Top 5 Lessons

So after 3 months off I now am on my eighth successful week of training and decided I would reflect on some of the most important things that I have learned over these past 8 weeks.  After 5 stress fractures one would think I would have learned these lessons years ago, but sometimes no matter what people say you have to make a bunch of mistakes on your own before you listen!  We will chalk those mistakes up as great lessons and learning experiences and I am sure there will be plenty more of those in the future.  For now here are my top 5 lessons or 'Light Bulb' ideas (for me anyway).  Even though you may already know some of these hopefully you think about them again and put them in the front of your mind for a few minutes before stashing them back into the great abyss of your knowledge.

1. Take one day off a week from running!  Yes believe it or not I said it and I do it.  Wouldn't taking 1 day off a week be much better than taking every day off for 3 months?  That's the new approach and hopefully an effective one.  By taking 1 day off every week I am just allowing my body to recover fully, absorb the training and adapt.  It was a hard concept to swallow at first but now I embrace it and clean the house like mad on my day off!
2. Less is More - More quality, less quantity.  During my training cycle for the Olympic Trials Marathon I will be doing less mileage with more of a focus on quality training.  I want to get the most out of my training without wasting energy and over training like some many of us runners are guilty of.
3. Surround yourself with a great support system This is definitely the most important thing on this list!  Without my husband Aaron and family supporting and believing in me and my dreams I would not be where I am today.  I am extremely grateful for how much everyone has sacrificed to help me chase my goals.  In addition to friends and family there are several other important pieces to the puzzle.   Mathew Nark has provided a complete program aimed at helping me reach my goals while staying healthy.  Since moving up to the Albany area this summer I have joined the Albany Running Exchange Racing Team a subdivision of the Albany Running Exchange (ARE).  Josh Merlis and ARE are providing a tremendous amount of support to my training and I am looking forward to representing them in upcoming events.  Finally, I would like to thank SUNY Potsdam for their support as well.  It is amazing that 5 years after I have graduated SUNY Potsdam is still 100% invested in the student alumni.  The support and foundation that Potsdam provided for me has enabled me to accomplish many goals in my running career
4. Focus on your weakness - Do all the little things to improve your weakness.  By making your overall foundation stronger and improving your weaknesses you will see great progress in all aspects of your training.  My weakness: speed, my strength: threshold running.  By working on some of those fast twitch muscle fibers, through workouts, drills and strength training, not only is my speed improving, but my threshold running is improving as well, AWESOME!
5. Patience - Think Long Term!  Yes 2012 will be an awesome year, but 2016 will be even better!