Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon

By Chris Lundstrom, OptumHealth Performance Coach

You have taken the first step. You’ve signed up for the Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon. Committing to a 13.1 mile run will require serious preparation can be exciting and motivating…and it can be a little bit scary.  Here are five steps and ideas for capitalizing on the excitement and motivation, while sidestepping the fear.

1) Have a plan.
Getting from your current level of fitness to where you want to be a few months down the road can feel overwhelming. How am I going to run 13 miles when I can’t even run 5 right now? How will I run as fast as I did last year? Without a plan, we tend to make training errors. Some procrastinate, some do too much too soon. Others simply fall into a state of paralysis, not knowing how to get started.

Conquering your fears and moving forward requires a solid, well-thought out plan. Looking at the time you have to train allows you to see a way forward and helps increase your motivation to get started in working towards your goals. 

2) Get out the door.
With your plan in hand, you are in the driver’s seat. But its 5:00 a.m., you’re sleepy, and remaining burrowed under your comforter is, well, comfortable. You may say, “I’m not a morning person,” and fall back asleep. Guess what? No one is really a morning person.

Some people have a talent for imagining the positive outcome of getting up and going, and making it happen. You may need to trick yourself…set your alarm across the room (or in the next room over), whatever it takes to awaken that part of your consciousness that had the motivation to sign up for the half marathon. Ninety-nine percent of the time, you’ll be glad you got your run in once you get out and do it.

3) Team up.
Human beings tend to be social creatures. Use that to your benefit, and make your running a social event. Find a training partner or running group, and be in frequent communication with your fellow runners. Hold each other accountable. It’s a lot easier to get out for a workout or run if you know someone is expecting you. Enjoy the company of your fellow runners enough, and you just might make a lifestyle of it.

4) See where you’re headed.
Goal setting is an important first step in accomplishing anything. The process of actually believing you will accomplish your goal does not happen overnight, but it is even more important than the goal itself. Seeing yourself doing what you want to do on race day empowers you to believe in yourself. That belief inspires you to do the things you need to do to accomplish your goals. This is the cycle of personal change. We begin to act differently because we believe we can...and we believe that we can be different (a better runner, a more effective communicator, or whatever else we want to accomplish) because we make choices to be different.

5) Take it one step at a time.
With renewed commitment, high goals, and training partners, it can be tempting to get ahead of yourself. Remember that progress comes slowly in running. Change and improvement happens over the course of weeks and months, not from one day to the next. Refrain from comparing your fitness to what it was yesterday. We all have ebbs and flows, good days and bad days. Stay tuned in to the big picture and stick to the plan to get yourself to the starting line in the best fitness. Each day will be different. Embrace it, and enjoy it for what it is.

Time flies by quickly, and May will be here before you know it. When you are standing on the starting line looking back at the past few months, you will want to remember the process in a positive light – all the great runs you did and the work you invested in preparing yourself. Nothing builds confidence like a solid foundation of preparation.

For informational purposes only.  You should consult an appropriate healthcare professional to discuss whether the information herein is right for you.

Chris Lundstrom, OptumHealth Performance Coach, is a national class runner with 12 years of coaching experience, including elite runners, high school and collegiate athletes, and a wide range of recreational and locally competitive runners. His primary coaching focus is runners, with particular expertise in the marathon. He competed collegiately for Stanford University, has placed as high as 3rd in the USA Marathon Championships, and represented the United States in the Pan-American Games (2007) and the World Mountain Running Championships (2010). He resides in south Minneapolis with his wife Taj and three dogs.

Qualifications:

• B.A. Humanities, Stanford University
• M.Ed. Applied Kinesiology, University of Minnesota
• Ph.D. Candidate, Kinesiology, University of Minnesota
• USATF Level II
• Certified CPR, AED and First Aid

OptumHealth Performance is the official coaching partner of the Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon providing you with training tips, training plans and personalized coaching opportunities.

First-time racers or seasoned athletes –  You set the goal. We’ll help make it happen. OptumHealth Performance offers custom training plans to help you get ready for Lake Minnetonka. 

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Plans are designed for all levels:

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Training Peaks is an amazing new way to track your success and log your fitness.  Whether you are new to the sport a seasoned pro, Training Peaks is the way to go!

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The perfect compliment to Training Peaks is a custom training plan, take a look below.

The difference is coaching – experienced pros who understand the science behind performance and how to help you train more efficiently and effectively. Our certified coaches have not only crossed hundreds of finish lines, but have helped countless others to do so as well.

Take your performance to the next level with a personalized plan based on your conditioning, your goals, and your schedule. Together, we’ll address your technique, training plan, goal-setting, nutrition, race preparation and whatever else keeps you up at night. 

Results come from measuring ability and working toward improvement. Often small changes can improve your performance or help avoid an injury. Your coach will analyze your technique and test your body's reaction to training. This information becomes a road map for helping you achieve your goals.