How to Solve Your Biggest Motivation Struggles

Just mention motivation and I’m going to spend a few seconds in thought remembering that late 90’s Sprite commercial where it’s so famous for the line, “What’s my motivation?”

Do you remember that commercial? If you’re due for a chuckle today, check it out.

What makes the commercial so funny are the actors. At first, you believe they’re tough street ball players with large egos, but they’re actually actors with large egos. When the scene falls apart, one actor gloats about his past accomplishment, one loses his concentration, and the other can’t find his motivation.

The commercial exposes the fragile ego of an actor.

The great thing about this commercial is the lesson hidden in the funniest line.

What’s my motivation?

Let’s face it. When you’re training for a race, any race, it is absolutely necessary to set ego aside. I believe training with an ego is one of the leading causes of injury. And training with an ego will lead to loss of concentration and motivation. If you’re embarking on training for a race my advice to you is:

Let your ego drop away so you can get real about what truly motivates you to accomplish your goal.

As a trainer and runner what I know to be true is how hard it is to stay motivated while you’re training for a race. You start off strong, but the weeks of training get long. You have other life obligations and social distractions. You end up having a hard long run and you’re left questioning your ability.

So, while you’re setting up your training plan, how about also setting up a motivation plan? Training and motivation go hand in hand, especially if your goal is to train every week and make it strongly to race day. When you sit down to set up your training plan, it’s essential to incorporate the following motivation techniques:

1. Set realistic goals.

I’ve had to learn and apply this technique the hard way. I unrealistically set out on my very first half marathon with a time goal. I wanted to finish my first half marathon in under 2 hours, ha! I trained hard. Too hard. And 6 miles into the race, things fell apart and I finished in just over 3 hours.

Whether you’re training for your first race or you’re a veteran racer, setting realistic goals means you begin training with your current ability.

Even if you’ve never run and have always wanted to, you can still train for any race. Just take into consideration the distance you’ll begin training with and the amount of weeks it’ll take to get to your goal distance.

2. Rest between the hard days.

I find this particularly important when you’re training and you’ve reached a new distance. Take a rest to acknowledge your accomplishment and to give your body the space to recover and become stronger so that you can train further. Build rest days into your training schedule when you have training runs that are new distances for you or that are new in speed.

3. Take conscious control of your thoughts.

You have the ability to sabotage or overcome your training with the power of your thoughts. The beauty of training for a race is not just the physical challenge, but the mental challenge. As it happens running is more mental than physical. There will be plenty of instances throughout training when you will be tested mentally. Your mind will even try to trick you into believing that you are experiencing a physical set back. That’s how powerful the mind is.

Here’s what you do… build positive thinking strategies and gratitude into your training. What I have found most impactful is the use of affirmations. I create my own or borrow from other runners and play them back in my mind before, during, and after training runs. When I trained for my first marathon I recorded two minutes worth of affirmations and listened to them every night as well as at the starting line of the race. Those affirmations gave me a lot of mental power that I used as fuel for the hard miles.

One of my favorite affirmations comes from Shalane Flanagan who used “cold execution” during the 2011 Olympic Trials.

4. Move forward by walking.

When all else crumbles during a training run just keep moving forward. When you’re reviewing your training plan, it’s a good idea to accept the possibility that you will have some excruciatingly hard training runs. For those really hard runs it’s okay to walk in order to move forward, to count the miles. One of the things I love about the Jeff Galloway run/walk/run™ method is that the walks are already built into the run. They’re important to keep your legs strong, but they also serve as breaks to check your posture, keep your head up, and refresh your affirmations.

5. Know your challenges.

We all have our challenges. Those obstacles that keep us from staying on track and motivated through training. For me, it’s the holiday season. From November through the New Year, I’m just not mentally focused on running and I’d be setting myself up for failure by embarking on any race training during this time. For others it’s training through winter or summer, or training with a time goal. Maybe you’ll be doing a lot of travel for work or you have family obligations that will create a challenge to run every weekend. If you’re looking to train for a race, please consider any challenges that may present an obstacle for training.

6. Stay connected to your tribe.

I love my Jeff Galloway training group! We’re a group of like-minded runners with the same run/walk injury free philosophy in the Twin Cities.

What’s important to you in your training? Maybe you’re training for Boston or a specific time goal. Are you a couch to 5k runner? Are you a mother runner? Or are you a run/walk runner?

There are tons of groups out there to fit your motivation for running. And connecting to a running group can do a lot to fill in any motivation gaps. There’s something special about connecting to a group of runners and using the energy of the group to carry you forward during the weeks of training. Plus, it feels great to see your running companions accomplish their goals, to share the motivation.

What’s your motivation?

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Jeff Galloway Training Group is dedicated to helping you accomplish your big training goals in an injury free run/walk/run™ format. We’ll help you with a training plan and keep you motivated! We’ve just begun training for fall races. If you’d like to train for a 10 mile, half marathon, or full marathon connect with our group.

For more information, contact us.

2015 Training!

We’re officially in our 3rd year of Jeff Galloway training in the Twin Cities! If you’re looking for a way to run, have fun and stay injury free, come out and join us! This year we have 3 training sessions for you to choose from:

January 2015 Kickoff

For spring half marathons and summer marathons

March 7, 2015 Kickoff

For summer half marathons and fall marathons

July 18, 2015

For fall half marathons

Or Contact Me for your questions!

2014 Training Dates

Spring 2014 Half Marathon Training Group Schedule

Week	Run	Date
1	3 miles	Feb. 8, 2014
2	4 miles w/MM	Feb 15, 2014
3	5 miles	Feb. 22, 2014
4	6 miles	Mar. 1, 2014
5	5k	Mar. 8, 2014
6	8 miles	Mar. 15, 2014
7	6 miles	Mar. 22, 2014
8	9.5 miles	Mar. 29, 2014
9	6 miles	Apr. 5, 2014
10	11 miles	Apr. 12, 2014
11	4 miles w/MM	Apr. 19, 2014
12	12.5 miles	Apr. 26, 2014
13	6 miles	May 3, 2014
14	14 miles	May 10, 2014
15	7 miles	May 17, 2014
16	Half Marathon	May 24, 2014
17	5 miles	May 31, 2014
18	5 miles	Jun. 7, 2014

Run times do not include warm up or cool down walks. Some dates may include specialty clinics.
MM = Magic Mile Weather and Location Permitting

Summer 2014 Half Marathon Training Group Schedule

Week	Run	Date
1	3 miles	Mar. 22, 2014
2	4 miles w/MM	Mar. 29, 2014
3	5 miles	Apr. 5, 2014
4	6 miles	Apr. 12, 2014
5	5k	Apr. 19, 2014
6	8 miles	Apr. 26, 2014
7	6 miles	May 3, 2014
8	9.5 miles	May 10, 2014
9	6 miles	May 17, 2014
10	11 miles	May 24, 2014
11	4 miles w/MM	May 31, 2014
12	12.5 miles	Jun. 7, 2014
13	6 miles	Jun. 14, 2014
14	14 miles	Jun. 21, 2014
15	7 miles	Jun. 28, 2014
16	Half Marathon	July 4, 2014
17	5 miles	July 12, 2014
18	5 miles	Jun. 19, 2014

Run times do not include warm up or cool down walks. Some dates may include specialty clinics.
MM = Magic Mile Weather and Location Permitting

The Runner’s Life

Do you remember when you made up your mind to give running a try and realized you actually liked it? You decided to keep running and along the journey resolved to enter a race. From there, you entered more races, trained for longer distances and made personal time goals to beat.

Then Boom! Because of training frequency, duration, or intensity, you were slapped with injury. You put mind over matter and determined to run through the pain. You lived with it, or are living with it now, as a chronic running injury. Sometimes you’re forced to rest for weeks or entire training seasons at a time. Still, you keep training hard, going longer distances, and you continue to treat the pain without solving the problem of injury.

Mike, member of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Jeff Galloway Training Group, has experienced all of the above in his running journey, but has done one thing differently. Mike found a way to get rid of the pain. And he plans to stay injury free.

In 1999, while living in England and working as a mechanical engineer, Mike decided to start running because he wanted and needed some type of exercise he could do easily. “A pair of shoes are easier than a gym membership” Mike says.

I like running. I like exercising. It feels awesome to run. It feels even better afterwards.

When Mike first started running, he made the classic beginner runner mistake that so many of us make. He didn’t pace himself, ran too hard, and built up too much lactic acid, essentially going too fast for the shape he was in at the time. Mike recalled that his first half mile out of the door was always his fastest time, and he never ran beyond 4 miles at a time.

After 7 years of on and off running and a move back to the US, Mike registered for his first race–the Mora (Minnesota) Half Marathon. Although a half marathon is an ambitious undertaking for any runner, Mike admits to compressing the training schedule into 8 weeks. Imagine the amount of physical stress he put on his body. By going beyond the suggested 10% mileage increase each week, Mike’s legs were “jelly” by the time he and his wife/training partner reached the 8- and 10-mile training runs.

The week we did 12 or 12.5, we couldn’t move the rest of the day.

If Mike’s running experience isn’t sounding familiar yet, maybe this will. After years of conditioning the body to train too hard with a stride that landed his heel too far in front of him, the physical stress took a toll and Mike was slammed with injury. For three years, he suffered with debilitating shin splints.

If you’ve ever experienced shin splints, you know that ice and rest are completely temporary treatments. The moment you start to run again, you’re experiencing pain that feels like the muscle in front of your lower leg is being ripped away from your bone.

Instead of a runner’s life stacked with chronic shin splints, Mike made two tremendous changes.

Mike explained how watching the natural running videos by Newton and switching to the Jeff Galloway Run/Walk/Run training method saved his running life.

I heard about Newton somehow. That was the first time I heard about this natural running thing. Everything they said made sense, engineering-wise. Watching the videos made sense to me. After years went by, I heard more about Galloway and how it was a good injury free method and for recovery. Everything was pointing to making it easier on my body because I was putting my legs through too much.

No More Jelly Legs

Over the last year, Mike has concentrated on changing his stride by landing with his feet directly underneath his body while incorporating the Jeff Galloway training method. Things have been going so well that currently, he’s training for the Red, White & Boom! TC Half Marathon with the Minneapolis/St. Paul Jeff Galloway Training Group. After our 9.5-mile group run, Mike said, “I felt awesome for the rest of the day.”

These days, Mike has one long term goal: not getting injured again. When I asked him about his short term goals, particularly for the upcoming half marathon he said, “I’m just happy to stay injury free.”

Mike also says that one day he’d like to train for a full marathon. For now he prefers to spend his free time with his young daughters. He and his wife, who also runs half and full marathons using the Jeff Galloway method, are raising a family of future runners. Both of their daughters recently completed a 2k race at the Apple Blossom races in Hastings, Minnesota.

Does Mike’s runner’s life inspire you to begin running or to make changes in your training method? Well, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Jeff Galloway Training Groups has training sessions available in the 5k, 10k, half marathon, and marathon distances. New sessions begin in June! Join us and learn how to live the rest of your runner’s life injury free!

Join us for a FREE run! We run as a group every Saturday morning at 8:00am at various locations throughout the Twin Cities. Fill out our contact form and receive information on where our next run will be.

The Runner’s Life

“Thank you Mrs. Incredible for taking a picture with me!”

“Are you kidding? You’re the one running this half marathon! You are the real Mrs. Incredible!”

Meet Jenny! She’s our Mrs. Incredible of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Jeff Galloway Training  Group. What makes her so incredible? Well, Jenny began running just a year ago and she’s already completed her first half marathon–the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February 2013. Anyone who can start running and cross the finish line of a half marathon in less than a year is incredible in my book.

But wait! There’s more. Jenny did it all as a military spouse and a new mom! When her husband returned from an overseas deployment as a runner, and her son was only 9 months old, Jenny decided to give running a try as well. After months of being in survival mode as a new mom, in a new job, living in a new city, Jenny said to herself, “Okay. So, I’m going to start this. I’m going to do this for myself.” Making healthy lifestyle changes became a priority.

Jenny runs because she enjoys it. Jenny says, “It’s stress relief therapy because I can do it and not have to think about anything. Plus there’s variety in running like getting to be outdoors, completing races in different places, and trying different running courses.”

Jenny first joined a running group for mothers as a beginner using interval training similar to a couch to 5k program. Incredibly, she completed her first 5k within two months of becoming a runner and keeps running to get better and to accomplish longer distances.

Because Jeff Galloway is the official RunDisney training consultant, Jenny began training using the Jeff Galloway Run/Walk/Run™ method to train for the Disney Princess Half Marathon.

 It’s more conservative than other training programs. And the body gets a chance to re-energize and the long runs don’t seem quite so long.

Jenny doesn’t like training alone because the long runs can be boring, especially during Minnesota winters when indoor running becomes a requirement. She once had to complete 100 laps around an indoor track for a training run! Not fun. During her half marathon training season, Jenny kept looking on the JeffGalloway.com website for a local Twin Cities training group to join.

Although the Twin Cities Jeff Galloway Training Group kicked off its first season after Jenny’s first half marathon, she joined the group anyway. “It’s like you’re family. Everyone is so welcoming and encouraging,” Jenny says about the group. “There’s a variety of running experience, and the men bring a different perspective because they make it more competitive.”

Although she’s in her twenties, Jenny is accomplishing goals most people spend their lives dreaming about. Like slashing 4 minutes off her 10k personal best time. And she plans to complete her first marathon by January 2014. Go Jenny! I’ve never met a runner like Jenny who starts running for the first time in her life and within a year makes completing a marathon a reachable goal.

I appreciate Jenny so much because since the Jeff Galloway group first kicked off in the Twin Cities she has always been present to help and always has positive suggestions. She didn’t hesitate when I asked her to become a Pace Group Leader to support and encourage our other group members. And just last week after having to stop during one of her weekend races to help a fallen stranger get emergency help and attention, Jenny suggested we have a brief clinic on the importance of carrying ID during all runs and races.

 Jenny is the type of person you want running in your group. She’s young, ready to run, and full of drive. With the goal of accomplishing a marathon, I want to be with her every step of the way.

Although Jenny’s husband is not shown in the picture above with Mrs. Incredible, he did run the Disney Princess Half Marathon with her. She says, “it was living hell for him, but he is really supportive and ran every race with me last year.” Cheers to Jenny and her incredible journey!

We’re looking for new members to train with us! Do you have a goal of finishing a 5k, 10k, half marathon, or marathon? The Minneapolis/St. Paul Jeff Galloway Training Groups kick off new training groups this June! We’ll get you safely across any finish line including the Disney Marathon and Half Marathon in January 2014!

Join us for a FREE run and informational session on Saturday, June 1 at the Minneapolis Washburn High School track at 9:00 a.m. One lucky participant will win a FREE 12 week training session. For more information about Jeff Galloway visit his website www.JeffGalloway.com.

Win a FREE 12 Week Minneapolis/St. Paull Jeff Galloway Training Session!

Weather in the Twin Cities is finally becoming nice! Do you have plans to really enjoy the outdoors? Well, how about giving a 5k or 10k race a shot this summer? Or maybe running a marathon or half marathon is on your bucket list…

Have you thought about giving running a try only to be slammed with doubt?

– Running is too hard.

– Running is painful.

– I could never run and finish a race.

Well, let me tell you… YOU CAN DO IT!

All smiles after 9.5 miles!

With the Jeff Galloway Run/Walk/Run™ method, you can learn how to run the INJURY FREE way and successfully cross ANY finish line! This safe, smart, and realistic training method is for runners at any and all levels. Trust me – You will LOVE to run!

The Jeff Galloway Training Program makes goals and distances become more achievable. – Twin Cities Galloway Group Member

We’re giving away a FREE 12 week training session to one lucky runner in the Twin Cities! We will help you train for whatever race distance you’re interested in. How do you win? Attend our FREE Run and Informational Session and enter the drawing!

Join us on Saturday, June 1 at 9:00am at the Minneapolis Washburn High School track for a FREE Run and Informational Session. You will learn about the Jeff Galloway Run/Walk/Run™ method and be able to complete a 15 minute run with us with a run/walk interval appropriate for your individual ability.

5k and 10k training begins on June 8 for the Lifetime Fitness Esprit de She 5k on July 25 as well as the Run for Blood 5k and Quarter Marathon on July 27.

Marathon and half marathon training is set to begin on June 22 for the Twin Cities Marathon and 10 mile races as well as the Disney Marathon and Half Marathon. Registration for the Marathon Training Program includes a Free 1 year subscription to Runner’s World Magazine.

All group runs are held on Saturday mornings at various locations throughout the Twin Cities!

For more information on the Jeff Galloway training method visit his website or submit your question on our contact form. Please share this post with all of your friends!

What 8,000 People Can Teach You About Resilience

Although the Minneapolis Get in Gear races were almost 2 weeks ago, it was such a great event that I’m still replaying the highlights in my mind. I’ve been meaning to write all about it, but have been so afraid of not getting the right words out. Afraid that in the midst of the Boston Marathon tragedy, I wouldn’t sound authentic. Afraid that anything I write would never capture how it all felt in the moment. But then I decided to just write the same way I run the middle miles of a race. One foot and one word in front of the other.

The Minneapolis Get in Gear is called the “annual rite of spring,” which was so appropriate this year because it really did feel like the first day of spring to us Minnesotans. With winter dragging on and way overstaying its welcome, it was great feeling the sunshine and being able to chuck the winter running gear (even if all of we Minnesotans had to bring out the hat and mittens a few days later). I honestly couldn’t wait for that feeling of sweat evaporating off my skin instead of it wicking away into one of my long sleeved winter shirts.

Get in Gear has 3 race distances – the 5k, 10k and half marathon and draws an awesome crowd. Minutes before the 10k and half marathon started, the voice over the speaker system announced 8,000 registered runners.

It was such a treat being among 8,000 since this was the race debut for the new Jeff Galloway Twin Cities Group. Can’t you just imagine how huge the crowd was? So many runners all in one place. It was so elbow-to-elbow packed, that our Jeff Galloway group of runners quickly dissolved into the crowd. We still felt connected though with our Jeff Galloway shirts and interval timers.

Some of our Jeff Galloway group members posing for a pre-race pic.

Every pre-race morning, I’m usually struggling with anxiety complete with dry heaves and emergency restroom stops. Not this time. At first, I thought it was weird that I wasn’t nervous for this race. Then it dawned on me that – oh yeah – I get to run this race with my group. It’ll be like any other Saturday group run among friends and supporters.

With the Boston Marathon tragedy still 2 weeks fresh and on everyone’s minds, race organizers planned a moment of silence right before the start of the race. But with so many jittery runners ready for the race to start, all I heard was the same buzz I hear before every race. Small conversations laced with nervousness and runners doing last minute checks of their tech devices.

Even without the literal moment of silence, or printed “Run for Boston” shirts scattered throughout the crowd, this race so soon after the Boston Marathon showed me that every person can honor the tragedy by banding together to run.  Without words, it’s a way to honor the resilient heart of runners.

What I still can’t get over is that for the first time it felt like I belonged in the running community. It struck me near the mid-point of the race when I took a moment to feel my place among the mass of runners. I looked ahead and kept looking until I grasped that I was part of a moving current of 8,000 runners stretched along the Mississippi River. Whenever I’m in need of running motivation, I’ll always have that vision to remind me that I belong here, linked to my fellow runners.

The very best part of every race is the finish line. The finish line of the Get in Gear, though, was more than taking those last steps toward that victorious line. The last steps of the race across the finish line really represented the first of many finish lines for the New Minneapolis/St. Paul Jeff Galloway group, including all of the stories that go along.

Don’t you love a good finish line story? Like our 68-year-old Jeff Galloway group member who dedicated 8 weeks of training to be able to cross the finish line of the 5k. And the group member who shaved 4 minutes from her best 10k time.

Yes, the Minneapolis Get in Gear was full of proud moments for me remembering the hard work and miles put in to get this Minneapolis/St. Paul Jeff Galloway Training Group started, running, and crossing our first finish line.

Are you interested in training for a marathon or half marathon? Maybe you have a desire to run and just don’t know where to start. Well, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Jeff Galloway Training Groups offer 5k, half marathon, and marathon training to all abilities. New training programs begin in June! For more information, visit the Jeff Galloway Training Groups website.

The 3 Secrets Every Long Distance Runner Needs to Know About Building Endurance

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You’ve started running, even considering training for a race like a 5k or half marathon. You have your training plan in hand and it includes 3, maybe 4 days of running. But what about the time in between runs? What are you supposed to do? What should you eat? How do you plan for race day? What about cross-training days that could potentially help you push back your endurance barrier each week?

Specialty Clinics

Wouldn’t you want someone to come into your race training plan and show you how to get the best out of your training? The Minneapolis/St. Paul Jeff Galloway Training Groups does just that with specialty clinics during each training season on topics such as proper shoe fitting, nutrition, physical training, hill workouts, speed workouts, and more.

This past Saturday, Rashaud Imaun, owner and founder of the The You Print program, answered the biggest question on everyone’s minds: How to find a strength building plan that fits well into training for a half marathon.

Stock.xchng ID: 791362

Rashaud braved Minnesota’s cold April morning temperatures to host a specialty clinic for the Minneapolis/St. Paul Jeff Galloway Training Group.

Rashaud covered 3 tips to build muscle endurance.

• The key is to build muscle endurance gradually. Like the Jeff Galloway philosophy, your body will respond and improve its endurance as you gently add the stress you put on it every week.

• Light weight-lifting and focused muscle movement to the point of fatigue. It’s important while training for long distances not to let your muscles give out or burn because you want to prevent lactic acid build up.

• Stick to interval cross training on non-running days. While you’re not running, you can still build endurance and peak conditioning with interval training. Strengthen your core but take it easy on the legs, and rest between intervals.

The You Print

What does Rashaud do when he’s not offering expertise to running groups? He is owner and founder of The You Print, a physical training and weight loss focused program. Like the Jeff Galloway training method, The You Print centers on the opportunity to take control of your health and attitude. Whether you are just beginning a journey to healthy living or taking on marathon training, Rashaud wants your motivation to be empowerment.

Not only does Rashaud’s program include meal planning and nutritional coaching, supplements, and physical training, but he also makes himself available for around the clock personal support. Visit his Facebook page www.Facebook.com/ShaudieImaun because Rashaud posts frequent health tips on a daily basis.

For more information on the Minneapolis/St. Paul Jeff Galloway Training Groups or to reach Rashaud Imaun, fill out our contact form.

Set a Personal Record While Running Slow

Before you start training for a half or full marathon, wait!

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Have you checked out Jeff Galloway’s formulas for training on his website, www.JeffGalloway.com? By running a one mile test called the Magic Mile and entering the time into his Magic Mile Pace Calculator, you can get an accurate prediction of your race time. But what you need to know is that you must follow Jeff Galloway’s training plan for the best result. This means sticking to his pace suggestions during long training runs.

When I first started training with the Jeff Galloway method for a half marathon, I was fresh off a 12-week half marathon training regimen that included speed drills starting in week 3 and continuing until 4 days before race day. Hills were built into the long runs. Toward the end of training I was running 5 days a week. Mind you, this training program was designed for beginners! By week 8, my legs and motivation were burnt out, and I barely crossed the finish line of the race.

Before I made the switch to the Jeff Galloway method, my mind was completely conditioned to believe that I must run hard and fast throughout training programs, even during long runs. Boy, was I wrong!

Build Your Endurance and Mental Momentum

The Jeff Galloway method is designed to build your endurance and mental momentum while keeping your legs fresh.

How, you ask? The answer is in the long run.

Jeff Galloway’s training programs include 3 run days a week, one of which is a long run every weekend. On these weekend runs, you focus on building endurance while running at a slower pace.

By going slowly, you can burn more fat, push back your endurance barriers and go faster at shorter distance races. – Jeff Galloway

Use the Magic Mile

How slow should you run on the long runs? Use Jeff Galloway’s formula to predict your race pace and training long runs. You can find the formulas in many of Jeff Galloway’s books on running and on his website at www.JeffGalloway.com. Here’s the short version of the half marathon long run formula.

1. Run a Magic Mile.
2. Take your Magic Mile time and multiply it by 1.2. This is the pace you can realistically expect to run during a half marathon race after using Jeff Galloway’s training schedule.
3. Your long run training pace is at least 2 minutes per mile slower than your race pace.

My last Magic Mile was 9 minutes (540 seconds). 9 minutes multiplied by 1.2 is 10:48. This is the pace I can realistically expect to run a half marathon after completing a Jeff Galloway Training Program.

This means that during training, my long run pace should be at least 12:48 per mile. What’s cool is that I can still include speed drills on my shorter run days.

Save Your Legs for Race Day

Why is Jeff Galloway’s long run formula so important to training for a race? Because you build endurance while preserving your legs for race day at the same time.

This makes so much sense because we’re all hoping to set a PR on race day. Instead of legs burned out from months of training potentially sabotaging your chances of a PR, you’ll run with fresh legs and the very best chance of a PR.

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Jeff Galloway Half Marathon Training Group is into its 3rd week of training. We’re set to run our first Magic Mile on Saturday, March 30. The goal: to get everyone safely across the finish line of the Red, White & Boom! TC Half Marathon, and as Jeff Galloway says, “in the upright position, smiling, and wanting to do it again.”

For regular updates and tips on training using the Jeff Galloway training method, subscribe to this blog.

It’s Not Too Late For You

Give yourself a moment to imagine this.

Image Credit: Tome213, Stock.xchng

It’s Saturday morning; the whole day and all of its possibilities lay ahead of you. You don’t want to get out of bed because as predicted, the weather is awful – cold and freezing rain.

But on this cold wet Saturday morning you have a commitment to meet your Jeff Galloway 5k running group at 8:00am for the first run of the season. You’re following through on the promise made to become a runner.

You’ve scrambled the night before to get all of your warmest cold weather clothing together in one place. At 7:30am, your alarm sings for the third time, and you know you can’t stay in bed a minute longer. You practically fall down the stairs in search of coffee, but one look outside says you need more than coffee to survive this cold Minnesota morning. It’s raining like an April shower, yet there’s snow and ice covering the ground outside your door and along the sidewalk. Running in the cold wet air with treacherous ground beneath you is the last thing you want to do.

But when you arrive at Lake Nokomis, Pace Group Leader, Erich turns the entire morning around. Erich, who estimates he’s logged the most Jeff Galloway miles in Minnesota with a whopping 5,000 miles. You meet your Minneapolis running group in the parking lot, warm up, and find a safe running path. Erich leads your group by observing and dishing out valuable run/walk/run advice. He’s more coach than leader.

“Keep your eyes toward the horizon during your walk breaks because your walking posture will help you to finish a race strong,” Erich advises.  You and your group simultaneously nod your heads at the Aha! moment.

Thirty seconds of running followed by thirty seconds of walking look so easy coming from you and the other runners.  Within five minutes of running, your group decides this was well worth waking up for. You’re all moving and energizing together on a Saturday morning; suddenly the cold terrain feels more peaceful. You realize how fortunate you are. You are not running alone.  You’re running in a Jeff Galloway group, on a Saturday, and your leader has invaluable knowledge that more than matches his 5,000 miles worth of experience. Because Erich’s expertness, support, and humor are the exact ingredients that will drive you forward.

Image Credit: Raichinger, Stock.xchng

It’s not too late for you.

With 7 weeks still remaining until the Minneapolis Get in Gear 5k race, you can still join the Minneapolis/St. Paul Jeff Galloway 5k Training Group and learn Jeff Galloway’s Run/Walk/Run method from the person with the most Galloway miles in the state of Minnesota.

Thinking of a longer distance? Well, our Half Marathon Training Group starts this Saturday, March 16. Train for the Red, White & Boom! TC Half Marathon with us!

With group runs every Saturday morning, we promise that by the time you get to race day, you will be a runner.

image credit: Stock.xchng