Race Week is Here! I think we received the best endorsement ever this past Sunday following the Toledo Glass City Marathon from none other than Nationwide Children's Columbus Marathon Director, Darris Blackford who said, "So happy I joined up to train with you all this spring ... you might be stuck with me for the summer, too ..." It's been an incredible season. We couldn't be happier that you joined up with us for this season. All things considered the weather has been fantastic for the Saturday workouts. You stuck it out during the tough workouts. You laughed, you cried, you harassed each other, and embraced one another. You are a team that has bonded over the weeks of training. Your are a family that has grown stronger together mile after mile. The big fi'ng hill at FrontRunner Worthington has tested your resolve. Tim and I were discussing this one day as we were impressed at how strong you have grown. Each week, you come up that hill looking more fit, and more confident. Yes there were days that you despised that hill, but each week you conquered it. There is no training group in the country as ready for race day as you are after attacking that hill week in and week out. I have been coaching since the fall of 2002. I started my coaching career with a group of young men who's average 5K time at the end of the season was 15:53. Seven guys. And that was their average! These guys were tough as nails. They would run through a wall if I'd asked them to. I met up with a couple of them for lunch a few weeks back. We talked about their lives since then, we rehashed the "glory days" of that season, they asked about Harper, and they asked about you. These guys who could chase down a herd of antelope were most interested in MIT. Their parents still live in Worthington so they've seen you occasionally grinding out the miles, and they were nothing short of impressed. As a coach I've had many proud moments. From the days of coaching high school gazelles to my days with MIT. My former athletes mentioned above asked me what I'm most proud of. They already knew then answer. Of course I was/am proud of them, and all they'd accomplished. But, every day I wake up I am proud to see the progress you make with MIT. You come from all walks of life, with a wide range of motivations, and something incredible happens. The bonds formed on the trail change us all. Yeah, you get fit, you get stronger, you become ready for a half or full marathon. I am most proud of your confidence, and the way it gradually reshapes your life, and our community. This coming Saturday that confidence is truly going to shine. You may not feel it yet. The nerves are still leading the way. During your race you'll have high moments, and you have low moments. When you come across that finish line your confidence and and pride will be on display, and you will inspire our community! I can't wait to be there waiting for you. Saturday is your day. Enjoy it. Be strong. Be confident. Be you. See you Saturday! Jeff MIT Race Day Singlets Are Available! Represent the crew who got you ready for race day! We have men's and women's sizing available up to XXL and WXXL. Singlets are at the Polaris store. (Presently in stock is WL, WXL, ML, MXL, reinforcements of other sizes coming late Thursday!) Cost is $15. Join us again next season! We are honored that you choose to train with us. We love what we do because of you! Our next season begins June 10th as we prepare for the Nationwide Children's Columbus Marathon. Renew your membership today at TrainWithMIT.com. Fall schedules are going up this week and next! CAP CITY EXPO REMINDER In case you missed it the expo is located the The VUE this year. You must pick up your packet in person. Parking will be interesting, so be sure to allot some extra time. The Vue 95 Liberty St, Columbus, OH 43215 Hours Thursday, April 27th from 12 p.m. - 8 p.m. (expo open) Friday, April 28th from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. (expo open) Cap City Race Day Logistics Not racing? We Need Volunteers! We could use a few helping hands with transporting gear and of course our world famous cheer station! Click here to fill out our Google Form letting us know where you can help! Where will we meet? We will again be meeting at the Hyatt. This year we will meet on the first floor in in the Hayes room. Plan to park in the hotel garage or the lots to the east of the hotel off Nationwide Blvd. How to get to the Hayes room?! I scoped it out and the best way to get into the Hayes room is to go in the main entrance located on Nationwide Blvd. After entering there is an entry on the right side that goes to the conference rooms. Walk past Nationwide A& B rooms, past Taft, and past McKinley. We will have bit MIT signs with arrows pointing you in the right direction. What time should you arrive? The room will be open as early as 5:00am. Come early, relax, and join us as we walk you to the starting corrals! Most folks tend to arrive between 5:30am and 6:00am. This will give you plenty of time to find us, find the restrooms, meet up with your pace group buddies, and relax! What about my gear? Leave that to us and our wonderful volunteers! We will transport your bags to celebration village. You just worry about following our crew to the starting line! Getting to the corrals: We will depart the hotel at 6:45 to do our warm-up walk to the corrals. To dodge the traffic on High St. We will head straight down Third St to the Commons. We will have volunteers hold up signs for the various corrals. Once we get you to the commons, our volunteers will head down Town St, Rich St, Main St or Mound St. depending on the corrals they are heading to. Follow our volunteers and they will get you to the right spot! See the map below for the layout of the corrals. In the corrals: Keep your throw-away gear on until you get close to the starting line. No sense taking off early just to get cold. Believe me, you'll have plenty of time to get your clothes off as the walk each wave to towards the starting line after the start of the elite wave. During the race: Be amazing! You are ready. It is your day to show Columbus what you are made of! Have a great race and we will see you at the finish! At the finish: Enjoy every moment! Hug the volunteers. Eat ALL the food. Drink all the tasty beverages. Come find us in the MIT/Fleet Feet + FrontRunner Tents. We will be there to greet you with a smile, a hug, and more adult beverages! New and Noteworthy FrontRunner + Fleet Feet and Fit For Life Physical Therapy are proud to present our Women’s Health Week program from Sunday May 14 through Saturday May 20, hosted by women's health specialist Dr Anita Somani. Please join us for a week of informative and interactive discussions all designed for active women! Sunday May 14 – 12:00 noon: Celebrate Mothers’ Day with FrontRunner + Fleet Feet with a Special Sale for all Mothers - Professional Bra Fittings and 20% off all bras and women's apparel! RSVP! Monday May 15 – Fleet Feet and Fit For Life Physical Therapy on Polaris Parkway – 6:30 p.m.: Access to Care with Dr Beth Liston (internal medicine & pediatric specialist), then Wellness/Meditation/Stillness with Rita Hari (integrative health coach) making the food:mind connection for active people - RSVP! Tuesday May 16 – 6:30 p.m.: FrontRunner and Fit For Life Physical Therapy on Lane Avenue – Why every month should be breast health month by Dr Mark Cripe (breast care specialist) - RSVP! Wednesday May 17 – 6:30 p.m.: Fleet Feet and Fit For Life Physical Therapy on Polaris Parkway – Exercise in the Twilight – incontinence for the aging athlete. Drs Nicole Book (urogynecologist) & Anita Somani (ob/gyn) - RSVP! Thursday May 18 – 6:30 p.m.: FrontRunner and Fit For Life Physical Therapy on Lane Avenue – Exercise in the Reproductive Years - running, nutrition, energy levels from Pre-Conception through Pregnancy and Breast Feeding. Drs Kristin Devor (preventative medicine expert) & Anita Somani - RSVP! Friday May 19 – 6:30 p.m.: Fleet Feet and Fit For Life Physical Therapy on Polaris Parkway – Dr Somani discusses "Food as Medicine," followed by a cooking demonstration & sampling with Local Matters, and a wine tasting with Vintage Wine Distributor, courtesy of Linda Wallace RSVP! Saturday May 20 – 11:00 a.m.: Fleet Feet and Fit For Life Physical Therapy on Polaris Parkway – Women's Health Fun Run 5K, Mimosas and Pancakes with Jeff Henderson, and a Meet & Greet (12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m.) with all of the speakers from the week. Professional Bra Fittings and 20% off all bras and women's apparel! RSVP! Work-Out Notes Wednesday, April 26, 2017 Whetstone High School Start: 6:30PM Distances: Everyone: 3x1000m at marathon pace We will finish the workout at Jeff's for a couple celebratory beverages! Carbs are good for you;) Educational Topic of the Week Race Strategy Reminders "Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success." Remember to have a plan. Follow it. Race Day Prep - What to do, what to pack, what not to do! Holy smokes! Race day is nearly upon us. Poor planning leads to poor results. Finalize your planning now to help ensure your success on race day. Plus, getting this all figured out this week will help take a lot of the stress out of next week. This is supposed to be fun, right?! Below we have two resources from the best in the business. Hot Wheels Calvert has a short, sweet checklist to serve as a healthy reminder for the night before. Download & Print Davey's Night Before List here! Coach Randy has run more marathons than anyone in MIT, and has done his fair share of gear packing. His list is the essential go to for all the miscellaneous things I forget to do on a daily basis, let alone on race day. Check out Randy's list here. Perfect recovery workout during your taper! AlterG anti-gravity treadmill can assist you with precise unweighting technology on a treadmill which has the following benefits: Thank you to our sponsors! |