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Issue: Week 17
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September 9, 2008
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Greetings!
I know we are all waiting and watching what Ike has in store for San Antonio. We are currently in a holding pattern and will keep you posted on any changes for our Saturday workout. For now, enjoy the sunshine!
- Ashley, Amber & your USA Fit SA coaching team
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Week in Review
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 Things you don't want to forget...
Last week we skipped the seminar and hit the road early. We did, however, give out some fabulous door prizes!
- YMCA city-wide membership pass
- Smooth Solutions gift certificate
We will have more door prizes this week, so don't be late!
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Weekly Focus
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 Paces & Finish Times
You are probably getting more specific about your race goals in
terms of time at this point, so we'd like to provide you with
some information about calculating a reasonable finish time
goal. A great way to do this is to use your finish time from a
shorter benchmark (ie a 5k, half marathon or our race
benchmark) and extrapolate to the longer distance.
Frank Horwill's formula says that when distance
doubles, add approximately 16 seconds per mile to
base race pace. For instance:
- 5k - 6:00 min/mile
- 10k - 6:16 min/mile
- 1/2 marathon - 6:32 min/mile
- marathon - 6:48 min/mile
This is a general guide, and it will not work for
everyone. Beginners or very slow runners should leave
much more of a cushion.
Another predicting tool developed by Stephen Seller
from Norway says that a person should be able to run
a marathon at about 85% of the speed they can run a
5k, and should be able to run a half marathon at about
90% of the speed they can run a 5k.
I also wanted to take this
opportunity to talk about time goals in general
and give you some food for thought in your final
weeks
of race preparation.
For many of you the goal will be to "finish" or to "finish
feeling strong" and those are fantastic goals. For
others who are more number-oriented, you will
probably already be calculating some finsh times in
your mind. For those of you, here are some words of
wisdom from Patti & Warren Finke in Marathoning:
Start to Finish.
In a marathon, there are three things that determine
how fast you can run: your aerobic potential, your
endurance and your experience. Your aerobic potential
can be determined from you performances at shorter
races and extrapolated to give you a reasonably
accurate idea of your marathon potential. One simple
way to do this is to take a current 10k race time and
multiply by 4.7 to get an estimate of your potential
marathon time. A 40 minute 10k performance would
lead to a 3:08 marathon while a 50 minute 10k
predicts a 3:55 marathon.
. . .
If you feel that you don't have enough endurance
training or you have never run a marathon, set your
finish time goal 10% or so slower than the best time
estimate. We see that most beginners finish 5-10
minutes lower than the best predicted time and
suggest beginners take this into account when setting
their time goals. It is much more enjoyable to finish
strongly than to experience the sensations people
have variously described as "hitting the wall", "being
jumped by a bear", "crashing" or "dying". The
beginner's first and foremost goal should be to finish!
It is best to set a series of time goals, the first being
what you know you can run, the next an acceptable
time, and third what would be a good day. These
time goals need not and should not be too far apart
(5-10 minutes or so).
To provide sub goals, and to monitor your progress
along the race course, you should compute a series of
intermediate times or "splits" and memorize them or
write them down on something that can be carried
along.
Although it is generally accepted that more even splits
(constant pace) provide the best results, some
runners prefer to use negative (start slow, finish fast)
or positive (start fast, fisish slow) techniques.
Those using negative splits usually describe races
where the technique has been effective as beign very
positive psychologically because they feel stronger
than everyone else at the end. It is a major boost to
pass people during the last few miles. For some
runners
this self-reinforecment may aid performance enough to
compensate for the slow start.
Runners World's website has a wealth of handy
calculators including a one to predict your pace and
one to compute your mile
splits. Check it out!
Runners World Pace Calculator
"In the long run, you only hit what you aim at." - Henry Thoreau
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Route Notes
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 Hydration planning...
Please
take a few minutes to review this week's course (click on the highlighted Saturday mileage to see the course map) and calculate your hydration plan. Do this every week!
For full marathoners, you will be doing between 10-14 miles. The
aid station will be located at the corner of NW Military & 1604, outside the loop. The distances vary based on your turn
around point. Here are the distances:
10 milers: 4.5 & 5.5 mi
13 milers: 5.5 & 8.5 mi
- 14 milers: 6.5 & 9.5 mi
This route does have a convenience store along the way; be sure to pack a few bucks just in case.
Half marathoners will be doing 8 miles and will have an aid
station as well. The
aid station will be located at approximately 3.25 miles on the outbound
side and 4.75 on the return side.
Thank you to the AQUA group for hosting the aid station on Route #2 this week and friends of SA Fit for hosting the aid station on Route #1 this week.
Do
you have friends or family that would like to show their support and
help work a water table? Here is the upcoming rotation schedule.
Contact your coach or Ashley if you have a volunteer to help!
Sat Sep 20 - AQUA
Sat Sep 27 - ORANGE
Sat Oct 4 - RED
Sat Oct 11 - YELLOW
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Inclement Weather Policy
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 A little rain won't stop us
As we head into a weekend of questionable weather, we felt it was appropriate to highlight SA Fit's Inclement Weather Policy:
- If there are road closures or hazardous driving conditions (flooding, icy roads, etc), we will cancel the group meeting
- In all other cases of inclement weather, we will meet at the scheduled time and location
- If there is lightening, we will continue with the scheduled seminar and wait for 30 minutes
- If after 30 minutes, the lightening has dissipated, we will start the scheduled training run/walk
- If lightening continues for more than 30 minutes, we will conclude the meeting and cancel the training run/walk
The bottom line is this: If the roads are drivable & safe, we will meet as scheduled!!
The SA Fit hotline message will be updated in cases of inclement weather.
Note regarding Ike for Sept 13th workout
There is the potential of severe weather in San Antonio due to Hurricane Ike, which could include flooding, high winds & thunderstorms. Safety is our number one goal. A final decision about our scheduled Saturday workout will be made on Friday when a more accurate and reliable forecast of its landing will be available. Until then, any predictions are subject to change.
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| Coaches' Corner
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 Tips & advice from your coaches
Each weekly newsletter will include comments and
information from each of our head coaches.
ATP Music calms the savage beast.
Those of you who ran with SA Fit last year know my love for music. I had to buy an external drive for my computer which ran out of room. My collection is up to 14,000 songs. Last year I listened to music that was very up beat and got my heart pumping. This year I'm trying something different. I've slowed the music down in hopes to try to calm my heart down. Music can get you up or it can get you down. There has been lots of articles written about running to music. Some races do not allow headphones during the run. Of course at the San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll Marathon there will be a band every mile of the race. So we might not need to carry our own music for the marathon. I'm not sure if they will be playing music to calm the savage beast.
Actually that line is misquoted. Playwright William Congreve wrote this phrase in the play "The Mourning Bride" in 1697. The actual line is: "Musick has charms to sooth a savage breast, soften rocks or bend a knotted oak." Music could do some tough stuff back in 1697. Also in this same play William wrote the line "hell has no fury like a woman scorned." Savage breast and scorned woman? I don't think I want to be hanging with old Billy.
Keep Smiling,
Larry Graf - ATP Coach
Blue /
Green
Greetings From The Blue / Green Group:
Predicting your race times: There are a lot of ways to predict your race time. Personally, I've never used any of them. I often get asked what I'm targeting for a finish time for my marathons, and my answer is that I plan to finish and have fun. I don't get paid on my race day performance, so my finish time does not affect my ability to pay my mortgage, or put food on the table. Like everyone else, I'd rather have a great finish time that a poor (slow) one, but there are so many factors that go into your finish time. Obviously, your training season is a big factor, but so many other things come into play: how your body feels that day, your taper plan, nutrition, rest, and hydration. I always have this fear that on a business trip the week before the marathon, that the person sitting next to me on the airplane, who happens to be either sneezing or coughing, has just afflicted me with bubonic plague.
My plan is to monitor my heart rate, and "take what the day gives me". Training in the Texas heat throughout the summer, my heart rate will be higher in the heat, humidity, and hills than if I'm running on a flat course in cool weather, so it's not uncommon for me to run a faster pace than my training pace (you also should not be "racing" on your training runs, anyway). If you don't use a heart rate monitor, use your rate of perceived exertion (RPE).
If you still want to predict your race time, go to http://www.runnersworld.com/ and they have some race time calculators.
Happy Running!
Coach Rudy
Yellow
Predicting your time is not an exact science since there are too many variables that come into play (weather, terrain, correct tapering, correct carbo-loading, your health, hydration, etc...). I've had great training runs and had a bad marathon. I've also had the reverse happen. So, it's great to have a time goal, but don't get so tied to it that it makes you stupid. Constantly assess how you are feeling as you run and adjust accordingly. Take action on how you feel. If your legs are feeling "dead" ease off for awhile they might "liven up" later in the run and then you can pick up your pace again.
The number one goal is to finish! Time is secondary.
If you want to estimate a time for the marathon, I'd say wait until our 21 miler in October. The terrain will be flatter and it should be cooler. Try to maintain your desired pace then and see how it goes. Honestly, all I can think about is surviving the summer runs. I don't want to end up looking like an Army-dillo this weekend with my back on the road and my legs up in the air.
Ross
Red We have a benchmark of 32k in just two weeks. This will really help all of us get a good idea of time and pacing for the marathon. One of the biggest challenges of running the marathon is having enough in the tank to get through the 26.2. We do not want to become constant clock watchers on our easy runs. These are meant to be done at conversational pace. Enjoy the company of your running partner or get to know some other members of the group. During a race, relax and take in the excitement around you. Your legs will feel fresh from the rest of your taper weeks and you will be eager to run. But hold back, because if you start out too fast you will tire in the second half of the race. You will see your 10:00 minute/mile goal pace fall to 11 or 12 minute/mile pace, or worse, crawling! You will finish at a much slower time than you were capable of had you run the 10min/mile pace from the beginning. The best long distance athletes are not necessarily the fastest runners. The successful athlete uses their mind and body to guide them through to a strong finish. When the starting gun goes off it is a free-for-all, and it is hard not to get caught up in that. Stay true to your pace and strategy. Make your goal to conserve your energy in the first half so you can finish strong in the end. This strategy also includes proper nutrition and hydration as well.
Most of us in the Red Group can expect to finish anywhere from 4 and half hours to 5 or more. There are many pacing charts out there that can give you your expected finish time based on times of other races you have completed. For example, I finished the San Francisco half marathon in 2:13, so my expected finish time for a full marathon is 4:34:35. I have completed my last two marathons in 4:40. I would say that is fairly accurate. But sometimes things don't go as planned, so don't get too hung up on time. Listen to your body, fight through the doubt and the tough times, and believe in yourself. Don't forget to enjoy the experience too. Look for friends and family, stop for a hug or kiss, high five the spectators. You will cross that finish line and that is what this hard work is all about.
See you Saturday!
Kathy
Orange The Orange TEAM has time on our hands. We can get a lot accomplished during the time that it takes us to complete a long run. We've managed to solve all of the problems of the world, review restaurants, movies and television shows, stay current on current events, and assess various flavors of gels, sport beans, and electrolyte-replacement products. No topic is off limits, especially religion and politics! If you want a lively discussion, come join the Orange TEAM on Saturdays! Here is a fun article on the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin. It comes from RunTri.com.
Orange Zest is the Best!
Kathy S.
John McCain made a surprising choice for vice president on Friday, August 29: Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska. Sarah Palin: Marathon Woman.
Which is easier: running for vice president of the United States or running a marathon?
Sarah Palin will be able to answer the question in a few months.
You see, Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States, is also a sub-4 hour marathon runner. She ran a hot 3:59:36 at Humpy's Anchorage Marathon, August 21 2005, finishing 15th among the women, 4th in her age group. That's faster than Oprah's and Katie Holmes' marathon times, for those who want to know.
Palin has been running for quite some time. In July 2000, Sarah and four other Palin family members competed in Health Valley 5K on the Wasilla course, with the following results: . . .Todd Palin 23.24, Track Palin 31.49, Faye Palin 33.00, Bristol Palin 39.17, Sarah Palin 39.38.
We don't talk politics here at RunTri, but you have to admit, it's not bad having a runner as potential second-in-command of the USA. Her running, even if casual by others' standards, certainly indicates that she's driven, likes a good challenge, and won't back down. Admirable qualities in anyone, let alone a candidate for Vice President.
If Sarah Palin can run a marathon (and others; see our article Oprah and Celebrity and Politician Marathon Runners), are you wondering if you can, too?
I'd say, yes you can. Go for it. Make the impossible possible. And maybe you'll be considered for your own a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, like Sarah Palin.
Aqua
We are past the halfway point in training and completed our benchmark race in August. As our mileage increases and our runs get longer, you might be wondering what type of pace you will keep during the actual race. Will it be double the benchmark time at the Sunrise 10K or will it be the same as your Saturday long run time?
There are several factors to consider while trying to determine your race day time. Your overall fitness and health will be a key factor in your time. If you are properly fueled, properly rested and have allowed proper recovery during the week, you will be ready to conquer the mileage. On the other hand, if you are tired, feel poorly or are dehydrated, this will contribute to a slower pace and longer rest stops. Another thing to consider is your training. Have you completed your mid week mileage in addition to your group run mileage, or are you just showing up on Saturdays? Your endurance level will certainly be a key factor in your overall pace during the race. Another race time predictor will be your benchmark time. Although you cannot expect your pace time at the half marathon to be the same as your 10K time due to the longer mileage, it will probably be very close. There are several websites to help determine your race day pace. One is www.marathonguide.com/fitnesscalcs. You can enter your 10K time and it will predict your half marathon results. You do have to consider the above factors, as well as the course. This year's course should be relatively flat with only a few hills, unlike the 10K hilly course and our Saturday courses along the Loop and in Hollywood Park/Hill Country Village. Your Saturday group runs are usually done at an easy pace, although some of our runners try to "beat" their time from the week prior at the same mileage. If you run an easy 10.30 pace on Saturday, barring any negative factors, your pace should be faster on race day. Not only does the excitement of the crowds and event pump you up for a faster start, but that surge will continue with your race time anticipation, the music and crowd support, and the overall feat of accomplishment knowing you are through with this final anticipated run! So check out the website above for fun and set your race day goal realistically. Most often, we do better than we thought we could! If your goal is just to finish, that's okay too---your hard work, time and dedicated training will take you to the finish line and beyond! If you need help in pacing, please see one of our coaches-we will help keep you on pace within your pace group. (And some of us will let you know many calories you burned too!) See you Saturday for another eight miles (and 900+ burned calories)!
Coach Laurie and Ann Marie
Purple
Hello Purple walkers,
This weeks topic is all about estimating your race pace. Some of you came in with a set pace and goal in mind for your marathon based on your current level of fitness. There are also those of you who said I just want to finish feeling good in the time allowed. Think about your goal. Has it changed? What do you want to accomplish? Next use the training time you have left to find a comfort level with a pace that feels good but doesn't push yourself too hard. Unless pace is your primary focus don't worry about a fast pace and finish time right now. Just find a comfort level and see where it takes you. Use our upcoming benchmarks and distance days to test yourself. What I like to do is go a little slower on Saturday than my actual race pace. For example if I want to do 16 minute miles race day then I will do 16.5 on Saturday. Go too fast and you run the risk of overtraining and injury.
If you have been tracking your walks then you should be able to estimate your marathon finish time based on your training and race times (injury notwithstanding) and then use that information to set a realistic finish time. Otherwise, don't set yourself up for disappointment. Take one training day at a time and avoid burnout and injury. Your ability to walk a good time will depend mostly on your overall pre-race conditioning. It's goes back to what I said upfront what do you want to accomplish? Answer that question and assess yourself accordingly. Lastly make sure you know all the course details prior to the race.They are currently available on the web.This will ensure you have enough time to reach your goals.
There are also lots of great websites that will calculate your time for you. Check out an online running calculator at
http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/ to estimate your race times.
"A lot of people watch race to see who's the fastest. I watch to see who has the most guts."
- Steve Prefontaine
Have a great week and Walk on Walk Strong
Asst. Coach Janel |
| Ask the Expert
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 Q: Black Toe Nails. I have 3 black toe nails now since we have started running longer distances. At first, I realized my shoes were too small for the longer runs -- So I got shoes that had plenty of room in the toe to prevent rubbing. Despite my change, I have toe nails that are turning black and a couple of them are about to fall off. Do these toes require special care and can there be anything else done to prevent this from happening.
A: Unfortunately, the damage has already been done to the nails, and they will likely fall off. They should grow back completely within 6 months, and they will grow back normally as long as your running shoes have a generous toe box. No special care is necessary.
Kristie Kocurek M.D.
Stacey receives a Smooth Solutions gift certificate for her Ask the Expert question. Do you have a question for the experts? Whether it's related to nutrition, injuries, general health, exercise physiology, running or walking technique, cross-training or even skin care in the Texas sun, send it to us! We'll get an expert to answer your question and post the answer here. Anyone who submits a question that is published will receive a free gift from one of our sponsors.
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Beyond November...
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Extension training for Houston & Austin
Want to continue your training after the San Antonio Rock & Roll Marathon? How about training for the Austin Marathon / Half Marathon, February 15th, 2009? Or are you already registered for the Houston Marathon / Half Marathon on January 18, 2009 and need a group to train with?  We'll take a short recovery break after the San Antonio event, and pick back up starting December 6th. Because of the shortened season, those wishing to participate in the half marathon should be able to comfortably run 8 miles, and for the full marathon, they should be able to comfortably cover 12 miles. The training program will be run by RGR Training. We will be similar, but not exactly the same as SA Fit. You'll see many of the same fellow runners, and coaches you've come to know and love. Base Price: $90 Returning SA Fit or RGR Training Members: $15 discount Active Duty / Retired Military, Police, Fire Department: $10 discount For additional information, contact Rudy Acevedo at (210) 865-3065.Online registration will open soon! |
| Member of the Week
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 Sharing the USA Fit spirit
We awarded one more Papouli's Member of the Week this past Saturday. Each Member of the Week is awarded a limited edition USA Fit stainless steel travel tumbler.
Meg Grubb - Blue/Green group
"Meg is a single mother of 3, who has been managing her summer schedule around her kids and her training. She just recently saw her oldest move off to college out of state, and despite weekends where she misses the group runs, she's kept up with her training."
Thank you, Meg, for sharing the USA Spirit!
Don't forget to fill out nomination forms if you see someone displaying the USA Fit Spirit this Saturday.
USA Fit San Antonio's Member of the Week is graciously sponsored by Papouli's Greek Grill. Thanks, Papouli's, for helping us recognize the USA Fit spirit in action!
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Race discounts
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Use online codes to save $$
We have a discount code for those interested in doing the Texas Med Clinic Missions Half Marathon, 5k or 10k on Oct 11th. This is part of the official Alamo Series. When registering online for this race, use the discount code: SS1011 (online only) and you will get the EARLY BIRD price even though we are past the August 15th cutoff. Don't wait, however, this code is only good until Sept 15th!
Don't forget we have a discount code to save you $10 off your registration for the Rock 'n' Roll race as well. Just enter the code RGR10 either online or on the mail-in form.
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| Alamo Series
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 Racing to the marathon...
Did you know the San Antonio running community has organized a series of races leading up to the marathon in November?
Here is the complete list of races in the series:
The Alamo Series is a collaboration of
the San Antonio running community, providing a progression of
high-quality races to prepare local athletes for the San Antonio Rock
'n' Roll Marathon in November. The series is comprised of nine races
between April and October, each with varying distances, providing an
ideal dovetail for individual and group training schedules.
Participation is tracked for all races in the series, and athletes who
complete seven or more are eligible for awards at the series
conclusion.
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Shirts are here!!!
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 Distribution AFTER the workout on Saturday
We will again have the member shirts available for pickup after the workout on Saturday. They will be divided by size and you will need to sign your name to pick yours up.
You can also stop by Run Gear Run during regular business hours to pick up your shirt!
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Member Update
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Caring for our training buddies...
Several of you have asked for an update on the Justin, the Yellow runner who was brought back to RGR from the course two weeks ago. Justin asked that we share his email below with everyone:
Regrettably my training season for the San Antonio Marathon has come to an unexpected halt due to Medical reasons. On Saturday, August 30th I was rushed by EMS to a local hospital after falling short on a training run. At first I taught I was experiencing severe dehydration and cramping but medical personal confirmed that I required immediate emergency abdominal surgery. After an extensive week of surgeries, therapy , and many medical procedures I've finally been discharged.
At this time I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to my fellow running partners who took immediate action to secure my safety. Your prompt actions and quick thinking provided me the opportunity to someday make a comeback to the running scene. To the outstanding ladies, the cyclist and the pedestrian, who were concerned enough to get involved; I cannot "THANK YOU" enough. I am here today because you cared enough to make a difference. This was truly the run to save my life! To my motivational coach Ross, thanks for being at my side when I temporarily recover consciousness and to all the fellow running/walking folks whom I've had the pleasure to share the road at the crack of dawn, Thanks and best of luck on your quest to the San Antonio Marathon!
Justin Vargas
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Ragnar Relay
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 San Antonio to Austin
We are excited to announce that we are associated with the Myo-Med Ragnar Relay Texas. The Myo-Med Ragnar Relay Texas is a 196 mile, 12 person running relay that begins in San Antonio and winds its way through the scenic towns of Comfort and Fredericksburg before finishing in Austin.
Each team is made up of 12 runners, who each run 3 legs. The legs range from three to eight miles of varying difficult, so the elite runner and the novice runner can join together to have an unforgettable adventure. The Myo-Med Ragnar Relay Texas is an exciting, fun and adventurous race that anyone who runs should not miss!
As a part of our relationship with the Myo-Med Ragnar Relay Texas, Run Gear Run is offering you an extension of the regular registration fee through September 30, 2008. Simply go to www.ragnartexas.com, register your team by the end of September, and use the promotion code regdiscount1. Then get ready to have the race of your life with 11 of your running mates.
For more information about the Texas Myo-Med Ragnar Relay, or any of the other races in the series please visit www.ragnarrelay.com.
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We also have a need for volunteers! One of our former SA Fit coaches, Richard McCue, is putting together a team and is looking for some volunteers to help with their relay. If you are interested in being involved, check out their blog and email Richard directly.
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| Looking Ahead
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Here's what's coming up...
Next meeting: Sat. Sep 13th
Time: 6:00 am
Location: Run Gear Run
Seminar: None - door prizes instead!
Workout: Group run/walk
Please watch your email for an update about any possible changes due to the weather!!
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Thank you for joining San Antonio's premiere marathon and half-marathon training program!
Sincerely, Ashley Rosilier & Amber Anthony
Organizers, USA Fit San Antonio
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