2011 is shaping up nicely so far

I received some great news yesterday.  I have been chosen as a Fitness Advisor for a Corporate Wellness Program administered by Active.com.  Oh, and the corporation is DISNEY!  Right on!

Since becoming a certified RRCA Running Coach in 2009, I have coached a lot of runners.  I have written training plans, helped with training runs and even paced runners to the finish line in races. I have done all this for the love of it and was offering my services to my friends (and even some acquaintances). I have had ideas of starting an official business and finding paying clients once we were settled into our new community in Orange County.

Unfortunately, in early 2010 my husband lost his job and we both went into job search mode.  Instead of pursuing a new career in fitness, I needed to focus on finding a job in my previous industry where salaries are high enough to support a family.  I continued to train for free, but didn’t want to find paying clients in case I had to relocate for a job.  2010 was rough, as many of you know from reading this blog.  Interviews were scarce.  Call-backs were even more rare.  I was actually offered a position, but the fit was just not right.  My husband had several instances where he was a finalist for a job, but it went to someone else. *sigh*

Two weeks ago he was offered a job!  Not only is it a good job at the right level, but it is in an industry that he is passionate about: biking.  Around the same time, I saw the Active.com opportunity.  It all seems to be coming together.

I will be coaching Disney Cast Members in a Couch to 5K program to prepare them to complete a 5K in May.  I am so excited! I love pushing my drug (running). There is something very cool about helping someone start running and to accomplish a goal that they never thought possible.

This is the perfect opportunity for me.  I will gain wonderful experience coaching beginners and have a great item for my resume.  I have a good feeling that this is just the beginning of good things to come.

Oh...and I ended the first month of 2011 with a perfect 100.  100 miles isn't a particularly strong running month for me, but I think the number is a nice sign.

A new training perspective

Wow. I learned a LOT last weekend. I have a whole new perspective on training. Since I only have two marathons under my belt and the coaches teaching the class have hundreds (if not thousands counting all their clients over the past 25 years), I am going to take their word. It helps that they presented science behind their practices. I loved the science so much, that I am considering going back to school someday to learn about exercise physiology.

Here are the highlights of what I learned for my own running:

• I've been training way too fast
• Because I have been training too fast, I did not train my body to go the distance, using the right energy stores.
  
• I went out much too fast during the marathon (planning for positive splits are asking for trouble)
• I am not fueling myself enough (I need about 2400 calories per day and I don't think I am close)

I am still undecided as to whether or not I am going for a PR at America's Finest City Half in August. I am going to train as if I am. So I checked my charts and found that my shorter training runs should be run around a 10 minute pace (80% of max effort). I ran 6.25 miles at a 9:50. I'd say I did pretty well. As I was running I was feeling like I was at a good pace, but I didn't feel as slow as I thought I would. Then the negative thoughts crept in. I started worrying that I wouldn't be able to run faster. I worried that my legs would get too used to that pace. I need to get over that if I am going to coach people to train at the slower pace.

I am excited to try this out, however. I also have a handful of guinea pigs. Several of my friends are running the AFC too. My goal is for all of them to finish strong.

As I stated above, I learned a ton at the training. Jill and Donna, you're going to really enjoy it. I will post some more from the training later this week. I passed the test today (so I am official) and am still organizing my thoughts.

Taking it to the next level

Let's face it. I am 42 years old and have been running for less than two years. I will never be competitive in running. Women my age placing in their age group have been running for decades. I might have a shot at an age group award in some small local race. Unfortunately, there aren't too many of those in San Diego.

So.... taking it to the next level has taken on new meaning for me. While I will never be an elite athlete or anything approaching that, I can share what I have learned with others (especially women who are just starting out). It is something that I love to do. That is why I have enrolled in the RRCA* Coaching Certification program in two weeks.

The RRCA program focuses on issues specific to adult road running and racing, including coaching fundamentals, scientific background and the establishment of training schedules and goals to help athletes reach their running potential. Whether the goals are race specific or general fitness, this program will provide the background and training to work with individual runners.

I am super excited. We justified the cost in that I might actually be able to make money with this. I can certainly deduct it from my income taxes for my Stroller Strides income. But ultimately, this is a way to fuel my passion. I have always loved school and learning. I am thrilled at the idea of spending two long days learning more about running!

I am hoping that I can learn a lot and can make this blog a resource to other runners. I am also hoping to add value to my current Stroller Strides clients who want to add running to their fitness regime. Oh... and maybe I can improve my own running along the way.


On a completely different subject, I ran my last long run today before the Rock-n-Roll Marathon next weekend. We ran eight miles. My shins were not feeling good at all. The good news is that they didn't hurt bad enough to hurt my gait or stop me from running. I took it easy and as I ran, the pain wasn't very noticeable. I am going to continue to ice, ice, ice. I am also going to take it very easy this week. The key seems to be in my calves. I have been doing the foam roller and I can feel a knot in both calves. I'm going to keep working on them. It was nice to run with Laura this morning. We kept up a nice conversation and enjoyed the quiet bay front. We hadn't run along the big bay together since AFC.

I hope everyone has a nice long weekend. Happy running!


*Road Runners Clubs of America