President's Letter

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After a busy summer for the ATC, 2007 is quickly winding down. The eventful fall racing season is upon us and its already time to start thinking about 2008. I thoroughly enjoy serving as president of the ATC, but Ive held the office for 3 years now and its time for me to step aside. If you or anyone you know is interested in serving as a club officer or board member next year, please contact me via email or telephone. The ATC enjoyed a very successful summer. We had a great turnout and a wonderful time at the picnic at Carrier Park, another well-attended beginning runners program, and the Bele Chere 5k was huge this year, with a near-record number of entrants on a rainy morning. Although we dont have the final numbers, it appears that it was a much bigger financial success than its been in several years. We are aware that there were some problems on race day - if you have any comments on the event, please let me or another board member know. One dollar from each entry in the Bele Chere 5K goes to the clubs shoe fund for purchasing quality running shoes for local youth in cross country and track programs. Southcliff in Fairview, host of the new Black and Blue runs set for October 20th, will generously donate five dollars to the shoe fund for each entry, so it should be more than adequately funded for the 2007-2008 school year. The next big race for the ATC is the Thomas Wolfe 8K on Sept. 29th. Race director Tim Grotenhuis has done another great job with his preparations and I hope that many of you will participate, either as an entrant or a volunteer. Please contact one of the volunteer coordinators if you can help. Along with Dr. Jim Early and a fitness consultant from O3 Health And Fitness, UNC-A Athletic Director Janet Cone and new track and cross country head coach Jesse Norman will be at the next general club meeting to discuss fundraising for a much-needed new track facility at UNC-A. Should be an interesting meeting; hope to see you at La Paz on the 10th. SEPTEMBER 2007 ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA PAGE 1 Presidents Letter Wally Dunn President's Let- ter 1 ATC Information 2 Membership Ap- plication 3 Volunteer Report 4 Beginner Run- ners Program 4 Misadventures in Trail Running 5 Race Results 6 10 health gains from 10 Pounds Lost 8
Future Races 9 Grandfather Mountain 10 Real Runners Don't Sleep 11 Club Notes 14 CPR Welcomes New Runners 14
Meeting Minutes 16 Grand Prix Standings 17
...Or was it Wheatena? 18 Thomas Wolfe 8K Entry 19 Runnin On, the newsletter of the Asheville Track Club, is published bi-monthly The Asheville Track Club Track Club General Meetings are the second Monday of ODD numbered months, unless it is a major holiday, in which case the meeting may be rescheduled. Board meetings are usually the second Monday of each month. So, even if the Club Calendar lists events for only a few months at a time, you can mark your calendar now to be at some of the years meetings! CLUB OFFICERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS ADVERTISING IN RUNNIN ON Size Single-issue Price Annual Price (6 Issues) Business Card (3.5 X 2) $10 $50 Quarter-page (3.73 X 4.5) $15 $75 Half-page (7.5 X 4.5) $25 $125 Full page (7.5 X 9) $50 $250 www.ashevilletrackclub.org PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT SECRETARY TREASURER Wally Dunn Doug Milch Daphne Weimer Dolly McLean 606-2237 298-2494 329-2534 274-5721 Steve Parish Frankie Adkins Jim Hoer 628-2695 713-9415 684-2179 Wayne Stanko Mark Ledyard Karen Keever Rick Taylor 253-8781 255-8476 669-9527 584-0663 ED RIESTER CINDy BOWERS
edriester@charter.net cindybowers@charter.net September 10, La Paz - Track Club General Meeting, 7:00 pm Dinner, 6:00 pm Track Club Board Meeting, 5:30 pm Editor Circulation, Membership & Equipment Coordinator WebMaster Jim Semon Wayne Stanko Tim Grotenhuis 225-6013 253-8781 301-3071 VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS SEPTEMBER 2007 RUNNIN ON Page 3 ATC Membership Application The Asheville Track Club offers a variety of membership options. A one-year membership is $5 for students; $15 for an individual and $20 for families. A three-year membership is $35 for an individual and $45 for a family. Individual Lifetime memberships are also available: Age 30 and younger $200; 31-40 $180; 41-50 $160; 51-60 $130; 61-70 $100; 71 and older $60 Please circle one: Renewal New Member Name _________________________________________________________________ Address ______________________________________________________________ City _______________________________ State _______________ Zip ___________ Home Phone _______________________ Work Phone _______________________ E-mail ________________________________________________________________ Please circle one: Student Individual Family Please circle one: One-year Three-year Lifetime (individual) Dues please circle one: $5 $15 $20 $35 $45 $60 $100 $130 $160 $180 $200 I know that running and volunteering to work in club races are potentially hazardous activities. I should not enter and run in club activities unless I am medically able and properly trained. I assume all risks associated with running and volunteering to work in club races including, but not limited to, falls, contact with other participants, the effects of weather, including extreme heat and/ or humidity, the condition of the road and traffic on the course, all such risks being know and appreciated by me. Having read this waiver and knowing these facts, and in consideration of your acceptance of my application for membership, I, for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf, waive and release the Asheville Track Club, and all sponsors, their representatives and
successors from all claims or liabilities any kind arising out of my participation in these activities. Waiver must be signed: ______________________________________________________________________ Signature (parent or guardian must sign for anyone under 18 years of age) Memberships are based on the calendar year and cover the period from January 1st to December 31st. Make checks payable to and send application to: Asheville Track Club PO Box 7334 Asheville, NC 28802 SEPTEMBER 2007 RUNNIN ON Page 4 Volunteer Report Ed riester The 2007 Bele Chere 5K has been completed thanks to members and friends of the Asheville Track Club. A special thanks to the 30+ volunteers from Kiwanis and the ARC. Many great photographs were taken at this event and we are looking into ways to share them with you. One idea suggested was to show them as a slide show at the Christmas party on a large screen. If you have any suggestions or expertise along these lines, please let me know. I would personally like to see more photography taken at least at ATC races. Bele Chere 5K Volunteers: Trevor Wallis, Joyce Birkenholz, Scott Bowers, Suzanne Bolding, Dolly McLean, Martha Marshall, Heidi Sherman, Larry Fincher, Roger Winchell, Cindy Bowers, Brenda Ann Sears, Jane Errico, Lori Bristle, TJ Bristle, Doug Milch, Adam Milch, Kerry LaPierre, Pam Brice, Howe Lagarde, Anna Whisnant, Steve Gormley, Larry Black, Lorna Bolkey, Geoff Morris, Pam Morris, Bill McLean, Jim Taylor, Mike Kai, Sherry Kai, Katie Kai, Melissa McCulloch, Merideth Lovejoy, David Dudman, Susie Dudman, Nicolas Dudman, Brittney Dudman, Mimi Chang, Bob Galloway, Andrea Lencse, and David Jones. In order to support the Kiwanis, the ATC provided volunteers for the Biltmore/Kiwanis 15K/5K on May 20th. The following 25+ volunteers generously provided help on that early morning: Liz Schaefer, Maria Horton, Cindy Feiler, Tommy Beddingfield, Chris Beddingfield, David Dudman, Susie Dudman, Nicolas Dudman, Brittney Dudman, Mary Low Collin, Mimi Chang, Dick Duccini, Millicent Duccini, Marilyn Griffith, Kim Kennedy, Richard Kranker, Dolly McLean, Wally Dunn, Scott Boatwright, John Payne, Tom Kingsbury, Larry Fincher, Robin Linderman, Keith Horton and Cindy Bowers. My sincere thanks go out to all volunteers who have made my job as co-coordinator so much easier and rewarding. Doug Milch said, I always thought that if I wasnt running in a race, then I needed to help out somehow. The club is all about volunteering and the spirit of it all anyway. I am looking forward to other members of the club who want to share in this spirit. The club has the Thomas Wolfe 8K on September 29th and I will begin recruiting soon. I do not know the final volunteer numbers from last year but it appeared to be low. I doubt that I could have found the necessary volunteers without email. It not only allows us to inform you of our volunteer needs, its also a great way to inform you of many pressing club needs that would not be timely in this publication. If you changed your email address, please update the club and me at edirester@charter. net . For those of you without email, the club wants you to share in the spirit too. Please call me at 230-1162 or Cindy Bowers at 299-9202 to volunteer for a specific event or to tell us to call you when we need help. Beginner Runners Program (The following comments are from some of the 100+ participants in this years 12 week BRP, which starts every year in May and ends with the Bele Chere 5K. Coaches: Wayne Stanko, Ed Riester, Steve Gorman, Tom Kingsbury, Jim Semon, and Susie Dudman.) I loved every minute of the training, was overwhelmed by the heartfelt commitment of ATC coach- es, and thought it was a sensible, safe and fun way to get into running. Even though I've been a fit- ness instructor for more than 10 years, becoming a runner was always a goal. The ATC helped me get my "foot out front," and there's no stopping me now. I got to run with my 23 year old son who, for a change, was cheering for me at a sporting event! Count me in the club!! Evelyn Zebro We teach school together and found ourselves stressed, looking for ANYTHING to help us get in shape. Neither of us were runners...we both doubted our abilities. What we found, though, was a diverse group of beginners with similar goals and supportive coaches. Week after week, we got a little stronger and gained confidence until the Bele Chere race actually seemed a possibility. Crossing the finish line of the 5K was an amazing accomplishment...We are continuing our running. This morning [Aug 18] we ran 4 miles in Bent Creek...Back in May, we would have never thought that was possible! Thank you ATC coaches who gave of their time for this truly life-changing experience. Priscilla Muir and Pat Schmidt
The program has given me such a burst of new energy and enthusiasm. I had been trying for four years to return to running but couldn't get started. Well, I am going strong now thanks to the won- derful coaching I received in this program. I no longer feel like an old woman. Susan Driscoll I am not athletic...Running for just 1-2 minutes at the beginning of the class was hard. But I com- pleted the class, and by week 9 was able to run the Firecracker 5k. If you had told me at the begin- ning of the class I would look forward to running by the end of 3 months, I would not have believed you. I have never found any type of exercise that I honestly enjoyed...Running is different...class offers the perfect combination of training and camaraderie to motivate a novice like me. I really en- joyed the class. I remain impressed by the support of runners towards other runners. I can't wait to move on to new running challenges. Thanks to ATC for such a great program. Robin Nelson-Smith Having never done a sport before and wanting to try something new to celebrate turning 60...I was thinking the first few weeks there is no way Im ever going to do this. However, through the pro- gram set up by the coaches and their encouragement and humor, it really worked. Im more comfort- able running 30 minutes now than I was when the program started with one minute runs. The coach- es not only were there to cheer you on, they brought in excellent speakers. I finished the Bele Chere 5K and will do others because I feel better...Even though I have fibromyalsia and few aches and pains, the way we were coached allowed me to feel better. Thanks the coaches! I will continue and maybe get a little faster. Donna Robinson SEPTEMBER 2007 RUNNIN ON Page 5 Misadventures in Trail Running Lance P. Martin Editors note: Lance, who just moved here from Nashville, says, I blog on running/endurance training and haute cuisine--and the tension between the two. www.runninggags.blogspot.com. Well so much for specificity of training. I wanted to do two hours of steady running, but I picked the wrong trail to do it. This all started when we hiked to Rattlesnake Lodge a few weeks ago. Not- ing the shin-shattering collection of sharp-edged rocks littering the often steep trail, I commented to the Trauma Whisperer: "Surely no one would try to run this trail." Before she could say "Don't call me Shirley," here comes some shirtless joker bounding right past us. Fast forward to this morning. I've been thinking about that runner and asking myself really dumb rhetorical questions like "How bad could it be to climb 2,000 feet in 4 miles?" So instead of catching the Mountains-to-Sea Trail at French Broad like last weekend, I caught it on my side of town at Ox Creek Road / Bull Gap. Big mistake. I should note that I could simply call the friendly and helpful staff at Jus' Running, our local run- ning store, and they could provide me with a variety of safe, sane, well-groomed trails for training. But where is the fun in that? Did Lewis & Clark visit Jus' Running before striking west? No they didn't. And don't tell me that they couldn't because Jus' Running wasn't in business. I read the Ambrose book and recall no mention of any visits to Mukluk Locker either. I was on the trail by 7:00. It was a cool morning, so much so that I started in gloves. I was about 10 minutes into the run when I hear a crash to the left of the trail like a squirrel in leaves magnified 5,000 times over. I stop, I turn, I see a bear. It was a hairy bear, a scary bear, and I beat a hasty retreat from his lair. "Aaahhh!!" I yelled and sprinted eastward on the trail for 30, 40, maybe 50 sec- onds. "Aaahhh!!" I screamed as the trail suddenly switchbacked and head me running west straight back to the bear. And I saw his black rump crash up the mountain. It's about this time that I question the judgment of my parents who let me, at the impressionable age of 5, watch the "Jaws on land" film Name Race Distance Time Place Leslie Carreiro Sourwood 5K 24:32 2 AG Danielle Deims Maggie Valley Moonlt 8K 31:24 1 AG Charles Dotson Bele Chere 5K 28:03 3 AG Wally Dunn Sourwood 5K 20:00 1 AG Jim Grodnik Bele Chere 5K 21:52 1 AG Mark Ledyard Bele Chere 5K 18:22 1 AG Kim Lachler Bele Chere 5K 24:10 3 AG Dave Perkins Sourwood 5K 18:26 1 AG Heidi Sherman Sourwood 5K 23:16 2 AG Tim Warner Sourwood 5K 24:59 3 AG Teresa Warstler Sourwood 5K 24:40 3 AG SEPTEMBER 2007 RUNNIN ON Page 6 "Grizzly"-- the movie where the grizzly eats half the population of a state park and the camera cuts to a red stream at least 8 times. I press on and pass Rattlesnake Lodge. The running has been strenuous so far -- mostly uphill -- but I don't mind. This is one of those workouts where I'm more interested in endurance, time on my feet, than pace. But it quickly goes from time on my feet to just staying on my feet as the trail gets steeper and steeper. The jutting rocks begin to sprout with greater frequency and soon the jogging turns to hip-swiveling power walking, then regular walking, and finally hand-and-feet scrambling. Finally, as Maya Angelou would say "And I rise!" the trail assumes the verticality of an elevator shaft. Up I go, with a combination of short jogs and fast walks, over Rich Knob, then Wolf Den Knob, and finally to the summit of Lane Pinnacle. During a downhill between the knobs, my feet lose their pur- chase and I go down flat on my rump. When I stand up, my Garmin has lost a pin and hangs limply from my wrist. "That could be my head hanging from my neck hole," I think, and use my cell phone to call the Trauma Whisperer for my whereabouts, and update my Last Will and Testament (I always wanted my first brother to get my "Twin Peaks" paraphernalia anyway.) At the turn-around point, I've climbed somewhere between 2,500 and 2,900 feet. The descent is dangerous and technical but fun. I'm able to jog just about the entire way. There is something in- vigorating about running trails. It reminds me of my Louisiana childhood when we used to play in the woods behind our subdivision. So many times we followed those woods to the levee where we could look out on the marsh and, beyond, the Gulf of Mexico, Cuba, and Elian Gonzalez. Trail running makes you nostalgic that way. It also allows you to expand your foot strike repertoire with side-to-sides, jumps, taps, and soft shoe. I made it all the way home with only a few stumbles. I startled a flock of wild turkeys, which burst out of the brush as I passed. I also saw a wild chicken or my reflection in a stream? I thrashed out of the woods and into the parking lot like Indy with the idol. Ultimately, it worked out to just under 2:30 of running, jogging, and hiking. I don't think I'll be using this particular trail for long runs any more. I can only hope that I will derive some benefit from this workout in my overall marathon training. The body doesn't know distance -- only duration and effort. I hope I tricked it into thinking I put in about 16 on the roads. If the Twin Cities course gets diverted into the wilderness and has some 20% climbs, I will have those Vikings by the horns. Individual Race Results SEPTEMBER 2007 RUNNIN ON Page 7 SEPTEMBER 2007 RUNNIN ON Page 8 What are the top10 benefits of weight loss, even as little as 10 pounds? 10. Lower risk of developing gallstones and having gallbladder disease. The gallbladder makes bile, a substance that aids in the digestion of fats you eat. Weight loss reduces your chance of developing stones in the gallbladder and subsequent pain and illness. 9. Lower risk of sleep apnea, a condition where an individual briefly stops breathing during sleep. Excessive fat makes it hard to breathe simply by restricting the lungs ability to expand fully during normal breathing. Eating large meals also contributes to breathing difficulty. In many obese people if the stomach is too full, it puts extra pressure on the diaphragm, a muscle that helps us breathe. 8. Lower risk of congestive heart failure. A person with too much fat carries a heavy load, putting lots of stress on the heart and lungs. If the heart works extra hard for long periods of time, the heart muscle weakens and pumps less blood to the body, making a person feel weak. 7. Reduced risk of some types of cancers, such as colon, prostate (men), endometrial and breast (women), and gallbladder. A healthy weight and healthy diet with plenty of vegetables and fresh fruits is a great way to reduce your risk of developing certain cancers. 10 hEALTh gAINs fRoM 10 PouNDs LosT Carol shimberg, Ms, RD, LDN, is a registered dietician. She can be reached at cshimberg1@charter.net or 329-3855 523 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, NC (828) 252-RUNR (7867) WNCs Running Headquarters For All Your Running Needs A Proud Supporter of the Asheville Track Club 15% Discount to All Members - All the Time! Professionally Trained Staff Free Gait Analysis Adidas - Asics - Brooks - New Balance - Nike - Saucony - Sporthill - Sugai Moving Comfort - BOA - Thorlo - Spenco - Polar - Freestyle - Timex Race Brochures, Information, Books and so much more! Jus Running ...The Name Says It All! SEPTEMBER 2007 RUNNIN ON Page 9 future Races sept 8. 2nd Annual WNC Run/Walk for Autism Deerfields, NC - This event includes a 5K trail run/race, as well as the Diamond Brand Outdoors 1- Mile Fun Run/Walk, a Walk Lite, and the Tot Trot. www.autismsociety-nc.org/html/wnc_run_for_autism.html sept 22. Asheville Citizen-Times 1/2 Marathon and 5K sept 29. Thomas Wolf 8K Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe 8K, 8am; $18/adult, $12/child by 9/19, af- ter $23/adult, $15/child. Info: Asheville Track Club, 17 Sylvan Ave., Asheville, NC 28801; Tim Groten- huis (828)301-3071, info@thomaswolfe8k.com, www.tw8k.com.
oct 6. smoky streak 10K, sylva
oct 13. Bethel half Marathon, Bethel Canton, NC - Bethel Half Marathon & 5K, 8:30am. Info: Ben Fishback 828-646-3882; www.bethelcomm.org/race.html.
oct 20. Town square scamper DATE CHANGE! The date for the Burnsville 5K has been changed from Oct 27. Contact Martha Tyner mctyner@verizon.net oct 20. southcliff Black & Blue Classic
Fairview, NC - Southcliff Black & Blue Classic. Start at 10am. For race questions, please call (828) 400-5868, e-mail greg@gloryhoundevents.com. 6. Less stress to bones and joints, especially the knees. Folks with excessive body fat are more likely to develop arthritis in the knees, making walking or other weight-bearing activity painful, resulting in limited activity. Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the liklehood of needing knee or hip replace- ments as you get older. 5. Lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that being overweight and carrying a large amount of fat in the belly area are related to heart disease risk factors, including higher levels of bad cholesterol circulating in the blood. 4. Reduced risk of developing diabetes or improved control of blood sugar levels if you are already diabetic. Diabetics who do not need insulin shots show remarkable improvements in diabetes-related conditions with weight loss. Studies have shown that excessive amounts of fat in the abdomen or belly may increase your risk for diabetes, even if you are mildly overweight. So work on losing that big belly, no matter what your size! 3. Reduction in blood pressure. Being overweight can contribute to high blood pressure levels and in- crease your risk of heart disease and stroke. Research strongly supports the relationship between be- ing too heavy and a higher than normal blood pressure. Even minimal weight loss can help to lower elevated blood pressure levels. 2. Improve ability to move and do activities. It is that simple; fat loss lowers your body weight, re- sulting in a smaller load to move with each step and breath. Try this simple exercise if you have any doubts: Find a 10 lb bag of sugar or similar 10 pound item at home and pick it up. Carry it around for a while. I bet you notice how it makes you breathe harder and increases your heart rate. Now put it down and sense the relief your body feels without the extra load. . . Imagine now, losing 10 pounds of body fat over the next few months. Your body will feel better with the lighter weight load, you will have more energy improved health. 1. The #1 reason to lose weight--Youll feel better about yourself! If you need to lose weight, set a goal to lose 10 pounds over several months and Go For It! You will be glad you did! SEPTEMBER 2007 RUNNIN ON Page 10 Adam hills fun Runs (contact Adam ultra_rnr@yahoo.com ):
september 8th: TR & More in 24...Table Rock to Montreat. Several people have already RSVPed for this run...this will be an amazingly difficult but rewarding trek for approximately 55 miles from Table Rock in Linville Gorge to the finish at Greybeard Trailhead in Montreat!
october 6th: 3rd Annual Pitchell 100k & 2nd Annual fAC 50k. This is the annual foot oddysey between Mt. Pisgah and Mt. Mitchell! We start atop the summit of Mt. Pisgah at midnight, and begin our trek to the highest mountaintop east of the Rockies! The FAC 50k starts at 6 am that morning, and boasts a cumulative elevation gain of about 11,000 feet!!
November 17th: 2nd Annual Bent Creek gobbler. Two 15-16 mile loops in figure eight style that will give everyone the option of doing one or two loops. This is a great tour of Bent Creek on incred- ible singletrack, some doubletrack, and a little bit of gravel rd. A great way to make room for that Thanksgiving feast. Saturday, July 14th was the 40th annual Grandfather Mountain Marathon, one of the most beauti- ful and well-organized marathons on the East Coast, not to mention one of the few being offered in hot July. But, it was cool, in many ways. The sky was early morning pink and blue -- a radiant sunrise as the small pack of 400 runners -- the limit -- gathered at Kidd Brewer Stadium at ASU in downtown Boone. One lap around the track and we were off. The name is appropriate since there were many grandfathers running -- some possibly have run all forty races. My plan was to do a sub 4 hour; my work had prevented me from properly training, but I felt good. The scenery is awe inspiring -- running the back roads by rushing streams and tranquil lakes -- outstanding views all along the course. At mile 13, I felt I had a good chance of a sub four -- clocking in at 1:42. At mile 18, I felt a strange tingle in my left hamstring. Back off, I thought, it will pass. With a history of calf cramps, I had filled myself with massive amounts of electrolytes. Mile 20 -- the cramps started and I started walking. All the runners who I had politely passed, politely passed me. It was good seeing them again, I think. Now came the time to really take in the natural beauty of Grandfather Mountain. My slow pace al- lowed me to listen and feel the rushing streams, water falls, boulders, and the sheer majesty of this beautiful mountain. To be disappointed and delighted at the same time is possible. The delight out- weighed the dis. The run ends with a lap around the track at the Highland Games with 20,000 people watching. The calves quit cramping at the sight of all of those people and I pranced on in. Another great experience and a marathon I highly recommend. Next year, I hope that the wall is on the other side of the 26.2 mark! grandfather Mountain steve Parrish As I was walking through the Hard Times trail parking lot at Bent Creek on my way for a run through the woods, my eye happened onto the back of an minivan plastered with bumper stickers, one of which read Sleep is for the weak. Another sticker on the same car proclaimed I Love Run- ning, with a big red heart like the I Love NY bumper stickers. So here I thought is a runner who thinks sleep is for wimpsif I am to believe his bumper stickers. Wow! I guess Ive been mislead again. How could the National Sleep Foundation get it so wrong? For the past couple of years Ive been reading studies showing that sleep needs of performance athletes (eg., runners) are consider- ably greater than the sleep needs of sedentary folks. As training loads increase so do sleep require- ments. Professional athletes require 10-12 hours of sleep per night. Hey! I dont get that much sleep, but then Im not a pro runner. A study on sleep and exercise found that 43% of those who increased their exercise over a 3 month period reported improved sleep while 30% of those who reduced their exercise over the same 3 months reported reduced sleep and sleep quality. These results underscored that increased exercise leads to improved sleep. A study conducted in Australia compared the sleep habits of trained distance runners averaging about 45 mile/wk, serious weight lifters (12 hrs/wk) and sedentary folks. The runners fell to sleep more quickly and spent more time sleeping during the night with fewer awakenings than the other two groups. The National Sleep Foundation reports that 74% of Americans get less than 8 hours of sleep per night. Indeed, for many 8 hours of sleep is not enough. Even for those who regu- larly get 8 hours of sleep each night, evidence now shows that 12 hours of sleep per night is even better in terms of optimizing ones poten- tial mentally and physically. Before the inven- tion of the electric light bulb, folks use to sleep from sunset to sunrise9 to 12 hours. MeI get about 7 hours most nights if Im lucky. How does one know if one is getting enough sleep? Actually, its fairly easy to determine that for yourself. If you are not sleepy during the day, you are probably getting enough sleep at night. That said, we see people all the time in the Sleep Disorders Center who claim never to be sleepy during the day, yet have been documented to fall to sleep in mid-conversation with others and while driving their car. In general, chronic sleep deprivation is pervasive in our society and runners, with an increased need for sleep, are not exempt. Chronic sleep deprivation can cut cardiovascular performance by 11%, throws the hormone system out of whack, decreasing the bodys ability to store or use sugar reserves during sustained activities that in turn can hasten the occurrence of the dreaded bonk during endurance events. A few days of sleep deprivation has been found to interfere with glucose metabolism and raise levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. The ability to recover from injury is also impaired by lack of adequate sleep. Inad- SEPTEMBER 2007 RUNNIN ON Page 11 Real Runners Dont sleep Bill finley, Phd SEPTEMBER 2007 RUNNIN ON Page 12 equate sleep also leads to shorter, less frequent and less intense work-outs as you just dont have the energy. Studies have shown that 36 hours of sleep loss can decrease an athletes time to exhaustion (how long the athlete can sustain a particular intensity of exercise without stopping) by about 10% at an intensity approximating 80% of VO2max (87% of HR max). Another study showed that sleep loss reduced performance in sprinting for home at the end of a race and accelerating up hill while cycling. These adverse effects were achieved by sleep deprivation, lowering the athletes maximal HR, reduc- ing coordination and running efficiency, and impairing body temperature regulation. Core body tem- perature has been reported to rise faster during exercise when athletes are sleep-deprived, thereby increasing the risk of heat illness when exercising on hot, humid days. One need not stay up for 36 continuous hours to experience the impact of 36 hours of sleep deprivation. Sleep loss is cumulative, so if an athlete cuts total sleep time each night by 2-hours, then 18 days later he/she will have ac- crued a sleep debt of 36 hours and begin to experience a 10% reduction in athletic performance. Who among us are at most risks for having a significant sleep debt? The most sleep deprived among us are parents of very young children (for obvious reasons), followed by teen-agers and young adults up to about 24 years of age (they tend to go to bed very late because of their changing circa- dian rhythm, usually well after midnight as a group, have an increased sleep need of 9-10 hours on average, and tend to get up for school and work around 6-7 AM), and night-shift workers (they sleep during the day and because of daylight exposure before bed-time only get on average about 4-5 hours of sleep each 24 hour period). Noticeably absent from the sleep debt list are the seniors or elderly. How does the need for sleep influences race day participation in runners at different ages? I con- ducted a priori (without knowledge of results) selection of 4 races for evaluation and presentation of their make-up based in part on availability of all age division results with a minimum of 200 finishers per event (to get as large a sample size as possible), and also I tried to select for analysis well-estab- lished (run for many years) local events in or near Knoxville, TN (drawing from the same population pool of runnerssort of like working with a homogenous sample of lab rats). I did not include what might be considered regional events as those draw from a more diverse population of runners. Be- cause of a dearth of large, evening races with complete age group results tabulated and available, I included the Pigeon Forge Midnight 8K run outside of the KTC venue of races. However, due to proxim- ity to Knoxville, the Midnight run does attract a large number of Knoxville runners. The Knoxville Track Club (http://www.ktc.org/) website publishes all their events by age group as well as overall results, making it easy to look at race participation by age. Examination of their results for the 2007 New Years Day 5K, a morning race, showed a total participation of 412 finishers. Peak age for running the New Years 5K fell between 35 and 44 years (11-12% participation) with a fall-off in participation for those younger than 35 (2-9% participation) and older than 44 years (2-9% partici- pation). The 15-19 year old age group had a participation of only 2%, 20-24 AG 3%, and 25-29 AG 6%. For the 30-34 AG, participation was 9%. It can be argued that the reason for low participation of those 15-24 years was difficulty getting up in the morning to run the event because of a very late bedtime hour combined with a chronic sleep debt, while low participation in the 25-34 AG was due to difficulty getting up in the morning because they were parents of very young children. Veteran (60 and over) participation for the New Years morning run was 7%. Now if one argues that the younger age groups did not participate in morning races because of difficulty getting up in the morning, than one would expect greater numbers of younger participants in those races scheduled later in the day. Looking at the Knoxville Track Club results for their 4th of July 5K (Fireball Run), scheduled at 9 PM, a total of 990 runners finished the event. Peak participation occurred with the 25-29 AG at 14% (6% participation in the morning New Years Day race) followed by the 35-39 AG at 12% (11% in the New Years Day race). There was no real difference in morning and evening participation for the 35-39 AG. The 15-19 AG and the 20-24 AG had a combined participa- tion of 16% in the evening 4th of July race vs. only 5% participation in the morning New Years run. Veteran participation in the 4th of July run was 3% vs. 7% in the New Years morning run. To confirm the age-group findings, I also tabulated results for the 2007 Knoxville Expo 10K, a morning event with SEPTEMBER 2007 RUNNIN ON Page 13 535 finishers and determined that 6% of the total finishers fell within the 15-24 AG and 8% in the 60+ AG. For the evening run I selected the Pigeon Forge Midnight 8K for 2004 with 233 finishers. For the Midnight Run 30% of the finishers fell within the 15-24 AG vs. 6% in the Expo 10K morning run, and 2% of the Midnight Run finishers were in the 60+ AG vs. 8% in the Expo 10K morning run. Unlike the New Years race vs. the 4th of July race, both Expo and Midnight races occurred during the sum- mer season, hence eliminating seasonal effects and race temperature as variables. So race directors, listen up! If you want more teens and young adults in your race events, sched- ule more races later in the day, and perhaps even at night. The teens and young adults are not run- ning the morning races in the numbers one would expect because they are almost certainly sleeping inpaying off a sleep debt! Need I say more? Well yes, I should. As we age into our 60s, we tend to get sleepy at an earlier hour and associated with that are earlier bed- and rise-times, and that might portend problems getting older runners to participate in evening runs. The Knoxville data clearly showed that fewer runners 60+ years of age were running in the 4th of July evening run and the Mid- night Run while considerably more were running in the New Years day and Expo morning races. If we divide runners into three groups based on age and corresponding sleep-time proclivities, Owls (15-24 years who stay up late), Larks (60+ years who are early to bed, early to rise), and Eagles (25-59 years, neither Larks nor Owls), we can conclude from the Knoxville data that Owls do not soar with the Eagles and Larks at daybreak, and the Larks do not hoot with the Owls and soar with the Eagles at night! Recent studies have shown that participation of runners under 20 years old has been steadily de- creasing in 5K races while participation of older runners has been steadily increasing over the past 15+ years. These trends may be due in part to scheduling most races early in the morning, a practice that may undermine the likelihood of teen and young adult participation while at the same time favor- ing older runner participation. Recognizing that most races are scheduled early in the morning to take advantage of coolness and less traffic, the ubiquitous early morning race events may nevertheless be contributing to the decline in younger race participatants at least in the 5K. Indeed, the average age of U.S. runners is 29.2 for male and 24.2 for female. Average age of race entrants, however, is older: 38.6 for male and 34.9 for female. Again we see younger runners staying away from races. One well- known race series that did a good job in attracting 18-24 year olds was the Nike Run Hit Wonder events in New York, Portland, Chicago, and Hollywood. All of these events were run around 6-7 PM. As we now know, the average runner (not racer) age is at the upper end of Owlness and definitely within the range of parents of young children, so perhaps race directors should begin to think about scheduling races a little later in the day, especially during the cooler months, but not so late as to lose the older Lark runners. In general I think, with motivation, Lark runners are more likely to run an afternoon or evening race than Owls are to run a morning race as its easier to extend your wake-time activities into your rest period (similar to staying up later by an hour or two) than it is to cut short your sleep by 1 to 3 hours in order to run a race. Big event regional evening races in general should attract more Larks than local evening races, while big event regional morning races will probably continue to have relatively low draws for Owls. An Owl truly is a different bird. Perhaps its time to wake up and pay attention, as the running community can ill-afford to lose younger runners. But Eagles? They dont care what time an event is scheduled just so long as you give them a race to run. I will conclude by saying that the bumper sticker Sleep is for the weak may be on to something after all. If you dont wish to be weak, get more sleep. Sleep equals power and lack of sleep equals weakness. As a runner, what do you prefer? By the way, I failed to mention that the Sleep is for the weak bumper sticker was distributed by a local coffee company. Ahhh! Dont bother with sleep, just drink coffee to stay awake. That could segue into a nice discussion on coffee drinking and running. Hey! Another time. (Editor: Some ATC members might recognize the owner of the, now infamous, bumper sticker. Hint: he is an eagle, with twin fledglings, who runs with maggots!) SEPTEMBER 2007 RUNNIN ON Page 14 Next ATC Meeting, sept 10. Come for dinner at La Paz Restaurant for next general meeting: dinner 6:00 PM and meeting 7:00 PM. The program is packed with a little something for everyone with three speakers. First, Janet Cone, AD from UNC-A, will talk about plans for a new track at UNC-A. Then, Dr. Jim Early, runner and family practice physician, will talk about how runners can get the most out of their visit to their primary care provider. Finally, Steve Ledford, an accomplished triathlete, will speak for One On One Training about strength training and injury prevention. Each talk will be short and the meeting should last about an hour. Hope to see you there. Bele Chere Volunteers. Volunteer coordinator, Ed Riester, says, Many ATC members and friends of ATC made the 2007 Bele Chere 5K and Fun-Run a great success. Friday night registration went well even with a change of locations. The rain on Saturday morning required us to fit too many people and tables into a very small covered area but our volunteers worked hard and efficiently. Many of them worked multiple jobs and were first-time volunteers. If you have any suggestions to making this race even better next year, please email them to me. I will pass that information on to the appropriate person. Editor: And a HUGE thanks to Wayne Stanko, Ed Riester, and Wally Dunn!! ATC Donations to Community. Most members know that the Bele Chere 5K is the Track Clubs big- gest event of the year and proceeds fund ATC activities for the entire year. The profit from the race also allows the club to give back to the community. This year, the Association for Retarded Citizens in Buncombe County (ARC) provided support to the Club by handing out water to the runners at Bele Chere. In turn, ATC donates $1 to the ARC for each registered runner, which amounted to $1096 this year. Wayne Stanko, board member, presented the check to ARC Executive Director at a dinner cele- brating the 50th anniversary of ARC. The presentation was met with thunderous applause by the large group attending the dinner. Additionally, $1096 was added to the Asheville Track Club Shoe Fund which provides shoes to high school cross country and track runners who cannot afford quality shoes. Members of the Club can take pride in knowing that not only do we put on a quality race, but we also contribute to the welfare of our community. ATC Donation. Wayne Stanko reports, Eve and Bart Smith have donated $100 to the ATC Scholar- ship Fund. If anyone else would like to make a tax deductible donation, they should make the check out to the Asheville Track Club with a note that it is for the scholarship fund. Mail to: Asheville Track Club, PO Box 7334, Asheville, NC 28802.
uNC Track Renovation. The UNC-A Athletics Department is raising money to renovate and expand the 25 year old Karl Straus Track on the campus. The track serves as training and competition facility for the mens and womens track programs. However, with years of deterioration and new Conference and NCAA regulations, UNCA has not been able to host a home meet in seven years. The renovation and expansion are intended to establish one of the best facilities in the Big South Conference for ath- letes and fans. The total amount needed is two million dollars and includes resurfacing the track and relocation of the pits, construction of a grandstand for 700 people along with press box, concessions, storage room, and some new equipment. A web-site is set up for donations: www.uncatrackpledge. com. Visit the site to see how much has been raised, artists drawings of the site and different ways to donate. Carrier Park Runners continue to run and grow. CPR is a group of runners who have continued meeting and running from the 2006 Beginning Runners Program, based at Carrier Parkthus the group name. The completion of this year's BRP brought us many new faces and feet. As CPR begins its second year, we welcome runners of any level or ability. This diversity includes folks at all levels of running, even those who dont call themselves runners. Within CPR, you can find partners for walking- running, slow jogging, or even beginning racing. CPR Welcomes New Runners Dick & Millicent Duccini Club Notes SEPTEMBER 2007 RUNNIN ON Page 15 Our regular workouts include endurance, speed, & hill repeats, but runners are welcome to mod- ify any workout to fit their individual needs. This past year virtually all of our runners have achieved personal record (PR) times in races and workouts. Many have come home with age group awards from 5K races. However, the biggest plus from our point of view is the friendships we have made. We try to have as many social events, always centered around eating, as we can fit into an active running program. CPR workouts are Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Tuesday and Thursday are 5:30 PM at Carrier Park on Amboy Road. Saturday is usually at the upcoming 5K race coarse at 8:00 AM. On Sunday we meet at the Green House in the WNC Arboretum at 8:00 AM. During the week we include several drills that train us to be more efficient runners. Tuesday nights we generally run for distance or time; 35 minutes of running is the average workout. Thursday nights is speed night for those who desire to improve their 5K race times. Saturday mornings, following our stretches and warm up, we do some form of hill repeats to improve our performance on the hills of Asheville. Each workout begins with group stretching to increase flexibility and decrease the chances of injury. Sunday morn- ing's goal is to have a longer, slow run to increase endurance and enjoy the beautiful Arboretum. CPR runners always wait for the slower runners at every major intersection along the trails, so dont be intimidated. We want to invite runners of all levels to join us whenever you can. It is a great opportunity to keep you in the discipline of running 3 or 4 times a week. Two of our runners are just returning after some serious health problems and are walking and jogging to get back into shape. Group members are extremely supportive when life has gotten difficult for any of our members, which contributes to a sense of belonging that develops along with ones fitness level. Our latest inspiration is a new member who successfully quit smoking 6 weeks ago to develop a healthy habit in its place. Two of our original CPR members have successfully lost about 45 pounds each since the start of the BRP in 2006. The benefits, like increased self-esteem, are immeasurable! Dick and Millicent Duccini from the Asheville Track Club lead the Carrier Park Runners. Coach Dick plans the workouts, and Millicent leads the stretching and organizes the social events. If you, or someone you know, would like to put some fun into running and have good company to keep it inter- esting, join CPR! It can truly resuscitate your life! For more information contact Dick or Millicent at (828) 645-8887. Thomas Wolfe 8K, saturday september 29, 2007 Thomas Wolfe festival october 3-7, 2007 The 31st running of the Thomas Wolfe 8K winds through beautiful downtown Asheville, North Carolina, passing into the Historic Montford District and Riverside Cemetery, before finish- ing in front of the Thomas Wolfe House. On a cool, sunny au- tumn morning, the leaves beginning to change, 300 runners will try for their personal bests as they race 8 kilometers to benefit the Thomas Wolfe Memorial and the Asheville Track Club Shoe Fund. In addition to age group awards, two cash sprints will be awarded: the 1 Mile Sprint and the 3 Mile sprint. The fastest male and female runners at each marker will receive a cash bonus of $75.00. Race director Tim Grotenhuis needs several volunteers to help him with this race: registration (5), race timers (2), mile splits (4), finish line workers (5), photographers (2), water stops (4), course marshals (15) and bathroom custodian (1). All volunteers will get a cool race shirt. Volunteers will also get an ATC volunteer shirt if they do not have one. Contact Ed Riester: edriester@charter.net Thomas Wolfe 8K SEPTEMBER 2007 RUNNIN ON Page 16 The Mission of the Asheville Track Club is to promote and support the running communities of Western North Carolina by providing information, education, training, social and sporting events for competitive and non-competitive runners and walkers of all ages, races, genders and abilities. ATTENDINg: Wally Dunn, Karen Keever, Mark Ledyard, Steve Parrish, Wayne Stanko, Rick Taylor, Daphne Weimer, Doug Milch, Ed Riester and Dolly McLean Wally Dunn opened the meeting at 6:00 pm Treasurer Report: 7.06.07 Beginning Balance: $12,618.58 Receipts Bele Chere Entries $19,774.00 Bele Chere Sponsor $500.00 Sourwood Ad in Newsletter $50.00 Equipment Rental $100.00 TW8K sponsor $ 95.00 TW8K entry $18.00 Grand Prix entry $500.00 Beginning Runners $146.32 Membership $515.00 ToTAL $22,498.32 Expenses USPS $16.25 Bele Chere $14,191.77 RRCA annual dues $1403.50 Jus Running (picnic awards) $200.00 Haywood/Jackson Co. (refund

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