before the Peachtree Road Race

Most of us will lay out our Peachtree Road Race uniform the night before. We will also pin our number to our outfit before we go to bed. The night before sleep is way less important than the night before the night before. We may stay up a little later the night before. Getting hammered the night before a race is not recommended but years of research have determined that Racing Under the Influence (RUI) can reduce the pain normally associated with "paying the price" during the race.

The first thing we will notice about the 4th of July is helicopters. Those of us that live near the course will hear the helicopters before we leave the house. Helicopters are everywhere. It is tradition to play "Rocky" while getting dressed.

With Rocky and Helicopters buzzing around our ears, it is important that we remember to walk out with our racing flats. "Racing flats" are another word for our lightest pair of running shoes. They are where the rubber hits the road. They are our most important piece of equipment.

Most of us will be meeting at PRUMC. It is important to remember that much of

Peachtree Street

will be closed at some point so; the drive to the Church will have to be on alternate streets. We will open Sports and Recreation where we will make our final preparations for the race.

Those of us with 4 digit numbers or less will get to run straight to the starting line and stand among the fastest men and women on earth. The spectacle of the PTRR starting line is as good as the race. Fast folks are warming up with their game face on. The press truck is loaded and ready to roll. Atlanta Track Club officials are walking around trying to bring order to the chaos. A big dog preacher says a prayer then the National Anthem is sung with a fly by at the end. Everyone takes their places and Tommy Owens (no relations) fires the gun.

Peachtree Week

There is nothing we can do in the final week to help prepare for the Peachtree Road Race. All we can do this week is hurt ourselves. We are going to step to the line with whatever fitness we have attained in the prior weeks and months. The best thing we can do now is enjoy an easy week at Boot Camp.

Peachtree is now packed with folks getting ready for the Big Race next week. For us, Peachtree Road Race training started in the dead of winter on the hills and stairs. As the weather warmed up, we switched our strength training to tempo and lengthened our runs a bit. Then, as the Sun began to rise earlier in the workouts, we switched our tempo to speed.

The exercises we do allow us to take breaks during our morning runs without allowing our heart rates to drop toward rest. From a cardio vascular standpoint, we maintain 70% of our maximum heart rate for an hour every day. As we do this, we also build a muscular system that supports injury free running. The exercise combined with running give us well rounded, total fitness and can achieve an athletic physique that is popular today. It also allows us to race with folks who run twice as many miles as we do in training. We are a low mileage group that races like a high mileage group.

Plan for Fitness

We had a nice crew working out in ideal conditions this morning. Yesterday we did abs, today we did legs. We will do abs again tomorrow, upper body on Thursday and a combination on Friday. So which day is a good day to miss boot camp this week?

I mean, I guess I don't need a second core workout. My abs are so rock hard and ripped. And, that combo thing looks a little suspicious. If I go out Thursday late, I'll just skip Friday and go the the gym on Saturday. Maybe I'll do a long run on Sunday afternoon after Church. .....

At Peachtree Road Boot Camp, we live an active life. We train our bodies to perform the way they were created to perform. If the rest of the world wants to sit around and watch life pass them by, great for them. We work out every day. The daily discipline works like nothing else. We have demonstrated over the years the power of daily exercise to transform folks into healthy, productive (hot) robo-humans.

Take a few minutes to look at your schedule. Figure out how many weeks you are in town. Register and pay for Boot Camp.

It is amazing. When folks register and pay for Boot Camp, they show up and work out. Make a commitment and then again every night when you lay your head on the pillow.... I'm going tomorrow!

Fathers Day 4 Mile

Fathers Day 4 Mile

Prancer - 23:53 - 1st Master Woman 22nd overall
J. Shannon - 26:21 9th age group 59th over all
D Baker - 26:46 8th age group 65th overall
Glamour - 28:24 3rd age group 112th overall

Age Graded is becoming more popular during this second running boom.

Folks are giving way more at6tention to age graded performances. A 60 year old man can finish 100th in a race and have the top performance of the day based on this age "handicap."

Our race team ALL finished in the top 10 in their age groups. We are running at a middling club runner level on MINIMAL mileage. We are doing it with up tempo efforts (crazy 8s and road miles) and tons of exercise that keep our heart rates up on easy days.

For those who are interested in "going to the next level", this is the Prancer experiment:

Last 8 weeks mileage: 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 45, 40, 35. She has been "padding the book" before, after and during Boot Camp. The extra miles allow her to maintain lactate threshold for more and more minutes. While she was good before, the extra strength and stamina she is getting from the extra miles is putting her near some very good people.

Anyone who wants to can do this. It is a simple program that requires strict discipline and a sincere desire.

I phone camera sucks

commitment

commitment:
1. the act of committing.

2. the state of being committed.

3. the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself.

4. a pledge or promise; obligation:

5. engagement; involvement:

 

The commitment is to Boot Camp, the folks we work out with and most importantly, to ourselves. This deal is a gift we give ourselves every day. Thanks for making it.

John S	28
Margaret	27
Lisa	26
Glamour	26
Kaffee	25
Barb	25
Dave B	24
Arnaud	24
Harriott	23
Caroline	23
Irene	22
Cindy	22
Charles	22
Amy	22
Wendy	21
Susie Mac	21
Kathleen	21
Jimmy F	21
Roxanna	20
Maggie	20
Susie C	19
Mary	19
Karyn	18
Jen Jen	18
Prancey	17
John G.	17
Mary M.	16
Katie	16
Jonathan	16
Michael G.	15
Mary D.	15
June	15
John O'Neill	15
Reba	14
Jenny	14
Connie	14
John O.	13
Alan	12
Yesim	11
Christine/DQ	11
Chris W.	11
Paige	10
John B	10
Michael S.	9
Liz	9
Frank	9
Steef	8
Leslie	8
Eileen	8
Sally	7
Reid	7
Molly D	7
Jennifer/Jeff	7
Fred Glass	7
Ellie	7
Cindy Neal	7
Kwithee	6

Speed

Summer Track is almost over. The Olympic trials are about to start. The Worlds largest 10K is weeks away. Then, London will host The Games.

Everyone is trying to run fast. This morning, there were a half a dozen random folks doing a track workout before we showed up. They are "gettin ready".

Peachtree is packed all day every day right now. Folks are training for the big race.

We are sharpening. We have all of the strength, stamina and speed we are going to carry in the race. Now we are trying to identify and duplicate the pace we can comfortably traverse the Earth at Lactate threshold. How fast can we go and be relatively relaxed and not sucking wind?

John S	27
Margaret	25
Lisa	24
Glamour	24
Arnaud	24
Kaffee	23
Barb	23
Harriott	22
Charles	22
Amy	22
Roxanna	22
Kathleen	22
Dave B	21
Cindy	21
Susie Mac	21
Wendy	20
Irene	20
Caroline	20
Susie C	19
Maggie	19
Jimmy F	19
Mary	18
Karyn	18
Mary M.	17
Prancey	16
Katie	16
John G.	16
Jen Jen	16
Michael G.	15
June	15
Mary D.	14
Jonathan	14
John O'Neill	14
Connie	14
Jenny	14
Reba	13
John O.	12
Alan	12
Yesim	11
Liz	10
John B	9
Frank	9
Christine/DQ	9
Chris W.	9
Steef	8
Paige	8
Michael S.	8
Leslie	8
Eileen	8
Reid	7
Molly D	7
Ellie	7
Cindy Neal	7
Kwithee	7
Sally	6
Fred Glass	6
Stephanie	5
Matt	5
Jennifer/Jeff	5
David Glass	5
Mitch	4
Kristen	4
Jodi	3

Day 24

John S & Glam are getting ready for Peachtree. Margaret and Arnaud are seriously training. Barb and Lisa have gone full robobabe. Cha Cha, harRIOTt & K. Hop are steady and progressing. Everyone else is looking great and IN - Shape. Everyone with 24 days gets a Tee Shirt. 

John S	24
Arnaud	22
Glamour	22
Margaret	22
Barb	21
Lisa	21
Charles	20
Harriott	20
Kaffee	20
Amy	19
Dave B	19
Kathleen	19
Roxanna	19
Cindy	18
Karyn	18
Susie Mac	18
Caroline	17
Irene	17
Jimmy F	17
Maggie	17
Susie C	17
Wendy	17
Katie	16
Mary	16
June	15
Mary M.	15
Connie	14
Jen Jen	14
John G.	14
Mary D.	14
Michael G.	14
Prancey	14
Jenny	13
John O'Neill	13
Jonathan	13
Alan	12
John O.	12
Reba	11
Yesim	11
Chris W.	9
Frank	9
Christine/DQ	8
Eileen	8
Leslie	8
Liz	8
Michael S.	8
Cindy Neal	7
Ellie	7
Molly D	7
Paige	7
Reid	7
Steef	7
John B	6
Fred Glass	5
Kwithee	5
Matt	5
Sally	5
Stephanie	5
David Glass	4
Jennifer/Jeff	4