1st Practice

There was a lot to go over during our first practice. Hope I didn't lose anyone with all of the detail. Let me recap:

First, what to expect of the training plan:

We'll have practices every Monday evening at 6:30 and Saturdays at 8:00 AT THE WIRTH BEACH (NOTE THIS IS A CHANGE FROM THE 9:00 ON YOUR SCHEDULES, as well as a location change). We had multiple requests at today's practice to change the start time up to 1. allow you to be done by 10:30 or so (let the weekend begin!) and 2. to beat the July/August heat. The Beach works better for quicker access to dirt trails.

Mondays will generally either be a recovery distance day or an interval day. Saturdays will be our long run day. There are a couple of Mondays and Saturdays that start at different locations: Monday July 26th is the first of those, when the team will start at Finn Sisu for a 6:00 lecture on nutrition (Sports Nutritionist will be on hand) and then move to Theo Wirth afterwards for the run. Other differences in location are noted on the schedule. If the group wants, we can explore other trails on our Saturday runs. Just let the coaches know you're interested or if you'd prefer to stick to Theo Wirth. We'll do all of our Monday nights there, and the majority of the Saturdays as well -- our goal is to get to know the Trail Loppet's course as well as we can.

Workouts will change based on everyone's ability -- the schedule I'll send out via email tonight (and was passed out tonight) is just a guideline. Some expressed interested in doing more interval training & I'll work with the coaches to accomodate this. Feel free to pull the coaches aside and let us know if you need less/more than what is planned.

Second, Trail Team's "Rules":
-Run in pairs! Purpose is two-fold: getting lost with a buddy is more fun than getting lost alone. Second, a big benefit of the run club is getting to know other trail runners -- so socialize! Pick a different running buddy every week!
-Weather: we'll still meet no matter what the weather. The only way we wouldn't run is if it were lightning out. Some of your most memorable trail runs will probably come during pouring rain :)
-Running gear: It's nice to have nice-fitting trail shoes, but they're not a must. Having a way to carry water with you on the trail is also very nice, but also not a must. Sunscreen and/or a hat are nice on the hot, sunny Saturday mornings (although running on the trails is more shaded than elsewhere, you'll still get a bit of sun). Mosquito spray is also nice to have (but not necessary if you keep running :).

Other FYI items:
-The trail team gets a 20% discount on all trail items at Finn Sisu, including shoes, hydration systems, clothing, etc. You also get an additional 10% off clearance items. Coupon should be in your inboxes shortly.

That should be it! As always -- feel free to contact me if you have any questions: about the team, about trails, or about running in general! nichole(dot)porath(at)gmail(dot)com is the best way to reach me.

P.S. Team runners: please post a "comment" to this blog with your name, where you're from, what your running and/or trail experience is, what you're hoping to get out of the club, and any surprising/fun facts about you here. You just need a google account to post (which you can have with any email address). It'll take a while to get to know everyone, so the more we can put names to personal stories to faces, the better!