Running on the beach

Since everyone else was either out of town or sick, I decided to run on the beach down by the water. The sand was nice and firm, but still a softer surface than the concrete of the strand. It was nice hearing the waves crash as I did the pier to pier run. Curiously, I didn't really feel a breeze off the ocean. It felt good to take my shoes and socks off at the end of my run and wade into the water to cool my feet off.

Still looking for anyone wanting to train for a half or full marathon. As I said in my last post, I'll stay around after our normal Fun Run (3.3 miles or so) and do a longer run.

Long Distance Runners Wanted

Sorry about slacking off the last couple weeks and not posting. We cancelled last weekend's run since a few folks were going to be out of town. I drove down to Aliso Viejo to pick up my free Avia running shoes after being one of the first 1000 to register for the OC Marathon, which will be on 6 January. I didn't make it for the entire morning's festivities, but they had a trail run, some motivational speakers and coaching clinics, free running and T-shirts, a delicious pasta lunch, and free massages. It appeared well organized and was in a beautiful location (for an office complex).

As the title of this post suggests, I'm looking for some folks who are interested in running some longer distances with me on Saturdays. I am still going to run the "Fun Run" from Hermosa Pier to Manhattan Pier and back, but I'd also like to do some longer runs after using the Fun Run as a warmup run. I'm just over a month from running the Disneyland Half-Marathon, so I'm starting to ramp up the mileage on the weekends. And I'll keep it up as I start my OC Marathon training. So anyone who wants to go a little longer can show up at 8:00 am at the Surfer statue at Hermosa Pier to warm up with the Fun Run and then stick around for a longer run. Or you can just show up around 8:30 if you want to sleep in a bit later.

Happy Running!

New Attendance Record!

First of all, congratulations to Nancy for running in the Redondo Beach 4th of July 5K race! It's great for motivation to enter a few races a year.

We had our largest turnout so far at ten!!! The morning marine layer was back again this morning. Nice and cool, but a little humid. Today there were a couple events going on. The U.S. Paddleboard Championship was being held right by the Hermosa Beach Pier. There was also a rowing competition being held, but I'm not sure what that was all about.

I've heard through the Hope Chapel grapevine that at least one person has not shown up for Elijah's Running Club because we don't run far enough for them (this person is a marathoner). My response to that would be that I will run as far as you guys want, since I'm getting started in training for the Disneyland Half-Marathon. We can do the Pier to Pier and back as a warmup and then do a good 6-8 mile run or longer if you'd like. My goal is to get as many folks out as possible with a wide variety of running levels.

Well, have a great week and happy running!

Beat the Heat

This weekend's run was the warmest yet, I believe. There was no June gloom this Saturday as we had blue skies and plenty of sun already at 8:00. But there were plenty of people out for their Saturday morning walks and runs. And plenty of dogs. I'll have to bring my camera and take some photos of the variety of dogs that people walk on Saturday mornings.

For this week's running tips, I'll pass along some advice from this month's issue of Runner's World. With the weather getting warmer, overheating while doing your running can become a concern. Here are a few tips to deal with the heat.

1) Go running early. Running before the sun is up is cooler and helps start your day off with a jump-start for your metabolism.

2) Cross-train indoors. Instead of riding your bike outside, try riding a stationary bike indoors with the A/C or a fan on.

3) Ease into the heat. If you can't entirely eliminate running during the hotter parts of the day, slowly build up your mileage during that time. Let your body get used to running in the heat instead of starting out with a long run.

4) Have a hydration plan. For longer runs, have a plan for drinking plenty of sports drink on the route. Either do loops on a shorter route and place water bottles at the starting point or place a water bottle at various distances on a longer route.

5) Run, Swim, Run. After running for a while, try going for a swim in some cool water. This would be easy if you're running along the Strand. Run a few miles and then jump into the ocean to cool off.

6) Sign up for cool races. There are plenty of races in Southern California throughout the year. There's nothing that says you have to register for a race in San Diego in August. Sign up for one in the fall or even in the winter. I've registered for the Orange County Marathon, which is on January 6th next year.

Happy Running!

Running With Mickey

I've registered for the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon, which is on Labor Day Weekend. Looking at the map for the race, it appears that we run through both Disneyland and California Adventure, then run out under I-5, run down to the Anaheim Angels' stadium, run around the field, then return to Disneyland. Should be a fun race. My goal will be to beat 1:40, but really all I care about is beating Goofy.

I just got an email telling me that there is still time for more folks to sign up. They're 85% full on the half, which is on 3 September. They're also having a family fun run 5K and various kids races on the 2nd of September. Click here for more information.

Elijah's Running Tips, 10-16 June

This will be a weekly feature of the Elijah's Running Club blog. I'll try to find some of the best advice on the web regarding training tips, injury prevention and treatment, and diet advice. If a person wants to get back in shape, they are going to have to make some changes to their lifestyle, since it was something about their lifestyle that allowed them to get out of shape. And the most effective way to get back into shape is to change exercise habits (actually do exercise), change eating habits, and then ensure you can continue to exercise by avoiding injuries.

Training Tips
Jeff Galloway, former Olympic marathoner, has some great advice for those who are just starting to run. You don't have to run every day.

Those who run three days a week have the lowest rate of injury. Each additional running day increases the chance of injury--particularly for those over the age of 50. Research on runners has also shown that when you run every 48 hours, the damage from running is repaired and the muscle cells and tendons tend to rebuild stronger than before.

If you're not experiencing extra fatigue, aches, pains or injuries from running more often, it's OK to run more days per week at any age. There are so many reasons to run that I had to severely edit the "Why Run" chapter in my GETTING STARTED book more than any other. Most runners run because it makes them feel better about themselves, about life in general--and want to get out there every day they can. Unfortunately, too many running days per week is one of the key reasons for injury. Even when runners maintain the same weekly mileage, but add more rest days, they experience fewer tired and injury days.

His article on Runnersworld.com has a great table for how many miles you should run for whatever age you are.

Injury Prevention & Treatment
Runnersworld.com has a great article on using a foam roller to give yourself a kind of deep tissue massage.

Using a foam roller can provide similar benefits as deep-tissue massage. By increasing flexibility and decreasing muscle tension, it can help prevent injury and improve performance. Make the following foam-roller exercises part of your regular running routine--run, roll, then stretch. Place your body on the roller and slowly roll up and down (for about 10-15 seconds) along the muscle group you are targeting. If you find a particularly tight area, pause on that spot. Putting pressure on a tight area can help release the tissue.

Click here to read how to use the foam roller on the various body parts. Amazon has foam rollers here.

Nutrition
For those who think of chocolate as one of the main food groups, here's something that will help you justify your guilty pleasure.

In January, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) published the most convincing study yet linking flavanol-rich cocoa to improved blood-vessel health. A month later, the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that Dutch men who ate the most chocolate had a 47 percent lower mortality rate over 15 years than a similar group that consumed little chocolate.

Read the rest of the article for all the good news.

Have a great week! See you Saturday.

Growing

Today we had our biggest turnout yet. It was, again, a perfect running day, cloudy and cool. And while there was nothing big going on, there were still activities happening. There was a lifeguard academy class training by the pier. And the LA Air Force Base Marathon Club met for a run, same time, same place as us. And a beach boot camp training in the sand. And of course, Mr. Falun Gong doing his impression of a store mannequin.