Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Race Discount for WOW Participants

I try to get us discounts for race events, whether we are training for these as a team, or not.

If you are planning to run The ING Bay to Breakers, please register under the WOW Team. Team Discount Code for $5 off. Enter the code: WOW2009B2B when prompted.

Register here:
http://www.ingbaytobreakers.com/registration/rwp.html

The Stadium to Stadium Race is another group event. We are listed as a club under WOW Team. Discount code Team2009 Look for us in the Club competition area. Reigster with WOW if you plan to run this event.

"Hi Stephanie - yes! We are holding the Running Challenge. I have posted your team "WOWTeam" on both the Stadium home page at http://
www.stadiumtostadium.com and on active.com. When your team members register they should select WOWTeam as the answer to the question - Discount Code = Team2009

The San Francisco Half or Full Marathon (or 5K). If you use a paper application you can get a WOW Team Discount. Ask me to bring you one at our next workout.

All for now!
Coach Stephanie

Monday, April 27, 2009

Walk Run Workout With WOW April 27 - May 3

Here's what's up... The week of April 27 - May 3, 2009

Tuesday, April 28 - Track at Kezar 6:30 AM
Wednesday April 29 - Track at Piedmont Track 6:30 PM

Saturday, May 2

  • Presidio Warming Hut, San Francisco, 8AM, 1 hour tempo run
  • The American River Parkway Half Marathon, 8:15 AM Go WOW Team!
  • Sawyer Camp, San Mateo 11:00 AM 1 hour walk/run
Sunday, May 3
  • Harbor Bay Ferry Landing Alameda, 8AM, Orientation to Walking - Walk/Run 30 minutes
  • The Avenue of The Giants Half Marathon, 9:00 AM Go WOW Team!

For directions go to WOW Meeting Places or contact Stephanie@AskAboutrunning.com

Welcome YoohJin and Ghazaleh to our Sunday Runs

Welcome to new members Ghazaleh and YoohJin who joined us on Sunday at Point Isabel. Starting your training now will help you get a base for the upcoming Nike Half Marathon in October. We're looking forward to seeing you at the track on Wednesday, too.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Sunday May 3, Walk with WOW - You are Invited

This is an invitation to all women who can walk for 30 minutes or more to join WOW on May 3 for a special Walking Orientation Day.

"The WOW Team promotes lifetime fitness for women through walking and running. The walking section is an essential element to me. I want to make women aware of the support they will have as walkers in our group. I want to form a team of walkers who can count on each other for the fun and encouragement that will keep Sunday workouts as a priority in their week." Coach Stephanie

Details:
May 3, 2009 8:00AM - 9:30AM
Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal in Alameda (go to http://runwalklocations.blogspot.com/ for directions)
$6 Fee, pay at site
Please bring something healthy to eat to share with 5 others. Plates, forks, cups, etc. will be furnished.

WOW Organizer and Coach Stephanie Atwood will talk about the WOW Team and how she sees walkers as an integral part of this group.

The May 3 WOW Team Walk Orientation is about you, as a walker. After introductions and a brief questions and answer period, we will all take a scenic, steady, 30 minute walk along the gorgeous path at Harbor Bay, featuring the San Francisco Skyline, Bay Bridge, and portions of the Golden Gate.

We will stretch a bit to finish the workout and continue the orientation by sharing food at the picnic tables near-by. Coach Stephanie will describe her ideas for the group and there will be time to answer questions from all women.

Please RSVP thru
http://meetup.com/GoWOWTeam There is a $6 drop-in fee. Current members are free.

Questions? Please contact
Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com

The WOW Team is a women's fitness group dedicated to lifetime fitness through walking or running. Join Us!

Vote for WOW as Your Favorite!

Vote for WOW as Your Favorite Running Team in SFGate!

Here's the deal...If The WOW Team gets the most votes, we will be listed as the best running team in the Bay Area on SF Gate. This will be great publicity for our wonderful group and the amazing women members!

Please follow the link and vote for WOW. Recruit your friends and family too. Anyone can vote.

Don't delay. There is a deadline. Go to http://baylist.sfgate.com/the-wow-team-bay-area-women-s-run-walk-club/biz/282250

Thanks!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Walk, Run, Workout With WOW April 20 - 26


Here's What's Happening...April 20 - 26, 2009

Tuesday, April 20 - Track at Kezar at 7AM. Meet NE corner of track

Wednesday April 21 - Track at Piedmont Track 6:30 PM. Meet in bleachers, second set toward Wildwood Avenue

Saturday April 25 - Sawyer Camp, San Mateo Timed, Fun Run/Walk, 8AM. Meet at the main gate, south entrance. All paces are possible. Just be ready to put in full effort running or walking and receive a ribbon at the end.

Sunday, April 26 - Point Isabel, 8AM, Walk/Run 30 minutes thru 10 miles. Meet near the pedestrian bike and walk path. Mud Puppy Parking Area but away from the dog walking section. For directions go to WOW Meeting Places or contact Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com


Join us!

New Members this Month

Welcome to New and Renewing WOW Members for April:
  • Christy G
  • Dawn H
  • Kim L
  • Sharmaine M
  • Anna S
  • Amber N
  • Holly H
  • Marny N
  • Rosa A

Monday, April 20, 2009

Half Marathon Participants for May 2/3

This is my list. Please tell me if I missed your name. Now, GO WOW Team!

Heidi H
Kathryn L
Danielle M
Gini H
Ellen G
Jennifer M-C
Kathleen G
Stephanie A


Would You Attend A Women's Wellness Retreat?

Wonderful helper Grace F is working with Coach Stephanie to create a Women's Wellness Retreat. Does this sound good?

Please send your comments via this blog or via E-mail. Here are the kinds of comments to be considered?

How far would you travel?
Do you prefer one overnight or two?
Do you want budget accommodations or to be pampered? (consider the cost)
What would you be willing to pay for a weekend retreat? ($150 max, $250 max, $500 max, more?)
What would you like to have included? (educational seminars, fitness workouts, good food, massage, yoga, running, walking, wine tasting,...etc)
What dates are preferable? Sept 19-20, Sept 26-27, October 24-25, Spring 2010?

All comments are welcome at this time. We are just formulating the concept. Your input is invaluable. Thank you!

Walk or Run on May 17 - An Alternative Race to The Bay to Breakers

If you're in the South Bay or just want to avoid the mayhem of The Bay to Breakers, here's an alternative. I have no personal connection with this race except that Umang Barman asked me to post it on our sites. Anything for fitness. There is a walk and run competition. Good luck!

Event Details
Event name ILP Annual Race for literacy '09
Date: May 17, 2009
Time: Race Starts at 9am
Venue: Shoreline Park Mountain
Registration:
http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1693477&assetId=5839f53a-a156-475e-a150-80fbf3a58be2

Contact Ajay Matai - amatai@gmail.com Umang Barman - umang.barman@gmail.com

Join WOW Member Amber for Sunday Hikes in SF

New member Amber N is definitely a "go-getter". Besides running with WOW on Tuesday and Saturday, she also volunteered to lead hikes on Sundays in The SF Area. Great idea Amber!

Look for full details about Amber's hikes on http://www.meetup.com/GoWOWTeam/calendar/10238655/http://www.meetup.com/GoWOWTeam/calendar/10238655/

FYI, Amber is offering these hikes at no charge. All women welcome!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Walk Run Workout With WOW April 13 - 19


Here's what's up... The week of April 13 - 19, 2009

Tuesday, April 14 - Track at Kezar at 7AM. Meet NE corner of track

Wednesday April 15 - Track at Piedmont Track 6:30 PM. Meet in bleachers, second set toward Wildwood Avenue

Saturday April 18 - Kezar, San Francisco, 8AM, 1 hour tempo run. Meet at the columns in front of the stadium on Frederick Street. Main Entrance. All paces are possible. Just be ready to stay on the move for 60 minutes total. Our faster runners are averaging 8 1/2 minute miles. The slower movers are anywhere from 10 - 12 minutes per mile.Kezar offers a variety of runs into Golden Gate Park from here.Street parking is available. We'll go for coffee after for anyone who has time.

Saturday, April 18 - Sawyer Camp - 11:00 for a one hour easy run/walk. Meet main gate, south entrance.

Sunday, April 19 - Berkeley Marina, 8AM, Walk/Run 30 minutes thru 13 miles. Meet Sea Breeze Market Parking Area.

For directions go to
WOW Meeting Places or contact Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com

Sunday, April 12, 2009

I think Stephanie is a real pro who enjoys what she does. ” —Amber in SF

Results From The Brickyard Race Are In!


While overall thoughts about this race varied from "worst" to "wonderful", the results are in and you can look at your time and place by following the link http://www.geocities.com/brickyardrace/.

Notice that WOW member Virginia Hall came in first in the "no age" category. Go Virginia! Whatever it takes! That's our motto, right?

Congratulations again to all of you who participated. We'll be doing this again next year so, start planning your hill strategy...
Photos are availalbe thru Zero Day Photography. Foolow the link to see all of the race photos, including yours! Brickyard Photos 2009

Welcome Amber and Anna to our Saturday Tempo Runs

Saturday, April 11
It was a real pleasure to run with Anna and Amber on Saturday, April 11. We headed out along the Great Hiway, first toward Cliff House then retracing our steps and running toward the zoo. Both ladies were definitely fit enough to run 60 minutes well.

Anna could have run faster but we were lacking our fastest contingency, so she plodded along with me. Marny and Holly kept a steady pace with Amber.

The coffee and cinnamon toast afterward was a real treat and there was no shortage of things to talk about. I hope we see you all again soon!

Super Easter Sunday Run In Alameda

April 12, 2009
The girls came through with flying colors! It was a gorgeous day in Alameda.

We covered anywhere from 3 miles to 12 miles with Christina and Kathleen going farther than ever before!

Donald and Cassandra handed out water, gator-ade and snacks. They were very helpful and welcome at 2 miles and 8 miles.

With 3 weeks to go before the American River Parkway Half Marathon, I have total confidence that these women will succeed!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Bay to Breakers Team Challenge 2009

Join the WOW Team in Making History!
From Josh at Bay to Breakers Headquarters... "Please feel free to forward this email to your club members to be a part of the challenge. Thanks again for all your support of ING Bay to Breakers."

Welcome to the ING Bay to Breakers Running Club Challenge! ING Bay to Breakers is excited to announce new club incentives and discounts for participating running groups. The Running Club Challenge is in support of local running clubs who have made ING Bay to Breakers a world class 12k event for the last 97 years.Additionally, new for 2009 is start line corral placement. All athletes are required to indicate an estimated finish time to be placed in the appropriate corral to ease start line congestion.

The Running Club Challenge will have two divisions: speed and size. Speed is the total time of your top 5 runners and size is the overall number of people in each club. Centipedes (a group of 13 runners tethered together) are counted in the size category, but not the speed category. When you register for the Running Club Challenge, you will be automatically tracked by “club” based on your unique password. To register please visit:

http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1654027
You MUST enter your password when prompted: WOW2009B2B This is an exclusive password and is only for your running club. Signing up for the Running Club Challenge will get each club runner the following:

  • Inclusion in the 2009 ING Bay to Breakers Running Club Challenge
  • A racing bib, collectable timing chip, and starting corral position (selected by the participant at registration)
  • A race participant shirt
  • Opportunity to have an elite athlete visit your running group. Details will be sent to your club president

If you are an athlete who would like to be seeded or subseeded, follow the registration link and select corral A. Print off your registration confirmation AND verification of seeded/subseeded performance. More info: http://ingbaytobreakers.com/registration/seeded.html

Need a training schedule? Just ask Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com

Monday, April 6, 2009

The Weekly Pep Talk, April 6-12, 2009

Hello All!

I'm still working on the new format so, thank you for your patience. My goal is to limit redundancy but give you easy "bits" of information that don't take too much time to read. Here's what is included below:

  • A recap of the tough Martinez Brickyard Run on April 5
  • Walk Run With WOW This Week - Where Are We?
  • Exercise Of The Week
  • FAQ's
  • And more...

    Also go to
    http://meetup.com/gowowteam/ for a calendar of WOW Events.

Read on... Coach Stephanie Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Martinez Brickyard Race Recap - WOW Shines Again!

Sunday, April 5 @ 1:15PM

11 WOW Females took off at 8:30 this morning to run 4 or 8 hilly, hard miles. They all finished in great style. I was truly proud of each of you.

The list included:
Kathryn Levenson
Emily Levenson
Ellen Gordon
Yolande Crawford
Kathy Burrows
Pam Quintella
Gini Hall
Christina Hawkins
Danielle Montague
Jennifer Montague-Clark
Coach Stephanie Atwood

The weather worked in our favor as we had a windless, cool start that grew steadily warmer. The water stations at 2,4 and 6 miles were great because we were working hard from the get go. This course continues up and down for the entire route. We did get a few breaks along the way but the next uphill was never far away. Even the finish was on an uphill slope!

Congratulations to each of you for the effort you put into this event. Special congrats go to the 8 mile finishers Yolande, Pam, Kathy, Christina, and Ellen. Great job!

And one final "Super job" to the youngest WOW Participant, 8 year old Emily Levenson. Keep up the good work!

On to the American River Parkway and Avenue of The Giants Half Marathons!

Walk Run Workout With WOW April 6-12

Here's what's up... The week of April 6-12, 2009

Wednesday April 8 - Track at Piedmont Track 6:30 PM

Saturday April 11 - The Great Hiway, San Francisco, 8AM, 1 hour tempo run

Sunday, April 12 - Harbor Bay Ferry Landing Alameda, 8AM, Walk/Run 30 minutes thru 12 miles

For directions go to WOW Meeting Places or contact Stephanie@AskAboutrunning.com

Run Woman Run - Walk Woman Walk

Run Woman Run - Walk Woman Walk
Join Our Women's Running & Walking Club -The WOW Team Contact Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com
Go to for full details and free, daily words of encouragment.

Women Train for your First Event - from 5K thru a Marathon

Yes, women, YOU CAN do this!

Join us on August 5 at Fleet Feet in Berkeley, 1758 Solano Ave to discuss the details of training for your first competition or a new distance. Walkers and runners are welcome. Coach Stephanie Atwood will go over the women's only program that can take fitness goals and turn them into realities.

Fleet Feet, Berkeley, 7:00 PM, Tuesday, August 5

Stephanie Atwood, AAAI/ISM Certified and RRCA Long Distance Running Coach Trained is founder of The WOW Team - Fit Women of the World. The team's focus is on long term fitness and meeting fitness goals.

We Want YOU!!

Go to http://TheWeeklyPepTalk.com, http://CaliforniaInternationalMarathonGroupTraining.smmsite.com or contact her through Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com

4 Week Beginners Training Guide For Your First 5K

Where there's a will, there's a way. You can do it! Just check with your doctor first to confirm that you are in good health. We humans are meant to move. 5K (3.1 miles) is within any healthy person's realm of accomplishment. So, start now and participate in your first race. It's so much fun!

Week 1
Monday, Day 1 - Start walking! Walk until you feel tired or have reached 30 minutes, whichever comes first. Do not worry about your speed, or your distance, just stay upright and moving. Write down how long you walked today. Try for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Tuesday, Day 2 - If you walked 30 minutes yesterday, please repeat the same thing today. If you walked less than 30 minutes, add 1-2 minutes to yesterday's time. Do not worry about your speed, or your distance but be certain to increase the amount of time you are on your feet. Write down how long you walked today. Good job!

Wednesday, Day 3 - If you walked 30 minutes yesterday, please repeat the same thing today. If you walked less than 30 minutes, add 1-2 minutes to yesterday's time. do not worry about your speed, or your distance but be certain to increase the amount of time you are on your feet. Write down how long you walked today. Looking good!

Thursday, Day 4 - Rest day! Take a break.

Friday, Day 5 - If you walked 30 minutes before, please repeat the same thing today. If you walked less than 30 minutes, add 1-2 minutes to your previous time. Do not worry about your speed, or your distance but be certain to increase the amount of time you are on your feet. Write down how long you walked today. Going strong!

Saturday, Day 6 - Already at 30 minutes? Great! Just keep it up for a little longer. Then things will get interesting. Still working up to 30? Keep adding 1-2 minutes. Write down how long you walkd today. You're getting there!

Sunday, Day 7 - Women, join my group for a 3 mile walk. We'd love to meet you and, you get some great exercise. Or...take a hike to some place beautiful. Bring a picnic. Walk for health and the wonder of movement. Enjoy the day!

Notes:
Keep your recorded times on a calendar where you can see them. You'll feel good about what you're accomplishing.

If you are already a fit walker or jogger you may use stronger arms and or walk/jog for the 30 minutes.

Please refer to http://www.altbgo.blogspot.com for the rest of the schedule or contact me if you have any questions at Stephanie@AskAboutRunning.com

3 more weeks are coming soon...

Get Fit This Summer, Stay Fit For Life!

Starting June 1 and continuing every Sunday in June, get fit, lose weight, make new friends. Women! Meet for instruction and exercise every Sunday from 8AM - 10AM on how to get fit and stay fit using running or walking as the main catalyst. Topics include weight loss, nutrition, motivation, injury prevention, setting goals, controlling stress and depression, how to stay with a plan.

Taught by trainer/coach Stephanie Atwood. Sign-up at http://www.theweeklypeptalk.com/

Want to see the written version of Week 1. Look below...

Articles About Fitness, Running, Walking, Women Stuff

These articles have been exported from The Weekly Pep Talks, back to the beginning. This way you can refer to them easily, without searching through weeks of gossip and old weekend site descriptions. Your comments are encouraged. I would love to get feedback. Enjoy!!

These articles are available for reproduction at no fee based on fcomplete reproduction of the article and all its contents as well as credit to the author, Stephanie Atwood and referral to website/blogs http://www.TheWeeklyPepTalk.com and http://www.altbgo.blogspot.com

Holabird Sports - Get That Free T-shirt!

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. 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).
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What races woud you like to train for in 2009?