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May/June 2001 CONTENTS
by Jim Walling
Wow! What a great Loper Banquet. Our appreciation to Susan Chavez, Nellie Killion, Hal Orshall, Dave Carreon, Judy and Al Remele, Rosemary and Ron Selberg , Ruth Artz, and all the volunteers who put time and effort into making this one of the best banquets ever.
We all had a great evening with good food, good humor (with our in-house comedian Hal Orshall, Master of Ceremonies), and good friends.
L. A. Marathon President Bill Burke attended with his lovely wife Yvonne
Braithwaite Burke (our special treat this year). Pat Connelly, Coach of
the L. A. Roadrunners and Official Coach of the L.A. Marathon drove all
the way from San Fernando Valley to be with us for the evening. Loper
and Mayor Judith Valles presented them with City of San Bernardino Proclamations
naming them respectively, “Marathon Director of the Century” and “Coach
of the Century”.
Members of the Loma Linda City Council including Mayor Pro Temp, Karen
Gaio, also attended as our guests. Mayor Gaio and Councilman Bob
Ziprick recognized the outgoing Loper Board of Directors and installed
the New Board for 2001-2002. Debbie Woldruff, City Planner also represented
the City of Loma Linda with her husband.
We reveled in the presence of all the notable guests this year but as always our most notable and honored attendees were you Lopers. Without you there would be no fun and no banquet.
We welcomed back many old friends. Wayne and Ann Wible, the ‘founders’
of our L.A. Marathon Clinic program and former President of the Lopers
were there. We had a chance to talk over old times, catch up on their activities
and enjoy the program. Art DeLeon and his wife, Betty, joined
us and added to the evening. Art is our oldest Loper and we are pleased
he is feeling well enough to make the banquet.
We shared our running experiences; talked with our friends - both old
and new; laughed at Hal Orshall and his humor; gave or received awards
for running achievements and contributions to the Club this year and thoroughly
enjoyed ourselves over dinner. It was fun and we thank all of you who made
it happen.
The Annual Banquet caps the Lopers Club activities for the year.
And what a year it was! Special thanks to Dave Carreon, Rosemary
Selberg, Ruth Artz and all the volunteers who gave their time, it was one
of our most successful years ever. Even though we are a large Club,
you kept us on the road to a warm, small club atmosphere where we know
each other and care about each other. That single element has made
the Lopers Club what it is today. Lopers caring for Lopers.
With that quality, the Club has touched literally thousands of lives over
the years helping people to turn their lives around, become healthier,
live longer and enjoy their lives more. That is our reward for serving
others and giving of our time to the Lopers Club. And it is far more
satisfying than the medals, awards or trophies.
Now we must focus our attention on planning for a new year and another
L.A. Marathon Clinic Program. This is an enormous task when you consider
it.
So with this in mind, it is your turn to give back to the Club some of what it has afforded you. We need volunteers for every facet of the program starting with the Clinic Directors on down. If you can help or if you know of someone qualified for a position, please contact our newest Board Member, Susan Pentecost. She is in charge of our volunteer pool. She did such an outstanding job this year and, with your help, she will be able to continue to provide us with our much needed volunteers again in the coming year.
And remember our training goes on all year. The Gentry Gym will be open every Sunday morning with a couple of exceptions from now until the August kick-off of the L.A. Marathon Clinic. We will be closed at Gentry for the Run Through Redlands, April 22, and for the Loper’s Memorial run and potluck on May 20. Other than that, “see you every Sunday.”
Editors note—Jim Walling has run all 16 L.A. Marathons
by Dave Carreon
Mi Ultimo Adios (My Final Farewell)
Whew, what a training clinic this was. I'm glad you and I have time to finally sit down and have a normal conversation; just you and me. Two friends having a chance to share some thoughts.
Between flurries of activity we managed to exchange snippets of conversation, but let me start by addressing the one question you always seemed to ask. How are things going? How about I begin by describing how it all started.
We had just come off a very successful clinic in the years 1999-2000.
The Dynamic Dawson Duo had done one heck of a job and the Board of Directors
wanted to keep the ball rolling. We searched and searched for an
acceptable
replacement but none was found. Time was of the essence as we
were rapidly falling behind in this the early planning stage. When
we were at desperation's doorstep our club president Jim Walling suggested
I give it a
try. Realizing he was serious, I immediately declined.
Responding thusly "Jim you are my friend and I hold you in high esteem
but have you taken leave of your senses". To which he replied
" Why not?"
Well, I said, I would need a lot of help. To which the entire Board of Directors agreed unanimously I was indeed in need of help but that was a different matter. Dave, we'll help you they all said. What do you see that needs to be done?
As a former pace group leader and the Walking Division Coordinator the previous year, I knew full well what had to be done. The sheer magnitude of the position was at the very least intimidating. Making a hasty decision at this point was not only ill advised but in-and-of-itself a foolhardy proposition.
Well, I asked, who will:
1) Arrange newspaper advertising, make up the homework calendars, find
an artist to design this years T-shirt, order the t-shirts, do the welcome
pamphlet for new and returning members, arrange the printing and pickup
of the materials; etc., etc., etc.?
Donna and Dick Dawson said, "We'll do that Dave."
2) Take care of registration, distributing t-shirts, collecting membership
dues, completing Drayson enrollment forms, being treasurer, writing checks,
keeping the books; etc., etc., etc.?
Christel Dreier said, "I'll do that Dave".
3) Be the Walking Division Coordinator and recruit and train the pacers.
Be the last one in every Sunday and still have a smile at the end of the
day?
Susan Harris said, "I'll do that Dave".
4) Be the Running Division Coordinator and take part in the morning
programs. Supervise the pacers and fill in when one is not around?
Jeanne Fortier said, "I'll do that Dave".
5) Run and supply the waterstops. Arrive early Sunday mornings
and leave late. Purchase supplies and transport them to the various
waterstops?
Bill Carter said 'I'll do that Dave".
6) Be the pace group leaders, be informative and dedicated and stick
to it over the 33 weeks of training. Be our frontline people and
give personalized attention and bond with the new members on a personal
level?
People like Adrienne, Dave, Romy and Dennis said, "We'll do that Dave".
7) Run all those errands that need to be done. Be the secretary and
keep the minutes. Mail out the minutes. Be available to fill
in during emergencies. Be an assistant Director
Ruth Artz said, "I'll do that Dave".
8) Arrange for the speakers on Sunday mornings. Edit and publish
the Lopergram. Be an assistant Director and fill in when the Director is
not around?
Rosemary Selberg said, "I'll do that Dave".
9) Run our stretching program. Provide encouragement to the mind
and soul after a long and hard workout?
Lori Craig-Miller said, "I'll do that Dave".
10) Take on the monumental task of recruiting and directing the hundreds
of volunteers that would be needed throughout the year.
Susan Pentecost said, "I'll do that Dave"
11) Close up the gym most Sundays and make sure all our stuff is put
away safely and securely.
Vic Miller said, "I'll do that Dave".
12) Be president, show leadership and dedication. Be the de facto
office manager. Answer phone calls, do data entry and the myriad
of other tasks that keep the club operational. Along with maintaining
our
political and social contacts in the community and at large.
Jim Walling said "I'll do that Dave, so how 'bout it, wanna be Clinic Director?"
To which I replied "OH HECK NO"
But Dave, they said; you’ll be able to get in front of the group every Sunday and shoot off your big mouth and tell jokes and be around a group of really fun people.
OK, I'LL DO IT; BUT FROM NOW ON IT'S GOING TO BE WE
WE need a philosophy, a credo WE can always come back to keep us on track. How about if WE share the joy and sense of accomplishment WE feel being part of this club. WE make every person that comes through those doors feel special and important. WE can have a hospitality table where questions can be answered and a friendly smile can be expected. Let's have a SOT(sliced orange table where WE can greet people returning after a hard workout). How about more than just water at the waterstops. And friendly and encouraging people at those waterstops. Let's make this a fun year. And if WE can affect the life of just one person in a positive way WE can look back with pride. So let's do this. And not worry if not everything goes perfectly. Because WE're too blessed to be stressed; and with the team WE have as leaders there's no shame in our game. Because:
Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others,
Cannot keep it from themselves
So that's how it started. And yes it was a lot of work but we loved it. Because when you are involved in something you love you're not just watching life pass you by. You are an active participant and you are wildly alive. When you say those kind and encouraging words to others. When you perform those random acts of kindness to others. Those words and deeds take the physical shape of a boomerang and come right back to you, multiplied exponentially.
It has been so nice to have had this time to spend with each other one-on-one.
I have a favor to ask of you. Now it is your turn to step forward
and volunteer. Now, I know we've talked about this in the past and
you said
you'd do it but just not right now; that the time just isn't right.
Well friend, the time is never going to be perfect. You will have
to make time, but you will not regret it. Your satisfaction will
be in direct proportion to the effort you put into the position you accept
in the club. And without quality people like you stepping forward
the club cannot and will not prosper much less survive. The ultimate
compliment you can pay me is to take the club to the next level and make
it even better than it was the previous year. Simply stated:
If not you
Then who?
If not now
Then when?
Thanks for all the wonderful memories and for your support. And may the Creator keep you always in a warm, protective and loving embrace.
Your brother,
Dave
by Rosemary Selberg
All that talk about rain. Not just a few sprinkles, they were saying,
but a real heavy downpour. From all those weather reports, it sure looked
like the L.A. Marathon was about to experience another wet, windy, miserable
day. I’m sure many of you marathoners were having second thoughts. I’m
also sure there were some of you who said, no thanks, no way, not me (as
I did in 2000). I remembered what a fellow Loper had said to me “There
will always be another marathon”. However, if there was ever a time for
the weatherman to be wrong, it was March 4th, 2001. What a perfect, rainless
day it turned out to be. Actually it was unbelievable. Sort of like a dream
come true. Ruth Artz, Jeanne Fortier, and I left Highland at 5am that morning.
The car was loaded up with bagels, muffins, oranges, bananas, fruit juices,
trays, knives, cups, paper towels, etc., When we arrived at the Athletic
Club, we had lots of help carrying up all the supplies. Other Lopers were
quick to help cut up the fruit and muffins and put it out for all to enjoy.
I don’t have all your names, but a big thank you goes to each and every
one of you. We took pictures and helped those in need of anything
from vaseline to personal products. We even brought a roll of plastic
trash bags and scissors to fashion emergency raincoats (just in case).
After the race started, 7 of us boarded the metro and went to mile 12.
We yelled, cheered, and handed out hard candy and balance bars. After several
hours, we left and went to mile 24. By that time, our cheering section
was down to 3 of us with 2 in the low-energy mode. Jeanne was still out
there cheering and offering words of encouragement. It was after 3pm when
we made a decision that the next Loper we saw, we would walk in with them.
We waited a few minutes and saw that Loper pink coming. It was Dr. Christian
(my employer). He was glad to see us still out there. He and Jeanne ran
together for awhile and Ruth and I walked fast to keep up. We stayed with
him until he turned to go to the finish line. We returned to the Athletic
Club, congratulated lots of finishers, then gathered up our belongings
and drove home. What a great day it turned out to be for the L.A. Marathon
2001. Congratulations to all of you walkers and runners. Your bragging
rights have been renewed.
by Ed Boyce
I suppose most people that write about entering an organization like
the Lopers Club mention that they would like to win the big race. This
will be different----I won before I entered my first race. In 1995 I had
heart surgery (4-way bypass). After a career as a police officer,
I was used to a diet of hamburgers, french fries, and milk shakes. I feel
that is what contributed to my heart problems. Since the operation, my
blood pressure and cholesterol levels began slowly rising in spite of medication,
a change in diet, and walking a mile a day. I joined the Lopers in August
of 2000. I have attended all the Sunday training sessions, the nutrition
classes ( I even learned to make soup), and have completed all my homework.
When I went back to my cardiologist in November for my 3-month check-up,
my cholesterol had dropped from over 200 to 144. My blood pressure was
normal. He released me from further check-ups, telling me to keep doing
what I was doing. So, I would like to do well in a race, but even
if I never win the race, I’ve won something bigger by following the Loper’s
program.
by Cindy Eggert
The LA Marathon 2001 is now just a memory. I hope all our first time marathoners had an experience they will always cherish. The walkers who participated in the Thursday evening racewalking program were successful in their first attempt at the marathon. At the end of the year, we ended up with three new walkers who remained consistent, coming out almost every Thursday. All three walked their first marathon in less than 7 hours. That’s pretty good walking for first timers! Congratulations Jenny Dean, Tom Marek, and Emer Moloney. I know we can count on these three walkers to join the Loper family again next year. In fact, Jenny and Tom enjoyed the marathon so much, they are both planning to do the Rock & Roll Marathon in June. Emer is not sure what her next event will be, but there will be a next event.
I will no longer teach racewalking on Thursday evenings. I have decided to go back to school and need my evenings free for study and classes. Don’t fear, the walking group will continue to meet at the Drayson Center Track at 6:30 p.m. each Thursday evening. Christine Timms has graciously volunteered to be in charge of the walking group. So walkers, please continue to come out on Thursday evenings to walk with fellow Lopers. It’s a great way to meet other walkers in the club and make new friends.
For anybody who wants to learn to racewalk, I will continue making racewalking lessons available to all Lopers. I enjoy being a part of this great club and helping other members learn the sport that has brought me so much enjoyment. If you would like to learn how to racewalk, call me at (909) 481-0200. We will work out a time and place to teach you how to racewalk.
Thank you Loma Linda Lopers for giving me the opportunity over the past four years to share racewalking with other members. I started the program because I wanted to give something back to the club. In all honesty, I benefited more from my efforts than the club. As I look at the people I now consider my closest friends, I met most of them because I taught them to racewalk. These people are like family to me and I am extremely fortunate that they are a part of my life. I encourage each of you to volunteer your services in some way to the club. You will be glad you did, and the Lopers can always use volunteers. Take a look around and I’m sure you will notice that you always see the same people working for all of us. If we all work a little, we can take some of the pressure of those who work so much. Remember, this is our club, we all keep it strong.
Again, thank you to the Loma Linda Lopers for enriching my life. I’m
already looking forward to the challenges of next year. All you racewalkers,
when I see you walking on Sunday mornings, I’ll still call out to “keep
your head up, your arms bent, and your knees straight.”
By LoreMiller
Well done all you Lopers who have just completed your first marathon! And to you who have added another finishers medal to your collection, congratulations as well! It was truly a perfect running day and great to see so many of you participating in the March 4th LA run.
Some of you have trained so diligently that you even run the LA Marathon with an injury while others of you may just feel exhausted from the vigorous training you have been through for the last nine months. Can't imagine why! However the idea of losing all that hard-earned endurance conditioning haunts you and you hesitate about taking a break in your training.
The truth is that some loss of fitness is inevitable if you stop exercising
for a while but there are ways to help minimize this. Here is what happens
to your body when, by choice or not, you take a break from exercise. The
degree to which your cardiovascular fitness declines during a period of
detraining depends on what kind of shape you were in to begin with. If
you are extremely fit you will have a rapid drop in fitness during the
first three weeks which will then taper off to a 12 week period of high
level fitness maintenance. For those of you with a low-to-moderated fitness
level, you will feel
little to no change in your cardiovascular fitness within the first
few weeks, but your cardio endurance will rapidly decline in the weeks
immediately following that..
Experts agree that the best way to avoid losing much of the health and fitness benefits you’ve worked so hard to achieve is to do something. If you can’t find the motivation to run for a few week or longer, try walking instead.
Cross training didn’t become fashionable just so shoe companies could sell more shoes—it became popular because it is an effective and viable means of maintaining, even increasing, one’s fitness level. As runners you can give your knees a break by switching to cycling or taking your workouts to the hiking trails in our local mountains. (Great idea for this up-coming summer!)
If an injury is keeping you from running with the pack, take your worries to the pool. Water running/aerobics have been proven viable means for helping runners maintain their fitness. Of course, it’s always advisable to check with your physician before resuming exercise after an injury.
If boredom is the problem, now’s the time to try that sport you’ve been considering for so long. Pilates, Tai Chi, Yoga, boot-camp workouts — whatever strikes your fancy. The key is to keep your heart and muscles challenged in order to minimize the detraining effects that come when taking too long of a break from your usual running routine.
Best wishes to you all as you continue to enjoy the benefits of a healthy, fit body.
by Christine Timms
Jay and I decided to take a trip to Florida to visit relatives and take
on the Disney World Marathon. Well, on second thoughts, as we were really
on vacation, we decided to do the half-marathon. We stayed at the All Star
Music Resort for two nights (a must-the race starts at 6). The buses started
running from each resort at 3:30 am to get to the Epcot parking lot
for the start. It was very cold. 35 degrees at 5 am and we had to stand
in the corrals until way past 6 am (late start). We huddled together
with strangers, yes; there were fools in tank tops and shorts, total strangers
hugging each other for warmth. Mickey Mouse finally started the race and
we were off to fireworks in the dark. It was great fun. Disney characters
lined the streets of the Magic Kingdom and I realized that this was not
a serious marathon. Runners and walkers were stopping to have photo opportunities
with Minnie Mouse! I saw several other Lopers, even though it was so cold
their pink shirts were covered by layers (good thing we have Loper pink
hats). I finally took off my gloves at mile 11 and my jacket at mile 12.
Despite the admonishment that one must be able to complete the marathon
in 7 hours and the half in 3:30, I watched many people cross the half marathon
finish up to the 4 hour time. At that point, they closed the road to the
full marathon at mile 13 and everyone after that had to receive a Donald
Medal. It is an extremely well organized event, no stress with transportation
and the plane home the next day was filled with excited medal wearers.
2003 will be the 10th anniversary—so mark your calendars for a fun event.
by Rosemary Selberg
Dharmaseeli Moses: The weather was nice and it turned out to be a great day. I try to do a half marathon once a month. I joined the Lopers in 1993 along with my husband. We have done every L.A. Marathon since we joined the club. With us, it is a must or we feel like we are missing something.
Karen Rossi: It was a thrill! As I was running along, I saw a lot of Loper pink. That was my encouragement and that is what kept me going. Karen said she had confidence in the Loper program and she knew she would cross the finish line. This was Karen’s first marathon and I bet not her last.
Lee Reynolds: This was Lee’s third L.A. Marathon. He did it in 1989 and 1990. He has been with the Lopers off and on since the early 1980s. He said he got leg cramps at mile 14, but continued on and crossed the finish line. When I asked him if he thought about just dropping out, his reply was, I never thought about quitting.
Bill Wall: Bill completed the L.A. Marathon and commented on the beautiful weather. At the time we spoke, he was preparing for the Carlsbad 5000. Last year he did it in 20:44 and he expected to do it in about the same time this year. He is also getting ready to run the Boston Marathon on April 16th. And, if that’s not enough, he will be traveling to Australia in June to participate in the W.A.V.A. games. He is entered in 7 events over 10 days. Good luck Bill!
Romy Niblack: This was Romy’s 2nd L.A. Marathon. She said it was much easier than last year, however she said she loved running in the rain in 2000. It was a party. She said she felt relaxed running with the 9 minute group. She packed her rain gear just in case.
Frank Ramos: This was my 11th marathon and I was ready, excited, and determined. About mile 10, someone stepped on my heel and I fell. I had a black eye and some bleeding but I got up and kept on running. Frank tells me he had a headache too, but he was trained and he was going to finish. He says it was a tough race because he ran by himself and also had sore feet and numb toes. With all that, Frank still crossed the finish line. That is definitely determination.
Catherine Erickson: Kent: This was my first marathon and it was much more difficult than I thought it would be. She started out with Frank but they were soon separated. She met 2 friends along the route and that helped. She feels that the training should go farther than 20 miles because when she got to mile 20, she wanted to quit (don’t we all!). Her goal was to complete a marathon and she did it. She says she will continue to run but will stick to half marathons.
by Jim Perry
Congratulations to all of you who finished the Marathon on March 4th, especially to those who are new to running and did your first one! All of our first year people now have a mark to go for, so let this be a start to a lifetime of fitness. Why not come join us Wednesday night for a little different type of training. You are very welcome.
It has been so rewarding to me to see the progress made by those of
you that have been consistent with your training program. Lillian Miller
was the 1st place age division winner in the marathon and other top finishers
were Romy at 4th and Dolores at 10th in their divisions. Quite an accomplishment
when considering the size of the event!
The Los Angeles Marathon resulted in quite a number of Lopers doing
PR's. Tony Armas cut about eight minutes off his best marathon time and
Romy Niblack was over 25 minutes faster this year but I'm just as excited
over many others who are in the "back of the pack" but have shown improvement,
some even up to one hour!
Our race-walkers were a high percentage of the total finishers in this
event, thanks to the consistent training and dedication of Susan Harris
and Cindy Eggert. Constance was the 4th woman overall and Chuck was the
5th male.
Sean Nixon was 3rd overall finisher in the LA 5K and Frank Sanchez
and Muriel Berger were 1st in their age groups for that event.
At a certain point in training, generally considered to be around eight to nine minutes per mile, the only way to improve one's time is to incorporate intervals into the training schedule. In building power and improving speed with interval training, one must keep in mind that the sessions, while uncomfortable at times must be rewarding enough to bring you back the next week. Poor judgment in "pushing the pace" could be the reason you don't enjoy the workout. Know your own goals and run without too much concern as to what others are doing. Your average time in a given distance should be measured more by what you did in that same workout in the past and not by where you rank in the group at any one time. You may be one of the slowest but show the greatest improvement over your previous times.
A competitive runner should be training with his own PR in mind. This will change each time you advance into a new age group. If the only thing that matters is to be faster each time you compete at a certain distance, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. One must be getting his satisfaction from several other areas if he is to stay with the running lifestyle. As you train each week remember that your times are for yourself and only compare them to your personal recent times. The satisfaction, is knowing you are doing the best you can do at any given time but still without too much discomfort.
The camaraderie that is developing with our Wednesday night group should be experienced by more of you and remember that you need not be fast to be part of Loperspeed, just have desire to be "The best you can be." That attitude may be more important to one's life than a fast time.
My thanks to Chis Flaxel for bringing refreshments even when she can't stay!
Please be sure to get all official times to me for any event in which you participate as I am keeping club records in each 10year age group at each official distance. I need your age, time, date and the name of the race so please call or e-mail any results you have since this past July.
While the clinic format Sundays is less structured, we still meet regularly. Why not choose a distance you have not done yet this year or one where you see the possibility of breaking your own PR. These are the real "time-trials" of your training, so be smart, train well, and do your best and remember---- it's for yourself.
Godspeed,
Last updated by Bill Carter June 24, 2001