Balance

Last week I went to hear my friend and fellow counselor Anne Lundblad speak about balancing speed and endurance while training for endurance events. Anne should know all about this topic--she is a many-time member of the US 100K World Cup Team, and was the silver medalist at the 2005 World Cup 100K. Basically, she can run really fast for a very long time (her PR at 100K is somewhere in the sub-7:50 range). Yowsah!

During her talk, Anne shared her training tips as well as tips for balancing life's other demands while training at a high level: balancing working full-time and being a mom, racing and training, and indulgence and sacrifice. She is also a real believer in the power of positive mental imagery, especially using affirmations during the race such as "You are strong, fast, and tough." During the past two years at Hellgate, I used a similar mantra as I was running through the rocky dark: "Smooth, light, and steady." It really helped me and I give Anne all the credit, as she has been very helpful to me over the years whenever I asked her for training advice. I am looking forward to using lots of her training tips as I prepare for my 2008 races...including a *possible* 100-miler...YIKES.

On Sunday, I took Anne and her hubby Mark on a 17-miler on the country roads near White Hall...we had a great time catching up, sharing our WS100 experiences and race goals for 2008, and I loved showing them one of my all-time favorite running loops. When we were done, Mark went on for another hour or so, while Anne and I met her mom and daughter Emma for coffee at...where else but Greenberry's!

A great run in the country with good friends, with coffee afterwards... balancing life's simple pleasures!