I’m always more than happy to report on the successes of my clients, 1) because it’s fun to brag, and 2) I really do love watching people reach their goals and learn to love lifting. Lori’s story is incredibly impressive; she’s a working professional and newlywed with two children in high school and a step-child in elementary school, and completed her first marathon. What I love most about reporting on busy moms who achieve big fitness goals, is that it makes you think…well if she can, I can too. I was lucky to be able to strength train her for her marathon, so she was able to run STRONG. 26.2 miles is no joke!
How did she do it?
q: Congratulations on completing your first marathon! What made you pick such a big fitness challenge?
a: I have been running for years for exercise, stress relief, chat therapy and social time with my friends. All of my running friends had run a marathon except for me. I had always wanted to do it, but the time never seemed right. I finally told myself that I needed to quit making excuses, push myself, and make it happen. I was really blessed to have the support of my husband, my kids, family, and a dear friend who joined a marathon training group with me. I’m a bit of an introvert. So even joining a training group was a bit out of my comfort zone. Training for the marathon stretched me physically, socially, and emotionally. It required me to do a lot more “positive” talking to myself! Instead of worrying about the next mileage goal, I had to tell myself that I’d just run longer than I ever had and that I could do the same plus more on the next long training run.
q: As a working mom, how did you manage to get in all the training? Do you have any suggestions for others?
a: Well, I am lucky that I am a morning person as that’s the most convenient time of day for me to train whether it’s running or strength training. I would really encourage working moms to make it part of your morning routine, no matter how early it is. After a day of work, there is so much that still needs to happen in the evening – after school activities, dinner, homework, bedtime routines, housework, bills, etc. After that, there’s not much time left for mom. And, if you’re like me, I just want to kick my feet up and watch Modern Family. I find that the mornings work really well for me. I wake up before everyone else and am not distracted by a million other things. I also feel very energized and ready to take on the day after I get my blood flowing with a good workout. If you decide to do a morning workout routine, make it easy on yourself.
Don’t let any obstacles or excuses get in your way. Put out your workout clothes the night prior. Also, make sure you have the right workout clothes for your activity – reflective wear if you plan to run outdoors, etc. When your alarm goes off, just think about how great you are going to feel after you work out instead of how tired you are at that moment. I find that my mood and my mindset is different on the mornings when I work out. I feel happy and also really motivated to make healthy choices throughout the day. Do I really want to have a donut or some French fries after I’ve started out the day on such a healthy note – no way! (Truth be told – I do indulge in not so healthy food on occasion… but the guilt is not as profound if I’ve worked out that morning)
q: You were training with a local program here in Austin that preps women for tris/marathons, etc, and also included a strength training component, but decided to go above and beyond what others were doing. Why?
a: I really wanted to push myself on the strength training. It was something I had never done and I wanted to work with someone one-on-one who would provide me with coaching focused on my personal goals and needs. I also wanted to ensure that I did what I needed to avoid injuries. I love running. And, a marathon simply would not be worth it if I developed a nagging injury that made it impossible for me to be a runner for years to come. I already knew I had some potential weak spots –previous IT band issue and plantar fasciitis. I wanted to prepare my body for the marathon and not get hurt. That was my primary goal when I went to Sumi. That goal, though, changed over time. Read on for more on that..
q. What did you enjoy the most of your total marathon training program, other than the carbing up? 🙂
a: It’s hard to say the one thing that I enjoyed most! I think that if I had to sum it up, though, I would say that I’ve enjoyed being part of a team. I had two teams – my marathon training team and my strength training team of two (Sumi and me). I have never played team sports. I’ve always been intimidated, didn’t view myself as athletic, and worried I’d let down the rest of the team if I wasn’t good enough. I think that’s a lot of carryover from typically being the last one picked for teams in P.E. class throughout my childhood. I know, poor me… pity party. Anyway, I am proud to say that am an athlete and I am part of not just one team but two!
Let’s first talk about the marathon training team. Runners come from all different walks of life. Every woman on the training team had a different story to tell. The long runs really went by quickly as we were never without a topic for discussion and had a lot of good laughs along the way. It was a wonderful experience to really encourage and support each other. I felt so empowered to be part of a group of smart, witty, and determined women.
With Sumi, I had a different kind of team experience, but one that was just as empowering. I was teaming with someone to achieve very specific personal goals. Those goals initially started out as targeted physical goals (make my legs stronger so I don’t hurt myself running) but evolved over time. I never had viewed myself as a strong person – and I’m not just talking about muscle strong. As I trained with Sumi, I became less concerned about strength training to avoid injury and more focused on growing STRONG physically and mentally. Partnering with Sumi increased my strength and my confidence. I feel healthy when I run. I feel powerful when I work out with Sumi. Feeling powerful was a new experience for me. And I like it! (Emphasis mine, I just get excited reading it)
q. I always recommend that runners include strength training in their program. As a runner yourself, how would you make that point to a fellow runner?
a: I have been running for years. I have never felt as good running as I have after combining it with strength training. I feel certain that the strength training is what enabled me to achieve my marathon goal. I could have run the 26.2 miles without the focused attention on strength training. But, without strength training, I don’t think I would have been injury free, beat my time goal, and felt really good doing it. I felt awesome when I crossed the finish line, felt great the next day and feel pretty much back to myself today. Yes, I was a bit sore. It was 26.2 miles afterall! But, I wasn’t in pain.
q. So, what’s next on your fitness radar?
a. More strength training and less running. I can’t run much more than 26.2 miles, but I know I can lift more. Seriously, I love the cardio benefits of running and the time with friends. That will always be a part of my life. I may have some shorter distance races in my future (10K and half marathons). So, I will keep up the running. I also want to see what I can accomplish in terms of strength training. I’m not scared of the weights anymore. And, I’m becoming more coordinated. I now can move my legs and arms in opposite directions while holding weights. Sumi can attest to the fact that it’s been comical to watch me try to mimic what she does. You’d think I don’t know my right from my left. 🙂
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