What do a brain surgeon, a mother of twins, UCLA graduate, an
Oscar-winning actor or runner have in common? You got it.
Commitment.
What do a brain surgeon, a mother of twins, UCLA graduate, an Oscar-winning actor or runner have in common? You got it. Commitment.
Of course this isn’t restricted to those disciplines, but you get the idea. It takes time; patience, pain, joy and good old fashion mile-by-mile rain-or-shine commitment to succeed in any distance running.
I found this by trial and error and by training with seasoned athletes who learned this a long time ago.
When I first joined a group of runners in the summer 2001, our coach, Deona Willie showed everyone in the South Valley Track Club what it took to meet our prospective goals. She laid out a simple plan for folks to meet at different days for workouts at the track, on trails or streets within the South Valley area. Willie gained valuable knowledge under the auspices of two-time Olympic marathoner Ed Eyestone from Brigham Young University in Utah before she moved to Morgan Hill.
I remember Willie telling me there were times when she came to the track workouts she hosted after work, and sometimes nobody showed up. After waiting a while, she would do the speed work session by herself instead of climbing into her car and driving home in frustration.
That made an impression with me on how committed Willie is to the sport and sticking it out even if things don’t work out as planned.
I know others who run no matter what. Some like Gretchen Yoder-Schrock, Kim Moyano, Dr. Kari Bertrand, Craig Lore, Kat Powell, Dr. Gar Chan, Andy Froumis, Steve Lane and countless others who are willing to get up at the crack of dawn and grab that 8-miler before most people are out of bed. Most of these guys work full-time and manage to squeeze in a morning jog despite coordinating an entire household with kids.
For those of us who don’t get up before the rooster crows, don’t feel bad.
I see plenty of joggers pounding the pavement in the hot afternoon hours or evening when the sun is still blazing in the sky.
Whatever time slot you pick to run, it still requires commitment to lace your shoes and fly out the door. I like the morning hours around 8am or 9am because I’m awake and it’s still crisp outside.
Another facet of training is the amount of time it takes to accomplish training goals.
Some run seven days per week, others need five and still others may spend less time.
For instance, Steve Sokol from San Jose told me after winning the 6K at the Mt. Madonna Challenge in August that his family only trains once per week. Yet they win at races – these events are usually brutal and hilly. The Sokol family is an exception rather than the rule.
Whether you’re an elite runner or recreational one like me, you know it takes practice and hard work to become faster and more physically fit. Sometimes life will slow me down with illness, injuries, emergencies or work-related stuff and I can’t run on the days I choose. I also fight laziness, burnout and depression.
All excuses aside, my best friend Shauna Suarez often tells me, “If you really want to do something, you’ll do it.” The only way I can run a marathon or half marathon, 10K or 5K is to build up mileage by putting one foot in front of the other.
If you’re concerned about running alone in the wild and getting eaten by a ravenous mountain lion or bitten on the calf by a stray mongrel (those are two of my fears) then perhaps joining a running club will help?
The motivation from like-minded athletes makes training a lot easier and more fun.
What better way to swap war stories about surviving the fun, but hilly Big Sur International Marathon or getting your feet wet for the first time at the local 5K athletic clubs are a great resource for entering the thrilling ride of running.
Not everyone in a running society is a Jack Rabbit or Speedy Gonzales. There are a variety of fitness levels and paces within these organizations and runners are a gracious lot. They welcome newcomers with arms wide open. And, yes, they’re one of the most dedicated groups of human beings I know.
For information on joining the South Valley Running Club go online at www.svrchome.org.
Angie Young is an avid runner and writer in the South Valley. She can be reached at
Pa*******@an********.net
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