Kim Wittig and her friend David are about to complete their first marathons and have spent the past four months training diligently.

Kim and David are both members of the 2010 Gilda’s Club Marathon Team. We recently had the opportunity to ask Kim a few questions about her experiences training and her expectations for this Sunday’s race.

1. Is this the first marathon you have trained for?
Yes, this is my first marathon

2. How long have you been training?  What has been the most difficult part of training for you?
I started training in July. The most difficult part were the summer long runs in the heat.

3. Were you able to reach your fundraising goal? How long have you been a member of Gilda’s Club?
Yes, I met my fundraising goal.  I have been involved in the Gilda’s Club for about 2 years.  I am on the Associate Board and do  volunteer work for them.

4. What are your expectations for this race?
To have fun and finish within my personal time goal.

5. Do you enjoy running or are you competing specifically for the cause?
I enjoy running but am also happy to be running for a great cause.  When I signed up for the marathon, I had recently met Dave and did not know that his mom is an ovarian cancer survivor.  Over the past couple of months I’ve gotten to know his mom, whose strength and positive attitude are a true inspiration.  So running the marathon with the Gilda’s Club team is much more meaningful to me now than I knew when I signed up.

We wish Kim and David the best of luck this Sunday!

Over the past few weeks, I have been doing many long training runs out of town – one weekend in Maryland (15 miles) when I was visiting my parents and the other weekend in Napa, CA (18 miles) during a trip with a friend.  Both runs in MD and CA consisted of many large hills. And while my pace was consistent, it was slower than I wanted it to be, averaging out to around 11:00 pace/mile.

At the 1/2 marathon start line on Saturday, I was tired and drained.  I have had a lot going on in my personal life and that has affected my ability to train with a clear conscience. Thus, I wasn’t sure how my 13.1 mile run would go that morning.  Luckily, the weather was perfect, with cool temperature and lots of sun.

I met a few of the Gilda’s Club team runners and other clients/friends at the starting line.  I hoped everyone had a strategy and was prepared with hydration and gels. My personal plan was to run consistently at a 10min pace for the first 6-7 miles then turn it up if I had the energy on the last half of the race. I knew this race would consist of several big hills on the west side and around by Lasker Pool, so pacing was tremendously important.

I completed the race’s first mile at a 9:34 pace, making me think that I better slow down, as I was not sure if I could maintain this for 13 miles.  The next few miles were slightly slower as I hit the hills, but I still maintained an average around 10 minutes per miles. I started taking gels and hydration after the first 30 minutes and was on target to have my best run through the first six miles of any training run so far this season.

When I came around the first lap marker I was really pleased with my pace and time, but I wondered if I could push myself harder and faster for the 2nd loop?

My strategy was to stay consistent on the flats and push much harder on the downhills. My heart rate was dancing around my lactate threshold so I knew I couldn’t go too much faster without risking blowing up.  As the miles passed by I felt amazingly good.  The last 2 miles on the home stretch were downhill and mostly flat so I picked up the pace and ran 9min and 8:57min respectively.

Crossing the finish line in 2:05, I was really pleased with my time.  I was tired (I just ran 13 miles!) but I actually felt really good.  My Achilles tendon was achy on my left foot but I knew a few days of icing it would heal the inflammation in time for my next run.

At the finish line, I met up with my client Michele – she did great as well finishing in 1:48! A fast 8:15 pace.  My plan this week includes recovery and a few short runs. On Sunday, I’m going to try to tackle 20 miles here in NYC with a mix of Central Park and the west side bike path.

Saturday at both 9:30am and 11:00am I’ll be teaching a Central Park workout to benefit my charity team – Gilda’s Club NYC – An organization that offers FREE counseling and programs for people affected by cancer. Details are as follows:

• Donation is $20 minimum
• Meet at 60th Street and 5th Avenue on the NW corner at the benches.
• Please RSVP so I know how many people will attend.
• Pre-register at www.firstgiving.com/saradimmick or email: sara@physeeq.com

And if you cannot attend, a donation on the website is much appreciated to help me reach my fundraising goal!

After over four month’s of intensive training, the Gilda’s Club marathon team completed the 2009 ING NYC Marathon on November 1st. Twenty six members of the team finished the race, with Jesse Smith leading the pack – finishing with a remarkable time of 3:10:10 and qualifying for the Boston Marathon!

Under the leadership of Physical Equilibrium’s marathon coach Sarah Haines, some runners completed a marathon for the first time in their lives!

In total, the marathon team raised over $77,000 which will go towards supporting the organization’s mission. Congratulations to the entire team!!!

After months of training, it is finally marathon weekend! I always feel the lure of the marathon and the running community this time of year in New York City. Physical Equilibrium partnered with Gilda’s Club to help the marathoners train for the big day. Each runner made a commitment to raise money for Gilda’s Club while training for the marathon. I had the privilege of helping this amazing group of people through the training process and the accompanying all of the aches and pains.

Starting in October, I held training runs on the weekend to provide assistance, support and a community through the long training runs. We had a great time doing the long runs, even occasionally in the rain. As each runner heads into the marathon this weekend remember you have done the training and are prepared to go the full 26.2! The most important part is to enjoy the experience. It is truly incredible to run over the Verrazano Bridge with people from all over the world listening to Frank Sinatra’s New York New York. Then, when you cross the finish line, it is such an accomplishment and rush!!! I wish all the runner’s the best of luck!!! I will be on the sidelines cheering and hopefully snapping some pictures to post after the race.

-Sarah Haines