The official newsletter of Yellowwood Park A. C.

1. The Yellowwood Warbler The official newsletter of Yellowwood Park A. C. January 2010 1 2 3 Visit our website 4 View 2009 time trial and race results 5 6 7 E-mail the editor 8 Chairman’s E-mail 9 E-mail Kalman

2. Words From The Chair Greetings all and a belated happy new year to you and your family. I hope 2010 is a special one for you and that you prosper in all avenues of your life. The year has really kicked off with a bang with runners being thrown into the deep end and popular races being held earlier than normal-so its sink or swim and the feedback from the runs is that our runners are out there doing their bit and we are well represented at races. Mike will cover this in his report as well as the exciting events we have planned for the month ends leading up to comrades. So whether you are running comrades or not get on board with us and lets enjoy the hype of 2010 and make it a memorable year for Yellowwood park. The Kristi campaign really got off to a flying start last year and the fund is sitting at just around the R30000 mark. Our aim (just a reminder) is to reach R56000 by the Yellowwood park annual dance on the 5th June (incorporating the comrades prize giving) ) but i am positive we will reach this figure way before then. We plan to have a bumper dance this year and planning for the event is already well underway. Also with regards to the Kristi campaign  keep your pledges in mind-these pledges are not just financial but also to set yourselves targets for your running, walking, family plans etc as well. We will constantly be sending out reminders to this effect. Finally our AGM is being held on the 24th Feb.. A good opportunity to put something back into the club and offer your services to help grow our club. As already mentioned in a previous notice a nomination sheet is on the notice board in the Lambert lounge.  So get nominating!! That's it for this month See you on the road Stephen 0829416154   

3. Club Captain’s Comment New Year’s Greetings Runners, Walkers and Families Can you believe January has come and gone already?! By all accounts a great and extended party was had by one and all over the festive period and now it’s back to the grindstone (unless you’re a pensioner!). Hopefully that’s the case with your running too, and those Christmas kilos are being shed quickly. January saw YWP runners travelling to Hilton, Scottburgh and Pinetown for the first few races of the year, and I trust everyone is in good shape by now. My sincere thanks to Kalman for injecting some freshness into the time trial league, and I know I’m going to use his exciting new ideas to stimulate my performances for 2010. With the vibrant ideas from the new entertainment portfolio of Megan and Heather we’re rolling out themed month-ends all the way through to Comrades, so let’s see you all there supporting your club and enjoy the great value it gives. After kicking off with January’s Comrades update evening we’ll have Cupid’s time trial in Feb with our AGM, a beer tasting with apprentice master brewer Phil in March, followed in similar vein with a wine tasting in April. To round the whole lot off we’ll have our traditional pre-Comrades evening with Barry in May. And of course we’ll have a Comrades update each month, just to check on your progress. Lots to look forward to! With the excitement surrounding Comrades 2010 we’ve had a spate of new and old returning members, and I welcome you all to our great club. I hope to see you at time trial and races to catch up on your training and goals. I’ve attached the races we are targeting for our Comrades build-up – you shouldn’t go wrong if you build your training around these. Happy Running Mike “Yellowwood Park Athletic Club – Making Running A Team Sport”

5. Running Matters With Megz 20 Tips for Staying Cool This Summer 1 Try running early in the morning It’s the coolest, most serene part of the day and there’s nothing like a morning run to boost your mood for the day. Run whenever Maybe the morning run doesn’t work for you. The long daylight hours make for lots of other options. Meet with a group several evenings a week and save the lunchtime run for winter. 2 3 Drink like crazy Even if you don’t feel thirsty, drink at least 1 glass of fluid each hour, and more if you’re outside and tend to perspire a lot. You’ll run better with adequate fluid intake and feel better too. By keeping your water storage high, you’ll also improve your body’s cooling mechanisms. 4 Acclimate with Care You need to acclimate to the hot weather in a safe and gradual manner, not haphazardly. For the first 2 weeks of hot weather, do no speed sessions. In about 10 days you should be acclimated.

6. 5 Go light and Loose Wear light coloured, loose fitting clothing. The light colour will reflect the sun’s rays better and the loose fit will enable you to take advantage of the breeze, including the one you make by running. The new dry-fit material works better than cotton. They stay drier for longer and wick moisture better than cotton fibres do. 6 Screen it Out To protect yourself from skin cancer and other skin damage, use sunscreen liberally. Do so even on cloudy days; harmful ultra-violet rays are not blocked out by cloud cover. Another benefit: Sunscreen can decrease your skin and body temperature, so you’ll stay cooler during exercise. 7 Make use of your running club Running clubs are especially active in summer. Make use of their long runs on the weekend, time trials and social nights. You’ll love the camaraderie and energy of the club. 8 Maximise Head Room You lose a major portion of your body heat through your head, which is bad in winter but good in summer. So on hot days don’t cover your head tightly with a hat, rather use a loose fitting cap made from breathable material. 9 Pour it on There’s nothing like the psychological relief of pouring cold water over your head on a hot run. But don’t depend on it to keep your body temperature down, because it won’t. You still need to drink lots of water to help you do that.

7. 10 Go out and About Every so often run in a park or nature trail. The trails are usually nice and shady and will be cooler to run along. Run with a friend or take the family along and have a picnic afterwards. 11 Start out Slowly Starting your run out slowly is very beneficial on hot days. The slower you start the longer it will take your body temperature to reach that misery threshold. 12 Head for water Running near water – whether it’s next to a lake, river or by the ocean – is usually cooler and breezier. Even if the air temperature is the same you’ll likely feel cooler just running near water. 13 End with a Dunk There is nothing more refreshing than jumping into a pool after a good run. Don’t have a pool at home? Start your run from a public pool and have your costume in the car and look forward to your dip at the end of a good workout. 14 Run fountain-to-fountain As a fallback for those beastly hot days look for a route that has frequent water stops. 15 Make like a camel Especially on long runs or trail runs where you may be away from water sources, bring your own. You’ll get used to carrying a bottle if you don’t have a camel pack or water belt.

8. 16 • Heed Heat Warnings • You need to be very sensitive to the warning signs of heat illness, which if progresses, could be fatal. If you feel trouble coming on you need to stop running, find some shade, get liquids and find a lift home or walk home slowly. Here are some signs of impending heat illness: • Headache or intense heat build up in the head. • Confusion or lack of concentration • Loss of muscular control • Over sweating followed by clammy skin and then no sweating • Hot and cold flashes • Upset stomach, dizziness, vomiting or muscle cramps 17 Decrease the speed Do your speed training in the early morning or in the evening. Otherwise, you’re really going to put a strain on your system. The heat literally beats faster in high heat, as it is pumping extra blood out to the skin as a part of the body’s cooling mechanism. You won’t be able to run as fast, so don’t try to. 18 Lower your expectations In training and in race cases you won’t be able to run as fast as you would on cool days. If race day comes up and it’s blistering hot that morning, ease back and treat it as a training run – you’ll enjoy it more and not be so disappointed if you do not do as well as you hoped.

9. 19 Watch what you drink Both caffeine and alcohol are diuretics, which means they increase urine output. This puts you at greater risk of dehydration. Since hot weather is already causing you to dehydrate faster, be especially careful about your caffeine and alcohol intake during summer. 20 Bag it if it’s too hot Some days are going to be unsafe for running especially in urban areas where pollution is also a concern. On those occasions skip the run and head for the pool for some laps or even water jogging. Your body will thank you.

10. Time Trials This year the Timetrial League will be visible on our website. To see the current positions, go to www.ywpac.co.zaand click Members Stuff. You can also see details of prizes for the year, as well as the criteria used in the allocation of points. Only members are eligible for prizes, although the site shows all runners. If you are a member but you do not appear in RED on the Timetrial League ladder on this site, please let a committee member know. Duty helpers : You can check when you are on duty by clicking on Notices from the website. Timetrial Duty Roster :

11. Cross-Country The cross-country season is nearly upon us again. The first event is the Parlauf, which is a 2-runner relay over a total distance of 8km. The event will be held on 19 February 2010. Please let Mike or Kalman know if you are interested in participating. We usually stay for a braai afterwards. Mike will again be organising the Yellowwood Park Cross-Country fixture. The provisional list of fixtures is shown below.

12. Cupid's Time Trial 2010 It makes your heart beat fast, It makes you break out in sweats and hot flushes, It makes your knees go weak, Your one and only true love: Running!

13. 2010 You are cordially invited to join us on 24 February 2010 for our Valentine’s month-end time trial, AGM and prize-giving. Please dress appropriately: we will be running as couples and the prizes will be for the best dressed couples. See you all there! Regards Heather and Megz

14. Happy Birthday!!! Brenda Bassett 20 January 1958 Glenn Le Roux 3 January 1957 Gail Slaughter 10 January 1954 Debbie Biggs 24 January 1982

15. The Last Word………………..from our archives Most of you know Arthur Lemos, and everyone knows of his achievements for YWPAC. He’s widely regarded as the man to thank for all the recognition we get on the road during Comrades, so I thought I’d show you how he did it…………(click) Scary, isn’t it!!!