Alameda Runners – Get After It!

Instructions for running a half marathon in two hours and fifteen minutes.

Alamedated, that’s me, will be running a pace group to complete the 2011 Oakland half marathon in 2:15.  To complete the run in 2:15 we will have to run an approximate 2:10 pace.  Here is a picture of me and my sign.  It is not fancy but it will work.  Last year we finished at 2:15:37.  I was told we ran a 10:03 minute per mile pace.  I had people lined up to pace other groups but the event organizers did not get back to me when I requested permission to set up pace groups for more times.  That is okay.  I will be back with my 2:15 sign again this year.  Maybe I will make a snazzier sign.  I had a lot of fun last year and I hope to see you back again this year.

I will be there 30-45 minutes early.

I will be standing around mid pack.

We will be running at approximately 10:00 per mile to make up for lost time in the crowds.

We will start out by standing with space around us. The space will close up and people will pack in ahead of us.

It will take time to get to the start line. Do not worry, we will make it up.

If you get pushed away by the crowd, just keep the sign in sight and slowly catch up. It will get easy after the first couple of miles when the crowds start to disperse.

We will be behind schedule until mile 10 or 11.  Do not worry, we will make it.  It does not matter if we are 2 minutes late as long as we finish.

I will walk approximately 15 seconds at every water station.

Do not worry about missing a station, there are plenty.

If it is hot or I notice fatigued runners, I will instruct people to drink and slow down to accommodate fluid intake at the aid stations.

I do not have a speedometer so the mile times may vary but I will try to maintain a constant pace.

If you feel fatigued, slow down to an easy shuffle. Keep the sign in sight as long as possible.

If you are new to half marathons and want to speed up, stay with the group until mile 8 then slowly speed up.

Along with my sign, I will be carrying a camera. I will take some pictures along the way. I may hand the sign off to someone then dash ahead to take pictures.

I will post all pictures that are not blurry.

Good luck and have fun. I will post more instructions as I think of them.

alamedarunners.com
Mile    Time
0    0:00:00
1    0:10:15
2    0:20:30
3    0:30:45
4    0:41:00
5    0:51:15
6    1:01:30
7    1:11:45
8    1:22:00
9    1:32:15
10    1:42:30
11    1:52:45
12    2:03:00
13    2:13:15

Every now and then I go on a tangent that does not seem to be running related.  Today, I am ranting about getting involved and voicing your opinion.  You may not think it matters that your elected representatives know who you are.  Think about who controls the funding for our parks, bike trails and other public places.

Talk to your elected officials.  They listen to what you have to say.  You may not agree with the answer, but you are heard.  I am tired of being “protected” by the TSA.  I sent both my senators and congressman an email voicing my displeasure.  Senator Dianne Feinstein likes a controlling TSA.  I may not agree with her but that is fine.  She listened to my complaint and responded.  Senator Boxer may or may not agree with me but enough people complained she is doing something about it.  Keep in mind, the senators do not read the emails.  They have aides for that.  But they certainly keep an eye on the numbers.  Pay attention to what is going on around you.  Your elected officials want to know where you stand on issues.  It is nice to know where they stand too.

Here is the response I received from Senator Boxer.

Dear Mr. Hoffman:

Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) new procedures for screening passengers at airports in the United States. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

As you know, in 2010 the TSA introduced whole-body imaging systems and enhanced pat-down procedures, either of which may be used to check for concealed weapons or explosives underneath an individual passenger’s clothes.

Many Americans have expressed concerns about these new intrusive security measures. I am pleased that TSA Administrator John Pistole recently announced a test program that would capture less revealing images to check for threats underneath a passenger’s clothing.

In addition, on November 19, 2010, I wrote a letter to Mr. Pistole, asking him to develop a “trusted traveler” program – already available for airline pilots – for fully vetted, law-abiding U.S. airline passengers.

I strongly believe that we can implement common-sense policies to protect our national security without infringing on individual privacy rights. Be assured that I will keep working to ensure that all American air passengers can travel safely and comfortably.

Again, thank you for writing to me about this issue. Please feel free to contact me again on this or any other issue of concern to you.

Barbara Boxer

United States Senator

I get so wrapped up in what I am doing that I forget about the people who are just starting out.  I am not a professional athlete or trainer.  I do excel at trying hard and getting injured from over doing it.  I usually fix the injury and move on to find a new body part to injure.  I always manage to have fun and find alternate routines to keep me training while injured.

The most common cause of injury for beginners is from doing too much, too soon.  People following my training plan or any other training plan usually try to go faster every day.  Fitness and endurance are long term goals.  You have to stay within your abilities.  It is easy to look at someone who has been exercising for a long time and think running is easy.

Running is easy; it just takes time and practice to run for extended durations.  I am in my base building phase right now and I still add some extra miles because it is a nice day or I feel good.  I know better but I do it anyway.

The most common injuries for runners building up their miles occur from the knees down.  The knee problem I suffer the most is an ITB injury.  The best way to find out what knee ailment you have is to do a search on the internet.  All of the search engines work well and come up with similar answers.  Strength, or lack thereof, is a common theme for older runners taking up the sport.

After I get done tearing up my knees, I start working on my calves and shins.  The common cause is lack of strength, flexibility and building up too fast.  Calf injuries are not to be trifled with but they are relatively easy to correct by strength training and stretching.

The feet are extremities that are not really affected from poor strength training but they are affected by a lack of stretching and doing too much too soon.

Next I will post about feet.  The feet are the most common annoying issues that people endure but they are usually easier to fix.

I am always asked about my diet and how I manage to look so trim.  People are always amazed when I tell them I do not diet.  I eat healthy foods and try to consume as much as I burn.  I do try to count calories on long workout days so I have some idea of how much extra I need to eat to maintain weight.  Here are my main thoughts on maintaining a healthy weight in some semblance of order.

1. Drink a lot of water.Water is very good.  It helps you digest food and feel full.
2. Stop drinking soda. Soda is loaded with junk calories that do nothing for you.
3. Do not eat food that you do not like because it is healthy.
4. Eat responsibly, you know what is good for you.  Do not over indulge in junk food.
5. Try to eat food that was available 200 years ago.  I try to eat organic food whenever possible but it is expensive and my budget does take a hit from the organic food.  The meat is really expensive but I think the added hormones are are bad for you.
6. Margarine was not around 200 years ago so use butter with moderation.
7. I switch types of milk randomly between skim and whole milk sticking mostly to 1% and 2% milkfat.

I tend to gravitate towards a high carb, high protein diet with little junk food thrown in.  I almost always eat pasta or pizza on Friday before my long workout on Saturday.  Again, I like to stay natural and not add anything powdered or processed to my food.  I do add natural Parmesan cheese to my pasta.  I also like to eat a healthy lunch.  Usually a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with fruit and pretzels.  I like Skippy peanut butter and organic jelly.

My key points are drink lots of water, no soda and moderate all other types of food.

Here at Alameda Runners, we have no sponsors.  We get a lot of stuff to review and hand out and we always review it honestly.  If someone is added to the our links, it is because they are deemed worthy of noting.  If you see a product in the links, there is a safe bet that the product can be found at home and work and we love it.  We review stuff and hand out to people to help you find what is right for you.  It is not easy to find new products or to find things that work but we try.

Athletes Honey Milk just made it to the list because I have come to love their product.  I did not want to try it because of the name.  Once I tried it, I liked it.  I also mix protein powder with milk or water on various days.  I sometimes mix protein powder with the honey milk.  I like to change things up.  I am now a member of Team Honey Milk which means I get a free T-shirt and a coupon code which is posted here.  If you like honey milk, we can still get more coupon codes, send us an email through the contact us link above.

Clif will probably be the next company to make the list.  Their products don’t really suit my running needs but they work great for my cycling needs.  Clif has some new products that seem to be better for my long distance runs but I forgot what they are.  We have some more on the way and a review will follow shortly after we try them.

With all of the training we have been doing at new venues lately, it is getting hard to keep track of the distance run without a GPS heart rate monitor (HRM).  I am now in the market for another GPS HRM.  Here are my thoughts and decision making process on which HRM to purchase for myself.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Garmin 405.  The controls are so frustrating, I am sure that it would be on the bottom of the San Francisco b=Bay if it did not cost so much.
Polar Accurex II for every day use.  It is nice and simple with 3 buttons.
Polar F55 snazzy heart rate monitor that I use for long days because of the calorie counter feature.
Timex Ironman Race Trainer –  I don’t know where it is located.  I wonder why?
Full HRM reviews can be found here.

I bought the Polar Accurex II long before Alameda Runners came into existence.  The other three I received as review items for Alameda Runners.  I need to find the Timex before I decide who going to get my hard earned money.

I will probably make my purchase from either REI or Performance Bike.  They are both good stores and they are a block away from each other in Berkeley where I can go make the deal during lunch.  The reason I go to either of these stores with confidence is, I know that I am going to pay list price for the latest and greatest GPS HRM.

The players in my selection come from Polar, Timex and Garmin.  This should come as no surprise because they are all tops in their field invading the territory of the others.  It would be nice if they would combine their efforts for an excellent product that I probably would not be able to afford.

My front runner is the Garmin 410.  I hate the Garmin 405 as much as I love it but when I get it to do what I want, it works well until I touch the bezel.  Hopefully the have the bezel issues fixed for this version.  I hear the software works well but I use Linux and have one computer with MSWindows XP 64.  My operating systems are not covered by the software.

Next is the Timex Ironman GPS.  Timex knows watches.  Their screen setup is always good.  I already know I would need a new computer for the software.  I am not sure about being a beta tester for a $300 watch.  This is their first pass at GPS technology, so imagine finding bugs in the middle of a run.

Last on my list is the Polar RS800CX.  This one looks like the best of the bunch but it has too many drawbacks.  It comes in at $500.  It has separate parts for the GPS, HRM strap and watch band.  It looks complicated and comes with a disk.  Disks are bad for people who use open software.  It is probably the best unit overall with an remote GPS that can be strapped on the leg (good and bad) for use while swimming.  I don’t like the idea of the leg strap with batteries.  Batteries add weight and die fast.

Time will tell which product I select.  Knowing the emotional anguish that I go through when my GPS or HRM do not work after a 3 hour event.  I will research this selection thoroughly before I choose.

Swimmers itch has been in the news a lot lately in the Alameda area because there have been confirmed cases of the nuisance.  It is a flat worm parasite transmitted by an exotic marine snail that is referred to as an invasive species that was probably imported through a ship’s ballast.  Fortunately the parasites die as soon as they enter the human body.  The parasites are transmitted around the bay area by birds that eat snails and than fly around.  Sea gulls are the most common birds that eat in the shallow tide pools where the snails are prevalent but the CDC study did not find the parasites in the birds they collected in the estuary around the Oakland airport.

Here are some facts for the swimmers out there who are planning on swimming off Crown Beach in Alameda.  The cecariae parasites usually emerge at temperatures greater than 22 C or 72 F.  The Alameda water temperature is usually between 8 C and 20 C (46-68) year round.  The tide pools are the most common areas where the temperature goes above 22 degrees.  There is also a lot of standing water that gets pretty warm during low tide on sunny days.

The swimmers itch is unique to the San Francisco Bay in Alameda as it rarely occurs in salt water or cold water.  The original article that brought all of this to the news is from the CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases division.

FAQs can be found here on the CDC web site.

I really like swimming in the bay but I rarely swim in Alameda.  I don’t like the way the water feels, it is not deep enough nor does it move quickly enough.  There is also something about the solitude of swimming in the bay right in the middle of a tourist area.  The Alameda side of the bay is probably safe for swimmers who jump right in and swim out and back then rinse off as soon as they finish their swim.

If you do get swimmers itch, take a picture and contact the CDC.  They need all of the information they can get to help prevent this Emerging problem from spreading.

Election season is upon us, and it is our duty to get out and vote.  It does not matter who you vote for or why you select the candidate.  Just get out and do it.  Alameda is going to select a new mayor this year.  Alameda has had good leadership for a long time.  All is not perfect but Alameda is a beautiful place with a pretty balanced budget.  I will give you thoughts on the candidates for mayor this year.  You do not have to agree  I just hope you think about it and go vote.  The same goes for all of the readers who are eligible to vote.  Now I begin.

Frank Mataresse – He has my vote.  He drives an electric car around Alameda.  He is technically savvy and is not afraid to try things.

Doug DeHaan – I like anyone who is Doug DeHaan’s opponent.  He campaigns on negative ads and likes to point fingers.  Leaders do not pass blame.

Marie Gilmore – I like Marie, she does a good job on city council and has a good record as a person.  A city council with people like her are what make Alameda great.

Tony Daysog – He seems like a professional politician to me.  His political career gets a yawn compared to Mataresse, Gilmore and Kahn.

Kenneth Kahn – You just have to love Kenny the clown.  He is technically savvy and a clown.

These are just my thoughts.  Go to their web sites or a town hall meetings and make up your mind.  If you really like a candidate, go help them out.  All candidates for local office need help.

What do the Alameda runners do while we are not exercising, planning to exercise or writing about exercising?  We do things like go see taiko drums performed by Maze Daiko at the Rhythmix Cultural Works in Alameda.

The RCW is a nice little place that opened about 3 years ago in an old factory.  The show floor holds about 175 seats with standing room for an additional 30 or 40 people.  It is really nice to see a show in a small local venue.  Before the show we sat around and chatted with other people from the area in a friendly atmosphere that you do not get in the bigger places.  I like going to events where people are social and nice to each other.  Brazen racing events are similar to this.

If you are looking for cultural things to do as cross training, taiko definitely fits the bill.  The girls in the show were in excellent shape.  They were swinging those big drum sticks around for two hours in one night.  They also get into drumming position in a stance that is similar to a yoga warrior pose.

The taiko group was really well organized.  They had the floor marked for all of the different drum scenarios.  When it was time to move the stage setup, a few members would play while the others did the setup.  They did not look at each other and had it timed so the instruments were placed in synchronization no matter how different the travel was.

The show started off with a group of 6 ladies playing powerful drums.  They all seemed happy to be playing in front of their home crowd.  I love the way taiko can change from power to grace.  We went from the 6 drums to two ladies singing while one of them played a single stringed instrument.  In a small venue, you could feel the energy from the players and the bass coming off the drums.  The girls had style, sass and rhythm.  It seem like they could play anything you put in front of them.  I have always been indifferent about xylophones but they were awesome mixed with the taiko drums.

The show we saw had Yoko Fujimoto as a guest singer.  She has a beautiful voice that comes through in any language.  It is really unique to the system going from the power of big drums to Yoko singing “a cappella” (solo without instruments)

If you are planning a trip to the SF bay area, I recommend a visit to see Maze Daiko.  For those of you who are not planning to visit the SF bay area or the United States, I recommend a local taiko show.  If you have seen taiko drumming at someplace like Disney, imagine Disney as a high school basket ball team while Maze Daiko is in the professional league.

Nutrition is extremely important for athletes.  If you fail to eat proper food while training, you’re more likely to bonk during a race.  As noted in the July edition of Triathlete, counting calories is deal for people looking to lose weight and get closer to an ideal racing weight.

If you’re going to try and count calories, be aware that it can be an extremely time consuming, complicated process.

“Counting calories is challenging for two reasons,” the Triathlete article reads.  “First, it’s a pain the butt, requiring more time and effort than most people feel it is worth.  Second, the do-it-yourself methods of calorie counting are not very accurate.”

The moral of the story:  Pay attention to what you eat, and you don’t need to count calories exactly.  The simple fact you’re paying attention to calories should help you keep better track of what you’re eating.

Ted’s views regarding eating and dieting can be found here.

More from Ted: Counting calories is tough.  The only time I really count calories is when I am out for long durations.  I like to know how much I need to replace after the workout.  A friend of mine could only find Gatorade G2 at convenience stores during a West Coast bike ride.  He kept bonking at the end of the day.  After about 3 days of this, he learned that a 24 ounce container of Gatorade has 60 calories.