January 10, 2009 Newsletter

THIS SATURDAY AT-A-GLANCE

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

January Volunteers:
Set-up – Naomi Kress
Breakdown – Rafael Gonzales
Supplies – Tom McKiernan, Naomi Kress
Aid station/s – Tom Santangelo

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

LSD RUN

This Saturday is the alternating fall back day of 12 miles. With the permission and blessing of your Pace Leader, or together with your Pace Leader and the rest of your group, you may try testing the effectiveness of your speed workouts by picking up the pace by 15 seconds per mile following the turnaround (Mile 6). A word of caution: should exhaustion overcome you before you reach the finish, slow down. Don’t overly push yourself.

If I recall correctly, our water station should be situated about a mile before Mile 6, so you should be able to have two cracks at Tom’s delicious water and Gatorade.

WEATHER

I will not make any more comments about the coming Saturday’s weather situation. I believe my batting average for weather prognostications so far is 0.000%! Or more correctly, it’s -1.000%, since it seems the conditions are always opposite from what I “predict.” Oh well, that’s why I’m not on TV.

INAUGURAL MARATHON

If you have some $2K in spare change for a week’s vacation plus $200 for entry fee, you might want to consider the inaugural Kauai Marathon, which is planned for September 6, 2009. I was born on Oahu, spent the first 24 years of my life there and visited all the islands except Kauai. I hear the island calling me. The loop course is very hilly. There is an accompanying Half Marathon.

ESSAY: THE FIRST MILE

It was late spring in 1985 that my wife Harriet and I started walking to prepare ourselves for a race that was to be held in August at Squaw Valley. She wanted to join a number of her colleagues from Patagonia who were planning to participate in the event. As it turned out, we never made it to Squaw Valley, but today I am thankful for our aborted plans because this was the stimulus that got me into running. After several days of walking, I decided that this activity took too long, so I tried “jogging” instead.

Our home is located at one corner of a moderately and variably sloping rectangular block. The first long leg of this rectangle leading away from our front gate slopes downhill. It levels approaching and going around the first corner and stays level for about two-thirds of the short leg of the rectangle. Then there is a moderate uphill to the opposite corner. The long leg from the opposite corner is a very slight downhill. Around the last corner to the middle of the final leg of the rectangle is a slight downhill followed by a short but moderately steep climb back to our front gate. The distance once around is one kilometer (1K) or six-tenths of a mile.

On my first “jog”, I couldn’t make it to the opposite corner before I had to resort to walking. But, day after day, I kept up with my efforts and before long I was able to cover the entire block without walking. Today, that first time around the block has turned into 26.2 miles many times over and the making of many dear friends along the way.

That first time around the block and the subsequent first mile were difficult distances then. But even today after nearly 24 years of running, I still treat the initial mile (or two) with great respect, regardless of whether I’m performing a training run or racing. When first starting out on a run, the body is not fully ready for fast paced running. Muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, cartilages, blood vessels, heart, lungs – basically the entire body – need to be primed and warmed before all can work together as a fine tuned running machine. You must prime your systems by walking or jogging before starting your run. And then your first mile should be held to an easy pace. It always takes me at least a mile, often two miles, before I am able to settle into a comfortable pace. It almost seems like my body needs to be reminded what it feels like to run comfortably. In short races, such as 5K and 0K races, I spend from 10 to 15 minutes to warm up before the start by doing some easy running followed by a few sprints. In marathon and half marathon races, I consider the walk to the starting line as my warm-up, but then I run easily for the first mile or two.

For your speed or hill workouts, warm up by running easily for two miles before starting your first interval or first hill climb. Similarly, if you’re doing Fartleks, make sure you select your first signpost after two miles into your run. And for tempo runs, start your pick up after Mile 2.

So even though as a newbie, your first mile may have been difficult, that first mile should not be treated without caution as a veteran. You need to run easy and allow your body to properly warm up to perform the difficult but enjoyable task of completing those many miles that lie ahead.

Have a good run.

CLUB NEWS

* Run Ventura Now On Facebook

Just a note to those socially networked folks in the group, or those who want to be more socially networked – RunVentura is now on Facebook Groups! With discussion boards, picture sharing, and more, we welcome all to join and share. See the link to join on the “About Us” page or look us up on Facebook Groups. And you need a Facebook account to join.

*Birthday greetings
Jan. 7 – Pat Romero
Jan. 12 – Rick Kanatzar

*Anniversary greetings
Jan. 12 – Lisa and Al Anderson (18th)
Jan. 21 – Naomi and Sterling Kress (20th)