The gO! Running Group is a Roseville based recreational running group that aims to provide group running opportunities for runners of all abilities. Although our focus is primarily on 5K to marathons, we have members who have completed triathlons (including Ironman events) and ultras. We train on both roads and trails. We currently meet three times per week - Sunday mornings and Tuesday/Thursday evenings.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

gO! Time!!!


Congratulations!! You are just days away from completing the 5K you have been training 10 weeks for! As many experienced running/endurance sports coaches will tell you, "it's the training that is the true challenge, the race itself is a piece of cake!" So with that said, good job and go out there and enjoy the rewards of your hard work. Since this is the first race and/or fun run that many of you have done, I wanted to give you lots of logistical info to be sure everyone has a smooth and enjoyable experience. So.....


No Excuses 5K Details:


  • When: Monday (5/31), 8:30am race start (you should arrive no later than 8am)
  • Where: William Land Park- corner of Freeport Blvd. and Sutterville Rd. in Sacramento- next to Sacramento Zoo.
  • Registration- If you have not already done so, register at: http://www.noexcuses5k.com/htmls/registration.html
  • Packet Pickup- For most races such as this you get a registration "packet." This packet will have your race number (bib), your timing chip (attaches to your shoe and times your race as you cross over timing mats), race shirt, and many other goodies and give-aways. You may pick up your race packet and/or pre-register from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Friday, May 28th and from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Saturday May 29th, at Fleet Feet Sports, 2311 J Street, Sacramento, or at the race site in Land Park on Race Day. THERE IS NO PACKET PICKUP OR PRE-REGISTRATION ON SUNDAY, MAY 30TH! Fortunately the gO! Group makes a habit of helping each other out with picking up the packets as a group. If you would like your packet picked up by one of us, please enter your name on the "Who's Racing Where" spreadsheet at the bottom of the blog (just click on the "CLICK HERE TO LIST YOURSELF FOR A RUN!! " to access the spreadsheet. We will then distribute the packets on race morning when we meet up.
  • Carpooling- We will meet at the Park and Ride between In N Out and Sunsplash on Taylor Rd. at 7am Monday morning. We will pile in as few cars as needed and drive down together.
  • Parking- If you decide to drive yourself, the best place to park is typically in the Sac City College parking lot across from the park at the corner of Freeport Blvd. and Sutterville Rd.
  • Group Meeting Spot- We will all gather starting around 7:45 at the Fleet Feet Roseville Tent.
  • "Age Graded Race"- You may notice this is an age graded race. What that means is that for the official results, finish times are adjusted based on age and gender. It is a formula that attempts to neutralize advantages of youth and/or gender. You can read more about it at http://www.runsacraceseries.com/agegrading
  • NoBo Gear- KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED!! We are hoping the gear comes in by race day. We are pretty sure the jackets will be in, but the shirts are a big question. Look for updates on the blog!!

Tuesday night 5K time trial

1/2 mile 2-mile 3-mile 5K
Josh 3:02 5:58 11:48 17:31 18:04
Joe 3:09 6:31 13:14 19:33 20:06
Mike 3:11 6:36 13:48 20:26 21:01
Isaac 3:11 6:35 13:48 21:06 21:48
Jesse 3:32 7:22 15:22 23:06 23:43
Cameron 3:44 7:42 15:52 23:38 24:08
Larry 3:46 7:45 15:51 23:39 24:20
Richard 3:54 8:?? ??:?? 24:40 25:11
Melissa 3:54 7:56 16:11 24:28 25:12
Allen 3:50 7:55 16:27 24:55 25:37
Anne 4:36 9:10 18:17 27:05 27:51
Christine 4:29 9:05 18:45 27:22 28:03
Leslie 4:30 9:14 18:45 28:08 28:59
Michelle 5:10 11:22 22:25 33:30 34:30
The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed.
Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon champ

Thursday, May 20, 2010

gO! & NoBo Bowling Night- THIS SATURDAY!!!


gO! & NoBo Bowling Night- PLEASE join us for a great night of socializing and strikes! I have said MANY times, "the value of the group setting, is the group!" Be part of the group and you will be a more consistent runner thanks to the group! This is a chance for NoBo and gO! runners to chat it up and build the relationships that will help you "succeed" in your running goals! We will have a fun filled night at Strikes in Rocklin just hanging out, NO RUNNING! Details-
When: Saturday, May 22, 6pm-?
Where: Stikes Bowling Center, Lone Tree Blvd., Rocklin
Who: All gO! and NoBo members AND familes
Why: Because who does not dig those flashy bowling shoes
Notes- I will be reserving 10 or so lanes to be sure we are all together but please RSVP using the "Who's Racing Where" table below. Strikes has a full restaurant, snack bar, and bar for your dining and drinking pleasure! Extremely kid friendly as well!

Friday, May 14, 2010

To succeed you have to believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a reality.
Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop

Believe you are a runner!

Monday, May 10, 2010

21 Days and Counting.....

And so the countdown begins!!

In exactly 3 weeks from today, many of you WILL run your first 5K! Congratulations on making it this far and putting in the work it takes to change yourself for the better! If you are still doubting your abilities or have not been able to make it to the runs consistantly, NO WORRIES, we will get you there. Don't think, just run! Just like in a race, don't evaluate or judge until you cross the line. Think about the now! When and where is my next run? What do I have to do to fit it in and be there? How good did it feel after my last run? etc. etc... Or in simpler terms, as Dorie says, "just keep running, just keep running...."

Regardless, take the time to recommit yourself TODAY! You CAN finish this and become a runner! With that said, a couple of news items....


  • Schedule Posted & New Meeting Times- We have posted the remainder of the NoBo meeting times and location. Please note the change to 8am on Sundays and 7pm on Thursdays!

  • gO! & NoBo Bowling Night- PLEASE join us for a great night of socializing and strikes! I have said MANY times, "the value of the group setting, is the group!" Be part of the group and you will be a more consistent runner thanks to the group! We will have a fun filled night at Strikes in Rocklin just hanging out, NO RUNNING! Details- When: Saturday, May 22, 6pm-?, Where- Stikes Bowling Center, Lone Tree Blvd., Rocklin, Who: All gO! and NoBo members AND familes, Why: Because who does not dig those flashy bowling shoes, Notes- I will be reserving 10 or so lanes to be sure we are all together but please RSVP using the "Who's Racing Where" table below. Strikes has a full restaurant, snack bar, and bar for your dining and drinking pleasure! Extremely kid friendly as well!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Mother's Day Time Change

Happy Mother's Day NoBo Runners! Sleep a little later today. We'll see you at 8:00 at Coffee Republic in Folsom.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

I run because it's so symbolic of life. You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles. You might feel that you can't. But then you find your inner strength, and realize you're capable of so much more than you thought.
Arthur Blank, American businessman and a co-founder of Home Depot

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

NoBo Week #7- Pacing and Running Injured


The Art of Pacing
Many of you are struggling with what pace to run at. We have told you to make it “comfortable,” which sounds easy enough. The problem lies in the fact that most beginning runners cannot discern what “comfortable” means. I/We suggest your effort should be about a “6 or 7” on the Rate of Perceived Exhaustion (RPE) Scale below. Another favorite of mine is- the run should be comfortable enough to talk, but too difficult to sing!! As we increase our distance the goal is to be able to maintain the same pace for the entire run. Running a steady pace is the key to success in running (read "the Tortoise and the Hare"). After 6 months to 1 year of continuous training we may begin coaching you on how to include faster runs (level 8 and 9, i.e. "speed work") into your week, but for now let’s focus on increasing our distance.

Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale: Rate of perceived exertion is a basic approach to defining appropriate intensities for a variety of workouts. In general, an athlete rates their perceived effort on a scale of 1 – 10. As an athlete gets more comfortable with his or her paces, they can accurately adjust training intensities based off of RPE. Use this scale to rate/evaluate each workout and each mile and/or section within each workout. You should try to stay within one zone for the entirety of the run.

RPE Scale:
– 1
– 2
– 3
– 4
– 5 = very light: warm up and cool down
– 6 = maintenance days - conversational
– 7 =maintenance days - conversational
– 8 = threshold/speed days - challenging
– 9 = threshold/speed days - challenging
– 10 = Very Hard – Almost never used

Note- This RPE Scale was created to match Fleet Feet’s training philosophy and may be different from others you will find in books and on the internet.


Running Injured? What to do!
Ouch! Oh no, you wake up Sunday morning after your Saturday run and your left heel is killing you. You take a few steps and feel like an 80 year old woman who did one too many Waltzes the night before. Or, you are out for your run and your knee progressively gets more and more sore. You start to walk and a sharp pain virtually stops you in your tracks. The dreaded sports injury- you ask, “What do I do now?”
Unfortunately, at some point during most runners lives they will get some sort of ailment which will slow down their training- if not stop it all together for a period of time. The most important thing to realize is if you listen to your body it will give you early warning signs that something is not right. In general it is important to stop running and rest your body if-

1- You have pain for longer than 7 days
2- As you run it gets more uncomfortable
3- There is obvious swelling to the sore area
4- It effects your natural running form

Initial treatment to your injured area is RICE
Rest
…stop running! Take a few days off (at least 2-3) and re-assess.
Ice….your sore area. Ice is the most natural anti-inflammatory around, and is easy to use on specific areas of the body. Ice massage is the preferred method. Take a paper cup and freeze water in it. Tear off the top and roll the tip of the ice cup over the injured area for 10-15 minutes. Do this at least 1x a day, preferably 3x a day.
Compress…the injury if there is swelling. Wrap the area tight enough for support, but not so tight it will cut off blood flow.
Elevate…the injured area. Try to keep your injured area off the floor, and ideally higher than your heart. This helps with circulation of blood flow and helps to minimize swelling.

When an injury occurs, and the above self treatment does not provide complete relief, it is important that you get medical advice from a trained medical professional. Ideally, find a doctor who treats many of the runners in your area (ask the employees in Fleet Feet Sports for recommendations.) There are two types of doctor’s deal with many of running related injuries:
Podiatrists treat ailments of the foot. They may also have experience with lower leg or knee injuries if they relate to the foot.
Orthopedists specialize in bones and muscles of the body. Often Orthopedists have a specialty practice in Sports Medicine.

Following the rules above should help you to get back on the road sooner than later if an injury should happen to you. Good Luck and happy training!