Settle in – RunningWell

Hey Everyone!

First up, huge congrats to all our Tannenbaum runners (and their kids!) who braved the snowstorm and lined up on Sunday! And thanks to all the volunteers and our cheer squad. A “character building” morning. Y’all are awesome.

This snow sure is beautiful right now, but the footing is pretty treacherous. Let’s just take it easy out there – remember, you have many stabilizer muscles which are being called into action for the first time in a while, and these continual micro-movements might make you feel a little sore and a little more fatigued than usual. That’s ok! You’re getting stronger. Just don’t push it too hard or fast and risk getting injured.

I’ve been thinking about the phrase “settle in”. I often find myself calling that out to my runners in workouts and races. After the initial shock and discomfort of going out hard and establishing a pace, you have to find a way to keep your momentum going without the same effort. That is “settling in”. It’s not slowing down, it’s relaxing into the pace. Shoulders down, deep breath, relax, while running fast. Once you settle into your pace you can keep it going smoothly and hopefully you’ll have an effort or push to call on at the end when you need it.

I think December is a good time to figure out how to settle in in general. Many of us are in a bridge season for training. This isn’t a time to be pushing uncomfortably hard (don’t worry – you’ll be ready when it is time), but you also don’t want to slow down too much or come to a stop. This is a great time to try to find your rhythm and settle in. Set yourself up with a routine you can continue comfortably. You may very well still be accomplishing things at a high-performance rate – but mentally, you’re settled. That is the goal. Shoulders down, deep breath, relax. And keep moving forward smoothly and comfortably so that you have something left to push with when you need to really bring it.

For tomorrow: We’re back to hills!!!

Pottery Rd. I will aim to be there around 6:10-6:15. Please arrive and start whenever it works for you! For this one, let’s work on running steady up for a full set of long hills. Aim for 7-9. Easy down. I will include steady up and down in the future, but I just think the footing might not be there to encourage it tomorrow. Usually they salt it. We may have to make a game day decision if it’s too slippery. (and I’m not doing the full ones – on my own rhythm now and will just do some power sprints at the top, but I’ll cheer you on!)
Glen Manor in the Beach (OR Balsam – I encourage you beachers to check that one out bc it’s a little punchier vs long slow grind – you can alternate on hill days)

That is all – have a great one and see some of you in the am!

Seanna