Training Pays Off

Ready to roll: The Washington area's Team in Training was all smiles before Sunday's event. (By Mark Spisak)

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Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Congratulations to the 30 Washington area Team in Training runners who participated in San Diego's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon on Sunday and raised roughly $170,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

At the risk of sounding naggy, the group's work is a statement about how we can mesh a healthier life into projects that do good, whether it is raising money through a charity run or coaching a youth sports league.

Mark Spisak coached the half-dozen or so TNT runners with whom I trained through the spring, and he said everyone held up well. The five who made the trip all finished their event -- either the full 26.2 miles or the half-marathon.

For some it was their first full marathon -- "first and only" is how runner Colleen Kenny described it after the finish. Like several in the TNT group, including Mark, Colleen used a run/walk interval -- three minutes of jogging followed by one minute of walking. Mark finished in just over five hours, while Carol and Colleen finished in about 5:40.

It also helped Donna Grubb-Hewlett, a consultant at Mitre Corp., nurse a hamstring injury and still complete her half-marathon. Donna "looked strong" as she was nearing the end, Mark reported.

So don't let the ultra-fit hordes and sub-three-hour times make you think distance running is only for the elites.

There are a lot of normal folks who slog away, get healthier -- and even do some good in the process.

Go Team.