The Weekly Pep Talk July 6-12, 2009

The Weekly Pep Talk July 6 – 12, 2009

This Week is dedicated to Ellen G. Have a great vacation! We’ll miss you.

Dear WOW Members and Interested Others,

We have some new member/participants and I’d like to introduce them. Kerry S, Julie W, Maria, Melissa, Deyadra, Nikki T, Sarah C and Arlene L. Welcome ladies! Keep coming…

I was surprised at how many of you stayed close to home over the Fourth of July. We had 3 women at Sawyer Camp on Saturday and 11 of us at Alameda on Sunday. Kim L, Jen W, and I all did our 12 miles at Sawyer Camp and had a great run.

I want to congratulate Heather and Jennifer M-C for doing their long runs pretty much by themselves in Alameda . Heather ran 9.5 miles and Jennifer did 12! It was good to see Heather back out running again after her injury. The rest of us were not putting in those kinds of miles.

That said, Sharmaine M took off at a “brisk walking pace” and kept several of our walkers on their toes for 4 miles or more. Christy G, Sonia B, and I added another 1.5 miles to the walk. These 2 ladies have both signed up for the progressive marathon/5K at SF Marathon on July 26 – just around the corner.

WOW Member Heidi H sent the link for a great article about eating and working out. Thank you Heidi. Here’s the link http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/eating-to-fuel-exercise/

This weekend, don’t forget the “Fun Run” Practice 5K at Cesar Chavez Park , Berkeley Marina. Details and directions are at http://runwalklocations.blogspot.com We’re not meeting at the Sea Breeze but at the park itself at Marina Blvd , and Spinnaker Way . Please make a note of it! This gives you a chance to sense what it is like to do a race and to practice on a certified 3.1 mile course before going to the “Big Banana” at the SF Marathon. Walk, run, or combine the 2. Go for it with WOW! Starts at 8:00 AM

The SF Half Marathoners will have a 13 mile marked course, with aid that will start at the same place. All finishers of the 5K or the 13 mile distances will get a finish ribbon.

As always, all workouts are listed on the blog/website at http://gowowteam.com. Additionally, if you have not signed up for the Meetup site at http://meetup.com/gowowteam I would love for you to think about it. When members RSVP, yes or no, it really helps me out. Thank you to those who have already signed on. I think I’m getting better at not sending out so many pesky E-mails. I’m sure trying…

I want to congratulate all of you who have trained for the upcoming SF Marathon Races. You are now in the phase where there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Now is the time to start visualizing yourself doing the race and also planning your pre-race ritual. Try to think the whole thing through; write down your thoughts and make a list of what you need to do for the race – before, during, and after. Let me know if you have any questions. I will be going over pieces of this during the next few weeks and you are always welcome to contact me at Stephanie@AskAboutrunning.com

Dates to Remember:

July 25 – Run, Walk, De Stress and get cheered on for tomorrow’s race. Meet Lake Merritt 8 AM (Saturday) We’ll go over details and get ourselves all ready for tomorrow. We’ll do a run or walk for those not participating tomorrow or those who want to move a little to calm nerves…

July 26 The SF Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K. Banzai!

August 1 Party – WOW Team Fall and Winter Kick-off Barbecue at the home of Kathleen G in Berkeley , 2 – 6 PM. We’ll have sign-up sheets for which events you want to participate in, we’ll talk about details, we’ll have a Mizuno Shoe Drawing (maybe a clinic). We’ll have alcohol and good food! Family members are welcome. RSVP’s are necessary. It will be potluck.

I’ll see you soon. Here’s to fitness and The WOW Team!

Stephanie

Personal Training Offer
As a WOW Member, you are eligible for up to 5 personal training sessions at a reduced rate of $50/session from Coach Stephanie*. As a potential member, the rate of $75/session will be reduced if you sign on as a 6 month or 1 year member within a month of your first training session.



"If the dogs are barking at your heels, you know you’re leading the pack." - Anonymous

Miscellaneous…

Running Safety and Injury Prevention Clinic on July 15

Hi there!

I'm a physical therapist at St. Mary's Medical Center Outpatient Therapies here in SF, and we're giving a free community lecture on running safety and injury prevention on 7/15 at 6:30 p.m. in our cafeteria. I'm trying to spread the word, especially since marathon season is here. Would it be possible to post the information for your meetup group. Thanks! Leigh Allen 415-750-4991

Volunteer at a booth for SF Marathon
Hi Coach Stephanie,

I am staff in charge of Charity Runner with the San Francisco Marathon and I am contacting you to see if any of you runner are not participating in the marathon and might be interested in volunteering at our Water Stop on marathon day, July 26th. It is going to be great fun, beginning at 6:00 am and finishing at noon near the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park . If anyone might be interested, please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Thank you,
Abby
Abby Neil
Special Events Director
American Cancer Society
1700 Webster Street
Oakland , CA 94612
abby.neil@cancer.org
Direct Line: 510-587-9994 or 510-832-7012 x325
Fax: 510-763-8826

24/ 7 free cancer information, support and services at 1-800-227-2345 or cancer.org.
Support the American Cancer Society and improve your health by running the San Francisco Marathon with DetermiNation. Register at cancer.org/determination or contact me directly".



Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com
Stephanie Atwood, M.A., AAAI/ISM RRCA
Certified Running Coach and Personal Trainer
http://GoWOWTeam.com
http://meetup.com/gowowteam

Coming Soon! Take The WOW Team Challenge. Starting August 1, 2009

The WOW Team is an official club with Road Runners Clubs of America

What's Up with WOW July 6 - 12, 2009?

Here's the schedule for this week of July 6 - 12, 2009

Tuesday, July 7 at 6:30AM at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco. Track Workout, 1 hour

Wednesday, July 8 - Run/Walk, Go For It! in Marin - 10:00 AM, 1 hour at Tennessee Valley Trailhead, Mill Valley

Wednesday, July 8 - Track at Piedmont 6:30PM

Saturday, July 11, Great Hiway, Ocean Beach SF, 8AM 60 minutes plus the opportunity to run the 2nd SF Half Marathon Course with other women

Sunday, July 12 - Cesar Chavez Park, Berkeley Marina 8:00 AM 5K Fun Run and 13 mile distance workout for SF Marathon Participants. Drop-ins are welcome. Ribbons to all finishers!

For directions follow this link All women welcome! Drop-ins encouraged! Join any time. Questions? Contact Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com

You Did Great at Track Last Night! I am so proud...

Thanks Coach! Surprisingly I feel pretty good today. I was expecting my legs to be sore and painful, but they're not. They just feel a little tight. Maybe soaking in the tub last night helped with that. As funny as it sounds, I feel a bit...athletic.

I think I've mentioned before that Melissa and I have been training a little together, and even though the workout last night pushed me out of my comfort zone, I was shocked at how good I felt afterwards. I was getting worried just listening to you go over plan on the white board and thought I would collapse! But I made it through and kept thinking last night I actually might be able to do this (referring to the CIM relay).

Now Melissa was completely PUMPED after the workout. She kept texting me on her cell phone 'til midnight she couldn't stop talking about it. And she started texting again first thing this morning. She wants to try running tonight the 2 minute intervals you told us about. Teenagers! God bless their energy! I feel pretty good, but I don't want to injure myself so I'm going to stick to walking tonight. Also I'm riding 36 miles with my cycling group on Sunday so I better rest the legs.

I really want to do the relay and train properly for it, so the training schedule would be great. I've already RSVP'd for next Wednesdays track workout (with a +1), so I will see you then. Thanks so much for your encouragement. I can't begin to tell you the sense of accomplishment I felt every time I passed that cone!

Have a safe and happy 4th!
Maria

The Weekly Pep Talk June 29 - July 2, 2009

This Week is dedicated to Kate W. You’re a great person and a “budding” athlete!

Dear WOW Members and Interested Others,

Thank you to everyone who came to The Presidio last Saturday for our workouts and clinics. We had a great turnout with lots of “old timers” and a bunch of newcomers as well. It was a great group of women, as usual.

The workouts went from 1 hour to 12 miles. Lynn and Sarah completed their first run/walk 12 miler ever. Congtratulations ladies! As usual, we had our mix of walkers, runners, and run/walkers. Crazy...

Ben Fletcher, from Mizuno, gave a very informative talk about shoes. I think Sports Basement sold a lot of Mizunos because of us! I really like the shoes. They’re light, comfortable and I am happy to promote them to our group. I’m trying to talk Ben into coming to our Kick-off Party on August 1 so, if you missed the Presidio Clinic, you have another chance. We will also do the free shoe drawing that day. Some lucky person is going to win a pair of Mizunos – gratis!

Check out the website at http://gowowteam.com for photos of The WOW Team from The Stadium to Stadium 10K on June 20. Thank you to Jen W for taking them. She’s the tall one in the back…Got to get a WOW Team Cap on that girl! Other participants included Alison A, Kate W, Kim L, Christina, Ellen G, me, and Jen, of course.

I am thankful that things are a little calmer this week. Last week’s clinics and long runs kept me hopping all week. This week we have our usual track workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday; our Marin Run/Walk Group on Wednesday, a South Bay and SF group run, walk for 60 minutes to 12 miles at Sawyer Camp on Saturday, and a 30 minute to 12 mile workout at Harbor Bay in Alameda on Sunday.

WOW will provide Gatorade, water, and snacks for the Saturday and Sunday long workouts. Bring your own back up, too. It’s a good idea to have your own support system with you. We’ve all learned the hard way that you can’t always count on others to be there to help.

New (this week) sign-ups for the SF Marathon, Half, and 5K include: Sonia B, Alison A, and Abigail. Go for it Ladies! There’s still time to sign up (Christy…).

Ellen G leaves on vacation for Ecuador soon. Anyone else doing something fun and different? Keep us posted.

Leti D and Sandra R, how’s baby?

Welcome to Michele, Kerry, Nikki, Sarah, Grace, Anita, Deaydra, Leslie, Maria, Myra, Paulette, Yolanda, Christina, and Julie. So nice to meet you. Let’s get moving!

Have a great week!
Coach Stephanie

P.S. Personal Training Offer
As a WOW Member, you are eligible for up to 5 personal training sessions at a reduced rate of $55/session from Coach Stephanie*. As a potential member, the rate of $75/session will be reduced if you sign on as a 6 month or 1 year member within a month of your first training session.

Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com
Stephanie Atwood, M.A., AAAI/ISM RRCA Certified
http://GoWOWTeam.com
http://meetup.com/gowowteam

Coming Soon! Take The WOW Team Challenge. Starting August 1, 2009

What's WOW Doing This Week?

Here's the schedule for this week of June 29 - July 5, 2009

Tuesday, June 30 - Track at 6:30 AM at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco

Wednesday, July 1 - 10:00 Women's Run/Walk Group in Marin. Join us at Tamalpais High School Track.

Wednesday, July 1 - Track at Piedmont 6:30PM Summer Walker Program Available

Saturday, July 4- Sawyer Camp, San Mateo 8:00 AM Walk, Run 60 minutes to 12 miles.

Sunday, July 5 - 8AM 30 minutes to 12 miles at Harbor Bay Alameda. Walk or Run

For directions follow this link All women welcome! Drop-ins encouraged! Join any time. Questions? Contact Stephanie@AskAboutrunning.com

The Weekly Pep Talk June 22 – 28, 2009 Oops!

Dedicated to Lauren G. Going places…fast!

Oh my! It happened! The week is almost over and I didn’t send out The Weekly Pep Talk. The confusion came from sending out my “special request” letter. I just forgot. Please forgive me.

First things first…The WOW Team had a great time at last Saturday’s Stadium to Stadium 10K. Ellen G, Kate W, Jen W, Kim L, Christina, Alison A, and yours truly had a good run and good time, overall. The weather was great. Alison and Kate were first time 10K participants. Good job ladies!

Interestingly, new member Julie White was also racing last Saturday at the 10K. Jill just joined the WOW Team last night at the Sports Basement clinic. Welcome Julie! See you tomorrow!

Please try to come to tomorrow’s run or walk at The Presidio and the following clinic. We’re offering workouts from 30 minutes to 12 miles, total walking to total running and in-between.

Kim L will be leading the 12 mile run (for SF Half). Let us know if you plan to do this. Also, do we have any run/walk SF Half Marathoners? We will have an aid station at Sports Basement and you have time to go the full distance before the 11:00 clinic. Please E-mail me today (Friday) to let me know if you plan to go this distance and what your pace might be.

The other workouts will vary depending on the group. We’ll definitely be heading over to Fort Point and back – a 2.5 mile distance total (out and back). Other distances are optional so, everyone is welcome! Tomorrow’s workout and the clinic afterward are free. Bring a friend. Come on out!

The clinics will include my talking about running CIM Marathon and Relay and Ben Fletcher from Mizuno talking about shoes. Mizuno shoes are great for women. Learn from the experts! Ben will offer a gait analysis if you are interested.

Look at the meetup site at http://meetup.com/gowowteam for directions and details about the clinic and the runs. E-mail me with questions and the distance/pace you plan for tomorrow. Stephanie@askAboutRunning.com

Club info and other interesting news are at http://gowowteam.com .

Check it out! I hope to see you tomorrow! 8:00 AM or 11:00, or both!

Stephanie

P.S. We have a backup run on Sunday at Lake Merritt. 8:00, in front of Fairyland. Directions at http://runwalklocations.blogspot.com/

The WOW Calendar for June 22 - 28, 2009

Drop-in Track Workout June 23 at 6:30AM at SF Kezar, Continuing Every Tuesday
I'm a long distance running coach who believes in fitness over competitiveness. We are a group of women who want to improve but don't get caught up in the comparisons.

That said, many of us are training for improvement in speed, strength, and endurance. Our group has plans to train for the SF Marathon, Half Marathons, and 5K, The Lazarex 5K/10K, and half marathon, The Nike Women's Half Marathon, and the CIM Marathon and Relay in 2009
Cost: $6.00 Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA, 94117

June 24, 10:00 AM Use The Run/Walk (Galloway) Technique to Complete your First 5K. Go For It! Starting from June 24 you have 5 weeks to train to run/walk your first 5K (3.1 miles) or a "progressive marathon" at the San Francisco Marathon on July 26! You can do this! If you already have some experience and a base you can also try the half marathon. We will meet every Wednesday at 10:00 AM for 1.5 - 2 hours. Bring a lunch for after, if you have time.

Cost $6.00 Tennessee Valley Trailhead, Mill Valley, CA, 94941

6:30 PM WOW! Track Workout in Piedmont June 24, Continuing Every Wednesday
Piedmont High School has a wonderful track. The track is open to the public before and after school hours only. Every once in a while it is closed. If this happens we'll run the city streets. Piedmont is a safe, beautiful place to run. Run or Walk with us.

Cost: $6.00, Piedmont High School Track, Piedmont, CA, 94611

June 25, 6:30 PM Free Equipment Drawing with WOW Run/Walk Clinic and Mizuno Shoe Workshop
Join The WOW Team Women and Mizuno for three clinics and a free drawing hosted by Sports Basement in Walnut Creek, San Francisco, and Sunnyvale.

Run, Walk, Run/Walk Clinic by Nationally Certified Long Distance Running Coach and WOW Team Founder, Stephanie Atwood Stephanie will speak about training for the upcoming December 6 Marathon and Relay at CIM California International Marathon. Stephanie coaches The WOW Team that now offers 6 training sessions every week for women throughout the Greater Bay Area. Whether you walk, run or want to try the run/walk technique join her to learn how you can participate in CIM - the full 26.2 miles for the slightly crazy or the more civilized 6 mile relay.

No Fee Sports Basement, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598 RSVP Required to Stephanie@AskAboutrunning.com

June 26 Deadline to Join- Run/Walk to A Successful 5K in Marin County

June 27 8:00 AM All WOW Members Saturday Run, Walk, Clinic at Sports Basement and The Presidio Calling All Women! So Bay, E Bay, Marin, & SF WOW Members or Interested, Potential Members... You're All Invited!

WOW invites you to an introductory workout with The WOW Team. Join us for a 3 Mile to 12 Mile Walk, Run or Run/Walk at the beautiful SF Presidio. After the workout, WOW and Mizuno Shoes have teamed up with Sports Basement to offer you free equipment and clinics on how to train for the CIM Marathon and Relay On December 6, and how to find the best shoes ever - Mizunos!

No Fee Sports Basement, San Francisco, CA, 94129. RSVP required!

June 27, 11:00 AM Free Equipment Drawing With WOW Run/Walk Clinic and Mizuno Shoe Workshop Join The WOW Team Women and Mizuno for three clinics and a free drawing hosted by Sports Basement in Walnut Creek, San Francisco, and Sunnyvale.

Run, Walk, Run/Walk Clinic by Nationally Certified Long Distance Running Coach and WOW Team Founder, Stephanie Atwood Stephanie will speak about training for the upcoming December 6 Marathon and Relay at CIM California International Marathon. Stephanie coaches The WOW Team that now offers 6 training sessions every week for women throughout the Greater Bay Area. Whether you walk, run or want to try the run/walk technique join her to learn how you can participate in CIM - the full 26.2 miles for the slightly crazy or the more civilized 6 mile relay.

No Fee Sports Basement, San Francisco, CA, 94129
RSVP Required. Contact Stephanie@AskAboutrunning.com

June 28, 8:00 AM, Back-up Run/Walk at Lake Merritt June 28 Please try to make the Presidio Run/Walk on Saturday. This is the clinic, long run, etc. for all WOW Members. If you can't do this however, The WOW Team has a back-up workout at Lake Merritt. Evidently most of the construction is finished and The Lake is looking good.

Children's Fairyland, Oakland, CA, 94610