Runner’s Edge of the Rockies
I joined a running group last November to train for a half marathon. I knew that I could reach my goal, but I wanted to do it in an environment that offered coaching, encouragement, and other people who were striving for the same goal. When one of my patients told me about Runner’s Edge of the Rockies I was psyched. The first Saturday group run was so much fun. I felt like part of the family from day one. What I didn’t realize is that a lot of the people in my pace group were first-time half-marathoners AND doing my same race! I chose the Phoenix Rock and Roll half marathon ( I am no dummy, I wanted my first half-marathon to be flat, low in elevation, and warmer than Denver in January).
I started training and followed a pretty rigid training schedule that was provided by Coach David Manthy. He was there via email for all questions and concerns, but after the group runs on Saturday he was there to chit chat. He was always checking in to make sure the training was going well. We trained from Thansgiving to mid January. At the time for signing up the race I thought that training for a half marathon would be the perfect way to prevent the holiday weight gain however, that meant training in ice and snow and getting up in the pitch black to get a morning run in before the sun came up.
But it all paid off…. On a Sunday morning in January, I successfully completed my first half-marathon! And I did it with the help of Runner’s Edge and Coach Manthy.
If you are thinking about training with a group for a race goal, I highly encourage it. It is fun, exciting, and worth every step.
Dr. Clark
