Phoey to the Fluey

Hi Runners!

Well...as the parents of five kids that have had the flu for the past week, obviously we should have gotten that darn flu shot...where are my antibodies when I need them most? I am on day two of the flu that seems to hang around for a bit too long. Garth, the hubby, is ahead of me by a couple of days and is in the 104 temp stage with lovely cough as a fringe benefit. Call me crazy, but after playing it smart yesterday by sleeping in until 10 and staying out of the early morning cold, I decided at 11, I felt okay (minus a cough)...I needed to get in that long run of 13 miles before I was out of commission. I went out thinking I would just do 6 and finish another 6 in the evening. After doing 6, I thought, "why not just do 10 and get a quick 3 in after dinner." After 10, I didn't feel like having to go back out in the p.m., so I just finished off another 3. You can call that dedication or stupdity...you choose. I really felt fine...I promise.

Why am I telling you all of this...just thought you all would understand our mutual, "mindset of a runner" behavior.

Don't worry... today is a different story. I do have a fever. I have watched 4 TBS weekend movies (no kidding), and drank a whole 32 ounce Slurpee. I guess now I really am sick.



Now...on to the Run Club!

We had a great workout on Tuesday. The rain kept its distance until our final 2 miles when strange waves of pouring rain would come and go mysteriously. We were thrilled to have the lights...thanks Gail! We are getting stronger as our big races draw closer and closer....don't forget the benefit of doing those tough BUT effective speed workouts!

You will have another chance to get some speed out of your system this Tuesday at 6:45 @ the track! I have been taking plenty of Vitamin C, so I hope to be there!

Come to Burke Lake on Saturday! You might just get your picture taken by Dan! Notice we are stretching...I do have other pictures to prove it...although the one I am in, kinda looks like I am talking more than stretching...go figure.

When you have a big day of mileage, having others there with similar goals will make your run much more manageable. Two weeks of running with us at Burke, and you will be hooked. Our story telling skills are most thrilling. There is no way your IPOD is more exciting...so get up early and join us this week! 7 am, 8 am or go wild and run both!

I will try to have a nice supply of all sizes of the Run Club shirt for those that haven't received this year's same as last year's T, at both Tuesday night's practice and on Saturday. Get them while they are SMOKIN'!



Running tip of the week:

Secret to Running Success: The Long RunRunners of all stripes and sizes know the long run is one of the fundamentals to running success, but how does one get started on a long run? Larry Eder, from The Running Network, suggests that long runs be done on a variety of surfaces, and a nice, well-packed trail is a good one to start on. If your average run during the week is 45 minutes to an hour, your beginning long run should start at 50 minutes, but it's important to remember to slow down!
Long runs should be done at 70 percent effort, and two minutes slower than your 10K per mile paces (so, if you run an 8-minute pace for a 10K, your long run pace should be a 9:45-10 minute pace) and at an effort that you can hold a conversation. If you cannot get out a coherent sentence, you are going too fast.
Long runs do several things---they build up your capillary beds, for better circulation, they give you endurance to handle the long haul and tougher spring workouts and they build strength. Add on five minutes every week unti you reach 90 minutes, which is your weekly goal. We will talk about long runs for your marathon training a little later!

This Training Tip was brought to you by your friends at New Balance!

Since I am sick, go run a few laps for me!

Heather