Race Week Group Trainings and Meetings

The MORE race week trainings and meetings are as follows:

Training Groups:

• Saturday walking group in Flanders @ 7:30 am meeting @ Flanders Swim Club
• Sunday walking and running groups in Chester @ 9:30 am @ Peak Performance

Meetings (you only need to attend one, information will also be posted on the website)

• Sunday pre race meeting @ 11:00 am @ Peak Performance
• Monday pre race meeting @ 7:30 pm @ Peak Performance

Just a reminder, all of the numbers will be picked up for you in the city by our staff and will be handed out the morning of the race when you arrive at the buses.

Lastly, BIG SHOUT OUT to team member Denise Washington who was featured in the Mt Olive papers last week for her amazing success with her exercise and weight loss program. Yeah Denise - your "big pants picture" is unbelievable!

Change for Flanders Walking Group This week

Due to scheduling concerns with the holiday weekend for many of the group, the coaches for the Flanders Saturday walking group will be conducting a group walk on Friday (tomorrow) @ 8am leaving from Flanders Park located on Flanders Bartley Rd. There will be no group in Flanders @ 7:15 am as previously posted. There will be a walk/run group on Saturday @ 8 am leaving from Peak Performance.

Enjoy the weekend!

Changes to the Weekend Group Workouts Sunday, April 12th

The Sunday April 12th workout is being moved to MONDAY APRIL 13TH due to the number of people who reported difficulty being able to schedule Sunday, but wanted a group run/walk to participate in for the last "longest" long day. So, here is the revised schedule:

• Saturday April 11th 8 am with Dixie and Sharon @ Peak Performance for run or walk


• Saturday April 11th @ 7:15 am @ Flanders Swim Club for walkers


• Monday April 13th @ 8:30 am with Cheryl and Dixie @ Peak Performance for run or walk

These are all planned as "long day" workouts, so if you plan on coming, only come to one, you will not need more than that to meet your training goals. Please bring water etc - this will be anywhere from a 2 hour and 15 minute run to a 2 hour 50 minute walk depending upon which schedule you are working with.


We are looking forward to seeing you!
Train well.

Keeping the Focus with 4 weeks to Go

As you spend a couple of hours on the road for your "long days" and continue to feel the benefits of your training, you are no doubt starting to dream about crossing the finish line or alternatively, having "night mares" about missing the start, getting lost on the course or forgetting your sneakers. It is very common to have some of these dreams when your head hits the pillow and the distractions of the day have faded so your subconscious thoughts of race day jitters emerge. My coaches and I even have recurring nightmares....forgetting to pick up the bagels, buses breaking down, forgetting a runner after the race.....Yikes! Not to worry, it is all part of the racing experience. Check out the reference article on our site to work on your "Mental Training" while you continue to progress with your physical training.

I wanted to share with you a recent experience one of our runners had to illustrated just what the demands on your body's are these days due to your training. After an evening out on Saturday, this walker went out on Sunday for about a 2 hour walk with one bottle of water which was gone after about an hour. She started feeling nauseous as time went on, but pressed to make it home. When she got home, she began to drink water, which quickly "came back up" and she was by now feeling lousy. Her weakened condition nearly prompted her husband to call 911. Fortunately, she began sipping fluids and was able to avoid a visit to the ER.

This story emphasizes the need to take your workouts seriously. As we have encouraged you in the past, proper nutrition, hydration and rest before and after your workouts will ABSOLUTELY affect your success. Again, reference articles on our site and your "Training Guidelines" provide vital information for training. The nightmares will remain in your dreams if you are prepared with proper training from the inside out.

Train Well,
Dixie

5 Weeks and counting....Schedule reminders

With the weather warming up, and the days getting longer, there are more opportunities to get out and move. However, be mindful that when training for an event you want what you do to count. Try to resist the temptation to do "junk miles" by running every day. Let's be honest, some of you (and I) can become obsessed with the idea that if we miss a day of exercise, we are going to turn into flab and immediately de-condition. Although it may seem counter-intuitive, rest is going to help you more the harder you work out.

Many of you have had some break through runs/walks in the past few weeks. Nothing makes my coaches and I happier than to hear someone who is actually EXCITED about running 10 miles or finishing a 2 hour walk with a smile on their face. There is something real that happens to you when you start thinking "I am really going to finish a 1/2 marathon!!" and you will finish!Keep that thought in your head and there will be no doubt that your body will find a way to get it done.

Please note that we are raising money for a very important charity at the Long Branch Marathon this year. Our participants will be running and walking for Multiple Hereditary Exotoses and the website for the Research organization is www.mheresearchfoundation.org . This is a very rare bone disease and our contributions are important to their success. In addition to the race "irun like a girl" one of our discount sponsors will donate 20% of all of our teams purchases to MHE. So if you would like to help out, go to the link on our training page to irun like a girl, order some clothes and support MHE. All orders over $25 will also receive a free training shirt!

Lastly, our longest and last "big training run" is scheduled for Easter weekend - that is just the way the schedule turned out with the race date. To accomodate everyone, we will have a walk/run group @ 8am on Saturday the 11th and 8:3o am on Easter Sunday. More to come on this. Our final meeting will be the week of April 12th to instruct everyone on tapering, race readiness etc. Time and exact date TBA.

Train well everyone!

The GiT and GiT4Men Coaches.

Good day everyone!

Cheryl would like everyone to know that if the roads are still icy in the morning (Wednesday, March 4th) she will not be taking a group out - the footing is tricky and the shoulder on the roads are still quite snowy from Monday's storm. For those of you who are up for the challenge, some of our members are doing a little "brick workout" with Cheryl on Sundays. A brick workout is a cycling to running or in this case Spinning to run/walk workout. If you haven't done one, try your first one on a day that is a bit shorter on the run/walk schedule.

Remember to :"respect the long run" by doing the following:

1) Be rested and well hydrated on the day of your long run

2) Have something to eat before you head out - preferably about an hour before. Oatmeal, an energy bar, a banana & peanut butter toast are all things that have worked for my clients over the years - everyone is different, you have to experiment a bit. Eating will help to stabilize your blood sugar and keep your energy levels up during the run

3) Bring water, replacement products (see the reference library on hydration) on your run. The distances that we are covering are longer than 1 hour and you will need to replace fluids and essentials electrolytes and nutrients in order to run strong and avoid "the wall"

4) STRETCH with all runs, but especially after the long run

5)Replace fluids by continuing to hydrate after you finish your run and get something to eat with a protein and carbohydrate mix within a 30-60 minute period of time after your run.

Lastly, if you are interested in testing out your racing skills, here is a list of shorter races that you can jump into. You can fit one into your schedule by using it for your "fast day".

Morristown St Patty's 5K - Saturday March 14th

http://therunningcompany.net/stpattysday5k.html

Millburn Spring Run 10K - Sunday March 22nd

http://www.compuscore.com/cs2009/march/millburnapp2009.pdf

The Leprechaun Leap 5K - Sunday, March 22nd

www.greenbrookracing.com

http://www.njridgerunners.com/generator/downloads/Registration_Form.pdf

Loschiavo Memorial Run - 4 miles - Flanders, NJ Saturday, March 23rd 11 am

973-927-2208x7612

Are You Faster Than a Ridge Runner? 5K

http://www.oymp.net/

Run Well,

Dixie

Cancellation Alert Sunday March 1st

Due to unsafe weather conditions the 9:30 am Walk/run is cancelled today.

Weekend Weather Update February 28th and 29th

If you are checking the blog, you are probably wondering what's up with the weather! Here are your weekend running group options side by side with the weather updates:

Saturday's prediction on weather.com is for 36 degrees;10% chance of precipitation and partly cloudy. On Satruday, we will meet @ 8am @ Peak for a run and walk.

Sunday's prediction is for 34 degrees;70% chance of a wintery morning mix. On Sunday we will meet @ 9:30 @ Peak IF the weather conditions are safe for running/walking.

Please remember to check the blog before you head out on Sunday for last minutes updates.

Get your speed work in on Tuesday, 2/24!

Personal Trainer Tracy Morris will be meeting all of those interested in doing speed work @ Peak Performance @ 9:30 am on Tuesday, February 24th. Join Tracy for a terrific workout - she is a fabulous coach with a ton of enthusiasm to share! All levels are welcome.

Sunday Morning February 22nd

The run is on - see you @ 9:30 @ Peak Performance!

Weather for Sunday, Feburary 22nd Run (tomorrow)

The weather report is calling for a 90% chance of precipitation on Sunday morning. If the conditions are light rain, we will run. - the only time that we "call it" for rain is if the there is a down pour. If it is snowing, but the roads are clear, we will run. Check the blog in the morning for an update by 8:30 am.

Local Vendors Sale....

This might be of interest to some....
Our next GiT event training is for a summer sprint distance triathlon...

Marty's Triathlon Buy-In is back for 2009!
Get ready for the 2009 Triathlon Season. Take advantage of this ONE DAY of amazing pricing. These are the best prices you will see all season! Stock up now!
Greetings!

This one day event is your chance to get what you need for the fast approaching 2009 triathlon season.

We have come up with very special pricing on triathlon specific and regular road geometry bikes for this one day event. Some examples are on the right.

Triathlon Accessories, Apparel, Nutritional Supplements and Components are also on sale.

The Triathlon Buy-In is on February 21, 2009 at all three Marty's Locations.(Morristown, Randolph, Hackettstown)
Click here for more Buy-In Details


Marty's is partnering with local running stores to bring you special pricing on running shoes and apparel during the Buy-In.

These stores are offering Buy-In Discounts on February 21, 2009:

Runner's Haven in Randolph
- 30% Off All Apparel- 20% Off Brooks Running Shoes
- 20% Off Superfeet Products
- Reps from Brooks and Superfeet will be at Runner's Haven during the Buy-In!
___________________________

And much more.....click on the link in the text above to check it out....

What do you all need?

Thank you to Mary Cerria for a wonderful clinic on Friday evening - if flexibility is something that has escaped your program and you were unable to make the clinic, Mary will be back in March with a "foam roller" stretch clinic for us....keep an eye on the events schedule for more info.

Saturday morning runs coming soon!
JR and Mary Siegel will be hitting the roads starting in a few weeks on Saturday mornings @ as an alternative to Sundays. They will leave from Peak Performance and time will be announced (either 7:30 or 8 am) Both Saturday and Sunday will be "long days". It is not reccomended that you run "long" two days in a row, so you want to plan accordingly. Come to the one that meets your schedule needs.

If there is still interest in Saturday mornings in Flanders - we will set it up, so far, the response has been too light to know if we should get that started.

Remember if you are looking for partners to run with - post it on the blog. As always, last minute changes are made here as well.

Run Well, Dixie

Flexibility Clinic this Friday, February 13th

Join "Yoga Great" Mary Cerria for the runners/walkers guide to stretching essentials this Friday evening @ Peak Performance @ 6:30 pm. Mary is a long time endurance athlete and past Boston Marathon qualifier with 20 years experience in the fitness industry. As a Master Instructor in Pilates and a Kripaulu certified Yoga instructor, Mary lives what she shares about stretching and athletics. Come dressed to work out - mats and props provided. This is a free class offered to GiT members and friends.

February 4th Walk and the Weather

The snow is tapering this evening, but we are supposed to get icing overnight. Please check with the club to see if we are conducting the Wednesday morning workout. If conditions are safe, Cheryl with be there for the weekly walking group.

Friday February 6th run

For this Friday only, Friday February 6th, there will be no running group going out. I will see you again on the 13th for speedwork (fast day).

Run well,

Dixie

Looking for a running partner?

Anyone looking for a running partner pacing at about a 10 minute mile, in the Flanders area on Saturday mornings, please contact us and we would be happy to forward you contact information to Karen, an interested runner there.

Wednesday, January 28th Walk Group
Weather Alert!!

In light of the weather report for the morning, please be advised that if the roads are not cleared, we are unable to walk with a group safely. If the snow is still falling, we will not be holding our usual workout group.

Training Drills to remember

For those who attended the "Hills and Drills" workout this past week, I promised to post a reminder of the drills and the tips on hill running....
Before your walk or run remember these drills that will "remind" your body of body alignment and form to run and walk strong

• The "falling forward" drill: stand arms length from a wall, telephone pole or something stationary like that. With your arms ready, lean and "fall forward" toward the wall then catch yourself with your hands on the wall and push back to standing straight up. Repeat 10 -15 times.
• "Football feet" - 15 seconds - rest then repeat
• Butt kicks - 15 seconds - rest then repeat
• Arm swings - during your warm up, exaggerate your arm swing for 30 seconds or so return to natural arm swing for 30 seconds and repeat
• Skipping - skip for about 60 yards, rest then repeat

Resume your run as per schedule after the drills are completed.

Hill running should be at an intensity that is "slightly uncomfortable" or approx. 85% MHR at the top of the hill. Your percieved exertion on a scale of one to ten should be about a 7 or 8 on a 1(easy) to 10 (really hard) scale. When running down hill, open up your stride and let the hill carry you a bit.

This morning was the longest effort so far and I want to let you know what a terrific job Cheryl and I thought you all did. We look forward to having you out there again this week!

Train well,

Dixie

Group Run Time Change 1-10-09

Time Change for Saturday Jan. 10th Group Run:
Due to the impending snow, we thought it best and safest to go out @ 8am tomorrow morning and try to beat the weather. We will go for a 50 minute run, run/walk, walk with the group starting from Peak Performance 30 Seminary Avenue in Chester. Addtionally, Cheryl will be talking a walk group out @ 9:30 on Sunday morning also from Peak Performance.

Why choose Girlfriends In Training?

In 1995, I ran my first marathon, in remembrance of my dad, as a fund raising member of Boston’s Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Since that time, I have run 19 marathons including New York, Boston and most recently Chicago, meeting a number of women who all had their own reasons for running. Some of these women were high performance athletes, but the majority were regular people, like me, that had “acquired” a marathon life goal. Many women were uncertain if their training regimens were adequate and most spent the months leading up to the races training on their own.

As a result of a number of discussions over ten years, I initiated the women’s running group called Girlfriends in Training . It started with 15 women headed into NYC in 2005 for the inaugural running of the MORE ½ Marathon. Five years and hundreds of runners (and walkers) later Girlfriends in Trainingä is going strong. In April 2008 we went to NYC with 115 women in what has become our marquee event. Although our numbers have grown, our philosophy remains:

**Training should FIT INTO your life, not BE your life.
**Every program that is entered into with a whole heart and a great attitude will bring you to the finish line.
**Every participant should enjoy the training experience for what it is beyond just the physical performance.

The mission of Girlfriends In Trainingä is to bring women together in a fun, non-competitive atmosphere to celebrate life, set goals, make similar goal minded friends and find balance through the training experience. Our members tell us that being involved in our group has made what may have seemed unlikely at one time in their lives, not only a reality, but a passion. We move the best we can whether it means coming in first or not-so-first, whether we walk or whether we run, we love challenging ourselves on some level. We are a community of women who celebrate life by empowering each other through the miles.

Recently, our story was shared with other women in MORE Magazine’s December/January issue

Join us this year on April 26th for the MORE ½ Marathon adventure by going to www.GirlfriendsInTraining.com to register today.

Run Well,

Dixie Douville

Head Coach GiT