Hi all,

This Napa Marathon and weekend recap is brought to you by our very own Vera who graciously provided details on the weekend. A couple of notes:

1. Jacob ran his fastest marathon at 4:21 and I believe Art may have PR’d at 4:23 as well. Considering the rain and all, that is pretty cool.

2. Maha also provided some feedback on the race as she had a pretty good race and was able to finish strong despite the weather. The 800’s seemed to really help her stay focused towards the end of the marathon.

Here is Vera’s recap of the weekend.

Well, the Napa Valley Marathon is behind us.
Jacob and I drove to Sunnyvale on Friday to visit with Jacob’s sister. We
took our time driving, stopped at various places like  Harris ranch for a
coffee break, went to Gilroy to smell the garlic and shop at the outlet.
On Saturday, we drove for about 11/2 hours to the beautiful Napa valley.
We went straight to the expo.  The merchandise were overpriced , so we did
not buy anything. We picked up our bibs and disposal chips and were
given one duffel bag and one backpack as a souvenir.  That day we had a
great lunch and dinner , Napa style minus the wine which was a torture for
me.
We took the shuttle on Sunday to Calistoga  @ 5:15am.  It was a cool rainy
morning.  We arrived around 6 and waited in the bus for about an hour .  We
also hooked up with Maha, Rosie and Art.  Everyone was quite at the start
line, waiting impatiently for the Marathon to start..  We did not even
noticed when the race started!
Jacob an Art took off right away.  They started together and finished
within couple minutes of each other.
Us ladies started together, but by mile 3 , I sped and left Rosie and Maha
behind.
I was surprised at myself for doing this race and finishing it.  I did not
train properly this year.I spent almost one year nursing me knee.  I had no
pain the whole way.. So, I think that I am back in business.  Only time and
patience healed my injury.
The marathon route was extremely scenic.  We ran from Calistoga to Napa
along the beautiful Silverado trail where many famous wineries like
Rutherford are located.  It was a rolling course, we started at an elevation
of 365 and ended at 94.  It was raining, non stop, the whole time.  We had
water/ gatorade and bathrooms every 2 miles. After mile 17, we had also
bananas  and oranges .  All together the marathon  support was great.
At the finish line, there was hot soup  and food for the finishers. There
was also massage service  and hot showers  for the runners, but I did not
take advantage of these services because I could not wait to go tho the
hotel and get rid of my wet soaking clothes.
I checked on the Internet our finishing times, only the clock time results
are posted:
Jacob 4:26
Art     4:28
Vera   5:46
Rosie 6:02
Maha 6:02
I don’t know why the chip times are not posted.  We also lost few minutes
because we did nor realize when the race started!
Jacob and I went to a nice Italian/French restaurant that evening and
celebrated with a great Pinot Noir.
We drove back to La yesterday in the rain storm.
Despite the rainy weather, I recommend this race. Go and enjoy it, don’t
worry about race time  and make a vacation out of it.
That’s all, hope to see you soon
Vera

Last Sunday saw 15 of us Twentysixers in Sacramento to enjoy the marathon. What a perfect day! Nice and cold. The course way a gentle rolling tour from Folsom dam to our state’s capitol.

We all met at the crack of dawn to catch the bus to the start line

A little crowded at the beginning but it thinned out pretty quick

There was plenty of crowd support and the race was very organized. A great race to PR or qualify for Boston.

Everyone who started the race finished and was able to enjoy the traditional post race feeding frenzy.

Several people ran their best races ever, Laura, Laurie, Phyllis, Catherine and Art all set personal records. We also had two first timers, Bonnie and Tony (although Tony did run an ultra before he attempted the marathon) Both finished in fine style and learned quite a bit from the race.

We all had a great time in Sacramento and even had energy after the race for a walking tour of Old Town Sacramento complete with tom foolery.

Seven of the Twentysixers ran the Long beach Marathon on Sunday.

We had trouble finding Art before the start but somehow he found us around mile one and Olga was trying to qualify for Boston so we didn’t see her, she must have been up near the front jockeying for position. It was a swell day for nice long training run where you get a medal at the end; the six of us were using the race as a long slow training run for another race. It was a bright and sunny morning and the sunshine lasted all day long but thankfully it never got too hot due to a nice cool breeze. The support for the race was quite good although the sign we saw at mile 5 was kind of demoralizing.

It was one of those sign that tells you how fast you’re driving and it said: 06 miles per hour. Not a bad 10 minute pace but when you are used to seeing them say 40 miles per hour you feel kinda slow! Anyhow it was a little crowded here and there until we reached the turn off  where the full marathoners separate from the half marathoners which is where the men are separated from the boys.

Art and I picked up the pace a bit at this point. Art felt great the entire race and I hit a rough spot around the 18 mile mark but then felt fine again around mile 22 or so. It’s interesting how you can feel lousy for a while and then feel good again during a race. All four girls running with us, Laura, Laurie, Kerry and Phyllis had near perfect splits for the whole race and finished feelin’ great.

All in all a great run for us all.

Today saw Rodney and I giving our first (of hopefully many) form clinics. We had a nice turnout and there was much knowledge dished out. We started with each person running in front of the group and we all got to look at each person’s form carefully while Rodney and I noted form flaws for comparison after the clinic.

We then proceeded to talk about form, posture as well as the rhythm of running and all of the benefits of each. We spoke about how relaxing, mentally as well as physically, while running saves energy and therefore makes you more efficient.

Sure we did a lot of talking, but we also did some form drills as well work on trying to feel the rhythm of running. It was a little bit like watching the Rockettes, but without the high leg kicks. (But we did all have on the shiny dresses)

We also showed everyone how to figure out their stride count so they could see how to improve their turnover rate and try to correct overstriding. And the end of the class we counted our turnover rate again along with using all the new ideas about form to see if we could improve. Everyone again watched and this time we all commented on each person’s form in an attempt to identify issues with ourselves. Everyone who participated in the clinic at the end had terrific improvement. Nice work kids.

  Form is kind of a touchy issue. There are as many viewpoints on the correct or ideal running form as there are styles of running. What works for one person may not work for another. Some of the best runners have an unorthodox style and they get along just fine thank you very much. With that said, there are a number of general adjustments to your form that can dramatically improve your efficiency in running. We will focus here on these general form issues. It is best to work on one change at a time and when you work on form don’t try do change all at once, take your time. So use these tips sparingly and with patience. 

  The easiest and best way to improve form is simply to run as quietly as possible. If you can hear your feet you can improve you form. If you ever get a chance to see the elite runners during a race listen to their feet when they run. Nothing. Totally quiet. When you are silent, you are running lightly and most likely not overstriding. Simply do whatever it takes to run silently and you should feel a difference. Loud feet or heavy pounding puts a great deal of pressure on the lower legs and joints of the body and requires effort that could be better spent moving forward and not down. 

  Overstriding is the most common error in running form. A good way to check for overstriding is to occasionally look down at your feet. You should never see too much of your feet and definitely not the heels of your feet when you run. If you see your heels, it means you are using energy to step thereby wasting precious energy, and creating a braking action with each stride. To avoid this stepping out effect, eliminate the desire to reach out with your feet. Instead of thinking about placing your feet down, focus on picking up your feet and let them fall directly below your body due to gravity. This doesn’t mean pick up your knees, but rather, just pick your feet up just enough to clear ground. You want quicker turnover at the hips rather than longer slower strides. Imagine you’re running bare foot on hot sand.  To check your turnover rate, try this little exercise:

Elite distance runners have a stride rate of about 180 strides per minute. To check your stride rate get into your natural running rhythm, then time yourself for 60 seconds and count each time your right (or left) foot hits the ground, then multiply by two. If you are around 140 or some number significantly less than 180 you are most likely over-striding and can improve your turnover rate.

  Posture is also important.  A runner should be upright with a very slight lean forward from the ankles not bent from the waist. Try to imagine a straight line from the top of your head down through your hips. Your shoulders should be relaxed, back and down and in the same plane as your imaginary straight line from the top of your head down through your hips. Your chest should be open and out which allows for easier and more efficient breathing. 

  The upper body, especially the neck and shoulders, should be relaxed when running. Tension wastes energy. So relax. Periodically during a run, bring your shoulders up as high as possible towards your ears and feel the tension and then relax. This simple exercise will help you release the tension and also make you more aware of any tension.  Similarly, turning the head to loosen up the neck muscles periodically as well as keeping the head tucked back and not jutting forward will release tension in the neck and arms. The hands and jaw should not be clenched during running, but instead relaxed and loose.  One way to relax the hands is to carry a paper cup without crushing it or imaging doing so. 

  The arms should be bent at the elbow at approximately 90° and they should swing easily at the shoulder joint. This swing should be forward and parallel and not across the torso as this impedes forward momentum. The torso is still and moving straight forward not twisting at the hips. Twisting at the hips also puts a great deal of strain one the knees. All motion of the body is straight forward.

  Avoid excessive bouncing while running. You want to expend just enough energy to clear the ground you are running on. Your focus should be on forward motion, not up and down motion. Often this bouncing motion is caused by engaging the calves too much when running. Think about engaging the hamstrings to move forward rather than the calves.

So that’s about it for this week. We will go into much more detail next Sunday at the form clinic after the 3 miler. So be sure to come join us we’ll get ya straightened out,

See ya out there

Hi there again kids. Since it’s been kinda hot we thought we should mention a little something about the running in the heat and other weather related irritations.

  When running outdoors, one needs to pay attention to the elements like rain, wind and most often, heat. For the most part, one just needs to accept the weather and not let it bother you. After all marathoning is all about dealing with adversity. The following are some guidelines that one should pay attention to so as not to get into trouble that can either prevent you from completing training or a race or in severe cases, can cause life-threatening situations requiring immediate medical attention. So listen up ya’ll!

  Rain can cause a number of problems some of which are unavoidable and others that are just annoying and cause no real issues. Excessive moisture leads to chafing, and chafing may lead to blisters and/or bleeding. In heavy rains, one of the unavoidable problems is wet feet. Wet feet greatly increase the likelihood of getting blisters. If possible, you should try to keep your feet dry by avoiding puddles, streams, etc. That said, when it is just dumping rain and ya gotta get in that 20 miler, just have fun and run like a kid jumping through puddles with glee. (yeah, that’s right I said glee) You’re are gonna get soaked anyway so why not have a good time?  Another problem with rain is that solid surfaces, such as pavement, concrete and metal grates, become very slick so extra care needs to be taken. You should shorten your stride and take care to place your feet solidly. Most other rain-related problems are simply annoying, like clothes getting soaked.  While this may be irritating, it actually tends to keep the body cool. A hat is good to wear when it rains is as it keeps the rain off your face (and glasses). Glasses have a tendency to get spotted or fog up which can impair vision so, if necessary, take time to keep your glasses clean so you can see where you are going. Generally speaking, rain is a good thing as it keeps the body cool, and once you get past being wet, you may actually enjoy the experience.

  If the rain is quite heavy, one needs to pay attention to hypothermia as getting too cold and wet for too long a period of time can become life threatening. If it is cold and wet, make sure you are wearing enough clothing to repel excess moisture and maintain a warm, but not too hot body temperature. An inexpensive disposal rain poncho is a good thing to wear (unlike the often-seen vinyl garbage bag). The poncho helps keep you dry, acts as a windbreaker and because it is loose fitting, and air can get under it so you don’t overheat (again, unlike the garbage bag).

  Heat is something that requires close attention. As the temperature rises, it requires a great deal of effort from your body to dissipate the excess heat generated from your running. As such, one should always slow down and reduce your effort in relation to the heat.

The three key elements to training safely in heat are maintaining a normal core temperature, proper hydration and electrolyte balance. Everyone knows to drink extra water when it is hot, but it is only part of the solution. Keeping your body temperature down by putting ice or cold water in a bandana around your neck or under your hat tricks your body into cooling down. We have found that the ice bandana trick can be a real life saver and works great! All ya do is lay out a bandana and place a line of small ice cubes diagonally in the center of the bandana and roll it up and tie it around you neck.

Pouring water on your head and the large muscles such as the quads and shoulders or soaking your shirt are other ways of keeping cool. Take care when pouring water so as to keep the water from running down your legs and into your shoes thereby getting your feet wet.

It is also wise to occasionally drink an electrolyte replacement drink during your run. Salty foods as well as electrolyte replacement pills such as Succeed capsules can be taken every 45 minutes or so to help replenish lost electrolytes. While a lot can be done during training, it is very important to be fully hydrated and have eaten well so as to maximize your electrolyte levels prior to training or a race. 

Clothing should be as light as possible, light in color and breathable.  Sunscreen should be applied beforehand and reapplied at least once during longer distances.  Take care to not get it in your eyes or mucous membranes as this can cause significant irritation.

  Wind is mostly annoying as it always is blowing in your face, or so it seems. As with uphills, one should adjust your pace so that your overall effort is the same without the wind. This means slow down. The most important thing when training in windy conditions is to pay attention to debris on the road. Step over or around fallen objects (leaves, branches, etc.) so as not to fall. Also, since dust is blowing in the air, glasses are a good way of keeping particles out of your eyes.

That’s it for now. See ya out there.

Click on the link below to download the PDF for this season’s training.

Twentysixers 2009 LA Marathon Training Program

Hi everyone,

This is our first post to our new blog. Both Dan and I will be adding content all year long. We plan to talk about running, marathons, half marathons, training, strength training for endurance athletes as well as flexibility and nutrition topics. We plan to use this blog to go into more detail about all of the various training modalities that seem to crop up each month in all of the fitness magazines.