Training Archive -

A Bittersweet Day

Last Tuesday was a bittersweet day for me. I watched as most of my 5k training group from 2011 “graduated” and signed up for our 10K program. I felt just like a mother hen watching her chicks fly off from the nest for the first time. I was so proud of them for taking the next step in their running journey, that leap of faith in their abilities to overcome this new challenge before them. And I remembered meeting them for the first time not even a year ago when they signed up for the 5K group, each taking a chance on their ability to last 3.1 miles.

I’ve been coaching our 5K group for 4 years now. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I get to introduce people to so many good things: the joy of running, the camaraderie found in a group of runners, the sheer intoxication of seeing your body get stronger, faster, and yes, even a bit sleeker. There are few things better than watching a person grow stronger in both body and spirit; doing something that they truly never thought they could. And to get to do it with other people who are experiencing the same thing-well, that’s a bonding experience that creates very strong ties between people who had been strangers only weeks earlier.

There are many wonderful things about joining a training group. It takes much of the planning that goes into training off your plate: we’ve figured out how far you have to run, we’ve mapped the run, we’ve marked it, and put water out there for you. All you need to do is show up and well, run, but that’s the fun part, right? We’re here to answer questions, show you how to do what you are going to do, cheer you on, believe that you can do it even when you may doubt it yourself.

And then there’s the best part of the group: the other runners, the people that you will spend time with doing one of the hardest things you’ve ever done in your life. Sharing time like that turns strangers into friends in record time. Knowing that your fellow group members are out there waiting for you when it’s snowing and 17 degrees or sweltering and 90 degrees gets you up and out the door like no other motivation I know. You’re there for each other for every joyous, painful, and sweaty step of the way. They are the ones that truly understand what it took to get to the end of that 5K, 10K, half or full marathon because they trained all those days with you!

Life is all about change. Our spring 5K group kicks off in a few weeks, and I’ll get to meet another group of yet-to know-they-can-run runners. We’ll walk and run, sweat, laugh and maybe even cry as we all become friends, cheerleaders, and athletes. These folks will join the training group because they want to run a 5K; 10 weeks from now, they’ll be transformed by an experience that gave them so much more than that.

Gazelle Girl Vicki

17th February 2012

Training

Attention, running naysayers!

“We have lost the tradition and necessity, but we still have the native ability; our DNA hasn’t changed in centuries and is 99.9% identical across the globe, meaning we’ve all got the same stock parts as any ancient hunter-gatherer.”

Christopher McDougall
Born to Run

Attention, running naysayers! It seems our bodies evolved upright, with two legs for the purpose of survival… to hunt and forage for our food by walking and running. Aha! There IS a runner in each of us. Whether you believe it’s by God’s will or scientific fact – those limbs attached to your hips once served a function beyond merely getting to and from today’s sedentary activities. Running for the sake of survival has obviously evolved, but has NOT been lost; no longer must we hunt and kill our dinner, but now we run to stay healthy and to live longer.

For those of you who claim non-runner body type or inclination, I urge you to reconsider. The multitude of benefits of consistent aerobic exercise are positively too many to enumerate here. Besides, the medical community continues to attempt to communicate those messages. Instead, I invite you to join your ancestors past and the men and women of today to run… BECAUSE YOU CAN.

The Gazelle Sports 5k and 10k training programs are a wonderfully safe place to start. Safe, because you are immediately introduced and linked to like-minded newbies. Safe, because you are led by professionals through a progressive walk to run program that will transform your body and your future. The training groups are event specific. For example, current winter programs are preparing Irish Jig 5k runners. Fifth Third River Bank Run 5k and 10k programs kick off in February and Girls on the Run 5k focused programs start in March. Within a few weeks you will progress from the couch to a start line – and most importantly, a finish line. Having this organized running event as a goal is an excellent motivator and method for preparing your body to run the distance.

The coaches are passionate about running. They are the world’s best cheerleaders. They all started as non-runners themselves… and they understand the emotions behind the training experience. The coaches will teach stretching, strengthening, nutrition, proper clothing and shoes, injury prevention and running strategies. And with a good dose of patience, dedication and consistent participation on your part, the coaches will prepare you to cross that finish line.

I have seen all physical shapes and sizes, all ages (it is NEVER too late to start running), varying natural abilities and runners from all walks of life; they blend together in running training programs and achieve success. This training tribe may not be out hunting for dinner anymore, but they do have a common goal… to complete their first 5k or 10k en route to a more active lifestyle.

Fear not, reluctant runners! Join the tribe of runners and I promise you an intensely satisfying launch to a running lifestyle.

- Gazelle Girl Caroline

1st February 2012

Training

Admission Time

“Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one’s self-esteem.” -Thomas S. Szasz

I can’t do it on my own.

It’s a pride thing, something a lot of runners deal with, but I finally came to the realization that what I am doing on my own is not helping my hip “issue.” I resisted for months, because I thought I knew too much to need a true professional’s opinion. It’s just one of the many ways that I act in a hypocritical manner. I tell people all the time to get things checked out when something doesn’t feel right, that it doesn’t hurt to get it looked at (not even in the wallet if they check out SIMIO PT in Holland – they offer a free 45-minute consultation to anyone in order to educate people in a no pressure environment). And yet, here I sat, watching my waist grow as I assumed that I just needed to take time off.

Well, Adam at SIMIO confirmed during my consultation that simply taking time away from running wasn’t going to solve my problems. What he explained (and what I’ve heard from him and Craig multiple times) was that the body works as a chain. When one thing isn’t working properly, the rest of the body adjusts to “pick up the slack.” Although this sounds great, when a problem goes undiagnosed for years (as in my case), your body can get pretty messed up – all along the chain. If you can find the source (as the guys at SIMIO do), you can re-train your body to work the way it should.

Now that I have the proper information, I’m going to try to be disciplined enough to work through it on my own (still pride). But if/when that fails, I’ll be sure to enlist Adam’s help once again.

27th January 2012

Training

From The Other Side

Who ever knew that nurturing the growth of other runners could be so immensely rewarding?

It all started with “yes.” Would I be interested in co-coaching the Gazelle Sports Safari Half Marathon and Marathon Training Program group? Absolutely! The journey began at the East Grand Rapids High School track on the first of a series of beautiful summer evenings. Molly, Bill, Sarah, Tim, Kim, Kurt, Erin, Katie… 30 eager faces and fit bodies. These people were not new runners. They were runners with new and bigger goals; they wanted to complete their first half or full marathon.

Our coaching challenge was to properly prepare, both physically and mentally, these exceptionally nice folks to do something extraordinary by running a distance that they, heretofore, thought impossible. Over the course of 16 weeks, we evolved – as a group – into long-distance athletes, PLUS good friends. We sweated, strained, pushed, laughed, learned, cajoled, groaned and even cried occasionally with the pain or frustration of injuries. We were a team of people joined by a common passion and goal… and it was a marvelous adventure.

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But nothing in the coaching experience could compare to the grand finale… cheering for our new friends along the course of the Grand Rapids Marathon. For the first time, I was on the other side of the fence; this wasn’t my race to run, but to support. It was akin to watching my children at sporting events; this (parent) coach was bursting with pride as I screamed and yelled as our Safari members ran by me. I thought about each of those uncomfortably fast workouts on the track and those beastly hot long runs when things didn’t always go right for all of our runners. But now, there they were… runners who dedicated themselves all summer to the pursuit of this longer distance. They were now reaping the rewards of perseverance. The smiles on their faces, not pain, spotlighted the enormity of their accomplishment on that special day.

We all stay in touch. There is a bond, an intimacy, that develops when you tackle a half or full marathon together. Taking turns, someone from the group arranges a long run every weekend. Running friends forever. No, friends forever. I am honored to know them, and I am thankful for the positive impact they made on my life.

7th December 2011

Gazelle Girl, How-to, Training, Uncategorized

Not A Runner

I am not a runner. I can’t. I don’t know how.

That sounds weird, but I never have known how to run. No high school running. Not even occasionally. And the older I got, with two kids, an awful commute, a love of food and a very comfy couch, the idea of running became as foreign a concept to me as competing in an Ironman.

I knew runners. I saw them on TV while sitting on my comfy couch. I passed them while on my long commute. I saw them pass by while I was playing with my kids. I knew I couldn’t do it. And the idea scared me. I worried about my kids getting too far away from me because I knew I wasn’t able to run after them. I didn’t have any major injuries preventing me from running. Nothing stopping me except, well, me.

And then my friends started posting on Facebook about running. My friends. They were talking about 5ks and, in one egregious betrayal, a marathon. What? They had the same number of kids as me. They had commutes. They loved food. And there wasn’t anything wrong with their couches. They were running. They were runners.

I saw these entries as a challenge. If they could do it, why not me? So I started slow, but I had no clue what I was doing. I didn’t ask for advice because I didn’t want anyone to know. I put on sneakers that had only seen sporting events from the cheap seats and walking at night with the family. I jogged a little and walked a little. I made small goals like “from here to the mailboxes.” And it was hard. I was alone.

But everyone starts somewhere, and all these runners went someplace. And then the postcard came in the mail. The Gazelle Sports postcard for a sidewalk sale. I was sure that with better shoes, I would figure everything out. I put aside my body insecurities. I ignored the nagging voice that reminded me of the couch. I even had to work through some shame that I didn’t know how to run.

I walked into Gazelle Sports slightly intimidated, but determined. I was just buying shoes. How hard could it be? And then I met Nikki. I sheepishly described to her my sad attempts at a jog/walk routine, how often I was doing it and how far I went. She didn’t laugh or judge. The amazing marathon runner that she is, she wasn’t patronizing or belittling. She seemed to want me to join this “club.” She seemed to want me on the team.
I mentioned to her that I thought I might work up to running a 5k in a year. She then mentioned that Gazelle Sports had a running program that would be perfect for me where you would train to run a 5k in 8 weeks. 8 WEEKS!

I met Michelle Staal, who runs Gazelle Sports’ Community Programs. She said the group would be a great fit for me and showed me a program for the Race for the Cure 5k. With family members affected by breast cancer, I knew it was a worthwhile cause and something I should at least try to accomplish.

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So, I got the schedule and took my new shoes with me to the meeting at the track. My first time running with the group seemed pretty easy. As the times crept up and we were running more and walking less, I always approached the next goal with the same thought. I can’t do it. I’ll just walk if I have to. But Michelle and the other leaders were so supportive. They didn’t care if I was dead last in the group that day and lagging far behind. They stayed with me and helped me push to meet the goal. I was never the fastest or most excited to run, but I was determined. If I was able to run for 12 minutes, why not 14? As the weeks before the race got closer, I was running better, but I was still so scared. We ran more than 2 miles quite a bit, but a 5k was more. My body started rebelling a bit, so I didn’t run the last week before the race. I was registered, so I couldn’t back out. And I didn’t want to. I wanted to cross the finish line. I wanted to see if I could do it.

Michelle was there for the race. As it was my first 5k, she graciously offered to run by my side the entire race. I was nervous and excited. We started slowly, with people flowing past me. But I kept running. I ran the course, which seemed long and arduous. When I slowed, Michelle slowed. She was encouraging me before I even knew I needed it. She stayed by my side the whole time. She was patient with me when I finally had to walk. She helped me set the small goals and celebrated when I met them. And when the finish line came into view, she cheered me on. I was crying as I ran across the finish line. I was thinking about the commute, the two kids and the couch. I was thinking of all the times I said I couldn’t. I couldn’t believe that in 8 weeks, with the support of Gazelle Sports and the teammates I made at Gazelle, I crossed the finish line of my first 5k. I was no longer a “can’t.”

I could. I ran. I’m a runner.

22nd November 2011

Gazelle Girl, Training, Women's Interest

What do you think about…

If you run at all, you’ve been asked what you think about when you run. Some people ask because they’ve convinced themselves that running is boring. Others ask out of genuine curiosity. I’ve probably been asked this question hundreds of times. Usually, I’m at a loss to explain it because it varies so much.

There is one situation where the answer is easy, though. I didn’t realize how easy it was to explain what I think about during racing until last weekend.

I ran a 10k race where at least half of the course was on a service drive running parallel to 696 near Detroit. Scenic would not be a great adjective to describe the course. When I finished, RunnerGirl asked if the course was as bad as I had anticipated.

I couldn’t really answer her.

No. I didn’t black out during the race. No, I didn’t take any shortcuts, either.

I’ve read that elite athletes practice association while sub-elites generally use disassociation. Association means focusing on internal muscular cues to gauge effort, strain, fatigue, etc. Disassociation is interested in distracting the body from the pain it is experiencing.

Now, I’m not claiming to be elite at all. However, I do try to develop my association skills and focus on my kinesthetic signals.

During the 10k, I didn’t notice the course because I was extremely focused on my pace, my legs, my lungs, my posture, etc. I was constantly searching for that red-line to push my body as hard as it could go for 10,000 meters and no harder.

I didn’t run the perfect race, but I am confident I ran a much better race than if I had been thinking about my Ipod or my plans for the afternoon or anything else.

So when I am asked what I think about when I’m racing, at least I can answer that question.

What do you think about when you run?

19th November 2011

Events, Training, Uncategorized

Really? Why NOW? 

Snap. Just like that. I am down on the ground, writhing in pain. Did I just not see the curb? Was I dragging my foot? My right hamstring is shredded. It is a mere four weeks in front of the New York City Marathon. As I sit for two hours in the urgent care facility on the single-most beautiful Sunday afternoon this fall – I am awash in emotion.

Runners set ambitious goals so that we stick to a training plan. With fierce determination, we obsessively follow that plan. The reward for our discipline is a well-executed race.

BUT – even with the perfect training plan – things happen. Illness, time constraints and injury are the biggest bad boys of the training schedule gone awry. It happens to nearly every runner… eventually.

I guess it’s my turn. Now I am among the walking (not running) wounded. I have plane tickets for two, hotel reservations for four nights and the chance of a lifetime to run the biggest marathon in the world. And a silly curb tripped me up and doused my plans!

Deep sigh. With a forced and weak smile, I will go forth and follow the doctor’s orders. I will be patient and see how quickly this bizarre turn of events can be put in the past. I resolve not to wallow in self-pity. I will remain positive and make the best of a disappointing and painful situation.

Stay tuned for the end of the story. Will I run or spectate in New York City on November 6?

13th October 2011

Gazelle Girl, Training, Women's Interest

Running IS my inspiration…

Running is a means to an end… to many ends, in fact. The more I run, the more energy I have. Seems backwards, really. I mean, why is it that the more TIME I devote to exercise each day, the more that I can accomplish in that same day in other areas of my life? I can take the same 24 hour day and seemingly “lengthen” it by ADDING an hour of exercise. Go figure.

So, I don’t need to be inspired to run, because it is the other way around… I run to inspire my daily living. On the days that I can’t exercise because of the craziness of family life, work or meetings, I feel distracted, sloppy, out-of-control and unproductive. When I can devote one sweaty hour to pure physical exertion I am recharged and focused. Training for a marathon works beautifully in this scheme of things as it gives me the excuse to make the time for that natural stimulant.

It wasn’t always this way. I learned of this body/mind/energy connection at the age of 42. A local road race course ran by our house every third weekend in August. In 2002, I stopped cheering on my neighbors and entered that race. I learned in that first running event that I was capable of doing what I’d watched other people do, and I was not going to “spectate” anymore. It was time to physically challenge my body and soul… to step outside of my comfort zone. Thanks to my involvement with a local running club, the miles starting piling up. Within two and a half years of that initial jog/walk around the block, I registered to run my first marathon. And in a few weeks, I will run my eighth.

Being physically active has not only allowed me to run marathons and fill my days with more activity than I ever imagined possible, but it has inspired me to encourage others to lead healthy lives… and to believe in themselves. I try to practice what I preach every day to set an example for my family and our community. Wellness is like a religion; once you “believe,” you want to encourage others to experience the benefits.

My daily exercise, whether it be running or cycling or yoga or walking the dog… inspires me to keep stretching for new challenges and to infuse others with my excitement for healthy living. I don’t require inspiration to run… I need running to inspire me to reach my potential.

6th October 2011

Gazelle Girl, Training, Women's Interest

Stressin’

Before my blog begins, I want to once again invite you to the Runners’ Book Club, Vol. II. We’re reading My Life on the Run by Bart Yasso. Even if you can’t finish it before our meeting, I encourage you to read as much as you can and join us. Yasso’s book is funny and inspiring. Put it on your calendar: October 6 at 8th Street Grille.

Stress gets a bad rap. Stress is what makes our training work. When you run, you’re stressing your body. The duress you place on your muscles is what makes them stronger. These stronger muscles only show up during the recovery period after the stress.

I’ve had a few poor runs lately, and I was kind of concerned. After all, my marathon is in a few weeks. Then I thought about how much stress I’ve been placing on my body.

Of course I’ve got the running miles, 50-60 per week. I have been a little discouraged, though, because I usually target 70 as my peak during a marathon build-up. Then I realized that I’m not only running. I canceled my car insurance and have been biking to work. So I’ve been running 50-60 miles and also biking 50-ish miles each week. That helped me to be a little more confident of my training.

Something was still nagging me, though. I still felt like my runs were flatter than they should be. It took my biannual taper clinic for me to figure it out. The physical stress is only half of the equation.

School just started again, and it coincided with some the peak of my training. So, I’ve hit my max mileage and added the mental/emotional stress of a new school year.

Many people don’t realize that your body accepts physical and emotional stress in similar ways. When you’re recovering from a hard workout, stress is stress. It doesn’t matter if it is a tempo run or new class to organize and plan for.

My goal in the upcoming weeks (my taper) is to eliminate as many physical and emotional stressors as possible. The physical stresses are easier to deal with. I’ll carpool a few days a week to reduce the bike miles, and gradually cut back my running miles like normal.

The mental stressors are a little bit trickier to avoid. Part of it will be planning a little further out in my classes. I’ll work on adding detail to my lesson plans for the next month or so. Having a plan will reduce some of this stress.

The big stress of this new school year is all of the change. There are a myriad of changes to structures and technology at school. I’ll work on looking at the positive changes to try to reduce the stress. Attitude is key. Maybe I’ll tack the Serenity Prayer up in a prominent place.

Finally, sleep is key to dealing with stress. During the remainder of my taper, I’ll strive to increase my sleep stores. This is when the body recovers from and rebuilds the damage caused by stress.

I hope reading about my stress strategies helps you examine your life and your training. Take it easy.

22nd September 2011

Events, Training, Uncategorized

There is life after 30

“Whatever does not kill him makes him stronger” -Friedrich Nietzsche

In high school, the joke was I’d be in a wheelchair by 30.

In college, the joke was I’d be dead by 30.

I turned 30 just about three months ago, and I am happy to tell you I am still alive (and not in a wheelchair). Any of you who know me know that I don’t lead what you would call a reckless lifestyle. And if you’ve known me for a while, or been through a Good Form Running clinic that I’ve led, you know that my body doesn’t exactly have a history of durability.

I’ve had my run of injuries: anything from concussions to strained muscles to sprained ligaments and almost everything in between. The big joke isn’t that I’ve been injured so much, but more that I’ve spent so little time being healthy. I’ve actually had a pretty good spell over the past couple of years, and Good Form Running has been a big part of that. However, my body does not limit itself to running injuries.

This past winter my brother talked me into joining him on an indoor soccer team. (Sidenote: I’m NOT good at soccer. Something about the coordination of running and kicking and looking around just doesn’t work in my brain. I got cut from middle school soccer both years I tried out. MIDDLE SCHOOL! Everyone makes the middle school soccer team! I guess they just didn’t have room for a doofus who continually tripped over the ball…) Knowing my history, and the fact that I was training for my first half-marathon, I was hesitant. But, he had recently moved back to West Michigan from the Bay area, and I thought this would be a good way to hang out together. Plus, as I mentioned, I had been having pretty good luck lately. (Another sidenote: is it really good luck if I’ve just been avoided anything other than running or cycling? Hindsight is 20/20) So, I decided to go for it. In the first half of the first game, our brother-in-law-to-be sprained his ankle and was out for the season. I started to get nervous.

The season went along, and I had no problems other than being sore in places I had forgotten about. Our last game was a Tuesday night, 5 days before my half-marathon. Things were going well, and this game was for 2nd place in the league (no thanks to my ballhandling). About halfway through the second half I trapped the ball in our end as an opponent was fast approaching. As I tried to decide what to do, he reached me, and did not respect my need for more time. He clearly subscribes to the theory that the quickest way between two points is a straight line, so he attempted to kick the ball through my foot. He was unsuccessful, unless his goal was to get me out of the game. In a very heroic manner, I limped to bench, calling for a sub. Instead of just getting some ice and sitting the rest of the game out (I am, after all, a man), I “walked it off” and came back into the game a mere 3 minutes later. Adrenaline carried me through the rest of the game, and we won. I had a good feeling that it would feel better in just a couple of days. I have LOTS of experience with sprained ankles, and this one didn’t seem so bad.

It was worse than I thought.

The reason I’m telling this tale today is that I have had a rough couple of weeks. Every morning upon waking up, the ankle felt as stiff as it did the day after my half-marathon nearly 6 months ago. I’ve had what I would consider 3 major injuries in my life thus far, and each of them was an ankle sprain that hung around for at least 6 months. The first was caused me to lose my entire senior track season, and highly influenced my decision to not run competitively in college. The second happened about 5 years ago playing soccer with a bunch of 5-year-olds (I told you I’m not good at soccer) and was the impetus behind my gaining 30 pounds in the 52 weeks I could not walk without a limp and, eventually, getting back into running. I still don’t know what path that this injury is taking me on. I know that I am stronger in many ways than I have ever been before, and I know that most days on which I want to run, I am able to warm it up and run without pain. But it’s those first few steps in the morning as I climb down the stairs like a toddler that keep me humble. Perhaps I’ll never know what it’s like to jump out of bed and hit the ground running, but I will continue to do what I need to do to stay active, to grow stronger, to be better.

5th September 2011

Training