Virginia Beach, Va. - The distance was 26.2 miles. It’s a test of mind and body.
The group from J and A racing in Virginia Beach know that full well. They`ve been training for months for the Shamrock Marathon this weekend. They will tell you it’s not just about testing your limits, it’s about conditioning.
“Be it 30 degrees, 10 degrees or 50 degrees, we’re out there training no matter what the weather. Every Saturday, we`re out there training,” says Ryan Conrad, the training director.
Conrad says group training is the way to go, giving runners a competitive edge and the combined knowledge of the group is invaluable especially to those new to the sport.
Their training is not just about running, the runners of today cross train to stay in the race.
“When you run over and over every single day, your body starts to break down because you’re using the same muscles over and over. So while you may run one day, do something else the next day to give those muscles a break,” says Carla Serex, trainer.
This includes yoga, spin class, or Pilates.
“Maybe on a rest day, you’re taking a hot yoga class and elongating those muscles giving them a chance to stretch out. Hydrating all of that is the magical answer for having an injury free program, says Serex.
Kristen Lawrence has been competing for five years. She says she`s been injury free because she started slowly.
“I started running about three days a week and I’d run maybe 2-3 miles. I did that for a couple of months, add a mile here and there,” says Lawrence, a runner.
She is also training for the Boston Marathon in April and knows that if she doesn`t pay attention to her training, it could sideline her.
All the months of hard work and training that go into an event like this come down to the finish line at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
The runners say the feeling you get from just finishing an event like this is like no other.
