Meet Bob

When you go to the Flying Pig Marathon website and search for training you end up at Bob Ronker's Running Spot, "the official training program of the Flying Pig".  The Running Spot is a local store geared toward all things running. They have four locations, one in Newport, KY near where my cousin and I were already doing our weekly runs.  We joined the Kentucky 1/2 Marathon training group and started semi-weekly training in mid-January.  We run once mid-week and again on the weekend.  So far the mid-week run has been a timed run... for example, run 20 minutes then turn around and it's 20 back.  The weekend runs are distance runs, and generally a loop.  For both runs the Spot provides a route and several coaches running at various speeds from the fast runners to the run-walkers.  You saw in my last post that I'm running in the 11:40 range which is near the back of the pack but I feel pretty good about that since I did just start running in December!  My goal for the Pig... finish it.  Time is of no real meaning to me (maybe next year I'll worry about that).

There are probably about 100 people running with my training group.  Then again, I'm terrible at estimating a headcount - there could be 200 for all I know but I know there's more than 50.  On Wednesday nights we meet at the Spot in Newport get a pep talk or a piece of advice about stretching, taking on hills (I needed that one), nutrition, hydration, etc; the routes are printed out on slips of paper which the head coach reviews; and in the evenings we get a flashy light to put on our person to keep cars from hitting us.  It is really cool to see 100 people headed out across the Southgate Bridge with flashy lights on their bodies.  We must look very unusual to passing traffic.  The coaches are very conscientiousness of safety and set the route to position the group out of the way of traffic and other runners.  There are often other marathon groups out training at the same time - sometimes the groups can get a little mixed up.  On more than one occasion I've encountered someone who has asked "is this the 1/2 or full group".  As I said the coaches intermingle among the group.  I've found two coaches who have a good pace for me.  I want to say their names are Rory (or Lori) and Jeanine.  Though I could be entirely wrong - I'll figure it out eventually when I thank them profusely for helping get me through this training!  On the Fartlek run (see I got to say it again) I positioned myself behind or next to Lori for almost the entire run.

I think I mentioned before that on earlier runs I was tiring myself out by starting out too fast.  Lori has such an even pace that once I aligned myself with her I slowed down and maintained - and in distance running that's key.  I really admire the coaches - they are dedicated, seem to be having a good time, and genuinely seem to want us all to cross the finish line.  Also, with joining the training group we got a few perks (swag) like a running shirt, socks, (both of which I really like) and a really ugly orange vest (which is for safety not fashion!)  And we get several emails per week with tips, stories, and a link to the weekend's route.

What I've learned about myself doing this... I'm a pack animal.  I don't like the exercise bike, I like the Zumba class.  I didn't much like running solo, so I enlisted my cousin and joined a training group.  This pack has a positive energy and I can see myself reaching my goal (finish the 1/2 Pig) with these people.