roguerunning.com News and Articles

Hot, Humid, Hard San Antonio Rockn' Roll

It was a tough day in San Antonio for the Rock n' Roll Half & Full Marathons. The day started for everyone well before 7:30 am with close to 100% humidity and fairly warm morning temperatures. Rogue was very well represented by approximately 200 athletes racing in both the full & Hall marathon distances.

Some preliminary highlights include Rogue's own Allison Macsas was the 3rd women overall in the half marathon at 1:18:30. Also in the elite women's rankings 10th female overall was Nicole Crank. On the men's side Team Rogue Elite team mates Kyle Miller & Darren Brown cross the finish line in 1:09:18. They were just doing what their coach Steve Sisson had told them, running a comfortably hard 5:15 pace.

There were so many Rogue's out that that Glenn Pearson overheard another athlete on the course exclaim, "who are all these Rogue that keep passing me!" It's apparent that we were noticed and noted by the 25,000+ runners out in SA this morning!

Stay tuned for results from the rest of Rogue!

UT Women's Team

-The Women's Cross Country team will compete in the 2009 NCAA South Central Regional Championship in Waco, Texas. The 6K race is set to begin at 11 a.m. Central at the Cottonwood Creek Golf Course.

-Running for Texas this weekend will be seniors Betzy Jimenez, Allison Mendez,Asia Myrland, and Lauren Salisbury, sophomores Mia Behm and Ginny Simon, and freshman Melissa Mahoney.

- The two top teams at the NCAA South Central Region Championships meet will automatically qualify for the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships held in Terre Haute, Ind. on Nov. 23. Additionally, the top four individual finishers who are not on one of the top two teams will earn a spot in the national meet."

Here are the results:

http://www.deltatiming.com/results/xcresults.aspx?yf=2009&mf=ncaa-xc-south-central-region&ev=1&sp=True

4th Team! Not bad!

Betsy qualifies for NCAA's!

But... dang, looks like Mia missed the NCAA's by less than a second. :(

Too bad for her.

But hey, they whooped up on A&M!!!

The Importance of Ice Baths

Better Recovery With Ice Baths

By Steven Miarhci, as featured in the September 2006 issue of Running Times Magazine here.

With the last of the junior sprinters pulling in 65-second 400s, a grueling interval workout grinds to a close at Saint Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, Florida. Coach Eddie Ernest Jones, a 1:05 half-marathoner, glances over his gasping crew and intuits exactly what their burnt-out bodies require. "Ice baths!" he barks, and the tumultuous cacophony of outrage and joy that issues from the students expresses perfectly the mysterious, Gothic aura surrounding this frigid recovery tool.

Mythic as it may sound, ice bathing has caught on among the elite. A photo on Paula Radcliffe’s site shows the marathon world record holder relaxing her legs in a chilly stream. Meb Keflezighi’s preparation for the 2004 Olympic marathon included similar daily soakings. Saint Andrew’s athletic trainer Craig Ashley, who holds a Master of Science degree in Exercise and Sports Sciences, says that hydrotherapy’s benefits span the anatomical spectrum: "Ice immersion is a very effective modality in the treatment of subacute injuries or inflammation, muscular strains, and overall muscular soreness."

From lacrosse to football, athletes of all seasons consult Ashley with their pains, often to be pointed to the infamous "wet room" where the galvanized tubs reside. Why not simple ice packs? "When an individual removes an ice pack after the typical 20-minute application, temperatures within the muscles increase instantly," Ashley explains. Packs may suffice for surface-level pain, but for deep, lasting treatment, baths can’t be beat. "Even after the conclusion of the treatment," Ashley says, "the muscles will continue to cool."

For runners in particular, ice baths offer two distinct improvements over traditional techniques. First, immersion allows controlled, even constriction around all muscles, effectively closing microscopic damage that cannot be felt and numbing the pain that can. You may step into the tub to relieve sore calves, but your quads, hams, and connective tissues from hips to toes will gain the same benefits, making hydrotherapy an attractive preventive regimen. Saint Andrew’s cross-country coach John O’Connell, a 2:48 masters marathoner, will hit the ice baths before the ibuprofen. "Pain relievers can disguise injury," he warns. "Ice baths treat both injury and soreness."

The second advantage involves a physiological reaction provoked by the large amount of muscle submerged. Assuming you have overcome the mind’s initial flight response in those first torturous minutes, the body fights back by invoking a "blood rush." This rapid transmission circulation flushes the damage-inflicting waste from your system, while the cold water on the outside preserves contraction. Like an oil change or a fluid dump, the blood rush revitalizes the very areas that demand fresh nutrients.

Even if you don’t have access to a $5,000 hydrotherapy pool, you can set up the same ice bath at home. Modern research points to 12–15º C or 54–60º F as the ideal ice bath temperature range; remember that the temperature will rise steadily with your body heat. Significantly colder baths offer no additional perks and can actually perpetrate cold-induced muscle damage or spontaneous fainting—a good reason to have a friend watch your back while sharing in the misery.

Once you feel the blood rush around the six-minute mark, stay in for a couple more minutes, but don’t overdo it. Muscles and tissues can tense up with too much cold, and to avoid tightness you should take a warm shower 30 to 60 minutes later.

Though ice immersion may seem fantastic from afar, the superior recovery from your toughest days will find you burning a path back to your bath sooner than you think.

Stephen Mirarchi holds a Ph.D. in American Literature and is a seminarian at Kenrick-Glennon in Saint Louis. He celebrated his first half marathon, run in 1:23:57, with a cold bath and a colder beer.

Race Results & PR's

This weekend races & results have been pouring in this morning. If you have results that we can post please email ruth@roguerunning or allison@roguerunning.com.

M2M Marathon:
Saturday Coach Fred Fletcher & James Allen both won M2M Marathon! Great job guys.

Amsterdam Marathon:
Cat Cremer, our international Rogue went out and ran a 3:08:11 on her stopwatch this morning at the Amsterdam Marathon in her 2nd Marathon ever! (lets not forget that she followed Sisson's coaching but trained on her own out there in Holland!) A 14 min PR!

Palo Dura:
Dan Aja trained mostly on his own was able to shaved 50 mins over his time last year at the Palo Duro 50km Trail race, to finish in a VERY impressive 4:49 for THIRD OVERALL!!!!

IBM 10k:
Today in Austin many Rogue's had great days on the IBM course. Rogue's own bloger & racer Allison Macsas won the overall female in 35:32.

Chuck Lesniak, Riff Raft Runner, 51:28, **2:58 PR
Charles Collins, **54 second PR
Larry Bright, won his age group
Group of Tronky Runners:
*Catherine* 39:10" 1st Masters overall (PR)
*Mandy* 41:11" 3rd AG *
*Audrey* 43:27 1st AG (over 40 PR)
*Kim *45:16" 11th AG *
*Mary *45:30' 1st AG (PR)
*Amy* 46:26" 11th AG (PR)
*Kelly* 47:44" 13th AG *

Baystate Marathon:
Dustin, brother of Team Rogue's Damon trained some with Team Rogue training (he lived, trained, then commuted from Temple for our Saturday runs) for CIM and Austin last year then moved to Boston where he hooked up with the Greater Boston Track Club and trained hard over the last 5 months. Today he ran the Baystate Marathon just outside beantown in a HUGE 2:56!! That's over a 20 minute PR from Austin earlier this year!

Marathon PR's

The Rogue Crew that ran the Chicago marathon had a great day. Take a look at the results we have so far!

Scoob finished in 3:33. (a 10-min. PR over 3:43 Houston '09.
Gabriel 3:41 (huge PR)
Paul 3:54 (I think a PR of 3+ min. over Lincoln)
T 4:22 (9-min. PR, best was 4:31 Houston '09)
Joe 4:28 (20-min. PR over his first marathon, about 30-min. over Marine Corp)
He-Chris 4:35 (a 30-min.+ huge PR)

We are looking for more information from the Chicago marathon. Email us allison@roguerunning.com

Thorne Ironman

Yesterday a couple 1000 people participated in the Hawaii Ironman. One of those couple 1,000 was Joe Thorne, a member of Team Rogue. This was Joe's first Ironman ever. Joe qualified after winning his age group at the Buffalo Springs Half Ironman triathlon in June. Joe finished his first Ironman in 9 hours 35 minutes. Joe had an amazing run, where he passed over 450 people and ran the 4th fastest marathon of the day in 2:50.

Congrats Joe!

Plantar Fasciitis: Who, Why, What To Do

By AJ Zelinski, Advanced Rehabilitation

Plantar fasciitis is a common, painful foot condition. Patients, and sometimes doctors often confuse the terms plantar fasciitis and heel spurs. Plantar fasciitis refers to the syndrome of inflammation of the band of tissue that runs from the heel along the arch of the foot; a heel spur is a hook of bone that can form on the heel bone (calcaneus). About 70% of patients with plantar fasciitis have been noted to have a heel spur that can be seen on X-Ray.

Who gets plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is most often seen in middle-aged men and women, but can be found in all age groups. Plantar fasciitis is diagnosed with the classic symptoms of pain well localized over the heel area of the bottom of the foot. Often the pain from plantar fasciitis is most severe when you first stand on your feet in the morning. Pain often subsides quite quickly, but then returns after prolonged standing or walking.

Plantar fasciitis is sometimes, but not always, associated with a rapid gain of weight. Plantar fasciitis is also sometimes seen in recreational athletes, especially runners. In these athletes, it is thought that the repetitive nature of the sports causes the damage to the fibrous tissue that forms the arch of the foot.
Could something other than plantar fasciitis cause this pain?

Plantar fasciitis can be confused with a condition called tarsal tunnel syndrome. In tarsal tunnel syndrome, an important nerve in the foot, the tibial nerve, is trapped and pinched as it passes through the tarsal tunnel, a condition analogous to carpal tunnel syndrome in the wrist. This may cause symptoms similar to the pain of a plantar fasciitis.

There are also other less common problems such as nerve entrapments, stress fractures, and fat pad necrosis, all of which can cause foot pain. Finally, several rheumatologic conditions can cause heel pain. These syndromes such as Reiter's syndrome and ankylosing spondylitis can cause heel pain similar to plantar fasciitis. If your symptoms are not typical for plantar fasciitis, or if your symptoms do not resolve with treatment, your doctor will consider these possible diagnoses.

Why did I get plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis occurs because of irritation to the thick ligamentous connective tissue that runs from the heel bone to the ball of the foot. This strong and tight tissue contributes to maintaining the arch of the foot. It is also one of the major transmitters of weight across the foot as you walk or run. Therefore, the stress placed on the this tissue is tremendous.

When a patient has plantar fasciitis, the connective tissue that forms the arch of the foot becomes inflamed (tendonitis) and degenerative (tendinosis)--these abnormalities cause plantar fasciitis and can make normal activities quite painful.

Symptoms of plantar fasciitis are typically worsened early in the morning after sleep. At that time, the arch tissue is tight and simple movements stretch the contracted tissue. As you begin to loosen the foot, the pain usually subsides, but often returns with prolonged standing or walking.

Treatment:
Treatment of plantar fasciitis is with short-term rest and controlling the inflammation. Here are the steps patients should take in order to cure their plantar fasciitis:
•   Rest
•   Ice
•   Exercises and Stretches
•   Active Release Technique

three Rogue musketeers - Tahoe

Find out how Coach Carolyn, Claire Secker & Clint are doing at the Tahoe Trip.

Pain Versus Injury

By Ruth England

Am I injured or is this normal soreness? And if this is normal, why does anybody run?

These are the thoughts that cross your mind every morning you get out of bed and take those first few painful steps. Soreness occurs when you begin a running program and when you are trying to increase your speed or distance too fast. If you don’t pay attention to your soreness it will turn into injury; listen to your body and adjust your training to prevent this from happening. The difference between the two is that soreness goes away when you warm up. If your soreness persists after you have warmed up you will favor that part of your body and you will inflame another muscle or joint. This is called a compensation injury and can be worse than the original injury.

If you wake up in the morning and can barely walk, you are either overtraining, in the wrong shoes, or both. You can expect some soreness because your feet are the only part of your body hitting the ground. However, the foot is well designed for running and if it is being stressed properly, you will experience very little soreness. Your early morning pains are an indicator of over training and you should adjust to avoid injury.

Because we are all human and will overdue it occasionally, it is important to know how to get rid of soreness more quickly. The best ways to accomplish this include hydrotherapy, massage therapy, stretching, and alternative exercise. A good hot shower, bath, hot tub, or a session of hot and cold water will bring in blood flow without stress on your muscles and joints. Massage relaxes the muscles and helps rid the muscles of the "junk" that cause the soreness. Stretching your sore muscles gently will not only help remove soreness, but will increase your flexibility.

Alternate forms of exercise will also help ease the soreness and increase your overall fitness. Cross training will keep your muscles balanced and decrease your chance of injury. Swimming, bicycling, and walking are good alternates for your rest days. I don’t recommend trying two new sports at once. If you weren’t active before this program, use water, massage and stretching on your rest days.

The bottom line is, you can’t expect to improve your fitness without getting sore. The secret is to learn how to minimize and recover from it. If your soreness is excessive, your program is too aggressive or if there is a problem with your footwear, nutrition or rest; it should ease as your get accustomed to your training schedule. If you are the type to keep adding more to your program, you can expect continued soreness. Experiment to find your best method of soreness management, then stick with it.

Amy Marsh Wins

Looks like Austin's Amy Marsh in on the verge of winning Ironman Wisconsin. Last we saw she was 16 minutes ahead on the run through the 13 mile mark on the run. Amy had the 2nd best women's time for the swim, 1st fastest bike and we will see what the run holds.

Amy Marsh is the Ford Ironman Wisconsin Women's Champion for 2009. The 32 year old finished with a time of 9:43:04. Amy will be interviewed on Ironman live in a couple minutes. We post a link of the interview. Amy swim a 56, she biked a 5:13, and 3:27 marathon. Amy took the lead at 50 miles on the bike. Amy is planning on doing the Longhorn tri or this might be the icing on the cake!

Congratulations Amy!

GO AMY GO!

Why do they DO that?

By Allison Macsas

Those crazy runners. Who in their right mind wakes up before dawn, stumbles out the door, pushes themselves through miles of discomfort, charges up hills, splashes through puddles, dodges oblivious bleary-eyed drivers while only occasionally pausing to gulp water from a little paper cone, then returns a sweaty, smelly, gasping mess with a huge SMILE on their face? Why on earth do they DO that?

Those of us who are runners know that the real question is why WOULDN’T you do that? The benefits of running are endless and ever-expanding. They stretch far beyond just weight loss and nicely sculpted calves (although that may be what gets a lot of people started!) – many runners aren’t even aware of just how much good they are doing for themselves, they just know that they can’t stop!

So what is it that makes running stick? Aspirations of a trim waistline and taut leg muscles might provide the incentive to start, but there is a lot more that keeps us going.

Community. Runners bond with other runners in a way that can’t really be described to outsiders. The people you run with day after day become your friends, your family and, some days, become your own personal therapists. You face challenges together, reach goals together and see each other at your most unattractive state of sweatiness. There is an unspoken understanding, and it crosses all demographical and cultural boundaries – go for a run in any country on earth and you will see others doing the same, all exchanging a knowing smile.

Physical health. Running burns calories more efficiently than nearly any other form of exercise, which makes it an excellent weight loss tool. Beyond that, however, there are an unlimited number of additional (though less visible) health benefits. The heart, a very important muscle, is given a constant workout when running which not only strengthens it and prevents disease, but reduces cholesterol as the hard pumping pressure-cleans the arteries. The immune system is strengthened, guarding against everything from the common cold to cancer, and, contrary to popular belief, all of that foot-pounding actually builds bone mass and lessens the chance of osteoporosis. Additionally, feeling healthier typically leads to other healthy habits. You realize that you aren’t passing up the cheeseburger because you want to lose weight, you’re doing it because you know how much better your run (and the rest of your day) will feel without it.

Mental health. Running is largely a mental sport. Nearly anyone out there can run a marathon, but they have to have the mental fortitude to make the decision, stick with the training and carry through to the finish line. Luckily, your mental strength will increase along with the physical. Running releases endorphins, those feel-good hormones, which plays a big part in those blinding smiles that runners often have. Your mood is boosted, you’re constantly pushing your limits and achieving goals you hadn’t thought possible. You feel like you can do anything, motivation is at an all-time high and you keep going back for more! It’s the healthiest addiction out there.

Simplicity. On the surface, it may seem that running requires lots of STUFF: specialty clothing, fancy watches, strange little packets of gel, designer energy bars. While there are arguments for these things, when it comes right down to it, all you need is a good pair of shoes and the desire to get out there. You can run anywhere – on roads, grass, trails, tracks, treadmills – you just have to put one foot in front of the other. You will see new places, and see old places in a whole new way. You’ll find that running becomes a mental escape, not unlike meditation – it’s your time to reflect, no one else’s, and there’s nothing to take you away from it.

Travel. In a sense, running is the best travel companion out there. As mentioned above, you don’t need to take much, and it’s the perfect way to explore a new place. You can cover more ground than walking, yet move slowly enough to notice things you’d never notice from the window of a car. And of course, running is the perfect excuse to travel, as there are races in every corner of the world, just waiting for you to run them.

So why do runners run? In light of the points above, they’d be crazy not to.

Put it in writing!

By Allison Macsas

You know that you’ve run a lot of miles, are feeling stronger every week and have set some lofty goals for yourself. But just how many miles have you run? How much have your workouts progressed? Most importantly, how will you achieve your next goal?

If you’ve been keeping a running log, you will have clear answers to these questions and more; if you haven’t yet jumped on the record-keeping bandwagon, now is the time to start!

A running log is an essential tool for any runnaer, providing motivation, assistance with goal attainment, identification of injury-catalysts and a record of your personal running history. What you choose to log is completely up to you, but the most effective journals are those with the greatest amount of detail. A few key aspects that you’ll want to consider tracking include:

*Mileage: Arguably the most important element, tracking your mileage will ensure that you don’t do too much too soon (but that you’re doing enough!). It’s a great feeling to watch those miles add up, and logging them will keep you honest; you’re far less likely to skip over that Tuesday easy run when you have to ‘fess up with a big, fat “0” in your logbook!

*Time: Always write down your splits and finish times from quality workouts and races. Chances are that the numbers will only go down as you get stronger, providing an incomparable sense of accomplishment and motivation to get out there and keep improving!

*Course: Keeping track of where you run can be useful as it essentially builds a database of routes that you can choose from any time that you need a change of scenery, and also allows another way to track your progress as you run a certain route faster and faster.

*Feelings: Have you been feeling drained of energy during your last few runs? Any aches or pains? Extra tight muscles? Are you having a hard time pushing through your quality workouts? These are all signs that you could use a day off, more sleep, better food or a good massage; recognizing these signs and taking action is key to preventing injury. In the unfortunate event that you do get injured, reviewing your log will help you identify patterns and make necessary adjustments in the future.

*Weather: Temperature, wind and humidity levels play a big role in your running performance, and making note of daily conditions allows for a fair comparison of your runs!

*Food and fluids: Though many runners don’t go into this much detail, it can be very beneficial to include your food and beverage intake as well. This will help you identify foods that work and don’t work for you, how much you need to maintain your energy levels and to ensure that you’re eating a properly balanced diet. Remaining aware of your fluid intake (quantity and quality!) is also very important and, as with mileage, writing it down will keep you honest.

*Cross-training: Did you ride your bike or swim last weekend? Are you staying consistent with your core-strengthening work and remembering to stretch each day? There’s no better way to establish healthy habits and see first-hand the improvements in your running than by logging it all.

*Shoes: A running log is also a convenient place to make note of when you purchased your current pair of shoes. Running shoes need to be replaced every 300-500 miles, so why not make it easy and schedule a replacement date right alongside your mileage count?

Beyond its practical uses, a running log is an irreplaceable memento of personal growth. Imagine five years from now when you can look back at notes from your days as a beginner and see firsthand just how far you’ve come. You will be reminded of the physical and mental challenges that you faced, see how you overcame them and be inspired to take on new ones ahead. Whether you choose one of the many online running logs or simply jot things down in a small notebook, there is no better way to remain a motivated, healthy and accomplished runner!

**Rogue is currently in the process of developing an online running log that will be incorporated with your program locker room, and accessible indefinitely, regardless of whether you are enrolled in a program or not. It should be up and running soon, but go ahead and start the habit now!**

Unveiling

Watch the race highlights here

Last night's Zilker Relays was the debut of the newly formed post-collegiate team put together by Rogue founder Steve Sisson. The Team’s goal for the evening was to showcase their talents in front of an Austin running crowd. Under threatening skies, blasting winds & occasional downpours the Friday evening race was a challenge for all the teams. Team Rogue Elite's men’s team consisted of four former UT men’s athletes. The lead off leg was run by Joe Thorne, who is currently preparing for his first Hawaii Ironman race in October. Joe ran a tough race bursting through the first mile at a very aggressive pace. His stated goal was to go hard from the gun and gauge how he felt from there. Since he has been concentrating on swim, bike & run for a year he really had not run a lot of runs under 5 minute pace. He ran is first mile was sub-4:30, as he averaged 4:40 per mile producing the fastest 2.5 mile split of the evening in an 11:22.

Leg 2 was run by Kyle Miller, who is just getting started back to training the last month. Kyle had a strong run and averaged 4:56 per mile running just over 12 minutes. He handed off to Darren Brown who has been on a break after his summer in Europe racing 1500 meters. Darren & his dad Barry Brown are the only father/son duo to break the 4 minute mile barrier. Brown ran 11:47 or 4:50 per mile pace. Final leg for the team was run by Erik “Stan” Stanley. Stan ran the 2nd fastest split of the evening in 11:35 at 4:45 per mile pace. Stan has been training with Team Rogue and Sisson all summer for his first road marathon in Portland on October 4th. Erik is also very interested in trail events and will be running the Bandera 50K in January.

Team Rogue women also had the fastest overall time of the day in 7:02. The women’s team has been racing for Rogue for at least 5 years. The team had a new team member this year in lead off leg of Allison Macsas. Allison works in the Rogue office & is a post-collegiate runner. Allison ran the first leg is in 5:43 pace breaking 14 minutes with a 13:57. I believe she had the fastest female split of the evening. 2nd leg was run by one of Austin’s favorite runners, Carmen Troncoso. Carmen ran at a 14:12 at 5:49 pace. We always say it but if any of us can run that pace at 50 we will be lucky. 3rd leg of the women’s team was run by Shannon Presely. Shannon a former pro-soccer player is a very talented runner who as been training with Carmen for several years. She is really gotten fast. Shannon ran her leg in 14:44 or 6:02 pace. Another Austin favorite runner ran the final leg of the team, was Cassandra Henkiel. Cassie was a Olympic trials qualifier 2 years ago in the Marathon. Cassie has won many of the local running events in town including the Capitol 10,000 more than one time.

Congrats Team Rogue Elite!

Drink for your health

By Darren Brown

The reasons for exercising are wide and varied when going from person to person, but the purpose is always the same … to better your body’s health and fitness. Would you continue to run, swim, bike or do any other type of exercise if you knew that everything you were doing was going to be useless after all your hard work? If you aren’t currently consuming a recovery product within 30min after a workout, scientists say that this is exactly the case.

When you exercise for long periods of time, two important physiological effects occur. One, you deplete the levels of glycogen (energy) within your muscles and two, your body releases cortisol, a chemical that breaks down muscular tissue. Both of these effects can actually be detrimental to the human body, despite the other positive effects gained from exercise, if they are not addressed post-workout.

An electrolyte/carbohydrate based product will properly replace glycogen (energy) lost during activity. This will restore the body to the minimum level of energy required for making use of the day’s workout (i.e. beginning the natural reparation and improvement processes). Adding a protein component to this product then supplies your body with the tool necessary for finishing this repair and improvement by giving you the compound needed (protein) to repair the muscles from the cortisol breakdown, and at a much quicker rate. Studies have shown that the best amount of time to ingest this recovery product is within 30 minutes after completion of the workout.

Creating a lack of resources that are necessary for the body to begin its natural recovery process causes it to get energy from other sources, like the immune system, creating the opportunity for infection and sickness. Therefore, waiting longer than the recommended 30 minutes means risking further depletion of the body, which could actually cause more damage, instead of gain, from a hard workout.

Many people worry that adding the extra calories from a recovery drink will cause them to gain weight. This is false. When your body desires calories, the worst thing you can do is deny it those calories. Those calories are important for rebuilding the body and improving its current state. This also keeps the metabolic levels raised. Your body adjusts to the way you treat it, so if it expects to get more calories at regular intervals, it will burn them freely, but if it does not get nourishment regularly, it will keep reserves just in case it needs them for strenuous activity at a later time. Not delivering nutrition to your body at regular intervals may actually slow down the metabolic rate, causing your system to hoard calories, which increases weight.

There are many recovery drinks currently offered that contain the proper Protein-Carbohydrate mix and are prime for recovery. Examples of these are Fluid, Endurox, etc. However, to this day, one of the most popular choices for workout recovery is still … Chocolate milk. Yes, that’s right. Chocolate milk actually provides a tasty, appropriate blend of the nutrients that your body requires after an intense workout. Everybody is different and everybody has their own opinion of what they think works best. It may take testing a few different products to find one that works for you, but the main thing is to use one! Find one that you like and will use regularly to make sure you are getting the most out of the work you are putting in.

Hear from the Legend himself

Miss the talk last night with Russ Secker? Check out the video of his talk to those that were able to make it to hear his inspiring story.

it roguerunningequipment.com for more Videos

A Fresh Perspective on Recovery Runs

By Matt Fitzgerald
For Active.com

It is widely assumed that the purpose of recovery runs--which we may define as relatively short, slow runs undertaken within 24 hours after a harder run--is to facilitate recovery from preceding hard training. You hear coaches talk about how recovery runs increase blood flow to the legs, clearing away lactic acid and so forth.

The truth is that lactic acid levels return to normal within an hour after even the most brutal workouts. Nor does lactic acid cause muscle fatigue in the first place. Nor is there any evidence that the sort of light activity that a recovery run entails promotes muscle tissue repair, glycogen replenishment or any other physiological response that is actually relevant to muscle recovery.

What is the Real Benefit of Recovery Runs?

In short, recovery runs do not enhance recovery. Nevertheless, recovery runs are almost universally practiced by top runners. That wouldn't be the case if this type of workout weren't beneficial.So what is the real benefit of recovery runs? The real benefit of recovery runs is that they increase your fitness--perhaps almost as much as longer, faster runs do--by challenging you to run in a pre-fatigued state (i.e. a state of lingering fatigue from previous training.)

There is evidence that fitness adaptations occur not so much in proportion to how much time you spend exercising but rather in proportion to how much time you spend exercising beyond the point of initial fatigue in workouts. So-called key workouts (runs that are challenging in their pace or duration) boost fitness by taking your body well beyond the point of initial fatigue.

Recovery workouts, on the other hand, are performed entirely in a fatigued state, and therefore also boost fitness despite being shorter and/or slower than key workouts.

Evidence of the special benefit of pre-fatigued exercise comes from an interesting study out of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. In this study, subjects exercised one leg once daily and the other leg twice every other day. The total amount of training was equal for both legs, but the leg that was trained twice every other day was forced to train in a pre-fatigued state in the afternoon (recovery) workouts, which occurred just hours after the morning workouts.

After several weeks of training in this split manner, the subjects engaged in an endurance test with both legs. The researchers found that the leg trained twice every other day increased its endurance 90 percent more than the other leg.

Creating a Setback to Get Ahead

Additional research has shown that when athletes begin a workout with energy-depleted muscle fibers and lingering muscle damage from previous training, the brain alters the muscle recruitment patterns used to produce movement. Essentially, the brain tries to avoid using the worn-out muscle fibers and instead involves fresher muscle fibers that are less worn out precisely because they are less preferred under normal conditions.

When your brain is forced out of its normal muscle recruitment patterns in this manner, it finds neuromuscular "shortcuts" that enable you to run more efficiently (using less energy at any given speed) in the future. Pre-fatigued running is sort of like a flash flood that forces you to alter your normal morning commute route. The detour seems a setback at first, but in searching for an alternative way to reach the office, you might find a faster way--or at least a way that's faster under conditions that negatively affect your normal route.

Tips for Effective Use of Recovery Runs

Whenever you run again within 24 hours of completing a key workout (or any run that has left you severely fatigued or exhausted), the follow-up run should usually be a recovery run.

Recovery runs are only necessary if you run four times a week or more.
- If you run just three times per week, each run should be a "key workout" followed by a day off.
- If you run four times a week, your first three runs should be key workouts and your fourth run only needs to be a recovery run if it is done the day after a key workout instead of the day after a rest day.
- If you run five times a week, at least one run should be a recovery run.
- If you run six or more times a week, at least two runs should be recovery runs.

There's seldom a need to insert two easy runs between hard runs, and it's seldom advisable to do two consecutive hard runs within 24 hours.

Recovery runs are largely unnecessary during base training, when most of your workouts are moderate in both intensity and duration. When you begin doing formal high-intensity workouts and exhaustive long runs, it's time to begin doing recovery runs in roughly a 1:1 ratio with these key workouts.

There are no absolute rules governing the appropriate duration and pace of recovery runs.
- A recovery run can be as long and fast as you want, provided it does not affect your performance in your next scheduled key workout.
- In most cases, however, recovery runs cannot be particularly long or fast without sabotaging recovery from the previous key workout or sabotaging performance in your next one.
- A little experimentation is needed to find the recovery run formula that works best for each individual runner.

Don't be too proud to run very slowly in your recovery runs, as Kenya's runners are famous for doing. Even very slow running counts as pre-fatigued running practice that will yield improvements in your running economy, and running very slowly allows you to run longer without sabotaging your next key workout.

Active Expert Matt Fitzgerald is the author of several books on triathlon and running, including Runner's World Performance Nutrition for Runners (Rodale, 2005). Find this article at http://www.active.com/running/Articles/A_fresh_perspective_on_recovery_runs.htm

Train Less, Stress Less, Run Faster!

TRAIN LESS, STRESS LESS, RUN FASTER!
by Allison Macsas

Everyone knows that a successful running program should include plenty of miles and solid speed work, but the most important element is often overlooked: rest! Without it, all of your long miles and tough speed sessions will be wasted on exhaustion, burnout and, worst of all, injury. When it comes to your physical health, mental well-being and achieving your performance goals, less is more!

Physical health
Hard training creates stress on the body, and this stress breaks down muscle fibers as you push your body to perform. These fibers become stronger each time they are repaired, increasing your fitness and performance potential, but they require recovery time to do so. Without rest, your body can’t repair itself to allow for improvement and you will quickly run yourself into one of the many overuse injuries, such as shin splints or stress fractures, that are so common among runners. Proper recovery is the most effective defense against injury, and the only way to become stronger.

Remember to be realistic: it’s a fact of life that a workout or long run will occasionally be missed due to other obligations or unforeseen events. It’s important to keep things in perspective and don’t try to “make it up;” simply pick up where you left off and progress from there. Doubling up has no benefit and is guaranteed to lead to injury, which certainly won’t make you any faster!

Mental well-being
Running is perhaps one of the best mood-boosters out there, but too much can have a detrimental effect. While you want to prioritize your training, remember that it’s not the only priority; a training plan that routinely conflicts with family and career obligations or leaves you too exhausted to “fit it all in” is too intense of a plan, sure to have a crash-and-burn ending. Take the time to rest, keep things balanced and you’ll find that your running will stay consistent, you’ll remain excited about workouts and, most importantly, you will establish the runner’s lifestyle that is essential for peak performance!

Fine-tune
Quality, not quantity, is the key. Instead of expending energy on “junk miles,” use it to fine-tune your fitness. Devote time to core strengthening and stretching, prevention practices that will help you avoid injury and make you a stronger overall athlete. Let each and every run have a focused goal: is it a long run for endurance, a tempo to work on your pace or a speed workout for leg turnover? When you are refreshed and recovered for your runs, you can clearly keep your goals in sight and face each one with enthusiasm! In addition, sufficient rest allows marathoners to prioritize the long run, making it longer and more intense than simply slogging through the miles on overworked legs. Remember: it’s not necessarily the weekly number in your running log that you want to see go up, it’s the number on the race clock that you want to see go down!

Overtraining can lead to irritability, a depressed immune system, decreased performance and, ultimately, injury. It happens to beginners and elites alike, but it doesn’t have to happen to you! By listening to your body, taking time for recovery, and focusing on quality, you will continue to increase both your physical and mental strength as your race times come down. Recovery is a training tool!

Listen closely...

At what point does training because overtraining? How many miles are too many miles, and how fast is too fast?

Unfortunately there is no set scale, no concrete number to go by. An individual’s training capabilities are just that – individual – and what might be one runner’s recovery week is another runner’s highest peak. There are ways, however, to judge your personal tolerance and identify the signs of impending problems during a training period.

Overtraining is essentially an imbalance of work and recovery. When your body is pushed past its ability to recover, your energy levels and performance will collapse, causing you to fall further and further behind. This doesn’t only refer to excessive running; too many hours at work, too little sleep or family stress can cause problems for even the lowest-mileage runners.

There are key indicators that you should watch for; identifying too many is a sure sign that unless you make some changes, injury will strike. Here are several things to look for:

Mood swings and irritability
Lack of enthusiasm; running just isn’t fun anymore
Chronic muscle soreness/tightness
Sleep disturbances: you fall asleep easily, but have trouble sleeping soundly
Elevated morning heartrate
Depressed immune system; chronic colds, a nagging sore throat
Extreme sugar cravings
Fatigue that lingers throughout the day

If any of the above symptoms really hit home with you, it’s probably time to take a break. This could be as small an adjustment as sleeping in one day and running a few hours later than usual, or as big as needing an entire week off to recoup. Again, everything is specific to you and only you can figure out what you really need. Recovery is one of the most important training tools, and you will gain far more from taking needed rest than you will by pushing your exhausted body through yet another workout.

Just use common sense. Increase mileage and intensity slowly, take the time to ice and stretch and eat properly and sleep. Really listen to your body – it will, in no uncertain terms, let you know when it needs a break, if you can slow down enough to hear it!

Ignoring the warning signs will inevitably lead to a breakdown; injury is your body’s way of telling you that it’s had enough! If you feel that maybe you’ve been pushing it a bit too hard, talk with your coach and let he or she help you make adjustments and get back on track. Despite what your high school football coach might have told you, an all-or-nothing approach won’t get you anywhere. Train smart, listen to what your body is saying (not your training partner’s!) and you will find yourself a happy, healthy and consistently improving runner.

Bad Habits

Bad habits. We’ve all got ‘em, but there are several particularly rampant among distance runners, all of which can stand in the way of your personal running goals. Read on and see if you are guilty of any (or all!) of these missteps, then begin working to break these detrimental habits!

The Self-Medicator
The self-medicator is invincible, or at least thinks he is. Sore foot? Ice it. Shooting pain in the shins? Ibuprofen should do the trick. Exhausted? Red Bull! Unfortunately, most running-related pain isn’t that simple, and believing that it is often results in severe injuries, such as stress fractures, or mental and physical burnout. The best thing you can do when aches and pains spring up is to play it safe – see a doctor, a physical therapist, someone who can get to the root of the problem and put you back on track.

The Dawdler
The Dawdler likes to rest, and likes to do it during a run. Recovery during a workout is one thing, but taking 10 minute water breaks during the course of a long run (or any run) is flat-out counterproductive! Even beginners should make an effort to run-walk, not run-stop. Such a long break in the middle of a run will trick your body into thinking that it’s quitting time, making it tough to get going again and certainly not helping to increase your endurance levels. When you see a water stop, go straight for a cup, down a few sips and be on your way – save the resting for after the run!

The Overachiever
On the other side of the coin, this type of runner aspires to train the hardest, run the furthest, finish the fastest and rest the least. Contrary to what you may think, this person is least likely to become a champion and most likely to end up a burnt-out mess. Rest is one of the most important training tools – your muscles absolutely must recover in order to get stronger and prevent injury – and no one should underestimate it. This includes getting enough sleep, taking days completely off from the pounding and making sure that you keep your easy days easy.

The Corner-Cutter
This person is busy. He believes that it’s already hard enough to fit in all of this running and just simply doesn’t have the time for all of that stretching and warm up nonsense – he has places to be! Anyone who keeps this up for too long will get what they asked for – lots of free time that used to be spent running! Skipping stretches and warm-ups cause tight muscles and seriously ups your chances of strains, pulls and shin splints. Flexible muscles are essential for faster recovery and faster race times; take the time.

The Junkfood Justifier
Pretty much everyone is tempted by fatty, sugary foods, but the Justifier is the one who goes overboard, claiming that he ‘deserves’ it for going running. This is a completely backwards way to view your food – by all means, enjoy the occasional treat and always make sure that you’re consuming enough calories to support your training, but feed your body with the good stuff! Fueling your body with junk is akin to fueling your car with cooking grease – nothing good is going to come of it. On top of that, considering that the average American already consumes far more calories than they really need, it takes quite a bit of running to really require large caloric increases. Eat to run, don’t run to eat – your body will thank you.

Most runners fall into at least one of these categories – which one are you? Once you’ve recognized the problem, it’s time to start taking the steps to correct it. Try talking with your coach, a good friend or significant other if you’re really having a hard time breaking one of these bad habits – sometimes all you need is someone to hold you accountable and keep you on track!

Vacation Time

Vacation. It’s a time to get away from home, away from work, away from email bombardment and faaarrrr away from any sort of schedule. It isn’t, however, a time to get away from running. It’s easy (and very rewarding) to maintain your fitness away from home – just pack your shoes and an open mind!

Get lost.
Many people think that they should be familiar with an area before they run it, but they are forgetting one of the great joys of travel: exploration! What better way to learn your way around a new place than by heading outside and getting right into the middle of it? You are bound to get oriented (even if it means getting lost first), find other runners to wave at and will discover things that you never would’ve seen from the confinement of a car (or the hotel treadmill).

Go for time.
Don’t worry about miles and paces – this is vacation! If you must have some sort of measurement, take a watch and run until you’ve run long enough. This is also an effective way to run an out-and-back (say…on a beach?).

Indulge yourself.
If you are the type who thrives on new sights and discovering what no other tourist has, then use running to your advantage. Get up as early as you can and hit the road – you’ll get an inside look at local life, crowd-free streets and the start of a brand new day in a brand new place. Sure beats the breakfast buffet.
On the other hand, if you regard vacation as a time for long, lazy mornings, then indulge yourself in an alarm-free start to the day and the ability to run whenever you darn well please – your body (and mind) will thank you.

Enjoy your food.
Eating is often a big part of vacation – along with drinking – but it doesn’t have to be about gorging. Take advantage of new dishes and certainly treat yourself, but don’t regard a holiday as an excuse for unrestrained excess. Continuing to run during your vacation will help keep you on track, as one healthy habit generally leads to another, but it will also help offset the temptations that you do give in to.

Don’t stress.
Vacation is not the time to train hard or to log your highest mileage week ever. Use it as a time to just enjoy the act of running and the feeling of movement. You can easily maintain your fitness on a reduced schedule, and trips that involve a lot of activity – walking, hiking, swimming – will make it even easier. The mental break will work wonders.

If you have an upcoming vacation, talk with your coach. They can make the best recommendations for you personally and help you rearrange your training schedule so that you don’t miss anything important, but are still able to use vacation for its real purpose: relaxation!

Faster Trains Coming Your Way

Faster Trains Coming Your Way: "Look, Listen, Live"

You may have already noticed them. Capital MetroRail are traveling more frequently and at higher speeds along the 32-mile line from Leander to Downtown Austin.

MetroRail trains are much quieter and faster than the freight trains that have traveled the 125 year old tracks since the Capitol was built. These passenger rail trains are operating at speeds up to 65 mph in some areas! What does this mean for you? Well, remember to always use caution when crossing the tracks. Obey the gates and signs – and NEVER ride your bike, walk, or run on the tracks!

Remember the three "L's" when you approach crossings: Look, Listen, Live. Please, too, remind children that tracks are for trains.

Your safety is in your hands. Here are important tips that can save your life.

When you’re walking, jogging or running… Remember:

·        Railroad tracks, trestles, yards and equipment are private property and trespassers are subject to arrest and fine.

·        Cross tracks ONLY at designated pedestrian or roadway crossings.

·        It can take a mile or more to stop a train, so a locomotive engineer who suddenly spots you ahead has little chance to miss you. Railroad property is private property. For your safety, it is illegal to be there unless you are at a designated public crossing.

·        Trains overhang the tracks by at least three feet in both directions and loose straps hanging from rail cars may extend even further. If you are in the right-of-way next to the tracks, you can be hit by the train.

·        The only safe place to cross is at a designated public crossing with either a crossbuck, flashing red lights or a gate. If you cross at any other place, you are trespassing and can be ticketed or fined.

·        Do not cross the tracks immediately after a train passes. A second train might be blocked by the first. Trains can come from either direction. Wait until you can see clearly around the first train in both directions.

·        Flashing red lights signal that a train is approaching from either direction. You can be fined for failure to obey these signals. Never walk around or behind lowered gates at a crossing. Stay Alive! DO NOT cross the tracks until the lights have stopped flashing and it is safe to do so.

·        If you are in a rail yard uninvited, you are trespassing and subject to criminal prosecution. The worst penalty is death.

·        DO NOT attempt to hop aboard railroad equipment at any time – even when the train isn’t moving. A slip of the foot can cost you a limb or your life.

·        Be aware trains do not follow set schedules. Any Time is Train Time!

·        Do not walk, run, cycle or operate all terrain vehicles (ATVs) on railroad tracks or rights-of-way or through tunnels.

Know the facts. Make sure that everyone in your family knows all these safety rules. Visit http://allsystemsgo.capmetro.org/capital-metrorail-safety.shtml or http://www.stayoffthetracks.com for more information on Capital MetroRail safety.

If you’d like to schedule a rail safety presentation for your group (all ages), contact:

Alissa Schram,
Community Involvement Specialist & Rail Safety Liaison
alissa.schram@capmetro.org.

Injured? Hit the pool.

By Allison Macsas, Coach

Injury is bound to happen to every runner out there at some point. It’s up there with profuse sweating, painful chafing and toilet emergencies – no one is exempt! The good news is that getting injured doesn’t have to mean the loss of everything you’ve worked towards; there is a way to return with your fitness fully intact, and that way is through aqua jogging.

WHAT IS IT?
Aqua jogging is pool running, which involves doing just that: running in the pool. You simply get into the deep end of a pool (any body of water will do) and mimic the same motions that you use to run on land. The result is a completely impact-free way to use your running muscles, raise your heartrate and maintain your fitness level.

WHY DO IT?

Aqua jogging is ideal for injured athletes, but also serves as a great cross training tool for running, giving your legs a break from all that pounding while still remaining running-specific. For the injured, there’s no better option. Whereas cycling and elliptical machines are not 100% impact-free and often aggravate common injury sites, aqua jogging cuts out any possibility of impact and allows you to continue exercising without the risk of reinjury.

WHY NOT JUST SWIM?

Swimming is an excellent way to develop and maintain cardiovascular fitness, but you will not receive the same neuromuscular conditioning that aqua jogging provides. Stated simply, aqua jogging allows you to use the same motions that you use to run on land, and your muscles remember this. Swimming, though a great workout, uses completely different muscles and will not translate when you return to running on land.

HOW DO I DO IT?

Although the premise of aqua jogging is pretty basic, there is some science behind making your time in the pool as beneficial as possible. Cardiovascular fitness begins deteriorating significantly after 2-3 weeks of inactivity. It’s proven, however, that fitness can be maintained with a reduced training load as long as the heart rate is still being raised to an appropriate level. When it comes to pool running, this means that you need intervals.

Perceived effort is significantly higher when running in water as opposed to running on land, meaning that you feel as though you’re doing more work than you actually are. This makes steady state running an unreliable workout, because chances are that a ‘steady’ run in the pool is only having the effect of a super easy warm up on land. Over a long period of time, this simply won’t be sufficient for maintaining your fitness. Intervals allow you to work at a much higher intensity for short segments of time, keeping your heart rate high and boredom in check!

Any interval workout that can be done on a track can be done in the pool, but in water you have to think of time instead of distance, effort instead of pace. For example, instead of running 6x800m, in the pool you will run at the highest intensity you can muster for 3 minutes, then slow to a ‘jog’ for 30 seconds, then repeat five more times. Naturally, water resistance means that your legs will never move as fast as they do on the ground, but this is all about effort. You want to put the same energy into it as you would on the track. Make sure that you do a warm up and cool down, just as you would on land.

Form is extra important when aqua jogging, as you will be much less balanced in the water. You must focus on keeping the back straight, working the arms in proper running form and bringing the knees up in order to stay controlled. It’s easy to revert to doggy-paddling if you don’t pay attention – have your legs do the bulk of the work, as on land, and stay in place for the most part. “Running” forward increases the tendency to lean forward and swim.

Many people find flotation belts useful for this very reason: you can focus on form without worrying about that extra effort that goes into keeping your head above water. However, many argue that you get a much better workout without the belt and that the extra effort is key to effective pool running. When it comes down to it, it all depends on how comfortable you are in the water and what your personal skills allow you to do.

ISN'T IT TOO BORING TO BEAR?

It’s true that aqua jogging is not known for its high level of excitement, but it doesn’t have to be miserable! Sticking to interval workouts will help immensely in breaking up the time, as will having a focused schedule, just as you would with your normal running. Have a goal and purpose each time that you get into the pool.

Ask around for company – there’s sure to be another injured runner out there, eager for company. Pool running is perfect with a partner because your paces don’t have to match – no one can leave the other behind when you’re staying in one place! If you simply can’t find a companion, it may help to look into a waterproof case for your Ipod – even the most zealous opponents of running with music can’t argue with the need for a distraction in the pool!

Aqua jogging is absolutely the most proactive way to approach both injury and cross training. When done consistently, and with a focus on high intensity intervals, you are sure to come back to real running with your cardiovascular fitness intact. Don’t view it as punishment – see it as a means to get back to what you love, and to pick up exactly where you left off.

Go to sleep!

As the days get hotter and hotter, most runners find themselves stumbling out the door earlier and earlier, trying to beat the heat. If you’re running with Rogue this summer, there’s a good chance that you have at least one day a week where you’re beginning a run at 5:30am – which means that you’re waking up at 5 or earlier!

Although most people can eventually get used to the idea of 5:30 running (and use it as a bragging right) they don’t always adjust their schedule to ensure that they are getting a sufficient amount of sleep. Sleep is one of the most important elements of your training (great news, right?), but far too many runners are severely lacking in this department. When you combine a job, a family, a social life and now predawn running, who has the time to sleep? Can’t you just pound back the coffee and the Red Bull all day and count on Gu to get you through your run?

The answer, of course, is no. Nothing but sleep can replace sleep, and it is more important for endurance athletes than nearly anyone else out there.

Your body heals itself when you sleep, and this process doesn’t typically begin until the 3rd or 4th stage of your sleep cycle. Human growth hormone (HGH) is released during this period and plays an essential role in building and repairing muscles and tissue, while also enabling your body to efficiently utilize fat as fuel. When HGH levels are low – due to sleep deprivation – recovery takes longer and longer, causing a backlog of stress on the body. Your workouts get harder and harder, and eventually it builds up so much that you physically can’t push through anymore. Only sleep can prevent this.

People who are chronically sleep-deprived release higher levels of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. The effect of this is obvious; you end up irritable, unmotivated, tired and tend to eat too much of the wrong things. These are all detrimental to training, and when you add in the fact that sleep deprivation leads to decreased glycogen stores and ultimately less endurance, you can’t argue the fact that you need your rest!

But how much do you need? And how do you get it? The number of hours needed per night varies by person, but the general range is 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. A good way to figure out what you personally need is to experiment by going to bed at the same time for several nights and allowing yourself to wake up naturally, with no alarm. This should give you a good idea of your requirements.

It’s worth noting, however, that quality is just as important as quantity, if not more so. People who toss and turn all night or are frequently woken will be much less rested after 9 hours than they would be with 6 hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep. Luckily, running is an excellent catalyst for deep sleep and most people find that the quality of their sleep increases in direct relation to their fitness level. The usual advice, such as avoiding coffee, soda and tea, will also help deliver deeper sleep to those who have trouble.

Now on to the big question. How do you fit in a full night’s rest and make it to your 5:30 run? The answer is simple: prioritize.

Everyone gets busy and everyone, even the most vigilant elite athletes, will have nights where they get less than they should. On a daily basis, however, there are steps you can take to help yourself go to bed earlier, get higher quality sleep and easily awaken in time for that predawn workout.

1.   Start a ritual. Whether it’s milk and cookies or a long shower, find something that you do each each night before bed and do it every night. Your body will learn to expect sleep after this ritual, and you can then ‘trick’ yourself into going to bed earlier and earlier, bit by bit.
2.   Turn it off. All of it. Our lives are run by computers, televisions, cell phones. 30 minutes before your bedtime goal, turn everything off and allow nothing but reading (you can even just look at the pictures if you want, we won’t tell!). This is a calming, passive activity that will get your mind off of everything else, give you heavy eyes and soon have you snoozing.
3.   Avoid eating a heavy meal late in the day. If possible, have your biggest meal for breakfast or lunch. If you eat a big meal late in the evening, the digestion process that follows is likely to interfere with your sleep. Get that over with early in the day, and save small meals or snacking for nighttime.
4.   Lay out everything that you need for your run the next morning. This way you can fall asleep easily, knowing that when that alarm goes off all you have to do is grab and go. Don’t let something so simple be added to that already overwhelming to-do list running through your head!
5.   Naps. This is tough to fit in for a lot of people, but take naps whenever you can, ideally after a hard workout. It will greatly assist with recovery, and will also do wonders for your mood and concentration levels in day to day life. As little as 20 minutes can make a big difference!
6.   Keep the bedroom just that: the BEDroom. Avoid using that room for work, bill-paying or computer tasks; those things cause you to associate the room with stressful activities and can actually interfere with your sleep. Your bedroom should be a sanctuary, not an office.

Many people are not aware of how sleep deprived they actually are, but runners need to be especially vigilant about listening to their body and making the time for that extra rest. Start by making an effort to go to bed 30 minutes to an hour earlier just two or three nights a week. Eventually you’ll begin to reset your body’s ‘clock’ and will notice a significant improvement in your endurance levels, your recovery speed and your motivation levels; any time that you ‘lose’ by sleeping more will surely be made up with the extra amount of energy that you’ll gain!

The Rundown

Rogue now has a new (and very official) blog! This will be the spot for news, tips, race results and general thoughts concerning Rogue, our runners and the Austin running community. Go ahead and bookmark us, link us to your blog, spread the news and check back often!

http://roguerundown.wordpress.com/

Pace Prep

If you're like most people, when you first set your sights on the marathon you had only one goal in mind: finishing. As time went on, however, both your fitness level and your confidence increased, leading to thoughts of numbers. Numbers of miles, numbers of minutes and wondering how to complete more of the former in less of the latter. In short, you’re no longer interested in merely finishing – you want to finish before that time clock hits x-amount of time! But how to make it happen?

There are three key workouts that will help make you the strongest runner you can be when you approach that starting line: marathon goal pace (MGP) running, steady state running and tempo running. Though the defining line can sometimes seem blurry, each workout has it’s own nuances and objectives which will be become clear with experience.

MARATHON GOAL PACE:
An MGP workout just makes sense. Once you have a time goal and have figured out the pace that you will have to run to achieve it, shouldn’t you spend training time practicing that pace? It allows you to get accustomed to the feel, to establish a rhythm that, with enough repetition, will be familiar and comfortable on race day. An MPG workout should, of course, be run at your goal pace, give or take a few seconds. It is best to do this at the tail end of a long run, during the last 4-6 miles of an 18-miler, for example, as it will teach you to establish and hold this effort at the most crucial point – when you’re tired!

STEADY STATE:
A steady state run is a stamina workout, which means that it’s all about maintaining a specific level of effort for a specific amount of time. Stamina workouts are essential for increasing your lactate-threshold pace, which leads directly into faster racing, but you want to avoid running too fast – the difficulty in a steady state run should come from duration, not from oxygen shortages! Try to focus more on effort than on time, and aim to run at 70-80% of your maximum heart rate. Begin with a warm up and keep your first steady state fairly short – perhaps 25-30 minutes – and eventually try to progress to an hour of sustained, “comfortably hard” effort.

TEMPO:
A tempo run is similar to a steady state – it is also a stamina workout – but is run with a harder effort for a shorter amount of time. You should also warm up before beginning a tempo run, then aim to run your tempo at 80-90% of your maximum heart rate. A tempo will feel difficult and possibly uncomfortable, but the intensity should be sustainable for 2-4 miles, or 15-30 minutes.

Even more important than improving your finishing time, the physical and mental strength that you’ll gain from incorporating these workouts will help you approach the starting line with more confidence than you’d thought possible. Your goal pace will be familiar, your effort will be steady and you will have no doubt that you are fully prepared not just to finish, but to finish strong!

To help determine your goal pace for the marathon, or any other distance, check out the McMillan Running Calculator at http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm

The Loop Trail Race

The Loop took place on a very hot and humid May 31st. A typical Texas summer day. but not a typical race. The Emma Long Motocross course is full of rock ledges with a small bit of dirt sprinkled here and there. The biggest hill on the course might not have been more than a 30 foot climb, but most where much smaller. Still, the climbs never stopped and the endless rocks allowed each runner to slowly pond their bodies into submission. Of the 133 starters in the 30km, Gate Davis finished 1st in 2:07:31, with Erik Stanley 2nd in 2:09:48, and Paul Terranova in 3rd in 2:11:48. The 30km Women's race was won by Kate Brown in 2:38:13, followed by Megan Haley in 2:52:02, and Cynthia Henges in 2:55:29.

The 10km started 240 runners and was won by Derick Williamson in 39:07, followed by Carlos Mendoza in 41:09, and Steven Hernandez in 0:44:52. The 10km Women's race was won by Jo Dee Thomas in 51:38, with Leda McDaniel in 2nd with 52:20, and Jennifer Ziemba in 3rd with 54:11

Urban Assault on June 28

Contact: Sharon Cutler, 303-667-5559 / Sharon@market-write.biz
Website: www.urbanassaultride.com

Urban Assault Ride requires street savvy, bike smarts and a sense of humor
May 29, 2009 – Longmont, CO – Look out! Close to 1,500 cyclists are expected to participate in the New Belgium Urban Assault Ride, which returns to Austin on June 28.

The Urban Assault Ride, the largest bicycle scavenger hunt series in the country, is a pedal-powered urban adventure that promotes cycling, health, and sustainability. It debuted in Austin in 2003, and has since expanded to 10 US cities.

Here is how it works. Teams of two take to the streets on a city-wide bike adventure, plotting their own course to checkpoints around town where they take on physical and mental obstacle courses. The event is known for its funky obstacle courses which may include riding modified Big Wheels, Bike Jousting, The Keg Walk, and Inflatable Slides. Obstacles change every year and at every event, so riders never know what to expect.
The first team to hit all the checkpoints and cross the finish line takes home a pair of New Belgium Brewing cruiser bikes.

Street savvy is just as important as bike smarts in this event, which is designed to show recreational cyclists that bicycles are a safe, efficient and sustainable mode of transportation for commuting and running errands.
Sure the Urban Assault Ride is a blast, but it is first and foremost a green event with a green mission and message that extends way beyond fun. The event is powered by a solar generator. A truck fueled by bio-diesel delvers gear to the race, and nearly all waste is compostable or recyclable.

“With New Belgium as our title sponsor, we have been able to create an off-the-grid event that shows people that it is a good thing – and an easy thing - to engage in a sustainable lifestyle. This event gives us the chance to promote cycling for transportation and to show people some of the opportunities for sustainable living available in their community,” says Kravetz.

Visit www.urbanassaultride.com for more information.

Summer Running

By Allison Macsas, Coach

It’s summer, it’s Texas, it’s hot. Understandably, you are probably wondering what on earth you were thinking when you signed up for a training program during this part of the year, but rest assured – it can be done and it can be enjoyable! By keeping yourself informed, remaining aware of your body signals and maintaining a devotion to hydration, you can be a healthy and enthusiastic summer runner.

THE BIG RISKS: OVERHEATING AND DEHYDRATION

Overheating is the result of inadequate cooling. As your body temperature rises, you begin to sweat and blood flow is directed to the skin’s surface, where things are slightly cooler. Running, however, requires oxygen, and thus blood, to be directed to the muscles. This causes less blood flow to the skin and less cooling takes place. Slowing down decreases the demand by the muscles and allows more blood to be cooled, but pushing through and forcing it to the muscles puts you at high risk of overheating.

Dehydration occurs when the body loses fluid, primarily through sweating. At best, dehydration increases your rate of fatigue and makes exercise more difficult; at worst, dehydration can lead to heat exhaustion, heat stroke and in severe cases can be fatal. Signs of general dehydration include feeling thirsty and producing dark-colored urine, while serious cases present themselves with light-headedness, nausea, vomiting, sudden sweat cessation and even fainting. Should you experience any of the latter, immediately stop exercising, find a shady spot and replace fluids!

BE PROACTIVE

Don’t let the scenarios above scare you away from summer running – it’s easy to beat the heat by developing (and remaining vigilant about!) the following techniques.

It is hot and humid and there’s no way around it, but you can keep your body temperature as low as possible by wearing light-colored, loose-fitting microfiber clothing, ideal for reflecting heat, circulating air and wicking away sweat. Try and run as early in the day as possible; this is when the temperature is lowest, the air quality is highest and the sun is most forgiving (or ideally, still below the horizon!). If you can’t run mornings, do so as late in the day as you can. The temperature may not have dropped much, but at least the sun has gone down. Avoid running between noon and 3:00 at all costs, as this is the time of day when the sun is strongest and risk of overheating is greatest. If you must run during daytime hours, make sure you take plenty of precautions: find a shady route, take it easy with plenty of water stops, and wear sunblock, sunglasses and a cap.

Hands down, there is nothing more important than staying hydrated when it comes to summer running. The best and easiest way to monitor your fluid loss is to weigh yourself before and after each run. Whether you use your own scale or the one available in the Rogue training room, try and make a habit of doing this each and every day so that you can see just how much water was lost.

A good rule of thumb is to drink 4-8oz every 15-20 minutes during exercise, then, once you return, drink 20oz or so for every pound lost. Keep in mind that sweat isn’t plain water and plain water won’t fully rehydrate you. You need to replace salts and electrolytes as well, which is easily done via sports drinks. Experiment with different brands and flavors of sports drinks to find what works for you, and include them in your post-run routine. It is also important to increase your salt intake, especially for those who sweat profusely or tend finish runs with salty white residue on their skin.

Remember, if you’re thirsty then you are already significantly dehydrated! Make an effort to drink all day (caffeinated and alcoholic beverages don’t count!), make note of the color of your urine (you want it to be very light, the color of straw) and then drink some more.

Successful and enjoyable summer running can be had as long as you stay proactive and carefully monitor your body. By taking steps as simple as running early, dressing appropriately, drinking plenty and routinely replacing electrolytes, you can run straight into a very fit (and cool) autumn!

How to start running

How to start running
By Ruth England

Many, many people have been decided running is not for them because they have started off by going too fast or too far. Their lungs and heart rebel, they wind up having a miserable experience and can image why anyone would want to do this. At the same time this really would like to be a runner.

In order to enjoy running there are some things that you need to do. First thing is ease into your running. This means not only going slower when you start but also starting but doing a little at a time and slowly build on this. In all Rogue basic training groups we are able to transform couch potato to runners, by starting people where they are, gradually increasing their distance, teaching them proper biomechanics, showing them how to breath, and strengthening their ancillary muscles to prevent injury.

In every beginning program that Rogue implements we use a couple keys strategies to keep our beginner progressing. We recommend that each person three days a week, and that they spread the days out throughout their week. We start beginning runners at 20 minutes of exercise and begin the build from there. We emphasize the need for them to be consistent in their training to see the maximum amount of improvement.

Another key for beginning runners is to keep from worrying about how fast there are going. This is why we talk about time and not distance covered. “Fast” running comes after a runner has built more of an aerobic base. Our focus is on the gradual increase of time and distance as the program progresses.

During the Rogue Basic Training program you will learn some key elements that will help you become a successful runner. Rogue will evaluate your running biomechanics and help you create a the best form for you. We will look at your nutrition. Eating well is a key part of your success in training. Rogue coaches sit down with each member and set program and long term goals. Finally, Rogue Basic Training teaches you several techniques to prevent the on set of running injuries. You will meet some of the best Austin has to offer in doctors in town, and learn techniques beginning utilized at the University of Texas.

What Goals?

By Peri Kowal, Coach

Sometimes you just need a change. You need a new task, or distraction, or challenge. You decide that running a marathon (or 5K or 10K or triathlon) is the way to get you out of a rut. So you jump in, and using your current fitness base you set out on the path to completing a race. Setting any other goal besides finishing is not on your mind.

Then you start your training. You attend a few classes, meet your coach, and observe and eavesdrop on others in your group. All of a sudden the training becomes more than just finishing. You’d like to have a more specific goal, or goals.

You have to hide this revelation from your friends, spouse, family. Yeah, I mean you’ve already told them you’re just doing this for the challenge/fitness/weight loss. You have no intention of beating a certain time, qualifying for another race, or finishing before your co-worker/childhood friend/grandmother. You simply want to be like NIKE and Just Do It.

Plus, there are plenty of reasons not to set goals. If you have goals, don’t they have to be measurable? And you’ve never been even so much as curious about pace charts, race results, average finish times for your age group, or Boston qualifying times. No, not you! You haven’t looked at your past races to see what percentage change would be needed to get you into the top 10%, 20%, 50%. And you certainly haven’t looked into adding nutrition or strength training that could help you feel better pre, during and post-race, right? So you have no idea how to make your goal measurable. There, took care of that one.

Since you don’t have goals, luckily you don’t have to think about them being challenging, or realistic? If they were, you would have to consider really taking a look at your starting point, evaluating your level of commitment and deciding whether you want to make a particular training interval on 800 meter repeats, beat your 10K time in a mid-point race, or finish a Cruz workout with gas in your tank.

Oh, what’s that? So now you DO want goals? Great, then give it some thought. Write a few down. Narrow your list. Make sure you’ve given yourself some slam dunks in there – maybe a mid-point goal that is certainly attainable, but will require some work. And confirm what you already knew, that you DO have some goals in mind. Now that they’re written down, TELL people. Sharing your goals will keep you honest, showing up for quality workouts, and getting in the more-difficult solo workouts that will likely occur. And you’ll WANT to tell others because your goals are positive. A step – or jog – in the right direction!

Now go set ‘em. Go get ‘em. Make your goals!
•   Positive
•   Measurable (and at intervals throughout your training)
•   Challenging
•   Written & shared

Long Runs Provide Practice For Race Day

By Mark Enstone, Coach

     As well as gently adding mileage to your legs, we can use our long runs for various other things too.
     Firstly, they should be enjoyable, an opportunity to run with friends, or make friends, or, sometimes, the opposite, grab some quiet "me time" in a hectic week!
    If you haven't raced recently, or haven't raced an 'A'-race recently, the approach of race day and its arrival can sometimes be a source of nervousness. Race day itself can bring enough new experiences as to be distracting to your actual running! One approach to lessening any adverse impacts of race day excitement is to do "dry-runs", or simulation, of race day. Practice the non-running aspects, as we practice the running aspects. One approach is to do other races beforehand, races we extend lesser importance to, B- or C- priority races. In addition, we can use our long runs to practice some of our marathon day, race day, pre-run regimen.
     Before getting to the similarities, there are some differences between our weekly long runs and a race day, your marathon day:
1. You will be excited/nervous on race day and hopefully not nervous on long run day.
2. You will run your marathon at MGP, you will race it; you will not, need not, should not be racing your long runs. You should be doing them comfortably and easy.
3. You do not need to get to your long runs an hour or more before they start (10-15 minutes is ample).
4. Parking and meeting friends and family shouldn't be such a hassle at your long runs.
5. We have different nutrition goals during long runs vs. races.

     Still, there are some similarities between race day and long run day. Given the adage of "nothing new on race day", long run day provides you a great opportunity to practice doing those common things. Then, come race day, many of your actions and activities will be familiar, comfortable, removing a source for some of the pre-race jitters, allowing you to focus on other important things:
1.    Starting the day before a long run -- well, earlier and always, ideally -- make sure you are hydrated adequately.
2.    The evening before a long run, eat a dinner that won't hamper your long run. This isn't the evening to experiment with that new ethnic restaurant you read about in the Chronicle or to eat deep fried protein, if that isn't normally what you eat.
3.    Lay out your long run clothes before you go to bed.
4.    Get to bed early.
5.    Use the long runs to practice waking up early, eating shortly after waking up, handling any pre-run bathroom issues, getting out the door and to the long run on time. Being on time means less pre-race/run stress.
6.    Use the long runs to practice drinking. This is one of those "see what works for you" issues. Use the long runs to see what your needs are. A rule of thumb is that one swallow is 1 ounce, so drink 4-8 ounces every 10-15 minutes. Weigh yourself pre- and post-run to make sure your water weight loss isn't indicating too much of a hydration deficit.
7.    When the long runs get longer than about two hours, when you start to consume calories on the long run, practice/experiment with different options to, again, "see what works for you". The ingredients of different manufacturers' gels differ slightly, some flavors may be more palatable to you, or agree with your stomach better than others.
8.    Use the long runs to get used to which of your running gear is best for longer runs. Shirts, shorts, jog bras, socks all fit slightly differently, some that are fine for track workouts, shorter easy runs, or even short long runs, might start to rub/chafe after, say, 10 miles, 12, 16 or 20 miles. The same is true for shoes. You might start to notice that one pair is better for you for longer long runs. Which socks/shoes give you blisters? Which don't? Or maybe, regardless of shoes/clothing, you notice you get chaffed on any long runs over, say, 14 miles. If so, now you know to use Body Glide for 14+ mile runs. Use the long runs to be observant, start to choose what you'll wear for your marathon.
9.    Use the long runs to develop a habit of monitoring your body. Toes-up or head-down, run an inventory of yourself. Notice whether your eyes and face are relaxed, is your head in a neutral position, are neck and shoulders relaxed, are your hands gripped, flaying or relaxed, is your arm-swing nicely back and forward, symmetric, or waving all over the place, are your elbows at 90-degrees, is your core engaged, is your breathing easy, rhythmic, is your heart rate where it should be, is your stomach okay, are your hips rotating, is your gait symmetrical, how do your legs feel, your quads, your knees, calves, ankles, is your foot-strike mid-sole, is your cadence high enough, any hotspots developing on toes or feet?
10.    Use your long runs to practice pacing and negative splitting. Run the final mile quicker than the first mile; the second half of the long run quicker than the first half -- achieved not by going ruinously fast to finish, but by going pleasantly easy to start.
11.    I hate to mention it, but some races are not only putting "no iPod" rules into their race rules, but are actually enforcing those rules to the extent of DQ's (disqualifications). Given that, do you want to practice long runs without tunes?

New Rogue Baby!

Congratulations to Ramsay Wall and Amy Wilson on the birth of their son, Jude Scott Wilson. Jude Scott was born at 2:39 AM via C-section. He is 6.7 lbs and 18 and a half inches long.

We can't wait to meet the newest member of our Rogue family!

Want to Go Faster? You Need a Trainer

By GINA KOLATA

Published: April 22, 2009

New York Times Article

After you read this article look up a Rogue Running's latest marathon and half marathon training programs. OR stop by the Fall Marathon Fling with Saturday, May 16th from 11-2 at Rogue Equipment & learn more about training programs and win prizes.

Hydration In Summer Months

By Mark Enstone, Coach

We want to remain properly hydrated. Always. As humans but especially as athletes. One rule of thumb is to pee clear-ish (neither like apple juice, nor like water, but like lemonade). While that is always a good measure, we can get a little more precise than that (you don't have to, but you can):

Hydration is important at any time of the year, but is perhaps more important during our hot summers, especially when the humidity is also high. For those of you wanting/interested in a little more insight into your level of hydration and what a run does to it, weigh yourself before and again after your run/workout (minimally with shoes-off but also as near naked as you can socially acceptably be (ideally, you don't want to weigh a sweat-soaked shirt after the run, so shouldn't weigh it dry before the run).

A question we sometimes get is (some flavor of): "Whoa! I lost 5 pounds, is that 'normal'"? Normal, common, but non-optimal. Sweat rates differ from person to person. No, there is nothing strange about how much weight you lost, nothing abnormal, but you do want to try to not lose quite that much. Why? We want to avoid dehydration. Dehydration increases the risk of early fatigue. For races, that might mean a slower race pace or even a DNF (did not finish), or simply a less enjoyable race. For training runs, it means that that final mile up Waller Street will seem longer and less pleasant than it should! Not feeling dehydrated doesn't mean we aren't becoming dehydrated, it's a question of degrees.

For your runs leaving from Rogue EQ, there is a scale in the training room. For your runs leaving from home, use your own scale at home. For your runs where you, for example, drive to Barton Springs Pool, park there and run from there, take your own scales from home with you in the trunk of your car.

     Get into the habit of weighing yourself pre and post run. The more often you repeat it, in different conditions -- heat, humidity, effort level, etc. -- the more you'll zero in on understanding your fluid intake requirements. Repeat the pre and post-run weighing exercise constantly (no, not all the time, but here and there in different temps, humidity, conditions, effort level, etc.). It takes but ten seconds! If you get in a habit of doing pre and post-run weigh-ins, you'll "get a feel" for what you should/could be consuming on your runs in different conditions. My guess is that you'd be surprised at how much you need to be drinking. Over time, your post-run number will get closer to your pre-run number automagically.
     Your goal is to weigh the same after the run as you weighed before the run. Any weight loss is, of course, lost water. Sweat. Plus electrolytes in that sweat. It is also possible to drink too much fluid. So we also don't want to overhydrate, drink too much. That can lead to other problems, the first symptom of which might be a "water sloshing" sound in your stomach. Therefore, we want to weigh fairly close to same pre- and post-run.
     What if your pre- and post-run weigh-in numbers differ? In our summer weather, I'm guessing that the post-run number is smaller. Kudos if it is the same. And you might, might have a post-run number that is larger, you gained weight. In winter weather, we may more easily balance our hydration, or even over hydrate. If the numbers differ, you didn't quite get your hydration quite right for this run (for this distance, at this temperature, at this humidity, at this effort level). As a quick yardstick, 16oz of water weighs 1lb; one of those "cone cups" is 4oz (filled to the brim). So, for example, if you lost 3lbs during a run, you should/could have drunk 48oz more of fluid, 12 cone cups. If you gained 2lb, you should/could have drunk 32oz less of fluid, 8 cone cups.
     Billy Mays: "But wait, there's more."
     Actually, we can tolerate some level of dehydration. Up to 2%. By "tolerate" I mean that the adverse affects of dehydration, the increased fatigue, might not arise until we're 2% dehydrated. This allows us some "wiggle room" if we simply can't consume the extra, say, 48oz of water that a maintain-hydration approach requires. 2%? A 2% dehydration affects your athletic performance. But a 1.9% doesn't? Hmmm. Personally, I try and stay clear of even getting near 2%. A weight loss of 3-5lbs probably puts athletes less than 150lbs over that "affects performance" 2% threshold.
     The human body can't store excess water. Instead, we constantly operate in a state between fully hydrated and some level of dehydrated. Prehydrating the day(s) before ideally put you at the fully hydrated state, you probably re-hydrated when you woke before your long run, and tried to stay ahead of the game during your run ... and that's where you came up short.
     We don't actually need to (necessarily) balance fluid intake with fluid loss during the run. Some net loss is OK, and possibly unavoidable in our summer temps/humidity. We need to prevent getting "too" dehydrated, and we can use the "2%" threshold as a guideline. We'd need to replace the imbalance after the run.
     This gets a little more complicated, but let's take some numbers as an example, and dive into some detail. Let's first assume we want to remain in balance.
     You lost 3lbs during a 90 minute run. To replace all of the fluid that you lost, that would mean drinking an extra 48oz over that 90 mins in addition to what you actually drank. That's an extra 16oz per 30 mins, an extra 4 full cone cups per 30 mins, an extra 2 full cone cups per water stop? Do-able? Maybe that's a lot of water? Let's look at whether, and how to avoid, that "2%" threshold. Did you get close to that threshold? Let's say 2% of your pre-long run (normal, well hydrated) weight is 2.5lbs. Same 90 mins run. So, yes, you stepped over the 2% threshold. To prevent hitting your 2% level, you only want to lose up to about 2.5lbs, no more (less is ideal, but we've drawn the line in the sand at 2%). So, you really want to address the "excessive" loss. The 0.5lbs of loss (I.e. 3-2.5) 0.5 lbs is 8oz. So you would have needed just 2 extra cups (8oz) during the course of your long run today in those conditions. Do-able? Certainly.
     Sweat is water+salts/electrolytes and replacing it with just water means we're diluting/losing electrolytes. And those are important for all sorts of things inside our body to keep you operating safely.
     Arguably, maintaining hydration is more important for race performance, but every run we do is an opportunity to practice. Then, come race day, whatever the weather/temp/humidity, you'll have the information to fine tune your race hydration plan. Finishing your training runs and workouts suitably hydrated will also aid in your recovery in addition to making them more enjoyable.

The Maze Trail Race in Review

By Joe Prusaitis, Trail Running Director, Trail Series Race Director

     The 1st of the Rogue Trail Series races started on May 3rd, with the MAZE leading off at Walnut Creek Metro Park in far north Austin. The forcast was for rain and thunder, so when it started raining just after 4am, it had the look of bad news. Fortunately, the rain stopped by 6am and clear skies followed. But, this resulted in very high humidity on top of very high temperatures. The 30km started 142 runners at 7am despite the sultry conditions, and 132 of those finished the race. 30 minutes later, the 10km started 196 runners and all 196 runners finished. For a short period of time, 338 runners owned the maze of trails as they sloshed through the high humidity and muddy banks of Walnut Creek.
     Derick Williamson won the 30km in 2:04:28, followed by Erik Stanley in 2:05:16. Jamie Cleveland took 3rd in 2:08:31. Andrea Jarzombek 2:20:02, Brenna Abbitt 2:37:44, & Megan Haley 2:39:29, took 1st thru 3rd in the Women's 30km race.
     Robert Michell won the 10km in 40:24, followed by Gerardo Orozco Valdes 43:26, and Spencer Wishart in 43:33. The women's 10km was taken by Lisa Pohlit in 48:22, followed by Danielle Howe 52:35 , and Jessica Coll in 53:21.
     Second in the series will be the Loop on May 31st, followed by the Bluff on June 21st. This is year six for the Rogue Trail Series, and it looks to be off to a fast and competitive start.

Check the website for details on each race, results, pictures, and anything else you might like to know about Rogue or the series.

Rogue Runner Raises Money, Fights Cancer

Rogue Runner Raises Money for Heal In Comfort, Susan G. Komen Foundation

Austin, TX (4 May 2009) - Rogue athlete, Stephanie House, will run over twenty miles on May 16, 2009 beginning at 11 AM at the Rogue Equipment store on a treadmill to raise money and awareness for cancer post-operative products and research.

The two charities her run will support, Heal In Comfort and Susan G. Komen For The Cure, will each accept half of the profits from her effort. Cheri Matthews, a close personal friend of House's, founded Heal and Comfort, which provides free post-operative shirts for cancer patients.

Matthews' first athletic endeavor after her battle with cancer was a triathlon. "She went door-to-door knocking and, when they answered, she said, 'I'm breast cancer free!' and they gave her hugs and congratulated her," says House of Matthews.

House started running with Rogue Training Systems three years ago and "has always looked forward to going back," she says. "It's a really good community." She completed her first marathon in Austin in February and will make her third Ironman attempt this year.

House hopes that her run will teach others about breast cancer, which "is quickly becoming a sideline disease," she says. "The actual treatment is less understood." In addition to her fundraiser at Rogue Equipment, House hosted a ride on her trainer in front of Lofty Dog, which donated 10% of its profits that day to the fund, on Tuesday, May 5.

About Heal In Comfort:
I started my company Cher - Designs and created the healincomfort shirt from my own personal experience. I am a breast cancer survivor diagnosed in 2000 at the age of 40. During my last appointment with the surgeon prior to my surgery I was handed a piece of paper with the standard instructions to prepare for my operation. One of those instructions suggested to bring "loose fitting clothing" to go home in after surgery. I wasn't prepared for the difficulty with getting dressed as movement was very painful. My "loose fitting clothing" was very difficult to get on because I couldn't bend my arms back. Then I was handed two drain tubes, one for each hand and I realized I was being given yet another new problem. I didn't have a place for my drains so I had to hold them in my hands. The difficult experience of getting dressed and no place for my drain tubes made me angry. I didn't have the right equipment to go home in. I immediately started thinking of a solution to this problem. There just had to be a better way for people to leave the hospital after surgery. People need to heal in comfort and dignity and not waste valuable energy on trying to figure out what to wear after surgery. I designed my own post-operative shirt called the healincomfort shirt.
www.healincomfort.com

Susan G. Komen For The Cure:
Susan G. Komen fought breast cancer with her heart, body and soul. Throughout her diagnosis, treatments, and endless days in the hospital, she spent her time thinking of ways to make life better for other women battling breast cancer instead of worrying about her own situation. That concern for others continued even as Susan neared the end of her fight. Moved by Susan's compassion for others and committed to making a difference, Nancy G. Brinker promised her sister that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. That promise is now Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1 billion since inception in 1982. Thanks to events like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®, and generous contributions from our partners, sponsors and fellow supporters, we have become the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.
http://ww5.komen.org/default.aspx

Metamorphosis of Bun Run 5K Team

By Jennifer Howard-Brown, Coach

Eight weeks ago, a small, diverse group met at Rogue for the first night of their Basic Training for the Bun Run 5k. Out of the group of 10, most of the team proclaimed not to be runners, two were lapsed runners. They were nervous, excited and quickly bonded into a tight-knit group. They were caterpillars beginning the transformation process of becoming runners.
Most didn't truly believe they would be able to run a 5k in 8 weeks. They were completely unaware of their potential. But, they consistently followed the training

plan, met at Rogue for core, quality workout and long runs each week. During that time, Laura and I watched them suffer and recover from aches, pains and injuries, progressing at their own paces. We cheered on a few of them for a "practice" 5k at ROG Rush. Their performance gave the entire team a boost of confidence when three of their teammates completed a 5k five weeks into training.
The team started together and each person met his/her goal of running the 27th Annual Schlotzsky's Bun Run 5k. We cheered them through the start line and anxiously awaited their return. I had encouraged them to savor the experience and take in the excitement of the start, crowd, scenery, and the ability to run down the middle of Austin's downtown streets (quickly becoming a rare treat.)

What I didn't anticipate was how much we would savor their journey. Over the weeks, we've bragged about them to our friends. We've encouraged and pushed them. Today, we clapped, yelled and rang the cowbell as each one turned the corner and kicked to the finish. We toasted and celebrated their success over post-race cocktails and tacos. Lastly, we've poured over the photos looking at their impressive running form as each runner closed his/her 5k.
Today, the metamorphosis is complete as they officially have became athletes. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and that each of them is continuing their training with Rogue and setting new goals to conquer. Thanks for being part of our team!

Congrats to:

Rose Mata - ran her second 5k in a PR 30:13, about 20 sec./mi. faster than her ROG Rush 31:14.
Tobin Levy - first 5k of 30:13
Jardine Libaire - first 5k of 30:32
Leigh Clark - ran a PR 33:39, about 1:20/mi. faster than ROG Rush 37:16
Joe Garcia - ran a PR 34:31, about 40 sec./mi. faster than his ROG Rush 36:34
Nicole Prado - first 5k of 36:18
Deepa Krishnamoorthy - first 5k of 36:16
Shirley Reynolds - first 5k of 37:00

P.S. (Congrats to all of the Rogues who had great races at the Bun Run, especially our PR group teammates: Scott Brown, 20:28; Mark Baumann, 22:18; and Oscar Gonzales, 22:41. Also, huge kudos to Paul Escobedo who ran a new marathon PR of 3:56:24 at the National Guard Marathon in Lincoln, Nebraska today.)

Runner Fear: Limiting Your Achievements

By Gretchen M. Sanders, licensed master social worker and therapist at Sol Community Counseling in Austin.

Lacing up my shoes for a run, it rises in my throat. Diving into the water at swim practice, it whispers in my ear. Sitting down to write this article, it seizes me once more. "Maybe you can't do it," it nags, "maybe you aren't good enough." "Be quiet," I respond. We have this same conversation every time. I know this monster well. Chances are, so do you. I call it Fear.

Whether a beginner, intermediate or elite athlete, at some point in your training, you have likely experienced the powerful sensation of sheer fear-a racing heart, the rush of adrenalin, a flood of self-doubt. Fear, with its ability to both paralyze and motivate, can undoubtedly influence performance. Perhaps fear grips you just before a race, leading you to reconsider the commitment you made to compete. Perhaps fear keeps you from attempting physical challenges altogether, or, conversely, it provokes you to aim for the unreachable. Either way, you find yourself controlled by the puzzling force of fear. Fear is inevitable; it strikes when it chooses. How would your running improve if you could better manage your fear? Would you attain more goals? Would you dare to set them higher?

Fear is a natural and necessary feeling. It is an emotional reaction to a perceived threat, a survival mechanism occurring in response to a stimulus. We need fear; it functions to protect us from harm and works as a catalyst for change. Fear becomes problematic, however, when it gets in our way, when it prevents us from reaching our potential, when it traps us and stops us from moving forward. If fear works for and against us, then the goal should be not to avoid feeling it but to learn how to cope with it. To begin a new relationship with fear, to learn how to move through it becomes the long distance challenge.

I can clearly recall a morning when, upon hearing my coach assign a frightfully long run, I was stuck with a fear so great I considered going home before taking a single step. Only pride and fear of what my training buddy would think kept me in the game. Throughout warm-ups, a nasty voice told me I wouldn't make it to the end. An agitating mental battle ensued, and I fought impulses to hide. Then, a funny thing happened: frustrated and emotionally exhausted, I surrendered. I gave up resisting the fear, allowed myself to feel it fully, ran forward despite it and enjoyed a run that left me feeling invincible. I marveled when the finish line snuck up on me. I did it. I made it through a run I didn't know I could do. I never outran the fear-I carried it every mile-I just chose to feel it, not fight it. I realized that had I succumbed to my initial urge to flee, I would have missed an opportunity to surpass my own expectations. I wondered how many times in life I've given up too early because I let fear intimidate me. I learned something that day. I learned to run the full gantlet of fear. I learned the value of perseverance, and I'm not talking about the grueling mileage. I'm talking about moving through the complete cycle of fear-the paralysis, the negative thoughts, the bargaining, the confrontation, the enlightenment, the triumph. I finished the run not because I figured out how to escape the fear but rather how to tolerate it. I discovered a way to carry fear lightly-with respect and unburdened.

Learning to tolerate and manage fear without having to make it go away is as critical on race day as on any other training day. It might mean the difference between tackling a long run, signing up for a 10K, crossing the finish line-or not. How you handle fear will depend largely on your coping skills. What coping tools do you have already? Let's explore how coping strategies like legitimizing feelings, grounding, employing distraction, practicing mindfulness, having compassion for self and using positive, non-judgmental self-talk can influence your running and help you push through fear.

Fear is allowed. Many athletes say they panic at the first tingling of fear. These runners, swimmers and bikers don't trust that they can handle fear. They have forgotten that feeling afraid is perfectly normal, that it's part of the process and has something to offer. Still, the fear of fear is terrorizing. The good news is that living the experience of successfully surviving an episode of fear will inspire faith in your ability to do it again next time. But first, you must allow yourself to go there, and to go there, you must legitimize fear. Give yourself permission to feel afraid. Trust that you can handle it, understanding that you can feel the fear and not react to it. This skill requires practice, but eventually you will develop the ability to sit with fear despite the discomfort and without panicking. Instead, you can learn to self-sooth in the midst of fear.

Self-soothing techniques abound. For some, grounding exercises like meditation and deep breathing work wonders. Grounding is a method of measuring thought (the basis of the fear) against reality. Most fears derive from stories we tell ourselves about what will happen in the future. But since we cannot exactly predict the future, it isn't useful to go there. Think about how many times you have predicted something would happen and it didn't. Grounding helps us stay in the present moment, from where we can assess the veracity of our stories. If fear is an emotion based on the future, then focusing on the present moment is a pathway out. Grounding our stories illuminates the space between what could happen in the future and the possibilities for now.

Distraction is a valuable tool for substituting fear for new stimuli. Some athletes benefit from distractions like stretching, walking, talking, or listening to music, which bring focus to the body rather than the mind. Others use prayer, which calls attention to the spirit. It's a matter of finding the distraction that helps you cope best.

Now, mindfulness. Mindfulness encourages awareness and is another useful coping tool. Mindfulness is a state of curious, compassionate and accepting study of the present moment - including the thoughts, feelings, sensations, impulses and wants inside our own bodies. What are you thinking about before a run? Do you tend to whirl through a web of self-defeating what-ifs. What if it's too hard? What if I can't make it? What if everyone else is better? What if I get tired, sore or scared? Not useful. These thoughts will trap you. Once set in motion, negative thoughts can easily spiral out of control and scare you right out of the race. Pay attention to your thoughts, and be mindful of your self-talk.

Positive, compassionate self-talk will go a long way in reconstructing your relationship with fear. When you feel the fear, can you find compassion for your fearful self? Can you empathize with the fearful parts of you? Can you be curious about the fear? What does it want to teach you? What can you say to help navigate yourself through the fear? Using a combination of mindfulness, compassion and non-judgmental self-talk, your internal dialogue may sound something like this: "There's that dreadful feeling again. What is it? Oh, fear. I don't like this feeling. I'm scared, and I want to quit. Wait. I can want to quit and choose not to. It's okay for me to be uncomfortable. I don't always have to like the way I feel. I wonder why I'm afraid. Man, it's hard to feel this way. Okay, what can I do for myself to make this tolerable? Right, I know. I can slow down. I can sit and breathe and wait. That helps." Remember this: fear is just a feeling and no feeling can rage in intensity for very long-it's just not possible. Feelings pass if permitted.

Moving past our fear does not mean that it is never valuable. It keeps us safe at times and helps us prepare for potential eventualities. Without fear, we might not plan for enough water (especially when we aren't thirsty) or buy the right gear. A fearless man might run a marathon without proper training. It's acceptance and not the absence of fear we seek. So welcome fear, carry it lightly on your run, but don't let it take away your power or keep you from reaching the finish line.

Gretchen, a triathlete, is a licensed master social worker and therapist at Sol Community Counseling in Austin. Gretchen works with athletes of all ability levels on sports performance and interpersonal challenges. Email her: gretchsanders@gmail.com. Visit the website.

Injury Spotlight: Knee Pain

By AJ Zelinski, Advanced Rehabilitation

Getting ready for Mothers day, it is appropriate to discuss knee pain, as it is very common in female athletes. Women tend to be more prone than men with regards to knee pain and injuries. This is due to a difference in structure and the biomechanical relationship between the hips, knees, and feet.

Knees are complex, weight-bearing joints (junctions between two bones) that provide your body with flexibility, support and a wide range of motion. Knees can be injured from trauma, arthritis or everyday stress and strain. Knee pain is therefore a common complaint. Depending on the type and severity of joint damage, knee pain can be minor or can lead to severe discomfort and disability. There are a number of common causes for knee pain, and it is important to have an accurate diagnosis of the cause so that appropriate treatment can be undertaken.

Risk Factors

Overuse - can lead to muscle fatigue and excessive loading stresses across the joint. This causes an inflammatory response (increased blood flow and cell response) that damages tissues.
Age, athletic activities, previous injuries
Instability - tight or weak muscles offer less joint support.
Mechanical problems - structural abnormalities, such as having one leg shorter than the other, abnormal alignment of the bones or flat feet can increase risk of knee problems.

Initial Care Guidelines

Protection - a sleeve or brace to provide added joint stability and restrict range of motion
Rest - minor injuries may require only a day or two of rest but severe damage is likely to need a longer recovery time.
Ice - reduces pain and inflammation
Elevation of the limb
Compression - a wrap around the knee prevents edema (fluid buildup within the joint).
Medications - nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, naproxen, or ibuprofen can help relieve swelling and pain.

When to Seek Medical Advice

Difficulty bearing weight on the knee
Swelling of the knee
Obvious deformity in the leg or knee
Severe or persisting pain
Locking - inability to bend or straighten the knee joint
Infection - typically indicated by fever and a knee joint that is red, painful and swollen

Screening and Diagnosis
Pinpointing the exact reason for knee pain can be challenging because of the wide range of possible causes. Acute injuries may include fractures, ligament and cartilage tears, muscle strains, and contusions (blunt trauma). Conditions that generate chronic pain can include arthritis, tumors and infection. A comprehensive medical history and a thorough physical examination are important. X-rays may be taken to detect bone injury and degenerative arthritis, but computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scans are often requested to help identify specific soft tissue injuries.
Advanced Rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary treatment center of many different types of injuries, please feel free to contact us at 467-1100, or on the web at www.atxrehab.com, for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Sources: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Academy of Family Physicians (JAMA. 2007; 297: 1740)

Girls On The Run Charity: SoleMates

SoleMates is the charity running leg of Girls on the Run. We are a team of male and female athletes who pursue individual goals, such as running a marathon, ½ marathon or triathlon, to raise money for Girls on the Run of Austin and our important after school running programs for young girls. If you’ve signed up for the Chicago, New York or San Antonio Marathon it’s the perfect opportunity to raise money for a local charity while participating in the Rogue Running programs.

Girls on the Run is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self respect and healthy living. It is an innovative health education and wellness program that combines training for a 3.1 mile run/walk event with life-changing, self esteem enhancing lessons that encourage healthy habits and an active lifestyle in 8-12 year old girls.

For information about Girls On The Run, visit our website or email kb@gotraustin.org.

Registration for Girls on the Run SoleMates is $26, and then members agree to raise a minimum of only $262 on or before thirty (30) days after completing the race (or be personally responsible for this amount.) Participants must sign up for their chosen event independently.

What support do you get?
•    Easy online registration process
•    Exclusive technical t-shirt and goodie bag upon registration
•    Incentive prizes for participants reaching & exceeding fundraising minimum. The levels are:
•    $262
•    $500
•    $750
•    $1000 and up
•    On-line training plans to fine tune your training
•    Simple online fundraising through Active.com
•    Inspirational emails from Girls on the Run to keep you motivated
•    Extra motivation of running for a reason – to change the lives of Girls!

The experience of a SoleMates athlete mirrors the experience of a girl in the Girls on the Run program - both learn lessons about goal setting and achievement, perseverance, motivation, overcoming obstacles and inspiration. These athletes step across the finish line and experience a moment when their sense of what is possible becomes limitless!

We hope you join us in our mission!

Boston Marathon Race Report

By Clemmie Cummins, P3 athlete

What can I say about the Boston Marathon? "It lives up to its reputation," that’s what.

This is my second trip, the first being in 2005. After my successful (!) but painful (!) California International Marathon in Sacramento in December, I decided I wanted to just run, not race, Boston. Don’t know when I’ll be back, so will just soak up the details.

This race is so well done, and it should be: They’ve been doing it for 113 years! Buses with heat and bathrooms to the start line—great idea. Despite the huge numbers of runners, it didn’t seem chaotic. When the crowd surged forward, I thought, “Here we go, this is the big time!” Coach Steve calls Boston the Olympics for the Every Person.

Familiar sight within the first 2 miles: Lots of runners (male) relieving themselves in the wooded areas. Cold, crisp air, some wind, only occasional bursts of sunshine. Bye-bye 3M throw-away shirt. Later the bandana comes off, but the gloves stay on!

The crowds are fantastic. Several times I’d hear a huge roar and look around to see if a celebrity was nearby—but no, just us chickens. Lots of little hands thrust out for a high fives. You see oodles of signs: Go ___ (fill in name here). I am truly inspired by the blind runners and the runners with prosthetic legs. So many stories represented here today; so many individuals overcoming incredible barriers and adversities.

Quickly the little towns go by – After Hopkinton, there’s Ashland, Framingham, Natick
You see lovely—but not showy—New England-style homes, very Americana looking to us Texans. In the towns, I noticed all the storefronts. Somewhere in this area, Dunkin Donuts was born. I eat some blocks, later some shots. Yuck. I’ve never liked race food.

At the 10 mile mark, I remember thinking, “Well this would be a decent run,” but today, I’ve just begun. Soon the half approaches and the crazy Wellesley mile of screaming co-eds appear. They are loud and they WILL kiss you if you stop. One sign said: Will kiss males AND females! Nice distraction. Run on, run on. Nice day to run.

Not worrying about a goal time allows you to have brief conversations with other runners. I heard two women speaking in a language I wasn’t sure of. “Where’re you from?” I asked. “Germany!” came the response. “I’m from a foreign country too,” I said. Then after a significant pause, I added “Texas!” They looked at me quizzically, then one said: “Oh, you make a funny!”

Boston is definitely the Irish capital of the world, outside of Ireland. I handed a paper cup to a local chap and asked him if he would throw it away for me. “Show ah!” he replied in that unmistakable accent.

At the 13.1 mile mat, I am reminded why I love the half marathon so much: It’s a great distance! Now I have to do another one. I stopped in three porta-potty lines during the race – no behind-the-bushes pit stops this time.

Watching the crowds is good entertainment. Many offer orange slices, water, Kleenex, and other sundries for our convenience. Many are having fun-looking tailgate style parties in their driveways. The smell of cooking meat wafts through the air and I wish I had a sausage wrap instead of a Cliff shot in my fanny pack.

Legs feel fine, body is relaxed. It’s still chilly, so my gloves are mostly on. Wind in the face as I approach Heartbreak Hill – but no heartbreak for me, as I continue my steady pace up the two big ups. I think about how this point often makes or breaks runners.

One by one, the mile markers pass by. I hit 20 miles and am reminded that this is where the marathon STARTS. Okay, a 10K to go. I’m feeling fine; legs still feel good. I think
about the 6 months of rigorous Team Rogue training for Sacramento, followed by an additional 5 months of training to stay fit for Boston with Panther’s Riff Raff group.

We seem to be on Commonwealth Ave. for the longest time. I gaze at the apartment buildings along the street and amuse myself by looking at trees, bushes, and flowers. Many are the same as in Austin, just blooming two months later. Spring is cold here.

Some runners are experiencing pain by now. Limping, lurching -- ouch, it hurts to watch.
This is when force-of-will takes over. Glad I’m not in that situation today.

Finally, we make the turn onto Boylston Street and then to the area where everything is named Copley. The finish arch is up ahead and now the crowds are delirious with excitement. I speed up a bit to have a space of my own at the finish line. I smile a big smile and feel grateful that I’m healthy enough to run the Boston M! Time:4:40:49.

The volunteers are like loving, supportive angels ministering to the masses. Boston has the longest chute in the world. I asked about the medals, and one guy said, “It’s up ahead, about three miles.” :-> I got my stuff and headed back to the hotel, amid many congratulatory greetings. I feel quite fine – none the worse for wear, actually.

I cleaned up and walked to the Barking Crab for some fun with fellow Rogue teammates. We ordered, then waited. I guess time was adding up. I hadn’t been able to force anything down after the finish, except some potato chips, which apparently wasn’t enough. Coming out of the restroom at the restaurant, I passed out cold.

I woke up with five men wearing medals and Boston finisher shirts peering over me. “Am I in marathon heaven?” I asked. After an embarrassing interlude with EMS (yes, my vital signs were fine) I choked down some crackers with salt and felt OK. Soon my broiled fish arrived and it was delicious. I was fine except for a red boo-boo on my forehead. (I think I hit the wall on the way down). Just a little drama – but that only adds to the lore!

Love to my superlative family and friends. When I’m a hundred years old (yeah, I plan to live that long), I’m sure these details will still be clearly etched in my mind!

Rogue's Darren Brown: 1st at Boston Mile

By: Darren Brown, winner of the Inaugural Boston Invitational Mile 2009

There was a lot of surprise yesterday when I got my first big win on the Elite/Professional stage of Track and Field. The race/course wasn’t conventional, the pace wasn’t blistering, but it was still a competition and I walked away with a “W” that I am extremely proud of after having beat a lot of very, very talented athletes. I would also say that, while there was indeed a bit of surprise by myself, I think that should be expected. Anyone who lines up against a field like that and is able to come out victorious should feel blessed on the day. More so than surprise though, the feeling was one of relief. Finally, I’ve competed where I know I can. I was confident in myself and the possibility that I could be as good, or better, than anyone on the day (why else line up?!) and that, combined with the Grace of God, created this Victory.

Among those in the field were multiple-time NCAA Champions, USA National Champions, and Olympians. Then there was “simply” (I put this in quotations because, in comparison to the other honors, it seems meager, but is still something I am incredibly proud of myself) a three-time All-American from Texas who is still known more because of who his father is and what he did than for his own accomplishments. Maybe after yesterday’s win, some of this will begin to change …

As stated before, the pace was not fast, but on a course like this and in the day’s conditions, mental toughness, quick reactions and a strong will/presence was what prevailed. This made it a greater mental victory than it was a physical one. The course was 3-laps of a city block in downtown Boston beginning on Boylston, near the marathon finish line. From there, it headed down Boylston and then took lefts at each of the following streets, Dartmouth, Newbury, and Exeter respectively before taking a final left back onto Boylston. After 3 laps, the course ended at the marathon finish line. Meet directors did a good job setting up the course so as to run us on the far sides of the streets around the block we were circling in an effort to give us a more angled approach to the turns. In doing this, they were able to help keep us from making 90 degree turns that would have most-assuredly produced some tumbles and serious road rash. That being said, the final two turns in each loop were still pretty brutal on the legs and between the unconventional and inconsistent turn angles (not one had the same approach or exit as we moved through the turn) and potholes, manhole covers, grates, etc., the pack-running that ensued off of the slow pace was something to experience! Running tall, strong, and with wide elbows was a must to ensure you kept “your” space. From there, it was simply a matter of telling yourself to stay relaxed and try to run as evenly and effortlessly as possible.

The race itself was interesting and was kind of a learn-as-you-go experience. It started with a very chilly morning that had gusting winds down the starting/finishing street and was not making for a fast race. During pre-race warm-up, I worked a little harder than usual to ensure I was nice and warm and got a good sweat going. I didn’t want to head into those turns cold and lock up from the uneven pace. They took us over to the line 10min before the race and we were able to do a few strides in the sun over the first 100m of the course. Then came the introductions of which, I must say, were pretty intimidating. Finally, they lined us up and, unfortunately (although it ended up working out perfectly!), I was one of three runners to be placed on a second line starting behind the first 7. I looked up and down the line when they told me of this and strategically chose a position behind Rob Myers and Pablo Solares, two guys who I knew were fit and quick, meaning they would get off of the line and out of trouble well, allowing me to settle in behind them. The gun went off and I did just that. It worked perfectly. Over the first 400 meters, there was some jostling around the turns and the pace seemed to be quick, but effortless. I don’t think anyone could have guessed our pace. First 400 … 65. Immediately the brain started rolling over the plan of attack. “It’s going to be lazy and doddle”, I said to myself, “be ready for a kick … save something”. We continued around the course, heading into the second lap, still kind of feeling out the turns and seeming to get more and more packed in as we went along and people continued to jostle for position. I decided at this moment that I was fine tucked into 5^th/6^th place where I could avoid the wind as long as I ran strong and with a presence. I had to make my space mine and then find a way to relax inside that space, even with the chaos going on around me. The key here was to relax and not waste precious energy on useless tasks, as some of the runners had begun to by swinging out really wide on turns and crashing back in on the group on the straights. Because of the long straights and wide roads, I also knew that I could still mount an attack from this position and the likelihood of being boxed in was very low. Staying consistent with this thought, throughout the second lap, as Pat Tarpy made a move along the inside, in order to push the pace, I decided to follow right behind him and found myself now sitting 3^rd/4^th right around the time we crossed 800 (2:09). Not too much longer after this, as we crossed the finish line for the completion of a second lap, Steve Sherer made a move as well, on the outside though. With 500 to go, the pace had all of a sudden dropped and Ian Dobson was close in pursuit as they both passed Cragg and a fading Tarpy. I welcomed this push with open arms! I am still in a strength phase of my training and was very excited to see it was going to be a long, wound-up kick instead of a last minute free-for-all. I could also see that Alistair Cragg was not looking to cover this move right away and took the opportunity to slip solidly into 3^rd. We crossed 1200 in 3:12, moving at a pretty quick clip now and only seeming to build with each stride. Dobson never halted the move he made to cover Sherer and by 350 to go had overtaken him for the lead. Seeing this move, I decided to jump on Dobsons heals. I know I am a little more of a middle distance runner than he is and was originally planning to sit there until I mounted a last minute kick … but then I began to think of the rest of the pack and the speed it possessed. I could feel that there had been some separation during this series of moves and even though I never took a look, I could sense there was now a little bit of distance. The plan went into revision immediately and, in hopes of keeping the rest of the kickers out of the equation, I reacted by posing my own hard, steadily increasing move right past Dobson and into the lead. From here, aside from almost shitting myself as I waited for the pack’s response, I just told myself to relax and keep pushing, harder and harder, little by little, all the while saving something just in case. As I rounded the second to last turn, I knew I was in the last 150m and that I needed to get around one more turn and spend what I had. I was still waiting for somebody to come up on my shoulder and to have to react, but no one ever did ... As I rounded the last turn I focused on staying tall, running strong and keeping the push going. Luckily, I think the series of moves, the hard final two turns, and the jostling still going on back in the pack (which I had freed myself from) kept anyone from being able to respond to my final move and allowed me to run through the finish without using my final gears. As I neared the tape, I wanted to yell out, I wanted to throw my hands in the air and celebrate, but I withheld until I knew that I had secured the Victory. Then the celebration came; the thanks for the blessed day, the excitement, and the congratulations!

Coming into the race, I know that the prize money was a big attraction for most of the athletes, and even more so for somebody like myself who does not currently have sponsorship, but the funny thing is that when it came down to it, the paycheck never once went through my mind as a motivational factor throughout the race. The doubters, the nay-sayers, the lack of confidence in my abilities, my hatred of losing, and my desire to compete and beat people is all that went through my mind during the race. Saying I was the best on the day in a field like that is more important to me than any paycheck ever could be. This is my reward, this is my payoff, and although I am accepting the 3K and very much appreciative for it, the win is the direct result of my work and so this is what I will relish.

I have to close this post by giving my sincere thanks to everybody involved in this meet, my running and for helping me take yet another step along the way. Thank you to the B.A.A. put on a GREAT event that I am looking forward to competing in for years to come, to my agent, Bobby Gordon, for helping to get my entry into this event accepted, to Rogue and TEAMRogue (who I happily represented during the race!) for their continued support, belief, and cheers, and a HUGE thank you to my family and friends for showing me their unwavering support throughout this transition period in my life. Thank you everybody and God Bless you all!

Read more about Darren and his running experiences here.

Team Rogue Boston Results

The Boston Marathon was an amazing experience for Team Rogue. We had 47 members travel to run the Boston Marathon. As a team our Master's women were 6th place in the team category. Every individual member of the Team had a successful day. Here is a list of tenative results

Kevin - 2:40:34
Ken & Larry - 2:51:59
Ramon - 3:13:13
Geezer - 3:18:31
Stewart - 3:25:09
Javier - 3:25:49
Mark - 3:29:37
James Gelb - 3:34:52
Mike Mendicino- 3:46:28
Bruce - 3:50:33
Cheryl - 3:15:28
Dionn - 3:42:20
Francie - 3:20:28
Glenda - 3:23:27
Amy - 3:29:38
Kirsten - 3:31:02
Helena - 3:34:21
Julia - 3:41:33
Ann Marie - 3:44:19
Brenda -3:46:49
Kevin -2:40:55
Damon -3:05:37
Rasim - 2:53:10
Chris - 3:15:50
Mae - 3:23:34
Deborah - 3:38:2
Tara - 3:39:59
Nedra - 3:40:53
Tammy -3:46:03
Lisa- 3:48:07
Brian & Adele - 3:53
Heidi 0 - 3:54

2009 Vasque Trail Team Announced

CONTACT:
Coral Darby
coral@darbycommunications.com
828.254.0914 / (mb) 828.230.0170

April 16, 2009 ‐ Red Wing, MN – High performance outdoor footwear manufacturer, Vasque, is extremely pleased to announce the selection of these powerful athletes to the 2009 Vasque Trail Team: Krissy Moehl, Duncan Callahan, Shiloh Mielke, Bryan Dayton, Debbie Livingston, and Dan Dehlin. These impressive endurance runners were hand‐selected for their extraordinary athlete prowess, as well as their relentless dedication to the sport, trail preservation, and their respectable reputation locally, nationally, and even internationally. In addition to competing in major trail running events throughout the United States and abroad, the team members will serve as Vasque representatives and educators, product testers, clinic instructors, and as the face of Vasque’s biggest sponsorship initiative to date, the 2009 Vasque PROJECT.

Together, this roster holds an unbeatable number of high‐profile podium finishes, record race times, and challenging race schedules. Moehl, a player in the trail running community for nine years, is known in the ultrarunning community for her win (3rd place overall) and course record at the 2007 Hardrock 100 and as the youngest female Grand Slam finisher holding the second fastest female completion time (second to legendary Ann Trason). In 2008 she took first place overall at the Bellingham North Face Endurance Challenge 50K and won the first annual Grindstone 100, taking fourth overall, and placed as the second female in the Where’s Waldo 100K Trail Championships. This season, Moehl has her sights set on Leona Divide 50, Pocatello 50, the Western States 100, and the Tour Du Mont Blanc in France. If all goes well, she will also take a stab at the North Face Endurance Challenge Championships in California. “I am excited about a year of racing and racing hard.” notes Moehl. “I hope to push new limits and see what I am capable of.”

Callahan a relative newcomer to the ultrarunning circuit is already building upon his stellar 2008 results. Posting his first win of the season at the Moab 100 on Sunday, March 29th in a time of 18:51, Callahan also clinched a second place victory last month at the Rocky Raccoon 50 miler. His additional goals for the 2009 season include top finishes at the Sage Burner 50k, the Teva Mountain games, and a repeat victory at the Leadville 100.

Mielke, a world‐class mountain runner, plans to compete in the Mount Washington Road Race, the Cranmore Hill Climb (also the U.S. Mountain Running Championship), and, if all goes according to plan, the World Mountain Running Championship in Campodolcina, Italy. Mielke also plans to cut time and improve his already event record at the Shut‐In Ridge trail race in Asheville, North Carolina.

Dayton, training in the mountains of Colorado, will focus his season on the Pikes Peak Marathon as well as setting course records at the Leadville Marathon and ½ Marathon. Dayton set the course record at the difficult Leadville ½ Marathon last season. Dayton plans to also compete at the popular, but difficult StumpJump 50K in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he also currently holds the course record.

Livingston, a well known athlete in not only the trail but fitness and yoga communities, will base her season around several events in the New England area, including the Northern Nipmuck Trail Race, the Mount Greylock Trail Race ½ Marathon, and the People’s Forest 10K in Barkhamsted, CT.

Rounding out the impressive roster is Dan Dehlin, a Vasque sales representative in the upper Midwest. Dehlin took second place at last season’s Grand Island Trail Marathon in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and was the top finisher the previous two years. This year, Dehlin plans to not only compete in several high profile trail events such as the Free State 100k and Leadville 100 miler, but also host clinics to help broaden consumer knowledge around the sport and the product.

Each member of the trail team, says Vasque director of marketing, Sarah Pitts, was chosen not only for his or her athletic resume, but even more importantly, for the fact they are inspiring people and leaders in the outdoor community. “The simple fact that Krissy works with the Conservation Alliance, Duncan coaches and helps kids learn to ski in the off season, Debbie is a role model for new and active moms, just to name a few, displays the depth of each of these individuals. It is a special type of person that uses their success positively, becoming an influential spokesperson in their sport and community.”

This trail team exemplifies and parallels Vasque’s continuous dedication to being a leading technical performance brand. “Vasque is devoted to producing performance footwear that harnesses the natural forces of the body and the terrain,” notes Pitts. “It is essential that our products withstand the most extreme and hardcore elements, therefore these athletes will be our most valuable product testers. Their experiences and suggestions will help the brand to continue to develop high quality performance driven shoes with meaningful innovation.”

The trail team will be training, testing, and racing in Vasque’s award‐winning trail collection including the Aether Tech, the newly released Celerator and Momenta, and the secondgeneration Blur SL. The Aether Tech, Outside Magazine’s Gear of the Year in 2008, offers a blend of comfort and technology while utilizing the BOA® Technology closure system for those interested in a faster, cleaner lacing system. Blur SL (for super light) offers a cushioned, yet stable midsole to go the distances without the extra weight. The Celerator and Momenta, Vasque’s lightest trail shoe to date, includes high‐performance EVA landing zones and a tenacious Aether outsole for superior cornering and gripping on rough terrain.

The 2009 Vasque Trail Team begins its season in late April with a two‐day retreat at company headquarters in Minnesota. For more information about the team, athletes’ schedules, Vasque PROJECT events, or for a full list of Vasque products and retailers, visit www.vasque.com.

Darren Brown - Team Rogue Wins

At 10am today, Sunday April 19th, 2009 Darren Brown, Team Rogue's Elite Team member won the first ever Elite men's invitational mile. Darren ran a 4:11 in a very competitive field. It was very exciting to watch the competition as the elite runners and high school runners ran the 6 block loop around the Boston Marathon finish line. I bunch of Team Rogue members were on hand to cheer for Darren. Afterwards we took photos and congratualtioned him. Later today Darren will join Team Rogue at the Intercontinental hotel for the Team Meeting for everyone running the Boston Marathon tomorrow.

Team Rogue has over 50 members running in the marathon on April 20th. Weather at this point seems great. It is cool, and sunny, with of course no humity. Yesterday's travels were a challenge for many on the team as flight after flight was canceled. But most have arrived and made there way to packet pick-up. Packet-pick up in Boston is like no other, tons of booths, lots of cool stuff, and of course, the official Boston Marathon gear. It is hard not to walk too much.

If you want to catch up with the team and their results and progress you can look us up as Team Rogue, we have a masters men and women's team, as well as a men's and women's open team.

More to come tomorrow...

Rogue Rush 5k Results

The First ever Rogue Rush 5k, directed by Laura Benold & Jay Hislcher, was a great success today. 200 people registere for this race that was in Cedar Park/Round Rock area. The overall winner was none other than Rogue Runner Chris Kimbrough. She was followed closely by Kurt Mohlman & Ken Young. The 2nd female was Cat Crammer another Rogue.

Following the race were cheese burger, burgers, and veggie burgers made by the talented & scottish Theresa Kelly, and Janyce Sisson, the mom of the owner Steve Sisson. Helping with the coaching and breakfast taco duties were Amy Anderson & Carolyn Mangold. There was Sweet Leaf Tea & Progress Coffee for all participants.

Rogue Equipment was there represented by manager Josh Hare & Eric Stanley "Stan". Partner's CrossFit Central with our favorite instructor Jessica & owner Jeremy Theil. AJ Zelniski & the Advanced Rehab team were there helping runners and cheering on the runners.

Russ Secker, Trans-European Foot Race

Coach Russ was featured on KXAN News at 10 PM, April 7, 2009. Austin character Jim Swift did a very kind review of Russ' upcoming Trans Europe Footrace, which starts in Italy on April 19th (despite not editing out unguarded references to toenail damage and diarrhea!).

Russ, who's really a Brit, is the only "American" to qualify for the race, and will be proudly representing Austin, Texas in the field of 68 starters from all over the world.
Follow Russ' adventure via his blog.

Check out the story KXAN did on Russ, including a video interview, here.

Austin Racing Events Alliance

To all participants and supporters of running and triathlon events in Austin:

Many of you may be aware of the recent activity and attention surrounding special events and downtown street closures in the City of Austin. This Thursday, April 2nd, there is City Council Public hearing regarding the draft of the Special Events Street Closure Ordinance that has been proposed by City staff. This hearing represents a critical junction in determining how special events are received and permitted by the City of Austin. Most people agree that the proposed ordinance would force many special events to significantly alter their course and schedule, or move out of the downtown area.

Over the last few months, many of the directors and managers of Austin racing events have organized ourselves into an official group, the Austin Racing Events Alliance (AREA). The purpose of AREA is to serve as and be recognized as a collective, representative, and collaborative speaking voice relevant to issues that may be of impact to the success and sustainability of racing events in Austin. The vision of AREA is that by working together in collaboration with the impacted members of the community, the City of Austin, and the occupants, residents, businesses, and visitors of Austin, our events will continue to be successful for our organizations, our sponsors, our participants, and the City of Austin. Our mission is to be aware of, knowledgeable of, responsive to, and engaged when necessary, in issues, activities, and public policy making, that my be of impact to the success and sustainability of our events.

Representatives of AREA will be present at the City Council public hearing on Thursday, and we are preparing a procession of speakers from our group that will attempt to achieve the following objectives:

Ensure that AREA is represented in the City of Austin's process for improving the special event ordinance.
That the current draft of the ordinance is not adopted in its current form until there has been further input and review by the stakeholders.

We are aware that most of you, like us, are deeply passionate about fitness, the non-profit organizations that the events benefit, and Austin's status as a "Fit City". We hope that you agree with the purpose of the Austin Racing Events Alliance and that you will support our efforts. It is the opinion of AREA that the best way for each of you to show your support at this public hearing is to be present as large, visible, but mostly silent group that entrusts the communication of your collective concerns to the AREA representative speakers. It would be wonderful if all of you that attend the public hearing could wear one of your race shirts from an Austin event so that our group is very visible.

AREA does not feel that this is the correct time for us to bombard city council members with emails and letters, or for us to make passionate pleas on behalf of special events. That time may come, but for now it is best that we present an organized and collaborative attitude towards improving the Special Events Ordinance. Of course, each of you has the right to sign up and speak at the public hearing, but we request that you defer until after the AREA representatives have spoken.

The City Council Public Hearing is on Thursday, April 2 at 6 PM at City Hall.

Please contact one of the AREA members listed below if you have questions or suggestions for the group.

Thanks for your support!

Sincerely -

Dave Swincher - Junior Achievement - Silicon Labs Austin Marathon Relay
Dan Carroll - High Five Events - The Austin Triathlon
Michelle Graham - Bounce Marketing & Events – ThunderCloud Turkey Trot, NOCC Balance 5K
Paul Carrozza - RunTex - Congress Avenue Mile, Keep Austin Weird 5K
Matt Fagan - 3M - 3M Half Marathon
Christy Casey - Komen Austin Race for the Cure
Leilani Perry - Red Licorice Events and Austin Runners Club
John Conley - Conley Sports - Austin Marathon & Half Marathon
Stacey Conley - Conley Sports - Austin Marathon & Half Marathon
Joey Trimyer - Conley Sports - Austin Marathon & Half Marathon
Michelle Sandquist - Conley Sports - Austin Marathon & Half Marathon
Gary Metcalf - Cadence Sports, Lance Armstrong Foundation LIVESTRONG Challenge 5K
Brian Leto - Cadence Sports, Lance Armstrong Foundation LIVESTRONG Challenge 5K
Candice Rebbe - Cadence Sports, Lance Armstrong Foundation LIVESTRONG Challenge 5K
Jodye Friedman - Bagelfest 5K
Jack Murray - Jack & Adam's Bicycles
Brad Davison – R&B Sports, CapTexTri
Jann Girard – Austin American Statesman, Capitol 10,000
Christopher Thibert - Austin American Statesman, Capitol 10,000 & Junior 'Dillo Kids Run
Nad Elias - Task Force Member, Bun Run
Gilbert Tuhabonye - Gilbert's Gazelles, Run for the Water 10 Miler
Peter Rauch - The Gazelle Foundation, Run for the Water 10 Miler

Zooma Half Marathon Race Plan

This essay reviews what you to be doing the week before your race, during your race and after your race. Never do anything new in a race that you haven’t already tried on a long run. That applies to apparel, GU, Powerade, shoes, inserts in your shoes, etc

The week before:
Starting Monday: hydrate and eat healthy. You should hydrate every day, not just wait until a couple days before your race. Hydrate this week very well. Eat foods that are as least processed as possible.

Thursday and Friday:
Hydrate: alternating water bottles and bottles with half water/half Gatorade. Number your bottles to make sure you get enough. Cut down on the soda, alcohol and coffee.

Food: Carbo-load, but don’t forget protein (for ex; grilled chicken sandwich for lunch, chicken or fish with pasta for dinner). Friday is your most important day in terms of what you eat.

Rest: Friday is your most important night to get a good nights sleep. (Studies have proven it!) Also if you get a good nite’s sleep Friday nite, then you won’t be worrying if you don’t sleep well Saturday nite.

Tell your family this is YOUR weekend. It’s all about YOU! Even if the kids want happy meals from Mc D’s. Tell them, no, we’re going to Zen!

Take it easy on Friday. Don’t spend a lot of time on your feet. Pick up your packet, but don’t start any home improvement projects! Visualize the course a couple times this week. If you have not driven the course then look at the map and the elevation as well as any descriptions written about the race and study this as you think about feeling good. Take 10 minutes and do this.

Friday Night: Don’t eat anything that night that you haven’t tried before. Don’t eat too late. Get a good nights sleep. Keep water by your bedside during the night to drink if you wake up.

Apparel: Expect it to be warm and humid but be prepared for anything. It could be that in Zooma cool in the morning, or it could be warmer than it has been lately. Best to have several plans. The faster you run, the warmer you will get. If you are running your normal easy pace that you do on our Saturday morning long runs, then dress the same. Those planning to “race” this, you will warm up faster than on our usual long runs. So I wear short sleeves and shorts, even though it is usually well below 50, since I am racing it.

You can always tie a long sleeve shirt around your waist if you get too hot. Or some people wear “throw-away” clothes: a shirt that they can toss at a water stop, knowing that they will never see it again. A large plastic garbage is also good to keep you warm, but then throw away.

Gloves: very important as it will could be cold the whole race. You can wear throw-away gloves, but your hands might get cold again later on in the race. Better to tuck them into your shorts and then you can always put them on again.

Remember Body glide!

Pin your race number to your shorts and not your shirt in case you take your shirt off during the race. You can pin a packet of GU to the waistband of your shorts. Tuck inside if it is cold so the GU doesn’t get too stiff. (But be sure to put Bodyglide there so you will not chafe from the packet.) When you approach the water stop you can pinch the top with your fingers and rip it off easily. Or you can put your GU in a plastic gel flask before the race, add some water, and it's easy to swallow.

Race morning: drink one bottle of water. It takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours to pee it out, so drink it early enough that you can pee it out before you need to get into the start line crowd. Get to race at least one hour early.

5 things to do before race starts: Pee (as soon as you get there, when there are no lines at the porta potties), get chip, 10 min warm up, leave bag of clothes at truck that will be transported to finish line and drink a cup of water. Pee again, but get in line by a half hour before race start time because the lines could be long.

Race strategy: Dont start out too fast or you’ll start slowing down at the end. For those of you racing this, best to try for even splits. If you are feeling good, you can pick it up slightly mile 11 and 12. Mile 13 should be your fastest mile but not too fast because you want to be able to run in strong to the finish line!

For those taking walk breaks, you can do these the entire race. Or if you are feeling good at mile 10, stop taking them for the remainder of the race. Taking them at the beginning helps your legs at the end.

On the hilly miles expect that you will be slower on those miles, but don’t worry. You ‘ll make it up on the downhill miles. Take advantage of the downhill. It is important to run by effort.

From mile 10 to the finish: it’s all about form. Remember to use running arms: keep your arms parallel, hands by your hips, so your shoulders will be relaxed. Think about standing up straight, no "sitting". You dont want to start sagging as you get tired, and put more stress on your hips.

Mental: think about the race as one third done, halfway done, ect. Do worry about how much further you have to do. Relax and do not worry about racing this. That might help you not go out too fast.

Drink at every water stop. You can alternate water and Gatorade. Drink thru mile 10, at least. After 10 the water/powerade you drink doesnt get into your system to help you in the remainder of the race. (But a good head start on recovery.)

Take energy gels like you have been practicing on the long runs.

After the race, follow our usual recovery tips:
Hydrate immediately, protein and carbs as soon as you can, massage (a light one immediately after the race, or a more intensive one a few days after), Ice bath as soon as you can post race. Even taking one later that day when you return to Austin would be benefitial.

Support Your Austin Races and Events

The City Council is about to vote on proposals that will limit and curtail races and events in Austin. Contact your city council members today to voice your support of races and event in Austin and opposition to City Staff plans. There is a potential meeting scheduled for April 2nd. It will be very important to have lots of runners at this meeting if happens. It is equally as important for you do contact the council members so below is a letter and a link that allows you to send it to all of them at once.

Finally, we need the support of the Charities in town that will be the ones that lose as much as we will if this happens. If you work with a charity group or volunteer with a charity group please let them know this is going on. As soon as we verify that this meeting will be April 2nd we will post the date, time and location.

To keep up on the lastest join http://www.keepaustinrunning.com

Where to submit: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/groupemail.htm

Subject: In support of races and events in Austin and against City Staff recommendations

Dear City Council Members and Mayor,

I'd like express my support for races and events in Austin, downtown and throughout the city and the many charities and business that benefit from them. I'd also like to voice my disapproval at the current recommendations you are considering for the planning of races and events the following reasons:

1. The current plans ignore some key proposals from the downtown special events task force including an office of special events.
2. The current plans lead to a further increase in the cost of races. A number of races have already been canceled in the past two years with a negative impact to local charities. The Right of Way Management Office continues to change it's interpretations of regulations in a manner inconsistent with other cities in the state and country.
3. The current plans will eliminate a larger number of races in Austin, unless the races are treated as exceptions. This will either eliminate the races or increase the burden in managing this process.
4. The current plans discriminate against moving events by restricting street closures specifically for them even though these be managed to reduce their overall impact relative to fixed events.
5. The city staff has not effectively engaged the community to solicit input and kept it updated on proposals.

I hope you will show support for the events and races that are a large part of the character of Austin and enjoyed by tens of thousands of Austinites and others yearly and not vote to approve the current recommendations for handling events.

Best Regards,

ChiRunning Improves Run Form

March 26, 2009

CHI RUNNING INCORPORATES CORE TO ENHANCE PERFORMANCE
Experts say a strong core provides stability and proper technique

ATLANTA - Though your legs may be able to bring you to the start line, your core gets you to the finish, according to the fundamentals of Chi running. Experts at today's American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition discussed the physics, technique and benefits of Chi running.

Dixie Stanforth, M.S., and Karen Smith, M.A., Certified ChiRunning Instructor, say core activation is essential for efficient movement, particularly distance running. Chi running is based on the concept that a strong and stable core improves performance by allowing the arms and legs to move freely while the spine/trunk provides stability. "Core supported alignment, combined with forward lean, allows for the majority of the rest of the body to remain tension free and relaxed," said Stanforth.

A strong and stable core is essential during all activities - whether sport related, such as running or basketball, or real life activities like picking up groceries, say Stanforth and Smith. Having a strong and stable core is foundational for any functional movement pattern, and trainers need to be mindful of alignment and technique during all activities.

"Chi running is about relaxed running," said Smith. "By creating the correct alignment of the posture with core activation and stabilization, you are able to use gravity to work with you, allowing other muscles to relax and function more fluidly. This decrease in unnecessary muscle tension improves energy efficiency," she said.

This technique has had tremendous success with injury prevention, particularly simple injuries in the lower leg, such as plantar fasciitis and shin splits. Chi running, particularly in advanced runners, has also been known to minimize other overuse injuries because the feet are free to relax and land mid-sole, eliminating heel strike.

Stanforth and Smith recommend Chi running beginners seek out a certified instructor to get instruction and feedback on your form and technique. "It is about body sensing and becoming aware versus the old concept of tuning out and when it becomes uncomfortable - sucking it up," said Smith.

"In general, the public knows core strength is important. However, in order for it to be practical, they must also understand why and how to implement it into their recreational sports and traditional exercises," said Smith.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 35,000 international, national, and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

Track Etiquette

A brief description of track do's and don’ts:

If you have the track to yourself, do whatever you want
If you are sharing the track, you should generally run counter-clockwise
Move to the outside lane for walking or recovery jogging

What happens in the inside lanes vary a bit by location and by the group working out. At some tracks, slower runners yield Lane 1, the innermost lane, to faster runners and are expected to get out of the way if an approaching runner yells "TRACK!” At other tracks and during more organized "club" workouts, anyone running at pace has the right to the inside lane, and faster runners pass slower runners exclusively on the outside, as in a race. This places the obligation of moving on the runner with the best view of the situation.

Here's another list of rules suggested on the track forum:

Always look "up-track" (toward where runners would come from) before stepping onto the track. ALWAYS.
You should not drift outward to prevent someone from passing.
If you are going to be lapped, it is courtesy (though not strictly required except where mandated by meet directors) to move out to lane 2 and allow the faster runners to pass, if you can do so without impeding their progress (i.e. waiting until they're too close).
Warm-ups, cool downs and all running where strict distance measurement is not required should be done in outer lanes (not 1 and preferably not 2) in order to lessen wear and tear on the track.
If two or more groups are doing workouts on the track at the same time, give right-of-way to the faster group. They cannot stop or move quickly enough to avoid a collision if a slower runner suddenly stops or changes lanes in front of them. This is a matter of safety, not of one group being more important than the other.
If you are in the faster group, be considerate to the slower runners. If workouts allow, each group should consider negotiating a set of lanes, so both groups can work out together smoothly.
Never socialize on the track when other runners are present. Move it to the infield.
When other groups are working out on the track, don't run 3-4 abreast and dominate the track. If others must pass you, it is very inconsiderate. Run in a line (this applies to sidewalks too).

Track Dimensions

Standard outdoor tracks are 400 meters around in the inside lane. For most training purposes, that's equivalent to 1/4 mile (440 yards).

Four laps on a standard track make 1600 meters. 1600 meters is 5249 feet - 31 feet short of a mile. To run a mile on standard track, you need to run four laps and an additional 31 feet. Many runners consider four laps to be the equivalent of a mile.

Beginner Triathlon Tip #4

Train for the Water you will Race.
If the triathlon has an open water start, try practicing in a lake, rather than the pool. The closer you can mimic the conditions you will have at the race, the more prepared you will be on race day. If you are racing in the ocean, you may encounter choppy waves. Use shorter strokes to combat the chop, then long, efficient strokes once the water smoothes out. During your training, focus on your swimming technique; this makes the largest difference in your results on race day. Make sure your breathing, kick, body position, and arm rotation are in the proper form.

To learn more about how to tri come to on of our free traithlon training session.

1. March 24th at Bettysport Domain at 7 pm

2. March 25th at Bettysport on 12th & Lamar at 6pm

3. March 28th at Rogue Equipment at 8:30 am

Beginning Triathlon Training Tip #3

Slow and Steady Start Wins the Race.
Many a racer has burned out midway through a race because they started out too quickly. Since the first leg of a triathlon is in the water, plan to train and swim at a steady pace that you can sustain for the entire leg. You should train for the exact strategy you will use in your swimming segment. As you approach the water, you should run until the water reaches knee-level, as this will maximize your efficiency.

In addition, prepare yourself mentally for the psychology of the other racers. Whereas human psychology will prompt the other racers to compete for the pole position, you should stay relaxed and maintain proper breathing. While other racers will try to align themselves as close as possible to the first buoy, you should not follow the pack. Instead, feel comfortable starting outside, and then eventually come into the line as you near the first buoy. By not over-expending energy in the water, you will be refreshed for the cycle.

Beginner Triathlon Training Tip #2

Beginner Triathlete Tip #2

Invest in Good Shoes
Depending on the triathlon you are racing, you may be on your feet from 5K to a half marathon. Spend the money on a good pair of shoes from a store that specializes in running. The expert employees will be able to fit your feet with the perfect shoe for your gait, foot shape and race ambitions. A good pair of shoes will keep you from many lower leg injuries. A great place to purchase a pair of shoes is from Rogue Equipment. Rogue Equipment offers Free gait analysis. What gait analysis does is look at you running in different types of shoes. The experts can play back the video so that you can see which shoes work best for you and understand why certain shoes are better for your feet.

For more information about running shoes and running shoe fit check out this article by Coach Steve Sisson, The Right Shoe Fit.

TIR: You've Been Rogue'd!

By Laura Benold, Communications Director & Coach

The Texas Independence Relay seemed like a distant adventure in December when eleven of my friends and I decided to undertake it. Only a couple of months later, we packed vans and headed to Gonzales for the start. The night before our departure, the whole crew brought the contents of our group packing list to Jenn and Scott’s house where we had a pizza party and prepared two vans for the weekend. Fifteen passenger vans seem huge when they’re empty, but they are tiny when you cross them with twelve runners and a mountain of food. After *finally* stuffing everything under seats, in the back, behind every nook of the van and even on our laps, we headed out at just after four in the morning.

Only a short couple of hours down the road, we arrived in Gonzales. Jenn lit the cannon to start our team off and, with a bone shaking boom, we began our journey. The team ran one mile or so around the town together, and then Colin took off on the first solo leg of the race. The vans stayed together for most of the trip, tagging each other up and down the highway, through tiny towns. Some highlights (among many):

Butter & Borden: We arrived in Borden and, for the time, were lucky enough to be the leisure van. Borden was the absolute best time of the trip. It was the kind of thing that no amount of planning can account for or replicate. A town of 22 people showed up with DJ Butter, burgers on the grill and lights strung all around. We received directions from a man in wooden clogs, parked, and immediately joined the festivities. After meeting some of the town at the grill and after a few beers, Borden felt like a party. DJ “Butter Bartech” added an element of hilarity that surprised us all. She fulfilled a request for “Stayin’ Alive”, Colin’s theme song, and we became fast friends. In Borden, Governor Rick Perry caught us. For my friend Scott, I said, “Gov, get your head in the game!” and was only a little surprised when Perry said, “what game?” Um, the 200+ mile game you’re living right now. *sigh* Texas Governors.

Armadillo: Resting in the van for a little cat nap after my night shift, I laid down in the back and settled in to hear the silly banter of my front seat friends. They cheered and chatted, I fell in and out of sleep, and then I heard a very nonchalant “armadillo” from Jenn. Only seconds later, Joe hit the said armadillo, and I felt the animal come to an untimely death under the back wheel. I felt the armor of that Texas creature, and it was not pretty. Of course, Joe says, “woah… actual Rogue kill” and the van erupted in laughter. Not that death of any kind humors them, but the comment was too funny. Even I cracked in the back seat and ended up doubled over. So, not only did we “Rogue kill” in the race by passing other runners, but we also produced the actual stuff: road kill with a Rogue signature.

Van In The Mud: On one of the night shifts, while we waited for Lorrie to finish her leg, Joe came over with surprising news: “one of the vans has been stolen, and they’re talking to the police right now!” Of course, it seemed like a long shot, but we were delirious, so we thought it might be true. One of the participants said to the police, “it’s a fifteen passenger, white Ford van” as though we all weren’t surrounded by them. She could have said, “look in any direction and that’s what I’m missing.” Jenn and I wondered how it could be possible; how could someone misplace their huge van full of race supplies, and even runners? As it turns out, the van was stuck at the bottom of the ditch in the mud. I think that might have slowed them down...

“You’ve Been Rogue’d”: In an effort to win the spirit award (still pending…) and assert our Rogue pride, the Rogue Rogues decided to tag other vans. Call it vandalism, call it defacing, but we call it “Roguing” and a hell of a lot of fun. Jenn brought some multi-colored window markers, which we handed around before each exchange point as ammunition. We sprung from the car doors and immediately approached every car possible to tag them with the Rogue crown logo and a little note: “you’ve been Rogue’d”. At first, it took some saavy. We lay in wait until a van or car was left abandoned, and then we’d strike! I made the first attack and, with that giddy cracked out feeling produced by a sense of danger and adventure, I Rogue’d the camera man’s car. From there, Jenn and I teamed up to make vans colorful, Suz made use of her trademark “quickie” crown and we got sixty vehicles in total. We intended to Rogue 158, but night came and, when we could’ve done the most damage, we were barely standing. After all of our attacking, some of it came back to us. The Chupacabras drew their mascot, we were “appled”, and our friend Joey from team No Big Deal responded to the “Rogue = #1″ quote on our van with “TBD, Bitches”. In the end, Colin smoked him.

“Woo”: Our team has amazing spirit. We were the only group I saw with at least one person out of the vehicle, cheering their runner on at every exchange and many points in between. In fact, our cheering was so intense that it wore us out completele and, by the middle of the night, we could barely keep our eyes open. It was finally Colin’s turn. He hopped out on the road and started his run. Meanwhile, we all started to snooze in the van, except for Super Joe who had to drive. When we arrived at the place where we would check on Colin half way, only Joe could muster the energy to get out of the van and show some spirit. The rest of us, exhausted but guilty, each let out a wimpy “woo” that, as Colin describes it, sounded like cows. It was our weakest spirit moment, but I do distinctly remember thinking that I had given that “woo” everything I had and needed to recover a bit before considering any more activity or speech.

On the whole, our experience was one of great camaraderie, challenge, and silly fun. I knew we would have a good time, but the trip still managed to exceed my expectations. The hardest run was in Houston in 80+ degree weather and humidity, but I showed myself that I could do it, even when I didn’t want to. I hate running alone, but I did, and my friends actually brought tears to my eyes with overwhelming support on that leg of the trip. The greatest thing about our group is that we turn negatives into positives, like our inability to find I-90A turning into one of the most memorable comedic moments of the whole trip and our difficult Houston runs turning into the most memorable moments of support. In my life, I find that these friends of mine do the same thing: they take something ordinary and make it into an extraordinary, look-forward-to-waking-up kind of thing.

10 Beginner Triathlon Training Tips

Here is the first of 10 tips for beginning triathletes who are preparing for any sprint to olympic distance race. Embarking upon a triathlon is an exciting, rewarding experience. With the proper training and equipment, you can ensure that you finish strongly and safely in your next triathlon.

Training Tip #1:
Set a goal for yourself: You should set a personal goal for yourself before starting your training. Your goal can be as simple as completing the race, or finishing the race in a certain time. Try to avoid setting goals that seem unattainable in order to avoid disappointment on race day. This goal is YOUR goal, not your friend's or your training buddy's. This will help you focus during your training sessions leading up to the race.

To learn more about goal setting read Coach Amy Anderson's article on Goal Setting Techniques. Amy Anderson has been coaching triathletes and runners for over 5 years. She is an accomplished Ironman finisher and Boston Qualifier.

Look for Tip #2 tomorrow!

TIR: The Livers Made It!

By Gabriel Trinidad, Rogue Runner and Texas Independence Relay Finisher

Team "We would rather be livers than have one" Made it ahead of our projected finish of 31:45:09!!!

We finished (203mi) in 31:14:00 hours!!!!!!!! With just 47 miles left 2 of our runners got lost on their legs out in the Barker Cypress reservoir in the Katy/Houston area.....we lost our 1:15:00 advantage we had built....that was after starting off early with one of our runners getting lost in leg 4 of 40 and putting us in a negative projected arrival time! By far one, if not the hardest run I have ever done! Many stories to tell for another day.

We put together a team of eight runners so my friends Tom and Carla McGinty from Charlotte N.C. could get some miles in and make it worth the trip, Eloy Collazo from Sam Marcos, Kenneth Hausmann and Eleazar Trevino from Austin, Ken Black from Houston, Hal Schwartz from Dallas....only eight runners...big mistake....who knew....we were so ill prepared!!!! Shout out to Mr. Hal Schwartz who everyone and I mean everyone did not think would complete his 5 legs of the race....came thru after fighting the flu the week before!!!!! AMAZING WHAT PRIDE AND VANITY CAN GET YOU THRU!!!!!!!!

Thanks for all the shout outs (cell calls) along the way. I just could not answer...after hours of running into a 25 to 30mph headwind for so much of the race no sleep for close to 38 hours and a diet of chips, ham and baloney sandwiches, sausage wraps, cokes, nutter butters, sprees candy.....after a while... anything we could find in the big towns of Flatonia, Weimer, Schulenburg Borden, Eagle Lake, Wallis etc....from midnight till 5 in the morning made it tuff to want to do anything but finish...so ill prepared.

The sight of the San Jacinto Monument after starting out in Gonzales with the Cannon firing to start your race and where the Texians said to Santa Anna "Come and take it" and knowing the Alamo and Goliad were literally just speed bumps to slow down the Mexican army so that Sam Houston could organize the Texian army was very cool.

One of my legs in the town of Altair (6.32mi) at 11pm, I was really hurting and started thinking of what our Rogue/Marathon coach Amy and Steve Sisson had discussed during the Austin Marathon pep rally.... how to "get my head back in the game" ...."Why am I really doing these"....positive affirmations...What did I want my teammates to shout out as they shadowed me by car for encouragement...so... I started thanking God and saying how fortunate I was to physically be able to do this and then a big grin would come over me and I would say out loud "Thank you Lord for letting me born in Texas".....seriously... that's why us folks from Texas are so proud of our heritage and I would then crack up to myself and keep on running!!!

I swear Pride and Vanity......

Three Reasons To Do Running Drills

Three Reasons To Do Running Drills:

1. The exercises serve as an excellent warm-up tool for both training and competitive situations. After all, running drills imitate specific characteristics of technically sound running form, including upright posture of the trunk and spinal column, proper carriage of the arms during the running stride, proper knee drive and leg action and the coordinated dynamic balance associated with shifting weight from one leg to the other.

2. The drills help to develop important proprioceptive and kinaesthetic (body-awareness) abilities that a runner must have to deal with changes in terrain while running, and also to 'change gears' while training or racing. The drills are performed slowly at first, while developing a 'feel' for proper technique, and proper technique is then gradually carried over to drills and runs carried out at faster speeds.

3. The exercises also help to strengthen specific muscle groups needed for powerful running, especially the muscles of the feet, calves, shins, thighs and hips. The ankle, knee and hip joints undergo considerable flexion and extension during the running stride, and each of these joints is exercised through a similar - or greater - range of motion during the various drills.

Drills:
Side-to-Side:
Description: Standing upright, you will begin by facing sideways. Start by sliding your leading leg and then following leg along the ground, while keeping your toes pointed to the side. On the way back, face the same side so that you are leading with your other leg. Do this for a distance ranging between 20 – 50 meters.
Reason: The point of this drill is to work the ancillary muscles not used in running. By working these muscles you will keep your leg muscles balanced.

Grapevine:
Description: Standing upright, begin by facing sideways. Start by crossing your leading leg over the front of your following leg. Then step to the left with your following leg, so that you have taken two steps. The next time, cross your leading leg behind your following leg. Then, step to the left with your left leg again. Repeat this motion until you cover 20 – 50 meters. On the way back, lead with your opposite leg. Your arms and upper body should rotate from your hips in the opposite direction from your moving leg.
Reason: The point of this drill is to loosen your hip flexors and increase mobility in that region. It also helps to balance the different muscles in the legs.

Backward Running:
Description: Standing upright, but turned with your back facing the direction you’re running, begin running slowly at first. As you become more comfortable with this backwards run, work on pushing off with greater force.
Reason: The point of this drill is to activate the same muscles of the quad that are used in landing in the opposite way. This helps to balance out the forward motion of running.

High Knees:
Description: You will run almost in place with your feet remaining “light on the ground” (only the ball of the foot touches the ground). The goal is to bring the knee of each leg to a vertical position or closer to your body on each lift.
Reason: The focus is upon having quick feet and trying to get in as many footsteps as possible on fast feet. This allows the body to adapt to faster foot strike which will gradually increase your overall running speed and efficiency.

Strides:
Description: For 100 meters, you will begin by running. Focus on having quick turnover and light feet. Visualize yourself with perfect form. You will begin running the 100 meters by building up for about 20 –30 meters, holding that increased pace for the middle 40 –50 meters, and then slowly coming back down in speed, thus no body slamming into the end. Let your heart rate recover before you begin the next one.
Reason: The goal of the stride is to fire the fast twitch muscle fibers and “remind” you of how it feels to run fast.

Butt Kicks:
Description: You will run almost in place (or moving forward slightly) with your feet remaining “light on the ground” (only the ball of the foot touches). The goal is to bring the heel of each foot as close to your behind as possible on each lift.
Reason: The point of this drill is quick light feet with high heel lift in the back. The focus is upon having quick feet and trying to get in as many footsteps as possible on fast feet. This allows the body to adapt to faster foot strike, which will gradually increase your overall running speed and efficiency.

Starting Out: Setting Goals

By Amy Anderson, Coach

     Most of us need something coherent and tangible to work towards—a goal, something that helps us focus our energy and channel our desires to an achievable end. Most of us like the sense of accomplishment when we attain our goal.
     First, let’s talk specifically about how to generate goals: think about why you decided to participate in this Rogue program. What motivated you? Now, re-read what you’ve written. You can probably make some of those reasons into goals. A goal should be a reasonable stretch—not too far-fetched, nor too easily attainable. A goal should also be something that you can control. So, for instance, to say that you’d like to win the Cap 10K would not be a good goal, since you cannot control who else competes in the race. What if some hotshot, record-setting senior from out of town shows up? You can’t control that outcome.
     A goal should be very specific, too—and, preferably, measurable. So, for example, to say that you want to be a better runner is too vague. How can we measure that? How do we know for sure you’ve achieved it? Can we be more specific? A better choice might be to say that you’d like to be able to run 2 miles without stopping. Or, if you run/walk, then to say that you’d like to run a whole 5K, except for water stops, regardless of time. Make your goal quantifiable.
     Once you’re satisfied you’ve created some good tentative goals, then think about what you need to do to achieve them. It might be helpful to think about obstacles to your goals; things that might potentially limit you. Do you lack enough fitness to run more than a couple of minutes at a time? Do you tend to get overwhelmed with other life duties and consistently miss workouts? Make a list of the things you’ll need to work on.
From this list, you can create workout objectives. Workout objectives become little intermediate goals. For instance, say that one of your goals is to stay on your bike for all of the hills on the bike course, even the last ones. In order to achieve this goal, you’ll have to become a better climber. Your lack of ability to climb limits you. So, a good workout objective might be to never miss the cycling workouts that focus on climbing. Or, perhaps, when you’re given the choice of how many hill repeats to do, you will always try choosing the greater number: 6 instead of 5, for instance.
     Now, with your goals in mind, as well as what you need to do to help achieve them, you are on your way to success—maybe even halfway there! Write your goals, and find a place to put them where you can refer to them often—on your refrigerator, your nightstand, your bathroom mirror. Refer to them. Memorize them, even. They will help you stay motivated!

Workout Type: Hill Training

By Ruth England, Program Director

Resistance Training
The goal of resistance training is to increase running efficiency, build muscular & tendon strength, acclimate the body to the rigors of uneven & hilly terrain & to increase mental toughness. When running hills you should not base your pace on what you would run on the flats. You should attempt to run the same time for each repeat or loop but should not concern yourself with what the pace actually is in terms of minutes per mile. Initially, you should just run the hills at a steady rhythm until you can determine a challenging time, then you can attempt to keep the repetitions at the same pace. Please be careful to take it easy on the downhill sections to limit the chance of injury.

Hill Repeats: Hill repeats are repetitions of the same hill. Unsually the hill will be between 200-800 meters long & the pitch will entirely depend upon the runner's tastes & ability level. It is important to try & keep a consistent time for each uphill. If you go out too fast, you will be unable to sustain an even pace & probably be forced to abandon the workout or seriously compromise its purpose.

Hill Series: Hill series workouts are 1-3 mile loops or out & back courses that have hills of various lengths & steepness. The purpose of including these in your training is to learn to find a rhythm at different efforts. As you reach a hill your effort will rise as you rise & correspondingly decrease as you descend. It is excellent to try to lock back into a strong steady pace when you hit any flat sections of more than 400 meters in length.

Train for Danskin with Iron Chicks

IRON CHICKS 2009 FAQ’S

Information Session for Iron chick's Training on Saturday March 28th, at 8:30 am at Rogue Equipment - 2 blocks east of IH-35 (500 San Marcsot street - Austin Texas)

Triathlon training sounds sort of daunting - will I be able to find the time?
You can easily prepare for a triathlon - whether it is your first or tenth with minimal
time management. If you are currently working out every other day - or can fit that
in your schedule - you will be fine! Just make sure to spread your swimming, cycling
& running workouts over the week. It’s helpful to keep a training log to see which
workouts you have completed and monitor your progress. It is also extremely
helpful to train with a group - this provides you the support & accountability you
need to get your workouts in.

What type of bike do I need to participate in triathlon?
Any bike will do! You will find triathletes that ride mountain bikes, hybrids, road bikes
and tri bikes - it all works! If you have a mountain bike, you may consider adding
slicks - smooth tires that are faster on roads than nubby mountain bike tires - if
finances allow, but it is not mandatory.

Why is bike fit so important?
A properly fitted bike is essential to reduce the risk of serious injury. If you currently
own a bike, take it to a local bike shop and have them look at - to ensure it is fitted
properly to you. If you are shopping for a bike, make sure to patronize a local bike
retailer (Jack & Adams is an Iron Chicks program sponsor) to ensure you are getting
the right bike for your size and frame. Fit is crucial to comfort and to remaining injury
free.

What is it like to swim in open water?
The only real difference between swimming in open water and a pool is that there
are no lane lines or pool edges to hold onto. The Iron Chicks program incorporates
2 open water swims into the training schedule, so participants gain experience and
comfort in open water prior to race day.
Most triathlon swims are out & back or looped swims, with the course clearly marked
by large, colored buoys for sighting and to keep you on course. All triathlons will
have canoes & certified open water lifeguards in the water at all times. If at any
time you are uncomfortable you simply wave your arms and a canoe or lifeguard
will be there to assist you. The Danskin triathlon is unique, in provides ‘swim angels’
to assist if you become uncomfortable in the water.

What is a wave start?
Most triathlons, including Danskin, begin with wave starts. Wave starts are groups of
participants - typically 50 to 150 people - divided by age group and gender. Wave
starts are a safer method of beginning the swim, rather than all race participants
starting at once! For example, a triathlon with 200-300 participants may have 4
waves - Mien under 40, Men 40 and over, Women under 40, Women 40 and over.
.Will I be required to wear a swim cap during the triathlon?
Yes, all triathlon participants will be required, for safety reasons, to wear the swim
cap provided by the event. Your race number should be written on the cap also,
as an additional identifier. All athletes in a wave, will wear the same colored swim
cap.

What is a transition?
It is said that triathlon consists of 4 sports - swimming, cycling, running & transition.
Transition is the period in between each of the 3 main sports. The time between the
swim and the bike is called ‘T!’ and the time between your bike and run is called
‘T2’. The time spent ‘in transition’ is included in your overall race time - so a quick
transition is critical! Iron Chicks program includes 2 transition clinics to ensure you
are comfortable and efficient in transition.

What is a brick?
A brick refers to training 2 disciplines during the same workout - one right after the
other with minimal or no interruption, as you would during an actual race. Typically
when people talk about bricks they are referring to a bike/run workout, but bricks
can also be a swim/bike workout. Bricks are crucial to incorporate into your training
plan and the Iron Chicks program will incorporate brick workouts into the training
schedule. Brick workouts will begin between 7:00 and 8:30. Factor 1.5-4 hours for
these important workouts. Schedule will be provided at Kick Off day.

What is a race belt?
During a run portion of a triathlon, participants are required to wear a race number,
or ‘bib’. While not required, a race belt makes it easier to wear your bib and is
much more efficient during transition. A race belt is a simple stretchy band, secured
by a simple buckle, with 2 plastic clasps that hold a race number. An athlete clips
on the race belt as they are exiting T2 for the run. Skirt Sports, sponsor for the 2008
Iron Chicks training program, also offers a wonderful ‘Race Belt Skirt’ - a running skirt
with race belt component

What equipment do I need to train for a triathlon?
Swim:
goggles
swim cap
swimsuit or tri shorts/top
Bike:
bicycle - properly fit
CPSC approved helmet
cycling shorts
water bottles & cage
cycling gloves
spare tire tubes & tools
Run:
running shoes - properly fit
running skirt or shorts
sports bra
sunglasses
hat
watch
All the equipment you need can be found at local retailers such as: Rogue
Equipment, Jack & Adams Bicycles, and Bettysport. These retailers all extend
discounts to Iron Chicks participants.

Basics of Running Biomechanics

By Steve Sisson, owner and Team Rogue coach

Just as the natural pattern of breathing is unique to every individual, the basic biomechanical tendencies of each person will be unique. Initially, it is important to run in a manner that feels comfortable. Most people get into trouble when they try to run with what they consider ideal form and thus disturb their natural flow. Rather than look around at another person’s form, attempt to dial in on what feels good to you. After a few weeks, you can begin to work on a few basic principals that will help fine tune your particular style.
You can divide these principals into three distinct areas: the lower leg (below the knees), the core (from your upper legs to your ribcage) and the arm swing (head, shoulders, arms and hands.) The most important area of concern, in terms of injury, is the lower leg. Wherever the feet go, the rest of the body will follow. The feet should point straight ahead, not toeing in or out. By pointing the feet straight down the road, your knees and hips remain aligned. You should initially practice working on keeping your feet straight ahead when you walk or stand, paying particular attention to the mild strain that this causes to your hip and gluteus muscles. As the tension reduces on these areas, transition to focus on your feet pointing straight ahead while you run. The reason for this slow transition is to minimize the chance of injury from trying to change your basic technique. Once the feet point straight down the road, the likelihood of sustaining a knee, hip lower back injury reduces significantly.

Also focus on the core of your body, which will help in general strength and stability. Eastern meditation and fighting traditions emphasize a strong core as both the foundation of power and balance. You can attain this through the very basic methods of sit-ups, crunches, back extensions, flutter kicks, leg extension and the like. Develop a regimen that works for you, and incorporate it into your weekly schedule.

The other basic area you should focus on in terms of form is your arm swing. The best way to visualize proper arm swing is to imagine a line drawn directly up from your belly button through your eyes. This is your center, and you want all limbs to remain on the correct side of the line. Your shoulders should always point straight ahead, rather than rotate across your center. Your arms should ideally track directly forward and back with the elbows tight against the torso. If your elbows point out to the side, you can guarantee that your arms will swing across your center as you begin to fatigue. You want to limit this, if not eliminate it altogether. Hold your hands loosely in a fist, with plenty of space between the fingers and the palm. This will increase your level of relaxation. Do not clench your fists.

Implement these basic principals of form slowly and only after you gain comfort
with your natural biomechanics.

Relax and Open: Stretching

By Ramsay Wall

In many ways, stretching is a kind of final frontier—experts still don’t fully understand or agree on how much flexibility positively affects athletic performance. However, most experts do agree that stretching, especially after exercise, doesn’t hurt. Stretching helps to relax and elongate running muscles, increase range of motion in the muscles, and balance the body more generally. Remember never to stretch to the point of pain, ballistically (with bouncing motions), or in the area of a pulled muscle. Always keep joints soft and “breathing.” There are dozens of ways to stretch the muscles we use to run. Consider the following,
merely a few of many possibilities:

Quadriceps
     The quadriceps are muscles located in the front of the thigh. They are important
for lifting the knees when we run.
     To stretch your quadriceps, stand on one leg and bend the other back, maintaining alignment knee to knee. Hold onto a stationary object for balance if you want or need to. Gently catch the foot in your hand and bring it towards your bum. Keep your hips forward, your tailbone down, and your spine long. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds. Do not to lean forward, as it decreases the effectiveness of the stretch. Release the foot, and repeat this stretch on the other side.
     Unless your knees complain, you can also stretch your quadriceps by sitting in a kneeling position on your heels. Your knees should be about two fist-widths distance apart. As a bonus, you’ll stretch the tops of your feet. For some more flexible bodies, it is okay to lean back a little, placing the hands beyond the heels of the feet on either side.

Hamstrings

The hamstrings are the muscles that run from just below the knee up into the buttocks. These muscles lift the lower leg and bend the knees after the quads have lifted them. Sprinters pull their hamstring muscles more than distance runners, but, as many elite runners of all distances have noted, tight hamstrings can limit your ability to run fast.

To stretch you hamstrings, stand on one leg and put the heel of the other leg on top of a stable object 2-3 feet high. A chair seat or a bench will work nicely here. Keep your hips level as you gently lengthen a flat (not flexed) back toward the propped leg. Keep a soft bend in the knees. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds. Repeat on other side.
The best way to do this exercise is not with your foot on a stool, but while lying on your back. Lie on your back, keeping it flat and your eyes focused upward. Grasp the back of one thigh with both of your hands and, with your leg bent, pull that thigh into a 90-degree position perpendicular to the floor. Then, slowly straighten your knee. After you’ve gotten used to doing this exercise, you can achieve a better stretch by pulling your thigh closer to your chest. Be very careful, and remember not to stretch aggressively.

Hips
To stretch your hips, stand on one leg, and, while holding onto something stable in front of you, place the other ankle across the thigh of the standing leg. Keep the foot that’s atop the thigh flexed to protect the knee joint. Gently sit back as if you’re sitting in a chair. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds. Release your ankle, and repeat on other side.

You can also stretch your hips lying down on your back. Lie on your back and cross your legs just as you might while sitting in a chair. Grasping the "under" leg with both hands, pull the knee toward your chest until you feel the stretch in your buttocks and hips. Keep the neck long and the face relaxed. Don’t forget to breathe.
IT Bands The IT band is a thick tendinous fascia that originates on the outside portion of the hip and extends to the lateral aspect of the knee. To stretch your IT bands, stand tall on one leg. Unweight the other leg and extend it straight behind you. Lean into the uninvolved (not standing) leg until you feel a gentle stretch in the IT band. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, and breathe. Repeat on the other side.

Calves
The gastroc muscle ia located in the back of the calf. The calf muscles propel your leg across your grounded foot while running. To stretch your calves, lean against a wall or another stationary object, placing both palms against the object. Extend the leg you want to stretch back, several feet from the wall, keeping your heel firmly grounded to the floor. Flex your other leg about halfway between your back leg and the wall. Start with your back straight and gradually lunge forward until you feel an even stretch down the back of the calf. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, and repeat on the other side. The soleus is the other major muscle in the calf, located in front of the gastroc.
The soleus plants the foot on the ground before the push off. Position yourself in a way similar to the gastroc stretch with your back straight and palms against the wall. This time, though, start in a "seated" position with your legs bent and your buttocks dropped. Gently lean into the wall until you feel the stretch in your lower calf. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, and repeat on the other side.

Upper Body
To stretch your shoulders, take hold of one hand by the wrist with the other hand. Guide the straight arm across your body and gently pull the wrist away from the midline. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds, and breathe deeply. Repeat on the other side.

To stretch your back and sides, stand with your feet hip-width distance apart. Reach your arms up overhead. Take hold of one wrist with the other hand. Stretch up and over, like you’re making your body a kind of crescent moon. Move up and over as if between two panes of glass. Don’t lean forward or backward. Hold this position for 20-30 seconds breathing deeply. Release, and repeat on the other side. To stretch your chest, take hold of your hands behind your back near your bum. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and down, and gently lift your hands away from your back. If you like, gaze upward, opening the throat.

How to Run your first 5k Race

by Steve Sisson, founder of Rogue Training System's and Head Coach

Warm Up 
It is essential to get in a proper warm-up before a 5K race. This is due, not only to the race’s brevity, but also to the fact that if you run the race properly, you will be running at 100% of your aerobic capacity. You don’t want to just jump into this kind of effort cold since you won’t be able to maintain proper effort throughout the race. You will need to wear more clothes than usual to warm-up effectively. Even in the warmest weather, you should consider wearing track pants & a long-sleeve shirt to ensure get everything warm. Pack all the items you think you’ll need (lip balm, body glide, gum, sunglasses, toilet paper, dry clothes & small towel, etc.) in a small warm-up bag. It’s always good to have an extra singlet or tech tee in case you find the need to change.

Below is an optimal warm-up protocol:

1. After finding parking & start line, find a comfortable place to settle. Be sure you have everything you need before the start RIGHT NOW so you don’t run around freaking out pins for your race # or getting your chip. You need to have all this handled before you relax. You should be resting until 45 minutes before start time. So drop your warm-up bag & relax. Visualize the first mile & how you will run a comfortable, even-paced first mile.

2. 45 minutes to race time… get your jog on!!! You should plan on taking a full 20 minutes to get warm. This is why it’s recommended to wear long pants & long-sleeved shirt. Jog easily for 10 minutes; do not worry about distance just base it on time. After 10 minutes of easy jogging, run 2-3 one minute build-ups into your 5K pace. If you are good at sensing pace you should be able to hit this on the 1st or 2nd try if you aren’t do 3 build ups but no more. Complete your 20 min warm-up at an easy relaxed pace.

3. Get back to your bag & stretch. Nothing too ballistic, just work through the ranges of motion in the major muscle groups: shoulders, hamstrings, quads, calves, Achilles, etc. This should take 5 minutes, no more.

4. Find an even, open area & roll quickly through the following drills for approximately the same distance we do before the workouts:

a. Side to Side

b. Over/Under

c. Quick Skips

d. High Knees + Strides

5. You know have 15 minutes before start time. Take care of final clothing, rest room issues. Then take off your warm-up stuff & get your singlet, race top on & move to the start line.

6. You should be at the start line 10 minutes before start time. Do 3-4 strides at just faster than 5K pace, walking between each. This is to keep range of motion & to keep you warm. DO NOT LOSE YOUR SWEAT. You really want to stay warm.

7. Move yourself into your start position 5 minutes prior to start. Stay warm & relaxed. Jump in place; keep your legs relaxed, anything to stay warm before the gun sounds.

The Race 
The most important part of the race is the first 800 meters. DO NOT GO OUT TOO FAST. Forget about everyone else. And in case it needs to be said again… forget about everyone else! They are going to be stupid & go out too fast, believe me, they will. Trust your pace. 

1. Establish a rhythm early. Since you know your goal time & pace you should be able to settle relatively quickly. No matter how good you feel or bad you feel get into your race pace ASAP. There are two reasons for this: 1) to minimize the development of lactic acid early in the race. 2) to keep the mental attitude positive. The better you feel the better you will race.

2. Maintain race pace through the 2 mile marker. This usually means settling into the early rhythm by the 800 meter point & checking your split at 1 mile to ensure you haven’t picked it up too much or slowed down. If you find you have done either of these, don’t react rashly. Just gradually slow or speed up. Do not make any drastic moves. Just smoothly adjust. Maintain this pace through the 2 mile marker.

3. Make a long, sustained push to the finish. You should not rely upon a kick in a 5K race. There are going to be a bunch of bozos who went out too fast & died but who will suddenly summon a blazing kick when they smell the finish line. You need to put these people away early. When you cross the 2 mile marker begin to accelerate slowly & gradually over about 800 meters. This will be the hardest part of the race. YOU CAN PUSH THE PACE…trust me. Be sure it is a gradual build & nothing too explosive. At this point, will about 1K to go you will be at the top speed you feel you can maintain through the finish line. Be tough & hold on! You can do it! As you begin to crest the South 1st St. bridge slowly build up to close to maximum speed. As you descend South First, you should be running all out - all the way through the finish line. This is where all the posers will be putting on the jets. Don’t worry about them…they ran a stupid race, you just PR’ed!

The Cool Down It is very important that you do a minimum of 10 minutes cool down. You need to work the lactic acid out of your legs. 

Half Marathoner's rock 3M and Austin

Congratulations to Claire Secker's intermediate / advanced group for their success at this year's 3M and Austin Half Marathons. Many of these runners are repeat half marathoners, so their ability to continue to PR and / or cut down on their finishing times is terrific.

Claire had 27 people in her group...

19 ran 3M 09
13 ran Austin 09
8 ran both 3M and Austin 09
12 ran 3m 08 and 09, 11 of the 12 Pr'd
4 ran Austin 08 and 09, all 4 Pr'd
25 out of 27 were active through out the season....

Those are great statistics! Congrats on making the commitment, training hard and sticking with it!

Post-Marathon Goal Setting

I finished my marathon, and now what? After six or more months of training, most marathoners experience the “post-marathon blues” post-race.   It’s normal to, after so much preparation and filling life with long runs and quality workouts, feel the void. When the steady running routine comes to a crashing halt, many runners slip into slight depression.

Not to worry, if you’re one such marathoner; there’s a light at the end of this tunnel. For many, that light comes more quickly with new goals.    Here are some things to consider:

1.    If you feel exhausted by the long distances, consider training for shorter distance races before you hop back into marathon training. An option we recommend is the PR for a 5K/10K class beginning the first week in March. You’ll build up to thirteen miles in the long run circuit and improve your speed during the week. The workouts provide a greater intensity but require less time on the road.

2.    If you want a break from road races, consider the trail. Trail running enables a more intimate interaction with nature. Unlike road running, trail running requires a greater concentration on the path and an enjoyment of wilderness. Rogue offers Trail Running 101 and 201 in which runners learn the Austin routes and how to conquer the very different terrain.

3.    If you’re interested in adding some flavor to your road training, consider mixing swimming and cycling into the routine. Not only does triathlon training contribute to overall fitness, but both swimming and cycling aid greatly in recovery. They are less impactful but still provide a rigorous workout. In March, Rogue kicks off all triathlon programs from Iron Chicks for beginner women, and CapTex for all levels of men and women, to Texas Tri Series training for all levels of men and women who want to start at a sprint tri and work up to a Half Ironman!

It’s hard to believe, but fall marathon training is already just around the corner. Base building begins in May! It’s time to think ahead while setting immediate, intermediary goals to keep going. To avoid starting from ground zero, keep training in some way, and remember that you have plenty more marathons to conquer and personal records to achieve!

Sole Survivor's Austin Marathon Results

There are many words to describe the 2008- 2009 Sole Survivors. One word, however, captures teh essence of what they become an what Rogue at the end of the day is all about - community. I started out with 31 athletes adn due to injuries and competing personal priorites,22 dedeicated, determined and focused athletes crossed teh finish line. Of the 22 who crossed teh finish line only two had previusly run a marathon. The rest were on this life altering journey for the first time. I could not be more produ of hte 2008-2009 Sole Survivors.

Their finishing times were as followed:
3:34 - Erin McNeely

3:39 - Spencer White

3:47 - Peter Ayers

3:50 - Richard Johnston

3:56 - Amy Grubbs

3:56 - Gabriel Ornelas

4:04 - Nora Douglas

4:17 - Kent Little

4:17 - Jill Rubin

4:18 - Joanna Schenke

4:12 - Marcel Gruber

4:23 - Gina Henry

4:27 Fanya Pejuan

4:30 - Daryl Stanley

4:32 - Javier Tamargo

4:41 - Kimberly Schulz

4:57 - Audrey Gavin

5:07 - Michael Williams

5:40 - Jill Williams

Unknown Finishing time - Angela Burrell

Thank you for the bottom of my heart for another GREAT year.

Love,

Bobby

Peri's Austin Marathon Group

The Tuesday evening north beginner group did AWESOME! 11 members ran on Sunday with two others completing other marathons in the last few weeks. Hats off to:

Briana Huntsberger - 4:05:44

Brooke Bennet - 5:31:21

Glenora Ruggles - 6:32:48

Henry Ward - 4:40:12

Janel Joseph - 4:53:53

Mandy Wolff - 4:23:20

Michelle Colburn - 4:44:25

Ryan Assunto - 4:11:20

San Quach - 4:32:54

Terry Combs - 4:53:18

Brian Watt - 2:01:07 (half)

Celeste Domsch - completed a 50K & San Antonio Marathon during our training

Charanya Ravikumar - completed New Orleans Marathon during our training

Half Marathon Race Report: Chelsea F.B.

Austin Half Marathon: Race Report

By Chelsea F-Biondolillo

I got in the car at 5:45 am; the moon was a perfect half circle very high and smallish in the still-dark sky. I had arranged everything on the couch the night before, so getting ready only took a moment. I had my peanut butter english muffin and half a banana and hit the road.

Part of my ritual is singing on the way to a race. Granted, I sing in the car pretty much constantly, but on race day I sing LOUD.

Pay no mind to what they say,
Doesn't matter anyway!
Our lips are sealed--
Our lips are sealed!

Who's dumb idea was an endurance race the morning after Valentine's Day, anyway? I couldn't drink much wine, I couldn't over indulge in much of anything. As it was, I still didn't get to bed until close to one in the morning. Luckily, I had gotten a bunch of sleep Friday night. For once, I had done what the coaches said regarding sleep and eating. They said to do our carb loading on Friday as well. The Huevos met up at Cannoli Joes... I don't know the last time I ate so much. My stomach actually hurt from pasta and pizza. But what a good hurt!

The drive from my house only lasted on Go-go's song. I pulled into the Rogue parking lot at the exact moment Jen did. We had pre-planned to meet here and walk to Congress to meet the other Huevos. We took the opportunity to snap a pre-race shot.

I don't remember much of the walk to the start, I was still waking up. Jen and I talked while we warmed up our cold muscles. With each block we were surrounded by more and more runners. The half marathoners had green numbers, the full distance runners wore blue and yellow. We would be running together until just after mile ten. While Jen and I waited for our team mates, I aggressively stretched my calves. I was trying to feel confident in my feet, not worried about them.

We found the other Huevos before too long and took a requisite cell phone team shot.

We lined up with the 4:45 group--that's the full marathon time, and works out to less than an 11 minute per mile pace, which was way too fast for me, but I figured I would hang with my team mates as long as I could.

At one point, everyone except me saw a helicopter nosing in between the buildings downtown, looking very surreal and like maybe Godzilla would be walking by any moment. It was a bit surreal. The sheer mass of runners was staggering.

After a bit of discussion, we all agreed we were less stressed this second go around. Jen was committed to enjoying the race more than the last time, Kate and Joe seemed to be in it to win it, and Laura and Q were gonna finish together. My goal was to finish in less than 3 hours.

In retrospect this makes me think I really need to work on my confidence levels, but I had some good reasons to be so pessimistic.

Reasons this race might have sucked:
Hills. Including the entire first mile and a half, and a short but steep climb at the beginning of mile 11 and a longer and steeper climb at the end of mile 11.
Plantar Fasciitis. I was worried. While I had been going to my appointments, I hadn't done absolutely ALL of my exercises. Maintenance is very tough business for a procrastinator.
Coughing. The entire week I had started each morning with an invisible ten pound weight on my chest and coughing up goop. I had worried it was the flu, but it was the worst in the morning and late at night. And everyone "caught" it, seemingly overnight. Rumor had it as allergies. I have never had allergies... why this week of all weeks?
I focused on my calves and ankles and we got ready to go. A friend of mine was staying at a hotel on the race route, and I texted him just as we took off. Laura was sad that we hadn't heard Eye of the Tiger, but joy of joys, it was blasting from a truck just before we crossed the start line. We were approximately 13,000 runners strong. And the race, as they say, was on.

The first mile and a half was straight south on Congress, the Capitol at our back, a long steady climb before us. The runners filled the giant street to the edges. We started slow, letting the hill be our warm up. As we got closer to the hotel, I could see my friend looking sleepy while searching the sea of people. I ran up to him and surprised him with a big smooch before dashing back to the group. It was a bit dramatic and funny and bolstered me to the top of the hill.

The other Huevos were gone before we summited and turned right. They have been doing a much better job of keeping up with the runs (especially during what I considered the crucial month of November--the real building part of the training) and everyone was so much faster than when we started. But I had slacked, and while I was faster (and proud of that) I wasn't about to kill myself to keep up this day. I let them go, and just sort of floated with the group.

Near the top of the hill I saw coach Lorrie and hollered. I was a dorky cheerleader the whole damn race, yelling out to the clapping spectators, rooting for the bands along the way (there were a lot of bands along the entire route, it was very cool)... It made me feel connected since I was without running partners for nearly all of the race. A friend recently said that he couldn't tell if I was more cool or more nerdy. That day, I definitely felt nerdy, but I was ok with it. My mother would say, "Doesn't that make you cool, then?"

When I saw the 2 mile marker I looked down at my watch to check my pace... And realized I had never started the timer. Doh. I started it at mile two and waited for three. The hill had me huffing and puffing, but my heartrate was still below 190--that number is high for me to maintain for any serious distance, and is my "slow the hell down" indicator.

I drifted with the sea of people until I was running with the 5:00 pace group--still a bit fast, but a more reasonable goal. The last race, I ran an average of 12 and a half minute miles... this group was running over a minute per mile faster, but I was able to keep up while we rounded the second right turn down 1st street.

At the four mile marker, I looked down and saw that I had run the last two miles in 22:20. Huh.
About this time, I passed the 5:00 sign-bearer and wouldn't see her again until mile 8. (For race newbies: there are volunteers who run carrying these tall signs with the pace on them, so you can position yourself near them, thus marking your approximate pace.)

The run down First street was pretty scenic. Someone had put up Burma Shave style banners all the way down the hill. The one that caught my eye was

JUST TRY TO PASS
.
.
.

THAT GUY UP FRONT

There was actually a fair bit of jockeying in the crowd after that one. I was passed by a woman on my left while I was passing a jogging couple on my right.

I saw Coaches Amy and Lorrie (who had cut through the blocks to catch back up with the stream of people) and again yelled my fool head off at them. There were also several bands on the way down the hill, including a rather morbid and emo looking set playing "Volcano" by Damien Rice, which was excellent.

At the bottom of the hill, just before crossing Lady Bird Lake back into downtown, I saw a spectator holding up a white signboard that said in big green markered letters:

Your feet hurt because
you're kicking so much ASS!!!

It was such a beautiful day. Not too cold, the sun was still behind some clouds. There were substantially more spectators as the pack crossed the lake and made it down Cesar Chavez headed west. Somewhere around there was mile six, I looked down at my watch: 44:40. I was dead on an 11:10 mile, four miles in a row. Crazy! I looked back and could just barely catch site of the 5 hour pace sign.

Lots of spectators down Chavez... The people look serious, searching the sea of numbers, their eyes slide past me. I am not their runner. Then suddenly, the squinting, searching look splits open into a grin. The serious watcher starts jumping up and down, waving their sign, screaming for their runner. "WOOO! Amy! You Rock! Oh my god! You are doing it!" In the pack, the runner jumps in the air, waves their arms and their smile can be seen from space. Some runners stop while family members take their pictures. A pair of runners take pictures of each other at the 15k marker. There is much jubilation on the route. So many runners in my part of the pack are doing this for the first time. Twice I see a minivan on the route, three young girls on the roof look through the crowd, until they find the one person who matters.

"Go! Daddy! Run! Go go go! DaddyDaddyDaddy!!!" His wife is jumping up and down next to the car, cheering him on with a smile and waving arms. I catch his tears a little in my own throat.

We all keep running, past other non-racers who are running the Lady Bird Lake trail. How could you run today, and not Run today? When I pass under Mopac, I see the band that is set up to serenade us is one I know. I yell out the leader singer's name as I run past. The whole band whoops into the mics back at me then pounds into their next song. The pack I am in snakes up the hill onto Lake Austin Blvd and continues west. I used to run this neighborhood the first year I tried half marathon training. I know there are some hills coming up.

Another sign encourages us:
Run Like U Stole Something

When I passed the mile 7 marker, I eat a caffeinated chew, and check my watch, 55:59. Still on track, but I feel my limbs getting heavier. Gravity seems stronger, and I know I am slowing down. For some reason, I miss the mile 8 marker again, and by the time I get to 9 (after a long straight and a short climb) I have added 3 minutes to my per-mile time. The 5 hour pace sign flies past me and into the distance. I am vaguely worried about bonking. I work through two more chews slowly.

At mile nine point something I see a former coworker out in a folding chair, cheering on the runners. She yells out that she can't believe she actually saw me. It bolsters me through to mile ten.

Mile ten is where the two groups diverge. The marathoners head north, while the half marathoners bear to the right, headed back toward downtown. We shout to each other at the intersection, cheering on our respective runs. It occurs to me that I only have 3.1 miles left all of a sudden. Only a 5k to go! Is it even possible that the time has flown by?

It is still hard for me to talk about mile eleven. Wow, did eleven suck! There was a short steep hill at the beginning, I looked to my right and there was a woman next to me. Her look mirrored the way I felt. "It's not as bad as it looks." I tried to reassure us both. She said, "I know it's not. I know it's not." She tried to reassure us both back.

And it wasn't. There were more folks at the top of the hill, and even a kid trying to get runners to take his old TV off the side of the road. "Free, you just have to carry it home!" Several runners laughed and cheered him back. We wound east along Enfield. There was still the 15th street hill coming up. It was hard not to rally, but I knew I had to wait until after that hill. Suddenly behind me, I heard someone calling my name.

Laura and Q came running up from behind me. I have no idea how I passed them. Maybe at a water or bathroom stop... But it was a great break from my worry about the damn hill. We chatted, they looked strong, encouraging. We confirmed our meet-up spot... And then there it was. Looming. I slowed down and said my goodbyes. They powered up the hill and were gone.

That goddamn hill was steep. In reality, it's not that wildly steep or long of a hill, but it came at a point in my run that just hit me like a ton of bricks. I was running so slow, it felt like I was moving in slow motion through hot tar. I looked down, and it felt like the grade was so sharp that I would slide backward if I paused for even a moment. There were people cheering us on from the sidewalk and center divide. We were moving so slowly, they could read our names on our race bibs. Two or three people called me by name, told me to keep going. All my energy was focused on not throwing up. What a terrible way to end the eleventh mile! I was nearly at the top when one of my calves twitched, threatening to cramp up. My feet hadn't hurt the whole race, and now? No way. I checked my heart rate. 196. I kept runnng.

"You're almost there!"
"Chelsea, you look good, you're still running!"
"Great job runners, the top is so close!"
Justdontpukejustdontpukealmosttothetopdontpukedontpukealmostalmostalmost...

Finally, queasy and aching, I crested, and saw more of 15th slowly sloping down and flat in front of me. The 12 mile marker was such a welcomed site! Only a mile to go? I checked my watch for the thousandth time and tried to do the math. It was an impossible equation since I didn't know what the first two miles were like, but it seemed that I was pretty close to a two and a half hour time. How wild would that be? To beat my time by nearly a minute a mile? I wasn't sure I should be harboring such nutty notions with a mile still to go. There is no way I can sprint a mile at all, let alone 12 miles into a race. Plus that damn hill had really kicked my ass.

There were a couple more gradual slopes, the last mile (as they say) was the longest. The Beastie Boys assured me via iPod.

Cause you can't you won't and you don't stop
You can't you won't and you don't stop
You can't you won't and you don't stop

Finally, there was a marker showing only 800 meters left. I felt a twinge in my calf again. I snubbed it. Ignored it completely--if I don't see you, you just might not be there. Just two laps around the track. I promised my legs that I wasn't going to sprint until the last 100 meters.

As I rounded the corner onto Congress the now thick crowd erupted into cheers as a marathoner streamed past us on the other side of the barricade. He had run twice the distance in my time!

400 meters left. The crowd was cheering. My leg was twitching more. Steady as she goes. I was trying to decide when and if I could sprint it in. I was so beat.

200. The finish arch is right in front of me, the once-thick pack has thinned front and back to a handful of us coming in together.

100. I pick up the pace and my calf ripples threateningly. I have a split second vision of me falling down with a crippling charlie horse, barely able to crawl across the finish line. Luckily, in the time it takes to think about it, 50 meters have passed and then... I step across the line.

The announcer reads our names as we cross, I hear people cheering all around me. A volunteer hands me my medal.

My official time: 2:36:11
Average: 11:54/mile
Overall: kick ass

My feet started to cramp up almost immediately after the finish line. By the time I walked back to my car, I was aching all over. Some breakfast tacos, a hot bath, and a long nap later, and I was back in business. When I see the official times, I see that I beat the last race by six minutes, almost exactly 30 seconds faster per mile. With the extra hills, that feels pretty ok.

Thirteen point one, take two: Done and done.

Success for Scott Carden Marathon Group

Scott Carden's Morning Marathon Group:
Adriana Almand 3:51:38
Jonathan Ballesteros 3:57:06 - 7:00 minute PR
Aimee Boone - 5:08:00
Cindy Braly - 4:08:18 - 46:00 minute PR
Maria Chavira - 4:24:25
Rusty Cloyes - 4:03:04
Peter Comer - 4:02:27
Eric Cruz - 4:01:28 - 36 minute PR
Margaret Darby - 5:50:08 - 11 minute PR
Anne Downing - 4:44:10
Chuck Duvall - 4:01:09 - 27 minute PR (ran Houston)
Brian Gannon - 3:40:54 - 13 minute PR
Bryan Gardner - 5:46:00 - 19 minute PR
Jonathan Guttell - 3:36:48 - 8 minute PR
Alexandra Janss - 3:39:30 - Qualified for Boston
Susan Lilly - 2:48:44 - ran the half Marathon
Lauren Moser - 3:52:50
Annie Pham - 4:11:42
Margaret Thompson - 2:48:11 ran the half marathon

Sole Survior's Austin Marathon

There are many words to describe the 2008-2009 Sole Survivors. One word, however, captures the essence of what they became and what Rogue at the end of day is all about - community. I started out with 31 athletes and due to injuries and competing personal priorites, 22 dedicated, determine and focused athletes crossed the finish line. Of the 22 who crossed the finish line only two had previously run a marathon. The rest were on this life altering

journey for the first time. I could not be more proud of the 2008-2009 Sole Survivors.

Their finishing times were as follows:

3:34 - Erin McNeely

3:39 - Spencer White

3:47 - Peter Ayers

3:50 - Richard Johnston

3:56 - Amy Grubbs

3:56 - Gabriel Ornelas

4:04 - Nora Douglas

4:17 - Kent Little

4:17 - Jill Rubin

4:18 - Joanna Schenke

4:21 - Marcel Gruber

4:23 - Gina Henry

4:27 - Fanya Pejuan

4:30 - Daryl Stanley

4:32 - Javier Tamargo

4:37 - Emily Gavin

4:37 - Dawn Maldonado

4:41 - Kimberly Schulz

4:57 - Audrey Gavin

5:07 - Michael Williams

5:40 - Jill Williams

unknown finishing time - Angela Burrell

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for another GREAT year.

Love.

Bobby

Amy's Austin Marathon Group's Success

AMy Anderson coached the "short course" group for Austin Marathon. These were the Rogue's that ran a fall marathon like, Chicago or San Antonio.

Tahsin Askar ran his very first marathon in San Antonio in November. He ran his second marathon in Houston last month. Yesterday he ran his third marathon in Austin, and set a personal best! Also setting personal bests were:

Jennifer Howard-Brown, Colin Moss, Dan Aja, Jim Baird, Brad Hamerly, Chris Beninga, "G" Castillo and Paul Escobedo. Mark Wilson, Gabriel Trinidad, and Aimee Zukowski ran very solid races.
Special congratulations to successful first time marathoners Divya Padmanabhan and Bharath Iyer!

Great Job Amy's group!

Silke's Austin Marathoner's success

The Circle C training group was lead by experiencecd marathoner and coach Silke Morin. The group was a mixture or marathoners and half marathoners. The group had a great day yesterday. Congratualtions to everyone.

Jim Norman 3:34 (this is his second marathon, first time to train with a group; last year he did 4:45, so this was a huge improvement and he ran a very smart race, starting with 8:20 miles and finishing with 7:25 miles!!!)

Graham Bettis 3:36 (his first marathon)

Michael Burcin 3:38 (he just ran Houston last month!)

Jamie LeMoine 3:58 (her first marathon)

Scott Hughes 4:06 (his first marathon)

Karoline Felts 4:14 (her second marathon and a PR)

Brian Julian 4:16 (his first marathon and coming off an injury)

Bryan Weston 4:29

Mai Duong 4:35 (PR and her 2 marathons were on the old faster course)

Tracy Perez 4:36

Michael O'Malley 4:41 (his first marathon)

Congrats to Mark Enstone's group

Mark's group was extremely succesful at the Marathon. After having more than half the group run Houston Marathon a small group of runners tackled the Austin hills.

Cat Cremer, first time marathoner, came 3rd in her AG in 3:22:37 for a "first timer" a PR and a BQ by 18 minutes! Also, she won her AG in the Distance Challenge

Tara Pehl 3:40:48 to BQ after missing a BQ qualification by 21 seconds last year

Stephanie House (4:04) first time marathoner.

Nathan Schatz (4:20) first time marathoner.

Gabe Mize 3:36, PR.

Chris McCrank 3:41, PR.

Congrats Geezer's Austin Marathon Group

Geezer's gorup had 8 PR's and 2 qualify for the Boston Marathon. He also had a 94% success rate. 94% of his gorup start the program and finished the marathon! Great job Team Gez!

*Nadia Boumaza - 4:00:20, 22nd in Age group and Qualified for Boston

Lori Dobbin 3:42:31 23rd 35-39

*Jeff French 3:24:27 Qualified for Boston

Helena Lewis 3:41:53 12th 40-44

Todd Lozano 4:00:40

Michael Muench 3:45:29

Meghan Murphy 3:42:31 25th 30-34

Andy Naumann 3:28:13

James Newsom 3:38:29

Amarjit Singh 4:49:27

Brian Snider 4:20:09

Monika Suhnholz 3:57:14 17th 45-49

Frank Zago3:41:36

* First time BQs

Austin Marathon Sucess

The Austin Marathon & Half Marathon race was a great success today for many dispite the hilly course. This was a tough marathon course, probably the toughest Austin has offered up in the last 15 years. The marathoners & half marathoners were saved by the incredible weather today.

Rogue Marathoner & Half Marathoners join us at the B-side Lounge/Tap Room near the corner of 4th & Colorado for a celebration happy hour tonight at 7pm.

Some preliminary result in the marathon are:

Rogue Women:
25-29:
1st place - Jo Gregory - 3:12 (also 8th overall)
3rd place - Cat Cremer - 3:22

30 -34:
15th - Mae Coffman - 3:33
23rd - Sadie Jones - 3:39
24th - Tara Pehl - 3:40
25th - Meghan Murphy - 3:42

40 - 44:
3rd - Christine Egli - 3:27
7th - Glenda Adams - 3:37
12th - Helena Lewis - 3:41
13th - Kristen Lotter - 3:41

45 - 49:
3rd - Coach Perry Kowal - 3:39
17th - Monika Sunholz - 3:57
22nd - Nadia Boumazz - 4:00

50 - 54:
1st- Barbara Fellman - 3:58
10th - Reenie Smith - 4:41

55- 59:
3rd - former Rogue, 1st time marathoner - Donna Monroe - 4:52
4th - Coach Brigitte Pruett - 5:36

Rogue Men:
25 -29:
19th - Dustin Barnes - 3:17

30 -34:
8th - Rasim Musal, Moose - 2:55
23rd - Andrew Russell - 3:10

35 - 39:
4th - Founder of Rogue - Steve Sisson - 2:54
13th - Mike Wilen - 3:10

40 - 44:
22nd - Coach Panther - 3:13

45 -49:
2nd - Larry Bright - 2:58
3rd - Ramon Acosta - 3:03
24th - Bruce Coleman - 3:24

Congratulations Everyone that ran the marathon! Look for more results and PR's posting this week!

Foods You Can Use

Here's a list of 25 of the top foods for athletes. Try to incorporate them into your diet as you make healthier decisions in 2009.

1. Almonds: Because almonds are loaded with the antioxidant, Vitamin E, they may help reduce muscle damage and fend off age-related diseases. They come with a healthy dose of important minerals, such as magnesium, iron, calcium, and potassium. Almonds do contain a hefty amount of fat, but it's mostly the heart-healthy monosaturated type.

Serving: 1 ounce, 24 almonds

Suggestions: Make a trail mix of almonds, cereals and assorted dried fruits and seeds or lightly toast them on a non-stick pan.

2. Bagels: This easy-to-eat snack comes packed with muscle-fueling carbohydrate. Truly one of the old standbys for before or after exercise.

Serving: one plain bagel

Suggestions: Eat plain or with jelly to avoid adding too much fat with toppings, such as cream cheese.

3. Bananas: Chock full of carbohydrates and easy to digest, bananas are another classic. They come with a high dose of potassium, an important mineral in keeping blood pressure low. Bananas also supply plenty of vitamin B6, which helps fuel exercise.

Serving: one medium banana

Suggestions: Eat alone or combine with peanut butter.

4. Beans: If you're a vegetarian, black beans, lentils chick peas and other beans are your best source of protein, iron and soluable fiber. High in carbohydrate, beans are also loaded with folate (folic acid), which may prevent birth defects during pregnancy and fight heart disease.

Serving: 1 cup

Suggestions: Buy canned beans, and throw them in a blender with some spices to make tasty sandwich spreads; or add them to soup and salad.

5. Breakfast Cereal: Packed with carbohydrate and fortified with vitamins and minerals, a bowl of cereal is a lot like a multivitamin but with a lot more fiber. Best of all, cereal takes less than a minute to prepare and only a little longer to clean up.

Serving: 1/2 cup

Suggestions: Eat with low-fat milke or mix with low-fat yogurt and fruit.

6. Broccoli: Broccoli has it all. It's a great source of vitamin C, which may reduce exercise-related muscle damage. It's also a good source of folate and the bone-builders: calcium and vitamin K. Broccoli also comes packed with cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

Serving: 1/2 cup

Suggestion: Steam broccoli and squeeze some lemon over it, or chop it up and add it to your favorite pasta dish.

7. Brown Rice: All types of rice pack a powerful carbohydrate punch, but brown rice does more because it provides a wealth of antioxidants. These will help in the battle against heart disease and even muscle soreness.

Serving: 1 cup

Suggestion: Cook a bunch and freeze it, because it takes 45+ minutes to prepare. That way, you only have to add 2 tablespoons of liquid per cup, thaw, and cook it in the microwave. Or, buy instant, but it has slightly less fiber and nutrients than regular brown rice.

8. Canola Oil: For optimal performance, endurance athletes need to obtain about 30% of their calories from fat. And of all the different sources of fat out there, canola oil is the best, according to nutritionist columnist Liz Applegate of Runner's World Magazine. Compared to other oils, canola has the lowest level of artery-clogging saturated fat and one of the highest levels of monounsaturated fat, which lowers risk of heart disease. Canola is also rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, which can also be found in fish and are known to fight heart disease.

Serving: 1 tablespoon

Suggestions: Use canola oil instead of other fats, such as butter and margarine, when cooking or baking.

9. Chocolate: You have to splurge every once-in-a-while to keep your diet from getting boring. Chocolate tastes great and, unlike many other sweet treats, it contains the same phytochemicals found in red wine, known to fight heart disease. In fact, when researchers recently studied the antioxidant capacity of various foods, chocolate beat our other powerhouses like strawberries and tea.

Serving: 1 ounce

Suggestions: Stick with dark chocolate, since it contains more phytochemicals than milk chocolate. White chocolate doesn't contain any.

10. Clams: An excellent low-fat protein source, each 3-ounce serving of clams contains a whopping 24 milligrams of iron, enough to last you for two days. Clams also supply a healthy amount of zinc, an immunity-boosting mineral that's notoriously low in many athletes' diets. Be sure you're consuming the 15 milligrams of zinc you need each day.

Serving: 3 ounces, chopped

Suggestions: Drain and rinse canned clams, which actually have less fat and cholesterol than the steamed version. Add them to spaghetti sauce.

11. Fig Bars: These mini "energy bars" are great high-carbohydrate snacks that satisfy your sweet tooth without packing fat into your arteries.

Serving: 2 small bars

Suggestions: Eat 'em as is, right out of the package.

12. Flax: Sold as seeds, oil or ground meal, flax contains high amounts of alphalinolenic acid, a type of fat that can boost immunity, blood flow and possibly even endurance. Flax also keeps your platelets (flat cells in your body) from clumping together and forming dangerous clots.

Serving: 1 tablespoon

Suggestions: Use ground flax seeds when baking muffins, buy breakfast cereals that contain flax, or mix flax seed into your salad dressings. Store flax seeds in your refrigerator to keep htem from turning rancid.

13. Ginger Root: Besides settling your stomach, this spice may act as a natural anti-inflammatory, reducing joint and muscle pain. It also may prevent heart attacks by thinning your blood.

Serving: 1 teaspoon

Suggestions: Look for dense roots. Grate the root for stir fry dishes, cold salads and smoothies.

14. Kiwi: This tart and tasty fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin C. It's also high in potassium, which can help lower blood pressure. A juicy kiwi makes a perfect post-exercise snack on a hot day.

Serving: 1 medium kiwi

Suggestions: Simply peel a kiwi after you exercise and eat it plain, or mix it into fruit salads and smoothies.

15. Low Fat (1%) Milk: Drinking low fat (1%) or nonfat milk is the easiest way to get high amounts of calcium into your body. Calcium is one of the more important nutrients for runners, because it's involved in crucial bodily functions such as bone-mineral formation, muscle contraction and nerve conduction. Consuming adequate calcium helps prevent stress fractures, shinsplints and, possibly, muscle cramps. Lastly, milk is a great post-exercise recovery food, because it provides both carbohydrate and protein. Avoid milk just before heavy exercise, however, because it can cause side stitches.

Serving: 8 ounces

Suggestions: Drink it straight, make a fruit milkshake or pour it over your favorite high-fiber cereal. If you're lactose-intolerant, use reduced-lactose milk or milk with live cultures.

16. Oatmeal: Oatmeal ranks as one of the best breakfast foods for those watching their weight, because, as the saying goes, 'it sticks to your ribs'. Oatmeal's high about of water-soluable fiber does more than keep you full; it also lowers your blood cholesterol. High in muscle-fueling carbohydrate, oatmeal is also a good source of iron.

Serving: 1/2 cup

Suggestions: Make it more nutritious by adding dried or fresh fruit.

17. Oranges: An excellent source of carbohydrate, oranges are packed with vitamin C. This powerful antioxidant may help your muscles recover faster after exercise and will keep your immune system running strong. Oranges are also a great source of folate, which helps maintain optimal levels of hemoglobin for your oxygen-carrying red blood cells. The white pith on oranges is loaded with flavonoids that keep LDL cholesterol from turning into plaque.

Serving: 1 orange

Suggestions: Get in the habit of gulping down a large glass of orange juice after heavy exercise. You'll replenish your muscles with carbohydrate, boost your immune system with vitamin C and rehydrate your body with fluid.

18. Pasta: Famous as the quintessential carbo-loader, pasta is low in fat and a great source of folate, which decreases your risk of heart disease. Pasta also serves as a great vehicle for other good-for-you foods like tomato sauce, tofu and clams.

Serving: 2 ounces

Suggestions: Enjoy pasta with a low-fat marinara sauce for the perfect pre-race entree, or combine it with chopped clams and broccoli to power you up for

19. Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is a good source of vitamin E, probably the most powerful antioxidant. The fats in peanut butter are mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, which are the heart-healthy kinds.

Serving: 2 tablespoons

Suggestions: Look for the natural form of peanut butter, sold in health food stores. It's a bit thicker than processed brands, and you'll have to use some muscle power to stir it up, but it contains more healthy fats than the other brands. If you buy processed peanut butter, avoid types that list hydrogenated fats first on the list of ingredients.

20. Pretzels: Both hard and soft pretzels are high in carbohydrate and low in fat. Even salted pretzels are find for those who don't have high blood pressure, as the sodium helps you retain the fluid you drink before the after exercising in the heat.

Serving: 1 ounce

Suggestions: Keep a bag of pretzels at work and on the kitchen counter at home. Make sure you drink plenty of water or fruit juice with them.

21. Raisins: High in carbohydrate and low in fat, this convenient snack supplies plenty of potassium as well as some iron. Like grapes, raisins also contain an abundance of heart-healthy phytochemicals.

Serving: 2/3 cup

Suggestions: Sprinkle them on your cereal, add them to yogurt or simply snack on them throughout the day.

22. Salmon: Salmon and other types of fatty fish come packed with omega-3 fatty acids, important oils that keep your immune system strong. They also may boost bloodflow, which could improve your performance.

Serving: 3 ounces

Suggestions: Grill salmon and top it with fruit salsa of sliced kiwi, papaya cilantro and jalapeno pepper. The salsa provides important antioxidants as well as fiber.

23. Spinach: High in carotene, calcium and iron, spinach is a true 'power food'. The carotene helps ward off age-related diseases as well as protect your muscles from damage. The calcium keeps your bones strong, and the iron keeps your energy high.

Serving: 1/2 cup

Suggestions: Use spinach instead of iceberg lettuce to boost the nutritional value of your salads. Also, sneak cooked spinach into lasagna and other casseroles. Make sure to eat something acidic or high in vitamin C, such as tomatoes or oranges, along with your spinach to incease iron absorption.

24. Steak: Lean red meat is your best source of absorbable iron. Skimping on red meat in an effort to cut calories and fat can lead to iron deficienty, low energy levels and poor performance.

Serving: 3.5 ounces

Suggestions: Make fajitas by marinating flank or round steak, which tend to be lower in fat than other cuts. Chop the steak up with some tomatoes, onions and peppers, and toss them on the grill. Once cooled, wrap it all in tortilla.

25. Strawberries: Strawberries and many other berries are low in fat and high in vitamins, especially beta carotene, vitamin C and folate.

Serving: 1 cup

Taper Madness

Dear Family and Friends of Rogue Marathoners:

You are entering a very tricky period in your marathoner's training. They have trained hard through the fall and into the winter in preparation for the Big Day. The hard work is behind, and TAPER MADNESS is ahead.

Marathon training is a stair-step process where muscles break down for several weeks and then recover in an easier week. Finally, three weeks before the marathon, runners complete their final long run, and it’s time for recovery. The last three weeks are a period of descending running mileage, allowing the body to more fully recover and rest in preparation for the Big Day, it is called "The Taper".

This all sounds well and good, however, The Taper is a period of great anxiety for many marathoners, first-timers and veterans alike. Over the course of training for a marathon, an athlete becomes accustomed to running many miles each week, and constantly feeling the rush of endorphin-driven highs and the persistent fatigue and soreness of effort. The athlete becomes somewhat addicted to these emotions and considers them normal.

The tapering marathoner will be irritable, anxious, nervous, overly emotional, short-tempered, restless, tired, cranky, and maybe depressed. It sounds like a great three weeks, doesn’t it? It is not unlike an addict going through withdrawal. This is a span of time where most Marathoners go a bit crazy. For most, it passes after the marathon event. Of course, there are the post-marathon blues, but that’s a subject for another day.

The first week is not too bad. It’s really like most recovery weeks. Recovery is critical and the mileage is not dropping by a large amount. Nerves may begin to fray but the best is yet to come – trust me!

During the first part of Taper Madness you will hear about every small ache and pain and how it may be a broken leg or torn ligament or some other traumatic injury. Every twinge becomes a reason to think about postponing the marathon effort. Every sneeze, sniffle, cough or pimple becomes a life-threatening virus or infection. Tight hamstrings, inflamed IT bands, tweaked achilles, plantar fascitis, black toenails, bloody nipples, and chafing all arise as complaints, and this is just during breakfast.

The second week starts deeper depression. The tapering marathoner starts to really miss running. There are no more double-digit runs before the marathon for most. The longest run for the next two weeks will be 7 – 8 miles. The body is really starting to recover and therefore has more energy than needed. Therefore, the marathoner becomes restless. No extra running is allowed. The tapering marathoner can feel the fitness draining out of their body. Ask them, and they will tell you they are getting slower every day! This is not happening, but the feelings are real. Physiologically, there are nothing but positive results from a three-week taper prior to running a marathon. However, it feels quite the opposite. This restlessness often becomes frustration and a short-tempered athlete. Understand that this frustration will project at anyone and everyone within reach. It’s nothing personal; it’s the lack of mileage talking.

It’s now seven days before The Marathon. The last 7 - 8 mile run is done, and all that’s left are three easy short runs and the BIG EVENT. For the first-time marathoner and some experienced folk, this week is nothing but self-doubt and worry: “I’ll never make it. My foot hurts. My nose is running. I’m not ready. My last 20 miler sucked. I’ll die out there. I’m getting fat and slow. My shoes are dead. My shoes are too small. My shoes are too big.” These are some of the things going through the mind of a marathoner in their last few days, not to mention the nervous energy, the couple of extra pounds after cutting back on the running for three weeks, or the trips to the bathroom that increase geometrically as the hydration dance starts in earnest. Many find concentrating on anything other than the upcoming race difficult. By the way, marathoners in the final days before a race often make poor babysitters.

Two nights before the marathon are critical to the marathoner. This night is probably the last chance for a good night's sleep. The night before is typically restless and worrisome (what if the alarm doesn’t go off?!). A sleepless night preceding a marathon will not have a dramatic impact on chances for success. Adrenaline will offset missing that night’s sleep and get the marathoner through the race. The morning of the marathon is all about getting some food, using the bathroom and getting to the race. My suggestion: don’t get in the way.

I am sure your marathoner appreciates all the support they have received during the training program. The last few weeks are critical to a successful marathon effort. Please understand that the emotional wreck will disappear after the marathon. The Taper can be especially difficult and frustrating for everyone. The good news: it ends with the race.

I hope this sheds some light on TAPER MADNESS. Sometimes, insight makes things a bit easier to understand. Of course, your experience may differ greatly, but I’ll bet it doesn’t.

Coach Carmen Troncoso Wins

Coach Carmen repeats as winner of the National Cross Champion in the 8kdistance. Carmen won in 30:10, winning the master championships, the 40-44 age category and her own 45-49 age category. To read more about the race, USATF news.

Long Distance Runner

The Loneliness of The (Slow) Long Distance Runner
By: Chelsea Biondolillo

It is mile ten-point-something and I am beginning to think that the Oreo I ate at the last water stop was a bad idea. The rest of my group is pulling ahead, and I just can't seem to lift my legs high enough to power up the short but steep hill out from the freeway underpass. By the time the ground levels back out, the other five runners are a little over half a block ahead. We won't see each other again until we are back at the Rogue headquarters at the end of this 14 miler. My mp3 player lasts another 5 minutes before the battery dies. The next 45 minutes will be spent with nothing but my inner monologue and the sound of my breath and pounding footsteps to keep me company.

Each run, I expect it to get easier. Instead, it just seems to take longer for me to ask myself what the hell I am doing, but I'll take that as improvement. All of this activity is new for me. Athletics were never a part of my life until a friend talked me into training for a triathlon about three years ago. I had just learned how to ride my bike and wasn't even sure what the “freestyle” swimming stroke was. And now unbelievably, just a couple of years later, I find myself training for a half marathon.

And sometimes it is hard. There are days when my butt hurts in a remarkably persistent way from the hill workout the day before; or nights when I would rather go see a friend's band play downtown instead of rest up for the 7 AM run I have in the morning. Yet, I keep coming back. Even with the occasional discomfort and shuffling of activities, I find myself longing for these mornings with just me and a few team mates and hours of route unfolding slowly before me.

Watching the houses slide by slowly in my peripheral vision, my mind is having a hard time staying on task. I find myself staring at the ground as the sun begins to rise in front of me. It was dark when I left and I didn't bring sunglasses. I adjust my visor down, so that I can lift my chin up. There is some factoid I should be able to recall about keeping my head square, something about aerodynamics maybe? I make a mental note to ask one of my coaches about this later. There are also persistent rumors about endorphins on the forum and in the training meetings. I could really use some of those here on miles 11 and 12, but most likely I used them up about an hour ago.

Two years ago, I dropped out of half marathon training because I hated being last on every long run. It was embarrassing; I felt conspicuous and out of shape. It bothered me that people were having to wait for me to get back. But several races later, I don't seem to care as much. It helps that I am in better shape, and am now usually second-to-last or even (joy!) third- or fourth-to-last.

I have also figured out ways to feel better about my very slow pace. Mentally, I race all the people who are still in bed, or groggily staring into a bowl of cereal while they sit on the couch and watch morning news. Each house I pass is a potential runner I overtake. I even race myself from the week before, when the long run was shorter by a mile or two. When I pass my previous mileage, I imagine that I am dashing past myself like a cheetah.

I count the number of steps between each whooosh of an exhale. The coaches have talked about rhythm before, as well as those elusive endorphins, and I try out different breath/footfall patterns, counting in my head. Just as I realize I have started to hum to myself, I stop. I try to sing in my head for a few verses, but I can't think of any songs that I know all the words to. A red light is a welcomed break, and I stand on the curb, curling up first my right then my left leg, stretching out my aching quadriceps. The light changes and I jog into the intersection, already forgetting where I was in the song I was trying to remember. I go back to counting my breaths and steps.

Should I be more focused? My thoughts wander away from my rhythm after only a minute or two. I replay a conversation from earlier in the week that I wished had gone better. If only I had had a better comeback! I try out a few different lines, suddenly aware that I am making faces. I blush, even though it is early on a Sunday morning and no one is awake to see me mouthing sassy one-liners like a method actor. I wonder again if I should be more focused.
    One-two-three (exhale).
    One-two-three (exhale).

Most of the people who hear that I am training for a half marathon say something about how they could never do it themselves.
    “I can't even run around the block.”
    “You must be in really good shape!”
    “I don't have enough time for all that training.”
    It is easy to come up with reasons not to get up and run. I am incredibly slow. Nearly everyone in my training group beats me back to headquarters on our Sunday morning long runs. My body, so unaccustomed to regular training, protests each new threshold with aches and stiffness.

But there are payoffs, too. I lost 40 lbs last year between running and triathlon training. My legs look great and are surprisingly strong. Most nights, my sleep is deeper and more refreshing. I know so much more about my body's ability to work hard and exceed my expectations.

There is another benefit too, one that is harder to concisely describe. In the last twelve months, I have crossed six different finish lines. Crossing a finish line does something remarkable to the average person's psyche. I am not talking about professional athletes (whose motivation I can't even begin to imagine), or even the hardcore enthusiasts who run races all year, trying for personal bests and elite-level times. I am talking about the newbies, amateurs, part-timers, and weekenders, like myself. How many conceptual finish lines do we create each day, week, month, year? When will this day be over? I will take a vacation when I complete this project. We will get back to our routine after the holidays. But finishing these tasks rarely has the same sense of finality and success as crossing a painted yellow line and hearing the official clock beep in your finish time. How often in daily life does someone drape a ribbon and medal around your neck for accomplishing your goals?

As I run past the Capitol building, I can feel the past mileage beginning to weigh heavily on my shoulders. I have less than one mile to go; in my mind's eye I picture the map of the final few blocks through downtown. I imagine myself as a little dot, moving past the hotels and restaurants like Pac-Man. I fight the urge to hum the Pac-Man music.

Now that I am running past store-fronts instead of yards and houses, the urge to turn and look at my reflection becomes overwhelming. I finally give in, and regret it right away. I have started to hunch over, and do not look as svelte and athletic as running 13 point something miles has led me to believe I must. I look a bit beat, to be honest. This sudden unneeded dose of reality slows me down a bit and my steps falter. It would be so easy to give into negativity, to start in with the “Just what the hell do you think you're doing, anyway?” Instead, I start humming the theme to Rocky very, very quietly. I fight the urge to raise my arms up in the air. Then I do it, immediately turning my Stallone into a shoulder stretch in case any one is looking. This is the farthest I have ever run. And I am still running. My legs are killing me in new and strange ways. Still running. I feel a raw spot-a blister maybe on the back of my neck from where my shirt tag has been rubbing for over two and a half hours. Keep running. My toes are numb and my fingers feel slightly swollen. Just run.

When I see the arch over the finish line on race day, and pull an ounce of extra energy from I-don't-even-know-where and sprint forward, it doesn't matter that I am not the fastest, record-setting runner in the race. I win by crossing that line. It is such a cliché and is so cheesy, that it's hard to explain to the people who say they don't have the time or the energy or the natural ability. I usually just try to be as earnest and engaged as possible when I tell them, “Look, if I can do this, anyone can.”

As I round the corner onto 4th Avenue, I start estimating how many yards are left between myself and the end-point at the Rogue headquarters. I arbitrarily say it's 1600 yards and then start to subtract yards as I cross streets. When I pass under I-35, I can see the end. I imagine a finish line arch in front of me and run toward it with everything I've got.

The Fartlek: Run, Rest, Repeat

“Fartlek” is a Swedish term for "speed play" & entails changing speeds & paces at random points in the run. These pace changes can be regulated or not & are designed to mix up a runner’s pacing clock.

First, by changing speeds at unexpected times, you force your body to listen to YOUR directions, rather than vice versa. Secondly, you begin to get a better idea of your race or comfort pace when you change things up. Your comfort pace is the pace at which you are comfortable holding for the duration of a 10K. You are trying to train your internal clock to run at YOUR effort.

You will run as fast as you want for as long as you want & then rest & repeat. You should change up the speed & length on each fast section, & you should change the amount of rest as well. This is a very free form workout that teaches marathoners and half marathoners strength & discipline. Initially, many runners dislike fartlek workouts for that exact reason, but as they become more experienced with their ability to determine pace & effort they find the format fun & challenging.

The goal is to vary the pace & time of the running & recovery. Practice listening to your body, & remember that the faster you run the shorter the duration should be & the longer the recovery.

How To Run Hills

By Steve Sisson

Why run hills?
Hill training builds strength and power, the foundation for faster running. Walking up a hill takes more effort than to keep running at a slower pace. If you stop and walk up a hill, the gravity will make your body seem heavier and thus force you to proceed with a higher expenditure of energy. If you follow the recommendations below, you should be able to learn to maintain an even, efficient effort on the hills & turn them from a difficulty to a personal strength. If you can begin to consider yourself as strong on the hills you will have a significant edge over the competition & the hill itself.

REST

Relax: R stands for Relax. Take a deep breath as you approach a hill & drop your shoulders. You do not want to be tight as you head into the hill. It is important to consider that most everyone else around you in a race will be really dreading the pain they are going to experience as they head up the hill. If you will relax & think about how well prepared you are for the hills you will have half the battle already won. As you begin to ascend the hill you will your heart just jumped into your throat. This is absolutely normal. Try to relax & breathe.

Effort: E stands for Effort. In general you should try to maintain the same effort level on the hill that you had on the flat section approaching the hill. As you start up the hill keeping the same effort will require you to slow your overall pace. This is just fine. Any extra effort that you put into the hill will have to be paid for later. It is best that you allow yourself to slow & not fight the hill. Just flow up to the top. On very steep hills you will have to raise your effort in order to just keep moving up the hill. This is OK. Just try to run up it as relaxed as possible.

Stride: S stands for Stride. You DO NOT want to shorten your stride. I know this may seem counter-intuitive or be different than other advice you have received but trust me at first & see for yourself if you aren’t significantly more efficient if you just run up the hill with your natural stride length. The hill will make you shorten your stride regardless of your efforts. This is fine & natural. You don’t want to shorten it any more than it already is. Why? Because it requires too much effort run up with tiny strides. Keep to your rhythm & do what feels natural.

Take the Top: T stand for Take the Top. Since you have relaxed, adjusted your pace for effort & run with your natural stride you will have expended significantly less effort & energy to get to the top of the hill than those around you who have really tried to push on the hill. Though they may have run past you, most will not have gained much ground for all their extra work. As you approach the top of the hill you will want to try to take the top & lock into the pace you were running at the bottom of the hill. You will notice that most around you will have slowed down considerable to try to get recovered from their hard push up the hill. You will cruise easily by them & they will not be able to respond. They have worked too hard on the hill & have no energy to continue on at race pace. With your conservative & efficient running up the hill, you are able to get recovered very quickly as you settle back into your pace.

Other Hill Recommendations

Running uphill:
During your workout, resist the temptation to stop running and walk up an incline. Slow to adjust for effort. Maintain a natural stride length. Keep your breathing at a calm and regular flow, and your upper body movements in sync with your pace. Efficient running technique can make an enormous difference in running economy on flat terrain, but optimal technique can play an even greater role on hills.

Maintain turnover: When hitting a hill on the bike, a good cyclist shifts gears to maintain cadence. Runners need to do the same. Notice that a cyclist gears down in order to maintain turnover. Maintaining turnover on hills is even more important in running than cycling. Though you will find your stride length shortens DO NOT take exaggeratedly short, quick steps, rather focus on keeping with your natural rhythm.

Keep torso in a straight line: Many runners have a tendency to lean forward into a hill. While you definitely do not want to lean back, avoid bending forward from the waist. If you tend to lean over, think about pressing your hips forward as you run. Make sure your shoulders are not well in front of your hips.

Breathing : The body functions on oxygen & it is the most important component of any athletic endeavor. If your body does not get enough O2, it will not function optimally, or even effectively. Be sure to continue breathing in a rhythm, no matter how quickly it seems to come at you. Keep as consistent rate of inhalation & exhalation as possible, regardless of speed. The diaphragm controls the flow of breath & it functions best when it is rhythmic. Don’t forget to breathe out of every orifice you can. You need to get air in anyway possible. If you can breathe through your ears, all the better!

Health = Wealth

Are you ever given a hard time by those around you who think you spend too much time running, cycling or just excercising. In the Time Magazine, September 11th 2008 article, call Another Benefit of Health: Wealth, writter Dan Kadlec explains that there are not only health benefits from staying fit there are also some significant finiancial benefits to being healthy. He states that instead of just focusing on our finanical status for retirement that we also focus just as strongly on our health. If you stay healthy and active that you will avoid the large out of pocket costs that those people who lead senditary lives will not. You will actually save money by begin fit especially the money you hope to have as you go into and through out retirement. Getting fit and staying fit will save you tens to thousands of dollars in your retirement age.

Kadlec makes some interesting arguements in his article, Aonther Benefit of Health: Wealth. As you spend time trying to figure out how to explain to your boss or your loved one why it's so important for you to go run here are some great figures that you can untilize to suport your love to exercise and running. It might be a tool to get them to join you.

Austin Marathon Pep Rally

Austin Marathoners Join us on February 8th at 6pm for the Rogue Pep Rally. We will get together on Sunday evenings to listen and learn and prepare for marathon week.

Speakers will be Coach Amy Anderson who will speak about the 10 positives that each of you should create as you go into the marathon day.

Next we will hear from Race Director, John Conley, who let us know about any last minute tips on logistis, he will review the port-o-let locations, water stop details, and start and finish line information and reminders. As will as addressing packet pick-up must do's.

Finally we will hear from the owner of Rogue Training Systems, Steve Sisson. Many or most of you are not familure with Steve, but he is currently the UT Women's Assistant coach, and Team Rogue coach and Head Coach at Rogue.

As a UT student-athlete, Sisson competed from 1989-91 and in 1993. He was a three-time All-American in cross country and track and field, finishing 19th at the 1990 NCAA Cross Country National Championships, third at 5000 meters at the 1993 NCAA indoor meet and fifth in the 10,000 meter run at the 1993 NCAA outdoor event.

Sisson held the Longhorns indoor 5K school record for 10 years with a time of 13:50.4, set at the 1993 NCAA indoor nationals, and currently ranks second all-time in that event.

After UT Sisson worked at RunTex and created RunTex University before starting Rogue in 2004.

This year Steve will speak about how to run the Austin Marathon based on this years course. This year is special for Steve because he is running the marathon as well. He is very familure with the course and the challenges it brings.

He will rap up the talk with some inspirational thought to keep you on your toes and aware of what you are about to do.

Possible Ice Storm 09

Based on the forecasts we've read, the groups are okay to meet tonight. They
should move as quickly as possible through the foot drills and not
hang around but the impression we've gotten is that the worst of it is
coming tonight. Many schools are starting late, and in North Texas
they actually left school early today. So, its coming, but we doubt
it'll interfere with workout.

Karen Smith has cancelled Team Rogue North, Bobby's marathon group is going to do a shorter workout so they can get home earlier. Ramsay's Zooma group will still meet. Panther's P3 is not meeting tonight. Plan on attending if you feel it is safe for you to do.

The Right Fit: Shoes

By Steve Sisson

Two major concerns for any runner, regardless of their experience or fitness level, are comfort & remaining injury free. You will begin to realize, if you do not already, how important the shoes you train in are to your continued progress. As you embark on marathon training, you will ask your body to handle new stresses, & it will be very important to minimize discomfort in order to remain motivated for the duration of the program.

The principle reason for quitting a training program is injury. Doing too much too soon causes a majority of injuries, but approximately 30% occur because of inappropriate or worn out shoes. It makes perfect sense, if you think about it: the barrier between your feet & the surface you are traveling across cushions the pounding of hundreds of pounds per square inch. Multiply these thousands of pounds by the average number of times the foot strikes the ground per mile (depending upon stride length & pace, approximately 6,400 times) by the number of miles you are running, & you begin to see the weight your feet are forced to bear. Of course, humans have been running for as long as they have been in existence, & the foot is extremely well designed for this purpose. However, over the last few hundred years (a blip on the evolutionary screen), we have protected our feet with shoes to the point that they are less adept at handling the forces that bear upon them, & we are becoming dependent (whether physiologically or psychologically, I can't say) upon shoes to shield us from the earth. It is not just the earth we are frequently traipsing across. Man has created new synthetic surfaces, such as asphalt & concrete, which are significantly firmer & better suited to motorized vehicles than to the foot. These surfaces do not have any cushioning properties & can cause serious foot injuries without proper foot equipment.

Cushioning is not the only crucial element in shoe selection. The type of shoe that you run in needs to fit your biomechanical needs. Anyone who has stood before a shoe wall at a running specialty store recognizes the sheer number of choices presented to the runner in this technological age. This choice can be daunting if you do not have an experienced, informed shoe technician to guide you through your selection process. A shoe tech looks to see how your foot moves & how this movement affects the rest of your legs, from your ankle through your hips.

When you go to purchase a pair of shoes you should always try to bring your current pair of shoes. If you are not running, bring a pair of shoes that you use for athletics or walking. These shoes will speak volumes to a quality shoe technician. They are looking at wear patterns that you exhibit: which areas of the outsole show the most wear, whether the heel or the fore foot strikes first, how the mid-sole compresses, whether you indicate a tendency to pronate or supinate, if there is anything unusual about the wear of the upper that will indicate bunions or an extremely wide or narrow foot and so on. Before the shoe tech even sees your feet (provided you brought your current shoes), he or she should be able to determine your general biomechanical propensities.

When they look at your feet, the shoe tech is principally determining the flexibility & length of your arch. The flexibility of the arch will indicate a runner’s biomechanical tendency: a highly flexible arch usually will indicate a heavy pronator, this is because the arch does not fall directly down, it collapses in, or medially; a rigid arch will indicate an even foot striker or a supinator. The level of flexibility will
determine the amount & type of support you need in your shoe. The shoe tech should also look at the length of your arch to see what brands of shoes will work best with your arch type. The width of your foot, narrowness of your heel, length of your second toe & any other unusual attributes of your foot will also be taken into consideration when the shoe tech determines which shoes will mostly likely work for you. The shoe tech should also ask to see you walk barefoot, in order to see if you splay your feet out as you walk, or if you walk pigeon-toed. Any amount of toe in or out will have an impact on your knees & needs to be take into consideration when selecting a shoe.

You should expect to move up a half or full size from your dress shoe when purchasing running shoes. There are two reasons for this. First, the sizing standard is flexible in the running shoe industry, each factory has subtle variations &, as the uppers are glued to the mid-sole, the sizing is affected. Secondly, your foot will swell inside the shoe as you run &, if you purchase a shoe that is too small, it will cause blisters or black toe.

The life of a shoe is completely dependent upon the compression of the mid-sole. For this reason a shoe may look like it has many more miles left in it when actually it is completely broken down. A runner's weight, the frequency of use, the time of year & other factors will determine how long your shoe will last. Most mid-soles can be expected to last between 350-450 miles. We recommend you write the date you start running in your shoes inside the shoe or in your running log so you will have a better idea of when they will break down & be prepared to replace them. If you do not have any idea of how many miles you have on your shoes, you can usually tell if they are broken down by new aches & pains in your knees, Achilles, lower back or hips. As you become more familiar with your body & its pain thresholds & indicators, you will have a heightened sensitivity to when your shoes are ready to be replaced.

Strength Training By Allan Besselink

If there is one aspect that is typically left out of many training programs, for new and
experienced runners, it is strength training. There have been so many times in my career as a physical therapist that I have made mention of strength training to a runner only to get that sheepish grin that says “yeah, I know I know I know”. Why are people so averse to strength training? Well, it's simply 'not running'! It's oftentimes inconvenient. Many think that it requires a lot of time that subtracts from their run training, especially when they are training for a marathon. But it is also critical to their success as a runner – for performance, injury prevention, and injury recovery.

I constantly remind athletes to have a specific intent or goal for each and every workout – and strength training is no different. In my eyes, strength training serves two purposes. It is both a means of facilitating recovery and building “capacity” - and it is not “just another workout”! The primary goal is to simply load the muscles and tissues – to give them a stimulus unto which they will adapt. Tissues will remodel dependent upon the demands imposed upon them. Just like remodeling your living room, the final result does take some time but is fantastic when you're finished! There are a number of questions that I get regularly when it comes to strength training:

Do I need to do a lot of sets and repetitions because I am working on my endurance?

The answer is a resounding “no”. You build your endurance with your run training. The intent of the strength training is muscle recruitment (to build power) and tissue remodeling (to enhance the integrity of the tissues so that they can withstand increased training demands). The only way this is accomplished is via resistance.

How many sets and repetitions DO I need?

If the intent is to alter the structure of the tissues, then they need resistance – enough such that you're only doing one set of 8 to 10 repetitions, but feel like you could do 1 or 2 more repetitions. Research indicates that strength gains are similar between one and multiple sets – but more sets require a greater recovery (which is not the goal of the workout).

If I lift heavy weights, am I at risk of injury?

As long as you have a proper warm-up, maybe 5 to 10 minutes on a bike, you will raise your core temperature sufficiently to be able to lift safely. The resistance is based on what YOU feel like you can do – there is no hard and fast rule for how many pounds any given person should lift. If you're 80 or 20, the body still responds to loading.

Won't I get bigger? I don't want more bulk.

As long as you maintain one set, you may note some mild changes in muscular definition, but you certainly won't build mass. You'd need to do multiple sets to accomplish this, along with consuming a specific diet over time.

I've tried strength training before, but it always leaves me sore the next day and unable to run. What do I do?

This is typically a result of doing many sets or many repetitions (or both). If you're doing one set of 8 to 10 repetitions, you are providing the body with the intended stimulus, yet not creating a situation in which you body has to recover from a full “workout”. You may even find that your runs after a strength training session are better simply because you have given your central nervous system a stimulus that gets it “fired up” to work effectively.

What exercises do I need to do?

There is a value to upper body and lower body strengthening for runners. The primary lower body muscles that you want to strengthen are the gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings, calf musculature, and the hip stabilizers. Your program doesn't have to be developed by a rocket scientist – some good, basic exercises work very well. In some light-hearted discussions with some strength-training-averse runners, I have said that if you only had time for one exercise, the best option would be quarter squats/leg presses as they utilize a number of these muscles simultaneously. Photos and brief descriptions of more specific exercise options are shown in “RunSmart: A Comprehensive Approach To Injury-Free

Running”.

A strength training program should be performed twice a week as part of your weekly training program. By doing so, the tissues will have a consistent stimulus to remodel and improve their architecture and integrity. Strength training will not only help to provide a solid foundation for your run training, but it will also improve your performance, help to keep you injury-free, and will foster an environment for injury recovery should the need arise.

For further information on RunSmart, training-related articles and discussion forums, please refer to the author's website: http://www.smartsport.info

Congratulation to all 3M runners

I just want to congratulate everyone that ran 3M and had an outstanding day. And a special congrats to Laura Benold, who had a 19 minute PR at the 3M half marathon. Great job Monkey we are very proud of you. Great coaching Amy Anderson!!

More results to come...

Congratulations Houston Marathoners

Congratulations to all of the Rogues who completed the Houston Marathon this past Sunday, January 18. The weather was warm and proceeded from a green flag weather day to what the Houston marathon calls a, "yellow flag day". By 8:30 AM, they were telling people to watch for signs of over heating and dehydration. Our runners pushed through and, for many of them, achieved PRs! Karen Smith describes the Rogue crowd support and community in Houston as "awesome and much appreciated". Here's a look at our runners' times:

Coach Phil "Panther" Carmichael 3:24

Coach Karen "Killer" Smith 3:30, 11th in her age group

Coach Peri Kowal 3:42

Scott Brown 3:43

Chuck Duvall 4:01

Tahsin Askar 4:31

Marchele Tubbs 4:40

Debbie Danford 5:02

Melanie Grice 5:11

Jason Black 3:42

Chris Gardner 3:08

Mike Hull 4:20

Coach Lorrie Council 5:36

Steve Vasquez 4:16

Erika Glenn 4:48

Stephen "Tuba" McNally 3:39, 9th in his age group

Amy Bush 3:47

David Zeitler 3:23

Mike Mindicino 3:20, BQ

Also, congratulations to half marathoner, Dee Vasquez 2:00

If we left you off the list, please let us know! We want to recognize your achievements. Well done to all of our Houston Marathoners! You did it!

PreRace Breakfast By Amy Culp

The morning of a marathon, or other distance event, is not the day to skip breakfast! Even if you are not accustomed to eating breakfast on a daily basis, the pre-race meal is an important time to provide your body with much needed fuel.

Here are a few tips to get you going:

1. Train your guts as you train your body. The morning of the race is not the time to try something new with food. You should try different types of foods and combinations of foods prior to training runs to see what is going to agree with your gastrointestinal system, then you will know what will also work on race day. It may take some trial and error, but the gut can be trained, just as your lungs and muscles!

2. Allow 3-4 hours for digestion. Yes, that may mean you will have to get up very early, if you have a morning race, but besides having time to adequately fuel for the race, it will give you time to check your supplies, get to the race on time, warm up, get prepared mentally, etc! The pre-race meal should contain lots of carbohydrate, a little protein, and very little fat (examples to follow). Skip the very high fiber (unless you're used to them) and high fat foods (sausage, bacon, cheese, gravy, etc) as they take longer to move through your gastrointestinal tract and could cause problems during the race.

3. Stick to tried and true favorites. Stick to foods and fluids that you have trained with and know work well for you. If you are traveling to a race, it is wise to pack some of your tried and true favorites for peace of mind (oatmeal packs, protein shake mixes, trail mix, bagels, etc). If you drink coffee and tea every morning, continue this as well. Again, don't try new foods the day of (or even the day before) a race.

4. Top off your fuel. About 1/2 to 1 hour before race start time, and then again about 15 minutes before, top off our fuel stores with more carbohydrate. Most athletes stick with liquids at this point (sports drink, for example) since they clear quickly from the stomach, are absorbed for quick use, and help meet hydration goals. See the table that follows.

5. If you like math... calculate the amount of carbohydrate you need the morning of the race. Then, use food labels to determine the servings of carb you need.

Calculations:

Breakfast (3-4 hours before): 2 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight
Top off (1 hour before): 0.5 gram of carbohydrate per pound of body weight.

Amy Culp is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian specializing in sports nutrition, weight management, and eating disorders. She can be reached at: amyculprd@sCULPturetexas.com.

Hip Flexor Injury By AJ Zelinski

By Dr. AJ Zelinski, Advanced Rehabilitation

The hip flexors are a group of muscles that move the hip forward when running and walking. A great deal of stress is applied to this muscle group when sprinting and kicking. A strain can vary anywhere from stretching to a complete tear of the muscle tissue. This injury occurs in runners, bicyclists, athletes who jump or run with high knee kicks, athletes like soccer players who do forceful kicking activities, and people who practice the martial arts.

The most common cause of hip flexor injury is acute trauma. You may experience one specific instance when you felt your help flexor pull. This may have been when you broke into a sprint, made a cut, or kicked a ball. Tight muscles and poor flexibility will contribute to a hip flexor injury. When muscles are tight, there is an increase amount of tension on the tissues. When this increased tension is added to by an explosive movement, injury can occur. This is very common when doing speed drills or hill work outs.

Preventing hip flexor injury focuses on good flexibility, as well as making sure you warm up before you go full speed. Warm muscles are much less likely to be injured, so take time to warm up, and start slowly before you go all-out. A good flexibility program will also help to reduce the tension on the muscles and your likelihood for injury.

Other ways you can reduce your likelihood for injury:

Deep tissue procedures (Active Release Technique) to free up soft tissue motion of the hamstrings and surrounding musculature
Gentle manipulation to free up joint motion of the lumbar spine and hips
Ultrasound and electric muscle stimulation combo-therapy applied to the proximal hamstring tendons to break up scar tissue, restore normal muscle tone, and decrease pain
Implementation of a proper strength program
Advice on how to progress training runs more appropriately

Prevention is always the best cure. Come see Advanced Rehabilitation, and we will help keep you in motion.

Bayliss shaves minutes off marathon best

Tim Bayliss of Team Rogue featured in Statesman article. Read about how the new Rogue Team program written by coach Steve Sisson really help him improve his marathon time.

Team Riff Raff Takes Dallas

Sunday, December 14, the Dallas White Rock blew through Dallas, Texas and Panther’s Performance Project, fondly known as “Riff Raff”, took it by storm! Despite 36 mile per hour headwinds for five miles of the race, an outdoor temperature of 70 degrees, humidity, and some tough hills, Team Riff Raff made their mark, undeterred by the uncooperative conditions.

Like California International Marathoner, Tim Bayliss, before him, David Yin represented Rogue with the fastest racer from Austin. He ran a 3:01, a six-minute personal record and a Boston qualifying time. Every member of the P3 team hit a personal record, the second time this team has had a 100% success rate this season. They also represented at the IBM 10K with 11 out of 11 personal records. This time, coach Phil “Panther” Carmical took four athletes: Gareth Martin who improved by six minutes and, for the first time in his ten years of running, qualified for Boston; Rawhide Callais who improved by nine minutes; Shorey Russell who completed her first marathon in Dallas; and David Yin, Austin’s super star.

Congratulations Team Riff Raff on your accomplishments!

Texas Competitor Article about the Team

Austin's Rogue Running Team Breaks Through The Wall

Written by Laura Benold

Posted Dec 12, 2008

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Half a continent and two time zones away, California International Marathoners hit the ground running on Sunday, December 8th. A 38-degree start and a 41-degree high made for a cool, beautiful day on the west coast. After seven months of intense mental and physical training, this race was a well-deserved reward for members of Rogue Training System’s elite training group, Team Rogue.

Rogue Results: Decker and Brown Santa 5K

A Rogue brought these successes to our attention for the Decker Half Marathon and the Brown Santa 5K. Congratulations, Rogues, for your accomplishments!

Brown Santa 5K:

Coach Amy Anderson, 1st Master woman

Coach Mark Enstone, 1st 45-49 male

Decker Half:

Kirsten Lotter, 2nd overall Master female

Coach Cynthia Henges, 3rd 30-34 female

Glenda Adams, 1st 40-44 female

Reenie Smith, 3rd 55-59 female

Coach Josh Hare, 2nd 25-29 male

Tyler Jones, 4th 35-39 male

Chris Gardner, 4th 40-44

Ewert Qualifies for Boston at Decker

Chris Ewert decided to run the Double Decker Marathon yesterday with 18 other people. Not taper, no pace band, no pace group. A couple of Nutrigrain bars in the car for breakfast and the only 3 Gu he could scrounge around the house and he wasoff to the race.

He finished in 3:15:00. He is 34 at the moment, so not a BQ time, but he wasn't expecting to qualify on that course from hell. Then he got to looking. BQ times are based on your age on the day of the Boston Marathon. I'll be 35. And the Double Decker is on the USA Track & Field list of certified race courses.

So he just qualified for Boston without planning on it or meaning to in any way. That is an amazing, amazing thing to happen. Congratulations Chris!

Long Run: The LAB

This is our 7th year to run this workout and, though some folks get tired of doing it, it has a proven track record of being a great way to practice half marathon goal pace (HMGP) under a race simulation environment (hence "LAB", as in "laboratory").

The workout starts at the baseball fields across from Gullet Elementary where the Little League plays on Great Northern Blvd. We will start running at 6:45 AM. Be RTG: Ready To Go! If you have bathroom needs or want to find friends, have that already done. There are 1-2 port-a-potties at the fields. There's a driveway into the ball field parking lot where we will stage the pace groups.

The course consists of a 3.5 mile loop that runs south on Great Northern Blvd, left on White Rock, left on Shoal Creek Blvd, left on Foster Ln, and left on Great Northern Blvd. Each half mile of the course will be marked with a cone. This is to allow you to try to be as accurate as possible for the run. It's important not to go out too fast. Be sure to keep it easy for the warm up portion of the run.

This is intended to be a race-simulation workout. There are 2 aid stations, one at the start/3.5 mile point and one approximately 1.5 miles in.

Shoal Creek is heavily cambered (or crowned) to allow water to run off easily, and this can really bother some folks, especially those with IT band problems. Given the size of our group and the traffic on these roads, we cannot run in the middle of the street. Everyone should stay on the left hand side, facing traffic along Shoal Creek, and then on the right hand side, facing traffic along Great Northern. It is not safe running against traffic on Great Northern, so run in the bike lane provided, and run with traffic.

Our aid station at the start/finish will be small and lightly manned. You need to plan for this in your HMGP, just like you would in a race environment. Either pick up the pace or slow down, but do NOT skip this aid station. You need the practice and you need the water/PowerAde. unless you carry your own water or drink, you'll want to stop here. There will also be one unmanned stop on Shoal Creek.

To keep water/PowerAde off of your shirt and face, squeeze the mouth of the cup and get the two sides to touch. Then, slurp the water out of the cup. Take your time and as many drinks as necessary. Don't throw the cups away until you know you're done or the cup is empty.

This is a good time to try out gels and electrolyte replacement methods. Many people have stomach troubles with different brands and each individual is different. See how your body reacts to different brands and flavors before race day! If you have problems during or after the run, talk to your coach about other options, what went wrong, and what to fix.

Remember: we don't own the road. Given the size of our group, we cannot take up the entire road. With an earlier start time, we can minimize the impact on traffic. Do not make the situation worse by running in the middle of the street. This is totally unacceptable and, in order to continue to use the roads, we must abide by the rules.

Marathon Training & Pain Killers

By Coach Amy Anderson

Marathon training and pain killers

...not a combo that makes your coach happy.

If you need to take (or even tempted to take) ibuprofen or tylenol or any other painkiller because of running, then we need to discuss it. Running should not hurt. Sure, you're going to have some aches, some soreness, some issues while training for a marathon, but it should not be painful! And if it is, then you need to address the problem, not hush up the symptoms with drugs so that you can continue running. That's only going to make the problem worse, not better.

Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, etc) is an anti-inflammatory. Its use by marathoners and other endurance athletes has been linked to hyponatremia, a potentially fatal condition.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol, etc) is not an anti-inflammatory and therefore is unlikely to make your running aches & pains feel any better. Worse, acetaminophen can cause liver damage even when used in normal dosages, and there is added risk if you take it before or after drinking alcohol.

Do your own research on these subjects, but my recommendation is that you stick to ice baths, soaking in Barton Springs, and/or lukewarm/tepid soaks in epsom salts. Talk to your coach about your aches and pains so that we can modify your schedule and keep you on the path to your goal! Remember: if you listen to your body when it whispers, it will not yell and scream at you!

Stress Fractures by Dr. AJ Zelinski

A stress fracture is a small crack in a bone. They often develop from overuse, such as from high-impact sports like distance running or basketball. When muscles are overtired (fatigued), they are no longer able to absorb the shock of repeated impacts. When this happens, the muscles transfer the stress to the bones, creating a small crack or fracture.

Most stress fractures occur in the weight-bearing bones of the foot and lower leg. The most common sites are the second and third metatarsals of the foot. Stress fractures are also common in the heel (calcaneus), the outer bone of the lower leg (fibula), and the navicular, a bone on the top of the midfoot. The following are the most common causes of stress fractures:

Mistakes In Technique

Errors in training or technique are another cause of stress fractures. Anything that alters the mechanics of how the foot absorbs impact when it strikes the ground may increase your risk for a stress fracture. For example, a blister, bunion, or tendonitis can affect how you put your weight on your foot, and may require a bony area to handle more load than usual.

Poor Conditioning

Doing too much too soon is a common cause of stress fractures. For example, runners who are confined indoors for the winter may want to pick up where they left off at the end of the previous season. Instead of starting slowly, they try to match their previous mileage. Because of the lower level of conditioning, muscles become fatigued faster. The result could be a stress fracture in the foot or ankle.

Who Is At Risk?

Athletes who participate in high-impact sports, such as running, basketball, or tennis Dancers (ballet and other) are susceptible to stress fractures because of the repetitive impact of dancing Women, particularly female athletes, with abnormal or absent menstrual cycles (This can result in decreasing bone mass.) Exercisers who have made a sudden change in their weight-bearing training. This can include runners who are increasing their mileage faster than their bodies can handle.

The following advice may protect you from developing stress fractures in the first place:

-Progress slowly in any sport. Gradually increase time, and intensity, running mileage or effort and follow the ten percent rule.

-Use the proper foot wear and replace shoes when needed.

-Train your body. Stretching and regular physical therapy help to eliminate the leading causes of common injuries.

If you feel like you may be developing a stress fracture, please contact us or your healthcare professional to avoid further injury.

Hydration: Tips from Amy Culp

One of the most important fueling techniques that runners often overlook is the importance of adequate hydration. The body loses fluids during exercise, which has its effect on performance. Consider this: a weight loss of just 1% of body weight (1.5 pounds for a 150 pound runner) can negatively affect the bodys ability to cope with the stress of exercise. This puts the runner at greater risk for injury. In addition, a weight loss of 2% or more of body weight (3 pounds in someone weighing 150 pounds, 4 pounds in someone weighing 200 pounds) can increase fatigue and decrease mental focus.

Some conditions increase a runners need for fluids, including a hot, humid environment (like during most of the year for us in Austin!).

Preventing Heat Injury

To prevent risk of heat injury (such as heat cramps), increased sodium is recommended for runners who exercise in hot, humid conditions. Heat injury results after a significant sodium loss through sweating. Those most susceptible include runners who sweat profusely, are salty sweaters (skin and clothing caked with a white salt residue after exercise), and those who eat little salt in their diets. These athletes should increase their salt intake by adding salt to their sports drink (1/2 teaspoon salt to 32 ounces sports drink), or choose an endurance formula sports drink with 200 mg sodium per 8 ounces. They should also include high-sodium foods in their daily diets, such as salted pretzels, tomato juice, soup, and cheddar cheese.

In addition to consuming adequate sodium to prevent heat injury, runners also need to consume adequate fluids before, during, and after performance. This is discussed later.

Hyponatremia

Sometimes, too much hydration can be unsafe. Hyponatremia (low blood sodium) can result from drinking more fluids than you lose in urine and sweat during exercise. Those at highest risk for this life-threatening condition are endurance athletes who are small, female, slower, lose a lot of sweat, and salty sweaters, and those with high fluid intake. Extremely hot environmental conditions also increase the risk of hyponatremia. Symptoms of hyponatremia include:

Bloating, swollen hands and feet
Headache/dizziness
Nausea & vomiting
Confusion, disorientation
Unresponsiveness
Seizures, coma, death

To prevent hyponatremia, endurance athletes (those of you who enjoy training for more than an hour at a time) need to be careful not to drink too much water before or during a distance event, and consume sport drinks instead of water during and after events. Several days prior to an endurance event, athletes should consume sport drinks or salty foods and water. Better yet, personalize your hydration.

Personalizing Your Hydration: Sweat Rate

The experts at the American College of Sports Medicine have concluded that since fluid and electrolyte needs are widely variable based on genetics and environmental conditions (hot vs. cold, humid vs. dry, etc.), runners (and all athletes) should know their sweat rate and aim to replace the total amount lost during the exercise bout. Once your sweat rate is determined, it can be used in planning regular drinking intervals during the workout. Remember that the perception of thirst is not a good indicator of how much fluid you need to drink.

How to Determine Sweat Rate

(Pre-Exercise Weight Post-Exercise Weight) + Fluid Intake During Activity = Sweat Rate

Example:

During 1 hour workout:

Pre-Weight = 165

Post-Weight = 164

Fluid Intake During Workout = 16 ounces

(165-164) = 1 pound or 16 ounces lost

+ 16 ounces of fluid consumed during workout

= 32 ounces (2 pounds) of sweat lost per hour

This runner should drink 8 ounces of fluid every 15 minutes to closely match sweat rate.

Basic Fluid Requirements

Here are some tips to help you stay hydrated on a daily basis, and provides general guidelines if you do not know your sweat rate.

Situations

Recommendation

Tips

With meals

Drink plenty of fluids with meals.

Consider drinking water, juice, or milk. Limit caffeine intake.

Produce a light colored urine (similar to the color of lemonade or straw) daily.

2-3 hours before exercise

16-24 ounces (2-3 cups)

This will allow enough time before exercise for fluid to be lost through urine.

Mark your sports bottle at 2 and 3 cup increments as a reminder for the minimum amount needed.

Produce a light colored, but not clear, urine (close to the color of lemonade or straw).

30 minutes before

5-10 ounces (~ ½ - 1 cup)

Drinking more than 10 oz. offers no documented addition benefit.

During exercise

5-10 ounces (~ ½ - 1 cup) every 15 minutes

One gulp = about 1 ounce.

Practice drinking 1 cup of fluid and figure out how many gulps it takes to drink the fluid. You can use this as a guide to ensure you get adequate fluid during events.

Always practice your tolerance to types of fluid before and during training, never before or during an event.

After exercise

At least 24 ounces (~3 cups) for every pound lost during exercise.

Weigh yourself before and after exercise to estimate the amount of fluid lost.

Produce a light colored, but not clear, urine (close to the color of lemonade or straw).

Sports Drinks

With all the choices in sports drinks these days, it can often be confusing on where to begin. Here are some tips to get you started:

Choose water when engaging in light activity in moderate conditions, for example: less than one hour of exercise in a cool environment.
Choose a sports drink for moderate to heavy activity, endurance sports (long run), and stop-and-go sports (interval workouts), especially in warm, humid weather because they help to replace carbohydrate used during activity and electrolytes lost in sweat.
Some sports drinks contain added protein (amino acids). Research is showing some benefit for consuming protein during long (> 90 minutes) exercise sessions. However, this research is not conclusive. Research has also shown that relatively small doses of protein, along with carbohydrate, can enhance muscle recovery and growth after endurance and resistance training. Therefore, you may consider experimenting with these sports drinks after training. However, it is possible to consume enough protein to achieve this benefit through food. Some athletes tolerate fluid better than solid food after intense exercise.
Sports drinks with 14-19 grams of carbohydrate per 8 ounces provide adequate carbohydrate without stomach discomfort. Higher levels of carbohydrate slow absorption in the stomach and can cause pain.
Refrain from diluting sports drinks. They are made to deliver a balanced mix of carbohydrates and electrolytes. This helps with absorption and recovery.
Choose a sports drink with a mixture of different sources of carbohydrate, such as a blend of sucrose, glucose, and fructose. Drinks that contain mostly fructose and/or high-fructose corn syrup can cause gastrointestinal upset.
Do not drink carbonated sports drinks. Carbonated drinks tend to make you feel full faster, therefore you drink less. Also, carbonated sodas do not contain sufficient electrolytes to fully replace those lost from sweat.
Experiment with different flavors and brands during practice, never during competition.

Tips for Staying Hydrated

Practice drinking during training so you know which brands and flavors of fluids you can tolerate during competition.
Waiting until you are thirsty to drink is too late! Prevent dehydration by knowing the warning signs: unusual fatigue, lightheadedness, headache, dark urine (similar to the color of apple juice), dry mouth.
Monitor urine color to determine hydration level. A small volume of urine that has a strong odor and is dark in color indicates dehydration. Keep your urine the color of lemonade or straw to assure adequate hydration. You may be drinking too much water if your urine is clear.
Start activity with a belly full of liquid and keep your stomach comfortably full while you exercise.
Keep in mind your fluid needs before, during, and after exercise.
Take gulps instead of sips.
Freeze water or sports bottles overnight. They will thaw as the day progresses. You can also use them to keep food cool that you bring for lunch or snacks.

Remember that just a small amount of weight lost during exercise can negatively affect the bodys ability to cope with the stress of exercise. No one wants their workout to feel harder than it should!

Amy Culp is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian specializing in sports nutrition, weight management, and eating disorders.

She can be reached at amyculprd@sCULPturetexas.com.

Road Runner Rage

This is an interesting artilce in the New York Times about runner's road rage. It points out what can happen to you if you get a little out of control. When your coaches ask you to be respectful of the drivers, cars and others and to always present yourself in the most appropriate and understand manner this is one of the reasons for our concern.

New York Times

City Running Tours: Austin

Check out the article about Rogue Coach Russ Secker's business, Austin Running Tours, in the Austin American Statesman. Austin Running Tours takes residents and visitors around Austin on set or custom made running tours. http://www.austin360.com/recreation/content/recreation/stories/2008/11/1103fitcity.html

Foot Drills

Ironman Finishers

Rogue wants to give a shout out to coaches Joey Trimyer and Peri Kowal and to Rogues Maggie Dolch and Janice Chapman who finished Ironman Florida in Panama City Beach, FL this past Saturday! Congratulations!

Steve Sisson in Austin Runner Magazine

Check out Rogue owner and coach Steve Sisson in the Austin Runner Magazine: http://www.austinrunner.com/. The article, by Bob Wischnia, highlights Steve's performance in running over the years in addition to his current work at the University of Texas with the Lady Longhorns track team. Pick up the magazine at Rogue Equipment.

Sisson's Team 4th at Big XII

AMES, Iowa - The University of Texas women's cross country team posted its highest finish since 2002, placing fourth with 117 points and four top-30 finishers at the 2008 Big 12 Cross Country Championships held at the Iowa State University Cross Country Course on Saturday, Nov. 1.

In a year fraught with injuries, the Longhorn produced perhaps the largest upset of the day. From 2005-2007, the Lady Longhorns had never placed better than 9th place at this meet. Though the team was making huge gains behind the consistent improvement of Betzy Jimenez, Larkin Geyer and Lauren "Steak" Salisbury. A solid recruiting class in 2008, allowed two new freshman to make a big impact at the Big 12 meet. Laleh Mojtabaeezamani was the highest placing freshman in the entire meet, while her roommate, Mia Behm was a solid 37th place in the team score.

This year the team set the goal of being in the Top 5 at Big 12. The Lady Horns placed 1st two meets but they have also had some injuries that shook their confidence. Going into the Big 12 Conference meet they had a rough race at Arkansas' Chile Pepper Festival. Their team goal remained a top 5 placing. In the end, on an extremely challenging course, they were 15 places from 3rd place.

The Longhorn's travel on Saurday, November 15th to Waco for the Regional meet. I encourage all runners, Rogue & others drive up and check out the regional meet. Help Coach Sisson and the Longhorn's make it to NCAA's. The women's 6K race starts at 10 a.m. Central on the Cottonwood Creek Golf Course.

More meet details:
Texas Tech won its first team Championship with 44 points, snapping Colorado's nine-year winning streak. Baylor placed second with 71 points followed by Nebraska with 102 points. Tech's Sally Kipyego took individualist honors by finishing in 19:45.00 and became the first harrier in Big 12 history to win three consecutive titles.

Junior Betzy Jimenez led the Horns, clocking in at 21:27.10, for 10th place and a spot on the All-Big 12 Team. Jimenez took nine seconds off her time from the 2007 Championship to become the first Longhorn to garner All-Big 12 honors since 2003 and the sixth overall to place in the top 10.

Senior Larkin Geyer completed the 6K course in a career-best time of 21:48.55 for 17th place. Geyer shaved 21 seconds off her time from a year ago to collect her fourth top-20 effort of the year.

Freshman Laleh Mojtabaeezamani was the highest finishing freshman of the meet coming in 25th with her time of 21:59.45. Junior Lauren Salisbury crossed the finish line just three seconds after Mojtabaeezamani in 22:03.65 for 28th place.

Freshman Mia Behm rounded out UT's scoring with a 37th-place showing (22:16.35).

The Longhorns earned their fourth lowest point total in Big 12 history, and collected under 120 points for the first time since a 109-point effort in 2002.

Statesman Article: Water Jogging

To read an interesting article by Pam LeBlanc about water jogging and recovering from injury, click here. She sites Rogue coach Cindy Henges, who met she and a friend for a workout at Stacy Pool.

Kurt Mohlman: 10K Winner in Bryan

Austinites are taking over Aggie Land! Not long ago, Rogues own Kurt Mohlman, 28, won the 10K on Lake Bryan in Bryan, Texas. Since Rogues birth in August of 2004, Kurt has participated in a plethora of programs including: fall and spring marathon training, half marathon training, performance project, PR for a 5K and 10K and, most recently, trail 101 and Palo Duro trail running. He runs because it brings out [his] competitive nature and, he jokingly adds, because my wife makes me.

At the Lake Bryan trail race, Kurt clocked in at 44:10, and the race director measured the total distance at 6.37 miles. The hardest thing about the course, he says, was that it had many twists and turns, so it required some concentration and balance at all times. It also went on and off of a levee many times, which was mentally and physically tiring. Still, despite being only his second 10K trail race, Kurt chased down his competition and settled into a rhythm that took him straight to first place at the finish line.

His advice to new runners is to start conservatively. In training for a 10K, its a long enough race to tire you out. If youre looking to run it well, the key is being able to hold a pretty fast pace once you feel tired. Right now, Kurt wants to achieve his high school times again for a 5K and 10K, break 1:19 in a half marathon, and maybe try for a sub-3-hour marathon, if I decide its worth the punishment, and have fun running trails in the midst of all of that road training.

Check You Out!

We've created a video, and you might be in it! If you have photos of Rogues hanging out or running, please send them to laura@roguerunning.com for use in future videos.

Time Change: Fall Back Sunday

This Sunday, the time changes! Don't forget to "fall back" in the fall and "spring forward" in the spring. At 2 AM on Sunday morning, the time will fall back to 1 AM and, guess what? You get one more hour to sleep! Don't be an hour early to Rogue on Sunday by forgetting. Change your clocks, and take advantage of the extra snoozing.

Command Performance: Running St. George

A Command Performance: Rocking St. George with Effort-Based Racing, Apple Cinnamon Gel and Imodium

From the beginning of the fall marathon training program, Amy Anderson and Mark Enstone have awed participants with their stellar teamwork. Amy began coaching with Rogue when it was a mere embryo of business, and Mark joined this year, first as Amys assistant, before leading his own group for the Austin Marathon. Close friends, both triathletes, IronMan finishers, and runners, the two had much in common even before they stepped up to the start line. Their command performance at the St. George marathon would soon become another addition to the list.

Pre-race preparation, in addition to the training Amy did on the road, included naming and writing ten affirmations on a note card. She finds that referring to these simple positive statements about her preparation and ability maintains her focus and self-assuredness on race day. Amys coach, Rogue owner Ruth England, added the last two to the list to make ten. In the race plan meeting, we worked on changing Amys pacing to 5K or 5 mile chunks, rather than mile-to-mile bits. We also talked about how she might possibly feel and what she was going to do to make the best of the situation, if it got tough, says Ruth.

As race day neared, Mark gave Amy an ultimatum: you are not checking essential running gear onto the plane. She resisted at first, having traveled much herself and not having any anxiety about it, but when he offered to stuff her little baby shoes into his carry-on, she conceded. The essential running gear he referred to included shoes, shorts, a shirt and socks, because nothing new on race day, and these items were long run road tested for months already.

The day before the race, Amy and Mark drove the entire 26.2 mile course, walked around on some of it, and even memorized special landmarks in what they thought might be the tough areas. They decided that, at the wildlife crossing road sign near a vista point they encountered, they would be golden for the finish of the race. From there, they could recall the prior day and their resolution to finish strong. Also the day before, they planned meals carefully. Amy relies on a well-balanced lunch, while Mark counts on a rounded dinner as a pre-race meal. Funnily, they found themselves in a Chinese food restaurant for dinner, hoping to get in plain fish, green veggies, and rice; who would have thought?

The morning of the race was cold, rainy, windy and dark miserable by most post-race accounts, but Amy and Mark positively reframed the conditions as a solution to their concerns that their time at the race venue had been too hot and humid, rather than dell on it as miserable and negative. Mark and Amy dressed in race gear with an extra shirt over that, a dry-clothes bag in hand and headed towards the bus stop. Because the St. George Marathon is a point-to-point race, all participants ride from the finish in St. George to the start in Central, Utah, where they start and run back the way they came. After two encounters with the bushes for bathroom breaks, some huddling under a towel to avoid getting soaked, dropping their dry-clothes bags in the U-Haul van, and each ingesting half of an Imodium tablet, they were ready.

Although Amy and Mark wanted to run a 3:40, they decided not to run with the pace group. With balloons just flush with the bobbing of running heads, they had a hard time spotting the group, but kept it in sight for perspective, occasionally measuring themselves against the pacers. Mark observes how he doesnt mind running with pace groups if: their spitting, snorting or snotting doesnt land on your leg, arm or face, if their banter doesnt wear on you, if their elbow doesnt bang your bicep like an SOB, and Amys belief in effort-based racing doesnt align well with the concept. Instead, they decided to start easy and finish strong, with an eye casually on time.

Amy describes effort-based racing as running how you feel without giving in too soon. This type of racing acknowledges the possibility of off days, which she says can occur for any reason, including: the route, the weather, your nutrition and hydration, and your health. She articulates the cardiac drift phenomenon, which means effort has to increase just to maintain the pace, not even to speed up, just to maintain. Starting too fast leaves very little room to go up, while starting too easy causes a time-loss you probably cant regain in the end.

Mark and Amy relied upon four time checkpoints, captured on his and hers cheat sheets, at miles 5, 10, 15 and 20, just as Amy and Ruth discussed. Amy never read hers, but Mark referred to his for both of them, and she verbally checked in to inquire about whether they had met their marks. After successfully executing their nutrition and hydration plans, they took gel for the last time at Mile 21. For Amy, a traditional Apple Cinnamon Carb-Boom did the trick; she takes the same gel at every marathon in honor of Claire, one of her Boston Qualifier athletes from another year. Mark had the same, and they moved in to close the race, pouring on the work and effort for those final miles.

Their final times were 3:35:26&27, five minutes faster than their projected goal time! It was a command performance, one that far exceeded expectation when consistent training and healthy choices culminated in the race of a lifetime.

Puppy Found A Home!

On Saturday morning, a local homeless man left his very adorable dog with us. He had a shoe string tied around his neck, and he wandered through the crowds of Rogues looking for a new owner. Well, he found one in Chad, who calls him "Rogue". Check in for updates about Rogue's favorite puppy. Thanks, Chad, for giving him a good home.

Volunteer Here!

You have a plethora of opportunities to volunteer with Rogue, and now it's easier than ever to sign up! Go to http://theracetime.com/rogue, log in and click on the + sign to add yourself as a volunteer. It's easy, and you'll receive prizes for racking up hours:

1.5 hours: Rogue water bottle

4.5 hours: Limited edition Rogue Volunteer t-shirt. It's not for sale, so you have to volunteer to get it!

9 hours: $15 off of a Rogue program in addition to the returning Rogue discount

Plus, you'll have our gratitude!

Are you Injured?

by Allan Besselink

Is It Really An Injury?
When training for any event, be it your first 5K or your 10th marathon, there are always going to be some nagging aches and pains. As you place demands on your body, it has to then recover from the training sessions and adapt to the imposed demands. During this process of training-recovery, your muscles, bones, and tissues undergo transformation. At some times, when the ability to recover is less than the training demand, an injury may occur.

But how do I know that it’s an injury? I have little aches and pains all the time. How do I know that this is something that I need to have assessed?
The first asks some basic questions – where are you feeling the discomfort, for how long has it been bothering you?

The second set of question that need to be ask will help determine the status of your injury status – or, better yet, the need to have the current condition (whatever it is) assessed by a medical practitioner. There are three primary questions:

Does the problem limit your training how much you can train?
Does the problem cause you to alter your running mechanics?
Does the problem affect any of your normal activities of daily living?

If you answered yes to any of these it is time to see a “medical professional”.
If you answered no to ALL of these but there is still something bothering you we need to follow some there advice.

Difference between “hurt & harm”:
Now, I am sure you’re saying, “well, it doesn’t really cause me to limp TOO much” or something like that! This is where self-responsibility (and good self-care) come into play. Listening to your body is critical to effective training. Pain is one of your body’s primary feedback mechanisms. There is a difference between “hurt” and “harm” – and knowing how to differentiate between these two is key to understanding the injury process.

“Hurt” would be an awareness of symptoms that don’t increase during the training activity – and, 20 to 30 minutes after activity, have fully subsided. “Hurt” is generally an indicator that you are stressing the tissues but not producing any damage to the tissues. This indicates would that you should monitor the status of the issue, to adjust training loads, or to emphasize other recovery-based aspects of the program (such as strength training, massage, nutritional adjustments, etc).

“Harm”, on the other hand, would be an awareness of symptoms that increase during the training activity and persist for greater than 20 to 30 minutes after you’ve stopped. This suggests that it’s time to have the problem assessed by a professional. There are different levels depending on what you would like to do.

Is It An Injury or Under-Recovery?
So … you’ve answered a hearty “no” to the first three questions. “Yippeee” you proclaim … maybe I don’t have an injury! Perhaps the awareness you have is related to a decreased ability of your body to adapt to the current training demands – either too much, or too soon. This is where we go into the next section that deals with the primary elements that prevent injury and foster good recovery from your training. Have you been integrating strength training, use of the Trigger point products, nutrition and recovery information, etc. into your training plan? These components are built in to the program to assist you – to help you stay injury-free. For many athletes that are having “hurt” (as opposed to “harm”), these elements are enough to resolve any minor issues that are being experienced. You may also decide to meet with one a doctor or massage theraphyist – all providing any of a number of adjunct training or recovery-focused services. This could include instruction in running mechanics (supplemental to the Rogue programs), nutritional guidance, massage therapy, and others. Again, “knowledge” is key in making good decisions about your self-care. Being responsible and listening to the feedback your body provides are the most important factors in maintaining a healthy and safe training environment.

The Injury Recovery Process

Most running injuries are related to the body being unable to adapt readily to the imposed training demands. Although “complete rest may at times be a part of the short-term solution, it is generally not a complete solution. Tissues respond and adapt to movement and become stronger when they are challenged in an appropriate fashion. With this in mind, an active approach to injury recovery is accepted in the literature to be the most effective in the greatest number of cases. So let’s say that you’ve made that first appointment to see your provider. There can be a great deal of apprehension prior to this initial meeting, so I would suggest creating a list of questions regarding your problem in advance. What is the cause? Will I be able to return to training? What is the prognosis? What steps do I need to take to resolve this issue? Are other adjunctive therapies such as physical therapy or massage therapy indicated for this problem? Though oftentimes the providers are faced with challenging schedules, it is fair to request their answer to your questions! As they say – “Knowledge is power” – and having an understanding of your problem with help assist in finding solutions. I would always be aware of any provider that is not prepared to discuss your concerns with you, or someone that seems uninterested in your eventual return to running. In the same vein, and given that most running injuries will be responsive to an active approach, if you’re not seeing a perceptible change in the status of your problem over 3 to 4 visits, then it is strongly suggested that you discuss this with your provider(s). Perhaps other adjunctive therapies are indicated – or that the current approach isn’t working for your problem. The goal at Rogue is to guide your return to running – and we have many providers that can assist this process. Along the way, there is an Injury Forum on the Rogue website. Though this will never be a substitute for active interaction with your provider, it would be a place to ask questions and share information.

Acupuncture Go With The Flo, 294-6925 Karen Smith

Chiropractic Advanced Rehabilitation, 467-1100 Dr. AJ Zielinski

Running Mechanics Go With The Flo, 294-6925 Karen Smith

Rogue Training Systems 280-5722 Carmen Troncoso

Smart Sport International 914-0871 Allan Besselink, PT

RMT Kneadz 443-6400 Carmen Garza, RMT

Nutrition Sports Nutrition, Amy Culp 512.517.7624, amyculprd@sculpturetexas.com

Performance Therapy Tools Trigger Point Technologies 524-2804 Cassidy Phillips

Family practice – sports medicine fellowship Texas Sports and Family Medicine, 473-0201 Dr. Robin McCarty, Dr. Mark Chassay, Dr. Mark Hutchens

Orthopedics Sports Performance International708-8834Dr. Ted Spears Orthotics

Elite Feet Orthotics ,626-2323 Tammy Harbison

Forward Motion Pedorthics ,914-8338Bill Stone

Physical Therapy, Smart Sport International ,914-0871 Allan Besselink, PT

Scott Welsh, M.D. Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, 301-9922

Rogues On T.V.

On October 10th, several Rogues made a debut on Fox 7 Morning News to advertise Skirt Sports apparel. Check it out! The announcement featured information from spokesperson Sarah Shaw about the new trend in running clothing: skirts! It anticipated the Skirt Chaser 5K, which Rogue Equipment hosted on location. Stop by Rogue Equipment to pick up some cute Skirt Sports clothing if you like what you see.

Chronicle's Best of Austin 2008

Best Runner Training Facility: Rogue
If you could imagine what the secret love child of RunTex and Bettysport would look like, it would most likely resemble Rogue Equipment. The store specializes in all things that aid runners, especially those who are participating in one of Rogues running training programs (they get a 15% discount in the store). Located in a colorful, airy corner of a refurbished warehouse on the Eastside, the store often hosts early-morning runs through Downtown to the hike and bike trail, teasing the coming development plans for a hike and bike that may one day loop all of Austin.
500 San Marcos, 493-0920 www.roguerunning.com

See the write up at the Chronicle website: Best of Austin 2008

How accurate is your GPS?

By: Chris Matus

Working in the GIS/Mapping field and also measuring and mapping courses for Joe along with other trails, never use a GPS to measure a course. Liam mentioned only a couple of the variables that will throw off the accuracy of the GPS. Even if you set your GPS to collect a point every second, you will typically come up short compared to the actual ground distance. A GPS is made to collect accurate locations based on a point and do very bad at figuring distance. Even a survey grade GPS that has to do differential correction, either on the fly or by post-processing the data to get an accurate location (sub-centimeter) will be bad at figuring distance.

When a GPS records a track, all it is doing is recording it's location at a certain point on the earth per the set interval. You will not see each individual point because most GPS software programs automatically connects the dots and what you end up seeing is the track line. If you were able to see each individual point, you would notice that they don't follow the line you travelled precisely. One may be 10 ft to the left of the line travelled, while the next one may be 20 ft to the right of the line. And this continues throughout the whole collection process. What the software and the GPS does is interpolate the distance. This is why you typically come up short. Though there may be times you come up long, but it's not very often.

The GPS also does not do elevation very well. There are many reasons for this and too technical for this email, but the main thing to remember is that elevation on a GPS will be around 1.5 times less accurate than the X, Y (Longitude, Latitude) of the collected point. What you can use the elevation for is just a general trend.

Now, that being said, if you are out in the open and don't have any obstacles blocking the reception from overhead or from the horizon and the satellites are evenly spaced in the sky to get good triangulation and there is no cloud cover and your not next to a lake or river and there is no weird atmospheric things going on and you travel a fairly straight line and you don't have much elevation change, then the distance recorded will be pretty close to the actual ground distance.

When I make my maps, I use a GPS only for a general location of the trail. The distances I list are from a survey wheel or a calibrated bike. And even then, I use both products very carefully making sure the wheel stays in contact with the ground at all times. By doing all this there will still be some error since most trails are typically wide enough where a person can take a slightly different path along it. To compensate for this, the trail will be measured more than once and then the average used.

If you understand the limitations of the GPS, then it's a great tool to use for a general idea of the distance you have travelled or the elevation you have traversed. Just don't take the numbers it gives you as the real deal.

IBM Uptown Classic 10K Race Plan

The IBM UPTOWN CLASSIC 10K RACE PLAN:

Though it may seem relatively simple to pin a number on your chest, step up to a start line, & race your guts out over 10,000 meters, things always tend to be a little more complicated. For the uninitiated amongst us, the whole process can be intimidating.

Recognize that this is the first in a series of races designed to help you begin getting a handle on pre-race logistics, pacing, race tactics, & other sundry essential preparations necessary for running your best at the Austin Marathon on February 15, 2009. You aren't expected to bust forth fully formed and prepared to run the fastest race you've ever run-- or even to know what the hell you are doing. I always like to say, "You gotta start somewhere," & here is your start to this season. You should expect to have a race in which you do some things right & some things impossibly wrong. Right or wrong, it is all a part of the process. I've outlined a basic race plan for all based upon date paces & what the course provides (elevation, turns, possible weather conditions, etc).

The Course:

The IBM course has returned back to their campus, which is sandwiched between Mopac, and Braker Lane off of Burnet Road. It loops around the IBM Campus. Starting on the eastside of the campus parking lot, the course puts most of its mileage by looping around and around their property. With less than 80 ft of elevation change over the entire 6.2 miles course, it looks to be fast. The first 2 miles, heading southwest to the Westside of Burnett with some slight ups in downs in the first mile but flatting out by mile 2 for some smooth running. Mile 3 has a short up hill as you pass through the Domain shopping center. This mile is followed by 2 relatively easy, down hill miles. You might not even notice this as you are racing. Mile 5 to mile 6 is probably the hardest part of the course, because of the hills, the repeat of the same concrete and where it is in the 10k race. Be prepared to suffer a little as you run through this section, but concentrate on holding pace. The course drops back down the final mile into the finish line, which is the same place as you began the journey. With its gradual declines & inclines, this course should prove to be honest & fast.

The Pre-Race Plan:

Packet Pick-up:

Amplify Federal Credit Union: 2608 Brockton Drive (Brockton @ Burnet)

Friday, October 17th, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday, October 18th, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sunday, October 19th, 6:30 a.m. - 7:55 a.m.

Saturday: All groups have an easy 3-4 mile run followed by relaxed strides for Saturday morning. We will not meet as a group (only those not doing the race will meet on Saturday). Friday night is the most important night for sleep, so try to get into bed at a reasonable hour--or sleep in if you are forced to be up late. Be sure to hydrate throughout the day so you are not trying to force water down right before you go to sleep (you don't want to spend the whole night before the race getting up to go to the restroom). For dinner, avoid anything extremely spicy or greasy as this can cause intestinal distress (again requiring you to spend time in the bathroom better spent in bed). As you become more experienced with running races, you can begin to determine your best pre-race meals. For now, just try to keep it simple.

Set out you race clothes & anything else you think you'll need before you go to bed. This way, you won't be scrambling around searching on race morning for your favorite socks, for example, only to find them dirty. A little preparation goes a long way towards avoiding jangled nerves on race morning.

Sunday morning: Try to get up about 45 minutes to an hour before you need to leave to make it to the race site by 6:45AM. After waking, eat something light, like toast and/or a banana. If you are a coffee or tea drinker, drink up as soon as you wake up so that you can spend some quality time in your own comfortable & clean restroom. You should save the port-o-lets at the race start for quick trips, not the real business.

We are meeting at 6:45AM at the Rogue tent which will be announced as we get closer to the event. The coaches will give some basic pre-race instructions & begin a 2 mile warm-up between 7:15-7:30AM. We will not wait for you! Be ready. After our warm-up we'll disperse to allow everyone to get all their final details sorted out, hit the port-o-let one final time, and then reconnect at the start line at 7:50AM. For those who stick around between the warm-up and the start, we'll do some light stretches & drills. It is, however, more important that you handle all the details necessary to be ready to race before 7:50 as you don't want to be running around like a chicken with your head cut off; you need to be calm & collected prior to the race start. As you wait for the announcements & other pre-race details to occur, run through the race plan (given below) in your mind, review you reasons for running this race, & generally get your mind right as the race start approaches.

The Race Plan:

For all groups, the primary focus is running the fastest 10K possible on that day. To really be ready to take advantage of the course & your current fitness, you need a plan. What follows is a basic mile-by-mile guide to tackling the challenge ahead of you.

Start: Position yourself conservatively. If you plan on running under 40 minutes for the 10K, then you should be in the front quarter of the pack. If you are running slower than 40 minutes, position yourself anywhere but the front quarter of the lineup. More races are ruined in the first mile of a race than anywhere else, & this is usually due to poor positioning at the start and going out too fast. Know where you belong & start there. If you don't have any idea where you should start, then position yourself in the middle of the pack. All Rogues should try to get on the right-hand side of the start (looking from behind the start line). The race takes a pretty quick left onto Shoal Creek & it is better to be positioned on the right side so you avoid the crush of people turning left.

First Mile: Since the first 2 miles are really the fastest miles of the race, it is very important that you use caution at the start. Now that most of you have run a time trial, you already know what pace that correlates to in terms of a 10K. If you don't, then stop reading this essay & read the Time Trial/Fitness Assessment essay posted on the Essay page. I mean it: stop & figure out your current date pace for a 10K. Believe me; this is the most important step in planning your best race strategy. OK--so you know your date pace for 10K; this should be the time you try to hit for your first mile. If you are too fast, SLOW DOWN! Even if you feel like a million bucks, slow down. If you go through the first mile too slowly, do not react too quickly--just gradually pick the pace up over the next mile to get as close to your 10K date pace as possible. By the end of the first mile, you should be settling into the pace & relaxing. If you are really tired or tight, slow down a little bit & regroup.

Miles 2-4: You should settle into the 10K Date Pace designated by your time trial results and maintain through the 4th mile. If you are feeling excellent, you are welcome to pick the pace up 15 seconds per mile. Dont try to go any faster than this through the 4th mile, as how you feel at mile 2 will probably be very different from how you feel at mile 5, & I believe that it is better for you to try to make up time on the last mile of this course rather than this uphill section. If you are running slower that your projected 10K Date Pace, do not freak out. It may take you a little more time to get into the race. Even if you find yourself 10-15 seconds per mile too slow, don't fret. Just try to find a rhythm & run as consistent a pace as possible. Remember that we are just starting this training program & you'll have plenty of time to get stronger & faster. Since you haven't gone out too fast, you should feel in control--& that is more important than anything else at this point.

The Final Mile: If you have gone out conservatively & at your Date Pace, you should be in a good place by this time. You will probably begin to pick off those impetuous runners who have gone out too fast. Once you turn onto Burnet Lane, you should begin to pick the pace up. As the race course descends after a small incline, you should be able to take advantage of the subtle decline & get faster. After you enter the IBM complex off of Burnett Road, you should be running strong & hard. Do not sprint, just keep this steady, strong pace up as you turn around the final turn & see the finish line. Hold this strong pace all the way across the finish line. The reason we do not want you to sprint to the finish is that you will NOT be sprinting at any time in the marathon, & it is important to begin to get a feel for what pace you can maintain as you close into the finish line. If you come in at a sprint, then you've left valuable time out on the course, & should work on budgeting your effort more effectively in future races.

Post-Race:

After the race, get some fluids & calories back in your system as soon as possible. Optimally, you'll really want to get 50 grams of carbohydrates back in your body within approximately 15-20 minutes after you come across the finish line. Relax for a little bit & then get back together at the Rogue tent. Well head back out on the course to the 5 mile marker & cheer in as many Rogues as possible. I want everyone to get in a 2 mile cool down after the race.

If you brought some goodies for after your cool-down, your coaches will be hanging out around the Rogue tent to celebrate a well-run race.

Best Water Stop At Longhorn Triathlon

For the second year in a row, the Austin Duathletes and Rogue's Panther group has won the award for "Best Water Stop at the Longhorn Triathlon". This means $1,500 for charity, including the Children's Cancer Association, Fight HD!, and Girls On The Run. Congratulations and thank you to those who volunteered at this event.

Visit Panther's website to see pictures: http://rogueprproject.blogspot.com

E-mail Panther (phil@roguerunning.com) to find out how you can get involved next time! Want to dress up like these super heroes? Come to the Rogue Pumpkin Run and do 3,5,7 or 10 miles in costume. The top four costumes receive free entries to the Turkey Trot in November.

Race Plan By Steve Sisson

By: Steve Sisson

The marathon is the toughest race you will ever run. Its an opportunity to play and suffer in equal measure. If it were all pain, you wouldnt do it, and if it were all pleasure, it would have no inherent value. In order to succeed and meet your goals, psychological preparation is imperative. Youre already physically prepared; you have worked with Rogue to arrive there. Forget what youve missed; it cannot help you now, but it will hurt you if you dwell on it. Now is the time to trust your training, minimize distractions, and look back through all you have accomplished in your journey. A race plan will keep you on course and ensure that you arrive at the finish line satisfied by having met your goals. This race plan wont work for every course, but its an effective general guide to follow. Meet with your coach to discuss specifics so you can walk to the start line armed appropriately for the individual race youre running.

When the gun goes off, spend the first five miles relaxing and enjoying your self. You made it, and you belong here. Take it in. Theres plenty of time to suffer later, and you can make up for a slightly slower pace, but you will not recover from going out too fast. Especially with all of the pageantry at larger races, these first miles reward you for your hard work and remind you why you came.

Between miles five and ten, settle into a rhythm with your eye on pace. Follow how you feel on race day, and dont get too emotional. Emotional energy can throw you off entirely, while an intelligent race plan will keep you in check whether youre dragging or feeling strong. How you feel throughout will loop up and down, so dont get carried away by a few minutes of pain or glory. Remember the rule of 1 to 4: for every one second you start out running too fast, you will lose four seconds later in the race as a result.

From miles one until ten, hydrate well to prepare you for the rest of the race. Drink water and slightly sugary drinks, but not gels or fuels. Ingest salts and electrolytes but, to avoid cramping, do so every three to four miles at most.

The mantra of miles ten to fifteen is, trust the rhythm. Runners often ditch their race plans and go too fast at this point, but its a mistake. Be patient and disciplined, and most of all trust the rhythm rather than your head. Be vigilant about staying on pace. At this point, runners enter the no mans land of the marathon, and should rely on a race plan to get them through the confusion.

Miles fifteen to twenty are really what the marathon is about: working hard to stay on pace and meeting your goals. Almost no Rogue wants to run a marathon just to finish. After all of the speed work youve done and the time youve put in, a voice small or loud communicates a mental, if not spoken, goal. In order to succeed, its important to put a goal in place, and realize that those worth having are goals worth fighting for. This is your fight, and you cant go back and forth between desire and apathy. The race is too tough, and you wont make it through the pain if youre somewhere in the middle. At this time in the race, ask yourself if you mean what you say, and remember the value of your training as you push through depletion of fluids, fuel and self-assuredness.

Finally, finish strong in the last 6.2 miles. Yes, it will be extremely painful, but the finish line will make it all worthwhile. Energy and emotion will return in whatever proportion you invest. Everyone is suffering. Everyone. When its over, congratulate yourself and stay positive. The marathon is the toughest race you will ever run, and you ran it.

Happy Birthday Steve

Happy 39th Birthday, Steve!

Congratulations on the win today. The UT women's team traveled to Kentucky for the Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic and won by 95 points. The women were outstanding today, all of them running PR 5k cross country 5k's.

Junior Betzy Jimenez, competing in her first race of the season, paced the Horns with a third-place finish. Jimenez clocked in at a career-best time of 17:07.98. Senior Larkin Geyer also recorded her fastest time as a Longhorn, 17:38.28, to finish 11th.

Juniors Lauren Salisbury (17:54.86) and Alison Mendez, the neice of Richard Mendez local master's super star, (18:09.61) placed in the top 25, crossing the finish line in 18th and 25th, respectively. Both harriers also set new career marks in the 5K with their times.

Rounding out the Longhorn scoring contingent were freshmen Julie Amthor (18:10.94), Laleh Mojtabaeezamani (18:13.01) and Mia Behm (18:18.58). The newcomer trio placed 28th, 30th and 33rd, respectively, and earned points for UT for the third-straight meet.

The Longhorns head to the Chili Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark., on Oct. 18 for their final meet before the Big 12 Championships, held in Ames, Iowa on Nov. 1.

Congratulaton Coach Sisson and the Lady Horns!

My Experience at the Tahoe Triple

By: Carolyn Mangold

It was the hardest thing Ive ever done... and Im ready to go again next year! From Friday, September 26th through Sunday, September 28th I chased pavement around the entirety of Lake Tahoe. The training seemed to prepare me well because even after all three days, I only felt real pain in my toes, several of which have swelled and appear to be angry.

The first day began at Inspiration Point, aptly named for its overlook onto Emerald Bay. I heard the shotgun and took off. Claire Secker ran with me, which made first day jitters less overwhelming, and Russ Secker and Keithly McNally crewed for me for two of the three days, something I couldnt have done without. The altitude reached 7,000 feet and sank to lake level, so it was quite the climb; up and down we went. The first half felt great and leaned mostly downhill; it was just like a usual marathon in that, right around mile 20, I wanted it to end. Thats when the hills started. I ran hills from mile 20 until the finish, and the thin air made them even more difficult than usual. Even level ground was trying as we climbed higher up. I reminded myself that hills are never easy, and I tried to stay relaxed and focus on maintaining my pace. At the end of the day I felt good: 1/3 down!

Day Two started less formally than Day 1; someone yelled, go, and we took our cues. Definitely the most difficult of the three days, I let my guard down and began to feel defeated. Its true what they (and I) always say: mental attitude has everything to do with how you perform. I realize now how important good nutrition is because, after the run on Day One, I hadnt reloaded fully. My body was depleted and that made this day hard. The course tilted downward at the beginning, for the first 8 miles, and flattened out at Incline Village. Once again, the biggest hills came just in time for the last parts of the race, and from miles 13 to 16 I was wondering what I was thinking getting myself into this. After that, I shook it off, realized that I could do this; I was prepared, and I felt the weight of the day easing. After all, I was more than half way done with the entire triple. At the end of day two, a fellow Rogue runner, Debbie, said she overheard someone say, If you wanna see a lake, buy a postcard. Still, I felt grateful for not having injuries, and Day Three looked promising.

On the last day, I faced The Hill From Hell. Boy, was it ever! In fact, they had made these cute little signs along the way to remind us just how difficult it was. At the time, it was torture, but accomplishing it felt doubly rewarding. I would compare the Hill from Hell to Mt. Bonnell, straight up for two miles. After the worst came the best: the final 6 miles. I thought, coming into this, that those miles would wreck me more than any others, but I felt relieved instead of ravaged. I was exhausted, and the thought of not having to wake up the next morning and run yet another marathon kept me going strong.

Three days and a total of 78.6 miles is no easy feat, and thats one reason why it has such value for me. Russ Secker put it well when he said, Tahoe is beautiful but not for the fainthearted.... No one leaves disappointed or unfulfilled.

What To Wear

By: Ruth England

When you exercise, sweat evaporates off of your skin, cools your body, and regulates your body temperature. In the summer, your effort goes into keeping the body cool, while in the winter you have to work to stay warm. Not regulating your body temperature correctly forces your heart to work harder. Some basic apparel choices will help your body balance external environment with internal temperature:

Cotton apparel absorbs and wicks moisture but holds onto it. It dries very slowly and gets heavy when wet. Plus, its a rough fiber. Wearing a technical fiber like Dri-Fit or Coolmax will help regulate your body temperature better and is more comfortable during workouts. In warm weather, it keeps you cooler since it evaporates moisture better than cotton, and in cold weather its ability to wick moisture away from your body leaves you drier and warmer. You do want Coolmax apparel to be fitted. When it is against your skin it does best at wicking the moisture away from you. Technical fabrics reduce the risk of chaffing and blisters because they are less abrasive than cotton.

Running accessories such as gloves, hats, headbands, socks also come in CoolMax. Wear Coolmax socks, especially on the long runs, to avoid blisters. Cotton socks hold on to moisture, rub, and can cause blisters. Women will need to look into finding a jog bra that serves its function and doesnt restrict running. Look at this Rogue article for more information about how to pick them.

Chafing occurs when skin rubs against skin or fabric rubs against skin on a long run. This can occur on runs of 7 miles or so and longer. You can use Vaseline or, even better, Body Glide on your next run to prevent chafing. Men sometimes chafe on the nipples and should try Vaseline, Body Glide or Nip Guards (Band-Aids) to avoid the problem.

A number of different clothing items: gloves, hat, long sleeved technical shirts, ear warmers, tights or running pants, and jackets all aid in warmth for the winter. In 50-degree weather, consider gloves, hats, long sleeved technical shirts and ear warmers. Hands are the first area you'll notice, so having gloves on can make your initial run more comfortable in slightly colder weather, and you can take them off, as the day gets warmer. What you wear will vary depending on whether youre doing a training run or a race; in a race you'll likely warm up faster due to harder effort. In 30-degree weather, consider tights or running pants and jackets. In the winter, you should be chilly before you start running. If you are comfortable standing around in the parking lot before the run, you are wearing too much. Dont forget the 20 degree rule: dress like it is 20 degrees warmer than it actually is to take into account how much your body is going to warm up.

When trying to gauge what to wear, think about how long you are going to be out. If it is 48 degrees at the start of the run, 2 hours later it could be in the upper 50s. On the other hand, if it is cold, dont under dress. You will unconsciously run too fast. After you finish your run, you will become cold as your body cools back down. Bring a change of clothes, so that after the long run you can put something dry on.

Two Mile Time Trial

By: Steve Sisson

I know that many of you will begin to consider me a very cruel man. A time trial is the one of the very first workouts of the program? The reason? So we can get a handle on where your fitness is RIGHT NOW. Why? So we can make sure that the times that you run for the workouts are appropriate for your current fitness. I am sure that some of you will be unhappy with your finish time; others of you will probably be surprised at how fast you run. Regardless of your feelings, I promise that this will be a very useful barometer for you throughout the training program.

So, what does my time for this 3200 meter run tell me? Well, first off, it is important to understand that the 2 mile distance is the optimal distance to test your fitness. This is because your body begins to go through some significant changes when you are running on the edge of your capacity for 1.5 miles. If you should run the time trial at a hard effort, in the final half mile you will probably feel that you very close to your limits. This feeling is your body working at its maximum level of oxygen consumption, which is when it begins to accumulate lactic acid. How well your body removes this by-product from the exercising muscles is a clear determinate of your current fitness. All this is science speak to say that the 2 mile time trial takes you closest to your limits, while still allowing you to run hard.

Just follow these steps:

Run your 3200 meters (2 miles/8 laps around the track) in the best time possible. I recommend that you start conservatively, & try to run faster as you progress. Starting too quickly is always the kiss of death for runners. We are trying to determine the best time you can run for this distance.

RELAX: Do not worry too much about this time trial. It is only a tool used to help you determine where you are in your fitness right now. You will only get faster as a result of this training program.

REMEMBER YOUR TIME!!!! We will not be able to remember everyone's time, so be sure you catch it. There will be a race clock at the finish line that will have your time. Once you have your time, login into your locker room at the top of the page is a link to the Rogue Calculator. Click the 2 mile button & then input your 2 mile time trial time in the boxes below the table (be sure to put the minutes and seconds in the correct columns). Then, click "Calculate."

A graph will appear that shows you all kinds of times for a wide variety of distances & workout types. Take a look where your time places you in terms of a marathon time. This is an equivalent time to your time trail time. Of course, this is based on what you ran today, some of you in less than ideal conditions, which may not be a perfectly accurate time, but it allows us to begin planning our training schedule.

Print out your calculator page 2 times: once for yourself and again for your coach. Bring your page to the next workout for your coach.

10K Pace/Mile

Marathon Pace/Mile

Long Run Pace/Mile

Steady State Pace/Mile

Please keep these times available in your training log to reference in the future. As the training & your fitness progress, these times may become less relevant but they will certainly help us in the first workouts to set things such as Progressive Pace run times & to determine the right way to set up your race.

Runner Friendly Businesses: Results

Not long ago, Rogue asked you to vote on the most runner friendly businesses in Austin. We took the top seven results and have named them the MOST runner friendly businesses! Here are the results in order from most votes to fewer votes. Of course, other businesses were mentioned but either didn't receive enough votes to compete with these or were running companies such as Rogue Equipment. 1. Quality Cleaners 2. Starbucks 3. Silicon Labs 4. Whole Foods 5. Taco Deli 6. Jack and Adam's 7. HEB Reasons included support of races, friendliness (despite our sweat and grime), openness for runners to use facilities, and partnership with Rogue. Thanks for voting! We hope you'll frequent these businesses and support them, since they support us as runners!

Hydration & Electrolytes: Get Your Fix

By Steve Sisson

1. Drink lots of electrolyte-enhanced drinks such as Powerade and Accelerade. The benefit of drinking electrolytes is two fold: you ingest both calories & electrolytes from a single source, and, being in a liquid form, they absorb into your blood stream much more quickly than in any other form. The drawback to this method is that you'll need to take in many more calories than necessary to get enough electrolytes to remain in balance. For some, this is no problem. However, for others who either have sensitive stomachs or try to minimize non-essential calories, its best to avoid excessive sugar intake.

2. Take electrolyte tablets, pills, & capsules. For non-caloric options to replacing electrolytes, research the various pill forms of electrolyte replacement & see what works for you. It is very important that you begin this process before your long runs for a few reasons. Some folks need to practice taking the supplements while running; it is certainly an acquired skill. You will also want to see which brand or pill form works best for you. The following are two recommended brands:

Electrolyte Stamina: Manufactured by Trace Minerals & available at Whole Foods Market are a low cost & easily accessible option. I used this product all summer long in my difficult preparation for Pikes Peak. Many in my group began to call them the magic pills. Limitations include their large size & nori paper/seaweed-like taste that some find offensive.

E-caps: Manufactured by Hammer Nutrition (makers of Hammer Gel) is the original capsule, used & loved by ultrarunners since 1987. You can find these online, at GNC & at various pharmacies.

The only problem with pills is that you will still need to get your sugars in somehow. Many folks take a gel & a pill with water. This is especially recommended if the marathon you are running does not use the same drink you've used in your training preparation.

3. Powdered electrolytes are a great option for those that choose to add their electrolytes directly to water or to a sugared replacement drink. This is appropriate for those who can handle some sugared drinks but want to maximize the electrolyte content. This is the preferred method when pre-hydrating for a long run or race. The following are some recommended brands:

Nuun: With its light, tart taste, this product has won over many converts in the last couple of years. It comes in a convenient canister & is easily administered to any drink. The only drawback is the cost. You can find cheaper options, but they won't be as tasty or as convenient.

ElectroMix: Made by the same folks that make EmerGenCy, the Alacer Corp, these come in packets that make either a liter or a gallon of calorie free sports drink. It is lemon lime flavor & can be very acidic. You'll want to try it out before any long run & ensure that it works for you. By far, these are the cheapest option to pre-hydration.

Ask around on the long runs to see what your fellow runners use, & ask them why they like what theyve chosen. Its really a matter of personal taste. However, taking some form of electrolyte replacement is absolutely essential to your long runs & quality workouts.

Featured Coach: Amy Anderson

“I’m not afraid of a hilly marathon,” says Amy Anderson, one of Rogue’s most experienced coaches. In fact, she received second place in her age group at Park City, an uphill run back when they did it counterclockwise, and she ran Big Sur. Enough said. She’s tough, and she would probably tell you it’s because she applies ideas about the importance of a positive mental attitude to her own running as well as that of her trainees. Known around Rogue for integrating what she terms “positive self-talk”, Amy teaches “that meeting goals isn’t just dependent on training your legs to run fast, but it’s also about training your head.” She started running 20 years ago, and the number and variation of races she has done certainly entitles her to give that advice. When asked how many marathons she has completed, Amy can’t remember but questioningly suggests, “more than 10 and fewer than 20?”

In addition to running the Austin Marathon regularly, Amy enjoys destination races like the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C., which she ran right after the terrorist attacks in 2001, and the Boston Marathon. Her current goal is the St. George Marathon on October 4th, so “it’s coming up quick”!

A true Rogue pioneer, Amy helped to conceptualize what Rogue coaches do and how they do it. Co-coach Mark Enstone describes his “summer-long old-fashioned apprenticeship” under Amy as, “illuminating. Being the recipient of her advice, knowledge and mentoring, learning from her on how to mold my personality and experiences into my own coaching philosophy has been invaluable.” As a contributor the Rogue Coaching School, Amy counterbalances information about the science of coaching with the art of coaching and organizes it into charts for later use as reference tools. She describes the art of coaching as different from the science of coaching in the way it includes “developing a personal coaching philosophy and modes of communicating with athletes.” Rogue co-owner Carolyn Mangold, describes Amy’s efficacy with statistics: “when we surveyed people in the past, most people chose the training schedule as the most valuable thing they received from Rogue’s programs, but Amy’s trainees chose the information they received from her.” Amy exemplifies what she teaches in coaching school, combining technical knowledge and a personal but professional approach to participants.

Her first piece of advice to new runners is to “Join Rogue! Group workouts motivate most people to run farther and faster than they can on their own, and Rogue coaches help people set realistic goals.” The great thing? We didn’t even tell her to say that. Amy’s bag of mental tricks runs deep, and she thinks it’s important to remember “we have to put our bodies under a certain amount of stress in order to improve. When the stress of the training load is appropriate, our bodies adapt to it.” A routine problem she notices “is that we don’t always listen to what our bodies are trying to tell us. The common running injuries don’t happen overnight. We get plenty of warning. If we don’t respond to the whispers, they’ll get louder and louder until they can’t be ignored.”

Currently, Amy coaches a Chicago/San Antonio/New York Marathon Training Program, which meets on Wednesday evenings for quality workouts, and she’s the coach for the Austin Marathon Short Course. One of her participants, Jennifer Howard-Brown, calls Amy a “great team builder. She succeeded in creating a close-knit group that looks out for each other and prioritizes the quality workout.” In the past, Amy has coached 5k, 10k, marathon and triathlon groups. She is really a woman of all trades. After having accomplished five Ironman triathlons, Amy claims she’s “retired from triathlon. Never say ‘never’, but for now I’ve returned to my first love: running.”

Workout Type: Long Run

The two most important days in this training program are the workout that we do when we meet together & the long run. If on certain weeks you find that you are unable to fit the other runs in you will be OK if you complete the workouts & long run. Why is the long run so important? It is the foundation of what will become your base. Think of this training program as a house. In order to build a house you must have the foundation balanced & secure. The wider base you construct, the larger the house that you are able to build. Training for the marathon is no different. We will begin to add time to your long run consistently each week in order to gradually increase the amount of time that you are on your feet. There are a number of important rules to follow with regard to the long run.

Long Run Rule #1: Keep it conversational. You should be running easy enough to carry on a conversation comfortably. This means that you are breathing at an easy rate, your body is relaxed & comfortable (especially for the first two-thirds of the long run), you are taking water breaks wherever necessary & are generally out for an extended good time. The long run itself is enough stress on your body that you will not need to run fast. Running fast is actually counterproductive, especially early on.

Long Run Rule #2: Run for time, not distance. Our goal with the long run is to increase the amount of time spent on your legs. For each runner the distance that they will cover in the prescribed time will be different & is essentially unimportant. Stress is a function of time spent doing an activity; so slower runners are often stressed more, even when completing lower mileage than their faster counterparts. A slower runner will take 50% more steps, even if they cover the same distance. For this reason, to avoid overtraining & injury, a slower runner may have to run less total mileage than a faster runner.

Long Run Rule #3: Be gradual. Remember the 10% rule. Our entire training program is focused upon gradually increasing your long run mileage & weekly mileage. The way we control this increase is to only increase the total distance covered each week by 10%. Scientific studies & years of personal trial & error have shown that the human body can adapt to any stress if we give it adequate time. In a 12-week program we have the perfect amount of time to get runners over the distance that you will cover in the marathon (26.2 miles.)

Long Run Rule #4: Pamper yourself. After a long run your muscles have shortened significantly. The limited range of motion that you use, due to the slower speed & duration that you are running, cause the muscles throughout your body, but especially the hamstrings & calves, to become very tight & stiff. For this reason, you should stretch slowly but for an extended period of time. If you have added massage to your recovery regimen then this is a great day to get a massage. Eat what you crave (you will be HUNGRY after these long runs) & drink copious amounts of water.

Long Run Rule #5: Drink before you are thirsty. By the time that you are thirsty on a long run, you are already significantly dehydrated. Even if it is a cold, rainy day your body still needs to take frequent water breaks. How often should you stop for water? Once every 30 minutes is the bare minimum & once every 20 minutes is ideal. I recommend that everyone drink a gallon of water a day for your body to run efficiently. After your run, drink an electrolyte replacement fluid that has at least 50 grams of carbohydrates to aid in recovery & replenishment.

Long Run Rule #6: Cautiously run with a friend. Given the amount of time that you are out on the trail or roads running these long runs it can get boring rather quickly. For this reason it makes it a lot easier to run with a friend. This is an excellent thing as long as your friend runs the same pace that you do. If he or she runs faster than you do you may be asking for trouble. Even a pace difference of 10-15 seconds per miles can be the difference between running conversationally & struggling. Your long runs will wear you down & possibly cause an injury if you are not vigilant about staying in your comfort zone.

Long Run Rule #7: Have a great time. If it ain’t fun, it ain’t gonna happen. Week in, week out the long run is a consistent feature of our training program. In order for you to remain motivated & consistent, the long runs need to be fun.

Armed with these rules, you will be more prepared to handle the aches & pains that are associated with the long run. Remember that the critical aspects of this training program are the long runs & organized workouts. There is one more benefit associated with the long run that has passed into the realm of myth & legend: the Runner’s High. The only way you will ever experience this disembodied state is to keep consistent with your long run.

P3 with Panther

The PR Project is a performance-based training group that meets for 2 quality workouts and 1 long run every week. Its a month-to-month program, offering training for all types of paces, all types of races, and all types of workloads. We train for Austin, Chicago, New York, Portland, Dallas, Houston, and Boston, just to name a few.

There is one basic plan that all of the athletes follow, but each athlete chooses, along with Coach Panther, which work group he or she is going to be in. The work groups are based on weekly mileage, with the least intense being 20 miles per week (for triathletes, duathletes, and half marathoners) and the most intense being 70 miles per week (for those training for multiple marathons in a season or for ultramarathons).

The plans follow 3-week cycles (2 hard weeks followed by 1 easy week), and, at the end of each cycle, athletes have the choice of either graduating up into the next workload or staying where they are, because of time constraints or because they need more time to adjust to the heavier mileage. Athletes include 12-minute milers to 6-minute milers, marathoners hoping to break 5 hours, 4 hours, and 3 hours, and many others. We have all kinds of athletes in our group, and everyone is welcome.

Although we are very social and are sometimes known for our fun side, we are a very serious group that is committed to running fitness. Whether you want to set a new Personal Record, qualify for the Boston Marathon, or get your running up to speed for triathlon season, Coach Panther expects every athlete to work hard, have reasonable goals, and do his or her best to follow the training schedule. We have a terrific team, and we reward our own hard work with team happy hours and our own brand of team support and encouragement.

The PR Project is a little more expensive than some running groups, but its worth it! Coach Panther writes the workouts, but he gets input from Rogue owner and UT running coach, Steve Sisson, one of the most knowledgeable running coaches in the US. Though the group most often meets at Rogues beautiful new facility on the East Side, we sometimes meet in other locations throughout Austin.

Come out and give it a try!

Core Exercises

As a full body exercise, running requires full body strength. Core exercises, such as the ones listed below, contribute to overall fitness. Runners who build control and strength of individual muscles are more likely to run effectively and safely. Try some of these exercises out at home, and watch your running improve.

Crunches

Yes, you probably have experience with these, it's a basic exercise with extraordinary results. It's also probable that, having never examined proper form, you're unfamiliar with whether you're "crunching" the right way.

How to:

Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat.
Cross your arms over your chest (see "variations" below about how to modify this to work other muscles)
Lift your head, shoulders and upper back off of the floor, curling your upper torso as much as possible while still keeping your chin parallel to the ceiling.
Exhale, return to resting position, and repeat.

Remember:

Do sets of 20 crunches or more at a time
Crunch slowly and maintain control, rather than concerning yourself with the number of crunches you do. Stop when you experience muscle fatigue.

Variations:

Put your hands at your ears without joining your fingers behind your head.
Put your hands over your head.
Put your hands over your head and hold a light weight.
Hold your legs straight or bent above the ground

Airplane

This one requires a little bit of reaching, but the side-to-side will make you look sassy. Although you start in the crunch position, you'll stretch side-to-side rather than up-and-down, so it's a whole different game.

How to:

Start in the basic crunch position, but place your arms at your sides.
Raise your shoulders and upper back off of the ground.
Hold this elevated position and reach, starting with one side first, for your ankles.
Now, reverse sides and reach for your other ankle.

Remember:

Do not allow your shoulders to touch the floor between repetitions.
Keep your neck straight.
Keep your eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Do the exercise slowly and with as great a range of motion as possible.
Do 16-20 repetitions per set.

Heel Touches

If your lower abdomen lacks strength, it's hard to keep good running form. This exercise aims to fix these weaknesses.

How to:

Lie on your back on the floor, bend at the hips, and bend at the knees.
Place hands under the lower back, and maintain pressure there.
Lower one leg towards the ground, touch your heel, and bring the leg back to its starting position.
Switch legs and repeat.
Once you master the exercise with bent legs, try straightening them as you push them away from your body towards the ground.

Remember:

Before progressing to the second level of this exercise with straight legs, you should be able to do 10-20 repetitions of the first kind.
Maintain pressure on the hands; do not arch your back.

Plank

Short and straight: that's one way to describe this exercise. You won't move around very much, you'll be as stiff as a plank, so to speak, but your muscles will be working hard.

How to:

Lie on your stomach on the floor and push up onto your elbows and toes. Support all of your weight with your toes and elbows/forearms. Your elbows should be shoulder width apart and directly under the shoulders at a 90-degree angle with the ground. Your feet should be together or barely separate.
Hold the position for 30 seconds to 1 minute, rest for the same amount of time, and repeat.

Remember:

Keep your head in alignment with your spine.
Don't allow your back to slump towards the ground in the middle.

Variations:

Take one leg off of the ground and hold it in the air.
Move your legs farther apart on the ground for more strain on the abdominals.
Point your toes.
Move the position of the elbows forward (creating an obtuse angle with the ground, rather than a right angle).

Side Plank

This exercise is similar to the plank, but we're flipping it on its side.

How to:

Lie on your side and push up onto your elbow/forearm and the outside edge of your bottom foot. Your body should be perpendicular to the ground, and your elbow should be in line with your shoulder.
Hold the position for 30 seconds to 1 minute, rest for the same amount of time, and repeat.

Remember:

Keep your body in a straight line if viewed from the front or top of your body.

Variations:

Support the body with your hand, rather than your forearm. To do this, straighten your arm.
Lift the top foot.

Bridge

No, we're not talking about roadways, but the shape your body makes in this exercise resembles a bridge.

How to:

Lie on the floor with your arms by your sides and your knees bent.
Keep your feet hip width apart and point your toes ahead.
Life your hips off of the ground and push them as far towards the ceiling as possible.
Squeeze your gluteal muscles, and hold the position for 5 seconds.
Lower your hips back to the ground, rest, and repeat.

Remember:

Do 8-10 repetitions per set.
Rest only briefly (1-2 seconds each time)

Variations:

Cross your arms over your chest.
Use only one leg but keep the unsupported hip from dropping and keep both knees close together.

Survey: Runner Friendly Businesses

Please participate in our survey about runner friendly businesses in the Austin area. We appreciate your feedback, and we hope to honor the friendliest businesses for their contributions to the Austin running community.

Easy v. Hard running

One of the most important training concepts to master is effort; how hard or how easy should I run? Because it’s based upon individual perception, effort is difficult to quantify. It becomes more accessible if we think of effort as varying degrees of hard & easy. If you remember to adhere to the mantra, “Keep your easy days easy & your hard days hard,” you will significantly increase your fitness level in a short period of time, while remaining injury free.

Runners can measure “easy”, or comfortable, running by whether or not they can carry on a conversation. If runners cannot talk while running, or if breathing is labored, the pace is not easy. Slowing down, giving the body an opportunity to feel comfortable, & saving discomfort for harder workout days will help runners achieve an easier pace. As fitness level increases, runners will gain the ability to move at a quicker speed & still remain comfortable. The body burns fat calories on easy runs because its metabolism uses fat as its fuel source, rather than sugar (glycogen). This means that runners lose more weight by running easy for longer periods of time than by running at a hard effort for shorter periods of time. Easy runs lessen the stress upon muscles & tendons & increase the restorative properties of the run, contributing both to fitness & injury prevention. While many think of easy running as “junk miles” or a day to skip running altogether, it’s a crucial part of training.

Runners should only run hard one day per week: the quality workout day. On this day, they gain speed & strength to complete the distance in goal time. Rogue designs workouts intended to stress your body a little more each week. The long run day is also a hard day but not because it is run at a hard effort. Just covering the distance prescribed at a comfortable pace will seem taxing to the body, requiring a day or two of recovery. By keeping the other days of the week easy runners allow their bodies to rest & prepare to tackle the workout & long run days with enthusiasm. Running too hard on easy days leaves runners feeling lethargic & unmotivated, sure signs of over-training.

On workout days, start off conservatively, & build into the hard effort. It is counter-productive to start off at a fatiguing pace, because it forces runners to slow down significantly or stop altogether. Endeavor to work hard for the whole workout, even if maintaining the same pace isn’t possible. There is no need to try to hurry the process up; give the body what it needs.

Consider cross-training days easy days &, as you feel more comfortable with the training, make one XT day hard per week. Choose to cycle or swim, since these activities use different muscles than running & are less likely to contribute over-training.

Above all else, maintain a positive outlook, and remember that consistency and positive self thought produce amazing results no matter where you start.

Pace Versus Effort

Michelangelo once said that, "the greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.” In life and in running, he seems to have it down. In training for any event or to become better at the activity, runners must, at some point, decide what goals they have. For some, this means finishing the event running or walking, while others hope to complete the distance in a certain time. Regardless of the goal, runners should learn to define effort level and rise to meet new challenges through that understanding.

Running at too hard an effort can leave a runner in pain, while running at too easy an effort keeps a runner from achieving their best for the given distance. For the first five weeks, runners work on gaining comfort with mileage increases, understanding the drills & workouts, & generally learning about a base zone. At this point in the training, runners should begin to stretch their boundaries, to hone in on effort at any given point, & to develop a sense of pace. It is imperative to know effort levels before deciding upon race pace.

The Perceived Effort Scale is a non-scientific method of determining how hard an athlete runs at a given moment & how long he or she would be able to maintain a given speed. 100% effort is an all-out sprint for 100 meters. The runner runs at the greatest effort possible but can only hold this effort for a short period of time. There really is no 0% effort (other than sleeping), as movement takes some level of energy, but an easy walk equates to an approximate effort of 25%. The range is wide and completely depends upon the individual; perception of effort will change as a runner becomes better trained. Weekly runs should remain in the Easy Running effort zone & the workout day should have a mixture of Easy (warm up & cool down), Steady & Hard Running efforts depending upon the training phase. Effort cannot be specifically quantified, & the untrained body has a tendency to try to deceive the mind into slowing down. As effort rises, the mind communicates that the effort cannot be sustained beyond certain arbitrary points that have nothing to do with what the body can really handle. As a runner’s sense of effort heightens, his or her body begins to move past previous boundaries & into greater fitness.

Perceived effort does vary considerably when training in groups - which can be helpful when gradually adapting to higher training loads.

Activity Perceived Effort Scale Description/Comments

Sleeping 0% No effort whatsoever.

Easy walking 15-25% Very Easy & comfortable: can be maintained for an indefinite period of time.

Power Walking 40-65% Medium to Difficult effort: can be maintained (with training) for over 1 hour but under 3 hours.

Easy Running 30-45% Easy to Medium effort: can be maintained (with training) for over 5 hours.

Steady Running 40-65% Medium to Difficult effort: can be maintained (with training) for under 3 hours.

Hard Running 60-95% Difficult effort: the time that this effort can be maintained is dependent upon the effort exerted.

All Out Sprint 100% Maximum effort: can be maintained for only 1 minute.

Once runners get a firm handle on where their runs & workouts fit into the Percieved Effort Scale, they can begin to relate that effort to pace, the specific time it takes to cover a specific distance.

By mixing up the different types of workouts, runners keeps a fresh attitude toward training & allow the body to adapt to as many stresses as possible. As runners master the elements of effort & pace, they arm themselves with tools for planning & designing personalized workouts upon the completion of a training program. All of this learning amounts to the greater task of setting new and higher goals to conquer.