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April 22, 2010

Visit to The Equalizers Track Club

This week I was invited by Coach Jerry Palazzo to visit his club’s practice at Foothill High School in Tustin. The Equalizers are one of the top junior track clubs in the nation, and I was eager to see what their practice was like. The club had first come to my attention when one of their members, 10 year old Constantine Yap, ran a 3:03:40 at the LA Marathon. Then last weekend I watched 12 year old Hannah Stemper run in the Elite Field at the Coaster Run. She finished with an extraordinary 18:50 time in the 5K. I was certainly intrigued.

Coach Jerry, along with assistants Marty and Richard, have built up a huge and enthusiastic group of runners from age 6 to 14. Some travel from as far away as San Clemente and Monterey Park to run 4 days a week. There was a sense of enthusiasm, commitment and passion evident in both the kids and the coaching. Separate groups stretched, did core strength workouts and then attacked repeat 1000s. It was truly inspiring to watch these kids having fun as they learned some of the lessons that endurance sports teach so well: goal setting, perseverance and overcoming adversity.

While a few of their kids, like Constantine and Miguel Bautista (13 year old who runs a 4:37 mile), are currently ranked number one in the nation, more exciting to me was the camaraderie and team spirit that was on display throughout the session. Thanks to all of the Equalizers coaches, parents and kids for a memorable evening.

Peter

April 20, 2010

Print Out A Customizable Volunteer Appreciation Certificate

Here’s a big thank you to our volunteer staff! We had over 6,000 volunteers on deck this year working at water stations, directing participants, stuffing goodie bags and handing out heat sheets at the big finish in Santa Monica. We love your energy and truly could not run this race without you! To commemorate your participation in the event print an official, customized volunteer appreciation certificate by clicking here.

April 1, 2010

How it Looked from the Lead Vehicle

I had the good fortune to ride in one of the lead vehicles during this year’s Honda LA Marathon. Along with my colleague Dave Klewan and Bart Yasso from Runner’s World, I jumped into a sweet new Honda FCX hydrogen vehicle for a morning at the sharp end of the race. This was critical for Dave and I, as we needed to see what was actually happening out on the course. The experience exceeded all of our expectations. Not only were we able to get a runners-eye view of the entire Stadium to the Sea route, but we did it while listening to the outstanding live radio broadcast on KLAC 570. We all had ear-to-ear grins the entire morning. Front-row seats for the women’s race, the volunteer support, the Taiko Drummers at Disney Hall, the Drag Queen Cheerleaders in West Hollywood, the Beverly Hills block party, the landmarks, Cheer Alley, Purple Heart Hill in the VA and the insane energy that characterized the Emerald Final Five. Incredible. Here are the photos I took during that drive. My only regret is that I don’t get to run this glorious route!

Peter