Summer training and speedwork

It has been a while since my last post. So far the training has been going pretty well. There were a few rough training patches for a few weeks in June, on account of the weather. (One thing I don't particularly enjoy is running in the heat and humidity.) Overall, I am feeling on track and ready to conquer Columbus in August.

So with this post, I thought I would talk about the benefits of speedwork, especially if you are looking to get faster, even over the longer distances. Four (!) years ago now, I started running with the CBus Pacers and in particular doing speedwork on Wednesday nights. Besides getting to meet great people, In that time, I have also seen my times slowly but surely get faster in all distances. The workouts are generally pretty tough. (For example, this past Wednesday we ran 8-300m sprints with only a 100m walking rest period.) But on the flip side, the workouts are short so you are tortured only for so long J.  The big advantage to training this way is that your body learns to push through the "feeling like crap" stage that often comes during a half or full marathon. Your body subconsciously learns to push through to that point and eventually you start to feel better.  The best example of this happened to me during the Columbus Marathon this past October. I was aiming to finish below 4 hrs 10 minutes. When I looked at my Garmin after the race,my fastest miles were at mile 23 and 25. Just proof that you can push through and have fun along the way!

So I you are looking to get faster, no matter how fast/slow you currently are try getting on the track! I always say that it's the quality of the run and not the quantity. Better yet, if you live in Columbus, come and join me on Wednesday. I will preface and say that your first workout will not be pretty (it's okay to feel like you will vomit), but if you keep at it, you will see results. I am just proof positive of that! 

Fundraising Update: I had a TRX fundraiser in July and raised $100. The turnout was not exactly what I had hoped, so I still have $100 to raise! I hope you can help. If you can, here is how you can do it. 

1. Make an online donation. Please note if you do this 5% of your donation will cover the credit card fees. 95% will go to Ronald McDonald House

http://www.razoo.com/story/L2r-Ronald-Mcdonald-House?referral_code=share 

2. 100% of your donation will go to Ronald McDonald House if you write a check! Make the check out to Ronald McDonald Charities of Central Ohio and mail the check directly to me at:

846 Riverbend Avenue
Powell, OH 43065

3. Give me cash next time I see you!