I am Mel, your coach for the next few months. I’m a Fleet Feet Training Team (FFTT) alumna and I LOVE to share my love of this sport with all I can.
A little about me: I’m a 40-something yo, wife, mother of 3 girls, former Marine, and late on-set marathoner. The half marathon is my FAVORITE distance! I started running again on April 1, 2009, after a 15 year hiatus. I’ve run half marathons, marathons, and a 50k ultramarathon. I have completed all of these races using the run/walk/run method that we will be using throughout the training session. I started coaching with FFTT in the Spring 2011 half marathon season and I’ve loved every moment.
My #1 promise to you as your coach is that I will NOT cross the finish until ALL of my team has finished their race. If you are worried about being last or being alone on the cross, get rid of that thought right now!
A few highlights about our team and what to expect:
- My team operates a little differently than the rest of the training team. We will run our race at a 3:1 interval (running 3 minutes, walking 1), but our first Saturday long run intervals start at a 2:1 interval (running 2 minutes, walking 1). The purpose is to make sure everyone is on the same pace for our run intervals. We will gradually increase our intervals as well as mileage throughout the program.
- You are encouraged to do at least a 3:1 interval for your weekday runs. This is my recommended minimum. It will better prepare you as we progress through mileage and intervals. You are always welcome to run your entire weekday runs, but that is not required. You will be successful running intervals for all your training runs.
- Saturday long runs will be completed at a conversational pace. As your coach, I will set the pace for the group. Please, do not concern yourself with what our pace is for our Saturday runs. That’s my job. Weekday runs are yours to play with pace, in accordance with your training plan.
- Fun and laughter. My goal is to make this as enjoyable an experience as running can be. We all have challenging days, but when we can laugh, it makes the miles go by faster.
Now, take a minute and send me a quick email about you, your running history, and your goals for this training session. Pretty please with sugar on top! I see some familiar names, but I also notice a bunch of new names. I can’t wait to meet you.
Happy running!
Mel
Running Beyond MY Belief 