Week 19 Taper: How do I taper and what are the reasons?

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2. Click on the link below and PRINT OUT your weekly Training Schedule:

Sole Runners Week 19 Full Training Schedule.pdf

3. Use the Training Schedule to take notes on how you felt that day. It will give you a guide as to how things are going; what’s working and what’s not.

4. Click on the link below and PRINT OUT your weekly Study Guide:

Sole Runners Week 19 Study Guide.pdf

5. Listen to the notes for the Study Guide: click on the play button (The recording says Week 18 but it is for Week 19)

6. Get a notebook and keep your weekly training schedules and study guides in the notebook.

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Week 19 Article – by Coach Gary Dawson Smith

Gary Dawson Smith is a long-time Sole Runners Assistant Coach and a professor of literacy in the California community college system. He is currently on a personal adventure, traveling in Asia teaching yoga and ChiRunning. Coach Gary has written extensively about motivation, especially motivation for the long-distance runner. Coach Gary will be a contributor throughout this season. In this article he focuses on the things that inspire his running.

20 Grams of Running Power

The lesson I take from the USA loss in World Cup is this. If you’re going to play, then play with all your heart. So at least, you know, you gave it your all. That’s the shocking thing for these World Cup players, it’s like, wham, bammo, you’re done. Four years of qualifying and training – the hopes and dreams of your country riding on your shoulders – all gone in 90 minutes or so. The blink of an eye.

So I’m out doing a long run on Monday night, and I realize just how long it is to run for two hours. I mean It was amazing. I ran up to Western, ran down 25th street to Trump’s Golf Course, ran up the 3 mile hill of PV Drive Ease then looked down at my watch and it was only one hour 10 minutes.

You’ve done it. You Sole Runners know thath two hours is a long run.

It was good though. I just got into my metronome, let my feet get softer always softer, and relaxed my legs more and more until they were as soft as Udon noodles. And as I’m out there running, with a view of the mountains and the ocean, all by myself on the road, the thought came up again…

“Why the hell am I doing this?”

Most people do not work out for two hours. Nowhere close. And as always, I thought of the two spirits that keep me going. My grandfather had Lou Gehrig’s disease and was in a wheelchair for ten years. That didn’t stop him from traveling throughout the U.S including traveling to the Grand Canyon and visiting Europe and the Queen. And in so many ways I honor his English fighting spirit when I’m out there on that lonely road. Grateful my legs are still moving. Grateful I’m crazy enough to have huge physical goals.

And the other spirit was Rex. I’ve never written about Rex before to anyone. Rex was the family dog; a beautiful golden-collie mix. I dragged that poor dog everywhere. Up and down steep Palos Verdes cliff faces, bouldering at Mt. Rubidoux in Riverside, camping, running, it didn’t matter. Towards the end of Rex’s life it was tough because he lost his hearing and was riddled with cancer. He’d be slow and if you lost him, you couldn’t call his name for him to come. I remember looking for him one time for two hours on a trail run only to give up and start to go get friends to help me to find him, and there he was, sitting by my car.

There’s this special point on a trail I run called Tax Man. It’s one of the steepest trails behind Del Cerro; it’s steep and covered with rocks. It is too steep for even me to run up. I still go up this trail every month and sit at a rock where I used to wait for Rex to catch up to me. Because Rex could do Tax Man; he’d do little bits at a time before stopping and resting with his tongue about a foot long out of his mouth. Then he would keep on trudging. And I’d sit at that rock about 2/3 up Tax Man and wait.

Rex would just keep on going — despite the cancer, the deafness, the utter exhaustion. Despite the complaints of my mother and father for taking him hiking, endangering throwing out his back. And he’d catch up to me. And we’d look at the ocean. And listen to peacocks. And we’d enjoy what little life we had left together.

And as much as I think of my granddad when I don’t want to run. Or when I’m tired. Or feeling lazy. Or want to walk. Or all the other millions of excuses I have for not fighting for my health. Rex has got me through many a marathon. Especially mile 18 and 19. When my body felt like Rex’s every time he went up Tax Man. Because on the drive back home after almost killing that poor dog, I could tell he was smiling.

Rex taught me so much about life, and in that special moment I would spend with him I learned that the speed I went up that hill didn’t matter. What mattered was that WE went up that hill.

And in ways, that’s all I’m doing with all of you. But all of you are coaches also. Give some inspiring words to those you pass or all those others out there such as Team in Training or the AIDS walkers. So take a moment this Saturday to reflect on this wonderful gift of life we are blessed with. And all your ancestors and loved ones that have given so much just to give you the opportunity to lace up some running shoes and train for a marathon or half marathon.

Because on Saturday, no matter where I am, I’ll stop and think of Rex and my granddad. Even if it’s just for a minute.

I heard an interesting number yesterday. When we die, our physical weight loses 20 grams. That’s it. The difference between life and death: 20 grams. That’s what the thoughts and emotions in your heart weighss. So put ‘em in a good place on Saturday.

And fight on like Rex did.

I’m going for a tissue.

Run with joy,
Gary