2011 club running - spring

Spring 2011

ClubRunningWE RUN THE NATION!

RRCA Championships

RRCA Hall of Fame

When Good EnoughIs Good Enough

RRCA Championships

RRCA Hall of Fame

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ClubRunningWE RUN THE NATION!

Executive Director’s Letter

CONTENTS

6

Members Speak7

Health & Safety Spotlight

9

Performance Nutrition for Men & WomenFamilies TogetherHot Weather Running Tips

RRCA Awards Spotlight24

When GoodEnough IsGoodEnoughby Jeff Horowitz

RRCA Program Spotlight20

Spring 2011

Hall of Fame InducteesRRCA Road Runners of the Year

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18

Facebook Friends ShareWeb Poll

BigstockPhoto.com

Runner Friendly CommunitiesChampionship Event SeriesRun@Work Day

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RRCA Member Spotlight12RacewalkingAngkor Wat Marathon & Half Marathon

S p r i n g 2 0 1 1 ClubRunning • 3R R C A . o r g

RRCA Coach’s Training Tips30

Shoe Review

6 • ClubRunning S p r i n g 2 0 1 1 R R C A . o r g

Executive Director’s Note

ClubRunningSpring 2011

www.ClubRunning.net

ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA (RRCA)Executive Director

Jean Knaack

RRCA PresidentBrent Ayer

SHOOTING STAR MEDIA, INC. Group & Coordinating Editor

Christine Johnson, [email protected]

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ClubRunning is produced by Shooting Star Me dia, Inc. for publisher Running Network LLC, P.O. Box 801,Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. All ad materials and insertion orders should be sent to Running Network LLC at theabove address.

Shooting Star Media, Inc. and Running Network LLC assume no liability for matter printed. Publisher assumes noresponsibility or liability for content of paid advertising and reserves the right to reject paid advertising. Publisher ex-pects that all claims by advertisers can be substantiated and that all guarantees will be honored. Opinions expressedherein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Publisher.

Copyright © 2011 by Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved.No part of this publication may be repro duced in any form without prior written permission of the Publisher.

We recommend, as with all fitness and health issues, you consult with your physician before institut-ing any changes in your fitness program.

Let Us Hear From You!ClubRunning welcomes your suggestions, comments, and questions. Direct them to [email protected].

Address Changes/Missing IssuesPlease visit www.rrca.org/publications/club-running/ about address changes, duplicate mailings, or missingissues. Please include both old and new addresses.

There’s a lot of talk out there these days about the im-portance of getting 30 minutes or more of exercise sev-eral days a week in accordance with the U.S. Physical

Activity Guidelines. This is great advice that everyone shouldtake to heart. I feel, however, there’s something missing fromthis talking point: how busy Americans can make time for that30 minutes of exercise. Not only do we need to continue toremind people to get regular physical activity, we need to con-tinue to remind them how they can find the time to do so.

As a mother of two school-aged children with their ownactivities and my own full-time job, I know how difficult it can be to make time toexercise. I’m fortunate that my kids are now at ages where I can take them to thetrack to run with me or they can ride their bikes alongside me for longer runs, butmaking the time is still a balancing act for our family. On page 18, Jeff Horowitzshares some ideas for making time in your schedule to get the exercise and trainingyou need to stay fit.

The RRCA works in partnership with several organizations in addition to ourrunning club and event members to promote running as a sport and healthy physi-cal activity that enables people to get the exercise they need. On page 10, you’ll learnabout the new “Together Counts” campaign recently launched by our partners at theHealthy Weight Commitment Foundation. Together Counts is a nationwide pro-gram inspiring active and healthy living. The principle behind the program is En-ergy Balance, which means balancing the calories we consume with the calories weburn. Calories in, calories out. It’s that simple. Please join the Knaack family and en-courage your family and friends to take the pledge at TogetherCounts.com Make timein your day to eat healthy meals with your family and get out on a run together atleast twice a week.

—Jean Knaack

Jean Knaack

ClubRunning is a complimentary publication made possible by our advertisers and created through a partnership between the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) andRunning Network LLC. You’re a member of your local running club and your local runningclub is, in turn, a member of the RRCA.

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RRCA Members Speak

RRCA Facebook Friends Share Their Travel PlansRecent Discussion Topic: Did you take arunning-specific trip/vacation in 2010? Where did yougo and why? Do you have plans for a trip in 2011?

Robert Martin from San Diego says, “I won’t goon a trip out of town unless there is running in-volved. This year I went out on three trips: Bridge-port, California for the Mountain Warfare TrainingChallenge 10K; Denver, Colorado for the BoulderHalf Marathon and RRCA Coaching Certifica-tion; and Sacramento for the California Interna-tional Marathon.”

Janice Woolery from Kansas says, “Those are gen-erally the only kind we take anymore. The mostfun was going to Missoula, Montana for the Mis-soula Half Marathon. We did the half because afriend was doing her first full and we wanted to bethere to cheer at the finish. The race was impecca-bly done. Vacationing in Glacier National Parkafter was delightful!”

Michael S. Bowen from Florida says, “The vastmajority of our non-business-related travel has arun or race at the heart of the agenda. We ran sev-eral races in New Orleans (Jackson Day 9K, Rock’n’ Roll/Mardi Gras HM, Crescent City Classic10K, IM 70.3 NOLA, Fiesta de San Fermin enNueva Orleans, (Sweet 16) NOH3 Red DressRun, NOTC/NOAC Turkey Day 5-Miler, OldMan River 5K/HM) last year, as well as Ft. WaltonBeach, Florida (Jingle Bell 5K/10K Run) and

Lakeland, Florida (Race the Lakes 10K). This yearlooks to be nearly as travel/run-focused. We’ll doRock ’n’ Roll/Mardi Gras, as well as the CrescentCity Classic, but the rest of the year depends onbusiness demands and health.”

Jennifer Kimble from Texas says, “I’m going torun the Grand Canyon R2R2R this year.”

Kelly Richards from Texas says, “Absolutely. Iwent on a few running trips starting with the an-nual RRCA Convention in April. Then Idaho forthe Coeur d’Alene Marathon, up to Minnesota forthe Ragnar Great River Relay, took a detour to Co-lumbia, Missouri for the Heart of AmericaMarathon while driving from Minnesota to Texasand went to Orlando for the Inaugural DisneyWine and Dine Half, then on to Canyon, Texas forthe Palo Duro Canyon 50K. Plans for 2011 in-clude the Bataan Death March in New Mexico andthe RRCA National Convention featuring the Ma-rine Corps Marathon Historic Half. I’m also al-ready planning for what will be the second annualJerusalem Marathon in 2012.” (Editor’s Note: Readabout Kelly’s adventures in Cambodia on page 12.)

RRCA.org website pollDo you plan to travel out of town for a race in 2011?

Votes 0 50 100 150 200 250

No, there are enough events in town to keep me running all year long. — 10% (45)!

Yes, I will drive up to 75 miles out of town this year to run in an event, but I won’t stay overnight. — 14% (61)

Yes, I will drive over 75 miles out of town and plan to spend one or more nights in a hotel to run in an event. — 27% (119)

Yes, I will travel over 100 miles out of town, which will include airfare and hotel costs to run in an event. — 49% (218)

We invite our readers to participate in the RRCA website polls at RRCA.org

Total Votes: 450


You may participate in ourRRCA Facebook discussions

by visiting us at www.facebook.com/Roadrunnersclubofamerica

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Performance Nutrition: How Men’s and Women’s Needs Differ

By Marie Spano, R.D.

From When Harry Met Sally to Men Are from Mars,Women Are from Venus, many books and movieshave highlighted the differences between men andwomen. And if you look beyond social and rela-tionship differences, you’ll find that men andwomen have different nutritional needs, as well. Sothe next time you dine with your significant other,son or daughter, or friend of the opposite sex, keepyour nutrition needs in mind.

Men, in general, are bigger and have more musclemass than females. Because muscle is a metabolicallyactive tissue, meaning that, at rest, it churns throughmore calories than fat does, men typically requiremore calories every day. If you’re a female, it’s im-portant to keep this in mind because studies showthat females tend to gain weight after they get mar-ried. First comes love then comes domestic weightgain? Not if you pay attention to your serving sizes.

Along with differences in calorie needs, men andwomen often have different protein needs (basedagain on body weight, though activity also plays arole in protein needs). Though women often needless protein per day, many female athletes skimp ontheir protein intake. If you keep track of your dietfor a few days, tally up your total protein intake andbe sure you are getting a minimum of 0.55 gramsof protein per pound of body weight. Protein is vitalfor muscle tissue recovery and repair, and therefore,if you feel like your body is physically fatigued, lackof protein may be to blame.

Though men can get osteoporosis, women have agreater risk of developing this brittle bone disease.And according to 2005–06 national survey datafrom the U.S. Department of Agriculture, onlyone-third of U.S. citizens 1 year old or older meetthe adequate intake for calcium and vitamin D.And females ages 15–50 are even less likely to con-sume enough of these two nutrients compared tomen of the same age. How can you get more cal-cium and vitamin D? Bump up your intake ofmilk and vitamin D-fortified yogurt. If you don’tlove dairy, try a dairy substitute that’s fortifiedwith both nutrients (though you’ll miss out onquality protein found in milk). And, though menshould get enough total calcium and vitamin D,they shouldn’t overdo it. Some studies suggest anincreased intake of dairy products is associatedwith risk of prostate cancer.

Women lose iron each month through their men-strual cycle and, therefore, their iron needs aregreater than those of men. If you’re a female and

think you may be anemic, talk to your physician firstand get tested before self-prescribing iron supple-ments.

Our fiber needs correspond with our total daily calo-rie needs, and therefore, men require more fiber perday than women. Both sexes should aim for about14 grams per every 1,000 calories they consume or,about 25 grams per day for women and 38 gramsfor men.

In addition to the top nutrient needs men-tioned above, men can tolerate more alcohol thanwomen can, first, because, in general, men weighmore and second, because regardless of weight, menhave more body water, and alcohol disperses inbody water. According to the American Cancer So-ciety, men should have no more than two drinksper day and women should have no more than oneper day. Women are more likely to develop liver in-flammation (alcoholic hepatitis) and they are moresusceptible to alcohol-related heart disease thanmen. Drinking also increases one’s risk of breastcancer and drinking during pregnancy puts thefetus at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome.

Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSCS, CSSD is one of thecountry’s leading sports nutritionists. She combines sci-ence with practical experience to help Olympic, profes-sional, and recreational athletes implement customizednutritional plans to maximize athletic performance.Spano is the sports nutrition consultant at CompetitiveEdge Sports and runs Spano Sports Nutrition Con-sulting.

CALORIES

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ReferencesRochman, B. 2009. First comes love, then comes obesity? A new study links domestic bliss to seriousweight gain. Time 173(26): 54.

Jeffery, R.W., Rick, A.M. 2002. Cross-sectional andlongitudinal associations between body mass indexand marriage-related factors. Obes Res 10(8): 809–15.

Moshfegh, A., Goldman, J., Ahuja, J., Rhodes, D.,LaComb, R. 2009. What We Eat in America,NHANES 2005–2006: Usual nutrient intakes fromfood and water compared to 1997 dietary referenceintakes for vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, andmagnesium. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agri-cultural Research Service.

NIH. Women and Alcohol. www.pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/womensfact/womensfact.htm

Raimondi, S., Mabrouk, J.B., Shatenstein, B.,Maisonneuve, P., Ghadirian, P. 2010. Diet andprostate cancer risk with specific focus on dairy prod-ucts and dietary calcium: a case-control study.Prostate 70(10): 1054–65.

Families That Play Together and Eat TogetherBuild Lifelong Active Healthy Habits Together


By Lisa GableExecutive Director, Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation

Lee Iacocca, former president of Chrysler, oncesaid, “The only institution that works is thefamily.” I don’t know if it’s the only one thatworks, but it’s hard to think of another thatworks as well. That’s why it makes sense to mo-bilize the power of the family—of familiesacross America—to combat obesity, especiallychildhood obesity.

Beating obesity takes two things: peopleconsuming fewer calories and expending morecalories throughhealthy physicalactivity. It’scalled energy bal-ance, and fami-lies eating andplaying togethercan help achieveit.

It comesdown to this: afamily meal or afamily activitycan be a teach-able moment.Families eatingtogether or engaging in a physical activity—even a simple walk—is an opportunity for par-ents to do what parents do best: teach byexample.

That’s why the Healthy Weight Com-mitment Foundation and the RRCA havelaunched a national campaign called the To-gether Counts™ program to encourage fami-lies to eat meals and engage in physicalactivities together to counter obesity and pro-mote good health.

Iacocca may have based his commentabout the effectiveness of families on judg-ment, instincts, and personal experience. Butthere are also lots of studies to demonstrate thevalue of families eating and playing together.Studies by Harvard University, University ofMinnesota, University of Missouri, Universityof Tokushima in Japan (and others) havedemonstrated that families sitting down to-gether at the family dining table on a regularbasis leads to improved physical health andaway from obesity. As a recent article on theonline Huffington Post pointed out, “Dinnermakes a difference. Family dinner is our bestbet at an immediate impact in childhood obe-sity.”

These studies came up with some fasci-

nating nuggets of information. For one thing,adolescents who eat with their families grow upto be healthier adults, more likely to eat morefruit, dark-green and orange vegetables, andkey nutrients. And families eating meals to-gether frequently generally consumed higheramounts of important nutrients such as cal-cium, fiber, iron, vitamins B6 and B12, andconsumed less overall fat.

On the flip side, adolescents who reported

never eating family dinners were significantlymore likely to be overweight than adolescentswho reported 5 to 7 family meals per week.

There is also considerable academic sup-port for the value of family participation inphysical activities, such as Make Physical Ac-tivity a Family Event, by academics at the Uni-versity of Northern Iowa(http://appliedsportpsych.org/Resource-Center/Parents/articles/familyevent). As the paper pointsout: Children model their own behavior on thebehavior of the adults in their lives, and theyare more affected by what their parents do thanwhat they say. Just think how often you hearyoung adults credit their parents as sports orfitness role models. Kids derive strength fromtheir parents. When they engage in physical ac-tivity together, kids draw the resolve and disci-pline they need to keep at it.

No wonder the First Lady’s Let’s Move!initiative to combat childhood obesity makesit a priority to promote healthy physical activ-ity, issuing a challenge to families to be amongthe first to achieve a Presidential ActiveLifestyle Award (PALA) by committing tophysical activity 5 days a week, for 6 weeks. So,how does the Together Counts campaign helpfamilies lead healthy and active lives? To begin

with, the initiative articulates the advantages offamily meals and healthy family activitiesthrough the Internet and other communica-tions vehicles (www.togethercounts.com). Fami-lies are asked to pledge to eat meals and engagein healthy physical activities together. They areprovided with tools to track their progress andcompare them with the results in their com-munities and across America. Families are ableto share successes, tips, and ideas on Facebook,

directly from thewebsite. Mobileapps give partici-pants access to logand track theirprogress anywhere.

The RRCAwill promote theTogether Countsmessage throughthe Kids Run theNation Programand through theirJoin a Club cam-paign efforts.

Small stepsrepeated over time yield big results. People feelgood and positive about achieving their goalsand are more likely to continue on a path thathas demonstrated success. Families who eat to-gether and share regular physical activities arehappier and healthier. When kids see their par-ents eating a balanced diet and engaging in reg-ular physical activity, they get a lifelesson—one that is reinforced daily. That’s why“together counts”—and why this campaignshould make a major difference in helpingfamilies reduce obesity.

Take the Together Counts pledge today atwww.Togethercounts.com

The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundationbrings together 160 retailers, food and beveragemanufacturers, restaurants, sporting goods and in-surance companies, a professional sports organiza-tion, NGOs, trade associations, and the U.S.Army to do their part to help families reduce obe-sity, especially childhood obesity. The RRCA is aproud partner of the Healthy Weight Commit-ment Foundation.



Running in the heat of summer can be dangerous if you don’t follow proper precautionsand preparations. The RRCA provides our hot weather running tips to keep you safe thissummer.

You can lose between 6–12 oz. of fluid for every 20 minutes of running. Therefore, it’simportant to pre-hydrate (10–15 oz. of fluid 10–15 minutes prior to running) and todrink fluids every 20–30 minutes of your run. To determine if you’re hydrating properly,weigh yourself before and after running. You should drink one pint of fluid for everypound you’re missing. Indications that you’re running while dehydrated are a persistentelevated pulse after finishing your run and urine that’s dark yellow in color. Keep in mindthat thirst is not an adequate indicator of dehydration.

While running, your body’s temperature is regulated by the process of sweat evaporating offyour skin. If the humidity in the air is so high that it prevents this, you can quickly overheatand literally cook your insides from an elevated body temperature. Check your local weatherand humidity level before you head out on a daytime run.

If you don’t feel better, get medical help. Heatstroke occurs when the body fails to regu-late its own temperature and the body’s temperature continues to rise. Symptoms of heat-stroke include mental changes (such as confusion, delirium, or unconsciousness) and skinthat is red, hot, and dry, even under the armpits. Heatstroke is a life-threatening medicalemergency requiring emergency medical treatment.

Run in the shade whenever possible and avoid direct sunlight and blacktop.When you’re going to be exposed to the intense summer rays of the sun, apply a sunscreenwith at least 15 SPF and wear protective eyewear that filters out both UVA and UVB rays.Also consider wearing a visor that will shade your eyes and skin, but will allow heat totransfer off the top of your head.

To prevent heat-related illness, run in the morning or late afternoon hours to avoid the peak heat of the day.

If you have heart or respiratory problems or you are on any medications, consult your doctor about running in the heat.In some cases, it may be in your best interest to run indoors.

Wear light-colored, breathable clothing. Don’t wear long sleeves or long pants or sweat suits. Purposefully running in sweatsuitson hot days to lose water weight is dangerous and increases your risk of overheating!

Plan your route so you can refill water bottles or access drinking fountains.City parks, local merchants, and restaurants that are runner-friendly businesses are allgood points to incorporate on your route during hot weather running days.

Be sure to tell someone where you’re running and low long you think you’ll be gone, and carry identification.

Stay hydrated, cool, and safe this summer!

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Avoid dehydration!

Avoid running outside if the heat is above 98.6˚ and the humidity is above 70–80%.

If you become dizzy, nauseated, have the chills, or cease to sweat during a run,STOP RUNNING, find shade, and drink water or a fluid replacement drink.

Hot Weather Running Tips

RRCA Member Spotlight

At least once in your life you prob-ably have seen Olympic swimmerscompeting in the butterfly event.It’s a grueling race that takes in-nate ability, technical skill, anddedicated training. I doubt ifmany of you watched the com-petitors exhaust every ounce of en-ergy at their disposal at the finishof the race and then said to your-self, “If they were real athletes,they would swim the freestyle.”

I’m a racewalker. Good race-walkers have innate ability, techni-cal skill, and dedicated training.But I bet that many runners don’tconsider racewalkers real athletes.

If they were real athletes, they’d be running.Racewalking is an event in the broader

sport of track and field, just like the hurdles orlong jump. It’s been an Olympic event for morethan 100 years. The world record holder for the50K racewalk—31 miles—completed the eventat a pace below 7 minutes per mile without run-ning.

Once you are going faster than about a13:00 minutes per mile pace, it takes more en-ergy to racewalk that speed than it does to run.A runner going at a 10-minute-per-mile clipmay be loafing along. The racewalker beside heris working hard—just like someone swimmingthe butterfly stroke would have to work reallyhard to keep up with someone swimmingfreestyle.

I want this article to answer two questionsfor someone who is or has been a runner: First,why would I want to learn to racewalk? Second,what is racewalking?

Here are five reasons why a runner likeyou should want to learn to racewalk:

1. You might find this is an event at whichyou excel. Tim Seaman (thats him above) was afair high school distance runner. He took upracewalking, became a two-time Olympian,and has won more than 40 U.S. national cham-pionships at various distances. You’ll never

know if this is your sport if you never try it.2. You might be able to continue aerobic

training while recovering from a running injury.Racewalking is highly aerobic but low impact.Many racewalkers were runners who first triedracewalking after suffering a running injury.

3. You might be able to extend your com-petitive lifespan. As some people age, theirjoints can no longer take the pounding of train-ing for running events but they miss competi-tion. They find that racewalking doesn’t hurttheir joints and they can compete in judgedracewalk competitions. I know two peoplecompeting nationally who are older than 90.

4. You might find racewalking a goodcross-training activity that helps your condi-tioning. It’s highly aerobic and uses 95% of themuscles in your body, while running uses only70%.

5. You might enjoy it. I got into racewalk-ing for the competition, but I enjoy it so muchI would continue even if I didn’t compete any-more.

Many, if not most, racewalkers rarely com-pete in judged racewalks. They racewalk for itshealth and fitness benefits and for the socialfriendships they develop with other racewalk-ers. Also, some racewalkers were never runners.They were pedestrian walkers who wantedsomething more aerobic than just walking.

Racewalkers frequently enter road raceswith runners and try to maintain a legal race-walking form even though there are no judgesto disqualify them. You get significant personalsatisfaction coming in ahead of runners whenyou know how much more effort it takes toracewalk a given pace.

What is racewalking? The official defini-tion has two parts. The language is a bit legalis-tic, but the essence is this:

It must appear to the human eye that theracewalker never has both feet off the ground atthe same time, i.e., there is no visible “in flight”period as there is with running. This contributesto the low-impact nature of the event.

The lead leg must be straightened at the

knee at the time of heel strike and must remainstraightened at least until the leg is vertical be-neath the body.

The first part of the definition doesn’tcause new racewalkers much problem, but thesecond part takes some practice. The racewalk-ing technique helps one walk quickly and effi-ciently while staying within the bounds of thetwo-part definition.

You can learn the basics of the racewalkingtechnique and begin enjoying its benefits in lessthan a half hour, but you can spend years mas-tering the technique. Dr. Alan Poisner, a friendfrom Kansas, took up the sport in his 50s. Eventhough he was getting older, he got faster everyyear for 8 years as his technique improved.

Some people racewalk at an easy pace, justlike some people jog slowly. But racewalking canbe just as physically demanding as elite-levelrunning if you want it to be. The aerobic con-ditioning can be the same. You can get yourheart rate up just as high when racewalking asyou can when running.

Resting heart rate is a fairly good indicatorof aerobic condition. I’ve been racewalking forabout 5 years and always train with a heart ratemonitor. For the past couple of years when Iwould drive out to an area to train in the morn-ing my heart rate would drop to 48 beats perminute. This spring I’ve been training for amarathon and my resting heart rate has beengoing down to 43 or 44 beats per minute. Notbad shape for a man who just turned 60.

So, runners, give racewalking a little re-spect. Better yet, give it a try.

In 2009, Bohlen won Silver and Bronze medalsin the 55–59 age-group in the 5K and 1500mracewalks at the National Senior Games at Stan-ford University and that September placed 24thoverall out of more than 2,600 finishers at theNew Albany (OH) Walking Classic 10K, thelargest all-walker race in the country. For moreabout racewalking, check out his website atwww.boomerwalk.com and the best overall race-walking website, www.eracewalk.com


By Brent Bohlen

A Monkey, Elephants, Temple Ruins, and Runners from 53 NationsBy Kelly “K2” Richards, RRCA At-Large Board Member

The Angkor Wat Marathon and HalfMarathon was created with the goal of creat-ing a better society through sports and the ob-jectives of stopping the use of landmines andstrengthening world peace. In recent years, therace has also promoted AIDS education andprevention. The United Nations states, “Sportand physical education provide a forum tolearn skills such as discipline, confidence and

leadership and they convey core principles thatare important in democracy, such as tolerance,cooperation and respect. Sport and physicaleducation teach the fundamental value of ef-fort and how to manage essential steps in lifesuch as victory or defeat at an early stage.”

It’s demonstrated through the race thatsport and physical education assure a signifi-cant role of promoting education, health, de-

velopment, and peace. Sort of heavy stuff forsomeone who just wants to run a marathonwhile on vacation. It’s an opportunity for anattitude adjustment.

Cambodia has one of the world’s largestconcentrations of people with disabilities,many of whom are landmine (blast) survivors.Seeing ordinary people who have lost theirlimbs by stepping on a landmine is heavy stuff

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Racewalking Isn’t a Lesser Event, It’s Just a Different One

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indeed. Watching amputees line up at the startof a race with their prosthetics or in wheel-chairs, being cheered on as heroes rather thanscoffed at as societal outcasts is uplifting. Itbrings me hope that these survivors will be ac-cepted in their daily lives and not just on racemorning. And it serves as a humble reminderto be thankful for the things I often take forgranted, such as being able-bodied and anAmerican who lives without fear of beingmaimed or mortally wounded when out for awalk or run.

The race program includes a HealthCheck List. There are questions each runnershould ask themselves and, if any apply, it’srecommended that the runner carefully re-consider participating. Question 7 is my fa-vorite: Are you hung over?

The 21-kilometer loop course awes atevery meter as it winds around ancient tem-

ples, an artificial lake, across a moat andthrough a monastery and stone gate. Theroads are lined with tall trees that are hundredsof years old, providing excellent shade. (If onlythey could block the humidity!) Children lineup in several areas, eager to receive high-fivesand collect the empty water bottles, whichthey’ll sell to recyclers. I literally burst outlaughing at the girls who are clapping andyelling, “Hurry up, hurry up, madam. Hurryup!”

Yes, the children and 3,000 other runnersfrom 53 nations make for wonderful companyon the first loop. I chat briefly with a Frenchman who wants to know if I know a certainrunner that lives in the U.S. This makes melaugh. I run with a South African for the last11K of the first loop. My most frequent com-ment is: I’m running too fast.

The instructions for crossing the mat at

the finish line for the Half, circling aroundand going back on the course were drilled intoour heads. Even as directionally challenged asI am, it’s clear to me what I need to do andwhere to go. What I’m not prepared for arethe barricades blocking the road, the numberof spectators, general finish line chaos, and thevolunteers who won’t accept “no” as an an-swer when offering a finisher’s certificate.They think I am finished with the race becauseeveryone else crossing the mat at the half isdone. As it turns out, I am one of only a hand-ful doing the full marathon.

What I didn’t know until the day beforethe race is that the official race is a halfmarathon. While open to anyone, only someof those in my tour group are running the fullmarathon. I’m not particularly pleased withthis news. I’m shocked actually. I’m confusedand a bit angry to learn this now. I’m a little

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(Clockwise from left) Ta Prohm Temple (1186), built by King Jayavarman VII and dedicated to hismother, is considered to be among the most fascinating temples. Sarah Srang (1190–1210) is anartificial lake opposite the monastery built by King Jayavarman VII and is used for ceremoniesand royal baths. Bayon Temple (1190), is a 3-story-high mountain temple made of sandstone. Over-all male and female marathon finishers Anthony (3:22) and K2 (3:39). Kelly Richards at the finishline doing her 339 push-ups.

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R R C A . o r g



frightened at the thought of potentially run-ning alone. I don’t need dozens of bands andcheer squads, but I do like to see and be nearother runners—especially in the late miles ofa long-distance race.

Talk about giving new meaning to “Runmy own race.” All this provides another atti-tude adjustment opportunity. Not runningisn’t an option, so I deal with it by focusingon the exclusivity of it: I’m running amarathon, in Asia, that less than a dozen otherpeople in the whole world get to run.

Okay, this is starting to sound cool. The marathon is officially an unofficial

event run with permission from race officialsand local authorities. Official or not, the roadsare now open to vehicles; the aid stations,spectators, and other runners are gone. It is21K of solo running. Well, solo except for thehundreds of motorbikes, pushbikes, touristbuses, cars, trucks, one monkey, and a halfdozen elephants. It’s the first time in my life Iworry about avoiding elephant dung whileracing! Dodging all the traffic is tiresome butkeeps me focused since that whole yielding topedestrian thing doesn’t really apply in Cam-bodia.

There is a shoulder, but running on it isdifficult because the dirt is rocky. I keep tellingmyself to think of it as running on a soft sur-face but it feels like a hard rocky road, not asoft surface so I keep drifting to the edge ofthe road but the slant of the road is uncom-fortable, too. After awhile, I switch from fac-ing the traffic to running with the traffic. Thisis mostly to prevent myself from watching thevehicle that is going to run me off the road andpresumably kill me. Imagine the embarrass-ment of being killed by a motorbike, even if itdoes have four passengers on it! But the realconcern is the buses.

The pecking order is clearly established,and buses are kings of the road. By the end ofthe race, I decide that a driver’s day would bealmost as ruined as mine would be if he runsme over, so I start running in the middle ofthe lane where it’s smooth and flat. Besides, Ifigure they’d hit my escort before they couldget to me.

During the second loop, our supportcomes from people on motorbikes that iden-tify us by black and red yarn we tied aroundour wrists. I thought the fact that we were theonly white people still running down the roadwearing race bibs would be enough clues toour identity, but hey, who am I to argue witha well-thought-out plan? It’s a little unnervingnot knowing the next time aid will be avail-able, so I am happy each time I see our sup-port, which is frequently enough. Water versuselectrolyte drink (made from powder broughtfrom the U.S.) is lost in translation. I am givenelectrolyte fluids even when I have requestedwater. Luckily, the electrolyte drink is quite

weak because I dump half of it on my head.It’s so hot and humid, I can’t get any stickier.

The race is marked in kilometers. I likethis because you reach kilometers faster thanmiles and there is no possible way, at least forme, to figure out mile pace so I don’t even try.I just run a pace that feels good. I gulp andmutter an “uh-oh” when I see my half-split(1:46:58); it’s recklessly fast. I don’t have anytime to dwell on it, though, because I have tofigure out how to get through the throng ofspectators, around the barricades, away fromthe volunteers and back on the road. A sweetlittle girl follows me and literally runs downthe road trying to give me the Half Marathonfinisher’s certificate. This is a volunteer doingwhat she was told: make sure everyone getsone these.

As I was saying, I like the course beingmarked in kilometers. The funny thing is, justas with miles, kilometers move farther apart inthe later part of a race. With 8K to go, mylackluster math skills tell me I have approxi-mately 4 miles left to go. It’s hard to remem-ber to carry over and add up all those .21s! Justthe thought of 4 miles immediately has methinking “Just a run back to the clubhouse, nobig deal.” I quickly stop this line of thinking,as I don’t want to detach. I want to be in themoment because at this moment I am in theKingdom of Cambodia. I am in Asia. I amrunning through beautiful landscape aroundcenturies-old temples. I am right where I wantto be.

I tell myself that if I make it to the 5K-to-go mark without walking—which seems re-markable to me since pre-race I figured I’d bewalking a lot—then walking at all is out of thequestion. I am having that all-too-familiar de-bate with myself. Just walk for a few seconds,it’ll feel good. No walking. Slow down if youneed to but no walking! C’mon, walking willfeel good. Wait, do I feel bad? Not really. Notbad enough to walk! Back and forth, like aslow game of table tennis. I know I’m the leadfemale. I want to stay in the lead—badly.

I think I’m maintaining a strong pace. Ipass the 5K-to-go mark and I’m still running.I meet up with my personal motorbike sup-port that will stay with me until the finish line.Now I’m starting to feel like a celebrity! Notreally. I actually feel like I should feel like acelebrity but what I feel is relieved that I won’thave to guess when I’ll have fluids again andglad I don’t have to carry anything. Just takea sip, dump some on head, take another sip,put lid on and throw bottle in basket at frontof motorbike. When thirsty, wave hand, moveto side, wait for motorbike to be within arm’sreach, grab bottle, drink, pour on head, etc. Itis the perfect arrangement; I recommend thisfor every race! About this time, I pass a fewhalf marathoners. It’s silly but I’m encouragedby this. It makes me feel fast. I am passed by

some intrigued Japanese tourists on a motor-bike who circle back to find out exactly whatI am doing. Based on their reaction to my ex-planation, they were highly amused by merunning “two loops.” Clearly, the heat is get-ting to me because I’m annoyed at their laugh-ing and pointing. I secretly hope they’ll runinto a mound of elephant dung.

Now just 4K to go and my mind is madeup: there will be no walking. I’m determinedto push myself. It will not be my best time butit will be far from my slowest time, which I ex-pected to run on this steamy morning. With1K to go, I go for the finishing sprint. At somepoint, I realize a kilometer is a lot farther thanthe standard .2-mile marathon finish sprint. Iworry that my escort will think I need med-ical attention, as I’m practically groaning anddefinitely panting but I am running faster. I’msprinting towards what is likely to be my oneand only first-place female finish at anymarathon, official or not. I’m overcome withemotions as I finish. I’ve just run my fastestmarathon (3:39:08) in three-plus years. I’mthrilled with my performance. I’m gratefulthat I’m able-bodied and strong-willed. I’mthankful I have all my limbs and that I’venever lived in fear of taking a wrong step andhaving my body parts blown off or my lifeblown away. Notwithstanding this gratitude,I’m also so ready to sit down and to celebratewith a cold beer.

Then I remember I “saved” 25 push-upsfor the finish line. Muttering to remind my-self of how lucky I am rather than mumblingabout why I’m doing this silly push-up chal-lenge for the year with my running club, I geton the ground and complete the last of my339 push-ups on day 339 of the 365-day chal-lenge. Then it hits me, I ran a 3:39 marathonon day 339 of my club’s push-up challenge!

Anthony, the overall male winner, andthe Half Marathoners from our group noticeI have finished. I think they’re surprised to seeme. I receive my medal and congratulatoryhugs from my new traveling running buds. Fi-nally, it’s time to grab a cold Angkor PremiumLager and wait for the others to finish so they,too, can join the exclusive Angkor WatMarathon finishers’ club.

Kelly

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9 oz. – from start to finish. The new Kwicky Blade-Light features revolutionary Ion-Mask™ technology. Waterstation. Rain. Sweat. Nothing gets in. Now that’s gonzo.

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“I don’t have the time to run.”If only I had a dime for every time someone said that to me, I could buy

a new GPS watch. There was a time, not very long ago, when people believed that new

technology would make life easier and create more leisure time. Now it seemslike technology has had the opposite effect. As work stretches out beyondthe 9–5 boundaries and family and social obligations take priority, trainingtime often dwindles down to a few precious hours a week and hopes of prop-erly preparing for a marathon are lost along the way.

It doesn’t have to be that way. With a little planning and creativity, youcan not only get in your weekly runs, but even train for that marathon you’vebeen hoping to sign up for. Here’s how.

With free time at a premium, the first thing to figure out is what areyour key workouts and when you can do them. If you no longer have the lux-ury of going for a run every day, it would be unrealistic to plan to do that.But if you target the most important runs, you’ll find that you can be as fastand strong as you used to be—or more so—on fewer running days. As I ex-plain in my upcoming book, Running Smart: How to Run Your Best WithoutRunning Yourself Ragged (Velo Press, September 2011), intensity is more im-portant for fitness than sheer volume. If you can’t count on running everyday, make the days you can run count.

Get up earlier and get in your run before work. This is an obviousone, but it needs to be said. Don’t count on doing your runs after work. Be-tween fatigue, hunger, and unexpected time-devouring crises, the windowon an evening run can slam shut in the blink of an eye. If you need to get upat 5 or 6 a.m., do it. You’ll be surprised to see how many other runners areout there, too. Seeing dawn break and knowing that your workout goal hasalready been met is a great way to start the day.

Do two-a-days. Don’t have time for your scheduled long run? Do halfin the morning and the other half in the evening. Or break it up even fur-

ther. I’ve had days where my daily mileage was 10 or 12 miles, broken up intoa mile or two here or there all through the day. It all counted, since the en-durance-building benefits of multiple runs done on the same day are com-parable to that of a single long run. You might even have a stronger pace forthese shorter runs than you could sustain for a single longer run, which willhelp improve your speed and running economy.

Make your commute part of your workout. Running a few miles to work(or from the train station, bus stop, or parking lot) takes longer than drivingor taking public transportation, but it takes less time than commuting andrunning combined. Do a round trip running commute and you’ll get in yourtwo-a-day workout. Saving money and the environment are just addedbonuses. The trick here is to work out the logistics. The best scenario in-volves a locker room or shower facility at your job that you can use, or anearby gym that you could join. In a pinch, you can wash up in the rest-room.

Regarding office wear, you could bring a supply of clothing to your jobif you have somewhere you could store it, and get to know a local laundryand dry cleaner service. You could also take the day’s clothing in a backpack.While many people don’t like the idea of running with a loaded backpack,it’s actually a good training tool. Since excessive lateral and vertical movementwill cause the backpack to swing wildly, you’ll be forced to quiet your formto keep the backpack from jumping around. Over time, this could save youfrom a wide range of impact-related injuries.

Go for quality over quantity for mid week runs. Only have a 30-minutewindow in which to run? Then do a hard 30-minute tempo run at 80–85%of your maximum heart rate (or an 8 out of 10 on the Rate of Perceived Ex-ertion scale). This intense workout, done once or twice a week, could dra-matically improve your speed, form, and overall fitness, even as it fits neatlyinto your schedule.

Do a stairwell workout. Can’t make it to the track? You might have asuitable alternative right in your office building, especially if it has four ormore floors. Run up the stairs two at a time to build power, or one stair at atime to improve cadence and increase leg turnover, while using the journeyback to the bottom as recovery between repeats. In addition to building ex-plosive power and improving running form, this workout is a relatively low-impact alternative to fast running. And it’s time efficient; an intense workoutshould take only 20–30 minutes.

Be realistic and balanced. As our lives get more complex, it’s importantto keep everything in perspective. An easy short run with my young sonmight not be a killer workout, but it’s still a workout, and it’s also familytime. Even if these workouts compromise my speed a bit, I wouldn’t tradethem for all the PRs the world.

Jeff Horowitz is an RRCA-certified running coach, as well as a certified personaltrainer and triathlon coach. He’s the author of My First 100 Marathons: 2,620Miles with an Obsessive Runner (Skyhorse, 2008) and writes for several sportsand running magazines, including this one. His story “RUNNING HIGH: En-counters with the Himalayan Stage Race” appeared in our Summer 2010 issueand “Become a Complete Runner” appeared in Fall/Winter 2009. He’s run over140 marathons in every state, as well as on most continents, including Antarc-tica, but his biggest challenge is helping his wife Stephanie chase after their 4-year-old son, Alex. Contact him at [email protected] orwww.RuntotheFinishLine.com.

WhenGOOD ENOUGHIs

GOOD ENOUGHHow to Keep Your Running Intact When Time Is Scarce By Jeff Horowitz

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RRCA Program Spotlight

R R C A . o r g20 • ClubRunning S p r i n g 2 0 1 1

The Road Runners Club of America is pleased to announce the first com-munities to receive the Runner Friendly Community® designation, espe-cially our 2011 Outstanding Runner Friendly Community award going tothe Monterey Peninsula in California.

The goal of the Runner Friendly Community program is to shine a na-tional spotlight on communities that stand out as runner friendly and toprovide incentives and ideas for communities to work toward becomingRunner Friendly Communities. Runner friendly communities can increasethe quality of life, improve physical activity for residents as outlined in theNational Physical Activity Plan, and provide increased economic impactfor the community.

“Each organization that completed our detailed application on behalfof their community clearly outlined how their community is meeting and,in many ways, exceeding our criteria,” explained Jean Knaack, RRCA ex-ecutive director. “While all are deserving of the designation, MontereyPeninsula was a clear standout for our Outstanding Runner Friendly Com-munity award for 2011.”

Monterey Peninsula, CAOutstanding Runner Friendly Community

Application submitted by Big Sur International Marathon. View their Runner Friendly Community video spotlight at www.rrca.org/programs/runner-friendly-community/official

The Monterey Peninsula is one of the nation’s top visitor destinations,offering an abundance of outdoor activities. The numerous trails are wellsuited for walking, running, and biking. This abundance of great runningroutes make the Monterey Peninsula a perfect spot for foot races, whichserve as fundraising events for local charities. A few of note are the Big SurHalf Marathon on Monterey Bay, the Together with Love Run, the Steven-son School Run, the SPCA’s Wag ‘n’ Walk, the Juvenile Diabetes CoastalWalk, and the Triathlon at Pacific Grove, to name a few.

The Monterey Peninsula is a devoted running community. Not onlydo thousands of local residents participate in all the local races, but manyin the community volunteer. The Big Sur International Marathon countsnearly 2,500 volunteers for its spring race. The area is also home to the non-profit running club Wednesday Night Laundry Runners (WNLR) withover 250 members.

In addition to the strong support of elected officials and city staff

members, the local Cham-bers of Commerce andConvention & Visitors Bu-reau promote outdoor ac-tivities such as running intheir promotional materialsand outreach to visitors andthe travel media. The Mon-terey County Visitors Guide and award-winning website feature runningevents and the abundance of outdoor trails in the community. The city’swebsite also lists the variety of races that are held on the Monterey Penin-sula. The Community Recreation Department organizes summer trackmeets, and the local college, Cal State University Monterey Bay, offers itstrack for kids’ races throughout the year.

The City of Monterey has given a significant cash grant to bolster theJUST RUN! youth fitness program and to support two annual JUST RUN!Just Kids 3K goal races. This youth fitness program is held in 30 elemen-tary schools on the Monterey Peninsula, reaching nearly 4,000 students.

With Monterey County being such a popular running destination,the local media provides coverage for local races, high school cross countryand track & field, and running in general. The Monterey Herald has twostanding running columns, “The Running Life,” penned by local distancerunners Mike Dove and Donald Buraglio, and “Marathon Mom,” writtenby Olympic marathoner Blake Russell. The local television stations regularlysponsor local races as well as provide race day coverage. KSBW Television,the local NBC affiliate, runs live morning shows from the Big Sur races andfeatures nearly a week of pre-race coverage. Another local newspaper colum-nist, John Devine, has a weekly webcast, which often features current highschool runners on his in-studio show. All local media enthusiastically coverkids running events and programs throughout the year.

Community leaders who provided support and letters of recommen-dation included Chuck Della Sala, mayor of the City of Monterey; JohnReyes, president & CEO of the Monterey Convention & Visitors Bureau;Dana M. Jones, Monterey sector superintendent, Monterey District - Cal-ifornia State Parks; and many more.

Dallas, TexasApplication submitted by the Dallas Running ClubDallas offers many trails and sidewalk options for runners, and there con-tinue to be more and longer options developed. The most common trailsinclude the Dallas White Rock Lake covering 9.3 miles and very little cartraffic. Many areas are well-lit, with water fountains aplenty. There are per-manent restroom structures as well as porta-potties available for runners’

use. The Katy Trail is 3.5 miles with a separate asphalt trail for runners.Water fountains are located on the route and clearly marked

warning signs for automobiles to yield to the runner traf-fic. The Santa Fe Trail, which is approximately 4

miles, connects Deep Ellum and Downtown tothe White Rock Lake.

Dallas is home to the Dallas RunningClub, one of the top three largest RRCArunning clubs in the country. The cityalso boasts over 30 running events heldannually. Debbie Fetterman writes aweekly column in the Dallas MorningNews with information about up-coming races and interesting stories ofrunners, and race results are posted inthe sports section. Through the Com-munity Council of Greater Dallas, theorganization has a collaborative local

RRCA Announces Its First-Ever Runner Friendly Communities

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physical activity plan to promote healthy lifestyles for Dallas area childrenthrough physical activity and nutrition.

Community leaders who provided support and letters of recommen-dation included Dallas Running Club president Peggy Munroe, DallasWhite Rock Marathon race director Marcus Grunewald, Friends of theKaty Trail executive director Robin Baldock, former Dallas police chiefDavid Kunkle, and many more.

Wichita Falls, TexasApplication submitted by the Wichita Falls Runners ClubWichita Falls has a Metropolitan Planning Committee composed of cityleaders (government, Police, Fire, and Streets and Parks), businesses, com-munity advocates (both cyclists and runners), who meet quarterly and dis-cuss, plan, apply for grant funds, and continually update their 10-year trailaccess plan. The committee has a projected 26-mile concrete loop trail cir-cling the city with many spurs, so all areas of the city are accessible by thetrail. The committee also makes provisions for trail lighting, bathrooms,water fountains, and safety. The trail includes an additional dirt system thathas been voted as the best urban trail in Texas. The concrete trail currentlyhas over 11 miles of finished trail and a 2-mile connecter is currently underconstruction.

The community is home to the Wichita Falls Runners Club and hometo the largest Air Force training base, Sheppard Air Force Base. The runningcommunity receives a great deal of support from the Air Force which hostsruns, provides volunteers, and supports local events.

Community leaders who provided support and letters of recommen-dation included Glenn Barham, mayor of Wichita Falls; Harry Patterson,president of Patterson Auto Center, Inc.; Jarvis Polvado, owner of TexomaCycling Center; Richard and Susan Koch, owners of EAT Ventures dba asQuiznos; and more.

Fredericksburg, VirginiaApplication submitted by the Marine Corps Marathon and the Fredericksburg Area Running ClubFredericksburg has sidewalks, multi-use trails, and paths that are runnerfriendly. This includes the historic downtown area, Lee Drive, Civil Warbattleground trails, and the Rappahannock River Heritage Trail that run-ners share. Within the next few months, the Riverside Drive Trail projectwill connect with the Canal Path allowing for a 5K loop. The University ofMary Washington (UMW) and local high schools allow public use of theirstate-of-the art tracks, which are well lit and maintained. Local trails andparks offer drinking fountains, public restrooms are provided in the down-town district, and UMW has emergency phones posted. The majority of therunning areas are maintained to include snow removal in the winter. Fred-ericksburg Area Trail Maintenance Group involvement ensures upkeep ofthe trails. Most streets and major intersections in the city utilize well-markedstop signs, traffic/cross walk lights, and well-marked cross walks. The Fred-ericksburg Pathways Committee and Fredericksburg Office of Planningand Community Development are committed to expanding trails and pathsfor running and pedestrian use. They ensure upkeep, safety, and publicawareness, and have developed a master plan. City office and council mem-bers support race organizers by approving permits, promoting races, andshowing commitment by supporting the running community. Fredericks-burg FD/PD is actively involved in race planning and execution.

Community leaders who provided support and letters of recommen-dation included Rick Nealis, director Marine Corps Marathon; Jack Mor-rison, president, Fredericksburg Area Running Club (FARC); Tom Tomzak,mayor, City of Fredericksburg; and George Solley, councilmember Ward2, City of Fredericksburg.

Learn more about the RRCA Runner Friendly Community program at www.rrca.org/programs/runner-friendly-community

2011 RRCA National 10K Championship

Azalea Trail Run, Mar. 26 “The pink hues of azaleas mingled with thewhite blossoms of dogwood and bridal wreathare everywhere in sight, and the sweet fragranceof purple wisteria drifts gently in the air. Thou-sands of runners race down the oak-shadedstreets lined by magnificent old homes thatevoke images of a time long past,” is how thecourse is described on the race website. This isa perfect description of the picturesque Mobile,Alabama course, which can also be described asan enjoyably flat loop.

Kenya’s Richard Kandie (pictured farright) won the 34th annual Azalea Trail Run,the RRCA National 10K Championship, witha time of 29:15. Fellow Kenyans Benard Lan-gat and Samuel Kosgei were second and third,respectively, in 29:22 and 30:10. While thecourse is designed to be flat and fast, the toptimes were some of the slower ones posted onit.

“I wanted to run around 28 minutestoday,” said Kandie.

The high humidity and fog on race morn-ing made for difficult conditions for setting

personal bests. Kandie led a group of six runners in the

early stages, and the pack covered the first milein 4:45, indicating it was going to be a tacticalrace. Around the 2-mile mark, the lead groupdwindled to Kandie, Langat, and Kosgei. Byhalfway, Langat and Kandie were runningshoulder-to-shoulder and stayed that way untiljust before 5 miles, when Kandie pulled away.

“It was really hard to run a good time, andI tried to push the pace,” said Kandie. “It wasjust a little bit too humid.”

Janet Cherobon-Bawcom of Rome, Geor-gia (pictured near right), a Kenyan who is anaturalized U.S. citizen, held off Kenya’sRisper Gesabwa and Ethiopia’s AlemtsehayMisganaw to win the women’s elite division in33:22. Gesabwa and Misganaw finished in33:24 and 33:26, respectively.

Cherobon-Bawcom, who didn’t run inthe week leading up to the race because of in-juries, ran the first mile in 5:36, then began topush the pace with Gesabwa and Misganaw.

Matthew Dobson of Jay, Florida and Mo-

Championship Event Series

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RRCA Program Spotlightbile’s Amy Huff were the top overall mastersfinishers in 34:46 and 40:24, respectively.Huff was also the top local female finisher andDerrick Rodgers (31:59) was the top localmale. Leonard Vergunst, age 55, from OceanSprings, Mississippi was the Grand MasterChampion with a time of 36:50. MelanieMoore, age 59 from Mobile was the female

Grand Master Champion with a time of44:10. This also earned her the second-placefemale masters award for the race.

Paul Colomb, age 65, from Lafayette,Louisiana was crowned the first-ever RRCA10K National Senior Grand Master Cham-pion with a time of 39:14. Marian Loftin, age64, from Mobile, was the female Senior Grand

Champion with a time of 52:25.Of special note was Hartford, Alabama

native Winston Hall, age 69, who ran the 5Kin 26:21 to complete his 3,332nd road race.

Compiled by Jean Knaack from the AzaleaTrail Run website and the Mobile Press-

Register report posted at AL.com

R R C A . o r g

RRCA National 10-Mile ChampionshipT hePresidio 10, April 17

The morning fog blanketed the hills of SanFrancisco as nearly 2,500 runners lined up forthe start of the Presidio 10, a 10-mile and 10Krace hosted by The Guardsmen. Since 1947The Guardsmen have been helping at-riskyouth with the resources they need to thrive.Each year they send 2,500 youth to outdooreducation programs and provide scholarshipsupport for more than 250 students at Bay

Area private schools. The race served as theRRCA National 10-Mile Championship andthe Western Region 10K Championship.

Shortly after the start, runners were faced

with a steady climb as they entered the tree-lined streets of the Presidio National Park andwound their way through the former militarybase. Following the turnaround at the top ofthe long hill in the Presidio, runners were ableto get an oceanside view with the Golden GateBridge as a prominent feature in the landscape.

Volunteers diverted runners from the roadand onto the sandy Coastal Trail that skirts thehillside along the Pacific Ocean. There runnersfound the first set of stairs they would en-counter in the race, bringing them to the top ofone of the many military batteries that remainin Presidio National Park.

Continuing on the trail, runners arrivedat the start of the Golden Gate Bridge portionof the race. The fog had already cleared out,and the out-and-back run over the Bridge wasclear and sunny. The race leaders could be seensetting a fast pace as they raced back across theBridge for the last leg of the race along theshoreline of the San Francisco Bay to the finishat Crissy Field.

Runners were treated to a post-race partycomplete with breakfast burritos, pancakes, livemusic, and more.

Male Overall: Jeffrey Peterson from SanAnselmo, CA, age 27, with a time of 55:46Female Overall: Sarah Hallas fromPetaluma, CA, age 31, with a time of1:05:21

Male Master: Scott Dunlap from Woodside, CA, age 41, with a time of 1:00:58Female Master: Gina Walker from Antioch, CA, age 44, with a time of 1:17:20

Male Grand Master: Peter Hsia from SanFrancisco, with a time of 1:06:23Female Grand Master: Suzette Smithfrom Alameda, CA, with a time of 1:23:03

Male Senior Grand Master: Bregy Vancleve from San Fancisco, age 60, with atime of 1:17:32Female Senior Grand Master: CandaceMindigo from Los Altos, CA, age 64, witha time of 1:18:59

RRCA 10 Mile Champions

22 • ClubRunning S p r i n g 2 0 1 1

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©2011 ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (06804)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3 , 2011

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St. Jude patient Christian7 years oldNeuroblastoma

RRCA Program Spotlight

As part of our Run@Work Day initiative, the RRCA is working with theHealthy Weight Commitment Foundation to promote the Your WellnessAdvantage website (www.YourWellnessAdvantage.com), a free resourcesponsored by the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation and the Na-tional Business Group on Health. Through this partnership, our organi-zations are promoting physical activity and healthyliving for adults.

The goal of Run@Work Day is to raise aware-ness about the importance of daily physical activityfor adults. Company-based wellness programs,human resources departments, running clubs, run-ning events, running shoe stores, and individuals na-tionwide are encouraged to plan fun runs and walkswith their employers on Sept. 16 to celebrateRun@Work Day. Run@Work Day events are com-munity-based events that promote and provide the op-portunity for individuals to incorporate at least 30minutes of exercise into their daily routine either beforework, during lunch, or immediately following work.

Learn more about hosting a Run@Work Dayevent at www.RRCA.org/programs/run-at-work/ There you’ll find infor-mation about receiving free promotional posters, sharing informationabout your event, and more.

YourWellnessAdvantage.com a free workplace wellness resource forsmall and mid sized businesses from the Healthy Weight CommitmentFoundation, has expanded its online services in response to results from arecent survey of benefits managers. The new services include a WellnessServices Locator, which helps businesses find local providers of wellness,nutrition, and fitness programs, including a direct link to the Road Run-

ners Club of America designed to help companies and employees find ordevelop local running clubs.

A survey conducted by Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation inJanuary found that only 28% of smaller companies (10–99 employees)had or were in the process of implementing workplace wellness programs,

compared to 78% of larger employers (100–2,499 em-ployees). One of the reasons for this difference in adop-tion appears to be that smaller companies are not awareof the economic benefits of workplace wellness pro-grams. Only 20% of smaller companies surveyed“strongly agreed” that program benefits exceed costs,compared with 38% of the larger employers surveyed.According to the National Business Group on Health,a nonprofit industry advisory group, employers can re-alize up to $3.27 in financial benefits for every $1 in-vested in workplace wellness programs.

In addition to a lack of understanding of the fi-nancial benefits of workplace wellness programs,smaller-company executives indicated that staffingchallenges, lack of support from senior management,

and lack of adequate budgets were keeping them from launching wellnessprograms for their employees. Benefits managers are, however, anxious forhelp in overcoming these challenges. More than 85% of small companiesand 76% of larger employers indicated an interest in developing runningand walking clubs.

To learn more about how your company can reap the rewards ofworkplace wellness, visit www.yourwellnessadvantage.com and host aRun@Work Day event with your company to kick off or celebrate cor-porate wellness.

Save the Date: September 16th



RRCA Awards Spotlight

2011 RRCA Hall of Fame InducteesInaugurated in 1970, the RRCA American Distance Running Hall of Fame inducts individuals who’ve made significant contributions to the sport of longdistance running either through excellence in the sport or significant contributions to the sport. The RRCA congratulates the following individuals for theircontributions to the sport of distance running.

Robert (“Bob”) Owen Kennedy Jr. was born in1970 in Westerville, Ohio, held the Americanrecord at the 3000 meters (7:30.84), 2 miles(8:11.59), and 5000 meters (12:58.21), and was atwo-time Olympian (1992, ’96). He started run-ning while attending Westerville North HS, wherehe chose track after having dabbled in baseball, bas-ketball, and soccer. He finished fifth in the 1987National Junior Championships as a 16-year-old.

Kennedy attended Indiana University wherehe was the 1991 NCAA 1500m national champion

in track and 1991 Indoor NCAA mile champion. He won the NCAA crosscountry championships during his freshman and senior years (1988 and1992). Also during his senior year, he won the USA Track & Field nationalcross country championships, becoming only the second person in historyto win both the NCAA cross country nationals and U.S. national crosscountry championships in the same year. Kennedy’s second USATF na-tional cross country title came in 2004; that 12-year gap between titles(1992 and 2004) is the longest in the history of USATF.

The highlight of Kennedy’s career came at the 1996 Olympics in At-lanta. In the 5000m finals, Kennedy surged to the front at the beginningof the penultimate lap where he held the lead for almost a lap. He waspassed just before the closing lap and ultimately placed 6th overall. He alsomade it to the finals of the 1992 Olympic 5000m race, where he placed12th. Kennedy suffered a back injury in an auto accident before the 2000Olympic Trials and missed seven weeks of training so he was unable tomake the Olympic team that year.

Kennedy was a four-time USA Track & Field national champion inthe 5000: 1995, 1996, 1997, and 2001. After running a personal best of27:37 in the spring of 2004, Kennedy competed in the 2004 U.S. OlympicTrials in the 10,000 meter race, but had to drop out due to an injury he hadsuffered in the weeks leading up to the Trials. After recovering, he brieflytried his hand at the marathon, dropping out of the New York CityMarathon that autumn, and has since retired from competitive distancerunning.

Kennedy became a father of twins in 2005 when his wife Melina gavebirth to son, Marcus, and daughter, Sophia.

Alan Culpepper, born in 1972, is a two-time U.S.Olympian, qualifying for both the 2000 and 2004Olympic Games. He got started running in a sum-mer track program offered through a local club.Culpepper graduated from Coronado HS in ElPaso, where he won five Texas state titles in crosscountry and track. He attended the University ofColorado in Boulder, where he won the NCAAoutdoor 5000-meter title and placed 10th at theOlympic Trials in that event. The following year,he placed 2nd at the USATF Nationals and repre-

sented the U.S. at the 1997 World Championships.Culpepper graduated with degrees in geography and sociology from

Colorado in 1996. Following graduation, he remained in Boulder to con-

tinue training. In 1999, he won his first national title at the USA crosscountry championships. That spring, he also won the 10,000m at theUSATF outdoor championships and ran that event at the 1999 WorldChampionships. In 2000, he took second in the 10,000m at the U.S.Olympic Trials and went on to represent the U.S. at the 2000 OlympicGames. He also ran the 10,000m at the 2001 World Championships. Hewon another U.S. track championship in 2002, when he took the 5000mtitle. That fall, he made his marathon debut in Chicago, running 2:09:41.

Culpepper ran his second marathon at the U.S. Olympic Trials in2004 in Birmingham, Alabama where he won the event, edging out long-time rival Meb Keflezighi in 2:11:42. Culpepper placed 12th at theOlympic Marathon in Athens. In 2005, Culpepper ran a 13:25.75, a per-sonal best, in the 5000m at the 2005 Norwich Union British Grand Prixin London. He ran 2:11:02 to take fifth in the 2006 Boston Marathon.

Culpepper married 1500m runner Shayne Wille in November 1997,and they have two sons, Cruz Samuel, born in 2002, and Levi James, bornin 2006.

Julia Emmons is the former executive di-rector of the 10,000-member AtlantaTrack Club and former director of thePeachtree Road Race, the world’s largestand best-known 10K with 55,000 runners.In her 22 years as head of the Atlanta TrackClub, she was very active on the nationalrunning scene, serving as chair of Women’sLong Distance Running for USA Track &Field from 1990–1996. She directed theOlympic men’s and women’s marathons

and race walks for the 1996 Games in Atlanta, and was on the U.S.women’s track & field team for the 2004 Athens Olympics as assistantcoach for endurance events (marathon, racewalk). In 2005, Emmons servedas an assistant manager for the U.S. track & field team at the World Cham-pionships in Helsinki. She served on the RRCA board of directors as vicepresident in 1988 and ’89.

Emmons is committed to Atlanta’s civic health, serving on the At-lanta City Council and on a number of nonprofit, culturally orientedboards of directors including MOCA-GA, the Atlanta History Center, andThe Theatrical Outfit. She served for 3 years as president of the AllianceTheatre Guild and was a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’sPartners in Performance outreach efforts. She’s also on the board of the At-lanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. A member of Leadership Atlanta’sclass of 2001, she remains active with that organization. In 2006, Atlantamayor Shirley Franklin presented Julia with the Phoenix Award, the city’shighest honor, for her dedication and service. In 2007, Mayor Franklin ap-pointed Julia to Atlanta’s License Review Board, which she was delightedto discover reviews the awarding of business licenses not only to bars andrestaurants, but also tattoo parlors.

Learn more about all of the RRCA Hall of Fame members at www.RRCAHistory.org

Bob Kennedy

Alan Culpepper

Julia Emmons

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asics.com

running releases more than just sweat.the gel-kayano® 17. biomechanically engineered for a man’s foot.


2010 RRCA Road Runners of the YearDeveloped in the 1975, the RRCA’s Road Runner of the Year Award, for both open male and female, are given to American runners with an outstandingrecord of road racing performances during the past year. In 1984, the RRCA added male and female masters categories to the Road Runner of the Year Awards.We’re pleased to recognize the outstanding racing performances of the following 2010 RRCA Road Runners of the Year.

2010 marked a successful year on the roads and in distance events forShalane, who’s well known for her success on the track, including herBronze medal finish in the 10,000m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics,where she set a new American record of 30:22.22, shattering her ownAmerican record set earlier that year. She kicked off 2010 with a win atthe USA Half Marathon Championships in Houston, setting a courserecord of 69:41 in her debut at this distance. She followed up that titlewith a stunning second-place finish at the ING New York CityMarathon, becoming the 2010 USA marathon champion in her debutmarathon with a time of 2:28:40. Shalane went on to win the USAwomen’s cross country championship title. In international competi-tion, she led Team USA to the Bronze medal at the 2010 World CrossCountry Championships, finishing 12th in the individual competition.

Flanagan grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts, where she at-tended Marblehead High School and excelled in cross country andtrack. Her prep accomplishments included three-time all-state crosscountry performances, a first-place all-state finish in the mile, and a 2-

mile win in a record that still stands. Sheattended the University of North

Carolina, Chapel Hill, where shewon national cross country ti-tles in 2002 and 2003, be-coming the first individualchampion in the sport in TarHeel history.

Compiled from informationat shalaneflanagan.com

Antonio kicked off 2010 in Houston at the USA Half MarathonChampionships where he placed first with a time of 1:01:54 to claimhis first national championship title. His racing performances for theyear also included an eighth-place finish at the USA Cross CountryChampionships, third at the USA 15K Championships, fourth at theUSA 7-Mile Championships, second at the USA 10-Mile Champi-onship, and a personal best of 2:13:47 at the B.A.A. Boston Marathon.Antonio has been a Team USA Minnesota member since 2007. In2009, he received an RRCA Roads Scholar® grant.

A graduate of Tartan High School in Oakdale, Minnesota, Vegacompeted in track and was all-state his senior year. He also earned fiveletters in soccer and two letters in football as the place kicker. At theUniversity of Minnesota, he was an All-American in cross country andcompeted in three NCAA cross country championships. He was a four-time All-Midwest Region harrier and was the Midwest Regional crosscountry champion in 2005. In 2006, he was named the Midwest Run-ner of the Year.

Compiled from Antonio Vega’s bio at TeamUSAMinnesota.org

Shalane Flanagan, Open Female Antonio Vega, Open Male

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Stephanie Herbst-Lucke, Female MasterStephanie’s running career has spanned the better part of three decades.In 2010, she had another impressive year where she was the top femalemaster at the USA 10-Mile Championship hosted by the MedtronicTwin City 10-Mile. Almost more impressive at the race was her eighth-place overall finish for all females, beating much of the competition 15to 20 years younger than she is. Stephanie was the top female masterfinisher at the 2010 Peachtree Road Race, and the 18th overall femalefinisher including being the top U.S. female finisher overall. At thePhiladelphia Half Marathon, she qualified for the 2012 U.S. OlympicMarathon Trials, running a time of 72:15 and placing eighth overall,third American (behind Shalane Flanagan and Katie McGregor), andfirst masters finisher.

Stephanie grew up in Chaska, Minnesota, where she ran crosscountry and track in high school. She became a member of the Uni-versity of Wisconsin’s national champion cross country team and wenton to win the Big Ten 10,000m title in the spring of 1985. In her soph-

omore year, she set the indoor NCAA record in the 3000m, another inthe outdoor 10,000m, and was the national champion at 5000m. Alltold, Stephanie earned six All-American awards, seven Big Ten titles,five NCAA championships, four consecutive Academic All-Americanawards, and Big Ten Athlete of the Year honors in 1985–86.

Herbst-Lucke is a mother who places a priority on maintaining ahealthy family life with her husband, Jim, and their children. When plan-ning her return to competitive running in 2006–07 after taking time tobuild a successful career in marketing, she managed to fit in 100 miles oftraining each week, but not on the weekends, which she reserved for fam-ily time. Since her return to the sport, Stephanie has won the masters di-vision at the 5K, 15K, 20K, and 25K USA championships, finished as thethird master at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon in Boston,and as the second master in the Chicago Marathon. She was named the2009 RRCA Master Runner of the Year, and in 2010 she was inductedinto the Minnesota Track & Field Hall of Fame.

“Doug Goodhue is one of the premier masters runnersin the United States. As time passes, he is coming tobe recognized as one of the greatest American mastersrunners of all time.”

—Mitchell GarnerAnn Arbor Track Club (AATC) member

Doug is a multiple USA Track & Field nationalchampion at various distances and he currently holdsthe American 20K record for males 65–69, having setthis record in 2010 at the New Haven Road Race onSept. 6. His finish time, 1:20:05, eclipsed the priorAmerican record by an astounding 1 minute and 40seconds. He set the age record at age 68, three yearsolder than the previous recordholder for that age group.

Doug’s 2010 race calendar consisted of 25 races;he won his age group in all 25 races. In addition, hewon five USATF national championships. He wasnamed USATF Runner of the Year for male runners65 –69. Running Times has ranked him the #1 runnerin the United States among male runners 65–69 forfour consecutive years, including 2010.

Beyond his running achievements, Doug is an un-selfish volunteer who gives back to the sport of run-ning through his involvement with AATC races. Lastyear, he served as the race director for the KensingtonChallenge 15K, a 2010 RRCA state championshipevent, and as race coordinator for the 2010 USATFNational Masters 10K Road Championship held inconjunction with the Dexter–Ann Arbor Run. In ad-dition, Doug serves on several other local race com-mittees.

Doug Goodhue, Male Master

ASI

Herbst-Lucke and Goodhueracing in 2010.


At our recent Running Network meetings, one of the publishers asked why we review brands that are, well,hard to find. That question launched us into a discussion about what our responsibilities are as publishers.While most think there are only about a dozen running shoe companies, our footwear and apparel reviewerCregg Weinmann noted that he keeps tabs on 43 brands, if you include trail running companies. Cregg andI have always been united in what his mission is: to provide you, the consumer, with knowledge of the bestproducts, whether they come from large companies or small ones, whether 750 stores carry those productsor just 50, or even whether they advertise in our publications or not.

We review far more shoes than actually make it into these pages. In fact, we weartested 35 shoes toget to the 20 you see in this issue. Shoes from Scott, On, and Li-Ning did well enough to make the cut. Whilerelatively new, these are brands we’ve been following for some time, and they’re available at some run spe-cialty stores. While they don’t have the distribution of adidas, ASICS, Brooks, Mizuno, New Balance, Nike,Puma, and Saucony, in our business, good shoes rise to the top. Run specialty stores carry what sells andwhat you demand. That’s why brands like K-Swiss, Karhu, and Newton are filling more and more spots onshoe walls across the country. In fact, K-Swiss was brand new to the party just 2 years ago. We feel it’s ourresponsibility to let you know the full array of what’s available. If we don’t, how will we ever see somethingother than the status quo? Competition is a good thing, and so is an informed customer.

In the end, of course, what you buy and wear is your choice. We provide our reviews as the beginningof your journey to find the just-right shoe for your activity level and needs. Read our reviews, then go to yourrun specialty store, try on six or seven brands and discuss them with the store staff. After all, they live thefootwear battle, one pair at a time, 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year.

Please note that www.runningnetwork.com and www.runblogrun.com now have iPhone apps, and thatmost of the 23 titles in our network are available as digital versions, so now you can take us with you on thego! You’ll find details at www.runningnetwork.com.

Finally, if you have any comments or questions about a review, please email me at [email protected] or call me at 608.239.3785. I’d love to hear from you.

Larry EderPresident, Running Network LLC

American Track & Fieldwww.american-trackandfield.com

Athletes Only www.atf-athlete.comAthletics (Canada) www.athleticsontario.caAustin Fit www.austinfitmagazine.comCalifornia Track & Running News www.caltrack.comClub Running www.rrca.org/publications/club-runningCoaching Athletics Quarterly

www.coachingathleticsq.comColorado Runner www.coloradorunnermag.comGet Active! www.healthclubs.comGreater Long Island Running Club’s Footnotes

www.glirc.orgLatinos Corriendo www.latinoscorriendo.comMarathonGuide.com www.marathonguide.comMichigan Runner www.michiganrunner.netMissouri Runner & Triathlete www.morunandtri.comRunning Journal & Racing South www.running.netRunMinnesota www.runmdra.orgRUNOHIO www.runohio.comTrack & Field News www.trackandfieldnews.comUSATF’s Fast Forward www.usatf.orgUSATF–New England’s Exchange Zone www.usatfne.orgThe Winged Foot www.nyac.orgThe Winged M www.themac.comYouth Runner www.youthrunner.com

French philosopher Jean-Baptiste Karr’s oft-quoted words“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” is usually trans-

lated “The more things change, the more they remain thesame,” and that’s certainly true with the shoe offerings in Spring2011.

We’ve had some new thinking and some new companies evi-dent in every season for as long as I’ve been reviewing shoes.The changes we’re seeing this spring are merely a broadeningof the shoes offered; the old reliables continue to be there.

More lightweight and performance shoes are being introducedthan in several decades (they represent fully half of the shoesin this review), more new brands are launching, new technolo-gies continue to be introduced, and there’s more parity in theindustry than perhaps ever. New thinking that’s been percolat-ing in shoemakers’ minds for some time has finally flooded out,prompted by barefoot enthusiasts, as well as the emergingranks of minimalist supporters.

But never fear, the well-cushioned neutral category and motionstabilizing shoes continue to roll along, meeting the require-ments of runners with specific biomechanical needs and fitnesslevels who aren’t yet ready for or interested in less shoe.

So for those runners looking for something new—we have it.For those who prefer to stick with their tried-and-true, we havethose, too.

—Cregg Weinmann, Running Network Footwear Reviewer

Reviewer:: Cregg Weinmann ProjectCoordinator/Editor: Christine JohnsonDesigner: Kristen Cerer Proofreader:Marg Sumner, Red Ink Editorial ServicesShoe Photography: Daniel Saldaña, CreggWeinmann Advertising Sales: RunningNetwork LLC, Larry Eder, President,608.239.3785, [email protected]: Larry Eder, 608.239.3785 Website: www.runningnetwork.com For a Media Kit, please visit our website.

This 2011 Spring Shoe Review is produced inde-pendently by Running Network LLC for its partnerpublications. All shoes reviewed were tested byexperienced, competitive runners who were matchedto the biomechanical purpose of each shoe model.

Copyright © 2011 by Running Network LLC. AllRights Reserved. No part of this publication may bestored, copied, or reprinted without prior writtenpermission of Running Network LLC.

Running Network LLC and its partner publicationssuggest that, as with all fitness activities, you meetwith a healthcare professional before beginning orchanging your fitness regimen.

AWARD WINNERS

BEST RENOVATION

SPRING 2011

BEST NEW SHOE

SPRING 2011

BEST SHOE

S P R I N G 2 0 11

Performance

BEST SHOE

Neutral

S P R I N G 2 0 11

BEST SHOEMotion

Stabilizing

S P R I N G 2 0 11


BEST RENOVATIONSPRING 2011

BEST NEW SHOESPRING 2011

BEST SHOE

S P R I N G 2 0 11

Performance BEST SHOE

Neutral

S P R I N G 2 0 11

BEST SHOEMotion

Stabilizing

S P R I N G 2 0 11

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Do you need a coach? Absolutely. Why?

• Motivation • Planning and performance• Help to focus your efforts and achieve

your goals • Help to avoid self-destructive training

and racing decisions• Better injury prevention• Make responsible, objective decisions that

are in your best interests

Elite athletes have coaches to help them settheir road map for success and to offer objectivefeedback. They rely on their coaches to set work-outs and training cycles based on their own in-dividual fitness, ability, and goals.

A coach looks at the athlete’s needs, not the

athlete’s training partners, to set workouts, andmakes adjustments to training cycles dependingon the mental and physical condition of theirathlete. A coach helps set racing strategy basedon the athlete, their recent trainingresults, the weather, and course conditions. Egois left out of the equation.

These are the same reasons age-group ath-letes seek out coaches: they’re looking for guid-ance and feedback to reach their own personalpeak performance.

Whether or not you use a coach, you defi-nitely need to think like a coach. For example:What would your coach say about that foot thatwon’t stop throbbing when you run? Wouldyour coach let you shoot for a PR on a daywhen the temperature is 90º and humid?How would your coach respond when youask, “Should I do three marathons in threemonths?” How would a coach evaluateyour training consistency and qualityafter reviewing your training log?

How can you think like acoach? The challenge in coaching moti-vated endurance athletes is getting them to holdback enough to stay healthy. So coach yourselfwith a broader, more objective viewof your goals. Many times, this means control-ling your ego and resisting the peer pressure ofour own endurance community. Train with part-ners but make sure the workout fits your per-sonal needs.

Easy days must be easy. I need my runnersrested and strong when the next hard workoutrolls around on the calendar.

Some days, runners must be told, “No,you should not do that particular race,” becauseit doesn’t fit their training cycle.

Use a detailed training log to track work-outs, aches and pains, weight, and nutrition. Ifyou get injured, set a PR, or have a bad race, useyour training log to figure out how it happened.The training log usually doesn’t lie and can offeruseful objective feedback about your best andworst performances.

Take a big-picture approach to workouts,races, and goals. Is your racing schedule toocrowded? Are you setting challenging, yet realis-tic goals? As a coach, I’m responsible for helping my runners stay healthy and make the

best decisions to reach their potential. Do I al-ways “do as I say?” No, but I try. If you can usea coach—or start thinking like a coach—tomake smart, objective training decisions, you’llhave a much better shot at reaching your peakperformance.

Coach Kevin is an RRCA certified coach and na-tional coach for Team McGraw. Listen to coachKevin each week as he co-hosts “Pure Fit Radio.”Listen online at www.PureFitRadio.com andsubscribe for free at iTunes!

RRCA Coach’s Training Tips

30 • ClubRunning S p r i n g 2 0 1 1

By Kevin Leathers, RRCA Certified Coach

Why Runners Should Use a Coach (Or At Least Think Like One)

R R C A . o r g

If you can use a coach—or start thinking like a coach—tomake smart, objectivetrainingdecisions, you’ll have amuch better shot at reaching your peak performance.

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