SRO May Newsletter

Message from the Executive Director

After eight long months of marathon training it feels good to finally be heading down to Los Angeles. 26.2 miles is a long distance to run and can be quite intimidating; many runners have difficulty with the last few weeks of training. The truth is that we all get anxious coming into a marathon. There are a lot of reasons for this. For me, I'm concerned about such things as weather conditions, and whether students hydrated and got proper rest in the days leading up to the race, or if they ate too much at the carbo load dinner the night before.

Volunteers probably not only share many of my concerns but also have the added pressure of having to physically run with the students.

Students may have doubt about their outcomes because they have never run this far. They frequently see expressions of amazement or hear comments like "that's really far!" when sharing that they will soon run a marathon.

There aren't very many things we put as much dedication and energy into as completing a marathon. It's okay to be nervous in these final days. We have been training, struggling, hoping, stumbling, and succeeding preparing for our marathon -- all part of Training for Life, One Step at a Time. Using our history as an indicator, I can say with certainty we are ready.

I'd like to give a well deserved thank you to all SRO staff, supporters, volunteers, and students: you made this unusual season extraordinarily possible.

"They fail to perceive the sense of affirmation generated by the challenge of embracing struggle and surmounting obstacles."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

- Spencer Hooper

Supplementing Training with Clinics and Events

As part of SRO's mission to improve the overall health of young people through structured physical fitness training, mentoring, and nutrition education, we work with outside people and organizations to bring additional resources to our students.

In the past few weeks, SRO has hosted the following clinics and events:

• Marathon Preparation Clinic with Frank Shorter, Olympic gold medalist, marathon, 1972
• Marathon Preparation Clinic with Alphonzo Jackson and Lisa Felder, Bay Area "Team in Training" Coaches
• Injury Prevention Clinic with SRO volunteer and doctor Becky Austin
• Substance Abuse Clinic with Thunder Road Adolescent Treatment Center
• Ice Skating Party with Oakland Ice Center
• Community Service: Shoreline Cleanup at Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline park

Thanks for another great season of Training for Life, One Step at a Time!


Tremendous Thanks

Each year SRO receives terrific support from local and not so local organizations.

Special thanks for recent contributions from The Guardsmen, for providing subsidized entries to their Presidio 10 race, and to the Kaiser Community Benefits program and Dreyer's Foundation for their monetary donations.

Additionally, thanks to Mizuno for their support throughout the season, providing training gear for students and marathon uniforms for students and volunteers.

SRO's website is www.sroakland.org. Tax-deductible donations can be made online or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 10696, Oakland, CA 94610.

Getting Ready for LA

We're into the final two weeks of preparation for our big day!

Physically, we're spending the remaining time tapering.

Mentally, we're getting ready for race day. Students and Volunteers, here are some tips for your preparation:

• Familiarize yourself with the course map and elevation profile (.pdf)
• Think about what supplies you will bring and how you will carry them. There will be water each mile and Gatorade every other mile throughout the course, but you should plan on carrying your favorite snacks. Volunteers, SRO will provide additional food and first aid supplies for you to carry as well.
• Make a plan for different kinds of weather. It is likely to be quite warm, so pack a hat and sunscreen and think about how much more you may want to drink. Re-read our Heat-Related Training tips.
  
• Relax and enjoy yourself! Be sure to get plenty of rest in the days leading up to the race. We'll see you the day before the race -- Sunday, May 24 -- bright and early at the Oakland Airport.

Volunteers, please check the Calendar page for directions to this weekend's run! There is another event at Sports Basement (later in the morning), so consider using alternate parking as we did for the Presidio 10 race.

Tapering

THANK YOU: Thank you all for such a great job running, biking, and providing aid station support for 20 (or more!) miles through the rain with the students. Everyone who finished was within the required time limit and we're excited to head to LA! Please email Christine with any feedback from your long run with the students.

Tapering: We are in taper mode now, gradually reducing our mileage and letting our bodies recuperate from the pounding of the last few months. This is what every marathoner should to do in the last weeks leading up to the marathon. Unfortunately months of training can be ruined by not reducing our training enough or by reducing our training too much. The goal of the taper is to get us to the starting line in the best fitness and the most rested state possible. Total mileage comes down in the last three weeks, mostly in the distance runs and long runs. It is important to continue to do interval and tempo workouts during the taper, albeit at a reduced volume.

Physically, we want to give our bodies a chance to heal from the stress of long training runs, track sessions, and hill workouts. We need to allow adequate time to rest and recharge prior the marathon. Many overzealous runners who train "harder, but not smarter" end up hitting the wall late in a marathon because their energy reserves were never completely replenished prior to race day.

Mentally, we need to give ourselves a chance to recharge as well. Many marathoners, who don't take the time to taper, lose their enthusiasm for the event and want to "just get it over with" instead of being highly motivated for an event they dedicated months of preparation to.

Marathon preparation: We have scheduled to a presenter this weekend to speak on preparing for a successful marathon.

LA Logistics: Volunteer packets (marathon singlet included) will be handed out at the May 16th run. If you can't make the run, please coordinate directly with Heidi to arrange getting your packet.

Volunteer Appreciation Party: We hope to see you and a guest this coming Saturday evening for our Volunteer Appreciation Party. Check your email for an Evite with all the details.