Meb Keflezighi and his Skechers GOrun shoes (pictures from San Jose)

The team at Skechers sent a picture of Meb Keflezighi winning the Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon in his SKECHERS GOrun shoes.  I had intended to try on a pair at the RnRSJ Expo last week but didn't, so today I did a little checking around and saw that Skechers has stores locally and they are sold in a number of other local retailers in the Silicon Valley area.  So if you've been wanting to try the lightweight shoes, check out the store locator on the Skechers.com site. 

According to the information, the new SKECHERS GOrun minimalistic lightweight footwear have helped Meb elevate his racing and training with the benefits of SKECHERS’ SmartShoe™ technology for a mid-foot strike and GOimpulse sensors for enhanced sensory feedback.

For an inside look at Meb’s journey to New York as he trains in SKECHERS GOrun and SRRProSpeed, visit the SKECHERS USA Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/SKECHERS) orTwitter (http://twitter.com/#!/SKECHERSUSA).

Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon 2011 on San Jose Fitness

I got on a roll  while writing about this year's Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon primarily inspired by my opportunity to interview  Meb Keflezlezighi, who is very personable.

It was tough for me going in - so far as media he is everywhere, and has been for some time. After about 20 hours of research I realized there was very little that was new to say, so I focused on the things that interested me.

I found out he met his wife here in San Jose - they were both attending a soccer festival.  He has a brother who works here.  Plus I was able to find out more about his workout aside from running (of course everyone publishes info about his running training).  I haven't written everything yet - I'm trying to do bite-sized articles since the Examiner format is kind of clunky. 

Below are links to what I have so far about the Marathon - I hope you'll take a look at all of it - share the stories, help me promote it, etc 

As always:  If you like it, comment on the stories. If you don't like it, or find fault, email me. :-)

• Meb Keflezighi - ready for the triple crown of San Jose, New York, Houston 
• Meb Keflezighi tells us how to pronounce his name (video) 
• Rock n Roll San Jose 2011 - runners look to Olympic trials 
• Rock n Roll San Jose 2011 - Health & Fitness Expo opens 
• Meb Keflezighi returns to San Jose Rock n Roll looking for third win

 

 

Dodge Rock n Roll San Jose 2011 - favorites are Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi

The 2011 Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon takes place tomorrow, October 2 and this year there are two favorites fans are watching: Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi

American record-holder and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor, 38,  headlines the elite field,  running her first half-marathon since giving birth to her daughter, Piper, earlier this year.

 

“The Dodge Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon has really been my focus since coming back from maternity leave,” said Kastor, who trains with the Mammoth Track Club in California. “I am looking for my fitness to peak in January for the Olympic Trials, but this is a big stepping stone to get into longer marathon training. The Half marathon distance is my favorite distance to race and I am particularly excited race in San Jose.  My Mammoth Track Club teammates Meb and Jen Rhines have both run well in San Jose, so I look forward to following in their footsteps.”

 

“Right after the birth of Piper, people told me how fit I looked and the reality was that I had lost a lot of muscle and fitness, so I was merely skinny,” Kastor said of her maternity leave. “It has been fun to slowly climb back and feel my body adapt to the training. I’m not where I want to be, but I’m a much better athlete than I was 6 months ago.”

 

Leading the men’s field is 36-year-old Meb Keflezighi has won an impressive 20 USA road, track and cross country titles so far. Keflezighi, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen upon shortly after graduating from UCLA in 1998.   Meb plans to run the ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 6 and the U.S. Olympic marathon trials Jan. 14 in Houston.

Also running will be American Sergio Reyes, who won the 2010 USATF National Marathon Championship at the Twin Cities Marathon in Minnesota. A two-time NAIA and NCCAA All-American in cross country and the 2002 NAIA champion at Cedarville University in Ohio, Reyes ran personal best marks in the 5,000m (13:52.39), 10,000m (28:29.70), 10 miles (48:32) and marathon (2:14:02) in 2010. In September he represented the Team USA at the IAAF World Championships Marathon in Daegu, Korea, finishing 45^th overall.

 

A sub-four minute miler, UC Berkley graduate Bolota Asmerom returns to race in San Jose where he set his half marathon personal best in 2006. Asmerom, a three-year letter winner in track for Cal, owns a track PR over 5,000m of 13:15. While still in college, his duel citizenship allowed him to represent Eritrea in the 5,000m at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.

 

Potential challengers include Hansons-Brooks Distance Project teammates Drew Polley and Robert Scribner. Polley finished second to Keflezighi at the Dodge Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon in June. Scribner recently won the Bayshore 1/2 Marathon in a personal best 1:04:52, which qualified him for the 2012 Olympic Trials.

 

The weekend has already kicked off with the Health & Fitness Expo at the San Jose Convention Center. Race registration is available at the Expo on Friday, Sept. 30, from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm and Saturday, October 1, from 9:00am to 5:00pm. The free Expo is open to the public.

 

California’s fastest half marathon starts at 8:00 am on Sunday, October 2. The race route begins at W Santa Clara St and Almaden Blvd and will come to an exciting and scenic finish at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose. Live bands will play along every mile of the 13.1-mile course, along with local cheerleaders, to motivate and keep runners rocking the entire way.

 

Participants, their friends and family will celebrate their accomplishment at the finish line festival with a performance by Big Head Todd and the Monsters, who will rock the stage at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez immediately following the race.

 

When the power goes out - what food to throw out

Homefoodsafety.org,  is running a blogger awareness campaign, which strikes me as a pretty smart way to get the word out about the site, which is a collaboration between American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods.    I hadn't paid much attention to the contest or the site, but today I noticed the front page article had a story on what food to throw out when the power goes out.

Personally, I'm very guilty when it comes to ignoring the issue of what to do with refrigerator food after a power outage.  Or, sometimes I'll take the opposite approach which means that I'll throw out everything that I think could spoil.  So I thought these guidelines were pretty smart, and since there is an awareness campaign ongoing, why not do my part?

So here are some tips from the site, and hopefully they'll be useful to you also:

Be Prepared

• Make sure - before an outage - that the refrigerator is set below 40 degrees.
• Stock up on non-perishable foods that don't require refrigeration, and choose single-serve sizes if available to avoid the need for refrigeration of unused portions. Consider these easy, healthy, shelf-stable foods: 

Breads/Grains: single-serving boxes of cereal, trail mix, energy bars, granola bars, cereal bars, bagels, muffins, crackers, popcorn and chips. 

Fruits and Vegetables: carrot and celery sticks and other cut-up raw vegetables, grapes, single-serve applesauce, whole fruit (apples, peaches, bananas), dried fruit mix and juice boxes. 

Dairy Alternatives: single-serve milk or soy beverage boxes and non-refrigerated pudding cups. 

Meat and Other Protein Sources: cans of tuna, peanut butter (for sandwiches or with celery and apples), nuts and single-serve packages of peanut butter and crackers. 

When the Power Goes Out:

• During a power outage, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed and open them only when necessary.
• If power is restored within four hours, items in the refrigerator should be safe to eat. A full freezer will stay at freezing temperatures for two days if the door remains closed. A half-full freezer will stay at freezing temperatures for one day if the door remains closed. 

Once the Power is Restored:

• When power is restored, check the temperature inside of your refrigerator and freezer. If it has risen to 45 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, discard any potentially spoiled foods. Such foods include meat, poultry, fish, dairy and egg products, soft cheese, cooked beans, cooked rice, cooked potatoes, cooked pasta, potato salad, custard and pudding. 
• Allow time for the refrigerator to reach below 40 degrees Fahrenheit before restocking. 
• And of course, when in doubt, throw it out. 

For additional food safety tips,  visit the Home Food Safety website. 

Disclaimer/Disclosure: For helping spread the word about the importance of home food safety, I was entered into a drawing for a $15 Starbucks gift card and an iPad through Summertime Food Smarts, a contest run by the American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods' Home Food Safety program. Home FoodSafety is dedicated to raising consumer awareness about the seriousness of foodborne illness and providing solutions for easily and safely handling foods. Learn more at www.homefoodsafety.org.

Team Walk On asks you to "Like" them and help promote a community for people with spinal cord injuries

LA-based  “Team Walk On” has set its sights on building a community to help those who have suffered paralysis and spinal cord injury through public awareness initiatives, merchandising and fund raising campaigns.  To do this, it's asking people to start out by "Liking" them on Facebook.
 
At the age of 16, a sprinter and prodigy in the pole vault, Team Walk ON founder John Thomas Hall suffered a nearly fatal accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Doctors told John he would never walk again, let alone fulfill his life's dream of running track for the University of Louisville. Over the next months and years, John worked with doctors, therapists, and family, ultimately walking out of the hospital and onto a spot on Louisville's Track and Field team. He went on to compete and build an impressive record as one of the team's top pole vaulters.
 
John's experience after the accident and his struggles and triumphs throughout his recovery and college career galvanized his spirit and drive to give back. The generosity and encouragement he received while recovering led John to make a commitment to become a leader for the cause of the spinal cord injury community by starting Team Walk On.
  
The principal element of Team Walk On’s focus is to benefit those in the paralysis community through its Patient Care Initiative. With many organizations focusing primarily on research and governmental advocacy, Team Walk On will focus chiefly on serving those living each day with various types of spinal cord injuries. Through partnering with rehabilitation centers, providing service animals, job placement programs, financial assistance and more…Team Walk On will directly benefit individuals living with spinal cord injury.
The organization is asking the fitness community to show  support by "liking" the Team Walk On Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-Walk-On/149163785110743