Shake Off the Winter Lazy! Here are 5 Tips to Get Motivated!

If you are like me, you hate running in the winter. It’s even worse in climates where ice and snow have been abundant this winter. I weep for my friends in Chicagoland and the Northeast!! Getting all those clothes on just for a run in the cold seems like such a chore sometimes!!

Winter Running with the Peeps!

I hate the treadmill, but it is a necessary evil when ice and snow abounds! That being said, many of us get lazy in the winter and slack off from training; only to find the early spring races on our schedule quite the challenge.

This year I really doubled down and put the Galveston 70.3 triathlon and the Boston Marathon on my April calendar, followed closely by Ironman Texas in May. Somehow I didn’t anticipate this crazy cold Texas winter! I have been diligent about trying to keep motivated but my training is definitely not stellar.

Now that the weather is improving, it is time to get motivated!! Here are 5 tips to help get you back on track this early spring!

1.     Start fresh! Time to go shopping for some new running kicks! A new pair of shoes is needed to help get you back in the groove. Most of us have been pounding the treadmill in last seasons’ shoes. Start the spring off on the right foot with a new pair of shoes!

2.     Take a long hard look at your training log! If you have been writing in a lot of zeros or minimal mileage, the first thing you need to address is your aerobic base. It’s hard to do tempo runs when you feel like your heart is going to explode! It’s also a recipe for an early season injury if you do too much, too soon, too fast! Start with an easy 3-4 miles at a pace you can talk to your peeps. Do this three times the first week and cross train the other days with swimming or biking. Add no more than 10-20% of either time or distance each day you run. Yes, I know it’s like watching paint dry, but too fast ramp up and you will be sorry! Three to four weeks of base building and you will be much more comfortable and back in the groove! When you get to the point you can run 10 miles easy, the base is built and it’s time to challenge yourself.

3.     After you have built your base, it is time for a challenge. Consider doubling up. A short easy run in the morning and a tempo run or speed session in the afternoon. Interval training is a great speed workout that will help you build more strength and endurance. Careful no tot double up more than twice a week and never the day after your longest run!

4.     Go long! Pick a weekend day and gather your friends for a long, slow run. Longs runs really make you stronger, not only physically but mentally. Increase your long run no more than 2 miles every week until you reach your training goal. The goal of the long run is to build strength and increase blood flow, so these should be slow and walk breaks are encouraged. Enjoy the run and your social time with your running peeps!

5.     The best way to get your running mojo back is to pick a race and put it on the schedule. I recommend picking a short race as well as a goal race. If a marathon is your goal, then a half marathon at least 4 weeks before and even a 10 or 15K, 6-8 weeks before are good choices. For triathletes, jump in a sprint or Olympic distance 2 months before, and a 70.3 a month before, your goal Ironman. These races help keep you tune up your training schedule and also can mentally motivate you towards your goal!

Dr. Crane and Tina B. ready to race again!

Spring is in the air! Let’s get motivated to get off the coach! Get off the treadmill and the trainer and get your running mojo back! I’m excited for the new season and ready to hear about all your experiences this year! Run Happy! Go long!

Dallas Marathon or is it Still "Run the Rock"? Here We Come Again!

Sunday, December 8, 2013 is marathon day in Dallas! Yes gang, that's 16 weeks away! Time to start training!! The White Rock Marathon is now The Dallas Marathon, but in our little world will always be referred to as "White Rock". I have lots of great memories there including my PR at the distance. The course keeps changing with the name, as well as where it starts; but to me its still my favorite hometown race!

I ran 10 miles around Grapevine Lake this morning and realized I am in pretty sad marathon shape after a lazy summer of sprint triathlons. So here we go again.....marathon training! Who's with me?

Click here for The Dallas Marathon Website

I'm thinking that I need a warm up race as well, so I'm also going to pencil in the DRC Half. This was also formerly known as "The Half" and its course has changed numerous times to include a sadistic hill one year, then it was gone the next! The DRC Half is a great local race and is usually quite the running party! Sunday, November 3, 2013 is the DRC Half. Come join me and my peeps!

Click here for the DRC Half Marathon Website

Of course, we also need a few little races along the way, so I'm also choosing to run The LGRAW Double Trouble 5K/10K race on October 5, 2013. This is a cool little race right here in Grapevine! The fun part is that you can actually run both the 5K then the 10K. Think of it as a speed workout, warm up with a 5K and then pound the 10K. Or race the 5K and use the 10K as a warm down. It's a well run home town race and is just plain fun! Come out and join the club!

Click here for the LGRAW Double Trouble 5K/10K Facebook Page

Sounds like a fun filled Fall season! We will probably sprinkle in a few sprint triathlons as well, but focus will be on the marathon! 2014 is back to Ironman training with Ironman Texas looming on the horizon on May 17, 2014. Let's get back into marathon shape before we focus on 140.6!

Click here for Ironman Texas Website

Fun runs to come.........

Thoughts on the Eve of Ironman Texas

I'm leaving with Janet in the morning to drive down to outside of Houston, Texas, to check in for our first Ironman. The Inaugural Texas Ironman. Six months ago I felt like I had all the time in the world to train for this event. Three months ago it felt like time was standing still and it would never come. Last week I started freaking out that I hadn't done enough training and I may perish on the streets of The Woodlands, TX. Wow! The journey really is the destination. No matter what happens this Saturday morning, I know that Janet and I have grown as athletes, bonded as deeper friends, pushed our personal barriers past even our own imagination and really enjoyed all the miles we have covered together and apart over the last few months.

My thoughts turn to 30+ years of distance running and all the marathons I have done in the last 12 years; and I realize that they have prepared me for the race ahead by allowing me a glance into the depth of my soul. Let's face it, the race really happens in your head. It is a constant battle between the urge to stop so your pain goes away and the mental push to keep going because pain is temporary and the finish line is forever!

Good Luck to everyone who is racing this weekend. I will leave you with two thoughts and a short prayer:

Two Great Quotes for Endurance Athletes:

The race is not only to the swift, but to those that keep on running....Anonymous

Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own; sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction.... William James

The Triathlete’s Prayer

Oh God, you have taught us to compete with perseverance the race that is set before us.

Give me good courage to run this race to the finish.

Be with me when I am in the water and on the land, so that I may feel your presence in all things

In wind and in weather, in the beauty and the magnificence of nature in the passing scene and in the health and rigor of my body straining to meet this challenge.

May I compete in this race in a way that brings honor to You, myself and those with whom I compete.

When I finish the race, may I do so humbly and should I not finish may I accept it with equal grace knowing that I have done my best.

Thank you Lord for giving me the courage to tri.

Amen.