Hard work and camaraderie.

Recovery week! Over the last three weeks, our long runs increased to an hour and forty-five minutes and this week we dropped back to one hour. It was a reminder (for me at least) of how comfortable a relatively easy-paced 10K can feel. It's always nice to get out for a run that you know won't be pushing you to (or past) the edges of your "happy place". ...we'll save that for the next three weeks. Kidding. Sort of.

The coming week will see a shift in our workout focus from hills to speed. This is the week that I become ever grateful for the group; I find speed work extremely hard without their support and encouragement. Not to mention how a little suffering can make friendships even tighter. This is usually the point in a clinic when people begin to build lasting friendships. A huge fringe benefit of blending hard work and camaraderie.


Thanks for the run, you guys.

Long runs, pregnancies and pace.

Well, the rain held off and the wind was almost non-existant, so we lucked out big time for this morning's 18K run. We had a solid group of eleven runners, three strollers and three kids, although two Moms, one stroller and one little one ran a shorter course (10K), because those Moms are pregnant!

Yes, three of our original six Moms from the last half-marathon clinic are expecting babies in September and October and we are so excited for them and their families. And I'm also really pleased to see these Moms still out running; as long as everyone stays healthy and happy, I expect we'll have some beautiful baby bumps running with us very soon. Can't wait!

Click to see the 18K route.

Click to see the 10K route.

This will be the norm throughout the remainder of this clinic (or as long as our pregnant Moms continue to run with us): while the main group's distance continues to lengthen, we will always offer a 10K route for our expecting Moms. Long runs during the recovery weeks are usually around 10K, so we'll all be able to run the same route, which is nice. 


Which brings me to pace. Christy and I have been noticing a natural division in the group based on pace; there are a few runners who tend to be out in the lead during our long runs and the group can get a bit spread out. This isn't a problem at all, but it can be hard for the people at the back because they may feel as though they are "slowing down the group". This is untrue; if anything, the faster runners are likely causing people to push harder than they normally would or should. 


The solution? Let the group spread out naturally, but strategically place run leaders at the front and back of the group. By doing this, those who feel more comfortable with a faster pace can base their speed on that of the run leader at the front of the group and those who feel more comfortable at a slower pace will also have a run leader on which to base their pace. The key is to make this known at the outset of the run; no one is "pulling" the group forward and no one is "dragging" the group back because as long as you stay within reach of one of the run leaders, you know you're on pace.


And of course, the group up ahead will always turn around periodically to regroup with those behind. :)


Regardless of where people end up in the group, I know everyone is dedicated and working hard. Every week I'm blown away at the effort displayed by this amazing group. Thanks, you guys and see you this week for the workout. Recovery week!

Serious distance.

So far this clinic we've run 1hour (10K) and 1hour 15minutes (12.5K), but today was the day that the long runs start to officially feel long. Maybe it's just me, but once we hit 1hour 30 minutes (15K), I always feel like we've crossed the threshold into "serious distance." 

Although I mapped this morning's run at slightly over 15K, Christy's GPS app said it was a hair under 16K. I believe it; anytime we leave the roads and get on paths and trails, I always think the actual distance ends up being longer.


So if the run was around 16K, then we're only a little over 5K off the half-marathon distance..! And when you put it that way, the whole notion of "serious distance" really rings true. 

Next Sunday we will run 1hour 45minutes and I expect we'll cover around 18K. After that we'll have a recovery week and our long run will reduce to 1hour (10K). I just love it when we go back to running 10K and all of a sudden people realize that 10K used to be their long run!

Great run today and great job; getting out for 8am on a Sunday (some of you with kids!) is no easy feat. Believe me when I say that I am so honoured every time we run together. 


See you (or Christy will see you) this week for the workout!