Rosemary Selberg, Editor
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CONTENTS
Congratulations to all you Lopers who finished L.A. Marathon # 17, March
3rd !!
With determination, you stayed with your training and it paid off!
Only those who have experienced it know the thrill of finishing your first
marathon. It is beyond description, but you did it! Thanks
for being a part of the Loper family and sharing the road, your pains and
triumphs with us. We look forward to your continued fellowship from
year-to-year.
Without your participation there would be no Marathon Training Clinic. Also, without the myriad of volunteers who gave of their time, gave up their Sunday runs, spent week-ends, phone calls and endless Committee/Board meetings, there would be no Marathon Training Clinic program. Thanks to all of them, this has been an unusually successful and enjoyable year for all of us. Words are hardly enough to express our gratitude to the Clinic Directors; Judy & Alan Remele, Christel Dreier, Dick Dawson, Lee Reynolds, Rosemary Selberg, Ruth Artz; our Stretching Director, Lore Miller; Director Chuck Harget; Director & Volunteer Coordinator Susan Pentecost; Director and Water Stop Coordinator Bill Carter; Pace Leaders Director Jeanie Fortier; and all those who were our Pace Leaders, those who manned the water stops, those who opened and closed Gentry Gym each week, those who worked the registration booth each Sunday morning, your Board of Directors and Committee Members, and everyone else who contributed their time to the program. It is a tremendous undertaking each year for an all-volunteer Club. And even though it has been hard work, with the Team effort it has been fun.
Following the L.A. Marathon, we enjoyed a wonderful Annual Lopers Banquet, March 24, 2002, with special thanks to Carol Nadig and her Banquet Committee: and all those who volunteered to help them.
Stuart Drake was an excellent Master of Ceremonies whose quick wit kept us laughing. And our first-time-finishers: Amber Costa, Debbie Cima and Jose Gonzales gave very graphic and hysterical accounts of their marathon experiences. The food was plentiful and delicious. The entertainment was short but classy. And even though we were in competition with the Oscar Awards, the room was full and we had a most enjoyable evening, The tone was set early with candid pictures of all of us running/walking the L.A. Marathon; projected bigger then life on all three screens. This year was a classic example of what our Annual Banquet is all about.
And now what? Is there life after the L.A. Marathon? You bet! We have several runs coming up that you will want to participate in, if nothing else, to keep the level of fitness you have worked so hard to attain. April 28, 2002, is the First Annual Iris Festival 10K run and 5K run-walk in Yucaipa. Our Lopers Club is sponsoring this race along with the City of Yucaipa. If you do not plan to run in the race I encourage you to volunteer to help with the chores of conducting it. Contact Judy Remele 797-8718 or Rosemary Selberg 425-1278 to get your assignments.
We also have a Maintenance Schedule which fits whatever your individual plans are as you continue your training. It is available on Sunday morning at the Registration Booth. There are many other runs coming up. Information will be available on Sunday mornings.
We encourage you to continue your training and meet with us each Sunday
morning at Gentry Gym. See you then…
Congratulations! You did it! You finished the marathon! We knew you could do it. All you had to do was follow the Loper schedule and do your homework. Hopefully, the good advice from your pace leaders and the clinic speakers helped get you through the streets of LA. I have to tell you that I felt like a proud mother hen as you came in the door at the LA Athletic Club after completing your first marathon. It was such a kick to get a big, sweaty, salty hug and hear your stories of your adventures on the route. Alan had a great time out near the finish line welcoming you in with his trumpet. All in all, March 3, 2002, was a great day for all of us!
Until August, when the marathon clinic starts up again, we recommend that you continue to train for fitness and maintenance. Continue with the 3-4 miles for homework three to four times a week. Cross-train on your off days with bike riding, swimming, weights, etc. Then on Sundays walk or run 8-12 miles. Did you know that the Gentry Gym is still open on Sundays starting at 6:00 A.M.? Come on out and run with us.
Special thank you’s are in order for Jose Gonzalez, Debbie Cima, and Amber Costa. After finishing their first marathon these three new members were willing to share their first marathon experiences at the Loper Banquet. Their stories were heart-felt, humorous, and brought back those fond memories of first marathons for all present. You are very special people. Thank you for sharing your tales with us.
We hope to see you at the Run Through Redlands – April 21, Yucaipa Iris Festival Run – April 28, and Loper Memorial Run in Highland – May 26. Remember: Wear your pink.
Go Lopers!
Students from Judy Remele’s fifth grade classes have been folding and labeling Lopergrams and other race fliers for the last three years. Three to four times a school year, students give up a recess and lunchtime with their friends to complete the task. Students are divided into three groups: folders, labelers, and quality controllers.
“This is a great community service project for kids,” says Judy. “ It’s easy for them to do well, and it gives us a good feeling because we’re helping others.”
Student Lucas Johnston quipped, “It’s hard work, but someone has to do it. I really enjoy reading the Lopergram.”
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Samantha Cuthbert about the class project.
Judy is retiring this June. Another volunteer is needed to ready the
Lopergrams for mailing. If you are interested, call Rosemary Selberg (909)
425-1278 or Judy Remele (909) 797-8718.
Congratulations to all Walkers who finished the LA Marathon. The 1st year Loper Walkers did exceptionally well. It was not an easy marathon – new course, late start, and then the heat. The early closure of the water stations and opening of the streets to traffic certainly affected walkers. Let’s face it, how many first time marathoners would have made it to the finish line without the encouragement and dedication of the Loma Linda Lopers? So, the excitement is over, the blisters have healed, what next? Well, Loper Walkers still meet at Drayson every Thursday and there are other Marathons, Half Marathons, 10K’s and 5K’s to attempt. Try a little cross-training. Get the bike out or swim a few laps - don’t wait until August to get back to training. Completing the LA Marathon was not your final goal - it was the start of a fitness regime for the rest of your life!
See you at the Drayson track on Thursday evenings at 6. Keep up the good work!
by Rosemary Selberg
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Mike Rose: Forty year old Mike said: “At age 39, I had a heart attack. Today I completed my first marathon in 5:14. Although my main sport is bike riding, I am going to do the Rock and Roll Marathon. I’m impressed with the Lopers training program and the club support.” |
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Muriel Berger: Completed the 5K . “The best part of it was when a choir sang to me.” |
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Dennis Nakaji: Dennis carried the American Flag the whole 26.2 miles. “The course was like running uphill the whole time. I have a new respect for walkers. After mile 10, I walked the rest of the marathon. I would do it again; it was fun.” |
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Ernie Ascebedo: He didn’t like the new course. “It wasn’t flat and it was warm and boring. No water after mile 18 . “ |
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Evy Dowell: “I was ill the night before and was concerned I would not be doing the race. I took some medicine and a friend Jackie said a prayer for me. I completed the marathon. “ |
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Karen Capria: A second year Loper. “ I improved my marathon time by 38 minutes. The Wednesday night speed work really works. I like the old route better, but the support and spectators were great. All along the course, I saw Loper Pink.” |
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Hank Metternich: “China has the great wall, Israel has the whaling wall, Berlin lost its wall, and L.A. now has a peeing wall. This was my fifth marathon and first L.A. Marathon. I have been with the Lopers since l997. The route was fine and I enjoyed the cheering and friendly crowd.” |
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Susan Pentecost: She thanked us for all the support. “Every time I turned a corner a Loper was there and I was energized from that. I liked the new course. About mile 11, the scenery was ugly but all was OK.” |
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Ted Pickhardt: His first marathon and he came in ninth in his age group. “It was a lot of hard work but a fantastic experience and I was feeling joyous when I crossed the finish line. Six of us finished together. Chocolate helped.” |
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Gordon Barnard; He was nearing the finish when a hamstring cramped. “I asked a policeman for his night stick. I used it to rub out the pain and ran in ahead of about 50 people.” |
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Jill Bricker: “Due to the bomb scare, it seemed like an hour before the race started. I liked the course and all the kids that were so vocal. This was my first marathon and I will do it again if it’s not so hot and they don’t run out of Gatoraid. The Loper support was good.” |
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Pat Haire: After her accident at the gym last year, she was taken by ambulance to St. Bernardine’s hospital. “I met a nurse and told her about the Loper Club. I got up to 20 miles on my training and pulled a muscle. So, I did the 5K but wished I could have done the 26.2. “ |
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Lena Persson: The nurse introduced to the Lopers by Pat Haire. “I joined Lopers and just completed my first marathon. Years ago, I thought it would be cool to run a marathon. I trained with my dog Aiko. It was delightful and exciting and now I’m on a roll. In fact,I want to do the Rock and Roll in June. No, Aiko didn’t get to run the Marathon. He stayed home and cheered on his owner.” |
Bill Carter: “This was my slowest marathon. There was no Gatoraid after mile 3. I had some stomach problems and pooped out at mile 14. The support was good, but not my time.”
Danny Sweeney: “What a great way to see the city and all the diverse cultures. Next time, I’m going to carry a camera. I appreciate what I saw during my first marathon. I drank a lot of water and was almost sick but still had a blast. I’m also a bike rider but will do another marathon.”
Brenda Miller: Brenda stayed at the Athletic Club the night before
the marathon. “I was up a 5a.m., along with Judy and Alan Remele. We started
work then and it went on into the night. I had a blast through the
whole experience, enjoyed talking to all the people and didn’t get home
until 10 P.M. The worst part was trying to get 18 cases of water in the
elevator and to the 4th floor.”
Let’s start at the beginning. When my wife of 53 years died, Alan and Judy Remele befriended me. Then reality took hold. Gees, we’ve got this confused, barely functional, grieving man on our hands , what to do. Ah, we’ll sic the Lopers on him; so they suggested I join, which I did.
Then what did they do? They got that irresistible force, Susan Penatacost, to ask me to be a pace leader. The three of them were really desperate. I looked at the job description for pace leader. The only criteria I fit was that I was vertical. Would they let that stop them? Who do you think you are kidding! So, I’m now a totally green pace leader.
The first session I take my group, about 25 people, outside the gym to avoid the din, introduce myself, describe my inexperience (no use trying to fool them), ask for questions and comments and take off. I did not realize there was a pecking order. So here are these 16 minute per mile people clogging the street for the elite’s. Good thing we were only walking a mile.
My group gets smaller and smaller until I have eight hard core members. Talk about dedicated people. They dragged me all the way. At first I told my group I would probably be able to do a half-marathon. Boy, did they throw that in my face later.
Now I am truly a pace leader, (read; mascot), who has this wonderful group of people supporting me. It’s getting close to race time now. About three weeks away. We are all healthy, at least we thought we were. Suddenly one member, Amber, becomes seriously ill with sinusitis and bronchitis. She gets medical attention. We had pledged to do this together. What was this going to do to Amber? Race day is getting closer and we (Nick, Barbara, Lyn, Mitch, Nancy, Diane, Veronica, and Ted) are making offerings, incantations, prayers, whatever to get Amber well.
Race day. We are all in Los Angeles. We are all well except Amber who is still rocky but going. We meet at the Athletic Club where I give all my team members a medallion celebrating the Super XVI Lopers, the sixteen meaning our rapid rate of walking. It was a party the night before. The next morning the excitement is palpable. Finally the race starts and the big adventure begins after the months of training. Is this going to work? You bet it is. The Loper training program is fabulous. The appreciation to the people who designed this program is hard to express in words. Thank you.
We all finish. Six of us cross the finish line holding hands. The others, Nick, Amber’s husband, and Nancy stay with her and they finish about 15 minutes behind us. It is done. What an accomplishment!
None of us came through unscathed. Blisters, pained muscles, black toes, etc.,etc.,etc. I had an eight block walk to my hotel with an enormous blister on the ball of my left foot. I kept going until I had to stop, sit down on the sidewalk on Hill Street and dress my foot. I had carried Band-Aids, moleskin and scissors just in case any of us needed them. I did. Got to my hotel barely able to crawl out of my clothes and get into the shower. Ate a little food and lay down to read. I immediately fell asleep for the night.
Thank you Lopers for making possible a most thrilling, exhausting, rewarding experience.
As we get older, many of us focus extra attention on what our bathroom scale says–but the scale isn’t telling us the whole truth.
Even people who are the same weight at age 65 as they were at age 25 may still be getting fatter. According to the Centers for Disease Control, with every birthday we lose1/2 lb. of lean body mass (muscle tissue) and gain 1-1/2 lbs of body fat!
What we call aging in this culture includes growing flabbier. But most people don’t realize many of the ‘symptoms’ of aging are actually caused, to a great degree, by a high fat-to-muscle ratio. You see, as muscle is replaced by fat, we become weaker. This may impair out mobility and our posture, and we may even suffer from reduced mental function. That sounds a lot like old age!
The good news is that it is possible to slow the aging process–and even reverse it. But cutting calories to lose fat is not the answer! If you lose fat through dieting, you may lose valuable muscle, too.
First, maintain a healthy weight for your height and body type. And second, speed up your metabolism and build muscle tissue through exercise. Check with your health care provider about any physical considerations that might limit what you can do.
Then, consider seeking expert advice on developing a well-balanced exercise program that’s exactly right for you, While any exercise is good, the right mix of muscle-toning, fat-burning and flexibility-promoting exercises is even better.
Various forms of aerobic exercise (such as running, walking, step aerobics, or swimming) can help keep your heart and lungs healthy–as long as they are done with the proper frequency, intensity and duration. Aerobic exercise also speeds up your metabolism both while you’re doing it and for a short time afterwards.
Resistance training (using free weights, weight machines, or resistance bands) can increase post-exercise oxygen consumption as much as aerobic exercise. Plus resistance training has a additional benefit–it increases muscle tissue, which in turn burns calories longer, even while resting.
Resistance training is critical for anyone over 40. This is because the number of calories you burn at rest drops each day by 100 calories for each decade older you get, starting at age 20. This drop in calories burned is the notorious sluggish metabolism experienced by those of us who used to be slender with no effort, and now find ourselves fighting excess fat around the mid-section.
When you build lean muscle tissue, you’ll speed up your metabolism. The more muscle tissue you build, the faster your metabolism will speed up, and the lower your fat-to-muscle ratio will be. So, in effect, no matter what your age–you’ll slow of even reverse the aging process!
by Chuck Hargett
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What a hot marathon! But I survived and so did all the rest of you Lopers. Early on, I was running in the shade, looking for trees that lined the road. When there weren’t any trees, I’d look for buildings to provide some shade. I even spent a lot of time up on the sidewalks taking advantage of the shade from fences and walls. I ran into bunches of Lopers along the course; some I knew, but many I didn’t. I’d often say “Hi, I’m Chuck. What’s you name?” But I’d prefer to have known a lot more Loper’s names before I started rather than having to introduce myself all the time. I have a solution to this problem of not knowing Loper’s names that I’ll get to presently. Early on, I saw Loper, Lillian Miller ,however she left me in the dust even before I had made it through the 2nd Street Tunnel. Lillian placed second in her age group. Congratulations, Lillian. Then there was Loper Al who I’d never met before. I’d pass him and say “Hi.” then he’d pass me while I took a walking break to drink some Gatorade. This went on a few times until, eventually, he too left me in the dust. Loper Lilly was wearing a neat backpack to carry stuff like lunch and
cell phones. But she said that it wasn’t just a backpack, it was
also designed to be a jacket. She used it as a jacket early in the
morning while she was getting to the start to keep her warm. Then
she inverted it in some manner to wear as a backpack. Clever idea!
That way you don’t have to sacrifice a sweater that you throw away at the
start in order to keep warm on a cool morning.
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Loper Robert was having a tough time with blisters, but he finished. I’m not sure if he’s able to walk yet. There wasn’t much un-blistered skin left on the soles of his feet.
I passed Loper Webster somewhere past the half-way point, but then he caught up with me and we walked together to the finish. I really appreciated his words of encouragement. Those last few miles are really tough if you have to go it alone.
There were a lot of Lopers on the course wearing Loper shirts and hats. I knew some of them and recognized a lot more, but I didn’t know their names.
Is there a way for Lopers to know each other? Yes, hire Miss Manners to set up a formal introduction service. But I think there may be a better way. How about having some poster boards on which Loper’s could put their pictures and first names. Of course, this would be on a voluntary basis. These poster boards would let us get to know other Lopers and let them know who we are.
Let’s get to know each other better and a Pictures Board with first
names would be a good place to begin.
Hey, you did it! Some of you just completed your very first marathon. It all starts with the first one, ask some of our veteran Lopers who have done one, then ten, twenty, fifty, and yes, even more. We have several Lopers who are pushing the big 100. Can you imagine? Elaine Doll-Dunn says in her book that after her first marathon, she said never again. Yeah right, that was 87 marathons ago. Her friend , Dr. Moses Christian (Loper, of course) is trying to catch up. He is on marathon 67. And he thought bowling was tough.
Ruth Artz and I were part of your support group again this year. We hope you enjoyed all the muffins, bagels, fruit, and water we brought to the Athletic Club. Out on the route, we had power bars, Advil, Bandaids, and other supplies we thought you may need. The problem with the course change was the metro couldn’t take us to where we wanted to go (mile13 and mile 24) and traffic closures weren’t helping either. We walked to mile 3 and stayed for a long time shouting and yelling at all the pink shirts and snapping pictures. Later we were able to get to mile 23. Who wants a power bar at that point? Back at the Athletic Club, it was amazing to see so many of you still looking unfazed by what you had just done. I mean you had just ran or walked 26.2 miles in the heat and you looked great! Congratulations to each and every one of you on completing L.A. Marathon # 17.
On Feb.16 and 17, we were honored to have Jerry Dunn and his wife Elaine Doll-Dunn as our guests. They flew in from South Dakota on Friday. Judy and Alan picked them up at the airport. Saturday they met up with Lopers at Hilda Crooks park and went for a run. Sunday they were our speakers. They have so much to share about their running history. Together they have run hundreds of marathons. They met at a marathon, married at a marathon, and to me they are the marathon couple. I was lucky enough to be one of the people who joined them for dinner on their final evening in Loma Linda. We had so much fun talking, laughing, and sharing food, I didn’t want to go home. They are amazing.
On March 24. we had our annual Banquet . There was hardly an empty seat to be found. Carol Nadig and friends made this a very special evening for our Loper club. Those of us who were there enjoyed a great dinner, fun entertainment, exciting testimonies, and a very funny guy. If Stu Drake is as good at selling insurance as he is at being an M.C., he must be rich by now. One thing I found strange is that some people don’t recognize each other when they are all dressed up. They stare at each other and wonder who the heck is this person. They just clean up well I quess. What a fun evening!!!
When: May 26th
Where: East Highlands Ranch, Spring Mountain Lake, Highland
Time: 8:00 am
Directions: From Highway 30 off I-10 or I-215 take the Baseline exit, go east on Baseline to Cloverhill (about 2 miles from the Baseline exit), then north on Cloverhill to the lake. Click here for MapQuest map.
Bring: Your favorite dish (food) for a post-run fun meal. Water, juice, and paper products are provided by the Lopers. This is a social event with a scenic run/walk through East Highlands Ranch and a time to remember those who are no longer with us. For more Info call Rosemary at 425-1278
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Lopers Memorial Run/Walk 15K / 10K (Click here for information) |
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Fontana Half Marathon / 5K |
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Rock and Roll Marathon |
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Chronical S.F. Marathon / Half / 5K |
The Lopers are assisting the city of Yucaipa in conducting a 5K/10K run/walk in conjunction with the city’s Iris Festival. The event was held on the 28th of April with races beginning at 7:00 am. Through innumerable negotiations with the City, Community Park officials, Regional Park officials, and many unofficials; Alan Remele has developed a unique and scenic route. It begins in the new Community Park (off Oak Glen road), and will wind around the lake in the Regional Park, and the neighborhoods of Stanley Ranch and Rolling Heights before returning to the finish at Community Park.
| Name | Time | Age | Div. Place |
| Top Five Women | |||
| Lori Fisher | 3:50:20 | 40 | 34 |
| Vicki Hesseltine | 3:50:30 | 31 | 48 |
| Romy Niblack | 3:59:24 | 54 | 8 |
| Kari Virjil | 4:08:56 | 37 | 91 |
| Rhoda Gottfried | 4:17:00 | 30 | 136 |
| Top Five Men | |||
| Kenneth Hart | 3:40:11 | 58 | 17 |
| Raymond Marrero | 3:43:55 | 43 | 178 |
| Jose Gonzalez | 3:45:46 | 32 | 236 |
| Jim Hughes | 3:46:18 | 42 | 196 |
| Chris Logel | 3:59:24 | 41 | 290 |
| Top Women Race Walkers | |||
| Lynn Guzman | 6:16:49 | 38 | 3 |
| Constance Koenig | 6:20:05 | 42 | 3 |
| Casey Oesterfein | 6:44:03 | 37 | 4 |
| Top Men Race Walkers | |||
| Charles Cutting | 5:21:34 | 64 | 2 |
| David Guzman | 6:22:02 | 11 | 1 |
| Bill Carter | 6:25:41 | 56 | 10 |
| Ernest Medina | 6:30:05 | 52 | 12 |
| Bill McGranahan | 6:33:58 | 55 | 14 |
| Top Place in Age Group | |||
| Anna Hollenberg | 5:14:56 | 72 | 1 |
| Lillian Miller | 6:06:14 | 76 | 2 |
By Russ Barber
The Loper Speed Group is going strong. We had 18 in attendance last Wednesday April 3rd. Most of those who have been attending regularly have been showing a very strong improvement in both their track times and race times. We will be meeting all summer this year, including July, as many of the group would like to continue during that time.
Come on out and join us. You don’t have to be fast, you only have to have a desire to improve. We have runners at almost every level. We don’t have any 4 minute milers yet, but who knows, it could happen!
Give yourself at least 4 weeks of speed work to really notice an improvement.
For those of you who don’t already know, we meet every Wednesday evening at the Drayson Center track at 6:30 pm. Come at least 15 minutes early to warm up. We are usually done by 7:15 pm – 7:30 pm. Gatorade and Fig Newtons afterward.
The schedule for April and May is as follows:
April 3 - 4-6x800
April 10 - time trial: 2 mile, 800
April 17 - 110 jog, 110 acceleration
April 24 - 2xmile, 2x400
May 1 - 8x300 buildups
May 8 - 5x2min easy/3min hard
May 15 - 6-8x400
May 22 - 5x7x600
May 29 - 6-10 hill repeats
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The Loper Creed ...
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Last updated by Bill Carter June 8, 2002.
