Seattle Marathon / Half, getting there and beyond

First thing, we are back at Super Jock n Jill for our Saturday long runs. I've also added a couple of races to the training schedules page for next year. I also added a new member page for obviously new members.  I still have new long sleevet-shirts for those that haven't recieved one and thanks to those that donated to the silk screening fund.

Well the Seattle Marathon is upon us and it being our home marathon many of you will be taking part whether running, working our water stop and pacing there will probably be 200 Chuckit members involved with it with some doing multiple things. So it's fair to say we will be rather busy. With that and this being a holiday week I may not see many you until after the race or for some maybe never again as you have completed your goal to run something like this and are ready to move onto other challenges. So I say good luck in your future endeavors.

For many of those running this will be a huge event that you have spent several month preparing for. You had your ups and downs along the way but have gone from not being able to run around Green lake to now being able to run 13 or 26 miles miles both something on that first day in June you didn't think you could ever do. I think for most of you who have gotten this far it's taken a fair amount of luck, courage and determination, you are part of a special few. 

As Chuckit heads into it's 9th year I'm sure I've worked with over 1000 people.  One thing I've figured out is that only about 30% of the people who join will make it to the event they train for. So by making it this far you've been successful in your journey to complete your race, which puts you in a select few and that is an accomplishment in itself.

Now that you have taken the journey the race might seem like the real event for you but you know I think it's really about the training, I think that will have a longer lasting effect.  The race itself is rather anticlimactic because you know you're going to do it and for most you know you can do it. When you started out you never dreamed you could run 3 miles then it was 6 miles and the 9 and so on, every week was another record for the longest you have ever run.  You had to be disciplined getting out the door to get to Madison Park at 0 dark thirty for your Saturday morning long run.

I have run many marathons and to be honest I think I remember more about the training and racing that lead up to them then the 2 and half hours it might have taken me to get through the run itself. Although at times it was hard it was very rewarding, I think that's why it was rewarding.  Don't get me wrong I have some great race memories but I think the training memories have a longer lasting effect.

I think the one major thing that the training provides is the confidence to be successful in your race as long as you form a good race plan and stick to it. The plan comes the months of training and finding out what you can do and what you can't that you hopefully learned along the way.

So good luck with the event and remember the work that you've done and that will help you get through the race successfully.  For those of you moving on after it's been nice working you and I hope I can work with you again. For those of you who are moving on with the group start thinking of goals for next year and we can start moving towards them now which will help with your post race training and recovery.