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It’s March. Spring is here and we’ve already been blessed by some gorgeous days full of sunshine... and snow. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing and we realize that winter, once again, will give birth to a new season. With more hours of daylight and warmer weather ahead, many of us are dreaming of dropping our rain jackets and embracing shorts and tank tops for our runs. We’re itching for something new. It’s a natural part in the cycle of our year.
Whether you’ve found yourself in a slump over the winter or you’re feeling strong and getting ready to peak for a spring marathon, I challenge you this spring to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. Grab a friend if you need camaraderie.
Sign up for that fitness class you’ve been wanting to attend, paint a room in your house, plant a garden, run a trail race if you never have, take up a new hobby, learn to move in a different way, meditate, pick up that guitar you’ve been wanting to play. There are many ways that we can challenge ourselves. Running is only one of them.
Our bodies and our minds are made for growth and change. Let’s not forget that in the midst of the daily grind.
Challenge yourself this spring (and keep up the good work).
– Janine Arthur
Content
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Race a unique distance while taking in the beauty of Oregon State's campus in the spring. The HOTV Spring Six 6k starts and finishes on the Oregon State University Whyte Track.
A 400m kids race (6-14 yrs) and 100m dash (6 yrs & under) to find the fastest kid in Corvallis, will take place after the 6k race. Heats within each will be organized by age.
Stick around after the event to watch some of the best collegiate athletes and Oregon State's own compete in the Hi-Performance Track Meet.
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Volunteer
Round-up, Begging and Appeal To Your High Moral Standards |
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HOTV is expanding its commitment to the running community and we are going to need EVERYONE's help to make these events happen.
Please plan to dedicate a weekend morning to one of these events, or to HOTV leadership.
- Corvallis Half Marathon registration table on 4/14; hand out bibs and t-shirts to registered runners.
- OSU High Performance Track Meet on 4/28, a pre-track meet 6K around campus on the morning of the meet; Course monitors.
- The Oregon Middle School Meet of Champions (details below)
- Run For the Hills on 6/10; day of race finish area, aid stations, course monitor the morning of the race.
- HOTV social planning: Spring Social and other fun events.
- Designing and decorating an HOTV piano for the Fall Festival "Pianos Around Town" event.
- HOTV treasurer.
More information about whom to contact will come via HOTV emails and Facebook postings.
Get into the idea that HOTV needs all of us to contribute to the club and the community.
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Volunteer
The Oregon Middle School Meet of Champions
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The Oregon Middle School Meet of Champions is one of the biggest and certainly the most competitive middle school track and field meets in Oregon. Last year, 600 athletes from 150 teams contested 28 track and field events.
Now in its 8th year, Linus Pauling MS will again host the meet at Spartan Stadium at Corvallis HS. The meet lasts from approximately 9:30-4:30, but most volunteer positions last about two hours.
Officials
While maintaining a friendly and inclusive atmosphere, we strive to run a meet with the highest quality officiating. We are seeking officials in the long jump, high jump, discus, shot put, and javelin. We would prefer officials available to officiate both prelims in the morning and finals early in the afternoon. We will provide a small stipend to qualified officials.
General Volunteers
There are many jobs available for someone with little experience, from selling shirts to welcoming athletes to the stadium. For these jobs, you need to be comfortable working with people, but we can easily train you on the details.
If you are able to work at the meet, If you are able to work at the meet, please officially sign up for your desired job/time slot.
Leave a note in the comments section if you are USATF certified.
Other LPMS meets
To help with two other meets at LPMS on April 3 or May 15, but only from 4-7 (no prelims and no shirt sales), sign up for a volunteer slot.
If you have questions, email meet director Coulter Rose or Gerhard Behrens
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Member Spotlight: Alex Rowell |
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Alex is our member of the month. We hope you enjoy getting to know a little bit more about him.
First off, Alex leads the Thursday night social run. This is a weekly event that takes place every Thursday and is a great time to meet new people (and go on a run). They’re a welcoming group of runners. All paces are welcomed and after they run, they go out to eat to enjoy some food and beer. I asked Alex some questions.
Enjoy getting to know a bit more about him!
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What do you do for work?
I’m a Clinical Psychologist at OSU. I work at Counseling and Psychological Services as well as the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine. I see patients who have mental health disorders, in both group and individual treatment. I also do a little writing, lecturing at Good Samaritan for residents, and research on the side.
Where are you from?
I grew up in Fremont California, but I have moved around a lot since then. I lived in San Diego for 8 years, Orange County for about 9 months and Ohio for 12 months before moving to Oregon in summer 2016. I figure if I live in Washington next, I can say I have lived everywhere on the West Coast.
How did you end up in Corvallis?
I was finishing my doctoral internship in clinical psychology at the University of Ohio and was applying to jobs all over the West Coast. I knew I wanted to come back to the West Coast and luckily for me, a job opened up in Corvallis. In the midst of completing my dissertation, finishing internship, and applying to jobs I flew out to Oregon from Ohio for about 36 hours and did a day long interview. Now I am Psychologist for OSU and love it.
How long have you been running with HOTV?
My partner and I were looking for ways to be physically active here in Corvallis and I heard about the HOTV running group through some of my co-workers. Right after we moved here we signed up and it was probably the best decision, I ever made (besides moving to Oregon).
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How did you find the club?
I found out about it through a co-worker and the internet. When in doubt, type in “running club in _________ “ and good things will come.
What has running brought to your life?
So much. Running helps me clear my mind and truly gives me energy to work and have fun. After a stressful day there is something so euphoric about putting on running shoes and just leaving all your worries behind. When I was in my graduate program, it gave me a mental break from the academic rigor and clinical caseload. Plus I was very active growing up and since I do not play organized sports anymore, I need something to focus on with regards to challenging and pushing myself…… running has provided that for me.
Are you single? Married? Have any children?
I recently got engaged to my wonderful girlfriend of 3 plus years in October. We met in San Diego and she moved out to Ohio about six months into my internship. She truly balances me out and in many ways, she is my rock. We do have 3 dogs together named Winston, Dexter, and Chula.
What are your favorite local places to run?
I really love Bald Hill. I think for me it was one of the first places I ever ran in Corvallis and it has a special place in my heart; for me, Bald Hill IS Corvallis.
Do you listen to music on the run? Favorite tunes?
That is a great question. So my friends and I (Mainly Matt and Raechel Soicher, Chris Cotton, and Abby Hauver) love Kings of Leon. It is like our theme music whenever we run; honestly there are so many great songs that they have and I do not want to take away too much time from this interview. Other music I like is Drake, Kendrick Lamar, G-eazy, The Black Keys, The Weeknd, and Mumford and Sons.
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Are you reading anything good right now?
Not really, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy? Oh, I am also reading a book called Leadership by the Harvard Business Review
What do you like to do in your spare time when you're not running?
Hmmmmm…. That is a good question. I would say that I love hanging out with Kellie (my partner) and my friend group here in Corvallis. I also enjoy spending time with my three dogs as well as going on walks. I also like reading books about psychotherapy and watching Star Wars in my free time.
Are you a morning or evening runner? Why?
I prefer to run in the morning, but honestly, I could go either way. The thing I like about running in the morning is that you get it over with and you have the rest of the day open to hang out with friends and socialize.
Did you play sports or run in high school? College?
I played three sports in high school: baseball, football, and soccer. I also played basketball and golf for a little. I played positions that required the least amount of running, i.e. goalie, so it is kind of ironic that I run for fun now.
Who are some of your heroes?
Batman is for sure one of my favorite super heroes. When I was growing up, I had a batman cap and use to wear it everywhere, unfortunately I do not do this anymore. Besides fictional characters, I would say my father, grandfather and mother. I also like Obi-Wan Kenobi, even though he is not a hero he does have heroic qualities that he exerts.
What’s your favorite race distance?
1K. Just kidding. I would say a 13.1 miles is my favorite. I feel like it is just far enough where I can enjoy my run and not over do it because of my bad knees.
Do you have any favorite holiday traditions?
I would probably say Thanksgiving because I usually do a run, spend time with family and friends, and then eat a lot of amazing and delicious food and do not feel guilty about it.
Any favorite running gear?
I would have to say my stretch fit Colorado that I got at a conference a couple of years ago. It reminds me of my fiancé and how beautiful Colorado is!
Do you have an inspirational quote you might want to share?
“If you are going through Hell, keep going”- Winston Churchill
“May the Force be with you.”
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What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Review by Rachel Prickett
The critically acclaimed Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami’s fiction frequently takes place in an absurd, surreal world. In comparison his memoir What I Talk About When I Talk About Running reveals the much more ordinary process behind his fantastical works, and the critical role that running has played in his life.
I downloaded this book on Audible before a 14-mile run, hoping a fellow runner’s musings on the sport would give me the inspiration I needed to get through a lengthy solo workout. I wasn’t disappointed!
Though a relatively average recreational runner, Murakami is impressive for his almost compulsive commitment to achieving his personal goals. So great is this love for running, or arguably his obsession with it (don’t the edges of the two seem to blur often for distance runners?) that Murakami went from being overweight and smoking 60 cigarettes a day to running 6 days a week, entering marathons annually and competing in several triathlons and ultra-marathons.
He is completely relatable, however, acknowledging that to his chagrin, age has inevitably slowed his race times and that many days he has to persuade himself to lace up his shoes knowing he will enjoy his run once he actually gets out the door. In one gripping story, he tells of making the foolhardy decision to run solo from Athens to Marathon in the middle of a scorching summer day merely because he thought it would be an epic feat worth writing about.
He passes no fewer than 14 flattened dogs and cats on the side of the overheated highway, becomes completely dehydrated and reaches the point of exhaustion accompanied by the irrational feelings of defeat and fury that are familiar to any runner who has totally hit the wall during a marathon. The resulting article he penned for a travel magazine would put almost any would-be marathoner off the idea for good, so descriptive is Murakami of the hellish experience.
As any runner can relate, the author draws strong parallels between the endurance required to compete in a distance race to the mental strength required for other important things in life. Murakami says that when he writes a novel, it is a matter of focus and endurance. It takes a unique stamina to write page after page until the end of a novel. He says, “I know that if I hadn’t become a long-distance runner when I became a novelist, my work would have been vastly different.”
“People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they’ll go to any length to live longer. But I don’t think that’s the reason most people run. Most runners run, not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest. If you’re going to wile away the years, it’s far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive than in a fog, and I believe running helps you do that. Exerting yourself to the fullest, within your individual limits, that’s the essence of running and a metaphor for life. I believe many runners would agree.”
This book is good stuff for those of us who love a peek behind the curtain at another runner’s training regimen, wild tales of debilitating leg cramps miles from the finish of a marathon and can identify with the pleasure of a few minutes a day with nobody talking to you. The writers among us will doubtlessly draw even more inspiration from Murakami’s thoughts on the process of novel-writing.
The audience for this book is almost positively limited to those groups, however. Even big fans of Haruki Murakami would likely lose interest in what he thinks about when he runs along the Charles River if they are not themselves runners. But for those of us who find running brings us fully alive, I highly recommend What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.
Rachel is an HOTV member who recently moved to Salem, Oregon. She’s a mom of two beautiful children, Clara (3 years old) and Jules (10 months) and is currently training for the Eugene Marathon. Her husband Keith was a driving force behind the growth of the Thursday night social run. Rachel is an avid reader and runner.
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Scenic but challenging 30k and 8k trail runs at Bald Hill Park in Corvallis, OR with great views and fun courses. Easy 2 mile walk/run on smooth paved path and 1/4 mile kids run are fun for the entire family. Benefits the Greenbelt Land Trust trail fund.
After directing the run with his wife, Lori, for over a decade, Cary Stephens felt that it is time to get some “new ideas and new blood” into the race. Time to pass the baton! Fortunately, there are two new, amazing, co-directors, Marc Weber and Drew Ibarra, who have stepped up along with Heart of the Valley Runners to carry the torch forward.
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Beginning Trail Running Class
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Hi all! Just a reminder that our Beginning Trail Running Class is being offered again March 31st.
We start slow...work on hill running strategy and gradually increase distance and pace (to a point). In this class, the pace we run is less important than gaining confidence on the trails, increasing stamina, and building strength through hilly trail running and gradually increased weekly mileage. No one is left behind on a run!
On the first day I lecture on gear, clothing, shoes, trail safety and discuss various trail runs & maps (which will be emailed to each participant along with a course syllabus.)
The March 31st Class is scheduled for 9 weeks. We will offer these longer classes consecutively through the spring, summer and next winter.
I do not ask to get paid for this class (I'm in it for the fun!) but proceeds from the class go to HOTV and a small portion goes to the city of Corvallis Parks and Rec so it is also a good way to support two great organizations!
I hope you can make it out!
- Robert Swan
Here is the link to register for the class.
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Advice from a Reformed Evening Runner
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I was an evening runner for 20 years. I had never been a morning person. Now, I get up before 6 a.m. four days a week to run, because between kids and work, I wouldn’t get my runs in otherwise.
Here’s how I did it.
Ask why you’re not doing it. I heard a TED talk one time about how a Toyota plant in Japan solves problems. They begin with the initial problem and walk back five why’s to find the cause. Example: Why can’t I get up in the morning? Answer: I’m tired. Why 1? Because I stayed up too late. Why 2? Because I was on social media. Why 3? Because I wanted to talk to friends. Why 4: Because it’s lonely being at home with the kids. Why 5? Because I don’t get to talk to other adults!
So, the solution here would be to schedule more playdates or coffee dates or run dates with friends, and spend less time on social media in the evenings. If you stop with “go to bed earlier” you’re missing the root of the problem.
Shame yourself (just a little)
OK, shame is a buzzword right now, so let’s break this down. There’s good shame and bad shame. Bad shame brings you down—I’m not talking about that. So many of you runners, including myself, had a shame experience that spurred you on to running—that’s the good kind. As an adult, I learned that I can’t BEAR to look at clothes I laid out for morning running if I didn’t actually run. It makes Night Me really mad at Morning Me. So that’s what I do.
Set yourself up for success.
Being prepared is the best way to follow through. If you want to be a morning runner, make it easy on yourself. Getting everything ready the night before means you get to sleep a little longer and you don’t have to make any decisions in the morning, or get frustrated first thing by not being about to find what you need to get out the door.
Box yourself in.
Remember the movie 300? That group knew the odds were against them and it would be tempting to run, but Spartans considered it an honor to fight to the death. So, they positioned themselves with a cliff to their backs so they had no choice but to fight their way out or die trying, because self-preservation is human nature. It’s hard to fight it.
Ultimately, this is a battle between Night Me and Morning Me. Night Me is motivated and has the best intentions. Morning Me just wants to sleep. I had a morning running group where we agreed that we were running unless someone called it off. That made it harder to cancel because we had to take an extra step to opt out. Then sometimes I wouldn’t see the cancel text until I was already up and dressed, so I would go anyway. Morning Me wins!
Treat Yo’ Self!
Find a way to reward yourself for getting up to run. You won’t have to do this forever, but you will at first. When I first started to run in the mornings, a met a friend just twice a week and we planned our routes to end at Starbucks. This gave me two rewards: time with a friend and coffee. Some days, the friend aspect was more motivational, some days it was the coffee treat.
Automatic
I didn’t realize how effective this was until I moved away one year after we began this routine. Now I don’t have those same rewards. But when my alarm goes off, I get up and go. It’s automatic. Some mornings I even think, “I’ll just sleep in and run later,” but I get up anyhow. That’s the exact opposite of what used to happen! What motivates you? Make a list. Use it until you don’t need it.
Rewards work. It’s science.
I didn’t start out popping out of bed at 5 a.m. to run, but now I love it because I’m consistent, staying with my training program, and making progress--not excuses.
Erin Burt is a freelance writer, marathoner, and mom of three girls who will be chasing her BQ dream in April at the Eugene Marathon.
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Do you have an idea for the newsletter? A story to share? A race report or recipes you would like to share with the club? A poem? A good joke? A new idea? Cross Training that you would like to share with the club? Would you like to nominate a runner to be our "member spotlight"?
* I'm currently looking to include a section of "Rave Run" photos. Did you run somehwere beautiful and capture a photo of it? Send it to me and inlcude the location. I'll publish it here.
* Do you have a young runner in your life that would like to be published in the newlsetter? I would love for the younger generation of runners to have a space to be published.
If you have something to share, please email Janine at hotvrunnews@gmail.com.
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