Who owns the current U.S. Men's Mile record?
Click here for the answer

Well, it looks like this internet thing just might be around for a while, so we at A Snail's Pace have decided to join the 21st century! Effective on July 18th, 2005, we will unveil our brand spankin' new e-commerce site.

It will always be a work-in-progress, I'm sure, but we are now ready to take orders on-line for the first time! Virtually all of the shoes that we carry can be purchased at www.ShopASnailsPace.com and shipped to your home. Come check us out at: Shop A Snail's Pace.

To celebrate our Grand Opening, beginning July 18th through Aug. 31st, we will ship all on-line orders, big or small, free-of-charge! Some clothing and accessory items are also on the site, and more will be added as we progress, so check back often.

Of course, it's always better to come into one of our stores to make your purchases so you can get assistance from our staff of expert shoe fitters and apparel technicians. And you can also touch and feel and try-on stuff when you're actually in the store. But, we realize that sometimes it's just more convenient to shop on-line, especially if you know what you need, so this is just one more service that we wanted to provide.

You can get there from here: Shop A Snail's Pace.

You may think that the Orange County Marathon (OCM) is a long way off (Jan. 8th), but in reality it's just around the corner! At least, it's coming up that soon if you plan on being prepared to run 26.2. That means you need to start thinking about putting together a training plan now!

But we're here to help. A Snail's Pace will be starting our very popular Training Program for OCM beginning on the weekend of July 30th in three locations. Click here for more information: ASP Training Program.

This year, A Snail's Pace Training Program is joining forces with Cal Coast Track Club to conduct OCM training in a total of six locations, three by ASP and three by CCTC. For more details, check out the OCM website: www.ocmarathon.com.

More good news: Running superstar Bill Rodgers will be in Orange County to kick off the OCM Training and will be making appearances at a couple of the Training sites and also in one of the A Snail's Pace Running Shops. Dates and locations to be determined, but will be posted on the OCM website as info becomes available.

The 2006 OCM will be the 2nd annual running, and you may have noticed the race has moved from last year's December slot to January at the behest of the Irvine Company, who apparently decided they didn't want thousands of sweaty runners interfering with their early morning Christmas shoppers.

You may remember that the inaugural OCM was cursed with about the worst weather imaginable for Orange County. Rain and freezing temperatures put a literal damper on the first-time event. Traffic and parking logistics were a nightmare.

The first year of a marathon is hard enough to produce and have come off well, but being impacted by such harsh weather was cruel and unusual punishment. Race Director Bill Sumner will have a much easier time this year with more time to plan this year's event and almost certainly a better weather day. Good luck to Bill and all the tremendous OCM volunteers!

Nine-time New York City Marathon champion Grete Waitz, has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatment in her native Norway. The family of Grete Waitz has told the public that no further information on her diagnosis or treatment will be publicized.
Waitz was a world-record holder and two-time Olympian at the 3,000-meter distance before setting her sights on the marathon where she set a world record (2:32:30) in her very first attempt at that distance - 1978's New York City Marathon.

Waitz would break her own marathon world record three more times through 1983 (2:25:29). Over the years, Waitz participated in a total of 15 marathons with wins in 13! Her 13 wins: 9 NYC Marathons between 1978 and 1988; 2 London Marathons - 1983 and 1986; Stockholm in 1988 and the 1983 World Championships, which was the first World Championship Marathon for women. As if that resume isn't outstanding enough, Grete was also a five-time world cross-country champion!

Along with runners everywhere, we certainly want to wish her a speedy recovery.

The Dec. 4th Las Vegas Marathon has a couple new wrinkles:
a) A new date in December instead of February;
b) $1 million prize offered to anyone breaking the World Record (2:04:55, men and 2:15:25,women);
c) and most significantly a new course which runs down the famed Las Vegas Strip!!

We know from talking to tons of running customers in our 26 years in business, that Orange County has a wide variety of racers, ranging from super fast to pedestrian. The truly great thing about road racing is that, no matter what our pace, we all share a similar experience. Tell us about yourself so we can create a snapshot of OC's racing demographics. Respond to this month's poll now:
Polls are removed from archives

This was no surprise. Far and away the most popular running movie among our readers was Chariots of Fire. I probably should have left that one off the list of options so that we could get a better idea of the second favorite movie.

According to the responses in our poll, the favorite running movie after Chariots was the 1997 biopic Prefontaine, starring Jared Leto. Personally, I preferred the 1998 version of Pre's life, titled Without Limits, but all the movies exploring the mercurial life of the legendary Steve Prefontaine have to be high on any runner's list.

Running Brave is a great story, but I felt that the movie fell a little flat. I get chills every time I see that historic Billy Mills footage, though. The movie is worth seeing just for that, even if Robby Benson's portrayal was a little on the stiff side.

In an email from Eric, I got a vote for The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner a film from the '60s that I left off the list because I didn't think many would have seen this one. But Eric felt that even though it was a bit of a "downer", it was still a "very powerful" film, so you may want to check this one out, too.

Thank you all for your votes.

Here are the complete results for last month's poll:
Polls are removed from archives

This is a continuing feature on tips for your running form. We spoke last month about avoiding the bobble-head approach to running. This month, we move to the other end of the body and focus on the foot/ankle area.

TIP #3: Your foot is a lever.
I think this is one of the more valuable tips to improve your running pace. Many runners, especially those of the snail-variety (most of us), tend to plod when they run.

By that I mean, they land fairly heavily on, say, the left foot, than as their momentum carries them forward, they lift that left leg using their hip flexors and quads, pushing off the ball of the left foot, followed by the trail leg descending to repeat the cycle on the right side.

The point at which few runners pay enough attention is the push-off. Making better use of this component of your form can gain you valuable seconds per mile if you simply remember that your foot is a lever and you can take advantage of lots of kinetic energy that might otherwise be wasted.

To do this, I find it helpful to think of my feet like flippers, imagining that as my foot leaves the ground it sort of flips me off the ground. The mental key I use is to think of this as an ankle snap so that I am reminded to use my ankle and foot in harmony to flick my body forward and off the ground quickly.

The sensation you want is to feel yourself being propelled off the ball of your foot, so you're not just lifting your leg off the ground.

If you're a plodder or if you don't currently have a strong toe-off, you'll find yourself using some new muscles in your lower leg and foot when you try this. If so, be sure to work into this gradually and allow your muscles to develop. In the beginning, your lower leg will tire quickly if you try to do this for your entire run.

As you get better at this, you will find it very valuable in races. Like many aspects of form, it helps to focus on this in the late stages of a race when you're fatiguing and looking for ways to pick up your pace, or maintain a strong pace.

Next month: Stride Length

If there are any additions or changes you'd like to see in our newsletter, just let us know. Please send your comments to Dave.Reynolds@RunASnailsPace.com. We always appreciate your input.

Race information courtesy of RacePlace.com

Date	Event / Distance	Contact	Location	Misc
7/4/05 Monday 7:30 am	11th Annual 5K Run/Walk through the City of Lake Forest.Race day registration 6:00 am to 7:15 am.	Event Hot Line 949/768-1155 lf5kteam@lf5k.org	Corner of Lake Forest and Trabuco, Lake Forest, CA	Supports the El Toro High School Education Boosters.T-Shirts, awards, raffle.City of Lake Forest Parade and Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast after race.Great family day! www.lf5k.org
7/4/05 Monday 9:00 am	Independance Day 5K Run, Non-competitive 5K walk, &Kiddie K	Carl Pantoja 661/993-1741 scrunner@scrunners.org	Newhall Park, Santa Clarita Ca.	Visit our website WWW.SCRunners.org and see a map.4th of July Parade after the race. SCRunners.org
7/4/05 Monday 7:00 am	July 4th Run in the Parks10k, 5k, 5k Walk, Kids Races	Joyce Hyde jhyde@ymcaoc.net	The races start in the Laguna Niguel Community Park and wind through the Laguna Niguel Regional Park; both are located at the base of the South Coast YMCA	All children receive a medal -their races are not timed. Register online at www.active.com active.com
7/4/05 Monday 7:00 am	La Palma Fitness Run for Fun 5K/10K Run, 5K Walk and Family Fun One non-competitive Stroll	Guisseppe Vera Race Director 714/690-3358 guisseppe@cityoflapalma.org	City of La Palma, Central Park, 7821 Walker St., La Palma, CA90623	This is the City's 25th Anniversary Run. Commemorative T-shirts when you sign up. 1-3 place Awards to all age groups. USATF 5K/10K loop courses. www.cityoflapalma.org
7/4/05 Monday 8:00 am	12th Annual Village Runner 4th of July 5K Run/Walk & Kids Firecracker Dash	Village Runner 310/375-2626 villagerunner@earthlink.net	Start/Finish: Village Runner, 1881-A Catalina Ave., Redondo Beach, CA (also packet pick-up noon-6pm on 7/3)	Quality Patriotic T-Shirt, Beautiful & scenic coursealong the Pacific Ocean coastline. Computerized. A great community event. Website: www.villagerunnerracing.com
7/4/05 Monday 7:30 am	16th Annual Firecracker Mary Castle Memorial 5K/10K Run and 5K Walk(Reg/6am, 10K Run/5K Walk/Run at 7:30am.	Hotline 714/765-7255 chccanahaim.com active.com info@chccanaheim.com	Canyon High School, Anaheim Hills (eastbound Santa Ana Cyn Rd. & loop back)	$100 cash to 1st place M & F runners, 1-3rd place medals/15 age categories, Mod. incline at 10K turn around. USAT&F certified/chip timing/free t-shirt & pancake breakfast/product fair.Day includes dog show, parade, food, game booths & 9pm fireworks! www.chccanaheim.com
7/4/05 Monday 7:00 am	Huntington Beach Surf City Run 5K Run/Walk with Kids' Runs	Mike Bone/Spectrum Sports Management 909/399-3553 mike@spectrumsports.net	Huntington Beach High School, Huntington Beach, CA	Annual kick-off to a full day of 4th of July Celebration. Health & Fitness Expo with food, entertainment & music. Website: surfcityrun.com
7/10/05 Sunday 8:00 am	11th Annual Keep L.A. Running 5K Walk/Run & 10K Run	W2 Promotions 310/828-4123 W2Promo@aol.com	Exposition Park, LA Coliseum, Los Angeles	Fast, rolling, well marked courses with expo, food & drink.Website: www.w2promo.com
7/23/05 Saturday 7:00 am	2nd Annual Harbor Foot Pursuit 1M/5K/10K Fun Run/Walk and 15K In-Line Skate	Andrey Wilkins or Sandra Heib 310/548-7600 sheib@lapdharborfootpursuit.com	Point Fermin Park, San Pedro, CA	Fun for the whole family! All child participants receive a medal. Website: lapdharborfootpursuit.com
7/30/05 Saturday 7:30 am	Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County & Mighty Ducks Care presents THE BIG RACE.5K Run/Walk, 10K Run, 1K Kids' Fun Run, & Diaper Dash	Kelsey Ewegen 714-544-7773 ext. 30 kewegen@bigbrooc.org	Around Lake Mission Viejo, Mission Viejo, CA	Cash Awards, Expo,Top quality Big Race T-shirt, refreshments & snacks to all registered participants. Computerized results by Time Management. Live Entertainment, featuring the Breakaways:Website: www.bigrace.org

Date	Event / Distance	Contact	Location	Misc
8/1/05 Mon-Sat	Sonki Fitness Boot Camp - "Stronger, faster, leaner...for life!"TMAug 1 - Sep 3	Sonki Fitness 310-260-2518 sonki@att.net	Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Westwood, CA	5-week outdoor fitness program designed to improve total body fitness, strengthen mental toughness, and teach how to have fun working out. (No yelling or screaming) www.SonkiFitness.com
8/6/05 Saturday 7:30 am	11th Annual Pride of the Valley 5K Run, Fun Walk,High School 5K Roadrace & Little Tike Trot (Tike Trot/7:30am, 5K/8am)	Community Center 626/813-5245 ext. 317 Mmoreno@baldwinpark.com	Morgan Park, Esther Snyder Community Center, 4100 Baldwin Park Blvd., Baldwin Park, CA 91706	Flat, fast course, USATF sanctioned w/cash prizes to overall 1st M/F 5K finisher. Awards to top 3/each age div., top 3 HS grade levels, overall top 3 M/F HS teams. 1st place Tike Trot-$25 gift cert. Grand Prize Drawing & much more!Enty form (pdf)
8/6/05 Saturday 8:30 am	THE HILLS ARE ALIVE 10K/5K RUN-5K WALK	Andy Clark 310/377-1577 andyc@rhe.org	Ernie Howlett Park, 25851 Hawthorne Blvd. in Rolling Hills Estates, CA (start & finish)	Takes place on soft-packed equestrian trails throughout scenic Rolling Hills Estates on the beautiful Palos Verdes Peninsula. Sign up on race day or register online. www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1234783
8/6/05 Saturday 7:00 am	The Spirit of LA 5K Run	www.theWCcompany.com wayne@theWCcompany.com	Los Angeles High School	Benefiting LAHS XC and Track Teams
8/7/05 Sunday 7:00 am	Snow Valley 4 mile Trail Run	Mountain Multisport 909/867-9058 mountainmultisport@yahoo.com	Snow Valley, Southern California	This will a tough 4 mile trail run, a great challenge.Its held in conjuction with the Snow Valley Off-Road Triathlon mountainmultisport.com
8/13/05 Saturday 8:00am	Run Through the Pines 5K/10K Run, Racewalk or Funwalk	Prime Time, PO Box 1009 Twin Peaks, CA 92391 909-337-3509	Paved Highway around Lake Gregory, closed to traffic,slight up and down inclines with scenic mountain and lake views. Elevation 4,720ft	Awards 5-deep, Free Pancake Breakfast/participants (others $4 for adults $2 for children), Fresh cool Mountain air, Water station every Mi., computerized race results by Prime Time, Pre/Post Race stretches, post race refreshments and Race T-shirt. Online registration at www.active.com
8/14/05 Sunday 8:00 am	The 26th Annual Samurai 5K Run and Fun Walk	Eduardo Higuchi 213/500-5645 www.niseiweek.org jaoptimist.org edu@earthlink.net	Little Tokyo, Los Angeles	This event is held in association with the 65th Annual Nisei Week Japanese Festival. Proceeds benefit the Japanese American Optimist Club youth projects. Online registration at www.active.com www.niseiweek.org
8/18/05 Thursday 4:30 pm	20th Annual Sunset in the Park 2.8 & 4.8 Mile cross country footraces with High School Age, 2.8 mile Team Challenge.	The Finish Line Int'l. Oscar Rosales 714/841-5417	Central Park west, Huntington Beach, CA. Located between Goldenwest & Edwards, Ellis & Slater Sts. See Thomas Bros. OC Map, Pg.857, G3.	All distances to USATF standards & sanctioned, fully conned/monitored. Proceeds benefit Orange County Youth Associations. Website: www.nealand.com/finishline
8/20/05 Saturday 9:00 am	Salvation Army 5K Trail Run, 5K Fun Walk & 2 Mile Walk	W2 Promotions 310/828-4123 W2promo@aol.com	Start and finish at the Salvation Army Youth Camp w/course through the beautiful Santa Monica Mtns.	Runners and walkers do one mile of hills then a fast flat 2.1 miles to the finish. The course takes runners and walkers along dirt fire trails surrounded by oak trees and beautiful scenery. www.w2promo.com
8/20/05 Saturday 7:00 am	The City of Huntington Beach & Rainbow Disposal present the 51st Annual Distance Derby 10 Mi Run, 5 Mi Run/Walk, & Surf Kids Fun Run10Mi/7am/5Mi/8:30am/Fun Run/10am)	City of Huntington Beach Comm.Services Dept. 714/375-8490 jlaudenback@surfcity-hb.org	Start/Finish:Huntington Beach Pier Plaza Amphitheater at Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway.	Very scenic, flat oceanfront course. Orange County's longest running road race event.Proceeds benefit Project Self-Sufficiency, a program to assist single parents and their children. Register online at www.active.com www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1184459
8/21/05 Sunday 8:00 am	Inaugural 5k Run benefiting C Different Foundation for Blind Athletes	Luis Canales Luis@Genericevents.com	Veterans Campus West Los Angeles, 11301 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA	The C Different Foundation was established to promote the participation of blind and visually impaired athletes in competitive sports.
8/27/05 Saturday 8:00 am	Jet to Jetty 10K and 5K Run and Walk	W2 Promotions 310/828-4123 w2promo@aol.com	Westchester Parkway, Westchester, CA (just north of LAX)	USATF certified, fast, scenic course. Prizes, T-shirt, Fun! Benefits Airport Marina Counseling Service. Register online at: www.w2promotions.com
8/28/05 Sunday 8:00 am	Stride For Knowledge-Funds For College 3 Mile Race	Rita Hogan 951/533-4294 Stryldy@aol.com	Mt. Sac Cross Country course in the City of Walnut, CA	Men's Race starts at 8 am, Women's race at 8:30 am,and Kids 1 Mile Fun Run at 9am. Website: www.scrrofwalnut.com
8/28/05 Sunday 8:00 am	CCFA Heel to Heal 5K Walk/Run	Debby DuBose laheeltoheal@ccfa.org	UCLA Campus, Drake Track & Field Stadium	To receive your official Heel to Heal T-shirt, simply raise a minimum of $125 in sponsorship support.For more details visit us at: www.heeltoheal.org

The answer is Steve Scott! Steve, running for the Sub-4 Track Club you may recall, ran a 3:47.69 in Oslo just 23 short years ago -- July of 1982. Can you believe it!?
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