Sacramento Running News

Running may protect that knee

As you know by now, I am always happy to write about scientific studies that support my existing bias.

Here is more science finding that, regardless of what my mother believes, running is actually beneficial to your knees.

Money quote:

In one study, Swedish researchers found that exercise, including jogging, may even be beneficial. Felson describes how researchers took one group of people at risk of osteoarthritis and had them engage in exercise, including jogging. The other group didn’t exercise. After imaging the joints of the participants in both study groups, they found that the biochemistry of cartilage actually appeared to improve in those participants who were running. Felson says that suggests that “running is actually healthy for the joint.”

(more…)

All the gates open at Nimbus Dam. Photo by John Blue (click to see a high-res version)

Is the parkway still flooded?

Discovery Park is still quite flooded, and will likely be so at least through this weekend.

The parkway near Discovery Park is generally taking on water when the river at the I street bridge is at 19-feet or higher. The USGS is predicting the river to be at over 21-feet through this weekend.

The tough part is that even after the river is below 19-feet, it takes another couple of days for the water to drain out of the park.

The good news is that the parkway is now clear and dry at the 20.5 mile mark and the detour signs are gone.

This just in from the Lake Sonoma 50 Race Director:

Due to flooding and unsafe stream crossings, the 4th Annual Lake Sonoma 50, scheduled for Saturday, April 2, has been cancelled.

Registered entrants were sent an email yesterday afternoon, announcing the cancellation and offering a partial refund, priority entry into next year’s race, and a few spots in next weekend’s AR 50.

The stream crossing at Warm Springs Creek (mile 12 and 38) is currently at least 8 feet deep and about 80 yards across with a swift current in the middle.

(more…)

On Friday at the Standford Invitational, Sac State Hornet freshman Reesey Byers, of Santa Rosa, ran his first collegiate 5000 meters, and broke a long-standing school record in the process.

In an early heat, Byers ran comfortably in the middle of the chase pack for much of the race, breaking away late to chase down the leaders and the school record.

“Reesey ran a very smart race, running with control early on, and then really being aggressive in the latter stages, which is the proper way to run high level races like Stanford Invitational,” said Hornets Coach Scott Abbott.  “What most impressed me was how he handled himself in the final 400 meters.  He made a strong move with about a mile to go to catch the leaders, and then ended up backsliding a little in the final kilometer and looked like he may have been dead in the water heading into the final lap. But, he dug deep and ran with a lot of heart over the last lap and competed very hard, and that ended up being the difference between a good race and what turned out to be a great race.”

Byers’ 14:19.o1 finish time eclipsed Noel Hitchcock’s record 14:22.90 set in 1971. Byers is the first Sacramento State runner to break 4:30 on the 5K since Darrin Slade ran a 14:28.00 in 1989.

It looks like the Hornet men are gearing up for a good track season, as sophomore Daniel Mitchell, of Carmichael, ran a 31-second personal best 14:41.79 in the same meet.

(more…)

It looks like Lance Armstrong has finally decided to take this running thing seriously and hire a coach.

And, I guess if you are Lance Armstrong and you want a running coach, you can get trained by Alberto Salazar.

Lance’s goal for the marathon? He wants to run 2:50 to 2:55–in an Ironman Triathlon.

It seems the endless stormy weather is impacting yet another northern California race. This week, Big Sur International Marathon organizers announced:

On March 16th a forty foot section of Highway One collapsed making the road impassable between Carmel and Big Sur. We have created an alternate “out and back” course similar to what we did in 1998 for the Marathon, Relay and 21-Miler.

If you have questions about how this will affect your run at Big Sur, you should check their Course Q&A Page.

Believe it or not, it will eventually be spring and then soon enough we’ll be complaining about the oppressive heat of summer. Until then, be strong.

(more…)

Unlike other major, big city marathons, the LA Marathon is not steeped in history, known to be particularly fast, or to draw the excitement of top national and international talent.  But like so much of LA it is simply bursting with an excess of excess.

There was the new world record set for the heaviest marathon finisher. (Although, with a 9:48 finish time, I can’t really call it “running” the marathon. Most marathons have packed up well before then.)

They are celebrating the “McRunner” who ran a 2:36 after training on a 100% McDonald’s diet. Maybe all those running nutrition books aren’t worth their weight in oat fiber.

Los Angeles is supposed to be warm and sunny. Why were thousands of runners evaluated for hypothermia, with two dozen being hospitalized?

(more…)

As I’ve noted previously (here and here), Discovery Park is under water. Unfortunately, the River City Marathon and half marathon planned for this coming weekend was supposed to finish in that park.

The word is out that the event has been re-routed, and the marathon is now an out-and-back between Negro Bar State Park and William Pond Park.

The half marathon will now be run from William Pond to finish at Negro Bar State Park.

See the event  website for details.

(more…)

This morning, I had the opportunity to run on the upper Parkway (upstream of Hazel Ave to Beals Point) and found it to be in quite good shape. State Parks folks were out keeping an eye on things and there was only a small amount of debris on the roadway.

The only standing water worth noting is just on the west edge of Negro Bar.

I felt that the most dangerous section was along the bluffs just downstream from Negro Bar. The new, cement retaining wall has already been put to work this winter, but you should still be alert to rocks and debris falling down on the trail while the hills are saturated from the endless rain.

(more…)

Never underestimate the curative power of a trail run!

In my mind, I keep an on-going “not to do” list. I find it a lot more fun than keeping a “to do” list.

Here is something I’ve recently added to this list: Don’t run a race if you’re collecting Workers Comp for injuries that make it difficult for you to walk.

If you must run the race, I suggest you go with the tried and true: use a fake name.

You’re welcome.