have. Hoping to buy a little good will, I boys either – if that’s your preference.) yourself around here every minute!) But apologized and waited around to see if it Nor about winning the lottery or having my athletic status has paid off; they don’t had taken effect. When the oracle said “I a nice house that looks like a temple poke me from behind anymore; they just have nothing to add to that,” I ran back with some hanging gardens in the back watch me for a mile or two, then go back to camp and did some serious thinking. and maybe a little place where you and to camp. Everybody’s worried as hell So: according to the oracle - a minorthe missus can get hot and bothered and can’t hide it. We’re gonna get the leaguer, to be sure, but an oracle still - I without getting eaten alive by the bugs. call to march, I know it. And if we win, do the job and then I’m done for. I mean, If we get beat and I have to slave it up I’ve gotta run all the way from Marathon what’s that about? He could be wrong, for some Persian guy, maybe there won’t to Athens. They say the terrain’s pretty but I won’t know that until it’s over. And be as many bugs over there. I hate bugs. easy, though. Most “fennel”, whatever if he’s right, I mean, why do this at all?

In Athens, I have bugs in my cereal at that is. All I gotta say: if it ain’t rocks, I know I’m trained to do it - but, well, I guess not! If I die, it means that I breakfast; bugs on my pallet; bugs I’m golden. couldn’t take it. In which case I didn’t do coming at me from every direction. If I ask anything of this war it’ll be: a nice Think I’ll do another five later on – just enough. Wonder how many days we’ve got? Maybe if I went out and did some little parade – and no bugs! In fact, if to be sure. extra miles, that’d give me an edge. I we win and the bugs are still around, I’m know I’m gonna bitch-slap somebody I Entry #5 (Time to reiterate: it’s 490 think I’ll do that. Starting tomorrow. probably shouldn’t. If anybody wants to BC, a pretty nice day, with mixed sun I’ve still gotta think about this. know what I think about, it’s a bug-free and clouds and, all things considered, See DIARY, page 10

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

DIARY, continued from page 9

Entry #6 (And I’m outta here!)

Oh, man oh man! I can’t believe we did it! We pulled a fast one, lured the Persians into a trap, and beat the holy hell out of ‘em! I ran all the way from the battle-site - which did turn out to be Marathon - to Athens, delivered the news, and felt like I could do another ten carrying a baby. So I guess I was dealing with a real slouch of a soothsayer. (Can’t wait to visit that penny-ante prophet and give him the sha-na-na!)

But here’s the thing: I had to die officially. Yep, that’s what the authorities decided, so I’ve gone into some kind of program that gives you a new name, sends you halfway across the friggin’ GI, and settles you into a new place - all on the mother country’s dime. (I requested a bug-free place and they went out of their way to get me one. Note to self: there are no bug-free places.) So I get to be a living *gyro - if an officially dead one.

I made a promise to the big guys never to say anything in return for a lush life among the Olives and Penelopes, who’ll soothe my tortured ego and make my double-life bearable.

Here’s another thing. They said that in order to preserve my alias, I could no longer run. Not even a step. I never thought I would say this, but that’s the hardest part of all. I really got so I liked it. I really liked running all those miles though, you know, I never did it real fast and basically trotted the distance between Marathon and Athens. I had death to beat and thought I might do it best at an even pace. But I got there in time, everybody loved me, and it’s turned pretty damned well for all of us. I sure can’t complain - which isn’t bad for a guy who’s supposed to be dead right now. That running ban, though. Maybe I can sneak in a few at night. Who’d know? *pronounced “hero”, for those of you who’ve never eaten at a Greek restaurant

10

FOOTNOTES

Pheidippides Pheidippides (Greek: Φειδιππιδης, sometimes given as Phidippides or Philippides), hero of Ancient Greece, is the central figure in a myth which was the inspiration for the modern sporting event, the marathon. The traditional story relates that Pheidippides, an Athenian herald, ran the 42 km (26 miles) from the battlefield by the town of Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC) with the word “Νενικήκαμεν!” (Nenikikamen, We were victorious!) and died on the spot. Most accounts incorrectly attribute this story to the historian Herodotus, who wrote the history of the Persian Wars in his Histories (composed about 440 BC).

Robert Browning gave a version of the traditional story in his 1879 poem Pheidippides.

So, when Persia was dust, all cried, “To Acropolis!

Run, Pheidippides, one race more! the meed is thy due!

Athens is saved, thank Pan, go shout!” He flung down his shield Ran like fire once more: and the space ‘twixt the fennel-field And Athens was stubble again, a field which a fire runs through, Till in he broke: “Rejoice, we conquer!” Like wine through clay, Joy in his blood bursting his heart, he died - the bliss! (“Fennel-field” is a reference to the Greek word for fennel, marathon, the origin of the name of the battlefield.)

It was this poem which inspired Baron Pierre de Coubertin and other founders of the modern Olympic Games to invent a running race of 42 km called the Marathon. Sadly for historical romance, the story is probably a myth. It is inherently improbable, since if the Athenians wanted to send an urgent message to Athens there was no reason why they could not have sent a messenger on horseback. In any case, no such story appears in Herodotus. The relevant passage of Herodotus (Histories, 105) is: While still in the city, the generals first sent to Sparta the herald Pheidippides, an Athenian and a long-distance runner who made that his calling. As Pheidippides himself said when he brought the message to the Athenians, when he was in the Parthenian mountain above Tegea he encountered Pan. Pan called out Pheidippides’ name and bade him ask the Athenians why they paid him no attention, though he was of goodwill to the Athenians, had often been of service to them, and would be in the future. The Athenians believed that these things were true, and when they became prosperous they established a sacred precinct of Pan beneath the Acropolis. Ever since that message they propitiate him with annual sacrifices and a torch-race.

The significance of this story is only understood in the light of the legend that the god Pan returned the favor by fighting with the Athenian troops and against the Persians at Marathon. Why was this important? Because Pan, in addition to his other powers, had the capacity to instill the most extreme sort of fear, an irrational, blind fear that paralysed the mind and suspended all sense of judgement. The name of the fear inflicted by Pan is, of course, “panic”.

Herodotus was writing about 50 years after the events he describes, so it is reasonably likely that Pheidippides is a historical figure, although whether he ran the 246 km over rough roads from Athens to Sparta and then back again, may be doubted. But he had no connection with the Battle of Marathon, and Herodotus’s silence on the subject of a herald running from Marathon to Athens suggests strongly that no such event occurred.

The first known written account of a run from Marathon to Athens occurs in the Roman writer Plutarch (46-120), in his essay On the Glory of Athens. Plutarch attributes the run to a herald called either Thersippus or Eukles. Lucian, a century later, credits one “Philippides.”

It seems likely that in the 500 years between Herodotus’s time and Plutarch’s, the story of Pheidippides had become muddled with that of the Battle of Marathon, and some fanciful writer had invented the story of the run from Marathon to Athens.

While the marathon celebrates the mythical run from Marathon to Athens, since 1982 an annual footrace from Athens to Sparta, known as the Spartathlon, celebrates Pheiddipides’s at least semi-historical run across 250 km of Greek countryside.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Further reading: F. J. Frost "The Dubious Origins of the Marathon", American Journal of Ancient History, 4 (1979) 159-63

NOVEMBER 2008

Join the Road Runners Club of America for the

51st Annual RRCA National Convention!

March 26 - 29, 2009 San Francisco, CA Frank Shorter, Dean Karnazes, and Bart Yasso to Headline San Francisco Convention

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008 11

ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA proudly presents the Kids Run the Nation Program Guide and youth running booklet The Kids Run the Nation Program Guide is a 40-page, full-color, educational curriculum designed to help anyone interested in developing a youth running program. The Kids Run the Nation Program Guide is divided into 8 lesson plans, with a 9th bonus lesson. Each lesson plan can be taught during a one-hour class period over an 8-week time frame, with 30 minutes of instruction followed by 30 minutes of running.

This program is targeted at both girls and boys and can be implemented as a P.E. or wellness curriculum, a before or after-school program, or developed as a community-based youth running club. The emphasis of this program is on participation and developing a healthy lifestyle as opposed to the competitive aspects of running.

Program Guide $6.00 ea

The RRCA: Kids Run the Nation: A Running Guide for Kids is a 12-page, full-color, 4x5 inch booklet designed to be a companion product for the Kids Run the Nation Program. However, this booklet is for sale for anyone interested in purchasing a copy.

Teachers, coaches, or program directors that implement a Kids Run the Nation program are encouraged to purchase one copy of this booklet, and provide it complimentary to each child registered in their youth running program.

Kids Booklet $1.00 ea

Order your copy online today at www.rrca.org/shop 12

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

A Tale of Two Mr. Miller’s

By Jack Anthony

This is a story of influence and impact. How a little boy was encouraged to pursue his gift and passion for running and propel it into a remarkable college running career that isn’t over yet!

Here are the key players in this story. Ryan Friese is a long time Pikes Peak Road Runner member, a 2006 Rampart High School graduate, and an 800M speedster on the Colorado State University track and field team. Geoff Miller was (still is!) a PE teacher at Pioneer Elementary School celebrating his 23rd year as a professional educator…way to go Geoff! Larry Miller was (still is!) a running race director and innovator for giving everyone a chance to have fun running in Pikes Peak Road Runner sponsored events like the Fall Series adventure races. This is the story of how Geoff aimed Ryan towards Larry and how Larry helped Ryan set a course to soar as a college runner. This is a tale of two Mr. Millers influence on a neat kid named Ryan, and is a success story that can be played out again and again at by taking the time to show interest and take time to cheer on and motivate the great kids who step up to sports like running.

Ryan’s journey to his prominence in NCAA Division I track started as a first grader at Pioneer Elementary School where he showed quite a talent as a long distance runner in the school’s field day.

Pioneer’s PE teacher Geoff Miller vectored Ryan to competitive events. Pikes Peak Road Runner’s Larry Miller also took notice and informed Ryan and his parents Kurt and Lydia that Pikes Peak Road Runners was instituting a Kids’ Series in the Fall Series of adventure races and that Ryan might enjoy participating. Well, not only did Ryan enjoy it, he thrived and had a blast. Geoff and Larry ignited Ryan’s passion for running. Ryan attended Rampart High School where he found the triple jump and sprints to be his best events.

The Colorado State Rams courted Ryan to join the Rams as a triple jumper and 400M ace.

It was during Ryan’s freshman indoor

track season that the middle distance door was opened to Ryan ironically due to an injury. Ryan first gave the 800M a try at the CSU Green and Gold inter-squad meet. Ryan’s coaches felt a slight muscle twinge might be aggravated if he ran the 400M, but the 800M would be fine, so Ryan ran the 800M that meet as a workout. Well, Ryan opened the eyes of the distance coach, his sprints and jumps coaches, and teammates as he showcased a brilliant 800M performance. Seems a fabulous middle distance runner was hiding in this pretty good triple jumper. Ryan would go on to earn the bronze medal in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) indoor 800M and then place second in the MWC outdoor 800M losing by a whisker to AFA’s Kevin Hawkins (who is now a 2Lt in your USAF!) In addition to all this 800M “wow”, Ryan was also informed by Coach Bryan Berryhill that “we’ll see you in fall cross country.” Ryan Friese is a top runner with this year’s CSU Rams XC program and had succeeded applying the same vigor and dedication he tackled Pikes Peak Road Runner fun runs as a little kid!

Ryan is a great example of how encouraging parents, mentors like the Mister Millers and a club like Pikes Peak Road Runners can help a youngster find their niche and passion for running and develop it. The encouragement of a dedicated PE teacher (Geoff) and then more motivation from of former NCAA running great (Larry) was the spark that got Ryan well on his way. That mentorship, combined with parents who encouraged and brought Ryan to fun run events, was the key to Ryan’s ever improving talents and success at the college athletic level. Did I also mention Ryan is double majoring in Computer Science and Engineering?

So, the next time you are at a kid’s sports event like a fun run, pick out one of the many, many youngsters taking part and cheer them on and help them soar. Be a Mister Miller! Encourage and ignite a kid’s running passion and, who knows, you may set them on a course that will discover their talent and maybe even help them pay their way through college. Go Rams…Go Ryan!

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008 13

Who Let the Mice Out?

by Bob Kopac

In the past I have written articles about strange things that happen during runs and races. See the “Who Let the Cows Out?” article at the http://www.rrca.org/ resources/articles/spr01cows.htm web site, for example. I thought about that article recently when, after the Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation 5K in LaGrangeville, New York, some runners said they had not known where the mile markers were during the race.

That puzzled me, since each mile was marked on “in memory of” or “in honor of” signs. I know, because the first mile marker was in honor of my wife Lynne, a 5-year breast cancer survivor. To be fair, the mile markers were the same size as the other “in memory of” and “in honor of” signs on the course, so they easily could be overlooked. And, I suppose those runners might have mistaken the volunteers who were calling out split times at the mile markers as being performance artists answering the existential question posed by the rock group Chicago: “Does anybody really know what time it is?” What other explanation could there be?

After the Woodstock, NY Memorial Day Races, my spouse Lynne and I had lunch with friends Al and Laura Grigull, the former directors of the Rhinebeck, NY Mad Dash race, and Roy and Erika Abraham and Harry and Lisa Chafetz. Over lunch we talked about race and running (mis)adventures.

Laura Grigull said that one time a runner at the Mad Dash gave a filled-out race flyer to the volunteers at the day-of-race registration table. Only problem was, it was a flyer for some other race, not the Mad Dash.

Roy Abraham told the following anecdote. “I did the Roosa Gap Roller Coaster Run several years ago, eleven and a half miles of pure hills and hell. I ran the race the year before, but I did not know the course intimately. I had heard a rumor that they had changed the course, but that was not true. I got to the end of a quarry area, and nobody was there [to direct traffic and runners]! I should have taken a right turn to go up the gap, but instead I took a left turn and went down this monstrous hill. There was a man running behind me, following me down this hill. Finally a pickup truck pulled alongside me and said, “You guys are going the wrong way!” At that point we were over a mile down this monstrous hill. So, we had to turn around and go up this hill and then go back onto the correct course and go up the steep hill. That turned the run into over a half marathon.

The runner behind me followed me the entire time. I must have looked like I knew what I was doing. Obviously I did not have a clue.”

Harry Chafetz reminisced, “Once I ran the Hudson Mohawk Winter Marathon in Albany, New York in February. It was my second marathon, after the New York City Marathon. The wind chill factor reached minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit. As an inexperienced runner, I really did not know how to dress for the cold -- I had sweat pants on. The first half of the race was fine. But then all the moisture collected in my sweat pants, and my sweat pants started to freeze in the second half of the race. I had to keep lifting the pants up because they were frozen and kept sliding down because of the weight of the ice.

“Finally, about a mile or two from the finish, I decided to take my sweat pants off. I was so cold, I could not take them off by myself, so I stopped at a water stop. The guy there was freezing too, standing there giving out water. After a minute or two, he helped me take off my sweat pants. Fortunately I had running shorts on underneath! I finished the last mile in minus 40 degrees wind chill factor with bare legs. But I finished in less than four hours.”

I then recounted a running adventure of a Danish friend. In 2007 Lynne and I vacationed in northern Germany and Denmark with Al and Laura Grigull. While there, we traveled to Aabenraa, Denmark, by the German border, for the Aabenraa Marathon races. Any American running this race gets free lodging. Our hosts were Halfdan and Ane Neumann. While drinking wine together one evening, Halfdan recalled that he and his friend Holger Jacobsen, the race director of the Aabenraa Marathon races, once were running sideby-side in a marathon, when Holger reached behind to grab a water bottle in his fanny pack. The next thing they knew, the runner behind them was writhing on the ground. Holger had accidentally elbowed the runner in the See MICE, page 15

14

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

MICE, continued from page 14 stomach as Holger reached for the water bottle! Halfdan could not stop laughing the rest of the race. He said he now understood how Holger could finish ahead of so many runners.

RRCA Logo Contests

The RRCA kicked off a nationwide contest for a new Run@Work Day logo. Submissions must be original work, Finally Al Grigull described his most embarrassing running represent the goals of Run@Work Day, include the wording moment, which topped all our stories. Once, while on an early “Run@Work”, design should translate well to various morning run, he had heard the “call of nature”. Fortunately he printed forms such as posters, fliers and t-shirts, and logo found a nearby wooded area to relieve himself, and he used must be royalty-free for the RRCA and its members. Submit fallen leaves for toilet paper. He then continued his long run. Al a design in a high resolution JPG file (1MB) along with your said he had felt some tickling during the run. After Al returned contact information to office@rrca.org by December 31st. home, he went into the shower and pulled off his tights. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something crawling on the shower The winning design will be unveiled at the RRCA Convention floor. It was a mouse! Al accidentally had swept it up with the in San Francisco, CA and will kick-off the promotional effort leaves, and the mouse had traveled inside Al’s tights the rest of for the 2009 Run@Work Day which will be on September the long run. Al said the mouse moved very poorly, proving that 18, 2009. running is a dangerous sport.

Upcoming Coaching Certification Programs Coaching certification sessions are scheduled at selected regional locations throughout the year.

Session January 17 & 18 February 13 & 14

Location

Dallas, TX

Bradenton, FL

Registration Deadline Race Registration Closed July 18 Sarasota Marathon - Feb. 15

The RRCA will be holding coaching certifications January 17 & 18 in Dallas, TX and February 13 & 14 in Bradenton, FL in conjunction with the Sarasota Marathon & Half Marathon on Feb. 15.

The certification is designed for coaching adult endurance runners for road running. There are currently more than 600 RRCA certified coaches across the US and in Canada.

The 2 day program includes 16 hours of coursework and an online multiple choice exam with immediate results.

Day one will be The Basis of Training. The curriculum will include the Fundamentals of Coaching, Rules of Training, Physiology, Psychology, Injury Prevention and Nutrition.

Day two will be devoted to the Techniques of Training. It will cover developing training plans, cycles, and progressions, speed work and other related topics. Group exercises will teach how to apply the topics covered.

The certification will be taught by Janet Hamilton and Mike Broderick, both RRCA certified coaches. Janet is an Exercise Physiologist who specializes in biomechanics, gait analysis, and exercise program design. She is a certified strength and conditioning specialist who has been working with athletes of all ages for over 18 years. Janet is an avid runner and marathoner. She provides wellness programs, rehab coaching and injury prevention programs through Running Strong.

Running Strong is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Mike is a Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) certified running coach and is one of the four course instructors for the RRCA Coaching Certification program which trains and certifies adult distance running coaches nationwide. He is certified as a personal trainer by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) and National Strength Professionals Association (NSPA). Mike has run 14 marathons and over 30 ultra marathons from 50K to 100 miles. He offers individual coaching for runners from beginners to ultra marathoners and directs two separate group marathon training programs, the Experienced Marathoner’s Program for the Montgomery County Road Runners Club and the Boston Bound Marathon Program. Mike also provides personal fitness training for a wide variety of individuals from athletes to physically challenged adults and is an instructor for group aquatic exercise programs for strength and conditioning.

Cost for the 2 day certification class is $250. You must register for the certification class at least 2 weeks prior to attending or before it is filled, (limited to 30). Classes tend to fill early, so register as soon as possible. For additional information and to register visit http://www.rrca.org/programs/coaching Continuing Education Credits The American College of Sports Medicine’s Professional Education Committee certifies that this offering meets the criteria for 16.0 credit hours of ACSM Continuing Education Credit.

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008 15

THE UN-COMFORT ZONE with Robert Wilson What’s Pushing Your Buttons?

What motivates you? That’s the question I’d like to ask in this inaugural column on motivation. Are you motivated by fame, fortune or fear. Or is it something deeper that fans the flames inside of you.

Perhaps you are like Jeanne Louise Calment whose burning desire enabled her to do something that no other human being has done before.

A feat so spectacular that it generated headlines around the globe, got her a role in a motion picture, and landed her in the Guinness Book of World Records.

A record that has yet to be beaten.

Jeanne Louise, however, did not initially motivate herself. It was someone else who drew the line in the sand. But, it became a line she was determined to cross.

In motivation we talk about getting outside of one’s comfort zone. It is only when we are uncomfortable that we begin to get motivated.

Usually to get back into our comfort zone as quickly as possible.

Born into the family of a middleclass store owner, Calment was firmly entrenched in her comfort zone. At age 21 she married a wealthy store owner and lived a life of leisure. She pursued her hobbies of tennis, the opera, and sampling France’s famous wines.

Over the years she met Impressionist painter Van Gogh; watched the erection of the Eiffel Tower; and attended the funeral of Hunchback of Notre Dame,

author, Victor Hugo.

Twenty years after her husband passed away, she had reached a stage in life where she had pretty much achieved everything that she was going to achieve. Then along came a lawyer. The lawyer made Jeanne Louise a proposition. She accepted it. He thought he was simply making a smart business deal. Inadvertently he gave her a goal. It took her 30 years to achieve it, but achieve it she did.

When asked about this by the press, Calment simply said, “In life, one Are you willing to keep your goals alive sometimes make bad deals.” Having for 30 years? At what point do you give met her goal, Jeanne passed away five up? Thomas Edison never gave up, months later. But on her way to this end, instead he said, “I have not failed. I’ve she achieved something else: at 122 just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” years old, she became the oldest person Winston Churchill during the bleakest to have ever lived. hours of World War II kept an entire country motivated with this die-hard In future articles we’ll examine further conviction: “We shall defend our Island, the ways in which motivation works. How whatever the cost may be, we shall fight to motivate ourselves, our employees, on the beaches... in the fields and in the customers, volunteers, friends, loved streets... we shall never surrender.” ones and children. I would like to get your feedback on which of these areas Many of us give up too soon because we of motivation are of most interest to set limits on our goals. you. I’d also like to hear your stories of Achieving a goal begins with how you may have overcome adversity determination. Then it’s just a matter of and what pushed you to go the distance.

Please email me with your suggestions our giving them attention and energy. and stories.

When Jeanne Louise was 92 years old, attorney François Raffray, age 47, Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is a offered to pay her $500 per month (a motivational speaker and humorist. He fortune in 1967) for the rest of her life, works with companies that want to be if she would leave her house to him in more competitive and with people who her will. want to think like innovators. For more According to the actuarial tables it was a information on Robert’s programs please great deal. Here was an heir-less woman visit www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com.

Age 20

Age 60 Age 40

16

FOOTNOTES

who had survived her husband, children, and grandchildren. A woman who was just biding her time with nothing to live for. That is until Raffray came along and offered up the “sucker-bet” that she would soon die. It was motivation enough for Jeanne, who was determined to beat the lawyer. Thirty years later, Raffray became the “sucker” when he passed away first at age 77.

NOVEMBER 2008

Age 120

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

This recipe serves: 8

1 pound lasagna noodles 4 teaspoons olive oil 1 pound mushrooms, sliced salt to taste freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 bunches fresh spinach, washed and stemmed 2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese 1 egg (or 2 egg whites, to keep cholesterol down) pinch of oregano 1. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil and 2 cups basic tomato sauce, homemade, jarred or prepare a large bowl of ice water. Add the lasagna noodles canned to the boiling water and cook until they are just al dente.

1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese Drain and plunge the noodles into the ice water to cool 1/2 cup bread crumbs them quickly. Drain again and lay the noodles out on paper towels.

Calories Fat Protein Sodium

419 11 g 24 g 497 mg

Prep time: 25 mins Cook time: 35 mins

Carbohydrate Fiber Saturated Fat

2. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with salt, pepper and oregano and cook for two minutes. Add half of the garlic and cook until the mushrooms are browned on the edges. Set the mushrooms aside in a strainer to allow the excess liquid to drain.

60 g 6g 4g

3. Wipe the inside of the pan with a paper towel and heat the remaining olive oil in it over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 30 seconds. (It’s easier to distribute the salt and pepper in the oil before adding the spinach). Add the spinach (with the water that clings to it) and cook until it is just wilted. Set the spinach in a strainer to allow the excess liquid to drain.

Yield: 8 servings Serving Size: 1 piece

4. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

User rating: rich in veggies

Rated by 19 visitors

5. In a medium bowl, season the ricotta cheese and egg with salt, pepper and oregano.

lower in fat

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eating and active living website dedicated to providing consumers with the information and tools they need to lead a healthier life. FoodFit integrates hundreds of features and interactive tools with thousands of recipes and tips from over 100 leading chefs. Its reliable guidance combines information from experts in the fields of nutrition, medicine and fitness.

Join the FoodFit Healthily Living Plan through the RRCA to get healthy and help support the RRCA’s Personal Fitness at www.rrca.org/programs/personal

6. Cover the bottom of a large baking dish that is at least 2 inches deep with a thin coat of tomato sauce. Line the dish with a single layer of lasagna noodles. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles and sprinkle with some of the mozzarella cheese. Spread all of the mushrooms over the cheese and sprinkle with a few tablespoons of bread crumbs. Repeat with another layer of noodles, cheeses, the spinach mixture and bread crumbs. Continue with another layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta, a sprinkling of mozzarella and the remaining tomato sauce. Finish with a final layer of noodles sprinkled with the remaining mozzarella and bread crumbs.

7. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the top is golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Let stand for at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008 17

Running develops the back thigh muscles (hamstrings) more than those in the front (quadriceps), and the imbalance may be enough to allow the kneecap to pull and twist to the side. Straight leg lifts will strengthen the appropriate muscle groups and stabilize the patella.

by Sally Young

What’s The BIG Idea?

BUT THEY’RE RUNNING AWAY WITH THE BEAT THE ODDS SHOW Twenty years ago, the most common running injury This is art that motivates. The conceptual art show was runner’s knee. It still is today, accounting for at the Tate Gallery London, now until November 16 to 25 percent of reasons for being sidelined.

16, consists of a single athlete running at top speed Injury occurs when the kneecap (patella), normally down the long, marbled neoclassical hallway of the gliding in a narrow groove of cartilage, jumps track historic Duveen wing. and rubs against the joints. The medical diagnosis is patellofemoral pain syndrome, Artist Martin Creed calls his creation, ‘Work No 850’. He recruited, for about $20 per hour, young In most cases, the athlete has created the perfect men and women who could sprint the 86 meters in storm of exercise blunders: running on canted roads less than 15 seconds. Each one bursts on the scene, and overuse from excessive mileage or intense play, running like they stole something, - “to complete the such as stair climbing and resistance training. Worn work” - and then disappears behind the columns. A or inappropriate footwear also may contribute, and momentary pause for what remains of a 30 second driving a stick shift car can aggravate left knee interval ‘frames’ the next runner, or ‘work of art’. injuries. Other causes can be attributed to muscle The runners rotate through the cycle, each making dysfunction, biomechanics, or trauma.

15 runs per half-hour shift, returning to the starting The pain can be difficult to localize. Swelling is not point via an underground passage. a characteristic, but the knee will become stiff upon sitting for too long. Extending the leg from a seated position may show the kneecap ‘J-tracking’ ­ moving laterally instead of straight.

18

LOOK HOW WE¹VE GROWN! Running is experiencing phenomenal growth - and interest by investors. It’s a flexible sport, like no other, attracting the competitive, the recreational, and the compassionate of all ages, abilities, and disabilities - at the same race.

Last year, a record 8.9 million runners crossed the finish line in the US, and half of them were women.

Twenty years ago, only 21 percent - 791,000 finishers - had XX chromosomes.

Instead of questioning the way we look at art, Creed has given us an artistic view of running. The heavy, lifeless, hundred-year-old architecture can find no better contrast than the sudden rush of human energy in peak form and fitness. Like art, no two runs are the same. Each athlete is provided with their choice of designer sportswear and shoes from the 2008 Puma Runway Collection.

Great photos at flaunt.com/tag/martin-creed/

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

The Peachtree Road Race, a neighborhood run of 110 entrants in 1970, became the largest ten kilometer race in the world, bulging the streets with 55,000 runners ­ until the April 2008 Vancouver Sun Run topped out at 59,000 registrants. This November, the world’s largest marathon, the ING New York Marathon, will gather athletes from 100 countries, and each of the United States - paying upward of $155 for one of the 38,500 spaces in a lottery of 98,000 applicants.

Nike redefined the marketing power associated with compelling causes in high visibility events. The Nike+ Human Race 10K coordinated one million runners in 25 races in 25 cities, each with live music and celebrity appearances. But runners anywhere could join by using Nike+ iPod and Nike+ Sport Band, to track and synchronize their miles.

FROM THE EXPERTS Increasing Mileage Safely

from 10 miles per week to 20 miles per week, then following the 10 percent rule you be at your goal in just 8 to 10 weeks.

For an enthusiastic runner, it may take a measure of restraint to follow this rule.

However, following the 10 percent rule will pay dividends down the road as you increase your chances of avoiding injury.

by John Colianni, M.D.

Overuse injuries of the lower extremities develop commonly in runners who train too much or increase mileage too fast.

Overuse injuries in turn, will sideline a runner or at a minimum lead to a decrease in total training volume. So how do you safely increase your mileage? There is an easy guide to follow, called the 10 Percent Rule. This rule can be applied no matter if the goal is to go from 10 miles per week to 20, or if you are preparing for your first ultra marathon.

How do I develop a safe training plan?

There are many good places to go for help developing a safe training plan.

An experienced coach can develop an individualized program and watch for any difficulties that may be encountered over a running season. If you are preparing for a marathon, many running stores or fitness clubs will sponsor training groups that will safely increase training volumes in the months and weeks leading up to the marathon itself. There are also excellent resources online that can produce custom schedules adhering to the 10 percent rule. The Runner’s World website (www. runnersworld.com) features several userfriendly calculators that will create a customized, safe training program.

What is the 10 Percent Rule?

The 10 Percent Rule states that you should never increase your weekly mileage more than 10 percent than the previous week.

The principle behind the rule is to allow for gradual adaptation to stress. For a current 10 mile-per-week runner, this means that increasing your mileage to 11 miles one week, then 12 miles the next would be safe. Likewise, if your goal is to increase

FOOTNOTES

Always have a conversation with your doctor before setting out on a new exercise regimen or if you develop an overuse injury in the course of your training.

Resources: 1) Runners World: The 10-Percent Rule

by Amby Burfoot, published 11/14/2001 2) Runners World: The 25 Golden Rules of Running, published 7/19/2005 www.runnersworld.com

Dr. Colianni is a graduate of Middlebury College, in Middlebury, VT. He received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Colianni completed his residency training at Maine Medical Center and is currently a Sports Medicine Fellow through the Department of Family Medicine in collaboration with OA Centers for Orthopaedics. He serves as the team physician for Gorham High School, and assists with St. Joseph’s College and the Portland Pirates (AHL).

Dr. Colianni is also a medical director for the Maine Marathon and provides coverage for the Lake Placid Ironman and Beach to Beacon events.

NOVEMBER 2008 19

RRCA National Run @ Work Day Tampa, Florida

Houston, Texas

The Third Annual Houston Tour de Art Run A Celebration of the RRCA’s Run@Work Day Take...The First Step was instrumental in getting 49,000 people in Hillsborough County (Tampa), Florida involved in RRCA’s Run @ Work Day. On August 12, 2008, Lynn Gray and Michele Gregory addressed a group of 500 Health, Physical Education, and Dance Teachers at a Professional Study Day Conference advocating physical activity and healthy living within their school and surrounding community. Teachers were encouraged to plan a fun run and/or walk in their school, involving all students, teachers, and all school personnel with the goal improving physical and mental health by giving everyone a practical and fun way of putting exercise into their daily routine.

It all started while we were preparing to host the RRCA National Convention in Houston back in 2006. Roger Boak, a stalwart of the Houston Running Community, had volunteered to lead the Convention’s Sunday morning run on the course used in 2003 for the US Cross Country Championships. The course was about a mile from the convention, and Roger proposed we take a few short detours along the way to showcase some of Downtown Houston’s outdoor sculptures. This wrinkle delighted the participants, and the Tour de Art Run had been born! When the RRCA introduced the Run@Work Day later that year, Roger was most agreeable to expanding the sculptures we visited to 15 in a four mile run that stays mainly in Downtown Houston. We’ve repeated the Tour de Art Run for each of the first three RRCA Run@Work Days; each year Roger adds and subtracts a few sculptures to showcase the best of the best and to keep things fresh. I continue to manage all other aspects of the event. I am the director/ producer; Roger is the star!

As a result, 82 schools and the Sheldon Administrative Center accepted the challenge and participated in Run/Walk @ School/Work Day, a staggering total of 49,608 participants. Through this activity, Take…The First Step was successful in creating awareness of the importance of promoting physical activity into busy lifestyles.

Take...The First Step plans to make this a yearly event with the goal of getting all elementary, middle, and high schools, both public and private involved...plus the community and businesses at large which support and surround our schools.

Fitness is the “new education” to our younger generation...and to our adults as well.

Our approach is to have an accessible, attractive, well-publicized event that stays within our budget of... $100! This is tough but doable: •

Labor - Roger and I donate our time, of course. This year we secured the voluntary services of a DJ for ambiance (thanks, Peter!) and there are always friendly folks to help set up and tear down the staging area.

•

Refreshments - I watch for sales and clip coupons. Water and soft drinks ran $40, and an array of snacks (potato chips, tortilla chips, peanuts, pretzels, cookies) ran

Rochester, Minnesota IBM had an initiative, thanks to one of Rochester Track Club’s board members who’s an employee, called I MOVE @ WORK day. They wanted people to walk if that was more comfortable for them.

Great turnout for a first time event!!

We had 70 people walk/run at IBM

20

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

today. It was very successful considering the day, weather, etc. We are considering doing another event in February using mapped inside walking routes.

Thank you, RRCA, for the inspiration!

Renee Saxman/ Mike Schmitt Rochester (MN) Track Club

RRCA National Run @ Work Day another $15. Ice was donated, as was use of coolers and a popup tent.

• Publicity - Our friendly Kinko’s printed off 1,200 of our fliers (two per 8.5x11 page) on day-glo yellow paper for $35.

I drive a hard bargain, and of course we’re tax-exempt courtesy of the RRCA. I distributed these around town to running specialty stores, running venues, gyms, and so forth. Most of our publicity, however, was getting our flier posted on the internet as often as possible. Eventually it made the RRCA news feed, the RRCA community page, the RRCA calendar, the calendars and web sites of about a dozen Houston area running clubs, and the blogs of 10 runners. It was emailed to all of my South Texas State Rep contacts, and I created an event on Facebook. Lastly, we got a feature article printed in the running column of the Houston Chronicle the day before the event (thanks, Roberta!).

I had planned for 100 participants and purchased refreshments for 200. However, six days before the event Hurricane Ike

swept through and ran roughshod over Houston. We decided late in the week we could put on a safe event and judged to continue as planned. While it was

tough to reconcile doing something ‘non-essential’ in the face of so much misery and hardship, we thought we could perform an important service helping some folks get just a little bit of relief from the difficult times after Hurricane Ike. That notion was reinforced by an unusually high number of email inquiries I had received during the week (remember, most of Houston was without electrical power). We were pleased to have 50 participants come out for the event and will anticipate the hoped-for 100-200 participants in 2009 under more tranquil conditions!

FOOTNOTES

Ithaca, New York TB RESOLUTION NO. 2008-189 Recognizing Run/Walk @ Work Day

:

PROCLAMATION Regular Town Board Meeting of the Town of Ithaca – September 8, 2008 Whereas, in 2006 the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) founded the National Run @ Work Day and Whereas, on September 19, 2008 the Road Runners Club of America will launch the 3rd Annual National Run @ Work Day; and Whereas, events will be held around the country by RRCA members, supporters and individuals interested in promoting the improved health status of working adults; and Whereas, the IthAca area is home to many organization that support an active, health lifestyle including the Finger Lakes Runners Club, High Noon Athletic Club, Hash House Harriers, Triathlon Club, Finger Lake Cycling Club, Cornell Outdoor Club, Cayuga Trails Club and many fitness centers and Whereas, the Town of Ithaca has a priority to provide walkways, sidewalks, bikeways and parks to promote exercise and safe commutes and Whereas, the Supervisor of the Town of Ithaca, the mayor of the City of Ithaca, and the chair of the Tompkins County Legislature all are active runners/walkers and believe the latest research that aerobic exercise enhances quality of life and the ability to think clearly RESOLVED, that the Town of Ithaca Town Board declares September 19 Run/Walk @ Work Day and FUTHER RESOLVED, that all residents are urged to maintain or increase their physical activity on September 19th and every day.

MOVED: Supervisor Engman SECONDED: Councilman Stein Supervisor Engman, aye Councilwoman Leary, aye Councilman DePaolo, aye Councilman Levine, aye Councilman Goodman, aye Councilman Stein, aye Councilwoman Hunter, aye The motion was carried unanimously.

NOVEMBER 2008 21

EASTERN REGION: MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, VERMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE, PENNYSYLVANIA, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, DISCTRICT OF COLUMBIA

’07 champ repeats victory in ‘08 Half Marathon PARKERSBURG— Ethiopian Alene Reta made it two-in-a-row here Saturday morning with a 32-second victory over Kenya’s Orose Valentine in the 22nd News and Sentinel Half Marathon.

Reta, who was the race’s runner-up in both 2005 and 2006, covered the 13.1-mile race in 1 hour, 2 minutes and 52 seconds — 27 seconds off the course mark of 1:02:25 set by Kenya’s Steve Kogo in 1990.

Finishing in third was Kenyan Reuben Chebit (1:04:19) while the remainder of the top five included Tesfaye Girma (1:04:51) and American Steven Crane (1:05:32).

In the women’s race 25-year old Kenyan Angelina Mutuku overcame a 300-yard deficit midway through the race to beat countrywoman Jane Muia to the finish tape.

Mutuku covered the race in 1 hour, 12 minutes and 48 seconds while Muia held on for second place with a time of 1:13:37. The remainder of the top five included a trio of Ethopian runners — 24-year-old Mamitu Dasku (1:13:56), 22-year-old Teyba Naser (1:13:57) and 28-year-old Alemtsehav Misganaw (1:14:59).

Winning the Mens’ Masters Division was 41-year-old Gideon Mutisya of Eufaula, AL with a time of 1:09:32 while the women’s Master’s title went to 40-year old Susan Graham Gray of Greencastle, PA (1:22:43).

The Grand Masters Division saw a couple of new course records as 51-year-old Thomas Dever of Terre Haute, IN won with a time of 1:13:33 while Ruxton, Maryland’s Lee Dipietro lowered the mark for the women with a clocking of 1:27:07.

Winning the Half Marathon Walk races were Don Slusser of Monroeville, PA, with a time of 2 hours, 13 minutes and 5 seconds and Quaker City, Ohio’s Kathy Ervin in 2:17:21.

Some of the hundreds of people who took part in the News and Sentinel Half Marathon race down Fifth Street during the 2008 event.

Photo by Jeff Baughan

RRCA National Half Marathon Championship Parkersburg News & Sentinel Half Marathon Parkersburg, WV August 16, 2008 OPEN MALE Alene Reta

26

Ethiopia

1:02:52

OPEN FEMALE Angelina Mutuku

25

Kenya

1:12:48

MASTER MALE Gideon Mutisya

41

Eufala, AL

1:09:32

MASTER FEMALE Susan Gray

40

Greencastle, PA 1:22:43

GRANDMASTER MALE Thomas Dever

51

Terre Haute, IN

1:13:33

Ruxton, MD

1:27:07

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Lee Dipietro 50

22

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

EASTERN REGION: MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, VERMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE, PENNYSYLVANIA, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, DISCTRICT OF COLUMBIA

RRCA State 10-Mile Championship Annapolis 10 Mile Run Annapolis, MD August 24, 2008 OPEN MALE Patrick Reaves

23

Silver Spring, MD

55:28

OPEN FEMALE Doreen McCoubrie 46

Malvern, PA

1:02:40 6:16

MASTER MALE Maurice Pointer

Baltimore, MD

1:00:19 6:02

52

MASTER FEMALE Christina Morganti 43

5:33

Severna Park, MD 1:05:39 6:34

RRCA Regional 10-Mile Championship Virginia 10 Miler Lynchburg, PA September 27, 2008 OPEN MALE David Cheromei

Annapolis 10 Mile Run Overall Winner Patrick Reaves Photo courtesy Annapolis Striders

29

Lynchburg,VA

50:16

5:02

OPEN FEMALE Joan Benoit Samuelson 51

Freeport, ME

1:02:25 6:15

MASTER MALE Matt Richards

41

Lynchburg,VA

1:01:59 6:12

MASTER FEMALE Sarah Davidson 44

Lynchburg,VA

1:14:19 7:26

GRANDMASTER MALE Bob Blevins 51

Lynchburg,VA

1:08:08 6:50

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Nancy Ferris 52

Goode,VA

1:19:21 7:57

RRCA State Championship Dates to Remember: November 23, 2008 Cape Elizabeth, ME ME Running Co. Turkey Trot 5K November 29, 2008 Sparks, MD Northern Central Trail Marathon

Maine Marathon: Exhausting or uplifting, or a little bit of both First-time marathon winners hit the finish line and relish the experience - for different reasons.

By Glenn Jordan, Portland Press Herald They dropped to the pavement nearly 40 minutes apart, a few yards past the finish line of the 17th Peak Performance Maine Marathon Sunday morning, one overcome with exhaustion and the other with emotion.

than a minute and a half before anyone else in the women’s field.

“It was overwhelming,” Pagano said.

“I thought, ‘Oh my God, I actually won my first marathon.’ It was pretty cool to break the tape. That made it real. I put my arms up, then said, ‘OK, I’m done.

I’m going down.’”

Art Siemers of Golden, CO, and Heather Pagano of Portland, ME earned their laurel wreaths as men’s and women’s champions of the 26.2-mile foot race that begins near Portland’s Back Cove and travels to Yarmouth before returning to Baxter Boulevard.

For Siemers, 36, remaining upright seemed less of an option. He had blazed through the halfway point in 71 minutes, a time only two runners in the concurrent Maine Half Marathon managed to beat, and through 22 miles was on pace to break the course record by 3 minutes.

It was the debut marathon for Pagano, 26, who fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands after finishing in 3 hours, 6 minutes, 54 seconds – more

“Then I hit the wall,” he said. “I barely

FOOTNOTES

Maine Marathon Overall Winner Art Siemers Photo by Don Penta

NOVEMBER 2008 23

EASTERN REGION: MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, VERMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE, PENNYSYLVANIA, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, DISCTRICT OF COLUMBIA made it in. I had to walk.”

Siemers finally reached the tape in 2:28:24, took a few hesitant steps across a pair of blue timing mats, then put his right hand on the boulevard and rolled onto his back. He lay there until two volunteers pulled him to a sitting position, hoisted him to his feet and assisted him out of the chute area.

“This course is a lot hillier than it appears,” Siemers said later, left arm cradling a bouquet of roses. “I don’t feel so bad now, but that last four miles was everything I had. It was survival. With three miles to go I was doing 7- or 8minute miles. I was really in bad shape.”

Siemers is the track and cross country coach at Colorado School of Mines, a nationally ranked NCAA Division II program. He had run in Maine previously at the 2000 Maine Distance Festival in Brunswick, where a high school runner, Ryan Hall, edged him at 1,500 meters.

Hall, now 25, finished 10th in marathon at the Beijing Olympics after winning the U.S. trials.

Siemers said he reached his peak in 1999 when he placed eighth in the mile (4:01) at the U.S. indoor championships.

His marathon debut came in 2002 with a 2:18:51, but two subsequent races resulted in a 2:30 and 2:32.

“My goal was to break 2:24,” Siemers said. “At 22 (miles), I thought I had the

course record in the bag, by 2 or 3 minutes.”

Instead of flying home with a bonus of $1,000 for breaking the course record (2:26:54 by 2007 winner Dan Vassallo), Siemers had to settle for the winner’s prize money of $500. He said it was enough to pay for his trip east.

“It was a great experience,” he said. “The course is beautiful. The people here are very nice. I had a great time.”

Pagano said she enjoyed her first attempt at 26.2 miles, particularly on a gorgeous fall morning with Halloween decorations starting to sprout in front yards, though not nearly as prolifically as the annual crop of political signs. Inscribed in black marker from her left wrist to elbow were 20 miles worth of splits at 7 and 7:30 pace. She fit the final six miles on her right arm.

On Sunday she discovered most of the women near her turned back in Falmouth for the half marathon course. She didn’t see another female marathoner until the loop in Yarmouth, where she passed two of them between Miles 13 and 14.

At first, the lead cyclist didn’t switch to Pagano because he thought her yellow bib number signified a relay runner.

Instead, it meant this was her first marathon.

“This is so funny,” Pagano said, finally lifting the laurel wreath to her head several minutes after an official had handed it to her. “I feel like I’m in the Olympics.”

“That was fun,” Pagano said after greeting a swarm of friends and family at the finish line, “although that last mile was the longest mile of my life.”

Growing up in Woolwich, ME, Pagano was never the top runner at Morse High.

She continued to run, mostly middle distance, at Marist College and Johnson & Wales University but didn’t decide to try a marathon until June.

“I was running eight miles a day,” she said, “so I just added a long run.”

RRCA Regional Marathon Championship Peak Performance Maine Marathon Portland, ME October 5, 2008 OPEN MALE Art Siemers

36

Golden,CO

2:28:24

OPEN FEMALE Heather Pagano

26

Portland,ME

3:06:54

MASTER MALE Jonathan Fortescue

41

Wellesley,MA

2:39:30

MASTER FEMALE Cathy Merra

49

Amherst,NH

3:16:47

GRANDMASTER MALE Floyd Lavery

51

Westbrook,ME

3:08:45

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Amy Yanni

54

Rapid City,SD

3:32:18

24

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

Open Female & First-time Marathoner, Heather Pagano Grandmaster, Floyd Lavery Photos by Sandy Walton

EASTERN REGION: MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, VERMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE, PENNYSYLVANIA, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, DISCTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Championship Event!

(top) Grandmaster, Amy Yanni (center) ME State Rep, Sandy Walton & Eastern Director, Mark Grandonico (bottom) Master, Cathy Merra Photos by Sandy Walton

Thank you for competing in the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Championship Event. Since 1958, the RRCA has awarded championship status to running events around the country at the National, Regional & State CHAMPIONSHIP RACE level. The purpose of these events is to promote access to the sport of long distance running and to celebrate outstanding performance at the open, masters, and grand masters levels.

For more information about the RRCA and to ďŹ nd running clubs in your community visit us at www.RRCA.org.

The RRCA championship database of results was launched in early 2008 and can be found at http://www.rrca.org/programs/championships/showlist.php

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008 25

SOUTHERN REGION: NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, KENTUCKY, GEORGIA, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, ARKANSAS, LOUSIANA, FLORIDA, TEXAS, PUERTO RICO

Dallas White Rock Marathon Named 2008 RRCA Texas State Championship!

For the first time in the 38 year history of the race, the 2008 Dallas White Rock Marathon presented by NexBank has been selected as the RRCA Texas State Marathon Championship.

The Texas State Overall, Masters and Grandmasters Championship Title and a total of $50,000 is available to the speediest runners.

The race, which was voted the best Texas marathon in 2007, begins and ends at the American Airlines Center in Victory Park, downtown Dallas, and follows a scenic course featuring

a loop around White Rock Lake, plenty of aid stations manned by friendly Texan volunteers and Texas-sized bragging rights for participating in the RRCA Texas State Marathon Championship.

Seventeen thousand runners are expected to participate in the Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday, December 14, 2008.

For more race information go to: Runtherock.com

RRCA National Championship Dates to Remember: November 1, 2008 Vulcan Run 10K Birmingham, AL

RRCA Regional Championship Dates to Remember: Run DRC! No, this isn’t a Little Rap Ditty It’s a BIG D Congratulations!

The relentless efforts of Libby Jones, Dallas Running Club (DRC) president, to increase membership and catapult Dallas as a premier running city are paying dividends! Libby has served as president since 2006.

DRC is now the third largest Road Runner’s Club of America (RRCA) running club in the United States. DRC membership reached 3,000 last month (June 2008), an impressive increase of 2,000 over the number two years earlier.

Events like the DRC Half Marathon in November, the 2008 RRCA Texas Half Marathon State Championship, are continuing to enhance the reputation of Dallas as a “major player” on the national running scene. In addition, there will be a Coaching Certification Class held in conjunction with the event.

26

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

November 9, 2008 Gateway Bank Half Marathon Outer Banks, NC November 22, 2008 Turkey 10-Miler Creola, AL Spa 10K Hot Springs, AR November 27, 2008 Gallop & Gorge 8K Carrboro, NC December 13, 2008 Rocket City Marathon Huntsville, AL

SOUTHERN REGION: NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, KENTUCKY, GEORGIA, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, ARKANSAS, LOUSIANA, FLORIDA, TEXAS, PUERTO RICO

Runner stops to help injured opponent

By Wesley Lyle, Montgomery Advertiser

Oakville, AL - September 18, 2008 - Catholic senior Tom Visco recently encountered an unexpected challenge.

The cross-country runner was competing in the Chickasaw Trails Invitational when he rounded a corner and was stunned. Lying in the middle of the trail, balled up in pain, was a runner from another team.

As other runners ran past the fallen competitor or jumped over his thrashing body, Visco made a different decision.

Knowing it would cost him time in the race, Visco stopped and carried the runner off to the side of the course.

“What he did was great,” Catholic coach John Terino said. “He had the courage to put his personal performance aside. This was an extension of the kind of values Tom has been brought up with.”

RRCA State Championship Dates to Remember:

Visco said there was no decision to make.

“As soon as I saw him, I had to stop and help him,” Visco said. “I had just passed the two-mile mark and I was coming out of the woods, and I saw him lying across the course. Kids were running around him and one jumped over him. He was screaming so loud, it was gut-wrenching.”

Visco stopped beside the downed runner and tried to find out what was wrong.

“He couldn’t talk because he was in so much pain,” Visco said. “He was balled up and (indicating) his (lower leg) was hurt.”

The exact injury was not known, but Visco and Terino believe it was an Achilles injury. Visco made attempts to check on the runner later, but was unable to find out about his condition.

After carrying the runner to the side, and with no adults in sight, Visco shouted for help.

“In eight years of running tack and cross-country in high school and college, I never saw anything like that,” Terino said. “I’ve never seen a runner so hurt that he could not get off the track.”

Visco did what he could until help finally began to arrive. Then he returned to his race.

Because of the delay, Visco cost himself an estimated 90 seconds on his final time of 21:49.05. The delay likely dropped the second-year runner from a finish in the high 60s or low 70s to 128th out of 239 runners. The Knights finished 15th out of 27 teams.

Visco has no doubts that he made the right decision.

“If someone is in that bad a condition, you’ve got to help them,” Visco said. “That goes beyond sportsmanship and athletics.”

His coach feels the same way.

“It did not have a negative effect on the team,” Terino said. “Our (secondyear boys) team ran better than last year. (Even with him stopping), Tom ran as well as he did last year.

“This is the kind of situation when you learn about yourself. It’s not something you could prepare for. Tom showed his character when he made the decision to put helping another runner in front of his performance.”

November 1, 2008 Mid South Marathon Wynne, AR November 2, 2008 Palmer College Paint the Town 5K Daytona Beach, FL DCR Half Marathon Dallas, TX November 8, 2008 AT&T Cajun Cup 10K Lafayette, LA November 9, 2008 OBX Marathon Outer Banks, NC December 13, 2008 Carpet Capital 10 Miler Dalton, GA TX Club Challenge Championship Run Dallas, TX December 14, 2008 Larry Fuselier State Championship New Orleans, LA Dallas White Rock Marathon Dallas, TX December 27, 2008 Manatee River Run 5 Miler Palmetto, FL

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008 27

SOUTHERN REGION: NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, KENTUCKY, GEORGIA, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, ARKANSAS, LOUSIANA, FLORIDA, TEXAS, PUERTO RICO

Wild Woodstock 5K, RRCA Southern Region 5K Championship, Huge Success Anniston, AL -- While most of Anniston and Calhoun County were sleeping on Saturday morning, August 2, over 600 runners and walkers paced their way on the Woodstock 5K and Kidstock 1 mile courses winding through the historic neighborhood that includes Woodstock Avenue. Muteri Shadrick and Jill Steffens took top honors. Three Alabama State Records were set: Claudis Hawkins (91), Jake Moore (5), and Lauren Blankenship (24).

This Road Runners Club of America Southern Region 5K Championship is unique. Local residents came to their curbs to put out sprinklers or spray the participants with hoses, and to cheer on the racers as they trotted along the challenging rollercoaster route in the hot, humid August heat. Coveted woodstock-character bobblehead trophies were presented to overall winners. More than $2,000 in cash prizes were given, and the newly instated Team Challenge, where local businesses and organizations competed for team prizes, was wildly popular.

Overall Winners (right) Shadrick Muteri, Sammy Nyamongo, Scott Strand (below) Jill Steffens, Lauren Blankenship, Janet Cherobon

This year’s event saw a huge increase in numbers. More than 530 runners participated in the 5K and 1 mile races in 2007, but the field exploded this year as almost 700 registered. The increase bodes well for 2009, when Anniston Runners Club hosts the RRCA National 5K Championship – the 29th running of the Woodstock 5k. www.annistonrunners.com

Claudis Hawkins Jake Moore Lauren Blankenship

Alabama State Records Age: 90 Age: 5 Age: 24

1:28:38:846 30:14:127 17:31:466

(left) Race Director, Brooke Nelson, Master Lorie Goldweber, and Alabama State Rep. Ron Macksoud (above) Grandmaster Ann Eller

Photos by Trent Penny, Penny Photography

28

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

SOUTHERN REGION: NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, KENTUCKY, GEORGIA, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, ARKANSAS, LOUSIANA, FLORIDA, TEXAS, PUERTO RICO

RRCA State 8K Championship Run In the Sun San Angelo, TX June 14, 2008 OPEN MALE Chris Layman

24

26:35

OPEN FEMALE Whitney Perkins

21

31:52

MASTER MALE Martin Littlefield

44

31:44

MASTER FEMALE Elvia Saborio

45

39:33

GRANDMASTER MALE Kent Fish 58

33:19

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Kay Schmidt 50

39:37

RRCA State 4-Mile Championship White River 4-Mile Classic Batesville, AR August 2, 2008

RRCA State 4-Mile Championship Firecracker 4 Miler Rogersville, TN July 4, 2008

OPEN MALE Peter Kosgei

25

Fayetteville, AR

20:43.4

OPEN FEMALE Leah Thorvilson

29

Little Rock, AR

25:15.9

OPEN MALE Matthew Goldman 26

Johnson City, TN

23:42

MASTER MALE Bill Diamond

45

Little Rock, AR

25:24.1

OPEN FEMALE Tracy Brooks

24

Harrogate, TN

27:15

MASTER FEMALE Tina Coutu 44

Little Rock, AR

30:42.7

MASTER MALE Gerry Duffy

47

Jonesborough, TN 24:56

GRANDMASTER MALE Keith Willsey 52

Mena, AR

25:04.0

MASTER FEMALE Connie Bentley 47

Kingsport, TN

34:34

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Virginia Anderson 54

Arkadelphia, AR

33:50.5

GRANDMASTER MALE Earl Brown 52

Johnson City, TN

26:07

SENIOR GRANDMASTER MALE Phillip Haltom 61 Texarkana, TX

30:43.4

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Karen Seiferth 50

Johnson City, TN

28:15

SENIOR GRANDMASTER FEMALE Joan Scarlata 67 Cabot, AR

39:29.2

RRCA Regional 5K Championship Woodstock 5K Anniston, AL August 2, 2008

RRCA State 10K Championship Red Cross Run for the Red Fayetteville, NC August 16, 2008

OPEN MALE Shadrick Muteri

28

Marietta, GA

14:56

OPEN MALE Bobby Mack

23

31:24

OPEN FEMALE Jill Steffens

25

Athens, GA

17:12

OPEN FEMALE Mary Gill

28

37:44

MASTER MALE Greg Glasscock

40

Albertville, AL

17:53

MASTER MALE James Clabuesch

43

38:34

MASTER FEMALE Lorie Goldweber 44

Homewood, AL

20:18

MASTER FEMALE Tere Chipman

49

48:59

GRANDMASTER MALE David Spark 59

Simpson, SC

19:56

GRANDMASTER MALE Gary Moss 58

39:21

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Ann Eller

54

Pelham, AL

21:58

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Mary Moss 53

48:29

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008 29

SOUTHERN REGION: NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, KENTUCKY, GEORGIA, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, ARKANSAS, LOUSIANA, FLORIDA, TEXAS, PUERTO RICO

Bays Mountain 15 Mile Trail Race Start

RRCA State 5K Championship The ARK Clear Mountain 5K North Little Rock, AR August 30, 2008

RRCA State Championship Bays Mountain 15 Mile Trail Race Kingsport, TN September 13, 2008

OPEN MALE Brian Sieczkowski

30

Sherwood, AR

16:34.7

OPEN MALE Eric Grossman

40

Emory, VA

1:37:08

OPEN FEMALE Leah Thorvilson

29

Little Rock, AR

17:40.0

OPEN FEMALE Anne Lundblad

42

Swannanoa, NC

2:08:15

MASTER MALE Kevin Golden

41

Maumelle, AR

17:35.8

MASTER MALE Randy Wilson

48

Swannanoa, NC

1:53:56

MASTER FEMALE Lisa Feldt

40

Cabot, AR

20:45.1

MASTER FEMALE Sally Evenden 53

Knoxville, TN

2:24:03

GRANDMASTER MALE Brian Polansky 50

Little Rock, AR

19:42.7

GRANDMASTER MALE Steve Bognar 56

Lynchburg, VA

2:03:58

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Virginia Anderson 54

Arkadelphia, AR

24:19.4

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Marianne Brannon 53

Gray, TN

2:58:25

SENIOR GRANDMASTER MALE Kenneth Sirois 61 Clinton, TN

RRCA State 15K Championship Labor Day Fitness Challenge 15K Columbia, SC September 1, 2008

2:41:19

OPEN MALE Kurt Russell

26

Summerville, SC

53:15

RRCA Regional Mile Championship Magnificent Mile Raleigh, NC September 14, 2008

OPEN FEMALE Sepagna Eap

27

Columbia, SC

58:43

OPEN MALE Bobby Mack

23

Raleigh, NC

4:13

MASTER MALE Chris Hicks

42

Florence, SC

58:32

OPEN FEMALE Kasia Sujkowski

26

Raleigh, NC

5:15

MASTER FEMALE Laura Salman 46

Evans, GA

1:15:56

MASTER MALE Tim Meigs

42

Raleigh, NC

4:51

GRANDMASTER MALE Phil Peterson 60

Columbia, SC

1:05:04

MASTER FEMALE Kerry Troester 40

Raleigh, NC

5:56

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Betty Floyd 52

Marion, SC

1:17:42

GRANDMASTER MALE Michael Hamm 50

Raleigh, NC

5:20

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Leigh Wilson 53

Raleigh, NC

7:23

30

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

NCRC’S Magnificent Mile

run/walk, and two kid’s races: a ¼ mile race for ages 6-10 and a 100m race for under-6s, both enthusiastically contested by the children. Following the races the participants enjoyed the refreshments and the beautiful weather.

By Jim Young & Mike Walsh

A hot and humid afternoon in downtown was not enough to deter over 450 runners and walkers from participating in the 3rd Annual Magnificent Mile.

The race also doubled as both the RRCA Southern Region Championship and the NC USAT&F State Championship.

i^bZ V

Bobby Mack set the tone right from the start, winning the men’s mile and setting a new course record. The 23-year-old Mack, a former NC State runner living in Raleigh, was clocked in 4:13 tying the existing NC record.

Ryan Woods, 29, of Boone followed in 4:15. Raleigh’s Devin Swann, 28, was only a few steps behind in third in 4:18.

Accurate event timing made easy ... and affordable.

The women’s race was equally competitive. Kasia Sujowski, 26, of Raleigh won the race in 5:15 minutes flat as the first ten women all ran under 6 minutes. Heather Lee, 27, a former Campbell University runner, was second in 5:17.

Alicia Phillips, 24, another exCampbell University harrier, was third (5:18).

This was the 3rd edition of this event, which is put on by the North Carolina Roadrunners Club to raise money for the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation.

One of the NCRC members, Sarah Witt, who suffers from this disease, was the inspiration for this race. Many members of Sarah’s family from across the United States attended the race in her honor. Over $38,000 was raised in association with the race this year for SPF.

But the quality of the competition was not just confined to the front of the pack as several records were set or tied. Jackeita Baker of Knightdale broke the Female 12-13 record with a 6:08 run, and Mary Symkowski of Raleigh tied the state record for 45-49 Females with a 6:11 effort.

The day concluded with a closing ceremony on the front porch of the Second Empire restaurant which included a short message from SPF representative Craig Gentner to thank the runners for their support.

Race director Mike Walsh acknowledged the race committee and race volunteers before launching into the awards announcements led by USATF representative Andrew Allden and RRCA representative Lena Hollman.

In the men’s race, Tim Meigs of Raleigh lowered then Men’s 4044 record by three seconds to 4:51 Michael Hamm of Raleigh set a new standard for 50-54 Males by running 5:20 Two retired NC State professors, both from Raleigh, set new records for their age groups.

Richard Mowat set a new state record for 65-60 males by running 6:11, and Edwin Harris’ 6:33 effort was a new state record for 70-74 males. Finally, Ted Reynolds ran 9:15 to set the new record for 75-79 Males.

out—and we’re passionate about improving it.

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The race committee of NCRC’s Magnificent Mile would like to express their gratitude for the support of the race’s sponsors, participants, the local media who covered the race and our community.

The competitive heats were then followed by a non-competitive

We know the active sports industry inside and

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008 31

SOUTHERN REGION: NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, KENTUCKY, GEORGIA, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, ARKANSAS, LOUSIANA, FLORIDA, TEXAS, PUERTO RICO

Participate in the Inaugural RRCA Texas Club Challenge Championship Run

RRCA North Texas Club Conference 11:00 am - 3:00 PM

@ The Dallas White Rock Marathon Expo

Open to the general running public •

•

For the chance to be deemed: *Fastest RRCA Club in North Texas! *Minimum 3-7 runners (depending on club size). Team must consist of Males and Females.

Club with most participation will be named the RRCA North Texas Club Challenge Champions!

Timing is “on your honor” Fun Run is not officially timed.

Run is formally known as Mayor’s 5K Fun Run. Participants will receive TWO race T-shirts; one for the Mayor’s 5K Fun Run and one for the RRCA Texas Club Challenge Championship.

32

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

•

Potential Guest Speakers from o The RRCA o The Dallas Running Club o Active.com o Runner’s World Magazine o Local Running Stores Potential Session Topics o Incorporating RRCA programs into your club/event (race) o Web site design o Working with the Media o Marketing your club/event with logoed apparel Round Table Discussion Opportunities Only $25 per person or Eight members from one club for $150

Space will be limited and will be awarded on a “first come, first served” basis. *Speakers subject to availability

Register for the Club Challenge and Conference at Active.com Club Challenge:

http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1647298

Club Conference:

http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1647300

Direct any questions on either event to RRCA North Texas State Rep: K2 at: RRCANorthTXRep@aol.com For more information go to RuntheRock.com A huge thank you goes to Marcus Grunewald from the Dallas White Rock Marathon for being instrumental in helping to make this event a possibility.

CENTRAL REGION: MICHIGAN, OHIO, INDIANA, ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, IOWA, MISSOURI, OKLAHOMA, KANSAS, NEBRASKA, SOUTH DAKOTA, NORTH DAKOTA

RRCA State 10K Championship Kayla O’Mara Memorial 10K Goodrich, MI August 2, 2008 OPEN MALE Justin Zanotti

24

OPEN FEMALE Erin O’Mara

24

MASTER MALE Eric Green

40

Chesterfield, MI

31:30.6 38:44.4

Pontiac, MI

34:47.5

MASTER FEMALE Paulette Hoose 41

Fenton, MI

47:13.6

GRANDMASTER MALE Lennie Brousseau 51

Byron, MI

41:24.8

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Maggy Zidar 58

Pontiac, MI

47:46.8

RRCA State 10 Mile Championship Cudahy 10 Mile Run Cudahy, WI August 3, 2008 OPEN MALE Nate Weiland

24

Milwaukee, WI

53:24

OPEN FEMALE Jackie Giacalone

24

Hartland, WI

1:04:04

MASTER MALE Rick Stefanovic

46

Milwaukee, WI

1:00:33

MASTER FEMALE Mary Bolich 45

Plymouth, WI

1:08:52

GRANDMASTER MALE Paul Kmiecik 54

Middleton, WI

1:03:34

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Nancy Behlendorf 56

S. Milwaukee, WI 1:23:43

RRCA State 5K Championship DeMotte Rotary Ramble 5K DeMotte, IN August 9, 2008 OPEN MALE Francisco Medrano 18

Lafayette, IN

OPEN & MASTER FEMALE Andrea Blocher 44

West Lafayette, IN 18:18

MASTER MALE Rick Fenno

Crown Point, IN

17:04

GRANDMASTER MALE Leo Frey 41

Valparaiso, IN

17:26

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Betty Frankhouser 51

Portage, IN

21:23

51

15:26

RRCA State Half Marathon Championship Rochester Half Marathon Rochester, MN August 23, 2008 OPEN MALE Pete Gilman

33

Rochester, MN

1:11:16

OPEN FEMALE Ashley Earney

23

Waumandee, WI

1:23:48

MASTER MALE Winston Stellner

40

Byron, MN

1:16:11

MASTER FEMALE Sonya Deckert 42

Minneapolis, MN

1:26:15

GRANDMASTER MALE Jim Hannon 50

Rochester, MN

1:16:41

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Deb Thomford 50 Zumbrota, MN

1:34:42

RRCA State 5K Championship Rochester 5K Rochester, MN August 23, 2008 OPEN MALE Mederic Hall

28

Rochester, MN

17:56

OPEN FEMALE Joyce Bourassa

40

Marine on Saint Cro, MN

18:49

MASTER MALE Tom Woo

49

Rochester, MN

17:58

MASTER FEMALE Roxanne Ready 45

Winona, MN

20:12

GRANDMASTER MALE Brian Purrington 57

Oronoco, MN

21:03

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Rosemary Harnly 62 Red Wing, MN

FOOTNOTES

25:42

NOVEMBER 2008 33

CENTRAL REGION: MICHIGAN, OHIO, INDIANA, ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, IOWA, MISSOURI, OKLAHOMA, KANSAS, NEBRASKA, SOUTH DAKOTA, NORTH DAKOTA

RRCA State 30K Championship Labor Day 30K Milford, MI August 30, 2008

RRCA State 5K Championship John Rogucki Kensington Challenge Milford, MI September 27, 2008

OPEN MALE Lance Jones

23

Detroit, MI

1:44:18

OPEN MALE Nick Katsefara

OPEN FEMALE Lisa Veneziano

43

Fenton, MI

2:05:16

MASTER MALE John Niven

44

Swartz Creek, MI

MASTER FEMALE Lori Wallace 44

21

15:55

OPEN FEMALE Jennifer Hutchison New Hudson, MI

29

19:11

1:58:48

MASTER MALE Victor Brown

45

17:15

Mason, MI

2:21:26

MASTER FEMALE Jane Sanders White Lakke, MI

52

22:26

GRANDMASTER MALE John Tarkowski 55

Northville, MI

2:05:04

GRANDMASTER MALE Wally Hayes Ann Arbor, MI

56

20:31

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Linda Dondzila 52

Pinckney, MI

2:48:08

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Mary Krankel Ann Arbor, MI

58

26:46

RRCA State 20K Championship Badgerland Striders 20K Milwaukee, WI August 30, 2008

Pinckney, MI

Canton, MI

RRCA State 15K Championship John Rogucki Kensington Challenge Milford, MI September 27, 2008

OPEN MALE Nate Weiland

Milwaukee, WI

1:05:53

OPEN MALE Ryan Desgrange

Howell, MI

28

51:01

OPEN FEMALE Teresa Stanley

Pewaukee, WI

1:19:59

OPEN FEMALE Krys Brish

Milford, MI

45

1:02:01

MASTER MALE Rick Stefanovic

Milwaukee, WI

1:14:41

MASTER MALE Eric Green

Pontiac, MI

40

52:27

MASTER FEMALE Jennifer Schweinert

Brookfield, WI

1:27:22

MASTER FEMALE Liz Hendershott Ortonville, MI

43

1:11:26

GRANDMASTER MALE Rich Moore

Fox Point, WI

1:20:37

GRANDMASTER MALE John Tarkowski Northville, MI

55

58:37

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Barb Jewell

Burlington, WI

1:40:35

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Cecilia Brzys South Lyon, MI

59

1:21:13

RRCA State Championship Mill Race & Mayor’s Walk Columbus, IN September 27, 2008

RRCA Regional Half Marathon Championship State-to-State Half Marathon Oxford, OH September 28, 2008

OPEN MALE Danny Fisher

53:03.75

5:42

OPEN FEMALE Leslie Weaver

OPEN MALE Ryan Wilson

23

Oxford, OH

1:15:01

1:09:30.85

7:28

MASTER MALE Ricardo Decca

OPEN FEMALE Liz Trapp

23

Pickerington, OH

1:24:09

59:01.70

6:21

MASTER FEMALE Sue Brown-Nickerson 1:18:19.70

MASTER MALE Ronnie McAllister

43

Batesville, IN

1:21:39

8:25

GRANDMASTER MALE Mike Ferree 1:11:53.60

MASTER FEMALE Wanda Krebs 44

Dayton, OH

1:32:42

7:44

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Melanie Meyer 1:31:58.40

GRANDMASTER MALE Greg McCormick 52

Cincinnati, OH

1:25:55

9:53

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Sherry Hyden 55

Hamilton, OH

1:38:40

34

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008

CENTRAL REGION: MICHIGAN, OHIO, INDIANA, ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, IOWA, MISSOURI, OKLAHOMA, KANSAS, NEBRASKA, SOUTH DAKOTA, NORTH DAKOTA

RRCA State 10K Championship Peace Race Youngstown, OH October 12, 2008 OPEN MALE Abdelaziz Atmani

26

Indianapolis, IN

29:33

OPEN FEMALE Leigh Daniel

30

Ashland, OH

34:23

MASTER MALE John Hopple

40

Canton, OH

33:20

MASTER FEMALE Debbi Kilpatrick Morris 45

Strongsville, OH

38:28

GRANDMASTER MALE Terry McCluskey 60

Turtle Creek, PA

36:26

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Cindy Grimm 56

Industry, PA

44:31

RRCA State Marathon Championship IMT Des Moines Marathon Des Moines, IA October 19, 2008 OPEN MALE Geoffrey Kiprotich 30

Coon Rapids, MN

2:23:56

OPEN FEMALE Wendy Terris

39

Milwaukie, OR

2:49:40

MASTER MALE Bradley Wall

40

Ankeny, IA

2:45:16

MASTER FEMALE Carol Baker 49

Waterloo, IA

3:05:26

GRANDMASTER MALE Richard Leiboult 51

Ozark, MO

2:53:05

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Beth Henriksen 52

Ames, IA

3:29:29

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FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008 35

WESTERN REGION: MONTANA, WYOMING, COLORDAO, NEW MEXICO, IDAHO, UTAH, ARIZONA, NEVADA, ALASKA, WASHINGTON, OREGON, CALIFORNIA, HAWAII, GUAM

RRCA State 50K Championship Tahoe Rim Trail 50K Endurance Run Carson City, NV July 19, 2008 OPEN MALE Peter Fain

36

4:48:39

OPEN FEMALE Maureen Sheehan

45

5:48:14

MASTER MALE Moffett, Michael

48

5:13:06

MASTER FEMALE Luanne Park

47

6:20:48

GRANDMASTER MALE Craig Heinselman 50

7:28:09

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Cindy Wetzel 51

7:22:07

RRCA State 50-Mile Championship Tahoe Rim Trail 50-Mile Endurance Run Carson City, NV July 19, 2008 OPEN MALE Thomas Reiss

40

7:52:09

OPEN FEMALE Suzanna Bon

43

9:16:42

MASTER MALE Ron Gutierrez

41

8:44:14

MASTER FEMALE Bree Lambert

40

9:41:01

GRANDMASTER MALE Joseph Swenson 52

10:29:04

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Deanna McLaughlin 52

10:29:33

RRCA National 100-Mile Ultra Championship Tahoe Rim Trail 100-Mile Endurance Run Carson City, NV July 20, 2008 OPEN MALE Eric Skaden Mike Wolfe

36 30

Folsom, CA Missoula, MT

18:59:10 18:59:10

OPEN FEMALE Nikki Kimball

37

Bozeman, MT

20:18:12

MASTER MALE Charles Hofacker

43

Carmichael, CA

23:12:58

MASTER FEMALE Beverley Anderson-Abbs

44

GRANDMASTER MALE Marty Hoffman 52

Davis, CA

25:40:40

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Bettie Smith 56

Placerville, CA

32:36:03

36

FOOTNOTES

Red Bluff, CA 23:28:40

NOVEMBER 2008

WESTERN REGION: MONTANA, WYOMING, COLORDAO, NEW MEXICO, IDAHO, UTAH, ARIZONA, NEVADA, ALASKA, WASHINGTON, OREGON, CALIFORNIA, HAWAII, GUAM

‘Plain Old Family Fun’ Bozeman Classic Has Long Been an Annual Running Tradition

by Will C. Holden, Bozeman Daily Chronicle

The first one out of the gate at the 30th running of the Bozeman Classic was a cow. The last one to leave the starting line was Wonder Woman, who shouted “I’m late, but I’m still here!”

It’s perhaps the quintessential example of why everyone feels comfortable at this annual tradition. And with this year’s children’s run featuring a record 1,100 little ones flying down Main Street, it looks like an event that will remain in Bozeman, Montana families for a long time.

“It goes clear back to the beginning of the Sweet Pea Run, which was the race’s original name. People feel comfortable running, walking or pushing their strollers,” Bozeman running legend Frank Newman said. “It’s just a part of Bozeman.”

This is the first year the Bozeman Classic has become a family affair for the Newmans, and Frank joked that it took him signing up many of his brood “without their knowledge.”

Newman is currently battling a rare form of cancer — referred to as localized fibrous tumor of the pleura. While his condition has stabilized, the constant chemotherapy that has ensued since he had a volleyball-sized tumor removed has kept him from running the past three years. But this year nine other Newmans helped carry the torch for him.

RRCA National Championship Date to Remember: March 29, 2009 San Francisco, CA Presidio 10K RRCA Regional Championship Date to Remember: March 29, 2009 San Francisco, CA Presidio 10 Miler RRCA State Championship Dates to Remember: December 6, 2008 Auroraa, CO Aurora Sports Park XC 12K

“He’s our inspiration,” Frank’s daughter, Gayle Roth of Billings, said. “He’s the only reason a lot of us are out here.” “ ’s getting and doing this while you still can,” Frank’s wife Marilyn added.

The family’s most experienced runner this year was Lori Newman, a 20-year military veteran who’s run six marathons.

“In the military, you sort of learn to run and like it, or you don’t stay in,” she said. “But I think that any run like this where you see a lot of community involvement is just plain old fun.”

For the Ricardi family, represented at this year’s Classic by Nick and his children John and Lois, running has been fun for as long as they can remember. It probably doesn’t hurt that they’re all quite good at it. John and Lois, both past Manhattan Christian state champions who went on to run at Idaho State, were this year’s 5-kilometer winners for the men’s and women’s division. Nick ran the 10k and finished with a time of just over 43 minutes. But finishing times aren’t necessarily the Ricardis’ main goal. “It doesn’t matter if you finish first or last, everyone out here is at the same level in some way,” said Lois, who’s planning a wedding and didn’t think she would run this year until she realized she could hitch a ride from Pocatello, Idaho with her little brother. “Everyone understands the pain, they understand what it’s about and it’s great to share that.”

“What I really like is when little kids come up and say they saw me run or they know who I am and they’re running now,” Nick said. “I was that little kid before, so I’m glad to introduce them to this lifestyle because it can set you up to live the rest of your life in a good and healthy way.” John and Lois have certainly lived that life. Neither has smoked or drank, something Nick is very proud to be able to say as a father. “It’s a total win situation for me. What more rewarding experience as a parent than to see your kids grow up and have success and at the same time be great examples to the younger kids?” Nick said.

Another inspiration to many Classic runners was Herbert Kirk, who passed away seven years ago at the age of 106 and finished the 5K course last when he was 104. His legacy has been carried on by his son Charles and the rest of the Kirk family. “I have to the tradition, but when my knees give out someone may have to end up pushing me in a wheelchair,” the 81-year-old Charles joked.

Kirks come from far and wide for the Classic. This year, Charles’ daughter Diane Kirkpartrick came from Longmont, CO, his other daughter Lizanne Howard made the trek from the Oregon coast and his grandson Cassius Sims — a Duke law student — flew out from Washington, DC. “It’s such a beautiful time in Bozeman, so wherever you are in the country it’s great to be here,” Kirkpatrick said.

The Sullivan family couldn’t agree more. Susan Sullivan admits many of the 10 family members she “dragged out” for this year’s event didn’t necessarily have any inspiration for running in the Classic, other than that it got them out of bed early for the Sweet Pea Festival. “Sweet Pea for us is like Christmas,” Susan said. “My kids come home every year for Sweet Pea and every year it seems like we get more family out here.” A Sullivan has crossed the finish line every year but one since the Classic’s inception 30 years ago. The only event the family missed was in 1987, when there were no Sullivans living in the area.

Laura Sullivan, who ran in this year’s 5K despite getting only four hours of sleep after spending the previous evening at a high school reunion, says the race is welcoming in a way that other events may not be. “We’ve done a few half marathons where it’s getting out there and proving you can do it, but this isn’t one of those runs,” Laura said. “It shows off a great part of Bozeman and it’s just a great time for everyone to get together and have some fun.”

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008 37

WESTERN REGION: MONTANA, WYOMING, COLORDAO, NEW MEXICO, IDAHO, UTAH, ARIZONA, NEVADA, ALASKA, WASHINGTON, OREGON, CALIFORNIA, HAWAII, GUAM

RRCA State 10K Championship First Security Bozeman Classic 10K Bozeman, MT August 2, 2008 OPEN MALE Forrest Lewton

30

Cardwell, MT

34:30.6

5:34

OPEN FEMALE Nikki Kimball

37

Bozeman, MT

39:43.2

6:24

MASTER MALE Tim Dumas

40

Bozeman, MT

37:28.2

6:03

MASTER FEMALE Julie Bennett

40

Bozeman, MT

48:36.8

7:50

GRANDMASTER MALE Chris Tippett 52

Butte, MT

39:57.8

6:27

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Brook Merrow 53

Bozeman, MT

49:21.1

7:58

RRCA Regional 50K Ultra Championship Bulldog 50K Ultra Run Calabasas/Malibu, CA August 23, 2008

by Nancy Shura-Dervin, R.D.

For the third consecutive year, the Bulldog Runs have enjoyed morning fog and pleasant temperatures. A cool breeze blew through Malibu Canyon to keep it from heating up too much for the runners. The 2008 Bulldog Runs were dedicated to a beloved person in our running community, Craig “Moose” Chambers (19492008). He took a lot of love with him.

The overall male and female course records for both races will stand for at least another year. It was Masters Day at the 50K as the male and female overall winners this year also won the Masters Divisions. Forty-five-year-old Jose Ortiz cruised in at 3:58:05 to win the men’s race. The top three women were all in their 40’s with Bree Lambert from San Jose running 4:57:45 to edge out local runner Diana Rush.

As always, our stellar volunteers continue to shine. The aid stations at Bulldog Lateral, Corral Canyon, Tapia Park and Malibu Creek were expertly operated. We had double handfuls of people who showed up at 5AM to work this race and they were still to be seen at 4PM, cleaning up trash, washing out igloos, and waiting to hang that last medal around the neck of first-time 50Ker Marc David Alpert.

OPEN & MASTER MALE Jose Ortiz 45

3:58:05

OPEN & MASTER FEMALE Bree Lambert 40

4:57:45

GRANDMASTER MALE Eric Clifton 50

4:45:15

GRANDMASTER FEMALE Lorraine Gersitz 54

OPEN MALE Tim Phillips

42

Glasgow, MT

2:52:13.1

5:55:11

OPEN FEMALE Nikki Kimball

37

Bozeman, MT

3:08:41.8

MASTER MALE N.K. Martin

43

Normal, IL

3:01:03.7

MASTER FEMALE Amy Yanni

54

Rapid City, SD

3:30:33.2

38

FOOTNOTES

RRCA State Marathon Championship Montana Marathon Billings, MT September 21, 2008

NOVEMBER 2008

WESTERN REGION: MONTANA, WYOMING, COLORDAO, NEW MEXICO, IDAHO, UTAH, ARIZONA, NEVADA, ALASKA, WASHINGTON, OREGON, CALIFORNIA, HAWAII, GUAM

Colorado Columbines Women’s Running Club Celebrates 30 Years August 2008 – The Colorado Columbines Women’s Running Club celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The club, approximately 150 women strong, is the oldest and largest women’s running club in the Denver area.

possible on our own, from running a first 5K to tackling long distance runs over mountain passes.” Club members include young women in their teens on up to women in their 70’s, and all levels of fitness – some struggle to run a mile without walking while others regularly run marathons or win age-group awards at local races.

The Colorado Columbines club was founded in 1978 at a time when women running recreationally or competitively were rare. The club provided a safe haven and community of supportive women to run together in the face of a male-dominated sport and established Denver’s first women-only road race, the Columbine Classic. The first annual race drew 300 runners, but over the years grew to attract thousands and raised more $100,000 for a local battered women’s shelter. Thirty years later, the club no longer hosts the Classic, but continues to be a strong community for women runners of all ages and abilities, and upholds its tradition of community service. “We develop deep friendships over miles of running together and volunteering at races. Our members are amazing women from all walks of life,” says Cathy Rosset, Colorado Columbines president. “We inspire each other to try things we’d never dream

The Columbines have made a profound imprint upon the Denver running community with endless hours of volunteering at local races. Year after year, they support races such as the Aflac Iron Girl, Colorado Colfax Marathon and Platte River Half Marathon with a strong showing of volunteerism.

Maureen Roben, Platte River Half Marathon and Buckhorn Exchange Relay race director remarked, “Every year at our race,

we marvel at how easy the Columbines make our job. They are without a doubt the best volunteer group in town. Not only do we think they are great, we receive rave reviews about them from our participants as well.”

To mark their 30th anniversary, the Columbines have established the Colorado Columbines Women’s Running Grant in partnership with The Sporting Woman Community Fund which provides financial support to a wide variety of Colorado’s female athletes. “We look forward to partnering with the Colorado Columbines, a group that has demonstrated a legacy of helping women,” says Lisa Voorhees, The Sporting Woman Community Fund president. The Colorado Columbines Running Grant will be earmarked for running-related endeavors. “As a club supporting women runners of all ages and ability, this is an opportunity to reach beyond our own membership and support the dreams of women athletes in the Colorado community,” says Rosset.

At 30 years, the Colorado Columbines are still running – and running strong.

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WESTERN REGION: MONTANA, WYOMING, COLORDAO, NEW MEXICO, IDAHO, UTAH, ARIZONA, NEVADA, ALASKA, WASHINGTON, OREGON, CALIFORNIA, HAWAII, GUAM Preface by Celia Perkins Jeff Mark is a member of the Tahoe Mountain Milers and Sagebrush Stompers Running Club. Race Director for the event, “Escape from Prison Hill Trail Half Marathon and 2-Person Relay”, the 2008 RRCA Nevada State Half Marathon Championship event.

After completing the Hood to Coast in 2007, Jeff knew he wanted to join a team again this year, but was deployed to Iraq. So he shared his vision of this idea with me, Celia Perkins, RRCA-Oregon State Representative and Vice President of the Oregon Road Runners Club to “virtually run” with a HTC team, so I went to work to find a team that he could compete on.

Jeff’s vision started with the questions of “finding a team of 11 runners that wouldn’t mind their 12th running a set of legs in Iraq”.

The next challenge…”The hard part would be finding a team to pick me up and of course finding matching legs to run. I wonder if I would get extra difficulty points for dodging snipers, IEDs, and of course running in body armor with a rifle”! Then came…”I would envision running a distance equal to in both distance and difficulty as one of the team members. The team would call me (in Iraq) when I’m to begin my leg(s) and I would call them back upon completion. They would be responsible for timing and I would have someone in-country “verify” my actual running of my leg(s)”.

Oregon Relay Team Takes Race Around World, Fulfills Soldier’s Dream

by Spc. Christopher M. Gaylord To run a Pacific Northwest relay race from a desert thousands of miles away may not seem like a reasonable dream to most, but for one U.S. Soldier deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, it was the only option, and that dream became reality.

For the first time in the history of Oregon’s annual Hood to Coast relay race – called the world’s largest running relay race and the “Mother of all relays” – one team has taken its competition halfway around the world, allowing one of its members, Lt. Col. Jeff Mark, a Military Police brigade commander, to participate despite his dedicated service to his country.

3.93 miles by treadmill.

An operations officer with Mark’s MP unit waited outside the gym for a call from one of Mark’s teammates, Angela Wells, and once received, immediately secured a slap bracelet around Mark’s wrist, kicking off the near four-mile leg.

All the while, the scenery was something other than a rash of massive Douglas firs packed together like sardines across majestic mountains. Palm trees, small, manmade lakes and elegant Middle Eastern infrastructure, to include impressive palaces – some unfinished – set the scene for this race. Still, it was a huge check in the box for Lt. Col. Mark.

However, a 12-month deployment in April with his Nevada Army National Guard unit made his hopes seem a bit high. But, as time would prove, no hopes were too high for team 360 Goes 180, as it came to be known after Mark joined.

Starting out Aug. 22 at the Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith Fitness Center on Camp Victory, Mark completed his first leg of

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And so they were there with him for legs two and three, his loyal teammates there by wire. This time, Mark took his feet to the street, running 7.25 miles the following day around the entire camp and passing his starting point in the late morning hours, for leg two. Unit members supplied water and motivation. Unlike Oregon, summer temperatures in Baghdad reach 120 degrees by 10 a.m.

Mark’s goal was finally complete the evening of Aug. 23 with a third and final leg taking him 5.98 miles around Camp Slayer, adjacent to Victory.

Mark’s participation in the relay last year, which took him and other avid runners and walkers winding 197 miles down breathtaking Mt. Hood to the gorgeous Pacific coastline, left him wanting more.

He’d return in 2008.

With the mindset that it had to be done, Mark ran his three legs of the race – legs three, 15 and 27 – from Victory Base Complex Aug. 22-23, Baghdad local time, while his team stayed in close contact with him via satellite phone, which Mark used to figuratively pass the baton. They’re kind of hard to throw 8,000 miles.

for a man with one big goal he had begun to achieve.

“It was a dream come true for me to be able to participate in the event,” Mark said of running Hood to Coast from Baghdad. “If you’re any kind of runner and you haven’t done Hood to Coast, you’re crazy.”

Mark watched a video put together and mailed over by his team that literally took him through the beginning of the course as he ran by treadmill.

Close friends and members of his unit stood just feet away to show their support

NOVEMBER 2008

“I owe team 360 Goes 180 big time for all they’ve done for me,” Mark said.

Vancouver Hood to Coast team 360 Goes 180, named after its primary sponsor, 360 Physical Therapy, and the fact that its newest member, Mark, is halfway around See HOOD TO COAST, page 41

WESTERN REGION: MONTANA, WYOMING, COLORDAO, NEW MEXICO, IDAHO, UTAH, ARIZONA, NEVADA, ALASKA, WASHINGTON, OREGON, CALIFORNIA, HAWAII, GUAM HOOD TO COAST, continued from page 41

Jeff’s teammates in Washington

Jeff’s troop - “The Dirty Dozen”

the world, began work on bringing to life its teammate’s dream back in December of 2007.

Photo by Celia Perkins

at the Road Runners Club of America National Convention in New Orleans.

Perkins trained once a week last year with Ike Anunciado, and Randy and Angela Wells, who would soon be Mark’s teammates, and mentioned to them the Soldier’s hopes of running Hood to Coast despite a deployment to Iraq.

Celia Perkins, the program Organizer for Portland Fit/Vancouver Fit – a training program to prepare runners for the Portland marathon – met Mark in 2005

“What do you think?” Anunciado said, looking at Randy, the 360 Goes 180 captain.

“We have to,” Randy answered. And with that, it was an event. The team, which Mark had at that moment officially become a part of, set out to make it happen.

Anunciado immediately began drafting up a plan that would allow his new teammate to participate in Hood to Coast.

“I wrote out an outline of a strategic plan that would include our mission and objectives, to keep the team focused,” Anunciado said. “Once I was finished with my rough strategic plan, I gave it to Angela Wells, whose editorial skills polished it up to present it to the Hood to Coast management team and then to potential sponsors.”

In January, the team approached the Hood to Coast director of marketing and executive director, who were more than willing to facilitate the request. Soon after, they began soliciting sponsors.

“Getting permission from Hood to Coast was pretty easy,” said Randy’s wife, Angela. “They were receptive to the idea and very helpful. We were able to get a number of companies to sponsor our team

Lt. Col. Mark cools himself by pouring water on his head that Troy, a member of his Nevada Army National Guard unit provided, Aug. 23, 2008, during his second leg from Camp Victory, Iraq.

FOOTNOTES

in different ways.”

“They loved our proposal and have since been extremely supportive of our cause,” Anunciado said.

Originally, the team had hopes of shipping Mark a donated treadmill with preset distances for the race so it could be set up in his personal space with internet connection available, and for Mark to run broadcast via video teleconference. But, after complications arose with both plans, Angela and the rest of the team had to shift gears. Satellite phone would do.

“Carrier pigeon would take too long,” Mark said.

Through much effort and an army of emails, Angela had gotten in contact with the Morale, Welfare and Recreation supervisor on Camp Victory and worked out a plan to permit Mark more time on the gym treadmills than the allotted 30 minutes, allowing for sufficient training and completion of the longer legs of the race.

The plan was for Mark to run all three legs by treadmill, but just weeks before the event, he shifted his own gears and decided to take the race to the scolding hot streets of Baghdad, running clear around Camps Victory and Slayer to provide for more scenic routes. After all, Oregon has set the scenery bar pretty high.

“I couldn’t imagine running another 13 miles on a treadmill,” Mark said.

Mark gained national attention with the pursuance of Hood to Coast from Baghdad See HOOD TO COAST, page 41

NOVEMBER 2008 41

WESTERN REGION: MONTANA, WYOMING, COLORDAO, NEW MEXICO, IDAHO, UTAH, ARIZONA, NEVADA, ALASKA, WASHINGTON, OREGON, CALIFORNIA, HAWAII, GUAM

HOOD TO COAST, continued from page 41

Photos by Spc. Christopher M. Gaylord

Lt. Col. Mark runs his second leg of 7.25 miles from Camp Victory, Iraq, on Aug. 23, 2008, while a member of his Nevada Army National Guard unit follows behind in a vehicle draped with a team sponsor banner.

and was the star of a first-time occurrence in the history of the relay. It was all just another example of how supportive most Americans are of their deployed military men and women.

Since the birth of Mark’s Hood to Coast dream, Angela and the rest of team 360 Goes 180 has used the event to show troops their own immense support.

Lt. Col. Mark speaks via satellite phone, Aug. 23, 2008, while teammate Ike Anunciado immediately following completion of his second leg of the 2008 Hood to Coast relay, which Mark

conditions Iraq offers while riding on the back of a man whose dream they had fulfilled.

Message from Jeff (8/24/08):

“Hopefully I’ll run with them in person next year and our team bond will grow,” Mark said. “All things considered, this was a great experience, and I can’t wait to get back home to the states so I can do this for real.”ran from Camp Victory, Iraq.

You know that feeling that hits you after you accomplish a marathon or event that you have trained so hard for and dedicated much time to?...well, that feeling has begun to hit me here. It’s a feeling that I have had before after long, strenuous events. It’s a feeling of sadness created by a void in life at that very moment. The race is over...so now what? I’m elated and saddened at the same time today...happy and sad.

By the end of December, we had come up with a proposal to use the event to show our support to the troops overseas, while allowing Jeff to keep a foot on home ground, Angela said.

The team has since sent shirts, shoes, banners, care packages and organized a troop supply drive in the weeks before the event.

“I imagine keeping in touch with the happenings at home makes the distance seem shorter and the tough tasks at hand a little easier,” Angela said. “What Jeff and everyone over in Iraq are doing for us is unimaginable. Troops sacrifice a lot to serve their country.”

“One thing is clear,” Mark said. “The American public – my teammates – do support the men and women serving in the military. We are all grateful for all of the support they give us every single day.”

Celia and “Team”,

For the past few months we had an opportunity to work together on this event. You were all there to support me in my goal and my dream in competing in the Hood to Coast once again. Words alone can not express the amount of gratitude in my heart for all of you...thank you so very much, for EVERYTHING.

I hope that this can be a mere stepping-stone for things to come.

I pray that we can all meet again (in person) and compete once again. Please save me a beer And so, in the end, Mark ran with his team by his side. Pinned to the back of his 360 Lt. Col. Mark finishes his third and final leg of for the next time we meet and Goes 180 t-shirt during leg two was an the 2008 Hood to Coast relay, Aug. 23, 2008, PLEASE keep in touch.

Camp Slayer, Iraq, while Commander 8” x 11” photo of the entire team. They from I love you all!!!

Kevin Kincaid, a Portland, OR native, runs experienced, for the first time, the 120- alongside him. Kevin ran all three legs with degree temperatures and extremely dusty Mark to provide a bit of motivation.

Jeff

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NOVEMBER 2008 43

Here is the crazy essay I found while cleaning. It was written my freshman year at the College of William and Mary for freshman composition class. That would make it 1979-1980 and I would have been 16 or 17 years old. Guess you could say some things don’t change!

THE UNIVERSAL BENEFITS OF RUNNING Bee McLeod How many times have you had to stop half way up a flight of stairs to catch your breath? Do you die of asphyxiation whenever you try to run down the block, say for a bus? If either of the above is true or if you just do not feel as well as you think you should, then you are probably not in good physical shape. One of the best and easiest ways to get in shape is by running. To define “in shape” let me just say that if you cannot make it up a flight of steps or run for a bus, or your body seems to shake with fat as you walk or the only exercise you ever get is that short trip from the sofa to the fridge for a snack, then you are not “in shape”. By running, you can join the twenty-five million other Americans who have decided that the physical and mental state of their bodies is important.

No matter how out of shape, fat, old, or ungraceful you are and no matter how many times who have tried other exercise regimes and failed, running will make you healthier than you ever imagined.

Running is highly recommended by doctors as an easy and efficient way to lose weight.

Without even changing eating habits, a beginning runner always loses inches and nearly always loses weight. This is so because when you run, fat is turned into muscle and, despite the fact that muscle is more compact than fat, it weighs more.

Besides helping weight control, running develops cardiovascular endurance, the single most important indication of overall health. It also aids muscular strength, flexibility, balance, digestion, and sleep. The Presidential Council on Physical Fitness and Sports has determined that running leads all other sports in developing these necessary bodily functions. All other forms of exercise are neither as efficient in helping the body nor are they as easy to perform. Only running can be done anywhere, requires practically no equipment, and costs almost nothing.

Unlike many other physical activities, running is, as the American Medical Association calls it, a lifetime sport. It can be participated in long after other contact sports are considered hazardous. And, in addition, it makes older persons appear younger looking.

Maximum heart rate, oxygen-processing ability, and the pumping power of the heart stop increasing as is normal with age and begin to either decrease or, at least, to halt. Running can help maintain these key functions.

Smoking and drinking are two common addictions which running seems to diminish. Once smokers and drinkers have convinced themselves, or a doctor has told them, that it Is necessary for them to begin running for the exercise, they usually give up their onceingrained habits because the harmfulness of these habits appears clearer after trying to run. And finally, running plays a major role in curing such minor ailments as headaches, upset stomachs and hangovers and has been shown to help heart attack patients and

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persons with more serious diseases such as cerebral palsy.

The physical benefits of running are only the beginning though. There is something about the freedom and exhilaration experienced when running that has beneficial effects on one’s mental and emotional processes. There is little doubt that running increases mental health by building up a stronger will power, a better acceptance of pain and a better ability to exert oneself during extreme fatigue. You learn to listen to your body and appreciate it more. Your limitations become clear and you realize when you have reached them. It is possible to come in last in a race and still feel victorious because running is such an individual sport. This can change your whole attitude towards defeat since you accept yourself and learn the difference between personal defeat and the type of defeat involved when you place last knowing you did your best.

Running is a cure-all for other psychological states, too.

Going out for a run alone can be a terrific means of escape. The pressures of work and school are left far behind when you are running though the woods or a park enjoying the beauty of nature. Quoting a member of the U.S. Olympic marathon team, “people get a relief from tension from running… like having your own psychiatrist… everyone benefits… your sense of self-worth improves… you accept yourself a little better.”

There are some drawbacks though in running such as the pain involved.

This is an inevitable part of every runner’s life, as he tries to improve his daily mileage. As you begin to push yourself more and more, your mind tells you, “Keep running! You’re doing well.” But your legs are saying, “NO! Let us stop! It hurts.”

This mind-body struggle is quite common. With more experience, runners learn to accept the pain as part of what is necessary to reach a specific goal. A certain pleasure is hidden in that pain. You know you are putting out all you can; the successes are greater and the victories and more triumphant. This acceptance of pain takes a long time to develop, however, and is not necessary unless you plan to run on a level far above that needed to just stay in good shape. The first mile will hurt somewhat, too, but this discomfort is minimal and will fade as you get in better shape.

If, despite all the physical and psychological benefits resulting from running, you still are not convinced that it is to your advantage to continue this sport, it may be because you simply are not cut out to be a runner. There are people who find running to be the worst possible thing they could ever do, but these people are few. Everyone should at least give running a try to see if they like it. Many runners do not begin to really enjoy the sport until they have been doing it for several weeks or months. So do not get discouraged. If you feel apathetic towards it, keep at it. In the long run, you will most likely continue the sport and be one of the millions who are already enjoying the favorable changes in their lives, both physically and mentally.

Top Ten Core Exercises for Runners on the BOSU Balance Trainer

by Roy Stevenson With the runner’s never-ending search for a competitive edge, now and then something comes along that may actually “work” for the runner. One such piece of fitness equipment that can help runners is the BOSU Balance Trainer. It also provides a fun element as an addition to your training program and makes a nice change from running those miles on the road.

than the Swiss ball and is thus easier to use by beginners, as it doesn’t require as much balance and skill as its round Swiss Ball counterpart. The BOSU originated in the U.S.A., quickly spreading to sports teams, then into the fitness club scene. Athletes of all abilities and sports use it.

How can using this piece of apparatus help your running? First, it should be used as an adjunct to your running training, and is not intended to replace your time spent on the road—it won’t do anything for your aerobic fitness.

Here’s what a BOSU Balance Trainer is and how it can help you. It’s a blue rubber dome-shaped platform like the hemispherical upper third of a Swiss ball It has a flat black rubber base 25 inches in diameter.

Its main benefit is strengthening your core musculature, enabling your running posture to stay upright throughout your entire training or racing performance. This prevents your posture from slumping.

When we slump forward, we tend to shorten our stride with an inevitable slowdown our time. So holding your posture upright when you tire is critical to

The name BOSU is an acronym standing for “both sides up”, meaning the platform can be used lying flat on its base in a stable position, or turned upside down, and used as an unstable platform for other more demanding exercises. When lying on its base it’s more stable and lower to the ground

1. Squat

maintaining your pace.

A secondary benefit of the BOSU is its ability to improve your balance, something that never goes astray with runners. Our balance is notoriously poor because we tend to just move in a forward plane, putting one foot in front of the other. The BOSU will help you stay better balanced and stabilised on rough, uneven surfaces like cross-country. You’ll better handle emergency movements like mounting a curb to a footpath, or changing direction rapidly such as in cross-country, leaping over small obstacles, etc.

Finally, the BOSU provides a much needed and fun diversion from grinding out those miles, especially if you’re having particularly nasty weather and running outside in a blizzard is not feasible. You can set the BOSU up in your living room and work your core muscles without feeling guilty about missing a training run.

2. PLANK

Turn the BOSU upside down, with flat side on top. Step carefully onto the centre of the BOSU and get your balance, legs shoulder width apart. Slowly squat down until your thighs are parallel with the floor, then straighten your legs.

You should feel your gluteals on your backside contracting if you are doing this properly.

Put BOSU flat side up and lower your forearms onto the base with your body straight. Make your hands into fists, thumbs up, and forearms forming a V with the point facing out. Hold your body straight for 30 seconds, three times.

Progression: add hand weights (dumbbells).

Very advanced: squats with quarter or half turn, in small jumps.

Progression: longer time.

hold

for

3. Bridge

Put BOSU round side up and with your body facing upwards, lower your bent arms behind you to support yourself. Keep your body straight. Hold your body straight (keep backside up—not sagging). Do three repetitions of 30 seconds each.

Progression: hold for longer time.

When that becomes easy reverse your position so your heels are on the BOSU (round side up) and your body flat parallel with the floor.

See BOSU, page 46

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NOVEMBER 2008 45

BOSU, continued from page 45 What’s all this fuss about exercising the core? Here’s a quick refresher for you on what the core muscles are. It refers to the primary muscles of the abdominal region and lower back, and also includes the other important muscles that stabilise and support your spine including the spinal erectors, latissimus dorsi, gluteals, and trapezius.

The core is important because it’s the hinge or epicenter for all movement that takes place in the human body. The core muscles may be the prime movers in an action, such as bending forwards or backwards, or the core may simply support and stabilize your trunk while other muscle groups are working, like the shoulder muscles or arms.

If your core muscles are weak you’ll experience early fatigue in the trunk, causing you to slump or lean forward when you are running. And you’ll slow badly from this

because your steps will be shorter and your arms will not generate enough momentum for you to continue at race pace.

Here are ten challenging and fun BOSU exercises to strengthen your core. It will take you several sessions to become comfortable and efficient with these exercises—but if you persist they’ll become much smoother. As you adapt to them, hold the position longer (if it’s a static exercise), or perform more repetitions with light hand weights.

These exercises are best done in bare feet.

I’ve added a more difficult variation of each exercise for when you are able to do these ones easily, and need more of a challenge.

These then, are a variety of BOSU balance and strengthening exercises that you should be able to do after some practice. There

are literally dozens of other exercises you can do as you master these ones—there are even BOSU classes that will show you a wider variety of exercises. Give them a try and you’ll feel the improved postural strength as you run and as you go about your daily activities.

Roy Stevenson has a master’s degree in coaching and exercise physiology from Ohio University. He’s had over 100 articles on running, fitness and health published in various regional, national and international magazines and newspapers. Formerly from New Zealand, Roy competed in NZ Championships on track, road, and cross-country. He held the NZ under20 marathon record in 1974 when he ran his first marathon in 2:42:28.

4. Bird Dog

Lie face down on BOSU (round side up) on your stomach or centre of gravity so you are evenly balanced. Slowly raise up your right arm and left leg, and then hold them for ten seconds in this “bird dog” position.

The change arms and legs. Do three or four repetitions on each side.

Progression: do more repetitions, and more sets.

5. Balanced abdominal “bicycle”.

Lie on your low back on BOSU, round side up, so you are evenly balanced. Hands beside your ears, elbows facing forwards. Slowly bring your left elbow and right knee together. Then cycle back and bring right elbow and left knee together. This will take some effort to balance properly until you get it right.

Progression: do more repetitions and more sets. Less advanced: V-sits where you sit on BOSU with hands behind your trunk for support, lifting your legs up in front of you.

6. Lunge

Place BOSU round side up. Face it and place your right foot on the centre of the BOSU. Slowly lower yourself down by bending your knee to a right angle. Slowly straighten your leg. Repeat ten times with each leg.

Progression: do more repetitions and more sets. Then hold dumbbells at your side, as you get stronger. These can be modified to faster moving lunges, bouncing yourself off the BOSU as soon as your foot hits it.

See BOSU, page 46

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BOSU, continued from page 46

8. Reverse Abdominal Crunch 7. Push-Ups

Place BOSU flat side up, with round side on floor. Grip sides of BOSU tightly with hands—you’ll see hand grip on the sides of the base for this.

Slowly lower yourself by bending your arms, and then raise yourself by straightening your arms, doing the traditional push up exercise. If your upper body is not strong enough to do this, start with bent knees.

Kneel in front of the BOSU, base up, round side down on floor. Place your forearms in a V position on the base, with fists together. Straighten your legs and trunk, and then raise your backside upwards to a right angle. Slowly lower your backside back down until your trunk is straight again. Repeat ten times, (if you can).

Progression: increase number of repetitions and sets.

Progression: increase number of repetitions and sets.

10. One Leg Balance

9. Side Crunch

Place BOSU round side up. Lie sideways across BOSU with your ribs resting across the round centre part of the BOSU. Upper arm should be back behind your head. Lower arm should rest across your chest.

Contract your side abdominals so you tilt upwards, and hold for 3 seconds. Lower, and then repeat. Repeat ten times (if you can).

Progression: increase number of repetitions and sets. Advanced: hold your body straight while lying on your side for ten seconds.

Place BOSU round side up. Stand with one leg on center of BOSU, slightly bent at knee. Lean forward with arms extended out in front of you, and other leg straight out behind you for balance. Hold for ten seconds. Repeat 10 times.

Another variation of this is to hold one leg out to your side, balancing with your arms.

Progression: hold for 20-30 seconds. Do up to 15 repetitions.

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Theyerl Logs 20K Miles in RRCA Personal Fitness Brad Theyerl, age 29, from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, started running at age seven in 1986. He was a standout youth runner setting five course records in the one mile in the 12 & under age group. In 1991 he was undefeated at that distance the entire year with a best time of 5:18 at the age of 12. He attended Fond du Lac Goodrich High School where he was a standout cross country runner, and he went on to run cross country and track at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, 1997-2002.

Theyerl has been a member of the Fond du Lac Running Club since 1987 and became a member of their Board of Directors after finishing college. In 2007 he was elected president of the club.

In 1999, Brad Theyerl began logging his miles and sending his six month mileage totals to the RRCA. This summer, Theyerl logged 20,000 miles as part of the RRCA’s 1000 mile in six month challenge through the RRCA: Personal Fitness Program.

“My coach Paul Butzen was the co-founder of the Fond du Lac Running Club in 1979 and served as President of the club and youth director on and off from 1979 until the time of his death in 2004,” explained Theyerl. “Paul was even named RRCA race director of the year in 1989. This is how I got started in running, because the club had such a well established youth program.”

When asked what motivates Theyerl to participate in the RRCA Personal Fitness program he responded, “What I’ve noticed over the years is that sometimes with your consistent training and racing, you can in a way serve as a silent leader to other individuals, whether it’s people you already know or people who just know of you. When others notice a certain individual who trains a lot, is listed in race results at the same events year after year, or just being noticed for their accomplishments on a regular basis, it can become contagious to other people. Even without knowing or talking to other people, some might notice what I do as a runner (whether it’s my training, racing, promotion of the sport, etc.) and it might motivate them to excel in their own individual right.

If there is a contest within your training group or club, a fund raiser connected with an event, or something as common as a local road race, etc., be a part of it and participate. Don’t be quick to count yourself out based on your ability level, or try to judge whether you’ll be good at it or not, or whether you like or dislike the type of competition it is or who the other people are that are participating or the awards given out for it, etc., but instead participate to be a part of something. Challenge yourself. Make it fun. Make it your own. Meet new people through the activity. Compete, don’t compare. As runners, at the end of the day, we are mostly individuals who are running for ourselves. We don’t do it for anyone else. Most of us do it because we love it. We all have our own reasons for why we run. So you might as well make it fun, and be a part of the things that are going on in your community, club, etc.”

The RRCA invites everyone in the running community to participate in the RRCA Personal Fitness Program. To learn more about the program visit us at http://www.rrca.org/programs/personal/, and start logging your miles today!

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ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA 8965 Guilford Rd, Suite 150 Columbia, Maryland 21046 Phone: 410-290-3890 Fax: 410-290-3893 www.RRCA.org Since 1974, the RRCA has been helping motivate runners through the Personal Fitness Program. From beginning runners to experience endurance athletes, we all need a little motivation now and then. To reward individuals for their dedication to living a healthy life and incorporating running as their regular exercise, we invite you to join the Personal Fitness Program. Program fees are varied based on your goal.

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS:

Yes, I achieved my Personal Fitness Goal!

Please send me the following reward:

x Select your 6 month total mileage goal from COST SIZE below 300 Mile Patch and certificate x Log onto www.RRCA.org/Running/Tools. $10.00 x Create your FREE Account to Log Your Miles x Start running and logging your miles 600 Mile SportScience T-Shirt, patch and certificate x After six months, indicate your total on this $25.00 S, M, L, XL form (we will verify your mileage log online) and mail it along with your payment to receive 1000 Mile Embroidered Golf Shirt, patch and certificate your reward. $35.00 S, M, L, XL x Celebrate your accomplishment!

6 MONTH GOAL:

6 MONTH TOTAL MILES:

300 miles in 6 months Approx 12 miles a week

_________

1000 Mile Embroidered Fleece Vest, patch and certificate $50.00 S, M, L, XL (please type or print clearly)

Name:_____________________________________

600 miles in 6 months Approx 25 miles a week

_________

1000 miles in 6 months Approx 42 miles a week

_________

Address:____________________________________ City:________________________ State:______ Zip:___________

Waiver: I know that running is a potentially hazardous activity.

I should not run unless I am medically able and properly trained. I assume all risks associated with running and participation in the Personal Fitness Program. I have read this waiver and knowing these facts and in consideration of your accepting my entry, I, for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf, waive and release the ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA and all sponsors, their representatives and successors from all claims or liabilities of any kind arising out of my participation in this program though the liability may arise out of negligence or carelessness on the part of the persons named in this waiver.

Phone:_______________________ Email Address:____________________________________ Check enclosed or Charge my credit card Name on Card:______________________________________ Card Number:_______________________________

Signed:_______________________________________________________ Expiration Date:_____/______

FOOTNOTES

NOVEMBER 2008 49