GoRuck Challenge

Ever heard of the GoRuck Challenge? I confess - I had never heard of it until one of our former WOOT members sent me this story about it. Well hold on, I'll back up a minute, I had previously heard about it, because my husband has mentioned it as one of his "bucket list" goals - I just didn't realize that it was the same challenge that Amy Hester recently completed in Florida. 

Here's how Jason, former Green Beret and founder of GoRuck, describes the challenge:

Inspired by the most elite training offered to Special Forces soldiers and led by Green Berets, the GORUCK Challenge is a team event and never a race. Challenge cadre build each class into a team through collective conditions of mental and physical exhaustion. Classes are small, camaraderie is high, smiles are plentiful, and teamwork is paramount.
https://www.goruck.com/

I'll let Amy explain the rest and share her story with you, which by the way, is a must-read if you're a challenge-seeker (and I know many of you WOOT ladies are!!!)

GoRuck Challenge 

01/05-01/06/2013            10PM – 10AM    CLASS 373            Distance Covered:  22+ miles

Amy D. Hester  Photo Credits: Andy Farina and Greg Stroud

What an incredibly amazing experience! I have never felt so accomplished and powerful!

We began our adventure at Norman Field on the University of Florida campus. The event began at 10pm, but our group arrived at 9pm for some strategy talk and intros for those that couldn’t make it to the RuckOff (the RuckOff is an informal night of drinking the evening before the event). Our group started with ten people – George, Jeff, Pat, Remus, Robbie, Rob, Nick, James, Pascale, and me. The incredibleness of the adventure started immediately. I wasn’t expecting the turnout, but there were 30-40 people at the start to support us – former GoRuckers and friends of teammates. The positive energy was bouncing off the walls of the parking garage. It was like the starting line of a big marathon, but more intimate and, for me, more powerful.

At 10pm we got in formation and opened our rucks for brick inspection. Part of the challenge of the ruck is carrying weight. If you weigh <150 pounds, you get 4 bricks, over 150 pounds and you’re carrying 6 bricks. I just met 6 brick standards – DOH! All bricks must be wrapped (light layer of bubble wrap and duct tape) and labeled (name and phone number). With the bricks, hydration pack, fuel, extra socks, etc. my pack weighed between 35-40 pounds.

After the brick inspection and introduction of our cadre – Garrett Noon – we were ready for the welcome party. That might be the biggest misnomer ever because what happens for the next 2-3 hours is anything but welcoming. All cadres assigned by GoRuck have some kind of Special Forces military training. Garrett is a Green Beret. They take their Special Forces training to make a hellacious boot camp to open the challenge. Welcome party, my ass.

I’m not sure of the time frame because no watches, phones, etc. are allowed, but for what I think was 2-3 hours, we did push-ups, squats, flutter kicks, bench press with ruck, military press, bear crawls, monkey f**kers and other things I’m sure I’m forgetting. And all of this is done with your ruck on. During the welcome party was the only time I would question myself to why I was doing this, but quitting never entered my mind.

Some of the hardest parts of the welcome party were the ranger push-ups and the centipede. For both of these your feet are on someone’s shoulders and someone’s feet are on your shoulders. We couldn’t stop doing them until everyone was able to lift themselves off the ground. The welcome party also included a couple runs around the neighborhoods near Norman Field and a dip into a retention pond. The water was chilly, but not bad. Half of us did push-ups while the other half did deep squats so we were all wet up to our chests.

On the run back from the pond our formation had too many gaps (you must be next to a person and the person in front of you must be one arm’s length away) so upon returning to Norman Field we got to work on teamwork. This entailed working with a buddy. The first drill included you and your buddy sprinting for 3-5 seconds and then face crawling for 3-5 seconds the length of the field and back. After that we got to buddy carry our partner the length of the field and they carried us back. I now know I can buddy carry about 200 pounds and that getting carried sucks way more than carrying – so uncomfortable.

Once the welcome party was over we were given our mission. In our scenario the Florida Gators had lost the national championship and the locals are rioting. We’ve been called in to support the National Guard. For each leg of the mission the cadre assigned a troop leader and an assistant troop leader. This was a great leadership opportunity. On the first leg of the mission we had to make it from Norman Field to Kanapaha Park in under 2 hours. I think it’s a little over 7 miles so if you consider that we’re on foot with weighted rucks, a team weight (an additional 25 pounds just because), a large American flag displayed on a pole, and that we needed to stay in formation, we needed to really hoof it.

Within the first mile and a half our cadre determined that our formation wasn’t tight enough and we needed to work on our teamwork. We buddied up again and did the alternating sprints and face crawls for the length of a football field and back. We hadn’t quite learned what teamwork was at that point so we had to buddy carry our partner with their rucks the length of the field and they carried us back. I felt bad for my partner Pascale because I have about 6 pounds on her plus 2 additional bricks, but she was a beast.

After team building we carried on down Archer Road (a main thoroughfare in Gainesville). We must have been quite the sight marching down the road in formation with our flag sometime after 1am. We alternated fast walking and shuffling until we arrived at the park. We got in formation and learned we made it in 1:59.48. Whew! That was close.

The park we were at is a memorial for all those killed at war throughout America’s history. It was pretty sombering and a good reminder of the importance of the flag we were carrying.

We were allowed to fill our hydration packs and fuel up (I was chomping Shot Bloks) and then get back in formation. At this point our cadre drilled us with where our teammates are from, full names, and if they had kids. We were supposed to have gathered this information over the last 2 hours because our cadre emphasized the importance of knowing the people you’re going to battle with. A few members were too slow in recalling names so the disgusted cadre had us run laps around the memorial.

Our next leg of the mission came and we needed to assist the National Guard who was setting up blockades by bringing them a “barricade”. Our barricade was a heavy log that 3-4 of us took turns carrying. I am not sure of the distance, but I believe it was a good 4 miles. We also entered hostile territory and had to remain silent while transporting. This caused us to come up with creative ways to rotate people on and off the barricade. This was one of 2 points I felt like I wasn’t doing enough for my team. I was too short to carry any real weight. The team was also limited because Remus had convinced himself miles ago that he couldn’t do it. Even though the team carried his ruck and tried to help, once those thoughts have entered your head, you’re a goner.

When we got to where the barricade was needed, cadre gave us permission to put down the barricade and prop the flag during our 5 minute break. About 90 seconds into our break (mid-pee squat thank you very much) we were ordered back into formation. Someone had put the team weight down without permission and we needed to be punished. We took turns doing military presses with our logs and our rucks. Yowzers. After that reminder no further break was given and we marched/shuffled on.

During this part of the march Remus was feeling pretty low. I was assistant troop leader at this time and I talked to him, the troop leader talked to him, the cadre talked to him, but we weren’t able to bring him around. With Remus mentally out, our formation started to suffer. The cadre of course noticed this and took away strap privileges. I didn’t even know straps were a privilege, but you sure miss them when you can’t use them. We wound up bear hugging or having our ruck up on one shoulder for about ¾ mile. Soon after we regained our strap privileges the cadre found another retention pond near the Florida Museum of Natural History (where I work) and boy was it chilly. We didn’t stay in long, but long enough to do submerged push-ups and flutter kicks. At this point Remus quit and the rest of us continued to shuffle.

We reached our next destination just as the sky was lightening, maybe close to 7am. Seeing light in the sky is such an incredible mental boost. It just confirms that we are going to make it. After a break to refill water and make adjustments, we were on to the next leg of the mission. But before the next mission our cadre led us in some morning calisthenics with our rucks as the sun came up. This was all courtesy of the Asian influence the cadre received while in the military (he spent time in Korea and Okinawa). Kettle bell swings with a 35+ pound ruck after 10 hours of work is no joke.

After calisthenics, the National Guard was in a fire fight and running out of “ammo”. The ammo consisted of 20 pounds of rocks, logs, whatever for every 2 people in the group. Even though Remus had dropped we still needed approximately 100 pounds of ammo between us. That plus the team weight plus the flag made maneuvering much more difficult. Plus, we needed to hustle because our guys were getting pinned down with no ammo. About a 1.2 mile from our destination the cadre decided we needed more team weight – a 20+ pound chunk of concrete. That weight stayed with us the rest of the challenge.

When we got to Lake Alice, a lake in the center of UF campus notorious for alligators, we threw our ammo in to the lake to see if it caused any movement. It didn’t so in we went. As we trudged into the lake all I could think of initially was the half-eaten Labrador I had seen here years ago. However, after we stirred up the water and the stench hit us, I was just hoping to not catch any flesh-eating diseases. The cadre took it pretty easy on us with some submerged push-ups and then let us out. I’m pretty sure he didn’t want the paperwork involved with one of us getting munched. We went from the lake to the Swamp, also known as Florida Field, home of the fightin’ Gators. This stadium has 90 rows and we covered them all up and down three times arm-in-arm with a buddy and our rucks still on. It was definitely a challenge this far into the mission.

After the stadium we were headed to the end when we encountered “casualties”. Two of our team had “died” and could no longer walk or carry weight. So between 7 people we were carrying 2 people, 9 rucks, 2 team weights, the flag, and a partridge in a pear tree. This was the second time that I felt I was an inadequate teammate. I could carry 2 rucks and the team weight, but didn’t think I was strong enough to carry the casualties. I’m still kicking myself for not trying.

The team trudged on for over a mile with the additional load and finally made our way back to Norman Field at 10am. In those 12 hours we had covered over 22 miles and learned a lot about ourselves. There was an incredible welcoming committee when we finished and a wife of one of the teammates brought out a camp stove and made us all pancakes. She had fruit and hard boiled eggs. The food was amazing and the kindness of everyone to come out on a Sunday morning was truly touching.

When you complete a GoRuck Challenge, you receive a can of Budweiser and a patch, but you come away with so much more than that.

FYI - for those of you interested in doing the Go-Ruck Challenge, there are two events scheduled on Okinawa this year - May 11th, and November 30th. Go to the link below to sign up:
https://www.goruck.com/events#map

Carbohydrate-Loading Before A Marathon

Jannine Myers

The Okinawa Marathon is just one week away, and you should all be in a reduced phase of training by now and ready to start carbo-loading in a few days. I realize many of you know what it means to load up on carbohydrates during the preceding days of a marathon, but some of our ladies are running their very first marathon and are relying on friends and other runners to coach them through all the various aspects of marathon training (I know I did!). Also, some of you may think that carbohydrate-loading involves eating a large pasta meal the night before the race, but ideally your last dinner meal should not be a heavy one.  

The following article, by Dimity McDowell, was published on RunnersWorld in November 2011, and it provides an easy-to-read explanation of why runners need to carbo-load before an endurance event, and how to do it. Please keep an open mind however - just as there are different schools of thought on everything from shoe preferences, to fueling recommendations, to maximum long run distances and tapering schedules, so too are there different schools of thought on how best to carbo-load.


Fill 'Er Up

By Dimity McDowell - published on RunnersWorld.com Nov 2011

Carbo-loading can help you race without hitting the wall—as long as you do it right.

Most runners know they should eat pasta, rice, potatoes, or other high-carb foods before a half or full marathon. After all, carbs are a great source of energy, and you need a lot of energy to cover 13.1 or 26.2 miles. But many runners are far less clear on how many carbohydrates they should eat and when to start loading up. "When I go to marathon expos," says Monique Ryan, R.D., author of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes, "I'm amazed how many people haven't carbo-loaded properly. Runners train so hard and then arrive with a huge handicap." Here's what every runner needs to know about carbohydrates, so you can toe the line fully fueled and ready to go.

CARB SCIENCE

When you eat a bowl of spaghetti, most of the carbs are stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver. Glycogen is your body's most easily accessible form of energy, but it's not the only source, says Ryan. During a half or full marathon you burn both glycogen and fat. But the latter is not as efficient, which means your body has to work harder to convert it into fuel.

When you run out of glycogen during a race you hit "the wall." Your body has to slow down as it turns fat into energy. Benjamin Rapoport, a 2:55 marathoner, is intimately acquainted with the wall. The Harvard M.D. student (who has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from MIT) hit the wall so hard at the 2005 New York City Marathon he decided to study how to avoid it in the future (his research was published in PLoS Computational Biology in October 2010). "Proper carbo-loading—or filling your muscles to the brim with glycogen—won't make you faster, but it will allow you to run your best and, if you race smartly, avoid the wall," he says.

CHOOSE WISELY
Which carbs should you load up on? "I'm very utilitarian," says Rapoport. "I eat rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner." But runners don't need to be so restrictive. Tortillas, oatmeal, bread, pancakes, waffles, bagels, yogurt, and juice are all easy-to-digest options. Many fruits are high in carbs but are also high in fiber—and too much can cause stomach trouble midrace. "Bananas are a low-fiber choice," says sports nutritionist Ilana Katz, R.D. "And you can peel apples, peaches, and pears to reduce their fiber content." She also gives her clients permission to indulge in white bread and baked potatoes without the skin since both are easily digested.

Ryan suggests steering clear of high-fat foods—like creamy sauces, cheese, butter, and oils—as well as too much protein. Both nutrients fill you up faster than carbs and take longer to digest, she says. Pick jam—not butter—for your toast, tomato sauce in lieu of alfredo sauce on your pasta, and frozen yogurt instead of ice cream for dessert.

HOW MUCH?
You can't completely fill your muscles with glycogen from just one meal, "which is why you should start carbo-loading two or three days before your race," says Ryan. Since you're running very few miles, the glycogen will accumulate in your muscles. At this point, 85 to 95 percent of your calories should come from carbs, says Katz. Ryan recommends eating about four grams of carbs for every pound of body weight (for a 150 pound runner that's 600 grams—or 2,400 calories—of carbs per day). During his research, Rapoport developed an even more precise formula, which runners can access at endurancecalculator.com, that factors in variables including age, resting heart rate, VO2 max, and predicted finishing time. It's important to keep in mind that you're most likely not eating many more calories per day than you were during the thick of your training—it's just that more of those calories are coming from carbs.

If you step on the scale while you're carbo-loading, be prepared to see a number that's at least four pounds more than your usual weight. The extra pounds mean you get a gold star for carbo-loading properly. "With every gram of stored carbohydrate, you store an extra three grams of water," says Katz. That means your body will be hydrated and fueled as you start the race, ensuring you cross the finish feeling strong.

EAT better: Even if you carbo-load properly, you still need to take in midrace fuel (such as sports drinks, gels, chews, and candy) to keep your energy level high.

Good Eats
A day of carbo-loading for a 150-pound runner

BREAKFAST
1 bagel with 2 tablespoons strawberry jam (71 g)
1 medium banana (27 g)
8 ounces fruit yogurt (41 g)
8 ounces orange juice (26 g)

MORNING SNACK
2 Nature Valley Oats 'n Honey
Granola Bars (29 g)
8 ounces Gatorade (14 g)

LUNCH
1 large baked potato with 1/4 cup salsa (69 g)
1 sourdough roll (40 g)
8 ounces chocolate milk (26 g)
1 large oatmeal cookie (56 g)

AFTERNOON SNACK
1 Clif Bar (42 g)
8 ounces Gatorade (14 g)

DINNER
1 chicken burrito with rice, corn salsa, and black beans (105 g)
1 2-ounce bag Swedish Fish (51 g)

CARB TOTAL 611 g

Perfect Timing
What to do before race day to ensure your tank is full

6 WEEKS BEFORE: Practice loading
Two or three days prior to your longest run, start eating more carbs and less fat and protein. "You'll get a sense of what foods agree and disagree with your stomach," says Katz.

1 WEEK BEFORE: Make a plan
"A plan is especially important if you're traveling to a race," says Ryan. Pack plenty of snacks, like sports bars, pretzels, and crackers. Check menus online and make restaurant reservations.

2 OR 3 DAYS BEFORE: Switch to carbs
From now through your race, 85 to 95 percent of your diet should be carbs. Eat after taper runs. "That is when muscles are primed to store glycogen," says Rapoport.

NIGHT BEFORE: Don't stuff yourself
Dinner should be relatively small but carb-heavy. Eat on the early side so you have lots of time to digest.
"You want to wake up race day hungry—not full from the night before," says Ryan.

RACE MORNING: Have breakfast
Three hours before the start, eat 150 grams of carbs, like a bagel and yogurt or sports drink and oatmeal, says Ryan. Early race? "Get up at 3 a.m., eat, and go back to bed," she says.

Sayonara Audrey!

Post by Anna Boom

Three fabulous years together!

A few weeks back, Jannine wrote a glowing race report on our first Okuma half-marathon (thank you, again). In it, she mentioned this is our third year of WOOT.

Wow, three years! If this was my baby, it would be able to skip and gallop (along Spider trail) and dress herself (long socks and skirts!). Yes, we have created and developed a regular Saturday morning trail run with an amazing group of women.

We started with a small group of six or so and boomed into almost 500 with anywhere from five to twenty runners on any given Saturday morning. Thinking about the women I have had the pleasure of getting to know on our runs and have who since left our paradise are many: Kathleen, Amy, Tiffany, Steph, Andrea, Stephanie, Kirsten, Jeanne, Renata, Benita, Crystal, Jessi, Lisa...and so many more.

And now another lovely friend is leaving, Audrey Naini. You may know her if run with WOOP or live around Foster. She is the “Mom pushing the two boys in the stroller, rain, wind or shine”. Always loving and kind and moving forward.

Audrey with her Sayonara doll

The other evening, I had the pleasure of meeting her running friends for a farewell dinner. Almost every running woman there told of how inspiring Audrey was. In fact, Audrey was the reason many of them began to run too. It was touching and reminded me of why WOOT was started; for women to run with other women in a friendly, social, supportive environment. I have seen amazing friendships grow, had my own group of Best Running Friends grow and move away (how could you do that, y'all?!) all from our lil ole running group.

One of the really surprising aspects of our group is that some have moved on and others eventually will, yet we continue to support each other, and even meet for adventure (Napa Valley marathon, March 3^rd!).

For Audrey, know that we will continue to support you and be your biggest cheerleaders! I know your running fan club will also stand behind and look for your continued success in life. 

All the Best in your next adventure! Come back in three years and run with WOOT/WOOP again. 

Mata (see you again in Japanese) ^_^

Anna and Audrey at our WOOT Half Marathon

Jannine and Audrey - an unofficial goodbye at a recent lunch together

Just echoing what Anna has said above, we wish you continued success with all of your goals, wherever you go, and hope that you will meet many wonderful new running friends. You touch everyone you meet with your genuine warmth and kindness, and I know you will be greatly missed by all of us who had the good fortune of meeting you. Take care, and safe travels Audrey!

Jannine

Finish Your Training Runs

Jannine Myers

Finishing your training runs could be the difference between a good race and a bad race!

I love to run, you all know that about me. But there are days when I really don't feel like running, and on those days I often try to shortcut my workouts. If, for example, I have a tempo run with warm-up and cool-down miles, I'll try to talk myself out of doing the cool-down mile. Or if I have speed intervals, I might try and tell myself that it'll be okay to do one less interval. And sometimes, I might be so weary on a long run, that I'll try to convince myself that walking the last half mile is perfectly acceptable. But as much as I want to quit my workouts early, I hardly ever do, and recently I realized that my perseverance may benefit me more than I realized.

The last race I ran was just a little over three weeks ago, our very own WOOT half marathon. Prior to that I ran the Kadena Monster Mash and Shouhashi half marathons, as well as the Risner 13k Perimeter race. All of these races were difficult for different reasons, and like every other race I have ever run, the challenge really didn't begin until near the end.

Likewise, my training runs often feel the same; the challenge lies towards the end of the run when the fatigue has set in and I have little strength to keep going. Especially during the summer months, when the heat and humidity saps every ounce of energy from my body. I'm referring specifically to the harder speed workouts and longer long runs; the easy recovery runs are, well, easy.

But getting back to racing, I clearly remember how difficult the last mile of the WOOT half marathon felt.  Such a short distance from the Okuma gate to the finish line - around the northern side of the camp to the south side - yet it seemed, in that moment, so far away. That's how it always is for me, in every race I run. The finish line is near, but because I've exhausted my glycogen stores, the end seems so far away.

After the WOOT half marathon, as I soaked my legs in the ocean, I thought about how difficult the race was. The hills were challenging, but the greatest challenge for me was fighting the discomfort I felt during the last couple of  miles. And that's when it dawned on me, that my stubborn  refusal to quit my workouts early, had actually served to make me a stronger runner.

It's obvious to me now, that my ability to persevere in the final leg of races, is a direct result of my unwillingness to negotiate on my training runs. I may not always enjoy the discomfort of finishing that last mile, or that last speed interval, but the day I start giving in and cutting myself some slack, may be the day that marks the beginning of a decline in race performance.

If I train on hills in preparation for a hilly race, or if I do long runs in preparation for a marathon, then surely it makes sense to also finish my training runs and follow them through to the very end - that's the key it seems, in preparing me to last the distance in races and finish strong.

Almost there - finish line is in sight! Risner 13k Perimeter Run Dec 2012

Side Note: I don't recommend following through with your workouts on days that you are feeling under the weather, or if you are feeling exhausted due to lack of recovery from previous workouts.

Training For A Race - But No Motivation?

Jannine Myers

Right about now, some of you are about two thirds of the way into your marathon training and struggling to stay motivated. You're not alone - many runners experience this, but if you arm yourself with a few small tricks, you can fight your way out of the slump. Here are some strategies that Anna and I, and many of our running friends, have used to help us stay motivated:

• Run with a friend, or group of friends - a) they hold you accountable because you don't want to be the  one who doesn't show up, and b) the time passes by much more quickly when you run with friends.

• Sometimes it pays to take a little time off - instead of running, do something different; go to a spin class, for example, or try a yoga class. Or zone out to some good music while exercising on an elliptical trainer or stationary bike. But don't stay away from your runs too long, just long enough to break the monotony.

• This is a great idea that came from Anna - for those long and lonely runs on your own. Is there a book you've been wanting to read but haven't had time to do so? See if it's available as an audio book and listen to it while running. And if it isn't available, browse the selection of audio books that are available and find one you might enjoy (or a good podcast).

• Give yourself incentives - reward yourself with little indulgences, such as a girls' night out, a trip to the spa for a pedicure or massage, a soak in the bathtub with some soothing bath salts and a good book,  or some good old shopping therapy. But, make yourself earn the rewards. Mark them on your calendar (on the 1st and 15th for example), and only redeem them if you have completed all your workouts.

• Surround yourself with friends who love to run, and who share similar goals. Have you ever heard of American Entrepreneur and motivational speaker, Jim Rohn? He died in 2009, but he left behind some great quotes, one of which is the following: "Tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell you who you are." He believed that our values, behaviors, passions, knowledge, skills, and habits, are directly influenced by those who are closest to us.

• Are your goals realistic? Are you training for a marathon, but don't really have the time (you're a single mom right now because your husband is deployed, or you work full-time and have family obligations when you're not working). Or are you training for a half or full marathon, when a more realistic goal would be to train first for a 5 or 10k? If your goals are unrealistic, and causing you much frustration, don't be afraid to re-evaluate and set new goals; it's much more likely that you'll stay motivated when you see some measurable progress being made.

• Finally, change up your running routine and route - seems fairly obvious but some runners actually run at the same time, on the same days, along the same routes, at the same pace - every single week!

No more excuses - just get out there and run!

Should You Run When You're Sick?

We've entered the winter season, where runners have to combat not just the cold weather elements, but also increased odds of falling ill with the flu, or flu-like symptoms. Falling ill in the middle of a training cycle is a major source of frustration, but for many runners, not reason enough to stop training! 

The following article, published on Runnersworld.com, provides great information and advice on when it's probably okay to run during illness, and when it really isn't such a great idea. 

 Article re-posted from Runnersworld.com

Runners don't like to skip workouts--even when they're ill. Here's how to decide when you should take a sick day from training.

By 

Marc Bloom;

Published November 07, 2005

Runners seem to live by a creed that's stricter than the postman's: "Neither rain, nor snow, nor sniffle, nor fever shall keep me from my training schedule." Indeed, the coming of winter presents many issues for runners who'd prefer to keep at it even when sick. Oftentimes, symptoms aren't severe enough to make you stay in bed, home from work, or off the roads. And while exercise can give you a mental and physical boost when you're feeling run-down, there are other occasions when going for a run may do more harm than good.

David Nieman, Ph.D., who heads the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University, and has run 58 marathons and ultras, uses the "neck rule." Symptoms below the neck (chest cold, bronchial infection, body ache) require time off, while symptoms above the neck (runny nose, stuffiness, sneezing) don't pose a risk to runners continuing workouts.

This view is supported by research done at Ball State University by Tom Weidner, Ph.D., director of athletic training research. In one study, Weidner took two groups of 30 runners each and inoculated them with the common cold. One group ran 30 to 40 minutes every day for a week. The other group was sedentary. According to Weidner, "the two groups didn't differ in the length or severity of their colds." In another study, he found that running with a cold didn't compromise performance. He concluded that running with a head cold--as long as you don't push beyond accustomed workouts--is beneficial in maintaining fitness and psychological well-being.

But, doctors say, you still walk, or run, a fine line. Take extra caution when training with anything worse than a minor cold because it can escalate into more serious conditions affecting the lower respiratory tract and lungs. Sinus infection, or sinusitis, is an inflammation of the sinus cavity that affects 37 million Americans each year. Symptoms include runny nose, cough, headache, and facial pressure. With a full-blown sinus infection, you rarely feel like running. But if you do, consider the 72-hour rule of Jeffrey Hall Dobken, M.D.: "No running for three days," advises the allergist/immunologist and ultramarathoner in Little Silver, New Jersey. Even without the presence of a fever, says Dr. Dobken, some sinus infections, when stressed by exercise, can lead to pneumonia or, in extreme cases, respiratory failure.

Not surprisingly, winter weather increases risk of sinusitis. In dry air, the nasal passages and mouth lose moisture, causing irritation. "The sinuses need time to recover," says Dr. Dobken, "just like a knee or foot." So Dr. Dobken recommends including treadmill running in your winter training regimen.

Another option for sinusitis sufferers is pool running. "The water adds moisture to nasal passages," says John J. Jacobsen, M.D., an allergist in Mankato, Minnesota. Pool running is preferable to swimming, says Dr. Jacobsen, because chlorine can be irritating to the nose.

If you're still in doubt about whether it's safe to run or not, take your temperature. If it's above 99 degrees, skip your run. "Some people think that they can 'sweat out' a fever by running," says Nieman. "That's wrong. Running won't help your immune system fight the fever."

Nieman saw this firsthand when his running partner once ran a marathon with a 101-degree fever. Soon after, the runner developed severe and persistent symptoms similar to those of chronic fatigue syndrome. "Every day he'd wake up feeling creaky and arthritic," says Nieman. "When he tried to run, he'd stumble and fall." Eventually doctors concluded he had a "postviral syndrome," a latent condition that was exacerbated by the race.

Although this syndrome is rare, it's an example of the risk you take by running while ill. "Running with a fever makes the fever and flu-like symptoms worse," says Nieman, "and it can lead to other complications." During exercise, your heart pumps a large amount of blood from your muscles to your skin, dissipating the heat your body generates. If you have a fever, your temperature will rise even higher, and your heart will be put under greater strain to keep your temperature from soaring. In some cases, this can produce an irregular heartbeat. Also, a virus can cause your muscles to feel sore and achy; exercising when your muscles are already compromised could lead to injury.

Nieman recommends that runners with a fever or the flu hold off until the day after the symptoms disappear--and then go for a short, easy run. Runners should wait one to two weeks before resuming their pre-illness intensity and mileage. Otherwise, you risk a relapse, he says.

Above all, obey your body and the thermometer--not your training program.

Know Your Limits

How much running can compromise your immune system to the point of making you sick? For average runners, the dividing line seems to be 60 miles a week, according to David Nieman, Ph.D., of the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University. Nieman conducted the largest study ever done on this question by examining 2,300 runners who competed in the 1987 Los Angeles Marathon. "The odds of getting sick were six times higher than normal after the marathon," says Nieman, "and those who ran 60 miles a week or more doubled their chance of getting sick." The illnesses were of the upper respiratory tract, including sinus infections. Nieman says there's no doubt these findings are still applicable to runners today. He's also used himself as a test case: When Nieman trained up to 90 miles a week, he constantly battled sore throats. When he dropped his weekly mileage below 60, the symptoms stopped.

WOOT's First Half Marathon - Race Report

Jannine Myers

It's been almost three years since WOOT was formed, and since then we've grown from a small group of women who used to meet every weekend at Yuimaru carpark, to a Facebook membership of almost five hundred. Granted, not all of our Facebook members are actively running with us, but every weekend, as we prepare to put in some miles together, we continue to welcome both familiar and new faces. This was always Anna's vision - to see our group grow, but more so, to see our group run together, race together, and bond together. I think it's fairly obvious by now that her vision has been realized, and more recently, another vision of hers came to fruition.

Last weekend, to mark the end of another great year of WOOT bonding and running, we headed north to Okuma to run our very own half marathon. Just as she did three years ago, when she presented me with her plans to form a women's running group, Anna once again ran her idea past me, only this time asking me what I thought about WOOT hosting a women's-only half marathon. My initial response was admittedly a little  apathetic, although I was definitely on board with supporting the effort if Anna decided to follow through with it. Then, as the weeks drew nearer to the event, and more women began to show interest, it was hard not to  feel just a little excited.

The weeks leading up to the half marathon were fairly chaotic; we all had holiday happenings going on, as well as races to run, and also our WOOT christmas gift exchange in the midst of it all. But behind the scenes,  the route was being carefully mapped out to ensure that an exact distance of 13.1 miles would be covered. Emails were also being swapped with details of supplies needed, how many volunteers and aid stations would be needed, who would be able to help set up the night before and the morning of, and other minor essentials. It's surprising how many things need to be considered when organizing an event like this, but not surprisingly, Anna did a great job of recognizing all that needed to be done. With the help of a great team of volunteers, it wasn't too difficult to make this event a success.

At 8am, on Saturday 29th December, we gathered around the starting area for a short pre-race brief. The weather was amazing, and everyone was in great spirits, all ready and eager to run what we were hoping would turn out to be a beautiful course. Anna gave us a description of the route, and mile markers to look out for, and at approximately 8:30am we started running. Miles one through three were flat and fast, and we reached the first aid station at our first turn, off route 58. The Morales family (and my Jade, who ditched her dad so she could hang with some kids instead), were enthusiastically waiting with refreshments. Anna and I weren't thirsty, but the sight of smiling kids holding out drink cups for us was too precious to ignore.

Making sure everyone had numbers on their arms 

Pre-race brief

Our sweet little helpers at Aid Station 1 - Anna and I stop for a quick drink

After a quick drink and high fives, it was time to face our first incline. We headed upwards for a half mile or so, but then it was downhill again and a right turn onto flat roads once more. Now we were running in a small rural neighborhood, with just a few homes around and pleasantly quiet. Another shift of gears, and I picked up the pace for about a mile or so, until I reached the next aid station where our volunteers, Ivette Kragel and Antonia Sautter, greeted me with their beautiful smiles and positive words of encouragement.

Antonia and Ivette - the best volunteers ever! So supportive - and, entertaining!

Encouragement! That's exactly what I needed at that moment, because as I turned the corner to start the next two miles towards the halfway point, I saw nothing but a big old mountain in front of me! I thought the hill I climbed in the Shouhashi half marathon a couple of months ago was a killer hill, but that was nothing compared to the monster that stood facing me.

Check that out!

Upwards and onwards, and a winding road that was so steep at times that I'm sure my run could easily have  been mistaken for a walk by anyone who might have been watching. I must have looked at my garmin at least a half dozen times, only to be disappointed, as I realized with each glance that I had moved forward by maybe only a tenth of a mile. Seeing my husband at the halfway point, at the top of the hill, was a welcome sight, not just because I was glad to see his face, but because this also marked the turn-around point and the start of some downhill running.

Kim O'Byrne just a couple of feet away from the turn-around point

The last three miles, although flat, were by no means easy. This part of the course was back on the 58 headed north towards Okuma, and there was no longer any shade covering from the trees. My energy reserves were almost depleted, and I was sweating quite profusely by this stage. Going through the gate at Okuma was one of those bitter-sweet moments where it felt great to almost be done, but painful to have to  run one more mile around the resort, before reaching the start/finish line. Once I did cross the finish line however, I relished the feeling of having successfully completed another half marathon, and this one was by far, one of the most difficult I've done.

As all the ladies, one by one, crossed the finished line, it was clear from the looks on their faces that they were all so proud of what they had just done. And they deserved to be; a half marathon the likes of what they had just completed is no simple feat. But beyond the feeling of pride, I suspect that the joy we all felt that day was mostly due to the camaraderie that was experienced.

Jennifer Green - happy to see her little guy waiting for her at the finish

Valerie Patmore - big smiles as she crosses the finish line

In the old testament of the bible, there are some verses which infer that two or more people together, stand a better chance of overcoming obstacles than when they attempt to overcome them on their own (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). These verses, I believe, can be taken out of the realm of a Christian context and applied to virtually any life situation.

What I think we all witnessed last weekend was an example of what these verses teach. As difficult as it was to run a course that included two miles of steep climbing, we all cheered each other on, and our volunteers helped to provide the extra reassurance we all needed. My point though, is that what we are capable of accomplishing in our own strength, can often be multiplied when we act on the encouragement and support of others. Besides just being a women's running group, that's essentially what WOOT is about.

Nice job Shonna Calisi

Some good old WOOT bonding! Anna Boom and Audrey Naini

Not a single runner failed to finish the course, and not a single runner left before the last runner finished. That to me, was the icing on the cake, and the thing that made our first half marathon a great success!

Finishers' Medal

We did it! Congratulations ladies!

Congratulations Anna - I hope this will become an annual WOOT race.

Photos by Erik Myers, Jim Blankenmeier, Alexis Knutsen, Monica Galvan, and Ivette Kragel