Memorial Marathon Training: Week 7

This week those training for the full marathon are pushing upward 12-15 miles.  Those running the half will also be increasing to 8 miles.  We will meet this week with Team In Training (TNT) at Java Dave’s at 10 NE 10th Street (On the edge of downtown, right off of I-235 and 10th street).  View the course map here. TNT is walking/running six to eight miles this week so that matches up for those of us training for the half, relay, and 5k.  If you are training for the half marathon will meet at 8 am.  Those training for the full marathon, will meet at 7 am at Java Daves and run the course once, before meeting up with the rest of the girls training at 8 am.  If you’ve been hesitant to come out and walk or run with us, this would be a great week.

Letter from runHers Member Christina Eckert

Welcome to week 7 of our training season.  Hope you all had good races and training runs this past weekend!  I know those of you who ran on Sunday had some brutal weather!  Those are the stories that make you “real” runners

One of the hardest aspects of running for almost everyone, beginning and experienced runners, is the mental aspect of the sport.  It can be tough out there some days and its hard to keep running. Especially as the miles increase.  I’m not talking about running through pain, just through that mental block.  That little voice that sometimes says, “This is hard… stop.”

I turned to our own runHers expert, Jenny Graef, and here are some of the tips she had. (She admits even she has hard days!)

• “One thing I do (and this will sound weird…) is that I talk myself through it.  If I’m going through a tough stretch in a long run, I will start talking out loud (not too loud, I don’t want to scare innocent pedestrians!) and telling myself “You can do this” or “Doing great” or “You’re okay”  or something like that.  The minute you let yourself think anything negative, the long run immediately feels harder. The mind is a powerful thing, so the talking out loud, repeating postive things eventually makes me believe those things.  Fake it til you make it. ”
• Graef also says she runs with friends and listens to music to keep your mind off how tired you are.
• Another tip she says is “I also have a fun treat that I get to have after each long run!  So I love donuts, but I don’t let myself eat them every day, and now they’ve become my treat if I make it through my long run.  A little extra motivation never hurts! ”

Here are some more tips from Runners World.  First, let your imagination run wild.  Pretend you’re in the Olympics (or any big race) and you’re about to win, but only if you keep going.  Imagine the crowd cheering you on.  Think about the other runners you’re passing… or those trying to pass you!  And keep pushing until the run is over.  Also, use your surroundings.  Pick objects along your run… a tree, lightpost or stop sign… and focus on running to it.  When you reach that object, pick a new one and keep going.  You can also pass the time and distract yourself by planning ahead.

Think about a work project. Mentally write your grocery list. Write a letter. Plan dinner.  I often write next week’s runHers email during my long runs!  Music always seems to help pass the miles, too. You know you have that song that never fails to inspire you.  I love Melissa Etheridge’s I Run For Life  and Train’s Hey, Soul Sister. Make a playlist with your top tunes and save it for your long runs.

Also, don’t underestimate the power of a running partner or group like runHers.  ”Training allies will get you out the door on those days when exercise might otherwise be reduced to a finger on the remote control button.”  I use group runs as my girl time,  my therapy sessions and my time to laugh!  And last, remember the power of positive thinking just like Jenny pointed out!  Come up with a mantra to rally your strength.  It could be a word “push” or “strength” or a phrase like “you can do this.”  When it gets tough, don’t think “i’m so tired” or “this is so hard.” Think of your phrase, and think “I can do this!”

It’s easy to let those hard runs get inside your head.  ”Every runner has a good angel whispering in one ear, telling her that she’s strong and confident, and a bad angel whispering in the other ear, saying she’s weak and unworthy,” explains running coach Jeff Arbogast.  ”The idea is to listen to the good angel and shut out the bad angel.”

I’m also including a great hamstring stretch in this week’s email. And trying to inspire myself to do a little more stretching this year.  Many runners complain about soreness in this group of three muscles in the back of the thigh. According to Nikki Kimball, a physical therapist in Bozeman, Montana stretching helps reduce the risk of aches turning into full–blown injuries.

HAMSTRING STEP STRETCH
Put one foot on an eight–inch step. Keep your toes pointed forward and knee slightly bent. Looking straight ahead, lean forward from the hips and pelvis while maintaining an arch in your lower back. Once you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh, hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side. If you feel a stretch in your calf, then you’re stretching the sciatic nerve. Reposition yourself so the sensation in your calf disappears.

One final note from The Runner’s Book of Daily Inspiration , “Inspiration comes and goes.  You can never be sure where, or when it will alight.  Inspiration is like a hummingbird, constantly in motion. When it finally lands, it sonly for the briefest of instants.  One small noise and it flashes away so quickly that you wonder if it was there at all.  Every runner needs inspiration, but the best runners and the ones who have been doing it a long time mainly get their inspiration from running.  The act itself is what gives them the motivation.  Some days you’re not going to feel like it.  You’re going to feel like practicing your avoidance techniques rather than your running techniques.  That’s inevitable and normal.  But if you can find the wherewithal to drag yourself out of bed or the office (or wherever you happen to be” and run, you will receive an instant supply of motivation.  You will be flooded with motivation;  it will surge through your veins like a drug. You will be reminded once more why you run and why you make the effort. And you will wonder why you hesitated at all.  Remember that feeling… and how good you feel after a run… the next time your wellspring of inspiration seems dried up.”

Have fun this training season and remember runHers is for life!

Christina Eckert