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