Half-Crazy Marathon Club

Michelle is looking for a half-crazy partner for the Women's Race

Michelle is looking for one female to partner up with her at the Women's Race in Austin, Tex., on Sept. 9, 2007. The race is a mini triathalon, but there are twists. The teams are two-person; there is a running leg(s) (a short distance and interspersed throughout the race); a 'water' leg, meaning
that the team would need to build your own raft out of floatable material - no actual rafts or hard plastics can be used - as well as bring your own floatation devices; and finally, a mystery event.

No member is allowed to leave her teammate. They must endure and complete the race together. This race is in support of breast cancer survivors. 

So, if there is anyone out there willing to partner up with a Half-Crazy, let Michelle know.

Kristen's purple bracelets

Kristen is on the run again.

As all of you know, last year Kristen completed a marathon in October as part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. This year, she is going to complete a Century Ride (a 100-mile bicycle ride) as part of the TEAM.

To help raise money and awareness for both LLS and TNT, she is selling the purple rubber bracelets that say "Train Endure Achieve Matter." The bracelets are $2 each. Let Kristen know if you would like to donate and get a bracelet to show your support for a good cause! Get one for you, your spouse, your kids, your neighbor, your dog, your cat, your best friend, your fish, your guinea pig, etc... You get the point!!!

And check out Kristen's new fundraising Web site too!

Three ways to beat a side cramp

Sara Bodnar, in Shape magazine (March 2007), asked three experts for tried-and-true remedies to stop those pesky side cramps in their running tracks:

• Stretch. Reach your arms overhead for 20 seconds. Keeping arms raised, lean towards the side that's not cramping, and hold for 20 seconds. Repeat until you feel relief.
• Add salt. Sprinkle a packet of salt on your tongue, then take a sip of water. (Sodium helps muscles absorb water, which should alleviate cramping.)
• Breathe. Decrease your pace and inhale through your nose for three seconds, then exhale through your mouth for six seconds. Repeat until the cramp subsides. Exhaling slowly helps release tension in your diaphragm.

Running and your knees

If, like me, you've heard that running puts you at risk for knee problems and osteoarthritis later in life, don't switch to mall walking yet.

The latest studies show that running does not cause osteoarthritis and, in fact, may slow the onset of symptoms, according to Lokelani McMichael in Women's Health magazine (Sept. 2006).But running with an injury can put you at risk for knee problems - arthritis and otherwise.

To stay injury-free, she recommends supplementing running with leg press and leg extension machines to strengthen the muscles and tissues that stabilize the knee. And, of course, choose running shoes carefully and change them often.

Become a Goody Ambassador

Are you a female runner or triathlete with at least six events on your 2007 race schedule? Do you wear elastics or other products to keep your hair back during training? Are you looking for a comfortable and stylish way to manage your hair this race season? If so, Goody StayPut wants you.

What you get:

• Special "Goody" bag that includes hair products and accessories.
• Cash bonuses for generating media exposure for Goody StayPut and assisting with events in your area.
• Complimentary, high-end, sponsor-branded performance apparel.
• Exclusive product offers, discounts and more.

What Goody Wants:

• Female runners and triathletes with at least six events on their 2007 race schedule.
• Women who enjoy wearing stylish and comfortable hair accessories while training and racing.
• Brand ambassadors to help promote Goody StayPut to other active women.
• Outgoing individuals who will positively promote Goody StayPut to the media, peers, family and friends.

The application deadline is Jan. 31. Click here to apply.

(p.s. I use Goody StayPut ponytail holders and they work great!)

For our next Half-Crazy get-together maybe...

Running tray, $22

Hit the Pool

Shape magazine focused on swimming this month. They say the faster you are in the water (the first leg of the race), the greater your lead will be. To give your technique a tune-up, they advise:

• Rotate your shoulders and hips - turn everything together in one fluid motion
• Extend your arms - As soon as your hand hits the water, reach forward and flex your wrist down and away from your body.
• Relax - If you kick too hard or slap down your hands, you'll end up wasting your energy. (Hey, I got one down pat anyways. I can do some relaxing!) ;)

They also featured some gear that will help you make a splash, like the Speedo Biofuse finger paddles that will improve the way your hand enters the water, the TYR SplitFin to help evenly distribute resistance during the up and down portions of your kick and the Finis tempo trainer to help you maintain a consistent pace.

Now if they'd tell you where you're supposed to put all this stuff when you get out of the water, we'd be set!

The beginner's tri training calendar

Kristen just bought her bike. Shannon has had hers for a while. And I guess I'm going to have to break down and buy one eventually, because I have decided to train for a mini-Iron Man this year instead of opting for the full marathon that others have chosen to shoot for.

When I was 29, I started training for a triathlon when I was tagging along with a hardcore group of triathletes in my Spinning classes at The Courthouse. I wanted to do my first triathlon when I turned 30. After beginning training, I found out I was pregnant with Quentin in April, so that quashed those plans. But he's seven now so I don't officially have that as an excuse anymore, I guess. ;)

Shape magazine recently published this beginner's tri training calendar, designed by Lindsay Hyman, a Level 1 USA Triathlon coach with Carmichael Training Systems in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (The link goes to an Excel document.)

If anyone is interested in joining us, let me know. I know Kristen is swimming at the Courthouse. I will be at the Y swimming laps. Shannon is at Fitness Lady. We have most of the clubs in the area covered!

This one's for Susan

This picture is for Susan. She got mad when I posted a picture of her running in the Madison 15k a while back, so this is her get-even picture. (And I even posted it myself - how great a friend am I?!) Here you see me (right next to this very triumphant looking girl) staring in utter disbelief at the white finish line in front of me, like it's a mirage or something, at the Memphis Marathon in December. (If you were there and want to see your pictures, search for your bib number or name here.)

And, just for the record, I thought it was very cruel that they made you walk up those steep stairs right after running 13 miles. If so many people weren't watching, I might have cried.

And for those of you who missed Memphis, here was the SECOND birthday cake that my half-crazy friends brought me in Memphis. (The race was Dec. 2 and my 37th birthday was Dec. 3.)

The first cake was delivered to the wrong room at the hotel - and they ate it. They ate my cake with the runners and the finish line on it. Can you believe that? If there is any turnabout in this world, they had a severe case of indigestion at the least! ;)

Thanks again to all of you. It was quite a memorable birthday (but my knees felt older than 37 the next day!).

T-shirts and destinations update

We’ve decided to order Brooks tech shirts from Fleet Feet at a cost of about $9 per shirt, plus $2 to put on the logo. Kristen brought a sample to the party and they’re unisex and seem to run small. Hers was an extra small, so we’re thinking everyone should order a size smaller than what they normally do. They come in short-sleeves and long-sleeves and have a round neck. Not sure yet on colors.

We collected shirt orders at the party, so if you want one (or several) – send Susan Christensen an e-mail with your size and style i.e. small, long-sleeve, etc.

Also, you'll find more information on the San Diego half-marathon, which seemed to be the top pick for our destination race, here. The race did sell-out last year and tops out at 6,000 runners. It also has a three-hour course limit and no full marathon.

There are several other California races – including San Francisco on July 29 – so we could always switch to another town i.e. L.A., La Jolla, Big Sur, Napa Valley, etc. Those Californians love to sponsor races - and we half-crazy folks seem committed to running there in 2007. (The San Francisco marathon and the Disneyland marathon tied for second place.) So do some research and let Susan know if you have a preference. If we choose San Diego, we obviously need to sign up early.

Even though we are choosing one big destination marathon, many of us are already making plans to strike out on our own, so you can probably find a half-crazy friend if you get a hankering to go somewhere. Here's a few I overheard at the party:

Kristen - Mardi Gras Marathon coming up in February and the Disneyword Marathon (with the Goofy Challenge) for 2008. Several of us were interested in this one.

Michelle - the Nashville marathon

Kelly - The marathon at Seaside, FL

If we're going to stay ready to run a half-marathon all year long, we need to keep our long runs on Saturday at 8 to 10 miles. The beginning time will remain 7 a.m. for now. (We will have to go back to 6 a.m. when it gets hot again for sure.)