The United States is the most obese nation in the world, …but we are rapidly being overtaken by Mexico, and believe it or not, India.  As we get more money we become more leisurely.  A potbelly is the sign of wealth.  Poor people work in the fields; they are the ones with the flat stomachs.

The bottom line is, we can always eat more than we can exercise.

It is very hard to lose weight
There are nearly 3,500 – 4,000 calories in a pound of fat, that’s enough for 15 or 20 miles of running.

A pat of butter is 90 calories.  If you take 1 extra pat a day, by the end of the year you’ve gained 8 pounds.  And you will notice weight gain doesn’t occur overnight.  Most of us gain 2 – 4 pounds over a period of years, that is because the caloric balance is so fine.

We all know that we should probably be losing weight, but you must remember:  When you lose weight, for every 3 pounds you lose, 2 pounds will be fat, and the other will be bone, blood, and muscle, and that cannot be stopped even when you are exercising.  So losing weight is injurious.

For anyone doing the Honolulu Marathon who is planning to lose weight, you are going to do it now, and then in mid-September or October 1 at the latest, weight loss ceases.  You wake up that morning, look in the mirror and say, “This is my body for 2012.”  You do not get in shape at the last minute, and as a matter of fact, the Honolulu Marathon Clinic will encourage you to gain a couple pounds.

Where weight is makes the difference
The women you see in Africa or Asia who carry the big pots on their heads experience no caloric expenditure at all.  All the weight goes directly through the spinal column and down to the feet.  In fact, when these women are walking you cannot even tell they are carrying weight, and some of these things they carry are 50 to 75 pounds!

We determine caloric expenditure by oxygen uptake.  If you are doing more work you are burning more oxygen.

As weight moves towards the feet, it gets more expensive calorically.

The military, in order to figure out how much recruits can carry in their backpacks, did a very good study: They took soldiers, put them on a treadmill, hooked them up to an oxygen breathing device so they could measure oxygen consumption, and a sergeant stood above them and would drop a brick in the knapsack the soldier had on their back.

Turns out that on your waist or on your back you can carry about 35% of your ideal body weight without changing the workload.  That’s walking.  Running is different.  Running is 3rd dimension, you are going up and down.  So running is always 25% more expensive calorically, or workwise, than walking on the flat.  That explains how a man or woman who walks 1 mile in 15 minutes (4 miles an hour) starts moving up and down (e.g. running) burns 25% more calories (100 calories while walking, roughly 125 calories while exercising).

We cannot always affect how weight is deposited, but weight that is below the hips, on the legs, costs us metabolically 4 times as much as weight above the waist.

Try strapping 2-pound weight belts to both your ankles.  That is only 4 pounds.  See how many times you can make it around the park.  Maybe once.  Put that same weight around your waist and you will hardly know it is there.

So those of us who have thick legs or carry our weight lower and will have a little bit of a handicap.  You will notice the world class runners from Kenya have legs that look like beanpoles.  It also explains how a little 70-year-old potbellied runner with skinny legs goes by you lickity-split in the marathon, because the weight is not costing him that much, it is up above the waist and on his hips.

The key things to remember about weight:
1)  Weight loss causes injuries but it needs to be done.
2)  The way weight is distributed on your body makes a very big difference.
3)  You can always eat more than you can exercise.  (That was survival.  Man would not have gotten out of the Stone Age without being able to do that.)

Shoes and Weight
One thing that IS callorically very expensive is your shoes.  That is why the lighter shoes seem to be more popular.  People say that they cause injuries, but they don’t if you run properly.  Perhaps that is why the Vibrum Fivefinger shoes are beginning to take off.  They weigh about half what a training shoe does.  Dr. Scaff is not saying that you should go out and get the lightest shoe in the world, just be aware that putting weight on the foot takes a lot more energy than putting weight somewhere else.

Weight and Finish Time
For every pound you lose between now and the marathon, you will finish the marathon 1 minute faster.  That is, if you say you are a 4:10 marathoner, and you wanted to do a 3:50 and you are a little overweight, lose 20 pounds, and with no extra training you will do it.  So, a pound per minute in the marathon.  That is an awfully easy way to improve your time.  Actually it is not so easy, it’s quite hard to quit eating, …but it works.
For more information there are many pages on weight, weight loss, and weight gain 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/

Nutrition
For some good reading on nutrition, Dr. Scaff recommends everyone check out the daily postings on Dr. Alan Titchenal’s “Got Nutrients?” web site: http://gotnutrients.net/tips.cfm

Here is a recent posting:

May 19, 2012
Weight loss may enhance the health and longevity of those with obesity-related health problems. However, weight loss in healthy obese individuals is actually associated with increased mortality. Identifying who needs to lose weight should take this into account.

Consumer Link
The Downside of Weight Loss?

Research Link
Can Fam Physician. 2012 May;58(5):517-23.

Recently, we have been reading a lot in the paper about football injuries and concussions.  What you have to remember is that football is a blood sport and that is why we watch the games.  The same can be said of the Indiana 500, people don’t go to watch the driving, they go for the accidents! 

We watch these kinds of sports for blood and guts.  While this may be good for fundraisers, when you see a kid in a wheelchair for the rest of their lives it is not so nice.

In sports like football, the reason we provide more and more protection is so that we cut down on the small injuries, …and get more of the bigger injuries.  But people won’t believe that, they say, “That’s not true, we’re doing it to protect the players!”

Well, … let’s look at it the other way.  Look at rugby players.  They wear a lot less protective equipment and they’re a blood sport too and they never get head injuries; they get dislocated shoulders, and broken arms are the badge of honor in that sport.  Notice that in soccer the players wear virtually no equipment at all, … and nobody gets hurt, …and we don’t watch soccer.

If you are against kids getting concussions, or even pro football players, just think about it:  We like blood and guts sports.  So if that’s what you like, be prepared for the side effects, but don’t say we’ve got to do something, because there are things that we can do.

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

When you get an injury you see a doctor, the doctor tells you what to do, and you spend $80 – $90 in the process, …but 90% of the time you can take care of the problems on your own.

The injuries referred to in this article are not injuries like getting hit by a car or falling onto a curb and breaking a leg.  The injuries in question are cumulative injuries, repetitive stress injuries.  It is important to remember that long-distance running is the only sport where we do exactly the same thing 5,000 times per hour.  In other sports you move back, forth, and sideways, crescendo, decrescendo, etc., and thus get different types of injuries.  In running we are taking 5,000 steps per hour, and it is the repetition that leads to 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
The runs do not feel good, your sleeping pattern has changed, you are either sleeping too much or too little; whatever it is, you just notice a change in your general body physiology.  Note:  Injuries progress in intervals of approximately six weeks.  Therefore, after about six weeks in phase 1…

Injury Phase 2:  Soreness
The injury starts to localize and become sore.  Under normal circumstances, you may notice a little soreness at the beginning of a run, but after you warm-up that soreness disappears.  When you are injured the soreness gets worse 20 minutes into your run.  You may not be able to see it, feel it, or touch it, but there is an injury in there.  Six weeks later…

Injury Phase 3:  Tenderness
Where you were sore now you touch that spot and it hurts.  That tissue is starting to really bother you.  There may be swelling.  You’ll notice that you can put your finger on it and you can indent it, whether it is the ankle or knee or some other body part.  Six weeks later…

Injury Phase 4:  Death or tear or rupture of tissue
If you get to the point where you tear an Achilles tendon or one of your hamstrings, those are serious injuries.  They can take up to a year to heal.

The bottom line is, you want to avoid injuries.

Injuries tend to occur more often in the first year of training because you are just starting, although as you get better at running you can certainly damage yourself by over-training.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
If you take a nonsteroidal, like ibuprofen or aspirin, the pain goes away and then you continue to train.  Now you can injure yourself worse because you are numbing the pain.

If you are going to take a nonsteroidal, take it on the days you are not running, and do not take it before a run, …except the day of the marathon, then you can do anything you want because you just want to finish and you’ve got 3 months to heal from whatever disaster you’ve caused.  But do not take NSAIDs up until then.

Healing
How do we tell a runner to heal?  First, tell them to stop running.  They can do anything during the healing phase that does not hurt, e.g., ride a bike, swim, etc.  Later they can go out and perhaps train slower if it does not hurt.

You should be able to walk without significant pain before you start running again.

Recovery
During your slower test run if the pain gets better, you are on the road to recovery.  At this point, Dr. Scaff says you can go out for a 20-minute run, a little bit slower than your training pace, and see how it feels.  If the injury is getting 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 to your run.  If the 25-minute run feels fine, then rest a day and do a 30-minute run thereafter.  Continue adding 5 minutes to your run until you are again running for 1 hour, 3 times per week for a month, at that slow pace.  When you can do that, then go back to your regular training program.  That should take care of the bulk of the injury.

Some of you are still going to get shin splints, which occur primarily in the first year of training, and then they tend to disappear forever.  Side splints also tend to disappear after the first year of training.

A word on black toenails
Black toenails are an example of a minor repetitive injury.  Black toenails are painless and harmless.  A lot of experienced runners have had black toenails.  A black toenail is the sign of a tight shoe toe box.  If you weren’t wearing the shoe you wouldn’t get black toenails.  Eventually it will fall off and a new one will grow in behind it.

In ultra-long distance running (50K, 50 miles, or longer) black toenails have gotten to be such a problem that some ultra-marathoners have had their toenails permanently removed; drastic, but that happens.

Black toenails are a sign of accomplishment:  If you haven’t had a black toenail you haven’t run enough!  In fact, the Honolulu Marathon Clinic is thinking of coming out with a black toenail polish that will make black toenails look like fashion statements!

For more information on injuries, 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 and how it impacts performance, and how to lose weight if you can.

Nutrition
For some good reading on nutrition, Dr. Scaff recommends everyone check out the daily postings on Dr. Alan Titchenal’s “Got Nutrients?” web site: http://gotnutrients.net/tips.cfm

Here is a recent posting:

May 12, 2012
Legumes like soybeans, lentils, and chickpeas produce a class of naturally-occurring protease inhibitors called Bowman-Birk inhibitors that have potential health benefits. These interesting natural compounds are being studies for anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Consumer Link
Soybeans Soaked in Warm Water Naturally Release Key Cancer-Fighting Substance

Research Link
J Agric Food Chem. 2012 Mar 28;60(12):3135-43.

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

Base Training
Over the last couple of weeks Dr. Scaff talked about collapse point, post-race collapse, and other topics that probably scared the [censored] out of you, …and yet you are among the elite runners in the United States.  We’re older, and we’re slower, but when you go out on the day of the marathon you will see there are 20,000 runners, and if you are doing a 7-hour marathon there will be 8,000 – 9,000 runners behind you, …younger, better looking, healthier looking, …and Dying!  And you are going to feel so good because we are the Base! 

You may not believe this, but running started here in Hawaii.  Not racing, like in the Olympics, but running.  When the Honolulu Marathon Clinic started in 1974, only 167 runners had participated in The Honolulu Marathon the year before.  Nobody knew anything!  Today, of course, there are, in addition to the Honolulu Marathon Clinic, two other main schools of running (Hal Higdon’s and Jeff Galloway’s), which evolved from base training as initially done by the Honolulu Marathon Clinic.

Problems, …Maybe Not
When Dr. Scaff talks about collapse point, or about hitting The Wall, The Wall may or may not be there.  You could walk the marathon in two days and never know there is a wall.  “Hitting The Wall” is a time/intensity relationship.

You can overheat, …but if you drink enough beverages and your urine is colorless (colorless once each day) and you urinate within 4 hours of completing your run, you will not overheat.

Post-race collapse is when a runner loses weight while running, the body preserved the blood volume by drawing fluids from the tissues, the runner stops running, and the body starts putting the blood volume back into the tissues, then you get into a bit of trouble, …but you can take care of all of that.

All You Need To Do
Right now we are in the base training and people ask, “Well, aren’t I going to do intervals like Hal Higdon?  Aren’t I going to do the Jeff Galloway method of walking and running?”

The bottom line is base precedes speed, and that is all you need to do.

In the weeks to come, Dr. Scaff will get into a little bit about pacing (the 5-Second Rule).  A study of people in the Boston Marathon found that people whose pace varied by more than 5 seconds per mile hit The Wall or did not finish.

But this does not have to happen to you.  All you have to do is if you are running at a 10-minute mile now, and you stay at a 10-minute mile and you are comfortable, you will do fine, and you will certainly do better than the other people who are going to be suffering.

The Honolulu Marathon Clinic’s basic approach to training for the marathon is:

In the first 3 months (March, April, May) run 1 hour 3 times per week.  That is easy.

In the fourth month (June) increase to 1 hour 4 times per week.

Starting in the fifth month (July) increase to 30 miles per week, which will take you 4 to 6 hours depending on your pace.  The reason for this is because if you can get up to 30 miles per week, and stay there for 2 months without getting injured, and you slow down on the day of the marathon you will finish.  And then of course if you want to complete the marathon with a little bit better finish time, you can add miles in the remaining months of training.

(This is so Simple!  People ask Dr. Scaff, “What are you doing out in the middle of the Pacific giving this stupid lecture?”  He shares this because it works!)

That’s basically all you have to do, is be mindful of your pace and stick to the program and you are going to all do very well.

Read the Rules
If you are going on a trip this summer, and even if you are not, Dr. Scaff encourages you to take his book, Your First Marathon – The Last Word In Long Distance Running, and at least read the sections on rules.  In fact, Dr. Scaff recommends that everyone should read the entire book as it is a very good source of information on all things running, and other interesting topics as well.

If you are interested in acquiring a copy of the book, 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 “The Beginners Guide to Injuries”.  After all, why spend a lot of money in a doctor’s office if you can take care of some things at home for free?  Remember:  Feeling good is the first sign of an injury.  Nobody gets injured with a hangover or a cold.  So if you’re feeling good be careful.  And if you’re feeling bad, don’t worry, you’ll never get hurt.

Nutrition
For some good reading on nutrition, Dr. Scaff recommends everyone check out the daily postings on Dr. Alan Titchenal’s “Got Nutrients?” web site: http://gotnutrients.net/tips.cfm

Here is a recent posting:

May 6, 2012
For some time, research has indicated that consistent physical activity provides long term health benefits. A new report emphasizes that the benefits may be somewhat like alcohol consumption. Mortality is higher in non-joggers and in those undertaking extreme levels of exercise than it is in moderate joggers.

Consumer Link
Regular Jogging Shows Dramatic Increase in Life Expectancy

Research Link
Eur J Epidemiol. 2012 Feb;27(2):91-9.

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

Post-race collapse phenomenon is different than collapse point.

A good example of post-race collapse is a runner who crosses the finish line, looks well, walks around, and 10 minutes later ends up in the first-aid facility hypotensive, pale, heat exhausted, perhaps even convulsing.

Post-race collapse is a physiologic phenomenon that was not understood until large numbers of people began running.  The Honolulu Marathon Clinic was the first to report it in the early part of 1973 after an older man who came to the Honolulu Marathon Clinic regularly, ran, was doing well, showed no symptoms, and while driving home ran into a wall and ended up in the hospital.  People thought he had a heart attack.  He actually experienced post-race collapse.

The Physiology of Post-Race Collapse
For every 3 miles you run, you lose approximately 1 pound of fluids.  A gallon of blood weighs about 8 pounds, and your body holds barely 1½ to 2 gallons of blood.  Therefore, if you’ve lost 6 or 7 pounds you have lost nearly your entire bloodline.

Even with the best hydration, if you weigh yourself after completing a run, you will find that you are 2 to 5 pounds lighter.  Yet, if you take your blood pressure after a run, it measures normal; though you have lost weight, your blood volume is normal; your red blood cell count may be up a little bit, but it too is still relatively normal.  So what is going on?

Teleologically, the heart is the most important organ in the body.  When it’s gone, you’re gone.  You can say a person died of an infection or AIDS or cancer, but how do we know they are dead?  When their heart stops.  The heart determines it.  So everything is geared towards preserving the heart.

As you are running the heart says, “I need fluids to keep blood flowing to let you exercise, to let you exchange heat.”  With that, fluids are taken from the tissues.  (This is why after a run you are wrinkled.  If you want to know what you are going to look like in 10 years, look at your face after a marathon.)

In this, your blood volume remains almost normal, …but you have tissue dehydration because of all the fluids coming out of your muscles.  The minute you stop running, fluids start immediately going back into the deprived tissues and blood volume decreases, meanwhile the over-exercised muscle is still producing heat, …and a devastating metabolic cascade of deterioration manifests.  With diminished blood volume, blood pressure drops, heat can no longer be exchanged, lactic acidosis begins, under-profused muscles fail further, core temperature rises, and soon the individual is in dire straits, if not unconscious.

This phenomenon can be worsened if the injured runner immediately eats food (thereby directing blood to the stomach) or ingests alcohol (which dilates the blood vessels increasing their relative capacity).

Untreated this condition is fatal!

Therefore, when you finish a run, you have to start re-hydrating again immediately, as fast as you can.  A lot of people do not feel like drinking fluids at the end of a long run, so the Honolulu Marathon Clinic recommends that you get a soda or similar beverage and just start sipping.

Treatment of Post-Race Collapse
If a person starts to show signs and symptoms of post-race collapse don’t panic.  Lay them down, bend their knees up a little bit, check to make sure they have a good pulse, and then try to give them some kind of diluted soda with caffeine and sugar.  Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, sugar gets you out of lactic acidosis and back into carbohydrate metabolism. It is useful to have a flexible straw for them to use for sipping the beverage while they are lying down.

These people may come in after a run looking just awful, but a half hour later they are ready to go home.  This is not to say you should not call 9-1-1.  If you are really concerned you can.  The thing to remember is that when the paramedics show up, by law they are supposed to take the patient to the hospital unless the patients signs out A.M.A. (Against Medical Advice).  So if the person suffering post-race collapse gets into the ambulance, they are going to have a hospital bill which may or may not be necessary.  If by the time the ambulance arrives they are walking around and say they do not need the ambulance, send them home, no harm is done.

Be prepared
You will not see post-race collapse on your run, you will see it after the run.

You see it in the marathons:  A runner is looking great, they cross the finish line, …and puke up a quart of whatever they have been drinking.  What happened?  Their body has been shunting all of their blood to their muscles and the stomach quit absorbing fluids.

Things to remember:
1)  Post-race collapse is ubiquitous and can occur to all of us.

2)  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 drop by the 7th Annual Hawai‘i Book & Music Festival where featured author, Dr. Jack Scaff, will be giving what promises to be a good talk on Sunday, May 06, 2012 at 2 p.m. at the Civic Grounds at Honolulu Hale
in Downtown Honolulu. For more information see:
http://www.hawaiibookandmusicfestival.org/

If you are interested in acquiring a copy of the book, 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/

Nutrition
For some good reading on nutrition, Dr. Scaff recommends everyone check out the daily postings on Dr. Alan Titchenal’s “Got Nutrients?” web site: http://gotnutrients.net/tips.cfm

Here is a recent posting:

April 17, 2012
Meeting essential nutrient needs is required for optimal health. Evidence is growing that low intake of some key B vitamins may increase the risk of cancer.

Consumer Link
Just Cannot Say Enough about Importance of B Vitamins

Research Link
Br J Nutr. 2011 Sep;106(6):936-43. Epub 2011 May 16.

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

As Dr. Scaff has previously noted (04/01/12), you can think of your body like an internal combustion engine:  It has cylinders (legs), a carburetor that distributes the oxygen (lungs), it has a fuel system (heart and vessels), it burns fossil fuel (i.e. you eat animal fats and vegetative matter), it generates heat, and has a radiator (your chest).

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.  As body temperature rises, your body produces sweat in order to dissipate heat (the process of becoming cooler).

As mankind evolved, the human body developed features that enable us to run long distances, including unique factors that help us dissipate body heat.  For instance, man became hairless, a real radiation advantage, while retaining enough hair on our chest and other areas to wick sweat which is cooled by air circulation and further dissipates heat.  We also dissipate heat through our chest, in fact, the human chest is incapable of conserving heat (hence the creation of the Farmer John style wet suit for swimming, snorkeling, diving, and surfing).

There are 4 ways to exchange heat:

1. Radiation:  Like the heat emitted by a light bulb.
2. Convection:  Heat rises.  You can see convection at work when you see steam rising off of athletes playing winter sports.
3. Conduction:  The direct transfer of heat.  When you sit on a cold bench, you are conducting heat from your body.
4. Evaporation:  While running, air flows over your body promoting evaporation.

As you may recall from science class, it takes 1 calorie (a calorie is a measure of heat exchange) to raise 1 gram of water by 1 degree Centigrade (Celsius).

It takes 300 calories to evaporate 1 gram of water.

Evaporation is 500 times as effective as all other forms of heat exchange combined.

Thus, evaporation is the most effective way to cool down through heat exchange.

From this you can understand that every drop of sweat that hits the ground, instead of being held around your body where it can dissipate heat, is a drop of cooling bodily fluid that is wasted.

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 through the holes in the material, promoting evaporation, which keeps you cooler.

Light colored clothing is better for keeping cool than dark colored clothing, which holds more heat.  Cotton shirts are not as good at exchanging heat as tech shirts (technical running shirts).  Feel a runner’s singlet as contrasted to a cotton t-shirt.  You will find that the cotton shirt is warm, while the singlet is cooler because it has the double advantage of trapping perspiration while allowing circulation.

Another important factor in preventing overheating is to drink enough liquid.
Forget the recommendations that say you have to drink 8 glasses of water per day.  You need to drink the amount that is sufficient for you.   How do you determine that?  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 announced that his book will be featured at the 7th Annual Hawai‘i Book & Music Festival at the Civic Grounds at Honolulu Hale
in Downtown Honolulu, May 5 – 6, 2012,
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Everyone is welcome to attend this event.  For more information see:
http://www.hawaiibookandmusicfestival.org/

If you are interested in acquiring a copy of the book, 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/

Nutrition
For some good reading on nutrition, Dr. Scaff recommends everyone check out the daily postings on Dr. Alan Titchenal’s “Got Nutrients?” web site: http://gotnutrients.net/tips.cfm

Here is a recent posting:

April 16, 2012
More is not always better when it comes to athletic training. The best training programs balance the stress of exercise with adequate rest time for recovery from the workout stress. The body cannot adapt and strengthen without proper recovery.

Consumer Link
Nearly 30 Percent of All College Athlete Injuries a Result of ‘Overuse’

Research Link
Journal of Athletic Training, Vol. 47, Number 2, March/April 2012 , pp. 198-204(7)