COACH CYNDEE

One of the hardest parts of training for a race is balancing it all.  Balancing training, work and family can sometimes be tough.  I try and make sure people know what they are getting into when they say they want to sign up for a race.  As a coach I want everyone to go into a race as prepared as they can. When people struggle to get all the workouts done I understand its hard but the reality is they signed up for the race.   I try and lay in all out there up front so there is no surprises when they see their training schedule.  Inevitably it becomes hard for many people to manage it all.  Before you sign up for any event ask yourself some questions: How much time can I reasonably dedicate to training per week?   Is that enough time for the event you're signing up for?  If your answer is 7 hours a week then its probably not likely you should sign up for an Ironman.  How well do I want to perform at this event?  Just finish? ...

Last year I ran the Comrades Ultra Marathon in South Africa.  That race required a qualifying marathon to be completed by the end of April.  My boyfriend and I decided to run the Revel Mount Charleston race because we didn’t want to travel and we got into i t at the last minute.  I didn’t plan to qualify for the Boston Marathon but I did and I did with 15 minutes to spare.  I was pretty excited since I hadn’t done Boston and it’s a bucket list race for most runners.  I was looking forward to the Boston Marathon even though I wasn’t 100% prepared.  I knew I could do the distance but hadn’t done much speed work so I didn’t expect to have my fastest time.  I wanted to enjoy my time in Boston and enjoy the race.  I was looking forward to experiencing all the iconic things I had heard about like Heartbreak Hill, Newton Hills, and the Wellesley Girls.   A few weeks before the race, I was honored to become a part of a team representin...