Get Over it! ---from Coach Robbie

Hello All,

By now, many of you have looked at the schedule for this weekend. For those who have not, we’ll be doing anywhere from 6-21 miles depending upon which training program you’re following. For those who have never done this kind of mileage before, you are probably forming some opinions about our little fun run this weekend. That’s right. I said “fun run”. And while not everyone will agree with me on this, that’s how I see it.

So, with today being Wednesday (aka, “hump day”), it seems fitting to me to have a brief discussion (can Robbie be brief?) about how to get over the hump. Whether it’s mental, physical or both, a long, high mileage run is a challenge. But it’s also very necessary to preparing for endurance events like a half or full marathon. So my intent with this installment of my newsletter is to help you get over the hump.

You see lately I’ve noticed a lot of people (self included) suffering from the change. Now I’m not talking about menopause, because I’m not old enough to go through that yet (and I think you have to be female, but there is some evidence to suggest that men may go through it too). Anyway, the change I’m referring to is the change of season which has brought such wonderful positive changes in temperature, daylight, etc… Perhaps you’ve noticed we have less light, less warmth and less dryness. So with that, I have heard all kinds of excuses for not running such as “it’s too dark, it’s too cold, it’s too wet, etc” from people around me – including myself!!! WAH! WAH! Dry your tears cause we’ve got work to do.

You see, no one is immune to this thinking. But, we must press on if we want to achieve our goal. It’s time for the tough to get going as the saying goes. These runs can be whatever you make of it. They can be “fun runs” or not. The choice my darlings, is up to YOU. And yes, I just used the term darlings because you are all special to me. Each and every one of you. I wish I could interact more with everyone. I wish I could run by your side, every step of the way. To encourage you when you need it. To tell you, you are great and you can do this when you’re just not feeling it. To tell you not to worry about that ache, cause it’s not life-threatening. But you see this is one of those sports, like so many, where you must reach down deep inside when you are challenged and pull that extra “Mo-Jo” out. I guess what I’m saying is, you have to find your way, on your own. I am your guide. But you are the one in control. If you want to run a marathon, you’ll do it. And nothing I say or do will change that.

I will be running 19 miles on Saturday. Many of you will be running 19 miles too or some other challenging distance you might not be used to. You might even be questioning how you’ll do or if you’ll be able to do it. Well, unless you are truly injured, you will do fine and you will do it – if you want to. But you will probably experience some rough periods. You might even feel like stopping (gasp!). So I want to make some simple suggestions to you to ensure that you have a long, enjoyable “fun” run.

1) DO NOT WORKOUT ON FRIDAY! Take the day off. You deserve it. Don’t do anything. Give your body a rest day. Trust me. It works.

2) GET PLENTY OF REST. Go to bed early and get at least eight (8) hours. Can’t afford to do it you say? You can’t afford not to. Tell hubby to take care of the kids. Tape your favorite show. It will be there tomorrow. Leave work early. Do what you gotta do.

3) EAT BEFORE! Eat something at least 1-2 hours before our run. So that means between 5 and 6 am you’re going to chow out on something small and full of carbs.

4) EAT DURING! As we’ve already talked about, during such a long run you need to plan to re-fuel. That means water, Gatorade, beans, bars or gels. Plan on re-fueling at least every 45 minutes to an hour. Many of you are already accustomed to this, so I’m just reminding you of its importance. Remember, if you allow your glycogen stores to get depleted, your muscles will make sure you are seated (with seized up muscles). Not fun. Don’t let it happen to you!

5) EAT AFTER! Obviously, after such a long distance, you need to plan to eat afterwards as well so you replenish your glycogen stores and bring your hydration level back to where it belongs. This isn’t hard. Water, carbs, some protein and lipids (fats). PJ’s has it all. Bagels, Eggs, Peanut Butter, Milk, etc.

6) WALK IF YOU HAVE TO. It’s ok and many people do slow down or even walk some during a half or full marathon. It’s not a sin. If you’ve lost your breath, stop and catch it. Can’t hold it anymore? Stop and go! It’s not the end of the world. It’s all part of being human.

Ok, so that just about does it for now. I could go on and on and on. Actually, I have gone on and on and on. So that’s it. I’m done. For now that is. Until Saturday. See I’m scheduled to talk about race preparation. So I’m going to get busy to work on trying to condense that subject into a 7 minute verbal sprint, and you all have a great tempo run tomorrow and I’ll see you all on Saturday. Stay dry!