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July 4th Sunday Race - Time Is on Your Side

Our next 4th Sunday race, July 24, is one of our special races, the 17th annual "Time Is on You Side" where victory goes not necessarily to the swiftest, but to the runner who can predict their finish time the most accurately.  Only the 5K and 10K will be contested, with the 10K going off at 9:00 a.m. and the 5K, 10 minutes later.  This race will also feature refreshments and raffle prizes, plus it has the lowest entry fee around of just $6 pre-registration.  An entry form can be down loaded from the LMJS website:  www.lmjs.org

LMJS Summer Potluck Picnic

In conjunction with our Summer potluck picnic/run on Saturday, August 13 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. LMJS is starting a new activity.  It is called the "Second Saturday Fun Run" and will take place every month on the 2nd Saturday.  It will be held at a different location each month and there will be several options in terms of the distance.  The purpose is to provide another venue for members and friends to get together and run and meet each other.  Look for more details about these runs in upcoming bulletins.

The August 13th run will take place at the Redwood Bowl, Redwood Regional Park in Oakland.  This fun event will feature a run in the woods to work up an appetite, refreshments, bar-b-que, and LMJS camaraderie.  Family and friends are welcome and you can come for the entire morning including the run or just join us for the bar-b-que.  The details are as follows: 

SUMMER RUN & PICNIC POTLUCK

SATURDAY – AUGUST 13th

Time:    The run will start at 9:00 a.m.

The potluck picnic will begin after the run, from 10:30 to Noon.

 

Place:   The run and picnic will both take place at Redwood Bowl in   Redwood Regional Park.

 

Directions:   Redwood Bowl is located next to the new Chabot Observatory on Skyline Blvd.  Exit Highway 13 at Park Blvd.  Get on Mountain Blvd. heading North.  At the first stoplight, Snake Rd., make a right turn.  After ½ mile, there is a fork in the road, bear to your right onto Shepherd Canyon Rd.  Follow it for about 2 miles until you come to a stop sign at Skyline Blvd.  Make a right turn and go about 2 miles, past the entrance to the Chabot Observatory.  Right next to it, at 10006 Skyline Blvd. is a small wood building for the “Metropolitan Horseman’s Association.”  Make a left turn into their parking lot and park at the very back of it.  Follow the asphalt paved path to the right of the parking lot, there will be flour arrows directing you to Redwood Bowl.

 

Run & Picnic Logistics:  This function is open to family and friends of all LMJS runners.  The run will start and end at Redwood Bowl and will begin at 9:00 a.m.  LMJS will provide drinks, snacks, salads, and materials for the barbeque.  You bring something to barbeque for yourself.

RAFFLE: THERE WILL BE A RANDOM DRAWING OF RUNNING RELATED PRIZES INCLUDING SEVERAL GIFT CERTIFICATES.

Please note this meeting will also serve as the annual election of LMJS officers, election ballots will be distributed at the picnic to LMJS members.

Triple Crown Final Standings

The 4th annual Triple Crown Challenge was decided with the running of the "Woodminster Cross Country Race" on June 19 as 22 women and 43 men did all three races in this grueling series which is a test of both stamina and speed.  The overall female winner was Juli Morse-Stump with a total time of 3:56:16 and for the men it was David Monk and his total time was 3:20:30.  Club members who completed all three races were Pat Aguilera, Maria Briones, Michael Pollard, Arnold Ramos and Jeff Tetters. 

Letters to LMJS

Len,

I enjoyed reading about Mello's attempt on the four minute mile at the UC Berkeley track in 1950. I had high regards for Brutus Hamilton, who wanted me to pole vault for the Bears at that time. Clint Evans our baseball coach refused to have me participate in both sports at the same time (although I did that through high school and junior college). Adjacent to the Cal track, I led the UC baseball team in batting with and average of .345, in 1950.

Peter Corona, Ph.D.

(Editor's Note: The following message was received from a person whose sister recently had a baby and named it "Samantha Lake Merritt."  Perhaps when she is older she will run it one of our races. )

Dear Len:

Thank you so much for the "Lake Merritt" t-shirts you sent.  My sister and her husband were blessed with a beautiful baby girl, Samantha Lake Merritt on June 17th.  She weighed in at a healthy 8 pounds, 10 oz.  My entire family was very excited to receive such a wonderful memento commemorating her birth.  The ducks went over very well, I must say.  Thank you again for your generosity and support.

Cordially,

Hank Aizipuru 

Articles

First Timer at the Lake Tahoe Relay
Juliann Sum


I didn't quite know what to expect when I signed up to race at Lake Tahoe this year.  The longest I had ever raced was 15K, and I'm not a fast runner.  How would my body react to running at altitude for 10-plus miles?  But I was told that having fun, not going fast, was the main goal of the LMJS mixed team (as opposed to our super-speedy 50s men's and 60s men's teams), so I decided to give it a try.

The Lake Tahoe Relay covers 72 miles of hilly roads that border the lake.  It is an annual fundraiser for running programs of different high schools.  Each team has 7 runners.  Because this was my first time, team co-captain Ellen assigned me the easiest leg of the course, #3.

The race was set to start at 7:00 am.  I caught a ride to watch the start and meet other members of my team, then returned to the cabin to get ready.  At 9:00 am, Paul, the other co-captain of my team (who later became my guardian angel during the race, see below), drove me to Spooner Summit, where Leg #2 hands off to Leg #3.

Three cars were available to "crew" our team.  I was feeling unsettled in the hour before my run, because logistics were still being worked out as to who would drive whom to what locations, who would drive which car with whose stuff, who would "water" which leg, and whether anyone would be there when I finished.  I was eager to start running and not think about the logistics.

The weather was perfect: sunny, cool, and breezy.  After the handoff and a short, uphill start, I fell into the trance-like state you get when you run for a while by yourself.  My sense of floating along was enhanced by doing what I learned in Chi running, views of the deep blue lake below, and the fact that I was going mostly downhill.  Time flew by.  Sometime after mile 7 my legs did get a little heavier, but the run was still enjoyable.  And of course I didn't mind at all that as I ran, other teams were cheering, applauding, and calling out, "Good job!" and "Looking good!"

I mentioned that Paul became my guardian angel.  It's easy to become dehydrated at that altitude (more than a mile above sea level), so Paul drove along the course to give me water every 1.5 miles or so.  Even more important, he gave moral support.  Before my run, he had assured me, "I'll be there."  He also let me know exactly how far I had run at each stop.

When I arrived at my finish, Paul, Ellen, and three other teammates were there to greet me, including runner #4, who received my handoff and was off and running.  I felt satisfied and happy that I had met my personal goal of running my 10.3-mile leg faster than 11 minutes per mile.

Farther along the course, we were entertained by two other teams who were playing music and dancing wildly to encourage their runners.  I asked where they came from and told them I was from LMJS.  In a moment of instant name-recognition -- LMJS being a major sponsor of the race -- one runner exclaimed, "Oh yeah . . . the port-a-potties!"

Our slow-and-steady team finished sometime after 7:00 pm, 70th out of 74 teams.  Four of us enjoyed a big dinner together and then hung out in the cabin with runners from the other two LMJS teams.  I think we all slept well that night (no one snored).

I am grateful to Ellen and Paul for organizing our team and assigning me Leg #3, and I hope to do the Lake Tahoe Relay again.  A friend reminds me that just 4 years ago I swore I would never run more than 2 miles at a time.  His response at the time: "Just you wait and see!"  Now for my next challenge: the SF Half Marathon, end of July.

 

 

An Anchor at the Tahoe Relays

Jim Buck

    Seven o’clock Saturday morning June 11th, the start of the race. Teams lined up, anxious to get underway. The morning cool and crisp, lots of sunshine. Good running weather. Then it came: “Go!” No gunshot or foghorn blast. Just “Go!” A round of applause followed. They were off! But there I stood, holding my ground, watching as the last runner disappeared around the bend, heading for the lake. I was the anchorman, the last member of the seven-man relay team. Eventually, my turn would come. It was a matter of waiting 9 hours.

    Circumnavigating Lake Tahoe would burn up 72 miles of shoe leather, split amongst the team… The seven legs ranged from 8.2 to 12.3 miles in length, each having its own peculiarities, pros and cons. The short leg has the steepest climb. The long leg has gentler rolling hills offset by a grueling distance. The race starts and finishes at South Lake Tahoe, which, as you might suspect, is on the south side of the lake. The teams make a counterclockwise circuit, keeping the lake on their left. The runner who lifts his gaze from the asphalt monotony is treated to fabulous views of expansive, sapphire blue water backed by snow-capped mountain peaks.

    But wait! Back to the tale of the anchorman! The final relay leg is a 10.3-mile stretch around Emerald Bay and into South Lake Tahoe. It is perhaps the most scenic of the seven. However, there are costs. The first is trying to keep from being totally bored as one fiddles away the hours until 4 PM. The second is actually running the 10.3 miles. Near the beginning is a steep 1-mile downhill followed by an equally steep 1-mile up hill. The rest is rolling hills and then level ground to the finish. Concerning the boring part, after breakfast and a short snooze, I drove the course around the lake, taking the scenic route to my hand-off station. Unfortunately, while waving to runners and shouting encouragement, I managed to take two wrong turns—one put me on the road to Carson City, Nevada and the other to the California town of Truckee. Both side trips sent me miles off course before I detected a definite absence of runners on the road. These detours caused some apprehension. I was now concerned that our leg six runner would get to the handoff and find me absent without leave.

    Even so, I arrived in sufficient time to read a magazine, eat a snack, do an hour of stretching, and discuss the relay’s progress with other team members who had finished their segments. With only leg seven remaining, our Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders 60s team was 37th of 74 starting teams. And now it was my turn to join the action. From down the mountain and around the bend came Dave our leg six runner, making a strong sprint to the handoff. With a high five, the baton was passed and off I went. There was minimal strategy. Start slow. Run negative splits. But any goals I might have had were blown in the first mile as I proceeded down the slope. My legs were tired, I was gasping for air. I looked around for the anchor I was certain was tied to my waist. Funny, I felt fine while standing still... How could the first mile feel like the last mile of a marathon? This was the effect of running at 6,500 feet.

    With 9 miles to go, it was time to implement plan B. For the rest of the leg I ran when I could and did power walks up the steeper slopes. I finished in 1:24 and held on to our 37th place. The team finished in 10 hours, 26 minutes. We were all very proud that our team took first place in the 60’s division. Of course, being the only 60’s team in the race, we also came in dead last in that division.

    This was my third year running the lake with LMJS. Each one has been memorable. There’s always lots of camaraderie. Running stories abound. Some might even be true. I give special thanks to my team members this year, in order of appearance, Keith, Jim, Al, Floyd, Ernie, and David.

2005 LMJS 60s men

 

 

Leg 1 Keith Johnson

1:18:27

 

Leg 2 Jim Grodnik

1:11:33

 

Leg 3 Al Shook

1:20:36

 

Leg 4  Floyd Whiting

1:41:57

 

Leg 5  Ernie Isaacs

1:39:45

 

Leg 6 David Ragsdale

1:47:45

 

Leg 7  Jim Buck

1:24:50

 

Team

10:26:02

37th of 74

                                                                              

2005 RRCA Convention Report

Good Times on the Bayou
RRCA Convention May 11-15, 2005
by John Farrow

"Down in Louisiana where the black trees grow
live a voodoo lady named Marie Lavaux. 1"

Appropriately enough, the 2005 annual convention of the Road Runners Club of America began in New Orleans on Friday the 13th with a run through a cemetery. And as the rising sun began to poke through the wisps of early-morning fog and light up the listing, moss-shrouded above-ground tombs, you couldn’t help but look over your shoulder every now and then whether you believed in voodoo or not.

The New Orleans Track Club hosted the affair, and from an opening ceremony led by Rex from Mardi Gras to the illicit charms of Bourbon Street, it was one to remember.

Why is New Orleans called the Big Easy? As state reps gathered on the deck of the paddle-wheel steamboat "Natchez" for a leisurely cruise down the Mississippi River while lunching on fried chicken and gumbo, the answer became obvious. It was hard not to just lean back with a cold drink and simply watch the banks of the river slip slowly past.

True to form, if this is an RRCA convention, Bart Yasso of "Runner’s World" must not be far away. But no matter how many times you might have seen his slides of running at the far ends of the earth (“You smell the penguins long before you see them,” at the Antarctica Marathon), to mule-running in Colorado (“If your partner is an ass, don’t be surprised if he sometimes acts like one”), to encountering rhinos on the trail in Sri Lanka (“This looks like the turn-around point to me”), to a clothing-optional race in Washington State (“Do you show your medal to your mother?”), his dead-pan delivery is always entertaining.

And every convention is chock-full of informative seminars, as well. The first day featured helpful advice on setting up training groups, media relations and medical issues for race directors, establishing websites and publishing club newsletters.

Then it was time out for a run along the river-walk followed by red beans, rice and beer at a Cajun "fais do do" while Jeff Darman and Phil Stewart hawked their wares at the "Running Times" auction. But soon runners began drifting off to stroll through the French Quarter, perhaps stop in at the Court of the Two Sisters or shop in Pirate’s Alley, take in the music at the House of Blues, later for coffee with chicory and beignets at Café du Monde or a nightcap at Pat O’Brien’s.

Saturday dawned early, too early for some, but they nevertheless made it to the Bonne Carré Spillway fun run, the site of one of the largest “trail” runs in the country. But you don’t want to be caught there during a hurricane as this is where (hopefully) any storm surge from Lake Pontchartrain is funneled down towards the Gulf of Mexico, a vital precaution for a city located entirely below sea level.

More seminars were on tap for Saturday, these dealing with insurance and safety, race production, women’s running programs and running a marathon in all 50 states and seven continents. But there was work to do, too,

The annual business meeting convened Saturday afternoon to consider amending the bylaws to allow membership of for-profits clubs, tighten the requirements for proxies and shrink the size of the board of directors. But unlike several previous business meetings that had witnessed acrimonious exchanges between members skeptical of motives, this session witnessed an earnest give and take before the amendments were approved.

In similar fashion, the members elected a slate of five directors for two-years terms. This group included Lisa Paige of Littleton, Colorado as Western Director, Chuck George of New Orleans as Southern Director, and David Epstein of Anchorage, Bob Holmes of Atlanta and Albuquerque’s John Farrow as Directors at-Large.

The merger of the RRCA and the AARC became final in January of this year and Past RRCA and AARC President Jeff Darman turned over to RRCA a check for $15,000 as the balance of funds remaining from the former AARC. Some of the money was earmarked for a redesign of the RRCA web page, financial support of the State Rep program and continued Board training. The membership also heard out-going Secretary-Treasurer Todd Neville report on the recent audit of the finances of the RRCA and that the financial health of the organization had returned to a positive level.

Director Brent Ayer discussed the work of the Communications Committee, whose principal task is the resurrection of a quarterly hard-copy publication by this Fall and Director Lisa Paige summarized the Board’s efforts to locate a new executive director to replace out-going ED Becky Lambros as it sifted through the more than 50 applications received. And then it was time for the annual Awards Banquet to recognize those who have contributed to the RRCA and the running community over the past year.

Among those recognized were Steve Shepard of the Houston Striders as the Volunteer of the Year, Montana State Rep John Devitt as State Rep of the Year (four in a row for the Western Region) and Sue Brown of the Calumet Region Striders as the Outstanding Club President. Also, Keith Brantly and Steve Spence were installed as the newest members of the RRCA Hall of Fame. Then the gathering heard from keynote speaker Lorraine Moeller, a former winner of the Boston Marathon and four-time Olympic marathoner as she told of the development of her running career from a small-town girl in Canada whose dreams of an Olympic glory were finally realized with a bronze medal in the 1992 games in Barcelona.

The convention closed with the Gospel and Blues 5K through the streets of the Garden District near Emeril’s Restaurant and the gothic-styled home where Anne Rice wrote “Interview With the Vampire.” Post-race festivities at the Praline Connection Bar featured beer, gumbo and the music of Ronald Jones and the New Orleans All Stars.

Before heading to the airport, I had a final cup of coffee at Café du Monde and took a walk past the mimes in Jackson Square and through the French Market. Need some "gris-gris"? It’s there.

"She got a black cat tooth and a mojo bone
anyone don't leave her alone
she go Eeeeeeeeeeeeee
another man done gone. 1"

Source: ARR News, July 2005
Albuquerque Road Runners Club

1 Dr. Hook, Marie Lavaux.