COMMUNITY: Making 'some day' a reality

Have you ever had the opportunity to join a pal for a run and found yourself listening to their hopes and dreams of “some day” putting in the extra time and working toward reaching their full potential?

Or maybe you've allowed your mind to wander and dream a little about what could happen if you really committed to a training program.

“Some day” you tell yourself “it's going to happen.”

Here's a little warning - “some day” isn't just going to happen. Life keeps on going and it's pretty easy to come up with countless excuses as to why “now” isn't the perfect time to commit and start working toward those big goals.

If you don't do it now, I fear your days could slip into weeks, weeks into months, months into years. Before you know it, your window of opportunity slowly closes.

With the summer racing season just around the bend, this is an excellent opportunity to commit to and work toward your 2013 running goals.

Hopefully you have a solid base of mileage under your belt. If this is the case, you're ready to start introducing some new types of workouts to your conditioned legs to train your mind and body to perform to your new desired pace.

Depending on the selected distance, break down your goal pace to determine the pace per mile you'll need to maintain in order to accomplish the goal. There's still room for those slower and more comfortable miles on occasional days, but if something great - something you've never accomplished before - is tugging at your heart, then it's time to get to work.

So what's it going to take? Maybe you want to search the Internet for a program. Maybe you want to seek out a coach or advice from some fellow runners. Regardless of where the plan comes from, the hard work is up to you.

There will be speed intervals to work on improving turnover and increasing your anaerobic capacity. Hill workouts will improve your overall strength and speed, fartleks assist in conditioning your body to maintain your targeted pace, and long up-tempo runs train your mind and body to adjust to the targeted race pace as you build toward covering the entire distance at a desired speed.

But what about all those other life commitments? How can you maintain your job? How can you continue to be a good parent and attend the kids' activities? How can you be a supportive spouse? How can you have it all - and still squeeze in training time to accomplish your lofty goals?

If it's worth it to you - you'll figure out how to make it happen.

Following are a few things that have worked for our family:

• All for one and one for all. We discuss race plans/goals as a family. Having everyone (even our 4-year old) on board with the training program results in support and understanding along the way.
• Make it a family event. Get creative with your runs. Depending on the ages of your clan, maybe the kids could hop on their bike, jump in the jogger stroller or join you for a few of the slower miles. (Don't be surprised if some terrific family conversation results from this time spent together). Or, maybe they could offer support out along your route. I always get a little extra spring in my step when I see the crew along the course. It's also a fun way to spend time together.
• Break down each week/cycle of training. Don't allow yourself to look ahead and become overwhelmed at the intensity of it all. Rather, by focusing on one week/cycle at a time, you can channel your energy and avoid becoming overwhelmed with unnecessary details.
• Make training a commitment. I realize it might not be for everyone, but I've found training early in the morning (before the rest of the family wakes up) avoids any chances of my routine being interrupted. Sure there are early morning thunderstorms to contend with (thank goodness for the treadmill) and the occasional sick family member who requires a change of plans. However, this is generally a pretty successful approach.
• Attitude. As Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you think you cannot, you are right.” Maintaining a positive and upbeat attitude is critical throughout a tough training process. Just like my coach used to say - “Attitude is everything.” If everyone is on board and committed to working hard in an effort to accomplish the goal(s), the chances for success are dramatically increased.

The decision is yours. If these recurring dreams and aspirations are worth it to you, quit thinking about the “some days” and consider creating a plan working toward making this “some day” a reality.

If you do create a plan and take the plunge, make sure to have fun along the way.

Happy running,