Running with a Group
A recent Runners World article on the Hanson Brooks Distance Project, got me to thinking, again, on how great our little Sal's running group has been over the years. (Sal's, from the song, "I got a mule, her name is Sal, fifteen miles on the Erie Canal").
In the past 15 or so years Mike and Mike have been running on weekends together, doing hill repeats at 6am, track intervals in the morning or night and pushing each other in workouts and races, many compatriots have come and gone. Fortunately, for many reasons, our wives have stayed, not the least of which they are the ones who bring home the trophies. But Mike and I are well aware we married above our station in life.
Anyhow, I firmly belief the success many runners and triathletes who have listened to us babble (well, Mike babbles, I just whine) through the years have become better athletes and definitely made us better, because of the group training.
The Hanson-Brooks project has money, young fast runners and provides housing and more for their runners. This is great and I'm jealous. Most of us are much slower, work full-time, and aren't so young anymore. But we still have athletic goals we want to reach, just like the fast men and women. Our goal could be a local 10k, finishing a marathon, completing a first triathlon, or qualifying for Boston. Inevitably this does occur.
We've had several training buddies qualify for Boston, some a number of times. One old timer, who has since moved to Florida, completed a couple of Ironman races, including Hawaii. Many of us have set pr's at various distances. The list goes on and on.
This weekend, Pete, Mike W., Mike M., Andy and Lou will be the next from our group to attempt to qualify for the first time or repeat a Boston marathon qualifying effort as they race the Steamtown Marathon. They have trained diligently, with group long runs on Saturdays and track or hill workouts every Tuesday. Some have run together at lunch time, some run every morning before their "real" jobs. Whether they make the ambitious goal will not define the journey they took to the starting line.
The point is, training with friends pays off.
In the past 15 or so years Mike and Mike have been running on weekends together, doing hill repeats at 6am, track intervals in the morning or night and pushing each other in workouts and races, many compatriots have come and gone. Fortunately, for many reasons, our wives have stayed, not the least of which they are the ones who bring home the trophies. But Mike and I are well aware we married above our station in life.
Anyhow, I firmly belief the success many runners and triathletes who have listened to us babble (well, Mike babbles, I just whine) through the years have become better athletes and definitely made us better, because of the group training.
The Hanson-Brooks project has money, young fast runners and provides housing and more for their runners. This is great and I'm jealous. Most of us are much slower, work full-time, and aren't so young anymore. But we still have athletic goals we want to reach, just like the fast men and women. Our goal could be a local 10k, finishing a marathon, completing a first triathlon, or qualifying for Boston. Inevitably this does occur.
We've had several training buddies qualify for Boston, some a number of times. One old timer, who has since moved to Florida, completed a couple of Ironman races, including Hawaii. Many of us have set pr's at various distances. The list goes on and on.
This weekend, Pete, Mike W., Mike M., Andy and Lou will be the next from our group to attempt to qualify for the first time or repeat a Boston marathon qualifying effort as they race the Steamtown Marathon. They have trained diligently, with group long runs on Saturdays and track or hill workouts every Tuesday. Some have run together at lunch time, some run every morning before their "real" jobs. Whether they make the ambitious goal will not define the journey they took to the starting line.
The point is, training with friends pays off.
I am always grateful for my running friends. Running has allowed me to meet and get to know people that I would never get to know if it wasn't for our sport. I think one of the reasons I don't race as much as I used to is that I hate to miss our long runs.
ReplyDeleteone of the mikes