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Issue: Week 23
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October 22, 2008
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Greetings!
I'm sorry to say that this week of celebration is dampened by sorrow at the passing of Aqua team member, Fred Weiss. His wife, orange group assistant coach Kathy, can surely use all of our support and prayers during this time of grief.
Please see the coaches corner for some words about this loved member of the SA Fit family. As soon as I have details about services, I will pass them on.
- 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...
I dare say that the past Saturday was one to remember forever! The miles, the smiles, the aches, the pains, the cheers, the nerves, the laughter, and oh yes, the MILES! Whether the morning went as you planned or not, you learned a lot and you are that much closer to race day. If you have any questions or concerns about the rest of your training, make sure to chat with your coach!
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Weekly Focus
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 Race Stories
What is it about stories? We love to tell them, love to hear them! I bet there are more than a few stories going around from last week at Mission County Park!
Race stories, in particular, can be helpful both in helping you create a vision for race day and to calm some jitters about what can happen and what you'll do about it. It's important for all of us to spend some mental time preparing for Nov 16th and visualizing the attainment of our goal. You also should spend some time contingency planning, and make sure you know that whatever happens, you can still find success in putting your toes at the starting line.
If you have friends who have done a marathon or half marathon, ask them to share their story with you. If you've done one before, recall how your story went. Surf the net, look for books, just take some time enjoying the stories!
To kick us off, here is a marathon story from former USA Fit San Antonio Coach Michelle:
My first marathon was in Florida, the Disney Marathon. I was advised by my coach to be prepared for any type of weather suggesting that I take a blanket to use to keep warm before the race. I looked at the weather in Florida the Wednesday before the run and it was beautiful, 85 degrees. I was reluctant, but took the blanked as my coach advised. The morning of the race, the weather was 28 degrees and very windy. I wrapped up in my blanket and headed for the starting line. I was the warmest runner in sight -- in fact, I had other runners offer me money for the blanket because it was so cold. My lesson learned: weather changes quickly. If you are traveling for the marathon, make sure you bring running gear for all types of weather. Bring a blanket that you are willing to toss, just in case the weather turns for the worst. And finally, next race, I will bring an extra blanket to SELL to those who are willing to buy:)! -Michelle
And a classic "first marathon" story from my running buddy & business partner (who is heading to DC for her 6th marathon this weekend!)
My first marathon... why? Being a sprint gal for most
of my life, the idea of 26.2 never quite showed up on
the map. Doing my first half marathon last year was
a big step, very exciting, and I was happy enough with
that distance. Heck, I ended up doing my 2nd on a whim
while on vacation in San Francisco only 6 months later.
This year, though, there I was, signed up for the Motorola
Marathon in February. More out of necessity than desire,
I was there, ready to meet the challenge head on and
give it what I could. My training was truly for a strong
13.1, so I knew I had to pull the other 13.1 out of
the sky. But would it be any fun ???
Amazingly, it was! And full of wonderful memories....
At the starting line, getting cold cocked by my
running partner's elbow as we hopped the fence trying
to find a spot by our pace group (I knew she didn't
have as much fence-hopping experience as I had, and
I was right!).
At mile 6 realizing that both of us had dropped
our Clif Shots and were left with only 1 between us
for the entire run.
At mile 11 laughing with the spectators and begging
for a sip of their Bloody Mary's.
At mile 12 as I hit up a cyclist support worker
for an extra Clif Shot and he graciously proffered
one of his Hammer Gel bottles (which I held onto as
a lifeline the entire race, afraid to try something
new on race day but afraid to be without any options).
At mile 13.1 feeling great as I passed the half-way
mark and ran down beautiful Congress Avenue but not
sure I was quite ready for another half.
At mile 15 thanking God for the wonderful crowd
offering orange juice and bananas to the racers (what
a life saver!).
At mile 16 realizing how long we'd been at it but
not allowing myself to calculate exactly how much
longer was left.
At mile 20 cheering that there was "just a
10k" left.
At mile 23.5 dragging my exhausted body up an incline
and loosing my form... thereby pulling my IT band
in the process. I then watched the 4:45 pace group
pass me by and let go of my visions of 4:30 and prayed
for 5:00 as I limped the next 3 miles home.
But I think the best laugh I had the entire day was
watching the spectators pass me by at breakneck speed
as I limped the endless block to the shuttle, then proceeded
to fall asleep on the 20 min ride to the car.
So now it's done, I'm alive and laughing, and I showed
up to swim with my Masters group the next day. I even
have two more marathons on the calendar for 2005 and
am looking up just what Boston will take. Never say
never!
- Amber
"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!
We will be on one joint route this week as both groups are doing similar mileage. For full marathoners, you will be doing 10 or 12 miles. Half marathoners will be doing 7 or 10 miles. The aid station will be located at approximately 3.25 miles on the outbound side, and the location on the return side vary based on your turn around point. Here are the distances:
7 milers: 3.25
10 milers: 3.25 & 6.75 mi
12 milers: 3.25 & 8.75 mi
This route does have a convenience store in proximity at the intersection of Tower Rd & Bitters. Be sure to pack a few bucks just in case.
Thank you to the ATP group for hosting the aid station on 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 Nov 1 - Purple
Sat Nov 8 - Aqua
Sat Nov 15 - No group workout! Race on Sunday!
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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 Benchmark, Check!
So how did everyone do at the benchmark run? Check it off. Another one down and one more to go. What a wonderful day. What a wonderful run. We are lucky to have Ashley and Amber "running" the USA Fit / San Antonio Program. I was worried about all the turns and street
crossings, but it worked out fine.
There was a moment when I was running along the San Antonio River... The sun was bright in my face. The mist was rolling across the high grass. Then some geese took off from the river and caused the smooth water to ripple reflecting the sun into fireworks. And in that one moment I thought "You know this running stuff can be rather enjoyable." Well... then that moment was over. Linkin Park started singing "Shadow of the Day" with the "sun will set for you" line and I thought that I needed to replace it with a sunrise song for these morning runs.
The volunteers were great. The water stops worked well. Though I felt bad taking a cup, drinking while I ran and throwing the cup on the ground with all the other cups. There were no other cups on the ground. So typically I stopped, drank, then threw the cup away at the stop.
After one water stop I carried the cup to the next water stop. I'm sure at the Rock 'n' Roll there will be 30,000 cups on the ground after each water stop. Some of the ATP folks have discussed that with 30,000 runners, getting over to the water stop may be difficult, especially at the first few stops. So we have discussed taking our water belts and passing those first few stops until the runners spread out.
So how did everyone feel after the run? I really enjoyed Jill Sulak's massage. It was just enough to work out the kinks that I developed during the run. Probably from crossing the cable bridges. Weren't those fun! I loved them as a kid. As an adult running across them... not so much. Anyway, Jill was great. There was a long list of names for massages and I never saw her take a break. She kept going and going, just like the massaging energizer bunny.
I hope everyone enjoyed the benchmark. I hope that you all came away with something positive. I set a PR for the half, knocking more than 20 minutes off my previous best. So, one of my goals for this running season has been met. All those ATP sit-ups I've been doing allowed me to keep proper form the whole run. After a couple of not so good races AND a hospital visit, I now know I can kick **** in the Rock 'n' Roll AND keep my heart rate low. Horns Up.
Keep Smiling,
Larry Graf - ATP Coach
Blue /
Green
Greetings Blue / Green Group:
So now our final benchmark run is behind us. Sorry I wasn't able to be there with you all this past weekend. So did we learn anything from this weekend that we'll carry on to race day? Now's the time to analyze what did and did not work, and make any adjustments. I know from my run in Chicago, that if the temperatures are warm, I need to be taking in more fluids at the start of the race, even if I'm not thirsty, or feel like I'm sweating much. How'd your rest / nutrition strategy go? What would you change about it? Did you have enough gels, electrolyte tablets, etc.? If the weather is the same, or warmer, or colder, what would you plan on doing differently? Did anything chafe? Did you start out too fast, or hold back too much? Have you missed workouts, and just need to focus on getting to the finish line?
While I was in Chicago, I saw Bart Yasso at the expo. If you read Runner's World, you've heard of him / read his articles. He is the Chief Running Officer of Runner's World. I purchased his book titled "My Life on the Run: The Wit, Wisdom, and Insights of a Road Racing Icon". He was kind enough to give me an inscription: "A marathon is like life-it's not how long it is, but how good it is that matters."
Happy Running!
Coach Rudy
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By this stage in your training program, you should have a pretty good understanding of your running capabilities as well as your limitations. We had great weather for our 21 mile benchmark run last Saturday. However, remember that we live in south Texas and weather is unpredictable...so
prepare yourself accordingly (i.e. check the weather forecast close the Rock-N-Roll marathon date). Remember what works (i.e. supplements, hydration fluids, clothing, body glide/anti-chafing agent, and anything else you used to get you through your training... and 'STICK W/ IT!'...don't try new things on race day!!! Back to the topic at hand...your
goals... From your benchmark, you learned several things; 1) what it's like to run 20+ miles; 2) what it takes to pace yourself for the long haul; and 3) take what the day gives
you (i.e. how you're feeling, how the elements such as heat and humidity are affecting you on that day).
As far as your race goals go...
Be realistic! 1) If you've practiced an 11 minute/mile pace...don't expect to go out and run at an 8 minute/mile pace during the marathon; 2) have fun and remember
the 'MAIN GOAL' should be to finish...that's what you've worked so hard for!!!
Other than those little tid-bits, the rest is up to you! You already have your own personal goals...that's what brought you to the S.A. Fit Training and has been what's
pushed you forward to where you are today.
Best of luck to each of you in fulfilling your goals...but believe me, you can do it!!! You've had great training; and now it's just packaging what you've learned and opening it
up for use come race day!
Coach Jim
Yellow
"The thing that contributes to anyone's reaching the goal he wants is simply wanting that goal badly enough."
Charles E. Wilson
Red Congratulations to all of our runners on Saturday's accomplishment. The 21 mile benchmark is a great indicator of what to expect on marathon day. Just think, 5 little old miles more, that is all! Thanks go out to Ashley and Amber and all their hard working volunteers who helped make the benchmark so successful. We hope you will all consider coming out to support them and their race this weekend in Boerne.
You should all know by now how to break apart your run, your preparation, execution, and recovery. Take what worked well in this run and use it for marathon day. Take what did not go well and learn from it. Coach Linda has some great advice in her paragraph for you to read as well.
What I love most about this group is the support we get from each other. Everyone out there was cheering on runners as they passed by. Who needs a cheering section when we have one another? Especially on those out and backs (twice), a "good job", or "looking good" helps you get through the next mile. Many of us split up in pairs or threes and a good conversation can make the miles melt away. Many times for me it is the encouraging words of others that keeps me going. This Saturday take a moment to thank your "buddy" that helped you get through last weekend, or some other weekends run.
Enjoy your recovery week, it won't last long!!
Kathy
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I am so proud of all of you that made the 21 miles. I wish I was there to run with you but I had to start early because of another commitment. You all looked strong as we passed by each other. As you have heard over and over the past 20 weeks, make sure you evaluate your run. If this was your first time using Cytomax, how did it work for you? Did you need any first aid materials, if so consider bring it with you on the marathon just in case they don't have it. I personally got a huge blister on one of my toes and was very thankful they had some at one of the water stops. I also had to use some body glide on this run that I normally don't have to use. How are you shoes doing? We have put alot of miles in and if you are still running on your shoes that you started the training with, please consider getting a new pair broke in before the marathon. You guys have come along way and we are so proud of you!
- Coach Linda
Orange  RTF professor dies
Fred Weiss established music business program
By Jason B. Hogan
Fred Weiss devoted his life to ensuring the future success of radio, television and film.
The radio-television-film professor died Sunday of an undetermined illness.
His death was abrupt and unforeseen, Professor John Onderdonk, KSYM station manager, said.
Onderdonk said the illness began in the summer and interfered with the beginning of the fall term.
"He called and said, 'Look, I'm very ill and I'm in a hospital in New York," Onderdonk said. "The doctors didn't seem to know what it was ... it was terribly unexpected."
In the past 20 years, Weiss has been an integral cog in the RTF program.
Onderdonk has known Weiss since the late 1980s. He began teaching here in 1985.
Weiss created the music business program at this college, Onderdonk said. It was a long-term dream for the professor.
Establishing the program with the state of Texas required a lot of planning and programming, Onderdonk said.
In the community, Weiss held close ties with organizations such as the Texas Association of Broadcasters, where he arranged for seminars every year for students on campus.
The former Peace Corps volunteer also was regularly involved with the Explorer Scouts in the city and coordinated a troop for the media.
He befriended members in the San Antonio Film Commission, and a few years ago, was able to bring 14 students to the production of "The Quiet," a film production from three years ago that was released just last year.
Over the years, Weiss has been a well-known advocate for student recruitment and retention.
In April 2002, after creating a Web site to increase student awareness on campus, Weiss was approached to assist in the creation of a digital billboard for the Fiesta San Antonio celebration downtown.
At the same time, he pushed for a transition from 8mm film to digital video for its cost-effectiveness and time savings.
Weiss owned his own record label in the 1980s called Belt Drive Records, Onderdonk said.
Courtland Records, a college-owned record label, was an effort Weiss founded in August 2006 to give music business students real-world experience.
Weiss was a kid at heart, and music was his mentor, Onderdonk said.
If there were local trivia contests arranged around music, Weiss would sweep the participants. He knew these things off the top of his head, Onderdonk said.
"It's going to be tough to fill his shoes because he was the motive force behind the music business," he said.
After Weiss' father passed away in his 90s, Weiss always thought he would live well into retirement age, Onderdonk said.
Now from Coach Kathy:
This article came from the newspaper of San Antonio College, where Fred was a professor in Radio Television and Film for 20 years. At the end of the article Fred's colleague mentions how hard it will be to fill Fred's shoes. Fred also logged many running miles in his red running shoes. I could always identify Fred running up ahead of us by his red shoes. There will never be a replacement in San Antonio Fit or in our hearts for Fred. God bless you, Fred. We will miss you.
Aqua
Last week our topic was benchmark preparation and tips. This week it is benchmark assessment. You wore your tried and true clothes and shoes, you carried your water (or maybe you decided not to), you brought your gels, and you got plenty of rest and carbo loaded a few days prior. Right? Hopefully, you were well prepared for the benchmark, just like you will be for the race. If everything worked well, you are set. If something didn't, now is the time to assess what went wrong and how you can fix it. If you forgot some of the things you needed, make a list now and save it for race day. If you were tired at mile 7, review your fuel and hydration process and reassess your diet the day before and day of the run. Maybe you need more carbs at an earlier mile marker to take you to the finish stronger. If water stops were not sufficient during your run, perhaps you need to carry your own. At least one bottle. These are all things to think about now - while it is still fresh. If you are feeling a bit sore, that is not unusual. It might take a few days to work out the sore muscles. How was your time? Did you gun it at the beginning and taper at the end or maintain your pace throughout? Your race time, depending on health factors, weather, crowds, etc., should actually be faster in November, so this run should be a good indicator of what you should expect then. If you came in feeling good and strong, you might be able to pick up the pace the last few miles. You hit the mileage needed to finish the actual race so now it is just logistics and prep. You all did fabulous on Saturday! We get a break this week - 7 miles. Woohoo!!!! Coach Laurie
Purple
"Man is a goal seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals."
Aristotle
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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? RGR Training has a Winter Marathon program geared at the Austin Marathon / Half Marathon, the Houston Marathon / Half Marathon or the USA Fit Marathon / Half Marathon (see article in this newsletter). 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. |
SA Fit Calendar
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We need your pics!
 Do you have some running pics to contribute? You can upload them for me to use by going to http://sw.taylorpub.com. At the bottom of the start up page, you will see the words public upload in grey lettering. Click on public upload and accept the terms. Next, type in project number A00108. After that you can browse to your pics and upload them. Pictures cannot be larger than 5 mb. -Betty Cruz (jcruz5@satx.rr.com)
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The Home Stretch
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The last FOUR weeks
This week we encourage everyone to consider doing the final race in the Alamo Series -- the Fall Fest 25k & 8 miler on October 25th. Most of the Run Gear Run staff will be at the race, as we are the race directors for this event. It will be a fun course, a beautiful venue, and a great low-key event to culminate your training season! As a special benefit for USA Fit members, we are waiving the late registration penalty for USA Fit members! Currently we cannot setup Active.com to give this discount, but if you register in the store we will give you the early registration price.
Another date for the calendar is Friday, November 14th, which is our pasta dinner and pre-race celebration. This will be at Magnolia Gardens on Main, and we've reserved the entire place! There will be a slide show, great food, fun & nervous chatter as we all get ready for race weekend. Friends & family are welcome at this event as well. We need to have a firm headcount by November 1st, so make sure to signup and buy your tickets now! You can do so in the store or online.
Here's how it shakes out:
10/25- Fall Fest 25k & 8 miler OR
group run/walk at Run Gear Run (no seminar)
11/1- Regular meeting (taper) & last Bagel Break
11/8 - Regular meeting (taper)
11/14 - Pasta party celebration @ Magnolia Gardens
11/15 - No meeting (go to expo & packet pickup)
11/16 - RACE DAY
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Get your Blog On!
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See who's talking
The MySA.com has been running a special blog section by several athletes training for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon & Half Marathon, and a few of the bloggers are even members of USA Fit San Antonio! Check out the blogs, you will surely relate to some of the trials and tribulations as well as the celebrations.
Also on this site is an interactive map of the race. Check it out -- you may recognize miles 12-22. Go on, indulge yourself and enjoy the fact that YOU ARE ALMOST THERE!
Rock 'n' Roll Blog
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Pasta Dinner
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Reservations needed by Nov 1st!
Join us for Pasta and bring your Support Crew!
Date: Fri., Nov 14th
Time: 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm)
Cost: $20/person *
Place: Magnolia Gardens on Main
2030 N. Main Av., San Antonio, Texas 78212
PHONE 210.737.2710
* Tickets must be purchased by Nov 1st!
Friends and family are welcome to join us for this celebration of the season!
Dinner Buffet Menu
Two Types of Hot Pasta in Chaffers
Penne Pasta with Alfredo Sauce - Diced Smoked Chicken - Artichokes - Mushrooms - Black Olives - Onions
Rotini Tri Color Pasta with Marinara Sauce - Mini Meatballs (on the side) - Bell Peppers - Onions
Build Your Own Caesar Salad
Italian Green Beans
Garlic Bread Sticks With Butter Pads
Desserts
Chefs Choice of Assorted Desserts
Chocolate Sheet Cake
Beverages
Iced Tea and Coffee Service
Sign up will be available at Run Gear Run from now through November 1st or online via Active.com. We hope to see you there!
Register for the dinner at the store or online via Active.com
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Free Lecture on Friday
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 Author Danny Dryer at Run Gear Run
Please join us!
Friday, October 24, 2008 @ 6.30 pm
Reservations recommended
Curious about ChiRunning? Please come to an introductory lecture on ChiRunning, given by Founder Danny Dreyer. Topics will include:
· How ChiRunning evolved
· The nature of ChiRunning as a 'practice'
· Principles of ChiRunning
· Why ChiRunning works
Audience participation encouraged and reservations are
recommended! 210-490-9987
Want to learn more? Sign up for Danny's Saturday
workshop at the lecture!
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Travel Team
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 Updates on our traveling SA Fitters
With the big emphasis this year on the San Antonio Rock & Roll Marathon / Half Marathon, we still wanted to have something for those runners who wanted to do some of the larger fall marathons. Twenty runners signed up for various fall marathons, other than SA.
Chicago: Eleven SA Fit members participated in the event: Gary Beaty, Adnil Buse, Sandra Cardenas Lopez, Wanda Fields, Becky Franklin, Minnie Granado, Steve Harper, Rich Mihalik, Sandra Paredes, Barb Rudakevych, and me. It was a warm day, and the temperatures seemed to slow most everyone down a bit, but we all crossed the finish line!
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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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| Looking Ahead
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Here's what's coming up...
Next meeting: Sat. Oct 25
Time: 6:00 am
Location: Run Gear Run
Seminar: None
Workout: group run/walk
OR register for the Fall Fest 25k & 8 Miler!
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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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