Don't Be Like Laura, Train With Friends 

The first time I ran Mountain Goat was about 8 years ago. I had just moved back home from college and had taken A LOT of time off from running. I had signed up for Mountain Goat with the intention of having that motivate me to pick up running again. My intentions were great, but the execution was terrible. Trying to start running again, alone was a STRUGGLE. I could not get myself out the door. I also probably didn’t give myself enough time to try for a 10-mile race either, if I’m being honest.

Before race day, I had built up to running 6 flat miles for a long run. Only slightly more than half the length of the race. I wasn’t running consistently, which is why I only got to 6 miles in my training. I didn’t know about fueling or hydrating during a run, I didn’t know much about distance running. I ran cross country in middle school and high school. We had 10 mile long runs, which we properly built up to, so running wasn’t new to me, but it wasn’t until I was trying to train alone did I realize how much I didn’t know and how hard it was to train alone. 

When race day came, it was rainy and super warm. I STRUGGLED up the hills of Syracuse. Being undertrained made this race, which I have come to LOVE now, miserable. I simply was not ready.  Ten miles felt like 20 that day. I don’t remember too many of the specifics of the race other than seeing the finish and being thankful that it was finally over. I didn’t get to enjoy the experience of the race, but now I do because I’ve properly prepared myself for it. 

If you’ve made it to this point in my ramble about my first Mountain Goat experience, you’re probably asking yourself,  “Laura, what is your point? Why are you telling me about this awful experience you had”? I’m telling you because I don’t want you to have the same experience!! Fleet Feet Syracuse has a 10-week training program designed to get you prepared for the hills and distance of the Mountain Goat. There is a huge group that will be training for this iconic Syracuse race, so you don’t have to train alone. We meet twice a week, Wednesday evenings for a workout, and Sunday morning for a long run.  Joining the program will give you a plan and help keep you accountable. I’ve made so many running friends and have accomplished so many of my own personal running goals when I started running with Fleet Feet Syracuse. Having a running tribe behind you, supporting you is the BEST, and I’ve found that here. I hope you do too!

If you’re not quite ready to tackle the Mountain Goat, Fleet Feet does have other training programs! Check out our training page for all the details of what programs we have coming up! Don’t show up unprepared!! Don’t be like Coach Laura!!