California Track & Running News

Official Publication of theCalifornia/Northern NevadaAssociations of USATF

Includes the Runner’s Schedule Calendar!

www.caltrack.com

Dunc

an Selby

/www.selby

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WINTER TRAIL SHOESREVIEWED

Q&A WITH MARATHONCHAMP SERGIO REYES

PA, SCA, SD UPDATES

CaliforniaTrack&RunningNews

Nov–Dec 2010

VOLUME 36NUMBER 5$3.95

Top talent made the inaugural USATF Southern California Road Mile Championships a day of racing to remember. In the elite women's race, GRACE PADILLA (#185) laidclaim to the title with a time of 5:02.7. She was followed by GENEVIEVE GRAFF-ERMELING(#99, 5:03.3) and EMILY FIELD (#823, 5:04.1). ALISON ATKINSON (#15, 5:08.4) was themasters division winner. More inside on page 17.

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WE KNOW

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The Basics6 From the Publisher9 The Runner’s Schedule Calendar19 Winter Trail Shoes Reviewed

Departments14 Long Distance Running22 Miracles Happen Journal by Mark Winitz25 Regional USATF Association News28 Race Walking

California Track & Running News November–December 2010

David

Kloz

SAN DIEGO DIRT DOG XC ACTION:Dr. Chris Hupfeld (#98) dominated the first tworaces of this year’s series. below Dianna Chivakosis the current women’s leader in the Dirt Dog XCstandings. Story in the Association Section of this issue.

California Track & Running News is a magazine for membersof the California and N. Nevada associa tions of USA Track &Field. Contact your region regarding changes of address andmissing issues.

Central California Association: [email protected]

Pacific Association: 916.983.4715 or [email protected]

San Diego/Imperial Association: 619.275.6542 or [email protected]

Southern California: 562.941.2621 or [email protected]

tents

4 c t & r n • n ov e m b e r – d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0

David

Kloz


From the Publisher

Publisher recommends, as with all fitness andhealth issues, you consult with your physicianbefore instituting any changes in your fitnessprogram.

Let Us Hear From You!California Track & Running News welcomes your sug-gestions, comments, and questions. Direct them to:

Christine Johnson, Group EditorShooting Star Media, Inc./[email protected]

Address Changes/Missing IssuesThird class mail is not forwarded! Please inform yourlocal USATF association about address changes,duplicate mailings, or missing issues. See page 3 forhow to contact your association for help.

Member of:

CaliforniaTrack&RunningNewsPublisher’s InformationCalifornia Track & Running News (ISDN #1098-6472), incor-porating Pacific Athlete, is the official publication for theUSA Track & Field associations in California and NorthernNevada. It is produced, published, and owned by ShootingStar Me dia, Inc., P.O. Box 67, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538.Christine Johnson, President; Larry Eder, Vice President.

All ad materials and insertion orders should be sent toShooting Star Media, Inc., at the above address.

Publisher assumes no liability for matter printed.Publisher assumes no responsibility or liability for contentof paid advertising and reserves the right to reject paidadvertising. Publisher expects that all claims by advertiserscan be substantiated and that all guarantees will be hon-ored. Opinions expressed herein are those of the authorsand not necessarily those of the Publisher.

Copyright © 2010 by Shooting Star Media, Inc. AllRights Reserved. No part of this publication may be repro -duced in any form without prior written permission of thePublisher. California Track & Running News is solely ownedby Shooting Star Media, Inc.

Rick Milam was a huge friend of the sport of track& field for the past 50 years. If you’ve gone to atrack & field meet, or even a cross country meet in

Northern California in the past 4 decades, you probablymet Rick. He was the zen master Clerk of the Course.

Rick felt that the best way to show his love for thesport was to keep track and cross country meets organizedand running on time. If you were lucky enough to attendor compete at a Los Gatos All Comers meet, you’d haveseen Rick and Willie Harmatz, the former Los Gatos HighSchool coach, ensuring that the meets ran like clockwork.

I got to know Rick while I was coaching with JoeMangan and Hank Ketels at Foothill Community Collegein the 1990s. Each spring, we hosted the St. FrancisFoothill Invitational and every fall, the St. Francis CrossCountry Invitational. Rick and his team would keep an 8-hour meet running on time, literally. Some years, we were even 5 minutes ahead of schedule!

Rick developed cancer several years ago, and all through that episode, he kept his friends updat-ed by email, never giving up and always staying positive. Last March, the California Senate recog-nized Rick and his support of our sport—a recognition that was well deserved.

I’m sorry to report that Rick died on Aug. 23 from injuries sustained in an auto accident. Hisbrother LeRoy kept us informed and when I opened the email about 2 in the morning, I felt likesomeone had kicked me in the stomach. I closed my eyes and could see Rick smiling, with his meetsheets in hand, knowing that he would get those sophomore 800m runners on time.

Rick was a student of Dr. Bruce Olgilvie, the father of modern sports psychology. Rick knewand was respected by everyone and loved by many. I understand his memorial service on Sept. 19 inLos Gatos was amazing. (You can read all about it on Keith Conning’s The Conning Tower.)

Please keep Rick’s family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. I will keep Rick in my heart,seeing him jogging through Rancho San Antonio or managing the St. Francis Foothill meet. Knowingthat Rick might have some control of the universe from heaven both comforts me and will keep thesmile alive that much longer.

Regards,

Larry Eder

CaliforniaTrack&RunningNews

Volume 36, Number 5November–December 2010

Group PublisherLarry Eder

Group & Coordinating EditorChristine Johnson, [email protected]

Contributing EditorsCregg Weinmann Apparel, Footwear Reviews

Dave Shrock Community CollegesMark Winitz Northern CaliforniaKees & Sandy Tuinzing Calendar

PhotographersVictor Sailer, www.PhotoRun.net

Wayne Joness, David Kloz Dave Shrock, supersportsphoto.com

Thuc Tran, Bert WhitsonDuncan Selby/selbyphotography.com

Jim Townsend, Ted Zahn

Association ConsultantsJohn Mansoor Pacific

Lawrence Watson CentralWayne Joness Southern

Mike Rouse San Diego/Imperial

ProofreaderRed Ink Editorial Services, Madison, WI

Pre-Press/PrinterW. D. Hoard & Sons Co., Fort Atkinson, WI

WebsiteChuck Bartlett

ADVERTISINGPublisher

Larry Eder, Shooting Star Media, Inc.phone: 608.239.3785fax: 920.563.7298

[email protected]

Publisher’s RepresentativeRunning Network LLC920.563.5551, ext. 112

Special Projects ManagerAdam Johnson-Eder

608.957.2159; [email protected]

Advertising Production ManagerAlex Larsen

CounselPhilip J. BradburyMelli Law, S.C.Madison, WI

w w w . c a l t r a c k . c o m

REGISTRATION: Early entry fees: $96 per team with long-sleeve shirt $72 team with noshirt if entry postmarked by December 4. $96 team late registration with no shirt. AFTERDEC 4 only race day (starting at 7:30 a.m.) or online entries (ALLSPORTcentral.com)allowed. IMPORTANT: Divisions B & C, deduct $1 per runner, and Division U deduct $2 perrunner from amounts listed above for pre-registered entries. Late entries must register after7:30 a.m. on race day. DIVISION RULES: Team members may be changed after entry issubmitted (within same division) but Division Changes must be made at Registration (bring oldset of numbers with you!). During the race, substitutions may be made if they do not changedivision status. Changes in division status must be reported at the finish and will result in place-ment in the OPEN division. WOMEN may compete in any of the divisions. Age on December12 determines division, except Juniors as described below. AWARDS: $2900 PAUSATFGRAND PRIX AWARDS (PA Open = under 30). RIBBONS to all finishers. AWARDS to allmembers of top division teams @ 11 a.m (approx.). RAFFLE: Merchandise awards.

RETURN TO: Send Entry fees (non-refundable, non-transferable) with completed forms to:Christmas Relays, c/o Marc Lund, 1433 Norman Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94087 (checks payableto West Valley TC). Enclose self addressed envelopes with adequate postage to receive #s,or pickup raceday. FAX credit card entries to (650) 960-6993. FOR INFORMATION: TONYFONG (510) 205-8074 (evenings).

I N C O M P L E T E F O R M S C A N N OT B E P R O C E S S E DWWAAIIVVEERR:: In consideration of your acceptance of our entry, we, intending to be legally bound, hereby for ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators, waive andrelease forever, any and all rights and claims or damages we may accrue against USAT&F, West Valley TC, Inc., the City and County of San Francisco, the San FranciscoParks and Recreation Dept., and any and all sponsors of this event, their successors, representatives and assigns, for any and all injuries suffered by our team while travel-ling to and from, and while participating in the 2010 Christmas Relays.

Date Team Representative (over 18 yrs.)

(Signature required for team waiver ; must be of credit card holder if applicable)

TTEEAAMM NNAAMMEE::

If the club or organization enters more than one team in a division, follow the name by an appropriate designation, such as “A” Team or another unique name.

Circle Division Code: OPEN A B C E F H J K L N R S T U W X Y

Please bill my: MasterCard Visa Account Number________________________________________ exp. ________ amt. $_______

MANDATORY: LIST TEAM MEMBERS -- (Names may be changed on raceday).

1. _______________________________________________ Age__________

2. _______________________________________________ Age__________

3. _______________________________________________ Age__________

4. _______________________________________________ Age__________

RACE NUMBERS WILL BE MAILED TO PRIMARY CONTACT

PUT ADDRESSES ON BACK OR ON FAX COVER SHEET FOR RESULTS

CCRREEDDIITT CCAARRDD HHOOLLDDEERR OORR RRAACCEE PPAACCKKEETT RREECCIIPPIIEENNTT IINNFFOO --enclose SASE):

NNaammee::______________________________________________________________________________________________

AAddddrreessss::__________________________________________________________________________________________

CCiittyy::______________________________________________________

SSttaattee//ZZiipp::______________________________________________

PPhh:: (( ))______________________________ HH oorr WW

ee--mmaaiill::____________________________________________________

OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Christmas RelaysLake Merced, San Francisco

4 person teams 4.5 miles per leg

SUNDAY DECEMBER 12, 2010LOCATION: Start/Finish and all exchange points at Sunset Circle

Parking Lot (Sunset Blvd. at Lake Merced)START TIME: All teams start at 9 a.m.DISTANCE: Each of 4 members runs one 4.464 mile leg. OK to

run one leg on more than one team.

West Valley Track Club Presentsthe 37th Annual

PRIZES IN THE FOLLOWING DIVISIONS :

DIVISION RESTRICTION CODEOPEN No restrictions OPENWomen’s Open No age restrictions NJunior Girls Born 1991 or after CJunior Boys Born 1991 or after BSub-Masters Men 30 years or older FSub-Masters Women 30 or older XMasters Men 40 years or older HMasters Women 40 years or older RSenior Men 50 years or older LSenior Women 50 years or older TMen 60-Plus 60 years or older KWomen 60-Plus 60 years or older JMen 70-Plus 70 years or older PWomen 70-Plus 70 years or older Z14 & Under Mixed or same-sex UFamily At least 3 from same family ECouples 2 males, 2 females SCorporate Open At least 20 hrs./wk. at one firm ACorporate Women Same as above WLaw Enforcement (members must be from thesame jurisdiction; active or reserves - police, fire,CHP, Sheriff’s Dept., national park, etc. Militarypolice okay, if from the same facility) Y

For Division records and number of awards per divi-sion, visit www.westvalleytc.org

No processing fees foronline registration!-your fastest and easiestregistration option

ASICS Congratulates Kara Patterson on Setting a New AR in the Javelin Throw

CaliforniaTrack&RunningNews presents the November–December 2010

Runner’s Schedule CalendarYOUR COMPLETEGUIDE TO RUNNING,WALKING, TRAIL &MULTI-SPORTS IN CALIFORNIAcontaining events through August 2011!

25,000 Copies Distributed!

��Victah, Photorun.NE

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Victah, Photorun.NE

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You can also find this calendar at www.caltrack.com.

On October 3, 2004 Olympic Marathon Silvermedalist MEB KEFLEZIGHI (Mammoth Lakes)successfully defended his San Jose Rock ‘n’Roll Half Marathon title, recording anunchallenged win in 1:01:45. LINDA SOMERSSMITH (left, 49, Arroyo Grande), a 1996Olympian in the marathon, secured secondplace and finished only 1 minute, 36 secondsbehind female winner Blake Russell (1:11:55,Pacific Grove), who was a 2008 Olympian inthe marathon. See page 14 for more.

Check inside forinformation on:• Los Angeles Marathon• Big Sur InternationalMarathon

10 c t & r n • n ov e m b e r — d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0

dappled with filtered light through lush canopy.www.brazenracing.com/summitrock.html

December 12, SUNSan Francisco: Christmas Relays 4x4.46. (37th), 37th AnnualChristmas Relays. 19 divisions. Local USATF team prize money.The runners version of the tail gate party!www.westvalleytc.org

San Diego: 40th Anniversary of Scripps Ranch 4 MileRun/Walk 2010, 7:30 AM - 10:00 AM, Come run or walkamong the Eucalyptus trees along historic Pomerado Road. Forthis special occasion, a two-mile long stretch of scenicPomerado Road will be closed to traffic from Scripps RanchBlvd. to Semillon Blvd. For more information you may contactBob Ilko at [email protected] or 858-243-1235,www.scrippsranch.org.

December 25, SATRichmond: Santa’s Christmas Gold Rush 5 Mile Run, Strollor Walk, 10 am $15, $20 race day w/t t-shirt, and medals toall that participate. Courtyard Marriott; out and back coursearound Gold Lake. Sky High Events; 510/223-5778; OnlineTheSchedule.com

December 26, SUNOakland: Lake Merritt Joggers & Striders Fourth SundayRuns 5K, 10K, 9am $3 members, $5 non-members. LakeMerritt, 568 Bellevue Ave, Oakland. Hotline: (510) 644-4224www.lmjs.org

January 1, SAT, 2011Berkeley: Splash and Dash 5M Run, Stride or Walk, 10am$20, $25 race day w/t-s and numerous awards. Sea BreezeDeli-foot of University Ave. (from I-80 take University Avenueoff-ramp. West toward the Bay; course around the beautifulBerkeley Marina and Park. Race numbers not mailed; you willpick them up on race day. Sky High, 4967 Santa Rita Rd, ElSobrante 94803; Online www.TheSchedule.com; 510/223-5778 (7-10 am & pm).

January 2, SUN, 2011Castro Valley: Brazen New Year Runs - HalfMarathon/10K/5K, $29-$60, courses include rolling, but veryrunnable hills. The 5K will be entirely on paved trails around thelake. The 10K and half marathon are roughly 50% on pavedtrail and 50% on fire trails. Hikers/walkers alwayswelcome!www.brazenracing.com

DISCLAIMER�+�'-��%')��(�#��)%��$(*'��)��*'��-�%��)��$�%'#�)�%$�&'%+��$�)��"�$��'��%,�+�'��)��&*�"�(��'��(�$%)�'�(&%$(��"��%'��''%'(��%#�((�%$(�%'��$��(�#��)�'�&*�"��)�%$��%*��$�(�+��-%*'(�"�)�#��#%$�-��$��'*()'�)�%$��-�&'��'��()�'�$��%'��+�$)(��(&��""-��%'��#�!�$��$-�)'�+�"��''�$��#�$)(��%*#�-�,�(��)%��%$1'#��-�)�"�&�%$��,�)��%'��$�.�'(�)��)��)�#��$��"%��)�%$� *()�&'�%'�)%�)��+�$)�LISTING YOUR EVENT�%'�� -%*'�"�()�$��,�""��$�&'�$)��$��%$"�$��)�'%*��)��+�$)��)��$��(�#�-��#��)��$-�)�#��)�$%��)�%$�"��'��""�� %'��$�%'#�)�%$�ONLINE CALENDAR�$�*&�)%��)��+�'(�%$�%��)��"�$��'��$��%*$��%$"�$��),,,��*"��%#�/��*$$�'0(��*"��&'%�*�)�%$��$��$-��%'#��(&'%��)��,�)�%*)��%$(�$)�%��)��&*�"�(��'�

November 6, SAT Knights Ferry: Salmon Duathlon (5kR-30kB-2.5KR)(14th),9am $45, $50 after 11/4, $85/$95-Relay w/T-s, Free Beer,Awards, Refreshments, Raffle Prizes. Stanislaus River Park-halfway between Oakdale and Sonora. On Your Mark Events,PO Box 1199, Arnold 95223; [email protected];www.onyourmarkevents.com; 209/795-7832

Knights Ferry: Salmon 5000 (5K) (14th), 9am $30, $35 after11/4 w/T-s, Awards, Refreshments, & Free Beer. StanislausRiver Park. On Your Mark Events, PO Box 1199, Arnold 95223;[email protected]; www.onyourmarkevents.com;209/795-7832

November 7, SUN San Francisco: San Francisco Marathon, For more info go towww.runsf.com

November 14, SUN Monterey: Big Sur Half Marathon, 7am, $115 through 11/7.The out and back course begins on Del Monte near FigueroaStreet. The proceeds from our Half Marathon are dedicated toour youth fitness program, JUST RUN®.www.bigsurhalfmarathon.org

November 21, SUN Vallejo-Mare Island: Return to Mare Island 3.1 MileRun/Walk (5th), 9am $30, $35 after 11/20,, $15 All students,$70 Family of 3 w/Awards, T-s,, Refreshments, Raffle Prizes.Touro University (1310 Johnson Ln); scenic run through theOld Mare Island Navy Base including the Admiral’s housing.On Your Mark Events, PO Box 1199, Arnold 95223;[email protected]; www.onyourmarkevents.com;209/795-7832

November 25, THURS Pinole: Gold Medal Turkey Trot 4 Mile Run, Walk , Stride,10 am $15, $20 race day w/t-shirt, medals to all thatparticipate. Pinole Valley High School: out and back flatcourse. Sky High Events; 510/223-5778; OnlineTheSchedule.com

Oceanside: Join us for the 5th Annual Pacific Marine CreditUnion O’side Turkey Trot 5k, 5 mile and Kid’s 1 mile onThanksgiving morning. Proceeds benefit the Move Your Feet

Before You Eat Foundation and Oceanside schools. Invite yourfriends and family to get together for a healthy start to theholiday on the beach in Oceanside. We will have liveentertainment, a great costume contest, and medals to allfinishers. www.osideturkeytrot.com

November 28, SUNOakland: Lake Merritt Joggers & Striders Fourth FourthSunday Runs 5K, 10K, 15K, 9 a.m., $3 members, $5 non-members. Lake Merritt, 568 Bellevue Ave, Oakland. Hotline:(510) 644-4224 www.lmjs.org

San Francisco: RUN WILD For A Child 5K & 10K, SanFrancisco Golden Gate Park, 6000 Runners/Walkers, 26thAnnual, Benefits: SF Firefighters Toy Program

December 4, SATSan Ramon: Bah Humbug Run 5K by the City of SanRamon, 9am $25, $30 after 12/1 w/Awards 5-yr age groups,Refreshments, Prizes, L/S T-s. Corner of Camino Ramon &Bishop Dr. On Your Mark Events, PO Box 1199, Arnold 95223;[email protected]; www.onyourmarkevents.com

Death Valley: Death Valley Trail Marathon & 30K, $110, Thisscenic wilderness trail run is on a gravel jeep road fromBeatty, NV through the picturesque Titus Canyon, finishing inDeath Valley (entire run is in Death Valley National Park). Thedesert is beautiful this time of year with mild temperatures;lows at night between 30 and 40 degrees and highs duringthe day from the low-60s to mid-70s. The event is limited to300 participants and sells out months in advance so don'twait too long to register! NOTE: After a 21-year history oftaking place in early February, this event has been moved tothis December date.www.envirosports.com

December 5, SUNSt. Croix, VI: St. Croix International Marathon (9th),http://virginislandspace.org/stxmarathoninformation.htm,[email protected]

December 11, SATSaratoga: Summit Rock Half Marathon/10K/5K, $29-$60.Come join us in the beautiful redwood groves of the SantaCruz Mountains! Tucked away just outside Silicon Valley,Sanborn County Park features miles of single-track trails

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n ov e m b e r — d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 • c t & r n 11

January 16, SUN, 2011Redding: Redding Marathon, Marathon Relay & 5K, 8amMarathon and Relay, $65, $75 after 12/31, Shasta Dam; courseruns along the Sacramento River for most of the distance. 9am5K, $20, $25 after 12/31, Sundial Bridge; course runs along theSacramento River Trail System. [email protected];www.swestrc.com; 530-526-3076

January 23, SUN, 2011Carlsbad: Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Marathon andHalf Marathon, Carlsbad is a winter marathon and halfmarathon unlike any other. Ideal weather conditions, aspectacular coastal course and well-organized, friendlymanagement will wow you. Our 26 fully staffed course supportstations, continuous entertainment and unsurpassed volunteersupport are just a few of our outstanding features. We alsooffer each participant a technical fabric shirt, goodie bag,spectacular finisher's medal and more. Our events sell out,register early. www.carlsbadmarathon.com

January 29, SAT, 2011Orinda: The Dam Run 5K, 10K, 9am $30, w/t-s after 1/23 andrace day $40 w/t-s till gone w/5yr age groups and specialawards to Grand Masters and Masters. Closed course,beginning at the San Pablo Dam boat launch ramp(500 SanPablo Dam Rd, Orinda) at the San Pablo Reservoir located atthe Orinda entrance (not the El Sobrante entrance) to theReservoir. www.wolfpackevents.com, Online www.active.comtill 1/26, 510-459-0854.

San Juan Bautista: Rotary Mission Ten 10M, 5K (28th), 10am10M, 10:15am 5K, $22, $27 after 1/25 w/LS-shirt. Mission SanJuan Bautista (45 min. south of San Jose); out/back coursewith partial loop paved; 10M has one significant hill. Goodtraining for a marathon base. 5K out/back, flat. Both racestimed with awards. Bill Tiffany, 535 Monterey St, Hollister95023; [email protected]; Online reg: TheSchedule.com;831-637-0071; 831-637-0092; www.mission10.com

Fremont: Coyote Hills, Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont.From marshlands complete with 7 foot tall tule, to bay-sideviews on beautiful rolling hills, it's bound to be a great day! Allfinishers will receive custom finisher medals and custom shirts.www.brazenracing.com

February 5, SAT, 2011Death Valley: Death Valley Borax Marathon, Half Marathon &10K, out-and-back relatively flat course (fewer than 500 feet ofclimbing and descending). You'll admire the beauty of thesurrounding desert as you follow this paved run from FurnaceCreek Ranch along Hwy. 190 through the heart of Death ValleyNational Park. The course is USATF certified.www.envirosports.com

February 6, SUN, 2011Huntington Beach: Surf City USA® Marathon, This exclusiveoceanfront course is a California Dream! Run on Pacific CoastHighway past the famous Huntington Beach pier and windthrough the legendary surfing beaches of Southern California.Retro surf bands entertain along the way and the Finish LineFestival includes a beach side beer garden in the Californiasun. Finishers receive bodacious surfboard medals!www.runsurfcity.com

February 12, SAT, 2011El Sobrante: Du the Three Bears Duathlon and 5K (2mR-19mB-2mR and 5K), 8am $50-Indiv/$80-Team/$20-5K w/t-s,$60/$90/$25 after 2/5 w/t-s till gone w/5yr groups and specialawards to Masters and Grand Masters. Old San Pablo Dam Rd(7301 San Pablo Dam Rd, El Sobrante, CA 94803) 2M runsinside reservoir and bike around a 19 mile loop.www.wolfpackevents.com, Online www.active.com till 2/9,510-459-0854.

February 19, SAT, 2011San Leandro: Bay Breeze Half Marathon/10K/5K, FLAT ANDFAST! These fast courses and fantastic views offer theopportunity for a personal record in any distance you choose.www.Brazenracing.com

March 5, SAT, 2011Cancun, MX: The UjENA 5K / 10K, is a unique event createdby Runner's World magazine founder Bob Anderson. This is afun but also serious race. Run the 5K or 10K or choose the BobAnderson Challenge - run the 10k at 7:30am and the 5k at9:00am! The unique part is that hundreds of models andphotographers from around the world will be running. There isalso a party on the night of each race. Your race number getsyou into the party and the UjENA Jam Expo. (seehttp://www.ujenajam.com/ for more info). $1,200 cash prizesawarded at each location. Medals and t-shirts provided to topfinishers. Info and sign up at www.ujena5k.com

Woodside: Woodside King's Mountain Half Marathon & 5Mile, The scenic course may humble you, with its 1,880 feet ofclimbing and descending - but at the same time, theremarkable surroundings will energize you as you navigate thelush hiking trails of the Santa Cruz mountains.www.envirosports.com

March 12, SAT 2011Tiburon: Romancing the Island 12K & 25K, $45, You'll fall inlove with San Francisco all over again as you follow this hillyloop trail circumnavigating Angel Island. Along the way, savorthe panoramic vistas of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco,Alcatraz Island, the East Bay and Marin County. The 12K is asingle loop. The 25K does the loop twice.www.envirosports.com

March 13, SUN 2011West Hills: Ahmanson of a Gun Trail Run, The Ahmanson of aGun Trail Run is a hilly trail run on fire roads and single tracktrails in the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon recreation area akaAhmanson Ranch. Distance is approximately 10K. This eventwill be held rain or shine. www.trailrunevents.com

March 20, SUN 2011Los Angeles: Honda LA Marathon presented by K-Swiss,7:20 am, 26th Annual Los Angeles Marathon. Iconic Stadium tothe Sea course which will begin at Dodger Stadium and travelthrough Hollywood, Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, RodeoDrive in Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica ending at the beach,just north of the Santa Monica Pier. www.lamarathon.com

San Francisco: Emerald Across the Bay 12K, This certified12K (7.45Miles) course runs from East Fort Baker to and acrossthe Golden Gat Bridge on the west sidewalk, then along the bayto Aquatic Park. The course is hilly, paved and beautiful. Allregistered runners are shuttled to the start from Aquatic Parkas there is no parking or drop-off at the start. To decreasecrowding on the course, runners are assigned to one of 3waves based on their best 10K time in 2010, age, and date ofregistration. The race benefits Edgwood Center for Children &Families. www.rhodyco.com

March 26, SAT 2011Agoura Hills: Great Race of Agoura Hills: Pacific HalfMarathon, Chesebro Half Marathon, Old Agoura 10K, DeenaKastor 5K, 7am, Run the 26th annual Great Race of AgouraHills featuring the Pacific Half Marathon, Chesebro HalfMarathon, Old Agoura 10K, Deena Kastor 5K. Voted LA's #1Post Race Party! Tons of food, big prizes, scenic USATFcertified/sanctioned, B-Tag timing, professionally produced,huge expo. Half marathons capped at 1,500 & will sell out. Oneof Runner's World's Top 6 10Ks. http://greatraceofagoura.com/

Calistoga: Napa Valley Trail Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K,You'll traverse the dirt hiking trails through scenic Bothe-NapaValley State Park, located at the north end of Napa Valley. Alongthe route, you'll be surrounded by babbling streams andmajestic redwood, oak, madrone and bay forests. The course isa bit challenging with the hills, streams and rocks - whichmakes it all the more exciting and rewarding.www.envirosports.com

March 27, SUN, 2011Mountain View: Run for Zimbabwe Orphans & ZimbabweanFair ½ & 1M X-C (12th), 12pm-4pm 11 races X-C for a cause!Fight Aids and the Orphan crisis in Africa! Feel the Essence ofZimbabwe! The fair is a fun filled educational free event for theentire family. Races every 20 minutes. $5, $20 for a team offive. St. Joseph School, 112 Miramonte Ave; flat, fast course,220m for Pre K, 1/2M for Kinder; 1M for all other ages. The runand fair are a benefit for the AIDS orphans of MakumbiChildren’s Home. Online www.TheSchedule.com; Teacher 650-941-9206; [email protected];www.zimbabweparaguay.org

Dallas, TX: Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon benefitingSusan G. Komen for the Cure, 8am, Take a 13.-mile tour ofthe charming and sophisticated neighborhoods of Dallas anddiscover a city where the whimsical, eclectic, regal, athletic,country and cosmopolitan worlds diverge into a burgeoningmetropolis. http://dallas.competitor.com

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April 2, SAT, 2011El Sobrante: Du the Golden Bears Duathlon and 5K (3mR-22mB-3mR and 5K), 8am $50-Indiv/$80-Team/$20-5K w/t-s,$60/$90/$25 after 3/26 w/t-s till gone w/5yr groups andspecial awards to Masters and Grand Masters. San Pablo Damboat launch ramp(500 San Pablo Dam Rd, Orinda) at the SanPablo Reservoir located at the Orinda entrance (not the ElSobrante entrance) to the Reservoir. 3M runs inside reservoirand bike around a 22 mile loop, 5K Run/Walk inside thereservoir. www.wolfpackevents.com, Online www.active.com till3/30, 510-459-0854.

Sausalito: Golden Gate Headlands Marathon, Half Marathon& 7 Mile, 7 Mile: $35, Half: $40, Full: $60, ou'll start and finishat Rodeo Beach located at Fort Cronkite in the Golden GateNational Recreation Area (west of the Golden Gate Bridge inMarin County). The course is a combination of single trackhiking trails, fire roads, pavement and a beach crossing. Theevent is limited to 400 participants and sells out every year sodon't wait too long to register! www.envirosports.com

April 3, SUN, 2011Carlsbad: Carlsbad 5000, 7:05 am, a fast and fun seasidecourse where 16 world records have been set. Both rookierunners and serious speedsters alike enjoy running or walkingin one of seven people’s races. Celebrate after your race withtwo free beers at the Pizza Port/Imperial Cerveza Beer Garden!At high noon, witness the elite athletes vie for a lucrative prizepurse and a new world record. The All Day 25K race option isback again!! This race option is available for those in search ofan endurance challenge. Run all five 5k races and take homea special tech tee and exclusive All Day 25K finisher’s medal.www.carlsbad5000.com

April 10, SUN, 2011Pescadero: Artichoke Half Marathon, 10K Run/Stride, 9am$30, $35 race day w/t-s and awards to all. Pescadero Exit offHwy One (14M S of Half Moon Bay) Pescadero Road East toStage Road, turn right to Native Son’ s Hall; very scenicout/back level paved road and 3M of trails. Race numbers arenot mailed; you will pick them up on race day. Sky High, 4967Santa Rita Rd, El Sobrante 94803; Onlinewww.TheSchedule.com; 510/223-5778.

April 16, SAT, 2011Calabasas: Fool Moon 12/24 Hour Runs, 9am–9am, SouthernCalifornia's only 12/24 Hour Endurance Runs! Held a gradeddirt loop course in Santa Monica Mountains National RecreationArea, Calabasas, CA, the Fool Moon 12/24 Hour Runs are RRCAChampionship Races that will feature race shirts, finisherplaques, overall and age division awards and fully stocked aidstation at base camp. 24-Hour Run starts at 9:00AM; 12-HourRun starts at 9:00PM to allow runners to enjoy running underthe full moon. www.trailrunevents.com

May 1, SUN, 2011Newport Beach: OC Marathon & Half Marathon, Inspire Kidsto Fitness by running the OC Marathon. We offer a beautifullyscenic course starting in Newport Beach with majestic views ofthe Pacific Ocean, traveling through the pristine Back Bay andthe performing arts and premier shopping districts of OrangeCounty. Make this flat, fast, stunning course your destinationMarathon for 2011 to experience the beauty of the OC inperfect springtime running temperatures.www.ocmarathon.com

Carmel: Big Sur International Marathon, Big Sur to Carmel.Run along scenic Highway One, the nation's first nationallydesignated Scenic Highway. Course open 6 hours, a 13:40pace. www.bsim.org

Napa: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon, half-iron distance, The

half-iron distance event entails a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike,and half marathon (13.1 mile) run. You'll begin your racefollowing a 1.2-mile rectangular swim course in LakeBerryessa at Oak Shores. www.envirosports.com

June 3–4, FRI–SAT, 2011Reno: Reno-Tahoe Odyssey Relay Run Adventure 178M(7th), 7am. One of Reno-Tahoe’s newest & most excitingSpecial events; a team relay run on a 178M course through theReno-Lake Tahoe region. [email protected];www.renotahoeodyssey.com

June 5, SUN, 2011San Diego: Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2Marathon to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society,The flat course includes idyllic San Diego landmarks such asBalboa Park, PETCO Park, the Gaslamp Quarter and beautifulMission Bay. Live bands, cheer teams and themed waterstations line the flat and fast course through America's FinestCity. Both routes start in Balboa Park and finish at SeaWorld.For course descriptions, maps and elevation charts visitwww.runrocknroll.com.

June 12, SUN, 2011Tarzana: Valley Crest Half-Marathon, 8am, A hilly mountainhalf-marathon on dirt Mulholland that treats runners tobeautiful spring foliage and magnificent vistas of the SanFernando Valley. The race is run in early June, and has typicallyhad cool, overcast weather. The course is entirely on county-maintained fire roads, with aid stations approximately every 3.5miles. This is a great first-timer trail run!www.trailrunevents.com

June 18, SAT, 2011Puerto Vallarta, MX: The UjENA 5K/10K, is a unique eventcreated by Runner's World magazine founder Bob Anderson.This is a fun but also serious race. Run the 5K or 10K orchoose the Bob Anderson Challenge - run the 10k at 7:30amand the 5k at 9:00am! The unique part is that hundreds ofmodels and photographers from around the world will berunning. There is also a party on the night of each race. Yourrace number gets you into the party and the UjENA Jam Expo.(see http://www.ujenajam.com/ for more info). $1,200 cashprizes awarded at each location. Medals and t-shirts providedto top finishers. Info and sign up at http://www.ujena5k.com

July 31, SUN, 2011San Francisco: San Francisco Marathon, The San FranciscoMarathon is a loop course. The race starts and finishes on theEmbarcadero. The Full Marathon runs through Fisherman'sWharf, the Marina, across the Golden Gate Bridge (and back!),through the Presidio and into Golden Gate Park. After a tour ofGolden Gate Park, you'll run down the famous Haight Streetand through the Mission, Potrero and Mission Bay Districts.After a pass behind AT&T Park your almost home - just rununder the Bay Bridge and up to the Finish Line. The course isUSATF certified and is a Boston Marathon qualifying race. Formore info go to www.thesfmarathon.com

August 27, SAT, 2011Calabasas: BullDog 50K and 25K, The challenging and popularBulldog runs consist of two races - the 25K Trail Run and the50K Trail Ultra Run, which are conducted simultaneously. Comejoin us and run in the beautiful scenic Santa Monica Mountainsrecreational area beginning at our base camp in Malibu CreekState Park, Malibu California. The challenging course offersinspirational vistas of untamed terrain and sweeping oceanviews as it weaves through the mountains on single track andfire roads. www.trailrunevents.com �

Your daily updates on the latest in track & Þeld, cross country, road racing, and marathon running.

Sign up at www.runblogrun.com and get your athletics Þx at least 350 days a year. (Hey, we need a break once in a while, too!)

PacificAssociationLDR Report

BY MARK WINITZ

San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Half MarathonSan Jose; Oct. 3

California women captured the top five placesat the San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon ona perfect autumn morning for racing. But onewoman, in particular, inspired all others.

Linda Somers Smith (Arroyo Grande),age 49, a 1996 Olympian in the marathon,secured second place and finished only 1minute, 36 seconds behind female winnerBlake Russell (Pacific Grove), who was a 2008Olympian in the marathon.

According to Andy Carr, keeper ofUSATF road records, Somers Smith’s phenom-enal 1:13:32 at age 49 tops Colleen De Reuck’spending U.S. women’s age 45–49 halfmarathon record of 1:16:30 set earlier this yearat the Houston Half Marathon. Somers Smithalso set a pending W45–49 20K record inroute to the half marathon with a 1:09:42,shattering the current ratified 20K record of1:14:13. In addition, she bettered the unoffi-cial U.S. W49 single-age record of 1:27 for thehalf marathon distance.

To top it all off, the unassuming lawyerdeservedly earned USATF’s Athlete of theWeek Award for her superlative performance.

“It’s a fast course—one of the faster onesI’ve run,” said Somers Smith, who owns a halfmarathon all-time PR of 1:11:01 set in Tokyoin 1997. “All summer I did triathlon training,working on my strength. I entered and won theSanta Monica Triathlon. Over the last fewmiles of today’s race, I kept telling myself ‘thiscan’t hurt as much as getting off the bike’ [andthen running during a triathlon].”

Russell posted a 1:11:55 winning time asshe tuned up for the ING New York CityMarathon. Incredibly, it was the marathon vet-eran’s first solo half marathon.

“My main goal was to run under 1:12:00,so I was happy with it,” said Russell, whoplaced third at the 2008 U.S. Women’sOlympic Marathon Trials, earning a trip toBeijing.

Russell, Somers Smith, and third-placefemale Rachel Booth (Mountain View,1:14:47) all bettered USATF’s women’s halfmarathon standard of 1:15:00 for entry intothe 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials. SomersSmith is a seven-time qualifier for the Trials,having previously qualified for the 2012 Trialsat the 2010 Honda LA Marathon with a2:36:33 “A”-standard performance.

2004 Olympic Marathon Silver medalistMeb Keflezighi (Mammoth Lakes) successful-ly defended his San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll HalfMarathon title, recording an unchallenged winin 1:01:45. Keflezighi was accompaniedthrough 10K by his Mammoth Track Club

teammate Patrick Smyth (who served aspacer), but ran the remainder of the race alone.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunityto challenge Haile Gebrselassie [in the NewYork City Marathon] and give it a good shot.He’s been my idol since I’ve been in highschool,” said Keflezighi after running his firstrace since placing fifth at last April’s BostonMarathon in 2:09:26. “I was thrilled to runwithin 10 seconds of my marathon PR atBoston despite running with a tear in my leftquad. At age 35, I’m running faster now than Iever have, which is pretty crazy.”

Hanson’s Brooks Distance Project team-mates Brian Medigovich (2nd, 1:04:56) andPaul Hefferon (3rd, 1:05:55), both ofRochester Hills, Michigan, followed Meb inSan Jose.

“I’m just trying out some long stuff nowbefore I go back to track,” said Medigovich, arecent grad of Adams State College who was aCIF champion at 3200m as a senior at SanLuis Obispo High School.

Although Medigovich, 23, betteredUSATF’s standard of 1:05:00 as a halfmarathon qualifier for the 2012 U.S. OlympicMarathon Trials, he said he’s not inclined to tryout the marathon distance for a few years.

The sold-out half marathon celebrated itsfifth anniversary with 13,000 participants. Fullresults are available at http://san-jose.competi-tor.com/

Reyes Wins USA Men’s MarathonChampionship Title

Some track & field pundits speculate in run-ning blogs that Sergio Reyes might be the best“grassroots” club distance runner in the U.S.Reyes, who competes for the ASICS Aggies,bolstered that theory on Oct. 3, when he cap-tured the 2010 USA Men’s MarathonChampionship crown at the Medtronic TwinCities Marathon. It was the first nationalchampionship title for Reyes, 28, who works asa civilian flight test engineer at Edwards AirForce Base near his home in Palmdale. Reyes’2:14:02 win earned him $25,000 and an auto-matic berth on the USA men’s marathon teamthat will compete at the 2011 IAAF WorldChampionships in Athletics in Daegu, Korea.He knocked about a minute and a half off ofhis previous PR of 2:15:30 set at last year’sChicago Marathon.

“I really didn’t consider myself a con-tender for the win, but I knew I could placehigh on a good day,” Reyes said. “But my mainthing was trying to make a world team spot

LDR News

left Linda Somers Smith; right Meb Keflezighi

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and my best opportunity was at Twin Citieswhere two of the [men’s marathon] team spotsare handed out.”

In ideal running conditions (low 40s atthe start with little wind), Reyes settled himselfinto a chase pack behind co-leaders DavidJanokowski (North Carolina) and SethPilkington (Utah) who hit halfway in 1:06:43with a half-minute lead. By 25K, the race wasdown to Reyes, Jeff Eggleston (New York, sec-ond, 2:14:09), and Fernando Cabada(Colorado, third, 2:15:25). Reyes hung toughthrough the hills over the final 10K to the fin-ish in St. Paul, dropping his final rival(Eggleston) at 23 miles, and hanging on to anarrow 7-second gap at the finish. DrewShackleton (24, Los Angeles) was fifth in2:16:31.

“This was an excellent breakthrough per-formance by Sergio,” said Glenn Latimer whochairs USATF’s Men’s Long Distance RunningCommittee. “He’s always had the talent. Nowhe’s realized his potential. I was also pleased tosee six PRs in the top 10 men, an indication ofthe continued growth in depth of U.S. men’sdistance running.”

Conversation with Sergio ReyesCTRN talked with Reyes 3 days after his USAMen’s Marathon Championship victory. It hasbeen a good year for Reyes, who also set PRson the track at 5000m (13:52.39, Mt. SACRelays) and 10,000m (28:29.70, PaytonJordan Cardinal Invitational), and 10K on theroads (29:14).

So, tell us a little about your race in Minneapolis.It was an absolutely gorgeous day for racing.The challenges were on the course itself, whichis a lot more hilly than Chicago’s course. Thelast 10K is all hills. I tried to stay as patient asI could while doing my fair share of the work.From 12 to 17 miles, I led the chase pack, try-

ing to keep the pace honest, and bridging up tothe leaders. From there, I didn’t want to go offon my own and hope to hold it for the final 9miles. It was new territory for me, and I didn’twant to go until I was ready to commit.

When I started pushing it a little bit—notby much—at about 231⁄2 miles, I didn’t see toomuch of a response from Jeff [Eggleston], so Ikept moving with it. I definitely didn’t want toleave it to the very end. But it really starts to hityou in the last couple of miles. You’ve runenough hills to start to wear you out, andthere’s still more hills to go. The body starts tolock up and become really sluggish. I figuredthat someone was going to roll back up on me,but luckily I was able to hold on.

Did the win surprise you?Yes, definitely. My splits were slowly starting tofade over the last few miles. I was feelingabsolutely terrible. Being able to hold on all theway to the finish was a surprise.

Have you run Twin Cities before?It was my marathon debut back in 2005. It wasa disaster. I had to stop and walk to drink andrehydrate, and hit the wall over the last 7 miles.I finished in something like 59th place. Afterthat one, I was repelled by the thought of run-ning another marathon. I had a lot to learn.

How many marathons have you run now?This one was my eighth. I improved a lot lastyear—from a tough day in Boston (17th,2:19:22) to running a lot better in Chicago(first American, 2:15:30). And this year’s train-ing and everything has been good leading up toTwin Cities. I knew anything was possible, butit can be anybody’s given day.

Did you train any differently for Twin Cities, ordid you use your tried-and-true method?I didn’t do anything tremendously different.My coach, Joe Rubio, had me doing the sameworkouts we did last year leading up toChicago. It was actually a lot more relaxed—not a drawn-out schedule like he had me do inthe past. Each week, we did mile reps one dayand then a tempo run on the weekend for mytwo hard workouts. Plus a long run.

My weekly mileage got up to just over150 at the peak, definitely a fair amount ofmiles. But I definitely felt I was gettingstronger and able to handle a lot more thanbefore. And the races that we were using togauge my fitness showed positive signs. TheU.S. 10-Mile Championships in August wentwell (fifth, 48:32). Then, in September, I PRedfor 10K on the roads (29:14) at the SantaMonica Elite West Coast Invitational.

The last few weeks leading up to TwinCities, I absolutely felt like I was in the bestshape of my life. In fact, after I started to taperfor the race in my last few workouts, I waswondering if I was losing fitness. You start to

doubt yourself. You expect to be super fresh.You wonder if you’re getting stale. But youneed to just stay grounded in the game planand your training schedule, and it will cometogether. Whether you realize it or not, you aregetting rested up. At that point, it’s just main-tenance. Becoming more mature and under-standing that kind of stuff really helped.

Who do you train with?Justin Patananan, who runs with Nike TeamLA, is my daily training partner. He’s religiousabout showing up at my house on time anddoing our workouts, even the days I really don’tfeel like it. His consistency has been an enor-mous help. We were both training for a fallmarathon.

How did you get started in running?I started as a little boy growing up. My dad ranfor San Jose City College and was very seriousabout his training and staying fit. I started run-ning with him around the track very early andhe saw my potential. I trained with my four sis-ters, who all ran. I dropped running in highschool, but competed for Cuesta College (SanLuis Obispo) and Cedarville University inOhio [where Reyes was a multiple NAIA All-American in track and cross country and wasthe NAIA champion at 10,000m in 2002—Editor].

Currently you lead the open men’s division on thePacific Association/USATF long and short roadrunning Grand Prix circuits. You run a lot oflocal PA/USATF championship races, and thenyou go to the U.S. champs marathon and win it.Do you find that you thrive on the PA races andthe team comraderie, scoring for your ASICSAggies team?Racing in the PA provides something that nota lot of U.S. road racing champions have theopportunity to do: keeping it fun. I have a blastdoing PA cross country and road Grand Prixraces. They’re competitive enough to keep meon edge, and it’s a super group of guys that Irun against. We’re all pretty competitive, butwe’re also having a good time. The races giveme a good workout as long as I don’t strain ittoo much. I’ve learned how to go to PA racesand use them to, sort of, check the box on myweekend training schedule.

Sergio, you obviously have a great relationshipwith coach Rubio. How has he assisted you withyour development?I’ve been with Joe since I graduated from col-lege, about 7 years. I think we work welltogether because he has a huge amount ofpatience to work with someone like me. I’mnot necessarily a difficult person to work with,but I’m not necessarily a fast improver. He toldme early on that I wasn’t going to see rapidimprovement, that it was going to take a while.Having him be patient with me—although I

LDR continued from page 14Da

vid Kloz

Reyes placed an impressive 6th overall at theAmerica’s Finest City Half Marathon beforeclaiming the U.S. marathon title at Twin Cities.


had some bad races and it looked like I waspeaking out and might never make it big—wasa huge boost.

He coaches me by email and over thephone [since Rubio lives on the centralCalifornia coast and Reyes lives in SouthernCalifornia] and is very good about replying to

my every question. And he forgives me for theoccasional very stupid things I do.

You recently got married ...Yes, a few weeks ago, on September 4th. It’s awhole new stage of life. Aimee is very support-ive. She took care of all the wedding planning

and generally helped me out so I could justfocus on Twin Cities. During our honeymoon,she understood when I had to go out on 11⁄2hour workouts. She understood that it was avery big race for me and all that was at stake. Itall paid off. s

Duncan Selby/selbyphotography.c

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SouthernCaliforniaAssociation LDR

FROM WAYNE JONESSOpen Athletics RoadRunning Chair

SCA/USATF Road Mile ChampionshipsEl Toro Airfield, Irvine; Aug. 29

Top talent made the inaugural USATFSouthern California Road Mile Championshipsa day of racing to remember. More than just aone-mile road race, this 16-heat competitionwas conceived as a focal point to bring togeth-er—on the same day—athletes from the threedisciplines of sport governed by USATF: roadrunning, track & field, and race walking.

The unique venue was the former El ToroAirfield in Irvine. To ensure as flat and accuratea mile race as possible, runners and race walkersqueued up on the military grade, 10,000 foot-long runway 34-L, racing on a point-to-pointUSATF-certified course marked with timingclocks every quarter-mile.

Youth, masters, and senior race walk com-petitors kicked off the day with a 7 a.m. start.Ryan Thong (M10) not only won his divisionwith his 8:38.3 finish, but was the first racewalker overall to cross the finish line, and win-ner of the 2010 Southern California Open RaceWalk 1-Mile Championship award. Closebehind Ryan was Patsy Hurley (F16), whose8:45.3 finishing time also earns her the title of

2010 Southern California Open Race Walk 1-Mile Champion. Patsy is the daughter of racewalking coach Chuck Hurley, who’s leadingthe way in training and promoting race walkingwith younger competitors. The Masters RaceWalk 1-Mile award went to Yoko Eichel (F63),who finished in 9:07.2.

Rick Campbell (M64) earned the masterstitle with his 8:41.5 finish. Campbell was theonly Southern California Association memberbold enough to compete with the Elite racewalk talent in the 7:15 a.m. heat. This showcaseevent featured two-time Olympian TimSeamen (M38) with a 6:06.1 time andOlympic competitor John Nunn (M32), whocrossed the finish line in 6:08.1.

By 7:30 a.m., the scene at the starting lineresembled a youth track meet, with sub-ban-tam, bantam, midget, youth, intermediate, andyoung runners warming up for six competitionsin their specific age-groups. In fact, nearly athird of all the competitors Sunday morningwere from the active Southern Californiayouth. Leading the sub-bantam division wererunners Isaac Woodcock (M8) 6:14.6 andSofia Gibson (F6) 7:56.6. For bantam: LoganEldridge (M10) 6:00.5 and Reagan Peterson(F10) 6:41.4. Midget: Jacob Ogden (M12)5:17.2 and Alexandra Gushue (F11) 5:53.8.Youth: Anthony Palazzo (M13) 4:59.9 andJordan Stiewig (F13) 5:33.0. Intermediate:Drake Johnston (M15) 4:48.7 and KylieNishisaka (F15) 5:52.4. Young: NicholasLopez (M17) 4:41.1 and Natalie Best (F17)5:58.6. The Southern California Road Mile

Championshipswere specificallyscheduled at theend of August tocatch the youthrunners after theirsummer break andbefore they startedtheir cross countryseason in earnest.2004 Olympiccompetitor andWorld Games

Gold and Silver medalist Lashinda Demus gra-ciously made a special appearance to present theyouth awards, making this a memorable day.

Following the exciting conclusion of theyouth races were four starts for adult runners:open men’s and women’s races (19–39) andthen masters competitions (40+). Top open fin-ishers in these events were Danielle Gordanier(F39, 6:05.3) and Michael Cortez (M31,4:56.1), and top masters finishers SueZilhmann (F46, 5:41.2) and David Norwood(M50, 5:14.5).

Some spectators noticed the double threatpresented by Ryan Thong, Patsy Hurley, andYoko Eichel. After taking top honors in therace walk competition, these talented athletescame back to win awards in the one-mile run,as well. Ryan took home a Silver medal in theboys bantam division (6:32.6), Patsy won Silverin girls intermediate (5:56), and Yoko tookGold in the women’s 60–64 division (7:14).

While the morning had started out sur-prisingly cool and overcast, clouds were clearingand the day was warming up by the start of theUSATF elite races. With a point-to-pointcourse, wind can either be a hindrance or ahelp. Fortunately for the elite competitors,there was only a slight headwind and tempera-tures remained cool.

For the elite women’s races, open and mas-ters runners competed in the same race, withcompetitors wearing back tags to identify theirdivision. A review of the results of recentSouthern California Road Championship racesshows that in the women’s competition, littletime separates open and masters runners and onseveral occasions, the overall women’s champi-on was also the masters’ champion.

The women’s race started out with anenthusiastic burst of speed. Overall 2010Southern California USATF 1-MileChampionship winner Grace Padilla (F39)noted her split at the half-mile timing clock as2:18! A quarter-mile later, the intensity of thefirst 800 meters had taken its toll, and runnershad to dig down to hold their position.Ultimately, Padilla crossed the finish line with atime of 5:02.7, followed immediately byGenevieve Graff-Ermeling (F39) in a time of5:03.3. Third place was taken by Emily Field(F29) running 5:04.1.

The masters division was won by AlisonAtkinson (F43) in 5:08.4 with Tania Fischer(F44) close on her heels with a 5:11.7 time, andDebbie Richardson (F47) taking third in

continued on page 18

Elite Men's Actionat the SCA MileChampionships(left to right):winner MichaelChavez, JaquesSallberg, BrandonBethke, and DavidEdwards.

n ov e m b e r – d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 0 • c t & r n 17


San Diego-Imperial LDR Report

BY MORGAN SJOGREN

America’s Finest City Half MarathonSan Diego; Aug. 15

America’s Finest City is the third jewel in theSan Diego Triple Crown Half Marathon series.The race not only attracts runners looking tocomplete the Triple Crown, but also an abun-dance of foreign and local elite runners. Themen’s champion, Flagstaff ’s Ezkyas Sisay, only21 years old, crossed the finish line in 1:03:58.The leader of the women’s race, fellow Flagstaffresident Belainesh Gebre, 22, finished in atime of 1:10:28 that would have placed her12th overall in the men’s race! Despite the chal-lenging course, the winning times remainedfast—a testament to the quality of the field.

The race also drew plenty of local compe-tition as San Diego’s finest runners competedfor local bragging rights. Okwaro Raura,Team BSK/Running Center, ran a stellar racefinishing 1:09:30 as the first local. BabeyWagnew of Lemon Grove took second andDave Easa, Team BSK/Running Center, had abreakthrough race to round out the podium.

On the women’s side, Johanna Bonfigliomaintained her dominance on the San Diegoroad race scene. The Team BSK/RunningCenter runner bested her competitors in theSan Diego race by nearly 4 minutes, clocking afinish time of 1:18:24. Jessica Goertz andClaire Rethemeier finished second and third,respectively, among the always-competitive SanDiego women’s field.

End of Summer 4-Mile Fire RunLa Jolla to Pacific Beach; Aug. 28

While San Diego may be notorious for beauti-ful, albeit hilly, races, the End of Summer 4-Mile Fire Run is a fast, slightly downhill coursethat attracts talented runners. The point-to-point course that begins in La Jolla finishes inPacific Beach and invites runners to celebratewith a post-race beer garden at PB Bar andGrill is comparable to none! These attractiverace features brought several runners from out-of-state to challenge for the overall title. MarioMacias was the men’s overall leader with a timeof 18:55. Marco Anzures followed and thirdplace went to Sean Zanderson (adidas/Movin’Shoes). Perhaps most impressive was RanchoBuena Vista HS senior Chris Breuer, who fin-ished fourth overall in an impressive time of19:33. Johanna Bonfiglio (BSK/RunningCenter) won the women’s race in 22:19 with a

strong kick 400 meters from the finish to passKarla Alburez. Cassie Bando took third. s

5:21.2. The 50+ seniors division was won bySouthern California running legend RuthWysocki (F53). Wysocki’s 5:18.6 finishingtime also resulted in an astonishing age-gradedscore of 974! Not only was this the highest age-graded score of the day, but it’s the highest scoreposted in the Southern California RoadRunning Grand Prix from a field of 354 run-ners competing in six races so far! 2009 RoadRunning Grand Prix winner Lydia Salinas(F50) finished second with a time of 5:43.2,and Debbie Lee (F53), took third with 6:03.3.

In the men’s races, masters and seniorswere combined, followed by men’s elite open.Two-time Olympic Trials competitor ChristianCushing-Murray (M42) easily led the mastersrace, finishing in 4:25.4, nearly 18 secondsahead of the rest of the field. In second andthird places were Jon Megeff (M47, 4:42.4)and Aaron Goddall (M40, 4:43.7), respective-ly. For the senior (50+) competitors, the racewas much tighter with Rich Burns (M55)clocking in a 4:42.6, followed by Ray Knerr(M50, 4:43.8) and John Loftus (M52, 4:57.0).

Ten runners stepped up to take the chal-lenge of the men’s open elite race. In a replay ofthe women’s elite race, the first quarter-mile sawsome ambitious speed and confidence as FedleyBonneau (M28) led the field with a 58-secondsplit. With the last quarter-mile in sight, thelead pack of David Edwards (M23), BrandonBethke (M23), Jaques Sallberg (M35), and

Michael Chavez (M25) becamea two-man battle betweenChavez and Sallberg. In the final200 meters, it was Chavez whohad the stronger sprint finishand managed to put a second onSallberg. Chavez took home thetop prize money, the 2010Southern California USATF 1-Mile Champion title, and set theofficial course record of 4:06.2.Of course, his record is sure tobe challenged in 2011 whenmembers of the SouthernCalifornia Association meetagain to run their best mile ever!

More information at road-mile.org, scagrandprix.org andcaltrack.com. s

David

Kloz

The fastest local finisher at AFC, Joey Bonfigliofollowed up two weeks later with a win at the

End of Summer 4-Mile.

LDR continued from page 17

SCA ROAD MILE AWARD WINNERS

Top (left to right) Boy’s Sub-Bantam division winner IsaacWoodcock (6:14.6), Jackson

Coney (4th), Cole Ellison (2nd),David Lorenzana (5th), andNathan Bernado (3rd) with

Lashinda Demus. Bottom (left toright) Elite Senior winner Ruth

Wysocki, presenter Bob Larsen,Lydia Salinas (silver), and Debbie

Lee (bronze). Thuc Tran

REVIEWSRunning is a basic activity: one part locomotion, one part recreation, and one part competition. When pursuedin a natural setting such as trails, it’s also imbued with a freshness, a vitality that’s a big part of trail running’sappeal. Here we feature three new trail shoes and five updated models in the Responsive Trail and Trail Racingcategories. To assist you in your search for the best trail shoe for you, pay particular attention to the recommen-dation of what foot types and characteristics the shoe is designed for, and then seek the help of a specialty running store where you can try on a number of models before you hit the trail.

adidas Supernova Riot 3 $110The Supernova Riot is the latest version of the

adidas trail running philosophy. The outer-sole is the result of a partner-

ship with ContinentalRubber, and features

multidirectional lugs forexcellent traction in condi-

tions as varied as mud, loosestuff, or packed trails. The midsole is

molded EVA that is responsive on trails, as well as the roads. The For-Motion cassette and Promoderator medial support provide good sta-bility. The upper is supportive microsuede and rubbery overlays that

create a nearly full rand. Extra support is provided by the logo stripesthat are attached to the midfoot eyestay and offer extra protection at

the toe and heel. The net effect is a shoe with stability, support, traction, and good cushioning underfoot.

“Just what I expected—good stability, good cushioning, good traction—on every surface I run on, [whether] trails or roads.”

RESPONSIVE TRAIL Sizes: men 6.5–13,14,15; women 5–11 Weight: 13.7 oz. (men’s 11); 9.9 oz. (women’s 8) Shape: semi-curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, adiPrene (foam)

Strobel Board For: medium- to high-arched feet with mild to moderate overpronation

ASICS Trail Sensor 4 $110The updated Trail Sensor is the best yet for

trail running. The midsole and outer-sole—dialed in on the last round

and carried over—effec-tively handle a vari-ety of trail surfaces

from paved to loose,offering good cushion-

ing, stability, and support. Theheel articulates well on uneven surfaces, functioning like the suspen-

sion system on an SUV. The plush interior—familiar in upper-endASICS shoes—fits well, courtesy of memory foam in the heel and a

smooth forefoot interior. Real changes have been limited to theupper, where a full rand protects the foot with additional high-friction

protection at heel and toe. Mesh from the toe through the tongueprovides good ventilation, and the eyestay offers enough stretch to

secure the foot while adapting to small differences between feet.

“Nice, comfortable fit with this shoe. Almost suspension-like over the roughspots, as well as a decent job on roads. The traction was noticeably effective.”

RESPONSIVE TRAIL Sizes: men 7–13,14,15; women 5–11 Weight: 14.0 oz. (men’s 11); 11.8 oz. (women’s 8) Shape: semi-curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, Solyte (foam)

Strobel Board (heel) For: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics

Inov8 X-Talon 190 $100The X-Talon 190 is the lightest trail racing option

offered by Inov8; in fact, it’s the lightest trailshoe on the market. It’s not quite as

protective as the X-Talon212, but that’s the trade-off for speed. The upper

features an airy meshwith a network of midfoot HF-

welded supports and high-friction treat-ment via a rubbery coating printed onto the mesh over

the toe. The midsole is a low-profile, single-density foamthat has a responsive feel on firm ground and a nimble

response on the trails. The outersole of effective lugs offers theexcellent traction and cushioning deflection proven in the X-Talon 212.Runners looking for a minimalist shoe or an effective trail racer should

find the X-Talon 190 to their taste. Though no other trail racers hap-pened to be introduced or updated in this season, its industry-leading

light weight, traction, and performance earned the X-Talon 190 our Best Shoe award in the Trail Racing category.

“Felt like a feather, with teeth. Bit into the trails, did OK on the firm parts [and] even managed short segments of roads. Great trail racer.”

TRAIL RACING Sizes: men 5–13; women 6.5–11 Weight: 8.0 oz. (men’s 11); 6.6 oz. (women’s 8)Shape: semi-curved to curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted For: medium- to high-arched feet

with neutral biomechanics, for faster-paced running

Lowa S-Trail GTX $135Lowa has made gradual changes to its trail

shoes to make them better suited to trailperformance. While not as light as

performance trail shoes, theS-Trail line is aboutrunning. The Trail-S

GTX is the water-proof version of the

series with GoreTex provid-ing its breathability and water-shed-

ding properties. Stiff mesh and synthetic overlays offer support andprotection while securing the foot well. The midsole is two layers of

EVA, the top portion wrapped at key points by overlays from theupper to add stability. The ride is very firm, but combines with the

outersole lugs to offer good traction and stability, though the flexibility is on the stiff side.

“Good, secure fit with a solid feel. Very firm on roads, but good responsive feel and very good traction on the trails.”

RESPONSIVE TRAIL Sizes: men 7.5–12,13,14; women 5.5–11 Weight: 15.6 oz. (men’s 11);12.9 oz. (women’s 8) Shape: semi-curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted with GoreTex booty

For: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics to mild overpronation

Winter Trail Shoes by Cregg Weinmann

WINTER 2010

BEST SHOE

Trail Racing


Pearl Izumi isoSeek IV $105The new isoSeek replaces the SyncroSeek,

shifting from the SycroFrame to itsnew all-foam Gradu-

ated Guidance System technology.

(It also sports a brandnew upper, midsole, and

outersole, so we’re not sure whyit’s designated as “IV.”) The secure, seamless upper is breathable

mesh with rubbery synthetic overlays at the heel and toe and a bandon both sides of the lower eyestay that extends from the heel to the

midfoot. The low ankle collar prevents irritation and extended eyeletsallow a snug fit. The midsole is dual-density foam with Skydex inserts,which is stable with good cushioning on the roads, while effective on

the trail, as well. The outersole is where the isoSeek really shines,though. The tread pattern is PI’s best yet for trail running. Perimeter

lugs are oriented to climbing in the forefoot (ascents) and braking inthe rearfoot (descents). The lugs down the middle of the sole are

firmer, adding extra grip when needed.

“The fit and smooth interior were excellent. The outsole ... offers good traction inany angle, direction, or surface. Hill climbs and loose soil were no problem.”

RESPONSIVE TRAIL Sizes: men 6.5–13,14; women 5–11 Weight: 13.7 oz. (men’s 11); 10.9 oz. (women’s 8) Shape: semi-curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, EVA Strobel Board

For: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics to moderate overpronation

Mizuno Cabracan 2 $125Cabracan, The Sequel is much the same as

the original, but close inspection revealssome surprises. Though the mid-

sole and outersole appearthe same, the midsole isnow ap+ foam, which is

more resilient and durablethan round one. The other

significant changes are in the upper. The application of synthetic rubber, strategically placed for protection, is not only at heel and toe,

but extends over almost half of the lateral side. The rand, previouslyonly in the vamp, now circles the foot with only a small gap behind

the medial toe for protection without limiting flexibility. The overall lightening up of the shoe and the performance differences of the

midsole, making the ride a bit livelier on firm surfaces. Its versatility on trails, as well as limited road use, makes them even better than the original. Runners looking for a protective, stable, versatile trail

shoe should include the Cabracan 2 in their search.

“Fit very well. I can rely on Mizuno’s consistent fit. The tread was great, no slips on my runs. Very durable and a good performer for my trail running,

and did a good job getting me from the car to the trail.”

RESPONSIVE TRAIL Sizes: men 6.5–13,14; women 5–11 Weight: 12.5 oz. (men’s 11); 9.9 oz. (women’s 8) Shape: semi-curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted For: medium- to

high-arched feet with mild to moderate overpronation

Scott Aztec Pro II $95The Aztec is the award-winning Makani,

refitted for the trail. The upper uses the Ergologic Fit

System, a saddle separate from the

vamp, which locks the midfoot over the midsole.

Inside is a gusseted tongue that’s elasticized to snug the foot with a rubbery toe-cap for protection. The basic, low-profile Scott tool-

ing is employed, but here it’s single density foam thatadapts well to varied terrain. The lugged outersole is a

heel-to-toe sheet of carbon rubber, providing both grip and protection, though also adding a bit of weight to an otherwise light-

weight performance running shoe. The long and short of it is that trail runners looking for traction and a responsive, low-profile ride will bepleased with the Aztec Pro II. In fact, its performance, fit, and value

earned it our Best Shoe award in the Responsive Trail category.

“The fit was great: snug through the arch with plenty of toe room. Nice and low to the ground, good traction, and performed well on all

kinds of surfaces. I was very impressed.”

RESPONSIVE TRAIL Sizes: men 8–13; women 6–11 Weight: 12.5 oz. (men’s 11); 9.3 oz.(women’s 8) Shape: semi-curved to curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, EVA Strobel board

For: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics

Saucony Xodus 2.0 $100 The original Xodus anchored Saucony’s RAW

(Run AnyWhere) trail running line.Round 2 retains the essentials,

with a bit of upgradingand fine-tuning. The

Xodus 2.0 upper is aclosed mesh with HF-welded

overlays in a supportive saddle. Themidfoot ArchLock from round one has been replaced with ProLock, an

internal archband that cinches down the midfoot more directly than didthe ArchLock, by positioning webbing loops from the eyestay to the

archband. An elasticized, gusseted tongue helps keep the debris outwhile snugging the foot. The midsole chassis remains intact with the

same midsole and Vibram outersole. The single-density foam features bilateral heel crashpads that provide very good cushioning and the

ride is enhanced by the polyurethane innersole and SRC foam Strobel board. The combination of fit, cushioning, protection,

and traction make the Xodus worth consideration.

“The fit and support worked great, especially how it wrapped my arch. The traction was good, the cushioning was good. They pretty

much handled my trail needs.”

RESPONSIVE TRAIL Sizes: men 6.5–13,14; women 5–11 Weight: 14.0 oz. (men’s 11); 11.2 oz. (women’s 8) Shape: semi-curved Construction: Strobel slip-lasted, SRC (foam) Strobel Board

For: medium- to high-arched feet with neutral biomechanics to very mild overpronation

CREGG WEINMANN is footwear and running products reviewer for Running Network LLC. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected] © 2010 by Running Network LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be stored, copied, or reprinted

without prior written permission of Running Network LLC. Reprinted here with permission.

Winter Trail Shoes continuedREVIEWS

WINTER 2010

BEST SHOE

ResponsiveTrail


The 759 was designed for the body in motion, unleashing your inner animal. So lace up a pair, scope out your target and let your spirit run wild.

Theunleashing your inner animal. So lace up a pair, ©

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newbalance.comJames Carney, Team New Balance


Miracles HappenOne Runner’s Journey Back to the Sport He Loves

BY MARK WINITZ

Journal Entry #9, September 2010According to experts, miracles happen if youstay fit. The benefits of exercise, particularlysustained aerobic exercise such as running at amoderate to moderately intense pace, are welldocumented. In one example, a 21-year longi-tudinal study on 538 members of the Fifty-Plus Runners Association (now LifelongFitness) and 423 healthy controls conductedby the Stanford University School of Medicineconcluded that vigorous exercise (running) atmiddle and older ages is associated with reduceddisability in later life and a notable survivaladvantage. (Reference: Archives of InternalMedicine, August 11, 2008)

I am a lucky recipient of this advantage.According to my cardiologist, a strong

heart from over 25 years and 60,000-plus milesof running—despite a genetic predispositiontoward coronary artery disease—helped mesurvive a heart attack in 2008, two days aftermy 58th birthday.

Both my grandfathers died in their 50s ofheart attacks. Even if today’s medical researchlinking appropriate, regular exercise withhealth benefits were available in my grandfa-thers’ time, I’m not sure they could have takenadvantage of it. As Jewish immigrants living inBrooklyn, New York they both worked hard attheir laborers’ jobs to sustain their families. I’mgrateful they did, or I probably wouldn’t behere today.

While all of us become heirs to the mira-cle of human life from our ancestors, we alsoinherit the genetics, both good and bad, thatcontribute to our individuality—and some-times similarity. When a sibling of mine had aheart attack a few months ago, initially, I wasshocked. Now besides our obviously similargenetics, and similar propensities toward phys-ical fitness, we have a mutual motivation toabsorb the latest research about heart attacksand how to minimize risk.

Experts still admit there is much to learnabout the effects of running on the humanbody. Studies are conducted, but not all theresults are consistent.

Recently, father-and-son investigators Dr.Robert Schwartz (Minneapolis Heart Institute)

and Dr. Jonathan Schwartz (University ofColorado, Denver), both runners, reported theresults of their study, which compared coro-nary artery plaque in marathon runners com-pared with a control group. They studied 25runners who had competed in the Twin CitiesMarathon (Minneapolis-St Paul) every year for25 consecutive years. Surprisingly, comparedwith the controls, the marathoners had signifi-cantly more calcified plaque volume (a primaryrisk factor for artery disease and heart attacks).

Why? The reasons are unknown, but theresearchers suggested that metabolic andmechanical stresses such as antioxidant damagefrom the cardiovascular stresses of training andcalcium leakage from taxed bones into thebloodstream might be factors. (Source:American College of Cardiology 2010Scientific Sessions; March 16, 2010; Atlanta)

Another study, conducted in 2009 inGreat Britain by Liverpool John MooresUniversity and the Countess of ChesterHospital studied the effects of ultradistanceraces on runners’ hearts. Researchers presentedtheir conclusions at the European Society ofCardiology’s Congress 2010 in Stockholm.The study suggests that running continuouslyover 50 or 100 miles may not be good for theheart.

Forty-five runners who competed in thechallenging 2009 Lakeland 50- and 100-milerace in northern England were studied. Therace was run over difficult, very hilly terrain inthunderstorms and driving rain. Only 25 ofthe 45 runners, all experienced ultramarathon-ers, completed the race. 96% of these finishersdeveloped a significant increase in cardiacTroponin I, which can be an indicator of heartmuscle damage, and 12% showed signs sugges-tive of significant cardiac damage. They alsodeveloped significant electrical changes onelectrocardiograms. (Source: ScienceDaily,Aug. 31, 2010)

Yet the results of another study, released in1993 by the Stanford University School ofMedicine on 11 ultradistance runners and 11physically inactive men showed that the run-ners had larger epicardial coronary arteries andgreater dilating capacity of these arteries thanthe inactive men. (Source: Circulation: Journalof the American Heart Association, 1993,“Coronary Artery Size and Dilating Capacityin Ultradistance Runners”)

For the moment, I take these studies witha grain of potassium salt (sodium isn’t good forhigh blood pressure that often accompaniesheart disease). You should, too. There is much

This article is not intended to provide medical or rehabilitative advice of any sort. Please consult with your doctors and physical therapists about your own medical situation.

To find a dealernear you, call:

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When you’re in the right shoe, you love RUNNING more.


yet to be uncovered and studies on larger run-ning populations are required.Overwhelmingly, the bulk of current researchtells us to keep on runnin’.

Personal UpdateAnd what about my own experiment of one?Where has my path taken me since my lastjournal report? To a couple of unexpectedplaces. My wife, Fran, and I took a much need-ed 9-day vacation trip to Maui at the end ofAugust—our first real break from our respec-tive businesses in many years. For almost aweek, our Hawaiian getaway was uneventfulrelaxation. It ended, however, when I devel-oped chest pains—perhaps aggravated bysmoke from the burning of nearby sugar canefields.

I recommend an air excursion betweenthe Hawaiian islands of Maui and Oahu bysmall aircraft. The views are spectacular, evenby emergency air ambulance, which was theVIP treatment I received to Kaiser MoanaluaMedical Center in Honolulu. The next day, Iwas the recipient of a brand new arterial stent,my fourth, this one to open up a left coronaryartery that was 90% blocked. The old geneticstrick again.

My cardiologist says I’m doing all that Ican through diet, exercise, supplements, etc.,to lower my bad cholesterol (LDL), increasemy good cholesterol (HDL), and lower myblood pressure. In fact, the changes are so dra-matic that he says I’m a candidate for a Dr.Andrew Weil case study.

At the conclusion of my July/AugustMiracles Happen column, after waxing philo-sophical about miracles and destiny, I quotedone of my favorite Beatles’ lyrics: Let it be, let itbe. There will be an answer, let it be.

Well, wouldn’t you know it, I now have ananswer about my continually painful bionic,all-titanium artificial right hip that has mysti-fied my doctors and thwarted my hoped-forreturn to running for over 31⁄2 years.Immediately upon returning from Hawaii, Ilearned that I was not alone. A friend passedalong the news that had made it into the NewYork Times and Wall Street Journal: Johnson &Johnson/Depuy, the manufacturers of my par-ticular artificial hip, has recalled 93,000 unitsof the device after finding that 13% of patients(1 in 8) who had received the metal hip need-ed revision surgery within 5 years. My difficul-ties with the hip, apparently, make me one ofthe 13%.

The culprit? In some people, small metalparticles (shavings) from the wearing away ofmetal-on-metal joint surfaces can trigger anallergic reaction, causing pain and swellingaround the joint plus possible damage of themuscles, bones, and nerves around the hip. Inaddition, cobalt (one of the primary metals

comprising the artificial hip) can initiate oraggravate heart problems. Testing has shownthat I have abnormally high levels of cobalt cir-culating in my body.

The remedy, according to experts?Revision surgery that replaces one or moremetal hip components with polyethylene bear-ing surfaces. I’m sorry to say that I’m not alone.Thousands of people who received this partic-ular artificial hip will probably require revisionsurgery.

On an encouraging note: I’m back towalking, deep water “running,” bicycling, andweight lifting after my Hawaiian “holiday.”Somehow, I’m keeping fit. In fact, at 5-8, 140pounds I’m the lightest I’ve ever been in myadult life. There may be running left in this 60-year-old body yet.

Miracle Story of the MonthI’m proud to say that I’ve known Kees Tuinzingand his wife, Sandy, almost as long as I’ve beeninvolved in running. Barry Spitz, a raceannouncer and writer for the MarinIndependent Journal, expressed Kees’ contribu-tions to the sport better than I ever could whenhe wrote in 2009: “NO ONE has been moreinfluential in the Marin running world over thepast four decades than Kees Tuinzing. He found-ed the Tamalpa Runners club. He organized scoresof local races, including stalwarts such as PacificSun and the Human Race. He began theThursday morning workouts at College of Marin.He brought many hundreds of people into thesport, and has coached more Marin runners thananyone, by far. He created “The Schedule” maga-zine. He started one of the nation’s first profes-sional race timing companies. Kees is one of thepioneers of long distance running in NorthernCalifornia.”

I wrote for Kees and The Schedule (nowthe Runner’s Schedule) during the 1980s andlearned much about the publishing world fromhim. But then, everyone learns from Kees. He’sa natural teacher and motivator.

Tuinzing, 63, literally grew up on the highflanks of Marin’s Mount Tamalpais where hisparents built a home. Every school morning hebicycled down the mountain 41⁄2 miles to MillValley’s Tamalpais High School and in theafternoons bicycled back home, a steep 1,000-foot climb. He began running in 1973, andsubsequently logged 85,000 miles, 60marathons with a PR of 2:40, and a 10K bestof 33:56. In July 2008, Tuinzing required fullhip replacement surgery. Nevertheless, he’s stillvery entrenched in the sport today as a coach,producer of The Runner’s Schedule (withSandy), and as a manager at ArchRival runningstores in Mill Valley and Greenbrae.

Following surgery, Tuinzing tackled hisrehab with a passion, using kettlebell train-ing—exercises with cast iron weights that look

like cannonballs with a handle—to regain hismuscle strength, mobility, and flexibility. Hetook up bicycling again—an activity a bit easi-er on his joints than pounding the pavementand steep Mt. Tam trails.

Although he gave up running—it justhurts him too much to do it—he didn’t give uphis appetite for physical challenges.

Tuinzing set his sights on last July’s DeathRide “Tour of the California Alps,” an arduousfive-pass ride through the Sierra Nevadamountains that includes 129 miles, 15,000-plus feet of lung-busting climbing, and about3,500 riders.

“An analogy would be doing Mt. Tam fivetimes,” Tuinzing said. “The passes are all 8- to13-mile uphills and then down each one.”

For his first attempt at this challenge, hechose the option of riding four passes (90miles). To prepare, on alternate weekends heput in long rides of up to 102 miles and ridesconsisting of two or three circuits over Mt.Tam. His weekly totals were “only 150 miles;really not enough,” he said.

“It’s definitely not easy,” Tuinzing com-mented about one of the premier cyclingevents in the West. “And, it’s all about doingyour homework and how you deal with thealtitude.”

He said he had to back off the pace whenhe got to elevations around 7,500 feet, and hehad to stand up on the pedals several timesgoing up Monitor Pass. Overall, however, theride went smoothly and his hip cooperated.“Next time around we’ll probably do the wholething. But it’s all about the time I’m able to putin [for training],” said Tuinzing who works sixdays a week at ArchRival, coaches up to twoTamalpa group workouts a day, and continuesto work out with weights, swims, and partici-pates in relay triathlons.

“I miss the comraderie of running withmy friends on the Mt. Tam trails,” he admit-ted, “but now I get it with the bike group thatI ride with on Mondays.”

Make sure to catch my previous MiraclesHappen journal entries on the CTRN websiteat caltrack.com. Send me your own running-related miracle stories and I’ll try to mentionthem here in future journals.

Mark Winitz started this diary to chronicle hisreturn to running following hip replacement sur-gery in January 2007 and a heart attack in May2008. He named it Miracles Happen because hebelieves that somehow they do. You can contactMark with your comments or your own stories at650.948.0618 or at [email protected].

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USATF Regional News


Goal 2011: Volunteering is the Heart of the PACalling for bilingual members … July 6–17,2011 is a chance for you to practice your sec-ond language. The World MastersChampionship will be hosted by the Pacific.There are opportunities to volunteer at the reg-istration desk, security, awards, informationdesk, hospitality, athlete greeter at the airport,and much more. We expect anywhere from7,000–8,000 athletes. Competitions will beheld at three colleges: Sac State, Sac City, andAmerican River College. Ages of the competi-tors are 35–100 years old. There are no quali-fying standards to enter this championship.There will be individual competitions in crosscountry and the marathon. Here is a chancenot only to volunteer, but to compete againstathletes from all over the world. Check out thePA website for volunteer and official applica-tions. Please commit early so that we can slotyour place. U.S. athletes must wear the USAuniform. Represent your country! Since thereare two days of cross country and the marathonon the last day, we need a lot of volunteers ascourse monitors. I expect that the local clubs,such as the River City Rebels and the BuffaloChips, will volunteer. Please email GeorgeKleeman with any questions: [email protected].

It’s the season to represent the Pacific atthe annual USATF convention in VirginiaBeach, Virginia. We’re sending 18 delegates to

have our voices heard, especially in this “odd”year, which is a rules year. We’re the only asso-ciation that has 18 delegates. Each associationis awarded 12 delegates plus 1 additional dele-gate for every 1,000 members. Our year-end-ing October membership roll is very close to7,000 members, which means we get at least anadditional 6 delegates. Not since 2001 or sohas our membership been this high. We expe-rienced a drop after the Boston, NY, CIM, andother marathons relinquished their require-ment for joining USATF. Members, make ityour goal in 2011 to each bring a new memberto USATF. This also means you’re helping yourclub increase its members.

I’d like to announce to the disabled com-munity that we are having our officials certifi-cation clinic in Dec, Jan and Feb. Disabledmembers can fullfill many officiating posi-tions. We want you.

Speaking about the Physically ChallengedAthletes, we have a PA circuit for you in 2011!Check out the races that will include a PC divi-sion and get in the competitive spirit for theinaugural PC Grand Prix. And please tell yourPC friends about it. Check our website forinformation or contact George Rehmet or meat [email protected].

Did you know that we have an average of400 athletes run our cross country series? Ourwomen’s competition is going strong for thesecond year, with women outnumbering themaster’s men race at GGP by 44 runners, 190!(Open men have been around 50.) Where areyou guys? Here’s an opportunity for you torun post-collegiate XC. Get your friends outthere with you. November is the month of thePA Champs leading into the December ClubChamps in Charlotte, North Carolnia. Ourassociation is considering a 2013 XC Clubnational bid. USATF is looking for a $30,000prize purse to be offered by the successful bid-der. We know that it would benefit our athletes

to be in their hometerritory.

Next year, thePA and Tim Wasonare going to hostthe first restruc-tured West RegionCross CountryChampionship atGolden Gate Park.It will be the samedate as our PAChamp, and you’llbe able to be on theassociation all-starteam contestingother athletes from

our region. The other associations are CentralCalifornia, Southern California, San Diego-Imperial, Hawaii, Arizona, and Nevada.

And I’d like to pay special recognition tothe PA race walk community. We are so fortu-nate to have Art and Beck Klein at the helm.They not only lead clinics in race walking, butthey are nationally recognized for their volun-teering in this discipline. Race walking is awonderful way to stay in shape whether onedoes it competitively or for fitness.

Volunteer for the WMA via email [email protected] and I’ll contact you.

Having fun yet? We will! Happy Holidaysand stay warm.

Sacramento Hosts USATF Level 2 School

FROM DAVE SHROCK, PA COACHES CHAIR

Sacramento played host to the PacificAssociation’s first Coaching Education Level 2School immediately after the Junior Olympicsfrom August 1–5 at McClellan’s LionsGateHotel. 93 youth coaches from three nationsparticipated in the inaugural Level 2 School“Youth Specialization” 41⁄2 day school, includ-ing many successful and longtime coaches inyouth leadership.

The school was organized with a generalapproach, with sprints-hurdles-relays, jumps,throws and endurance-RW event areasaddressed, plus demands and concerns of theyouth athlete and coach.

The next Youth Specialization School willbe held in the Wichita region after the JOs in2011. For further information on USATFCoaching Education, visitusatf.org/groups/Coaches/education/

Pacific Association

President’sMessage

FROM IRENE [email protected]

Upcoming Regional Level 1 Coaching Schools

Dec. 11–12, 2010 at Chabot College, Hayward A 21-hour school covering all aspects of sports science and specific eventgroups. More at pausatf.org/data/coach/coachevents.html.

Jan. 15–16, 2011 at Sacramento City College, Lillard Hall A 21-hour school covering all aspects of sports science and specific eventgroups. More at pausatf.org/data/coach/coachevents.html.

Jan. 22, 2011, VS Athletics Super Clinic at Sacramento City College16 nationally recognized clinicians will provide information that you can applyimmediately to your program’s improvement in the following event-groupareas: sprints/hurdles, endurance, throws, and jumps. For more details, visitvsathletics.com/clinic. Also see inside back cover of this issue for more details.

Association News continues on next page.

Dave Shrock

26 c t & r n • s e p t e m b e r – o c t o b e r 2 0 1 0

San Diego Dirt DogCross Country Update 2010

FromMORGAN SJOGREN

Wild Duck 5KAug. 21; Guajome Park

The Dirt Dog 2010 cross country season isunderway; it looks to be an exciting fall.Several new runners will join the series, andthere will be a few from last season missing thistime around. 2010 features a fresh format thatputs a spotlight on masters runners, who havetheir own separate race at each event. In themasters’ race, Chris Hupfeld, BSK/RunningCenter, got the action going as the first winnerin the series. His time of 16:46 left teammateMike Hansen to second place (16:50), andBSK/Running Center to the 40+ men teamvictory. JH Cohn’s Adam Weiner, a familiarface at the front of the pack, finished thirdoverall in 17:06 and was also the first 50+ run-ner, leading JH Cohn to the 50+ win. LauraStuart (JH Cohn) led the masters’ women in19:22. BSK/Running Center captured thewomen’s 40+ team title with Candy Fink plac-ing second in 20:04 and Sinead Thorton thirdin 20:53. The women’s 50+ winner wasTammy Tabeek (JH Cohn) in 20:26. SanDiego Track Club won the women’s 50+ teamcompetition.

The men’s and women’s open races fea-tured past Dirt Dog champions, familiar com-petitors, and racers new to the scene. SeanZanderson, adidas/Movin’ Shoes, took thefirst open win of the series in a time of 15:43.Last year’s overall champion, NazarioRomero, also of adidas/Movin’ Shoes, finishedsecond in 15:40. Dave Edwards,BSK/Running Center, who recently finishedhis collegiate eligibility at Cal State–SanMarcos with an All-American finish in the1500m at NAIA Track Nationals, made hisDirt Dog debut with a solid third-place finishin 15:49. The 1–2 punch of Zanderson andRomero helped adidas/Movin’ Shoes to its firstteam win. Dianna Chivakos, adidas/Movin’Shoes, ran 17:58, winning the women’s raceover Amy Hassell, San Diego Track Club,18:20). Katie Meehan, adidas/Movin’ Shoes,paced third in 18:23 to secure another win forthe strong adidas/Movin’ Shoes team.

Balboa 4-MilerSept. 4; Balboa Park

The Balboa 4-Miler is a San Diego classic and

one of the more popularraces in the Dirt Dogseries with a strongturnout of runners. Thechallenging course overhills and uneven terraincertainly challenges thenotion that Californiansdon’t run real cross coun-try! The masters racelooked much like thefirst race of the serieswith BSK/RunningCenter athletes going1–2 in 22:38 and 22:59,respectively. AdamWeiner, again the 50+winner, was right behindin 23:18. BSK/RunningCenter won its second40+ team competitionand JH Cohn once againhad the lowest 50+score, setting them up as early season favorites.The already-strong JH Cohn women’s 40+team pulled even more talent out of the arsenalwith Tracy Wright winning the masters’women’s division in 25:48. Laura Stuart wassecond in 26:08. Linda Vigil, BSK/RunningCenter, was third in 26:42 but that was notenough to displace the dominant JH Cohn forthe team win. Sarah Tabbutt ran 27:01 as thefirst 50+ woman and San Diego Track Clubonce again won the team division.

In the open race, Sean Zanderson, adi-das/Movin’ Shoes, was challenged by the 2008Dirt Dog champion Sergio Gonzalez,BSK/Running Center, who has returned toform after a season of injury. Zandersonshowed his strength to finish with his second

win of the season in 20:47, while Gonzalez andteammate Okwaro Raura proved they werenot to be taken lightly. Their respective 20:51and 20:56 finishes secured the open team winfor BSK/Running Center.

Mirroring the men’s race, DiannaChivakos, adidas/Movin’ Shoes, took her sec-ond win of the season in 24:24. KC Meehan-Culley, adidas/Movin’ Shoes, ran a strong raceto finish second in 24:50, while JessicaBrothers, BSK/Running Center, ran a strategicrace to creep into third place in 24:53. Unlikethe previous races, the women’s open teamwinner changed from the previous race, withthe Red Hot Racers displaying their depth.

Full results and information can be foundat sdusatf.org.

San Diego–Imperial

Association News continued from page 25

President’s MessageFROM LAWRENCE [email protected]

We’re making great progress in our turnaroundplan for our association. The Central Californiaassociation is one of three associations that meetthe USATF national website standard. A specialthank you to all who help to make this possible.

A few more quick notes:•USATF Club Grants Available: youth trav-

el grant and an open cross country grant. Pleaseemail me at [email protected] about how to apply.

•We need more officials. If you can help, please email me with your contact information.•Reminder to Coaches: You must be a USATF member and complete the background check.•It’s time to renew your membership. (I suggest getting the multi-year term, like I do.)

Please invite someone to become a USATF member today. Thank you all. s

Central CaliforniaCentral CA USATF Schedule of Meets

11/13 Central CA Assn and Regional XC Championships, Bakersfield

2/27/11 Run for the Dream Youth Zonal Meet, SaveMart Center, Fresno (Youth, high school, college, open, masters divisions)

Central CA USATF Coaching Clinics2010 Coaching Clinic, Tulare2011 Level I Coaching School, Fresno

At the Wild Duck 5K, Laura Stuart (#9) won the masters women’s division.

David

Kloz


Race Walking SCA Race WalkRoundup

FROM PEDRO SANTONISCA RW CHAIR

A few years ago, Los Angeles Lakers coach PhilJackson, engaging in his customary verbalgamesmanship, disparaged Sacramento as a“Cow Town,” but track & field enthusiastsknow better. California’s capital is also a superblocation for our sport, and this July Sacramentodid a magnificent job in hosting both theUSATF Outdoor National Masters Track &Field Championships and the National JuniorOlympics. Thirteen racewalkers from SouthernCalifornia—seven masters and six youngsters—ventured north to test their mettle in these twoevents. In this column, three of these hard-working athletes explain how they approachedthe Masters meet.

Rick Campbell, who competes for SoCalTrack, is looking forward to moving into anoth-er age bracket in a few months, just in time forthe 2011 World Masters Championships inSacramento. He’ll be the race director for the2011 USATF 20K Masters RacewalkingChampionship at Huntington Beach.

Prior to Nationals, how had your racing progressed in 2010?I focused on getting back into shape from the2009 World Games and then recovering from aquad injury this March from hiking. My

Pasadena 10-Miler in January was so-so, and atthe St. Patrick’s 20K in March I ran out of gaswith four loops to go and barely finished. Itwasn’t until the 15K Nationals in May that myquads felt better, but my time was still slow. Iknew I had to do something to increase myspeed with Nationals 7 weeks away, so I askedcoach Jim Coots for help, and he came up witha workout plan for me to follow.

What does your basic cycle (monthly/weekly) oftraining consist of? What kind of workouts doyou do? The basic cycle consisted of workouts 7 days aweek, two of which were hard.

How did you sharpen for Nationals?My goals were to reach my peak by July 16 andmedal. I knew I had my work cut out for mebecause I was in the last year of my age bracket,with a couple of fast 60-year-old walkers in themix. To medal, I needed to walk a 27- or 28-minute 5K, and a 58- or 59-minute 10K.

What were your goals for Nationals?Against my coach’s advice, I competed as part ofmy workouts. Between early June and earlyJuly, I raced three 5Ks, and cut my times ineach. I went from 30:17 to 29:48, and [then] to28:44. Now I was cooking! But I had not donea 10K all year, so I wasn’t sure if I’d be ready.

What went right (and wrong) in Sacramento? Inother words, what were the highlights of the meetfor you? Were there any lowlights?At Sacramento, we were blessed with earlymorning coolness for the 5K, and I walked as

planned with a 2:18 per lap pace and a 28:45time. Unfortunately, that was not enough for athird-place medal. The 10K was interesting,with 75 men and women all together at thestart. I had my plan for the 2K splits and a58:15 finish, which would give me a shot atthird place if I could beat my good friend andrival Norm Frable. He took off at the start, andI finally caught up with him just in time to getmy first caution for a bent knee. I finally passedNorm, and to keep up the pace I found anoth-er rabbit [Bill Reed] to chase. We traded thelead back and forth until Bill sprinted ahead ofme with about one hundred meters to go. Still,I was able to hold Norm off and finished in58:10. I had not even looked at the DQ boardduring the race, but I was curious if I had beencarded for the bent knee call. I had two marks,one for bent knee and one for lifting, but to myrelief there was not another red card out therewith my name on it, so I secured a Nationalthird-place medal. It was a good day!

Next we feature Carl Acosta, a longtimeracewalker in Southern California. A fiercecompetitor, Carl also has taken on coachingresponsibilities for the Southern Cal Walkers,and serves as the club, uniforms, and volunteerscoordinator for the Walkers Club of LosAngeles. He can be seen at races and workoutswith his trusty sidekick, Guido, his alter egocrow hand-puppet.

Prior to nationals, how had your racing progressed in 2010?2010 has been a complete turnaround from mysuccessful 2009. After going almost 2 yearswithout getting disqualified, I received threeconsecutive disqualifications in Grand Prixevents, starting with the St. Patrick’s 20K, theMount San Antonio 10K, and the Riverside15K. I was able to make it through theCalifornia Senior Games in both the track androad walks, however.

What does your basic cycle (monthly/weekly) oftraining consist of? What kind of workouts doyou do?I am following Jonathan Matthews’ trainingprogram. This means my walks are strictly inmy aerobic range, which is at 65 –75% of mymaximum heart rate (121–141). Because of myage (76), my goal is to remain at 30 miles aweek to avoid injury, with a long walk of 30%of my weekly mileage, or about 9 miles.

How did you sharpen for Nationals? I followed the same training program with oneexception: I started working out daily—youJi

m Tow

nsend

Left to right Equalizer teammates Constantine Yap, Ryan Thong, Courtney Thong, Victoria Yap, Patsy Hurley, and Julia Townsend at the Junior Olympics.


know, more is better. I thought I could performbetter if I could edge into the 30–40-mile rangeper week. I drifted from the old saying, “If itworks, don’t fix it!”

What were your goals for Nationals?My goal was to peak for the meet.Unfortunately, I was disqualified in the 5Ktrack event, but did manage to make it throughthe 10K road walk. Still, my finishing time wasvery disappointing (71:09), 6 minutes slowerthan in Oshkosh in 2009 (65:00).

What went right (and wrong) in Sacramento? Inother words, what were the highlights of the meetfor you? Were there any lowlights?I’ll start with what went wrong first. The dis-qualification in the 5K, as I’m now learningfrom my kinetics trainer, is the direct result ofhaving no flexibility in the right hip and thefemur bone not functioning in the pelvic cra-dle. This right-side imbalance has been forcingthe right leg and foot to land hard, creating acollapse of the knee and forcing a bent knee. Ifirst became aware of this when a very inflamedcorn surfaced on the middle toe of my rightfoot and I’ve been wearing a corn cushion since.I’m presently doing some specific pelvic drillsevery day to correct this problem. What wentright was that, despite my anatomical imbal-ance and the fact that I had to face nine judgeson the 2000-meter loop 10K road walk, I man-aged to get through the finish with only twocards.

The third walker in the spotlight is YokoEichel. She started running about 20 years agoand has competed in a number of marathons,including the prestigious Boston event. Yokohas also successfully transitioned into racewalk-ing and has competed in World MastersChampionships in South Africa and Spain.

What does your basic cycle (monthly/weekly) oftraining consist of? What kind of workouts doyou do?My speed workouts consist of 4x400 and 2x800three times a week, plus a fairly easy one-milejog. I can’t do long distances anymore becauseof back problems (sciatica), so short, intenseworkouts are more productive. I start the work-out session with a 5-minute uphillracewalk.

How did you sharpen for Nationals? The main thing is to try not to get injured. Theoverall accent is on cardio and generalendurance in addition to the speed workouts.

What were your goals for Nationals?My goals remained to break 60 minutes for the10K and 29 minutes for the 5K. My 2010times, which were significantly faster than in2008—50 seconds for the 5K and 2 minutes,20 seconds for the 10K—were probably due to

a lack of injuries, especially some sciatica thathad been bothering me. I also pushed my train-ing a bit. So my 2010 times of 29:45.31 and1:00.19.56 were pretty close to my goals,huh?

What went right (and wrong) in Sacramento? Inother words, what were the highlights of the meetfor you? Were there any lowlights?The best part was the high level of competi-tion. There were several excellent walkers whohad entered my age group, one of which was aformer Olympian. It’s fun to be a part of thissport with such high-level competitors. It’s alsoexciting to walk in the same venue as theOlympic trials and next year’s World MastersChampionships will be held at the sameSacramento track.

The new crop of young local racewalkerswho compete for Equalizers performed excep-tionally well at the National Junior Olympics.Constantine Yap won the Boys 1500 in8:02.79, besting 11 other walkers, while RyanThong took second place among 17 BantamBoys in that same event with a 7:55.27. BothPatsy Hurley and Julia Townsend came in sec-ond in the Intermediate and Youth Girls 3000,achieving PRs of 17:04.79 and 18:25.60,respectively. Finally, Victoria Yap barely edgedout Courtney Thong for fifth place in theYouth Girls 3000, 19:02.71 to 19:02.90,respectively.

Closer to home, two events stood out.Most memorable on the competitive side werethe inaugural SCA-USATF Road MileChampionships, held on August 29 at the ElToro Airfield in Irvine. Twenty-five racewalkerstoed the starting line very early that morning tomake their way through a straight, flat, and cer-tified point-to-point course on former Runway34L. The elite race featured Olympians and SanDiego residents Tim Seaman and John Nunn.Tim turned on the afterburners in the home-stretch to pull away and win by 2 seconds,6:06.1 to 6:08.1. Two youngsters fromEqualizers took top honors in the Open event,Ryan Thong (M10) 8:38 and Patsy Hurley(F16) 8:45, while masters winners were RickCampbell (M64) 8:42 and Yoko Eichel (F63)9:07. Visit caltrack.com and roadmile.org formore on this event.

Last, but certainly not least, was the sud-den news of the retirement of one of our sport’smainstays, the legendary Easy Striders coachand founder Jim Coots. He announced late inJune that after 25 years of coaching it was timeto leave the sport to spend more time with hisfamily. He will be sorely missed, particularlybecause racewalkers of all abilities and rivalclubs (myself included) were always welcomedat his Saturday morning workouts at Irvine

High School. There, with his inimitable witand wisdom, Jim pushed, prodded, andencouraged everyone to walk to their potential.So, happy trails, coach Jim! And although hewill no longer be coaching, we hope that he’llmiss us enough to grace us with his presence atsome of our Grand Prix events in 2011. s

PA Race WalkingReport

FROM ART KLEINPA RACE WALK CHAIR

Youth Training to Become Tomorrow’sOlympiansThe first race in the 2010 PA Grand Prix, theOne-Hour Championship, was held on Feb.27 at Los Gatos HS with a talented mix ofopen, masters, and youth in attendance. Theweather was overcast, in the low 50s, and idealfor race conditions. Nicolette Sorensen (14,Diablo Valley Track Club), finished first, per-formed admirably with 10,719 meters com-pleted around the track. KevinKillingsworth, a seasoned veteran, alsowalked slightly over 10,000 meters securingthe men’s title. Noteworthy is that fact that theyouth walkers compete at 1500m (ages 8–12)or 3000m (ages 13–14). Nicolette and CaitlinPalacio (6th) are the reigning 2009 NationalJunior Olympic Champions in their agegroups, respectively, at the 3000m and 1500mdistances.

Junior Olympic Track & Field ChampionshipsHighlight on Youth Boy Dion ShattuckFrom July 27th to August 1st, a large group ofboys and girls (ages 8–19) arrived atSacramento State College to compete in theJOs. There were a lot of Junior Olympicsrecords broken and a few USATF National age-group records, as well, during these slightly

Jim Coots right with St. Patrick’s 20K winnerPhilip Dunn in 2008.

continued next page

Ted Zahn


Race Walking continued from page 29

cooler days. Once again, Becky Klein’s coaching

expertise was evident by the quality perform-ances of her race walkers that represented sever-al clubs in the Pacific Association of USA Track& Field (PA/USATF). Many had repeat per-formances of 2009 scoring in the top-8. (Lookfor details in an upcoming issue of CaliforniaTrack & Running News.)

Although SCTC currently doesn’t havemany youth participate in the PA/USATF Cluband Association competitions, one athletestands out who could become the one for othersto follow: Dion Shattuck, age 14. Dion is botha high jumper and a long jumper. He qualifiedfor the National JOs at the Modesto Region 16Junior Olympic Meet held July 10–11. Hescored a first place with a height of 5–9.75 anda second-place jump of 19 feet. These accom-plishments and others convinced the SCTCboard of directors that he should be sponsoredto ensure his participation in the national meet.

I conducted an interview with Dion andhis parents, Julie Shattuck and Andrew Creely(both avid runners), a few weeks after the com-petition, which you can read on caltrack.com.Their comments that show that the road tobecoming a “star” begins with athletic chal-lenges at a young age fostered by attentivecoaches, a supportive family, and lots of hardwork.

PA Youth Racewalkers Have Success!FROM BECKY KLEIN, PA Youth RW Chair

Once again it’s time for me to reflect on the2010 Youth and Junior racewalking season todate. While I dream of more kids beinginvolved in the track & field sport of racewalk-ing, I’m thrilled by the talent and dedicationshown by the walkers we do have representingthe Pacific Association.

We are so excited to have two of the bestjunior racewalkers in the country coming fromthe Bay Area: Tyler and Nicolette Sorensen.It’s been very exciting to watch this brother-sis-ter duo take the junior racewalk season bystorm. I’ve watched them both develop as ath-letes since they started the Junior Olympic pro-gram as Bantams.

Tyler was one of only two athletes selectedfrom the Pacific Association to compete in the2010 World Youth Olympics Games held inSingapore August 14–26. He had this to sayabout his experience: “I really enjoyed compet-ing for the U.S. at the Inaugural YouthOlympics this summer in Singapore. TeamUSA consisted of 82 athletes, 20 of whom werecompeting in track & field. We all stayed at theyouth Olympic village in Singapore for 17 days,along with the other 3,600 athletes fromaround the world. We also took part in fun cul-tural and educational activities throughout mystay. I finished 10th place in the 10,000m race

walk, which I was very happy with, given thehot and humid conditions.”

Even though Tyler is an internationallycompetitive athlete, he still takes opportunitiesto compete in our local events. Tyler competedin a 3000m racewalk at the PA Open Track &Field Championship on May 30 at the Collegeof San Mateo, where he set an intermediateboys’ USATF national record of 12 minutes,16.70 seconds.

The second half of that duo is 14-year-oldNicolette Sorenson, now in her first year com-peting as a junior athlete. Already at her youngage Nicolette is dominating those at least 4–5years older. When she competed for the firsttime in the Junior National Track & FieldChampionship, she dominated the women’s10K racewalk, crossing the finish line in56:25.49. She went on to represent the U.S. inthe USA vs. Canada racewalk competition, tak-ing second place. Both races that Nicolette hascompeted in locally (1-Hour Postal and 5000mRW), it’s notable that she’s taken first place ineach race, dominating the adults competing.

This year’s Junior Olympic Track & FieldChampionship was hosted by our association,so it was important to us to have good repre-sentation from our group of walkers. The LsiSprint team really showed their strength, withmost of their racewalk athletes scoring in thetop-8 and coming home with medals.

Several noteworthy racewalk performanceswere by Caitlin Palacio, midget girl and 4-timeJunior Olympic national champion. Shewalked away with yet another championship inSacramento. At 12 years old, she’s alreadyshowing herself to be a seasoned competitor.

Daimon Todd gave a PR performance toonce again take the Silver medal in the 3000myouth boy division. This was the third timeDaimon has earned a second-place finish in thisevent. I know these two will once again makethe National Racewalk Honor Roll for theircontinued outstanding performances. Keepyour eyes on all these athletes—they just mightbe our future Olympians.

Please note the outstanding performancesand times of our Pacific Association athletesthat competed in this year’s Junior OlympicT&F Championships:

3000m RACE WALK: Youth Girls 4. Jade Corral, Lsi Sprint,19:02.63; 11. Kylie Michaels, Roseville Express, 24:50.69 YouthBoys 2. Daimon Todd, Umoja TC, 16:08.83; Intermediate Girls4. Lila Haba, Lsi Sprint, 18:06.00.1500m RACE WALK: Bantam Boys 3. Jason Gomez, Lsi Sprint,8:27.82; Midget Girls 1. Caitlin Palacio, Lsi Sprint, 7:35.02; 8.Donna Roscoe, Napa TC, 9:03.86; Midget Boys 9. Adam Haba,Lsi Sprint, 12:10.25;

I would love for my dream to come true—to have 40 kids participate in racewalk in 2011.If your club is interested in bringing racewalkto your organization, please contact me at [email protected]. I’m hosting many clinics inthe upcoming months. s

This is get up and hit the road, you can do better, nice job and nice butt, and want to go again tomorrow? all wrapped up into one. This is the voice inside your head telling you your pace, time, distance, and calories burned. This is boosting up with a PowerSong. This is listen-ing to top coaches and athletes like Lance Armstrong pushing you.(Hint: listen to Lance.)

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