Track and Field Blogs - Magdalena Lewy

I have been training in North Lake Tahoe for a week now and I just completed the highest mileage week ever in my life. I have been coming to train here every summer since 2005. Owen, my 3-year old son, has made all four consecutive years to my training camp. North Lake Tahoe is located at 6,000 feet of altitude, but I do not come here because of the altitude. I absolutely love to run in this area and I always come back fit, recharged and ready to take on the world. I only spend 3 weeks here at a time, and always wish I could spend months. This place is what I call Runner’s Heaven.

My mom came along to help me out with Owen so I can do what I need to do and not leave Owen behind. She is taking time off work to help us ‘till Richie and I get back home from the Olympics. We are having a great time here with Owen, and as hard as it sometimes is to be ready to play with a 3 year old boy minutes after I just finished a 22 mile run at altitude, it does not compare to the feeling I have when I am away from him for too long. Owen keeps the fire going in my heart, and I could not do what I do every day and be as happy as I am now. My husband Richie comes for 3-4 days at a time to spend time with us and challenges me on my runs. I am taking full advantage of my time in Tahoe, making fresh bread every day and designing workouts for the upcoming CAL XC season.

This year I am doing more mileage here then ever before. I just ran 150 miles this week and feeling the “good” tired. I brought 3 pairs of shoes with me here because each served a different purpose. The ProGrid Tangent, which I use every day for my 10 mile morning runs – I like the low to the ground feel, light with just enough cushioning. The ProGrid Ride, which I use on my afternoon runs to give my feet a little rest from the rocky footing by providing a marshmallow style cushioning. The Grid Fastwitch, which I use to do faster turnover work and treadmill workouts.

I have been also practicing drinking a significantly larger volume of my GU2O drink, which I will be using in Beijing during the Marathon. Research shows that you can train to drink more and I am doing just that. For example, this morning I strapped on my hydration pack (yes, I ran with a hydration pack) with 40 oz. of GU2O and after running 20 miles and drinking most of my GU2O, I still lost 4 lbs. Both GU and GU2O are a part of my sports nutrition and I go through a lot of them daily. Since I am out the door for my morning run within 30 min. of waking up, I start my day with a Vanilla Bean GU Energy Gel and chase it down with 12-16oz of GU2O. I have a cold 16-24oz of GU2O waiting for me in the fridge after my run. Optimal sports nutrition is very critical for athletic performance and for recovery. The type of carbohydrates in your products is important, as is the level of sodium. During this time where I try to simulate heat and humidity, sufficient electrolyte replacement (sodium) is critical. In Beijing, I will be racing on GU and GU2O all the way.

August 17th is just around the corner. I feel very good about my preparation. My coach Jack Daniels always says: “Chewy – complete in training that one thing that makes you feel stronger than anyone toeing the line with you”. That one workout is still to come.

Last night I watched the Marathon course in Beijing and the finish will be on the Olympic Stadium track (“The Bird’s Nest”). After we enter the stadium, we start on the outside of the track, then cut in after 100m and finish at the common finish line. It occurred to me that this would be the sweetest lap I will have run.

- Chewy