Week of 12/2/07. Workouts, Results, RRGrade on Tuesday 9am; Tamalpa Xmas party

12/4/07. Tues. 6:30am TEMPO. YMCA..we will learn new dirt course in McGinnis Park. People can make it shorter than 10M easily..

12/4/07. Tues. 9am. Tenn Valley group does RAILROAD GRADE - by request.
From downtown Mill Valley by Police/Fire/City Hall on Corte Madera Ave.
Weather can be anything, but I think overcast only , BUT bring that hi-tech clothing and change of shirt, sweatshirt for after the run...no whiners. Be prepared!

12/6/07. TH. 7am and 9am TRACK at COM.

12/8/07. SAT. Tamalpa XMas Party. Be there, I plan to be dancing with many of the ladies as I do every year - so plan to be thrown around the dance floor.
For more info go to the TamalpaRunners.org website. It will be held at Mill Valley Outdoor Club with 5:30pm as cocktail hour; 7pm dinner; then it's rock-out time! Tamalpa has its own band and they keep the place hopping! So should be fun.
with Music by the ‘Kings’. 5:30 P.M. with Dinner at 7:00. The Outdoor Art Club, One Blithedale, Mill Valley. $25.00 at the Door or $20 in advance. Let’s begin the spirit of the season by Socializing, Dining & Dancing with the best of friends at ‘The Outdoor Art Club’ in Mill Valley. Enjoy the evening festivities that will include the Annual Tamalpa Year in Review Video and ‘The Lifetime Time Achievement Award’ presentation. Then dance the evening away with the sounds of the ‘KINGS’. It all starts with a Pot Luck dinner with the last names of A-O bringing a side dish and P-Z bringing a desert. (Or bring both of your favorites). THE CLUB WILL PROVIDE THE REST. Info: Dave Pinto @ 531-4049 or Dpinto@Sonic.net. Volunteers needed for Set-up, Kitchen & Clean –up/Call or E-Mail Dave. If you would like to purchase tickets in advance at $20.00, make checks payable to Tamalpa Runners, and send to: Tamalpa Runners, P.O. Box 4132, San Rafael, CA. 94913. Be sure to note on the check the number guests and if possible, your e-mail address for a confirmation receipt. SEE YOU THERE! Volunteers Needed for Kitchen, Food serving and Clean-up for the Christmas Party. Contact Dave Pinto at 531-4049 or E-mail at dpinto@sonic.net


12/16/07 SUNDAY. CHRISTMAS RELAYS! 9am.
1. THE CHRISTMAS RELAYS ARE SUNDAY, 12/16/07—ARE YOU READY??? We need to submit the teams by Saturday 12/8/07!!

Traditionally the Tamalpa Runners field several teams in each age group for the Christmas Relays. The Christmas Relays are made up of 4 person teams with each person running one 4.5 mile leg. Each 4 person team runs a total of 18 miles. The Relays start at 9:00 AM. The Club will pay $8.50 or ½ of your entry fee and you pay $8.50, the other ½ of the entry fee. If you are interested in running the Relays, please e-mail or call your racing team captain or me before 12/7/07.

This year the Christmas Relays are part of the Pacific Association Road Racing Grand Prix Series. The Relays count as a scoring race on the Grand Prix Series for teams only. Since the race is a Grand Prix Race and we want to have as many scoring teams as possible, one other requirement for the Club to pay for 50% of your entry fee, is that each individual have a current USATF Card. If you have a 2007 USATF Card you are eligible. If you do not have a 2007 USATF Card, you can obtain a 2008 USATF Card which will make you eligible for the 2007 Christmas Relays and all USATF Races (Road, Cross Country and Ultra Races) in the year 2008. If you need a 2008 USATF card contact Frank Ruona and Frank can issue you a 2008 Card upon the receipt of $30.00 or you can obtain a USATF card online at www.pausatf.org. If you do not have a card by race day, be prepared to get a card from Frank on race day.

Once we have organized the teams, it will be the responsibility of the individual team members to decide who will run which of the 4 legs of the relay. Certain individuals have advised me that they would prefer to run the first or second legs of the relay because they have time commitments to be somewhere later in the day. Please cooperate with these individuals and allow them to run early legs in the race.

For those Tamalpans who want to car pool to the race, we will be meeting in front of the Brew Pub at Larkspur Landing at 7:15 AM on Sunday, 12/16/07. If you drive directly to the start of the race, we will gather at the Lake Merced Parking Lot where Sunset Boulevard meets Lake Merced Drive. Try to be there no later than 8:30 AM so that we can organize the individual teams.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me by phone-(415) 898-9340 or by e-mail-fdruona@msn.com.
RESULTS
12/1/07. NORTHFACE CHALLENGE 10K, Half Marathon, 50K, 50M all the same day.
Just with the Half Marathon, which was very hilly in Marin Headlands:

8th overal ROSALINDA CASTANEDA, 1st F , 2:01:08
9th ANDRE TUINZING, 3rd in div. 2:02:22;*
16th LIZ SHORTINO, 1st Master, 2:09:00 ,
25th KATHLEEN HELMER, 3rd in div., 2:16:52.

* that's my boy! Even did it with lousy Osgood Schlatter's

12/3/07. CAL INTERNATIONAL MARATHON (CIM); I found some of our group's results.
Some 215 runners broke 3:00; 922 under 3:30:00 with 4743 finishers
80th LIZ GOLTLEIB with a 2:49:04, 3rd in div;
274. LISA CLARKE, 38yrs, 3:04:10;
300. FRANK RUONA, 62. 3:06:01 2nd in 60+ div.
333. TANYA FREDERICKS, 41 3:07:22, 8th
916. TIM MCCARTHY, 3:28:40... (done as his practice marathon after a disappointing Portland Marathon; now we prepare for Napa Marathon)
2149. JIM LEONHARD, 60 in 3:57:54..( a very satisfying run for Jim this year)
I know JOANNE KAMBUR, SAM HIRABAYASHI and others ran it also; I will update later.

12/8/07. FUKUOKA MARATHON, Japan.
This is one of the most prestigeous marathons in the world with an invitation only field. Frank Shorter won it four times from 1968-1971; he was better known in Japan than here in the U.S.!
This year marked the debut for world record holder for the half marathon, SAM WANJIRU, of Kenya. It was also key marathon for the selection of the Japanese men's Olympic team.
note how Wanjiru executed negative splits on this run; the difficult thing for him was to be patient and not go out to hard. (He set a course record anyway).
Ken Nakamura is one of most prolific and well written track correspondents in the world. If it happens in Japan, Ken knows about it. Here is Ken's commentary on the Fukuoka marathon.

The Fukuoka marathon was, for more than two decades, the defacto World marathon championships. Frank Shorter won there four times, Akio Usami three times. Derek Clayton broke 2:10 there for the first time.

Fukuoka has had the top marathoners in the world continue to race there! Gebrselassie among them, and now Wanjiru sets a course record in his debut at the marathon distance!

The Japanese are using Fukuoka to select up to two of their Beijing marathon team members. Samuel Wanjiru runs 2:06:39 in his debut. Wanjiru did not just pop out of nowhere, he is the world half marathon record holder.

Deriba Merga of Ethiopia, who was the only runner to stay with Wanjiru past the 40th kilometre, finished second in 2:06:50, also under the previous course record of 2:06:51 set by Atsushi Fujita in 2000. It was a huge personal best for Deriba which knocked more than six-and-a-half minutes from his previous best, set in Paris earlier this year.

In the race for the Japanese Olympic team spot, Atsushi Sato, national Half Marathon record holder, came away victorious. He was third in 2:07:13, a huge personal best (previously 2:08:36). Sato was followed by Yukou Matsumiya in fourth with 2:09:40. Shigeru Aburaya finished in his usual spot, fifth (he was fifth in the 2001 and 2003 World Championships as well as 2004 Olympics). His goal of making the second consecutive Olympic team was shattered.

It was a disastrous day for the current and past Marathon record holders. Fujita, the former national record holder, finished a disappointing eighth, while the current national record holder Toshinari Takaoka finished tenth. Fujita was so exhausted with his effort, he fell just before the finish.

How the race unfolded:

The pace makers did very good job of keeping the pace steady at around three minutes for each kilomtre, turning the contest into a typical race of attrition. The first to lose contact with the lead pack were Mark Carroll and Alberto Chaica at about 3Km. The lead pack of 23 runners at 5Km was reduced to 22 runners by 10Km, 20 runners by 15Km and 15 runners by 20Km.

After passing the half way point in 1:03:30, in one of the most surprising turn of the event, Takaoka, Japan’s national 3000m, 10,000m and Marathon record holder, started to fall behind the leaders. The pace began to increase and by 25Km, only 10 runners - Fabiano Joseph and Isaac Macharia (both pace setters), Atsushi Fujita, Merga, Sato, Aburaya, Daniel Yego, Wanjiru, Yukou Matsumiya and Kensuke Takahashi – remained in contention.

At around 27.5Km, Yego and Matsumiya lost contact with the leaders, while Fujita, Aburaya and Takahashi were left behind some three kilometres later. Both rabbits dropped out of the race at 30Km, leaving Wanjiru, Sato and Merga in the lead. Before the race Wanjiru said he was concerned if he could be patient with the slower pace of a Marathon because he is so used to running fast from the gun. “I was quite nervous until 30Km,” he said.

But with 1:30:01 for the 30Km split, Wanjiru had cleared the first hurdle of his debut Marathon. With Wanjiru and Sato taking turn in the front, kilometre 30 to 31 was covered in 2:58, followed by 3:01, 2:57 and 2:58 splits for the next three. Then Wanjiru increased the pace after 34Km making Sato the next victim. The 35th kilometre was covered in 2:52, leaving Merga, who was fourth at the World Road Running Championships in October, as the only runner able to keep up with the Wanjiru’s pace.

By 35Km, Sato was seven seconds behind the leaders and Wanjiru started to throw in some surges. The next four kilometres were run at a quite uneven pace - 2:56, 3:04, 2:57 and 3:11. At 39Km, Matsumiya passed Aburaya and moved into fourth, thus keeping his hope for the Olympic team spot alive. Wanjiru and Deriba were still together at 40Km, but then Wanjiru made a strong move around 40.5Km and the race was over. Wanjiru covered the final 2.195Km in 6:36 and won the race in the course record.

Before the race, Wanjiru revealed his plan of running 2:06 in Fukuoka and then run 2:05 in a spring Marathon, perhaps London. He thinks that is what it will take to make the Olympic Marathon team for Kenya. With the first part of his goal fulfilled, his second Marathon, which may be harder than the debut, will be awaited with much anticipation.

Unless something dramatic happens in Tokyo and/or the Lake Biwa Marathon next year, Sato is likely to be selected for the team. After the race he said, “Although I could not win the race, I was able to race against Wanjiru and recorded a personal best in the low 2:07s, so it was a good race for me. I had so much trouble since 2004, I was almost ready to give up (the Marathon), but with the help of my coach (Yasushi Sakaguchi), I was able to make it to the top.” As the situation stands now, Sakaguchi could have two of his runners on the Olympic Marathon team. Another of his protégées, Tsuyoshi Ogata, who finished fifth at the World Championships in Osaka, also has good chance to make the Olympic team.

Ken Nakamura assisted by Akihiro Onishi for the IAAF

Weather: temperature 13.5C; humidity: 47%

Results (athletes JPN unless otherwise noted):
1. Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) 2:06:39, Debut, Course Record
2. Deriba Merga (ETH) 2:06:50 PB (also under previous Course Record)
3. Atsushi Sato 2:07:13, PB
4. Yukou Matsumiya 2:09:40
5. Shigeru Aburaya 2:10:30
6. Kensuke Takahashi 2:11:52
7. Daniel Yego (KEN) 2:11:57
8. Atsushi Fujita 2:12:29
9. Naoki Mishiro 2:12:56
10. Toshinari Takaoka 2:13:40

Splits for Wanjiru:
(note that 15:32 is 5 minutes/mile)
5Km - 15:04
10Km - 30:03 (14:59)
15Km - 45:06 (15:03)
20Km - 1:00:12 (15:06)
25Km - 1:15:05 (14:53)
30Km - 1:30:05 (15:05)
35Km - 1:44:49 (14:44)
40Km - 2:00:03 (15:14)
Finish - 2:06:39 (6:36)  ¶ 6:38 PM