Bloo
d was pounding in our ears, we could hear our rasping breathing and our quads felt like jello… we were doing our hill training for the sun run clinic and we were on our 16th run up the steep hill up Bute from Beach Ave. It was clear that unless I was there to push them through this, no one would have gotten near this hill once, much less 16 times!! But I was doing it with them, (and suffering too!) if that was any consolation. Probably not.
I started the Stellar Sun Run clinic to give my clients another opportunity to get in shape in addition to their personal training sessions with me. This was offered for free for all my clients. This is a very cost-effective and easy way for my clients to reach their fitness goals, whether it was to lose weight, get more fit, get toned… usually all three! The key to an overall healthier lifestyle starts with a clear plan with reachable goals. Then stick with it and be consistent. We started the Run 10K Faster training program 13 weeks before the Sun Run. Some of the members of my clinic were following the “Learn to Run” program instead. I would increase the warm-up and cool-down time to either program to match the time period. Everyone would run at their own pace and halfway through the run, they would all turn back. This allowed us all to finish at the same time and stretch together. I ran amongst everyone coaching on running style, breathing and race strategies. Often we would get together for brunch afterwards. For many of my clients who were unable to make the Saturday clinic runs, I would check and correct their gait in the gym, provide them with the proper program and guide them through the runs by email or go over it verbally when I trained them. Race day!! Everyone was nervous but I told them that they had done all the work already. The thrice weekly runs, the training sessions, the crazy hill-run training, were all culminating to reach this point and we were ready!! I’m so happy to report that everyone in my Stellar Training Team reached their fastest time ever, and all who were doing it for the first time, surpassed all expectations!!! Yaaaaaay team!!! I feel especially proud about the fact that my clients who had never run for more than 10 minutes, or had never dreamed that they would ever run 10km, were all able to finish the run in a little over an hour!
How’s that for Stellar results!! Next up, half-marathon clinic…. And a Grouse Grind Club. Whoo hooo!!
