BY MARIA FERRER
Teresa Lara is President of Las Comadres Para Las Americas and a
marathoner. She’s completed six
half-marathons, a few 10k runs, and this year she ran and finished her first
full marathon. Let’s hear how she
prepares, learn about the agony of anticipation, how to carbo load, and how race
is grace.
Q: How did you prepare for this marathon? How long were you training?
TERESA: I signed up on a whim when my friend Tanya
said she was 'walking' it and that seemed doable. I walk/jog 5 miles daily
before work and another 2-3 miles after work, which was my only training. I
consider myself lucky for having completed it without injuries or soreness. If
I were to do it again, I'd have walked/jogged 15 miles a couple of times before
the marathon.
Q:Now that this marathon is over, are you
training for the next one?
TERESA: I am not (famous last words). The agony and
anticipation the night before was worse than the actual marathon. I didn't get much sleep and I was worried
about oversleeping. Luckily, I had slept well the whole week, so the previous
night's jitters didn't affect me much.
Q:
Is it true that you have to carbo load for a good run? What is/was your favorite food during
training and how often did you eat it?
TERESA: Oh, my goodness. I carb loaded a few days
prior not the night before from a learned experience from a previous run (one
of the halfies I'd completed). Everyone's body is different, so practicing to
see what your body responds to well is key. I learned that I cannot introduce
any new foods, meal quantities, or clothing the week of the event and to just
keep things normal and standard. As for the carb load, I treated myself to my
favorite homemade cacio e pepe from a local restaurant, on Wednesday, before
the race.
Q:
What do you enjoy about running?
TERESA: It feels like I'm flying. I started off
running one block, walking next, another block, walking the next, then it was
two, three blocks...and it was out of joy and it felt good. My max is about 5
blocks at a time now.
Q:
Please share your favorite fitness tips with us and how we can
incorporate them during the holidays.
TERESA: My brother is an avid running/boxer. He came down from San Jose to join me on my
first half-marathon and that’s when he “coached” me to 'slow down', to save
energy that will help me go longer. I thought he was kidding because I'm
already a slow jogger, but I've been able to find a nice pace and rhythm for
these longer runs. I want to send the
message that running is not a hustle bustle sport, but a graceful experience
that is
achievable by anyone. One
doesn’t have to have an athlete body to start jogging or to finish a race. It’s more achievable than we think, and the
end result is so empowering. I feel
invincible. My favorite words…Race is
grace.
Congratulations to Teresa on her finishing her first full marathon. Hurrah!
This
post first appeared in the Fall 2022 Comadres Connect! Newsletter.
