Editor’s note: This story is the last in a series following four La Jolla Marathon women in their training for the La Jolla Half and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. Reporter Kendra Hartmann is training alongside them and more than 300 others in the Team VAVi Running Club. Lately, a certain phenomenon has been spotted more and more around San Diego. If you’ve been out in the city the last few weeks, you’ve likely seen droves of runners, many of them outfitted ­with water belts, dragging themselves up and down hills, across beaches and through neighborhoods, all in anticipation of the big event: the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. With the Team VAVi Running Club, we’ve been working up to this goliath for 16 weeks now. Many started at zero, having never run more than a few steps. We’ve all worked our way up, starting with the first group run of about five miles back in February, to long runs of 18, 20 or 23 miles. We endured hill repeats and speed workouts, medium-long runs and really long runs, changing appetites and mental fatigue. We learned our bodies can do things we never thought possible, while discovering our limits in very real (and sometimes painful) ways. One of the highlights of our training has been discovering corners of San Diego some of us never knew existed as we trekked through the streets of the city. Coach Blake Miller said making the schedule and drawing out courses is one of the most difficult parts of his job. To avoid boredom, he varies the run locations, but he also has to consider a number of variables. Because the program trains both marathoners and half-marathoners, he has to find locations where the difference in mileage between the two groups is easily accommodated. He also has to think about safety: is the location well-lit and safe from vehicles? There must be support in the form of restrooms and water, while also being fun, rewarding and scenic at the same time. Either Miller or assistant coach Robert Mitchell has personally staked out every run at some point to ensure it meets those requirements. A perennial favorite is the “train run.” On May 7, the group met at the Solana Beach train station, rode the Amtrak to Oceanside and ran back down the coast, totaling 16 miles (like most of Miller’s pre-arranged courses, there was an add-on portion for runners who wished to go farther — up to 21 miles that day). Another popular course was the aptly-named “San Diego Junket.” Our longest run of the season, the junket covered a lot of ground, and gave runners a veritable tour of the city. Running more than 20.5 miles (23 for those who added on mileage), we hit up Crown Point, Ocean Beach, Sunset Cliffs, the downtown harbor, Little Italy, Old Town and Clairemont, and then returned to Mission Bay. Another highlight has been the techniques we’ve learned. In the last installment, I reported that TVRC runners had been subjected to hill repeats in preparation for the La Jolla Half Marathon. As of late, Miller has been treating us to another, similar form of training, this time to help us improve our pace. Miller challenged us with two different speed workouts: “lactate threshold (LT)” runs and “V02max workouts.” “Lactate threshold is considered the most important physiological variable for endurance-type of activities lasting more than 30-60 minutes,” he said. “Lactate, and lactic acid, is a byproduct of energy production and too much of it in your system will limit your energy systems.” Miller explained that an LT pace is the pace at which our bodies can no longer keep up with the production of lactic acid. “It’s important to train your body just at or below your LT pace to maximize its ability to run long distances at such speeds,” he said. Another gem has been the V02max workout, in which the runner runs at the fastest pace that can possibly be sustained for a series of short runs. “V02max is essentially the maximum amount of oxygen that your body can deliver and therefore consume,” Miller said. “V02max workouts are designed to improve various areas that affect this variable: stroke volume, capability of blood and muscle systems to deliver and consume oxygen and training your body to focus more oxygen consumption to vital organs and areas of the body.” Miller said V02max workouts also add a strength component for runners’ legs and muscles, usually consisting of shorter runs of about 800 to 1200 meters. Miller cautioned that these intense workouts should not be attempted before runners have achieved a solid base — in TVRC’s program, eight-10 weeks of training — calling them the “icing” on our overall training “cake.” They were anything but sweet, although they will hopefully help us improve our time — and just maybe achieve a personal record. After completing 23 miles on May 14 during the longest run of the season, we now get a break while we taper (running less and resting more) before the big race. Tapering, though counterintuitive, is important because, as explained in Runner’s World magazine, “studies show that muscle glycogen, enzymes, antioxidants and hormones, which are all depleted by high mileage, return to optimal ranges during [the tapering stage].” My excitement at the prospect of relaxing for the next couple of weeks was slightly deflated upon realizing that, when tapering down from 23 miles, “break” is a relative term. We still have to do 16 miles this Saturday, then 13 the weekend after that. I’m convinced, however, that all of it will be worthwhile when we cross that finish line on June 5. “After Saturday’s long run, I am a bit sore but not at all miserable! Time-wise, I’d be happy with six and a half hours. I know that is not going to set any records, but I am pretty certain that is very doable. Besting a time is not my goal — I want to say I am a finisher! So many things can keep you from finishing, so staying healthy and keeping up the training the next few weeks will be my focus. I certainly have improved, and believe me, I was not an endurance athlete. I am truly surprised that [the long run] was actually fun on Saturday!” — Betsy Franklin Age: 56 Occupation: Business process and customer management specialist “Boston was a really, really tough race for me. The spectators on the course were amazing — like nothing I had ever seen before. I think over the course of the race I gave about 5,000 high fives, and the entire last three miles were packed with spectators, who I am sure were screaming, but at that point I didn’t see a single face. My goal will be to qualify for the New York Marathon, but I will not be shooting for that at the Rock ‘n’ Roll in a few weeks. (Kochman recently completed the Boston Marathon with a personal record of 3:37:23.) — Danielle Kochman Age: 28 Occupation: Transit planner “As you know, my fall and rib injury happened just eight weeks ago. I had to give up the running training — it jarred my ribs too much. But I continued to do what I could walking as far as I felt I could. I am now feeling much better. The ribs are healing and I plan to start running again and over the final few weeks see if I can get comfortable enough to walk/run 12-14 miles. I think I can do it and plan to give it my best effort and finish the half marathon!” — Shannon Mulvihill Age: 50 Occupation: Computer consultant “I feel really good about my progress so far. The training has helped me mentally prepare for the marathon and now I finally believe that it’s an attainable goal. At first I was very nervous about it. It will be my first marathon and until a few weeks ago I didn’t know what to expect. After the last three long runs of 18, 19, and 20.5 miles, I feel mentally and physically ready.” — Celeste Phillips Age: 23 Occupation: Real estate assistant