New York Flyers MTP? Heck YEAH!

Tran L

“Are we suppose to be running at 8:06 pace?!” I asked Keila over the strong headwind that was a constant throughout most of the race.

“Yes. We need to make up the time we lost over the last few miles because of the winds!”

And so I ran, and ran, and ran, with Keila and Paul, the 3:40 pacers, through the last 5k of the New Jersey Marathon, cutting through the wind. Mile 24 went by. I was tired.  My legs were heavy through Mile 25. It took a lot of convincing to keep them churning. I couldn’t afford to lose my pacers. At some point I saw the finish banner. It was so far away. My legs were ready to give out.  Eventually I felt my left calf on the cusp of spasming, wanting to revolt against the duress. Please, please… just a little more.   

That's Me! Giving Chase at the NJ Marathon May 2014

Paul was in my face, yelling at me to keep running hard. I knew he meant to motivate me but it was incredibly distracting. I wanted shove him away and yell back at him to leave me alone but couldn’t afford to waste my energy and focus. I kept looking ahead, forcing my legs to keep moving. I was finally able to see the finish line itself a few hundred meters away.

I tried to kick it to the finish but felt myself going slower and slower with every step. My legs were moving but it felt like I was at a standstill. I saw Keila and Paul getting ahead of me, sprinting to the finish line, each step taking them farther away from me. I doggedly chased after them and crossed the finish line with a gap of a few seconds. 

Still Doggedly Chasing....Approaching Mile 26

I was exhausted from the race and I was excited with the time. But on top of the exhaustion and excitement was the sense of a hard earned accomplishment.  

Smiles for a Hard Earned Accomplishment :)

For my result, I owed it to all that came with the Flyers Winter Marathon Training Program (MTP), our Run SMART Project coach Brian Rosetti, and the Flyers "Winter Warriors."

I eagerly signed up for the Flyers Winter MTP after getting good results from the fall MTP. The program started in the dead cold of January, around the time of the first polar vortex, earning the group the title of Winter Warriors for the next 15 weeks. 

We were each provided with our own custom training program that that included a weekly group speedwork session on Wednesday nights. Of course, every Wednesday night happened to be the coldest night of the week. Despite that the Winter Warriors diligently gathered at the Running Company for Coach Brian’s explanation and instructions for the evening’s workout and then headed out to a desolate Central Park to train.  

Each group session started out with a couple of easy warm-up miles and closed out the evening with the same for cool-down. The easy pace before and after the intense training gave us the opportunity to catch up and bond as a group.

For each weekly workout we were separated into sub-groups based on our VDOTs. The VDOT is a calculation, using Jack Daniel's Running Calculator, of how much oxygen the runner can utilize to create energy during intense exercise, and is used to determine how fast each MTP member should run each of their training runs including at the weekly group speedwork session.

This was where we put the pedal to the metal, where Brian got to push us at a pace that sometimes felt like it was beyond what we thought were our limits. Hunched over, gasping for air between each interval there was Brian reminding us that we would thank him for the pain come race day. These group runs served as a motivating agent for me through the rest of the program, especially when the outside conditions were far from ideal.

The Winter Warriors was a group of incredibly supportive individuals with a love for running and who shared a common goal of running our best in our target races. Through the challenging sessions and the harsh winter conditions, the Winter Warriors developed a camaraderie that made the sessions fun and exciting. We were cheerleaders for each other. This was clearly highlighted through the words of encouragement and cheers with each email chain that developed when it came time for our races. 

I know I wasn’t alone in stalking those who ran Boston, tracking their every step from Hopkinton to the finish line via the Boston Marathon app. For my New Jersey Marathon, I had signed up to get text updates on my running mates even though we were running the same race. I didn’t include myself and only found out my official time when Debbie P sent me a congratulatory text message with my finish time soon after I finished.  Even after the winter MTP officially wrapped up, the Winter Warriors were still cognizant of those who ran their races weeks after.

The Winter Warriors gathered for a reunion at the beginning of May to celebrate our results and all the efforts that went into training. It had been more than 3 weeks since the last group session, and I missed them.  At one point we went around the table taking turns to express what we were grateful for with regards to the winter MTP. This is what I am grateful for: 

·         Brian Rosetti, our Run SMART coach. Brian pushed me beyond my perceived limits with each and every workout. And he was the voice of reason when I had a last minute debate with myself over which shoes to wear for this marathon.

·         The Run SMART Project. Without my custom training program I would have been lost.  Undoubtedly, I would have caved in to the call of my warm comfy home instead of going out to log my weekly miles through the brutal winter. 

·         The Winter Warriors as a group. They were my motivators and supporters. They made those Wednesday nights fun despite the less than desired conditions through most of the program.  This was especially so with Pei A, our NY Flyers Treasurer. My subgroup started out as a group of 5 but through some injuries Pei was my constant training partner. She kept me from going too fast or too slow. I think I kept her in check as well. It was just right.

Running with Pei A. at the Oakley Mini 10K

My official time at the NJ Marathon was 3:39:32, a BQ and a PR of just under 15 minutes! But this is really the little cherry on top of my ice cream sundae.  It was the journey through the winter MTP that made the result all the more sweet and rewarding.  

-Tran L

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The Flyers MTP: I Am a Fan of Running Again… and a GPS Watch!

Tran L

I joined the Flyers Marathon Training Program (MTP) with the lofty goal of qualifying for Boston 2014 in an early September race.  This blog entry was to be an exultation piece of my achievement and how the program was the vehicle to my success.  Instead, the outcome so far has been something of even more importance for me, and much needed for this newbie runner. 

With a troubled and barely existent running history, my marathon journey started on the shores of Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman on New Year’s Day in 2011 when I challenged myself to train for and finish a marathon—spring being my target.  I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of starting and finishing a long-term project. 

It was hard at first but as my body got used to running I grew to enjoy the solitude that came with the longer distances.  However, for the next year and a half, my marathon journey was fraught with interruptions and distractions, particularly a serious injury a month before my target marathon due to mistakes I made as a new runner, lack of dedication and commitment to training, and a lot of extended travels.  

Running the 2011 More Fitness Half Marathon
In Central Park

By the start of August last year I was determined to get myself to the start line for my first marathon—the 2012 NYC Marathon.  I was super excited that NYC was to be my first.  Through three months of very dedicated training, following a training program that I purchased and that worked well for me, I was emotionally and physically ready for the race.  Unfortunately, Hurricane Sandy happened and the race eventually was cancelled.  It was a real heart-breaker for me.  I finally ran and comfortably completed my first marathon, the Richmond Marathon, a week later.  I was finally able to call myself a “marathoner.” I was happy and relieved but the excitement was absent.

At Left After the Anthem Richmond Marathon 2012

Physically, I felt great as soon as the day after the race, like I was fully recovered.  I took a week off from running and was hitting the pavement again by the second week.  I wanted to focus on shorter races for the first half of the year and to do another marathon in the fall.  Nonsensically, the result was 8 races - 5 half-marathons, 2-10Ks and 1-4 miler - from January through mid-June.  I had the singular focus to get faster.  My paces kept improving with each race and it was exciting.  But I was starting to get tired by April.  

At the Brooklyn Half

Through May I was physically exhausted but still managed to run the Brooklyn Half in 1:46:13 with inconsistent training runs.  It was then that I thought a Boston Marathon qualifying time (BQ) would be attainable.  

Eventually, I signed up for an early September BQ race.  In the midst of my final race, a 10K, I started to question why I was putting myself through the torture.  For the first time since I started my running journey I did not want to be running.  It was one of the slower races of the eight.  I didn’t run the rest of June.

The Flyers MTP with The Run SMART Project began with the start of July.  By then I had lost a lot of traction with my running.  But I had a goal of, my September BQ race driving me.  We received our individualized training plans and every Wednesday evening we've gathered together for a group quality session, which is anything but easy.  Each session is challenging but varied and fun.  

At a Weekly Wednesday Evening  Summer Workout
With the MTP Group

For me, it was refreshing to be running with others again.  I took to the camaraderie of the group.  Everyone was supportive and encouraging.  I quickly started to look forward to the Wednesday night sessions. Heck, I even scored a free TomTom GPS watch from a company rep who stumbled upon our group while we were congregating for the first group session, and who gave me the free watch to test it out.  

The intensity and focus necessary for these quality sessions eventually allowed me to appreciate the easy runs on the other days, no matter the distance.  I regained the calmness that used to envelope me while running, being in the moment. 

MTP Speedwork Session -- Mile Repeats

My intended BQ marathon was over in September. It was a more challenging course (hills and mostly trails!) than anticipated. Ten weeks of training was unrealistic and not enough to achieve my goal. There was no BQ for Boston 2014.  

However, I did run my personal best marathon time. And more importantly, I truly enjoyed running the race and crossed the finish line with the excitement that was lacking from my first marathon.  I am looking forward to running the upcoming NYC Marathon and to celebrate at the finish with my MTP training group.  Thanks, Flyers MTP and my Flyer friends! 

-Tran L.

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