Since I'm deep into my pre-marathon taper, which means sharply reduced mileage, I didn't want to run with my group this morning. My schedule said 0 miles, theirs was 2 miles easy, 5 repeats of 1000 meters w/ 200 meters recovery, and then 2 more miles easy.
So I decided to just head to the track and be a track coach.
I learned that I have NO idea how to dress to be outside and not moving when it's 45 degrees. When I'm running in that weather, I usually would choose shorts and a lighter long sleeve top. Maybe gloves, maybe an ear-warmer band. It would be cold for the few minutes of standing around before I started, but I'd warm up right away. But if you're not running, it's a lot different.
I guess maybe if I were a sports fan and tailgated or watched games in that weather, I would have been better prepared. I went with a pair of stretchy pants, thick socks, old gym shoes, a long-sleeved t-shirt, a fleece, and a light jacket, and a ball cap and gloves. I almost went with a stocking cap, but I thought a ball cap looked more like a real coach.
I had an amazing track coach a few years ago (think NCAA 5k champ, female with a 5k time in the low 16-minute range!). She's definitely one of my all-time favorite running coaches (she would actually win the title if I had to pick one favorite, but I usually count my fave marathon coach separately). She would log all our times, shout tips at us, encourage us to push harder, pace us in races. She's amazing and still one of my fave people. She ran professionally for a while, coached, and now works for a shoe company but she doesn't race often anymore.
I loaded up a bag of gatorade and water, grabbed a clipboard and a stopwatch, and kicked myself again for not asking my husband to bring a whistle home for me to use. He's out of town right now and actually has a whistle, but it's at work.
So I drove to the track and called times for them. And recorded their times so they'll be able to look back on their training some day and think how fast/slow they were back on 11-10-11.
Not a bad morning actually!
Sounds fun! I never had a track coach, and don't spend much time there... but, I think I would enjoy being a track coach and cheering and pushing people.. more so than being coached. Haha.
ReplyDeleteThat was really nice of you to get out of your warm bed and do that for your group! Good running karma!
Amy, if you decide to focus on speed and short distances for a while (which I know you were considering), I think it would be awesome if you had a regular date with the track and even w/o a coach, if you set serious interval goals for yourself every week, tracked your times, etc. I think you'd like it, and I think you'd like the results!
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