NOVEMBER 29, 2008 NEWSLETTER

THIS SATURDAY AT-A-GLANCE

Mileage: 12
*download revised training schedule for 2009 LA Marathon at www.RunVentura.com

November Volunteers:
Set-up – Naomi Kress and Philippe Naveau
Breakdown – Caroline Connolly
Supplies – Veronica Santangelo
Aid station/s – Luz Lyon

TRAINING CORNER
By George Arita, Training Committee Chair
Georgerunvta@aol.com

Personal News

Hope everyone had a very nice and thankful Thanksgiving Day. If I may share a personal note with everyone, my wife Harriet and I had a very, very thankful day. Harriet’s older sister Carol underwent surgery on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving Day to remove a suspected cancerous lump on her right lung. The surgeon removed the middle lobe of her right lung but the lump was found to not be malignant. This was one of the best news we’ve had in a long while. Thank you all.

1st Annual Ventura Thanksgiving Day 5K Run/Walk & YMCA Kids 1K

Hope many of you participated in this event that was supported by Inside Track. I won’t have results while I’m writing this message, so let me know how you all did during the pre-run talk on Saturday.

Back to Training

We are still in the “holding pattern.” On Saturday, we will have it easy with “only” a 12-mile LSD run. Once again, you will not lose in fitness level as long as you continue with the mid-week speed and hill workouts as prescribed in the Training Schedule. In fact, you might find yourself getting stronger and faster. Please resist the urge to run faster on Saturdays – save your long distance racing for the marathon.

With the rains we have received this week, there might be some flooding and mud deposits on the bike path. Take caution.

Other Marathons in May

In addition to our target Los Angeles Marathon on May 25, 2009, the Orange County Marathon & Half Marathon will be on May 3, 2009 and the Rock & Roll San Diego Marathon will be on May 31, 2009.

This Week’s Essay: MENTAL TOUGHNESS

You have faithfully followed your training program for the past several months. You have no running-related injuries and you are in excellent condition. Today you’re doing your long run and you have five more miles to go. But you are not having an especially good day - your legs are tired, you’re getting hungry, it’s too humid, it’s overcast, it might rain before you’re done, you can take a half-mile short-cut to your home. You can think of a dozen other reasons to quit. You want to quit. Well, DON’T QUIT!

Whether you’re doing a long run, hills or speed work, unless you’re suffering from an injury, NEVER QUIT or otherwise cut your run short just because you feel tired or whatever excuse your mind can come up with. ALWAYS COMPLETE YOUR SCHEDULED RUN!

Quitting before completing a scheduled run or cutting a run short for any reason other than an injury can become implanted in your mind as an “easy way out.” Most people’s minds are always looking for an easy way out. And once implanted, this behavior can become habituated.

Remember in any race (mile, 5K, marathon, etc.), the distance is always fixed. No matter how tired you are, the race distance will never be shortened, and you must either quit or complete the race distance. Especially in long-distance races such as the marathon, as your legs tire, continuing on and completing the race could be one of the toughest physical tasks you’ll ever experience. You will not only need to be physically prepared but you must also have MENTAL TOUGHNESS to carry you to the finish line.

Develop mental toughness during your training runs. Even though your legs may be “dead-tired,” use your mind to keep you legs moving. Don’t give in to that “brain devil” that is telling you to quit. [EXCEPTIONS: You are allowed to quit running and seek treatment if you have a running-related injury that is acting up, or if you are experiencing acute pain that does not subside thus indicating a new injury, or if you were just run over by a Mack truck.]

Here are my recommendations to help keep you moving forward despite your spent legs. First and foremost, be adequately trained and nutritionally prepared for the distance you plan to run. Don’t try to run 20 miles if the most you had run so far is 10 miles. Second, always maintain your form; no matter how tired you may be, always maintain good running form! Third, slow down your pace a bit, or take short walking breaks if you must, but always keep moving forward. Fourth, rhythmically recite some distracting words such as “tick-tock,” “one-two,” “a-b,” “run-run,” “keep-form,” etc. Don’t recite the words out loud (you will distract other runners). Instead, recite these words in your mind or silently with each exhalation (most runners exhale with every other left foot or right foot plant). Fifth, visualize yourself running the last mile of a race that you had successfully run before and recall how good it felt as you approached the finish line.

Try some of these techniques or develop some of your own to keep yourself from quitting during your next tiring run. MENTAL TOUGHNESS is an important factor that will help you cross the finish line on Marathon Day.

FINANCE CORNER

Did you volunteer recently and purchased supplies? If so, please don’t forget to turn in your receipts for reimbursement.

Contact: Yinyin Goh at yin2goh@gmail.com if you have any questions

SOCIAL EVENT ALERT

There is still time to RSVP for this weekend’s “laugh affair” at the Ventura Harbor Comedy Club. The show starts at 7 pm, but join the rest of the gang at 5:30 pm for dinner and/or drinks at Brophy Brothers, which is right next door.

For the SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29 dinner/drinks and show, please RSVP to:

CAROLE COFFMAN
(805) 338-6177 cell
ccgirl6@live.com

For the SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30 dinner/drinks and show, please RSVP to:

MIKE MISKEL
(805) 407-4816 cell
mmiskel@att.blackberry.net

*Please RSVP by THURSDAY, November 27th so we can get an accurate headcount. No RSVP, no free admission!!!

Come see what it’s all about. Join us for a much-needed laugh break!

NEEDED: DECEMBER VOLUNTEERS

This December, we could use some help in setting up and breaking down home base, purchasing supplies and manning aid stations. Would you like to help out?

Contact: Naomi Kress at nukress@yahoo.com if you are interested in volunteering

CLUB NEWS

Good luck to our members who are doing the Nine Trails 50K in Sta. Barbara and the Xterra Topanga Turkey Trot 15K this weekend! Make the club proud!

Find upcoming races here:

http://www.runventura.com/raceresults.html

Contact: Mira Reverente at mirarev@hotmail.com if you have some good news to spread

Social Event Alert!!!

TIME FOR A LAUGH BREAK

Take a break from running and join us this weekend at the Ventura Harbor Comedy Club! All RunVentura members get free admission (with two-drink consumption), this weekend only.

The show starts at 7 pm, but join the rest of the gang at 5:30 pm for dinner and/or drinks at Brophy Brothers, which is right next door.

For the SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29 dinner/drinks and show, please RSVP to:

CAROLE COFFMAN
(805) 338-6177 cell
ccgirl6@live.com

For the SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30 dinner/drinks and show, please RSVP to:

MIKE MISKEL
(805) 407-4816 cell
mmiskel@att.blackberry.net

*Please RSVP by THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27th so we can get an accurate headcount. No RSVP, no free admission!!!

Come see what it’s all about. Join us for a much-needed laugh break!



Ventura Harbor Comedy Club
1559 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 205
Ventura, CA 93001
(805) 644-1500
http://www.venturaharborcomedyclub.com

Brophy Brothers Restaurant
1559 Spinnaker Dr
Ventura, CA 93001
(805) 639-0865
http://www.brophybros.com

November 22, 2008 Newsletter

THIS SATURDAY AT-A-GLANCE

Mileage: 14
*download revised training schedule for 2009 LA Marathon at www.RunVentura.com

November Volunteers:
Set-up – Naomi Kress and Philippe Naveau
Breakdown – Caroline Connolly
Supplies – Veronica Santangelo
Aid station/s – Luz Lyon

TRAINING CORNER

NEW TRAINING CALENDAR - The second change in the LAM XXIV date necessitated another revision of our training calendar. Please download the latest calendar and incorporate the changes into your training schedule if you plan on participating in our target marathon.

Surely it is frustrating for all of us having to make all these changes, but let’s look at this latest change positively. It will give us more time to adequately train for the 26.2 mile distance. It will also give those who are injured or aching time to recover and get back to their training. And lastly, it will give newly arriving members a chance to catch up with the rest of us.

The revised training schedule is not meant to have you continue extending your LSD mileage, otherwise you will peak your fitness much too early before the marathon date (you want to peak at the time of the target race date). So we will be on holding pattern for a couple of months, keeping our LSD at around 15 miles (it is not unusual for runners to hold at 15 miles throughout the year – I had done this for many years).

However, it is important that you keep up with your midweek speed and hill workouts. You need to do these workouts to continue developing your speed and strength. These are hard workouts at shorter distances. We do not run hard and fast on our LSD runs, except during the last month of training.

Pace Group Feedback I’ve asked your Pace Leaders to give me feedback about their group’s pace and responses to the pace. Now I would like to have feedback from as many of our members as possible, preferable from everyone. Please email me your answers to the following questions: (1) Which Pace Group are you in? (2) What pace (or finishing time) are you hoping to achieve in the marathon? Now that you have several weeks of running under your soles, you may have a more accurate idea of this pace or finishing time. (3) How are you finding the pace of your present Pace Group to be, that is, is it too fast, too slow or just right? Remember the LSD pace should be comfortable for you.

THIS WEEK'S ESSAY

EAT WELL
by George Arita, Training Committee Chair

Passionate runners and walkers, such as members of RV and ITRC, realize the value of regular exercise as a vital component in maintaining a healthful lifestyle. However maintaining good health requires not only an active lifestyle but also an awareness of and a vigilant care in what we take into our bodies. The substances that we take into our bodies may become incorporated into our tissues and organs and can have beneficial or deleterious effects on our wellbeing.

As highly active individuals, we take in a lot more air than the average or the sedentary person. We know that today’s air contains not only the necessary oxygen but also many pollutants that can cause short-term and life-long damage to our cardio-respiratory systems. So we try to take in clean air by exercising during early morning hours, and we try to avoid the bad air by not running or walking outdoors during high smog periods.

As highly active individuals, we drink a lot more fluids than the average or the sedentary person (not counting alcoholic and carbonated beverages). We try to avoid drinking water coming from polluted sources.

As highly active individuals, we require a lot more calories (food) than the average or the sedentary person (although many people in the latter categories often out-eat us). And we try to consume food that is healthy for us. But do we? Most of our foods, fresh or processed, that are produced by conventional means may be nutritious but may not necessarily be healthy for us in the long term. Food grown using conventional farming and ranching methods, for example, are usually tainted with residues of chemical fertilizers and pesticides that may be declared safe by FDA and USDA, but the safety declaration is usually based on the minute quantities of residues found in individual foods eaten in individual meals. What about the long term and cumulative effects of all the foods eaten in all the meals over the entire lifetime of a person? These effects are not known! It is a fact that we are experiencing higher incidences of illnesses such as cancer, heart and vascular diseases, stroke, diabetes, autism, ADD, and so forth. The higher incidence of illnesses is not due to changes in our genetic make-up (genes don’t dramatically change in just a few generations). The more likely culprits are the changes in our environmental conditions and our constant exposure to new and human-created chemicals, many of which we breathe and ingest via food and drink.

Because we are super active people (we are or soon will be marathoners!) who need to maintain a relatively high intake of food, I recommend consuming pesticide-free (i.e., California Certified Organic) foods as much as possible. These foods are grown or produced without the use of artificial fertilizers, chemical pesticides or chemical additives. Nutritionally the organic foods are not necessarily better than conventionally grown foods, and the cost may be a bit higher, but for long-term health benefits (for you and your family), organic foods are the best way to go. Also producing foods (and other consumer products such as cotton) without artificial fertilizers and pesticides benefits our environment. Fertilizers and pesticides adversely affect wild terrestrial plants and animals. Fertilizers and pesticides also leech into ground waters and run off into surface waters where they affect aquatic life. Minimizing or eliminating the use of fertilizers and pesticides in the growing of foods and other products would minimize or eliminate this source of environmental contamination.

We take care of ourselves by exercising and running marathons. We must also take care of ourselves (and our families) by breathing clean air, drinking clean water, and eating “chemical-free” foods.


NEEDED: DECEMBER VOLUNTEERS

This December, we could use some help in setting up and breaking down home base, purchasing supplies and manning aid stations. Would you like to help out?

Contact: Naomi Kress at nukress@yahoo.com if you are interested in volunteering

CLUB NEWS

Do you know anyone in the club who just got married or engaged? Just had a baby or a job promotion? Just qualified for Boston? Let us know!

Contact: Mira Reverente at mirarev@hotmail.com to help spread the good news

ERRATUM

Mike Miskel’s e-mail address should have read: mmiskel@att.blackberry.net

COMING SOON: SPOTLIGHT ON… (a feature on runners)

RUNVENTURA COMMITTEES: UP AND RUNNING

Do you have a special talent or interest aside from running? Would you like to get more involved and meet more people like yourself?

If you answered a resounding “yes!” to both questions, then you are just what RunVentura needs right now. The people behind RunVentura have been “all ears” lately and think that a committee-driven club suits the current needs of our members.

After much thought and deliberation, seven (7) committees seem like a good starting point. We now have the following committees, chairs and a brief description of each committee’s responsibilities:

1) EVENTS – races; fundraising events
Co-chairs: Mike Miskel and Rick Kanatzar
E-mail: mmiskel@att.blackberry.com (Mike) or rkanatzar@aol.com (Rick)

2) FINANCE – dues collection; payables/receivables
Chair: YinYin Goh
E-mail: yin2goh@gmail.com

3) LOGISTICS – purchase of supplies; volunteer schedule
Chair: Naomi Kress
E-mail: nukress@yahoo.com

4) MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS – weekly newsletter; flyers; publicity
Chair: Mira Reverente
E-mail: mirarev@hotmail.com

5) MEMBERSHIP – roster/directory; member recruitment
Chair: Carole Coffman
E-mail: ccgirl6@live.com

6) SECRETARIAT – minutes of the meeting; meeting announcements
Chair: Caroline Connolly
E-mail: optocc@yahoo.com

7) TRAINING - training; race schedule; pace groups
Chair: George Arita
E-mail: georgerunvta@aol.com

Tom McKiernan, one of our esteemed, most experienced and senior runners was selected as RunVentura Chairman. Tom will work closely with Josh Spiker, Inside Track owner and club adviser to ensure the smooth flow of club operations.

Now all we need are at least two (2) dedicated, hard-working and selfless members per committee, namely YOU! Send an e-mail or talk to any of the committee chairs this coming Saturday to get more information or to signify your interest.

Newsletter for November 15, 2008

MESSAGE FROM GEORGE


RUN VENTURA REORGANIZATION

Josh and I, with the help of several RV Pace Leaders, are in the midst of modifying the organizational structure by which the club will be run. The results of our work, we hope, will be a better gathering and running environment for you, our members. The reorganization will not involve nominations and elections, as announced last Saturday.

LOS ANGELES MARATHON XXIV

Surely everyone is now aware that the date for the running of the 24th Los Angeles Marathon has been changed for the second time, from March 1, 2009 to February 16, 2009, and now to May 25, 2009 (Memorial Day). Those who intend to run LAM on this new date will have to follow another modified training schedule. However, I have sent to your Pace Leader a list of marathon races (thanks to Caroline Connelly) that will be held between January and March. If you decide to run one of these, the present training calendar will need just minor adjustments. Your Pace Leader will be asking input from each of you as to which race you would like to run. NOTE [mostly for veterans, but for hardy souls (soles) also]: For those of you who decide on a January, February or March marathon, barring injury in this race, you may be able to run LAM XXIV in May by recovering and performing easy training between races. I will guide you if you are interested.

PARKING

The owner of the antique furniture shop (next door and in back of Josh’s shop) has asked us to leave several parking spots vacant for their customers to use between 8 AM and noon. Let us be friendly and reasonable about this situation. Let us leave at least six (6) spots directly in back of the shop vacant for them. And do this every Saturday. Thank you. I will try to remember to make several “NO RV PARKING” signs and place them at the appropriate places.

CHAFFING

Now that we are running longer distances, chaffing will, if it hasn’t already, demand attention and prevention. Imagine the constant rubbing between two body parts or between a body part and an item of clothing over long distances and over long periods of time. The body part or parts will almost always be the loser – chaffing. You may not notice the abrasion soon after the run, but you certainly will during your next shower.

Chaffing commonly occurs around your waist if your shorts or belt of a waist-pack have rough spots, in your groin area if the liner of your shorts has rough seams, between your thighs or knees if these rub as you run, and in your armpits. You can apply some plain old petroleum jelly if you have hot spots in these areas. A commercial product called Body Glide is specially made for runners and walkers (at added cost). Vaseline (petroleum jelly) works fine for me.

For women, a rough edge of the bra strap can be problematic. A sports bra with no seams or with hidden seams (is that the correct term?) should be the choice of undergarment, never a regular bra. I can’t give you much advice on this subject so you will have to ask one of the veteran women runners.

For men, a common problem is chaffing of the nipples. I recently had a question from a newbie who said: “I have a question about a silly thing, but….” I told him: “Nipple chaffing is not a silly thing.” One usually doesn't notice any problem with short distances but as you start running over 10 or 15 miles, the hurt becomes quite noticeable, especially when you take a shower. For one thing, don't wear cotton shirts for running (I stated this caution before). A tech shirt (polyester) is best, not only is it they lightweight but it also wicks sweat off your body, dries fast, AND is less abrasive. But even with a tech shirt, I always apply a band-aid over each nipple when running full and half marathons. You can buy Nip-Guards but band-aid works just as well and is cheaper. Much too often have I seen male runners with bleeding nipples. I feel sorry for them during their next shower.


SATURDAY’S RUN

Our distance this Saturday is 16 miles! We go eight out and eight back. Wow! Try going slower out and slightly faster back (negative split). In a later essay, I will address the “Finishing Kick” technique. Water station will be at Mile 8 and manned by Hugh (?). Don’t hold me to this but the weatherperson said it might be warm and windy on Saturday. Plan to dress accordingly. Have a good run.

My essay on “Hills” follow.

HILLS

To complement your speed workout during the midweek to develop your running speed, you will also be doing hills to develop your running strength. Veteran runners can do speed work on Tuesday and hills on Thursday, but I don’t recommend this for new or returning runners, who should alternate speed and hills every other week.

You can run a course with multiple up-hills and down-hills, but I recommend doing hill repeats. Find an uphill road, 200 to 400 meters long with no cross traffic and with a steepness that causes you to increase your effort if you try to maintain your pace. Run up and then down without stopping. Start with four repeats the first and third week (remember you’re alternating with speed work), increase to six repeats the next two hill workouts, then eight the next two and finally ten.

Try to run the uphill leg as fast as you are able to make it to the top without dying. If you can't make it to the top, you are going too fast. If you are not huffing-n-puffing when you get to the top, you are going too slow. Turn around and go back down, letting gravity take you down but under your control. Then head back up again. If you cannot finish four repeats the first time, you are going too fast, or the hill is too long. Make adjustments.

Your body should always be perpendicular to the horizon, like you are being pulled to the sky by a string tied to the top of your head. Keep your head straight with your eyes looking at the road surface ahead, not down by your feet. Your stride will be shorter than normal but keep moving straight forward, almost like a shuffle. Your shoes should just clear the road surface (bring them too high wastes energy). Use your arms to pump you forward but always keep your forearms moving straight forward, not toward the center of your body or crossing to the other sides and don't swing your hands up to your chest. Always keep your fingers cupped loosely.

When running down, again keep your body perpendicular to the horizon with head straight forward and eyes looking ahead. Gravity will make you run faster but don't purposefully lengthen your stride. Stay under control by running as in a fast shuffle. Keep your feet low so the impact won't be so hard. When you reach the bottom, turn around without resting and go up again. If you can do this four times at first and up to 8 or 10 times as you progress, you will have the strength to tackle the hills in a marathon. Speed workouts will develop your speed to run a fast marathon. The long, slow, distance (LSD) runs (always at a pace slower than your hopeful marathon pace) will develop your endurance to cover the 26.2 mile distance. Put the three workouts (LSD, Speed, Hills) together on marathon day to carry you successfully to the finish line.

SPEED WORK/FARTLEKS/INTERVALS

My essay for this week: November 8, 2008

SPEED WORK

It is time in our marathon training to do SPEED WORK to increase leg turnover and develop running speed. This is accomplished by doing Fartleks or Intervals. Fartleks are less structured, intervals are more structured. You can choose to do one or the other, or alternate between the two but not do both during the same week.

Fartleks can be done on any road, bike path or trail. Start your run at an easy, slow pace for a mile or two to warm up your muscles. Then pick two landmarks such as utility poles, mailboxes or trees that are 200 to 400 meters apart, and pick up your pace as you run from one landmark to the other. Your “faster pace” is around your usual 5K or 10K race pace. When you reach the second landmark, run easy for about 200 meters to allow yourself to recover. Then find another pair of landmarks and repeat the process.

You can run your first Fartlek session with 4 accelerations, then every second or third week, add two more accelerations until you can do up to ten. Later in your training, as you get stronger and faster and the sessions seem easier to you, you can increase the distance between landmarks by 200 meters every 2nd or 3rd week until you’re doing up to 800 meters. Don’t forget to run 1 or 2 easy miles afterwards to cool down as usual.

If you prefer a more structured speed workout, you can do Interval Training, where you pre-select a certain distance, usually 200 meters, if you’re new to doing speed work, or 400 meters if otherwise. Intervals are best performed at a track (with measured distances) or on a quiet road with a flat and straight section of known distance (I do mine on a relatively flat and straight, quarter mile (about 400 meters) cul-de-sac in my neighborhood).

After completing the usual one to two mile warm-up, run the 200 or 400 meter lap at your 5K or 10K race pace, then run slowly or walk for 200 meters. Repeat the process. Try to do four repetitions the first time and add two more reps every 2nd or 3rd week, working up to ten reps. As you improve your strength and speed, the 200 or 400 meter workouts will become easier. Now you can increase the distance by 200 meters every 2nd or 3rd week, up to 1600 meters (you probably will be able to do no more than four repeats at the maximum distance). After completing the last interval, run easy for 1 to 2 miles to cool down.

For a variation, when I get up to the 1600-meter interval distance, I like to do “ladder” intervals two or three times during my marathon training. I run intervals of 400, 800, 1200 and 1600 meters, then work back down, 1600, 1200, 800 and 400 meters. The total of 5 miles of fast running provides a challenging workout!

To increase your running speed during the “pick-up-the-pace” segments of the Fartleks or intervals (in fact, do this anytime you intend to surge), emphasize increasing your leg turnover rate rather than increasing your stride length. As your leg turnover rate increases, your stride length will invariably increase slightly as well, but it will not be exaggerated. It’s more efficient and less injurious to run as in a fast shuffle than by taking longer, loping strides.

A word of caution! If you find that you are having difficulty completing or are unable to complete the speed portion of the workout, this indicates that you are attempting to run the segment too fast or the distance is too long for your level of training. Ease off on the pace or the distance for a couple of weeks. Progress will come. I had a runner tell me that he hated doing speed work in high school because he often felt like throwing up after each 200 meter interval. His coach obviously was pushing him too hard. Speed work-outs are “hard work” and exhausting but you should not feel like throwing up or “falling over and dying” during or after the work-out!

Finally, during any speed workout, or during any run for that matter, always maintain good running form: head up; chest out; jaw loose; shoulders squared but relaxed; arms swinging straight forward and back with elbows bent at 90° and forearms parallel to the ground; hands loosely cupped and relaxed; and body tilted only slightly forward. As you tire, you may start to lose your form, so you must concentrate and always maintain good running form throughout your run.
George

November 8 Run Ventura Weekly Newsletter

Welcome to Run Ventura!
Inspiring Miles of Smiles

November 1, 2008

Today’s Distance: 14 Miles

Turnaround time is:

One hour 45 minutes

Deborah’s View…… Behind the Scenes

Last Weeks Rain did not dampen our Spirits!
The few, the brave, the Rain runners of Run Ventura - ran the distance!

Thank you to all the Pace Leaders, the replacements and RV members for their dedication and your commitment to training for the LA marathon and beyond.

Thanks, Deborah

WATER STATION TODAY: will be at 7 mile- ish mark! No disposable cups! If you are not running today, due to a race event or an injury, consider supporting your club by beinga Water station volunteer! Umbrella included if needed.

Still need a volunteer for Saturdays - Please help!

NOVEMBER VOLUNTEERS:
Set up Home Base: Naomi Kress and Philippe Naveau,
Breakdown Home Base: Caroline Connelly,
Nutrient Purchasor: Veronica Santangelo,
Water Station: ???
Home Base - George Arita
Your time helps us have a smooth training day start and finish!

YOUR GOODY BAG AWAITS YOU!
If you have not received your goody bag, further distribution will be AFTER Training - see George. Limited exchanges are available.
WEAR YOUR RUN VENTURA TRAINING SHIRT
EVERY SATURDAY - WITH PRIDE!

THE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER –
Confirmation of your email address required via Blog!! If you hear of anyone not receiving the newsletter, please pass this important detail forward.

SOCIAL OPPORTUNITY:
Anyone interested in organizing a Pot Luck in celebration of Run Ventura reaching the HALF marathon training mark for sometime in the near future?

RACE CALENDAR: Share with RV members what races you would like to recommend coming up in the near future. Either post as a reply or email us at any time with your recommendations. Any Races anyone?

Tip of the Week: Use a marker to date the inside tongue of your runnings shoes to help you keep track of when you purchased them. This will serve as a reminder to help determine when it would be the best time to replace them. Depending on your weight, running style, and the amount of miles you train will determine when and how often you will need to replace them. Your feet carry you all day and sometimes all night long and they deserve to be well taken care of!


Suggestions? Questions?? Complaints?? Deborah4RunVentura@verizon.net

NOW.......A few words from George........

MY CONTRIBUTION FOR NOVEMBER 8, 2008

Congratulations to all who raced last weekend. No doubt you all did well!

This Saturday, we go beyond the half marathon distance. Fourteen miles is our distance. For some of you, this will be a record distance. For others, this will be your longest distance since your last marathon or ultra-marathon race. Whatever the situation, it’ll be another milestone!

A word of caution (it seems I’m full of this). As we get into the longer distances, we put our bodies under greater stress. Yes, I know I’m always cautioning you about injuries, but this one has a different twist. The stresses of running longer distances and the accompanying microscopic damage to the muscle fibers compromise our immune system, making us more susceptible to colds and other communicable diseases.

You may experience a slight fever the evening after a long run, although those who take analgesics such as Advil or Aleeve for pain relief may not notice the fever due to the fever reducing effects of the drug.

In addition to a good meal and rest to speed recovery from your long runs, refrain from attending all-night parties, large crowds and hospitals with sick people for a day or two. Coming down with a cold or flu can put a damper on your training.

For those who have not received a goodie bag, I have yours in my vehicle. I may be late arriving this Saturday, but if all goes well, I should be there to greet you on your return to home base.

George