VILLAGE NEWS
Scott Appleby & Kerry ApplebyPayne
LA JOLLA
A Family Tradition of Real Estate Success
858-775-2014
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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011
San Diego Community Newspaper Group
Editor’s note: This story is the first of a series following four La Jolla women in their training for the La Jolla Half and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. Reporter Kendra Hartmann is training alongside them and more than 300 others in the Team VAVi Running Club.
18 weeks, 335 runners, 26.2 miles
Participants in last year’s Team VAVi Running Club push through a long training run in La Jolla. Coach Blake Miller focuses on helping participants achieve their running goals, while not forgetting the importance of the social aspect. “We have actually had marriages spark out of our club,” he said. Photo courtesy of Blake Miller
Four La Jolla women gear up for the run of their lives BY KENDRA HARTMANN | VILLAGE NEWS ear-round running weather and a plethora of scenic trails make San Diego a haven for runners. From La Jolla to Chula Vista, from Ocean Beach to El Cajon, runners of all ages take to the streets, parks and beaches every day for a piece of the pavement-pounding action. To get a pulse on the nature of San Diego’s running culture and find out what it takes to complete a long-distance road race, this reporter joined the Team VAVi Running Club (TVRC) for its 18-week program that trains participants for the La Jolla Half Marathon and the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. One of almost 170 running clubs in California (more than in any other state by far), the organizers of TVRC have to work hard to keep a corner on the market that helps so many San Diegans stay in shape. Training coach Blake Miller, who started the running club in 2003, describes the twice-a-week program as “middle of the road.” “We are not ultra, hardcore runners busting our brains six days a week, yet we are not casual joggers that go out once or twice a week,” he said. The program consists of three general training schedules for both half-marathon and full-marathon trainees: advanced, intermediate and run/walk. Geared toward runners (and non-runners who want to become runners) who either want to complete a marathon, improve upon an existing personal record or just enjoy the social aspect of running in a group, the program has experienced considerable growth since its inception. Miller said his first group of trainees consisted of 34 runners. This season, TVRC has more than 330 participants. Miller incorporates more than just increasing mileage into the program. Most training runs are followed by clinics, with subjects ranging from running technique to nutrition to injury treatment and prevention, including a session
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SEE MARATHON, Page 4
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www.SDNEWS.com Volume 16, Number 26
A SEAL WHISPERER?
Longtime La Jollan Mike Willoughby pets a seal he encounters often on his daily swims at the La Jolla Cove. La Jolla Village News photographer Jim Grant shot this photo last week after noticing that the seals came right up to Willoughby after he entered the water outside the Children’s Pool and followed him as he swam. For more about Willoughby’s seal experiences, see Page 2.
Meet the runners As the Team VAVi Running Club ups its mileage, we will be checking in with our running superstars to see how well — or grueling — the training is going. On March 12, the group reached the double digits, with a 10- to-12 mile run along the San Diego harbor. Here’s how our La Jollans have been faring:
Betsy Franklin Age: 56 Occupation: Business process and customer management specialist
Shannon Mulvihill Age: 50 Occupation: Computer consultant
Celeste Phillips Age: 23 Occupation: Real estate assistant
Danielle Kochman Age: 28 Occupation: Transit planner
I was pretty surprised at how hard it is to walk for a few minutes and then run for two minutes. But I can definitely tell I’m getting stronger and I’m starting to feel more confident that I’ll be able to do it. I was confident before, but it was kind of a naïve confidence. Now I’m feeling like I can really finish this thing.”
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I felt my training was moving along okay. Then the setback: on a walk down my driveway I took a misstep on an uneven surface and my head started spinning. I fell and rolled down a little hill. The doctor said it was a fracture to my ribs and to take it easy for a while. I will be walking, not jogging, on flat surfaces until I can recover.”
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I have been challenged by the long runs and the lactate threshold runs. It has taken me a while to adjust to these runs. It has been a while since I ran workout runs, and it was a little bit of an adjustment bumping it up from easy runs.”
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Things have been going great! I was worried this season about a lack of motivation. Having a few good races reminds me of how rewarding running can be. While it is fun, at the end of the day the reason I run is to challenge myself through goal setting and hard work.”
Sidenote: Kochman recently ran the Finish Chelsea’s Run 5K in Balboa Park and set a personal record at 21:29, winning the Female 25-29 Division. She also ran the inaugural Safari Park Half Marathon, setting another personal record at 1:42:37.
Numbers in on Independent La Jolla Analysis shows self-governance would be ‘feasible’ BY KENDRA HARTMANN | VILLAGE NEWS At the March 9 meeting of the La Jolla Shores Association, a spokesperson for Independent La Jolla outlined the recent headway made by the group lobbying for an autonomous La Jolla. Cindi Greatrex presented the news to Shores residents that, according to an initial fiscal analysis (IFA), La Jolla has the numbers to back up its desire to become an entity separate from the city of San Diego. “After seeing the results of the IFA, there are ample funds for La Jolla to be independent,” Greatrex said. “It has been proven feasible in terms of the numbers.” The issue, which has been brought up several times over several decades, comes not without questions, even from those who support a self-governing La Jolla. Decisions will have to be made regarding city-run services as police, public schools and waste management. Greatrex said that, according to the group’s research, 80 percent of villages that have incorporated in California have
The group Independent La Jolla expresses its wishes for an incorporated La Jolla through a photo on its website, www.independentlajolla.org. Courtesy photo
opted to contract services from the city of which they were formerly a part. “It’s something we need to make a decision on,” she said. “La Jolla is currently a constituent of the city, but once we become independent, we’ll be a customer of San Diego.” Greatrex also said that, in order for La Jolla to gain its independence, a vote would be put to residents of both La Jolla and the city of San Diego. The measure would have to be approved by 50 percent of San Diegans. The numbers from the IFA may show that the city is better off without La Jolla, but SEE CITY, Page 5