It's What Runners Do...

This week it was so nice to get back in the swing of things after the crazy winter weather of last week. I enjoyed running with friends, got in three runs and even set a new personal record for my long run on Saturday. Here's how the week went...

46 Days to Go - I was excited to finally get to run with the YMCA's Half-Marathon Training Group again. During our discussions we learned about running supplements like GU and other similar products that give you a boost of energy and electrolytes during the run. It seemed like all the experienced runners in the group had very specific preferences of one brand or flavor over others. The bottom line, our coaches advised that if we plan to use them during the race to try out various supplements early so that we'll know what type we're most comfortable with. (I'm going to a sports store this weekend to purchase a variety of supplements and will have a taste testing session soon. Watch for that in a future post.)

We began the group run by turning left on Starling and running around the block. We turned left on Church Street and ran all the way down the the Farmers' Market then up Main Street before taking a left to go down the hill at Ford Street. We continued down the Uptown Connection Trail until we reached the intersection of the Silverbell Trail and then reversed the route. I enjoy running in Uptown and was happy with this route. One new element for me was Ford Street. Running down it was a breeze but coming back up was a beast. As we began up Ford Street our coach Becky yelled back at us "This is just a hill- you all can do this." My thighs burned. Behind me I could hear Richard shouting "Thank you Ford Street for making me stronger!" That helped me pick up the pace to muscle through it and when we go to the top, I couldn't help but give a joyful shout!


When I made it back to the YMCA, other runners who had already finished before me were cheering me on to the finish and that felt great. I ran 4.29 miles at an average pace of 9:41 per mile. This time was a personal best for a 3-5 mile run.

44 Days to Go - Our coaches sent an email out to the training group that was very helpful. It had advice from a local runner on feeling the burn while running.

One practice I yelled "I am in pain"...my coach quickly replied, you aren't in pain, you have lactic acid build up in your muscles. The harder and more intense you workout the more adaptation your body does to get rid of the lactic acid." As a 16 year old I thought he was crazy, but he is right. Always understand the difference between muscle fatigue and true injury. Twisting an ankle is an injury, having a burning sensation in your legs and calves while running is lactic acid buildup. By pushing yourself harder and harder, your muscles and veins learn how to get rid of lactic acid faster and more effectively, thus you improve. Back off when you feel the "burn" and you will remain at the same athletic level you are already at. Welcome the burn!

This was great advice and I remembered it later on that afternoon when I ran in Uptown with Amanda. I ran 2.67 miles at an average pace of 10:40 per mile and enjoyed spending time with her. Since she is just starting her training, we would run together for a full lap and then for the next lap Amanda would cut across a block to make a shorter lap while I continued the longer run. This pattern allowed us to enjoy running together for most of the time and also get in the individual distances we each needed.

43 Days to Go - Friday was Spirit Day for the YMCA's Half-Marathon, 5K & Relay. All runners and supporters of runners were encouraged to wear their shirts from past races. My entire staff joined in on the fun and proudly wore MHM shirts for the day.

After work Darrin, H and I met Amanda and another friend for dinner at Wild Mags and celebrated a new personal record that Amanda had accomplished that afternoon. It's fun to see others get excited about running too. Congrats to Amanda!

42 Days to Go - It's dark and it's cold - 29 degrees to be exact. Yet, I am awake and dressed at 6 a.m. on a Saturday...waiting for the sun to come up. This moment is both intimidating and exhilarating at the same time. It's intimidating because this is something that those crazy runners do and exhilarating because as of this moment I AM officially one of those crazy runners. An early run today is out of necessity because we have a busy day planned and I really don't know when I will be able to tackle my six mile run. If I can get it over with early, it means one less thing to worry about today.

I knocked out the six miles in record time and added on another half mile to increase my distance. I ran the 6.5 miles at a pace of 10:50 per mile, shaving four minutes off of the time for my last six mile run. It felt amazing to finish this run. Crazy or not, I'm proud to be a runner!

The YMCA's 5K training program begins this week so if you want to give it a shot sign up. You've got nothing to lose by trying!

#WeCanDoThis