Drills / Training .... Are they necessary?

I hope everyone had a great holiday whether you were off work or not.  I surely enjoyed my group run with some of my teammates on Memorial day.  It was a muggy morning and running with friends sure made it easier.

Bubba, Kathy, Jennifer, Me & Serina

Frank also ran with us but he took the picture of the group running.  So here's a picture when we started with him in it.

Kathy, Jennifer, Bubba, Me, Frank & Serina

Runs are always more fun when done with friends!  If I could suggest one thing to you, it would be to find a friend to workout with so that you can encourage each other.  There will be times when you don't really want to go, but if you have a friend that holds you accountable, it's much easier to get up and out the door. :>)  

Now to the topic of my post.... Do you feel drills or training are necessary?   I get emails and magazines that always have "tips" for running.  Sometimes I scan through them and sometimes not.  Today I received an email on the 3 common swimming myths you should ignore.  

1.  Myth #1 - A low stroke count is what everyone should shoot for. 

2.  Myth #2 - You need a strong kick to swim freestyle.

3.  Myth #3 - Drills are unnecessary, just swim more.

I'm only going to focus on #3.  I got to thinking as I read the article how much swimming compared to running.  In any case, when you are a beginner, drills are your foundation and you should never stop doing them completely.   This was the one thing my cousin kept telling me on Saturday that she had learned at her swim camp for Triathletes.  Do the drills! Don't fret so much over how far you are swimming.  It's the same with running.  Some think all they need to do to get better is run more.  Well, if you are an elite maybe that's true, but if you are just a normal person like me, it's not true.  We need to build other things, like our techniques.  So don't focus so much on what others are doing, focus on your own skills.  Improve them and you'll improve in running or swimming.  

Saturday we did a long hill run.  We normally just do our long easy runs on flat surfaces, but decided to switch it up.  I really enjoyed the change of pace and scenery.  Whatever race you are signed up for, check out the route.  Is it flat? Is it hills? Set your training to match the course.  You'll be glad in the end that you did your research. :>)

Happy Tuesday to you peeps! BTW I'm on day 48 of doing a 1-minute plank a day. Whoop Whoop and I only have 4 more days in May to complete my challenge of running every day.  I'll be glad when May is over. LOL  I will not be continuing the run every day challenge.  I'm not convinced that it is good for you body.  Plus the month of June will begin my New York Marathon training that I'll be combining with my TRI training so I'll need my rest days to recover.  Recovery so very important.  :>)  I'll talk more on this subject later.

Remember... Never Ever Give Up! Stay Strong! Stay Focused! SET GOALS! Write them down and tell someone! You'll be less likely to just let me fade away.   

Team Run4TheKids Captain

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