There are two very important members of my marathon training village I forgot to mention in my last list.

First is Gabriel Brooks.  He is an amazing PT and my body mechanic.  Any time my body breaks, Gabriel is the one to pick up the pieces and put me back together.  When I was running 15 miles a couple of months ago, I heard a “pop” and felt a horrible pain in my right knee at about mile 13.  I walked then ran it in.  Then, was in pain after finishing 3 miles.  I emailed Gabriel.  He fit me into his busy schedule and did a video analysis of my running gait.  I knew my gait was less than perfect, and the video showed it was worse than I thought.  Gabriel gave me a few exercises, made a shoe suggestion, and things to watch when I run.  Like Tonja, Gabriel knows my body.  He is also an athlete and understands what I’m trying to accomplish.  I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be running in Paris if it weren’t for Gabriel.  Gabriel works in the Sports Medicine clinic at Texas Childrens Hospital.

The other member I forgot is Trigger Point.  I guess this isn’t a member, but a tool.  I use their tools after my long runs to help speed recovery.  A day doesn’t go by that I’m not using one or more of their tools right now.  They are helping my body recover from the last run and be ready for the next.  For example, one area Gabriel identified as a problem is the knots in my calves.  I use the Trigger Point tools to really get in there and work them out.  The balls are much better than tennis balls and the rollers much better than foam rollers because they have solid cores.  That means the outside gives a bit, but the core is there to allow you to really get into a knot and work it out.

The more I think about all the people it takes to get me to a marathon, the more I am glad to be surrounded by them and the tools they provide.  I can’t do it alone because . . .it takes a village.

I ran my first two marathons in 2001 – Houston in January and Marine Corps in October.  At this point, I was a novice runner.  I been running under a year.  I remember the training being a challenge, and each race was a challenge for different reasons.  But, I also remember the thrill of coming across the finish lines.  Now, nine years later, I’m training for the Paris marathon.  What a difference nine years makes.

I like to think of myself as an independent person.  However, I’m not sure if it is that I’m a more advanced runner, or understand my body better, but I’ve discovered that marathon training takes a village.  First, I have my husband who will be running the race as well.  He supports me in every way.  Then, come my training buddies – Theresa, Moya, and Jen.  Theresa and I got to know each other when training for Houston almost ten years ago.  We finished Houston, and she talked me into running Marine Corps.  We have forged a strong friendship over countless miles on the road.  She has been doing my long runs with me.  I’m not sure where I’d be without her.  She told me that someone asked her what race she was training for.  When she responded “Paris” the person got all excited for her.  She had to tell them that she wasn’t running it, but a friend was.  It is a true friend who will run 15, 18, and over 20 miles with you when she isn’t going to run the marathon herself.

Training also takes nutrition.  Luckily, since I’m a sports dietitian I have that kind of covered.  However, I use Infinit* as my sports drink.  I use and recommend Infinit because you can custom mix your sports drink including how strong you want the flavor.  I placed an order earlier this month and their usually speedy service was a bit delayed.  I emailed and got a response back from Laurie Walter.  We emailed back and forth.  I explained about having two long runs left and needing to test my new mixture before Paris (I added caffeine – first time to try it).  Lauire understood and upgraded the shipping so I could have it for my run this weekend.  Laurie and the Infinit gang are now a part of my marathon training village.

Taking care of my body and all of its various parts has also become critical.  I’m not sure if it is because I’m older or if I’m more aware of my body, but massage has become another key piece of my training.  I have a fabulous massage therapist, Tonja Samford, who I’ve used for eight or nine years now.  I think she knows my body better than I do.  I’ve learned the importance of pre- and post-run massages to prepare and recover.  A post-run massage has become part of the reason for finishing these last few long runs.  Tonja is  a member of my marathon training village.

Another group of members of this village are all of my non-training, non-running friends who are lending their support.  It is exciting when they ask about how training is coming, and express excitement about the upcoming run.

The final, and in some ways most inspiring members of my marathon training village, are those who have donated to my Challenged Athletes Foundation Race for a Reason.  This is the first time I have raised money for an organization.  The encouragement and financial outpouring is exciting to see.  I know that each step I will take in the Paris marathon will benefit those who, due to physical disabilities, face greater challenges that I do in being physically active.  To all of you, I say “Thanks!”

Actually, to my entire marathon training village, I say “Thanks!”

The next time you take on an endeavor, be it physical or other, think about the your village who helps you get there.

*If you would like to try Infinit, enter “penny” in the Special Codes area for a 10% discount on your orders.  I do receive a small referral fee when you use this code.

Last year, I was contacted by a great running coach, Lowell Ladd, about one of his clients.  This particular client is training for his first marathon and writing a book about it.  He wants nutrition counseling. . . .can I help?  Of course!  I talked with Tom Coyne and we got started with his nutrition planning.  He has a group of 12 friends who are training to run the Paris Marathon in April, 2010.   They have a fun blog called 26.1 To Go.  I love the tag line for the blog, “The quest to solve the greatest mystery in sports: Where the hell is everybody running to?”

Then, I started thinking. . .when am I going to have a business excuse to go to Paris?  Then, I thought some more. . . when I am going to have such a great excuse to, um, run the Paris Marathon?  It only took a few minutes to go from thinking about running it to being a registered participant, to thinking “what the heck have I just done!”

I ran both the Houston and Marine Corps marathons in 2001.  My reasons for running Paris are many: because it is there and I can go, because it would be “fun,” to see how my training and nutrition have changed now that I’m a sports dietitian.

I began training a few months ago and training has been going well.  It has reminded me of a lot of the issues that my clients face when training for and racing a distance event.  However, now that I really understand how to fuel before, during, and after my training has been much smoother.

We are a month out from the race.  I’m filled with a mix of excitement and fear.  At this point you start to wonder and worry about every little ache, pain, and/or tinge.  “Was that a real pain?”  “How is that going to affect my run?”

I’ve also decided to dedicate this run to help those who have a hard time being physically active – those with disabilities.  I’m raising money for Challenged Athletes Foundation.  If you’d like to help CAF “provide opportunities and support to people with physical disabilities so they can pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics” you can make a donation by clicking here.

In the mean time, I’ll keep training and planning.  And, dreaming of running through the streets of Paris.