Tips for the road

The race is a month away. I know you've taken in a lot of information from different people, and it can be hard to remember everything.

I'll share with you the one bit of racing advice that will get you through most any race. This gem was pounded into my head by a wise man with way more running experience than me, and it always seems to work.

Say it with me...."Make your first mile your slowest." That's right. Your speed should increase with each mile, so the first should always be the slowest.

It's easy to get caught up in the rush of starting a race, and you'll be tempted to go out quick. I went out too fast at a pretty memorable race and, boy howdy, did I pay for that at the end.

Take the advice of the wise man and make your first mile your slowest.

Here's another tip from the real writer:

http://dailyprogress.mgblogs.com/index.php/dailyprogress/advice_from_a_speed_demon/

What's coming up

I hope you are doing well and making it to a couple of "rookie runs" during the week. Hopefully, you are pain free, but if you are starting to feel an ache or a pain, make sure you join us this week.

We'll start our morning with a break-out session at 7:15. Our topic is “ Balance Your Running with Yoga!” and the speaker is Martha Campbell, Certified Yoga Instructor at ACAC.

At 7:45, we'll begin the main program and our topic is "How to Prevent Running Injuries" with Dr. Robert Wilder, UVA Associate Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehab., Sports Rehabilitation, Director, UVA’s The Runner’s Clinic.

Dr. Wilder will be accompanied by some of his staff from the Runner's Clinic and we'll be joined by a podiatrist as well, so you can discuss your injuries with the professionals.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns or success stories, just ask any Pink.

See you on the road!
PL Deb

you did it!!!

Congratulations on completing 2 miles today ladies. It was great seeing your determined and smiling faces as you finished today. You are half way to four miles! Keep smiling and having fun!

Inspiration

If you've been looking for inspiration or just wanting to hear about successes, I have some to share.

The first week we timed the mile, I ran the last lap with a woman named Katherine. She said she had never run the whole mile before. That was her first one. Yeah, I cried when she finished. And I know I'll cry when she crosses the finish line at the race.

We've enjoyed the company of Frances and Nina. They are sisters who were in the program last year, Frances was an advanced runner and Nina was a walker. This year, Frances is a Pink and Nina is working on improving her speed...and running. On Saturday, Nina ran a mile for the first time ever. Frances was pacing her for the first three laps and a lively escort of Pinks joined in for her last lap. She finished strong (I was about to cry watching it unfold). Oh, and then she goes out with the main group and walks 1.75 miles!

When I started running 4 summers ago, I kept going out too fast, getting tired and was ready to quit. Thank goodness I met Amy. When I asked her what I should do, she said, "Run with me." Well, we're still running together. I hope you are meeting people and making friends. I hope you are finding running partners. I hope you are getting inspired. I hope you are proud of yourselves for doing this. I'm proud of you. And yes, I'm starting to cry. :-)

PL Deb

Read another take on Nina here....by a real writer.

http://dailyprogress.mgblogs.com/index.php/dailyprogress/nina_gregory_another_reason_why_we_run/

This Saturday, July 21st

There is a track meet scheduled for this Saturday so we will be starting at 6:30.

Because of the early start time, there won't be a guest speaker, so we should be hitting the road pretty quickly.

Also, be aware of road etiquette.

• Stay on the sidewalk
• Run single file when you come upon people heading the opposite direction
• Call out "on your left" when you come up on slower traffic
• ALWAYS STOP AT INTERSECTIONS!
• Look both ways before you cross the street

Remember, it's early and some motorists are not paying attention.

See you Saturday
PL Deb

This week

I hope you're enjoying the program as much as I am. I love hearing stories of you doing things you haven't done before. Keep them coming. Also, if you have any questions or concerns, you can post them here or ask any Pink.

This Saturday, our break-out speaker at 7:15 is Jana Maas-Burnett from Burnett's Success Studio. Her topic is "Fitness and Stress Management". Our main group speaker at 7:45 is Robin Schroyer, MA, RD. She's a Registered Dietician and her topic is "Healthy Eating for Runners". I wonder what she would say about my pre-race dinner choice of salmon and instant mashed potatoes??

We also have a new PA system, so the old blown left speaker has been replaced. This week is the debut for the new system, so bear with us as we get used to it.

Road Running Etiquette is also a big concern. We don't want you getting hurt, so we feel the need to remind you to stay on the sidewalks. Stop at intersections. Do NOT run out into traffic. Use common sense. If you run with headphones on, keep one side off. You need to be able to hear traffic and people. Some drivers don't use turn signals and they don't always stop at stop signs or red lights, so use extra caution. I know it can get crowded on the road, and you can get pinned behind a slower runner, but again, be safe out there.

See you Saturday,
Deb

Race confirmation

If you want to make sure you got into the race, or want to see if your friends did, the nice people at UVA's Breast Care Center added a link to their site (which you'll find in the right column of this page).

Here's a shortcut to the page:

http://www.dominiondigital.com/womens4miler/register_list.asp

Thanks to PL Debby for the link.

This Just In

Rocket tells me the Greenbelt ladies are walking tonight! It's going to be too hot out there for running at 6pm.

It's HOT HOT HOT

To quote Buster Poindexter, "It's feelin' hot, hot, hot." It's hitting the 90's this week and heat indexes are making it feel close to 100 degrees. Take the heat seriously! If you feel the least bit dizzy, if you feel a headache coming on, if you feel nauseous, do NOT exercise.

Tonight, the Greenbelt ladies will be at Riverview Park at 6 for Main group and Advanced Runners. There will also be some Pinks at the UVA Track at 6 for Walkers and Main group runners. Again, let your body be your guide!

Make sure you stay hydrated. One of our participants was kind enough to send a link about proper hydration. Here it is:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11744838

Loose-fitting, light-colored clothing is a good idea as well. Stay safe, the heat can sneak up on you and leave in a really bad way. And look at it this way, it's a good excuse to eat popsicles---"I'm just eating them to cool off."

PL Deb

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Run!

We have another great week lined up for you. Our breakout speaker at 7:15 is from the UVA Breast Care Center and she will be talking about Breast Cancer Provention. Our main speaker at 7:45 is Cecil from ACAC discussing running for the rest of your life.

We'll also be timing the mile again this week. We'll walk a warmup lap, then we'll run 1.5 miles and you get your time after the first mile. To quote a wise running coach, "make your first lap your slowest." You'll want to make each lap a little quicker than the one before it, but stay at a conversational pace. Running is a great way to meet people.

Keep hydrating and we'll see you Saturday.

Schedule for the week

Every week, you inspire me more and more. The first time I ran a mile, I was so shocked that I could do it that I cried on the way home. Being in the midst of so many of you running your first mile was just the coolest thing for me. I'm so happy that you're out there every week.

Since the 4th of July falls on a Wednesday, the following changes are for this week only:

Monday night at the track and the Greenbelt at 6 will go on as usual.

Wednesday walkers at the Park at Darden School has been moved to Tuesday at 6.

There will be NO Greenbelt run on Wednesday.

If you walk on Monday, take Tuesday off as a rest day.

Tuesday and Thursday morning sessions at 6:30 at the track will go on as scheduled. If you would like to join us, feel free...oh, and we'll be breaking out the popsicles on Thursday!

If you are going out of town, try and get your distances in. We all need a vacation now and then, so enjoy your time away.

See you out there!

Deb