WEEKLY SUMMARY – OCTOBER 1- OCTOBER 7, 2007

Resolve to succeed. The greatest discovery one can make is that nothing is impossible.

Two weeks and counting…

In General:
In these last two weeks rest truly replaces training as the most important element of your race preparations, and race strategizing takes on increasing importance. Listen to your body. Remember, there are no workouts the two weeks prior to the half marathon which will enhance your preparedness for the race. A general rule of thumb is "Less is Best,” particularly if feeling tired or sore or you have some nagging injuries. Keep stretching in the couple of weeks prior to the half marathon as much as possible. Take care of long toenails, blisters, and troublesome calluses the week or two prior to the Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Training Checklist:

1. Follow the training schedule.

2. Saturday, October 6, 2007 will be your longest run/walk for the week (10K). This run/walk is intended to be your last simulation of both race day strategy and run/walk pace you will set for the first half of the Rock ‘n’ Roll. It is intended to be done all at once (not 2 miles at 7:00 a.m. and 4 miles later) Even this small amount of goal-pace running is important because it physically and mentally reinforces the pace you want to run on race day. This follows the rule of specificity--simulating as closely as possible what you hope to do in competition."

Mental Preparation:

1. Set multiple goals so you won't come away from the race empty-handed. Set three time goals-'fantastic,' 'really good,' and 'I can live with that' finish times." These can each be separated by 5 to 15 minutes.

2. Set general goals, such as following my plan, finishing strong, or simply enjoying yourself.

3. Work out the details of how you'll get to the start on the morning of the Rock ‘n’ Roll. Logistics you'll want to consider: where you'll park; how you will arrive at the requested time of 7:00 a.m. on TIME; where you'll stow your gear during the race.

4. Also check the race Web site for the course map and study it. A course map will be available Saturday, October 6, 2007.

5. If you did not participate in the Red Power Diva Rock ‘n’ Roll course training on Saturday, drive the course or run/walk key sections to make it easier to visualize between now and race day.

Nutritional Needs:

1. Your mileage may be dwindling, but keep those calories coming in as usual. Your body still needs to repair tissue damaged during your mileage build-up.

2. Choose foods for lunch and dinner that are high in carbohydrates (e.g., pasta, potatoes, rice, etc.). Don't neglect fruits, vegetables, and some protein sources however.

2007 RED POWER DIVAS TRAINING AT A GLANCE
3 Weeks and counting…

Sept/Oct.	30	1	2	3	4	5	6
2	Taper REST	Taper 3 Miles Pace	Taper REST	Taper 3 Miles Tempo	Taper 3 Miles Intervals	Taper REST	6 Miles R’n’R Pace	15 Miles
Sept.	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
1	Taper REST	Taper 3 Miles Pace	Taper REST	Taper 2 Miles pace	Taper 2 Miles pace Start Carbo-Load	Taper REST Carbo-Load EXPO	Taper REST Carbo-Load EXPO	7 Miles
Oct.	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
0	Rock ‘n’ Roll	REST	3 Miles Easy	REST	3 Miles Easy	REST	5 Miles Easy	Post Season 24 Miles

NOTE- The R&R is the official end of the season for the RPD. It is highly recommended that you continue to be active. Hopefully, walking/running has become a healthy lifestyle choice.

20O7 San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon Update
98 Divas and counting…
If you have not registered you need to do so ASAP.
OCTOBER 7 IS THE ONLINE REGISTRATION DEADLINE. R ‘n’ R OFFICIALS INDICATE THERE WILL BE NO Exceptions

San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Pre-registration
PLEASE NOTE: If you have pre-registered BUT did not indicate that you were a member of Red Power Divas, please forward your information (first and last name) to me and I will contact Megan directly and you will be placed on the team.

You must pick up your black loaner chip along with your race number at the Health & Fitness Expo on Friday, October 12th or Saturday, October 13th.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Special Start Time: Please contact me if you plan to run/walk the half marathon and want to start early. You should plan to arrive no later then 6:30 a.m. Reminder: you will not be timed with a chip and will not have an official finish time.

San Francisco Bridge to Bridge Run – It was a beautiful clear day in San Francisco for the 37th running of the Bridge to Bridge. Over 10,000 runners lined up at the starting to run from the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge. Among those 10,000 strong were two Red Power Divas, Elvia Enriquez and me. Elvia ran a great race and I limped along but finished. Congratulations Elvia.

Saturday Training – October 6, 2007 - Last Diva Saturday Training
Distance: 10K
Focus: Practice race strategy for the first half of the Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Seminar Topic: Information & Preparation for Rock ‘n’ Roll
Last Raffle of the Season

Red Power Divas Post Season
1. There will be no official/ formal Diva trainings after October 11, 2007 scheduled until the start of the 2008 season. You of course are free to organize other Divas and schedule workouts on your own.
2. You can stay in contact with other Divas through the Diva Blog or Diva emails through goggle.
3. Everyone is encouraged to keep working out as a commitment to your fitness and in preparation for 2008. Recommend you run/walk 3-4 days a week at a minimum of 30 minutes.
4. There will be a monthly email update to keep the Diva network current with Diva business.

Red Power Divas 2008 (some thoughts)

1. Date of the Red Power Divas first 2008 orientation is tentatively schedule for Saturday May 10, 2008 at the Campbell Community Center.
2. We may add as activity options for Divas (training and events) (1) marathon and (2) a mini women’s triathlon.
3. Reduce the formal/official Diva track workout to one day a week and add hill workout.
4. Add an out of town or out of state race event as a team option.

Diva Shirts

If you are interested in ordering a sleeveless Diva shirt or you need/want to order a regular (sleeves) Diva shirt, please email me by Wednesday, October 3, 2007.

Souls4Souls

Souls4Souls is a 501(c) (3) organization with a simple mission, “to change the world, one pair at a time”. We collect new, “gently worn” or used shoes from the footwear industry, civic and social groups, churches and individuals to re-distribute around the world to those who have little or no access to footwear. We have distributed over 2.5 million pairs in the past few years (a pair of shoes every 28 seconds). Many of those shoes were collected from the running community. The simplicity of what we do is the reason so many people get it, “we just collect and give shoes”. With over 300 million children without shoes and 1.52 billion shoes in Americans closets that are not even worn, we simply ask for you to clean out you closet and donate your shoes.

The process is simple:
1) We take all types, size and condition of shoes. If we can not re-distribute the shoes, then we will recycle the shoes through our green program to keep them out of the landfills.
2) Clean out your closet and bring the shoes to the San Jose Rock-n-Roll Marathon Expo. Take the shoes to the Soles4Souls booth.
3) We will be collecting at the expo and at the finish line. These shoes will be shipped to our World Distribution Center in Alabama, sanitized and then sent to fill a need.

With the recent disasters from flooding in the mid-west, to 2 hurricanes that ravaged Central America to need is great. In the end, to help an individual who is in dire need of footwear protection it only costs you the time of day. So please clean out your closets and bring us your shoes.


Divas Rock
Sharon

WEEKLY SUMMARY – SEPTEMBER 24-29, 2007

IT’S TAPER TIME

3 weeks and counting…

Every good marathon/half marathon- training plan should “taper” during those final 14-24 days. That means you run less and rest more. For some people, the idea of backing off on their training just the before the big race seems counterintuitive. “so many runners train hard right up to the next day of the marathon because they’re desperately afraid of losing fitness if they don’t,” says Patti Finke, who coaches 250 marathoners a year as a co-director of the Portland (Oregon) Marathon Clinic. “ What they don’t realize is that those last few weeks it’s the rest more than the work that makes you strong. And you don’t lose fitness in 3 weeks of tapering. In fact, studies show that your aerobic capacity, the best gauge of fitness, doesn’t change at all.”

Research reveals a lot more than that. A review of 50 studies on tapering published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise shows that levels of muscle glycogen, enzymes, antioxidants and hormones - - all depleted by high mileage - - return to optimal ranges during a taper. The muscle damage that occurs during sustained training is also repaired. And if that isn’t enough, immune function and muscle strength improve as well which reduces the odds you’ll catch a cold or get injured just before the race. And get this: The average performance improvement by the subjects who tapered in these studies was 3 percent. That works out to 5 to 10 minutes in a marathon.

The review’s main conclusion: “ The primary aim of the taper should be to minimize accumulated fatigue, rather than to attain additional physiological adaptations or fitness gains.” In other words, it’s time to chill.

So don’t blow it after all those weeks of training. The following plan shows you exactly how to modify your running, thinking, and eating in those 3 crucial weeks before you toe the line. So relax. We’ve got you covered.

3 WEEKS TO GO

The taper starts gradually, because the training still “counts,” and a dramatic drop in workload isn’t necessary yet. This week, you need to run a bit less, eat a bit more protein, troubleshoot your race plan, and choose your race-day shoes.

Training

SEPT.	23	24	25	26	27	28	29
	REST	TEMPO 20 MINS.	REST	TEMPO 20 MINS.	INTERVALS 6 MILES	REST	ROCK N’ROLL COURSE 6-8-10 MILES	16-26 MILES

The taper starts gradually, because this training still “counts,” and a dramatic drop in workload isn’t necessary yet. This week, you need to run a bit less, eat a bit more protein, troubleshoot your race plan, and choose your race-day shoes.

Our key event is Saturday, September 29, 2007 when we walk/run on the San Jose Rock & Roll course

“Think of all the problems that could arise and work through how you’ll handle them, “says Kate Hays Ph.D., a sports psychologist, long-time runner, and a director of the starting-line “psyching team” at the Toronto Marathon. “During this will provide solutions so you don’t panic in case one of the scenarios does occur, and it reduces your anxiety because you’ll know you’re ready for any situation. “Mentally rehearse the following scenarios.
· It’s warm, freezing, or blustery. Less-than ideal conditions means you have to adjust your time goals. Headwinds can slow your finish time by several minutes, and heat or cold by even more. A survey of marathon finish times suggest that 55 degrees is the ideal temperature, a temperature of 35 or 75 degrees adds 7 percent to your time, and an 85-degree day adds 10 percent.
· You start out ahead of goal pace. Slow down to goal pace as soon as you figure this out (hopefully no later than when you hit the first mile marker), because running at an even pace is crucial.
· You start slower than goal pace. Speed up, but only to goal pace, because trying to “make up for lost time” is a fool’s game. You can still achieve your goal time by speeding up slightly during the second half of the race. (Remember all those intervals and tempo training runs)
· You slip off goal pace midrace. This is the time to become your own cheerleader. Coax yourself back into the groove by thinking about all the training you put in and how badly you want to achieve your goal.
· Your old (knee/shin/foot) problem acts up in midrace. Decide in advance how bad it has to get before you’ll drop out. A good guideline is that if the pain forces you to alter your stride, drop out so you don’t develop a long-term injury.
· A side stitch strikes. An excruciating as these can be, plan on hanging in there, because most stitches vanish within a couple of miles—especially if you slow down and apply pressure to the area where you feel the stitch

Nutritional Needs
· “ Take a lot of protein this week to aid in the repair and recovery of muscle tissue damaged during the high-mileage phase of the marathon training, “says Alan Tichenal, PhD., a University of Hawaii sports nutritionist and a 20-time finisher of the Honolulu Marathon. Shoot for 75 to 100 grams of protein per day. If you don’t eat meat, fill up on protein from eggs, beans, dairy, and soy products.
· To rebuild your literally “run-down” immune defenses and possibly prevent a cold or flu, load up on Vitamin C, kiwis, orange juice, red bell peppers, broccoli and strawberries are the most potent food sources.
· Stock up on lysine, an amino acid found mostly in meat and fish that will further help your immune functions. Wheat germ or a 500-milligram supplement is the best vegetarian option.

And Don’t Forget
· This week (if you have not), buy the shoes you plan to wear in the marathon, and wear them on most of your runs until race day. Stick with a brand or a model that’s worked well for you in the past.
· If you already have shoes in mind for the race, be sure they’re adequately broken in, but not worn down. Most running shoes loose their cushioning and resiliency at 300 to 500 miles.

TRAINING SEPTEMBER 29, 2007 ON SAN JOSE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL COURSE

Event Date: Saturday, September 29, 2007

Location: Start Line is located on the Santa Clara between San Pedro and Almaden.

Race Event: Option: 10K or 12K

Course Profile: San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Course – Flat and Fast. The course will be clearly marked. ( I plan on marking the trail on Friday wit mile markers)

Start Time: 8:00 a.m. (The official start time for the Rock and Roll)

Corral Start: Each participant will be place in a corral for the start of the race base on your projected finish time.

Registration: Opens at 7:00 a.m. (You need to sign-in, record your race strategy, projected finish time)

One Fueling Station: One station at the start and finish lines. Available: Accelerade, bagels, bananas and nutritional bars.

PLEASE NOTE: No Seminar

This is an important training event for all Divas. This event will be a race simulation i.e. and our second dress rehearsal for the SJ Rock ‘n’ Roll. Please try and make plans to attend.

End of season Diva Party – We have several Divas working on an end of season RPD party set for October 13, 2007.

2007 San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon Update

91 Divas and counting…

If you have not registered you need to do so ASAP.

OCTOBER 7 IS THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE. R ‘n’ R OFFICIALS INDICATETHERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!!!!!!

San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Pre-Registration

PLEASE NOTE: if you have not pre-registered BUT did not indicate that you were a member of the Red Power Divas, please forward your information (first and last name) to me and I will contact Megan directly and you will be placed on the team.

You must pick up your black loaner chip along with your race number at the Health & Fitness Expo on Friday October 12th or Saturday October 13th.

2007 RED POWER DIVAS TRAINING AT A GLANCE

3 Weeks and counting….

Sept.	23	24	25	26	27	28	29
3	REST	TEMPO 20 MIN	REST	TEMPO 20 MIN	Intervals 6 miles	REST	Rock ‘n’ Roll Course 6-8-10 Miles	16-26 Miles
Sept/Oct.	30	1	2	3	4	5	6
2	Taper REST	Taper 3 Miles Pace	Taper REST	Taper 3 Miles Tempo	Taper 3 Miles Intervals	Taper REST	5 Miles Easy	14 Miles
Sept.	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
1	Taper REST	Taper 3 Miles	Taper REST	Taper 2 Miles pace	Taper 2 Miles pace Start Carbo-Load	Taper REST Carbo-Load EXPO	Taper REST Carbo-Load EXPO	7 Miles
Oct.	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
0	Rock ‘n’ Roll	REST	3 Miles Easy	REST	3 Miles Easy	REST	5 Miles Easy	Post Season 24 Miles

Note: The R&R is the official end of the season for the RPD. It is highly recommended that you continue to be active. Hopefully, walking/running has become a healthy lifestyle choice.

Divas Rock

Sharon

WEEKLY SUMMARY – SEPTEMBER 3-8, 2007

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES
DIVAS 20K ON THE TRAIL RACE RESULTS

The first Red Power Divas 20K Race on The Los Gatos Creek Trail was a huge success. Approximately 50 Divas participated and had outstanding performances. There is no question that these Divas are ready for the Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Name	Bib	Race Day Strategy	Projected Finish Time	Race Fuel	Final Finish Time
Linda A.	10	Walk/Run	3:20	Accelerade/Water	3:25
Donna B.	8	Walk/Run ( Six Miles)	2:00	Mojo/Gatorade	( Six Miles) 1:47
Nancy B	20	Walk	4:00	Gel/Water	3:52
Susan B.	86	Walk/Run	3:30	Water	3:01
Emily B	87	Walk	3:00	Clift Blocks/Noon/Water	3:07
Nancy B	98	Walk/Little Jog	3:30	Bar/Dry Fruit/Accelerade	3:37
Ericka C	12	Walk	3:30	Power Bar/Gel	3:38
Paula C	9	Walk	3:30	Almonds/Power Bar/Water	3:52
Christine C	22	Run/Walk(8:00 a.m. start)	2:00		2:26
Michelle C	95	Walk/Run	3:30	Gel/Water	3:20
Charlotte C	82	Walk/Run	2:45	Goo	2:47
Beth D	18	Walk/Run	3:00	Mojo	3:02
Genavae D	1	Walk/Run	3:30	Water	3:14
Sandra E	13	Walk/run	3:30	Water	2:59
Cheri F	84	Walk	4:00	Booster/Water	10 Miles 3:15
Suzana G	99	Walk	3:45	Noon	3:11
Yen G	3	Walk	3:45	Water/Nuun	2:58
Mariam G	94	Walk/Run	3:20	Seeds/Bar/Bread/Water	3:23
Denise H	81	Walk/Run	2:45	Gel	2;47
Rhonda H	16	Walk	3:00	Water/Bar	3:25
Karen H		Run		Gatorade	2:29
Hita H	93	Walk/Jog	3:20	Bar/Accelerade	3:25
Susanzad H	92	Walk/Light Jogging	3:20	Bars/Accelerade	3:25
Hofmann, Jessica	91	Walk/Run	3:13	Nuun/Bars	3:06
Carrie I	4	Walk	3:45	Granola/Water	3:38
Marla J		Walk/Walk Fast/Run	3:00	Power Bar	2:56
Sandra K	7	Walk Run	2:45	Water	3:03
Debbie K	89	Walk/Run	3:10	Clift Blocks/Energy Bars/Water	3:07
Peggy L	78	Walk/Run	3:00	Goo/Protein	2:55
Joanne M	15	Walk	3:00	Water	2:58
Celeste M		Walk/Walk Fast	3:15	Accelerade	3:33
Tina M	19	Walk/Run	3:00		3:05
Virginia M	68	Walk	4:00	Water/Vitamin Water	3:41
Virginia M	85	Walk/Run	3:00	Water/Accelerade	3:10
Carolyn N	97	Walking/.running	3:30	Water/Gatorade	3:33
Anita O	6	Walking	3:15	Sport beans, water & accelerade	3:05
Diana O	2	Run	2:00	Water/Gel	1:55
Michelle P	96	Walk	3:15	Snacks/Water	3:25
Rolanda P	100	Walk	3:45		3:14
Kristi P	14	Walk	3:45	Snack Bar/Water	3:38
Karen R		Walk (Four Miles)	2:00		( Four Miles) 1:30
Deborah R	88	Walk/Run	3:15	Propel	2:59
Mary R	83	Walk/Run	3:15	Propel	2:59
Heather S	90	Walk/Run	3:13	Nuun/Bars	3:06
Lisa S	11	Walk	2:30	Water	2:58
Arthur		Walk (Four Miles)	2:00	( Four Miles) 1:30	1:30
Ginger T	5	Walk/Run	3:30	Shot bloks	3:23
Kimberly T	17	Walk/Run	3:30	Accelerade/Bar	3:17
Willie W	19	Walk	2:30	Water	3:41

End of Season Diva Party – We have several Divas working on an end of season RPD party set for October 13, 2007.

Saturday Training, Saturday, September 15, 2007
Leaders: Celeste M and Michelle P
Start: 8:00 a.m. Introductions, Raffle
Seminar: 8:10 a.m. Responding to Violence Against Women – What you Can Do
Miles: 6-10
Focus: Learning from the 20K
Seminars - Seminars for the rest of the season are as follows:
Saturday, September 15 - Responding to Violence Against Women – What you Can Do
Speaker – Assistant District Attorney – Diva R
Saturday, September 22 – Stretching to Prevent Injuries
Speaker: Dr. Jorn T. Jensen, Doctor of Chiropractic
Saturday, September 29 – No Seminar (Training Run/Walk on R&R Course)
Saturday, October 6- Race Day Preparation & Strategy, Divas in the Post Season
Speaker – Sharon

20O7 San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon Update
85 Divas and counting…
Everyone whose name is listed below has indicated to me they are registered. If you have not registered you need to do so ASAP.
OCTOBER 7 IS THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE. R ‘n’ R OFFICIALS INDICATE THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS !!!!!

San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Pre-registration
PLEASE NOTE: If you have pre-registered BUT did not indicate that you were a member of Red Power Divas, please forward your information ( first and last name) to me and I will contact Megan directly and you will be placed on the team.

2007 RED POWER DIVAS TRAINING AT A GLANCE
5 Weeks and counting…

Week to Go	Sun.	Mon.	Tues.	Wed.	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.	Total Miles for the Week
Sept.	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
5	REST	TEMPO 5Miles	REST	TEMPO 5Miles	Intervals 6 miles	REST	6-10 Miles	22-26 Miles
Sept.	16	17	18	19	20	21	22
4	REST	TEMPO 4Miles	REST	TEMPO 4Miles	Intervals 6 miles	REST	6-10 Miles	20-24 Miles
Sept.	23	24	25	26	27	28	29
3	REST	TEMPO 20 Min	REST	TEMPO 20 Min	Intervals 6 miles	REST	Rock ‘n; Roll Course 6-8-10 Miles	16-26 Miles
Sept/Oct.	30	1	2	3	4	5	6
2	Taper REST	Taper 3 Miles Pace	Taper REST	Taper 3 Miles Tempo	Taper 3 Miles Intervals	Taper REST	5 Miles Easy	14 Miles
Sept.	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
1	Taper REST	Taper 3 Miles Pace	Taper REST	Taper 2 Miles pace	Taper 2 Miles pace Start Carbo-Load	Taper REST Carbo-Load EXPO	Taper REST Carbo-Load EXPO	7 Miles
Oct.	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
0	Rock ‘n’ Roll	REST	3 Miles Easy	REST	3 Miles Easy	REST	5 Miles Easy	Post Season 24 Miles

NOTE- The R&R is the official end of the season for the RPD. It is highly recommended that you continue to be active. Hopefully, walking/running has become a healthy lifestyle choice.

THE MONSTER MONTH

If you're running a marathon or half-marathon this fall, you're about to enter the most critical--and difficult--four weeks of training. It's time to train smart.
By Bob Cooper

TIPS:

(Get Fitter)

Don't over train. Your body will tell you when you're training too much--a common pitfall during this critical high-mileage, high-intensity period--but you have to listen. Some signs are obvious, like fatigue, catching a cold, or muscle soreness that lingers for several days. Others are subtle: you're irritable, you're feeling unmotivated, or you aren't sleeping that well. The cure-all is rest. Don't run for a day or two, and when you start up again, stick to easy runs until the bothersome signs disappear.

Treat your feet. Those beefy, well-cushioned shoes you wear on longer runs do absorb road shock and reduce injury risk. But at this point in your training you're looking to maximize fitness gains, so consider wearing a lighter pair for speed workouts and on shorter runs when you're going faster. Lighter shoes will help you run even faster than you expected in your speed sessions, and that will boost your confidence for the big race ahead. And you can wear these shoes in the race, too, after breaking them in.

Don't play catch-up. If something unexpected interrupts your training program, don't try to catch up by lengthening your long runs and cramming hard workouts closer together. Especially not when you're in the Monster Month. "Trying to make up for lost time is never a good idea," says Tom McGlynn, a 2004 Olympic Trials marathoner, Nike Farm Team coach, and on-line coach (focusnfly.com). "Most training layoffs are caused by something that leaves you in a weakened condition--often an illness or an injury--so the worst thing you can do is train harder than usual the minute you resume training. Do that, and you're just asking for a relapse."

Seeking Balance: I will be traveling to the east coast on business for the next 13 days and will miss Saturday training Sept. 15 and Sept. 22. I want to thank all those Diva leaders who have volunteered to lead our group.

Divas Rock
Sharon