The Weekly Pep Talk April 21 - 27

A Running Commentary About Women, Sponsored by Ask About Running, Volume 2, Issue #22
This week is dedicated to Peggy P (Oh when will I see you again?)
Monday, April 21 - 27, 2008, Week 17 in 2008

Dear Running and Walking Buddies:

I have heard rumors that Destiny and Peggy are out there somewhere in the East Bay. Please, if you know their whereabouts, tell them we want them to come home ASAP! I know they’re doing just fine but all of us at Ask About Running miss them so much! Please, Destiny and Peggy, come to our run this weekend. It would mean so much!

Our Run This Weekend – Sunday, April 27
We’re heading to the Golden Gate Bridge this weekend. It should be a beautiful run. Because we’re starting up near the bridge itself, there is an easy course across the bridge and back with very little elevation gain or loss (4 miles to the last tower on the bridge on Marin side). For those of you who want to go further, you could go over to the vista Point (5 miles) or, down toward Sausalito for a pretty run. Let me know what distances you might be interested in, by posting it on the blog, please.

Directions to the Golden Gate Bridge this Weekend
I’m trying to use the blog at http://altbgo.blogspot.com/ to cut back on redundancy. Directions, for example, are posted on the Directions Page. This should work for you and me, as all directions will eventually be listed on that page, for every run we do! I’ll try to make sure the current week’s location is posted at the top of the Direction Page. Check it out and let me know if it works OK for you.

Breakfast Afterwards
This is our first opportunity to have East and West meet! I’m hoping for a great turnout from both sides of the bay. The run is a really pleasant one and the women are even better! Does anyone have a great suggestion for a restaurant near-by where we could go for breakfast? I’ll look into it myself and will have a suggestion by Sunday. So, if you can make time for breakfast, let’s take this opportunity to meet each other, do a good run/walk, and enjoy food together.

Welcome New Members Gwenn W. and Ellen G.
Delighted to have you on board!

Car Pooling and the New Blog Page
Especially with Jane M in mind, but also as a general attitude and with environmental appreciation, I think it would be great if we can car pool when possible. This weekend is a super opportunity to use the potential. I have added a “blog page” specifically for communication between members to be able to arrange things like this.

I am new to a lot of this website stuff so, am not sure if you can actually post your comments on the Member page or not. Please give it a try by going to the link on the main page http://altbgo.blogspot.com/. It’s right at the top, on the left. See if you can get in and use it. Make your post, if possible, and if you are willing to car pool. As a back-up, E-mail me at Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com, and /or send out a reply to the group mailing of this newsletter. But, if we can get this blog page going, we can post all kinds of good stuff for all to view…

Holabird Sports Discount – Free T-shirt Offer
Holabird Sports is an online company that sells sporting goods stuff only online. I contacted them and now have their products on my site at http://altbgo.blogspot.com/. They currently have a promo offer for a New Balance Tech Tee for anyone who is a new customer who purchases more than $59.95 worth of products. Well…one pair of shoes will do that very nicely, thank you! So, if you want a New Balance Tech Tee, moisture-wicking long sleeve tee featuring a screen-printed New Balance logo on the back and Holabird Sports logo on the front, use code RRWE29602 in the promo field during checkout. Limited to the first 250 new customers!
Shop for deals on all things running-related with this link or go to our blog. Either way use the code above for your free t-shirt (if available, still).

Simplicity Once Again. Taking Your Pulse. Understanding Your Maximum Heart Rate and Your Resting Heart Rate
I was getting re-certified as a personal trainer on Saturday and we reviewed the basics of taking one’s pulse. It used to be simple way back when; then it got complicated for several years; now it’s simple again. I’m so pleased.

Your resting heart rate is a start for understanding where you are in terms of fitness. This is not a “be-all, end-all” but it is an indicator of how well your heart muscle functions when maximally rested. This should be taken first thing in the morning, before you get out of bed.

I take the pulse on my arm, just above my wrist bone, known as the radial pulse. If you put two fingers on this pulse lightly you should feel your hear beat strong enough to count. Use a watch and count the beats for a minute. Your number is your resting heart rate. The American Heart Association says our resting heart rate is normally between 60 and 80 beats per minute.

Maximum Heart Rate is calculated by taking your age and subtracting it from 220. So, a 30 year old person would have a maximum heart rate of 190. This is considered 100% of the number of beats your heart would produce in a minute if pushed to the max. This is obviously just a general guide but, what is true is that the better condition you are in, the more you have to work to raise your hear rate. When your heart muscle is strong like an elite athlete’s the heart works more efficiently.

Your work-out heart rate should be somewhere between 55% – 90% of your maximum heart rate to improve from your workout. So, if we’re talking about a 30 year old working out for benefit, her heart rate would have to be at least 105 beats per minute (55%), for at least 20 minutes, a minimum of every 3 days, to maintain her level of fitness. Improvement would require more.

Try taking your pulse in the morning, for starters, so that you have a baseline measurement for yourself. Then, after working out, take your pulse immediately upon finishing the hard stuff and see what it is.

There’s a lot that can be realized just from awareness of your heart rate. For example, say you’re normally at 60 bpm (beats per minute) in the morning when you wake up. One morning you are at 75. It is very possible you are overdoing it in your life, or are getting sick. Good signal to rest.

Questions? Contact me directly or comment on our blog at http://altbgo.blogspot.com/ or follow the link to the American Heart Association. “The American Heart Association is a national voluntary health agency to help reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke”

The 112th Boston Marathon Results – FAST!!
As Gini H reminded me, last weekend was the Boston Marathon. The winners’ times were
· 2 hours,7 minutes and 46 seconds for the first man, Robert Cheruiyot
· 2 hours, 25 minutes and 25 seconds for Dire Tune, first woman

10% Discount at Transports for Ask About Running Members
For more information and directions to the stores in Albany/Berkeley and College Avenue go to their website. “TRANSPORTS is the East Bay's premier Running and Swimming specialty store and has been serving the Bay Area's running and swimming community since 1982.” as taken from their website http://www.transportsrunswim.com/

See Jane Run practice on May 4. Still Need Volunteers
Remember to come out to run a 12 mile course (or our good old standard 3 miler) on May 4. We’ll mark it as best we can and follow the general course for the upcoming half marathon. Bring your own water and gu to be prepared.
Carpooling & Willing driversStephanie Atwood, Coach (San Francisco) Stephanie@askaboutrunning.comAdd your name here!


Have a great week.
See you Sunday!
Stephanie

Ask About Running is a women's running and walking club that encourages all women to participate through walking or running. The Weekly Pep Talk is your weekly connection to the world of women's individual sports and specifically, the events planned for the week.Go for it! Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com and http://www.altbgo.blogspot.com/


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