Staff Writer
It's Sunday morning and Emil Pazdziorko is wrapping up yet another long week of training. The speed sessions, the pace runs and the dreaded hill workouts are complete, paving the way for the pinnacle of the rigid, 18-week regimen.
"Now it's time for the long run," says Pazdziorko, a Gardiner native and relative newcomer to marathon running.
Lynn Wood, a China Primary School teacher, hustles out the door of her Vassalboro home to sneak in a quick run.
Sunlight is fading and darkness will soon curtail any outdoor training on this day. Below her running shoes, the snow and ice provide a not-so-subtle reminder that, yes, training for a marathon presents many challenges.
"There are definitely times when I am training outside in the winter and I am like, 'What am I doing here?' " asks Wood, 47.
In a season in which snowshoeing, skiing and skating dominate outdoor activities in New England, Maine runners have begun training for the prestigious Boston Marathon, among other races.
It is, they say, go time in snow time.
"It's tricky, but now is the time to start training," Pazdziorko says.
So how do runners prepare for a marathon? What goes into training? How difficult is it to train in the throes of winter? Why do it when the wind chill hovers at or below zero?
Marathon experts say beginning runners should follow a well-structured program that should start at least three months in advance of the race.
And, yes, most say Mother Nature this time of year is of little help for the average marathoner.
"Some people say it's difficult to train in Maine," says Joan Benoit Samuelson, a Cape Elizabeth native who in 1984 won the first women's Olympic marathon. "It's tough because a lot of people plan for the long runs on the weekends, but if it snows it can get complicated."
Get with the program
Dr. Nellie Cyr is an associate professor in the Education and Human Development department at the University of Maine.
Cyr, 47, teaches courses in kinesiology and physical education. Cyr, a professional runner in the mid-1980s when she was sponsored by Converse, says it's imperative for runners to establish goals before training.
"Before you start training you have to think if you need a program," says Cyr, who ran at a national level for renowned Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.
Omega Replica WatchesShe ran professionally for three years after graduating from Edinboro in 1984.
"If you know what you are doing you can listen to your body," she added. "If you're a beginner, you need to listen to other resources. It all depends on what your goals are. Do you want to just finish the marathon? Do you want to be competitive? Do you want to win it?"
Jim Pickrell, 57, of Farmington, follows an online program designed by Hal Higdon, who wrote "Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide."
Pickrell says he starts to train three months in advance of the marathon.
"It was random," says Pickrell, who ran last year's Boston Marathon in 3 hours, 41 minutes and 32 seconds. "I found it online and started following his recommendations. I mix it up with hills, long distances. I follow it to a 'T.' "
Like Pickrell, Pazdziorko also follows a strict program while training for the
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