Doc’s Talk by Andrew Laurence

Dr. Scaff called this talk “The Beginners Guide to Injuries”.
The injuries referred to in this article are cumulative injuries, repetitive stress injuries.

First sign of an injury: Feeling good
Why? Because when you feel good you tend to go out too fast or run too much, too often.

Injury Phase 1: Fatigue
Injuries progress in intervals of approximately six weeks.

Injury Phase 2: Soreness

Injury Phase 3: Tenderness
There may be swelling.

Injury Phase 4: Death or tear or rupture of tissue
serious injuries can take up to a year to heal.

The bottom line: Avoid injuries.

NSAIDs
Taking ibuprofen or aspirin you can injure yourself worse because you are numbing the pain. Take NSAIDs only on the days you are not running, never before a run.

Healing
You can do anything during the healing phase that does not hurt, e.g., ride a bike, swim, etc. You should be able to walk without significant pain before you start running again.

Recovery
Go out for a 20-minute run, a bit slower than your training pace. If the pain is worse after 20 minutes, it’s back to rest and relaxation, walking, or riding your bike.

If the injured area does not hurt after running 20 minutes, rest a day, and then add 5 minutes until you are again running for 1 hour, 3 times per week for a month. Then go back to your regular training program. That should take care of the bulk of the injury.

For more information read the various sections on injuries in Your First Marathon – The Last Word In Long Distance Running, by Jack H. Scaff Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S.M., available for purchase at the Honolulu Marathon Clinic on Sundays and online at: http://yourfirstmarathon.net/buy-online-today/

Coming Attractions

Next Sunday Dr. Scaff will talk about weight.

To read full, unabridged summaries of The Honolulu Marathon Clinic’s weekly Doc’s Talks:
1) Go to the Honolulu Marathon Clinic web site (http://honolulumarathonclinic.org/)
2) Look under the “Categories” listing.
3) Click on “Doc’s Talk”.

Table Duty

Thank you Tom for taking the helm; the fruits, cookies, and drinks were fantastic!

Group Reports

Pink Group by Rosie Adam-Terem

(Pace 9:45 – 10:45 minutes per mile)

Happy Mothers’ Day! Another big group today, joined by guests Ron (an advanced runner just getting back in), Jeff B (Red group, recovering from a cold) and Andy H (Gray? but going faster today).

Eighteen Pink group members ran 8.3 miles today at an average pace of about 9:30, faster than we had intended to go, and no doubt egged on by speedy Ron who is just passing through our group back up to the Red and then the Advanced group, and Alfredo. One member (Bill) was going to run 12 miles in preparation for the Hibiscus Half Marathon in two weeks.

It was a great day for running but it is getting warmer and there was some residual vog that affected some with more sensitive respiratory systems. However, everyone made it back to the barn with lots of energy to spare. Let’s consider today as some speed work. We need to work on holding the intended pace despite the draw of chasing the rabbits! In short runs like these, it may not matter, but in the marathon even small accelerations over goal pace can prove disastrous, as Dr. Scaff will soon explain.

Next week will be another 8-miler for the whole group. Those intending to run the half marathon may like to meet at 6:50 a.m. and run an extra three miles before the talk begins to get in some additional miles at a reasonable temperature. For these runners, the first three miles will be a warm up, and the next 8 miles can be run at race pace. For the rest of the Pinks, please do not be drawn into this scheme!

For Memorial Day Weekend, there will not be an official clinic. The Hibiscus Half Marathon starts at 5:30 a.m. on that Sunday. Pinks who are not running the half may like to get together and run 8 or 10 miles at a long, slow distance pace (9:45-10:00).

Please remember to do your homework runs of an hour twice a week, and to follow our motto: Finish. Have fun. And don’t get hurt

Grey Group by Ivie Kumura

(Pace: 10:30 to 11:00) (goal – sub-5 hour marathon)

18 Greys were present for our Mother’s Day Run! Horacio, Byron joined us, and myself, in great company of Warren, Lily, Jyo, Toshiaki, Lance, Marla, Donna, Dr. Rob, Aurene, Mike, Nobu, Bill, Liane, and Shauna. We missed Andy, and gave him a bad time for running with the Pinks. The question is, will Andy return to the GREYS? Let’s all beg and plea with Andy, we need Papa Andy. We are winding down our PTA (pain, torture and agony) months and ready to step up soon, in June. It’s always great to hear inspiring stories from our co-runners. This Sunday, I enjoyed hearing Lily’s story. Lily has just started running a year ago. Prior to this, running was difficult as she would have stomach aches (was it stitches?) Simple fix, Lily discovered the secret in breathing – deep breathing, using abdominals, and oxygenation, efficiency of breathing bringing phenomenal energy and endurance! Heard this flattens your tummy! Okay, I am sold! Dr. Scaff’s book also talks about breathing, and paced breathing examples. Running and talking, we pass by many runners, and Lily comments, “Ivie, You know everyone!” I told her, it’s the runner’s world, and we know each other. She said, “I can see you running by, and saying, hey, this year I’ll be 95!” Unfortunately, that’s sooner than I expect, but fortunately I know it will be fun to run getting there. By the way, have you read the Star Advertiser’s article, “Baby, we were born to run”? Tuesday, 5/8/12. Humans enjoy running because we produce endocannabinoids. That’s what causes the runner’s high. University of Arizona in Tucson studied this in humans, dogs, and ferrets. They were put on treadmills. Only humans and dogs produced this runner’s high chemical. I bet those dogs were greyhounds. Conclusion of the research, humans have the evolutionary drive to exercise. Modern man has learned to ignore it. Thank you GREYS, for stepping up, and running for what we were made to do.
By June, we will enter the LSD phase, of our training, adding another 1 hour run during the week, and increasing miles. Remember increase training by only 10% a week. On the week we increase the long run distance, don’t add your extra 1 hour run.

May
5/6/12 3 groups 7 am start did 2 miles then either 6 miles (recovery run from our 9.31-miler) - or 8 miles. Pace of either 8:45 through 11:40.
5/13/12 – 8 miles, sorry forgot it was Mother’s day, we had another recovery run. Pace 10 to 11:15 (hills) – we were doing some 9:40′s.
5/20/12 9.5 miles – Kahala Avenue and marathon finish.
5/27/12 Unofficial run, no marathon clinic, will announce what we will 5/20 and via newsletter, stay-tuned.

Silver Group by Lynnae Lee

(Pace- 11:00 – 12:00 minutes per mile)

There were 17 Silverados today led by various volunteer staff leaders (and their helpers) – Tiantian led mile 1 (thank you, thank you!), Lynnae led miles 2-4, and Alberto led the group on its return, with Byron joining in. It was a beautiful day, but it quickly heated up. The group consisted of regulars like Sun Hee, Evelyn, Saori, Scott, Marla and Hana. Instead of taking our regular route back to the park, we challenged ourselves with Kahala Avenue. It was long, but being in a group helped keep everyone’s spirits up. When we returned to the park, Alberto led most of the group back to home base, while Lynnae led a smaller bunch the long way around the park to tack on an extra mile. Great job everyone; we make 8 miles look easy!

Today’s higher heat index is a good opportunity to think about hydration. Summer’s right around the corner, so if you don’t have one yet, please consider bringing a water bottle on the runs. There are so many options to choose from – find one right for you. Shoes too tight? Think about how you’re lacing them. Remember, your feet will swell during your run, so make sure your shoes are a full size larger to allow for the “growth”. Or for women with wider feet, consider using men’s shoes which may have more room in the toe box. Of course, check Doc’s book for other tips on shoe selection.

Homework: Continue your 2 homework runs of 60 minutes duration with a rest day in between. Proper discipline helps prevent injury, and makes Sunday runs very enjoyable.

Upcoming: Another 8-mile+ run next week. It seems that some are very anxious to jump to 10-miles already, but we don’t want to increase too early.

Memorial Day Sunday, May 27^th – Since there is no official Clinic, the Silvers will be doing a special unofficial run at Tantalus, 7 a.m. All HMCers are welcome to join. Hill training is really great for your legs, and the view is awesome!

Also on May 27^th is the Hibiscus Half Marathon. It’s a good way to test your training and support a great cause at the same time, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Our current training level is sufficient for this race.

Thought of the Week: Black toenails are the mark of a true runner… Congrats, you’re there!

And finally, happy Mother’s Day to all of the HMC mothers and grandmothers. Hope your day was a special one!

White Group by Blair Hoashi

(Pace – 12:00 – 13:00 minutes per mile)

The group officially split off into two groups today with Staff leaders Norm Kawamoto and Jeanelle Ponce taking over the Teal group (approximate pace 11:30-12:30 minutes per mile) today.

25 White group members welcomed back staff leaders Guru Sam (from his mainland trip) and Blair (back from his injury). Also, Staffers Violet and Rich helped lead the group. Randy, Berrie, Debbie, Sook Young and husband Pete, Russ, Russell, Julie, My, Lauren, Mayumi, Rachel, Bob, Brian, Shelly, Betsy, and a few others who will become a lot more familiar as time goes on, ran an easy and casual 8-miler, our first. The group really stayed together throughout the entire trek and the camaraderie was high. Guru Sam’s positive spirit and enthusiasm were in obvious force today. A steady 12 minute pace was maintained throughout our route; our initial climb up Diamond Head was a bit slower but we needed to warm up to get up to our 12-minute cruising speed.

As we get to the longer distances, our speed might vary according to the terrain but leaders are responsible for maintaining our prescribed pace throughout our run.

The key to maintaining our speed especially at the longer distances – homework runs. Gotta do ‘em or you’ll be lagging behind. (I know, because I‘ve been there.)

On a personal note, I thoroughly enjoyed our group run this morning! Due to my injury and the picnic, I missed being with the group and running for almost two weeks. It was fun today – the camaraderie of the group with its wonderful eclectic mix of personalities combined with the positive endorphins generated by our physical output, made for a fantastic Sunday morning! Thanks to all of the group members for a great morning!

Be safe and healthy (and do your “homework”)!

Beginners

The Green Group – Rosemary Kyte
(All walking speeds and 13-minute-mile > running pace.)

A happy Mothers’ Day to all! Cliff and Rosemary paced about ten 15-minute milers over a 6-mile course; out to the Kilauea water jug and back. We felt the hot sun anytime we lost the cool breezes, but careful pacing and lots of water got us through. We plan to add mileage gradually through the rest of the month. Mid-week homework remains two sessions of at least one hour each. It is never too late to come join the clinic; we’ll find a pace group and distance to meet your needs

Golden 14′s by Norm Uyeda

Norm, Melanie and Sandra led a determined bunch of about 20 Golden runners on the second 6-mile run for the month of May. Unfortunately, an “oops” happened and the 6-mile run turned into a 7-mile run (my bad – Norm). Oh well, no sense going backwards … I guess all of our runs are going to be at least 7 miles long from this point on until we begin to taper. The day started off with a beautiful cloudless sky and gradually got warmer and warmer as we progressed out to the Kahala doggy park. Summer is coming and we need to hydrate – hydrate – hydrate in order to keep ahead of heat stroke and dehydration. We ran into Sam and Blair’s roving party at the Kahala water stop and briefly (very briefly) ran with them in a moment of intergroup bonding.

Next week Sunday – another 7-mile run (no sense going backwards to 6 miles) with maybe a brief stop at the Kahala doggy park. Weekday runs are still being held at Ala Moana / Magic Island on Tuesdays and Fridays. Meet at 5:00 PM at the mauka end of the Magic Island parking lot. Last Tuesday’s training run turned into a trek to see the new Avengers movie (life can’t be all huffing and puffing and sweating). Friday’s run ended up at the Hilton Lagoon Fireworks show along with several Tahitian style fire dancers showing off their stuff.

Lucky 13’s by Medelyn Harkins

Medelyn and Fiona led 20 lucky 13′s on a pace of 12:30 – 13 minute mile totaling 6.15 miles and we burned approximately 667 calories. Today was special beautiful Mother’s Day breeze. The weather warmed up a bit as we ran. We went around Kaimuki Middle School and took a restroom break. This was 1 of 3 restrooms stops as we progress into longer runs. We emphasized the importance of drinking water and hydrating as we train for the warmer days. Keep drinking….lots of water. I have to commend the lucky 13′s on a job well done on our single file and keeping it tight. Hey….we all made it back together. Great Job!!!!

Many of our runners had plans to spend with family (beach, lunch, spa and etc) on this Mother’s Day. Of course, we needed to get back safely, get home, and clean up before we meet up with our families. I hope everyone had a nice Mother’s Day.

Chris should be back next week and we look forward to his return.

Da Comment Corner

Happy Mother’s Day!!

See you at the water stops,

Blair

Dr. Scaff called today’s talk a “potpourri” of topics.

You may not believe this, but running started here in Hawaii. Not racing, like in the Olympics, but running. Only 167 runners participated in The Honolulu Marathon in 1973. Nobody knew anything back then! Today, the 3 main schools of running, the Honolulu Marathon Clinic, Hal Higdon’s, and Jeff Galloway’s, all evolved from base training as initially done by the Honolulu Marathon Clinic.

You could walk the marathon in two days and never “Hit The Wall”. If you drink enough and your urine is colorless (once a day) and you urinate within 4 hours of your run, you will not overheat. Post-race collapse is something you can take care of. The bottom line is base precedes speed, and that is all you need to do.

The Honolulu Marathon Clinic’s basic approach to training for the marathon is Simple and works: In the first 3 months: Run 1 hour 3 times per week. In the 4th month: 1 hour 4 times per week. In the 5th month increase to 30 miles per week. Maintain 30 miles for 2 months without getting injured, and slow down in the marathon, and you’ll finish. For a better finish time, add miles in the remaining months of training. Be mindful of your pace and stick to the program and you’ll do very well.

Read at least read the sections on rules in Dr. Scaff’s book. (Or read the entire book as it has very good information on running and other topics).

Copies of Your First Marathon – The Last Word In Long Distance Running, by Jack H. Scaff Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S.M., are available for purchase at the Honolulu Marathon Clinic on Sundays and online at: http://yourfirstmarathon.net/buy-online-today/

Next Sunday Dr. Scaff will talk about “The Beginners Guide to Injuries”.

To read full, unabridged summaries of The Honolulu Marathon Clinic’s weekly Doc’s Talks:
1) Go to the Honolulu Marathon Clinic web site (http://honolulumarathonclinic.org/)
2) Look under the “Categories” listing.
3) Click on “Doc’s Talk”.

Sunday’s Picnic

It was well organized and well attended! Thanks to Board member Luanne , her husband, and her committee for doing such a great job at our May Day picnic! Food was plentiful and the atmosphere was joyous – a great combination! Thank you also to all of the volunteers – Burt, Muriel, Dwight, Debbie (thanks for cleaning all of our pots, pans and dishes), Susan, Rachun (with his “magical” Thai curry), Russ’ wife and Muriel’s sister (who shall be nameless ’cause I forgot), Val , Maile, Norm, Peter, Stephen and a host of others – thank you!! Was good!!!

Group Reports

Pink Group by Rosie Adam-Terem

(Pace 9:45 – 10:45 minutes per mile)

We had a really nice large group today and last week – as Bill said, “we’ve been hiring”!

We eventually split into sub-groups by distance: some ran 6.5, some 8.3, and some 10 or more miles, depending on their goals and experience.

By our clinic schedule, the Pinks should now be running about 8 miles at an average pace of 10 minutes/mile (moving time) for our Sunday runs through May. However, some of our more experienced runners are signed up for the Hibiscus Half-Marathon in early June, and so they need to be doing more miles. For all our first time marathoners, please do not feel that you need to be doing this distance! It’s too soon. Just follow the training schedule and you’ll arrive at a successful completion of the Honolulu marathon!

We enjoyed our first clinic picnic of the year. Thanks to all who brought ono food and helped out with set-up, serving and clean-up. Much appreciated!

On a personal note, mahalo to all clinic members for your support and encouragement for the Boston Marathon. I was fortunate enough to get in again and to be healthy this time! However, a heat-wave caused the organizers to issue a serious health warning so I took heed and deliberately slowed my pace to complete it in a comfortable 4 hours 36 minutes, fulfilling the Pink Group’s perpetual goals of finishing, having fun, and not getting hurt. I am so grateful to the Clinic for teaching me how to pace myself and for training in hot/wet conditions. I guess I am proof that Dr Scaff’s methods really do work if you just follow the directions! I have known that since I did my first marathon with the Clinic, and I hope you will experience this too!

A hui hou on Mothers’ Day.

Grey Group by Ivie Kumura

(Pace: 10:30 to 11:00) (goal – sub-5 hour marathon)

Picnic Run: Thank you all for the wonderful contribution to that buffet line! Everything was amazingly delicious, and we sure earned our feast. We had over 20 of us, lost count as we had so many different distances; 6 miles, 8 miles, and 10 miles! Andy, Horacio, Andrew, and myself, were joined by Mike, Aurene, Theresa, Janna, Jeri, Shauna, Dr. Rob, Donna, Rob, Lance, Nobu, Jyo, Toshi, Victor, Lisa, Bill, Liane, Satomi, Cindy, Warren, Gannon, newbies, Miki, Tomoko, Kelly. We are bumping up to 10 miles, and we need to apologize for not reminding you to bring fuel for the run. Anytime we start running longer than 90 minutes, fuel replacement is important. This is simple carbohydrate, and we need to train with it, to find out what agrees with us. Start out low, adding fuel as you test your personal reaction to the calories.

Two of us did an extra 1.8 miles (another loop around the park).

May
5/6/12 3 groups 7 am start did 2 miles then either 6 miles (recovery run from our 9.31-miler) -
or 8 miles. Pace of either 8:45 through 11:40
5/13/12 10 miles – bring fuel
5/20/12 10 miles
5/27/12 10.5 miles – includes Kahala Avenue, and marathon finish.

Weekday runs: Wednesdays and Fridays 5:30 p.m., Ala Moana Park, meet at the entrance of Magic Island parking lot, street-side, across the concession stand. Feel free to join us, all paces welcome

Silver Group by Paris Monti and Lynnae Lee

(Pace- 11:00 – 12:00 minutes per mile)

With the picnic on their minds 22 Silvers made their way to the Kahala Gas Station and back. This 8.25-mile run, which some runners had hoped to be shorter (blame it on the picnic), was very successful, given that there are no accidents to report and all runners took adequate time to hydrate at all water stops.

During the first couple miles, I tried to rein in our indomitable pace-setter Alberto, but then, sensing a feeling of lets-get-back asap, within the ranks, I stopped interfering in the natural progression of things.

We completed this endeavor in 1 hour and 34 minutes; a very good pace indeed. Our fears of the food running out before our return proved totally unfounded, as there was a lot of food left over after all had gone through the line once, twice, … The weather was perfect, a little breezy, perhaps. I’ll sign up for the same weather for next year picnic

Lynnae’s Comments:

Having cooked my potluck dish that morning, I got a late start on my run by about 30 minutes. What a difference 30 minutes can make! While I usually depend on the breezes to keep cool, it simply was not enough. The heat reminded me of how hot summer can be. So please make sure to keep hydrated and find a supplement that works well for you. We may start encountering that type of heat when we move up to 10 miles, and definitely at 12. Talk to others about what works, as there are so many choices out there.

Thought of the Week: Will run for food!

Upcoming: Kahala Avenue on the return to the park

White Group by Blair Hoashi

(Pace – 12:00 – 13:00 minutes per mile)

About 15 runners assembled today for a short run before the picnic. Staffers Norm, Jeanelle and Violet led the group for a 6-mile run. Russ, Russell, Debbie, Bob, Sook Young, Rose, Stacey, Lisa, Gary, and a few others were part of the Whites today. The run was shortened due to the picnic. Staffers Blair and Dwight were part of the picnic crew so did not participate in the run. Blair, not having run for the past few weeks is anxious to return to the group next week and Guru Sam also returns from the mainland.

Note: There will be realignment within our group as a little faster group will be created to accommodate a subgroup of “faster paced runners”. Norm K will lead the new group – “orange” or “teal” are suggestions for the group color.

An 8-miler is scheduled next week so please keep up with your homework runs. Adding the two extra miles should be an easy transition if one has kept up with their weekday runs. As emphasized, the key to our marathon training is our one hour long “homework” runs. Currently, only two runs are advised; but in a few months, as we “up” our mileage, three weekday runs will be recommended.

Congrats to all of our members for their perseverance and thanks also for the great food additions to our picnic table. Sook Young’s Korean noodles were delicious and gobbled up quickly.

Blue Group by Andy Hirano

(Pace 12:30- 13:30 minutes per mile):

The Blue Group started small with just two new folks, Quyen and Anna, but grew to 8 as we assembled at Operation Red Wing Medal of Honor Park. Joining us for the first time this year was Rose who has done a couple of marathons. Lauren, Hanako, and her son Skyler joined the group. I missed one other person. We continued with 6 miles today trailing the White Group and returning for the picnic. We talked about sidewalk safety going single file and no headsets so we can hear the traffic. At our pace we are targeting to finish the marathon just under 6 hours. Next week Andy will be on his way to Japan so the group will join the White Group. He’ll be back the following week and we will increase our mileage to 8 miles. So, see you in two weeks.

Beginners

Golden 14′s by Dean Takashige

We did 6.6 miles today, burned about 612 calories and spent about 1hour and 55 minutes including our water stops. But our reward was the 1300 calories we put back once we got to the picnic.

Today you could feel the onset of summer. Luckily we had a nice breeze to keep us cool. Remember to practice drinking lots of water at our water stops. With 29 in our group today the water stops took a little longer, especially since most of the stops had one of the two fountains not working at full capacity. Try to remember to run in single file or at least watch for on coming runners, walkers, strollers, dogs… Please watch your footing since along the route the sidewalks are uneven, we would like to return with the same number of participants that we started with. We went down the 18th Avenue hill which is part of the marathon route.

Norm wasn’t with us today since he was guarding the food back at the park, but we had the help of Gail, Mel, and Sandra.

We had a few newcomers to the group, but overall we did well. I did see a slight stress on some faces due to the additional mileage, Trust that this will pass as long as you do your 1 hour twice during the week.

We did 6.6 miles today, burned about 612 calories and spent about 1hour and 55 minutes including our water stops. But our reward was the 1,300 calories we put back once we got to the picnic

Lucky 13’s by Medelyn Harkins

Thad, myself and about 20 Lucky 13s led the the way up and over Diamond Head on a sunny breezy day at a nice 12 – 13 minute pace, turning around at Kilauea Elementary School. We took advantage of the water stops and the group kept a tight single file throughout the 6-mile run. We even got compliments by bystanders on how great the group looked. The group made it back to the park and was ready for some good ono grinds. Outstanding job by the group! Give yourself a pat on the back.

Next Sunday the plan is to trek up Diamond Head and take a different route within the 6-mile run.

Keep hydrating, do your homework for the week and see you all next week. Keep up the great work!

Da Comment Corner

Bus Runs

We will be scheduling three bus runs throughout the rest of the year. Run dates in June, August, and October will be announced shortly.

We get bused from our clinic start location to various destinations like Maunalua Bay (Hawaiii Kai by Roy’s), Sandy Beach and Makapuu Point and run back to our starting location. All of the runs will acquaint us with a portion of the actual marathon route. So, the runs will be “educational”, scenic, fun, and challenging; but more interestingly, the bus ride gives members an opportunity get to know a great deal about their seat mates. The bus fare is $3 per runner.

See you at the water stops,

Blair

Dr. Scaff talked about post-race collapse phenomenon, …which is different than collapse point. Example: A runner crosses the finish line, looks well, walks around, and 10 minutes later is in the first-aid facility hypotensive, pale, heat exhausted, convulsing.

Physiology of Post-Race Collapse
As you are running the heart needs fluids. Fluids come out of the tissues. The minute you stop running, fluids start immediately going back into the deprived tissues, blood volume decreases, and a devastating metabolic cascade of deterioration manifests. This phenomenon can be worsened if the injured runner eats food or ingests alcohol. Untreated this condition is fatal! Therefore, when you finish a run, you have to start re-hydrating immediately. Get a soda or similar beverage and just start sipping.

Treatment of Post-Race Collapse
Don’t panic. Lay the person down, bend their knees up a little bit, make sure they have a good pulse, and try to give them some kind of diluted soda with caffeine and sugar. A half hour later they are ready to go home. You can call 9-1-1 if you are really concerned, but if the patient gets into the ambulance, they’re going to have a hospital bill which may or may not be necessary. If the person does not need the ambulance, send them home, no harm is done.

Things to remember
1) You will see post-race collapse after the run.
2) Post-race collapse is ubiquitous and can occur to all of us.
3) Drinking water at the end of a marathon is not as effective as drinking in the first 10 miles when you are not thirsty. This is important. You could really get into trouble out there if you do not pay attention.

Announcement

Everyone is invited to the 7th Annual Hawai‘i Book & Music Festival where Dr. Jack Scaff will be giving a good talk on Sunday, 05/06/12 at 2 p.m. at the Civic Grounds at Honolulu Hale, Downtown. For more information see: http://www.hawaiibookandmusicfestival.org/

Copies of Your First Marathon – The Last Word In Long Distance Running, by Jack H. Scaff Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S.M., are available for purchase at the Honolulu Marathon Clinic on Sundays and online at: http://yourfirstmarathon.net/buy-online-today/

To read full, unabridged summaries of The Honolulu Marathon Clinic’s weekly Doc’s Talks:
1) Go to the Honolulu Marathon Clinic web site (http://honolulumarathonclinic.org/)
2) Look under the “Categories” listing.
3) Click on “Doc’s Talk”.

Table Duty

Staffers Ann, Stan and wife, Maureen, Gail and Karlen - all helped out at table duty today! Thanks for such a great spread!

Next Sunday’s Picnic

Please bring in your latest creation to share with fellow runners and enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow runners. Friends and family invited; a $1 fee per person; drinks and Zippy’s chili and rice provided. Groups do their usual run then enjoy the picnic afterward. Start time around 9:30 a.m.

Group Reports

Advanced Group by Korwin Chang

(Pace < 9:00 min. per mile)

We had about thirteen runners today and most ran 12 to 14 miles. Runners Donis, Fred, Frederick, Jared, Jyo, Matt, Nancy, Neal, Sean, Sergio, Thomas, Toshi, and Randy comprised the group. Half the group started from the beach parks on Kalaniana’ole Highway, and the other half started from Kapiolani Park.

Since next week is the picnic, everyone in the group should be starting from Kapiolani Park. After Doc’s talk, we will go for a shorter run (less than 12 miles) to get back in time for the picnic. Bring $1. Runners eat a lot, and we want to get back before the food is gone. Some runners are meeting around 6:15 am to run some miles before the Doc’s Talk. After next week, we will increase our Sunday runs to around 14 miles

Grey Group by Ivie Kumura

(Pace: 10:30 to 11:00) (goal – sub-5 hour marathon)

18 Greys this past Sunday, taking in our first Kahala Avenue run. RTS (Relaxed, Tall, and Silent), moving up on our LSD (Long Slow Distance). Hope you were feeling fine Monday morning. If so, we have moved past the PTA (Pain, Torture and Agony), of our training beginnings. Andy, Andrew, myself, (missing Horacio, who spent time with his family on the North Shore) along with Dr.Rob, Donna, Bill, Michael, Mike, Gino, Satomi, Satomi’s friend (Emi?) Toshi, Jyo, Jeri, Victor, Sandy, Rob, Lance, (pardon those I missed) finished strong! The last Sunday of each month, we will practice Kahala Avenue (mile 22 of the Marathon), and the marathon finish (last 0.4 miles). We are familiarizing ourselves to the last 4.2 miles training our mental toughness, which will pay off, December 9th. Jyo was not happy that we will do this every last Sunday, he said he will be absent, once a month. Jyo did fine! Jyo earned an A-plus! We all greeted Queen Kapiolani’s statue, and noted her personal motto inscribed, “Kulia i ka nu’u”. Translation is, “Strive for the highest”. Wow, we will continue to train to attain our best! Mike is a testament to doing homework runs, he had NO problem with our extra mile. Runner’s World Spring/Summer 2012 special on Trail Running, had a great section on total-body workouts to prevent running injury. Some of the areas to build muscles, shorted by only running are our core, shoulders, and hamstrings. The circuit includes, squats, push-up, lunges, burpees, poor man’s curl, planks, jumps, dips, rock clean (which Jyo calls “picking pineapples”), and leg blasters.

Da stats by Andy:

April Schedule

2 of us did an extra 1.8 miles (another loop around the park)
May
5/6/12 6 mile recovery run our 9.31 miler) – Picnic Run
Everyone is invited for an easy warm-up run next Sunday at 7:00 AM starting at our normal starting location, this would give you 8 miles)
5/13/12 10 miles
Throughout the rest of the clinic, Andy will continue to lead those who are interested another loop around the park (1.8 miles) This guy continues to push distance, and pace!

Weekday runs: Wednesdays and Fridays 5:30 p.m., Ala Moana Park, meet at the entrance of Magic Island parking lot, street-side, across the concession stand. Feel free to join us, all paces welcome

Silver Group by Lynnae Lee

(Pace- 11:00 – 12:00 mi. per mile)

There were 20 Silverados today led by volunteer staff leaders Alberto, Lisa, Lynnae and Byron as sweeper. We missed Paris, who got a late start and ended up on running on his own – hope to catch you next week. It was a nice day for a run – the humidity was tempered by the breezy conditions. The group consisted of regulars like Evelyn, Joe, and Hana, but we were also joined by Jodi who was visiting from Virginia. She has done marathons in Virginia, Florida, and Greece. Fortunately, the Clinic fit into her schedule during her brief stay, and hopefully, we’ll see her again on a more permanent basis this summer. The group returned from the gas station via Farmers, eyeing up the bananas and papayas from the houses along the way. There’s nothing like a good morning run to work up an appetite! Alberto did a terrific job with the pacing from beginning to end, and the group had a strong finish. Good job on the negative split! (That’s the ideal running strategy – making sure that your second half is faster than your first half.) We completed 8.2 miles in 1:35 total running time only (11:35 pace), and burned at least 674 calories (adjust for gender/weight). It is great to hear so many in the group are keeping up with their homework, and it shows. We practically own the 8-mile route. J

Homework: Continue your 2 homework runs of 60 minutes duration with a rest day in between. Proper discipline helps prevent injury, and makes Sunday runs very enjoyable.

Upcoming: Another 8-mile run to the gas station next week. We’ll work in other parts of the marathon route during the next two weeks (ie. Kahala Avenue, bandstand finish line) before jumping up to 10 miles in mid-May.

The Hibiscus Half Marathon is on May 27^th. It’s a good way to test your training and support a great cause at the same time, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Our current training level is sufficient for this race. Since there is no official Clinic that day, the Silvers will be doing a special unofficial run. Details to come.

HMCers On the Run: Congratulations to the HMCers who completed the Boston and North Shore marathons earlier in April. Hope recovery has been going well.

Thought of the Week: HMC training really works, so just stick with the program.

White Group by Blair Hoashi and Dwight Bartolome

(Pace – 12:00 – 13:00 min. per mile)

Staff leader Norm, Dwight, Richard, and Janelle led Rani, Randy Gary (welcome back) Bev Debbie, Russ, Russell, Sook Young, Lisa, Berrie, , Raquel, Momoko, Lauren and many others (approximately 25 total) through the Kahala neighborhood and back totaling approximately 7 miles. Staffer Blair’s pulled calf muscle and duties with his son, Zach (soccer and flag football) relegated him to just show up for the announcements. He missed running with everyone tremendously (“runner’s withdrawal”) but his spirit was with the group (and “holding up the rear as usual”).

Congratulations to everyone on a great run!

Please continue to be diligent with your homework runs; we will be increasing our mileage to 8 miles after next week’s picnic and the dreaded Kahala Avenue stretch will be part of our return route at the end of each month.

Please remember next week’s picnic – bring a nice dish that you would want everyone to try!

Be safe and healthy! We all miss your leadership and positive spirit, Guru Sam!

Dwight’s Comments:

Nice weather – sunshine and cool breezes made our run comfortable. At Triangle Park, we talked about running through injury e.g. Blair… When you have sharp pains that make it hard to run or walk, rest on average 4-6 weeks before starting to run hard and long again. Don’t get caught up in the psychological belief that you will lose your conditioning during those weeks and run through the pain. Your body will remember what conditioning is all about and will be back in good form in a very short time.

Going up Diamond Head, one of our members got bumped by a runner running down. She stopped angrily and was about to confront our member but decided to keep running. At Triangle Park we talked about running with attention and awareness that runners coming the other way have the Right of Way because we are a big group. Keep this in mind and we’ll be okay.

Blue Group by Andy Hirano

(Pace 12:30- 13:30 min per mile):

Andy was back from his trip to Okinawa leading the Blue Group on its morning run. A half dozen runners enjoyed their leisurely 6-mile run through Kahala and back. The group consisted of L.T., Lauren, Devan, Hanako & her 10 year old son Skyler. Most had at least one marathon under their belt. We talked about safety and the courtesy of letting others use the sidewalk during our runs. It’s nice to have a small group to interact. Our turn around point from Kilauea Avenue was Elepaio Street. 90% of the time we will be returning to Triangle park using this route. During the bus runs we will follow the actual marathon route through Kahala Avenue just to be familiar with the actual route. Kahala Avenue does not have any sidewalks and the street is narrow. Have fun on your runs during the week and see you next Sunday.

Beginners

The Green Group – Rosemary Kyte

(All walking speeds and 13-minute mile > running pace.)

Rosemary and Cliff paced about a dozen “Green 15s” up and over Diamond Head hill and return for a distance of just over four miles, our last time at the four mile distance. Starting next Sunday, we’ll increase our distance to six miles. Our mid-week homework remains two sessions of one hour each, at our talk-test pace. We were joined this Sunday by Monica from Ohio, here visiting her daughter who also trains with the clinic. Good talking with you today, Monica! It is never too late in the year to come out and join us. We’ll find a pace group and distance to meet your needs no matter where you are in your endurance training program.

Golden 14′s by Norm Uyeda

The Golden 14s will increase the training mileage each month until the goal of 14 (sometime 16) miles is reached. To ease next Sunday’s increase, the 25 Golden runners did a long version of our 4 mile run and covered approximately 5.25 miles while doing the actual marathon route and turning around at the Kaimuki Intermediate tennis courts.. So … next Sunday’s run will be a piddling 3/4 mile longer – no problemo! No anxiety.

Next week – picnic! Come hungry. Bring a potluck dish. The picnic is a good time to be able to sit down and quietly get to know your fellow group members

Da Comment Corner

Modern Heartbreak

Lyrics from a Bruno Mars’ song, It Will Rain (for the over 40ish runner, or anyone that didn’t know – Bruno Mars is a current global pop icon; born and raised in Hawaii):

“If you ever leave me baby, leave some morphine at my door”

Bruno, “dude” (this is how the cool guys talk these days), when feeling really, really lousy, why not go for a run – experience all of the positive endorphins generated and relieve the stress and negativity through physical activity rather than taking in some synthetic addictive chemical into your body?

How about…

“If you ever leave me baby, I’ll do a long run from my door”

Quote from Runner’s World

“Running is not, as it so often seems, only about what you did in your last race or about how many miles you ran last week. It is, in a much more important way, about community, about appreciating all the miles run by other runners, too”. – Richard O’Brien

“Training of the mind and body leads to awareness of the soul.” - B.K.S. Iyengar

See you at the water stops,

Blair

Dr. Scaff talked about how to prevent overheating. If we don’t dissipate enough heat, we overheat and collapse. Heat is a byproduct of work, and as you begin to exercise your body temperature rises and your body produces sweat to dissipate heat. Evaporation is the most effective way to cool down through heat exchange. Running singlets help keep you cooler than if you run without a shirt on because as the singlet wicks and holds the moisture from the body, air is allowed to circulate around you through the holes in the material, promoting evaporation, which keeps you cooler.

Light colored clothing is better for keeping cool than dark colored clothing. Cotton shirts are not as good at exchanging heat as tech shirts.

Another important factor in preventing overheating is to drink enough liquid.
You should drink an amount of fluids that enable you to:
1) Urinate within 4 hours of your run, and
2) Have colorless urine once per day.
Drinking water and eating pretzels will do a fine job of replenishing your electrolytes.

Announcement
Dr. Scaff’s book will be featured at the 7th Annual Hawai‘i Book & Music Festival, Honolulu Hale Civic Grounds, May 5 – 6, 2012,
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information see: http://www.hawaiibookandmusicfestival.org/
Copies of Your First Marathon – The Last Word In Long Distance Running, by Jack H. Scaff Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S.M., are available for purchase at the Honolulu Marathon Clinic on Sundays and online at: http://yourfirstmarathon.net/buy-online-today/

To read full, unabridged summaries of The Honolulu Marathon Clinic’s weekly Doc’s Talks:
1) Go to the Honolulu Marathon Clinic web site (http://honolulumarathonclinic.org/)
2) Look under the “Categories” listing.
3) Click on “Doc’s Talk”.

Table:ons and much mahalo to Silver group leader Lynnae; first, for finishing with a great result at the North Shore Marathon last Sunday and, for the superb job at table duty. The fruits, food, and drink were terrific!! Not sure what flavor it was, but that new drink was a nice treat from the usual Gatorade.

Group Reports

Pink Group by Bill Berg

(Pace 9:00 min- 10:00 min per mile)

Rosie is on Kauai so I’m filling in for her. Amanda and a few others joined us as we went up Diamond Head because of parking issues. Some ran 6, some ran eight, several of us ran 10 and one even ran 12. Although this isn’t normal practice as we should be running 8 right now. Preparation for other races (Hibiscus half marathon and a half-ironman to name two) is the excuse for the long runners and first timers are advised to turn back at six and work up to the distance. Advancing distance or speed goals too quickly can lead to injuries. Weather was great for running though, cool breezy with a light drizzle AAHHH!

Grey Group by Ivie Kumura

(Pace: 10:30 to 11:00 min per mile) (goal – sub-5 hour marathon)

The rain cleared, and it was a beautiful day to run, for 15 Greys, Andy, Horacio and myself, keeping us together, in single file: Takio, Gino, Aurene, Michael,Theresa, Sandy, Jyo, Toshi, Warren, Lance, Joan (newbie). Takio shared his great PR 2011 tip of cross training, his specific training, CrossFit and swimming. It works. I’ll listen, not just because he is so smart, (Yale graduate and interviewer, whoa), but he had a great marathon. Areas to train, core muscles, lower back, and cardio. All types of strength training helps, as Takio says, especially as we are getting older. Now, I’ll really listen. Gino will continue his calf raises on high-heels, Princess Mongoose. Other females, may choose to do their calf raises as Gino. Marathon clinic attire, tanks, short sleeve shirts, visors, and caps all have great breathable fabric. Next Sunday, and every last Sunday of the month, will be our Kealahou Street and Kahala Avenue to marathon finish. Our tradition is, we greet our lady, Queen Kapiolani and feel that sweet marathon finish.

See you all Sunday! Don’t forget your homework, 2 x 1 hour run during the week, otherwise, no dessert.

Da Stats from Andy:

April 22 – 8 miles, to the gas station. Again an extra 2 miles by going around Kapiolani Park. 10 miles
April 29 – 8.5 miles – to gas station, includes Kahala avenue, Marathon finish (this makes 8 weeks and we will be going on to Month 3 schedule, “Your First Marathon” schedule.

Weekday runs: Wednesdays and Fridays 5:30 p.m., Ala Moana Park, meet at the entrance of Magic Island parking lot, street-side, across the concession stand. Feel free to join us, all paces welcome.

Silver Group by Paris Monti

(Pace- 11:00 – 12:00 min. per mile)

What seemed to be a nightmare, starting a run under cold and drizzling conditions, (I hope to be forgiven for using the word “cold” here in Paradise, but that’s the way I felt) turned out to be a blessing from Above for our HMC runners. In fact, immediately after starting on our run, the sky cleared, the drizzle ceased, a gentle breeze moved the air, the birds started singing and 16 Silvers, smiling and eager to complete this third 8-miler (8.25 miles) of the season, started their ascent up Diamond Head Rd. Our indomitable staff leader Alberto guided this energetic group to the Kahala Gas Station and back to Kapiolani Park by way of Farmers Rd. at an average 11 Min/Mile pace, first fluctuating widely, but then settling to an almost perfect rhythm. It took us a total of one hour and 43 minutes to complete this run. No accidents of any kind and all runners felt good all along and took adequate time to hydrate at regular intervals along the way. At the end of the run we were rewarded by Lynnae‘s GREAT spread of food and refreshments … the perfect ending to another great running experience.

White Group by Blair Hoashi

(Pace – 12:00 – 13:00 min. per mile)

Staff leader Norm led members Debbie, Russ, Russell, Julie, Diane, My, Sook Young, Shylar, Keoki, Tomoko, Bob, Brian, Momoko and her 10 year old son, Tyler, Berrie (welcome back), Rani, Raquel, Betsy, another Momoko and a host of others (35 total) through a slightly different route this morning totaling approximately 6.5 miles. Staffer Blair held up the rear as usual and in the process lost touch with the group – he was guiding a few newbies who got delayed at the bathroom; he then compounded the delay by making the wrong turn off of Kilauea. He must have made a great impression on the newbies – “and, he’s our staff leader”?

Congratulations to everyone on a great run!

Great job to all of our members who actually turned up to the clinic; parking was atrocious; many members had to park at the top of Diamond Head to join our group today. The March of Dimes Walk was on at the park this morning.

Please continue to be diligent with your homework runs; we will be increasing our mileage to 8 miles in two weeks and the dreaded Kahala Avenue stretch will be part of our return route at the end of each month.

Be safe and healthy! Miss you Sam!

Beginners

The Green Group – Rosemary Kyte

(All walking speeds and 13-minute mile > running pace.)

We had gusty winds at times today, appropriate for Dr. Jack’s talk topic of “evaporation”. Rosemary and Cliff paced about about a dozen “Green 15s” up and over Diamond Head hill and return for a distance of just over four miles again, our Sunday course for April. Our mid-week homework remains two sessions of one hour each, at our talk-test pace. We were joined for the first time by Vera, who made her first time with us look easy. Welcome Vera! It is never too late in the year to come out and join us. We’ll find a pace group and distance to meet your needs no matter where you are in your endurance training program.

Golden 14′s by Norm Uyeda

All 20 of the Golden 14 minute per mile gang enjoyed the breezy and cool conditions today on their 4.5 mile jaunt around Diamond Head. The route that we usually take was changed a bit to give us a chance to increase our mileage and also give us a slight change of scenery. The increase in mileage will allow us to ease into May’s 6 mile Sunday runs. Some of the gang met us on the outbound leg going up to the Lighthouse due to the total lack of parking in Kapiolani Park. Subject for today – If you are injured, you need to rest for at least a week. “Rest” does not mean going out for only a 15 minute jog to test your injury. “Rest” means to lay off the affected injury and let everything heal. Allowing an injury to heal properly is one of the hardest things a runner has to do. We all obsess about backsliding on our training and losing everything we have gained so far, but you need to keep the end goal in focus. To keep on testing your injury to see if it is OK will only make things worse.

Da Comment Corner

May 6^th, Clinic Picnic

As Peter had mentioned, friends and family invited. $1 fee per person (to take care of drinks and chili and other items); potluck so bring your latest creation or a salad or a dessert (Costco or Sam’s latest creations are good also). The “drill” is, that we all go for our usual run then come back for the picnic which starts around 9:30 or so. Volunteers always needed.

I remember a few years ago when we had a restaurateur from Japan who was a member and he served all of us grilled mochi in an exquisite soup. Oiishii! Delicious!

This is a great way to get to know your fellow group members and staff leaders better. I hope we all make an effort to attend!

A Lounge Chair with Casters:

(One of the most unusual things that I’ve seen during a run):

As I made my way up Monsarrat Avenue and reached its peak (the Kapiolani Community College [KCC]) at around 5 a.m., I noticed a man pushing a lounge chair up the hill as well. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. I thought he was a “homeless person” with his temporary shelter. I stepped down to the KCC water fountain to get my 24 seconds worth of water sips when I hear a roar on the road! The man was rolling down Diamond Head road toward Triangle Park in his lounge chair! (Did he have a license to drive that chair?) Luckily, at this time of morning, there were no cars going in the same direction otherwise, I am sure I would have heard the sound of screeching brakes. He made it to 22^nd Avenue then turned left and rolled down that street. I saw him make it to the bottom so figured he was safe. I continued my run with a “ho hum” attitude thinking, “what else am I in store for this morning, a matching loveseat gliding by?”

“Training of the mind and body leads to awareness of the soul.”
- B.K.S. Iyengar

See you at the water stops,

Blair

Roger Kobayashi shared information on Collapse Point and how you can extend your collapse point through training.

Collapse point

Collapse Point is the point at which you “hit the wall”, where your body runs out of glycogen, the primary fuel source (the high octane fuel) and switches on its secondary fuel source, free fatty acids (low octane fuel). It feels like somebody suddenly pulled the drain plug on your energy tank.

How do you determine your collapse point? Take your total mileage for the 60 days prior to the marathon and divide by 20. If you ran an average of 9 miles per day: 9 x 60 = 540, divided by 20 = 27. By that simple formula, your collapse point would be three-fourths of a mile beyond the marathon finish line.

The collapse point calculation is based on your marathon pace being identical to your training pace. One way to avoid hitting the collapse point in a marathon is to run a lot.

However, most runners aren’t ready for 60 miles per week. In your first year of marathon training, you only have one marathon in your body – Don’t use it on a training run.

Another way to move your collapse point – Slow down.

For more information on how to figure out your collapse point and how to extend your collapse point through training, read the full, unabridged summary of Roger’s presentation in the Doc’s Talks:
1) Go to the Honolulu Marathon Clinic web site (http://honolulumarathonclinic.org/)
2) Look under the “Categories” listing.
3) Click on “Doc’s Talk”.

Table Duty

Thank you Staff Leader Alberto for manning such a great table.

Group Reports

Advanced Group by Korwin Chang

(Pace < 9:00 minutes per mile)

There were about twelve advanced group runners today- Beth, Fred, Jared, Jyo, Maggie, Nancy, Neal, Stephen, Toshi, and William to name a few. Maggie just moved to Hawaii about six months ago, and it was her first time running with the group. Some runners started early to run fourteen miles from Kawaikui Beach Park. The rest of the group started from Kapiolani Park. Three runners turned around at the gas station, eight miles. I ran twelve miles from Kapiolani Park to Wailupe Beach Park and back. The pace was between an eight to nine minutes.

Some runners had marathons today. Mark ran the North Shore Marathon. Donis, Kozo, and Tomo ran the Boston Marathon. Maybe, they will be back next week, but they probably need time to recover. Running is fun, but resting is important to allow the body to heal and stay injury free.

Grey Group by Ivie Kumura

(Pace: 10:30 to 11:00) (goal – sub-5 hour marathon)

20 Greys on a fine, sunny, April Sunday. Boston’s marathon was also hot. Training like this, will be no problem when we hit 75 or 80 years for our Boston Marathon debut. We’ll be ready. Andy led our group for pacing, (just as Roger’s talk), thank you Andrew for helping us with the announcements. Great to see all of you, Aurene, Mike, Shauna, Gino (welcome back!), Jyo, Toshi, Warren, Nobu, Victor and we are thrilled to have the newbies, Janna, Jeri, Michael, Robin, and Skylar . Gino is back in his running gear, shedding Princess Mongoose’s costume and heels. Stay tuned for Gino in Lisa Matsumoto’s “Happily Eva Afta” from Ohia Productions. Running form, we were true to style, inching up another 2 miles to the gas station. Hydration was so important this Sunday. I felt a little scorched even with suntan lotion. Remember, to slather on the sun block, shield your eyes with sunglasses, and find something to protect your head. Headgear is tricky. Our head regulates our heat loss and evaporation of sweat, however, we do need the protection from the sun’s radiation rays, avoiding sunburn. Find the right head wear for yourself, practice with your hat, cap, visor, or Sam bandana-rama, (and make a statement while you’re at it). You need to have a hat that provides ample ventilation. The wrong headgear can make you overheat. I nearly exploded from my cap one marathon. We missed you, Horacio and missing you, Christine.

It was great to see Dr. Scaff back! Warren, so glad you were able to obtain Dr. Scaff’s autograph for his book.

April Schedule

April 1st – intended 6 miles. We did 8 miles! Shoe Talk Not sure anyone did a 4-miler. Our running pace was 9:30 to 11:00, and our overall pace, including stops was too difficult to include. We finally came back to Kapiolani Park at 10:09 a.m.

Da Stats from Andy:

April 22 – 8 miles, to the gas station. Again an extra 2 miles by going around Kapiolani Park. 10 miles
April 29 – 8.5 miles – to gas station, includes Kahala avenue, Marathon finish (this makes 8 weeks and we will be going on to Month 3 schedule, “Your First Marathon” schedule.

Weekday runs: Wednesdays and Fridays 5:30 pm, Ala Moana Park, meet at the entrance of Magic Island parking lot, street-side, across the concession stand. Feel free to join us, all paces welcome.

Silver Group by Paris Monti

(Pace- 11:00 – 12:00 mi. per mile)

With staff leader Alberto at table duty, I took the Silvers on a “wild ride” to Kahala Mall (Gas Station) and back. Everybody had a good time and nobody had any problem in covering this 2nd 8-miler (8.28 miles) of the 2012 training season. I counted 22 runners, verified by Tian-Tian, on the way back. By the way, Tian-Tian, a strong member of the Silvers, hopes to finish all her requirements for her PhD in Astronomy by September … I envy her … how satisfying it must be to have knowledge extending to our Solar System and beyond. It took us 1 hour and 46 minutes for this run. And, according to my Garmin, we expended 974 cal. on this fun run. I know that Lynnae would challenge me on this, pointing out that the number of calories expended varies among runners … and she would be right. By the way, I understand the she is doing the North Shore Marathon today; let’s wish her a safe and satisfying experience.

White Group by Blair Hoashi

(Pace – 12:00 – 13:00 minutes per mile)

Seattle’s best, My (a recent transplant) , Brian, Verna , Rose, Russ, Aileen, Song Young, Denise and husband, Frank, Russell, Bev, Elena, Bob, Norm, Betsy, Rani, and Randy(to mention a few; sorry I missed many others; don’t worry though, I will get to know you all soon) were led by staff leaders Violet, Sam, Norm and Blair. We had 29 members all together. We strolled up and around Diamond Head, turned on 18^th Avenue on to Kilauea, then up on 22^nd through the Kahala neighborhood where mangoes were aplenty (thanks to some generous homeowners). This route led us back to Triangle Park, then back to our start – mileage total approximately 6 miles. Norm did two more miles by rounding Kapiolani Park.

We missed Debbie and daughter Jeanelle, who were holding fort at their Kukui Sausage concession stand at the Aids Walk. By the way, their sausages are great; lean and tasty! Husband Steve and family, do a great job!

We shall miss our Guru Sam for the next two weeks! He is on a trip with his son, Chazi to the mainland. But, we promise to persevere and continue Sam’s great work with the group!

Beginners

The Green Group – Rosemary Kyte

(All walking speeds and 13-minute mile > running pace.)

Rosemary and Cliff paced about 20 “Green 15s” up and over Diamond Head hill and return for a distance of just over four miles again, our Sunday course for April. Runners’ questions included how much water is enough water and various pains (shin and hip), likely caused by getting used to the training. Some got to test how their pace has increased, letting Cliff pace them to a slightly faster pace on the last bit of the course, the return leg into Kapiolani Park. Despite another hot day, careful pacing and plenty of water got us all through again.

Golden 14′s by Dean Takashige

This morning we had much warmer weather. Sunny with a slight breeze. The sun will get stronger and as we stay out longer so it is very important to wear uv rated sunglasses and sunscreen. Continue to get used to drinking 10 ounces of water at every water stop. Some have asked about using the restroom….As the runs get longer we will be making “pottie” ( as stated by Raj on the Big Bang Theory), stops along the route.

Dean, Sandra and Norm had 33 energetic runners in our group today. We were out for 1 hour and 17 mins, covered 4.15 miles and burned an average of 366 cals. Just enough for a cup of gatorade and 3 donut holes.

Anyone interested in weekday training runs can contact Norm at gro.cinilcnohtaramululonohnull@mron

Thanks to Cal (a freaky fast walker) for keeping us company on our run

Lucky 13’s by Chris Isham

Chris and about 35 Lucky 13s led the the way up and over Diamond Head at a crisp 13 min pace, turning around at Triangle Park. We did the Marathon Finish and continued with a short loop of the park for a total of 5 miles. Outstanding job by everyone!

We discussed the need to continue to hydrate our bodies as the hot weather approaches and to conduct “preventive maintenance” on our bodies by consuming more water, eating the right foods and getting
enough sleep. Additionally, we reiterated the need to stay current on homework as there is no opportunity to “make up” any work. Water and time are investments we make for our ultimate reward of finishing the Marathon.

We also talked about the need to embrace challenges to our runs in order to prepare us for any challenge that might arise during the marathon itself. Challenges such as rain, wind, chafing, broken
shoelaces, etc can add up and hinder us if we don’t keep everything positive.

We are now going on week 7 of the 12 week “pain, agony and torture” period. Keep up the great work, longer Sundays are just around the corner!

Da Comment Corner

Great to have you back with us Dr. Scaff!

Congrats to all of the finishers in the Boston Marathon!

Congrats to the finishers in the North Shore Marathon!

Many have mentioned that they are having problems with their feet, legs or other parts of their bodies– I strongly suggest looking at your shoes as a starting point. Some have mentioned that they have had their “foot wear” for over two years, while others reply that they just got a new pair. Please remember, shoes get worn out after about 500 miles and, on the other side of the spectrum, just a slight change in one’s shoe model even though brand new, can create a “smidgen” of difference in your foot strike to cause you problems. Please be cognizant of the effect of your shoes on your running. And, why would I know about shoes and its effects? I have shoe racks full, after 15 years of trial and error, to prove it. (Although, many have already been donated to the Dumagete Orphanage in the Philippines courtesy of Board Member Norm Uyeda.)

Running with the Advanced Group

During one of early morning runs, I felt a great rush of positive endorphins while “gliding” down Diamond Head road; I glanced at my *Garmin and noticed it was registering an 8:55 minutes per mile pace. For just a very brief moment, while “inebriated” by the rush of positive endorphins, I envisioned myself running alongside Advanced staff leader Les, Mark, Korwin, Kozo, Eugene, Beth, and Donis to name a few from the Advanced Group. In this very brief vision, I was chatting it up and cruising easily along with the group down Diamond Head road.

Then, all of a sudden, my Garmin starts to beep incessantly and vibrate violently. (I think smoke was coming out of it as well). Reality had set in and my Garmin was telling me that I was way over my max heart rate and was “mandating” me to slow down (or else). I eventually settled back to reality and into my “normal” 10:00 – -13:00 minutes per mile pace. Well, so much for my “run with the Advanced Group”.

*Garmin – refers to my Garmin 310xt , a GPS satellite enabled “watch” which measures my pace, distance, calories burnt, and other” pertinent” info.( By the way, it tells time too!) A heart rate monitor is also attached which measures one’s heart rate and calculates one’s maximum heart rate based on his/her age.

See you at the water stops,

Blair

Mr. Roger Kobayashi shared thoughts and guidelines on the elements that create a Running Style that works for you.

Elements of Running Style

R     relaxed
Keep your arms and hands “loose”.
Why?  When you clench your fist, your arm and shoulder muscles are under tension.

S      silent
Run silently.
Why?  If you can hear your footsteps, your feet are probably “slapping” the pavement.  That increases the impact when you land.  Generally, distance runners land on their heels and roll forward.

T     tall
Stand tall – perpendicular to the horizon.
Why?  That position requires the least amount of muscular effort.  If you lean away from the perpendicular position, your trunk muscles will have to work harder to keep you erect.

For further information on the reasons for these guidelines, read the full, unabridged summary of Mr. Kobayashi’s presentation in the Doc’s Talks:
1)  Go to the Honolulu Marathon Clinic web site (http://honolulumarathonclinic.org/)
2)  Look under the “Categories” listing.
3)  Click on “Doc’s Talk”.

 
 Table Duty:

Thanks to Sandi for doing another great job at table duty!  As usual, everything was perfect!

Group Reports:

Red Group by Jeff Beard

(Pace 9:00 – 10:00 min. per mile)

The “Red Group” (just I!) went out for an easy 8-mile run this Sunday. It was a good day for a run – cool and breezy. I averaged just a little under 10 minutes per mile, with enough energy to run the last 2 miles well under 10 – remember, negative splits are an important part of getting our pacing down. By June, most of us will have kicked to 10 miles (at least), and, at that point, we should have our pacing down, so that we’re just adding miles each month at that pace. Our week-day runs should be for speed, the Sunday runs for distance & pace. Congratulations to all the people who came out on Easter Sunday!

Pink Group by Rosie Adam-Terem:

(9:45-10:45 min. per mile)

On a warm but fortunately breezy morning, about 16 of us gathered to run either 6.5 or 8 miles. Bill took a group of three runners out to the gas station and back for an eight-miler, and Rosie, and Amanda, ran 6.5 with the other 10 runners. Everyone was running well. In the shorter distance group, we ran for 1 hr 3 minutes at an average page of 9:41, with 20 additional minutes for our water breaks and conversational stops (of course in races, we’d keep moving through the water stops, so I just record actual running time.) Our group aims for an average page of around 10 mins. a mile including walking through the water-stops in races. Most Pinks do between 4 hrs 20 minutes and 4 hours 40 minutes in the Honolulu Marathon.

The first HMC picnic is May 6. We’ll be running 8 miles that day. We’ll start our 8 mile Sunday runs on April 29th. From May on, each month will see an increase of two miles on the Sunday “LSD” (long, slow, distance run), so June will be 10 milers, July 12 milers, August 14 milers, September 16 milers, October 18 milers, November – for the more experienced – maybe a couple of 19-20 milers. According to Dr. Scaff’s system, it is not necessary and it is inadvisable for first-time marathoners to go beyond 18 milers. Somehow, if you can do 18 in training, you can do 26.2 on race day!

All the Pink runners send Dr. Scaff our strongest get well soon wishes. We can all have a beer to speed on his recovery.

Rosie will be running the Boston Marathon next week Monday. Thanks for the good luck wishes! See you back at the park on the 22nd.

Next Sunday, please look for volunteer staffers Bill, Amanda, and Alex to lead the run.

GREY Group by Ivie Kumura:

(Pace: 10:30 to 11:00) (goal –  sub-5 hour marathon)

20 GREY runners, on Easter Sunday! Andy is back! Our stats prove this. Andrew, Warren, Jan, Chi, Bruce, Rob, Donna, Dr. Rob, Victor, Satomi, Jyo, Toshi, Nobu, Warren, Shauna, Bill, Jan and Lily, great to see all of you. We missed Horacio, but thank you Andrew, for helping us keep safe on the streets, and free of sidewalk obstacles. We have our cheerleader, cyclist, body-boarder,  in Warren,  with words of encouragement for all of us. Jyo, is our celebrity 8 year old, finishing his first marathon, December 11, 2011, on his 8th birthday.  Jyo  was interviewed at school by the 6th grade.  Jyo  was not too happy giving up much of his lunch period for the interview.
Thank you, Roger, for our running stride guidelines (not rules). Who would think so much goes into establishing the most efficient stride? Now we are conscious of the sounds of our feet, our posture, arm movement, breathing, and how relaxed and natural we are. Just watch Jyo to know how this should look. Running should be the most natural and relaxed stride, as we were all born to run. We need to re-learn our stride, and undo bad habits. Keep on doing your homework runs, and our long Sunday run. It’ll all come back and we’ll get it again. Once we are in our zone, running effortlessly, we have got it! I noticed my shoulders stiffening and aching as I was going up Diamond Head, and realized, yep, relax those shoulders and arms!
Runner’s World always has the most inspiring stories and goals of individuals. May 2012 issue, a 57 year old female was first in her age group at 3:00:48! An 83 year old male, qualified for Boston at 81 at 4:29! 3 hour marathon? Qualifying time for a 80 year old male and for females 70 to 75 years,  is 4:55. We are on the right pace, to run forever! Let’s just keep it up!

April Schedule
April 1st – intended 6 miles. We did 8 miles! Shoe Talk Not sure anyone did a 4-miler. Our running pace was 9:30 to 11:00, and our overall pace, including stops was too difficult to include. We finally came back to Kapiolani Park at 10:09 am.
April 8 – 6.5 miles Easter Sunday! – Overall pace 11:16, Total running pace, 9:54, outgoing pace 10:02, return pace 9:45. Total running time: 1 hr 17 minutes, calories burned 795! 8 others led by Andy, extended the run to 8 miles by going around Kapiolani Park.
April 15 – 6 miles – You may do an extra 2 miles by going around Kapiolani Park at the end, If we watch our pace, we will all go 8 miles (to gas station)
April 22 – 6 miles to 8 miles– Again an extra 2 miles by going around Kapiolani Park, or as above, 8 miles to gas station.
April 29 – 7 miles – Marathon finish (this makes 8 weeks and we will be going on to Month 3 schedule, “Your First Marathon” schedule.

Silver Group by Lynnae Lee:

(Pace- 11:00 – 12:00 mi. per mile)

Not sure if Easter Sunday could have been better.  There were 15 Silverados today led by volunteer staff leaders Alberto, Tony, Lynnae, Sayaka, Jodee and Gannon.  The group welcomed back Tony after his 2-week vacation in Seattle, where he enjoyed family time (and took a training break).  You did a great job as sweeper, Tony, thanks.  It was a beautiful Sunday morning – the sun’s heat was tempered by the intermittent breezes.  This was our first official 8-mile run to the gas station.  The group returned via Farmers and had a chance to wish a happy Easter to all the doggies at the dog park.  Alberto did a good job with the pacing (after his usual quick start along Paki and up Diamond Head).  Sayaka and Jodee were sporting their Diva Half Marathon shirts from last week’s race – great job!  It is evident that we have a strong group this year as several are already running at least 8 miles.  That will make summer training a piece of cake.

HOMEWORK:  Continue your 2 homework runs of 60 minutes duration with a rest day in between.  Proper discipline helps prevent injury.

UPCOMING:  Another 8-mile run to the gas station next week.  While not yet necessary, for those who want to start experimenting with supplements, I suggest the gummies (ie. sharkies, jelly beans, etc.) because they are in smaller increments.  You don’t want to take more than you need.

HMCers ON THE RUN:  Best wishes to the HMCers who will be doing the Boston and North Shore marathons next week.  Training is all pau.  Have a great race and enjoy the journey!  Go get ‘em Tomo!  Show your HMC aloha with pride.

Thought of the Week:  Exploring a new neighborhood by foot can be an interesting adventure…and may take the monotony out of training.

White Group by Blair Hoashi

 (Pace – 12:00 – 13:00 min. per mile)

Another huge group gathered today- 40 in total.  Blue Group leader Andy was again away so many of his group joined us.  Staff leaders Guru Sam, Norm K, Jeanelle, Violet and Blair led the lively group through a 6 mile trek while some of the more experienced runners of the group went further.  The importance of shoes, cool max tops, shorts and socks were discussed.  Sam mentioned that having a water bottle would be a handy item on our runs.

Sam also mentioned the importance of lifting our feet when running on the sidewalks around Diamond Head.  Due to the uneveness of the sidewalk edges and the incline of our route, runners typically do not lift their feet high enough and get caught up on the edges.  A bad fall ensues and debilitating injuries are common.  (This “CSI” discovery was first relayed to us by staff leader Annette of the then Blue Group a few years ago.   Not to digress but are you still wearing those colorful “Noosa Asics“, Annette?  We have a good friend who lives in Noosa, on the Gold Coast of Australia.)

Our newbies led the group through our last mile to have them get acquainted to the idea of pacing a group (a Guru Sam idea).  They did an excellent job!

Let’s remember our homework runs and make sure to show up on Sunday!

Beginners:

 The Green Group – Rosemary Kyte

(All walking speeds and 13-minute mile > running pace.)  

Rosemary and Cliff paced about 20 “Green 15s”   up and over Diamond Head hill and return for a distance of just over four miles again, our Sunday course for April.   Cliff treated us a to scenic route on the return, diverting along the water-side of a couple beach parks.   Despite another hot day, careful pacing got us all through.

 Gold Group 14’s by Dean Takeshige:

Norm gave up the Conn to Dean to lead the pack up Diamond Head to Medal of Honor (Triangle) Park and back.. Everyone is getting used to the signals and running in single file. Today we had a nice breeze and was slightly overcast. We urged everyone to drink more than a couple sips at the water stops. Overall we did well,  total time 1 hour 11 seconds , covered 4.17 miles and burned and average of 372 calories. Thanks to Thomas for going out of his way to come from the rear position to the front to step on my heels.   Makes me feel right at home.

 Lucky 13’s by Fiona McNeill:

Medelyne was our team leader today, taking out 20 enthusiastic runners. All the runners did a great job and kept up with the group the whole time. We completed a 4 mile run, up Diamond Head to Operation Red Wing – Medal of Honor Park and back. We will continue with this route next week. We discussed the need to be cautious when we approach busy intersections such as Diamond Head Rd, crossing over to the park. When we run in large groups, it is important to be aware of your surroundings and double check the road before following everyone across the road. Remember at all times when running, to make sure the road is clear before following the group. The leaders try to make sure the safety aspect is considered, however it is difficult to watch all the runners at all times.

Da Comment Corner:

Get well Dr. Scaff; we miss you!!!!

 Good Luck in the Boston Marathon and also on the North Shore!

Clinic members Eugene C., Rosie A-T, Kozo Y., Donis, Russ Fleming (former clinic member now residing in Wisconsin) and others; we all wish you well in Boston!!!  Also, good luck to Lynnae, Berrie and a few others from the clinic doing the North Shore Marathon this Sunday!

Newsletter milestone:

In last week’s comments, I failed to mention one of the key people involved in getting the newsletter to you each and every week.  Bob Lew, our webmaster extraordinaire makes sure that  all of the “guts” of this newsletter are working properly and, ensures each and every week that all 950+ of our subscribers  receive the newsletter efficiently without any glitches or errors.  Thank you Bob and apologies!

Also, welcome new staffer Jeanelle Ponce to the White Group “writing staff”.

 Flawless:

Our speaker today, Roger Kobayashi, spoke about running style and I thought I’d relate an observation about a runner that ran with us a few years ago.

“She ran with near perfect rhythmic grace –her long and precise strides (I’m sure after years of training) were in perfect unison to the movement of her body and arms.  Her easy relaxed form and engaging personality, made climbing up Diamond Head seem effortless and fun.   It seemed as if she was floating over the pavement.  Her running form in my humble view was flawless”.

See you at the water stops,

Blair

Dr. Scaff gave a few additional pointers on running shoes, and then spoke to the group on some of the dangers associated with running and the body mechanics of warming up, core temperature, dehydration, fluid loss and heat stroke, high blood pressure, salt in your diet, drinking water, and urination.

Due to the importance of this information, and the details involved, it is recommended that everyone read the full, unabridged summary of this Doc’s Talk:
1) Go to the Honolulu Marathon Clinic web site (http://honolulumarathonclinic.org/)
2) Look under the “Categories” listing.
3) Click on “Doc’s Talk”.

For more information on heat stroke and fluid replacement, Chapter 9 “Ninth Month”, of Your First Marathon – The Last Word In Long Distance Running, by Jack H. Scaff Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S.M., is recommended reading.

It is highly recommended that everyone, especially those who have high blood pressure, or those whose doctors think they have high blood pressure, or are on diuretics, read:

Chapter 22 “Hypertension – More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About High Blood Pressure,” of Your First Marathon – The Last Word In Long Distance Running.

Dr. Scaff’s book is available for purchase at the Honolulu Marathon Clinic on Sundays and online at: http://yourfirstmarathon.net/buy-online-today/

Table Duty

Thanks to staffer Lisa K. for the great food and drink at table duty for the second week in a row. Your very cute assistant (daughter) was a great helper! The oranges, pretzels and pastries along with the drinks were great!

Group Reports

Advanced Group by Les Young

(Pace < 9:00 minutes per mile)

Five AG runners started today at the second beach park and ran 7 miles to the start of the Honolulu Marathon Clinic at 7:30 a.m. Beth and Neal were running races today. Mark and Donis are completing their long runs in preparation for the North Shore Marathon and Boston. Thirteen runners joined the group at the clinic. Welcome back Nancy Poon and Ron Lake. Nancy missed last year’s marathon due to an injury and Ron just fell off the radar moving into his new house. Can’t remember the names of all the new runners, but they all had strong running backgrounds. With so many runners at different skill levels the pace ranged from 8:45-8:15/mile. Some ran 14 miles, 12 miles, 8 miles, and 6 miles. The group will stay officially at 12 miles for this month. Hopefully all the runners will be at this 12-mile basis by the end of the month. Everyone should be doing between 30-35 miles per week. Remember “Speed Kills”, run your pace and ramp up gradually adhering to the 10% rule. Avoid injury!! Start experimenting with your hydration and carb replenishing regimen to see what works for you. We will be experiencing hot running weather soon. Salt replenishing may be a factor for some to consider. Let’s not skip any water stops at least for the first seven months of training. You got to pee clear before starting any long run.

Red Group by Jeff Beard

(Pace 9:00 – 10:00 minutes per mile)

The Red Group went with 5 people on Sunday, for an easy 6.5 – 8-mile run. I chose the shorter route; others went out to the gas station and back. Most of the runners doing the 8-mile run averaged 9:30 or less – I ran a little under 10 for my 6.5 run. Whatever pace you’re doing now, make sure it’s the pace you can do a marathon at – if not, slow down! The next 2-3 months is the critical time to get a consistent pace down – after that, we’ll be working at maintaining that pace on increasingly longer runs.

It was hot and muggy, but I didn’t realize how much sun I’d gotten until I got home and took off my jersey – I could clearly see the runner’s tan/burn lines! Even on these shorter runs, we’re out in the sun for an hour/hour and a half – use your sun screen liberally!

Grey Group by Ivie Kumura

(Pace: 10:30 to 11:00) (goal – sub-5 hour marathon)

22 Grey runners! This past Sunday, our group was split as to whether to do a 4-miler and go to the Shoe Talk, or miss the talk and do the scheduled 6-miler i.e. our 1-hour run. Thank you for being great sports! We ended up running to the Shoe Talk at Running Room (4.95 miles) and doing 8 miles total! Staffers: Horacio and myself (again, missing Andy) Runners were Andrew the 3 Robs, (Dr. Rob, teacher Rob, and the other Rob!), Bill (congratulations, Newlywed!), Lance, Donna, Lily, Victor, Jyo, Toshi, Lisa, Chi, Eric, Shauna, Warren, Gannon, Newbies: Trisha (thank you Miles, for telling Trisha about the Marathon Clinic), Samantha (another Samantha), oh, there were 2 other newbie males, Spikey hair, but not Miles, and Victor’s friend. You have to come out again, and I need to learn your names! Our run was a nice change in scenery through Kaimuki and Kapahulu. What a cool break of 1 hour to listen to Gaston‘s informative Shoe Talk. Coffee, water, and snacks provided! Gaston went through the features of the conventional shoes and the minimalist shoe trend (barefoot running) For the conventional shoe: 1) the toe box room (one to two shoe size larger), to avoid black toes (blisters), Purchase your shoes after about an hour run, or end of day, to allow trying shoes on when your feet have swelled. 2) the differences in cushion and support vs motion control shoes. Bring your current shoes with you, so staff could evaluate areas of wear on your shoes, for footstrike. 3) durability of shoes. How long should your shoes last? Life in shoes vs a dead shoe. This is when the cushion in your shoes no longer spring back. You could go by miles on your shoes, or time, about 6 months, if you are training for you marathon. More tips on shoes? Lisa pointed out Runner’s World March 2012 has a great Shoe Guide. I always gain something new with each Shoe Talk.This shoe talk I learned the importance of not using your running shoes for cross training exercises, like Kick Box, Zumba, or tennis, as those sports involve side to side movements, and our running shoes are designed for forward movements only. We could ruin our running shoes. Dr Scaff told us about our running feet before we buy our running shoes. So, Gaston shared tips of keeping our running feet fit. Assure proper calf stretching, to prevent tendencies of plantar fasciitis. Building strong and flexible quadriceps to avoid knee pain, and hamstrings to avoid back pain. Strength and flexibility are good areas to work on. Great shoe in to recommend cross training now. Work on these areas (don’t forget your core area!) We have lots of time to cross train. The distance and time on the road is not as intense as September rolls around. What we have to look forward to! Are you having fun yet? Looking forward to seeing you all Sunday, to hit the road again!

April Schedule
April 1st – intended 6 miles. We did 8 miles! Not sure anyone did a 4-miler. Our running pace was 9:30 to 11:00, and our overall pace, including stops was too difficult to include. We finally came back to Kapiolani Park at 10:09 am.
April 8 – 6 miles Easter Sunday!
April 15 – 6 miles – You may do an extra 2 miles by going around Kapiolani Park at the end.
April 22 – 6 miles – Again an extra 2 miles by going around Kapiolani Park
April 29 – 7 miles – Marathon finish (this makes 8 weeks and we will be going on to Month 3 schedule, “Your First Marathon” schedule.

Silver Group by Lynnae Lee

(Pace- 11:00 – 12:00 minutes per mile)

We made it to the 4^th weekend, yes, a month of training. Congrats to all those who have had perfect attendance thus far. There were 25 Silverados today led by volunteer staff leaders Alberto and Paris. It was a beautiful Sunday morning with perfect weather conditions. The group started out for a 6-mile run, turning around at Elepaio. Paris did a good job controlling Alberto’s pace (slow down, slow down) to keep everyone together. We had a young runner today who came out with his mother and did a terrific job keeping up with the group. At the end of the run Paris led about 10 members of the group to the shoe talk. And the rest of the group followed Alberto once more around the park to complete about 8 miles total, no fooling. Good job!

Homework: Please make sure to do 2 homework runs of 60 minutes minimum duration with a rest day in between. This will ensure that you have the proper conditioning as the Sunday runs get longer. We need to develop the proper discipline early in the year to prevent injury.

Upcoming: Next week the group will be doing our first official 8-mile run to the gas station. You might want to bring some cash to get hydration or supplements there.

Thought of the Week: Lucky we live Hawaii and can train year round.

White Group by Blair Hoashi

(Pace – 12:00 – 13:00 minutes per mile)

Staff leader Violet counted 41 runners as being part of the combined White/Blue group this morning. Guru Sam, Norm K., Violet, and Blair led this large group through their paces. After the Triangle Park stop, Blair led a small group back to the start to get back in time for the Shoe Talk geared for the more “experienced” runners. Sam led the lively group through a 6-mile trek as per our prescribed program. (Blue Group Leader Andy was again not available to take his group out.)

“Stop and smell the roses”

During the early part of our training schedule, our Sunday runs should be more fun and “stress and injury free”; meaning that we should not be” too serious” in our training yet. At this point in time (unless already experienced), a member should get accustomed to being on the road for an hour or more. Getting used to “pounding the pavement” for an extended amount of time at our particular pace requires “slow and deliberate” physical conditioning. Remember how difficult it was just to do a mile around the park when you first started? Well, we all have to build around a strong steady foundation – and the homework runs along with the Sunday runs are ones’ foundation.

Speed at this stage is not that important. As you become more diligent in your homework, your speed and stamina will improve. While the Guru and the other staff members might set a pace that may seem initially too slow or too deliberate, please remember that 26.2 miles is a long way and our training has just begun. What Sam and the rest of the leaders are trying to do is to have as many members be as injury free as possible and be able to participate in all of the “trials and tribulations”(fun and merriment too!) that you will go through in your training with us for the marathon. “Hundreds of runners” have passed through the White Group’s training who now have become prolific runners and staff leaders. So for now, take it easy, be patient and enjoy the scenery and company!

Please continue your homework runs and by all means, show up next Sunday (a very important key)!

Your best is yet to come!!

Beginners

The Green Group – Rosemary Kyte

(All walking speeds and 13-minute mile > running pace.)

Rosemary and Cliff paced about 24 “Green 15s” up and over Diamond Head hill and return for a distance of just over four miles. This was the first time running all the way up Diamond Head for many. Despite the hot conditions, careful pacing got us all through. Here’s a story about creative and committed run work out scheduling. Tom got home close to midnight after a very long day at work, and then, not seeing time in his schedule to run the next day, he got in a one hour session before going to bed. And remembering Dr. Jack’s talk today that also means Tom enjoyed elevated metabolism and extra fat burning the entire time he slept and through the time he finally ate his next meal!

Gold Group 14’s by Norm Uyeda

Paced by Dean and Norm, the Gold 13 minute per mile group went outside of the familiar confines of Kapiolani Park for the first time today. It was a hot and humid day but we all completed the 4 miles out and back which turned around at Medal of Honor Park The summer weather conditions emphasized the fact that we need to get used to drinking water at ALL the water stops. Even though our Sunday training runs are still relatively short, we MUST get our bodies accustomed to drinking water during our jogs. Don’t wait until you are thirsty because then it will be too late. We will keep at this Sunday distance (4 miles) for the rest of the month.

Lucky 13’s by Chris Isham

Lucky 13s, a group of 26 outstanding runners made it up and over the hill to Triangle Park. We talked about the need for sunglasses as well as the need to continuously drink water and electrolytes. As we discussed, it will take a while to get used to the 13 min pace for those used to going faster. People migrate between groups till they find the one most comfortable. Keep drinking water and do your homework!

Da Comment Corner

Shoe Talk Deux

Assistant Manager Gaston demonstrated his knowledge and experience with his Shoe Talk geared for the more experienced runner. The hot topic of the season – minimalist running and the minimalist shoe was covered nicely by Gaston. A crowd of about 40 runners was on hand to listen to the talk. Thank you Gaston and thank you Store Manager Lerma for setting up the talks again this year!

A bit of nostalgia: Bandana day run August 28, 2008

As I was unpacking a few of my boxes, I came across a photo dated August 28, 2008. Staff Leader Ivie had the great idea to honor our beloved Guru Sam by everyone wearing a bandana on this particular Sunday! At the time Sam was into wearing bandanas every Sunday. Ivie bought a huge box of these bandanas and passed it around to the various Intermediate runners. A photo of many of the current Intermediate runners proudly showing off their bandanas is quite a treat! Also, no one in the photo has aged one bit – must be the running!! Not sure the photo will be clear enough for the newsletter so I will post it on the bulletin board next week.

Congratulations, another milestone!

Our subscribership has grown to over 925 members and viewed all over the world! Runners from Japan, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, the Bahamas, Canada, Israel, Britain, Germany, the Czech Republic, and many more throughout the world have viewed our newsletters. It is a testament to Dr. Scaff and all of his great work done on behalf of all runners.

Also, extra special thanks to staff contributors Andrew Laurence (Doc’s Talk), Les Young (Advanced Group), Jeff Beard (Red Group), Rosie Adam-Terem (Pink Group). Ivie Kumura(Grey Group), Lynnae Lee, Alberto Olivas, Paris Monti(Silver Group) Sam Usman, Blair Hoashi(White Group), Andy Hirano(Blue Group), and Rosemary Kyte, Norm Uyeda, Chris Isham (Beginners) for all of their efforts and also their tremendous insight.

Its Origin

This “newsletter” started about 7 years ago with the intent to have some communiqué within the “then” Intermediate running group. The newsletters, I think, were being sent to less than 10 members initially within our group – Keith, Pearl, Fiona, Maka, Al, the two Molly’s, Adonia, Karen, and please excuse me if I forgot anyone else from the original list. Al mentioned a few years ago that he had a hard copy of every newsletter sent out. Incredible!

Remember Keith your plans to have hats and tops with our”then” newfound logo on it; I believe the name that was chosen was “Na Kukini Koke” (Swift Runners) – our good friend Maka came up with the name! I shall always cherish those wonderful memories!!
See you at the water stops,

Blair

Dr. Scaff spoke to the group on “How To Pick A Pair Of Running Feet”.

While in medical school, Dr. Scaff worked among the Igorot Headhunters who live in the Philippine’s Northern Luzon Mountains. They go through life barefoot. To us their feet may appear grotesque; but they are architecturally perfectly adapted for running.

Shoes, including running shoes, seem to be the source of all our foot and leg problems. Wearing shoes since birth our feet have been deformed and prevented from growing, whereas people in places where shoes are not worn as much have feet which are adapted to the natural environment and are better for running.

From morning to afternoon your feet get one size bigger. When you run for one hour your feet get another size bigger. After a year of running your feet get bigger again.

While the new Vibram Five-finger shoes are doing quite well, they change your foot strike and take some getting used to.

So at this time, here are Dr. Scaff’s recommendations for purchasing running shoes: The preferable time to shop for running shoes is in the afternoon, after a walk or run (your feet will be bigger).  Buy running shoes that are one size bigger than your foot measures after a walk or run.  Be sure they are loose on the sides, with one to one and a half finger widths of space between the tip of your longest toe and the toe box of the shoe.

For more information refer to Chapter 19 “How to Pick A Pair of Running Feet”, in Your First Marathon – The Last Word In Long Distance Running, by Jack H. Scaff Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S.M., available for purchase at the Honolulu Marathon Clinic on Sundays and online at: http://yourfirstmarathon.net/buy-online-today/

To read full, unabridged summaries of the Doc’s Talks:

Go to the Honolulu Marathon Clinic web site (

http://honolulumarathonclinic.org/

)

Look under the “Categories” listing.

Click on

“Doc’s Talk”

.

Table Duty

Thanks to staffer Lisa K. and Lisa L. for the great food and drink at table duty. The oranges, pretzels and pastries along with the drinks were perfect!

Group Reports

Grey Group by Ivie Kumura

(Pace: 10:30 to 11:00) (goal – sub-5 hour marathon)

Another large and energetic Grey group! It was hard to keep track who was running with us; the Silverados or Pinks were blended in but 18 to 22 of us was a good estimate for the Greys. Staffers, Horacio, Paris (helped us this week) and I had great running company with Lawrence, Eric, Cheryl, Aurene, Mike, Kelly, Shauna, Lance, Lisa, Victor, Katie, Hao, and newbies: Bruce, Ivan, Chi, and Nikki. We missed Andy this week who is visiting the Happiest Place on Earth. We did our 6-miler, turning at Elepaio Street. A larger group than last week took in another 2 miles around Kapiolani Park, for 8 miles, led by Horacio. Others cooled down, and did some stretching and shared running stories. You all have been doing incredibly well for these 1 hour runs. Please continue your two 1 hour homework runs during the week for a total of 3 one hour runs a week. We are following Dr. Scaff’s training schedule, Month One, or 9 months prior to marathon, referenced in “Your First Marathon”. We are training smart, building a strong base, which means miles and running time on the road (not speed). Paris‘ words of wisdom – “the marathon will be all that you put into it. You can’t expect to get out of it more than what you put in”.

Training smart, will build our endurance and foundation. As we train consistently and on schedule our running stride will become very efficient, and speed or pace will be a by-product of our training efforts. Don’t worry about trying to run faster now. Runner’s World March 2012, article to “Run Healthy Forever”. The more we run the better runners we become. Running smart, keeping things challenging keep our minds as young as a 20-year old! Running sure is fun! Let us all know when this PTA (pain, torture and agony) has turned to euphoria. See all you healthy forever runners next Sunday!

March/April Schedule:

• March 18 – 6 miles
• March 25 – 6.57 miles Overall Pace: 11:52, Running Pace Average: 10:17, Running Pace: 9:52 to 11:18, Some runners did 8 miles (around Kapiolani Park at the finish)
• April 1 – Shoe Talk 4 miles (to Triangle Park and back) need to make it to Running Room by 9 am, bring the running feet you picked. or 6.5 miles again to Elepaio Street some may do an extra 2 miles around Kapiolani Park
• Rest of April 6.5 to 8 miles
• Weekday Runs: Wednesdays and Fridays 5:30 pm 1 hour – Ala Moana Park, Magic Island entrance across concession stand

Silver Group by Lynnae Lee

(Pace- 11:00 – 12:00 minutes per mile)

. For the 3^rd week of training, the Silver Group doubled to 33 runners! The joyful bunch was led by volunteer staff leaders Alberto and Byron for a 6-mile run. It was a beautiful Sunday morning for a run. It was difficult to tell that there were questionable weather conditions just 12 hours prior — so glad the weather forecast was wrong. It was wonderful to see all of the new faces, and we’ll get to know you better over the course of this training season. Those who started since day 1 should be feeling a lot more comfortable at this pace and mileage. If you’re thinking it’s kinda easy (or boring), then that means you’re doing your homework. Pretty soon we’ll be going up to 8 miles. For now, those who may want to challenge themselves can opt for an extra lap aroundKapiolaniPark (to add another 2 miles) before attacking the food table. Alberto will gladly lead those who are up for this challenge.

While we get together to have fun each Sunday from now until December, please remember that there is homework. (Yes, you’re never too old for homework.) Please make sure to do 2 homework runs of 60 minutes minimum duration with a rest day in between. This will ensure that you have the proper conditioning as the Sunday runs get longer. We need to develop the proper discipline early in the year to prevent injury.

Shoe talk is next week, so please make arrangements to attend. Lots of good information gets covered, and you can see the latest styles and technology. You may want to consider writing the date on a new pair of shoes when you start using them. This can help you keep track of mileage and tell them apart, especially if you’re one who keeps getting the same shoe. (I’m already on my 3^rd pair of Asics GT-2150s!)

Thought of the Week: A good pair of shoes is a worthy investment, and good insoles are priceless.

White Group by Blair Hoashi

(Pace – 12:00 – 13:00 minutes per mile)

Blue Group leader Andy was not able to take his group out, so the “Blues” joined the White Group today. According to the Guru, 39 members combined, were with us today. Leader Guru Sam along with staffers Norm, Dwight, Jeanelle, Darrin, Violet, Richard and Blair led the enthusiastic group. A few of the group cut their run short to attend the Shoe Talk (which was very informative and rewarding; see more in “Da Comment” section). So the Guru and the rest of the staff took the group through a 6-mile loop around Diamond Head and back. A “meditation run” (no talking, no touching, and breathing only from one’s nose) through the Diamond Head cemetery provided the group with the spiritual aspect of our run. Our regular ohana like Aileen, Gary, Debbie, Raquel and Mark always add to the enthusiasm of the group. We also welcome back “previous regulars” like Stacie, Wei, Russell, and Julie (after many years’ absence)! Congrats to all of our members especially the newer members!! See you next Sunday

Blue Group by Andy Hirano

(Pace 12:30 – 13:30 minutes per mile)

The Blue Group joined the White Group on the Sunday run going a little over 5 miles. Andy showed up to ensure the group was taken care of before having to leave to attend a funeral service. The Blue Group will continue its 4-mile run next week to attend the shoe talk. See you all next week.

Beginners

The Green Group – Rosemary Kyte
(All walking speeds and 13-minute mile > running pace.)

The Green 15′s took one lap around the park and then a few joined Rosemary in *running* to the shoe talk and back; for a total of 4.6 miles. Question of the week: What to do for cramps? Specifically if we are on medication for which cramps can be a side effect. Answer: Stays hydrated (“pee clear once a day”) and add potassium to your diet. Many brands of coconut water have recently appeared (660mg potassium per serving); and also here’s a link to the top ten sources of potassium foods http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/10-common-foods-with-more-potassium-than-bananas-554715.html Surprise! Bananas are high but don’t make the top ten.

Gold Group 14’s by Norm Uyeda

The Gold Group (14-minute pace) did a hurried one lap around Kapiolani Park and then rushed over to the Running Room to take in the Shoe Talk. Gaston Ly, Assistant Manager of the Running Room gave an entertaining and informative talk concerning shoe related information and running. He even covered the relatively new aspect of minimalist running shoes and the pro and cons of following that concept.

Things to remember from the Shoe Talk:

• Double layer socks
• body glide (maybe not now, but later when the runs get longer)
• buying a large enough shoe
• the importance of having experienced shoe personnel.

Next week – we leave the familiar confines of Kapiolani Park and hit the open road to travel out to Medal of Honor Park (Triangle Park) and back for a total of about 4 miles. So far we have covered the Paki Avenue outbound portion of the actual marathon and also the finish line stretch. During the
course of the year, we wiil cover the entire marathon course so that all portions should be a bit familiar come marathon morning.

If you find yourself out of breath during our runs – slow down – take your time and catch up with us during the water stops. Or drop back one group and join Rosemary’s gang. If you find the pace too slow – move up one group to the Lucky 13s. Now is the time to find a pace that is comfortable for
you.

See y’all next Sunday. Don’t stop! Don’t skip a Sunday. Do your weekday homework.

Da Comment Corner

Shoe Talk

Assistant Manager Gaston, who has done several marathons under four hours, gave an excellent talk about shoes. His knowledge of shoes and experience in running add a great deal of credibility and add validity to the “fact” that shoes are the most important piece of equipment in running. A crowd of approximately 80 runners were on hand to hear Gaston’s excellent talk.

The talk this Sunday, April 1, will be geared more toward the Intermediates and Advanced runners but everyone is welcome. The subject of minimalist running with minimalist shoes will also be covered. The talks start at 9:00 a.m. at the Running Room on Kapahulu Ave. Parking is limited. A 20% discount is offered on shoes throughout the year if signed up at the presentation.

Beauty

My swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated recently arrived…
(Neh, just kidding!)

When I round Diamond Head on my early morning runs, I never hesitate to stop at the lookout at its apex. Although dark, I can still dimly see and “feel” the beauty of the locale; my sense of smell is heightened and my hearing becomes keener. I can see the waves breaking and hear its rhythmic, hypnotic rumbling sound. This, combined with a “star filled” sky gives me a feeling of peace, tranquility, and hope – it not only “touches” my very limited brain capacity but also my heart. At such a moment, I feel so lucky that we live in such a beautiful place.

See you at the water stops,

Blair

Dr. Scaff welcomed everyone to the 2012 training year and gave a brief overview of the Honolulu Marathon Clinic.

Since 1974 the Honolulu Marathon Clinic has been training people to do the marathon. You don’t have to know anything about running to train with us.

If you listen to what we say, you can do well in the Marathon. Along the way we may give you certain “rules” to follow so you don’t make the mistakes others have made.

You’ll learn about the value of eating eggs, you’ll learn to enjoy hamburgers, and about the benefits of drinking beer! This is a Fun group!

The Honolulu Marathon Clinic meets Sundays, rain or shine, at 7:30 a.m., in Kapiolani Park, directly across from Paki Hale (3840 Paki Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii 96815) for a 9-month training. The training begins the 2nd Sunday in March and continues every Sunday (except 3-day holiday weekends) until the week before the Honolulu Marathon in December.

The cornerstone of the Honolulu Marathon Clinic program is:
Learning to run/walk one hour, three times each week.

After 20 to 40 minutes of running, your body is burning 80 – 90 percent fat.

Studies have shown other benefits of long distance running include a 50 to 70% reduction in all types of mortality, including breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers.

For more information we encourage you to read Your First Marathon – The Last Word In Long Distance Running, by Jack H. Scaff Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S.M., available for purchase at the Honolulu Marathon Clinic and online at: http://yourfirstmarathon.net/buy-online-today/

You can now read full, unabridged summaries of the Doc’s Talks:
1) Go to the Honolulu Marathon Clinic web site (http://honolulumarathonclinic.org/)
2) Look under the “Categories” listing.
3) Click on “Doc’s Talk”.

Table Duty

Thanks to Board member Luanne M. and her husband for doing such a great job at table duty. The oranges, pretzels and pastries were ono!

Group Reports

Advanced Group by Les Young

(Pace <9:00 minutes per mile)

The AG had 13 runners today. Seven started at 6:15AM and ran in from the second park in time for Dr. Scaff’s talk. After the talk, six runners joined in at the park for a run to the first park and back. The first seven runners went back to the second park to complete their 14-miler. Encountered cool weather, but the humidity was high. Let’s not skip water stops this early in the training. Hydration is vital to sustaining a long run. Rehydrate before you feel thirsty. Runners moving up from other groups are welcome, but be careful about violating the 10% rule. The AG are experienced runners running a 8:45-8:15 pace. We started the season with a base run of 12 miles. Mark’s group is running 16-18 miles training for upcoming Boston and North Shore Marathon. I will continue to meet at Paki at 7:30AM to lead new runners to the group. Pee clear and keep injury free.

Red Group by Jeff Beard

(Pace – 9:30 – 10:30 minutes per mile)

The Red Group went out with 5 runners on Sunday – I’m hoping to add more (fast Pink Group runners…..) We went out for an easy 6.5-mile run, at a planned 9:30 pace. I was able to run that pace the first two miles, and the last 2/2½ – in between, I got a case of “side splints” that took a couple of miles to shake. The rest of the group averaged around 9:20 – a little fast, but it’s early in the year – over the next couple of months, I hope to keep us at a strict 9:30. For runners with any kind of experience, this is the most critical time (in my opinion) – learning to run at a consistent pace – one that you can keep up for 26.2 miles! The rest is just adding miles, building up endurance, etc. It was great to see so many people at the Clinic – hope we keep this up all year.

Pink Group by Rosie Adam-Terem

(Pace 10:00 – 11:00 minutes per mile)

We had twelve runners in the Pink group on Sunday morning and ran our 6.5 miles in 1 hour and 4 minutes, which — according to my trusty Garmin — makes a pace of 9:47 minutes per mile, right in our ballpark of 9:45-10:00 minute miles.

It was great to have some of our old friends back running with us, and wonderful to have so many new ones. The Pink Group tends to be a pass-through group as our runners train and learn so well that they go on to speedier groups.

I will not be here for the next two Sundays, so please look for one of the other Pink staff volunteers. Also, please look out for a visiting runner named Dawn from Vancouver, BC who may come down and run with the clinic.

If you would like to be on my Pink e-mail list, please send me a message to moc.oohaynull@izorrd. We use this to keep members updated, especially if there is any special event planned.

Remember the homework runs: two one-hour runs during the week at your comfortable pace

Grey Group by Ivie Kumura

(Pace: 10:30 to 11:00) (goal – sub-5 hour marathon)

What an incredible turn-out for the entire clinic! Even for the Grey group – 19 runners, with quite a few first time marathoners. That is what our clinic is for, for the first timer marathoners. All of you are such an inspiration! Returning staffers are: Horacio, Andy and myself (Byron will be with the Silverados this clinic) we were excited to have Jessica, Dr. Rob, Donna, Rob, Shawna, Nobu, Lisa, Andrew (out from hibernation, yay) and honored to have join with us, Aurene, Mike, Katie, Eric, Na, Lily, Victor. There were 2 others, first time with us, that I just did not get the names right, pardon me, please. Returnees, always continue to learn with each marathon, thus, we keep coming back. As Blair says, you can all learn from our mistakes, that’s how we improve! Conversation pace is our goal. We started off elated and excited; we have a great feeling about this group! So, we are building our base, 6 miles for our long run on Sunday, for this first month. Those who have already been running, we can always loop around Kapiolani Park for 8 miles. Please do your homework runs at least 2 other days of the magical 1 hour of running. Don’t forget to hydrate every 20 to 30 minutes; this is part of the training. Congratulations on getting TUIT, and we promise this is a journey you will gain more than you can imagine. Sam our man says with this step, we are all winners. See all you winners next Sunday.

March Schedule:
March 18 – 6.4 miles – to Elepaio Street, moving pace 8:45 to 11:09, overall pace: 11:50 – some of us did 8 miles
March 25 – 6 miles, we could also do 8 miles (same)

Anyone interested in a very informal run during the week, join us:
Wednesdays and Fridays 5:30 pm for 1 hour – Ala Moana Park, Magic Island (this becomes more formal as we run during the Fall months, when the sun sets earlier, and we don’t want to run in the dark by ourselves)

Silver Group by Lynnae Lee

(Pace- 11:00 – 12:00 mi. per mile)

For the 2^nd week of training, the Silver Group had 15 runners led by volunteer staff leaders Alberto and Tony for a 6-mile run. Conditions were pretty ideal, with lots of breeze to keep the group cool. Returnees included Andrew and Janet, with a good number of new faces, whom we hope to get to know better over the course of this training season. One of the benefits to the clinic is having so many groups to choose from, so don’t hesitate to try some of the other groups until you find a pace that suits you best.

While we get together to have fun each Sunday from now until December, please remember that there is homework. (Yes, you’re never too old for homework.) Please make sure to do 2 homework runs of 60minutes minimum duration with a rest day in between. This will ensure that you have the proper conditioning as the Sunday runs get longer. We need to develop the proper discipline early in the year to prevent injury.

Also, don’t forget to attend the shoe talk. Lots of good information gets covered, and there’s usually a special benefit for HMCers in attendance.

Thought of the Week: HMC runners can be a crazy bunch…though always cheerful.

Community Happenings: The Friends of the Library of Hawaii are having their semi-annual sale on Kuhio Day weekend (March 24-26), 9a-4p, at their Harbor Warehouse location (across Restaurant Row, down South Street). There will be lots of good deals on pre-used books and music. All funds go to support Hawaii’s public libraries. For more info, visit www.friendsofthelibraryofhawaii.org.

White Group by Blair Hoashi

(Pace – 12:00 – 13:00 minutes per mile)

The thundering herd of 102 footsteps (51 runners according to the Guru’s head count at the first water stop) meandered up and around Diamond Head, passed the dog park onto Kilauea, up 22nd Ave., then back on Diamond Head road to get back to our starting location – total distance approximately 6.25 miles (per member Bob’s Ipod).

The very large group was led in disciplined fashion by staff leader Guru Sam. And, he was ably assisted by staffers Violet, Jeanelle, Dwight, Darrin, and Lilia. Blair held up the rear. Congrats to all the staff leaders for taking care of such a large group so efficiently; special thanks to the Guru for his able leadership. It’s hard to get such a large group up Diamond Head in single file but it was done! The able staffers also made sure that this large group crossed the streets safely and no one was left behind. Great job, staffers!!

Since we had such a large crowd, I was not able to get all of the members’ names but here are a few of our regulars – Rani, Gary, Randy, Aileen, Noe, Bob, Camy, Mark, Erica, Elena, Alfredo, Craig (not Eric, as I usually call him)and Raquel who were part of our large group. Apologies if I missed anyone. Welcome to our newer members! Please feel free to ask any of the staff any questions that you may have.

Congrats to member Berrie on doing his long run (18.5-miler today on his own in preparation for his North Shore Marathon in April! Unless, there is a change, Berrie will be featured in a Star Advertiser article later during the week. Congratulations, Berrie!

Repeat:

We mentioned the Shoe Talk being presented on March 25 and April 1. Since shoes are the most important part of our equipment, everyone is encouraged to attend one of the sessions. Cool max or dry fit shorts, tops, and socks were highly recommended as part of our essential equipment. Discussions on “racing nutrition” will take place later.

We continue our 5-6-mile treks for the rest of the month. We usually increase our mileage by 2 miles every month.

Please do not forget to do your two “homework runs” (2 one hour runs during the week- it does not matter how far or how fast; just get your legs and heart acclimated to a one hour run; stopping for water is included in the hour as well); this is the “essence” of our marthon training! As mentioned, you can “fake it (no homework runs) for the first few Sundays, but when we get to 10 -12 miles you will be falling behind your more “diligent classmates”.

Blue Group by Andy Hirano

(Pace 12:30 – 13:30 minutes per mile)

The Blue Group had about a dozen runners doing our 4-mile run. A bit more than last week’s 8 runners, due to the Honolulu Half Marathon event. The group had its short talk at the popular triangle park which is officially named Operation Red Wings, Medal of Honor Park. There is a plaque on a moss rock at the Diamond Head lookout corner of the park. We’re glad to see that most of the previous Blue Group runners have moved on to a faster group. Best of wishes to you for a quicker marathon time.

Our group today consisted mostly of folks that have completed at least one marathon. Sarah, who has been with our group in previous years, was the only one that has yet to run a marathon. Many of the others have laid off running due to injury or some other reason and are now getting back into running; welcome. There were a few returning Blue Group members, Doreen, Carol, and Colleen.

We will continue our 4-mile runs for the month of March and gradually increase about two miles every month. As a reminder, doing your homework 1-hour runs two additional days during the week. It’s a good idea to give yourself a day of rest in between to let your body recover, instead of consecutive days.

See you all next week

Beginners

The Green Group – Rosemary Kyte

(All walking speeds and 13-minute mile > running pace.)

Green Groups (All walking speeds up to as fast as a 13-minute-mile). Welcome again to our freshman class of first-timers and all our returning members! Our Sophomore class (just a few months away from their first marathon) are a great resource to share what first year training is all about; and they include Dean and Madelyn – our two newest staff volunteers. Rosemary talked about the plan for the year, plan for the week and our plan for the day. All the groups ran for about an hour; two long laps around Kapiolani Park – about 4.4 miles. Our plan for the first twelve weeks will be the same – one hour training sessions, three times a week – to lay down a solid base for endurance training.

Gold Group 14’s by Norm Uyeda :

Our most sincere condolences to the family of Doug Kamiya, who recently passed away. Doug was a great friend and runner who always graciously gave of himself to help others. At one time he was a group leader for the Beginner’s group and helped many of our runners attain their first marathon.

Welcome to all the newbies who couldn’t make it to the park last week due to the traffic and parking problems. Hang in there – ask questions – do your weekday homework – come to the park every Sunday. It WILL get easier.

Next week, one lap around Kapiolani Park before heading for the Running Room’s Shoe Talk. Due to the short Sunday training run, you should try to make your weekday runs a bit longer (1 hour 15 minutes each for this week). Please don’t be late on Sunday as we will be hitting the road as soon as the morning talks are finished. The Shoe Talk is very important and every effort should be made to attend.

Lucky 13’s by Chris Isham (we apologize to Chris for missing his name last week):

Lucky 13s had 31 runners on Sunday. Two laps around the park at a 13 min pace netted us another 4 miles. The group kept a good tight single file most of the time, which is a hallmark of the Lucky 13s.
Awesome job!

Keep up on the homework and start hydrating with water! Reminder of the shoe talk this Sunday. All runners are encouraged to attend this talk as it might answer questions you have regarding shoes.
Additionally, there is typically a bonus of recieving discounts later in the training cycle. Chris will not be at Clinic on Sunday but Medelyn will lead the group with a 1 lap run then dismissal to go to shoe talk at the Running Room.

Da Comment Corner

Shoe Talks

Shoes are perhaps the most important piece of equipment in running. Attending the Shoe Talks on March 25 (geared for beginners) or April 1(all others) at the Running Room is highly recommended. Listen to the experts on the latest in shoe technology, etc. Attendees get a 20% off shoes coupon.
Single file please and watch out for angry on comers!!!

It is very important to have everyone abide by this policy especially when heading up Diamond Head. A very disgruntled oncoming runner swore obscenities vociferously at the groups and even tried to trip one of our members! Please be careful!!

Carpool

A few runners living in Mililani are interested in car pooling to attend the clinic. If anyone is interested, please reply to this update with your comment.

Farewell Doug

At a dinner in Hawaii Kai, we drank a toast to Doug! A long time clinic regular who was a fantastic runner and staff leader, a great father and husband, and a great friend not just to me but to the clinic, passed away last week. Soft spoken Doug Kamiya, who always inspired me with his discipline and toughness as a runner but also inspired me with his humility, humor and caring in life as well. He was an avid golfer who was just as talented in the game. You will be missed!

See you at the water stops,

Blair

Doc welcomed everyone on the start of the Honolulu Marathon Clinic’s new year! The Honolulu Marathon Clinic celebrates its 38^th year!

Table Duty

Thanks to Bob L. and Cliff H for inaugurating our table duty responsibilities for the new clinic year!

Group Reports

Advanced Group by Les Young

(Pace <9:00 minutes per mile)

The AG started off the 2012 season with 9 returning runners. The goal of the AG is to run the marathon under 4 hours. Our motto: “Runsub4″! To accomplish this you must run a 9:00/mile pace or faster. You should be running a minimum of 30-35-mile/week at this time. You gotta do your speedwork and hill training during the week. You gotta want this bad enough! Talking to individual AG runners can be helpful in gleaning personal tips on how they accomplished their Sub4 goal. The following was covered with the AG:

Rules of the road: 1) No headsets. 2) Run single file when encountering pedestrians and bikers. 3) Stop for traffic signals. 4) Do not step on utility covers if avoidable. 5) Keep one eye on the running path and one eye ahead. 6) Carry ID and emergency contact info. 7) Follow the Staff Leader. Pre-run check: 1) You passed the Pee Test. 2) You are properly covered with sunscreen and a cap if you don’t have enough hair protection. 3) You ate a runner’s breakfast. 4) You are not running with pain. Running attire: 1) Correct running shoes. 2) Golden Rule-No Cotton.

Runners preparing for Boston or the North Shore Marathon did a 14-miler. Two runners did the Hapalua half marathon. I opened up the season doing my usual 12 miles. We talked about the importance of carbohydrate replenishment and proper hydration. Another Golden Rule: Never pass up water. If you have plans of moving up the Advance Group, please feel welcome. We will find a pace for you somewhere between 8:15-9:00/mile. Have a great injury free season!!

Pink Group by Rosie Adam-Terem

(Pace 9:30 – 10:30 minutes per mile)

There were 13 of us today, some old, some new, as far as Diamond Head where we were joined by a visitor from Vancouver, BC who was vacationing here. Welcome and hopefully you will see this post and stay in touch with the clinic.

We ran for an hour and actually two more minutes for a total of 6.5 miles. Our average pace was 9:31, faster than we really intended. Maybe the presence of some faster runners in our group made us go beyond our pace. That’s a lesson from the Marathon Clinic: we work to stick to our desired pace regardless of what others are doing all around us.

Let’s do our homework: two runs during the week of an hour’s duration regardless of distance. We are building the running base now: three runs of an hour each in the week.

I will be away for two Sundays, March 25 and April 1, but there are other volunteer leaders for the group to keep us going strong!

Wishing everyone a great year of preparation and fun.

White Group by Blair Hoashi

(Pace – 12:00 – 13:00 minutes per mile)

On two separate counts, we reached the number 21. Guru Sam, Norm and Blair led the 21 member group made up of wily veterans combined with newbies to do a 6-mile route which started with a run up Diamond Head then meandered through the Kahala suburbs; it also featured a “Zen Run” through the Diamond Head Cemetery, and then we glided downhill from Diamond Head back to our start featuring all of the newbies as leaders (Sam’s great idea) – approximately 6 miles. It was good to see Gary again and Wei after a year’s absence. Diane rejoined us along with Tanya and husband, Randy, Darrin, Elena, Alfredo and Raquel and friend. Newcomers Joe, Saori, Nana, Sook (protégé of Boston Marathon qualifier Eugene), Hank, and Linda made up the rest of the group. I hope I got everyone’s name correctly.

We mentioned the Shoe Talk being presented on March 25 and April 1. Since shoes are the most important part of our equipment, everyone is encouraged to attend one of the sessions. Cool max or dry fit shorts, tops, and socks were highly recommended as part of our essential equipment. Discussions on “racing nutrition” will take place later.

The staff leaders truly enjoyed the great mix of runners in our group today. We reunited with past members and made new friends with the newbies.

We continue our 5 to 6-mile treks for the rest of the month. We usually increase our mileage by 2 miles every month.

The Green Group – Beginners by Rosemary Kyte, Norm Uyeda and Dina Schneider

(All walking speeds and 13-minute mile > running pace.)

Welcome to our freshman class of first-timers and all our returning members! Our Sophomore class (just a few months away from their first marathon) are a great resource to share what first year training is all about. Rosemary talked about the plan for the year, plan for the week and our plan for the day. All the groups ran for about an hour; two laps around Kapiolani Park. Our plan for the first twelve weeks will be the same – one hour training sessions, three times a week – to lay down a solid base for endurance training.

Lucky 13’s

Chris took out the Lucky 13s and had a group of 12 runners. Two full laps around the park netted us about 4 miles. I was glad to hear the great conversation amongst all the runners and look forward to running with all of you. We discussed the need to start drinking more water and getting our bodies used to more water intake. Again, make sure you do your homework.

Da Comment Corner

Dedication

We had over 100 runners attend the clinic today despite the closing off of Kapiolani Park to anyone other than the half marathon participants. All roads leading to our meeting place were blocked off! Every attendee should be congratulated for their perseverance. I personally had to park very close to Kapiolani Community College (KCC) and saw many other members do the same. Great job to all attendees! The weather wasn’t the greatest either – it was very cold, windy with lots of on and off drizzle.

Shoe Talks

Shoes are perhaps the most important piece of equipment in running. Attending the Shoe Talks on March 25 (geared for beginners) or April 1(all others) at the Running Room is highly recommended. Listen to the experts on the latest in shoe technology, etc.

Single file, please and watch out for angry oncoming runners!!!

It is very important to have everyone abide by this policy especially when heading up Diamond Head. A very disgruntled oncoming runner swore obscenities vociferously at the groups and even tried to trip one of our members! Please be careful!!

Marathon Readiness Series Info from Lynnae L.

The Marathon Readiness Series has a special rate of $100 for online registrants by March 15th [see www.808racehawaii.com]. After that it goes up to $115, and later $130. Individual races are $30-40, so the special is a good price for anyone who plans to do at least 3-4 of the races. I know most clinic folks do the PF Chang 30K, but I recommend the entire series for those who want race experience. It helped me a lot as a newbie.

See you at the water stops,

Blair