2012 Spring Club Running magazine

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London OlympicMarathon Preview

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Spring 2012

Leah Thorvilson finished 6thoverall and was the first femaleat the Germantown (TN) HalfMarathon, earning the title of2012 RRCA National HalfMarathon champion.

ClubRunningWE RUN THE NATION!

Executive Director’s Letter

CONTENTS

4

RRCA Members Speak5

Health & Safety Spotlight

6

How Amino Acids Help Your RunningMay is Skin Cancer Awareness Month

RRCA Program Spotlight

RRCA Champs Spotlight

26

London OlympicMarathon Previewby Dave Hunter

Bring Back the MILEby Duncan Larkin

RRCA Awards Spotlight20

Spring 2012

Runner Friendly Community® ProgramRUN@WORK Day

Germantown Half Marathon

Tapering for Back-to-Back Marathons

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40 Years of Title IXRRCA Web Poll

RRCA Road Runners of the YearHall of Fame InducteesBrowning Ross Spirit of the RRCA AwardOutstanding Youth Program Director

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S p r i n g 2 0 1 2 ClubRunning • 3R R C A . o r g

Training Tips30

Shoe Review

4 • ClubRunning S p r i n g 2 0 1 24 • ClubRunning S p r i n g 2 0 1 2 R R C A . o r g

Executive Director’s Note

ClubRunningSpring 2012

www.ClubRunning.net

ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA (RRCA)Executive Director

Jean Knaack

RRCA PresidentDavid Cotter

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PhotographersVictor Sailer www.PhotoRun.net

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ClubRunning is produced by Shooting Star Me dia, Inc. for publisher Running Network LLC, P.O. Box 801,Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. All ad materials and insertion orders should be sent to Running Network LLC at theemail address in the sidebar (right).

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Copyright © 2012 by Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved.No part of this publication may be repro duced in any form without prior written permission of the Publisher.

We recommend, as with all fitness and health issues, you consult with your physician before institutingany changes in your fitness program.

Let Us Hear From You!ClubRunning welcomes your suggestions, comments, and questions. Direct them to [email protected]

Address Changes/Missing IssuesPlease visit www.rrca.org/publications/club-running/ about address changes, duplicate mailings, or missingissues. Please include both old and new addresses.

This year, 2012, is a year of change for the RRCA, as BrentAyer concludes his service to the RRCA board of directors.!e RRCA is governed by a nine-member board elected at

the annual meeting of the membership held each year in conjunctionwith the RRCA annual convention. Ayer has served on the RRCAboard of directors during four decades. His first term was as treasurerbetween 1987–90, when the organization was healthy and growing.When he returned almost 15 years later to begin his tenure in 2004as Eastern Region director, the organization was divided and deeplyin debt. By the time Ayer was elected to serve as president in 2008,the organization had stabilized and had turned a six-figure deficit

into a six-figure, board-restricted, net assets fund. In his final President’s Letter in our InsideTrack newsletter mailed to club and event leaders, Ayer noted, “My plea to our members, asmy tenure ends on the board, is to grow, improve, and preserve the RRCA now and into thefuture.”

As the new RRCA board of directors under the leadership of president David Cotter be-gins their first term, it is their uniting goal to follow Ayer’s lead and ensure the RRCA con-tinues to grow, improve, and to preserve the organization now and into the future. !e RRCAis grateful to the leadership of the RRCA board, which includes David Cotter (president),Mitchell Garner (vice president), Dennis Novak (treasurer), Mark Grandonico (Eastern di-rector), Lena Hollmann (Southern director), Beth Onines (Central director), Bailey Penzotti(Western director), and Kelly Richards and Dan Edwards (at-large directors).

!e RRCA extends a huge thank you to the Memphis Runners Track Club for hostingan outstanding RRCA convention in March. !e event’s keynote speaker was ChristopherMcDougall, bestselling author of Born to Run, who expressed “that running is about build-ing community.” We couldn’t agree with him more.

—Jean Knaack

Editor’s Correction: In our last issue, we spelled John Gorvin’s last name two ways. !e correct spelling is Gorvin. His correct degree is Psy.D., not Ph.D. We thank John for noting these items for our readers.

Jean Knaack

ClubRunning is a complimentary publication made possible by our advertis-ers and created through a partnership between the Road Runners Club ofAmerica (RRCA) and Running Network LLC. You’re a member of your localrunning club and your local running club is, in turn, a member of the RRCA.

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On the Cover: Leah Thorvilson finished 6thoverall and was the first female at theGermantown (TN) Half Marathon, earningthe title of 2012 RRCA National HalfMarathon champion. (Donna Manley Photography)

RRCA Members Speak

Women’s Sports Foundation Celebrates 40 Years of Title IXJune 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark legis-lation that helped level the playing field for female athletes and scholars.!e Women’s Sports Foundation, founded by Billie Jean King, kickedo" a year-long celebration to mark the 40th anniversary of the ground-breaking legislation. Nancy Hogshead-Makar and Andrew Zimbalist,researchers and authors of Title IX and Social Change, contend that TitleIX has had a greater e"ect on women’s lives than any other legislation,except women’s su"rage.

What is Title IX? Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programsand activities that receive federal financial assistance. It states: “No per-son in the U.S. shall, on the basis of sex be excluded from participationin, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination underany educational program or activity receiving federal aid.”

Before Title IX, the primary physical activities for girls were cheer-leading and square-dancing. Only 1 in 27 girls played high school sports.!ere were virtually no college scholarships for female athletes; femalecollege athletes received only a paltry 2% of overall athletic budgets.

Opportunities for girls and women in athletics have increased exponentially since the passage of Title IX. In 1971, 294,016 girls andwomen participated in high school sports, and 31,852 on college teamsin the U.S. Today, 3.06 million girls play sports in high school, and166,800 young women play on college teams (Source: NancyHogshead-Makar & Andrew Zimbalist (Eds.), Equal Play: Title IX andSocial Change. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2007). At the college level, there has been a nearly 450% increase in participation byfemale athletes.

On Oct. 25, 1970, the RRCA hosted the first-ever women’smarathon championship event, despite the fact that women weren’t allowed to run marathons by the Amateur Athletic Union. In 2011, approximately 213,000 women completed a marathon (based on Running USA’s Annual Marathon Report).

Compiled from the press release by Fern Marcya EdisonMake-A-Di!erence Public Relations


Be Part of Our RRCA Facebook Discussions by visiting us at www.facebook.com/Roadrunnersclubofamerica and help us reachour goal of more than 5,000 Facebook fans by inviting your friends to “like” theRRCA on Facebook.

What running item is at the top ofyour list to purchase/receive inthe next 30 days?

Votes 0 50 100 150 200 250

I will be getting my 2012 new pair of running shoes. 49% (158)

I will be getting a GPS device to run with. 13% (41)

I will be getting running focused training books. 8% (25)

I will be getting new running clothes. 27% (87)

Votes 0

I will be getting a hydration system to run with. 3% (11)

We invite our readers to participate in the RRCA website polls at www.RRCA.org

Total Votes: 322

Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube!

RRCA.org website poll

How Amino Acids Help Your Running


By Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSCS, CSSD

Skin cancer is the most prevalent cancer inAmerica, and the number of cases diagnosedannually is greater than breast, colon, lung, andprostate cancers combined. Melanoma, a formof skin cancer, is the #1 cancer in people ages25–29. One American dies of melanoma everyhour. Skin cancer a"ects people of all ages andethnicities and, although it’s highly preventa-ble, more than $2 billion is spent annually inAmerica to treat it. In 2012, more than

116,000 people will be diagnosed with it. By2012, it’s estimated that 1 in 50 people will bediagnosed with melanoma. Melanoma is onthe rise more than any other cancer. !e inci-dence rate for children 18 and under increased84% from 1975 to 2005. And despite this in-crease, government funding for medical re-search, including melanoma research, has beenreduced, making the work of nonprofit organ-izations like Outrun the Sun, Inc. essential.

6 • ClubRunning S p r i n g 2 0 1 2 R R C A . o r g

Years ago, the mantra was “carbo-load for bet-ter performance.” And granted, carbohydratesdo play a key role in running, since they arethe primary fuel your body uses during en-durance activity. However, all three macronu-trients—carbohydrates, fat, and protein—areimportant for runners. And our need for pro-tein is actually based on amino acids, thebuilding blocks of proteins. Not all aminoacids are created equal, however. Some, in-cluding the three branched-chain aminoacids—leucine, isoleucine, and valine—are themost important ones for endurance athletes.

Take a look at some of the gels, drinks,and other sports nutrition products marketed

to runners and you may see leucine,isoleucine, and valine on the ingredients list.!ese amino acids have been added to pre-,during, and post-run products for three mainreasons.

During intense, long-duration enduranceactivity (a 10-mile tough trail run, for in-stance), you will break down muscle tissue. Torepair that muscle tissue and also prevent someof the soreness and inflammation that coin-cides with muscle tissue breakdown, youshould consume a sports nutrition productthat contains the branched-chain amino acids.

In addition to repairing muscle tissue, amix of essential amino acids (the threebranched-chain amino acids are among thenine essential amino acids) with a greateramount of leucine (3.5 grams as used in onestudy) can improve muscle protein growthduring the recovery period after a steady-stateendurance activity. So, in addition to prevent-ing muscle breakdown, you can actually facil-itate muscle growth while running!

!ere is one more important thing thatthese three amino acids can do, specifically forultra endurance athletes. Ultra athletes face anumber of challenges, including consumingenough calories to support their training,both over time and even in one training ses-sion. Consuming too few calories results inweight loss in the long run and—if the athletedoesn’t consume an adequate amount of high-quality protein or the branched-chain aminoacids—muscle loss. Inadequate consumptionof calories during one long training run means

your body will not only break down muscletissue, but also use this as a source of energyduring your run! You can spare the use of mus-cle tissue as fuel and help your body use itssupply of fat to fuel performance by consum-ing food or sports nutrition products that con-tain leucine, isoleucine, and valine during yourultra runs.

In addition to trying out sports nutritionproducts that include the branched-chainamino acids during your training runs, includehigh-quality protein in your diet at breakfast,lunch, and dinner every day. Eggs, whey, andsoy foods are all high-quality, complete pro-teins, meaning they contain all the aminoacids your body needs for good health.

ReferencesPasiakos SM, McClung HL, McClung JP etal. Leucine-enriched essential amino acidssupplementation during moderate steady stateexercise enhances postexercise muscle proteinsynthesis. Am J Clin Nutr 2011; 94: 809–818.

Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSCS, CSSD is one ofthe country’s leading sports nutritionists. Shecombines science with practical experience to helpOlympic, professional, and recreational athletesimplement customized nutritional plans to max-imize athletic performance. Spano is the sportsnutrition consultant at Competitive Edge Sportsand runs Spano Sports Nutrition Consulting.

May is National Skin Cancer Awareness MonthCourtesy of OUTRUN THE SUN, Inc.

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Many cases of skin cancer could be pre-vented. Be smart and learn the ABCDE’s ofmelanoma.

Asymmetry: One half of the mole does notmatch the other half.

Border: !e border of the mole is irregular,ragged, blurred, or notched.

Color: !e color of the mole is not thesame throughout. !ere may be di"eringshades of tan, brown, black, red, blue, orwhite.

Diameter: !e mole is larger than 6 mil-limeters (about 1⁄4 inch, roughly the size of a pencil eraser).

Evolution: !e mole has been growing orhas changed its shape or color.

Sun Safety TipsGenerously apply sunscreen to protectyourself from the sun’s UVA/UVB rays. Use a sunscreen with a sun protective factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Wear protective clothing such as wide-brimmed hats and long sleeves.Wear clothing with a built-in SPF.Seek shade between the hours of 10 a.m.and 4 p.m.Be extra careful near water, sand, andsnow, as they reflect the sun’s rays.Get vitamin D safely through diet and vitamin supplements, not through sun exposure.Avoid tanning beds and their harmful ultraviolet rays.Wear sunglasses to protect yourself fromocular melanoma.Perform skin self-exams regularly andnote any changes in existing moles, newmoles, changes in birthmarks, or other differences in your skin. Visit a trained dermatologist annually for a complete, head-to-toe skin exam.Support melanoma education and research.

For the first time, Americans have the op-portunity to team up against skin cancer byparticipating in the national Outrun the SunRace in May. !e Outrun the Sun Race in Mayis a “virtual race” that launches May 1, kickingo" National Skin Cancer and MelanomaAwareness Month. It o"ers anyone, no matterwhere they live, the opportunity to support sunsafety and early detection by registering online.Registrants receive sun safety information andcontacts for skin exams. !ey can also raisefunds for skin cancer education and melanomaresearch. Participants run or walk any day inMay, making this a perfect “event” for individ-uals, families, coworkers, running clubs,schools, and others interested in combining ex-ercise with sun safety.

!e Outrun the Sun Race in Mayspokesperson is Deena Kastor (photo, previous

page), Olympic medalist, American recordholder, RRCA Roads Scholar, and melanomasurvivor.

“From basal cell carcinoma to melanoma,I have successfully fought skin cancer throughearly detection,” says Kastor. “I encourageeveryone to visit a dermatologist and to regis-ter for the Outrun the Sun Race in May. Joinme in pledging to be sun smart.”

RRCA has partnered with Outrun the

Sun, Inc. to bring our readers this importantmessage. Outrun the Sun is dedicated to build-ing national awareness of melanoma and otherskin cancers, educating communities about pre-ventive measures that reduce melanoma’s inci-dence rate, and raising funds for melanomaresearch, leading to e"ective treatments and apotential cure. Learn more about Outrun theSun and the Outrun the Sun Race in May athttp://outrunthesun.org

R R C A . o r g S p r i n g 2 0 1 2 ClubRunning • 7R R C A . o r g

On a clear and bracing Saturday morning in January, six American ath-letes—three men and three women—prevailed on the streets of Hous-ton, capturing the top three places in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trialsand becoming the first members of the 2012 United States OlympicTeam. And while the jubilant, flag-draped Olympians hugged each other,engaged in TV interviews, and posed on the podium for photographs,each knew, deep down, that their Trials accomplishment, while signifi-cant, was only yet another in a series of critical steps. Now the real test liesbefore them: the Olympic marathon … in August … in London.

In the weeks leading up to the XXX Olympiad, there will be muchspeculation about the marathon races. And if a review of London’sOlympic history—it hosted the Games in 1908 and 1948—can provideany clues, those races are likely to feature rigorous competition, a few sur-prises, and perhaps some late-race drama.

The Brits can be a fussy lot about many things, and the Olympicsare no exception. London wasn’t even originally selected to host theGames in 1908. That honor was bestowed on Rome. But when MountVesuvius erupted in 1906 and disrupted the original plans, the Interna-tional Olympic Committee tapped London to step up and host the 1908Games. Amid the flurry to prepare for the Summer Games, the BritishOlympic Association (BOA) mapped out a point-to-point course fromWindsor Castle to the Olympic Stadium in London. Since marathoncourses in the early 20th century lacked a uniform distance, the BOA hadsome discretion not only in constructing the marathon course, but alsoin setting the distance.

After much course tweaking to address complaints about tram linesand cobblestones, the course distance stood at 26 miles. But a furthercourse accommodation was still required. To afford Queen Alexandra thebest view of the final meters of the race, the course was altered yet again—to its final length of 26 miles, 385 yards—by providing an unorthodoxclockwise circuit of the stadium track and a finish in front of HerMajesty’s Royal Box. On marathon race day, the Queen witnessed a dra-matic finish. The marathon leader, a diminutive Italian named DorandoPietri, entered the stadium exhausted and confused. After beginning torun around the track counterclockwise—the customary but, in this case,wrong way—and falling several times, Pietri was assisted by officials whohelped him across the finish line. Pietri, who committed no race violationshimself, was promptly disqualified for the unauthorized acts of the as-sisting officials. The win, somewhat tainted, and the gold medal wereawarded to a bewildered American Johnny Hayes, the second runner tocross the finish line. Proclaimed by many in attendance as “the greatestrace of the century,” the dramatic 1908 Olympic marathon is believed tohave been instrumental in influencing the International Amateur Ath-letic Federation to act in 1921 to set the official marathon distance at 26miles, 385 yards.

The Summer Games returned to London in 1948. As was the casewith the ’08 Olympics, London wasn’t originally scheduled to host the ’48Games. London had been provisionally selected to host the 1944Olympics. But when World War II prompted a 12-year Olympic hiatus,

London was named to host the Games of the XIV Olympiad in the sum-mer of 1948. While the headlines were dominated by the athletic exploitsof Dutch sprinter Fanny Blankers-Koen, “The Flying Housewife,” andteenage decathlete Bob Mathias, the Olympic marathon dished up yetanother dramatic London finish. The lead runner, a Belgian named Eti-enne Gailly, entered Wembley Stadium completely spent. On the finalcircuit of the track, the wobbly-legged Belgian was passed by ArgentineanDelfo Cabrera, who went on to win, and then by England’s TomRichards, who captured the silver medal. Gailly struggled in for thebronze.

Having served as the host city for two of the most exciting marathonfinishes in Olympic history, can London once again produce compellingdrama on race day? The London organizers have left nothing to chance.The Olympic marathon course is an athlete-friendly, loop course, whichis generally considered capable of producing fast times. The race starttime and the attendant weather, always major concerns in an event likethe Olympics where television rules all, appear to be favorable. With boththe men’s and women’s races starting at 11 a.m. local time and prevailingweather conditions suggesting cooler temperatures in the upper 50s/lower60s, the conditions should be far superior to the sub-par air quality andsteam bath conditions that tortured Olympic marathoners in Beijing.

Handicapping the U.S. Olympic marathoners is never an easy taskand this Olympics is no exception. While it’s conceivable that the U.S.could produce a medal-winning performance in one or both races, it’salso likely that all six marathoners could run personal bests and not evenmake it onto the podium.

THE AMERICAN WOMENDesiree Davila. A 2nd-place finisher to Shalane Flanagan in the Trialsrace, Davila has a PR of 2:22:38, which is the fastest of the three Amer-ican women. An efficient runner with a relentless turnover, Davila backsdown from no one. Who can forget her punishing pace from ClevelandCircle to the Boston finish line on Patriots’ Day last year—an aggressivedrive that nearly captured her the victory? She’s not afraid to assert her-self in critical, late-race situations. Such bold running sealed her doomas a novice runner in the 2008 Trials. But as a stronger, more maturerunner now, that tactic is one of her bona fide weapons. She’s likely tobe a lead pack factor in London.

Shalane Flanagan. Approaching the zenith of her career, Flanagan hasassembled an impeccable running résumé— bronze medalist in the 2008Olympic 10,000; American recordholder in the 10,000 (30:22.22); and14 national titles. She has vast international experience which will aid herin London. Her serene and composed façade belies the competitive firethat burns within. After pushing hard during the last few miles to ensureher victory at the Trials in a PR time of 2:25:28, Flanagan acknowledgedin a postrace interview, “My primary goal was to make the team.” Butthen, with a slight smile, she admitted, “But I love to win.”


MARATHON PREVIEWWill U.S. Marathoners Shine at London’s Storied Venue? By Dave Hunter

Continued on page 10

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Kara Goucher. Like Flanagan, Goucher is another seasoned veteran withthe demonstrated ability to get onto the medal stand in international com-petition. She was the bronze medalist in the 10,000 at the 2007 WorldChampionships in Osaka. Goucher came in to the Trials admittedly un-dertrained, but still was able to PR (2:26:06) and to summon the will andthe energy to shake off 4th-place finisher Amy Hastings over the final 10kilometers. With a few more months of focused training under the tute-lage of her new coach, Jerry Schumacher, and some quality training withher new running buddy Flanagan, a more fully prepared Goucher couldsurprise many in London.

The Women’s CompetitionThe women’s marathon looks to be one of the most highly competitive andexciting races of the Olympic Games. Russia’s Liliya Shobukhova, on thestrength of her 2:18:20 win in Chicago, was ranked #1 in the world lastyear. But Kenya’s Mary Keitany bested Shobukhova by a significant marginin the London Marathon last spring. A good number of other Africanwomen have the credentials to compete for a medal. All three Americanwomen have the PRs and the battle-tested experience in big races that es-tablish them as legitimate medal threats. And don’t overlook England’s PaulaRadcliffe, the sentimental favorite. The long-standing world recordholder iseasing into the later stages of her career, but with her PR minutes superiorto the rest of the field and with her compatriots sure to be exhorting her on-ward, could London’s propensity for Olympic marathon drama strike again?

THE AMERICAN MENAbdi Abdirahman. Abdirahman is an experienced runner who knowshow to prepare for big races. Only recently injury-free, Abdi bypassedmarathon paydays last fall to be sure he could bring his “A” game to theTrials. He did. A solid 10,000 meter runner—2005 national champion—

Abdirahman has 13 overall national titles. Recently inducted into theRoad Runners Club of America Hall of Fame, Abdirahman is now on hisfourth U.S. Olympic team. While Abdi has a 2:08 marathon PR, an am-bitious early pace in the Olympic marathon might be tough for him tohandle. But if the race becomes tactical, Abdirahman would not likely beafraid to make a push from far out.

Ryan Hall. With a PR of 2:04:58—albeit on Boston’s so-called “aided”course—and a fearless running style, Hall is likely the best U.S. men’shope to break the Kenyan juggernaut. When Hall jettisoned his coach,created his own training schedules, and further energized his faith com-mitment, it appeared to liberate him. He seems endowed with a renewedjoy and appetite for running and the type of daring racing style that he’llneed to display on London’s world stage. Recently named 2011 Runnerof the Year by Road Runners Club of America, Hall has solid interna-tional experience and has won several overall national titles. Look for himto be a dominant participant in the lead pack on race day. Those who dis-count his finishing speed have forgotten that Hall’s 13:16.03 in the 5000in the 2005 Outdoor Nationals placed him on the U.S. team for theWorld Championships in Helsinki.

Meb Keflezighi. The Comeback Kid. Serious pelvic issues caused manyto presume—prematurely—that Keflezighi’s best running days were farbehind him. His PR performance in the 2011 New York City Marathonand—69 days later—his glorious victory in the Trials, affirmed his dura-bility, his longevity, and his determination. While Keflezighi has a half-dozen sub-2:10 performances, he has never cracked 2:09. Will theOlympic race be too fast for him? Maybe. But those who might be in-clined to discount his chances should remember that he’s proven suchviews wrong before.

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The Men’s CompetitionIt’s hard to be optimistic about American medal chances when last year27 of the top 30 performers in the marathon were Kenyans. When Hallcan run 2:04:58 and not even be given a world ranking in the Top 10,it’s the best evidence that elite men’s marathoning is undergoing a stun-ning transformation. Kenya’s Geoffrey Mutai, coming off last year’s con-vincing wins at Boston and New York in course record times, has to beconsidered the odds-on favorite. Any number of other Kenyans—take

your pick—could join him on the medal stand. While Kenya looks todominate the race, you can’t concede all the medal spots to them. That’swhy they run the race.

Dave Hunter can be emailed at [email protected] He has raced over 90marathons, including the 1983 B.A.A. Marathon where he set his PR of2:31:40.

The Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) is proud to announcethat the ongoing research undertaken by its network statisticians into thedevelopment and history of the marathon has reached a significant mile-stone. In December 2011, the ranking list for 1911 was posted, completinga unique set of historical marathon data stretching back 100 years.

The Annual Marathon Project has taken more than 5 years so far andhas resulted in rigorous re-evaluation of marathon marks and the acquisi-tion of a mass of new material from across the globe.

Project coordinator Andy Milroy said, “Creating such a set of detailedstatistics reveals new insights into the development of the event. Despiteall the work that has been done, the rankings are not complete. The long-term task will be to fill in any remaining gaps and add newfound resultsand dates of birth as they are discovered.” The years 1911–2011 are onthe ARRS website, http://www.arrs.net/YR_Mara.htm

In parallel with the Annual Marathon Project, ARRS also is attemptingto document every marathon ever held. The Marathons Project shows how

the event has changed and developed over the decades, from very smallfields frequently numbering under 10, to the massive events of today withthousands of runners participating in the big-city marathons. Visit thewebsite http://www.arrs.net/MaraList.htm

Together, these two projects take marathon research far beyond whathas previously been attempted. The ARRS network statisticians fromacross the globe have pooled their research and knowledge to create themost complete picture of the event that has come to dominate long dis-tance running in the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st.

ARRS webmaster and RRCA Hall of Famer Ken Young said, “The inten-tion is to extend the research back to 1900 and beyond. Excellent progresshas already been made towards achieving this.”

In addition to the marathons projects, the ARRS website also docu-ments hundreds of long-held marathons, road, track, and cross countryraces, including national and international championships. Further informa-tion can be easily accessed at www.arrs.net

100 YEARS OF DEEP ANNUAL MARATHON RANKINGS

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R R C A . o r g12 • ClubRunning S p r i n g 2 0 1 2

Many would say that one person can’t make a difference. If Ryan Lamppahad believed that notion in the middle of a workout 2 years ago, hewouldn’t have taken on a running project he considers vital to the futureof middle distance running and the sport in the United States.

On that particular day, Lamppa, who is currently Running USA’smedia director, was running on Santa Barbara City College’s track, an ex-ceptionally beautiful facility with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. Ashe stared out at the crystal-blue sea, Lamppa had an epiphany.

“I thought, ‘Boy, wouldn’t it be great to have a Mile event here,’”Lamppa recalls. “But then I thought, If we had a Mile on that track, therewould be an inevitable build-up for it, and then it would go away until thenext year. It would just have that circus-comes-to-town effect.’ ”

Lamppa ran a few more laps on the pristine track and then the bigidea hit him. “I thought: ‘Hey, what if there was a campaign that was justabout the Mile?’” Lamppa’s mind started working. He envisioned some-thing huge, an “ongoing story about the Mile,” taking place in the UnitedStates.

On that day, Bring Back the Mile was born.The Mile event has always been near and dear to

Lamppa. He first learned about it when he was infourth grade and came across a book in the school li-brary called The Jim Ryun Story, about the legendaryKansas miler who became the first high school runnerto break 4 minutes in the four-lap race. “For a small-town boy, I was just inspired by Ryun, who was gettingup in the dead of winter at 5 a.m. to do a 10-miletempo run. I just couldn’t fathom that,” Lamppa re-calls. “He goes on to set American and world records.That story has always been in the back of my mind.”

Primarily a 400m and 800m runner in college, it wasn’t until afterLamppa graduated from Harvard University that he gave the Mile a shot.He showed promise in it, whittling his personal best down to 4:11.

Thanks to the incredible achievements of Ryun and others who fol-lowed him, Lamppa believes the Mile track event is deeply embedded inAmerican culture. But he also says the lowercase “mile” is, too. “Themile is on our signs and odometers,” Lamppa contends. “We talk aboutmiles when we run. Few in this country talk about kilometers. Ourmarathons here have mile splits. The mile does indeed have a specialplace in America.”

Lamppa believes many Americans are conversant in the four-lap race.“Even those outside the sport know about the first sub-4-minute Mile,” hesays. “They know that Roger Bannister was the first to do it. The Mile stillresonates. It hasn’t lost its luster or mystique.”

More than a year after his Santa Barbara revelation, Lamppa started tosee some signs in U.S. distance running that made him realize the time wasright to jump start the campaign to bring back the Mile.

Last year, there were 17 high school boys who broke 4:10 in theMile (26 performances in total)—the most ever in U.S. history. Oneof those athletes was Lukas Verzbicas, who equaled Ryun’s great feat,running under 4 minutes, only the second U.S. high schooler to do so

in an all–high school competition.At an elite level, the United States appeared to be in a place it hasn’t

been in decades. Last year, Cornell University graduate Morgan Uceny wasranked #1 in the world in the metric mile (1500m), becoming the firstwoman to do so since Mary Slaney in 1985. Additionally, Jenny Simpsonsurprised the world with her gold medal in the 1500m at the World Cham-pionships, while on the men’s side, Matthew Centrowitz Jr. took bronze atthe same championships in Daegu, South Korea.

“I saw all this happening and concluded that now was a great time tocreate a Mile movement in the U.S.,” Lamppa admits.

So he got to work, hiring a marketing director, David Monico. Thetwo of them put their heads together and crafted the following missionstatement for the campaign: “Return the Mile to prominence on the Amer-ican sports and cultural landscape.”

Then they began to solicit support from famous American middle dis-tance runners including Olympians Jim Ryun, Marty Liquori, Rich Kenah,

Carrie Tollefson, Leo Manzano, and Ruth Wysocki.“They read the summary of the campaign, and theirfirst comment was ‘This is a great idea!’ Their secondcomment was, ‘How can I help?’” recalls Lamppa.

With a handful of famous Milers and other knownpeople in the sport now behind the movement, Lamppanext looked at timing the website’s launch. At thatpoint, the fall of 2011, he knew he wanted to do it soon,and after looking at the calendar, he immediately saw agolden opportunity.

Fifty years ago on Feb. 10, American Jim Beattybecame the first person in the world to run a sub-4-minute mile. A day after that anniversary, the 105th

edition of the Millrose Games was set to take place for the first time on thefamed Armory Track in New York City. The timing couldn’t be more per-fect to launch the site—www.bringbackthemile.com

Lamppa wanted to wrap the launch around the past, but also soughtto talk about the present and future of the classic distance. On Jan. 19, theBring Back the Mile website went live, showing a one-minute YouTubevideo of several runners explaining what the Mile means to them, whilethey held a cardboard signs that said, “I AM THE MILE.” Another longervideo appeared on the YouTube site.

The initial response has been promising.A week into the campaign, the combined videos had received more

than 12,000 views. And the number of Facebook “likes” had reached 1,000-plus. Sports Illustrated featured it in “Faces in the Crowd.”

Numbers and publicity aside, Lamppa is most bolstered by the touch-ing, passionate comments he’s receiving from fans of all ages. At the end ofJanuary, over 250 people had registered with the campaign—withoutknowing who was behind it. Nearly 80% of registrants have left messagesabout what the Mile means to them.

“They are pretty much all talking about the magic of the Mile,”Lamppa says. “There’s no doubt we’ve touched a chord here.”

So what’s next for Bring Back the Mile?

One Man, One Mile: How Ryan Lamppa Hopes to Restore America’s Classic Running Distance

By Duncan Larkin

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Ryan Lamppa

Lamppa is looking long-term now. Besides the campaign’s message ofelevating and celebrating the Mile, he wants to do something more sub-stantive, like creating change with how the Mile is treated—specifically at thehigh school level. His first major objective is to lobby the California Inter-scholastic Federation (CIF) to return to the Mile. Forty-four of 50 states haveabandoned the Mile, most in favor of the 1600m (a distance not recognizedoutside American high schools) or, in a handful of states, the 1500m. Mas-sachusetts is the only state to still run the Mile and 2-Mile at the statemeet. As the website evolves, fans will be able to sign online petitions thatcan be routed to their respective state federation, asking them to return tothe Mile.

Lamppa knows that it’s going to be slow going. Like running, progressis going to take hard work, perseverance, and patience—more a marathonthan a Mile.

“I think we’ve pretty much succeeded in jump starting a movement atthe grassroots level,” he says. “There’s no doubt about it: The Mile still doesmatter, and we plan to elevate and celebrate the storied distance and to rec-ognize the people who made and make the Mile great and to promote thenext generation of U.S. Milers.”

Duncan Larkin is a freelance journalist and author who has written for nu-merous running periodicals including Competitor Magazine, Marathon andBeyond, and Running Times. He’s a 2:32 marathoner who lives in WestChester, PA with his wife and four children. Duncan's first running book,RUN SIMPLE, will be published in June.

R R C A . o r g

The word “mile” comes from the Latin “mille,” meaning “thousand.” Amile was 1,000 Roman strides, a stride being two paces. A mile equalsto 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards or approximately 1,609 meters. Currently,the United States and Great Britain use the mile as a measurement unit.

The mile became “the Mile” near the end of the 19th century, whenprofessional foot racing became the most popular sport in England, andWalter George was the Mile’s first superstar. Over the next 100 years,other great Milers followed, such as Norman Taber, Paavo Nurmi, GlennCunningham, Gunder Hägg and Arne Andersson, Herb Elliott, and JimRyun. But it was Roger Bannister, in 1954, who cemented the Mile’splace in history with the first sub-4-minute Mile—a time many expertsthought an impossible, if not a deadly, barrier to break. To this day, Ban-nister’s iconic mark is the watershed moment for the Mile.

In the early 1980s, U.S. high school state federations switched fromthe Mile to the 1600 meters because new tracks were 400 meters insteadof 440 yards. Thus, the 1600 meters, due to convenience, replaced theMile at high school state meets (except Massachusetts and a few statesthat run the 1500 meters). But the Mile’s appeal did not and has notdied because it holds a special place in the sport of track & field and be-yond. No running distance, or field event for that matter, has the history,the appeal, the “magic” of the Mile. No other event has produced anequivalent of the sub-4-minute Mile standard in the sport, in the media,or in the public’s mind. Put simply, the Mile still matters.

From http://bringbackthemile.com/historyReprinted with Permission

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Simpson was a 2008 U.S. Olympian and was the 2011 IAAF WorldChampion at 1500 meters, capping off a year in which she took hometitles in the Mile and 3000 meters at the USA Indoor Championships,in addition to a runner-up finish in the 1500 meters at the USA Out-door Championships. In 2009, Simpson broke the U.S. and NorthAmerican records in the 3000m steeplechase (9:12.50), finishing 5that the IAAF World Championships, and also became one of four Amer-ican women to run under 4 minutes in the 1500 meters (3:59.90). Thatsame year, in her final season at the University of Colorado, she brokefive NCAA Division I records (1500m, 3000m SC, and 5000m outdoors,and 3000m and 5000m indoors) and also holds the NCAA Indoor Milerecord. While growing up in Florida, Simpson credits her early expo-sure to running by participating in local races hosted by RRCA mem-ber Track Shack. She was hooked on running because the road raceswere fun, social, and involved people from all parts of the community.

JENNY SIMPSONMile PR: 4:25.91Metric Mile (1500m) PR: 3:59.90Hometown: Oviedo, FLHigh School: Oviedo (FL) HSCollege: University of Colorado

S p r i n g 2 0 1 2 ClubRunning • 13

I just returned from the 2012 U.S. Open, an indoor track meet held in New York City’s MadisonSquare Garden. Among the performances there were the fastest women’s 50 meters in 12 years(6.08 seconds, Veronica Campbell-Brown), the second-fastest men’s 50 meters ever (5.64 sec-onds, Asafa Powell), and a spirited battle over the mile between Silas Kiplagat and BernardLagat. Kiplagat prevailed, 4:00.65 to 4:00.92.

Two weeks before, I witnessed the first Americans to make the 2012 Olympic team in our sport.Meb Keflezighi surprised everyone but himself and his coach, Bob Larsen, by running with RyanHall and Abdi Abdirahman for 23 miles, and then pulling away to win. On the women’s side,Shalane Flanagan and Desiree Davila dueled for 24 miles before Shalane gained some day-light. Kara Goucher held on for third, after being challenged by the surprising Amy Hastings,who finished fourth.

Most of these athletes, as well as local road races and running events, are sponsored by thevery companies featured in our 2012 Spring Shoe Review. While companies like adidas, ASICS,Brooks, Mizuno, New Balance, Nike, PUMA, and Saucony are major sponsors, all 44 brands wemonitor put back into the sport that they market to—to the tune of over $100 million a year!

As you look over this Spring Shoe Review to determine what shoe you’ll run in over the next fewmonths, we ask that you visit your local running store—that bastion of the running community—and support the brands that support your local running. And please, follow your local heroes inour sport. Several of them will be big surprises in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials for Track & Fieldin Eugene, Oregon June 22–July 2.

See you on the roads and at the track!

Larry EderPresident, Running Network LLC

American Track & Fieldwww.american-trackandfield.com

Athletes Only www.atf-athlete.comAthletics (Canada) www.athleticsontario.caAustin Fit www.austinfitmagazine.comCalifornia Track & Running News www.caltrack.comClub Running www.rrca.org/publications/club-runningCoaching Athletics Quarterly www.coachingathleticsq.comColorado Runner www.coloradorunnermag.comGet Active! www.healthclubs.comGreater Long Island Running Club’s Footnotes www.glirc.orgLatinos Corriendo www.latinoscorriendo.comMarathonGuide www.marathonguide.comMichigan Runner www.michiganrunner.netMissouri Runner & Triathlete www.morunandtri.comRunning Journal & Racing South www.running.netRunMinnesota www.runmdra.orgRUNOHIO www.runohio.comTrack & Field News www.trackandfieldnews.comUSATF’s Fast Forward www.usatf.orgUSATF–New England’s Exchange Zone www.usatfne.orgThe Winged Foot www.nyac.orgThe Winged M www.themac.comYouth Runner www.youthrunner.com

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All things are relative to their frame of reference. Thissimplified explanation of relativity pairs well with a

quote attributed to Albert Einstein, who had a passingacquaintance with the topic: “If you can’t explain it simply,you don’t understand it well enough.” Our frame of reference, from a running perspective, wasexplained almost 225 years ago by Isaac Newton. Newtonobserved, theorized, and described gravitation and thethree laws of motion (among many other things). Simplyspeaking, our frame of reference is about running onEarth, where the mass of the planet is greater than ours,so we are pulled toward it. We apply a force to the Earthand it gives back an equal force. In this Review, we’ve looked at and weartested shoes inthe three basic categories of motion stabilizing, neutralcushioning, and faster-paced/performance running. Wedescribe their attributes and point out if and how thefamiliar has been changed, and we share some of ourweartesters’ feedback. So whether you’re trying to findout what’s new, what’s changed, or what’s best for you,we’ve got you covered. As we’ve said many times before, knowledge is your bestally. To make good choices for you, you must know theshape of your feet and understand the way they move. Ifyou don’t, you may find your local running specialty storeto be a source of good advice and information. There aremany shoes appropriate for your running, but if you knowyour foot shape, foot motion, and footstrike, you canfocus on shoes that meet your needs, not someone else’s.

—Cregg Weinmann, Running Network Footwear Reviewer

WELCOME TO THE RUNNING NETWORK’S 2012 SPRING SHOE REVIEW

Reviewer:: Cregg Weinmann ProjectCoordinator/Editor:Christine JohnsonDesigner:Kristen Cerer Proofreader:MargSumner, Red Ink Editorial Services ShoePhotography:Daniel Saldaña, CreggWeinmann Advertising Sales:RunningNetwork LLC, Larry Eder, President,608.239.3785, [email protected]:Larry Eder, 608.239.3785 W ebsite:www.runningnetwork.com For a Media Kit, please visit our website.This 2012 Spring Shoe Review is producedindependently by Running Network LLC for itspartner publications. All shoes reviewed weretested by experienced, competitive runners whowere matched to the biomechanical purpose ofeach shoe model.Copyright © 2012 by Running Network LLC.All Rights Reserved. No part of this publicationmay be stored, copied, or reprinted withoutprior written permission of Running NetworkLLC.

Running Network LLC and its partner publica-tions suggest that, as with all fitness activities,you meet with a healthcare professional beforebeginning or changing your fitness regimen.

AWARD WINNERS

adidas Supernova Glide 4 Mizuno Wave Elixir 7

Nike Lunar Eclipse+ 2 Brooks Pure Cadence

Saucony PowerGrid Hurricane 14 Scott MK 4

BEST RENOVATIONSPRING 2012

BEST SHOE

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BEST NEW SHOESPRING 2012

2012 SPRING SHOE REVIEW


I just returned from the 2012 U.S. Open, an indoor track meet held in New York City’s MadisonSquare Garden. Among the performances there were the fastest women’s 50 meters in 12 years(6.08 seconds, Veronica Campbell-Brown), the second-fastest men’s 50 meters ever (5.64 sec-onds, Asafa Powell), and a spirited battle over the mile between Silas Kiplagat and BernardLagat. Kiplagat prevailed, 4:00.65 to 4:00.92.

Two weeks before, I witnessed the first Americans to make the 2012 Olympic team in our sport.Meb Keflezighi surprised everyone but himself and his coach, Bob Larsen, by running with RyanHall and Abdi Abdirahman for 23 miles, and then pulling away to win. On the women’s side,Shalane Flanagan and Desiree Davila dueled for 24 miles before Shalane gained some day-light. Kara Goucher held on for third, after being challenged by the surprising Amy Hastings,who finished fourth.

Most of these athletes, as well as local road races and running events, are sponsored by thevery companies featured in our 2012 Spring Shoe Review. While companies like adidas, ASICS,Brooks, Mizuno, New Balance, Nike, PUMA, and Saucony are major sponsors, all 44 brands wemonitor put back into the sport that they market to—to the tune of over $100 million a year!

As you look over this Spring Shoe Review to determine what shoe you’ll run in over the next fewmonths, we ask that you visit your local running store—that bastion of the running community—and support the brands that support your local running. And please, follow your local heroes inour sport. Several of them will be big surprises in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials for Track & Fieldin Eugene, Oregon June 22–July 2.

See you on the roads and at the track!

Larry EderPresident, Running Network LLC

American Track & Fieldwww.american-trackandfield.com

Athletes Only www.atf-athlete.comAthletics (Canada) www.athleticsontario.caAustin Fit www.austinfitmagazine.comCalifornia Track & Running News www.caltrack.comClub Running www.rrca.org/publications/club-runningCoaching Athletics Quarterly www.coachingathleticsq.comColorado Runner www.coloradorunnermag.comGet Active! www.healthclubs.comGreater Long Island Running Club’s Footnotes www.glirc.orgLatinos Corriendo www.latinoscorriendo.comMarathonGuide www.marathonguide.comMichigan Runner www.michiganrunner.netMissouri Runner & Triathlete www.morunandtri.comRunning Journal & Racing South www.running.netRunMinnesota www.runmdra.orgRUNOHIO www.runohio.comTrack & Field News www.trackandfieldnews.comUSATF’s Fast Forward www.usatf.orgUSATF–New England’s Exchange Zone www.usatfne.orgThe Winged Foot www.nyac.orgThe Winged M www.themac.comYouth Runner www.youthrunner.com

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All things are relative to their frame of reference. Thissimplified explanation of relativity pairs well with a

quote attributed to Albert Einstein, who had a passingacquaintance with the topic: “If you can’t explain it simply,you don’t understand it well enough.” Our frame of reference, from a running perspective, wasexplained almost 225 years ago by Isaac Newton. Newtonobserved, theorized, and described gravitation and thethree laws of motion (among many other things). Simplyspeaking, our frame of reference is about running onEarth, where the mass of the planet is greater than ours,so we are pulled toward it. We apply a force to the Earthand it gives back an equal force. In this Review, we’ve looked at and weartested shoes inthe three basic categories of motion stabilizing, neutralcushioning, and faster-paced/performance running. Wedescribe their attributes and point out if and how thefamiliar has been changed, and we share some of ourweartesters’ feedback. So whether you’re trying to findout what’s new, what’s changed, or what’s best for you,we’ve got you covered. As we’ve said many times before, knowledge is your bestally. To make good choices for you, you must know theshape of your feet and understand the way they move. Ifyou don’t, you may find your local running specialty storeto be a source of good advice and information. There aremany shoes appropriate for your running, but if you knowyour foot shape, foot motion, and footstrike, you canfocus on shoes that meet your needs, not someone else’s.

—Cregg Weinmann, Running Network Footwear Reviewer

WELCOME TO THE RUNNING NETWORK’S 2012 SPRING SHOE REVIEW

Reviewer: Cregg Weinmann ProjectCoordinator/Editor:Christine JohnsonDesigner:Kristen Cerer Proofreader:MargSumner, Red Ink Editorial Services ShoePhotography:Daniel Saldaña, CreggWeinmann Advertising Sales:RunningNetwork LLC, Larry Eder, President,608.239.3785, [email protected]:Larry Eder, 608.239.3785 W ebsite:www.runningnetwork.com For a Media Kit, please visit our website.This 2012 Spring Shoe Review is producedindependently by Running Network LLC for itspartner publications. All shoes reviewed weretested by experienced, competitive runners whowere matched to the biomechanical purpose ofeach shoe model.Copyright © 2012 by Running Network LLC.All Rights Reserved. No part of this publicationmay be stored, copied, or reprinted withoutprior written permission of Running NetworkLLC.

Running Network LLC and its partner publica-tions suggest that, as with all fitness activities,you meet with a healthcare professional beforebeginning or changing your fitness regimen.

AWARD WINNERS

adidas Supernova Glide 4 Mizuno Wave Elixir 7

Nike Lunar Eclipse+ 2 Brooks Pure Cadence

Saucony PowerGrid Hurricane 14 Scott MK 4

SEE THE FULL REVIEW AT WWW.RUNNINGNETWORK.COM

adidas Supernova Glide 4 Brooks Defyance 5 K-Swiss Blade Max Glide Mizuno Waverider 15

New Balance 1080 v2 adidas adiZero F50 ASICS Gel-Noosa Tri 7 Brooks Pure Cadence

Li-Ning Liede Mizuno Wave Elixir 7 New Balance 890 v2 Nike Zoom Elite+ 5

Pearl Izumi Kissaki Scott MK 4 Under Armour Charge RC Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12

Mizuno Wave Inspire 8 Nike Lunar Eclipse+ 2 Puma Faas 800 Saucony PowerGridHurricane 14

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$$111155 $$113355 $$110000 $$114400

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PureProject

brooksrunning.com/pureproject

®

R R C A . o r g

RRCA Awards Spotlight

18 • ClubRunning S p r i n g 2 0 1 2

2011 RRCA Road Runners of the YearBy Jean Knaack, RRCA Executive Director

Learn more about the RRCA national running awards at http://www.rrca.org/services/national-running-awards Nominate a deserving individual fromyour club for the 2012 national running awards. We will showcase additional 2011 award winners in the next issue of Club Running.

Developed in 1975, the Road Runner of the Year Award is given to American runners with the most outstanding record of racing performances duringthe past year for open Male and Female runners. In 1984, RRCA added the categories of Male Masters and Female Masters.

Ryan Hall

Janet Cherobon-Bawcom

RYAN HALL, Open MaleHall had another outstanding year on the roads in 2011. In January, he was 2nd at the USA Half Marathon Cham-pionship in Houston. He followed up that performance with a 4th-place finish at the 2011 Boston Marathon, andwas the top American in the event. Hall improved the best-ever time by an American to 2:04:58. He was 5th atthe Bank of America Chicago Marathon and was also top American at that event. Other 2011 events for Hall in-cluded a 4:17.2 road mile, good for 13th at the Medtronic TC 1-Mile (May 12), a 7th at the high-altitude BolderBoulder 10K in 30:30 (May 30), 7th at the Peachtree 10K (July 4) in 29:16, and 4th place at the Virginia BeachRock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon (Sept. 5) in 1:03:02.

JANET CHEROBON-BAWCOM, Open FemaleCherobon-Bawcom from Rome, GA, was a stand-out for Road Runner of the Year after earning both the 10K and 5KNational RRCA Championship events, both held in Alabama in 2011. Cherobon-Bawcom won the Medtronic TC 10-Mile with a time of 54:15. A day after winning the B.A.A. Half Marathon, Cherobon-Bawcom dominated the field atthe USA Women’s 10K Championships in Boston, running 32:47 for her third U.S. title of the year and securing thewomen’s title for the 2011 USA Running Circuit. Cherobon-Bawcom is the eldest of eight siblings, raised alone by theirmother. After a chance encounter with Peter Rono, 1988 Olympic gold medalist at 1500m, Cherobon-Bawcom beganrunning at age 20 and earned an athletic scholarship to Harding University in Arkansas, where she went on to become

a three-time NCAA Division II champion and eight-time All-American. She graduated in 2005 with a degree in Health Care Management and laterstudied nursing at Georgia Highlands College in Rome, GA.

Terry McCluskeyTERRY McCLUSKEY, Male MasterIn 2011, Terry McCluskey, 63, won three United States Track & Field Association national masters championships(5K XC, 8K, and 15K) and a World Masters Athletics championship (marathon) in the M60–64 age division. InDecember 2011, he was selected as the 2011 USATF national age-division champion (#1 ranking among all run-ners in the U.S.) for M60–64. He placed 1st among M60–69 at the 2011 Boston Marathon, finishing in 2:48:38,the fourth-fastest age-group time in the history of the Boston Marathon. He placed 1st among M60 –64 at theGate River Run 15K, setting an age course record with a time of 56:38. McCluskey placed 1st among M60–64 atthe Cherry Blossom 10-Miler, finishing in a time of 1:00:12. He was also a member of the Ann Arbor (MI) Track

Club’s 2011 USATF men’s masters 60+ grand prix national championship team. The majority of his finish times in 2011 were age-graded be-tween 90–93%. Beyond his running achievements, McCluskey served as vice president on the Youngstown Peace Race’s board of directors andadded two new charities, the American Cancer Society and a food bank, to the YPR’s list of charities for 2011. He was also elected to theYoungstown (OH) Runners Hall of Fame and was highlighted in the August 2011 issue of National Masters News. He is the author of an articleentitled “The Full 26.2,” which can be found at www.runforlife.com

Linda Somers SmithLINDA SOMERS SMITH, Female Master

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At age 50, Somers Smith earned the 10K world record for women 50+ with a time of 34:14 at Heritage Oaks 10Kin Paso Robles, CA in September 2011. She was also the winner (masters and open) of the 2011 Shoreline OpenCross Country women’s race, running 3 miles in a time of 16:31. She won five out of the five Pacific AssociationUSATF cross country races as a masters and, in four of the five events, she was also the overall winner. She set theF50–54 world record for the half marathon with her time of 1:15:18 at Dodge Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles in Oc-tober. She finished 8th in 20:27 in the open women’s 6K race at the USATF National Club Cross Country Cham-pionships in Seattle (Dec. 10). She was named USATF Athlete of the Week as a result. To date, she is the onlyperson (male or female) to qualify by time standard for seven U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

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Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend Jan. 18–20, 2013

© Disney S&R-10-18856Registration begins June 12, 2012! Sign up for your reminder at runDisney.com



Established in 1970, the RRCA Distance Run-ning Hall of Fame inducts individuals who havemade significant contributions to the sport oflong distance running either through excellencein the sport or significant contributions to thesport. The RRCA congratulates the following in-dividuals for their dedication to the sport of dis-tance running.

JOE I. VIGIL

Joe Vigil is a former cross country/track &field coach at Adams State University (Alam-osa, CO). He has a doctorate in exercise phys-iology from the University of New Mexico.He’s widely regarded as the preeminent longdistance running coach in the United States.In 2010, the United States Olympic Com-mittee recognized him for his accomplish-ments as one of America’s greatest goodwillambassadors. Over the course of his coachingcareer, Vigil conducted clinics or coached U.S.national teams, including Olympic and WorldChampionship teams, in 25 countries span-ning five continents. To each of these coun-tries, he has brought his endearing smile, hislove of people, and his willingness to teachand share his knowledge of the sport of run-ning with others so they could become betterathletes. His coaching style combines a pro-found knowledge of distance running with asense of caring and an unshakable focus thatenables young athletes to develop the charac-ter necessary to reach and often exceed theirhighest goals. His record as head coach atAdams State is legendary, where he led teamsto 7 NAIA national track & field champ-ionships and 12 NAIA national cross country

championships. At the 1995 NCAA DivisionII National Cross Country championship, hisAdams State team achieved a perfect score of15 points. Vigil’s overall winning record atAdams State stands at 94.2%, with 3,014 winsand 176 losses. He was named national Coachof the Year on 14 occasions. During his tenureat Adams State, he produced 425 All-Ameri-cans and 87 individual national champi-ons. He has also served as United StatesOlympic and (with Bob Larsen) Team Run-ning USA coach. Three of his most celebratedrunning protégés are 2004 Olympicmarathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor,2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist MebKeflezighi, and multiple national cross coun-try champion and 10,000 meter OlympianPat Porter. Vigil has received numerousawards for his contributions to the sport ofrunning, including 11 Hall of Fame induc-tions (United States Track & Field and CrossCountry Coaches Association Hall of Famein 1999). In 1989, he received the President’sAward from The Athletics Congress. In 2005,he received the “Doc” Councilman Science inCoaching Award from the United StatesOlympic Committee.

ABDI ABDIRAHMAN

Abdihakim Abdirahman was born in Somaliain 1977. After graduating from Tucson (AZ)High School in 1995, he attended Pima Com-munity College in Tucson, and later transferredto the University of Arizona for his junior andsenior years. Since 1998, he has been one ofAmerica’s premier distance runners. At Arizona,he was named the 1998 Pacific-10 Conference

Cross Country Male Athlete of the Year afterfinishing 2nd at the 1998 NCAA CrossCountry Championships. In 2000, Abdirah-man became an American citizen. He hasmade the United States Olympic Track &Field team four times, competing three timesin the 10,000 meters (10th, Sydney, 2000;15th, Athens, 2004; and 15th, Beijing, 2008).In January 2012, he finished 3rd at theOlympic Marathon Trials in Houston(2:09:47) and qualified to represent theUnited States at the 2012 London Olympics.His personal best 10,000 meters time is27:16.99, achieved in June 2008 at HaywardField during the Prefontaine Classic. Abdi-rahman has also competed in the 10,000 me-ters at the World Athletics Championshipsthree times, finishing 7th (2007), 13th(2005), and 19th (2003). In November 2007,his close friend and fellow marathon runnerRyan Shay died at the Olympic Marathon Tri-als in New York. Since Shay’s funeral, Abdi-rahman has worn a black wristband in Shay’smemory with the words “Ryan Shay Believein Yourself.” Those were the last words Abdi-rahman said to Shay before Shay’s untimelydeath. Abdirahman currently trains and re-sides in Tucson. He enjoys the nicknameBlack Cactus, which is also the name of hispersonal website: www.blackcactusrunning.com

LINDA SOMERS SMITH

Linda Somers Smith was born in 1961 in Ger-many at Bitburg Air Force Base, Rhineland-Palatinate. She currently resides in ArroyoGrande, CA. She is an Olympian and a two-time U.S. national champion in the

2012 RRCA Distance Running Hall of Fame InducteesCompiled by Mitchell Garner, RRCA Vice President

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marathon (1993 and 1994). In 1982, shetook up running during her junior year at theUniversity of California, and began runningdistance races, specializing in the marathon.She won the 1992 Chicago Marathon(2:37:41) and the 1993 California Interna-tional Marathon (2:34:11). In 1995, SomersSmith finished 7th in the marathon at theWorld Athletics Championships. In 1996,she took 2nd in the United States OlympicMarathon Trials with a personal best of2:30:06. Later in 1996, at the Atlanta Sum-mer Olympics, she finished 31st with a timeof 2:36:58, despite suffering an Achilles ten-don tear during the race. She has continuedto demonstrate her running excellence as amasters runner. At the 2008 OlympicMarathon Trials, she set the AmericanF45–49 age-group record, finishing in a timeof 2:38:49 and placing 17th. In 2009,

Somers Smith placed 6th at the United StatesTrack & Field Association Club NationalsCross Country meet. She’s the holder ofAmerican F45–49 age-group road records inthe 5K (16:14, San Jose, 2009), 10K (33:39,Paso Robles, CA, 2010), 10 miles (57:07,Redding, CA, 2010), 20K (1:09:42, San Jose,2010), and half-marathon (1:13:32, San Jose,2010). At the 2010 Los Angeles Marathon,she qualified for her seventh consecutiveOlympic Marathon Trials meeting the “A”standard, finishing in 2:36:33, and winningthe masters title. She is the only person, maleor female, to ever qualify by time standardfor seven U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. OnJan. 14, 2012, at the age of 50, Somers Smithwas the oldest competitor at the OlympicMarathon Trials in Houston. She finished in28th place with a time of 2:37:36, setting anAmerican F50–54 age-group record and

adding another jewel to her crown of run-ning glory. In her life away from running,Somers Smith is a full-time attorney with thelaw firm of Duggan Smith & Heath LLP inSan Luis Obispo, CA, specializing in businessand real estate property law. She puts familyand work first and running second on her listof priorities.

The RRCA thanks the following individuals forserving on the Hall of Fame selection panel:Mitch Garner, Amby Burfoot, Bill Rodgers, DonCarding, Doug Kurtis, Frank Shorter, JacquelineHansen, Jim Oaks, Joan Samuelson, Joe Hen-derson, Ken Young, Kim Jones, Lisa Rainsberger,and Steve Spence. Learn more about all theRRCA Hall of Fame inductees atwww.rrca.org/about/history/hall-of-fame

AL BECKENRRCA Board Member (1986–89)State Rep of the Year (1984)

Al Becken served as Texas RRCA state rep in the early 1980s andwas the first state rep to be honored as the Outstanding RRCAState Representative. Becken subsequently served as RRCA vicepresident south/RRCA Southern director from 1986–1989. Dur-ing his tenure as Southern director, he helped establish theArkansas RRCA Grand Prix series that has served as the bench-mark for other states’ RRCA Grand Prix. Under his leadership,his region’s championship program was second to none. Becken’sleadership and management skills were instrumental in makingthe Southern region the largest and strongest in the RRCA.

In 2005, Becken presented the RRCA with its largest indi-vidual contribution to support the travel of state reps to theRRCA convention for training and networking. He continues tostrongly support the state rep program and encourages all mem-bers to do so as well.

As a member of the San Antonio (TX) Road Runners andFriends of McAllister Park, he spearheaded the drive and devotedcountless hours to help construct park improvements, includingpaved jogging trails and other recreational facilities. He was sub-sequently honored with a pavilion named for him and is affec-tionately known as Mr. San Antonio.

Becken has carried the RRCA banner far and wide, as he hasrun at least two marathons in every state and continues to par-ticipate in races and running-related activities. He has devotedmany years of volunteer service to his community and the sportof running, and avidly champions the RRCA mission, expectingnothing return. Al Becken embodies the Browning Ross Spirit ofthe RRCA.


The Browning Ross Spirit of the RRCA Award was created to honor the memory of RRCA founding member Browning Ross, who died unexpectedlyin April 1998. The award honors an unsung hero. They are the people who champion the RRCA tirelessly and enthusiastically, but prefer to stay inthe background, letting others bask in the spotlight, just as Ross did. This award recognizes volunteer service over a period of many years to the run-ning community.

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Outstanding Youth Program Director of the YearThis award recognizes a local club member who isdedicated to promoting children’s running and/orcoordinating an outstanding children’s runningprogram.

MARC GLOTZBECKERFremont Flash Youth Running ProgramFremont Elite Runner’s Club, Fremont, OH

Devaun Churchya nominated Marc Glotzbeckerwith this submission: I am nominating my father, Marc Glotzbecker,as the Outstanding Youth Program Director, be-cause I have watched him willingly give of histime and energy for the past ten years to the Fre-mont Flash Youth Running Program. The pro-gram is something that he built over the years toshare his love for running and to teach the youngpeople from my community what participatingin running can do for a person.

I am a junior in high school now and, al-though I am too old to be a part of the Flash, Ican see much more clearly now the benefits thatthe program has in our community and just howmuch time and energy he has put into it. Myown teammates who were a part of the programwith me when younger still call my dad “coach”when he shows up to one of our meets or to pick

me up from practice. They still ask him for ad-vice or how he thought they did. You can alwayshear my dad telling kids (as he told us), “Themost important thing is not the place that youfinish in, it’s what you learned about yourself be-tween the start line and finish line that is moreimportant.”

I’ve watched my dad write grants and finddonations to help with uniforms, equipment,scholarships, or to put on “Shoe Day,” which iswhen he works with our local running store,Second Sole, to get all of the kids new runningshoes. He puts his heart into the Fremont Flash,and I believe that there is no other person moredeserving of being named “Outstanding YouthProgram Director” than him.

And from Jamie Torrance, who also nominatedMarc Glotzbecker:Marc is and has been 100% dedicated to pro-moting youth running and coordinating an in-credible youth running program in ourcommunity. He goes above and beyond in givingof his time to recruit, coach, and organize eventsfor the young runners to participate in. To bet-ter illustrate this, I share with you a story.

For the past two years, Marc has success-fully worked hard to write and obtain grants tohelp support the program. One thing Marc hasdone with money received is to purchase qualityrunning shoes for the participants. Last winterduring the Indoor Track Program, shoes werepurchased for the kids and were presented tothem after a practice.

A few weeks later, prior to the start of prac-tice, I was talking with Coach Marc when one ofthe runners came in. Coach quietly told me towatch what that runner did. What I watched wasone of the most heartwarming things that I’veseen in quite awhile. The young man proceededto take a towel from the inside of his gym bag.He unwrapped it to take out the running shoeshe had received. He then used the towel to wipethem down before putting them on. When prac-tice was over, I watched the same young mantake his shoes off, wipe them down with thetowel again, wrap them up and put them backin his gym bag. When asked about it, CoachMarc said that he’d been watching him do thisthe past few practices and simply responded with“knowing that there is that much value placedin what was given to him is what we’re all aboutand it’s that kind of value that running can haveis what we’re trying to teach the kids.”

Marc Glotzbecker is deserving of this awardbecause he is promoting running as a valuablething to the young people in our community.


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RRCA Championship Spotlight

By Jean Knaack, RRCA Executive Director

The 14th annual Germantown HalfMarathon, the RRCA National HalfMarathon Championship, kicked off on thecool morning of March 18, from the Ger-mantown (TN) Athletic Club and Perform-ing Arts Centre. The race featured over1,800 runners from 43 states, includingmany attendees from the RRCA conventionheld in conjunction with the event. Thecourse took runners along an out-and-backloop through rolling hills and past the parksof this Memphis-area community.

Race director Harry Scott expected oneof the more competitive races he’s held in the14 years of the event. The 2011 men’s win-ner had returned to defend his title. Othernotable participants included Leah Thorvil-son of Little Rock, AR, fresh from her vic-tory at the Little Rock Marathon, and LindaSomers Smith, who was in town to receivethe 2011 RRCA Road Runner of the Year–Female Masters award. Both women hadalso competed in the U.S. Olympic TrialsMarathon in January in Houston.

Daniel Kirwa, age 25, from Searcy, AR,set the pace early, which earned him the 2012 RRCA National Half Marathonchampion title, with a time of 1:06:18 and an average pace of 5:04 per mile.2011 winner Micah Tirop, age 28, from Murfreesboro, TN, followed himnearly 4 minutes later, finishing in a time of 1:10:39. Scott McNeil, age 41,from Germantown, TN, finished 3rd overall, earning him the RRCA NationalHalf Marathon masters champion award with a time of 1:15:13.

In the women’s race, Thorvilson, age 33, finished 6th overall and was thefirst female, earning the RRCA National Half Marathon champion title withher time of 1:16:37. She was followed by Linda Somers Smith, age 50, from Ar-royo Grande, CA, who finished 2nd and earned the RRCA National HalfMarathon grand masters title. Ashley Evans, age 20, from Jackson, TN, fin-ished 3rd with a time of 1:23:30.

RRCA Southern Region director Lena Hollmann, age 60, from Cary, NC,earned the RRCA National Half Marathon senior grand master’s title with atime of 1:55:37. Terry McCluskey, who was in town to receive the 2011 RRCARoad Runner of the Year–Male Masters award, earned the RRCA NationalHalf Marathon senior grand master title. Eighty-year-old Gerald Holbrook,from Germantown, was the oldest finisher and set a state age-group record forM80+ with his time of 2:27:59.

The Germantown Half Marathon provided a total purse of $6,400 forthe event’s top performers.

RRCA National Half Marathon ChampionsOVERALL: Daniel Kirwa (25, Searcy, AR) 1:06:18 and Leah Thorvilson (33, LittleRock, AR) 1:16:37MASTERS: Scott McNeil (41, Germantown, TN) 1:15:13 and Mary-Ellen Kelly (44,Memphis) 1:32:51 GRAND MASTERS: Bob Nugent (51, Binghamton, NY) 1:23:53 and Linda SomersSmith (50, Arroyo Grande, CA) 1:18:07SENIOR GRAND MASTERS: Terry McCluskey (63, Vienna, OH) 1:24:10 and LenaHollmann (60, Cary, NC) 1:55:37

2012 RRCA National HalfMarathon Championship

RRCA 2012Championship Event Series

REMAINING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

RRCA National 10K Championship13th Annual Inside Out Sports Classic Marathon and 10KCary, NC – May 20www.ncoradrunners.org/ioclassic/index.html

RRCA National 5K ChampionshipWoodstock 5KAnniston, AL – Aug. 4www.annistonrunners.com/woodstock5k

RRCA National Club ChampionshipChallenge Disneyland Half MarathonAnaheim, CA – Sept. 2www.espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/rundisney/disneyland-half-marathon

RRCA National Marathon Championship ING Hartford MarathonHartford, CT – Oct. 13www.inghartfordmarathon.com

RRCA National Ultra ChampionshipOil Creek 100Titusville, PA – Oct. 13www.oilcreek100.org

REMAINING RRCA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS

Ice Age Trail 50La Grange, WI – May 12

Bel Air Town RunBel Air, MD – June 3, 2012

Heart and Sole RunBillings, MT – June 16

Kalamazoo Klassic 10KKalamazoo, MI – June 16

6th Great Cranberry Island 50KGreat Cranberry Island, ME July 21

PigeonForge.com Midnight 8KPigeon Forge, TN – Aug. 4

News and Sentinel Half MarathonParkersburg, WV – Aug. 18

Bulldog 50 Ultra RunCalabasas, CA – Aug. 25

R3 Labor Day RunMontgomery, AL – Sept. 3

Fort4FitnessFort Wayne, IN – Sept. 29

Freedom’s RunShepherdstown, WV – Oct. 6

Rock/Creek Stump Jump 50KChattanooga, TN – Oct. 6

Milwaukee Lakefront MarathonMilwaukee, WI – Oct. 7

Houston Half Marathon & RelayHouston, TX – Oct. 28

Run for the Water 10-MilerAustin, TX – Oct. 28

Cajun Cup 10KLafayette, LA – Nov. 10

Miracle on Kansas Avenue Rescue RunTopeka, KS – Nov. 24

Aurora Sports Park XCAurora, CO – Dec. 8

The RRCA championship is one of the oldest distance running tradi-tions in the U.S., dating back to 1958 when the RRCA awarded its firstchampionship designation. The goal of the RRCA Championship EventSeries is to shine a spotlight on well-run events and to promote thesport of running by recognizing the top-performing runners in the Open,Masters (40+), Grand Masters (50+), and Senior Grand Masters (60+)categories for both men and women as RRCA champions. In 2011,the RRCA Championship Event Series included 170 races at the state,regional, and national levels that attracted over 265,000 runners na-tionwide, making it the largest grassroots-organized, running event se-ries in the U.S. RRCA national and regional championship eventsreceive sponsorship support from Gatorade, Sports Authority, AshworthAwards, and Coolmax. The complete event listing can be found atwww.RRCA.org/programs/rrca-championship-series

24 • ClubRunning S p r i n g 2 0 1 2

Donna Manley Photography

Daniel Kirwa

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By Jessica Benney, RRCA Membership Coordinator

What do you get when you mix Elvis, a bluesband, world-famous barbeque, Olympians,and runners?

A great RRCA convention, that’s what.The “Home of the Blues” experienced an

influx of happy runners this March, whenhundreds of RRCA club leaders, race direc-tors, coaches, and friends arrived for the an-nual RRCA national convention hosted by theMemphis Runners Track Club, the fifthlargest club in the U.S. A community with astrong grassroots running scene, Memphis setthe stage for the annual convention, whichcelebrated the sport of running.

The convention kicked off on Thursday,March 15, with an evening welcome receptionat the host hotel, the Hilton Memphis. Guestswere treated to the sounds of a live jazz band,as well as a performance from a very specialhometown guest, Elvis himself! RRCA clubleaders, state representatives, sponsors, andmore reunited with friends from conventionspast and mingled with new faces.

The second day of the convention beganwith an early-morning group run departingfrom the hotel. Runners were able to take insights of the scenic area in their favorite way, ina running tour led by local Memphis TrackClub Runners. Convention guests then gath-ered in the main ballroom for the official con-vention kickoff, with breakfast and a generalsession on club and event insurance and riskmanagement, led by Terry Diller from Star In-surance. Jean Knaack, RRCA executive direc-tor, and Diller took questions from theaudience.

Following the insurance session, atten-dees broke into four separate sessions for theregional meetings, led by each region’s direc-tor. Each region reviewed the past year anddiscussed their accomplishments as well astheir goals for 2012.

Attendees regrouped in the ballroom forlunch. Memphis mayor, A. C. Wharton Jr.,who’s an avid runner himself, commended theMemphis Runners Track Club for their dedi-cation in growing running and improving thehealth of the community.

“We’ve come a long way in running, butit has not been without effort,” Whartonnoted.

He then introduced Memphis’ ownOlympian and special guest, Dave Wottle. Byfurther introduction, a video was shown ofWottle’s dramatic upset in the 800 meter eventat the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Wot-tle gave a compelling speech about his accom-plishments and talked about the infamouspainter’s cap that made him an icon.

“Hard work is the thread that goesthrough all successful endeavors,” commentedWottle.

Following lunch, Wottle signed auto-graphs and posed for pictures with his Munichgold medal.

Throughout the convention, guests wereable to attend breakout sessions of theirchoice, such as race revenue, timing, and nu-trition, presented by experts in their respectivefields.

Friday afternoon concluded with theRRCA Annual Meeting of the Membership.

Knaack and outgoing RRCA president BrentAyer reviewed the past year for the RRCA andrecent work of the board of directors. DavidCotter, former RRCA vice president, wasvoted into the presidency of the RRCA andwelcomed into his new role, as well as otherboard members.

Next, it was off to Beale Street to explorethe sights and sounds of downtown Memphis!The night kicked off at the world famousrestaurant, Rendezvous, with a legendary feastof dry-rub ribs, pork barbeque, and bottom-less pitchers of beer. Once guests had their fill,they strolled down Beale Street with locals (in-cluding mayor Wharton) and visitors aliketaking in the sounds of the prominent live jazzand blues scene.

54th Annual RRCA Convention Recap

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Memphis mayor with convention attendee Valerie Grosso (left) and RRCA Southern CAState Rep Jackie Britton (right)

Dave Wottle (left) shareshis Olympic gold medalwith Gary Morgan

Christopher McDougallenjoys an evening outwith RRCA conventionattendees including Debi Bookas



Runners greeted the dawn once again on Saturday in their favoritefashion, a morning group run, this time with bestselling author Christo-pher McDougall. The Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, andthe Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen author also honored RRCA

as the keynote speaker for the Saturday luncheon. At the event, Mc-Dougall recounted that he was initially sent to Mexico to research a dif-ferent topic and the adventure led him to search for the TarahumaraIndian tribe in the depths of the northern Mexico canyon lands. Therehe learned of barefoot running and ultra running from the Tarahumara,as well as prominent western ultra runners. McDougall commented thatpeople take different things away from his book as they interpret hismessage, but McDougall believes an important message is that runningcreates community within the Tarahumara.

After the final set of informative breakout sessions, guests gatheredone final time in the main ballroom to bid on items featured in thelive auction, as well as place their final bids on the assortment of itemsand race entries featured in the silent auction. The auctions raised$10,000 to support RRCA programs such as the Roads Scholar Fund,the Kids Run the Nation Fund, and the State Reps Fund.

Finally, the guests took their seats for the RRCA National Run-ning Awards Banquet and Ceremony. Awards were given to several in-dividuals for their significant contributions to the running community,including RRCA Distance Hall of Fame Inductees Abdi Abdirahman,who accepted his award via Skype, Linda Somers Smith, and Joe Vigil.The ceremony was a fitting end to the week, which highlighted the ac-complishments of the RRCA community and the bright future aheadfor grassroots running.

The Albuquerque Road Runners invite you to save the date forthe 55th Annual RRCA Convention that will be held May 2–5, 2013in Albuquerque, NM. Learn more at www.RRCA.org

continued 54th Annual RRCA Convention Recap

On Sept. 21, the Road Runners Club of America will promote the 7thAnnual RUN@WORK Day. This is a nationwide, grassroots effort toencourage company-based wellness programs, human resources de-partments, running clubs, running events, running shoe stores, and in-dividual runners to plan fun runs and walks with theircoworkers/employees for that day.

The goal of RUN@WORK Day is to encourage adults to get 30minutes of exercise each day, in accordance with the Physical ActivityGuidelines for Americans, either before work, during lunch, or imme-diately following work. RUN@WORK Day also encourages compa-nies to help employees schedule time for physical activity. Incorporatingexercise into one’s daily routine can markedly improve one’s overallphysical health.

Participation in the RUN@WORK Day is an important step inraising awareness about the importance of daily physical activity. If adultslead by example and if companies encourage healthy living, then togetherwe can combat the national inactivity crisis gripping our nation.

The event should be a fun run and/or walking event lasting at least30 minutes before work, during lunch, or immediately after work, orall of the above to accommodate varying schedules.

Event hosts should work with a company’s human resources de-

partment or staff to or-ganize and promotethe event within thecompany. Here aremore helpful tips fororganizing a successfulevent:

To promote yourevent, get freeRUN@WORK Dayposters by ordering them at www.rrca.org/programs/run-at-work-day Provide participants with general nutrition, fitness, and healthy livinginformation. Great resources can be found at www.EnergyBalance101.comWork with local sponsors to provide participant incentives, event sup-port, and promotion.Use our sample press release (on the web) to send to your local media.Make time to get 30 minutes of running or walking on Sept. 21 andbring a coworker or family member with you.Share information about your RUN@WORK Day event atwww.facebook.com/pages/RunWork-Day

RUN@WORK Day

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MRTC Convention organizing co-chairsGeorge Higgs, DJ Watson, and Terri

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SAVE THE DATE: 7th Annual RUN@WORK DayPresented by the RRCAFriday, Sept. 21, 2012


Runner Friendly Community® Program RRCA Seeks Applications for the Next Round of Runner Friendly Community® DesignationsRunning is one of the most popular and affordable formsof exercise that gets and keeps people fit andhealthy. Running with a group is also a positive social ex-perience. Running can generate significant economic im-pact dollars for communities that host events and supportthe running community. Pedestrian networks that in-clude sidewalks, trails, paths, and share lanes often in-crease property values and overall quality of living in acommunity. While running doesn’t require a lot of ex-pensive equipment, there are several ways that local com-munities can invest to ensure that running is safe,affordable, accessible, and enjoyable for anyone whowants to run.

Many communities support a variety of sports andsporting facilities and, at the heart of almost every sport,is running. Being a Runner Friendly Community® notonly supports the running community, but running is thefoundation for many other community-based sports (soc-cer, football, tennis, basketball, etc.).

The goal of this program is to shine a national spotlight on com-munities that stand out as runner friendly and to provide incentivesand ideas for other communities to work toward becoming runnerfriendly communities.

Runner friendly communities can increase the quality of life, canimprove physical activity for residents as outlined in the National Phys-ical Activity Plan, and can provide for increased economic impact forthe community.

Learn more about the program at www.rrca.org/programs/runner-friendly-community

Help Designate RRCA Runner Friendly Businesses in Your CommunityRRCA members are encouragedto purchase RRCA RunnerFriendly Business static windowdecals (decal is 5 inches square)to give to local businesses thatRRCA club members believeare runner friendly. To helpclubs promote and recruit businesses into this promotionaleffort, we have created a fact sheet that can be given to a runner friendlybusiness owner at the time a window decal is presented. The fact sheetoutlines that runner friendly businesses are engaged with the runningcommunity, and they:

Host group runs and offer discounts to local running club members Are willing to serve as a pre- or post-run meeting spot Share their parking lots during nonbusiness hours Allow runners to use their bathroom facilities as needed Serve as safe places where runners can stop to use the phone, get out of unsafe weather, or fill a water bottle to prevent dehydration Support clubs through race sponsorships, including in-kind donations, publicity, etc.

Visit www.rrca.org/programs/runner-friendly-community to learn moreabout this opportunity. You can purchase decals today atwww.rrca.org/publications Share information about Runner FriendlyBusinesses in your community on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RunnerFriendlyCommunity Help shine a local spotlight onRunner Friendly Businesses in your community!


Mayor Joan Foster accepts the award for the 2011 RRCA:Outstanding Runner Friendly Community on behalf of thecity of Lynchburg, VA

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Training Tips

Have you ever trained hard for a race, such as amarathon, and thought that it’s a shame to wasteall that good training you’ve gotten on a singlerace? Or have you been upset with your per-formance on race day and wanted to use thattraining without having to wait for the next sea-son? Or have you ever had trouble choosing be-tween two races?

You might be surprised to hear that a secondmarathon can often be faster than your first one.When you train for a race and not everythinggoes the way you want on race day, it can be amajor letdown. If you look for another race 3–5weeks later, you may find that you have one ofthe best performances of your life. I’ve seen ithappen numerous times, including with a few ofthe athletes I coach.!is strategy can also work if there are two

races you want to run and can’t decide betweenthem. In one sense, what you’re doing is runningyour final long run at the full distance of amarathon, which certainly gives you plenty oftime on your feet and, if you allow yourself to re-cover properly, can set you up for a fast race.

Determining how much recovery you needdepends on your goals going into the races andhow much time you have between them.

No matter how close together or far apartthe two races are, getting some good nutritioninto your body following your first race makes adi"erence in how well you recover. Try to eat afew hundred calories as soon as your stomach canhandle it and, within a few hours, eat a full meal.!is provides your body with the calories it needsto repair the muscle damage caused from running26.2 miles.

If you want to run two marathons in twoconsecutive weekends (or even in the same week-end), then you can feel fully justified taking iteasy between races. Taper as you normally wouldbefore the first race, and be sure to get out for ashort walk each day between the races. If the racesare one after another, then walk a short distancethe evening between them.

You may find that it’s di#cult to recoverquickly enough to run competitively in your sec-ond race if they are this close together. Expectyour second race to be a little slower than the firstrace. If you plan to run as hard as you can in thefirst race, then the second race will feel muchharder. !at isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but ifyou just want to go out for an enjoyable couple ofraces, then dial back the e"ort in the first race andsave something for the second.

If your races are 2–3 weeks apart, then anormal taper before the first race is still a goodidea, but include some easy runs in the weeks be-tween your races. Depending on how well you re-

cover, you could potentially run a pretty compet-itive race in both outings.

For races that are about a month apart, howyou taper depends on which race is more impor-tant. If you’re going to try to be competitive inthe first race, especially if you don’t plan on a sec-ond race until after you’ve run the first, then a fulltaper is a good idea. If you plan right from thebeginning to aim for the second race as the morecompetitive e"ort, then take a shorter taper of7–10 days, instead of a full 2–3 weeks before yourfirst race.

In between the races, your first week shouldfocus on recovery. Get out for a short walk eachday to stretch your legs and see how they feel. Ifyou’re feeling good, then some easy running is agood idea. You should definitely be able to run inthe second week, but keep the runs short andeasy. !ere’s no need for any long runs betweenthe races, but you may want to include a short in-terval work in the third and fourth weeks. Youonly need to run a few intervals during yourworkout and you should give yourself completerecovery between them. Taper again during thefinal week before your second race.

If you follow these strategies, then you’ll findthat you can run a second marathon in the sameseason without having to spend another 3–4months training and, if it’s done properly, youmay even find the second race faster than the first.

Blaine Moore is a competitive runner andRRCA certified coach insouthern Maine. He servesas the RRCA’s Maine staterep. Moore is the author of the !e Runner’s Almanac, an annual run-ning journal designed tomotivate you each day ofthe year. You can learnmore about the book at!eRunnersAlmanac.com

Tapering for Back-to-Back MarathonsBy Blaine Moore, RRCA Certified Coach

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S&R-10-18872 © Disney

Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend Nov. 9 - 10, 2012

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Documents

2012 Spring Club Running magazine