Pony Espresso Running Club

Dear PE’s (Pony Espresso members, or “Ponies” for those of you new to this group):

Thirty years ago I started distance running to build my endurance for my great passion of the time- tennis.  However,  something magical occurred during my very first run on the beach in Del Mar, California. I ran approximately one mile and stopped to stretch at the cliffs near the Del Mar race track. At that moment, something I still can’t describe or explain, resonated within me, and it just felt “right”.  I finished my run and it was not until 18 years later, that I again picked up a tennis racket! As with many new to the sport, I quickly became enamored and shortly thereafter, hooked up with Thaddeus Kostrubala, MD, author of the best seller The Joy of Running who, thanks to the gods and muses of running, just happened to live around the corner from me.  When we first met, I related the story about that special “resonance” which occurred at he cliffs, and he smiled and informed me that those were the very cliffs when the “cliff dweller” Del Mar Man was found. He was thought at the time to be 25,000 years old, making him the oldest hominid found in North or South America. His age was later reduced to 8,000 year by more accurate carbon dating techniques. To Thad, those cliffs were a sacred shrine. Thad took this as a sign that I should be one of his disciples as he had long held that running brought us back to our origins as hunter-gatherers. This was the reason it felt “right” and accounted for increased awareness of our surroundings. He was criticized for “unscientific” reasoning and mocked for his theories. Now, fast forward 30 years. Several important papers published in peer reviewed journals such as Sports Medicine, Current Anthropology, and The Journal of Experimental Biology, have all dealt in a scientific manner with the concept of Man as an endurance animal who was able to outlast wild animals on the run, and ultimately make the “kill” when the animal collapsed with exhaustion! Now, a national best seller Born to Run written by Christopher McDougall and published this year by Alfred A. Knopf  tellls the story of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, renowned for remarkable distance running achievements (and games). The Tarahumara were always a favorite of Thad’s! An abstract  of an article  published  in 2004,by the Journal, Nature,  dealing with this issue is reprinted below:

Endurance running and the evolution of Homo

Dennis M. Bramble¹ & Daniel E. Lieberman² 

Pony Espresso Express

November 3rd, 2009

Dear PE’s:

This will probably be the LAST newsletter published and emailed directly to our continually growing stable of Ponies. However, DON’T DESPAIR!  Assuming I am able to learn what 20 million others have, the Pony Espresso Express will now be found on Facebook under groups:  Pony Espresso Running Club.  We are going national. The new format may look a little different until I learn to get the most out of the site. You can access the site by clicking on the following link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=170376686846&ref=mf . If you are already a member of Facebook, you need only become a “friend” to interact with the site. If not, you must sign up by going to www.facebook.com and joining. You can also find the Pony Espresso Express on our new website, also a work in progress. Just go to www.ponyespressorunningclub.com.  Just make it a “FAVORITE” ON YOUR BROWSER to access it immediately. (If you don’t know how to do that, just collar the 1^st 12 year-old you can find and they’ll do it or teach you) J The advantages of the Facebook site will be many: it will be easier to connect and interact with others, get much wider expertise on all matters related to running, training, racing, and express your own thoughts regarding any and all matters related to running.  You will be able to access the site at any time, and retrieve archived letters and links. I will no longer need to manage the mailing lists. You can spread the word and have running friends access the site independently. I would like to see this site become a national clearing house for committed runners without respect to their preferred distances or running abilities. You can view and have limited input on the website. The first posting is a mission statement reprinted below:

Pony Espresso Express

Mission Statement

The Pony Espresso Running Club consists of a group of “committed” (and not yet “committed”) runners who are into running for the long run- both figuratively and in reality. This site is intended as a national meeting ground for ponies of all breeds and abilities to exchange information and observations. It has grown out of a local group of San Diego North County runners who prefer to run on horse trails and consume copious amounts of coffee, hence the name. [Over the years, our mailing list for the newsletter has literally spread from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine, and from Naples, Florida to Naples, California. We have members in Washington, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Arizona, Colorado and others]. Our motto is:

“Neither rain nor hail nor sleet nor snow nor heat of day nor dark of night shall keep this pony from the swift or slow completion of its appointed rounds.”*

*Of course, in San Diego we have only to deal with the “heat of day” and “dark of night” (apologies to Herodotus and the U.S. Postal Service and the rest of the nation)

We will have a much larger forum and easier access.) I will encourage others to set up “stables” in different locales for both the Pony Espresso (running) and Tennessee Walkers (walking) divisions. I need your help to make this work!

I will continue to monitor multiple sites and continue to provide links to legitimate experts such as Joanne Dahlkoetter, Danny Dreyer, Ozzie Gontang, as well as respected sites such as Runners World, Marathon Maniacs, Active.com, and others. This will definitely be a “work in progress”.

I have spent the Summer and early Fall flying around the country to various marathons: Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Missoula, MN; Albuquerque, NM; Long Beach, CA; Burlington VT; Asbury Park, NJ and have met runners from throughout the 50 states who are committed to various personal goals ranging from completing the 50 States & DC, to multiple and back-to-back events, to commemorating sick or fallen friends and family, to fund-raising for innumerable charities. The VAST majority of these individuals are just “regular” people with family, jobs, and all the commitments we all share. But, they have found a way to train, travel, and compete in these events. Where there’s a will, there’s a way! This is a GREAT community of which to be a part!

If you have postings on the new site, be sure to identify the city in which you reside, since it would be quite impractical for someone in San Diego to meet up for a local run with someone from Lawrence, KS, Nashville, TN, Gainesville GA or any of the other sites now represented on our current mailing list (not to mention…expensive and time consuming) J

Happy Trails,

JRB

PONY ESPRESSO EXPRESS

Long awaited Half Marathon Issue

Dear PE’s:

As September approaches, we turn our thoughts to “back to school”, “off to school”, “back to work” and “back to Marathon/Half Marathon season”. In Southern California, we are blessed with good weather, beautiful venues (beach, coast, mountains) and lots of choices to satisfy our “half marathon cravings”. Unfortunately, many other people have the same needs, and consequently virtually all the major races fill up earlier and earlier. So, the usual admonition: sign up early! Or you’ll be watching (rather than participating in) your anticipated event. With this in mind, I have compiled a fairly complete list of the events in the local and regional areas that might be of interest. All are half marathons with the exception of a few trail runs that are very close to half marathon distance (18-20K) vs. 21K.

Before you read the list (which should allow you to click your way to the web site to sign up), remember that we generally have longer training runs on Sundays. Last weekend, for example, 10 ponies showed up for our 5-14 mile runs. As advertised, the courses were primarily horse trails, hence a good workout but easy on the body. Good work Sharon, Tom, Michael, Wayne, Bonnie, Athena, Ayo, Ken and Janet J  This weekend, we’ll be leaving from the north end of Torrey Pines State Beach (on 101) at 6:45 am. We plan to run NORTH on 101 with ample opportunity to go 5-15 miles (out and back course). We’ll try to use the dirt paths (or beach) as much as possible. But, it is useful to do some running on pavement as that is where most of the half marathons are J. If you know the music from Rogers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma, you’ll remember “Oh, what a beautiful morning”. This is especially true at this time of the year. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the afternoons which have been hot and muggy (and potentially dangerous). Hence, for your comfort and safety, try to start your long runs early (see above J). 

09/06/2009 06:00am Sunday	2009 Disneyland® Half Marathon (The Disneyland® Half Marathon Weekend returns Sept 4-6, 2009. Start planning now to join us over Labor Day Weekend for your shot at the coveted castle finisher medal)	Spectrum Sports Management 909/399-3553 info@spectrumsports.net	Disneyland® Resort Anaheim, CA 92802 (course through Disney’s California Adventure® Park, to Disneyland® Park, streets of Anaheim & back to Disneyland® Resort for an exciting finish)	To compete, you must be 14 yrs or older,able to maintain a 16-minute per mile pace throughout the race, completing the Half Marathon in three and a half (3.5) hours or less. www.disneylandhalfmarathon.com
09/12/2009  Saturday	Big Bear Lake Marathon, Half Marathon, Cycle Tour, 5K and 1 Mile Kid’s Run	Nikki Allen, Event Coordinator info@bigbearlakemarathon.com	Beautiful So Cal location in the San Bernardino mountains! Big Bear Lake, California is So Cal’s backyard playground.	For additional information, visit website at: www.runthebear.com
09/19/2009 08:00am Saturday	Camp Pendleton Heartbreak Ridge Half Marathon 13.1 miles	Race Hotline 760/725-6836 cpraces@y-events.com	43 Area Las Pulgas, Camp Pendleton, CA	A breathtaking 13.1-mile all gravel off-road course through the rolling hills of Camp Pendleton in the 43 area. Course is on packed fire roads. Website: camppendletonraces.com
09/27/2009 08:00am Sunday	XTERRA Point Mugu Trail Run 11K, 18K Trail Runs	Ashley Aurell 310/821-7898 ashley@genericevents.com	Point Mugu State Park/Malibu/Oxnard	Race #1 starts at the southern end of the park in La Jolla Canyon, which is 1 mile west of Sycamore Canyon. www.trailrace.com
09/27/2009  Sunday	The 14th Annual Lake Tahoe Marathon, Marathon Relays, Half Marathon, 20 Mile Power Walk, 72 Mile Ultra Marathon, 10K/5K Run/Walk, Kids Runs, Triathlon, Extreme Speed Golf, Kayak or Swim.	Les Wright 530/544-7095 leswright@sbcglogal.net	The start is on the grass area of Commons Beach just a few steps from the water in Tahoe City.	Take a running vacation to Lake Tahoe this Fall September 23 – 27th, 2009. Run, walk, swim, paddle or peddle one or more of the many events during Lake Tahoe Marathon week. “From start to finish, maybe the most beautiful set of events you will ever laketahoemarathon.com
10/04/2009 07:55am Sunday	Rock ‘n’ Roll 1/2 Marathon San Jose 7:55am Wheelchair Start, 8am Race Start	Elite Racing Inc. 858/450-6510 800/311-1255 rnrsj@eliteracing.com	W. Santa Clara St. and Almaden Blvd. San Jose, CA	Health & Fitness Expo Fri, Oct 3rd & Sat, Oct 4th. Flat & Fast USATF certified course, 20 Live Bands, and much more! www.rnrsj.com
10/11/2009 07:00am Sunday	25th Annual Long Beach International City Bank Marathon, Half Marathon, Bike Tour, 5K Run/Walk, & Evergreen Kid’s 1 Mile Fun Run	International City Racing 562/427-4606 lelison@runicr.com	Shoreline Drive in Long Beach, CA	A course like no other marathon in the country. The highest elevation is only 45 feet, offering incredible views of the city’s coastline & historical landmarks. Full & Half Marathon have a wave start with waves every 5 minutes. www.runlongbeach.com
10/11/2009 07:00am Sunday	California Wine Country Marathon: 26.2 Mile Marathon & 13.1 Mile Half Marathon.	Events With Sole 707/888-6256 brad@eventswithsole.com	Downtown Healdsburg California, in the middle of Sonoma County wine growing region 70 miles north of San Francisco in the middle of Sonoma County.	An epic adventure w/miles of vineyards & dozens of wineries for your viewing pleasure. Gently rolling roads w/breathtaking views of Dry Creek & Alexander Valley. A PR course with the final few miles downhill! www.winecountrymarathon.com
10/11/2009  Sunday	City to the Sea Half Marathon and 5K Run/Walk. (certified Half Marathon course)	Registration @ www.active.com Or Go to: www.citytothesea.org brian_locher@cuesta.edu	Point to point course starts downtown San Luis Obispo continuing on country roads and finishing along Shell Beach Road at Dinosaur Cave Park.	Registered receive event long-sleeve t-shirt & free post race breakfast hosted at the Dinosaur Cave Park. Additional tickets may be purchased for $7. Bus transportation provided after race from the finish to downtown SLO.
10/18/2009  Sunday	The 4th Annual Denver Marathon, Half Marathon, & 4-person ING Marathon Relay	Competitor Group 858//450-6510 or 800/311-1255	Denver, Colorado	A flat, scenic course with one of the most entertaining post-race parties in the Rockies! www.denvermarathon.com
10/31/2009 07:15am Saturday	Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon	Matt Dockstader Matt@destinationraces.com	Healdsburg, CA	Destination Races’ newest jewel, the Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon, features a spectacular, curving course through the Alexander & Dry Creek Valleys when the vineyards are vibrant with fall colors. Celebrate wine harvest & Halloween with family & www.runhealdsburg.com
11/01/2009 08:00am Sunday	Lake Casitas Half Marathon & 5K	Bill Escobar 805/258-3779 bill@EliteSportsVC.com	The race will start and finish at Lake Casitas in Ojai CA	Includes a huge race day expo and celebration. All athletes will be awarded a finishers medal as they cross the finish line. $5 of each registration will be donated to the American Cancer Society of Ventura County. www.LakeCasitasHalfMarathon.com
11/01/2009 07:00am Sunday	US Half Marathon, San Francisco	U.S. Race Series, LLC infosf@usaraceseries.com	On the waterfront, Aquatic Park on historic Muni Pier	Also Corporate/College Team (min 8 members) Kids MaraFUN Presented by St. Jude and Women’s 10K www.ushalf.com
11/08/2009 07:00am Sunday	Eye-Q Two Cities Marathon and Half Marathon	Mike Herman twocitiesmarathon@yahoo.com	Fresno, California 45 minutes from three National Parks including the crown jewel Yosemite National Park.	Boston qualifier/$10,000 purse/2-day Expo w/Dick Beardsley, Michelob Ultra Celebration Beer Garden. BEST amenities – technical long-sleeve event shirt, Finisher’s sweatshirt, custom medallion, hot breakfast, FREE massages & our signature ice cream sundae! www.RunFresno.com
11/08/2009 07:00am Sunday	14th Annual Santa Clarita Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K Run/Walk, & Kid 5K.	661/286-4018 marathon@santa-clarita.com	City of Santa Clarita, CA on newly open trails along the San Francisquito Creek	USATF-Certified, Boston Marathon Qualifier, Loop course. Health & Fitness Expo on Sat. Nov 7th, 9am-5pm at Hyatt Valencia. Website: www.scmarathon.org
11/14/2009  Saturday 7am/Mar- 5K/8am	Hope Site Mission-Vision Blind Center El Monte Marathon, Half-Marathon & 5K	Charlie Alewine, Race Director. 909-319-8492 charliealewine@gmail.com	Legg Lake Park 750 S. Santa Anita Ave., South El Monte, CA 91733	Flat, fast beautiful scenic course around lake. Appx 50% dirt, 50% sidewalk. Event t-shirts, medal to all finishers, trophies to top 3 runners in each race. www.CharlieAlewineRacing.com
11/15/2009 07:00am Sunday	10th Annual Silver Strand Half Marathon, 5K Run/Walk, Skate, Hand-cycle, 1/2 Marathon Tag Team Run.	Koz Enterprises 858/268-1250 info@kozenterprises.com	Start: Coronado Finish: Imperial Beach	The course is open to runners, joggers, walkers, hand-cyclists, wheelchairs & skaters. A flat, fast, point-to-point 1/2 marathon course. Website: kozenterprises.com
12/13/2009 08:00am Sunday	Santa To The Sea 1/2 Marathon, Relay & 5K Fun Run	Mike Barber t2thebar@gmail.com	race starts @ giant santa along the 101 freeway runs thru the strawberry fields,downtown Oxnard and ends at the beautiful Channel Islands Harbor@Marine Emporium Landing	This race is a fundraiser with 100% of proceeds going for toys for underprivileged kids,each runner must also bring a unwrapped toy of 10.00 or more value Santa To The Sea.com
12/13/2009 09:00am Sunday	Lasse Viren 20K Trail Run (32nd Annual)	Josh Spiker 805/258-6361 JoshSpiker@Gmail.com	Sycamore Canyon (part of Pt. Mugu State Park) off Pacific Coast Highway between Oxnard and Malibu, CA.	32nd annual running of this classic trail run. Great scenery and excellent post run food provided by Aloha Steakhouse. www.LasseViren20K.org
01/09/2010  Saturday 8:00 am	XTERRA Boney Mountain Xduro – 6K and 21K Trail Runs	Generic Events 310/821-7898 info@trailrace.com	This race is held in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa National Park and Pt. Mugu State Park.	Part of the XTERRA SoCal Series. Features two challenging & scenic races through fire roads & single track trails of Point Mugu State Park. www.trailrace.com
01/09/2010 08:00am Saturday	Kaiser Permanente 18th Annual Southern California Half Marathon, 5K, & 1.6K Kids Run	949/559-8171 www.schalfmarathon.com chemco29@aol.com	Irvine, CA (corner of Barranca & Creek) Village of Woodbridge	Fast, flat, scenic course, beautiful t-shirt, Fabulous Expo,. A great tune-up race for SD, OC, and LA County upcoming marathons. Featuring chip timing and finishing medals for the half marathon! Online reg at www.active.com www.schalfmarathon.com
01/17/2010  Sunday 7:30 am	7th Annual P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon & Half Marathon	Elite Racing 1-800-311-1255 rnraz@eliteracing.com	Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe, AZ	Flat courses for runners & walkers/all ability levels, featuring many popular attractions. 70 Live Bands, Headliner Concert & A Boston Qualifier. Health & Fitness Expo Jan 16-17, Website: www.rnraz.com
01/24/2010 07:00am Sunday	Carlsbad Marathon & 1/2 Marathon with Health & Fitness Expo (nearing sell out – register today)	In Motion, Inc. 760/692-2900 info@inmotionevents.com	Spectacular coastal course. Carlsbad, California Westfield Shoppingtown Plaza Camino Real.	Beautiful coastal courses with fastest 1/2 marathon time on the West Coast. 3-day Health & Fitness Expo & more! Website: www.carlsbadmarathon.com
02/06/2010 08:00am Saturday	The Sedona Marathon Event, including Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K.	800/775-7671 info@sedonamarathon.com	Sedona Arizona	Run a marathon, half marathon or 5K through the mystical and majestic red rocks of Sedona on asphalt and dirt roads, in elevations of 4100-4650 feet. sedonamarathon.com
02/07/2010 06:50am Sunday	Surf City USA® Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K and 1 Mile Kids Race	Kinane Events 888/422-0786 info@kinaneevents.com	Huntington Beach CA 92648	This exclusive oceanfront course is a California Dream! Run on Pacific Coast Highway past the famous Huntington Beach pier and wind through the legendary surfing beaches of Southern California in Huntington Beach, CA www.runsurfcity.com
02/14/2010  Sunday 8:00 am	42nd Annual San Dieguito Half Marathon & 5K Run/Walk	Kathy Loper Events 619/298-7400 kathy@kathyloperevents.com	Start/Finish: San Dieguito County Park, Rancho Santa Fe, CA	“This is one of the most beautiful & scenic courses you will ever run.” Benefits: San Diego County Parks Society, Hosted by San Diego Area Hash House Harriers. kathyloperevents.com/sandieguitohalf
02/14/2010  Sunday 7:00 am	12th Annual Palm Springs 1/2 Marathon, 1/2 Marathon Relay and 5K Run/Walk	Klein Clark Sports 760/324-7069 greg@kleinclarksports.com	Ruth Hardy Park – Palm Springs, CA	Flat, fast USATF Certified 1/2 marathon & 5K courses benefiting PAL. Register online at active.com or visit website at: www.kleinclarksports.com
02/21/2010 06:00am Sunday	Pasadena Marathon	Pasadena Forward 626/797-7238 information@pasadenamarathon.org	Pasadena, CA	This event offers a variety of Race Day options-Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K, Bike Tour, & Fun Run. Scenic Marathon course, USATF certified, & a Boston Qualifier. Join us in our beautiful city in February! www.pasadenamarathon.org
03/07/2010 08:00am Saturday	Ventura Half Marathon & 5K	Josh Spiker 805/258-6361 JoshSpiker@Gmail.com	Ventura, CA (Ventura Unified School District off Stanley Ave.)	A half marathon that runs out and back along the Ventura-Ojai bikepath. Friendly and cozy race (only a few hundred people) with a tech top and affordable www.VenturaHalf.com
03/27/2010 07:00am Saturday	25th Annual Dole Great Race of Agoura Hills featuring the Chesebro Half Marathon, Old Agoura 10K, Deena Kastor 5K, Kids 1 Mi/Family Fun and Pacific Half Marathon	877/GR8-RACE greatraceofagoura.com greatracehelp@gmail.com	Chumash Park in Agoura Hills	Voted Best Post Race Party in LA six years in a row! Tons of food, big prizes, scenic USATF certified/sanctioned courses, chip timing, professionally produced, huge expo. greatraceofagoura.com
05/02/2010 06:30am Sunday	2010 OC Marathon	949/222-3327 info@ocmarathon.com	Orange County, CA 401 Newport Center Drive Newport Beach, CA	A world class running event featuring the best the OC has to offer. www.ocmarathon.com