August, 2002
Rosemary Selberg, Editor
August, 2002
Rosemary Selberg, Editor
CONTENTS
by Jim Walling
Welcome to all our new members! And welcome back to all our returning Members! We are off to another exciting year of running, walking and training for the L. A. Marathon in March 2003. Foremost in the minds of most of our new members is “What to expect in this adventure called ‘Marathon Training’?” And the answer is lots of fun, lots of hard work and many new friends to share the experience with. The knowledge and experience we will supply (We have been doing this since 1981). But the effort is up to you.
Jeanne Fortier, Director of our Pace Leaders, and the 21 or so Pace Leaders will help train you, orient you and see you through the first 8 weeks of your training. After that, you won’t be abandoned but gradually ‘weaned’ to take responsibility for more of your own training with direction as needed. We hope you will get to know your Pace Leaders personally and learn to depend on their guidance and experience. And remember, as your pace changes you can go in another pace group- either faster or slower- as it fits your pace.
Our Clinic Directors, Judy and Alan Remele, will oversee Jeanne and her Pace Leaders and the overall L.A. Marathon XVIII Training Clinic. Each Sunday morning they will provide speakers on key subjects of interest to you Runners and Walkers. Early on in the Clinic Program, Dr. Lang will be conducting Nutrition Classes between 6:00 AM and 6:30 AM at the Gentry Gym. There will be stretching before and after you go out on the road as an important part of your training program.
So you won’t think it is all work and no play, we also have some Ice Cream Socials and Pancake Breakfasts planned for you to enjoy after your runs. Over the years we have found the social activities and the chance to share the road with fellow members is an important part of the support provided by the Lopers Club. It has resulted in long-lasting friendships in many, many cases.
Well, that is a little snapshot of what you can expect, but by no means the whole story.
We are delighted you have made the commitment to train and finish your first Marathon, half marathon, or other goal you may have in mind. We are pleased to have the chance to make your acquaintance and help you to reach those goals. Welcome aboard.
See you Sunday morning.
by Brenda Miller
When I was in my 30’s, I was in great shape. I lived in Lake Tahoe, which provided the optimum opportunity to participate in sports. In the winter, I would ski all morning; and could just about ski home in time to make it to my afternoon shift at the local hospital. In the summer, I could backpack, tour on my bicycle, go windsurfing or sailing on the lake, and I did. Life was good! Then one day I fell skiing the late morning powder off the Exhibition Run at Squaw Valley. I tore my medial collateral ligament and the ligament that holds my patella to the tibia. I had a big surgery, screws, pins, drains, long leg cast, crutches, you name it! But that didn’t stop me.
My determination to be a sports enthusiast was beyond my body’s capability. I have since had injuries in almost every joint. Staying physically fit has been difficult because of those injuries. I joined Loma Linda Lopers in 2000 and ended up with shin splints. Last December I broke my ankle. Consequently, I am a walker and very possibly the slowest walker in the entire club. My goal is to stay injury free long enough to receive benefit from exercise. That’s it!
So I was surprised with my own performance at the ALS Run, put on May 19 by Loma Linda Hospital Neurology Department. I walked it, of course! The slow steady uphill at the beginning of the race warmed my muscles up. Being accustomed to this type of warm up, it felt good. It was a drizzly, chilly morning. I knew there would be water stops so I went out on the course unencumbered. I chatted with another participant and we kept a pretty good pace, but I wasn’t really competing. When we reached the 6.2-turnaround sign, my walking partner decided she would need to make a pit stop sometime soon. I decided I would try to make some headway on my time. My legs felt great and I began to try a little speed walking. I started to pass walkers who had passed me on the way out. That felt really good and inspired me onward (slow walkers don’t get to pass much!) When I reached the final turn toward the arch of balloons, I ran. You heard it, I ran all the way in. I have the picture taken by my friend Rosemary to prove it.
By Christine Timms
Summer is upon us and it is HOT. I find myself walking very early in the morning or very late in the evening. It is very important not to let the heat and smog curtail training. As I have been training for the AARP TriUmph Triathlon, I have spent a lot of time at the pool and doing some weight training. It is also a good time to do some hiking and enjoy some cool mountain scenery. I am looking forward to the start of the new Lopers year in August and getting back to some real long distance. Several of us still meet at the Drayson track on Thursdays although we have been going a little later to avoid the heat. I am looking forward to seeing all the “veteran” walkers and lots of new ones in August.
by Christine Timms
Congratulations to the City of Fontana for an excellent event. Once again they did a great job. There were quite a number of Lopers in both races and it was very nice event with goody bags, excellent post race refreshments and super trophies (Lopers took home a few awards!) Local race directors should take note – Fontana Days recognizes walkers as competitors with a separate category and trophies. It is a very well organized race and a lot of fun.
by Rosemary Selberg
Once again I would like to welcome all the new Lopers. You are in for the experience of your life. To the veteran Lopers, welcome back. You know what you are in for. Lots of great friends, Lots of great times, Some hard miles, and lots of fun.
Many of you don’t quit after the L.A. Marathon. The thrill is still there. When another race comes up, you find yourself signed up and eager to go. This is what the Loper club is all about. You get the bug, you stay motivated, you get excited about every race you do, every medal you collect. It can be a 5K, 10K, or what ever.
Just about everything we pick up to read these days tells us we must exercise to stay healthy. We have to keep moving. These past nine years with the Lopers, I have continued to move. I just completed race number 87 and try to get 25-30 miles in weekly. This is not a task this is something I really enjoy doing. This is my idea of fun.
It is another hot summer and the heat seems to sap energy levels. It would be so easy to say (one of the famous excuses) it is so hot, I will start my exercise program back up when it cools off. Yeah right !!!!!
If you are really serious about exercise, you will find that the early morning hours are a perfect time to go out and walk or run. The sun isn’t out yet and half the world is still sleeping. It is a beautiful, peaceful time of day. Stick with your program. The rewards are endless. See you on the road.
by Rosemary Selberg
One May 26, We had our annual Memorial Run-walk at the East Highlands Ranch Spring Mountain Lake. Once again we had lots of good food, fun, people, and a great run-walk. Ron Selberg paced the runners on his bike and took them through some cross country and paved streets. Ruth and I took out the walkers and did a similar route. No one got lost and a good time was had by all. Dave Carreon gave a talk on those Lopers who are no longer with us and also spoke of the 9/11 tragedy. (We will never forget). We ran and walked in their honor.
From Roadrunner Sports
You can prevent black toenails by wearing the right size shoes. Your running-walking shoes should probably not be the same size as your street shoe; you need extra room in your running-walking shoes to allow your feet to expand as you run-walk. At minimum, your athletic shoes should be a full size larger than your regular street or dress shoes. You may need to go a size and a half larger. When you’re standing up in your running-walking shoes, there should be a full thumbnail’s length between the end of your big toe (your second toe if it’s the longer of the two) and the front of the shoe. Don’t try this size test sitting down, your feet will be pushed forward in the shoe so you won’t get an accurate measurement.
Avoid too much downhill running-walking. If you know you’re going to be training in an area with a lot of downhill, try wearing padding over the nails most susceptible to turning black. Also, on days that you’re doing specific hill workouts, try walking back down the hill rather than jogging.
by Jeanne Fortier
Here are a few pointers to remember, as you are running/walking:
TLC - DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!
You must remember to treat your body with tender loving care. Hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate!! Which simply means, drink plenty of water (at least eight 12 ounce glasses of water a day). This may sound a bit indelicate, but if your urine is not clear or very lightly colored when you get up Sunday morning, then you did not drink enough water the day before. It's too late to properly hydrate now, but you can aid your body nonetheless. Drink 9-16 ounces of water now that you're up, then another 9-16 ounces 15 minutes before you run, and drink plenty of water when you run! Drink 4-9 ounces of water every fifteen minutes of exercise. If you wait until you are thirsty, it is already too late!
WEEKLY HOME RUNS/WALKS ARE FOR YOUR PACE
As with any aerobic activity, you should warm up for a few minutes by walking or jogging SLOWLY. Once you're warmed-up, try to maintain your pace for the entire run. Do not, however, push yourself to the point where you cannot breathe. Your pace will become faster with time. Pushing yourself beyond your limit too soon can result in serious injury! Home runs/walks are as important as your long runs. If you’re short on time, run/walk for 20 - 30 minutes. You are worth a little time everyday; so don't talk yourself out of it -- JUST DO IT!
SUNDAY RUNS/WALKS ARE FOR ENDURANCE
Long Sunday runs/walks are important for your marathon finish. Sunday runs/walks prepare your body for the hours of running required to complete the marathon and should be run/walked at least 1 minute to 1½ minute slower than your weekly pace. (For example, an 11-minute weekly pace would mean 12 to 12½ minute pace on Sunday.) In addition to a slower pace, you should walk for one minute every mile.
Yes, it is difficult to slow your pace on the long run/walk. There's a little voice inside your head that keeps saying that if you do not maintain your speed you will not have a fast marathon finish! Well, just tell that little voice to shut up ... it's WRONG! A slow pace will properly prepare your body for the rigors of running 26 miles without causing undue stress or injury. And unless you are striving for a sub-3 hour finish time you can definitely benefit from walking a minute every mile. Don't let your EGO get in the way of proper training! The slower Sunday pace, in conjunction with walking breaks, greatly reduces the possibility of injury and speeds the recovery process.
WHAT THE HECK IS XT AND DO I REALLY WANT TO DO IT?
XT translates to cross training. Cross training includes any activity that is non-pounding such as, cycling, swimming, and cross-country ski machines. Every other day, you can walk or cross train. The key to cross training is that it should be fun and interesting.
If you are running or walking with your dog. Please be sure they are on a leash. There are leash laws in this area and some of our members have witnessed dogs with their owners running loose. Please respect those on the road who may be afraid of dogs or don’t care to see one hit by a car or engage in a dog fight. We know your dog is a good dog, so be a good dog owner and leash them up.If you are running or walking with your dog. Please be sure they are on a leash. There are leash laws in this area and some of our members have witnessed dogs with their owners running loose. Please respect those on the road who may be afraid of dogs or don’t care to see one hit by a car or engage in a dog fight. We know your dog is a good dog, so be a good dog owner and leash them up.
by Ron Selberg
In early October of last year, a Yucaipa city Councilwoman, Diane Smith, asked Judy Remele to organize and direct a race to be conducted as part of Yucaipa’s first Iris Festival celebration. Judy, being Judy, said yes. She enlisted her husband Alan and Rosemary and Ron Selberg to help; then asked them if they thought we could actually do this. Falsely comforted by the thought that the race was still over 6 months in the future, we all said “OK”. Then we set out to see what we had gotten ourselves into. We got lots of good planning advice from Mark Lyons from his experience as Race Director for the Banning Desert Edge Challenge and used the excellent reference book Donna Dawson compiled from her experience as Director of the Loper’s Holiday Classic. We made some initial assumptions regarding finances, prepared a “breakeven” budget; presented our plan to the Yucaipa city council, and received their approval and a check to cover up-front costs. One inherent problem in race management is that there are lots of things that must be paid for months prior to the race (race timing company, t-shirts, awards, entry forms, etc.), but the race entry fees don’t even begin to come in until a few days before the race. Lots of “outgo”, not much “income”. So that’s what the up-front money covers, and you hope each day that there will be enough entries so you can pay the money back! Sponsors are key of course, but it’s hard to get businesses excited about sponsoring a race that has never happened before.
Our thanks to Yucaipa Valley Golf Course, Yucaipa Valley Center (Von’s shopping center), the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Wayne Evans Insurance, and Dr. Moses Christian for helping us with their donations, the Running Center for gift certificates and AMR for having medical help available on race day. Also thanks to the Loper Board of Directors for their support and financial accounting help.
We decided we wanted the race to have some local character by routing the course through the Yucaipa Regional Park. As you can see by the pictures, there are some nice trails and great scenery around the park; that’s what we wanted to take advantage of. What you can’t see is the months of negotiation over every little bitty detail that Alan had to do with the Chief Park Ranger and the City to get their approval.
Eventually, the t-shirts and fliers got designed and printed, awards ordered and received, volunteers signed-up, and food and drinks ordered.. When we were about 3 weeks away from race day with only about 25 entries received, Judy was awake most nights worrying about how many people would show up. Even with our sponsor’s donations, we needed about 200 entries to break-even financially. We really didn’t want to go back to the Yucaipa city council and tell them we couldn’t pay them back.
Fortunately, we received lots of entries in the last two weeks and lots more on race day. Race day weather was perfect for running and walking; that helped bring about 330 total participants to the race and put a big smile on Judy’s face! Special thanks to Susan Pentecost for getting the volunteers, Jeanne Fortier for directing finish line actions, and Dave Carreon for presenting the awards.
The 5K and 10K route went through the park, then the 10K continued on through some of the residential areas. With lots of twists and turns to make, we had tried to mark the route well and provide turning point guides (Loper volunteers) to make sure the runners and walkers didn’t get lost. That worked well, not 100%, but nobody got seriously lost.
Overall, we had a very good turn-out by Lopers and others and received good feedback from the participants. We’re planning on doing this again next year; race day is already scheduled for May 18,2003, so mark your calendars and join the fun!
by Dennis Nakaji
There are many interesting Web sites dealing with marathon training
and running/walking in general. Here are a few of Dennis’ recommendations:
Do you have any titles to add to the list?
Last updated by Bill Carter September 15, 2002.