Run to Win

Bob Fine of Delray Beach, Florida was a long time USATF volunteer and a member of the Masters Track & Field Hall of Fame. He was killed Wednesday morning in Reno, Nevada while out for a jog before the 2008 USATF Annual Convention. He was 77 years old.

“Bob’s contribution to USA Track & Field has been enormous, and we are all stunned by this terrible tragedy,” said USATF President Bill Roe. “To get news like this is always devastating, and to have it happen here at our Annual Meeting adds to the shock of what has occurred. Our deepest sympathies to go his family, and to the many, many people who benefited from his tireless work.”

This is a good opportunity to remind yourself what can happen when you aren’t paying attention. Bob was running before dawn on a dark, unfamiliar street when he tried crossing the road near a dangerous curve. He was wearing dark clothes with a hood covering most of his face so there was no chance of light reflecting off of his skin.

I recommend against playing chicken with a car. Just last night I had to remind somebody that no matter who wins when a pedestrian or cyclist is involved, the vehicle that weighs 2000 pounds more than you is going to win.

If you are going to run in the dark or if you are going to jaywalk, use a little sense and keep yourself safe.

• Use sidewalks & crosswalks whenever possible.
• Wear bright and reflective clothing.
• Look both ways before crossing the street.
• Wear a headlamp or carry a flashlight.
• Always assume that the car doesn’t see you, even when you have the right of way.

I’ve written a few newsletters on the topic that you may want to read. One of them deals with the steps that I take to avoid getting hit by a car again, and the other details a more complete list for running in the dark.

My thoughts go out to Bob’s wife and four children, to the woman who accidentally killed him, and to the USATF community at large.

(More info: Master’s Track)

This race review was provided by my wife, Erin Moore.

The Maine Coast Half Marathon: 600 women and One Lucky Guy

The second annual running of the Maine Coast Half Marathon got under way at 9:00 this morning. The weather was perfect for running and overall the day was as enjoyable as it was challenging. However, this young race has considerable room for improvement. The race drew 601 finishers, 600 women… and One Lucky Guy.

The Course

This 13.1 mile course wound through the beautiful area of York Village and included picturesque landscapes, the sound of the waves hitting the sand and a not insignificant number of hills! The race began with a semi-circle around York High School, but once we turned out of the driveway, the rolling hills began to challenge runners right away. However, having trained for hills thanks to my husband choosing many of my training routes, I found the hills quite manageable.
(Click here to continue reading…)

This week last year was filled mostly with racing news, and what wasn’t racing was related in some way to swimming.

• I offered 9 methods for counting laps in the pool. I usually use the buoys on the lane dividers.
• A revolutionary in the shotput in the early 50s, Parry O’Brien died of a heart attack this week last year while he was swimming in a masters 500m freestyle event.
• This week 2 years ago, I demonstrated how to do pushups, suggested that you ride your bike with traffic, discussed tapering for a 10k, and first learned of the Endurance 50 Challenge. I also continued my thoughts on the New Rules of Lifting with the fourteenth and fifteenth rules.

Once again, I seemed to miss a week for looking back. Last week last year was busy, with quite a few news notes, training tips, and discussions on research findings.

• I discussed some research on the merits of tempo workouts vs. interval workouts. Personally, I prefer a good mix of different types of workouts in my regimen.
• I recommended that you should watch for falling objects when you run, especially at this time of year. As ice melts in the trees or off of power lines, it can come crashing down quite forcefully. It also helps to spot any tree limbs that might be coming down or anything that the breeze picks up and throws towards you.
• After a close call in poor visibility, I reminded you to never play chicken with a car, mostly because a car is much more massive and will usually win. It just isn’t worth the bother. Having been hit by a car before, I actively take steps to avoid getting hit by car again.
• In response to an article at Complete Running, I disputed 7 sleeping myths and facts that were presented with my own thoughts on the matter. There were a few points that I agreed with up to a point, so they weren’t all wrong (from my point of view.)
• I pointed out an article at Free Money Finance that described how the author improved his life through exercise. Having never not exercised, one reason that I keep it up is to keep from degrading my life.
• In racing news, the men’s 8k championship was in Central Park, which had a few hitches but still provided some good entertainment for spectators. A couple of my college teammates were competing. I also began preparations for the Boston Marathon, spending the weekend shoveling snow and getting in a fast long run.
• In sports news, the Spanish doping raid’s charges against elite cyclists were dropped after they were deemed unlawful. At the time of the infractions, there was no Spanish law that made the specific practices at that clinic illegal. Just unethical
• Last week two years ago, I continued the animated lifting series with a demonstration of how to do a triceps extension using a pulleyand suggested that you flex at the lowest point of your pull. Running Dog Sports closed their doors for good, which was a shame. There was some research that pointed to the lack of brain benefits when running by yourself, but I think that that research was flawed. It did lead to pondering whether the time of day affects the clarity of your mind while running, though. I also continued the weekly series about the New Rules of Lifting, exploring the second and third rules.

This week last year was chock full of races in Maine. It was this year as well. Most of the news had to do with running in some shape or another.

• I spoke about how one of the best things about the Fourth of July are all of the Fourth of July races you can find in every state. I also did a recap of all of the Fourth of July races that I was aware of in Maine. I also ran a fartlek style interval workout the day after the races.
• One of the my favorite runs from preseason in college was the beach run along Daytona Beach. I recommend it for anybody that is down there, although I’m sure that you could have equal success with some of the other beaches in this country.
• Sam Thompson beat out Dean Karnazes as the first person to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. He had just started his trek.
• Two years ago, I wrote a review of Sportshoe Center, a local running store. I also complained about the lack of runner-friendly roads on Long Island and idiots that run on the wrong side of the road.

Photo by Studeo GrintaRunning in the heat brings with it plenty of perils that you need to watch out for. Here are a few quick tips to keep yourself safe while still getting your exercise for the day.

• Avoid running during the worst heat. Early in the morning is best, and late evening trumps a lunch time run. Temperatures may not be quite as high, and it will be easier to find shade to run in since the sun will not be as high in the sky.
• Avoid running with traffic. Your body absorbs up to 8 times more oxygen and pollutants when you breath through your mouth instead of your nose. Try to avoid running with traffic and definately do not run with rush hour traffic. Your lungs will thank you.
• Drink plenty of water before your run. This should go without saying, but being hydrated before you begin your workout is important. You will have more energy to do the work itself, and your body will not have to work quite as hard to cool itself down.
• Drink plenty of water during your run. If you can manage it, drink plenty of water while you are working out. The ultimate goal is to weigh the same after your run as you did before your run, but this is especially difficult on hot days. If you have extra water you can dump some over your head or shoulders, but be sure that you have had plenty to drink first. Your body will cool off better if you consume the water instead of splashing yourself with it.
• Slow down. In extreme heat, you will require more effort for a slower pace. Don’t try to push it, and if you start to feel dizzy or nauseous then you should immiediately slow down or even stop.
• Wear sunscreen. If it is sunny out, wear some sunscreen that will stay on through your sweat. It will help prevent your skin from getting burned (which will decrease the likelihood of getting cancer later in life) and can help provide another layer between your skin and the hot air. It won’t keep you cool on its own, but every little bit helps.
• Wear technical fabrics. Cotton and sweat are a bad combination; wear technical fabrics such as gore-tex that will wick the sweat away from your body. Cotton absorbs the sweat which will then provide an extra layer of insulation that you do not need. Technical fabrics wil help keep you cool, and will help prevent chafing and blisters.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is a quick list of the easiest steps to keeping cool if you are going to run in the heat.

This week last year was pretty busy. There was a lot of running news and tips, and I continued my animated weight lifting tutorials. The site also surpassed 100 people in a single day this week last year, which was a nice milestone to reach.

• I continued my animated workout series with how to do pushups, a staple in just about any routine. I also published a tip about bicycle riding and traffic, namely that you should always ride your bike with traffic. On a bike, you are usually going to be legally obligated not to ride against traffic.
• I first learned about the Endurance 50 Challenge where Dean Karnazes decided to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. I wound up getting to see him run one of them and was in another one (but I didn’t see him). In other marathon news, I learned that a 2:55:00 marathon guarentees entry into New York City, and not a 2:50:00 marathon. I also started a contest on the site to win a free copy of Coast to Coast, a book written by a friend of mine about a relay from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
• On a slightly less endurance-minded note, I gave my thoughts on whether or not it was worth it to taper for a 10k.
• I reviewed the Phedippations podcast/radio show. It is recorded by Steve “Runner” Walker on a weekly basis. I haven’t been keeping up for the past few months, though.
• I continued my thoughts on the New Rules of Lifting with New Rule #14 (stretching is not a warm-up) and New Rule #15 (you don’t need to warm up to stretch).

Photo by Ian HamptonChicken is a game where two people rush at one another head on to see who will flinch first and rush off of the path. If neither person swerves out of the way, or they swerve in the same direction, there will be a collision. If you are a cyclist, runner, or other pedestrian then I highly recommend against trying to play chicken with an automobile. In fact, I recommend against the game anyway.

When you play chicken with an automobile, you will lose. If there is a collision, the passengers in the automobile have a thousand pounds or more of metal and plastic in which to cocoon themselves. You do not. If you and the car run into one another, you might dent it (or you might not) but the car will definitely dent you. If you swerve, then you wind up off of the road and you have lost. Try not to twist an ankle. If the car swerves, then they will hopefully avoid colliding with anything else. In my experience, though, the car will rarely swerve.

You may not have intentionally wanted to play chicken with the car. Maybe you just weren’t paying attention, and ran a little too far into the road. Or maybe visibility was poor, or the driver wasn’t paying attention. Just remember that no matter who is at fault, the runner will always lose.

At lunch time today, I played chicken with an automobile. Visibility was poor, but if you ignored the law requiring headlights with windshield wiper use then it was not so poor that headlights were required to see. None of the other drivers had any trouble picking out my bright yellow reflective jacket. The driver quite obviously had no idea that I was there, though. Between not paying attention to me, and tailgating the person in front of them, they did not see me until I jumped off of the road into the snow. They also decided to swerve, but had I not jumped they would have still hit me anyway. Thankfully, nobody was coming in the other direction at the time.

Nobody believes that they can get hit by a car until it has happened to them. This is one of the reasons that I never wear headphones when I run on public roads. I just can not afford the distraction and I am always going under the assumption that every car that I come upon is going to hit me. If you were smart, you would also operate under the same assumption. It could help you to save your life.

One of my newsletter articles specifically describes how I avoid getting hit by a car and the steps that I take when I go out for every run.