Great 10...do it again.

Halloween Snack bag courtesy of PL Nancy

We had a great 10 miler this weekend, we had 34 runners, we did 10.24 miles, kept a good 15:09 pace and finished in a bit over 2.5 hours.  It started very cold, but warmed up quickly and didn't get overly hot, so it turned out to be a great day to take on the 10 miles.  We did our usual south start, and then got all the way up Adelaide St. and 7th, before turning back.  The core group stayed tight the whole way, and I'm feeling that our group is really coming along. 

We still get a few folks joining in, which is fine, and I believe a few are still trying out the other groups, but we seem to be getting a good group about 30 runners every week, which is a great bunch.

Just to be sure everyone was doing ok, I took a 2 min. breather at the totem pole before we went up further, and we'll do these adjustments depending on the day, the weather, and how the overall group is doing.  We started up Adelaide with two intervals of 1/1s just to get everyone warmed up for the hills, eventually, we won't need these breathers, or the 1/1s. 

We'll be taking on more hills and more distance as we continue, and it's obvious that if you skip a training run during the week, you'll pay for it during our Sat. runs.  So please keep up the weekday work, it's really important in maintaining this training program.

Now next week, we're going to drop back to 8 miles, which is considered a recovery run, from the 3 weeks of progressive build up.  But what this means is that when we come back the following week, the mileage will be set at 12 miles, and we'll build up again from there for 3 wks, then get a recovery run, and continue building. 

I know we'll all do well, and as a group, we will do whatever is necessary to help all of us get through this, but you must keep up your weekday workouts, or you may start falling behind.
 
After the run, little halloween snack bags were given out to our group, and thanks to Nancy our PL for coordinating all this, it was a great treat to have, and I really needed those peanuts during the drive home.

Now on Sunday, a few runners did the Rock n Roll half in downtown LA, and sounds like it got quite hot.  So congrats to those who took it on, and good to know that next week we have a nice short 8 miler to recover with.




Keep up the good work,
Walt

Big Ten

 This weekend we'll be going out for our Big Ten run, that's 10 miles of satisfying work.  We'll meet at the school by 7am, should be at the flagpoles and ready to run by 7:15am.  As in the past we will head South first down the Alley, hang a right turn at Washington, and double back heading North.

To make the full 10, my calculations, using the nifty www.mapmyrun.com site would take us all the way to the Totem pole, and then we'll take a right and head up one of the nicest streets in the area, Adelaide, and then if we get up to about 7th street and then back down on San Vicente, by the time we get back to the flagpoles, we should be good for 10 miles.

Up on the hills of Adelaide Street

 I like the 10 miler, it's a good number, a bit tough with the hills, but yet very satisfying at the finish, Hakuna Matata.....that's our motto.....what's a motto....I don't know...whatsamatta with you.... sorry...you would get it if you had kids too.

Anyway, if you haven't gotten your water belt together, at least remember to bring some kind of supplement for the run....a energy bar, some gels like GU....and who knows if it'll be warm or not, but be prepared.

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These past few days, I've been feeling a bit run down, a bit of stress, and interesting enough, a touch of anger thrown in.  Not sure what I was angry about, it wasn't about another person, but I felt something brewing underneath, maybe it was just a mentally tough week, and this was the by product.  So a good brisk morning run was the antidote.  I pushed it a bit...trying to sweat these stress toxins out of the system, and it pretty much worked.  So now I'm just tired and sluggish....but at least I'm not mad anymore.  

So if you got to chill you mind down, ease up on the road rage, back down from the edge, go take a run, and get yourself sorted out....it's a lot better than going for that Fatburger.

see you early,

Walt

Cool and the Gang

We had 34 runners with us this Sat. and we had a nice foggy morning, which kept things cool. We did our full 9 miles, did it in about 2hr. 20 min. and averaged around a 15:20 pace, which is about right as we are definitely into our hill work.

We started as usual heading south to Washington down the alley, came back up along the Strand, and then continued north up the Santa Monica ramp, taking our full 2 min. run, but taking it easy, and Peggy called two 1/1 intervals at the top to let everyone recover a bit, and we kept it going till we hit the Totem Pole.  We did the turnaround and made it back to the start without incident.

The only tricky thing is that even though the fog stayed around for the full run, and that kept us pretty cool, the added moisture in the air still made for a denser air, and that can sometimes make for a bit more work.

I believe we are settling into a nice group sense, we're averaging about 30 plus folks every week, and even though we still are getting some new runners joining us, and a few shift in and out, I have a feeling the group is starting to come together.  This sense of group is an important one as we start building the mileage.  We all know it's easier to get things done when there are more people to help, and even though in running, it's really an individual effort, by running within a group, this effort is shared.  Even though we are not moving that fast, there is some advantage to the aerodynamics of the two-by-two lineup, by keeping everyone in line, and a tight formation, we act as a unit, and by being inside this unit there is a physical and definitely psychological pull that helps keep everyone moving together.

This is also why I rotate our pace PL at the front every several miles, to keep the lead person fresh, it's quite a responsibility to keep a steady pace, and to keep track of the intervals. But the other reason to rotate people around is so that we all get to know each other a bit more.  I don't expect that we can all be BFFs because we happen to be running together, but on the other hand, don't be surprised if a special bond develops because of what we about to go through.

On Sunday night I dropped off my oldest daughter back at her dorm in Irvine.  She had come home this weekend just to visit, and to do her huge basket of laundry. It's always good to have her back, and it's great to see her and her sister get back together the way they've always been, to hear the laughter and the hours they sit and watch their favorite tv shows.  So far she seems to be handling the college life well, she did good on one of her first midterms, and she gets along with her roommate. The roommate does go home every weekend, since she lives not far from campus, so the weekends are quiet.  My daughter has met a few other folks in her unit, but I don't think it's quite up to the hanging around type of friendship yet.  So when I helped her carry that large laundry basket up to her room, I felt the emptiness of the room, and I couldn't help feel a bit lonely for her. 

I didn't want to project my own sensibility, so we hugged, said goodbye, and I left without looking back.  I couldn't help feeling sad on the drive back, and I had the same feeling I had when I used to drop her off at pre-school, and even though she didn't cry then when I left, I'm not sure if I felt more insecure than she did back then. 

We all learn to adapt, and we all have to move on, whether it's just a matter of making it up that next hill or finishing a tough 9 mile run, we learn from each step we take and we know we'll be fine when it's done, but boy....sometimes it does take your breath away getting there.

Have a great week, get your runs done,

Walt

Local Time

I had to miss this week's run because I was going out of town. Not to gloat, but I'm sitting in my hotel room in Wakiki, having some coffee and just finished off my second malasada from Leonard's.  More on that later.

The purpose of this short trip is to attend the Hawaiian International Film Festival (HIFF) because a documentary which I edited will be screening this afternoon.  My producer/director, Carol Liu directed this doc in China, and the following link will give you all the information about the film.  http://www.restoringthelight.com ; Carol submitted the film to the festival and it got picked up, plus we are nominated for competition in the feature length doc category and that allowed them to sponsor both her and I to fly over and be put up in a neat hotel right on the Waikiki strip.

Sheraton Waikiki - great view towards Diamond Head...but not from my room.

Friday morning I was up at 5am, on the road by 6 and taking off on Hawaiian Air by 9am PST.  Arrived in Honolulu local time about 11:35, got a rental car and drove right into a downpour heading to the hotel.  By the time I parked and got set up, the skies had cleared into the standard postcard Hawaii everyone expects (see above).  I hung out for awhile, met a few other filmmakers and then drove over to the festival site at the former Dole cannery which now has an 18 screen multiplex just past Chinatown.

My true partial ocean view

On the way there got a bit mixed up, made a few funny turns and got immediately pulled over by a local cop...I pleaded ignorance, totally lost, and he just said take it easy brah and we were good.  Even the cops in Paradise can me nice.

Made it to the screening of the first film on my list barely in time, and watched a very interesting and intriguing doc titled "Marathon Boy" from India.  The best part about being in a film festival, is all the films one gets to see...for free.  This was an amazing doc about a 3 year old slum kid, who gets bought and sold to a local judo instructor, who ends up realizing this little boy can run forever.  By the time he is four, he had completed 48 marathons.  By the time he is 8, he had left his foster dad, gone back to his birth mom in the slums, and stopped running.  Very strange but interesting story.

I followed that by two more films, all shot and made by the local independent film community, and all very rich and full of great stories.  "6B" and "Paradise Broken".  The theater was packed and both these films were very well received by the local audience.  I was able to hook up with some old friends from the many years of coming to Hawaii, and it was good to see their work. 

By the time I got back to the hotel, it was around midnight local time (3am PST) so roughly a 20 hour stint. 

This morning, knowing the Roadrunners were heading up to the Totem Pole, I too was up at 6am local time and proceeded to do a very nice workout up to Diamond Head.  It was only about a 5.5 mile loop down Waikiki strip, past Kaipiolani Park, the Zoo, and then up to Diamond Head.  I didn't drop down to the other side, but took my time, took a few shots, and then headed back down and took the long way back along Ala Wai canal.

Running past Kaipiolani Park

Waikiki at 6:30am looking back to my Hotel

view from the top

Not quite the same as the Totem Pole

Ala Wai Canal - great running path

Traditional Canoes

Not haven eaten much in the last 24 hours, I had a strong hankering for some local food, so showered and headed right out to Rainbow Drive In and had a LocoMoco.  It's quite an indulgence, but what the heck...I'm in Hawaii.  For those who never had a proper plate lunch in Hawaii, a LocoMoco starts with a plate of steamed rice, covered with two hamburger patties totally drenched in their special brown gravy, and then this is topped with two fried eggs, and finally finished with a side of macaroni salad, JA style (japanese american).  

And then to add insult to injury, I drove up the block to Leonards and ordered a dozen malasadas...Portuguese fried balls of sweetbread dough, covered with plenty of sugar.  I had two and will bring the rest to the hardworking volunteers in the festival office.

I think I'm only going to concentrate on our film screening today, and afterwards, I made reservations at a local bar and grill...Home Bar and grill... which are famous for their tatertot nachos.

Okay, so if you haven't figured it out by now...in Hawaii, it's all about the locals.  These are native folks, not only the indigenous Hawaiians, but a lot of the Asian mix of Chinese, Japanese, Koreans and even the haoles who were born and raised in Hawaii.  They are always very cognizant of the "mainlanders" who come over and innocently say they are from the States, and even though the main industry is tourism on this island, there is still a lot about this local culture that is so specific and so richly intermixed, that most non-locals may miss it.

Because of the time I spent over here in the past, coming to the film festival, doing some teaching at the UH during the summers, it's always nice to come back and have a plate lunch, or talkstory with some old friends....hanging out with the locals.

I've got to get going....supposed to meet my producer over a bowl of udon....can't miss that.

mahalo,

Walt

Hill Time

Totem Pole - Donated by J. Walter Todd, 1926.

This Sat. we'll be going for 8 miles.  It'll be a bit of a jump from our 6.5 last week, but if we take it nice and easy, it shouldn't be a problem.  The added bonus is that we'll get to go up the Santa Monica ramp and run up along Ocean blvd. and head north to the iconic Totem Pole.  Meet at the school by 7am as usual and we may start south into the alley again, but probably won't go down as far before we turn and head north.

This bit of hill work and the slight grade up is an important element in our training.  It is no surprise that there are hills in LA, and even though over the years, the Marathon course has changed dramatically, one thing it has never been is a flat course.  There are many hills along the 26.2, and the sooner we start working on them the better.  This is also important to your weekday training, if there are hills in your neighborhood, don't avoid them, take them on.  If you happen to live in a very flat area, it might be good now and then to seek out some nearby hills and get some hill training into the schedule.  Further down our schedule, there will be specific hill training at Dodger Stadium.

The basic idea is to take hills slowly, but try and stay consistent.  If it's a long one, I usually don't even look up and just focus on each step, and to pump my arms which help keeps the momentum going forward. When I crest a hill, take advantage of the leveling or if there is a downhill on the other side then keep the motion going, and possibly come upright just a bit more, and let gravity help you down the other side, just stay loose and the legs carry you.  Learn to relax and I think of it as recharging the energy that I've used getting up there. 

Running uphill uses different sets of muscles than running downhill.  Going up seems to take more of the calf and hamstring muscles, and running down, because we tend to hold back a bit, uses more of the front quads of your thighs, so it's important to train both ways.  Don't just train running up hill and then reward yourself by walking the downhill....run the downhill also and then walk the flats if you have to.

Because it's been exceptionally hot these past few days, in preparation for the weekend, which should cool down just a bit, keep drinking a lot of fluids....water preferably.  Hydration is a very important element in long distance running, especially in our warm climate.  And to properly hydrate for a long workout or race, you have to start at least a few days before.  Drinking an extra glass the morning of the long run is not enough.  Start at least two days ahead and drink more than you normally would.  You should be going to the bathroom every several hours if you are fully hydrated.  And there should be very little color in your urine when you do go to the bathroom, if you are hydrated enough.  Drinking while you are running is important of course, but you can't catch up if are not prepared from the start.  The most obvious signs of dehydration during a run is cramping of your leg muscles, getting slightly dizzy, and just plain loss of energy.  When it really gets bad, your fingers will start to swell up, joints get very tight, and if you ever start to get the chills during an exceptionally warm day...that's a very bad sign, and it's time to seek medical attention.

Can you over drink, yes, but fairly rare cases.  If you only drink water, and you sweat out all your nutrients, and your sodium, then there can be reverse problem, but that is usually only in extreme cases and highly unlikely at our pace.  But to help alleviate that we will start calling "GU" breaks every hour.  Peggy will explain this much more during the morning chat on Sat, and will show examples of snacks and supplements which we actually take while we're running.  This is to replenish the sodium, potassium, and other necessary electrolyes which our muscles burn up. When I run I carry gatorade to help offset this loss, because I know there will be water at the tables.  During our longer runs, there will be gatorade available, and during the marathon, the later miles will have both gatorade and water.

Mary and I will be missing this weekend, but Peggy, Nancy, and Jamie will be there to keep you all in line, so don't mess up, I will get reports.  I will file a report on my absence in the next email, and hopefully supply pictures on the blog site.

Have a great run,

Walt

links to articles about hydration:

http://www.active.com/soccer/Articles/Hydration_is_just_the_first_step_to_avoiding_heat_disease__maintaining_energy.htm

http://depts.washington.edu/hhpccweb/article-detail.php?ArticleID=335&ClinicID=13

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/hydrationandfluid/a/ProperHydration.htm 

Fat Six

This Sat was a bit different... it was a lot cooler at the start, but ended up warming up quite a bit and we initiated the new start order.  The RunWalk groups as a whole started a bit earlier because rather than wait for all the Run groups to leave first, we simultaneously started off by heading south through the alley.  Now RW5 was still the last group to start, but at least it wasn't as late as it usually is. I believe we will be doing this earlier start from now on.

PL Peggy warming up the group

 We started with about 30 folks and it was interesting because as we are sorting out the groups, quite a few folks are trying different pace groups, which I highly recommend, and it's good to see people taking advantage of it. This also means we're also getting folks from the faster groups also.

Jim watching out for us

  

We ended going over six miles, almost 6.5, and we did our usual 15min/mile pace, and afterwards we did the barefoot sand walk as our cool down, which is highly recommended.

 

My post run talk, was about how to play catch up. This could apply to many different situations. I'll have to miss next week's Sat. run, since I'll be out of town. So I'll definitely make sure I do my midweek workouts, and even though I'm not sure if I'll be able to get my full run in next weekend, I'll try to do something. This means I'll be playing catch up when I get back for the following Saturdays run. 

Heading Home

Now if I were a beginning runner, I would do my best to keep up and do the distance, but if I can't, then that's not a big deal.  What I would recommend is to do the best you can, maybe it may involve falling behind a bit, walking a bit more, and then see if by the following week I can do better.  We know each week it's going to be longer runs, but don't worry, it may take another week or so to really be back in the thick of the group.  This is what training is about.  Sometimes you just can't force things to happen, it takes time and training

Barefoot recovery in the sand

As we get further with our training, there will be instances when one has to use the restroom during the run.  There are restrooms along the course, but we generally will not wait for people, so you will have to play catch up, and the worse thing to do is to run like crazy to catch the group. This will really tire you out needlessly, so take your time and eventually you will catch the group, this could also happen during the actual marathon, so all this is good training, learning how to pace oneself.

PL Mary calls in the results

So keep up with the weekday training, and I'll do one more post before next weekend.

Walt

Dare to Dream

This Sat. we will continue our move to increase mileage.  We will be going for 6 miles.  We'll stay on the flats and head just a bit further north.  I was told that they may start the Run Walk Groups a bit earlier than usual, so please meet at the school by 7am.  We saw our first rain this week, and it was a good reminder that we probably will see some rain during our training sessions.  For the first timers, yes...we still meet on Sat. for training..rain or shine.  As we found out so well last year, they also run Marathons in the rain. 

So just as a primer, the only difference in preparing to run in the rain, is that you bring a change of clothes which you keep in the car for after the run.  I usually bring a change of everything from socks to underwear and a towel, even an extra pair of dry shoes.   During the actual run, do not bring big bulky warm sweatshirts or jackets, they will only get wet and get very heavy and soggy.  If anything, you might invest in a very thin plastic poncho, or a very lightweight nylon or synthetic windbreaker.  Once you get wet...you don't get wetter....you're just wet.  It's only when you stop that the problems could arise, and that is why you immediately change into dry clothes.

I don't believe there is any rain in the forecast for this weekend, but the odds are that we will experience some rain during this season.  Last year, one of our best runs was the 20miler and we got totally drenched about half way out, and it was the most fun we ever had. 

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This week there seem to be still some turmoil happening in our lives, and my astrology friend would not be surprised by this.  Lots of change, good and bad happens when the planets do their thing, and if you know how to read the movements, you would concur.

We lost a great innovator with the passing of Steve Jobs of Apple.  I know a lot of his quotes have been showing up on the web and the various social media postings.  I was surprised to learn a bit more about him from some of these articles and because he was such a private person, I didn't realize all the changes he went through in his personal life.  I'm a few years older than him, and so I can relate to some of "hippy" things about his life, the drugs, the dropping out, the different ways of thinking.
And even though I don't use any "i" products...no iPhone, no iPod, or iPad, I do understand their appeal.   I don't always agree with the Apple methods, but I do respect all that he has done and pushed for, and how innovative some of the products are.  Being Different has never been so well marketed.

The other drama in our house is that my youngest daughter Anna, called me yesterday...virtually in tears because she found out she made the Varsity basketball team as a sophomore.  She's been practicing and playing with them... a solid bench player, but she really hoped that she would not make the cut and then would play for the Jr. Varsity team instead.  It's a bit more difficult to explain how getting what seems like good news can be bad.  Ultimately, she rather play for the JV coach than for the Varsity coach, because she feels the JV coach is a better one, he actually encourages the girls and there is a better sense of team and comraderie.  The Varsity coach is not a terrible person, but much more strict and critical of poor play, it's just the difference of personalities and style. 

My final story is about one of my students from last year, whom I recommended along with a few others for a staff job position at an Ad agency.  I teach a class in video editing at a local university, and the ad agency whom I used to get a lot of work from was hiring an assistant editor.  I submitted 5 names, who all got interviews, and after a very rigorous round of interviews and call backs, and actual editing tests at the agency, it came down to this one person, my former student, and she was offered the job.  I believe all the applicants were all qualified, and I'm sure there were others also, who might have had more experience, but talking to the producer who was doing the hiring, it came down to the personality and her innovative "outside the box" thinking.  She is a very energetic and can even be considered quirky, both in her personality and her dress, and I believe it is this quality that got her the job.

We all go through life the best we know how, the fact that we're still around attests to some kind of survival skill which we possess, some of us a bit better oft than not, but we're somehow getting through it.  At some point, we will all die and pass on, and that is just the fact, again some of us will go a bit more gracefully than others.  So in the final analysis, what has been the point, what have we done for ourselves, or perhaps the more important question is what have we done for others, what have we contributed to the world, have we made a "dent" as Steve has supposedly said was all he wanted to do. 

For me, having been through some good and bad times, it's all about how one treats others.  I would like to think that if I might not have left any significant mark on this universe, that at least I was able to know that I treated a few people in a manner which I believe was how it was supposed to be, simple acts of respect and kindness.  This may seem simplistic, but knowing how awful it feels to be treated otherwise, I knew that I would work on not doing that to anyone...ever again.

Sometimes, it's difficult to have a clear vision, it's easily muddled by the promise of success, wealth, status, or a Varsity shot, but the tougher call is to remember what is more important, spreading good feelings, watching out for others, and the ability to be oneself, and even to dare to be different.

It may not be that simple to understand how running and training in a group of complete strangers will affect us and others, for the rest of our lives, but maybe it's the simple things we do, the chances we take, the dreams we allow ourselves to have, to just try and attain something unattainable, that will make the difference.

All we can do is try,

see you early,

Walt

Mile 5 - Feeling Alive

This Sat. we went out and took on 5 miles.  This is significant in that everyone one of our 40 runners where able to complete the mileage, and it was without drama or incident.  5 miles is not a short distance, and I think it's a good gauge of how dedicated our runners are.  We did it right on pace as we took 1hr. 15min. to do our 15min/mile pace.  Immediately afterwards, we took off our shoes and socks and did a cool down walk barefoot in the beach sand.

For those who have never tried this, it was an amazing sensation to stretch out the foot, arch and toes by walking on the cool sand.  It was great therapy for the entire foot, ankle and leg.  As we get into the higher mileage, this is something we all can just try as an after workout therapy.  Within our group, we have a variety of minor issues, ranging from sore muscles, a bit of knee pain, shin splints, and elevated heart rate.  Some of these conditions will alleviate themselves with continued consistent training and weekly workouts, as our bodies get use to this new endeavor, it will get stronger and be able to keep up and recover faster.

Some other issues are mechanical, which means getting fitted in proper running shoes by a running specialty store.  Some may need more technical adjustments such as getting fitted for custom made orthotics, which are food pads which one wears inside the shoe.  I wear one in each shoe whenever I run, and it has made all the difference.  I have very flat feet and suffered from plantar fasciitis which became very painful whenever I tried running over 10 miles.  It would spread the pain all the way into my knees and eventually, I could barely walk.

With the custom made footpads in my shoes, I have been able to run over 10 marathons without any pain or discomfort in the feet or my knees.  Now, this was my specific situation, and I'm fortunate that the solution was this simple, but I still have to make sure I have a good pair of running shoes, and I go through about 2 and a half pairs during the training season.  Again, I am not an expert, and this was my personal situation, but it does serve as an example of how going to an expert has helped in my case.

As we start to build up the distance, be aware of the changes going on within your system.  Note the aches and pains, and monitor them to see if they are short term or are they becoming more chronic.  We all will get sore muscles when we over do anything, but that is different than a pulled muscle or more serious injury.  So take it easy as we get started here, and build up your endurance and strength slowly, do not overdo your workouts....the old "no pain - no gain" mantra does not apply here.  If things do not improve, back down, and get professional evaluation.  You can not wish away injuries.

Take care and have a great week,

Walt

Some possible helpful links:

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/plantar-fasciitis-topic-overview

http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Running+Shoes+Store&find_loc=Los+Angeles%2C+CA

Plus a great article about running and pacing:

http://runninginjuryfree.org/2008/08/blog-post.html

 Check out this video about the Roadrunners: