#7 The Weekly Pep Talk - January 7 - 13, 2008

Ask About Running
The Weekly Pep Talk
Volume 2, Number 1
This week is dedicated to Barbara B. (Destined to be a first class, Master Runner)
Monday, January 7 – Sunday, January 13, 2008
Week 1 in 2008 - Happy New Year!
Send comments to: Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com


Hello All You Women of Good Intentions,

I hope you are following through with what you know is good for you. Exercise doesn’t just happen by itself but when it occurs, it produces wonderful results. Give yourself that opportunity even though it is easy to make excuses that justify not taking care of your body. DON’T GIVE IN TO THOSE LAME EXCUSES. Just do it!! You’ll be happy you did!

OUR FEET
One of my mentors is Pete Egoscue, author of Pain Free, a book that discusses chronic pain and offers solutions. Any of you out there experience pain when you exercise? I’m not talking about that “good pain” that comes from breathing hard and exerting our muscles. I’m talking about the pain in that left knee; or the discomfort running all the way along your leg from you hip to your foot; or the burning tenderness under your arch when you stand or walk. I’m also talking about that stiff neck that is so tight you can’t relax your shoulders; or the pain in your fingers or hand joints when you use the computer. This kind of pain is not healthy and will not get better by ignoring it.

So, where do our feet come into play? Pete advocates that everything starts with our feet. This makes a lot of sense when you consider that our feet provide our connection to the earth. Every joint above our feet must be in proper alignment with them for us to remain pain free and balanced. So, while our feet are not the only bones in our body that help us move, they are absolutely essential to overall balance and control of pain.

Because gravity has a major impact on our feet, we need to make sure that all joints and muscles of our feet are equally strong and flexible. Foot flexibility comes from stretching and strengthening the foot muscles so that our feet can adjust to the pressures exerted on them all the way up through the other load bearing joints, the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and neck.

In my running groups we usually do a series of 3 stretches for the feet. These can be done in the office as easily as after your run and can help keep your feet strong and injury free. If you don’t have foot pain, please do these exercises to stay pain free. If you do have foot pain, these can be a start to making things better. The book actually offers a series of 4 exercises to be done every day, taking about 15 minutes. This one is the first in the series.

Foot Circles and Point Flexes
Sitting or standing, circle the foot clockwise for a count of 30, change to counterclockwise and repeat for a count of 30. Do not move your knee. Do this for each foot. Then, extend the toe directly outward, pointing it away from you on count one. On count two bring the toe inward, toward the knee. Repeat this to a count of 40. This set of exercises helps to strengthen and stretch the horizontal and vertical arches of the foot

A SUNNY DAY FOR OUR FIRST RUN OF 2008 I HOPE YOU DIDN’T MISS IT.
As soon as I arrived in Berkeley this morning the sun popped through the clouds, burned off all the wetness on the streets, and created an incredible day for our first run/walk of 2008. The same thing happened in San Francisco at 1:00. It was quite a wonderful opening day and those of you who weren’t there missed it!

I will continue to use my influence to keep all of our runs sunny with blue skies, birds chirping, and everyone smiling and running with no effort. All you have to do is show up and I’ll take care of the rest. But, if you don’t show up, you miss all the good stuff. Send me an E-mail at Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com if you have further questions, or need an application. You can also sign-up on the spot for weekly, monthly, 6 months, or a year so, what’s keeping you from doing it?

Next Sunday we will run in Alameda for our East Bay location and at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Remember East Bay runs meet at 9:00 and San Francisco runs will start at 1:00. You may do either or both.

SIGN UP NOW!!
The time is now! I look forward to starting the new year with you as a member. Just fill in the details on this form and E-mail it back. Full information will follow.

1 Person/1 Month Buddy System – 2 women sign up together
____$20 ____$30 Begins first Sunday of each month. Automatic recurring billing only. Must pay by credit card.
1 Person/6 Months Buddy System – 2 women sign up together
____$110 ____$165 6 months from date of sign-up
1 Person/12 Months Buddy System – 2 women sign up together
____$200 ____$300 12 months Best price!
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P.S. Drop ins are always welcome any Sunday. The fee is $6.


UPCOMING RACES
The Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon & 5K February 3, 2008
xnet.kp.org/sanfrancisco/index.html
The London Marathon April 13, 2008
www.london-marathon.co.uk
16 week training begins December 24
The Boston Marathon April 21, 2008 http://www.bostonmarathon.org
16 week training begins December 31
The Bay to Breakers/San Francisco May 18, 2008
http://www.ingbaytobreakers.com/main.html
See Jane Run Women’s Half Marathon & 5K May 31, 2008
http://www.seejanerun.com/t-See-Jane-Run-Half-Marathon-and-5K.aspx
The San Francisco Half & Full Marathon & 5K August 3, 2008 http://www.runsfm.com/home.html
The Disneyland Half Marathon and 5K August 30/31, 2008 www.disneylandhalfmarathon.com
The Chicago Marathon October 12, 2008 http://www.chicagomarathon.com
The Nike Women’s Half and Full Marathon October? (couldn’t find)
www.nike.com
The New York City Marathon November 2008?
www.ingnycmarathon.org
The Honolulu Marathon December 14, 2008
www.honolulumarathon.org


Send me your stories, comments, and questions about life and running. My E-mail is Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com.

If you haven’t already joined the group website, please go to AskStephanieAboutSports@yahoogroups.com and join! I would love to have you as a part of this group of active, interesting women, who live a life style that includes giving themselves time for activity. The site offers articles, tools, and encouragement to keep up the good work!

The Sunday walking/running program meets on January 13, 2008 in the East Bay and San Francisco. Meeting sites for this week are:
Alameda
Robert Crown Memorial State Beach – Alameda, 8th Street & Otis,
Meet at 9:00 at Park Entrance at 8th Street and Otis
Map www.ebparks.org/files/EBRPD_files/brochure/crown_map.pdf

From San Francisco
80/Bay Bridge towards Oakland, Exit 880 South towards San Jose and Alameda, Take 2nd exit on Broadway/Alameda, Turn right at end of exit onto 5th. Follow signs, Travel through 1 light, then bear right towards Broadway/Alameda. Stay on 5th. Follow signs. Travel through 5 lights, then follow sign for a soft left to Alameda (less than 1 mile). Left on Central (continue to follow rte 61, Turn right on 8th (continue to follow rte 61, Turn right at Otis into Crown Memorial State Beach

From Berkeley/East Bay
980 W towards downtown Oakland, 880 South, exit toward Jackson Street, travel 1 mile, Left on Jackson Street (you are looping around to get into the tunnel), Left on 8th Street, Left on Webster, Go thru tunnel, Follow route 61/Webster Street through Alameda (less than 1 mile), Left on Central, Right on 8th, Turn right at Otis into Crown Memorial State Beach

From San Jose:
880 North, Exit Davis Street, turn left on Davis at end of exit, Right on Doolittle Drive, Stay on Doolittle for 3.6 miles, Stay right to go over the Bay Farm Island Bridge, Stay on Otis for 2 miles
Cross 8th Street to head directly into Crown Memorial State Beach.

Toilets
Parking Entry fee $5.00 (free parking is available on side streets)
Water (in bathrooms, not confirmed if potable)


San Francisco
Ocean Beach – Fulton and Great Hiway
Meet at 1:00 in the parking area on the beach side of the Great Hiway, across from the Beach Chalet Restaurant.

From San Jose or the East Bay, get yourself to Fulton Avenue in San Francisco and head west. Fulton dead ends at the beach. Go left on Great Hiway and take a right into the beach parking area across from the Beach Chalet Restaurant.

From Hiway 1, follow the coast to the Great Hiway in San Francisco, near the San Francisco Zoo. Continue north until you pass the Beach Chalet Restaurant on your right (approx 3 miles). Make the first left turn (U-turn) on the Great Hiway and backtrack into the beach parking area across from the restaurant.

Toilets
No Parking Fee
Water in Beach Chalet (downstairs) and random drinking fountains along the routes


Have a good one!
Stephanie Atwood

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