Let me take this opportunity to remind everyone to pay his or her dues. Although anyone can access all of the clubs information online, it is not free. In order for the GERWC to continue its’ work in the community, we need revenues, volunteers, and members willing to give back. It takes a lot of people and a lot of effort to perform all the duties that this club has taken on.

So….

     Rebecca is originally from Mt. Vernon, Indiana and this was a chance for her to return to her roots. She is a math and science teacher and is looking for a position in the Evansville area beginning this fall. So, if any you can be of assistance, they would both be most appreciative.  

     Graham did not run for UE but has made up for that with an active racing schedule.  He is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina where his grandfather played basketball for the Tar Heels. He will need to bring in some extra help once Rebecca gets another job. Swift Athletics www.swiftathletics.com plans a private open house for the club with some great discounts. Watch for more information on this on our web page www.gerwc.com. Rebecca and Graham both plan to support the running community with sponsorships, and discounts to club members and to high school teams.

      You may have noticed that we are taking big strides in promoting our club. We have distributed coffee mugs with our logo on them, and water bottles will follow. If you attended our ‘Awards Banquet’ you have most likely received one of these mugs. If you are a member and did not attend the banquet look for us at some of the races that we time and one of us will provide you with a ‘club mug’.

     We are going to continue with our social/pub runs in the spring. Last year, they were held each month at local restaurants/pubs. Watch our web page for upcoming runs.
 
     We continue to provide training groups for members through speed work and weekend group runs. You can find these workouts on our web page and/or message board.  If you would like to be placed on my personal e-mail list for both workouts and club activities you can e-mail me and I’ll place you on my list.

     The club is still looking for people to sit on the board and help in planning its’ future. If you have two hours per month to give, please consider helping out.
 
     In closing, remember that all club members are welcome to attend our monthly meetings. We meet the second Wednesday of the month at 6:00 pm, usually at the downtown library. 

     As always, if you have any comments or concerns about your club, please contact me at msurunner@sbcglobal.net

Power-On! 
Gordon

Many walkers and runners move indoors when the north winds howl. The mall, treadmills, and indoor tracks provide refuge from cold weather, but they can prove to be truly boring. You might want to consider more fresh-air outings this winter. It's easier to keep walking or running outdoors than you might think; the trick is to dress for how you are going to feel 15 minutes into your workout. In other words, dress as though it is 20 degrees warmer outside than it really is. You should feel a little chilly when you step outside, but your body heat will soon warm you.

       Cover your head and extremities - keep ears, hands and toes adequately protected. Wearing layers of high-tech synthetic fibers, which wick moisture away from the skin, will serve to keep you dry and warm. On the coldest days, wear an inner wicking layer, an insulating middle layer and an outer wind-breaking layer. Wear wind- pants or tights to keep your legs warm. As you warm up, remove layers before you start perspiring. Adjust for heat buildup by first removing your hat, and then your gloves. Lastly -- unzip or remove your outer layer and tie it around your waist. If you start getting cold, reverse this order to stay warm. When braving freezing temperatures accompanied by a high wind-chill factor, prevent frostbite by staying dry and keeping all skin covered. Apply Vaseline to protect your face. Other tips: Warm up indoors first, run in the sun, and take wet clothing off immediately after running and change into dry clothes to prevent hypothermia.        Why not go outside and play? You will not freeze your lungs and die! Embrace the cold, fresh air, and you will adapt to the lower temperatures and feel exhilarated all winter long.

Coach B

Camaraderie Provides Lift in Workouts

 
 
 

One of the best things about group fitness classes is the fascinating individuals whose paths cross in their pursuit of good health. A powerful group dynamic helps increases the intensity of the workout while participants enjoy camaraderie. Many of those who exercise together develop strong bonds. Friends in class keep me coming back, even when I feel too tired or too busy to exercise.

One of the best things about group fitness classes is the fascinating individuals whose paths cross in their pursuit of good health. A powerful group dynamic helps increases the intensity of the workout while participants enjoy camaraderie. Many of those who exercise together develop strong bonds. Friends in class keep me coming back, even when I feel too tired or too busy to exercise.

I had the joy of seeing one of my former group fitness "sweat sisters" last weekend at the Bethel Temple "Healthy Living Seminar." Maggie Greenwood Robinson, who exercised with me regularly when she lived in the Newburgh area, was the keynote speaker for this free seminar. Many people know Maggie as an extremely accomplished nutritionist and writer. She is the author or co-author of 24 books on health and fitness, and was the nutritional consultant for Dr. Phil McGraw's best seller "The Ultimate Weight Loss Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom." Maggie is passionate about weight training. And we both believe it helps people change the way they feel about themselves. Developing the physical strength to move more weight than you thought possible is empowering and a tremendous boost to self-esteem to see firmer shoulders, smaller thighs, and a leaner midsection, all end results from a regular resistance program. In her fifth decade at a lean size 4, Maggie credits strength exercise as her "fountain of youth."       Maggie often finds herself over-committed, balancing many projects and deadlines to find time for the exercise that nourishes her mind and body. Therefore, "priority management" is Maggie's ultimate solution to over-commitment, putting exercise on top of her priority list.

     Since so many of us fall into this "over-committed" category, I am passing on to you Maggie's 12 extra tips to fit exercise into an overcrowded life:

1.)   Schedule exercise like an appointment. Plan it each week and do not cancel.
2.)   Try exercise in disguise: recreational and lifestyle activities (such as rollerblading or housework) can have the same metabolic result as formal exercise.
3.)   Squeeze in shorter workouts: 10-minute sessions three times during the day work just as well as 30 minutes of uninterrupted minutes.
4.)   Start your day a half hour earlier and complete your exercise before other commitments.
5.)   Work out at your office. Form walking groups. 
6.)   Work out at home. Use inexpensive equipment or commercial videos.
7.)   Put your treadmill in front of your TV instead of your couch!
8.)   Crank up the music and dance in your home.
9.)   Find an activity you enjoy. Look forward to doing it regularly.
10.) Develop an activity that you have a skill for, like tennis.
11.) Make sure your chosen form of exercise is convenient, that you can complete with the least amount of effort.
12.) Get help. Friends and family can keep you accountable.

     I leave town at 10:00 am on Friday morning and drive a leisurely 280 miles to Monte Sano (Healthy Mountain) State Park, which is located just east of Huntsville. The $10.00 pasta dinner, which includes salads, pasta, pizza, deserts and beverages, also serves as the pre-race meeting, and the race director seemed to take special delight when issuing the following alerts:
• “The chances of you falling on these trails are great”.
•  “When you fall, the chances of you landing on a rock are excellent”.
•  “This is the 13th annual running of the Mist and every year someone breaks a bone”.
•  “The most common broken bones are hands, arms and ribs”.
•  “If you do not make the cutoffs, you will be pulled from the course”.
•  “The ‘Waterline’ (one of the races major climbs) is not a walk, is not a hike, and is not a run. It’s a climb”.

     I have parked my van in the lodges parking lot and at 6:20 am I awake to my alarm, eat breakfast, wash and shave, and ready myself for the task at hand. Just before the races’ start, I wisely rethink my running apparel and opt to remove a few layers, leaving me wearing shorts, a long-sleeve coolmax shirt, sunglasses, gloves and a hat. We start, and after a short time on asphalt (?) we enter into the parks single-track trail system. In the early going, it’s quite crowded for us ‘back-of-the-packers’, but no one is overly concerned---there’s a long way to go. Oops, both of my feet have just slipped out from under me and my tailbone makes sudden contact with a large, flat boulder that serves as the trail here at the 1-1/2 mile mark. Upward and onward, I continue along while making small talk with all those nearby. I’ve reached Aid Station #1 (6.5 miles) in 1:18:17 (12 min/mile) and I’m very pleased with my time. (I later found out that 2 runners pulled themselves from the course at this stage.) My needs are not great at aid stations because I always wear my belt complete w/a bottle filled with 6 goos, a water bottle, a Gatorade bottle, gum and candy, bandanas, wristbands, gloves, band-aids and moleskin for my feet, sunscreen, vasoline and aspirins. I’ve worn this belt in 29 marathons and in 9 ultras, as well as in all my long training runs, and I no longer know that it is there: it is a part of me. 

      I head off into a section of the woods where the trail system has taken a decided turn for the worse. Although I feel that I am cruising along well under control, I am forced to slow myself in the name of safety. At 6-3/4, I come upon a 1-mile downhill where I lose time to the course!!! At about 8 miles I come face to face with K2, and it provides me with hint of what lies ahead. This is a most difficult climb that covers one mile and it is brutal; yet, I know there are steeper, longer climbs in the upcoming miles. Nevertheless, I do make it to Aid Station #2 (11.7 miles) in 2:31:32 (12:54 min/mile). I refill my bottles, grab some grub, and go.

     The next 4 miles prove to be a series of medium grade ‘ups and downs’ over the ever-present, ankle-twisting rocks; which cause me to slow my pace yet again. I’ve reached Aid Station #3  (16.9 miles) in 3:49:19 (13:35 min/mile) Although I’m slowing noticeably in these early stages of the run; I’m pleased with beating the first official cutoff time by 26 minutes. Nine others were not as fortunate as I.

    It’s mostly downhill for the next 4 miles as the course drops from 1400’ to 1000’, and the miles pass by without incident.  I’ve reached Aid Station #4 (20.9 miles) in 4:17:43 (13:45 min/mile). I’m now only 22 minutes ahead of the cutoff. This time 6 runners fall victim to the dreaded cutoff.
 

Waterline

Unfortunately for me, the race is only starting as I now begin the most critical leg of the race. I’m able to manage the next 2 miles in my accustomed manner but upon arriving at mile 22, I’m brought to a sudden standstill as I take in the infamous ‘waterline’. Overcome with awe and fear, I carefully begin my ascent. The total climb is roughly 2 miles, one of which is up a near-vertical rock-face that proves to be even more dangerous than it is difficult, and it is difficult. I have made a conscious decision to employ a “3-points-of-contact-with-the-planet” strategy so as to provide myself with some illusion of safety! It is impossible to negotiate this climb with just the use of ones legs, and I’m constantly grabbing for roots, rocks and trees to aid in my ascent. (Editors note: this climb parallels a waterfall which accounts for both its’ steepness and the unsafe footing that the rocks and mud fail to provide.) The worst part is finally behind me, and still the trail climbs upwards. Finally, I stumble into Aid Station #5 (24.9 miles) in 6:10:40 (14:54 min/mile). Much to my dismay (ha), I have beaten the cutoff by 9 minutes and; therefore, I must continue on!!!! It turns out that 3 more runners are eliminated from the race and I am the last person to beat the cutoff of 6:20:00.

     Now the pressure has been turned up considerably. The race shuts down at 8-1/2 hours and I know there is another major climb ahead of me, and I know how I feel after crawling up the waterline so I’m functioning in a ‘state-of-fear’. I can’t imagine running for 31 miles over such difficult terrain, and not have it count! 

     No longer able to run, I am now in full ‘power-walk’ mode: head down, arms madly swinging to and fro, I drive myself forward. I don’t talk, I don’t spit, I don’t chew, and I don’t waste a single motion that might consume any precious energy that resides within me. When the trails allows, I sprinkle in some jogging, but my body rebels at this notion. And then I see it! The last climb towers upwards for 600 feet with no summit in sight, and it all starts at mile 28!!! Now I’m sure that all hills at this stage of the game can be intimidating, but this 1-mile climb is sucking the life out of me. There is no outstanding feature to this hill other than it is constant. There are no downs, no levels, and no easy ups. It’s steep and it’s difficult. At long last, I crest the summit at the 29.2-mile mark to be greeted with the best section of trail (1.8 miles) of the entire course. Unfortunately for me, it has come too late for there is no 'run' in me and again, I must resort to ‘power-walking’. 

Top of Mountain Mist

• The weather proved to be most co-operative; although, the sun was nowhere to be seen and I surely missed its’ warming affects. Also, when one runs in the mountains, he will find that the cold air often settles in the various valleys and hollows; and, the wind seems ever-present when running the ridges and on the summits.

• The terrain proved to be a major mitigating circumstance for me. Most of this race took place on fist-size, grapefruit-size or larger, pointy rocks. I’m fully aware that this is a trail run, but I’ll never figure out how the better runners seem to glide over these obstacles.

• The numbers are: 330 entrants, 280 starters, and 260 finishers. On a personal note, I was last to make the key cutoff at 25, I was last in my age group, and I was 2nd last overall (by 40 seconds); and yet I couldn’t be more pleased with my effort. The climbs did not defeat me, and for 8 hours and 6 minutes I never stopped moving forward. Hey, that’s longer than most peoples’ workday.

• The accoutrements, such as the pasta dinner, the aid stations, the many door prizes, and the post-race party, were all excellent: as was the job done by the race director, his staff, and the many volunteers who manned their various workstations with outstanding dedication to their tasks.

• A word of warning to the wise: this race is a serious undertaking and if you are thinking about entering the world of ‘ultras’, don’t choose this race for your maiden voyage. A person should work up to this level of difficulty so as not to be disappointed enough to drop out of ‘trails’. 

• The rewards for competing in, and finishing ultras are most satisfying, and the resulting ‘sense of accomplishment’ can overwhelm a person. That’s the hook. That’s what keeps trail-runners coming back. Passing the test.