Wednesday, August 21, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Health & Fitness
11
Running commentary
By Charlie Kanzig
Correspondent
We are all athletes. That
is the premise on which I
have stood as a coach of
cross-country and track for
the past 35 years.
Not everyone views
themself as an athlete, how-
ever, and perhaps for good
reason. As an overweight
59-year-old, I don9t look
nearly as athletic as I did in
my 20s and 30s. By the same
token, someone who has
never really used their bod-
ies beyond getting through
9th grade P.E. doesn9t view
themselves as an athlete, but
they are, nonetheless.
The human body has an
uncanny ability to adapt to
what we ask it to do. For
the person who considers
themself a non-athlete or
for those, like me, who are
focused on regaining fitness,
there is tremendous hope
that things can get better.
This week, the Sisters
High School cross-country
team will start its official
practices for the year. Some
of the students have been
running all summer and will
be prepared to do anything
we ask of them, while others
who have come out for the
team have done very little.
This is where individualiza-
tion comes into play. Each
runner must be taken from
where they are and build
from there.
This rule holds true for all
runners, so if you are think-
ing of starting a running pro-
gram or have already been
running, it is vital that you
take on this approach for the
best results. This summer
I read a book, <Running to
the Edge: A Band of Misfits
and the Guru Who Unlocked
the Secret of Speed,= and
watched a documentary
called <City Slickers Can9t
Stay With Me,= both of
which chronicle the coach-
ing career of Bob Larson.
Larson started coaching at
the high school level and
went on to community col-
lege and club coaching
before taking the helm at
UCLA and ultimately work-
ing as an Olympic coach.
In both the book and the
documentary Larson9s ath-
letes repeatedly comment
on his ability to make them
successful by dealing with
them as individuals and
helping them grow from
their own strengths.
He also is a tremendous
advocate of bringing these
individuals together into
teams or training groups
because he understands the
magic that can happen when
a group of people joins with
common goals.
I also read this week an
article on racecenter.com by
J. Carl Laney about tips for
running as you age, many
of which apply to this idea
of individualizing as well as
the social aspects of running.
There is a temptation to
compare our progress to oth-
ers. In this article the author
warns us to not compare our
current selves to our younger
selves. He says we must
accept ourselves in our cur-
rent condition and go from
there. Good advice.
Another point of his arti-
cle that rings true for all run-
ners is to <mix it up= in train-
ing. You don9t have to run
every day. A swim, a hike,
some time on the stationary
bike or rowing machine 4
these are all good options
to running. And of course, a
rest day now and then is per-
fectly acceptable.
Like Larson, Laney
believes in the social aspects
of running. He says that as
you age and perhaps can9t
run at all anymore, it is
important to stay part of the
running community. Now
70 and unable to run longer
distances, he volunteers at
marathons, crews ultra-run-
ners, and acts as a superfan
for friends in races.
The connection between
our physical health and our
mental and emotional health
is undeniable. Both Larson
and Laney understand that
the act of running is much
more than a physical chal-
lenge. Adding the social
component not only makes
running more enjoyable, but
likely will produce better
results through camaraderie,
accountability, and shared
experiences.
I have a friend named
Smile, Sisters!
We’re committed
to your dental
health!
h e a l t h !
Exceptional Health,
Prevention & Aesthetics
For Your Family!
Canning workshop set
Enjoy learning about can-
ning high-quality fruit and
fruit pie fillings with Oregon
State University Extension
Service at a public workshop
with a hands-on lab.
Two sessions will be
taught by Glenda Hyde, OSU
Extension Service commu-
nity educator with Master
Food Preserver volunteers
on Wednesday, September
4. Participants can choose a
morning session, 9 a.m. to
noon, or afternoon, 1 to 4 p.m.
During the class, participants
will learn about the selection
and steps to safely can fruit
and fruit pie fillings in a boil-
ing-water canner. Then, par-
ticipants will have some fun
preparing a jar of fruit and a
jar of fruit pie filling to take
home and share with family
and friends. Everyone will
get up-to-date, tested recipes
from reliable resources and
tips on entering preserved
foods at the county fair.
The cost of the class is $15
per person, and can be paid
that day. Register in advance
by calling the OSU Extension
Service in Redmond, 541-
548-6088 by Friday, August
30. Class size is limited.
An ace outfielder...
PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
Jasper snags a pinecone in midflight.
Mike Bauer, a high school
counselor and coach, who
started a morning running
group in 1976 in Stayton,
Oregon, at the age of 29. He
invited anyone and every-
one to join him for an easy
3.5-mile run around town
beginning at 6:05 a.m. from
the local community pool,
Monday through Friday.
Now 72, he is still at it,
though there is more walk-
ing than running these days.
There was always a <code of
the road= that those who ran
faster would circle back to
those moving slower, allow-
ing everyone to go at their
own individual pace yet
keeping the group cohesive.
I am considering fol-
lowing in Mike9s footsteps.
Is there interest in such
a group here in Sisters,
even if it were more lim-
ited in scope? I invite those
interested to e-mail me at
charliekanzig@gmail.com or
text me at 541-647-3314.
Tasty THURSDAY
Willamette Valley Vineyard
August 22, 7 p.m.
LIVE MUSIC ~ Jazz Folks
Sat., August 24, 7-9 p.m.
391 W
W. Cascade
Casca
Ca
cad
a d
de
e Ave
A
Ave.
ve. | 541-549-2675
ve
541 1 5
54
54
49 26
49
2675
corkcellarswinebistro.com
Sisters Dental
Trevor Frideres d.m.d.
p 541-549-9486 f 541-549-9110
410 E. Cascade Ave. • P.O. Box 1027 • Sisters