6:15 AM

Halloween is a busy time for a lot of us, but not many do as much running around as four of our Trail Runner members. Patricia, Donn, Mieko and Art went to Arizona to celebrate the holiday at the Javelina 100-miler. Patricia was very focused and had trained very hard to improve on her finish of last year. Donn was a beacon of persistence, and not to be denied. And Mieko—just over a bout with the flu, but not about to stay home, made the trip with a smile and a Halloween costume (Greek Goddess). And what can you say about Art?

"We recently had the opportunity to compete as a team in a 114-mile trail race over six days across the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. We would never have been able to do something like the Gore-Tex TransRockies Run without the great training and support we enjoy as part of the Trail Runners’ Club." ----Joe
Here are both Mary's account and Joe's account of that very memorable experience.

Ever find there are 2 races you want to do in the same weekend? Can’t decide which one to do? Our own Maidens of Mayhem—Amy, Heather and Helen recently solved that dilemma when their favorite Manhattan Beach 10k and the LA Triathlon fell on a recent Saturday and Sunday. They did both. After cruising the 10k on Saturday, they competed in the Olympic LA Triathlon the next day. The triathlon was a little hairy though. Early on there was a small-craft advisory in local waters with 10-12 foot seas.

Well, a couple of our members just ventured off into the realm of ultras. Art and Michael are pretty modest, so I thought I would spill the beans. Both rookies just competed in the Firetrails 50-miler. The course is in the Bay Area along the legendary East Bay Skyline National Trail; fireroads and single track with gorgeous views of San Francisco and Mt. Diablo with 7,800 feet of climb.

A recent study of the use of ibuprofen by endurance athletes has yielded some surprisingly dangerous results. I urge anyone who takes ibuprofen or even knows anyone who takes it routinely to read these two links. The first article involves the study of endurance athletes and the alarming effects of ibuprofen.

Our Save Our State Parks rally at Will Rogers State Park on June 21, 2009 was a great success! Take a look at edited video coverage of the event. We're not out of the water yet. Let the Governor and your legislators know that you want our state parks to remain open. Take action NOW!

Please click through to read the whole article.  We need help TODAY!
 
Governor Schwarzenegger's proposed cuts to reduce California's budget deficit include closure of over 200 of the state's parks.  This includes many of the state parks in the Santa Monica Mountains including Topanga, Will Rogers, Leo Carillo,  Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon, and Los Encinos to name just a few.  Unless we all take action now to save the parks, they may be closed as early as July 2009.
 

Well, our own Michael Becker has been a little absent so far this year, but for good purpose. His goal this year, as always, is to qualify for the World Short Course Duathlon. This year the event will be held in the United States (North Carolina) in September. He already qualified with his strong showing in the Desert Classic Duathlon in Scottsdale, Arizona in February. Then, March 28 he came in 1st in age group at Camp Pendleton’s Devil Dog Duathlon. As if that were not enough, on May 3rd he came in 1st in age group and 4th overall in the Spring Sprint Tri/Du in Mission Bay, CA.

It started innocently enough. Our own infamous Black Widow, aka Mieko, heard of a Pier to Peak Fun Run from some of the ultra-runners she had met during previous events. It starts out on the Santa Monica Pier on a Friday evening at 6:00 PM, and after 63 miles finishes at the top of Mt. Wilson, favoring fire roads and trails where possible. This year’s run was dedicated to Craig Chambers (Moose), a much beloved ultra-runner who passed away last year.

She just seemed like one of us—casually enjoying our Sunday runs—laughing and jogging with the group. Inside the shell presenting herself as a mother of three, who ran only when time permitted is a whirling dervish. Yes, our own Sharon Hanley (second from the left in the photo) is a monster on the racing circuit. Do not race this woman for pink slips or any other monetary amount she might propose—She will eat you alive. She came in second overall in the Pasadena Marathon last week end in 3:15 despite the rain and strong winds.