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WE RUN THE NATION!
Summer 2014
Runner Friendly Communities Announced Meb’s Boston Victory Ends Drought, Showered with Accolades Ken Martin’s Noble Pursuit: WorkOutCancer.org
Meb Keflezighi Wins Boston, Becomes First U.S. Men’s Champion Since 1983
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Bruce Morrison
ClubRunning 5
Executive Director’s Letter
6
RRCA Members Share
7
Health & Safety Spotlight
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Member Spotlight
RRCA Web Poll RRCA Facebook Page
Run Smart : Run Safe
RRCA Honors 4 Past Presidents And Then I Saw It: An Olympic Torch
10 Program Spotlight
RRCA Certifies 100th Race Director Kids Run the Nation Runner Friendly Communities
FEATURES
16 18
Meb’s
Boston Victory Ends U.S. Drought
Ken Martin’s Noble Pursuit 19 Saucony’s
500 Mile Challenge
25 Championship Spotlight Highlights from the RRCA National Championships Marathon, 12K, 5K, and Half Marathon
29 Training Tips
CONTENTS 4 • ClubRunning Summer 2014 RRCA.org
Summer 2014 www.ClubRunning.net
ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA (RRCA) Executive Director Jean Knaack RRCA President David Cotter
Photographers Victor Sailer www.PhotoRun.net BigStockPhoto.com Bruce Morrison ChronoTrack Gary Westland Gator Trek Club Kerry Whelan Keystone-France Michael Nutkowitz MarathonFoto Writers Andy Smith David Hunter Daniel Gaona Jean Knaack Jeff Horowitz Mark Winitz
T
he first part of 2014 has proven to be an exciting start for the sport of running. I noted in my opening remarks at the 56th Annual RRCA National Convention (held in Spokane May 1–4) that when we kicked off the RRCA 2013 convention in Albuquerque, it was a somber occasion. The running community was still mourning the tragic events of the Boston Marathon that had occurred only two weeks earlier. We were still unsure and uneasy about what impact the terrorist act would have on our sport. This year, running is in a very different place. In April, we celebrated the running community’s strength and resilience, and we congratulated our friends at the 2014 Boston Marathon for a wildly successful race this year. I was honored to be a guest in the stands at the finish line and felt the energy of the fans who were there to cheer on loved ones. They were packed into ground zero to say, “We aren’t deterred. We aren’t afraid.” I held back tears as I watched my friend and RRCA’s friend Meb Keflezighi’s race unfold. Watching Meb, our 2012 Road Runner of the Year and 2013 convention speaker, cross the finish line as the first American male to win the race in 31 years was the perfect end to the 12-month story of the Boston Marathon. It crystallized what everyone in our sport already knew: The U.S. running community is stronger than ever. In Spokane, we celebrated the contributions of past RRCA presidents along with our trio of inspiring Olympians who spoke: Bernard Lagat, Don Kardong, and Deena Kastor. We recognized our 2013 National Running Award winners along with our 2014 Distance Running Hall of Fame inductees, Anne Audain and Ken Martin. We invite you to read about all our National Running Award winners in our 2013 Annual Report, which can be found at www.rrca.org/about/annual-report/ During the RRCA convention—which posted record attendance—we shared information to help the running community continue to stay strong, vigilant, and effective. And we had a lot of fun networking during receptions and social functions. Thank you again to our hosts, the Bloomsday Road Runners Club and the Lilac Bloomsday Run, for putting on a memorable event. Thank you also to our sponsors: (Gold level) K&K Insurance, Star Insurance, RunSignUp.com, Leslie Jordan, the Drive Race & Club Solutions, Expert Brands; (Silver level) Champion Systems, MyLaps, Green-Layer, Virtual Event Bags, MyCustomEvents.com; (Bronze level) Rainbow Racing, Innovative Timing Solutions, IMT Des Moines Marathon and Des Moines CVB, Runners Sole, Active.com, and Electric City Printing.
Bruce Morrison
ClubRunning
Executive Director’s Note
—Jean Knaack #RunSafe
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Summer 2014 ClubRunning • 5
RRCA Members Share
What Got People Talking on the RRCA Facebook Page? Runners & IDs In Austin, TX this past February, a woman out running was stopped by police and cited for jaywalking. When she was unable to provide identification, she was arrested and dragged kicking and screaming to the squad car. While the nature of the interaction between police and the runner seemed to be a serious issue, the incident raised the overarching question of whether runners are required to carry ID. We asked if you think runners should be required to carry ID at all times. We think it’s a safe choice to have some form of ID with you, but this arrest situation seems extreme. Our question and this story made it the most discussed post on the RRCA Facebook page so far this year, generating 26,000 views, 78 Likes, 125 Shares, and 188 Comments. Here are highlights from the comments: Harry L: While it may very well be a good idea to carry ID when running, that’s a matter of personal choice and is of no concern to police. We aren’t required to provide drivers licenses, passports, or any kind of “government papers” when we’re walking (or running) about. Anne F: I run with a medical ID card in my phone pouch because I have some severe medical allergies, but it only has my first name and my emergency contact number. I don’t feel like it’s a requirement to carry ID, but a smart choice. Abe C: As a runner, I don’t carry formal identification during my runs. I do carry my Road ID and use iPhone App for fam[ily] to track
my long runs in case of emergencies. (Not the same as a formal ID… I know.) Diana P: Having some ID on you is a good idea in case something happens. Being dragged down the street because you don’t is absurd. Jaywalking is not a great idea (says that girl who got run over by a speeding bicycle messenger while jaywalking in Washington, DC). Getting dragged down the street by a car or the like while jaywalking—possible. Getting dragged down the street by the police for jaywalking—ridiculous. Bailey P: Within this incident, there is a further need to discuss wearing headphones. According to the witness, the officer yelled at her but she didn’t stop—most likely because she didn’t hear them. RRCA: We’re proud of our community for having a solid dialog about this issue. Let’s hope we never see a story like this in the media again. If you know local law enforcement, engage them in a dialog about how officers can be a positive partner in pedestrian safety efforts without having to resort to terrorizing a runner to make a point. Illegal Race Bib Transfers In April, two men were banned from Marine Corps Marathon events after organizers learned that George Avila, the top finisher at the Marine Corps 17.75K hosted in Prince William County, VA, had received an illegally transferred entry from Steven Henry. Avila even impersonated Henry in interviews following the race. According to the press release
distributed by Marine Corps Marathon organizers, both men had previously run the marathon. This story quickly became one of the more popular posts on the RRCA Facebook page, generating 86 Likes, 85 Shares, and 31 Comments. Here are highlights from the comments: Amanda P: Mixed feelings. You sign an agreement to abide by the rules, that’s a contract. However, having to sign up months in advance, there is a risk that life will get in the way, so I definitely lean towards every race (especially the high dollar huge ones that have jumped on the lottery marketing bandwagon) having a transfer/defer policy that is easy to use and not an administrative nightmare for the race organizers. Shelby J: Finally, a rule is enforced! There is no good reason to transfer entries illegally when MCM allows for it legally! Donna C: It [stinks] to look forward to a race only to have an unforeseen injury or circumstance make you unable to run. All races should allow transfers up to a week before the race. Entries are expensive and nobody should have to forfeit their fee if they can sell the bib. The RRCA doesn’t agree with Donna C’s position about selling a bib—never sell a bib without the event director’s express written approval—but we can get behind the concept of more events exploring authorized deferrals or event-managed bib transfers, as many online registration packages have a built-in feature that manages legitimate bib transfers.
www.RRCA.org Poll Many races provide finisher medals these days. What do you do with them?
Hang them on the wall — 33% Medal rack — 33% Store them in a box — 33%
We invite our readers to participate in the RRCA website polls at www.RRCA.org
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6 • ClubRunning Summer 2014 RRCA.org
Health & Safety Spotlight
“Run Smart : Run Safe” Animated Message Launched We can all agree that running is the best form of exercise on the planet. According to the National Sporting Goods Association, there are more than 10 million fitness runners in the United States. To help educate and remind all runners to run safe, the RRCA, its members, and supporters have embarked on a yearlong, public safety awareness campaign beginning with the launch of the “Run Smart : Run Safe” animated message developed by Space Chimp Media. The video is designed to engage and remind both new and regular runners to be aware of their surroundings at all times and to never trust drivers on the road. “Following the tragic pedestrian fatality of Karen Dubin in 2011, the RRCA invested
We are a proud partner in the efforts to remind runners to
Scan the code below to enjoy the important safety message. Pass it on! #RunSafe
memorial contributions into re-launching the “Run Smart, Run Safe” efforts started by the organization back in 1989,” explained Jean Knaack, RRCA executive director. “Changing bad driver behavior is very difficult, so our focus is on improving runner safety awareness, as millions are taking up running as their exercise of choice.” To promote the “Run Smart : Run Safe” animated video message, the RRCA has provided participating run specialty stores, member clubs, events, and fitness facilities with give-away cards that include a QR code for immediate viewing of the “Run Smart : Run Safe” message. To obtain free copies of the give-away cards, along with an acrylic card stand to display them, members can email their request to programs@rrca.org In addition, running clubs, running and walking events, fitness centers, training programs, and local media are encouraged to embed the video message on their own websites to share our important safety message with runners. The RRCA’s goal is to get as many runners as possible—including youth—to enhance their personal safety on the run by viewing the message; and then sharing it with fellow runners. View the Run Smart : Run Safe animated message now: www.rrca.org/education-advocacy/ Share our message on Twitter: @RRCANational launches running safety video to remind runners to always be aware & never trust drivers http://goo.gl/cRRFkk Pass it on! #RunSafe
RRCA.org
Summer 2014 ClubRunning • 7
Member Spotlight
Past Presidents Honored at National Convention By Jean Knaack As an organization, the RRCA is fortunate to have many of our past board members remain involved with the organization. At this year’s convention, we were honored to have four past RRCA presidents in attendance. During the Saturday luncheon that featured Don Kardong, current president David Cotter presented past presidents Gar Williams, Harold Tinsley, Don Kardong, and Bee McLeod with commemorative yellow RRCA Past-President shirts.
Gar Williams
The three-year period of Gar Williams’ presidency, which began in April 1973 and concluded in 1976, witnessed a tremendous surge in the RRCA’s growth. This was the beginning of the RRCA’s “modern era.” Early in his term, Williams saw the need for a how-to compendium of information and administrative guidelines for club administrators. He compiled and edited the first “RRCA Handbook,” which now lives online at www.RRCA.org Also during this time, the RRCA applied for and was granted tax-exempt status and a group exemption with the IRS, allowing the RRCA to designate qualifying members as nonprofit organizations within the nonprofit group. It remains a major benefit of membership to this day.
Harold Tinsley
Harold Tinsley helmed the RRCA from 1984–86, when the membership had exploded to over 400 clubs and 100,000 members—the RRCA had again moved into a new era. The first running boom forever changed the nature of U.S. distance running. From his home in Huntsville, AL, Tinsley, along with his wife, Louise, spent untold hours improving the organization’s administration. Two of his other contributions were strengthening and expanding the state representative program and beefing up communication with RRCA members, which remain top priorities for the RRCA today. Louise Tinsley also
attended this year’s convention, where she received the 2013 Browning Ross Spirit of the RRCA Award.
Don Kardong
According to the RRCA history, the first time Don Kardong recalls hearing of the RRCA was upon being named 1977 RRCA Road Runner of the Year. Following a battle with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in 1978, Kardong worked with the RRCA to establish the Bloomsday Road Runners Club and the club-founded Lilac Bloomsday Run. Nearly 20 years later, in 1996, Don found himself at the start of his four-year term leading the RRCA. He was instrumental in establishing the RRCA Coaching Certification program, which now boasts over 3,000 certified running coaches. Our website (www.RRCA. org) was launched during Don’s tenure as well, and the website has remained the #1 source of information for all things RRCA.
Bee McLeod
After several troublesome years for the RRCA, which included an organizational split as well as a $183,000 deficit for the organization, Bee McLeod stepped in to start her tenure as the turn-around president in 2004. One of her first acts was to merge the split organizations back into the RRCA. By 2005, the recombined organizations, under the RRCA flag, finished the year with significant positive net assets. McLeod was instrumental in pushing the board of directors to create an operating reserve fund to ensure long-term financial stability. Important policies and procedures governing the organization, including a significant overhaul of the RRCA bylaws (in which Gar Williams was significantly involved), were adopted in 2008 at the end of McLeod’s term. These bylaws are still in effect today with only one minor edit. The RRCA board continues to allocate each year’s profits to the Board Restricted Reserve Fund.
Michael Nutkowitz
The four past presidents honored at RRCA Convention: (l–r) Bee McLeod, Don Kardong, Harold Tinsley, Gar Williams
8 • ClubRunning Summer 2014 RRCA.org
Member Spotlight
And Then I Saw It: A Torch from the 1936 Berlin Games By Jeff Horowitz I could say it was the fault of all my running, but that wouldn’t be accurate. That would be like blaming a sleeping dog for causing you to trip and fall in the middle of the night on the way to the bathroom. No, this one was on me. It was years ago, not long after I’d gotten passionate about running marathons. I had begun to think of myself not just as someone who runs, but as a runner, not just something I did, but who I was. As a runner, I was now part of a community. As I began to associate more closely with this new identity, I began to collect the usual accessories and paraphernalia: branded race shirts, caps, jackets, bumper stickers, and gear that I didn’t really need. And then I read about the Olympic torch relay. It resonated with me, connecting me with a tradition stretching back to Native American runners and even further, back to Phidippides himself. Reading about the history of the torch relay was like reading about my own family tree. It was somehow connected to my own running, just as every river is connected to the Nile. Given our Age of Technology, it perhaps isn’t hard to predict what came next. I did a word search of “Olympic torch” on my computer and found, much to my shock, that there were actual torches for sale—real relay torches that carried the precious flame over mountains and plains to their final destination at an Olympic cauldron. I had to have one. I bought a torch from the 1996 Atlanta Games in an online auction and I was pleased. Then I bought a torch from the 1972 Munich Games, followed by a torch from the 2000 Sydney Games. They were beautiful. And then I saw it: an auction for a torch from the first modern Olympic relay at the 1936 Berlin Games. It was being offered for sale by one of America’s finest runners, eight-time national cross country champion, one-time 10K world record holder, and two-time Olympian Pat Porter. This was a torch from the Games where Jesse Owens collected Gold under the gaze of Adolf Hitler, being sold by an honest-to-goodness Olympian. I bid on it, and soon I owned it. I put it on a shelf, a shrine to my running passion. Years passed, and my priorities shifted. My need for tangible proof of my running tribe membership took a back seat to a mortgage and saving money for my young son’s college tuition. And while my wife never voiced her thoughts about all the stuff I’d collected over the years, I felt an unmistakable question lingering unspoken in the air: What on earth were you thinking? Maybe it was a creeping maturity, or perhaps it was recognition that our house had slowly become a graveyard for my clutter, but I recently decided to unload the whole lot of torches. I put them up for auction. They went in the order in which they had come, with my Atlanta torch going first, followed by the Munich and Sydney torches. Then it was time for the Berlin torch. This was the big one. It had cost me several good paychecks, and was now worth even more. Or so I thought. What began with an innocent question from a potential buyer slowly became a cancerous curiosity. My torch might not be authentic. It turned out that copies of the 1936 torch were produced in 1972 in honor of the Munich Games. The “tell” was that the real torch’s base curved gently down to its bottom edge. The copy had a foot at the bottom. My torch had that telltale foot. It was a copy. My prized icon was in fact not an authentic relic of the 1936 Games. It had never
been anywhere near Hitler or Jesse Owens. I’d been had. I would contact Pat Porter and ask him about this if I could, but that’s not possible. On July 26, 2012 Porter died when a plane he was piloting crashed outside an airport in Sedona, AZ, taking not only his life but also that of his 15-year-old son and his son’s friend. I like to think that Porter believed that this torch was the real deal when he sold it to me, but it doesn’t really matter. Thinking about his tragic end made my torch problem seem petty. Who cares if it was real or not? There’s a question that my wife and I often ask our son when he’s upset over something: Is this a big deal or a little deal? There’s real tragedy, and there’s just bad news. What I had here was just bad news, nothing more. There’s also a lesson to be learned. My wife’s unspoken question had been a good one: Why did I need to collect this stuff? I can see now that I was wrong to try to commemorate my running with things. Running is in the doing. The running community is created in each run, not by shirts, 26.2 stickers, or Olympic torches. Even my race medals, each one earned honestly over more than two decades of running, don’t really matter much, any more than a photo of my family at Thanksgiving is more important than our actual family gatherings. We are runners not because of what we own, but because of what we do. So if you’re interested in owning a copy of the relay torch from the 1936 Berlin Games, let me know. It’s an authentic reproduction, which gives it value in an Orwellian doublespeak kind of way. Otherwise, it goes back in my closet with my other stuff. Meanwhile, I’ll be out running.
Keystone-France
Arrival of the Olympic Torch in Berlin, 1936
RRCA.org
Summer 2014 ClubRunning • 9
Program Spotlight
RRCA Certifies 100th Race Director By Andy Smith, RRCA Program Coordinator
On May 27 Ryan Miller of Wheaton, IL became the 100th person to successfully complete the RRCA’s Race Director Certification course. “After participating in races as an avid runner, I was fortunate to accept a position at the Wheaton Park District that allowed me to expand on my love of running and fitness,” said Miller, a parks and fitness manager with the Wheaton Park District. “In my role, I manage a fitness center with a 2,000+ membership base and assist in the coordination and planning of the Wheaton Park District’s three annual runs.” Launched in Nov. 2012, the RRCA’s Race Director Certification course was created to provide event directors with a base
of knowledge needed to conduct safe events for runners, walkers, volunteers, and spectators. The course consists of six online learning modules of 60–90 minutes each. The modules cover all 21 chapters in the course textbook, Organizing Running Events by Phil Stewart. Topics covered in the course include course design, insurance and risk management, medical and safety issues, and much more. Once course participants feel they’ve sufficiently mastered the material, they must complete a 100-question test and achieve a passing score. RRCA staff verifies each student has reviewed each module in full before granting a passing score. To be fully recognized as an RRCA certified race director and listed on the RRCA website, participants must agree to observe the RRCA’s Race Director Code of Ethics by submitting a signed and notarized copy of the code to the RRCA as the final step in the certification process. Prominent names in race management including Dave McGillivray of the Boston Marathon, Phil Stewart of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler and Road Race Management, Don Kardong of the Lilac
Bloomsday Run, Sean Ryan of the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon, and more were involved in creating of the course. Since enrolling in the course in April, Miller has already used what he’s learned while assisting with two local races. He looks forward to planning and staging his first event as an RRCA certified race director: the Cosley Run for the Animals in June. “I chose to take the RRCA race director course to further my education and to provide the Wheaton community with well-executed and safe events,” Miller said. “In less than a year, I’ve watched over 4,000 runners and walkers cross our finish lines.” As part of the Race Director Certification Program, the RRCA offers a certified race director insurance program, which can provide for reduced insurance rates for events and includes a business policy to cover professional event management services for running clubs and event owners. To learn more about the RRCA Race Director Certification program, visit www.rrca.org/ programs/race-director-certification/
RRCA Kids Run the Nation Grants Prove Effective
Gator Trek Club
Since 2007, the RRCA has provided over $95,000 in small grants to more than 125 deserving youth running programs around the country through its Kids Run the Nation Fund. These programs have encouraged and supported 60,000+ school-aged children to participate in running programs, where they have logged hundreds of thousands of miles. Following each 12-month grant peri-
od, the RRCA surveys program leaders to learn about the results of the funded programs. Based on survey responses from the 2012 grantees, their programs reached over 10,000 children, with most serving 150–200 kids. While not every program logged total distances run by the children, among the reporting programs, participants logged a cumulative total in excess of 75,000 miles.
Gator Trek Club
That represents almost 3.7 million calories burned by these students during their running programs. Impressive numbers aside, the personal stories from the grant recipients speak even louder about the program’s reach and impact. Greenwood Elementary in Greenwood, CO used grant funds to demonstrate not only the physical benefits of running, but also how the sport can be used to build community and foster friendships. Part of Greenwood’s grant funds went to putting on an annual spring fun run, which included 5th graders from their sister school, Highline Community Elementary. “With a high proportion of students receiving free and reduced-price lunch, many had not had the opportunity to take part in a running event of any kind,” said Robyn Mobbs, Greenwood Elementary’s youth running program coordinator. “Kids Run the Nation funds allowed Greenwood to rent two school buses to bring Highline students over to participate in and enjoy the spring fun run.
10 • ClubRunning Summer 2014 RRCA.org
Program Spotlight “I wish we could convey the excitement of the fun run and having Highline students take part with us,” said Mobbs. “We heard comments from our visiting students and teachers that this was one of their best days ever!” The Iwakuni Kids Run the Nation program was a new initiative of the Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) Semper Fit Health Promotions Office in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Iwakuni, Japan. Overall, the program was well received by the community. Registrations for both sessions of the program were full within two weeks of opening, and they were able to serve 140 children through the program. “The Gator Trek Club was a huge success,” noted Aubrey Schreyer, who coordinated a KRTN program in Spring Hill, NJ. “We were a bit overwhelmed by the number of students who came out to participate. We had expected 40–50 students and were simply amazed when nearly 80 students, grades K–5, showed up!” Schreyer noted that organizing such a large number of students was challenging at first, but they followed the “Kids Run the Nation Program Guide” and quickly found the students learning, moving, and having fun. The program received great support and saw several members of the local police department come to run with the students during the program. “One of the most touching moments is when one little girl, perhaps 1st grade, was the very last one to finish the One-Mile Run,” said Schreyer. “All the students who had finished gathered and cheered her on! By the smile on her face, you would have thought she’d finished first!”
According to Schreyer, the program proved to be one of the most rewarding experiences of the year. A great result was seeing many of the 5th grade students sign up to run track in middle school because of their experience with the Gator Trek Run Club! The Kids Run the Nation program is a gender-inclusive, multiweek, turnkey, youth running program designed to meet the physical activity goals outlined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for children in grades K–6. A midcourse report issued by the USDA, “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans,” outlines clear evidence that bringing physical activity into schools positively impacts youth. Through this program, the RRCA’s vision is to help establish locally managed youth running programs in every grade school in America. For more information, please visit www.rrca.org/ programs/kids-run-the-nation-program/ 2014 grant funds of $20,000 will be awarded in a combination of grants ranging from $500–$1,000. Running clubs, events, or other organizations with the IRS 501(c)(3) designation are eligible to apply. Elementary, middle schools, or afterschool care programs that provide an organized running program are eligible as well. No grants will be given to individuals under any circumstance. All applicants must be an official 501(c)(3), school, parent booster club, PTA, or a similar entity. The application deadline for a KRTN grant is October 1, 2014. For details on supporting the Kids Run the Nation Fund, grant criteria, and instructions for applying, visit www.rrca.org/ programs/kids-run-the-nation-fund/
RRCA.org
Summer 2014 ClubRunning • 11
Program Spotlight
Runner Friendly Community® Designations Announced The RRCA is pleased to announce the first round of Runner Friendly Community designations for 2014, which include Belleville, IL; Richmond, VA; Rockwall, TX; Safety Harbor, FL; and Spokane, WA. These communities have shown that they meet the program’s criteria, among them community infrastructure, community support, and local government support for running. Each community has an infrastructure that fosters physical activity in a safe environment. They have a proven track record of organizations and businesses working together to promote running as a healthy exercise and sport. And the most important criterion is a positive relationship between the running community and local government. The goal of the RRCA’s Runner Friendly Community program is to shine a national spotlight on communities that stand out as runner-friendly and provide incentives and ideas for communities to work toward becoming runner-friendly communities. Runner Friendly Communities enhance the quality of life, improve physical activity for residents as outlined in the National Physical Activity Plan, and contribute to the economic activity of the community. Congratulations to our newest runner friendly communities.
Main Street. The city plans to extend its trail network as well. The Belleville Running Club (BRC) is an important pillar of the running communi-
BigStockPhoto.com
Belleville, IL Belleville is the most populous city in the Metro-East region of St. Louis and Southern Illinois. The city has a population of 43,765, and due to its proximity to Scott Air Force Base, the population receives a boost from military and federal civilian personnel, defense contractors, and military retirees. Belleville has the infrastructure to support the growth in running’s popularity. It boasts a large network of sidewalks along with running and biking trails that make it easy for a runner to run safely. The Richland Creek Greenway Trail is a 2-mile, multipurpose
The metro Richmond area is home to more than 1.2 million residents. In Richmond and the surrounding counties there are a variety of trails, parks, and pedestrian networks used BigStockPhoto.com
Richmond, VA
ty. In addition to its regular weekly group runs, BRC is involved with the Belleville Chili Cook-Off, enters teams in the annual River to River Relay, and participates in the city’s Adopt a Trail program. BRC hosts an annual Couch to 5K training program to prepare new runners for Belleville, IL their first 5K at the local Law Day Run. “Our community recognizes the benefits of actively promoting physical fitness, including running as pathway that meanders through the heart of part of a healthy lifestyle,” commented Mayor Belleville. The trail is accessible via several Mark W. Eckert. parks and connects to the 6-mile MetroLink Trail, which runs to the local community col- Richmond, VA lege. Belleville also boasts 125 miles of side- Richmond, the capital of Virginia, demonwalks for running use. The longest stretch strates how collaboration and partnerships of sidewalk is a 10-mile run down beautiful contribute to a runner-friendly community.
year-round by runners and walkers. The Virginia Capitol Trail, which will link Williamsburg and Richmond, is in the final stages of completion and will offer miles of trails for runners, walkers, and bikers. A variety of runner-friendly businesses are located throughout the community. Specialty stores such as Roadrunner Running Store, Endorphin Fitness, Lucky Foot, and 3 Sports cater to runners and host daily and weekly group runs that start and end at their respective locations. Bon Secours Richmond Health System and HCA Virginia Health System are also dedicated to serving runners and helping them stay fit and healthy. Fitness centers such as the YMCA, American Family Fitness, and ACAC work closely with runners on a daily basis and sponsor some of the biggest running events in Richmond. Coffee shops and restaurants such as Crossroads Cof-
12 • ClubRunning Summer 2014 RRCA.org
Program Spotlight Rockwall, TX
BigStockPhoto.com
BigStockPhoto.com
fee & Ice Cream, Starbucks on Grove Avenue, and Hardywood Park Brewery often serve as pre- and postrun meeting spots and are safe places for runners to get out of bad weather or fill a water bottle during a run. Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods and Martin’s Food Markets also support and sponsor events, in addition to offering healthy eating and nutrition clinics for runners. The RRCA member Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers works closely with the Richmond Road Runners Club (RRRC) and other organizations such as schools, local governments, and other nonprofit organizations to promote running. Both organizations support local youth running programs by hosting and providing grants to programs including Kids Run RVA. The Sports Backers and RRRC also have strong relationships with local media. The daily newspaper and the local television stations report on running events and the local running scene, as do a number of websites and print outlets. Richmond hosts numerous running events every year including the Anthem Richmond Marathon, American Family Fitness Half Marathon, and Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K. Collectively, these events attract thousands of runners and are great community celebrations of running and fitness. The events bring together the support of the Sports Backers, Richmond Road Runners Club, local governments, area businesses, as well as clubs, teams, and individuals. These events serve as shining examples of the broad community support for running in Richmond. “Richmond is an ideal candidate for the recognition as a Runner Friendly Community, and I unequivocally and wholeheartedly support this nomination,” commented Cynthia Newbille, Richmond City Council member. “Running is an integral part of our community that has helped our residents lead healthy, happy lifestyles.”
Rockwall, TX Home to the RRCA member Rockwall Running Club, Rockwall, TX hosts more than 25 running and triathlon events annually and is home to the U.S. Toyota Triathlon Championships and the Patriot Half Marathon. While Rockwall is considered part of the larger Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, it’s a city of 38,000 residents with a dedicated running community. Emerald Bay Park opened in Rockwall in January 2008 and features a lighted aerial fountain in the middle of a pond, surrounded by a walking and running trail. Last year, over 8,000 residents participated in Rockwell running events. The passion for running is evident in the local businesses that have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support running events in recent years. The popularity of running in the community is also reflected in the tremendous growth of the Rockwall Running Club, from only 5 members in 2009 to 200 members today. During the same time, the number of road races the club hosts has grown from one to 25, including the only half marathon in the Dallas/Fort Worth market in the month of May. Youth running clubs are supported in 5 of the 11 elementary schools, and there are three summer track programs for youth. To support local races, the city government reviews safety procedures for all events and provides free traffic cones, while community patrols provide logistical support. Rockwall County was recently rated sixth in Health Outcomes among the 232 (of Texas’ 254) counties that were rated, according to a study conducted earlier this year by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
RRCA.org
Safety Harbor, FL
Safety Harbor, FL With year-round, favorable weather along with safe, well maintained sidewalks and streets, Safety Harbor is in many ways the ideal community for a runner to call home. The harbor or bay of the same name on which Safety Harbor is located is the nearly landlocked, far northwestern extension of Tampa Bay and is located on the west side of that bay. The city has nearly 17,000 residents and hosts several running clubs, including the RRCA member West Florida Y Running Club. Safety Harbor is home to the Bayshore Linear Greenway Recreational Trail that was developed in 1998 to provide a measured recreational path for walkers, joggers, and cyclists. The trail begins at the Marina Fountain and includes distance markers, scenic views of Old Tampa Bay, and water fountains near benches. The trail connects to the Ream Wilson Trail to the south and to Phillipe Park, a shady county park, to the north. There’s an extensive network of sidewalks, and the city recently added three flashing crosswalks for safer street crossings. Safety Harbor highlights the importance of running and fitness by becoming a “Let’s Move City” that’s dedicated to solving the problem of childhood obesity. To earn this designation officials and recreation staff developed goals to promote the health of residents. The city has youth running programs that operate year-round including the Healthy
Summer 2014 ClubRunning • 13
Program Spotlight Strides, Speed & Agility, and Track program. It also hosts running-related summer camps. The Safety Harbor business community actively supports local runners. Lola’s Running specialty store provides water stops along the Bayshore Trail for runners. Nolan’s Pub, along with the Safety Harbor Resort & Spa, has sponsored events. Additionally, Fit Life Foods often donates healthy snacks for races. “Not only does Safety Harbor have beautiful, safe places to run, it’s a community of runners,” noted Lisa Kothe, director of the Safety Harbor Public Library. “Any time of the day, even in the heat of a Florida summer, runners can be spotted along Bayshore Boulevard.”
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Spokane, WA The city of Spokane is located on the Spokane River in Eastern Washington, 92 miles south of the Canadian border. With a population of 208,916, Spokane is Washington’s second largest city. The outlying natural areas offer an abundance of outdoor activities that can be enjoyed and that cater to runners. In 1907, Spokane’s Board of Park Commissioners retained the services of the Olmsted brothers to draw up a plan for Spokane’s parks. Today, Spokane has a system of over 87 parks totaling 4,100 acres. The 100-acre
Riverfront Park, created after Expo ’74, in downtown Spokane, hosts some of Spokane’s largest events including the Lilac Bloomsday Run postrace celebration. The park is a popular site for runners that includes the The Joy of Running Together sculpture by David Govedare, installed in 1984. This steel sculpture depicts runners of all types and celebrates the Spokane tradition of Bloomsday. A more active way to see natural sites in the Spokane area involves traveling the Spokane River Centennial Trail, which features over 37 miles of paved trails along the Spokane River, from Sontag Park in west Spokane to the east shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene in Coeur d’Alene, ID. This trail continues for another 24 miles as the North Idaho Centennial Trail in Idaho. Each May, Spokane hosts the Lilac Bloomsday Run, one of the country’s largest road races, regularly attracting 50,000 participants. In 2014 the race served as the RRCA’s National 12K Championship. The RRCA member Bloomsday Road Runners Club (BRRC) was founded by the Bloomsday Run and has developed into a solid group of running enthusiasts devoted to promoting a variety of running events in Spokane. The BRRC hosted the 56th Annual RRCA National Convention May 1–4, 2014.
Local businesses actively support of the Spokane running community. The local Starbucks allow runners to use their bathrooms and provide ice water to runners as needed. The local club has worked with the regional Starbucks manager to encourage corporate headquarters to work with the RRCA to designate all stores as Runner Friendly Businesses. Locally, Starbucks has donated coffee and tea to many local running events. The local running store Runner’s Soul allows use of its facilities to runners while out on the run. “The city of Spokane, and the Spokane Fire Department in particular, [has] been involved in community healthy living initiatives for over 40 years,” commented Brian Schaeffer, assistant fire chief. “Spokane’s mantra is ‘Near Nature, Near Perfect,’ and our commitment to the healthy outdoor lifestyle is reflected daily throughout our community’s miles of trails, roads, and formal races. I am extremely proud to be a part of our community and am humbled that Spokane is being considered for the RRCA recognition.” Learn how to designate your city as an RRCA Runner Friendly Community at www.rrca.org/programs/runner-friendlycommunity/
Spokane, WA
14 • ClubRunning Summer 2014 RRCA.org
Meb’s
Boston Victory Ends U.S. Drought Keflezighi Becomes the First U.S. Men’s Champion Since 1983
ence. “I am blessed to be an American. God bless America and God bless Boston,” stated Keflezighi, the first American male champion since Greg Meyer won in 1983. When asked what it means to capture the coveted Boston title in his late 30s, the new champion simply smiled and exclaimed, “It all happens in God’s time.”
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Only days after the horrific bombings that scarred the 2013 B.A.A. Boston Marathon, it was widely recognized that Boston residents, and indeed the entire running community, would turn out en masse to ensure that the 118th Boston Marathon would be a unified showcase of character. What wasn’t known was that the 2014 race itself would provide a totally unexpected treat: the first American men’s champion in 31 years. With the field sporting 10 men who had previously run under 2:06:57 and with enigmatic Ryan Hall—America’s fastest marathoner at 2:04:48—still a question mark, the elite U.S. men were given little chance to be competitive deep into the race. Marathon aficionados considered U.S.A.’s 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi—two weeks shy of his 39th birthday and with a PR of only 2:09:08—as too old and too slow to compete for the laurel wreath against the younger and quicker Africans. But Keflezighi had other ideas. Armed with a brilliant pre-race game plan, the 2009 NYC Marathon champion ran up front from the beginning. With a break in the eighth mile, Keflezighi and fellow American Josphat Boit shifted gears to open up a 30-meter gap over the African chase pack that grew to 32 seconds by 20 kilometers. Were defending Boston champion Lelisa Desisa, highly touted Kenyan Dennis Kimetto, and the rest of the elite Africans struggling? Or were they plotting a patented African negative split strategy made possible by the solid, but not scintillating sub-2:09 pace? Taking a page from the Bill Rodgers’ racing playbook, Keflezighi dropped Boit by tossing in a free-wheeling downhill surge at the 25-kilometer mark heading toward lower Newton Falls. That bold tactical move was Keflezighi’s statement that he was “all in”—a commitment to push to the finish line still nearly 11 miles away. Normally, the Newton hills punish frisky frontrunners who overestimate their fitness. But not this day. The 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials champion threw down a 4:47 mile deep into the Newton climb to stretch out his lead, while—inexplicably—the Africans had not yet mounted a charge. With Keflezighi unfazed by the Newton ascent and with defending champion Desisa walking off the course just past 30 kilometers, suddenly the dream of an American man winning Boston for the first time since 1983 became a possibility. As the leaders raced past Boston College and down through Cleveland Circle, it was time to see if Keflezighi could close the show. As he approached the 40-kilometer mark at Fenway Park, the American leader—his teeth clenched and his face etched with effort—was taking himself to a very dark place, as Kenya’s Wilson Chebet was only 12 seconds back and closing fast. Keflezighi drew inspiration from the cheering crowd and exhibited renewed leg speed as he turned right on Hereford and left on Boylston for the final drive to the line. With Chebet and fellow countryman Frankline Chepkwony closing fast, the outcome was in doubt until the final 100 meters. It was only then that Keflezighi—his fist pumping skyward—and the Boylston Street spectators would know that the 31-year-old victory dry spell for American men would at long last be over. The victor was poised and articulate at the postrace press confer-
By Dave Hunter
16 • ClubRunning Summer 2014 RRCA.org
Keflezighi Showered with Postrace Accolades Boston Victor Affirmed Among the Greatest American Marathoners Just moments after USA’s Meb Keflezighi roared across the Boylston Street finish line as the victor of the 118th Boston Marathon, he was embraced by Greg Meyer, the 1983 champion and the last American man to win the Patriot’s Day race. That poignant moment was the first, but not the last, special accolade extended to America’s first Boston Marathon champion in 31 years. What was the postrace experience like for the winner? “It was overwhelming. Everybody was overwhelmed—not just Meb and me,” admitted Merhawi (Hawi) Keflezighi, the younger brother, agent, and lawyer for the new Boston champion. “I give him credit because he did such a good job of staying in the moment. He ran a marathon and then he endured a marathon, even afterwards in terms of all of the requests, autographs, pictures, a lot of standing around, interviews. And he just handled all of that as if he hadn’t just run 2 hours and 8 minutes. It was just amazing. He just kept plugging along. I really think he had this runner’s high, this extra energy—almost like a second wind—where he was fresh.” But the race day hoopla was just the beginning. “We were contacted by a lot of different morning shows,” noted Hawi, as he explained how the whirlwind of attention continued throughout the week. “The day after, President Obama called Meb to congratulate him on his historic victory. And Meb was very appreciative that the President would take time out of his busy schedule to call him from Air Force One.” By then, the celebratory bandwagon was in full swing. “Wednesday after the race was probably the craziest day because we flew out to New York that morning, and Meb was on LIVE with Kelly and Michael and did a few hours of other media—radio, TV, and Internet publications,” related Hawi. “And that afternoon, we flew back to Boston to get there in time to go to Fenway to throw out the first pitch at the Red Sox–Yankees game.” As the accolades kept pouring in, the frenzied activity began to take on an otherworldly aura for the two brothers, who have never forgotten their humble beginnings in Eritrea. “This whole celebration tour lasted awhile—several weeks.” “I remember we were in San Antonio. We had just had dinner and we had a car service pick us up to take us to another recognition during a San Antonio Spurs playoff game,” stated Hawi. “And Meb said, ‘Who would have imagined? We just were honored by the mayor of San Antonio. And now they’re picking us up with car service to go to the Spurs playoff game. Who would have imagined? Based upon where we were born and how we were brought up, who would have thought of this?’ “We had experienced this kind of fascination beforehand,” explains Hawi. “But it was that moment when Meb first vocalized this.” The celebration even
By Dave Hunter
went bicoastal as the new champion was honored at an L.A. Clippers playoff game, threw out the first pitch at a Dodgers game, and was later presented the John Wooden–inspired crystal “Pyramid of Success” at a UCLA gathering. In light of Meb’s unexpected victory on Patriot’s Day, suddenly everyone wants to know his remaining 2014 racing plans. “The reason that Meb had been focused on the New York City Marathon in 2009 and on the Boston Marathon this year is because he thought he could win those races,” explained Hawi, offering some clues on his brother’s possible marathon plans over the next 12 months. “And he thinks it’s critical to win those races again.” The Keflezighi brothers are also eyeing some shorter road races in the coming summer months. “We’re looking to do some of the big summer road races: the Bix 7, Falmouth Road Race, Beach to Beacon, Peachtree Road Race,” revealed Hawi. “Those are all under consideration and are races Meb has done in the past, and he feels like they help him work on his speed in training and tuning up for the big marathon.” Looking further out, Meb has ambitious goals. “Meb is running at his personal best level,” acknowledged Hawi, noting that his brother is still a peak performer. “So his next big goal is to try to make the 2016 Olympic team at the age of 41.” The brothers are realists about the challenges facing aging worldclass marathoners. “For Meb, he realizes that staying healthy is the key. And if he’s not healthy, then he’s not capable. You can have great training for 75% of the training period, but one little injury and all of sudden you can’t participate in the big race,” Hawi stated candidly. “Meb knows it’s a thin line. He knows as he gets older, he has to not push himself as much so he can to make sure he can get to the start line.” The agent/lawyer cited his brother’s Boston performance as the smart way to get an older, experienced marathoner to perform at his best. “If you look at Boston, it’s amazing that he ran 2:08 and it’s amazing that he dominated the race, but it’s not the fittest he has ever been. He was fit and healthy and he aspired to run well.” And with a smile he added, “And he ran smart.” With his Boston crown pairing up nicely with his 2009 USA marathon championship and NYC Marathon win, his 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials championship victory, and his two Olympic marathon appearances including his silver medal performance in 2004, Meb Keflezighi has solidified his rightful place in the pantheon of great American distance runners. When the discussion turns to the greatest American marathoners of all time, Meb’s accomplishments mandate that his name be included in the same conversation as Shorter, Rodgers, DeMar, Salazar, and perhaps a few others. Athletes, coaches, fans, and others close to the sport will be able to recall many different racing highlights when looking back on the career of Meb Keflezighi. But the memories of his triumphant victory in the 118th B.A.A. Boston Marathon may be the one they cherish the most. How would Meb wish to be remembered? The 2014 Boston Marathon champion was candid: “I’d like to be remembered as a person who worked hard and smart to get the most out of my God-given talents and opportunities.” Meb Keflezighi will get his wish. Dave Hunter, who ran his marathon PR of 2:31:40 on the Boston course back in the Paleozoic era, is a journalist who writes frequently about running and track & field. He can be reached at dhunter@brouse.com
RRCA.org
Summer 2014 ClubRunning • 17
Jean Knaack
Noble
Ken Martin’s
Pursuit
Former World Class Runner Leads Drive for Cancer Research Funding Running aficionados will remember Ken Martin as a versatile and gifted runner with Rod Dixon– like range. In 1980, he set the University of Oregon steeplechase record of 8:20.9, a Duck mark that still stands. And Martin’s accomplished postcollegiate racing career is decorated with many marathon and road racing victories, and highlighted by a 1989 marathon PR of 2:09:38. No one would dispute that Ken Martin, a 2014 inductee into the RRCA’s American Long Distance Running Hall of Fame, has compiled one of the more impressive American distance running résumés of the post-Salazar era. John Lennon once said, “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.” And in the last half-dozen years, life got in the way for Martin. In 2009, persistent stomach issues while traveling abroad eventually led him to obtain a detailed analysis of his condition. A CT scan revealed that Martin had contracted non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphoma. For a while, his situation was treated effectively with chemotherapy. After resuming training in his quest to break the 50–54 age-group world record in the mile, the non-Hodgkin lymphoma returned in a more aggressive form. The disruption to his training when combined with the myriad of emotions—fear, anger, loss of control, frustration—that engulfed him was nearly overwhelming. “I was mad as hell at first,” said Martin, who had to resume chemo treatments. To calm his emotions as much as to maintain his training regimen, he lugged a bedraggled old stationary bike into his hospital room. During his return to treatment, he pounded on the bike 30 minutes each day. In late 2012, Martin learned that a third strain of cancer—diffused large B cell lymphoma—had been discovered. In mid-February of 2013, he was back in the hospital to resume the battle. Martin never doubted that the stationary bike sessions gave him a cleansing workout, helped fortify his mental and physical strength, and lifted his spirits. He soon began to wonder if there might also be a beneficial physiological component to be derived from combining exercise with chemotherapy. “It was clear that there were real gaps in the research about how exercise impacted the physiology of cancer and its treatment,” Martin stated. After three bouts with cancer, Martin became curious to learn more—not merely about the disease, but also about how working out impacted it. While the cancer research in this area is sparse and largely outdated, there is a
By Dave Hunter
small but growing body of research that seems to suggest that low- to moderate-intensity exercise may promote more effective tumor blood flow, which might render chemotherapy more effective. Along with others, Martin recognized the importance of drilling down to learn more about the nature of this relationship. “I had read research over the past several years attempting to learn how I could improve my survival. I learned that my continued exercise might well help me a great deal,” Martin explained. But he found the available research in this area unsatisfying. “The research I uncovered in this area seemed somewhat superficial and incomplete. I wanted to know what [the exercise] would be doing to my cancer. Is it changing my mass? My structure?” asks Martin. “I wanted to know how my training would be impacting all of this and there were no answers. If exercise could help prevent the recurrence of breast cancer and colon cancer and prostate cancer, what could exercise mean with other types of cancers?” Pausing, Martin added, “They don’t know. And we will never know unless we do more research like this.” Martin’s efforts to elicit interest in this narrow area of important cancer research initially yielded no meaningful assistance. “I tried writing to various cancer foundations. These people weren’t really focused upon what I am talking about,” he said. “Others sensed my frustration and suggested that maybe I do it myself.” Ultimately, Martin made contact with Dr. Gary Kimmel, a retired Texas physician affiliated with the Cancer Foundation for Life. With Kimmel’s assistance and guidance, Martin created the WorkOut Cancer Research Fund, a research fund under the auspices of the Cancer Foundation for Life. “I wanted to create this research fund that just funds research on exercise and its effect on cures and cancer treatments.” And under Kimmel’s tutelage, Martin, who is the founder and a director of the fund, was able to do just that. After several twists and turns during the organizational process, the WorkOut Cancer Research Fund is poised to begin its real work. For Ken Martin—now 55, married, father of three children, and recent competitor on a transplant relay team in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon earlier this spring—the objective is to grow the fund so it serves as an effective rallying point for cancer patients, their families, and athletes—a vehicle to raise funds to upgrade long-outdated cancer research in this particular and complicated area. In its mission statement, the fund notes
Martin receives his Hall of Fame award along with Anne Audain
that it “supports pilot and pre-clinical studies investigating the effects of exercise on tumor physiology and on cancer treatments.” Specifically, the fund clarifies its objectives by stating WorkOut Cancer’s mission is to provide financial support to researchers investigating how cancer patients might be able to use exercise to: (i) decrease treatment side effects; (ii) maximize responses to treatments and improve patient survival; and (iii) reduce metastases and cancer reoccurrence. You can learn more at www.workoutcancer.org As sterling as Ken Martin’s racing career was (he won the USA marathon championships in 1984 and 1985), his elite running résumé is dotted with many second-place finishes. An accomplished schoolboy athlete but never a high school state champion, Martin went on to post an outstanding, yet champion-less collegiate record while at Oregon, finishing second in the 1980 NCAA Div. I 3000m steeplechase and helping the Ducks notch national runnerup finishes in cross country in 1978 and 1979. He was even a member of the 1980 U.S. team that competed in the world cross country championships in France. How did the U.S. squad do in the Paris championship race? They finished second. And his 2:09:38 runnerup finish in the 1989 New York City Marathon, impressive to be sure, but not quite to the podium’s top step, is the highlight of his elite running body of work. He was inducted into the RRCA Distance Running Hall of Fame in 2014. But now, as he raises funds while championing the cause for much-needed cancer research, Ken Martin may be on the threshold of an achievement that would cap his lifelong running career as no race victory ever could. Dave Hunter is a journalist who writes frequently about running and track & field. He can be reached at dhunter@brouse.com
18 • ClubRunning Summer 2014 RRCA.org
Great Summer Training = Great Fall Racing
Summer training is vital to success, not only in cross country this fall, but also for the following spring track season. The key is to build yourself up, both physically and mentally. To help you crush your goals this year, Saucony and RunBlogRun have teamed up to create a 500-mile summer training program. There are also 400- and 300-mile options for younger and less experienced athletes.
Before You Begin: 1. Get your gear in order.
If possible, you should have two pairs of good training shoes so you can rotate them. Most training shoes last for 8–10 weeks, depending on your training. Take your time at your local running store when selecting shoes and remember to go at the end of the day as your feet swell during the day. Bring a clean pair of socks and be prepared to check out 5–7 different shoes to find the right one for you. Assess your stash of socks, shorts, tops.
2. Hydrate yourself.
Eight to 10 glasses of water a day plus sports drinks and juice are a good start. Minimize the amount of coffee, tea, and carbonated soda you drink.
3. Fuel your engine with the right food.
Get the proper amounts and types of food into your system. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pasta, and modest amounts of fish, chicken, and beef make sense. For snacks, try apple slices spread with peanut butter. Nuts are also good. Pizza, tacos, and fast food places are fine as infrequent treats.
4. Sleep!
I know that at 17 or 18 you can text all night or check out the newest game on Xbox, but it will affect your training. Get 8–10 hours of sleep and, if you can, try for a nap (yes, a nap) on a few afternoons.
5. Establish your training group.
Though some people prefer to train alone, a group helps with the hard days and long runs. Figure out what works for you and your training style.
6. Inspiration.
Find some good books that support your running goals. Some classics include Once a Runner, The Irishman Who Ran for Britain, The Lonely
Breed, A Cold, Clear Day, and Self-Made Olympian. Music can also be a great motivator. Find great additions to your playlist by talking to your friends and searching online, plus we’ll post the Shoe Addicts’ running music lists. We don’t recommend running with earbuds or headphones, however, since they compromise your awareness and possibly your safety. They can also mess with your ability to “tune into” the pace you’re running, which is essential come race time.
7. Set your goals.
Do you want to make the top 7? Improve your times at your league and section meets? Race better over the second half of the course? Think about these things now, write them down and prop them in your room where you can read them each day. It will help you stay on track.
8. Calculate your workout amounts.
To run 300 miles over 12 weeks, for example, you’ll need to average 25 miles a week, which is very good for freshmen and sophomores. To reach 400 miles over the summer, you need to average 34 miles a week, and to reach 500 miles, it takes a weekly average of 40 miles. The default numbers noted in the daily workouts (miles, reps, minutes) are for those accepting the 500 Mile Challenge. Numbers for those in the 400 Mile and 300 Mile Challenges appear in parentheses that follow. If there’s only one number/ amount, it’s for all runners.
9. Questions?
Email us at runblogrun@gmail.com or tweet us @runblogrun and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.
10. Register at www.500MileChallenge.com
We recommend, as with all fitness and health issues, you consult with your physician before instituting any changes in your fitness program.
Weeks 1&2: Summer Training Begins
Week 3: Getting the Habit Started
You’ll start on the road to a good summer of training with a long run, a tempo run, and some moderately paced runs. Don’t worry about pace in these first two weeks; just get out there, have some fun, and get into the habit of regular running. Workouts always begin with a warmup, some gentle stretching of major muscle groups, and light jogging. Repeat for your cool-down.
Make sure you’re doing your runs on a variety of surfaces—dirt, grassy fields, sand, road, track. It’s good for the feet and helps you use your feet in a healthy variety of ways. You’ll be a little sore this week as your body adjusts. Drink your liquids, sleep, eat well, and hang out with your friends.
Monday: Warm up; 5 miles easy running (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); cool down.
Monday: Warm up; 5 miles easy running (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 2x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down.
Tuesday: 1-mile warmup; 20-min tempo run; 1-mile cool-down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. For example: If you currently run 19 min for a 5K, that’s 6:10 pace. Add 30 seconds to get your tempo run pace of 6:40 per mile. Recalculate your pace as your fitness improves, about once a month.
Tuesday: 1-mile warm-up; 20-min tempo run; 1-mile cool-down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. For example: If you currently run 19 min for a 5K, that’s 6:10 pace. Add 30 seconds to get your tempo run pace of 6:40 per mile. Recalculate your pace as your fitness improves, about once a month.
Wednesday: Warm up; 5 miles easy running (400 Mile: 3 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); cool down.
Wednesday: Warm up; 5 miles easy running (400 Mile: 3 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 2x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool-down.
Thursday: 1-mile warmup; 2 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to start; repeat once with no rest); 1-mile easy cool-down. Friday: Warm up; 5 miles easy running (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); cool down. Saturday: No workout. Walk, bike, watch a movie. Sunday: Easy 6-mile run on grass or dirt with friends. (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 5 miles) Weeks 1&2 Totals per week (total): 500 Mile–31 (62) miles; 400 Mile–24 (48) miles; 300 Mile–22 (44) miles Remember to post your miles on www.500MileChallenge.com
Thursday: 1-mile warmup; 3 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to start; repeat twice more, no rests); 1-mile easy cool-down. Friday: Warm up; 5 miles easy running (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 2x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Saturday: No workout. Walk, bike, watch a movie. Sunday: Easy 7-mile run on grass or dirt with friends. (400 Mile: 6 miles/300 Mile: 5 miles) Week 3 Total: 500 Mile–37 miles; 400 Mile–30 miles; 300 Mile–25 miles Remember to post your miles on www.500MileChallenge.com
Week 4: Training Gets Rolling
Week 5: Training Gets Tougher
This week, runners taking the 500 Mile and 400 Mile challenges begin running daily. Advanced athletes should add a 20–25-minute session (3 miles) of easy running on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Do these runs at the opposite time of day that you do your hard workout.
By now you should be running at a better pace than when you started and noting that your tempo runs are more fun. Do the tempo and hill runs with teammates—hard workouts are easier that way. Check your shoes weekly!
Monday: Warm up; 5-mile run (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 3x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down.
Monday: Warm up; 5-mile run (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 4x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down.
Tuesday: 1-mile warmup; 20-min tempo run, 1-mile cool-down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. For example: If you currently run 19 min for a 5K, that’s 6:10 pace. Add 30 seconds to get your tempo run pace of 6:40 per mile. Recalculate your pace as your fitness improves, about once a month.
Tuesday: 1-mile warmup; 20-min tempo run, 1-mile cool-down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. For example: If you currently run 19 min for a 5K, that’s 6:10 pace. Add 30 seconds to get your tempo run pace of 6:40 per mile. Recalculate your pace as your fitness improves, about once a month.
Wednesday: Warm up; 5-mile run (400 Mile: 3 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 3x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down.
Wednesday: Warm up; 5-mile run (400 Mile: 3 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 4x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down.
Thursday: 1-mile warmup; 4 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to start; repeat 3 times, no rests); 1-mile cool-down.
Thursday: 1-mile warmup; 5 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to start; repeat 4 times, no rests); 1-mile easy cool-down.
Friday: Warm up; 5-mile run (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 3x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down.
Friday: Warm up; 5-mile run (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 4x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down.
Saturday: Easy 3-mile run or walk. (400 Mile: 2 miles/300 Mile: off)
Saturday: Warm up; 4-5–mile run; cool down. (400 Mile: 3 miles/300 Mile: off)
Sunday: Easy 8-mile run on grass or dirt with friends. (400 Mile: 7 miles/300 Mile: 6 miles) Week 4 Total: 500 Mile–35 miles; 400 Mile–30 miles; 300 Mile–21 miles Mo. 1 Total: 500 Mile–134 miles; 400 Mile–108 miles; 300 Mile–90 miles Remember to post your miles on www.500MileChallenge.com
Sunday: Easy 9-mile run on grass or dirt with friends. (400 Mile: 8 miles/300 Mile: 7 miles) Week 5 Total: 500 Mile–36 miles; 400 Mile–29 miles; 300 Mile–25 mile Remember to post your miles on www.500MileChallenge.com
Week 6: Getting on Track
Ben True Kirby Lee/Image of Sport
You’re getting there. You’re running faster and feeling fitter. Stay focused on your goals. Think about purchasing some cross country racing shoes in the upcoming weeks. And check your training shoes. Monday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 5x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Tuesday: 1-mile warmup; 20-min tempo run, 1-mile cool-down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. For example: If you currently run 19 min for a 5K, that’s 6:10 pace. Add 30 seconds to get your tempo run pace of 6:40 per mile. Recalculate your pace as your fitness improves, about once a month. Wednesday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 5x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down. Thursday: 1-mile warmup; 6 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to start; repeat 5 times, no rests); 1-mile easy cool-down. Friday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 5x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down. Saturday: Easy 3-mile run. (400 Mile: 2 miles/300 Mile: off) Sunday: Easy 9-mile run on grass or dirt with friends. (400 Mile: 8 miles/300 Mile: 7 miles). Week 6 Total: 500 Mile–38 miles; 400 Mile–33 miles; 300 Mile–24 miles Remember to post your miles on www.500MileChallenge.com
Week 7: Midway Through the Summer This week is tough. Check your shoes to make sure they aren’t too worn. Consider getting racing shoes for the fall and using them for your tempo runs. Monday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 6x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down. Tuesday: 1-mile warmup, 20-min tempo run, 1-mile cool-down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. For example: If you currently run 18:50 min for a 5K, that’s 6:05 pace. Add 30 seconds to get your tempo run pace of 6:35 per mile. Recalculate your pace as your fitness improves, about once a month. Wednesday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 6x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down. Thursday: 1-mile warmup, 7 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to start; repeat 6 times, no rests); 1-mile easy cool-down. Friday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 6x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down.
Week 8: Increase Your AM Runs This is a good time to get your fall racing shoes and use them for tempo runs. If you’re an advanced runner, up your easy runs to 30–35 minutes on Mon-WedFri, still doing them at the opposite time of day from your hard workout. Monday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 7x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down. Tuesday: 1-mile warmup; 20-min tempo run, 1-mile cool-down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. For example: If you currently run 18:50 min for a 5K, that’s 6:05 pace. Add 30 seconds to get your tempo run pace of 6:35 per mile. Recalculate your pace as your fitness improves, about once a month. Wednesday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 7x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Thursday: 1-mile warmup; 5 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to the start; repeat 4 times, no rests); on the flat at the bottom of the hill, try for 8x150 yds as easy strideouts, jogging back to the start, no rest in between; 1-mile easy cool-down. Friday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 7x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down.
Saturday: Easy 5-mile run. (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: off)
Saturday: Easy 5-mile run or a hilly 4-mile race. Warm up and focus on running the second half well. You might feel rusty early, but you’ll feel better on the second half. (400 Mile: 4-miles or 5K race/300 Mile: off)
Sunday: Easy 9.5-mile run on grass or dirt with friends. (400 Mile: 8.5 miles/300 Mile: 7.5 miles).
Sunday: Easy 9-mile run on grass or dirt with friends. (400 Mile: 7 miles/300 Mile: 6 miles)
Week 7 Total: 500 Mile–40.5 miles; 400 Mile–36.5 miles; 300 Mile–25.5 miles Remember to post your miles on www.500MileChallenge.com
Week 8 Total: 500 Mile–40 miles; 400 Mile–35 miles; 300 Mile–29 miles Mo. 2 Total (To Date): 500 Mile–154.5 (288.5) miles; 400 Mile–133.5 (241.5) miles; 300 Mile–103.5 (193.5) miles
Week 9: Getting in the Groove
Week 10: Moving from Training to Racing
How did your 4-mile race go last week? Are you starting to see some differences in your fitness level? This week, focus on the tempo run and the hill workout. Remember to drink lots of liquids (water, sports drinks, juices, green tea), eat well, and have a good snack after long workouts, like 2% chocolate milk and a PowerBar. Also, if you’re a college athlete, increase your morning runs to 35–40 minutes on Mon-Wed-Fri.
High schoolers start school within a couple of weeks. Juniors and seniors: You should be able to handle the 2 or 3 easy morning runs of 30 minutes. More advanced athletes, depending on your standards, should be able to handle 3 morning runs a week, M-W-F for 30–45 minutes. Just a few races and you’ll be ready to roll! Check those shoes, and we suggest getting two pair now for the season, and a racing shoe if you haven’t already gotten them.
Monday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down.
Monday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down.
Tuesday: 1-mile warm up; 20-min tempo run, 1-mile cool down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. For example: If you currently run 18:50 min for a 5K, that’s 6:05 pace. Add 30 seconds, and your tempo run pace is 6:35 per mile. Recalculate your pace as your fitness improves, about once a month.
Tuesday: 1-mile warmup; 20-min tempo run, 1-mile cool-down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. So if you can run 18:30 for a 5K now, that’s a 6:00 pace. Add 30 seconds, and your tempo run pace is 6:30 per mile. Recalculate your pace as your fitness improves, about once a month.
Wednesday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down.
Wednesday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down.
Thursday: 1-mile warmup; 7 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to the start; repeat 6 times, no rests); on the flat at the bottom of the hill, try for 8x150 yds as easy strideouts, jogging back to the start, no rest in between; 1-mile easy cool-down.
Thursday: 1-mile warmup; 7 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to the start. Repeat 6 times, no rests); on the flat at the bottom of the hill, try for 8x150 yds as easy strideouts, jogging back to the start, no rest between; 1-mile easy cool-down.
Friday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down.
Friday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down.
Saturday: Easy 3-mile run. (400 Mile: 2 miles/300 Mile: off)
Saturday: Easy 3-4–mile run. (400 Mile: 2–3 miles/300 Mile: off)
Sunday: Easy 9-mile run on grass or dirt with friends (400 Mile: 7 miles/300 Mile: 6 miles).
Sunday: Easy 10-mile run on grass or dirt with friends (400 Mile: 8 miles/300 Mile: 7 miles).
Week 9 Total: 500 Mile–46 miles; 400 Mile–33 miles; 300 Mile–26 miles
Week 10 Total: 500 Mile–48 miles; 400 Mile–35 miles; 300 Mile–26 miles
Log your miles at www.500MileChallenge.com
Remember to post your miles on www.500MileChallenge.com
Week 11: Early Season Racing Begins Your first real race will be a revelation. You should be able to handle the distance, but your pace may be slower than you expect. Don’t worry. You’ll recover quickly and should be racing fit in 3–5 races. Only the 500 Mile group should be doing morning runs beginning this week. Monday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Tuesday: 1-mile warmup; 20-min tempo run, 1-mile cool-down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. So if you can run 18:30 for a 5K now, that’s a 6:00 pace. Add 30 seconds to get your tempo run pace of 6:30 per mile. Recalculate your pace as your fitness improves, about once a month. Wednesday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Thursday: 1-mile warmup; 8 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to the start. Repeat 7 more times, no rests); on the flat at the bottom of the hill, try for 8x150 yds as easy strideouts, jogging back to the start, no rest in between; 1-mile easy cool-down. Friday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down. Saturday: Easy warmup; 5K race. Go out well, but pick it up each mile. With 800 meters to go, see what you can do. (400 Mile: 5K race/300 Mile: off) Sunday: Easy 10-mile run on grass or dirt with friends. (400 Mile: 8 miles/300 Mile: 7 miles). Keep this on soft ground and run relaxed. If you’re sore from Saturday, then really slow it down. If you have any pain, consider cutting it short. Week 11 Total: 500 Mile–52 miles; 400 Mile–37 miles; 300 Mile–29 miles
www.500MileChallenge.com
Week 12: Here Comes Cross Country Season High school cross country starts quickly, so use those early races to get into shape. Continue to build speed. 300 Mile athletes add a Saturday run. Monday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Tuesday: 1-mile warmup; 20-min tempo run, 1-mile cool down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. So if you can run 18:30 for a 5K now, that means a 6:00 pace. Add 30 seconds to get your tempo run pace of 6:30 per mile. Recalculate your pace as your fitness improves, about once a month. Wednesday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Thursday: 1-mile warmup; 8 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to the start. Repeat 7 more times, no rests); on the flat at the bottom of the hill, try for 8x150 yds as easy strideouts, jogging back to the start, no rest in between; 1-mile easy cool-down. Or, if a race happens on Thursday and Saturday, finish up with the 10x150 yds and then do your 1-mile easy cool-down. Friday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Saturday: Easy 3-mile run. (400 Mile: 2 miles/300 Mile: 2 miles) Sunday: Easy 11-mile run on grass or dirt with friends. (400 Mile: 8 miles/300 Mile: 7 miles). Week 12 Total: 500 Mile–53 miles; 400 Mile–37 miles; 300 Mile–29 miles Mo. 2 Total (To Date): 500 Mile–199 (487.5) miles; 400 Mile–133.5 (383.5) miles; 300 Mile–103.5 (193.5) miles
Week 13: You’ve Made It!
Molly Huddle
Monday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Tuesday: 1-mile warmup; 20-min tempo run, 1-mile cool-down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. So if you can run 18:00 for a 5K now, that means a 5:50 pace. Add 30 seconds to get your tempo run pace of 6:20 per mile. Recalculate your pace as your fitness improves, about once a month. Wednesday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 4 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down. Thursday: 1-mile warmup; 9 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to the start; repeat 8 times, no rests); on the flat at the bottom of the hill, try for 8x150 yds as easy strideouts, jogging to the start, no rest in between; 1-mile easy cool-down. Or, if a race happens on Thursday and Saturday, finish up with the 10x150 yds and then do your 1-mile easy cool-down. Friday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 8x150 yds relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest in between; cool down. Saturday: Easy 3-mile run or a 5K race. Sunday: Easy 11-mile run on grass or dirt with friends. (400 Mile: 8 miles/300 Mile: 7 miles) Week 13 Total (Final Miles): 500 Mile–53 miles (540.5); 400 Mile–35 (418.5) miles; 300 Mile–29 miles (332.5)
Check to make sure that you’ve logged all your miles at www.500MileChallenge.com
Kirby Lee/Image of Sport
You’ve now got 3 months of solid training behind you. Keep the days between racing and the hard days relaxed. Now it’s time to focus on your racing. How are you feeling? When do you tire? When do you kick? Try some different race strategies.
Championship Spotlight
Flaherty, Kadavy Victorious at Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon injury that affected his ability to train adequately last year: “At 16 or 17 miles, things weren’t really going great,” he admitted. “My leg started acting up a little bit again. Once you get that first negative thought, it’s hard to get it out of your system. [Flaherty] ran a really strong race today.” With 1.3 miles left in the 26.2-mile race, Flaherty passed Mocko and continued to the finish line at Napa’s Vintage High School, recording a winning time of 2:26:15. Mocko (2nd, 2:28:36) and Donovan (3rd, 2:31:10) followed. “Napa is one of my favorite marathons,” Flaherty commented. “I love point-to-point courses. It’s well run, a good size, and a really fun race,” said Flaherty, who is sponsored by Salomon, a mountain sports apparel company. Unlike the men’s contest, the women’s race was a one-woman show as Jenny Kadavy (nee Wilson), 31, fronted the competition from wire to wire and was unchallenged. Her winning time of 2:40:47 earned the University of California, Davis graduate a personal record (improving her previous best marathon time by 8 minutes). It also was under USA Track & Field’s 2:43:00 “B” standard qualifying time for entry into the 2016 U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials, which was Kadavy’s goal. Kadavy was initially accompanied by twotime NVM women’s champion and course record holder Devon Yanko (nee Crosby-Helms). Yanko (San Anselmo, CA) had to drop off the pace at 2 miles, eventually finishing third in 2:52:54. Meredith Placer (Tucson), a former miler at Wake Forest University, grabbed the second-place spot in 2:52:26 in her debut at the marathon distance. “I just wanted to go out at a consistent pace and not too hard,” said Kadavy (ASICS Aggies Running Club) who bumped up her training to a modest 55 miles per week last December to prepare. “I think I kept that pace well. Nobody was challenging me, so I just ran by myself. I just wanted to do 2:42 at least and get in that range.” Graham Cooper (44, Piedmont, CA) garnered the men’s masters (40+ years of age) victory in 2:44:32. Mary Lynch (47, Santa Ana, CA) secured the women’s masters win in 3:08:51 and placed 10th overall. The Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon rewards male and female open and masters winners with oversized bottles of wine etched with their championship accomplishments. The male and female winners of the race also receive their “weight-in-wine” donated by the Silverado Trail Wineries Association.
RRCA.org
Mary Lynch, Masters Champ
MarathonFoto
Matt Flaherty of Bloomington, IN and Jenny Kadavy of Concord, CA garnered big wins in competitive fields at the 36th Annual Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon on March 3. Both Flaherty and Kadavy were crowned the RRCA National Marathon Champions. Flaherty, 28, an accomplished runner who was crowned the 2013 U.S. 50 Mile Road Champion, improved on his fourth-place finish at last year’s Napa Valley Marathon (NVM), recording a winning time of 2 hours, 26 minutes, and 15 seconds. Kadavy notched the women’s victory in 2:40:47 on a day that presented near-ideal weather conditions for distance running: overcast, little wind, with temperatures hovering around 48 degrees at the start. Light showers sprinkled the later finishers, but didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of about 2,700 marathon entrants. In the men’s race, Flaherty was content to pace himself behind two-time NVM champion Chris Mocko (San Francisco) and Ryan Donovan (Fort Collins, CO) in the early stages of the race, a strategy that eventually paid off for him on the scenic, gently rolling, point-to-point course from Calistoga to Napa. Co-leaders Mocko and Donovan ran together for 10 miles, at which point Mocko assumed the lead. At the halfway point (13.1 miles) Mocko had a 30-second gap over Donovan and 44 seconds over Flaherty, and appeared to be in control. “I knew [Mocko] was fit and that he ran a 1:06:35 half marathon a few weeks ago [at the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon],” Flaherty said. “I just kept telling myself, ‘Don’t get too far out of reach because you never know what’s going to happen.’ I wasn’t confident that I was going to beat him, but I figured I needed to hang in there and give myself a chance.” That chance turned to reality for the accomplished ultramarathoner (distances of 50K and longer) and licensed attorney. After passing Donovan and assuming second place midway through the race, Flaherty, who placed fourth at last year’s NVM, set his sights on Mocko. “I started to gain on him a little bit around mile 20,” Flaherty recounted. “I tried to keep my head up the entire race and keep an eye on him. Around mile 21 I saw him stop and stretch, so I knew he had some issues. I think I saw him stop and stretch three times from miles 21 to 25, and that definitely helped me cut the gap. He kept going strong, but that let me know I had a better chance than I thought.” After the race, Mocko described his difficulties, which stemmed from a lengthy hamstring
MarathonFoto
March 2, 2014 • Napa, CA By Mark Winitz
Matt Flaherty
Summer 2014 ClubRunning • 25
Championship Spotlight
Kenyans Sweep at Lilac Bloomsday Run The RRCA National 12K Championship ChronoTrack
Spokane, WA • May 4, 2014 Reprinted with permission from www.Bloomsday.org
ChronoTrack
Mary Wacera
Allan Kiprono
Last year a pair of Ethiopians—Belete Assefa and Buzunesh Deba—captured the men’s and women’s crowns at the Lilac Bloomsday Run, marking the first time in history that the champions both hailed from the East African county. This year, though, it was that other East African powerhouse showing up in force, as Kenyans led a sweep of both divisions, Allan Kiprono returning to the victor’s stand after a one-year absence, and Mary Wacera notching her first Bloomsday win. Kiprono and Wacera also earned the titles as RRCA National 12K Champions for 2014. A field of 49,094 signed up for this year’s Bloomsday, including several hundred in town for the RRCA national convention. The registration numbers were slightly reduced by chilly conditions in the days leading up to race day, as well as a forecast of thunderstorms during the race. The storms arrived, all right, but several hours ahead of time, and conditions for the women’s elite start at 8:45 a.m. were dry, though with a breezy headwind for sections of the race. Those winds led to a slow first mile of 5:27, with a large pack huddled together down the first hill. As the pack reached the bottom and began up the first uphill at mile 1-1/2, three-time champion Lineth Chepkurui (2008–2010) came to the front and began pushing the pace. That move began whittling the pack, and by the top of Cemetery Hill at the 3-mile mark, only seven were still in contention, with Chepkurui still in the lead. A mile later the 2013 AJC Peachtree and Utica Boilermaker champion, who holds the Bloomsday course record, was still in the lead, with only Kenyans Risper Gesawbwa and Mary Wacera holding on. The threesome was still intact at the bottom of Doomsday Hill, but by the 5-mile mark at the top, Chepkurui had gapped the others to take a 10-meter lead. It looked like it was going to be win #4 for Chepkurui, but Wacera had a different thought. A half-mile later Wacera had caught back up and moved into the lead. Those two continued to battle all the way down Broadway, but as they made the final turn toward the finish with 200 meters to go, Wacera unleashed a fierce kick and surged into the lead, crossing the line 2 seconds ahead of Chepkurui. “I thought if I could come with her to 400 meters,” said Wacera, “I knew I had a strong kick.” Gesabwa finished a solid third, followed by Agnes Cheserek of Kenya, Rkia Moukim of Morocco, Ethiopians Almaz Negede and Etalemahu Habtewold, and American Mattie Suver in eighth.
In the men’s competition, a late scratch by pre-race favorite Ethiopian Mosinet Geremew due to illness made it anyone’s race to win. A much smaller pack than in the women’s race emerged early, as Kenyans Cleophas Ngetich, Allan Kiprono, and Kevin Kochei had a firm grip on the lead by the 3-mile mark at the top of Cemetery Hill. On the turn onto Fort George Wright at 3-1/2 miles, Ngetich lost contact, and Kiprono began to assert himself. Kiprono and Kochei were running stride for stride, with the duo matching Micah Kogo’s course record pace through 4 miles. As they reached the base of Doomsday Hill, they were still together, but heading uphill Kiprono surged. At the top he had a lead of 30 meters and he continued to build on that margin all the way to the finish, clocking 34:11, almost 30 second ahead of Kochei, with Ngetich 2 seconds behind that. American Aaron Braun ran a solid 35:11 for fourth, followed by Kenyans Stephen Muange and Simon Ndirangu, with American Shadrack Biwott in seventh. “My focus was only on the road,” said Kiprono, when asked about the breezy conditions. “I never felt the wind.” Kiprono and Wacera each earned $7,000 for their wins, part of a purse of nearly $100,000 in all divisions of the race. Along with the prize money, both earned the right to compete for the PRRO Circuit Bonus of $15,000 at the Utica (NY) Boilermaker on July 13. Mattie Suver and Aaron Braun each took home Bloomsday’s top U.S. citizen prize of $5,000, plus open prize money. Suver was in town to receive the 2013 RRCA Road Runner of the Year Award. Kevin Castille of Lafayette, LA and Dorota Gruca of Poland each earned the top masters prize of $1,500. Castille was in town to receive the 2013 RRCA/Running Times Masters Runner of the Year Award. In the men’s wheelchair race it was an Illinois sweep, with Josh George earning his first victory at Bloomsday. Last year’s women’s champion, Susannah Scaroni, who grew up in nearby Tekoa, WA and now attends the University of Illinois, improved by over a minute in scoring a second victory over seven-time champion Amanda McGrory. Along with top competition in all Bloomsday divisions, finishers enjoyed performances from nearly 30 bands, vocalists, and performing troupes along the course, eventually reaching the finish and claiming this year’s finisher T-shirt. Next year’s Lilac Bloomsday Run, the 39th, will occur on Sun., May 3.
26 • ClubRunning Summer 2014 RRCA.org
Championship Spotlight
5K Winners Take RRCA Championship Titles at the TMC Meet Me Downtown 5K Kerry Whelan
Tucson, AZ • May 31, 2014 By Daniel Gaona
Paula Morrison
Tucson’s Paula Morrison came up short in earlier summer. I’m going to be more motivated.” races this year, so winning the women’s race at the The RRCA congratulates the following RRCA TMC Meet Me Downtown 5K Night Run and National 5K Champions: Walk in Tucson on May 31 was just what she needed, making her the RRCA National 5K Champion. Open: Jordan Chipangama, 25, of Zambia, with a The 41-year-old, three-time Olympic Trials time of 14:25; Paula Morrison, 41, of Tucson, with qualifier won the female title at the eighth annual a time of 18:16 event, considered to be the biggest 5K in Arizona Masters: Shane Car, 41, of Tucson, with a time of and featuring more than 3,000 runners from 13 17:16; Stephanie Wenneborg, 40, of Tucson, with states, American Samoa, and Mexico. a time of 18:27 “It was really good for my morale to win to- Grand Masters: Benito Gonzalez, 58, of Tucson, day,” said Morrison, who finished 22nd overall in with a time of 18:57; Merry Dearmon-Moore, 59, 18 minutes, 16 seconds. “I had been kind of on a of Tucson, with a time of 22:49 downward swing, so it was just great to win.” Senior Grand Masters: Tim Lamartine, 61, of Jordan Chipangama, a 25-year-old native Tucson, with a time of 20:42; Mary Black, 61, of of Zambia, was the men’s and overall winner and Tucson, with a time of 24:28 RRCA National 5K Champion, finishing the 3.1mile course that started and ended between Armory Park and the Children’s Museum on South Sixth Ave. in 14:25—33 seconds ahead of fellow Flagstaff resident Andrew Lemoncello. This article first appeared in the Arizona Daily Star Chipangama’s remarkable time broke the old and is reprinted with permission. course record by 5 seconds in his first time running in the event. In fact, he originally planned to run the San Diego Half Marathon that day, but opted out of it just three days before the race and decided to join Lemon2014 RRCA National Championship Event Series cello at Meet Me Downtown. “This was a great honor for me The RRCA Championship Event Series boasts over 190 races that and was just a great event as well,” attract over 330,000 runners nationwide at the state, regional, and said Chipangama, who finished 29th national level. We invite you to join us for the 2014 RRCA National in the IAFF World Championships Championship Event Series. Marathon last August, running for Zambia. “Provided that I’m healthy, I will definitely come back here next September 27, 2014 year,” Chipangama added. “Looking RRCA 10-Mile Championship at my race schedule, there will be a The Genworth Virginia 10-Miler – Lynchburg, VA window for it.” www.virginia10miler.com For Morrison, Meet Me Downtown was the third 5K she’s run in October 4, 2014 as many months. She was fourth RRCA Ultra Championship – Rock/Creek Stump Jump 50K among females in the Tucson 5000 www.rockcreek.com/stumpjump on May 11—her birthday—and was the women’s runner-up in her cateNovember 8, 2014 gory at the Carlsbad 5000 in CaliforRRCA 10K Championship – Cajun Cup – Lafayette, LA nia on March 30. www.cajuncup.net “I thought I had all my ducks in a row for the Tucson-5, but I didn’t,” RRCA Championship Series Sponsors said Morrison, who had major hip Gatorade Endurance • Sports Authority surgery in 2010 and has been batAshworth Awards • Running Network LLC tling with injuries recently. “I just Combined, RRCA National Championship Events will award over had a bad day, but it was really good $93,000 in prize money. to win today,” she added. “It’s going to make workouts a lot better this
Kerry Whelan
Road Runners Club of America
Jordan Chipangama
RRCA.org
Summer 2014 ClubRunning • 27
Championship Spotlight
Olympian Willis Debuts with a Win at RRCA National Half Marathon Championship at DX2A2 Ann Arbor, MI • June 1, 2014 By Jean Knnack male finisher was Dani Steinbacher of Ann Arbor, 27, with a time of 1:21:45. Erin Heenan, also of Ann Arbor, followed in third, with a time of 1:22:01. The RRCA congratulates the following RRCA National Half Marathon Champions in the Dexter to Ann Arbor Half Marathon, including RRCA’s Southern Region director to the board, Lena Hollmann. Open: Nick Willis, 31, of Ann Arbor, with a time of 67.05; Grace Kahura, 21, of Kenya, with a time of 1:18:10 Masters: Esteban Vanegas, 43, of Alma, MI with a time of 1:13:32; Lisa Veneziano, 49, of Fento, MI with a time of 1:26:18 Grand Masters: Ruben Henderson, 52, of Grand Rapids, MI with a time of 1:18:37; Martha Olsen, 50, of Jackson, MI with a time of 1:38:49 Senior Grand Masters: John Tarkowski, 61, of Northville, MI with a time of 1:30:18; Lena Hollmann, 63, of Cary, NC with a time of 1:57:33 Gary Westland
Grace Kahura
Gary Westland
Several thousand runners stepped up to the starting line for the 2014 Dexter to Ann Arbor Run, referred locally as DX2A2. The race is an all-volunteer-organized event hosted by the Ann Arbor Track Club. The hills, trees, and backwoods riverbanks of Michigan’s Huron River Drive were the setting for the annual DX2A2, a road race with a half marathon, a 10K, a 5K, and a kids’ fun run. The race takes runners on a course exactly as its name suggests: from the town of Dexter along an eastward route along the Huron River to the finish in downtown Ann Arbor. Among the field was last year’s winner Clint Verran from Rochester Hills, MI, who was a 2001 RRCA Roads Scholar, along with Olympian Nick Willis, who won silver in the 1500m at the Beijing Olympics for Great Britain. Runners were treated to cloudless blue skies and low 50-degree temperatures at the start, but the temperature quickly rose during the course of the race, which had an 8:30 a.m. start time. Early in the first 2 miles two runners, including Tewodros Zewdu of Ethiopia, jumped off the front of the pack to set the 5-minute mile pace for the race. By the 3-mile mark, Willis and Emmanuel Korir of Kenya had caught the two lead runners, as one started to drop from the lead group. Willis took the lead in his debut half marathon, to make for a three-man breakaway with Zewdu and Korir. By mile 5, Korir dropped off the back of the lead group. Willis and Zewdu ran side by side through mile 10, with Willis often looking over his shoulder to check on the status of rest of the pack. As they neared mile 11, Zewdu fell off the steady pace set by Willis. Willis stayed on his pace, creating a 15–20-second lead as they headed up the last hill to the finish line. Willis, 31, who lives in Ann Arbor, finished with a time of 67:05 to claim the title of RRCA National Half Marathon Champion. Zewdu, 23, finished close behind in 67:19. Last year’s winner, Clint Verran, 39, made a move during the remaining miles of the race, finishing third with a time of 67:28. Following the race Zewdu noted, “It got hot out there. I think that affected me.” He also noted that he was just one week out from finishing second at the Buffalo Marathon. “Something happened at mile 10,” Zewda said. “I just didn’t have enough to stay with the pace. I don’t think I was recovered from last week.” “I thought about running a bit slower, but I was feeling good in the first half of the race,” Willis said, when asked how he felt about his debut half marathon performance. “I really hit the wall at mile 12, so the hill there was nice because I could shorten my stride to help with some cramping in my legs towards the end. I was just happy to finish.” On the women’s side, Grace Kahura, 21, of Kenya, won the women’s race to become the 2014 RRCA National Half Marathon Champion, with a time of 1:18:10. “The weather was good for me,” Kahura said, when asked about the race conditions. She was used to the heat as it resembled her training conditions in Kenya, but she noted the hilly course was a challenge for her. In the first mile, she noted that the pace seemed a bit slow and she was feeling good, so she decided to race hard. Race hard she did—she ran alone with no women around her for the entire race. The next fe-
Nick Willis
28 • ClubRunning Summer 2014 RRCA.org
Training Tips
Quick Strength for Runners by Jeff Horowitz There are three good times to start strength training: nine weeks before your next race; during your off-season; and today—the sooner you start, the sooner you can be running stronger, longer, and with fewer injuries. The new book Quick Strength for Runners offers a fast-paced 8-week strength training program for runners. With no gym membership required and very little equipment, runners can use this book to start getting stronger now so they can run better all season. Use these quick strength exercises in your training:
2. Bend forward at the hips, being careful not to round your back. Grip a dumbbell or medicine ball with both hands. 3. Straighten [up] and raise the weight up over your head toward the ceiling in one smooth movement. When the weight is at the highest point of the movement, your back should still be slightly arched and your pelvis tilted backward.
Deadlifts and Front Raises, p. 52 Muscle Targets: Lower back, hamstrings, traps, delts, biceps, triceps Equipment: Dumbbell or medicine ball, BOSU (advanced)
Tip: To get accustomed to the “deadlift” position, practice gripping your sides with your thumbs at the back of your obliques and bend over. Coach’s Note: This exercise combines two exercises into one complex movement. Our program does not incorporate the deadlift as a stand-alone exercise because the major muscles used to perform [it]—the glutes and the lower back muscles—can generate so much power that you need a heavy weight to challenge them, [and] that kind of weight is usually found only in a gym. Instead, we get results by making the exercise more complex.
Form: 1. Stand with your feet a bit wider than shoulder width. Tilt your pelvis backward and arch your back, with your knees slightly bent. Keep your pelvis tilted throughout the exercise, even as you straighten up and bend over again.
Rep: Hold for a moment, then let the weight swing back down. This constitutes one rep. # Reps: 10–20
Advanced Form: Perform this movement from atop a BOSU, either side up. Hip Raises, p.88 Muscle Targets: Glutes, lower back, abs (transverse) Equipment: Medicine ball (for more advanced) Form: 1. Lie face up on your exercise mat, with your knees bent, your legs together, and your feet flat on the floor. 2. Raise your hips in the air until you have achieved a straight line from your knees to your upper body. Rep: Lower [yourself ] down to the starting position. This constitutes one rep. # Reps: 20–50 Continues next page
RRCA.org
Summer 2014 ClubRunning • 29
Training Tips
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Coach’s Note: This exercise works the muscles on the back of your body, especially the glutes, while providing a good stretch for the hip flexor muscles on the front of your body. Tip: Be sure to keep the raised leg in the same position throughout; only your hips should be rising up. Advanced Forms: Stretch one leg straight out, and hold it just a couple of inches off the floor. Now push off your other foot and raise your hips up in the air. Perform the target number of reps, then repeat [with the other leg.] This is similar to the one-legged form above, except with one leg planted on a medicine ball instead of on the floor, which engages the hamstrings of your planted leg as they prevent the ball from rolling away. Fire Hydrants, p112 Muscle Target: Glutes (medius) Equipment: None
2. Keeping your right knee bent, raise your right leg out to the side as high as you can. Rep: Complete your target number of reps, then switch to your other side. # Reps: 20–30 Tip: To fully engage the gluteus medius, make sure you do not rotate your body as you lift your leg. Keep your body square and focus on moving nothing but your leg. Advanced Form: When working the right leg during this exercise, hold your left arm off the ground and extended in front of you. By removing one of the supports for your body, you introduce instability to the exercise. Switch arms and repeat on the other side. Republished with permission from Quick Strength for Runners by Jeff Horowitz, VeloPress publisher. Visit www.velopress.com/qsr to learn more.
Form: 1. Get on your hands and knees on your exercise mat.
30 • ClubRunning Summer 2014 RRCA.org
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