Reach the Beach and hill talk!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014 · Mike Davis

Good morning! I am have my favorite mug filled with coffee and a bowl of plane low-fat Greek yogurt so I am ready to roll! This week is simply crazy as I move through a stretch of consecutive work days (today is day 8) and also preparing for Reach the Beach (Friday). Every year month we have to work one stretch of 10 to 12 days and that in itself is pretty exhausting for me and come the end of this particular stretch I will be up all night running RTB! This has been the case for all three I have done it so it is more a challenge mentally the week leading up to it. I have to say that I am pleased that I have gotten a couple good runs this week, with one being a hill workout last night, so I am gaining a little more confidence in the running part of RTB as well. I am still considerably behind on where I would like to be mileage wise, but I am getting a little stronger each time out. I am up and down with RTB and this is never the time to ask me about future participation, but I am looking forward to it being done. Kathy and I are signed up for a late October half marathon and once I am past RTB I will focus on preparation for that. I will be Tweeting once again along the my RTB travels so be sure to follow me! As I mentioned, last night we ran hills with our Runners Alley Portsmouth half marathon team and man was it a perfect night to run! Hills are such a great training tool for multiple reasons, besides just the fact that they prepare you for running hills, they also get your legs stronger and all the while you are improving your V02 usage. Hills are definitely a great addition to a personal training plan, but can also help when you are behind in your training as well. The combination of improving your leg strength and challenging your oxygen system helps to speed up the conditioning process. Right now for some reason I really needed a boost in both and while I don't feel ready for RTB, I feel like I am closer. When we develop training plans for runners and group, we put a lot of focus on hills as they really help runners of all levels. While most will struggle through them, the sense of accomplishment when finished develops a great deal of confidence in them. While hills are a great tool, they should be scheduled appropriately and executed with the proper form to get the most out of them. I believe very strongly in a training plan that is designed specifically for a person or in some instances for a group and hill training should be strategically placed in those plans. Well time to get dressed and take Roy for a walk. He can be a very impatient dog at times. Have a great Wednesday and be sure to follow me during RTB and No Finish Line Running. Mike