I run for Sophie

A few months ago, I signed up for a running buddy through I Run For Michael.  Finally.....after months of waiting....I got matched with a girl who will get me out of bed when it is hard and I don't want to do it.

Her name is Sophie.  She was born with Hereditary Sensory Autonomic Neuropathy Type 2, non-Charcot Marie Toot.  I am still learning about it and what it all means.  I know that she communicates with assistive technology.  What I love is that she communicates with my via Facebook.  I love it!  I send notes to her and she sends notes back.   I love that I can share my running adventures with her and she keeps me honest so that I have adventures to share.

Apparently she likes Disney, so I will have lots of adventures to share with her in the next few months!

It just got real

So, I'm coached now.  Doesn't that make me seem legit?  I have a running coach.  I can tell people that "my coach said."  It's pretty cool.

Once the coolness wears off, it's still pretty awesome.  Every two weeks, I get a training plan that tells me when and how to run.  I am running one extra day a week but the runs are shorter right now.  I have a crazy race schedule, which is wreaking havoc on my training plan, but every two weeks it comes.

In addition to the plan, there are 3 group runs every week.  Two are at 5:30am (in the morning) on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the third is at 7am on Saturday.  At those runs, the coaches are on hand to answer quick questions and check in on how the training is going.

The workouts are different than I had been doing.  Now I have easy runs and speedwork and tempo runs.  I play with intervals and focus on pace.   The hard runs are hard and the easy runs are easy.  Running now requires thinking, which takes my mind off of running.  It's a great plan.  :)

I'll keep you posted on how it is going!