Julie Lossos
Age: 28
Race: Marathon
Goal: sub 2:50
Blog 1: My Hilly Illinois Adventure
Blog 2: A Bit of Reflection
Blog 3:
Aaahhhh!!
Julie can be desribed a number of different ways. First of all she is super dedicated and does all the little things rights from eating well, to getting plenty of sleep, to stretchng, etc. She is also a mileage hog and consistently puts up more miles than any of the other women on the team. All these things make her a very good runner, which is probably her most apt description. That and she is a member of the crazy-awesome Big River Staff!!
Aaahhhh!! That's how I feel about the week leading up to the marathon.
The taper continues as the big day draws anxiously near. I think this is my least favorite week of the training segment. It is amazing to have a lot of extra time to get all the little things done that I haven't gotten around to as frequently as I would like, and having more time to spend with family and friends is a bonus of running significantly less mileage than previous weeks...But yikes does it wear on my nerves! I'm not used to this "relaxing" business...This week: lots of sleep, hand washing, menial tasks, and deep breathing. Also, my boyfriend (aka Snowman) has been kindly keeping the fridge stocked with cartons of fresh juice...Green Machine (my favorite) and Blue Machine--each are packed with tons of antioxidants and various fruits and vegetables. Gotta stay healthy for another week!
When I stand on the line Sunday morning I will be reminding myself of all the hard work and long miles that have gone into this training. And I hope my teammates will be reminding themselves of the same thing. We have all worked very hard and as long as we stay mentally focused and run smart on Sunday, we should all come away with some hefty PR's.
Good luck to the San Antonio crew!
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10.11.09 (5 weeks out)
One of the high school girls I coach asked me this past week what has made the difference in my training in the last few years, that I've been able to set new PR's and increase my level of training. This got me reflecting on things that have changed (both intentionally and not) and other small things that have helped me along the road to better running. Here are a few tidbits I came up with:
1. Training with a group. If not more than once or twice a week, at least knowing other people who I can count on for long runs or to be out there with me for workouts is extremely helpful. Having not run in college, I trained primarily on my own from the moment I graduated high school, through several marathons in college, and a few years post college.
2. Knowing talented, experienced runners to bounce ideas off of. Obviously there is quite a bit of talent on the Big River racing team. Talking training and trying new things is easy to do when you have a little guidance.
3. Living with someone who understands if I don't want to stay out past 10pm on a Saturday night. Sleep is important, especially with high mileage and lots of long runs.
4. Having family and friends who don't run (although they still support me 100%). Sometimes it's nice to get away from it all, and as much as I promote and appreciate the sport, I also like spending time with people who could care less how many miles I logged last week, what my workouts consist of this week, or what the latest news is on LetsRun.com .
5. Staying injury-free for almost 3 years. For years (even during high school), my dedication to running wavered quite a bit. The passion has always been there, just not always the drive. Whether it was lack of motivation or an injury, I never really had a great stint of focused, consistent running, until these past couple years, when I've been able to gradually increase my volume and intensity without any serious setbacks (knock on wood).
6. Of course, having been able to consistently train, I have been able to log higher miles than ever before and maintain quality workouts, and I try to still squeeze in the smaller things that I think help a person stay injury-free, such as lifting, stretching and occasional cross training.
7. I never really have tested my limits to the degree that I am attempting to at this point in my running, and having others believe that I can push such limits definitely makes a difference...And all the things listed above have helped allow me to do so.
As for a reflection on the past week, last Sunday went smoothly: 3 mi. up/12 mi. at an average of 6:15 pace/3 mi. down. As much of a bummer it is that Ben has an injured hamstring, it was nice to have "Coach" out there during the workout handing us water on the course and checking up on our splits...Wednesday night's workout went well, too; I hit just under 6:10 pace for 4x2 miles in Forest Park, and I had helpful company for the entire workout. The legs were a little heavy, but all-in-all it was good (and dark!). Today was a nice long run with David (21 total) with a fast finish from miles 16-18, for which I hit 6:11, 5:47, 5:53, then a 3 mile jog back home from the park. Total miles for week=102. My highest to date, and I'm still ticking. Slight cold but no flu yet.
When I got home from the long run, I went immediately to my computer to check up on all my running buddies/friends who ran Chicago this morning...And I am more inspired than ever. Everyone I know had a GREAT race. Cheers to them and to solid marathon training!
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My Hilly Illinois Adventure:
9.28.09 (7 weeks out)
Just under 7 weeks out from the big day. Last Sunday was the Shoreline Classic 15K, a hilly adventure around Lake Decatur in Illinois. I believe it was my longest race since the Twin Cities Marathon last October, so it was a good reminder of the importance of staying mentally focused in a longer race and of the challenge of doing so. After dreading the good chance of showers predicted for that day and a busy weekend with not enough sleep, I ended up setting a bigger PR than I had expected, on a morning that turned out to be much more pleasant than expected, too. While Shoreline was a good gauge to see where I am at at this point in my training and definitely affirmed that I am getting something out of the hard work that I am putting in, it also triggered the nerves a bit for the upcoming marathon. Normally the fear of getting injured or sick doesn't enter into my mind too early in a training segment, but the obsessive hand-washing and fear of enclosed spaces with lots of people has already begun. I'm holding out hope, though, for a solid and healthy 7 more weeks of training. Look out for the girl running around Forest Park with the swine flu mask.
This past week following the 15K was a scheduled down week, much needed but not as well appreciated as it should have been. Wednesday was my first day off in about a month, and after putting in 80-86 miles a week over the last four, with at least one good workout per week, I was feeling a little uneasy about going too easy. The legs usually feel better not the week of the lower mileage/easier runs but the week after, so hopefully that holds true and the body feels refreshed tonight following a rusty-legged 4 miler this morning. Yesterday was a decent 20 miles at Castlwood in the mud. It was tough to settle into a pace because every time I felt like I got rolling, I hit some sloppy patches on the trail that forced me to slow down as to not fall on my face. Last 15 minutes I did on the road for a fast finish, and I clocked the last mile at 6:17. Legs finally felt good once I got going on the roads, and a dip in the ice cold creek afterward definitely helped them feel better. Still got in 76 for the down week. Now it's back at it full force with increased mileage and some harder/longer workouts.
San Antonio here I come!
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