Support the locals!

The University of Texas will be competing in the 2009 NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana this Monday, November 23. Thanks to local Austin business Flotrack, you can watch the race right from your computer on their website.
If you prefer the television version, you can set your DVR to record the weekend’s races; they will be shown on TV at 11am CST on Monday, on Versus.

What: Men and Women’s NCAA Cross Country Championship
Channel: Versus
Date: Monday, November 23
Time: 11am-12:30pm

Who knows, maybe you’ll see University of Texas Women’s coach and Rogue coach, Steve Sisson jumping up and down on the sidelines!

*What’s Versus?  Used to be called OLN.  Tour de France is on that channel, as well as NHL, etc.   Check your cable provider for the channel.  On AT&T U-Verse, it’s channel 640 (1640 HD)

Trust your training

Especially intended for those racing in San Antonio this weekend, this bit of confidence-boosting pre-race advice from coach Amy Anderson is excellent for any runner, at any point in their training, to be reminded of.
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If it’s your first marathon, you wonder if you can run 26.2 miles. You haven’t done it in training, so how do you know if you can do it on race day?

If you have a time goal, you wonder how you can run 26.2 miles and average MGP while doing it. You’ve done all your long runs at long run pace. Maybe a few MGP miles thrown in a Lab, certainly some quality workouts at MGP, but not 26 of them! So how do you know if you can do it on race day?

It can be a very scary thing to wonder if you can run an average of marathon goal pace for 26.2 miles, because it isn’t something you can “test” in training. You can practice by running a few miles at MGP. You can practice by running some [very] long runs. But you can’t put it all together in training, because the risk of injury and burnout are too high. Race day is “exam day” and it’s normal to wonder if you’ll pass or fail.

So how do you know?

Trust your training. Similar to studying for the final exam, you’ve done all the work. Your training is behind you and you did it. You went to class (your quality workouts and long runs), you did your homework (your midweek runs). [And by the way, if you didn't, you can decide next time what you want to do differently. But for now, own your training; it is what it is] Trust your training. Believe in it; it will pay off. It’s worked for hundreds of other Rogues and it will work for you.

Trust yourself. You have to believe that your goal is achievable. You CAN perform up to your capabilities. If you’re having trouble buying into that, trusting that you can do it, then review your 10 positives. Put them on post-it notes on your bathroom mirror, the dashboard of your car, your computer screen. Carry them with you everywhere you go for the next couple of days. Trust yourself. You can do this.

And then there are the words of a very famous, very successful coach, Dr.George Sheehan :

“Trust in the magic of the day.” That quote is in my head before every race I do. You can do things on race day that you simply can not do in training. You draw energy from the spectators and from other athletes. You have supported aid stations all along the way. You’re tapered, rested, well nourished. Race day is the peak of your mental and physical training. When it all comes together on race day, it is magical indeed. Trust in the magic of the day.

Performance enhancer?

Are you an Ibuprofen junkie?

It’s pretty common – okay, rampant – among endurance athletes, especially distance runners. Common sense tells you that less inflammation is a good thing, and surely less pain is a performance-enhancer – why wouldn’t you pop a few before hard workouts and races?

A study has come out that suggests otherwise – that inflammation is necessary for muscular repair and that NSAIDS aren’t actually that effective in pain relief during endurance events anyways. The New York Times, our favorite publication to reference, has published an article on this very subject; read it and reevaluate your stance on the controversial “Vitamin I.”

Hokahey 5K

Give meaning to your run next weekend at the Hokahey 5K on Saturday, November 14.

The race is being put on in honor of Dan Keitz (Dano McKeitz), an Austin ultra-trail running legend who was diagnosed earlier this year with ALS (Lou Gherig’s disease) and Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). These auto-immune diseases affect nerve function, mobility, motor functions and cause muscular atrophy, among a slew of other complications.

All proceeds from the race will go directly to Dano’s recovery; the event will kick off at 7:30a in Oak Hill. You can register online and make any additional donations that you’d like – go support an important member of our running community and be thankful for your ability to do what Dano no longer can!

Too many PRs to count!

Allison Macsas, Carmen Troncoso and Catherine Barrera at the IBM 10K

It was another fantastic, PR-filled weekend for Rogues both in town and out.

Beginning with the big one…the IBM 10K!

Sunday morning presented as near-perfect race conditions as possible – clear skies, 60 degrees and the lowest humidity we’ve had in weeks. 1800 runners lined up at 8am, ready to capture a slew of PRs! Rogue highlights included:

*Rogue coach Allison Macsas won the women’s race with a PR of 35:39!

*Rogue coach Karen Smith had a group of her Roadrunners compete, with incredible performances:
Trevor (Doctor T) Turner: 42:55 (6:55 pace)
Brandon Smith: 43:02 (6:56 pace)
Kirsten Lotter: 44:26 (7:09 pace) 3rd in AG, PR!
Jeff French: 45:12 (7:17 pace) PR!
Amy Bush: 49:27 (7:58 pace) 10 min. PR!!!!!!
Laura Kate Amrhein: 50:01 (8:03 pace) 4th in AG and PR!

*Rogue coach Panther took 20 of his runners and ended up with an amazing 15 PRs, including Carri (Qualude) Stansbury who took 3 minutes off of her previous PR from 2004!

*Rogue coach Carmen Troncoso’s ‘Team Tronky’ had a great showing as well:
Allison Macsas: 35:39 1st overall (PR)
Catherine Barrera: 39:10 1st Masters overall (PR)
Mandy Olivares: 41:11 3rd AG
Audrey Herold: 43:27 1st AG (over 40 PR)
Kim Buser: 45:16 11th AG
Mary Faria: 45:30 1st AG (PR)
Amy Garza: 46:26 11th AG (PR)
Kelly Gier: 47:44 13th AG
Greg Baxter: 38:22 2nd AG (PR)
Andy “William” Bitner: 38:55 (PR)
Robert Sutton: 40:09
Gerry Lewis: 47:53 (PR)
Brian Lindauer: 48:13 (PR)

*More great Rogue results:
Pamela Webb Elliot (coached by Amy Anderson): 1:02 (PR, WITH a four mile run beforehand!!)
Denise Skarecky: 49:23 (PR!!) Denise preceded this PR with the Chicago Marathon – her first – last weekend in 4:10!
Stacy Prentice (coached by Peri Kowal): Stacy ran her first 10K ever in 55:30, well under her goal of an hour!

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The M2M in Marathon, Texas
* Rogue coach Fred Fletcher & James Allen both won the M2M Marathon!
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The Palo Duro 50K Trail Race:
*Dan Aja, who trained mostly on his own, was able to shave 50 minutes over last year’s time to finish in a VERY impressive 4:49 for THIRD OVERALL!!!!
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The Amsterdam Marathon:
*Cat Cremer, our international Rogue, went out and ran a 3:08:11 at the Amsterdam Marathon – her 2nd Marathon ever! Cat followed Sisson’s coaching but trained on her own out there in Holland. A 14 minute PR!!
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The Detroit Marathon:
* Juan Sheppard, who is currently in the midst of Austin Marathon training, ran an impressive 3:49:23, more than reaching his midterm goal!
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Did I miss you or your race?? Please send anything and everything – results, photos, stories, comments – to allison@roguerunning.com.

Making us Proud

Yet another Rogue ran a phenomenal race over the weekend!

Stephanie Kurpiewski ran the St. George Marathon in Utah last Saturday, October 3rd and finished with a PR of 3:53 – congratulations, Stephanie!

Make a difference

by Laura Benold

I think runners, especially marathoners, commonly have a one-track focus when it comes to exercise. Most of us need constant reminders, even days written into our training calendar, to do cross training of any kind. So, when an opportunity to join a group of friends in the Mamma Jamma Ride came up, I jumped on it and invited my Rogue buddy Gerardo “G” Castillo to join me. Okay, I didn’t so much jump as sort of crawl slowly towards the commitment. It’s difficult to add more workouts into an already rigorous schedule, and I’m fairly certain I ride very poorly, especially since I don’t own a bike and haven’t been on one in years. Seriously, I had lots of excuses and reasons not to do this thing.

Then, I thought about my boss and others like her. Melissa Rabeaux, the marketing communications director at the Austin Technology Incubator, was diagnosed with breast cancer only a couple of months ago and has recently undergone treatment, namely a double mastectomy. I watched as her entire world changed, and I still do as she approaches her first chemotherapy treatment. Cancer touches countless lives beyond those it infects; and 1.3 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer alone each year.

Like recycling or picking up trash on the side of the road, smiling at a stranger or putting things back where you found them, it’s difficult to know the effect you can have until you multiply your actions times everyone who thinks the way you do. We can’t wait for others to do what we know needs to be done; and if everyone feels that way, we can see amazing changes in the world.

The Mamma Jamma Ride isn’t going to cure cancer on its own, but it’s one step towards improving lives. You never know if the cause you’re fighting for will be the one that saves your life or the life of someone you love.

If you’re interested in donating to the ride, any amount will help us reach our goal of $5,000. You can donate here on my personal page.

My team, the Tech Riders, can’t wait to hit the road. I, on the other hand, am kind of terrified to ride with other people, because I might knock them or myself over; but I am excited to see what I can do and to support a cause I believe in. I hope you can help us out! Go Rogue! Go Mamma Jamma!

“Breast cancer affects all of us – it is going to take all of us, pulling together, to make sure Texans with breast cancer get the care and services they need” – Mamma Jamma

Rogue Nose!

Rogue water stop

Rogue staff and a handful of awesome Rogue members (aaallllll women, by the way) headed down to the Moonlight Margarita Run on Thursday night to man what was probably the most colorful water stop in race history! Our volunteers didn’t know it, but they arrived to find orange tshirts, rainbow-striped clown wigs and brightly colored clown noses waiting for them. Everyone was a great sport and suited up before stacking the tables with water cups, well-prepared for the onslaught of thirsty runners!

The 5K race began at 8pm as the sun began to go down and we quickly found ourselves handing water to the leaders as they sped by. It was a great race and benefited a great cause – your Town Lake Trail. Rogue was happy to be a part of it! Check out the latest batch of photos (again courtesy of Josh Baker, the only guy that managed to make it out), see if you can figure out who the clowns are and don’t forget: Rogue Nose Running!

Rogue triathletes shine!

We had a few Rogues compete in the Ironman Coeur d’Alene yesterday, and all brought in noteworthy performances!

Stephanie House completed her first full Ironman in an impressive 12 hours, 34 minutes. Cindy Schlandt wasn’t far behind with a 13:26, and they were followed by a handful of fellow Rogues: Dionn Schaffner (14:07), Clarence Lucas (14:37), Suzanne Yashewski (15:20), Steve Vasquez (15:39), Priscilla Ojeda (16:29) and Erin Whalen (16:38).

Congratulations to all of them – they’re an inspiration to all of our triathletes-in-training and a source of wonder for those of us who haven’t ‘tri-ed’ yet (that’s clever, right?)!