Advice from Papa Bear: April, May, and June

Advice from Papa Bear

These tidbits of wisdom were published in the New York Flyers monthly newsletter during the year 2000. In those days the newsletter was published monthly and sent out by US Mail (aka "Snail Mail"). The 12 monthly posts were migrated to Papa Bear's Hiking web site which had a small running section.  Yes,  the club Secretary put out a newsletter of 10-12 pages every month for 12 full months, every year. 

On this blog we will publish them by quarters

 

 

 

April: Rounding 

Papa Bear says: When training, we round our training mileage UP. So naturally 5.7 miles becomes 6 miles in your running log. When racing, we round our finishing times DOWN. So when asked our time after a 3:10:57 marathon we say 3:10, or to be really brazen to non-runner friends we might say "three hours and change". Note how useful the expression "and change" is, use it often.

May: Rest

Papa Bear says: as you get on in years, consider taking an extra day (or 2) off each week. The extra rest may actually improve your performance. Rearrange your mileage into longer runs with more days off in between. Papa Bear has trained just 4 days a week since 1995, during which time he has run 6 marathons and qualified for Boston twice. Rest works! Try it.

June: Bathrooms 

Papa Bear says: if the race starts in 15 minutes and the port-o-san line is 20 minutes long, what to do? GO SOUTH about a half-mile, past Cleopatra's Needle to the traffic light at the top of Cat Hill; turn right on the maintenance road at the light. Bathrooms are in the maintenance building about 100 feet in from the road. 

Or GO NORTH about a half mile along the reservoir track, past the stone pump house; go over the arched foot bridge and follow the walkway down to the tennis house. I have always found these facilities clean and safe. Besides you get a nice extra pre-race warm-up

Sources

Here are the newsletters in which these were published:
April 2000 New York Flyers News (page 4, middle left)
May 2000 New York Flyers News (page 7, bottom right)
June 2000 New York Flyers News (page 7, bottom right)


And BTW: read the whole newsletters: I'll bet you'll be surprised how involved the Flyers were 18 years ago -- just like now!

And here's Papa Bear's web page: Advice from Papa Bear on papabearnewyork.com