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Welcome to The Rundown!
We are glad to have you as a member of the Pensacola Runner's Association and hope that you find this newsletter both informative and motivating. As a PRA member, you can expect to receive our newsletters every month. The newsletters provide training tools, insider race discounts, advice from the pros, and a race calendar. Don't see something? Shoot us a line at [email protected], and we will make sure it gets considered.
About the Pensacola Runners Association
The PRA is a non-profit organization dedicated to running advocacy in Florida's Northern Gulf Coast. Since 1973, PRA has grown into a organization that supports runners across the region. We help runners run better, faster, and stronger, by providing training, social, outreach and advocacy while also promoting friendships and goal achievement.
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Get Involved in PRA's Upcoming Events
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The Pensacola Seafood Don McCloskey 5k, hosted by the Pensacola Runners Association, is a flat, fast certified 5k course through downtown Pensacola and the perfect opportunity to kick off your fall racing season (not to mention eat some of the best seafood around at the Pensacola Seafood Festival after the race)!
Finisher medals given to all participants!
Award medals for top three in each walker/runner!
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December 9 & 10, 2018
Attention All PRA Members!
We have a deal for you!
In support of races along the Gulf Coast, we would like to invite you to run the Mississippi Gulf Coa
st Marathon. The Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon is offering all PRA Members a discounted rate to their race! Please use this promo code PRAGROUP15 at checkout!
The Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon is a Coastal Running Fest, and celebrates the local flare and beauty of running along the scenic beaches from Pass Christian to Biloxi. Races include a marathon (26.2 miles), half marathon (13.1 miles), 5K (3.1 miles) and kids marathon race program (a 1.2 mile fun run).
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The Pensacola Beach Run, a Pensacola Runners Association Event, is one of the premier destination road races in the Southeast and the perfect way to kick off your New Year Resolution. The original half marathon on Pensacola Beach, the event features a half marathon and a "pick your distance" 10k/5k, meaning runners do not have to decide whether to run the 10k or the 5k until they are out on the course!
First 250 registrants will receive a zip jacket!
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January 12 & 13, 2019
Run the Pensacola Beach Run Half Marathon on Saturday, January 12, 2019 and the ServisFirst Bank Mobile Marathon (Full or Half Marathon) on Sunday, January 13, for a Back-2-Back Weekend Challenge.
Participants in both events will receive a special hand-made commemorative plaque.
Register online with here
Marathon Guide
and choose the Back-2-Back Challenge option.
(A service fee will apply.)
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GIVING BACK
The Pensacola Runners Association is pleased to award the
Pensacola Parkrun a grant of
$1,280 for equipment used towards the launching of the Pensacola Parkrun events. The Parkrun is a worldwide movement that organizes free, weekly, 5K timed runs for all ages and encourages walking, jogging or running. We look forward to this free 5K program to help promote running in the Pensacola area.
The inaugural
Pensacola Parkrun will take place at the
University of West Florida at
7:30am on
Saturday, October 27, 2018. Stay tuned for more information!
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| Tim Winger (PRA Treasurer), Gabriela Gasque (PRA President), Robin Foley, and Caleb Carmichael display the PRA's $1,280 contribution to Pensacola Parkrun. |
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Sustainable Running:
Running for the rest of your life
Part Three of Three
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| Paul Epstein, Owner, Running Wild (locations in Pensacola and Fairhope) |
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Welcome to the final column in our three part series. In this final article we'll finish the injury prevention discussion and talk briefly about staying motivated. If you missed either of the first two, I encourage you to go back to the previous two months of the Rundown and check them out.
The idea of injury prevention regarding running injuries is just that, preventing an overuse injury before it occurs so that you can continue to run healthfully. Last month I shared ideas on ways to increase and maintain running duration, volume and intensity in order to prevent injury and the role that shoes play. Now, we're going to discuss specific and proactive things that you can do yourself that will help prevent injuries and make running easier and more enjoyable.
Anyone who has been engaged in running or any type of sport involving physical activity during the past 15 or so years has heard the phrase: "you just need to go roll". The well-meaning fellow runner (maybe it was you) typically offers this advice when hearing complaints of sore muscles or other sore body parts (i.e. connective tissues). The advice is sound, but for the "rolling" to effective (aka not a waste of time) we need more specific details. For "rolling" to be most effective in preventing soft tissue repetitive motion injuries related to running we need to know what body parts to roll, what tools we should use to roll, how often should we roll and what does rolling actually do.
The actual act of rolling, aka self-massage, is simply applying a controlled amount of pressure to a specific muscle group for a specific amount of time with the goal of forcing oxygenated blood into that muscle. Just like a deep tissue massage administered by a professional licensed massage therapist forces oxygenated blood into specific muscles you can achieve similar results using the correct tools on yourself.
If you get regular massages I'm not suggesting that you stop. Regular deep tissue massages administered by a professional are one of the best ways to prevent running related over-use injuries. Most of us cannot afford daily (or even weekly) massages, but investing in a few simple tools and committing to spend 10-15 minutes a day using them is something that everyone reading this can do.
There are hundreds of different massage tools available today. When looking for your preferred tools the two most important aspects are: a tool whose density mimics the human hand and a system around the use of the tools. The importance of rolling, or rather self-massage, is to force oxygenated blood into specific muscles to help the muscles heal and to create and restore muscle elasticity. The process of self-massage done correctly is just as important as doing it at all. Maintaining muscle elasticity through self-massage is by far the best, easiest and most effective way to prevent running related overuse injuries over one's running lifetime.
Now that you know how to choose the best shoes, how to train to healthfully run long term, and you have the tools to administer painful but productive self-massages (to yourself) you can run forever, but how do you stay motivated to run forever. For me, after 37 years of competitive running, hundreds of road and trail races including over 50 marathons and dozens of triathlons; running burn out is real a new PR at 52 years old is not real.
Some reading this started running later in life (over 40) and are realizing new PRs regularly. While achieving a PR is not solely a motivator it is part of accomplishing a goal and signifies upward or forward movement at any age, and is typically something that keeps us motivated. Even if your main purpose for running is not racing and achieving PRs, you can use those PRs to help maintain motivation. Of course the activity of running has so many benefits that we all know and enjoy that by itself it should be motivating enough.
When there are no longer PRs and we find our motivation to run waning we can do a few things to keep us going. Helping others run through coaching or pacing in a race is a great motivator to get out the door. When you know someone else is relying on you for help, hitting the snooze button a third time is not an option. Finding new places to run helps as well; trying trails or hilly roads or just a new neighborhood or route helps create a new freshness around your daily run. Also, adding new people to your running crew or maybe getting rid of some people from your running crew will help create some change that will keep you motivated. The bottom line is that change and variety are excellent motivators when we're stuck in a running rut.
Running has so many long term physical, mental and social benefits that we all enjoy; staying motivated is easy when think about the benefits. Stay out there and continue to reap the running rewards!
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| Click this HERE to read Steve's article on motivation. |
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ll current PRA members are invited to the University of West Florida Track at 6:00 PM each Monday evening for a FREE interval workout led by UWF Cross Country Coach Caleb Carmichael!
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Come run with us very
Thursday evening at 6pm at the Gulf Coast Brewery
for a 5K fun run and get your
first beer
on the house! Yes, that's right! Printed
maps
will be available at the brewery. After the run, each runner gets a free beer of choice and can play a variety of complimentary games such as Cornhole, Ping Pong, Checkers, and other ancillary games right there where the beer brewing and production takes place! To satisfy your hunger, there is also a food truck serving some delicious food for purchase! All runners, walkers, families or pet are welcome.
Gulf Coast Brewery is a micro brewery located in downtown Pensacola, FL. Come have a drink of local beer brewed on site!
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The PRA Needs You!
The PRA is an all-v
olunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to promote, support and develop running, walking and racing along Florida's North
ern Gulf Coast. Our goal is to enhance the experience of being a runner or walker in Northwest Florida.
The events and programs we produce would not be possible without the support of the Pensacola area's active and involved community of runners and w
alkers. That said, we are always looking for new members and volunteers to get involved and help take us to the next level.
If you'd like more information about how to get involved please send your your inquiry and contact information to the PRA at:
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The Pensacola Runners Association brings together runners, walkers and fitness enthusiasts to promote, support and develop running and racing along the Northern Gulf Coast. Our objective is to provide information, education, training, social and sporting events for competitive and noncompetitive runners and walkers of all ages, races, genders and abilities.
Benefits:
- Discounted entry rates on the full calendar of PRA Races/Events, including FREE entry to our Membership Run
- The chance to eat, drink and socialize with fellow runners at our free, members only social events
- Access to our action packed monthly newsletter: "the Rundown"
- Eligibility for the Lou Gregory, Jim Harrington and Volunteer of the Year Awards
- Access to free, members only weekly interval workouts overseen by a professional Coach
- The opportunity to do your part to promote, support and develop running and racing along the Northern Gulf Coast
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Thanks to our Organizational Sponsors!
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Pensacola Runners Association offers "The Rundown" as an informational service to its members. Any articles, opinions or recommendations are owned by the respective authors, and are not necessarily opinions adopted by the Pensacola Runners Association. The Pensacola Runners Association recommends you consult your physician prior to engaging in any physical activity.
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