In the Spotlight: Genentech
Kara Teklinski only started running 10 years ago. But she’s already completed more than 85 endurance events, from Ironman triathlons to 100-mile ultramarathons, using the Marin Headlands and Mt. Tam as her training grounds. “I see any race or event I do as an accomplishment‚” she says, “no matter how fast or slow I go.”
Kara Teklinski 
Group program manager
Favorite fitness activity: trail running
Are you training for anything in particular? I see any race or event I do as an accomplishment no matter how fast or slow I go. Right now I have my sights on the San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run in June. I did not finish this same race in 2016 due to missing a time cut off by 4 minutes around mile 70. The past 6 months have been complete focus and dedication to finishing it this year. Fingers crossed!
What advice would you give for any aspiring trail runners? Just go out and try it! It may be a mile or ten, but the first step to getting into trail running is taking it to the trails. If most of your running experience has been on the roads though, be prepared to be a LOT slower on trails. And trails mean hills! It’s okay to take a few walk breaks. a The first and hardest step is getting out the door. I do most of my training in the Marin Headlands and Mt. Tam, since it is basically out my backdoor. I train for ultra-distance events, so I have been come very familiar with this area. If anyone is looking to head out on the Marin trails feel free to reach out to me with questions!
What advice would you give to other members of the Challenge? Register for an event that takes you out of your comfort level. Train with friends. Have a training plan that you will stick to that is still flexible with your life andwork changes.
What’s the biggest obstacle to moving more?Sitting at a desk all day. I try to take breaks or at least walk to a different building for meetings.
What’s the most rewarding part of the Genentech Moves 500,000-Mile Challenge? Seeing others move more!
Here are six tips to help you start charging toward race day.
Take it easy. Most of your runs should be done at a comfortable, conversational pace. These easy runs allows you to get time on your feet to build a solid base of aerobic fitness, without getting hurt. Many runners take their easy runs too fast, risking injury, and sapping the energy they need for quality workouts, like intervals and long runs. As a result, they end up stuck in the medium-hard zone, and frustrated that they can’t reach their goals.
Make some plans. Look at your schedule, and see how your major workouts like long runs and speed sessions will fit in with all your family, work, and social commitments. If you need to move workouts around, that’s typically okay—as long as you don’t do two hard workouts back to back. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Just write to us at coach@runcoach.com.
Get dressed. It’s tempting to wear whatever athletic shoes and apparel you have on hand, but it’s not a good idea. Ill-fitting and worn-out shoes can lead to injury. Clothing not geared for athletics can make any run uncomfortable. Go to a specialty running store and get fitted for a pair of shoes that offer your feet the fit and support they need. Get apparel made of technical materials that wick moisture away from the skin. It will help you stay cool and dry when you feel hot and sweaty, and help minimize uncomfortable chafing. It may seem like a big investment, but it’s money, time, and stress you’ll save by staying out of the doctor’s office.
Eat like an athlete. What you eat and drink will have a huge impact on how you feel while you’re on the road. Eat wholesome, unprocessed foods that will help you unleash your strength and speed. Figure out which pre-run foods will boost your energy without upsetting your stomach. For any run of 70 minutes or longer, you’ll want to refuel while you’re on the road to keep your energy levels steady. Aim for 30 to 60 grams of carbs per hour. Consume midrun fuel at even intervals—don’t wait until you’re tired or hungry, it will be too hard to regain your energy. There are a variety of sports gels, drinks, chews and bars on the market. Experiment with different flavors, brands and formulas to figure out what sits well with you. And be sure to recover right after tough workouts, especially intervals and long runs. Within 30 minutes of finishing your workout, have a wholesome snack or meal with protein and carbs to restock spent energy stores, and bounce back quickly for your next workout. As you ramp up your mileage, resist the temptation to eat with abandon. It’s shockingly easy to eat back all the calories you just burned – and then some— end up at the starting line heavier than when you started training. The more wholesome your diet, the better you’ll feel during your runs.
Develop good drinking habits. Dehydration has been proven to drag down pace and make even easy runs feel difficult. Sip calorie-free fluids throughout the day to make sure you’re well hydrated going into each workout. Aim for half your body weight in ounces each day. So if you weigh 160 pounds (or 72.5 Kg), aim for 80 ounces of fluids per day. If you weigh 130 pounds (59 Kg), aim for 65 ounces per day.
Buddy up. Join a friend or a running group—the miles roll by faster when you have others to socialize with—especially during speed sessions and long runs.
Reach out for help. Any time you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here to help! Contact us at coach@runcoach.com.
In the Spotlight: Genentech
Jeanne Cheung
Senior Scientific Supervisor, Cancer Immunology
Favorite fitness activity: long hikes with friends
What’s the secret to your success? Staying active on a such a regular basis means that it feels awful (mentally and physically) to slack off for more than a few days. It also helps to have active friends.
What’s the biggest obstacle to moving more and how do you get over it? The weather, as I usually prefer to be active outdoors than in a gym. I also sometimes just feel lazy but I force myself to work out anyway (even in the gym) because I know I will feel great afterwards. Half the battle is just getting ready to go and starting up.
What’s the most rewarding part of participating in the Genentech 500,000-Mile Challenge? Post workout euphoria and knowing that if I indulge a bit food-wise I won't feel too guilty about it. Also--not gaining weight!
What advice would you give others? An active lifestyle is a disciplined choice. If you make the choice and stick to it, the rewards go far beyond more Genentech schwag. You'll feel better, stronger, more energetic and your body will thank you as you try to age gracefully.
Sesa Pabalan discovered one of the most important lessons of running: if you want to run fast, you have to take your easy runs truly easy. She just finished a 1:48 half marathon. "It's fun to run fast," she says, "but best to not do it all the time."
Sesa Pabalan
Sport: Running
Major milestone: Going under 1:50 in the half marathon for the first time in three years. I'm still three minutes from my PR, but I'm getting more fit under the runcoach program!
What is the secret to your success? During my long and easy runs I switch the screen on my Garmin so I can only see my heart rate. That way I truly run at an easy effort and save my legs for speed workouts and races.
What is the biggest obstacle to reaching your goals and how do you get over it? Staying consistent with my running during major life changes. It's easy for me to stop running when things aren't going well in the office or with my relationships. I have very little motivation to run during difficult periods in my life, but I just tell myself I will feel a lot better if I run, even if it's just for 20 minutes.
What is the most rewarding part of training? Seeing it pay off in a hard workout or race. With the direction of runcoach, I've been running my fastest times in three years!
What advice would you give to other members of the runcoach community? Trust the process - but don't be afraid to back off if you feel sharp pain, sick, or burned out. I owe most of my progress to being consistent and doing the hard workouts, but it's better to be undertrained than injured because I didn't listen to my body. Run easy most days. I feel like most people run their easy runs too fast. Most of my runs are 11- and 12-minute pace, and I just ran a half marathon in 1:48. I think of sub-9 miles as my "party pace." Yes, it's fun to run fast, but best to not do it all the time.
Have a running story to share? Click here for details.
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In the Spotlight: Genentech
Isidro Garcia
Senior Facilities Coordinator
Favorite fitness activity: Cycling
What’s the biggest obstacle to moving more, and how do you overcome it? Many times, I say I’m going to rest. But when I wake up in the morning I end up saying ‘no I'm adding 10 more miles to my belt.' Plus, there are times I get so nervous thinking about having an accident and there's been times that I leave my bike at home because of that. But there are other times that I am able to just do it.
What’s the most rewarding part of moving more? I've been participating in charity rides for more than a decade to raise money for Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, and AIDS. Just knowing that I've supported people with these illness makes me feel good and glad to be able to help them in some way.The movecoach challenge had kept me in better shape and ready for these upcoming events. I’m glad that I'm healthy, and because I'm riding my bike, I don’t have to spend as much time driving in a car !
What advice would you give to fellow challengers? Have the fear, and do it anyways. With this wonderful weather there's no excuse to move more. Why not get on the saddle and pedal for an hour or 30 minutes daily? Or stop by the gym. I'm glad this challenge was created and I can see everybody pushing the rest of the crew. We keep riding even if it's just because we need to beat the other teams.
Movecoach uses a Point System (MPS) to normalize energy expenditures from a variety of activities. The intent is to give Yogis, Steppers and Pilates Pros an opportunity to move up the leaderboard like Cyclists and Runners. The MPS is somewhat tied to caloric expenditure. Body weight, climate, incline and altitude are not considered. Below is a full list of point allocations for workouts logged in Movecoach. If a pace falls between the listed speeds, we round to the closest points per hour.
References:
Calories burned in 30 minutes for people of three different weights.
Energy expenditure comparison between walking and running in average fitness individuals.
Energy expenditure of walking and running: comparison with prediction equations.
Matt Vulanich
Favorite sport: running
Major milestone: My first milestone was deciding to start running nearly 15 years ago at age 45. I started with 20 minutes, three time per week on a treadmill as a stress reducer. Since then, I have run enough miles to go nearly halfway around the world. In terms of racing, it was completing Leg 5 of the Hood-to-Coast relay last August, as I approached my 60th birthday. Leg 5 is widely recognized as the most challenging of the race.
What is the secret to your success? There’s no secret. Just dedication, commitment, the challenge to get better and doing so as the clock ticks. Father Time is the only undefeated opponent known to humankind. I won't beat him either, but I'm going to make it tough for him to win!
What is the biggest obstacle to reaching your goals and how do you get over it? At age 60, the biggest obstacle is staying fit, staying healthy and knowing how hard it will become to maintain my current levels of achievement as I get older. I try overcoming it by making sure that I focus on training, not exercise. Training is making sure that the workouts, fueling, diet and sleep needed to perform are all in complete balance. Doing so keeps me physically fit and mentally prepared.
What is the most rewarding part of training? To me, it is rewarding to enter a race and compete at a level that is competitive with a few age groups lower than me. When I compete, I look to see how I performed overall and against anyone, say, 20 years younger. So far, I've done well and hope that it continues for a while longer.
What advice would you give to other members of the runcoach community? It's never too late to start. Be committed to an overall training regime. It's the best way to stay healthy and compete at a high level. And have fun! I All the running plans and programs I've used over the years, I truly appreciate runcoach. The ability to have a dynamic plan that adjusts along the way to my performance has been great.
Have a running story to share? Click here for details.
In the Spotlight: Genentech
Lauri Diehl
Senior Pathologist/ Research Pathology
Favorite Fitness Activity: Cycling. I am riding through the mountains along the Adriatic coast of Albania for a week in May. Albania is beautiful and somewhere I wouldn't have travelled to without cycling. I feel very fortunate to get to do these things.
What’s the biggest challenge to moving more? I'm very busy with work (including travel) and family, so training time is an issue. I workout early in the mornings to accommodate that.
What’s the most rewarding part of the challenge? It's been fun seeing how many very active people work at Genentech. Also, I've seen the value of having a written training plan rather than winging it. That's something I'm continuing on my own. I've had fun. This was a good idea.
Best advice: Find something you love and make fitness a joyful priority.
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Click here to join the Genentech 500,000-Mile Challenge
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Kathleen Cason joined runcoach in 2015 with a goal of walking her first half marathon, at the age of 61. After beating her goals, she became a runner, and just finished her fourth half marathon in 2:05.
Kathleen Cason 
Major milestone: I started out with runcoach as a walker. I wanted to improve my fitness and figured setting a big goal would help. So I aimed to walk a half marathon in under 3 hours and started training with Runcoach. I finished that first one in 2:51:26 in October 2015. In January 2016, I started running. I recently completed my 4th half marathon, in 2:05:50. Three things contributed to my improvement: following my runcoach training plan, joining a running group and finding a compatible running partner.
What is the biggest obstacle to reaching your goals and how do you get over it? I started running at age 61. By including strength training, walking, hiking, mindfulness and realistic goals as part of my training, my age has not been as much of a problem. I do try to take steps to avoid injuries.
What is the most rewarding part of training? I feel like I did when I was 25. I can enjoy many of the activities I enjoyed in my youth and had quit doing when I was less fit.
What advice would you give to other members of the runcoach community? Be realistic about goals, follow your runcoach training as best as possible and email the coaches if something isn't working out. Be patient, take baby steps and have fun. runcoach has pushed me at times but helped me become a runner. The drills and strides assigned before speed and tempo workouts REALLY improved my strength and speed.
Have a running story to share? Click here for details.
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In the spotlight: Shea Companies
Allison Warrell
National Purchasing Specialist—South Region 
Favorite Fitness Activity: Weight Lifting. Six years ago I started my journey to lose weight. Originally was a cardio junkie, but I didn’t like the results. I hired a personal trainer who taught me all about weight lifting and I got hooked. Once I started to see my body changing I set a goal to compete in body building. To date I have competed in 4 shows with my 5th show is coming up in June.
What’s the secret to your success? I work hard, stay focused on my diet, and enjoy working out. Competitive Bodybuilding has become my hobby that I love.
What’s your biggest challenge, and how do you overcome it? I stand 3'11" tall. Gym equipment is not made for someone of my stature. I have learned how to modify gym equipment to use it so that it is proper and effective.
What’s the most rewarding part of participating in the Shea Moves 750,000 Miles Challenge? I compete in NPC women's physique division as a bodybuilder. Getting on stage after a hard long 16-18 week prep and showing everything you have worked so hard for is the most rewarding thing ever.
What advice would you give to other members of the challenge? I am a personal trainer as well. I tell my clients I just need them to move. Once they start moving typically it becomes more of a habit after 21 days. Stay Strong and Focused! Remember slow and steady wins the race!
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