Sometimes, you just have to let things simmer, and they turn out awesome. This was one of those weeks.
I’ve been struggling on sticking to the Team in Training schedule. I just came off running a great half marathon. I feel strong. I feel fast. Sticking to the low mileage at the beginning of the ING training has been hard. Our coach, Barb Stinson, sent out an e-mail warning against pushing too hard: “Just because you CAN, doesn’t mean you SHOULD.” I have a clear running goal: finish the ING Georgia marathon in under four hours (the bigger goal: raise money to help find a cure). I’ve tried (and failed) in the past to run a sub-four marathon. I tried it my way, it didn’t work. Now, I’m trying it this way. And this week, something just clicked.
I’m feeling so good on my runs, so strong. I know things will get a lot harder, but I have a good feeling I’ve hit my stride for training (and found some great TNT runners at my pace to keep me company!).
I’m using my new motto “Running is like soup” to keep me on track (thanks, Barb for these tips)!
1. Training for a marathon is like slow cooking. The best way to ruin the recipe is to turn up the heat. Easy does not have to mean slow, it means at the proper distance and effort.
2. REST and SLEEP are like a good rich stock. Without it, your base is too thin, with it, you can get much more flavor.
3. Another vital important ingredient to successful training is warming up properly and stretching after your run.
4. Are you adding a dash spice with that some CROSS TRAINING? Give those joints a break once a week.
5. Keep stirring the pot.
So, my fellow runners: bundle up and run this weekend…. then, warm up with a cup of soup!
Help me Reach my Team in Training Goal! Click here to go to my TNT page.
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I rarely get to watch weather coverage from home. Usually, I’m the one out in the flood/snow/sleet/ice reporting on conditions. This week, my vacation happened to straddle a “snow day”. After growing up outside of Detroit and Chicago, then working in Cheyenne and Buffalo, I don’t really consider anything under 6 inches a real snow day, hence the “ “.
Still, there’s nothing to make it feel like Christmas like a little white stuff. Even if it’s just a teeny, tiny bit of it. So, I was watching the warnings when I heard a “bing”: new e-mail.
The subject line: “Here’s your chance to show what you’re made of”. It was from the Team in Training ING Coach, Barb Stinson.
It read: “Weather doesn’t look so hot for the morning. Do we care?….well honestly, yes we do because who wants to go out and run in cold and rain…but will we do it anyway??? Yes! Because it really is kinda fun and we need to train in ALL conditions. TEAM IN TRAINING ROCKS…NO WIMPS!!!!!”
I think it’s TNT’s version of the “I double-dare you”. And the truth is: it really is kind of fun. The why is simple: inside each of us there’s a little kid. The stress of work and life buries that inner-kid pretty deep for most of us. There’s nothing like a snow day to rip through all of that and make us act like kids again. Don’t believe me? Next time we get a little snow, go to Piedmont Park and take a look around. Who’s throwing snow balls? Building snowmen? Pushing someone down the hill on a make-shift sled? Yes, there are kids. But they are matched (sometimes outnumbered) by adults.
Maybe the fountain of Youth is really made of snowflakes.
Our Saturday morning run turned out to be pretty nice. It stopped raining before we started. No Snow. Bummer. I’m looking forward to meeting that dare sometime soon.
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The e-mail subject line read: “It’s what you’ve been waiting for”. Sounds like a spam ad, right? It was actually an e-mail from a friend announcing celebratory plans for her birthday this Friday. As we get older, our nights out turn into a “choose your own adventure”. To (a) just go to dinner, turn to page 10:00; (b) join in after dinner drinks, page 12:00, (c) dancing, page 2:00AM.
Choices are generally based on who has a husband, boyfriend, kids waiting at home. In my case, it’s usually based on how much coffee I can consume since my Fridays start with a 2:00AM wake up and 3:30AM shift at 11Alive.
I was just about to hit the “reply” button; when I remembered I have plans Saturday morning. Early plans. Team in Training meets Saturday mornings for our long runs together. This Saturday will be my first official team run.
I’ve heard some people say training for a marathon is a part-time job. I’ve run several marathons, and that seems like an exaggeration to me. But, there’s no question: say goodbye to your Saturdays.
At the beginning, you’re just running three or four miles. By the time you finish, most people are just waking up. You think: I can squeeze this in like a secret life: no problem! By the time you peak you’re running for three hours. You finish, get home, take an ice bath, and eat. It’s already past noon and you think: bring on the Saturday! But you just ran 20 miles, burned 2,000 calories. You’re tired and not in the mood to go for a hike, help with yard work, stand in line for anything. All those things you used to do on Saturdays. So instead, you take a nap.
I once read an article that said if you want to run a successful marathon, you can’t just run like a runner; you need to live like a runner. That means getting enough sleep, eating the right food, and training during the week. All of that takes time.
Don’t get me wrong: the exchange rate is a good one. You give up your lazy Saturday mornings for a life-changing experience. You’ll feel better: inside and out. For Team in Training, it’s an even better exchange rate: you’re helping save lives. And once you get that marathon itch, it’s an obvious choice.
So, goodbye Saturday. See you on March 27th; after the ING Georgia Marathon.
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As I was signing on the line, I thought: there’s no going back now.
Then they gave me these things that are like purple leg warmers except for your arms. When someone gives you sleeves, there’s REALLY no going back. Yes, I am wearing them right now while I’m writing this blog. I need to keep my muscles warm so I don’t pull something lifting this stack of paperwork.
I am now a member of Team in Training (I’ll pause here so you can add a “woo-hoo!”).
My first run-in with Team in Training was a purple blur. I was running my very first marathon when a pack of violet-clad runners passed me. It seemed like a hodge-podge group of people… strange they were all dressed alike. And I kept seeing them: the silver-haired couple jogging with a smile (who smiles in a marathon?!), pony-tailed girls in purple shorts, a woman with a shaved head. That’s when I realized they were more than a running group.
Team in Training raises money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In 2008, more than 40,000 participants raised $85 Million. If imitation is the best form of flattery, TNT should be blushing. Since 1988, other non-profits have copied their successful model. Each participant is required to raise a specific amount of money (for the ING, it’s $1800). The group trains together in the months leading up to the run. TNT provides coaches, direction, and fundraising help.
As a runner, you just can’t ignore TNT: they’re everywhere. I finally jumped on the wagon this week for a simple reason: they asked.
A Team in Training staff member read my blog on the Zooma Run, and asked me to sign on with them for the ING Georgia Marathon. I ran it past my producers and… voila! Here we are. Me and my purple sleeves.
In the next four months I know I’ll meet amazing people, log hundreds of miles, and probably suffer a few blisters. But marathons always bring the unexpected. I hope you’ll join me for the ride. I’ll be posting frequent updates here on 11aliveblogs.com. You can also follow me on Twitter: @JulieWolfe.
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