A message from Virtual Coach Steve Santer

Anytime I start to train for an event I always try and keep this in mind:

-You will have good days and bad days.

I have a friend who always says that running is like life, sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down. There will be days where you feel weightless and you are moving really well, where everything seems to come together during a run and it's really fun. There will also be days where your legs will feel as though they are made of lead, days where you don't want to get up and go for that morning jog.

Remember, EVERY ATHLETE has those days, they are perfectly normal. If running were easy, then everyone would be doing it. The other thing to remember is that in order to have good days you have to have less-than-good days.

The other thing I would like to say to you is welcome to your new life. It's a new life as an athlete, even if you don't feel like it right now each and every one of you is an athlete. In the coming months you will find that things will change for you, you'll get more sleep at night, eat better. Even your vocabulary will change. You will start saying things like "I only have to run a mile today".

Welcome to the Group.

--Steve

As a reminder if you have any questions for Steve about training, post it as a comment here and he will respond.

Meet your Program Coordinator Sarah Siewert

Sarah recently graduated from Michigan State University where she studied communication and public relations. She started as an intern with the Governor’s Council in January 2007 and is now employed full-time. Sarah enjoys playing tennis, weight lifting, running, and spending time with friends and family. She is currently training for her second 5K race which takes place in September. If you have any questions about the program logistics or plans, leave a comment here and she will post a response. Sarah can also be reached at ssiewert@michiganfitness.org or 800-434-8642.

Meet your Nutrition Specialist Dr. Anne Murphy

Anne Murphy was first a Kindergarten teacher and then switched careers because of her interest in nutrition. After finishing her PhD at MSU, she was on the faculty at U of M for eight years (teaching nutrition classes in the nursing major.) Now she works as a consultant--developing nutrition education materials, writing grants and evaluating benefits of nutrition and physical activity programs such as this one! If you have a question about nutrition, please comment here and Anne will post a response. Anne can also be reached at amurphy@charter.net.

Meet your "Virtual Coach" Steve Santer

Steve is a veteran runner and triathlete. He is also the coach of Team Playmakers, a local team that helps runners and walkers properly train for and achieve their goals. Steve is available to help with any questions about training for the 5K race! Simply post your question as a comment and he will respond as soon as possible. Visit www.playmakers.com for more information about Playmakers and running.