Marathoner takes on heat, hills
By Brett Turner
Skywrighter Staff, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Editor's Note: The following is the third in a series of articles following the training of a first-time runner in the Air Force Marathon. Skywrighter is following her progress leading to the race Sept. 17.
First Lt. Lisa Heitman has been dealing with three "Hs" lately in training for her first Air Force Marathon - heat, hills and hope.
As the dog days of August lead into the final two weeks before the Sept. 17 26.2-mile race, Heitman said she is growing more confident, even if it has literally been an uphill battle some days.
"I'm feeling comfortable, getting my runs in, and the body's feeling good, no injuries," she said.
Last month, Heitman overcame a knee injury that was a result of overuse, according to her doctor. She scaled back her training a bit, but picked up the pace after eliminating other activities that were not part of her marathon regimen.
Heitman said she runs four times during the week, going three miles on a lower energy day and up to seven on the higher energy days. Weekends are reserved for long runs.
Two weeks ago, Heitman said she did her longest run so far - 15 miles. She said it went well, but admits she needs to do at least a 20-mile run before the marathon, based on advice from other runners.
Heitman laughed when she said she needed to get back to the longer run this weekend, admitting that she was "a little bad" last weekend. She traveled to a NASCAR race instead of getting in her training, but she said it won't slow her down.
" Marathon training's a priority for me, but it's not going to run my life," she said.
One of the parts of the 26.2-mile race that bothers a number of runners is the dreaded hills. Heitman said she took on the hill on Loop Road in Area B on a recent training run.
"I hate hills, but they don't really bother me except going downhill," she said. "The downhills are worse on my body and knees. I take it slow up hill; I know my pace"
She said she wants to work out on the hills more in the weeks leading up to the race to get even more accustomed.
Then there is the heat of summer. Heitman grew up in Wisconsin where she said there were maybe a couple of weeks of overbearing heat and humidity, but little like the weather here.
Heitman said she is dealing with is fine though. On her recent long run, one of her goals was to see how long she could go without getting thirsty.
She did express concern about the race being pushed back by a half-hour this year. When the sun is getting at its highest point in the day, she said that is when she will be reaching her toughest point of the race.
"The latter part of the run, when I'm in my fourth hour, will be pretty hot," she said. "I'm going to hydrate well and wear shades, and it should be okay. Knowing there are aid stations every mile will help."
Overall, Heitman said she's getting excited about the race. She realizes her training time is dwindling, but her enthusiasm is increasing.
"Things are going good," she said. "I need to get some more runs in, including a 20-mile one, and I'm on schedule. I'm excited."