The sky is still dark, the road ahead is long and everything hurts. That marathon race, the motivation for putting in all these miles, isn't for two more months.
But at least there's someone to talk to.
"If I had to do it by myself, it just wouldn't work," says Audrey Campbell, 49, of Sunrise, who runs with Friends in Training.
As South Florida runners train for a slew of events - there are eight half-marathons, starting this Saturday through March 7 - many point to their support systems. Yes, this is a sport for individuals. But there's something to be said for having running companions.
Some have organized training systems, with the support of running shoe stores, coaches and weekly e-mails. Others motivate themselves to run for a cause and join a charity group. Then there are the unofficial gatherings of friends and acquaintances, who keep each other from going back to sleep when that alarm clock hits 5 a.m. Saturday, with three simple words: I'll be there . . .
"The clubs are an essential ingredient to success in South Florida road races," said Matt Lorraine, of Exclusive Sports Marketing in Boca Raton, which conducts the annual A1A Marathon. About 750 of his entrants, he said, belong to running clubs. About three-fourths of them will do the half-marathon.
Staying motivated
Campbell had never even run a 5K when she joined Friends in Training in 2002. She saw a friend use it to get in shape. She started as a walker and now covers 26.2 miles in six hours, not exactly fast but enough to hit the finish line. She has run nine marathons and 12 half-marathons.
Friends in Training's Marcela Todd calls the group "beginner-friendly," and has even set up mock finish lines with balloon archways at the end of difficult runs.
"People have to be motivated," says Todd, of Davie, who has been head coach for 10 years. "When it gets tough and painful, people need each other to stay positive."
She has the right idea, says Ed Eyestone, a two-time Olympic marathoner and NBC-TV track commentator.
"I hate to use this word, but there's a synergy when you have like-minded people with similar goals. There's a real energy that comes out rather than working on your own," he says.
Even the fastest runners have partners, says Eyestone, now the coach at Brigham Young University.
The prospect of a Saturday group workout, he says, can go a long way toward motivating you on a Wednesday.
"You want to be running well enough so you don't show up and stink up the group workout," he says.
Building a base
A group of faster runners has been meeting for the past 25 years at Cooper City Hall at 6:30 Saturday mornings.
It started out with a few folks, then grew.
"No dues, no official training program, no cell phones. Just uninterrupted time," says Michelle Rubin, who "rallies the troops" with weekly e-mails.
Doctors, lawyers, school principals, even Cooper City Mayor Debby Eisinger, gather for their weekly runs, some going 10 miles, some 20. Many have run multiple marathons and have times that would qualify them for the Boston Marathon (most runners don't).
Alan Miller, the lone remaining original runner, says he enjoys the camaraderie.
"You need a long run each week, and that's a hard thing to do alone," says Miller, of Cooper City. "The neat part with our group is we start slow, socialize and tell each other stories, then after 4-5 miles, if you want to pick it up, you can choose your pace."
The group gets you to the key part of training, he says.
"My experience with marathon training, if you kick it in the last 5 miles of training, that really helps your strength. You learn to have something left in tank," he says.
Charity groups help
Charity groups are a subset of the group-running concept. These are mostly beginning runners who gather to support a cause.
At least 150 people from the Palm Beach County chapter of Team in Training will run a half-marathon or a longer race this year, according to the chapter's Elizabeth Hughes. Her athletes train in West Palm Beach and Delray Beach; Broward County's chapter works out in Weston and along A1A in Fort Lauderdale.
The nationwide group was created in 1988 to prepare for the New York City Marathon, honoring a girl battling leukemia. Since then, Team in Training has raised about $1 billion and put 390,000 runners through the program, she said.
Each season kicks off with a speaker and runners visiting with patients who have gone through treatment.
"It just puts training on a whole other level," Hughes says. "They know they're doing it for a cause bigger than themselves."
Safety in numbers
Friends in Training's tack is to charge $112 for six months. The group's 200 runners meet Saturday mornings at George English Park in Fort Lauderdale, and sometimes during the week.
Slower runners arrive as early as 4 a.m.; faster ones start an hour later. The idea is for everyone to be done at 8 a.m., so they can stretch and socialize together.
Members wear yellow shirts for visibility. They're training for different events. The women, who make up more than half the group, say they feel safer.
On a recent Saturday, assistant coach Terry Meitz gathers everyone for a post-run stretch and a racing primer. He urges them to hydrate two days before a race, lay out the necessary gear the night before, and provide your own packets of energy gel.
"I'm a Scout leader, and the same rule applies - be prepared," says Meitz, of Coral Springs. "Don't count on getting what you need at the race."
The runners nod and finish their stretch. Some will head to breakfast together. The days ahead will take them in different directions, but they know where they'll be in a week.
I'll be there . . .
Running together.
Nick Sortal can be reached at nsortal@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4725.
Off and running
South Florida is host to eight marathons through March 2010. Complete list, Page 7
INFORMATIONAL BOX:
Take the proper steps
Two-time U.S. Olympic marathoner and NBC-TV track commentator Ed Eyestone, who coaches at Brigham Young University, offers a few tips for proper group-running etiquette.
Before joining a group, find out the weekly pace and distance. "Nothing is more frustrating than being run into the ground in every workout except, perhaps, having to run so easy that your heart rate doesn't get above resting level," he says.
Communicate if you want to occasionally run faster (or slower) than the pack. "So [others] don't get sucked into your vortex and ruin their workout trying to stay with you," he says.
Don't be a "one-stepper," someone who even on easy days insists on being one step ahead. "A one-stepper can turn a casual run into an impromptu race," he says.
If you can hit the desired pace, take your turn up front every now and then. It helps others catch their breath.
- Nick Sortal
INFORMATIONAL BOX:
In the long run
Miami Beach Halloween Half Marathon, 7 a.m. Oct. 31, Jungle Island, Miami; Halloweenhalfmarathon.com or 561-241-3801
Boca Raton PAL Half Marathon & 5K, 6:29 a.m. Nov. 1, Spanish River Park; RunningExpo.com or 561-361-1950
13.1 Marathon Fort Lauderdale, 6:13 a.m. Nov. 15, Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale; 131marathon.com or 305-278-8668
The Palm Beaches Marathon, also includes half-marathon, 6 a.m. Dec. 6, downtown West Palm Beach. PBMarathon.com or 561-833-3711
Run for Tomorrow Half-Marathon and 5K and 1-mile family walk, 7 a.m. Dec. 13, Cypress Bay High School, Weston; RotaryWeston.org or 954-384-7521
ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon, 6:15 a.m. Jan. 31, AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami; INGMiamiMarathon.com or 305-278-8668
A1A Marathon, Half Marathon and Kids' 1.2-mile Run, 6 a.m. Feb. 21, Fort Lauderdale Beach; A1AMarathon.com or 561-241-3801
13.1 Marathon and 5K, Miami, 6:13 a.m. March 7, Miami Beach Convention Center; 131marathon.com or 305-278-8668
