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Beginning Saturday, November 11, The Beach Runners Marathon and Half Marathon Training Program Kicks Off New Program
The Program:
Beginning Saturday, November 11, the Beach Runners marathon and half marathon training program will meet every Saturday for 18 week. The Beach Runners will be training for the Catalina Marathon, Los Angeles Marathon or any other Spring marathon or half marathon.
Included in the program:
*18-week professionally coached, featuring the proprietary Marayoga training program using the ChiRunning® techniques.
*1 hour group ChiRunning® lesson
*Weekly training articles
*The book “ChiRunning” by Danny Dreyer
*Beach Runners shirt
*Saturday group runs and some weeknight runs
*Special discounts
Cost: $150 for new Beach Runners and $130* for Alumni
*the book “ChiRunning” is not included
Beach Runner Testimonial
Hi Steve and Gary:
I just wanted to take a minute to to say thank you, not only for helping me to get through my first marathon but for making running something I truly enjoy. When I first began running with the group back in May I had only two goals in mind – I wanted to finish the marathon and I wanted to lose baby weight (from my pregnancy with my son who was born in February). I saw this program as solely a means to an end. But with each week I began to enjoy our runs more and more. As a mother of three kids under 5 with a full time job there was never a moment in my day when someone wasn’t asking for something from me. My running became time that was just for me. I looked forward to our long runs all week so I could have a chance to clear my head and meditate.
Finishing the marathon on Sunday was just the icing on the cake. The energy of the crowd and the support of the Beach Runners was amazing. I know that I could not have finished without them or the support of my amazing friends and family who kept popping up all over the course to cheer for me. After I crossed the finish line and my four year old told me that she was proud of me it brought tears to my eyes. I accomplished my goal but in the process I gained so much more than I thought I would. Thanks for everything.” Kate
The Details:
Who: The Beach Runners are a fun group of people, from the total beginner to the experienced marathoner, preparing for the Catalina, Los Angeles or any other Marathon and Half Marathon.
What: The Beach Runners Marathon Training Program is a safe, fun, professionally coached, 18-week Marathon and Half Marathon training program, specializing in working with first time marathoners and half marathoners, as well as experienced runners.
Where: The Beach Runners will meet every Saturday, starting November 2006, at Events Park next to the Queen Mary. The distance of each Saturday run will vary depending on the schedule.
When: 7:00 A.M. every Saturday starting November 11, 2006
I know Marayoga is a fantastic marathon training plan but don’t just take it from me, below is what Anthony had to say. Train Focused, Steve Mackel
“Steve:
I’m still a little in awe of Sunday’s marathon experience. Applying ChiRunning® techniques, staying focused and running with my fellow Beach Runners truly paid off! The last six miles were relatively easy.
The marathon was just the icing on the cake. Each week, I found myself looking forward to the Saturday morning runs and yoga sessions which were big stress relievers for me. Your positive attitude and inspirational talks are a testament to your abilities as a coach.
Thanks to you, Gary, the mentors and my fellow Beach Runners, I exceeded all of my first marathon expectations. Keep up the great work!!!
Best regards,”
Anthony Taketa
Why I Run
Instead of music
this spring dusk
I folded in a
piece of paper
and a pilot pencil
in a running belt
Hoping for a
poem and a
sunset this dusk
Music had propelled
me through a
season of sunny
Calfornia winter trail runs
as I sliced through the
steep rocky hills of Palos Verdes
And in this moment between
day and night
this moment of the
change of days
I stood looking at my
iriver loaded with yoga jams
gospel
afro funk
nutrition podcasts
And desires for aural company
screamed to join me this dusk
To run with me
To see the hills I would see
The flowers
But to run with no music
To run with just
me
scared me
Who would I find on the run?
A hypocritical coach who should have
run yesterday, the day before, the days,
the months, before?
A beer belly that will not leave me?
A lonely young man on a lonely trail
yet again?
And I had to find just a little
courage just a little to
do something just a little
different a little more scary
a little more on edge into
the great unknowns of my life
leaving my trusted music
on the front seat of my old
red toyota truck
And I looked up to a Hill
covered in Mustard Yellows
and with the beep of a metronome
I headed towards it not knowing
the distance, the time, nothing
more than this dusk, this dusk
I would do something different
And I soon found company
the softness of my old running shoes
the light dribble of rain on my shoulders
the gliding of my arms
and my breath
And hills steep and overgrown
buses, and a sea of Mustard
And I reflected on my faith
in God and how I have
so MUCH deep faith but so
little faith in the little
things in my life, the
anxieties, the worries, the
bills, the little calls to make, the
cards I should send, the
people I would love if only I could do the
little things that mean so much for the
loved one ones in my life who are waiting
for all those little things in my heart that
would show that yes I care about all the
little things that mean so much to show the
care and consideration
And I arrived at that hilltop
surrounded by mustard
And saw no sunset
but breathed zazen
and chanted OM
and thanked GOD
with what little gratitude
I had for all the sumptuous
harvests of that winter
And pulled out this folded
piece of paper and the
pencil
And while I didn’t find myself
I found this poem
a pillbug
two snails
an almost full moon
and the reasons I run
RunCast7-LA Sutra Duathlon
You can visit his website at http://www.wholisticfitness.com/
If you are having problems watching this then I’d recommend
a) Download recent copy of quicktime player at www.apple.com
b) Or watch the video here at blip.tv
Namaste
Gary
Runcast6- Just Added! April 30th ChiRunning, Trail Running and Yoga Retreat
The ChiRunning, Trail Running and Yoga Retreat was Beautiful
L-R Kathleen, Ken, Carolyn, Carrie, Gary, Heather, Kristin, Greg, Janice, Emily -Photo by Steve
Our first ChiRunning, Trail Running and Yoga Retreat went off without a hitch last Saturday. We had a great group of new ChiRunners attend the retreat on one of the most beautiful days of the year. The location couldn’t have been nicer, a view for miles.
We have given plenty of ChiRunning workshops but our idea of a whole day retreat took it to another level. Whether it is a 4 hour group workshop or a 2 hour private, It seems like there is never enough time. We were able to focus on the ChiRunning lessons with over four hours of instruction, have two fantastic trail runs and two restoritive yoga sessions.
The retreat theme carried through the day. Nothing is better than not being rushed and enjoying nature. We enjoyed an organic lunch, the wildflowers, good conversation and fun company.
We would like to thank Emily, Ken, Janice, Carolyn, Heather, Carrie, Greg, Kristin and Kathleen for their fantastic spirit, great attitude and willingness to learn. Now they know how to run in order to prevent injuries. They’ll have to practice of course, and they now have the knowledge for a lifetime of softer, kinder, more flowing, natural running. We will be sending them some additional tips privately.
If you missed it, you still have a chance to participate in our next ChiRunning, Trail Running and Yoga Retreat, Sunday, April 30, in Palos Verdes. That’s right, you have one more chance to get in our retreat before our next one in July. We will leave the price the same for SoCalRunning.com members, Beach Runners and Pasadena Tri Club members, $175. It will be $195 for non-members. To become a member, all you have to do is sign-up on the SoCalRunning.com front page. It’s free and you save $20.
Namaste,
Gary Smith & Steve Mackel
Check out our workshop page for our new workshops/retreats.
Our ChiRunners take a rest in Savasana, one of the yoga poses during our yoga session
The Middle Path
I am writing this article for both sites, SoCalRunning.com and TriThisCoaching.com. I am not sure if I heard this on a tape but I am pretty sure Coach Ilg, founder of Wholistic Fitness®shared it with me first and now I am sharing it with you. You may have heard it before, if you have, bear with me. It doesn’t get any more basic than this version of the story.
The Buddha was born into a wealthy family as a prince. He experienced riches and a luxurious lifestyle. Feeling something wasn’t right he gave it all up. He set out and followed the ascetic practices for years. From depriving himself and being very hungry he took a bowl of milk rice from a maiden and broke the ascetic tradition. He sat under the bodhi tree, became enlightened and found the middle path. I have heard the middle path described as, “Like the strings of a lute, in order to be in tune they must not be wound too tight or too loose. They need to be somewhere in between.
How is your path, extremely uphill or extremely downhill? Maybe it is just too flat? Can you find your middle path? I write about this because of the way we train and the way we tend to live our lives, extremes. My next two articles will be about overtraining and adding cross-training, as I delve into this idea the Middle Path or being “in tune.” Take some time to consider your path.
Namaste (meaning: my spirit honors your spirit),
Steve
Catalina Marathon Report: Part 1 Crazy Diamonds
Catalina Race Report
Part 1: Shine On Crazy Diamonds
“We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves…The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, ‘You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.’ The human spirit is indomitable.”
Catalina 2006 was a dream come true for me. But it didn’t start that way.
The evening before, was packing my bag to late in the evening. Fuelbelt, camera, way too many books, trying to make up for the yoga studies I’m behind in, vitamins, Ultra, batteries, sets of clothing, music, PowerBook Pro. As typical, I left all that to the last second, and I was stressed out. I had tried to make the boat over the evening before to meet my parents who had a boat over in Avalon, and all stressed out, running around LA doing errands, I couldn’t make the 5:00 p.m boat.
I made the 6:00 a.m. boat out of Long Beach with my overweight duffel bag. As we left the harbor, I sat writing yoga notes into my computer…
You are what your deep driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.
Then I looked up to see the my first bit of beauty. The sunrise over the Pacific Ocean. I was listening to Pink Floyd’s “Shine on Crazy Diamond” and I had one of those moments when everything seemed so perfect–the sun on the water, the music, my Desikachar’s quote.
You see, Catalina had been a driving desire of mine for some time. In 2003, I planned to do the marathon two weeks after Los Angeles. Yet two weeks after my PR at the time (3:49), my legs were still aching. So I called it off. The weather intimidated my father from going over with his boat also.
The year after the weather turned us away again. 2004 is still famous among Catalina marathoners for just getting dumped on.
So this was to be the year. I chose to not do the LA marathon to focus my efforts on Catalina. In addition, after teaching six college classes in the fall, I got a little beat down from work, tired and unmotivated to run. Plus some other things going on my life that became those little hobgoblins giving me reasons too not run.
New Years day, like many of us, I made a fitness resolution to run Catalina. Even if I finished over 5 hours, walking, taking pictures, taking notes some long race report, I’d finish it.
My runs began short. 3-4 milers twice in the week. Then I began doing some long runs on the weekend. I wasn’t even counting miles. I train on the trails on the back side of Palos Verdes, and I had a point in my mind like the top of Del Cerro hill, and I’d run up there. I ran sporadically with my old running partner, Bob, but he was traveling up to Washington to visit a new girlfriend seemingly every weekend.
Did some group trail runs with the www.socalrunning.com community. But mostly I did some long runs by myself. I coach to not listen to music when you run, yet I really needed some tunes. I don’t care, sometimes you need company even if it is Kirk Franklin on a long run.
Before long I was running for two hours, two and a half hours, three hours on trails and hills. I figuered I should build up to a four hour trail run in preparation. I think it is important to look at the terrain for a marathon, and try to replicate it as much as possible in your training. The ideal is to actually run the course before. Of the 26 miles, something like 18 of them are uphill at Catalina. With the steepest hill at mile 18. So my big training run was 22 miles around Palos Verdes, and I made sure my largest hill was at about 3/4 of the way into the run. That run went great. And I powered the hill.
I practice and teach ChiRunning. And I tried to practice my running form with every run. Especially conserving energy going uphill. My speed downhill is still Bode Miller like, mainly because ChiRunning has taught me to move my legs faster than other runners.
After my long run, I didn’t run for a week. Then I did a couple of short runs. I so believe in rest. Most runners injure themselves because they simply do not rest after hard run. The Wednesday before the marathon I ran the switchbacks with my partner Bob. He always smokes me uphill, as he runs with long strides compared to the baby steps I use with ChiRunning. But this time, I leaned big into the hill, and used my arms to take me up the 3 mile hill of Palos Verdes Drive East. I practiced full yoga breathing. I didn’t look back.
And I got to the top of the hill before he did. First time ever. I was ready.
I had also began intensive yoga study this winter. My yoga teacher, Rosie Good, offered her teacher training which began in February. She is an amazing teacher and person. An effulgent light for many of us in San Pedro. Every Friday evening I chanted and studied the sutras of Patanjali for two hours. Then five hours of yoga Saturday and Sunday. I’m not sure how Yoga is changing my life but, I am changing. Of course I’m more flexible, but it goes deeper than that. Things are opening up inside of me. Creative energies. Infinite possiblities. Positive thoughts. Visions of angels. I guess this website is a channel for me to share some of these thoughts and visions.
And that morning all these memories, my life, was coming back to me with the sun coming up. All these crazy diamonds, Bob, Rosie, Chad, Witze, the Beach Runners, Steve Mackel, Danny Dreyer, Jason Smith, my father, all these people that play a role in keeping you fit and healthy, feeling strong when you feel weak, inspired when you feel demoralized, valuable when you feel worthless, I sent a prayer of thanks to everyone that helped me prepare for this marathon. Because the more my heart chakra opens in life, the more I realize that I get my strength from them and God. Without those crazy diamonds in my life, running marathons is not possible.
Shine On!
Namaste
Gary
Part 2 (Rainbows from Heaven) coming soon.
April 8th: ChiRunning/Trail Running/Yoga Retreat
Steve and I are announcing our first major workshop
of the year,a ChiRunning/Trail Running/Yoga Retreat
on the beautiful Palos Verdes Peninsula.
This will be an all day event, and clearly our best workshop
we have ever done. We are sending the details and
special pricing to our subscribers first, so sign up to
the right and look in your email over the next few
days for details.
Namaste
Gary
Yoga can help your running
I started doing yoga about two years ago. Mainly to relax but also to stretch out my hamstrings which were getting terribly tight from training for marathons. As I did more yoga, my hamstrings began to get more and more limber. But also my recurring shoulder pains from years of poor posture began disappearing. As well as the tightness in my lower lack.
And I was far more relaxed. The best benefit, however, was I began to feel comfortable in my own skin. The more I practiced it, the more I got from yoga, and wanted to study it more and more.
I had the opportunity this year as my teacher, Rosie Good, began a teacher training program. I enrolled this February and have been studying/practicing yoga for 15 hours a week, if not more. And what a difference it has made in my life. I’m finding some much needed peace and serenity. I’ve lost weight and my running just keeps getting faster and faster with less and less recovery time needed.
I taught my first Yoga class the other night in San Pedro. Largely about 30 minutes of Ashtanga or Power Yoga, which I am quickly falling in love with, as well as Kundalini, Hatha, and of course Raja Yoga. The class went really well. My next step is to research and put together a yoga routine directed towards helping the flexibility and recovery of runners. At our workshop next month, Steve and I will lead runners through this custom routine. I’m excited. Not only to help my yoga practice, but to help other runners experience the same flexibility and relaxation I’m loving through my yoga practice.
Here is another article I found that points out the benefits of yoga for runners.
Hope to see all of you soon,
Gary
Founder – Coach Steve
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