I’ve taken it easy this winter. I didn’t completely quit running, but I didn’t really keep up with it either – and I’m OK with that.

So as I get back “on the wagon”, I’m working hard to rebuild my strength and stamina. It’s not easy. What is easy is beating yourself up for falling off the wagon, and letting yourself get sucked into a spiral of perceived failure. As someone very wise once said – there is no wagon.

We don’t just sit by the side of the road and watch the wagon of our dreams roll by, with only a fleeting opportunity to get back on it. No. We may stop for a time, but we get back up and keep pressing forward on our life’s journey.

You haven’t missed anything. You are where you are, and you will move in the direction you wish to go when you are ready. Don’t feel like you have to catch up.

While I was running yesterday, I remembered something else that I’ve taken away from W4MTP training. I know how to get back on the road. I have the training, the road map, and the know how to begin again -  as often as I need to – in a safe, manageable way.

So whether you are starting a walking or running program for the very first time or for the one hundred and first time, join your fellow travelers on the road. None of us will be sitting in a wagon. We’ll be beside you putting one foot in front of the other.

Register online now: www.w4mtp.com

Have you been thinking about signing up for the Women’s 4 Miler, but maybe you’re a little nervous? Maybe you aren’t sure what to expect or maybe you really aren’t so sure you can do this thing. I’m here to tell you: Yes, you can.

When you show up for Opening Day, June 16^th, you will see more women in one place than you might think prudent. I recall at one Women’s 4 Miler Race overhearing this remark: Son, do you smell that? That’s the smell of BO and estrogen. I think I saw them shudder just a little bit. It’s a powerful thing to see so many women in one place committing to a cause, a lifestyle and themselves. Stand back boys.

You will see women of every possible shape, size, color, age and level of fitness. You will find others who are just where you are. You will gather in groups accordingly. Mostly there will be walkers, beginning runners, returning runners who want to get back on the wagon, and experienced runners who enjoy the camaraderie of the program. There will be mothers and daughters, sisters, co-workers and friends who have agreed to do this thing together. There will be plenty of women who show up alone, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone end it alone.

There will be some talking – different speakers on assorted topics related to fitness, gear, safety, nutrition and more each week. There will be some laughing and crazy pep rally antics by your devoted coaches – aka: The Pink Ladies. Then you will be beckoned to move. The first week you will go half a mile. You will walk or run or maybe do some of each. It will be easier than you thought it would be. And each week you will follow the program in your little training book you receive. You will increase your mileage each Saturday, and then find two more times to do the same walk/run during the week. Very manageable.

There are training groups across at least 4 counties, so hook yourself to a group to keep yourself motivated and accountable. Oh, and you will make new friends. So what are you waiting for? Register now: www.w4mtp.com

Have you done the program before? What did you like best?

Running is simple. Possibly the simplest sport or fitness activity to get involved with – all you need are shoes and open road. (You’ll end up wanting more, but that’s a post for another day.) The hardest part for most people is getting started.

Have you ever had to roll start a car? With the decline of the stick shift, I don’t think kids these days get that opportunity much anymore.

My first car was a 1974 VW Super Beetle, and the beauty of a car like this (like running) is its utter simplicity. Even 16-year-old-girl-me could understand the basic mechanics and maintenance required for this kind of engine. I was even in the VW club in high school! I took this car to college and it was the lead vehicle for the Spring Break trip of ’83 (perhaps you’ve heard of it?).

This was the trip to Florida with the girls from my 1st year  dorm at UVa. Among our many adventures, my car had a bit of a starter problem – as in, it wouldn’t start without a push. So after every stop for gas, food or restrooms over the course of the 15-16 hour drive, we had to roll start it. That means a bunch of my college girlfriends got behind my car and pushed while I popped the clutch. The engine would engage, everyone would pile back in the car and we’d be on our way again.

The roll (or push) start requires a little thinking ahead. It’s best to stop with the car facing downhill, if possible, and you need room to get a good take off. You need to get up to the right speed before you pop the clutch, and then it’s usually smooth sailing as long as you keep moving. It’s possible to do it alone, but easier with friends.

I can tell you, after nearly 5 years of (almost) continuous running, getting started is still the hardest part for me. Just like I used to have to plan my parking for the best possible opportunity to start my car again, a little planning ahead helps me get myself out on the road several times a week. I get my running clothes ready in advance (I’ve been known to sleep in them), and then I tell myself: All you need to do is get dressed.

Then I think: All you need to do is walk to the end of the street.

Then I say: All you need to do is run to the next block.

By then I usually have gained enough speed to pop the clutch and get my run on. If I can’t get up enough momentum on my own, having someone waiting to meet me at a an appointed time and place gets me moving.

Training with the Women’s 4 Miler Training Program is like having your own group of girlfriends to give you a push start when your starter is broken. So what are you waiting for? Training begins June 16^th. Register now: www.w4mtp.com

What helps get you started?

Ohmygosh! We are gearing up for another awesome season of the Charlottesville Track Club Women’s Four Miler Training Program (aka W4MTP).

The world famous (well, in our world, at least) Pink Ladies have already started meeting to get all the preparations and plans in order for the best dang walk/run training program ever!

W4MTP was originally conceived as a way for women to safely and effectively prepare for the Women’s 4 Miler Race, one of the biggest all women running events in the country as well as a major fundraiser for the UVa Breast Care Center. Over the last 18 years, W4MTP has become a phenomenon all its own.

If you want to train for the race, if you want to begin a running program for the first time, if you want to find a warm and encouraging group of women who will support your fitness goals, or if you take the fight against breast cancer personally – W4MTP is the place for you to be this summer.

Here’s what you need to know:

We’ll be meeting Saturday mornings bright and early – 7am – beginning 6/16/12 through 8/25/12. This is a tad earlier than in the past, but when summer heats up in C’ville, you’ll be glad for this new “stay cool” start time.

We’ll be meeting at “The Park” again this year. (This is the same location as last year, the UVa recreation facility behind the JAG school and law school on Massie Road.)

Registration for the program will open online May 1^st: www.w4mtp.com

There will be several convenient satellite locations you can connect with as well. Look for info from Green, Augusta/Staunton, Fluvanna and Nelson

Find all sorts of good info on the website, join the Facebook group, like our page and follow us on Twitter to keep up with all the lastest news.

Are you ready?

We get a lot of questions and requests for our music team every Saturday. The Brady Family has provided us with this select list of some of their favorite tunes for W4MTP participants. Enjoy!

What? That’s not the story you’ve heard about yourself?

New runners often struggle to call themselves runners. They think they need to have run for a certain amount of time or achieved a certain distance or even have completed an official race. Let me make this easy for you: You can officially call yourself a runner when you lace up those shoes, step out the door, and put one foot in front of the other.

It doesn’t matter if it’s .2 miles or 26.2 miles, when you run, you’re a runner. When you commit to a physical training program to make yourself stronger, faster, fitter, you are an athlete. When you apply discipline to your activity to match your intention, you are a force to be reckoned with.

Take it from me. I am a slow, heavy, middle-aged broad with the chutzpah to call herself a runner. You know what that makes me? No, not a damn fool. It makes me a ray of light, a bit of hope to someone who sees me and thinks, Well, if she can do it, maybe I can too.

And that’s who you are now. Walker, runner, athlete, superhero. Your secret identity has been revealed.

Is this the new look you are aspiring to?

Well, you’ve completed a full week of your new attitude. How’s it going?

If you missed Saturday morning’s Week 2 session, you can see the highlights here.

Many thanks to Denise Stewart, our awesomely inspiring speaker. If you’re going to adopt a new attitude, you need to start telling a new story – to yourself and about yourself. Denise is a pretty spectacular storyteller herself.

Find the full transcript of her talk here.

The W4MTP blog has been on hiatus in the off-season, but we’re back now and ready for another 12 weeks of inspiration, information and sweat.

If you are new to the program, welcome! You have done a brave and admirable thing – no matter what your motivation. If you are returning, we are so glad you’re here whether you are leading the way or just trying to get back on the wagon.

This year’s theme is A New Attitude. Pretty perfect if you ask me. See if any of these old attitudes ring a bell with you:

• I can’t run.
• I’m too old/fat/slow.
• I look ridiculous.
• It’s too hot/cold/rainy.
• I don’t have time.
• I don’t have energy.
• I can’t take time away from my kids/husband/job.
• I don’t know what I’m doing.
• I don’t think I can finish 4 miles.

Well now is the time to replace those with a new attitude:

• It feels good to move.
• If not now, when?
• I am a role model.
• I am unstoppable.
• I am worth 30 minutes a few times per week.
• I am going to feel better every day.
• My family will have a happier, healthier me.
• I will meet new people, make new friends and learn from kind, gentle women.
• I can do whatever I set my mind to do. 4 miles, here I come!

What attitude are you ready to trade in?