Preparing for the Springfoot Marathon

Sunday marks the tenth year that runners will take over the streets of El Paso as part of the Springfoot Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K.

I’ll be among the hundreds of runners at the starting line near Southwest University Park Sunday morning.

Since November, I’ve taken you along on my 16-week training, sharing with you what I’ve learned.

I was paired up with elite runner Elena Pustinger, who has completed five marathons and just participated in the The Lone Star 100, El Paso’s first 100 mile and 100 kilometer race.

Pustinger told me that we were going to start off easy. “We’re going to be incrementing your miles,” she said before we ran together for the first time. “I think you’re going to have a lot of fun.”

Training was fun and educational.

I learned from Chris Rowley, the owner of the running pro shop Up and Running, that I needed more arch support, which meant different shoes and insoles. Rowley also taught me about the importance of wearing the right clothes.

“You don’t want to have something that’s cotton,” Rowley said. “Cotton absorbs moisture, so you’re going to have that sweat sitting on your body.”

Lined, long-sleeved tops, gloves and ear coverings were a must when the 5 a.m. long runs turned cold in the winter.

I learned from certified sports nutrition consultant Tracy Chenault about the importance of eating healthy carbs, such as oatmeal, pasta and baked potatoes before and after a run.

“If you’re putting the effort into the training, you also need to pair that with adequate nutrition because of the demands of running on the body,” Chenault said.

I learned from Gretchen McElroy, a certified yoga instructor, and Sandra Terrazas, a physical therapist, how to avoid injuries that could derail my training.

“The yoga of running helps create balance within your body,” McElroy told ABC-7 after a quick post-run yoga session in the Upper Valley. “I think it’s very important for injury prevention and longevity of running.”

Terrazas agreed that yoga can help runners and emphasized that stretching in general is vital.

“It’s good for two reasons. One is for running economy and efficiency with your running, so if you’re more limber you’re able to cover more distance with your strides. The other is for injury prevention,” she said. “Typically we end up seeing runners after they’re injured. So prevention makes you foolproof.”

It was after my last training with Pustinger on Thursday that I realized how much I had learned about myself.

I learned after running a 12 mile loop from Sunset Heights to Scenic Dr. that I could run farther than I ever thought; that running 11 miles in a rainstorm is as uncomfortable as it sounds; that talking and laughing with new friends makes hours and hills pass almost unnoticed; and I also learned that the running community is full of amazing, strong people full of grit and endurance.

It’ll be an honor to run alongside them on Sunday for 13.1 miles — and in the miles to come.

The full marathon starts at 7:00 AM at the Hospitals of Providence East Campus on Joe Battle Boulevard. It ends at Southwest University Park downtown.

The half marathon starts and ends at the ballpark.

There is also a 5K run, a walk and a kids dash around the bases.