2011 3rd Annual Half Marathon Training BEGINS!

I am so excited about this year's 3rd Annual Fitness Unlimited Half Marathon Training. We chose a different race venue (New Bern's Bridge Run!) and we are offering speed-work & hill-work training throughout our 12 weeks.

Tonight was our first group meeting-Getting Started for Half Marathon training and today starts day one of our training. Let's make this year the BEST yet!


“If you can walk from the couch to the refrigerator, you are not too fat or too old or too slow to run”
(Runner’s World, May ’09)

What is involved with Fitness Unlimited’s Half Marathon Training?

-Bi-Weekly classes designed for the person in “training”
-Every Saturday starting Saturday, July 30th thru Sat. Oct. 8th we will
be meeting at the waterfront between 6:00 am & 7:00 am
-Tues. Aug. 9th 7:00 pm Nutrition for Running
-Tues. Aug. 23rd 7:00 pm Yoga
-Mon. Aug. 29th 6:00 am SpeedWork (meet at waterfront)
-Thurs. Sept. 8th 7:30 pm Sculpt
-Mon. Sept. 12th 6:00 am HillWork (meet at cemetery)
-Thurs. Sept. 22nd 7:30 pm Sculpt

-Training Team T-shirt

-Weekly communication with Running Coaches

-Team Support and Encouragement

-Tips and Advice on Running Distance

-Water, gatorade and fuel provided during training runs that over 6+ miles




What do you need to do?

-Be committed to training program, allowing for flexibility with vacations and work (it is okay to miss a workout!)

-Get Fitted for shoes

-Plan on running/walking at least 3 days a week, with one long distance run/walk over weekend.

-Register for race around early September under Team FITNESS UNLIMITED

What to expect throughout the 12-weeks?

-Highs & Lows throughout training-you will have ‘great’ training runs/weeks followed by weeks that are difficult. Keep in mind getting through the harder weeks ultimately makes you a stronger runner.

-Soreness-especially if you haven’t been running outside

-Anticipation, anxiety & excitement as race day approaches

Don’t forget:

Join Fitness Unlimited-Washington, N.C. on facebook, you’ll get updates on group runs & classes

Follow tarasrunningblog.blogspot.com to keep up with weekly group runs and classes

Come to classes and learn ways to cross-train

Keep it simple! Don’t overthink or over-research running and/or walking. Remember we were all meant to put one foot in front of the other!

Keep my cell phone number handy 518-229-2412

WE DID IT!!

After 12 weeks of training for a half marathon, we can now say we successfully finished and completed 13.1 miles.

The week leading up to the half marathon was crazy...most of us were affected by the storms and continuous rain and flooding. If we weren't trapped at work, we were trying to entertain children who missed 2 days of school due to the weather. I know the only thing keeping me sane was the forecast of a beautiful, cool weekend especially for race day.

I was shocked to wake up Sunday morning to rain, wind and cold...I was prepared to run in the cool, sunny weather as predicted. Anyways, once I saw the weather my ONLY motivation to run 13.1 miles was the fact the training team was meeting me there. It would of been so easy to crawl back into bed and say "not a weather day to run 13.1 miles" and trust me, anyone who would of said and done that, I wouldn't think less of. However, everyone signed up for the race did it. It was so inspiring to see everyone at the start line, many people's first half marathon. The weather did not hinder the drive to succeed in this race.

Once again, I got so much more out of seeing everyone finish versus finishing myself. Not one person didn't cross that finish line and, trust me, many had reasons not to. Whether or not we hobbled, walked or ran across that finish line, we all did it. Training takes time away from family, work and friends and staying committed is the hardest thing to do. However, seeing it all come together on race day makes me realize that we can do anything we put our mind to.

I think we all learned a lot during this training and I want to share what some of you learned or experienced over these past 12 weeks...

-I can do anything I want if I want it bad enough
-Cheeseburgers and french fries are good recovery foods
-Be prepared for any weather on race day (very true!)
-Nobody ever drowned in sweat
-If you think it hurts now, wait for later...
-Whoever invented Ibuprofen is a genius
_Experiencing a first ice bath
-Truly knowing what "hitting a wall" means
-Realizing blisters come in pairs
-Learning how to wrap knees and legs
-Making new friends with a common goal

I hope to see everyone at many more start and finish lines.

Last 2010 Half Marathon Group Run

It is hard to believe that we have been training together for 11 weeks! When you first begin a training regimine it seems like a daunting task. However, the weeks fly by and you are at Race Day before you know it!

I am truly so proud of everyone on this training team. It has been amazing to see how everyone has tackled high mileage and sore muscles. It was fun to share in some laughs this past Saturdays with some healthy,low-fat donuts (ha, ha!).

I am looking forward to seeing everyone run the Half Marathon next Sunday. I hope it will be inspiring, confidence building and a FUN experience for you all.

Enjoy a REST Week with tapering and some extra carbohydrates for Race Day!

Tips on How to be RACE READY...

You've done the training, you're feeling fit and NOW Is the time to think about your strategy for the big day. Here are some tips to get ready for RACE DAY-Sunday, October 3rd:

-Taper your Training and have 2 REST days before the race

-Get Stretching-try incorporating a stretch routine EVERY day

-What should you eat?? Don't try a new meal or something you've never eaten...this is NOT the time to be adventurous. You definitely want carbohydrates to make up about 70% of your evening meal (before the race). I would also suggest some protein in this meal too.

-Hydration before the race-drinks lots of water the day before and drink 30min-1 hour before the race. You might be up the night before the race in the bathroom but it is better to go into the race hydrated vs. dehydrated!

-Sleep-Try to get 7-8 hours each night in the week leading up to the race. Have an early night the night before the race. Don't despair if you have a restless night (nervous jitters), one night out of seven won't make that much difference to your race performance.

RACE DAY STRATEGY:
-Don't change anything!! No new shoes, outfits, food, drinks, etc. that you have not tested before.
-Get to the race site early-at least 45minutes early
-Go to the bathroom before the race, there will be lines!
-Have a race plan...decide where you want to line up, try to have a warm-up pace in mind to start off the race. Remember you are going 13.1 miles, utilize the first few miles to warm-up!
-Enjoy the RACE-You've trained hard for this, and you are possibly the fittest you have ever been. Applaud yourself to making it to the start line...you've earned this recognition! Have a positive mantra in your head "I can do this", "Look how far I have come", etc.

I am definitely very nervous on race day but seeing all of you there will definitely help my jitters. I am looking forward to seeing all of us cross that finish line! And, if you haven't raced before, the feeling of accomplishment you have after finishing is truly hard to explain. Just know this feeling will stay with you a lifetime!

Group Run #10

2 weeks from today we will have completed our goal of 13.1 miles! Throughout the past 10 weeks we have all had sore knees, fatigue and, at times, feeling we are ready to throw in towel. However, the feeling of accomplishment that running distance brings helps to endure any of the setbacks we have faced mentally and physically. From this point on, our training schedule becomes more 'relaxed' and we can start preparing our minds for the October 3rd race.

I saw this quote on the back of my daughter's swim team T-shirt and I thought it was very applicable to all of us who are training for this event....

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will." -Vince Lombardi

I am so very proud of this team. We should all pat ourselves on the back and put our feet up...we deserve it!

Group Run #9

10 miles and 2 more training runs to go!! It is hard to believe that the race is 3 weeks away. I hope everyone's confidence is building up after tackling a double digit mileage. I wanted to share some inspiration quotes that help me through training. Runners, especially distance runners, have a LOT of time to think about why they run. There are days that I really search for that answer, but these quotes truly help me at times:

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." Steve Prefontaine

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished'. There is a lot of satisfaction in that." -Fred Lebow, Co-Founder NYC Marathon

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'" -Peter Maher, marathoner

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it." -Oprah Winfrey

And Lastly..my FAVORITE:

"I always loved running..it is something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs." -Jesse Owens

Strength Training for Runners

Jan Rowe put together a great class for us last night! I wanted to share with everyone what she put together:

Strength Training is a vital component of any quality exercise program and offers many positive effects, including improved sports performance and resistance to injury. Training all of the muscle groups is important. Core exercises are great because they utilize lots of different muscle groups, therefore creating more fitness gain. The BEST exercises for runners include:

*Squat
*Lunge
*Lateral Step-Up
*Push-Up
*Plank
*Side Plank
*Bird Dog

Implementing strength training into your Race Training Plan will help you build muscle and will protect your body from common 'runner's' injuries. Try to build up to at least 2-3 days per week of strength training, giving your muscles 48 hours of rest in between sessions.