Signing up for my first half marathon was on a decision I made on a whim. After finishing the Bass Ultramax sports sent out an email offer for a reduced rate on the Go Girl half marathon in May 2013. Being that the event was seven months away, I figured I had plenty of time to figure out how to run/walk 13.1 miles.
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| My Ultramax Running Coach Kristin |
Three months after signing up and no strategy in place, I received another email from Ultramax Sports providing information on their upcoming half marathon training group. This group would meet twice a week for group runs with also providing a training plan for the week as well. Since I do not have a better plan in place, I decided that this group was the only way it was going to happen.
Signing up for a local training group was the best decision I made to get me to the finish line. Every week we met, my coaches were there encouraging me and pushing me when I did not want to go the distance. We faced struggles together included numerous Saturday snow days as well as balancing energy during those long runs. They provided encouragement to me via email during the week to ensure I was keeping up with my running schedule. Then on race day, my main coach Kristin met me to make sure I got across the finish line.
Now, looking towards my next step, I have joined two new running groups. Locally, I have joined the Cox Health Galloway running program which will met every Saturday for long runs. This group provides a little more flexibility due to the ability to either work towards a full or a half marathon. Since I am still undecided on my new step, I thought it would be great to access to both training programs. In addition, it provides additional resources relating to the Galloway running method which my Ultramax program was based on.
Then, I have the honor of joining 15 ladies across the world via social networking on the "Fatty Must Run Marathon Challenge" hosted by a UK runner @FattyMustRun (hence the name on the challenge). While I would never imagine calling anyone fatty" due to the torments from my elementary school teasing, I embraced the foundation of the challenge....15 ladies working towards a healthy lifestyle to finish your first marathon in 12 months. While we are working on making the necessary changes, we are supporting each other from afar. I am excited to see how the social network works with in our groups.
Both of these groups will get me to my next goal. There is a lot ahead for me so keep in touch this week for
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