I do not like the cold. I don't like running in it, swimming in
it, biking in it. I have been known to wear a wet suit in the pool,
indoors! My record on the treadmill is 3 hours to avoid having to run
outside in the cold.
When my marathon training partner Dan Malinski
e-mailed me and asked me to run with him on Sunday for 70 minutes at
7:00 AM, I winced when I saw the weather but agreed with a reluctant
smile.
The thermometer in my car read 7 degrees , with the wind
chill it had to be below zero. However, Dan made a commitment to get
himself ready for The Bank of America Chicago Marathon and the American Heart Association, I promised to be there with him, so off we went.
Luckily we were joined by former Athletes of the Month and training rockstars Lauren Kaminsky and Awesome Barb Rodriguez, to help motivate Dan and share in the misery.
Besides learning to endure the most miserable conditions, this was a great learning moment for Dan and all newby runners.
It's
January, horrible out and here we are training for an event in
October! Part of enduring endurance sports is the time commitment and
the ability to keep on going. As we ran we talked about how we will be
running together in July when it is sweltering hot outside and still
running in October when the weather is getting cold out again. We
discussed appreciating every run in all kinds of weather and
celebrating the progress, which Dan is making. 5.2 miles in 80 minutes
in sub-zero temperatures.
We also discussed the Gym Class Factor and
how to get over it. A group run isn't and shouldn't be like 8th grade
gym class, it's not about finishing first and teasing the "fat kid" for
finishing last.
A good group run is there to support the
fastest and the slowest runners. The best group runs I have been a
part of are the ones where I got in a great workout, but also came away
having learned something. Lauren and Barb were there to pace
Dan, offer him advice, keep him focused, discuss nutrition (it matters), keep him going and get him
used to the idea of running in a group. Nice job to all.
This week the Dave and Dan breakdown looks like this.
Dan-
Total Miles this week=18.5.
Weight Loss Total= 38 pounds.
Dave-
Ran=8.2. Bike= 15. Swim= 2900 meters
Weight Loss= 2 pounds.
There
will be plenty of group runs to come, you are all invited. Off to a
hot shower and take care of my newly acquired purple toe.
Filed under: Charity, Dave's Journey, News, Races, Running
Tags: American Heart Association, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Daniel Malinski, david wallach, Eminem, Marathon Training
David Wallach
4 days, 10 hours ago