From The Top

By Lewis Reddoch 

Welcome Pensacola Runners

Can you believe that 2014 is knocking on the door? This has been a terrific year for the sport of running and walking. We have embraced great times with the success of the Pensacola Beach Run, the Fiesta 10K/5K and many more PRA events.  We had a fabulous membership social and our membership has grown.  We collectively mourned the tragedy at the Boston Marathon.  We have encouraged and supported members who have overcome adversities and kept on running. We have a brand-new website that is light years ahead of the old one.  Check it out soon at our same URL of www.pensacolarunners.com.  There you will find lots of information, pictures and our popular race calendar.

Be sure that you register or volunteer for the Pensacola Beach Run on January 11th.  How unique is it to run a Half Marathon or a "pick your distance" 10K/5K on beautiful Santa Rosa Island?  I promise you that you don't want to miss this one.  The Jim Harrington Award will be presented as well as the Grand Prix awards.  NOW is the time if you wish to nominate someone for the Harrington Award.

Thank you so much to all of our members.  If you are not current in your dues, please renew now.  We are a non-profit organization that gives back to the community in many ways, so your support is monumental.

Please enjoy your Rundown and be safe out there.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

Lewis

by Corey Dell

It has reached that time of year where the temperature can be very fickle. Lately, it has been 68 degrees one day and 38 degrees the next, which can be frustrating when trying to stick to your regular workout routine. Here are a few tidbits before you head out the door on your running journey.

Most importantly, pay attention to the temperature. Wardrobe mishaps can often happen just because we do not pay attention to the weather outside. If the temperatures are frigid, dress in thin, warm clothing. The preferred form of clothing will be items that contain polypropylene, which removes sweat from your body, while cotton has a tendency to hold on to sweat.

Did you know that 40% of your body heat is lost through your head? So don't forget to cover it up.  Also, do not overdress. It is great to dress in layers, but once your body starts moving, you will definitely warm up. 

Finally, it is very important to remember your hydration. The misconception is that I do not need to drink water because I am not sweating.  This is completely false. Hydration is important for all body functions. Dehydration can cause exhaustion, muscle fatigue and cramps, no matter what the temperature is outside. So, have a happy holiday and tis' the season to be healthy from the Healthy Lives Team!!

Corey Dell From Healthy Lives

TriGulfCoast 

Strength In Confidence

By Alex Bell

So many people tend to focus on the physical aspect of endurance sports.  We set out training schedules, log our volume and intensity, and proudly display medals commemorating our accomplishments.  All are tangible things that when boiled down represent our physical strengths and their journey of improvement.  Rightfully so, this tendency leads people to think that out on a race course, the strongest athletes are the ones that finish at the front of the pack.  However, more and more people are becoming aware that the mental aspect of training and racing is just as important as the physical aspect.

As a triathlete I've been self-diagnosed as having a type-A personality, and starting out in the sport I took everything as a competition.  Training runs were all hard, bike rides

So what does this all really mean? First, you have to accept that overnight success doesn't happen for the general population in endurance sport. Secondly, the vast majority of your training should be conversational efforts - if you can't talk to your running buddy because you're out of breath then slow it down.  That cute runner coming the other way can't tell the difference in your pace and neither can the cars on the busy road you run along.  

Just know that while running the appropriately slow pace won't in and of itself make you faster, you will have the opportunity to run more, and THAT will make you faster.  If you keep getting injured or burn out, try dialing it back. Listen to your body when it says it doesn't like what you're doing.

So next time you're at a race remember that while the front of the pack may be finishing the fastest, there's plenty of strong athletes in the rest of the pack.

Dom Risola Triumphs

At Ironman Florida

by Charles Gheen

The suffering in the Ironman World Championship at Kailua Kona, Hawaii has made a vivid impression on many millions of television viewers over the years. There are the amazing and legendary successes as well, but always there is the suffering as the athletes struggle against the heat, the wind and the unyielding distance of 140.6 miles.

 

It starts with 2.4 miles of open-water swimming followed by 112 miles of bicycling and THEN you run a marathon (26.2 miles). Even the professional athletes struggle against this daunting test. It's a race of endurance and survival as the competitors experience a variety of mental, physical and emotional challenges. The Ironman courses around the globe vary in swimming conditions, temperature, altitude, terrain, wind and humidity, but they all have two principal things in common - the distance and the suffering.

 

Ironman Florida in Panama City Beach is thought to be one of the "easier" ironman courses. The Gulf of Mexico usually cooperates with very swimmable conditions, the bike and run courses are flat and the weather conditions are usually moderate in early November. At 6:45 AM on Saturday November 2nd, Gulf Breeze's Dom Risola stood on the shoreline in the midst of 3200 other athletes listening to announcements and waiting for the national anthem to be played.

 

Dom (who was 39 years old on race day) had moved to Northwest Florida in 2008 with his wife and children. In 2011 he took up triathlon, trained with the Mere Mortals group on Pensacola Beach and was completely hooked on the sport. In November of 2012 he made the very tough decision to register for Ironman Florida. It's a tough decision because the race is expensive and you have to sign up a year in advance as it sells out very quickly. So, it's a serious commitment and it means you will have a whole new area of focus for twelve months.

 

Dom continued to train consistently and then, with six months to go, he kicked it up a notch. Adhering to his Essential Triathlete plan, he began training 6 days a week and carefully watched his diet. He also did a lot of research on training methods, race preparation and race day nutrition.

 

When you realize that a few short years ago, he weighed 270 pounds, you better understand how far he had come to get to the start line that morning. As he stood on Panama City Beach, he was a muscular and lean 185. Many first-timers would have been anxious, some would have wondered if they belonged there with the other athletes and many didn't show up that morning. Based on his relentless, disciplined training, Dom felt reasonably calm and was "ready to get it on". The morning sun was starting to come up, the Gulf was rough, the music was loud and Dom says the whole scene was "surreal".

 

 

Then it was time to start, the cannon fired and the mass of humanity charged into the Gulf of Mexico.  The waves were tough and it was very crowded as arms and legs flailed frenetically.  Eleven hours and nineteen minutes later, Dom Risola had traversed 140.6 mies and crossed the Finish Line. Mike Reilly, the long-time voice of Ironman competitions worldwide welcomed him with the famous "you are an ironman".

 

Finishing a race of this length and difficulty might sound like an impossible task. It might sound impossible for someone who was overweight and out of shape. Dom Risola proved it could be done through determination, consistency and disciplined. He didn't finish 1st in the field, but he certainly triumphed.