Sacramento Running News

Run faster by running less?

It’s not quite a “10-minutes a day to great abs” story, but you can expect to see a lot about this in the media over the next few days. A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology showed significant benefit for runners using a pretty short, high-intensity workout.

An article in Science Daily reports:

Over the course of seven weeks, runners were able to improve performance on a 1500-metre run by 23 seconds and almost by a minute on a 5-km run — and this despite a 50 per cent reduction in their total amount of training.

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Barbara Miller shows winning form at last month's Zoo Zoom. (SRN Photo)

Each Memorial Day, Land Park is abuzz with with runners for the popular, age-graded, No Excuses 5Km. There are the usual suspects up at the front of the pack (Styczynski, Schenck, Fadling, Myers, Cruz, etc.), but the real stars of this race are a few minutes back.

The age grading format gives those runners who are precocious or durable a chance to shine.

A couple of years ago, the official race shirt had a list of popular excuses on its back. One of those excuses was “I’m not Barbara Miller.”

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Jenny Simpson winning the 1500World Championship in 2011 (Photo by Victah Sailor/PhotoRun.net)

We at the Sacramento Running News have long enjoyed an appreciation for 1500 meter world champion  Jenny (Barringer) Simpson. The expression on Simpson’s face as she crossed the finish line in Daegu and won the 2011 World Championship stands out in my mind as one of the great images from the sport.

Her expression was a deer in the headlight look of amazement and delight.

Simpson’s post race interviews showed her to be charming and gracious–something this sport needs–showing humility and heaping praise on all the people who had helped her get to that podium.

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If you’re getting Workers Compensation because your painful back won’t allow you to deliver the mail, don’t be filmed running the Boston Marathon.

The Miami Herald reports:

Myers reported a lower back injury in May 2009 during the annual letter carriers’ food drive. She was relieved of mail carrying and put on “light duty.” Evidence, including photos and videos, showed she participated in more than 80 long-distance races and triathlons over the next several months.

Her race times also improved after the claimed injury.

 

Micah True (AKA Caballo Blanco)

In the days immediately following the death of Micah True (AKA Caballo Blanco), there was much written about the man and the mystique.

In contrast to all the hype, reporter Barry Bearak has a beautifully written article in yesterday’s New York Times, that is well worth the read.

Since Born to Run was published, I don’t think I’ve read much of anything surrounding the legend of Micah True/Caballo Blanco that wasn’t groaning under the weight of a canyon-full of hyperbole.

It turns out, we learn from Bearak’s piece, that Micah True’s true name was Michael Randall Hickman and he was born and raised in Northern California. These details matter, because we owe True the respect of remembering him as a person–even if to most of us he was the legendary running phantom, Caballo Blanco, of the book Born to Run.

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Masters runners heading to the finish of the marathon (SRN photo)

I’ve already had the good fortune to enjoy running for more than 30-years. I hope to enjoy another 30.

Each year brings some new challenges, occasional frustrations, and successes. I get to enjoy things I’d never consider doing if I hadn’t kept myself in decent shape all these years.

I still gripe about aches and pains, but it only takes a quick look at my age group peers to reinforce my dedication to running.

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World Masters Athletics Championships, 2011 (SRN photo)

Wouldn’t it be fun to put on a pair of track spikes? Why not try something a little different this summer?

If you are not running for a school, it can sometimes be hard to find a track meet in the area. Fortunately for us, there are at least a couple of options in the Sacramento region.

If you are at least 35 years old, you should check out the Western States International Invitational. It’s held in Davis and runs from June 29th through July 1st.

If you are looking for something a little more low-key, the Sacramento Running Association is hosting a series of All-Comers meets starting on June 14th.

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I’m not one for running straight ads here, but this video by the Canadian Paralympic Committee is pretty great.

Running for President?

When you are making your decision about who to vote for President of the USA, you may not consider whether your candidate is a runner in this calculus.

A recent email from Sam M. reminded me of that our presidents have a history of being runners.

Way back in 1979, President Jimmy Carter made news by collapsing during a 10Km road race.

While he was mocked for this “failure” it turns out Carter was a pretty decent cross country runner as a freshman at Annapolis Naval Academy.

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Reuters and other news services are reporting that the autopsy results on Micah True, AKA Caballo Blanco, indicate he died of natural causes.

True, the iconic ultrarunner made famous by Christopher McDougall’s book Born to Run, was found dead in a New Mexico wilderness area on March 31st.

The autopsy revealed that the runner had heart disease.

True, 58, was found to have idiopathic cardiomyopathy, heart disease with an unknown cause, the state’s Office of the Medical Investigator found.

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