THIS SATURDAY AT-A-GLANCEMileage: 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
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