FOOTPRINT January - February 2011
Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers
www.runnersandwalkers.com
RAW Holiday Party By Kathryn Gleghorn
T
he Santa Cops Toy Drive, David Smith cooking up delicious entrees, the RAW Social committee setting up an evening of fun and the RAW folks coming together on a December Saturday evening to share the holiday spirit — it has to be the annual RAW Holiday Party. The 2010 edition was another well-attended social gathering, graciously hosted by Bruce and Kathryn Gleghorn in their Southlake home. Many thanks to Bruce and Kathryn for their graciousness and hospitality. The Gleghorn home was all decked out for the holidays, with some holly and mistletoe sprinkled about, ready to welcome the RAW guests. Multiple rooms were set up throughout the house to accommodate the large number of guests, but most were determined on congregating in the kitchen. Eventually, Byron Benoit took over the traffic control to spread people out.
(l-r) Michelle Blackard, Beth Hyland, Byron Benoit and Elizabeth Lawrence admire the Gleghorn’s holiday decorations.
The dessert room was a big hit with the party goers where people had the chance to make a dessert sampler plate that included homemade cheesecake, a variety of cookies, cakeballs and other assorted goodness. The garage RAW Room, decorated in RAW purple, housed the coolers and was a popular gathering spot of the RAW men. The RAW men made perfect use of their newlydiscovered “cave.” The outdoor patio also saw a lot of activity as people gathered outside and tried to secure a spot near one of the patio heaters or fireplaces. A few people came prepared with cigars and enjoyed an outdoor smoke in the cool night air under all the twinkle lights. As the party wound down, a few special elves earned extra points with Santa for helping with clean-up duty. RAW may have lots of serious runners, but they also have their share of serious “re-hydrators” — let’s just say there were plenty of recyclable bottles left behind.
(l-r) Rick Sanford and Kevin Wessels were all smiles when they found the dessert room.
(l-r) Bridget Smith, Randa Foster and Colleen Casey.
(l-r) Susan Harris, Courtney Noell, Laura Swenson and Monica Waite.
(l-r) Jay Jones and Joe Luccioni debate gift bags vs. wrapping paper.
P.O. Box 2982 Grapevine, TX 76099
RAW Board and Committees President | Ray Harris RayH@RunnersAndWalkers.com Vice President | Bridget Smith BridgetS@RunnersAndWalkers.com Secretary | Doug Noell DougN@RunnersAndWalkers.com Treasurer | Emily Johnston EmilyJ@RunnersAndWalkers.com Directors Danyah Arafat-Johnson DanyahA@RunnersAndWalkers.com Tony Flesch TonyF@RunnersAndWalkers.com Elizabeth Lawrence ElizabethL@RunnersAndWalkers.com Brad Liles BradL@RunnersAndWalkers.com Terry Marcott TerrryM@RunnersAndWalkers.com Staci Rivero StaciR@RunnersAndWalkers.com Rick Sanford RickS@RunnersAndWalkers.com
Footprint Editor-in-chief | Kevin Wessels editorial Coordinator | Tony Flesch associate editors Susan Barnett Kathryn Gleghorn Creative director | Lorraine Wessels Design & Production | Reneé McConnell
Membership Data Danyah Arafat-Johnson MembershipData@RunnersAndWalkers.com
FOOTPRINT Submissions Send articles to lgrawfootprint@verizon.net Footnotes to KathrynG@RunnersAndWalkers.com
2 FOOTPRINT |January - February 2011
F o o t n o t e s • F OOTNOTES • F o o t n o t e s • F o o t n o t e s
Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers Club
Congr atulations • To all the RAW members who participated in events locally and around the country. We had many new PR (personal record) times and distances. Check the RAWforum for the latest results. speedy recovery • To Byron Benoit, Ryan Foster, Troy Pruett and Jay Jones. Thank you • To Bruce and Kathryn Gleghorn for hosting the RAW Holiday Party. • To Jeff Barnhart for stepping in as the Bold in the Cold 2011 Race Director. • To Laura Swenson for sending RAW a subscription to Trail Runner magazine. Look in the “RAW Library” for the latest edition. • To Kathryn Gleghorn for setting up a “RAW Members Only” yoga class at Sunstone Yoga Southlake. • To all our volunteers who put out water and sports drink for the weekend runs. We appreciate each and every one of you. Lost & Found • Left something at the clubhouse? Check to see if we found it. All unclaimed items are in the clear tote along the north wall of the clubhouse (just outside the bathroom). Change of Address • To update your address, please notify Danyah ArafatJohnson at MembershipData@RunnersAndWalkers.com announcements Join us on Facebook. Become a fan of Lgraw Runners & Walkers page and get the latest RAW updates in your News Feed. RAWear now on sale. Short and long sleeve dri-weave, moisture wicking technical shirts. The short sleeve shirts are available in men's and women's cut in white, silver or yellow (men's only). The long sleeve shirts are unisex and available in white or silver. Long-sleeve shirts are priced at $15 and shortsleeve at $10. Available only while supplies last. Deadline for the next FOOTPRINT is February 1st. Send your articles to lgrawfootprint @verizon.net. Send your Footnotes to KathrynG@RunnersAndWalkers.com.
RAW Around Town Social Calendar & Events Check the RAWforum for information on all club events: www.runnersandwalkers.com
RAW Walk/Runs
SNL Dinners
Walk/Run every Saturday & Sunday 7 a.m. (daylight savings time) 8 a.m. (standard time)
Saturday Night Live Dinners 1st Saturday of every month, 5 p.m.
Trail Runs Trail Run every Wednesday & Friday 7 a.m. (year round) at the clubhouse
Track Workouts Trackies meet every Tuesday 5 p.m., Cross Timbers Middle School
January 1 - Uncle Julio’s 1301 William D Tate Ave, Grapevine February 5 - Asian Top 2100 W. Northwest Hwy, Grapevine
Resolution Run & Breakfast New Year’s Day Saturday, January 1, 8 a.m., at the clubhouse
Bold in the Cold 15K & 5K
Hill Workouts
Bold in the Cold 15k & 5k
Hillbillies meet Thursday nights Thursdays 5:45 p.m. even # Thursdays, at the clubhouse odd # Thursdays meet at Parr Park
Saturday, January 8, 8 a.m. Oak Grove Park, Grapevine http://www.runnersandwalkers.com/bitc2011.html or see ad on page 8 for more information.
Board Meetings 2nd Monday of every month 7:00 p.m. at the clubhouse, unless otherwise posted or changed. All members are welcome to attend. January 10 February 14 Both the January & February board meetings may need to be rescheduled. Please check the Forum for potential changes.
To see what’s happening, log on to www.runnersandwalkers.com January - February 2011 |
FOOTPRINT 3
SUNDAY RAW Walk/Run Walk/Run every Sunday LGRAW Clubhouse 7 a.m. (daylight savings time) 8 a.m. (standard time)
MONDAY Rest Day
President’s Message A perspective to the members from RAW President Ray Harris
TUESDAY Track Workouts Trackies meet every Tuesday Cross Timbers Middle School 5 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
H
appy New Year and all that goes with it – a new beginning, a clean slate, resolutions for improvement, a chance to be better and get things accomplished that just didn’t happen in 2010.
Trail Run
The one thing that I would like to see happen this year is to have more of our members out on the weekend for runs from the clubhouse. The weekends are full of the usual suspects. Don’t get me wrong, I love this group, but the club now has over 600 members and there are probably 450 that seldom make an appearance. I know life can be busy with children’s activities and when there is a weekend with no early Saturday morning soccer, softball, baseball, dance, karate or other function, you like to sleep in. I understand. If none-of-the-above is your excuse, I hope it isn’t because you think you’re not fast enough or can’t run far enough, you’re not training for a marathon or an ultra. Not everyone in the club is.
LGRAW Clubhouse 7 a.m.
People join for a lot of reasons and I fear we aren’t meeting those needs if after you sign-up, we never see you. Come on out some weekend and give us another chance. The new year is full of resolutions, make one of them getting to know your running club again. What better way to carry through on that resolution than to get in better shape?
FRIDAY
I hope to see you at the clubhouse real soon.
Ray
Trail Run every Wednesday
THURSDAY Hill Workouts Hillbillies meet every Thursday 5:45 p.m. even # Thursdays, at the clubhouse odd # Thursdays meet at Parr Park
Trail Run Trail Run every Friday LGRAW Clubhouse 7 a.m.
SATURDAY RAW Walk/Runs Walk/Run every Saturday 7 a.m. (daylight savings time) 8 a.m. (standard time)
4 FOOTPRINT |January - February 2011
Respect the Distance By Heath Johnson
I
n my early thirties I was in the best physical condition of my life, but I had never run further than two miles at a stretch. A short run was a necessary evil to maintain my waistline and stamina. Alan Silitoe’s The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner was as close as I cared to get to “puttin’ in the miles.” Until two years ago, I had never run further than seven miles, and that was only once – trying to prove something, I guess. For years after that seven-mile run I often marveled at my own accomplishment: 5,280 feet times seven. 36,960 feet! Sometimes I would reset the trip meter in my car on the freeway and mentally run alongside myself, just to watch the miles go by as I counted off the markers. Like the enormous mounds ants construct, human endurance is truly one of the world’s great wonders. Flash forward to 2009. It was January, it was freezing, I had a fever, and at the playful suggestion of my wife and newly reformed distance runner, Danyah, I ran the RAW Bold in the Cold 5K. I ran slowly, I ran in my black Beatles sweats. I ran with my bib pinned on my back. But I ran 3.1 miles. A year later, fresh off surprise gall bladder surgery, I was running three to five miles regularly. I had gained confidence. Danyah had run her first full marathon, and I was thinking, I can do that, too. I told her I wanted to run a marathon. We did some research and decided the Marines Corps Marathon would be a great first-marathon experience for me. After all, my brother lived in Annapolis. We would combine an athletic milestone with a Washington, D.C. reunion. At this point, 26.2 miles was just a number to me. We were about to begin training in June when I fell off our roof and cracked my back. I spent the summer in a brace, feeling like a fool and learning how to walk without pain again. Danyah trained. In October she went to D.C. and ran Marine Corps. In December, I ran the White Rock Half Marathon, my first, on poor and minimal training. Until then, 13.1 miles had been an intimidating, but attainable number to me. When I crossed the finish line I thought I was going to die. My hips felt as though they’d been hit with a sledge hammer; my feet were on fire; my calves and quads were screaming. But I had run the distance: 13.1 miles, 69,168 feet!
The Oklahoma City Half Marathon followed in April 2010. Calf problems interrupted my training again, but I beat my White Rock time by 11 minutes. I was ready for the big time. Having deferred last fall, I dialed in on the 2010 Marine Corps Marathon this fall. Up at 4:30 or 5:00 am to beat the summer heat, there was nothing but skunks, armadillos, and me in the pre-dawn darkness. But emergency surgery again cost me three 16-mile training runs and compromised two 18-milers. Still I was determined: 26.2 miles was the mythical number. Besides, at 55, running a marathon was on my bucket list.
Until two years ago, I had never run further than seven miles, and that was only once — trying to prove something, I guess.
The big weekend arrived. With plane tickets, V.I.P. passes (thank you, Kelly “K2” Richards!), and running packs in hand, Danyah and I took off on Thursday and spent all of Friday sightseeing. Danyah prepped me about Beat the Bridge, Georgetown, Crystal City and Congress Avenue. I trolled kidhood memories of D.C. through my mind and grinned at the prospect of running around the Lincoln Memorial, past the monument, and heading for the Capital building. The Marines, the cheering crowds, the Pentagon up close. Exciting! I grew nervous because I didn’t want to let anyone down. Everyone, including me, said, just finish. The morning of the run was chilly, dark, and reminiscent of Woodstock. Danyah went to run the 10K and we agreed to meet at the V.I.P. tent in front of the finish line when I completed the marathon. If I complete it, I began to think as I followed the throng to the start. Oh, Lord, what have I gotten myself into? Like cattle we began to shuffle toward the starting pads. What was I thinking? Five hours later I had the answer: I was thinking that 26.2 miles is a hell of a big number. I’m not sure what I’ll do from here – another marathon, another half marathon, maybe even an ultra. But I’ll think of something.
January - February 2011 |
FOOTPRINT 5
In a Flash!
RAW Trackies and Hillbillies who beat the hill at Mercy Heart 5K & 10K
3 Tips for Running in the Dark By Tony “Flash” Flesch
W
ith the shift to standard time from daylight savings, many of us find ourselves running in the dark. Because of our schedules, we may need to run in the early morning and / or evening. Always follow standard running and safety tips and here are three quick tips to remember.
1 2 3
Be Visible – Wear bright color and reflective clothes. Get a headlamp or blinking light. When crossing a street at an intersection or crosswalk, try to make eye contact with the driver and give them a friendly wave. Just because drivers should see you doesn’t mean that they actually do. Drivers may be distracted or simply not expect any runners in the dark. Be Aware – Be aware of your surroundings. Leave the headphones at home, especially at night. If possible, run with a buddy or use a familiar, well-lit route. Wear some type of identification, and take a cell phone if possible. Don’t assume the car driver sees you. Be Smart – Use common sense. Always run against traffic and avoid busy roads if possible. Watch for potholes, uneven sidewalks, black ice, and debris. When conditions warrant, slow down. That extra fifteen seconds a mile is not worth injury.
Tony is a RRCA Road Runners Club of America Certified Running Coach, Certified Personal Trainer, Board of Directors – Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers, Running Coach at RunOn!™ Coppell and writes a running column for MyCoppellToday.com.
(l-r) Jay Jones, Marty Metzger, Elizabeth Lawrence, Thomas Okazaki, Kelly Newell, Michelle Blackard, Kathy Sparks, Troy Pruett and Laura Nelson.
Be a Star…
and receive accolades from your fellow club members Sign up to be a water duty volunteer. The sign-up calendar is located on the back door of the clubhouse. It is not required that you sign up for both Saturday and Sunday. You can also work in tandem, where one member puts out the water and the other takes care of the pick up.
Did you know photos from many RAW races and social events can be found on the RAW website? Go to Runnersandwalkers.com and click on “gallery.”
6 FOOTPRINT |January - February 2011
Head, Personality and Heart By Troy “T-Roy / Trackie / Tadpole” Pruett
O
ccasionally, I like to spend time considering running quotations. There are several funny, inspirational, and contemplative favorites. I like this one from Hal Higdon when I’m asked what it is like to go from a 5K to a marathon, “The difference between the mile and the marathon is the difference between burning your fingers with a match and being slowly roasted over hot coals.” I can relate to this. Question is why? I like the realist approach provided by Gene Thibeault, “If you start to feel good don’t worry, you will get over it.” I’ve been there a few times myself. I also think Rod Dixon would have been a perfect fit for RAW, “I just want to drink beer and train like an animal.” I think of Rod about halfway through any track session. During the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in October I found myself at the start line thinking about head, personality, and heart. Mike Fanelli’s quote, “Divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart,” is a longtime favorite. I set my sights on a marathon PR (personal record) at Steamtown after an awesome half marathon performance in Fontana, California, in May. Right after I registered I rolled my left ankle. The injury, coupled with already worsening pain in the heel, resulted in terrible summer training. For a marathon PR attempt I would need to run 80 to 90 miles a week and several two-a-days during the week. Week after week I cycled up and down the mileage chart trying to find the sweet spot for my ankle. In the end, I averaged about 40 miles per week with long runs ending at or before 18 miles. Each run became a tutorial in pain management. Pain scale of 4: Great run, 5 to 6: OK run and glad to have been able to finish, 8: Hope I don’t have too far to walk back. Many thought I was nuts (myself included) for going to Steamtown. I knew it would hurt at some point, but hoped the down time during the taper would give me a few extra not-so-painful miles. So there I was at the start line on a beautiful running day at pain level 3 when I heard someone a couple rows back say, “It’s all about heart at the finish.” I stopped thinking about how much this was going to hurt and started thinking about head, personality, and heart. Head. I knew I needed a smart 10 to 11 miles. Steamtown is a net downhill course and I was
concerned the stress from the downgrade would wreak ankle havoc early. Beveled road edges were a problem, so running near the center and missing the tangents would help. Finally, I hoped that altering stride length and foot strikes would buy me a couple of miles. The plan worked until the half and the pain scale started to rise. Personality. I knew I looked like crap, it was a long way to go, and there really were some long climbs at the end. Telling it like it is just wasn’t going to cut it this time (Note to reader: I still enjoy the verbal harassment by the RAW Nation). Luckily, Steamtown has really great crowd support and I was smart enough to wear my tie-dye outfit. I truly appreciated the smiles, cheers, and “love the outfit” comments. I found myself drifting towards the edges, making eye contact, smiling, hand slapping, and waving at the spectators. I even barked at a few dogs. Thankfully, for more times than I can remember, those brief personal connections were enough to let me forget about the pain and keep running. Heart. In spite of the positive outreach effort, the pain just kept coming. At Mile 20, the pain scale was up to 7. Sometimes there just are not enough “looking goods” to help. It’s all about heart for the final marathon miles. Looking deep inside to find yourself and what you can give. Understanding you have been there before during many days of training. Knowing you have the ability and will to survive the worst. Finishing this marathon without walking now meant more to me than completing any event I have ever done. I climbed the last set of hills in agony, grimacing with every step. I ran across the finish line a teary-eyed, snot-dripping, mouth-drooling, hobbling-goblin of a freak, proud to know I ran with my head, ran with personality, and emptied my heart.
Tired of limping through runs, I finally went to a surgeon in late November. While cutting may be the eventual solution, the doctor and I agreed to trying non-blood generating treatments first. No running, then reduced running, wearing a splint several hours a day, custom inserts, stretching plans, and magic pills. In the meantime this rather long tadpole is learning to become one with the water.
January - February 2011 |
FOOTPRINT 7
White Rock Marathon Aid Station Club members and their families brought out their cheerful “RAWear with holiday flair” to volunteer at this year’s White Rock Aid Station.
RRCA Runnings Road Runners Club of America
Bold in the Cold 5K & 15K Saturday, January 8 Oak Grove Park Grapevine, TX Races start at 8 a.m. For more information or to register, log on to runnersandwalkers.com/bitc2011.html
8 FOOTPRINT |January - February 2011
By Kelly “K2” Richards, RRCA Director-At-Large In 1971, the RRCA developed the RRCA National Running Awards to acknowledge the service and dedication of outstanding volunteers to the running community. The 2010 outstanding contributors to our sport will be recognized at the RRCA Annual Banquet and National Running Awards Ceremony at the National Convention in Fredericksburg, Virginia in May 2011. The RRCA is currently seeking individuals to serve on the different national awards committees. Categories include Runner of the Year, Writer of the Year, Best Newsletter, Road Race of the Year and more. To volunteer for a committee contact RRCA Programs Director Eve Mills at programdir@ rrca.org. For more information about the national awards program go to http://www.rrca.org/services/national-running-awards/
Essay Contest Winners By Marty Metzger and Stacie Sauber
F
or those who missed the announcement in the September-October issue of the FOOTPRINT and on the NTTR Yahoo! Group, “Barefoot Stacie” Sauber and I offered an essay contest in response to much discussion in the running community. Barefoot Ted McDonald, one of the colorful, real-life characters from Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run, graciously agreed to read the top essays and ranked the top three winners! Essays were to be on the subject of, “How and why I plan to try the minimalist running approach” and the contest was limited to members of LGRAW and North Texas Trail Runners. The grand prize for the winning essay is a pair of Vibrams®. Thank you to all the entrants and congratulations to the winners.
2nd runner up Kelly “K2” Richards
1st runner up Evelyn Luccioni
Winner Robin Pearson
How and Why I Plan to Try the Minimal Running Approach By Robin “Soon-to-be Barefoot” Pearson
P
aper piles. What does this have to do with the approach of minimalist running? Well, for the last eighteen months, I have created paper piles on articles of barefoot running, midfoot striking, platelet-rich plasma therapy, kinesiotaping, and shoe reviews. Personally, I have dealt with foot injuries since 2005 when I returned to running from cycling. I didn’t realize this with conscience thought until my health insurance recently provided me with online access to my personal medical insurance claims. Yikes! From winter 2005 to present, I have had diagnoses of plantar fasciitis (numerous times), high arches, plantar fascial fibromatosis, achilles tendinitis, tenosynovitis, achilles bursitis, questionable calcaneal stress fracture, pain in joint ankle / foot, and a stress fracture of a metatarsal bone. Treatments have included orthotics, steroid injections, physical therapy, ultrasound, iontophoresis, immobilization, kinesiotaping, active release technique (ART), ice, heat, stretching, and rest. Often, I have read articles from barefoot running to minimalist performance running shoes to Vibrams. My husband and I have had analytical discussions on running biomechanics and kinesiology, including foot strike. Psychologically, I teetered on addressing the entire topic as “not now, but later” because of fear, skepticism, and to denial of it being “just a fad.” The essay contest made me revisit the topic with deeper thought. Why should I try a minimalist running approach? Immediately my answer would be to decrease my foot injuries and pain. Next is the how would I try a minimalist running approach? This prompted more of a challenge because I never went this far with my paper piles nor have I read any books on how to do this specifically. My best theory to this is to start slow. My intention is to alternate days with my “regular shoe” running / cross training. Here is my plan: 1. Start by walking more often barefoot – in the house, outside in the yard, on the sidewalks or road for one to two weeks. 2. Build up walking barefoot or with a minimal shoe or 5-finger Vibram until I can cover one mile without resting. 3. Repeat #2 until I can walk briskly for 15 to 20 minutes without pain or soreness. 4. Try “running” on grass using football or soccer fields, alternating between walking and jogging several strides for two weeks ouble the number of strides, increasing the lengths of jogging and less walking, 5. D until it becomes all jogging for two weeks. 6. Try jogging on an asphalt road for ½ mile. 7. Eventually progress to a mile. 8. G radually increase to a distance of a 5K before increasing intensity. I foresee the adjustment and building time would take 10 to 12 weeks. However, this would be my best guess since I have not done this before. One of the biggest lessons I learned from my stress fracture is to ease into running slowly and see how the body performs. Perhaps I can reduce my paper piles using the minimalist running approach. My desk would love that. And maybe my body (and medical insurance company) would, too!
January - February 2011 |
FOOTPRINT 9
A Monkey, Elephants, Ancient Temple Ruins and 3,000 runners from 53 Nations: the Angkor Wat Marathon By Kelly “K2” Richards
W
of four-miles immediately had me thinking “just a run back to the clubhouse, no big deal.” I knew I was the lead female and I wanted to stay in the lead … badly. I met up with my personal motorbike support that would stay with me until the finish line. Now, I was starting to feel like a celebrity!
hen I planned my Southeast Asia vacation, which naturally included a marathon, I had no idea I signed up for a race where over 99% of the participants would be finished before me. The Angkor Wat Marathon and Half Marathon was created with the goal of creating a better society through sports and the objectives of stopping the use of landmines and to strengthen world peace. In recent years, the race has also promoted AIDS education and prevention. Cambodia has one of the world’s largest concentrations of people with disabilities, many of them are landmine survivors. Seeing ordinary people who have lost their limbs by stepping on a landmine is heavy stuff indeed. Watching amputees line up at the start with their prosthetics or in wheelchairs, being cheered on as heroes rather than scoffed at as societal outcasts was uplifting. It served as a humble reminder to be thankful for the things I often take for granted such as being able-bodied and an American who lives without fear of being maimed or mortally wounded when out for a walk or run.
The 21-kilometer loop course awed at every meter as it wound around ancient temples, an artificial lake, across a moat and through a monastery and stone gate. The roads were lined with tall trees that are hundreds of years old providing excellent shade, if only they could block the humidity. I literally burst out laughing at the girls who were clapping and yelling, “Hurry up, hurry up, madam hurry up!” The instructions for crossing the mat at the finish line for the first half and then circling around and going back on the course were drilled into our heads. Even as directionallychallenged as I am, it was clear to me what I needed to do. What I wasn’t prepared for were the barricades blocking the road, the number of spectators, general finish line chaos and the volunteers who wouldn’t accept no as an answer when offering a (half marathon) finisher’s certificate. They thought I was finished with the race because everyone else crossing the mat at the half was done. As it turns out, I was one of only a handful doing the full marathon. What I didn’t know until the day before the race was that the official race was the half marathon. While open to anyone, only some in my tour group ran the full marathon. I
When thirsty, I waved my hand, moved to the side, waited for the motorbike to be within arm’s reach, grabbed the bottle, drank, poured on head, etc. It was the perfect arrangement. I recommend this for every race!
Kelly’s perfect marathon finish...with a medal and Angkor beer.
was not particularly pleased with this news, actually shocked. I was a little frightened at the thought of potentially running alone. Talk about giving new meaning to “run my own race.” All this provided another attitude adjustment opportunity. The roads were now open to vehicles. The aid stations, spectators and other runners were gone. It was 21 kilometers of solo running – except for the hundreds of motorbikes, pushbikes, tourist busses, cars, trucks, one monkey and a half dozen elephants. It was the first time in my life I worried about avoiding elephant dung while racing! Dodging all the traffic was tiresome, but it kept me focused since that whole yielding-to-pedestrians-thing didn’t really apply in Cambodia. During the second loop, our support came from people on motorbikes that identified us by black and red yarn we tied around on our wrists. It was a little unnerving not knowing the next time aid would be available, so I was happy each time I saw our support. The race was marked in kilometers. I liked this because you reach kilometers faster than miles and there was no possible way, at least for me, to figure out mile pace so I didn’t even try. I just ran a pace that felt good. I gulped and muttered an “uh-oh” when I saw my half-split (1:46:58). It was recklessly fast. With 8K to go, my lackluster math skills told me I had approximately four miles left to go. It’s hard to remember to carry over and add up all those 0.21s! Just the thought
10 FOOTPRINT |January - February 2011
With 1K to go, I went for the finishing sprint. At some point, I realized a kilometer was a lot further than the standard 0.2mile marathon finish sprint. I worried that my escort would think I needed medical attention because I was groaning and definitely panting. I was sprinting towards what was likely to be my one and only first place female finish at any marathon – official or not. I was overcome with emotions as I finished. I had just run my fastest marathon (3:39:08) in over three years. I was thrilled with my performance. Notwithstanding this gratitude, I was so ready to sit down and celebrate with a cold beer. Then I remembered I “saved” 25 push-ups for the finish line. Muttering, you know, to remind myself of how lucky I was rather than
Kelly finishing her daily push-ups for the RAW challenge.
mumbling about why I was doing this silly challenge…yeah right! I got on the ground and completed the last of my 339 push-ups. (I just now realized I ran a 3:39 marathon on day 339 of the challenge!)
RAW at the Races Palo Duro
In Step With
Michelle Capello Michelle Capello
Are you a native Texan? I was proudly born in San Antonio!
What running gear would you never travel without?
How long have you been running? I remember first running long distances in the 7th grade. I was part of the track and field team and I ran cross country.
I never leave home without a baseball cap or Chica Band™, sunglasses, music, and my runners.
How long have you been a RAW member? Since October. Who was the first person you met at RAW or who first showed you the route or really “took you in”? Kathryn Gleghorn recruited me and the women of Saturday morning “took me in.” Why running? Running is fun, challenging, and it keeps me balanced, focused, fit, and goal-oriented. It’s the place I go when I have something to work out, need a creative idea, or just need to get rejuvenated. Now that I’ve joined RAW, it’s not just about me. It’s become the fun social activity that it once was for me in college. Do you prefer roads or trails? Roads are dinner and trails are dessert. I don’t run trails very often at all, but they are such a workout and so much fun. What has been your fondest running memory? I have two. First, any runs with my sister Sylvia and my step-mother Sue. They both got me running as an adult and they still inspire me today, especially when I’m out on the road. The second was running my first half marathon this December. Who knew a half could be so much fun?
(l-r) Michelle Blackard, Kelly Newell and Jay Jones.
Do you GU, gel, Gatorade®, or other? Jelly Belly® Sport Beans®. What has running taught you about yourself or what have you learned about life through running? Running has become such an important part of my life, especially since I began traveling with my job. I’m on the road for several weeks at a time, working very long hours every day. Running is the place I go that reminds me of home – it comforts me. Through running I’ve learned that there is nothing I can’t overcome or accomplish. It always keeps me connected to my friends, my family, and my soul. Are you a professional runner or do you have a real job? What? I work for The Container Store. Most of the time I’m traveling as a project lead to open new stores and manage remodels for our stores all over the country. When I’m not traveling, I’m based out of our North Park store in Dallas.
(l-r) Mary Keeffe and Michelle Liles celebrate Mary’s birthday and her first ultra.
(l-r) Karen Bosworth, Kathryn Gleghorn and Laura Swenson.
Besides running, what other fitness activities do you enjoy or do as cross-training? I love boot camp and I look forward to picking up yoga and playing tennis again. (l-r) Jon Korte, Byron Benoit, Joe Luccioni and Nick Kannady.
January - February 2011 |
FOOTPRINT 11
Cross-Border Fun at the Niagara Falls International Marathon By Marty Metzger I’m surprised this event was so small. Only 613 males and 453 females finished, despite being the only marathon to start and finish in different countries and having a VERY fast course and beautiful venue. The marathon started among the historic architecture of the 1901 World’s Fair (for an interesting read, go to http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-American_Exposition) and ended at one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The 1980 and 1984 Olympic Trials were raced on this course. Both the Canadian Masters male and female half marathon records were set here. So how does one clear Customs when you’re crossing an international border in the middle of a marathon? The packet pickup had one more step than normal – we had to show our passports to Canadian Customs officials at the first table who then authorized us to get our bibs. On race day, a lane was coned-off for the entire length of the course, including the bridge and through Canadian Customs. Being pre-cleared the day before allowed us to run across the border without stopping. The expo was very good for a marathon of this size. Kathryn Switzer retold her story of being the first woman to run the Boston Marathon and Roger Robinson was surprisingly riveting with lesser-known facts about Pheidippides’ run from Marathon to Athens in 490 BC. For those of us staying on the Canadian side, there was a group of school buses that took us to the start line and we had to show them our passports. There were also “secure” buses that took bags of warm-up clothes back across the border to the finish. There was a slight logistics issue because there were no lines at three of the buses and a huge line at a single bus that was about to take an obviously disproportionate number of the bags. Our friends, Mutafa Varol and Manny Koosha, were stuck in that long line until someone in charge finally directed the volunteers to just get the bags on the bus and sort them by number later. The race was started by firing historic cannons from 1812 Fort Erie and Fort Niagara, a far cry from the traditional starter’s pistol or air horn. The Peace Bridge was the only hill on the course, not steep at all, and only 50 feet up and about 70 feet down. The Canadian shore has a lower elevation than the US side. The hill was a cake walk compared to just the first hill of RAW Trackies’ Hillbilly course.
12 FOOTPRINT |January - February 2011
After crossing the bridge, about 19 miles of the course followed the river past beautiful mansions on the Canadian side and very gently downhill to the falls. Enormous trees showed off their vibrant colors. No race is perfect, and this one did have a few surprising disappointments for having been around for so many years. Keep in mind that there were plenty of runners behind me who needed these things worse than I did. Water stations were well-staffed with people, but stocked with only water and sports drink until I saw oranges at Mile 24 or so. They ran out of cups and I’m surprised this event was so small. Only 613 males and 453 females finished, despite being the only marathon to start and finish in different countries and having a VERY fast course and beautiful venue.
water at rest stops at miles 16-18 and about 23, and the massage tent had already closed their line when I finished. Did all those 5K and 10K people really need massages as badly as the people behind me who ran for 5-plus hours? Just askin’. The trip was shockingly affordable. Caution, though. There was an HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) and TIF (Tourism Improvement Fee) that together amounted to 16% added to our hotel and most of our Canadian purchases, a $10 per night parking fee and then 2.7% credit card fee to process the conversion from Canadian to US dollars despite that fact that the exchange rate was 1:1. We had some amusing realizations at a Canadian sports bar: Miller Genuine Draft was considered an import, and therefore more expensive than “domestic” Molson Canadian. Hockey was on six different channels all day long, they seemed to have no idea that the Texas Rangers were beating the New York Yankees and about to go to the World Series, and many places didn’t accept American Express. Overall, it was a great day and I’d like to do this one again. My wife Tia ran 2:13 for the half marathon, which was a new PR (personal record). I also had my fastest marathon and new PR as well, finishing in 4:28.
Giving Back to the Sport Kelly Newell Most women might find it offensive to be called, “Big Girl,” but not our confident member, Kelly Newell. Kelly joined RAW and jumped right in with both feet. She’s an active Trackie and Hillbilly member and some might say she has one of the most important responsibilities of all the Trackies: she chooses the post-workout locations for food and drink. In addition to honing her speed skills with her Tuesday Trackie and Thursday Hillbilly workouts, Kelly recently got involved with the Girls on the Run (GOTR) program at a North Richland Hills (NRH) elementary school. She served as an assistant coach working
alongside fellow RAW member, Beth Hyland. Kelly ran workouts with the third through fifth graders in the afterschool program and was a source of encouragement for these new runners. The NRH elementary school is a Title I school, which means a certain percentage of students come from low income families. Not only did Kelly step up to volunteer to train the girls for their first 5K race, but she also took on a fundraising role for this GOTR program by taking the lead in obtaining donations to host a pre-race dinner for the girls and their families. Kelly was also the catalyst in the recent RAW Dining Fundraiser held at Chili’s
Grill & Bar on November 16th. This was a great outing that brought many RAW members together on a weekday night and even raised a little cash for the club as Chili’s donated ten percent of RAW food sales back to the club. Now about that nickname, “Big Girl.” It seems that Kelly’s “Giving Back to the Sport” activities might indicate her nickname has more to do with the size of her heart than her body size. Thank You, “Big Girl Kelly” for all you do for RAW and what you are doing to develop the self-esteem of the younger running community in the area.
Send your nominations for “Giving Back to the Sport” to KathrynG@RunnersAndWalkers.com
2010 Anti Turkey Trot | Thanksgiving Day at Rockledge Park It should come as no surprise to anyone that the “Anti-Turkey-Trot” did not happen and no one showed up. Members donated several unwrapped toys for the Grapevine Police Santa Cops program.
January - February 2011 |
FOOTPRINT 13
On Your Mark! The Moment By Mark Miller
I
t is early November. Pre-dawn, Saturday morning. The temperature is ideal. No wind stirs the autumn leaves. One prays for such conditions on marathon day. No such fortuitous confluence would occur this morning; I have no race on the schedule. Instead, I am off on a solitary long run along the south shore of Lake Grapevine. Bright stars illuminate the morning sky. Cool, invigorating air, rhythmically inhaled, meets elevated blood flow to create an unmatched endorphin rush. Fueled by a picturesque setting, I effortlessly float over the lake roads. A brilliantly orange sunrise explodes over the eastern horizon, pushing back the blackness of night. Hues of pink and yellow reflect on the water and an inviting fog sits over the surface of the lake. A handful of homeowners have already decorated for the holidays; alternately flashing greens and reds emanate from a Christmas tree framed by a front window. The silence is magnificent, interrupted by an intermittent songbird. I am absorbed in the moment; all senses are engaged. The miles pass by unnoticed and time is irrelevant. I do not want this to end. New runners, take note: such days are exceedingly rare. More often, the conditions are too hot/cold/ windy/rainy, every muscle aches for relief and each mile feels longer than the one before. The good days are too infrequent. Such is the case on the broader stage of life. The transcendent moments are dwarfed by the mundane. The days are often filled with annoyances: deadlines, rush hour traffic and pesky injuries. We have Facebook friends we never speak to and genuine friendships are all too rare. Yet when the truly special moments come along, we have a special knack for messing them up.
14 FOOTPRINT |January - February 2011
Michelangelo spent over three years painting the 6,000-square-foot ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, intricately depicting the story of creation. The result of this long and tiring process was one of the most famous works of the High Renaissance period. Imagine, though, the iconic work being spray-painted with graffiti. As unthinkable as this might be, I am guilty of applying the graffiti of poor choices to the potential masterpieces handed to me. Each of us has been gifted with a body more intricate than any painting. Yet I have injured my body with foolish training and ruined potential personal records with poor diet and inadequate rest. Worse, I have taken family and friends for granted, polluting relationships with the graffiti of neglect, wounded feelings and pride. While helping work the RAW aid station at this year’s Dallas White Rock Marathon, I watched the elite runners fly by, as their fluid strides and light foot strikes carried them down the road without a hint of inefficiency. Few of us possess the genetic gifts they do, but we can maximize what we have. Training errors, bad habits and laziness are a form of graffiti that deface what could be. We were created with tremendous potential. We catch glimpses of it occasionally – a gorgeous morning run, a hard-earned race accomplishment, or another Christmas Day shared with loved ones. Yet, if we were honest, we can each recall times when we were handed the opportunity for such moments and ruined them with our own impetuous acts of graffiti. Thankfully, such mistakes are not permanent and, as the recently-passed Christmas season reminds us, grace and redemption are available. Going forward, I pledge to put down the proverbial can of spray paint and maximize more of those moments I was meant to experience.
Lake grapevine Runners & Walkers Club
Membership application New Membership
Male Female DOB___/___/___
Renewal
Name_________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________ City__________________________________________________
Can we publish this information in the club directory? Yes No Participating Family Members Name ___________________ M F DOB___/___/___
State_____________ Zip Code_____________________________
Name ___________________ M F DOB___/___/___
Home Phone ( )_________________________________________
Name ___________________ M F DOB___/___/___
E-Mail Address_________________________________________
Name ___________________ M F DOB___/___/___
I know that participating and volunteering to work in club events can be potentially hazardous. I assume all risks associated with running, walking and volunteering to work in club events. Having read this waiver and knowing these facts and in consideration of your acceptance of my application for membership, I, for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf, waive and release the Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers, Inc., Road Runners Club of America and all sponsors, their representatives and successors from all claims of liabilities of any kind arising out of my participation in club activities. I grant permission to all of the foregoing to use any photographs, motion pictures, recordings or any other records for any legitimate purpose.
Membership Dues $20 Single $30 Family
Do you need 2 membership cards? Yes No
Signature _________________________________ Date___/___/___ Mail completed application and payment to LGRAW, P.O. Box 2982, Grapevine, TX 76099 or drop in the mailbox at the LGRAW Clubhouse.
Keep your membership current
RAW now offers online renewals (and new memberships) through Active.com at http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1310038 You can still renew at the clubhouse or through the mail. Simply fill out the membership application and drop it off or send it in.
Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers
Membership
update
New Members Kevin Anderson Ashley Bostrom Janis Buckbinder Cathy Burrows Ruth Butterfield Timothy Chenoski
Christine Cleary and Mark Dooly Gregory Colbert Angela Eusery Emily Fulcher Coleen Gama Carolyn Garland
Elizabeth Garrett Glenn Harper Patti Harrington Merry Ingram Christina Keil Joetta King
Lauren Luckert Missi Mazey Amy Morrison Ursula Roberts
Membership Renewals Teresa Alderink Susan and Jim Barnett Michelle Blackard Stacie and Kevin Boudreaux Danny Cole Alan and Tosca Engisch Richard and Michele Evans Tony Flesch Susan and Ray Harris Brenda Houghton Gary Howsam Beth Hyland
Lisa Hyne Della and Danny Irby Rachel Kaiser Colleen Casey and Nick Kannady Cindy Lee Cynthia Leon Brad and Michelle Liles Anna Love Heather McReynolds Mark Miller Craig and Jeannie Minyard Muswamba Mutombo
Lance and Lena Paulauskas Mindi Rice Kelly Richards Staci and George Rivero Traci Rodney Jim Rubacala Tommy Spain Edward Stoddard and Christa Cameron Don and Julia Strome Kevin and Lorraine Wessels Noel Widdowson and Lauren Wallach Cindy Ziober
Welcome to all of our New Members January - February 2011 |
FOOTPRINT 15
Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers P.O. Box 2982 Grapevine, TX 76099
Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID Grapevine, TX Permit No. 243
Share with a visitor or new member After reading this issue, drop it off at the clubhouse for visitors to get to know us.
Ask Spareribs Dear Spareribs: I notice that during the weekend announcements and in all written updates there is always a lot of mention of RAWear. First, what is RAWear and why is it promoted so aggressively? -Laura S. in Grapevine Dear Laura: I admit I was puzzled about this when I first joined the Club. I thought it was RAW “ear” which of course you get from running with women. But soon I learned that it is the Club’s signature line of running and casual apparel, the sale of which is managed by Kelly “K2” Richards. As to why K2 promotes it so aggressively, I imagine you would do the same if you could declare $74,571 in personal profits from the mark-up, as she will do this year. I really didn’t want to be the one to rat her out about this lucrative side business (mostly because I wish I had thought of it first), but since I happened to overhear her placing an order one day with her production company in southeast
Asia, (where she visits each year to “run a marathon”) I simply have to break the story. Here is just part of the sad transcript: K2: Yes, that’s 200 sweatshirts, same as last month. What do you mean four dollars each? I have to sell these things for $45! Do you want me to starve to death? Okay, that’s better, I can probably pay you $3, but that’s a big jump and you’re squeezing me here. Now let’s talk about shorts. I paid a dollar a pair last month and I have to sell them for $20 each, so I can’t have a price increase or you’re going to break me. Okay, that’ll work. 400 pairs and you have the size breakdowns. One more thing, there’s an old guy in our Club who keeps complaining about the purple colors…” I stopped listening when she began talking about me, but I hope that answers your question. -Spareribs
The opinions and recommendations expressed by Spareribs in the “Ask Spareribs” column are solely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LGRAW members. Give credence to his ideas at your own risk.
Lake Grapevine Runners & Walkers | www.runnersandwalkers.com