ME in June: I'm going to train every week this summer and have the best cross country season or fall marathon.
ME in August: Well, ya know, I had work and so many fun plans and trips that I really didn't have time to run - oh well. Maybe next year. Yah, next year.
ME in November: Protectively saying to self, "Well, I didn't really want to be apart of that state championship team or marathon celebration anyways. Secretly knowing.... I really wish I would have managed my time and priorities -on the off season- so I could be apart of this Conference, District, State, National race or Cross that New York marathon finish line with all these other runners. How did they do it?
The Answer:
Training.
Connected. Consistent. Balanced.
Summer Training -some of it on your own- so you can schedule around your individual work schedule and the fun plans/vacations that are all part of summer break AND AND AND keeping connected with a training group or partner weekly. Don't do ALL of your runs solo. It breeds contempt and excuse.
And really, what a great opportunity for Learning-
Learning to prioritize your life so you can smash ALL the fun goals you have for yourself -whether physical, academic, or career- oh and of course family and friends!
Doing this by practicing in a low stakes environment -that is summer base training-
Learning how to balance a creative passion, a career, a family, and your other goals is priceless skill.
And, whether you are a CEO of a major company or work a summer gig- learning how to show up in all capacities- mentally and physically healthy- requires skill that results in a version of yourself who really gets to enjoy those fun summer plans, vacations, sleepovers, six flags------and crush your goals!
This may be the skill to acquire in arriving and thriving to your Fall Race Season goals.
It's so funny how many times through my 30 plus year career of running that I've been asked, "Why are you running so early in the morning or Why are you doing this workout or Why did you run this far today or this short tomorrow?" And same person, Wow how did you run that fast or far at _____race?"
Ummmm, I showed up for the last 6 months and I didn't do it alone. I got help from my friends and family. I choose a goal that excited me, and I chipped away everyday. I didn't sleep in until it got too hot to run; If work started at 6, I woke up at 4:30 and went to bed earlier, I texted friends on Sunday and we agreed to meet each other for our workout and long runs. And week after week, I got stronger, felt happier, slept better, and became a better friend and team/community member.
Above are Valid questions- but to me an obvious answer: when you have a REAL, CLEAR goal and the motivation to reach it - you have steps, progress, commitment, discipline; it takes purposeful, connected WORK.
Not the kind of work where you feel dead depleted but the kind that is intentional, and hard in different ways: maybe the hard is a longer run than you are used to, maybe the hard is setting your alarm for 6am in the summer to avoid bonking from the sun and heat, maybe hard is going slow and short on days your body needs recovery movement between harder efforts. Maybe the hard is the monoteny that can creep up in the later months of base training on your own.
"Girl, you can do hard things!"
There's Always a Battle: Big or Small and every once in awhile you feel great- but rarely- ha... have a friend to distract you- lol
During a 12 miler on the Katy last winter, I shared with my training partner that I had been fighting the pain of cold fingers for the last 6 miles... and we still had a couple more to go-
she retorted, well, I'm battling something different, I didnt get much sleep last night since my dog kept me up and I'm struggling. We both laughed and finished the run happy feeling we did it together.
I pondered this and came to the conclusion that we are all of us battling something on any given run or race.
Running provides us with some hard days, some good days, and some great days. AND, the reality is, if we show up (non injured of course) we will experience them ALL and sometimes not the way we expected -
Therefore, in showing up, we are building a solid foundation and a mental grit that we will need to get to that goal finish line. We start to really understand our bodies and minds in a way that is impossible if you only show up when it suits you.
I'm not saying to say turn down that invitation to the Bahamas, Six Flags, that Float Trip, or to your BFFs birthday bash, but I am saying to intentionally plan around it and prioritize. It's ok, (especially as a woman) to take care of your needs, desires, and passions in life. In fact, PLEASE pay attention to those moments, skills, and opportunities that really bring out the fire in your eyes and the hunger in your belly. Do those things as much as you can around your other life commitments.
SHARE your gift. Invite the people you love to join you in either participating in or experiencing the energy and life that comes from the sport of running---uh can you say 50,000 runners in New York or the opportunity to experience the city of Boston during marathon week! These are real moments in life that may inspire a loved one to go after their goal - physical or not.
Problem Solved:
-----Step One: Write down your goal: ________________________________(Run '24 New York Marathon)
-----Step Two: Have a coach write you a summer plan.
-----Step Three: look at a calendar and write down the days/times you will do each training run. Make it an appointment. Make it a priority. If its not a priority, then go back and rewrite step one for yourself. Again, this is for you, this is your goal and the work of art that is the process to reaching that goal. Dont do it for anyone else but you.
------Step Four: Find a group to meet with at least one run a week.
------Step Five: show up. Do the work. Take care of yourself in between the training - NUTRITION, SLEEP, and don't forget to schedule those vacations and trips to six flags - they are important too.
-----Step Six - Have a blast during cross country and marathon season knowing you followed through with your plan- you kept your promise to yourself - you gave yourself a shot! Oh, and the best part, you made some lifelong REAL friendships with other female runners - this is the real gift.
My Life Long Training Partners: Brooke Shulte, Lisa Lewis-Cary, Amy Markhors, Jessica Grider-File, Sarah Winters, Sarah Grigsby, Katherine Bonougli-Ferguson, Serena Burla, Alicia Papa- Broshuis, Racheal Zartman, and many more who have come in and out of our group over the past 20 years.
The fact is, I would not still be running and receiving the HUGE GIFTS the sport returns to me if I did not have these woemn in my life. My training partners are life family.
And on a further note, my experience in qualifying for 2 Olympic Marathon Trials would not have happened without the huge groups of women working towads the same goal with me and ran side by side with me at those qualifying races- sharing fuel, words of encouragement during rough patches, and just their steady breath and stride in the massive undertaking that is actually racing a marathon as fast as you can.
Still Not Convinced?
Ive been their, don't make the same mistake I did- work with a group! If you are planning on running solo all summer because you think you are too fast, too slow, too talented, too shy, too this or that, I would encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and show up to some group runs and just show up. No expectation. Just run.
So you plan to meet this running group for the first time:
Let's say you want to go faster than the other runners, well go faster! If someone in your group gives you grief for this; that is their problem and not a YOU problem, in other words, let them figure that out. That thinking can deteriorate a training group. Respect that some days your training partners may have a different type of run than you, but STILL MEET!
This is a great lesson to learn early in your running career. DO YOU. It's not selfish to want for yourself. Again, any training partner that wants the best for you is going to want you to do that.
And then other days, maybe your workout or pace synch up and you have a blast talking the miles away.
Let this training relationship flow naturally without getting caught up in what others are doing as long as you SHOW UP, you are helping each other.
You show up and say, here we are- let's do this- get it done in whatever way the run for the day needs to get done for YOU-just a smile and encouraging word before the first stride is powerful and needed!
Stop comparing- no two runners are the same- approach it from a place of confidence in your self and your goal.
Obviously, unless you are on a recruited cross country team, your training partners may be all over the map of running paces- not having the same 5k time or mile time, this is fine!
Some days the fast girl will need slow miles and other days the slow girl will need to get pulled along by the faster girls to break out of her pace. BUT WE NEED both runners to show up and do the work they need to do for that day.
See, this is how it works. So PLEASE do not shy away because you don't imagine there will be anyone your pace. No one in my training group will ever discourage you from doing the run you want to do that morning. Just show up, smile, and go for your run...if theres a girl by you- say hi- get in synch and see what can happen!!!!
I will see you every Saturday in June- 7 am sharp!
Coach Jackie!
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