| Strides for Life training advice from Suzanne |
| Designed for: The first time Strides for Life runner |
| Penguins |
| Those who want to be able to dance at the finish line celebration |
| (after dancing at the 4 mile stop 5 times for each day of Strides for Life) |
| This is not a race. |
| It is a running experience contributing to the fight against cancer. |
| What does Strides for Life running entail? |
| * Each of four days there are five legs which vary from 2.9 to 6.9 miles. |
| * Each leg is divided into short segments with aid stations at |
| approximately 1, 2.5, 4 and 5 miles. |
| * Running begins at 8:00am and finishes at 4:00 to 4:30pm. |
| * The 100 mile course is point to point from Bloomingdale to Grand Rapids. |
| * The group remains in close proximity by starting the slower paced runners |
| first. The pace coordinator assigns start times. |
| ~ Starting with the first group is determined by a chosen pace of |
| approximately 10 minutes per mile, or |
| ~ Preference to begin a leg with a warm-up walk, or |
| ~ Accommodation or avoidance of pain or injury, or |
| ~ A more relaxed pace due to pregnancy |
| * Runners must be able to cover 5 miles in one hour. |
| * Runners are transported to the starting point each of two days. Day |
| three begins at Hope College. |
| * Runners are transported from the finish point each of two days. Day |
| two ends at Hope College. The final day ends at Millennium Park. |
| * There is a break at the end of each leg of at least 10 minutes. |
| * A 1.5 hour break is taken after leg three for lunch - and also - massage, nap |
| swim, basketball, cards, getting to know teammates, phone calls, at the |
| choice of each participant. |
| * It is essential to hydrate at every aid station. Water, sports drinks and |
| fruit are provided as well as the incidentals; sunscreen, bug spray, lubricant, |
| antacid. Enjoy the hydration breaks even if you do not do this in your |
| regular training. It is also a chance to get to know and thank the support crew. |
| The dance break at the 4 mile stop is a nice change of pace and chance to use |
| some different muscles. |
| * The option to take a ride in a support vehicle is open to runners who |
| need to accommodate or avoid pain or injury. |
| Who am I to offer advice? |
| I am a 58 year old female, adult onset runner who first ran Strides for Life in 1999. |
| I started running in 1995 and my first event was RiverBank 25k. I have remained a |
| bit faster than average for my age division but, more important, injury free. I run |
| 35 to 70 events throughout the year, including 2 to 4 marathons, 4 to 6 half marathons, |
| one 30k, one 25k and as many 15ks, 10ks, 8ks, and 5ks as possible and, of course, |
| Strides for Life. I often run two events in the same day as preparation. |
| Strides for Life is a unique event. |
| Training core elements |
| If you are considering Strides for Life you are already a consistent runner. |
| Base mileage |
| You should have been running 15 to 20 miles per week for at least 6 months |
| before beginning Strides for Life training. |
| Gradual mileage increases |
| Add no more than 10% more miles per week. Add an additional day of running |
| per week, if you feel it's needed. |
| Long runs |
| Long runs are essential to a comfortable and injury free Strides for Life experience. |
| A long run every other week can reduce the potential for over use injury while continuing |
| to build endurance. Two a day runs are useful to get in longer mileage for the day and |
| help prepare for the Strides for Life rhythm. Try two a day runs once or twice a week |
| every other week through May and June. Training runs at different times of the day also |
| aid in preparing for Strides for Life. |
| 24 week "easy" training schedule |
| or jump in wherever your training permits. |
| Stick with the regular training that has been working for you regarding days of |
| running and rest. Also, maintain the running schedule that has been successful |
| for you as far as a mid-week medium run - or not. |
| This schedule addresses only the weekend long runs. The mileages are placed on |
| Saturday for the purpose of assigning a date only. This is an easy schedule with |
| a long run every other week. Adjust and adapt as it suits your lifestyle and running |
| comfort. If you over train you are liable to suffer an injury and miss your regular |
| running as well as Strides for Life. |
| January 1 This is a good day, for me, to work in two runs and set the trend for the |
| year. I usually do Resolution Run (4 miles ) at 8:00am in EGR and Sgt. |
| Preston (10k) in Muskegon at 11:00am. There are generally lots of |
| options wherever you live. |
| January 5 10 April 5 12 |
| January 12 8 April 12 18 |
| January 19 12 April 19 14 |
| January 26 9 April 26 18 |
| February 2 12 May 3 10 |
| February 9 9 May 10 15.5 Riverbank |
| February 16 14 May 17 11 or 8 + 6 |
| February 23 10 May 24 20 or 15 + 10 |
| May 31 12 or 10 + 6 |
| March 1 14 June 7 20 or 15 + 10 |
| March 8 10 June 19,20,21 and 22 Strides |
| March 15 16 |
| March 22 12 A spring Marathon can be |
| March 29 16 scheduled as a training run. |
| Suzanne's advice is free and it's worth it. Other sources for running advice: |
| Strides for Life "intermediate to advanced" training schedule |
| http://www.runnersworld.com |
| http://www.classicrace.com |
| http://www.marathonguide.com |
| http://www.runmichigan.com |
| http://www.grandrapidsrunningclub.org |