February 8, 1988
Running: BEST SHORT COURSES IN THE BAY AREA
The Bay Area boasts some of the nation’s—and the world’s—best running courses.
You name it and the Bay Area’s got it: long, rolling bike paths, cushioned forest trails, flat tracks, ridge runs, ocean beach pathways, fire roads, and roads through vineyards.
It was no easy task, then, to narrow down the area’s courses to the five best courses of five miles or less. In formulating guidelines for the search, several factors eliminated some runs: temperature extreme (runs like the East Bay’s Lake Chabot have 100+ summer temperatures and swarms of bugs); accessibility; steepness; and a tendency to go beyond (some courses, like the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley, lure the unwary into running farther than planned).
After Consulting runners at various clubs, the following five courses were voted the Bay Area’s best:
ANGEL ISLAND
Course: Loop of island
Distance: 4.8 miles.
Location: Angel Island is situated in the northern sector of San Francisco Bay just south of the tip of Tiburon. Ferries run daily during summer, weekends during winter. Harbor Carriers runs ferries from S.F., 415-546-2805. Angel Island Ferry runs from Tiburon, 415-435-2131.
Course Description: The loop course circles the island more than 100 feet above the waves. The terrain can best be described as vigorously rolling, with several short, steep hills. It also has gently rolling grades and view of San Francisco.
Races: The course is the site of the annual Guardsmen Angel Island Run (May 7). Guardsmen: 415-781-6785.
A Runner’s View: Bill Howard, a former San Francisco resident who now lives in Oakland, makes several pilgrimages a year to Angel Island. “As far as the scenery goes, Angel Island is one of the Bay Area’s best courses of any length.”
Additional Information: Bring a picnic for an all-day outing.
COYOTE HILLS REGIONAL PARK
Course: Loop of hills bordering S.F. Bay.
Distance: 3.5 miles.
Location: At the western end of Patterson Ranch Road just off Paseo Padre Parkway, which intersects Route 84 just east of the toll booths at the Dumbarton Bridge. Parking available at the visitor’s center of the 1,021-acre park. There is a $2 seasonal parking fee.
Course Description: Follow signs at visitor’s center for Bay View Trail and stay on the paved bicycle path. The terrain is gently rolling, and features some unparalleled views of S.F., San Jose, Mt. Diablo, and the Mt. Hamilton range.
Races: Each November the friends of the Tri-City Animal Shelter host the Bay to Barkers 10K on this course. Information: Maryanne Robertson, 415-796-8267.
A Runner’s View: Before he became a bicycle proponent, Ray Hosler was an accomplished marathoner. “This area is unique in that you’re surrounded by 5 million people, but you don’t feel the press of the masses because you have the bay on one side, the hills on another.”
Additional Information: There are four Indian shell mounds in the park.
LAKE MERCED
Course: Loop of Lake Merced.
Distance: 4.46 miles.
Location: Off Harding Way, adjacent to the Zoo. Best parking is in the north lot, near terminus of Sunset Boulevard.
Course Description: Races held around the lake are run in the clockwise direction, and usually start from the north parking lot. Not nearly as rolling as Angel Island, the course does have some elevation change.
Races: The annual Christmas Relays (West Valley Track Club) are held in December, and Dolphin South End Running Club’s Ruth Anderson 100K in January. The DSE holds a July 4 race of one or two laps. Information: WVTC 415-284-4247; DSE 415-949-5727.
Runner’s View: Jim Skophammer, president of the DSE, lives near the lake and runs it frequently. “At first glance, the course seems fairly flat, but once you get into it, you realize that there is some elevation change. On a longer race (multiple loops), you begin to notice the little hills. The loop is always scenic and very safe from traffic.”
Additional Information: If you’ve got a family, you can drop them off at the boathouse while you run. There’s plenty to see: fishermen, boaters, plenty of birds.
LAKE MERRITT
Course: Loop of Lake Merritt.
Distance: 3.1 miles; 5K.
Location: In the heart of Oakland, bordered by Grand Avenue, Lakeshore Avenue, and Harrison Street. Parking is available around the lake, but is better on nearby side streets.
Course Description: In the shape of a disfigured letter “C”, the course is nearly perfectly flat. It is frequently used for time trials by serious runners and as a fast race course by local clubs. The inner loop of the “C” brings a runner through a pleasant parkland, while the tip of the “C” passes the children’s Fairyland. Most of the loop offers sidewalks, dirt paths, and grass as a surface.
Races: The annual Valentine’s Day Run (February 14) offers both a 5K and a 10K. Contact: 415-632-9606. Each month Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders host 5, 10, and 15K races; contact Elvyn Blair, 415-834-3110.
A Runner’s View: Brad Hawthorne won the 1987 Big Sur Marathon; he lives within a block of the course and trains on it frequently. “The loop of the lake is a fairly accurate 5K course, so it’s terrific for doing time trials. It’s also good for doing longer workouts… It’s difficult to run the lake fast in April and May because everyone who is training for Bay-to-Breakers runs there.”
Additional Information: Regarding parking, Hawthorne comments: “That’s a real problem. It is a high-theft area. I’ve seen quite a few cars with broken windows.”
SAWYER CAMP TRAIL
Course: Out-and-back along Crystal Springs Lake.
Distance: 5 miles (optional loner runs available).
Location: On the Peninsula, just off Interstate 280 at the intersections of Crystal Springs Road and Skyline Boulevard. Limited parking at entrance.
Course Description: A winding, nearly flat asphalt path along the eastern shore of Crystal Springs Reservoir, with dirt paths on both sides. The asphalt surface is marked off every .5 mile and there are also signs posted every .5 mile. There are portable toilets at 0 miles and at 1.5 miles.
Races: The San Mateo County Park and Recreation Department has considered charging runners, walkers, bicyclists, and others $1 for use of the trail to underwrite maintenance. Local runners (at Runner’s Inn) and the Fisherman’s Restaurant recently sponsored a race, raising $1,500 to head off the charge.
A Runner’s View: Mike Duncan is a local marathoner who has been instrumental in remodeling hiking and running paths in San Mateo County Parks. “The trail is terrific because there is absolutely no cross traffic. The course is winding and therefore is changing all the time… Because of the presence of so many people, it is safe for solitary women to use the trail at almost any time.”
Additional Information: When running the trail, note the interesting geological features: creeks go down toward the lake and them make right turns before they empty into the lake.
February 15, 1988
Fitness: A MEASURE OF WELLNESS
While doing research with fitness expert Elaine LaLanne for a book on exercise walking for people over 50 years of age, we visited the Courtyard Mall in Rolling Hills Estate near San Pedro
Why visit a shopping mall while doing research for a book on walking?
The Courtyard Mall was one of the first shopping centers in the world to offer an indoor walking course. The concept was developed by the nearby San Pedro Peninsula hospital, and the mall management was quick to implement it.
The hospital opened an office at the mall under the name of A Measure of Wellness. The satellite hospital office offers health screening for mall patrons, provides free blood pressure checks before patrons use the walking course (and keeps records of same), and organizes weekly fitness walks.
A Measure of Wellness and mall management created maps of walking courses within the mall and affixed signs along the interior of the mall marking distances. Once a week, weather permitting, a Measure of Wellness personnel conducts a group walk on nearby beach paths. The mall management also opens the mall several hours early to allow walkers to avoid shopping crowds.
In Northern California, the idea of using shopping malls as exercise courses is growing.
In San Mateo County, the American Heart Association has published a guide to walking courses. The guide is published in conjunction with the AHA’s “Walking for a Healthy Heart” booklet.
The guide is divided into indoor and outdoor courses. There are five of each. Outdoor courses include the Foster City Levee, the Millbrae-San Bruno Recreational Trail, Redwood Shores Parcourse, Sawyer Camp Trail, and Twin Pines.
The indoor courses are all in shopping malls. Although I’ve never visited most of the malls, I do know that the Stanford Shopping Center gives that illusion. The other four malls are the Hillsdale Shopping Center, the San Mateo Fashion Island, Serramonte Center, and Tanforan Park.
For a copy of the booklet “Walking for a Healthy Heart” and the accompanying walking course guide, send a self-addressed stamped business-sized envelope to The American Heart Association, 1801 Murchison Drive, P.O. Box 1039, Burlingame, Calif. 94010. If you don’t live in San Mateo County, call or write your county’s chapter of the AHA for more information.
Editor’s Note: Elaine LaLanne’s book, “Dynastride!” (written with Richard Benyo), will be released next month by The Stephen Greene Press in New York for $9.95.
February 22, 1988
Running Roundup: LOCAL RACES MAKE GOOD IN NATIONAL-RANKING LIST
Runner’s World magazine annually picks the best races in the nation. This year’s sweepstakes was broken down into three categories: 52 non-marathon races, 20 marathon, and five women-only races.
The Bay Area was represented in the non-marathon category by three races: the Bay-to-Breakers, the Bridge-to-Bridge, and the race that’s been growing so rapidly they’re going to have to cage it: Run to the Far Side. The San Francisco Marathon made the list as one of the 20 top 26-milers And the Bonne Bell (one of the original women-only races) was among the top five women’s races.
Also making the Runner’s World list of 20 best marathons was the fledgling Big Sur Marathon, which is gearing up for its third annual running on April 17, the day before the Boston Marathon. (Big Sur Information: 408-625-6226.) The Big Sur Marathon holds the distinction of being the only nonurban marathon on the top 20 list and is the only one without prize money.
In other Big Sur Marathon news, a second major sponsor, after United Airlines, has come on board: California Fresh Artichokes.
Those of you with long memories will recall that on March 28 of last year a momentous running milestone occurred in the Bay Area. Oakland’s Dick Collins recorded his 100th ultramarathon.
Now, Ultrarunning Magazine the journal for those who march to a drummer with insomnia, has honored Dick as the American ultrarunner who has done the most ultras. In the January-February issue, the magazine put Collins at the head of a list with 115 events. (Actually, he’s done another one since then, so it’s 116.)
Collins’ latest ultra was the Ruth Anderson 100K held at Lake Merced on January 23. He ran the 62.1 miles in 12:56:47 and was 11th out of 23 finishers. Collins keeps a detailed, computerized record of his ultras. The list is so long he’s soon going to need two envelopes to mail it.
Coincidentally, Collins ran his 100th ultra at the 4th annual Redwood Empire 24-Hour run last year in Santa Rosa. This year’s run, which benefits the American Cancer Society, is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on March 26 at the Santa Rosa Junior College track.
Because the run encompasses 24 hours, staging it requires the cooperation of a boatload of volunteers, especially lap-counters who take a six- or eight-hour shift recording laps and times for a runner. The volunteer lap-counters are especially important for participants who come in from out of state and can’t afford to transport their own people to handle these duties.
Anyone wishing to volunteer for a very inspiring experience, call race director Carol Witwer at 707-538-4650. Anyone wishing to make donations in the form of pledges for the number of miles various runners complete in 24 hours can also call Witwer.
Although it isn’t an infallible science by any means, statistics can be fun. Statistics regarding runners compiled by Runner’s World during the last year show some interesting trends. Primarily: Since the average runner has now been involved longer, there is more tendency to participate in road races. In the top 10 U.S. marathons, entries were up between 1985 and 1986 by 12 percent; finishers in those marathons were up 13 percent. Because of its status as an infant in the field, the L.A. International Marathon was not counted; it enjoyed a 47 percent increase last year over its initial year.
The biggest gains were not among the races a veteran runner would be likely to enter, however, indicating a growing strength in the number of racers among relatively new runners; the statistic indicating this involvement centers on participation in 5K races, where there was an increase of 138 percent.
In an attempt to gauge Bay Area hard-core triathlon involvement, we’d be interested in hearing from local athletes who are planning to train for, qualify for, and compete in this year’s Ironman. Please send name, address, phone, and a brief summary of your triathlon accomplishments.
And finally, an interesting race is planned in Palo Alto for the extra day we have hanging around this year. On February 29 at 12:15 p.m. there will be a Leap Year Stride 5K that will leave from the City Hall Plaza at 250 Hamilton (one block south of University) and continue through the Stanford area. The top 50 finishers receive a free lunch at Croutons Restaurant. Race-day fee is $10 and includes a T-shirt. Contact Palo Alto Recreation special events office at 415-329-2380.
February 29, 1988
Fitness: PUSH-UPS—A CLASSIC EXERCISE THAT NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE
In the complex world of Soloflex, Universal, Nautilus, et al, an exerciser needs either a manual or a coach in order to secure the advertised benefits. For those who like to keep life simple, however, the basics often remain the best.
One of the basic exercises is the push-up. To most of us, it takes us back to the Dark Ages of gymnasium or military calisthenics. To those who played team sports, the push-up is associated with punishment for goofing off.
Yet the push-up remains one of the simplest exercises, and one of the standards by which thousands of individuals can be measured. The push-up (along with the sit-up and timed run) remains a test of U.S. Army fitness.
If an aerobic athlete can find time for only two exercises, they should be the sit-up (for building the abdominals, and therefore protecting the lower back) and the push-up. The push-up works the three muscle groups most integral in shaping up the upper body: the deltoids, the triceps, and the pectorals. It also works the abdominals, the back, and the legs.
Most people know how to execute the basic push-up, but few do it well. Here are some instructions for performing several push-ups.
Basic Push-Up. Lie on the floor, legs together, toes on the floor. Place your hands on the floor under your shoulders. Now comes the difficult part: make your body rigid. (If you raise your chest six inches off the floor, your body should be perfectly parallel to the floor.)
Your body should remain rigid throughout the push-ups; your arms and shoulders should do all the work. Now push into an upright position, but do not go so far as to lock your elbows, and then lower yourself (don’t allow yourself to drop to the floor) until your chest kisses the floor, and then raise yourself again. There should be no rest between each individual push-up.
Modified Push-Up. This is sometimes referred to as the “women’s push-up.” Since women have less muscle mass in proportion to body weight than men, it is often difficult for them to master the basic push-up. The modified push-up provides the benefits without the full resistance of the body’s weight.
Instead of going up on the toes, the ankles are crossed and the knees are kept on the floor. Everything else is done the same. When you get to the point where you can do two dozen modified push-ups easily, you are ready for the Basic Push-Up.
Diamond Push-Up. For faster development of the triceps (and for more resistance), you may want to try the diamond push-up. Prepare yourself as in the basic push-up, but instead of lacing your hands under your shoulders, for a diamond around our face with thumb and index finger on both hands. Now proceed as you would with a basic push-up. This requires considerably more effort and you’ll be hard-pressed at first to come anywhere near your capacity to do push-ups.
Raised Feet Push-Up. If you want to put even more resistance on the upper body, do your push-ups with your feet raised off the floor. You can raise your feet by placing them on several textbooks or on a low stool. The higher you raise your feet, the more resistance is shifted to the upper body, and the more work the arms and shoulders must do to successfully complete the push-up.
Ultimate Push-Up. The ultimate push-ups are the one-armed push-ups and the hand-stand push-ups. The hand-stand push-up involves doing a hand-stand against a wall and then raising and lowering yourself using only your arms; it leaves show marks on the all, by the way. If you’ve seen any of the Rocky movies, you know all about one-armed push-ups.
As in other exercises, the secret is not to try too much too soon. Pace yourself for best results.