Triathletes Need Trail Too

Post contributed by Anna Boom

Interested in trying something new and different from your 5/10/42.2km  races? Ever thought of perhaps trying a triathlon, which has the fun of the run but also the challenge of a swim and bike? Here on Okinawa, there are a few, easy triathlons for you to dip your toe into before diving in. (If you are the kind who dives in, keep reading too.)

The triathlon comes in many different distances:
Sprint (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run)
Olympic (1.5 km swim, 40km bike, 5km run),
Ironman (3.8km swim, 180 km bike, 42.2 km run)
Hodgepodge, which are the MCCS races

Some of the races you will find are:
MCCS triathlons-Courtney Tri (April), Hansen Tri (mid June), Kinser Tri (mid July)
These races run about $20 for early registration and $30 for those of us who don't plan as well as others.

Amy having fun out on the Hansen Tri course



Anna pacing herself - and good thing she did as she won the Hansen Tri last month

And Okinawa races:
Ishigaki: Olympic distance, held on beautiful Ishigaki island. This is split into two events. One is the family race for folks like you and I. The other starts later in the afternoon and is an ITU World Cup event. The pros come out and race this and to watch them is awe-inspiring. You can't imagine how smooth they are until you see them race in person.

Ayahashi: Olympic distance, except the run is 10km, over and back on the Ayahashi bridge. Held in July (Hot!)

Izena: this is 88km-2km swim, 66km bike, 20km run and is held on the beautiful island of Izena. You must take the ferry and stay over one or two nights.  It happens every late Sept or early Oct (also still hot, especially the run course).

Miyako: near-Ironman distance and is held on beautiful Miyako island in April.

All the Okinawa races have different registration fees and may be a shock as the price is much higher than on-base races.

Running trail with WOOT helps you with any type of race goal you have: finishing your first or fiftieth triathlon, winning the next 5km road race or just keeping up with your kids.  Consider using your weekly WOOT run as part of any training plan, whether trying a tri or continuing on your running journey.

Acupuncture -if you dare!

This post contributed by ANNA BOOM and previously published on Okinawahai.com in March 2011

Needles, needles and more needles.
Acupuncture, oh my!

Recently, my running friend mentioned acupuncture helped her knee pain. Then another friend tried it for her glute/hamstring pain, another for plantar fascitis. And then an article in one of my favorite magazines popped up on acupuncture.

Like many of you, I have heard of acupuncture and known it is all about needles but I wanted to find out more. Onto to the research then…

Since moving here to Okinawa wonderland, I’ve been interested in more eastern leaning therapies. I tried acupuncture once way, way back for some forgotten pain and I guess it worked. I forgot about the pain, right?

Although I don’t have any specific pain, one article I read on Today.com website (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/33100448/ns/today-green/) caught my eye: an Alternative to Botox. What?!

This newer procedure spoke, no, screamed attention, to my vain inner self. Poke me with a few needles and wrinkles disappear? This is not quite the claim of facial acupuncture, but after a series of 10 – 12 sessions, it will help soften wrinkles.

I contacted my friends and found the acupuncturist for me at Tokyo Acupuncture.

What makes Urasaki-san at Tokyo Acupuncturist the acupuncturist for me? He speaks English well. This is vital for me in any type of sticking-needles-into-my-body sort of fashion. He has been doing this for 16 years too.

I called him up on Monday morning and set up my first appointment for Wednesday afternoon.

After arriving, Urasaski san asked me why I was there, if there was any pain I was experiencing. I explained that I was there for facial acupuncture and also that my lower back was a little tight.

After filling out a short informational sheet with name and such, I lay down and he began to swab alcohol on certain points on my hands. Then, he went on to insert 24 needles into various points in my body around the hands, elbows, feet and knees, all starting with the alcohol swab. He was also sure to show me he uses only new needles.

The sensation was a bit painful in some places, like near my ring toe on my left foot. Other places, it didn’t hurt at all.

Now onto my face and the main reason I was there. For wrinkles and relaxation, needles are inserted into the face. According to Chinese medicine, we have meridians that run through the body. The needle helps release blocked chi or qi and help energy flow.  

He inserted needles around my laugh lines (I really need to smile and laugh less) and a few around my forehead. I don’t yet have pronounced mommy worry lines (maybe because my kids are still toddlers-give me about 10 more years and check back) so not many in that area.  

Then, relax. Easy.

After a short amount of time, he came and took out all the needles and massaged my face. If you’ve ever had a facial, it is nothing like that at all. It was more like holding your fingers on a certain area until it relaxed and felt very nice.

Last step, he had me check in the mirror and I admit, it did soften my lines. Was it due to the irritation of getting pricked with many needles? Perhaps, but I liked it.

To get to Tokyo Acupuncture: Drive out Kadena Gate 2. Go through the Koza intersection. Pass the police station and the first traffic light. At the second light, turn left. Turn right at the 6^th intersection. It will have a yellow flashing caution light hanging in the middle of the road. Almost immediately, on your left you will see a red sign that has Tokyo written in cursive. The rest of the sign is in kanji. Immediately past that sign is the acupuncture clinic. The sign will read in English, “lower back, pain massage, acupuncture.” Parking is under the clinic. Take the stairs that lead up to the office.

Hours: 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday

Phone: 098 939-8551

Want to run faster?

In a previous post I mentioned how fortunate we are to have such a diverse group of women with various gifts and talents to offer. Stephanie Shimkus is one of our gifted members who is not only an exceptionally talented athlete (having played beach volleyball on the semi-pro circuit), but she is also a qualified sports massage therapist and RRCA certified running coach. While we don't have the good fortune of having her here in Okinawa with us, she is still able to share much of her knowledge from afar. I asked Stephanie if she would write a post for us on the benefits of speedwork and she kindly obliged:  

Speedwork.   Just saying the word often conjures up images of the women’s world marathon record holder, Paula Radcliffe, knocking out 5:15 mile repeats eight to ten times in a single session, or Roger Bannister’s late night track workouts of 20 – 400 meter repeats on his way to the world’s first sub 4-minute mile (Bannister eventually set the record of 3:59).  The good news here is that speedwork does not have to be scary, intimidating nor does it even have to be overly scientific.

The Swedes had it right when they coined the term “Fartlek” in the 1930’s.  For new runners, the word fartlek sounds a little like a swear word and often causes some giggles (go ahead and giggle…you know you want to).  The word fartlek, simply means, “speed play.”  In its most organic form, Swedes simply disappeared into the mountains on cross country ski trails and ran as hard as they could from say, a rock to a tree 100m away or perhaps from a creek to a large landmark of their choosing some distance away.  In between these hard efforts, runners would jog until they felt like running hard again.  Not very scientific or scary, right?  Speedwork really can be that simple.

Speedwork has several different benefits.  The simplest is that you become a faster runner.  Maybe you’re a 5K runner and you would like to develop faster leg turnover.  Or you’re a half marathon gal and you are looking to develop a faster constant pace, then speedwork is for you.  Without getting too scientific, speedwork also teaches your body how to run hard by causing change within the body’s energy systems which in turn develops our bodies into faster and more efficient machines. 

Training your body to run fast is also good for your brain.  Your brain has a pretty strong survival mechanism.  The brain’s first instinct will be to send signals to the rest of your body to tell you to stop, that it is uncomfortable to run hard so you should stop.  Speedwork teaches you how to override that mechanism so you can run no matter how hard the workout.  Additionally, speedwork can be very tough so in doing these hard workouts, you are developing mental toughness so you walk away saying, “heck yeah!  I’m one tough lady!”  Now who doesn’t want to walk away from a workout feeling like a super star?

So now you’ve decided that you definitely want to feel like a super star after your next run.  Where do you begin?  If you are new to speedwork, I would suggest trying fartleks which are basically simple interval training – running hard for a bit then jogging for a bit.  Then you can evolve into running hard at perhaps 80% maximum effort (your effort, not your running partner’s effort or your significant other’s effort) for 30 seconds followed by 60 seconds to two minutes of jogging, continuing that pattern for as many repetitions as you feel necessary. 

Setting out on a fartlek run; Stephanie uses her garmin as a timer

If you have tried fartleks and intervals on a few runs and would like to tackle the track, then there are many options.  Don’t panic just because I have mentioned the word, “track.”  What you do on the track (and in any speedwork), depends on the race distance for which you are training.  If training for a 5K, then 4-400 meter intervals might be appropriate.  A half marathon?  Then mile repeats (4 times around an Olympic-sized track like the ones found at many high schools or college campuses) are something to consider. 

One of my favorite track workouts is Yasso’s 800.  Named after Bart Yasso of “Runner’s World Magazine” fame and known as, “the Ambassador of running,” this simple but potent workout is fun, challenging and always leaves me starving for at least a full 24 hours after!  It works like this: warm up for one mile (this can be done on or off the track) then move right into 800 meter intervals which is two laps around an Olympic track at a steady pace then follow this by a 1-lap jog (I like to call this part, “the old lady shuffle”) and immediately back into the next 800 meter interval.  Each interval is to be done slightly faster than the one before.  Usually those who are new to this workout should start at six intervals of 800 meters.  For those experienced runners, do no more than ten.  Then I follow this with a 1 mile cooldown which can be done on or off the track.

Let me repeat this again, speedwork does not have to be something to fear!  It’s a valuable gauge of your aerobic conditioning, a great way to amp up your running, and if you’re one who likes mental challenges, then running hard for a specific period of time is right up your alley!  So let’s do as the Swedes have been doing for years, get outside and enjoy the view.  And while you’re at it, run some fartleks.  Of course you can laugh because the word is funny.  You might be even be surprised that a good laugh at the word combined with actually doing a few fartleks might leave you feeling like a super star!



Steph warms her client up with some leg strengthening drills




Strong legs help make a stronger runner

Thank you Steph for a great post! Remember, if you're new to running and have not yet incorporated  speedwork into your regular running routine, be sure to follow Stephanie's recommendations and ease into it slowly. And please, do not attempt to do any speedwork if you are still recovering from an injury. Now get out there and try those fartleks!

Naha Marathon

With less than five months to go until the Naha marathon takes place, we wanted to re-post some information about this popular race. Registrations will begin any time now and if you're interested in signing up, you'd better not dwell on your decision too long; this race is extremely popular and fills up very quickly.

The following post was published in okinawahai.com last year and was written by Anna Boom:
 

Did anyone notice the huge group of 25,000 people hanging out around the Asahibashi Park this past Sunday? It was the 26^th annual Naha marathon. A little history: This “Festival of Sun, Ocean and Joggers” started in 1985 as a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the sister city bond between Naha and Honolulu (www.naha-marathon.jp/en/info/index.html).



Runners waiting for the starting bell to gong

This is the first year that the entrants were limited to 25,000. This race also closed very quickly. Race entry started on August 2^nd and was full by August 13^th. Twenty five thousand people had registered in just 12 days! Even with the 5500 yen in hand, you could not run the 26.2 mile course.

My friends and I decided to pace our good friend Andrea for the last six miles of the race. For those of you who have run marathons before, you may remember that right around 20 miles your body has finally convinced your brain that you are an idiot for being out here and running 26.2 miles. Who in his/her right mind would do this?!! Why am I out here?! I hate running! These are some of the wonderfully depressing thoughts that hit around some point in your marathon (hopefully somewhere after the midway point). That is why having support out there while you are running a marathon is very, very helpful and why running marathons on Okinawa is so wonderful (more on that for a future article).

The Naha marathon course is beautiful. It starts at 9 am at the Asahibashi park, which is on your left as you are driving to the airport, right behind that tree house restaurant. It then goes through downtown Naha on Kokusai dori, loops down through Haebaru town and Gushikomi Junction.

The half way point is at Peace Prayer Park. If you have never been before, come back with a car full of friends and family and properly dressed and showered. It is a definite must on Okinawa. Now back to the marathon; here at Peace Prayer Park, you get many port-a-potty options if you need and overhead run-under sprinklers to cool you down.

Hitting the half way point can be entirely intoxicating. You made it half way and you are hopefully feeling great. You ran up, up and up to get here, there are many, many people here cheering you on even though they don’t know you and will never see you again. Kids want to give you a high five; you are riding the endorphin high and are a superstar!

Soon the course goes through Itoman and up to Tomigusuku. At the Ahagon crossing, the 33.1 Km point, where we met our runner, Andrea, there is only 9 kms left. That is less than 10 Km, something positive to keep in mind. The rest of the run is pleasant. People are waiting to cheer you on and offer you food, water, mikan (little tangerines), salt, umeboshi (salted plums that are so yum), chu-chus (frozen sugar pops, also yum), Aquarius, sponges, ice, etc.

Notice I said pleasant, not easy. This is a full marathon after all, 26.2 miles or 42.195 Kilometers. At some point, every runner hurts during the race. You need to keep running, one foot in front of the other. Don’t count the miles, the kilometers or the pace. Just go with what you feel. All along the Naha course there are taiko drummers, school bands playing, happy people, Eisa dancers, wishing you the best with cheers of GAMBARE or GAMBATTE (do your best!). The end of the marathon ends in the Asahibashi stadium. Yes, there is a lap that must be run so sprint it out to the end.



With our runner, Andrea, as she holds up her finisher's certificate

Andrea, our runner, did not achieve her PR or personal record this year, but Okinawa City marathon is coming up on February 20^th.

If you are interested in entering any of the marathons or races on Okinawa, use the website sportsentry.ne.jp but keep in mind that you will probably require the assistance of a Japanese friend or acquaintance.

End note: Andrea ended up running the Okinawa City marathon a couple of months later and finished with a Boston qualifying time, and also tied for third place in the foreign women's division.

WOOT says farewell to Kathleen

I read a Dr. Seuss quote recently which made me think of friends who have been a blessing and inspiration in our lives, but who sadly, have either moved on and left us or are getting ready to say goodbye and leave us. One such friend is a favorite and much-loved WOOT member, Kathleen Lennard, who has been with WOOT since the beginning and who has played a significant role in building our membership.

Dr. Seuss said, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

One of the things I love most about our group is that we love, we care, we laugh and we cry, but at the end of the day we also accept that change is inevitable and we're okay with that. It's okay because there is a strength that permeates throughout our group and enables us to focus on the great and memorable moments, rather than the fact that those moments have passed and will be no more.

Many of our most memorable WOOT moments have Kathleen at the very heart of them, simply because she has attended almost every run and social event since WOOT was founded. And because of the many ways in which Kathleen has contributed to the growth and positive climate of our group, I wanted to post some parting comments from a few of our long-standing members who wish her all the very best in her future endeavors.

Me: A week ago I gave Kathleen a fairly unattractive-looking coffee mug with a "Search and Rescue" emblem on it - in hindsight it was rather an odd and silly gift, especially as the symbolism behind it wasn't immediately understood. But what I was really trying to convey to Kathleen, is that the "Search and Rescue" emblem on the mug reminded me of some of the earlier days when WOOT was still getting off the ground; Kathleen would always be the one who would head back out to the trails or farm roads to look for lost runners. That's the kind of person she is; always concerned for others and willing to sacrifice her own time and enjoyment to make sure everyone is accounted for and safe. I hope it makes sense now Kathleen :)


Kathleen and I showing off our new "greeters" fan

Anna Boom: Kathleen Lennard has been the heart of WOOT. She is the woman who invites every single woman she knows or sees, no matter if she knows them or not. Without Kathleen, we would not have 220 of our 230 members.



Anna and Kathleen - early WOOT days

Tiffany Powell: Kathleen has a positive, enthusiastic attitude towards running that she shares with her WOOT friends. It is through these characteristics and her outgoing personality that she is also able to recruit new WOOT runners. Kathleen is a valuable member of WOOT that will be missed.



Tiffany and Kathleen goofing around


Andrea Kaltenbaugh: Kathleen’s energy and friendliness will be missed at WOOT. She puts newcomers at ease, and greets them warmly in the morning before a run. She often arrives to WOOT runs with a van full of ladies. She genuinely cares about each runner and often makes sure that no one gets lost on a run.



Tiffany, Kathleen, and Andrea - always smiling!


Amy Stewart: Kathleen embodies WOOT because she doesn't let anything stop her. Broken toe in Mongolia for a trail marathon? No problem. Unbearable abdominal pain for half of the 60K in New Zealand? Easy peasy. Don't let the kind, outgoing smile fool you. Inside, Kathleen is a warrior!




Amy captured this photo of Kathleen at this year's Okinawa Marathon - this is at mile 19 and Kathleen is still smiling!

WOOT WOOT Kathleen, and sayonara! You will be missed but I'm sure that some of us will cross paths with you again, and when that encounter occurs, I won't be surprised if it's on some Coronado trail with you at the helm of a great group of girls who call themselves WOOT in SoCal.

Get Your Running Skirts On

Last week I had a request from one of our WOOT members to write up a post on running skirts and more specifically, where to buy them. I have been running in skirts for a couple of years now but I must admit that my initial thoughts about them were somewhat cynical. I thought they were cute, but I couldn't see myself running in a skirt without feeling a little self-conscious. I'm glad however that I eventually gave in to peer pressure and tried one on, because the skirts I now own have become a favorite addition to my running wardrobe.

The following information is limited to what I believe are probably the top three running skirt brands, but I know some of you run in other brands so please comment below if you have a preference other than those listed:

1. Runningskirts.com - these are my personal favorites, mostly because they are extremely light and comfortable, and they seem to be flattering on most body types. Runningskirts.com also introduces new patterns and colors every season so there is always a wide range to choose from.

There are two main styles: RS (running skirt), and AS (athletic skirt). The RS skirts are made with a brief underneath, while the AS skirts are made with loose compression-type shorts underneath and a slightly longer inseam. I prefer the RS skirts as I don't like shorts rubbing against my legs, but the AS skirts seem to be more popular. Winter skirts are also available (these are made with capris underneath).

RS skirts cost $58; AS skirts cost $68; Capri skirts cost $72 - some styles are sold by Runningwarehouse.com and can be purchased at a lesser cost if you use our WOOT discount. Runningskirts.com used to sell their old stock at greatly reduced prices, but I have not seen any skirt sales recently - still, it might pay to check out their website from time to time (I bought several of my skirts at sale prices).




Spring/summer collection 2011

 



Spring/summer collection 2011


2. Skirtsports.com - this company is in direct competition with Runningskirts.com. but sets itself apart by marketing a range of skirts suitable for multiple sports. It's difficult for me to comment on the comfort and fit of these skirts as I don't own one, but I have heard positive reports about them. Visit their website to view the great range of skirts they have available; skirt prices are between $42 and $90.




Marathon Girl Ultra




Girl Racer

3. Athleta.com - Athleta.com sells really cute, bright-colored running skirts (or skorts actually), and the prices seem to range between $40 and $60. I love the patterns and colors of Athleta skorts, but the skorts I have purchased in the past have felt heavier than my RS skirts and I personally like clothing and shoes that feel light. If you don't mind a slightly heavier fabric however, these skorts run a little cheaper and they are super cute.




Swift Zip Skort



Printed Chase Skort

Most major sports brands also sell their own range of sports or running skirts and occasionally you can find some cute Nike running skirts at the Risner Pro Sports Shop on Kadena, or alternatively, you can find a greater variety of Nike running skirts at the Nike stores located in most of the major shopping malls here in Okinawa.

For more online shopping options, here are some that I have used in the past (make sure you do a search for running skirts once you enter the site):

Amazon.com
Altrec.com
Roadrunnersports.com
Zappos.com
Movingcomfort.com

I know some of our WOOT ladies are running with skirt brands other than those listed above, so please leave a comment on what your favorite brand of running skirt is and where you bought it from - thank you!

Note: keep watching for a future post on running accessories

Summer Break Survival for WOOT Moms

It's official: school is out and summer break has begun! You're either celebrating right now because you enjoy hot summer days at home with the kids, or more than likely you're dreading the days ahead and wondering how you're going to keep those hairs on your head from prematurely graying.

Last summer I signed my girls up in various sports clinics. My oldest daughter is capable of finding her own sources of entertainment during the summer but I still like to insist that she add some type of physical activity into the mix of her busy social agenda. My younger daughter on the other hand is one of those kids who cannot stand to stay indoors for more than a couple of hours at a time; I'm doomed if I don't have a busy schedule lined up for her.



Jade at tennis lessons on Kadena



Truthfully though, I don't always enjoy driving my kids from place to place, or sitting in uncomfortably hot weather while waiting for swimming or tennis lessons to be done with, but it beats having rebounding arguments with a seven year old who won't quit complaining. I'd rather give up my own plans and daily routine if it results in less whining, less arguing, and ultimately less stress. There are other positives too: I get to enjoy uninterrupted reading time while waiting for lessons to end, or socialize with other moms to break the monotony of being around "little people"  all day, and of course no one can argue that playing a sport isn't good for kids. But perhaps the greatest benefit is that my youngest daughter is usually too worn out to recognize the presence of boredom on those few occasions when we are sitting at home with no plans for the day.



Exhausted - woohoo, mission accomplished!

 Below are some summer sports activities you can enquire about:

1. Kadena Youth Sports is offering the following sports clinics:

• Volleyball - Ages 9 and up
• Baseball - Ages 5 to 12
• Soccer - Ages 9 and up
• The First Tee: 9 Core Values of Golf - Ages 8 and up
• Cheer - Ages 5 and up
• Ultimate Frisbee - Ages 9 and up

Registration for these clinics began on June 1st. Phone 634-1384 for further information.



Jade playing soccer - one of her favorite sports



Chantal at volleyball camp - hosted by Kadena High School

2. Kadena Youth Center is offering summer dance camps:

• Ages 5-6
  20-24 June &
  27 June-1 July
• Ages 7-18
  5-9 July &
  11-15 July

Registration for these camps has begun; phone 634-0500 for further information


Jade getting her hip hop on

 3.Both Kadena and MCCS Aquatics are offering swimming lessons this summer; registration for lessons can be done online at:

• kadenaforcesupport.com/outdoor/aquatics.html
• mccsokinawa.com/learntoswim

Jade patiently waiting for her turn on the dive board

4. Taiyo Golf Club is offering Junior Golf Clinics starting June 28th:

• June 28 - July 1, July 12 - 15, July 26 -29, & August 2 - 5
• Ages 5 - 9:  8 to 10am
• Ages 10 - 17: 1 to 3pm

Ph. 622-2004 for further information or to sign up 

5. Kadena Tennis Center is offering summer tennis clinics:

$75 Adults and children ages 5 and older
  (10 one-hour sessions)               

• Class Schedules (Monday - Friday)
  Session I • 11 - 22 July
  Session II • 25 July - 5 August
  Session III • 8 - 19 August

Ph. 959-0675 for further information.

If you know of other sports our kids can participate in this summer please comment below. Oh, and in case you're wondering if I'm one of those moms who pushes my kid into doing a sport she does not enjoy, I can assure you that I'm not. Anyone who knows little Jade knows that she LOVES to try any sport - if it involves being outdoors and around other kids she'll be the first one in line saying, "Sign me up, I'm in!" And I'm usually right behind her with a pen in hand, breathing a huge sigh of relief.......