The First Training Run of 2010

I know some of you have been using your treadmill lately to get your miles in. I don't have a treadmill or a gym membership, so I just get out and run on the snow and ice. It can get slick out there, but here is a slick way to modify running shoes to give you more traction.

Hopefully the snow and ice will be mostly melted before our run on Saturday. We are starting at Veterans Park again at 7:45 a.m. Advanced half marathoners are scheduled for 5 miles and Advanced full marathoners for 8 miles. The routes can be found on the RunnersWorld Tulsa website. I also created maps on the mapmyrun website. They can be found at the following urls.

Five mile route: www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/ok/tulsa/575125955918348819
Eight mile route: www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/ok/tulsa/596125955897477106
Here are the turn by turn directions:
Five mile route: Take 18th St. to Cincinnati to 19th St. to Swan Lake. At east end of Swan Lake go south on Utica to 21st. Go left on Utica and right on Yorktown. Turn right on 29th St. and stay on it until you get to Woodward Blvd (it zigzags to the right at Peoria). Turn right on Woodward and right on Madison. Left on 21st and back to Veterans Park.

Eight mile route: Take 18th St. to Cincinnati to 19th St. to Swan Lake. At east end of Swan Lake go south on Utica to 21st. Go left on Utica and right on Yorktown. Turn left on 26th St. and stay on it until you get to Florence. Turn right on Florence, right on Evanston, and left on 26th Pl. Turn left on Yorktown. Turn right on 29th St. Follow Victor, which becomes Forest Blvd, which becomes Terwilleger. Go left on 27th and left on Rockford. Turn right on 29th St and follow it to Woodward Blvd (it zigzags to the right at Peoria). Turn right on Woodward and right on Madison. Left on 21st and back to Veterans Park.

We are stepping back on mileage a little bit this week, but we are making up for it by giving you hilly routes. The hills will be good for you, building strength in your legs that will carry you through your marathon or half marathon. In the past, I have tried to give some encouragement on some of the hilly routes by marking verses from the Bible at particularly hilly spots. I won't do that this week because it will be too wet for the chalk to stay on the pavement. But, here are a few of the verses:

I lift up my eyes to the hills-
   where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip. 
(Psalm 121:1-3)

GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
   he makes my feet like the deer's;
   he makes me tread on my high places.
(Hab 3:19)

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
   his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
   and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
   and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
   they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
   they shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:28-31)