August 18, 2020 – Comparison

Hi Everyone!

 

And now we get the rewards of having run through searingly hot and humid summer days. How good do the lower temps feel! I’m sure we’ll cycle around again a few times and then we’ll start complaining about the cold, but today feels … dare I say it … perfect!!!

 

One thing I’ve been thinking about and noticing lately is how much our mental engagement has a real physical effect. When we’re excited about an upcoming race or effort, we’re able to draw more out of ourselves and it doesn’t feel as hard to push or work towards our goals. When we’re not in that mental state, it’s harder to get the same effort out of ourselves. This is totally fine!!! Just don’t compare your efforts when you’re not training for something to efforts when you are. They will not match up. Your running will serve you for whatever phase you’re in. Let it. You’ll know when you need it to serve you differently. Let your goals come to you. At a certain point you might feel inspired to challenge yourself and go for something. Then your runs will take on purpose and excitement and energy, and you’ll be able to put up with a lot more. But you can’t fake it. And you can’t always be chasing a goal. Maintenance is a very comfortable and great place to be and complements a lot of what else we have going on in life. Just stay off comparing yourself from one phase to another. Comparison is the thief of joy – especially when we’re comparing ourselves to ourselves!

 

Ok, on to workout options for this week:

 

  1. 4-5 x 800 w 2 min rest, 4 mins, then 1-2 sets of 4 x 200 w 1:15; 4 min bw sets (marathoners add an extra 800 and only 1 set of 200’s) – 800’s at 10K pace or slightly faster
  2. The above but by time vs distance (I prefer this if you’re getting back into workouts and want to keep the head judgement part out of it): 5 x 3 min w 2 min rest, 4 min rest, 6-8 x 30 sec w 1 min rest
  3. Hills! If you haven’t done Riverdale hill sprints in a while, I suggest these. So good for power and muscle building. Go glutes!
  4. Workout of drills and strides. REALLY love this one, especially if you’re in maintenance phase. It’s what we should always do more of but don’t have the time/energy when we’re in hard training. Do it now – it will serve you well.
  5. Tempo: 15-20 min tempo, 4 min easy, 2 x 5 min tempo w 2 min easy

Here’s the sign-up sheet – I’ll follow-up peoples’ leads as to when they’re working out but I will do Option 1. Just to let ya’ll know, the washrooms at Tim’s at L&L open at 6 (don’t forget your masks). It seems there are currently some construction port-o-potties on Carlaw – haven’t checked them out myself yet though so not sure how great.

 

 

Have fun!!!

 

Seanna

August 11, 2020 – Eat Lots

Hi Everyone! 

 

FYI if you hadn’t noticed: it’s HOT!!! Please re-read my note on heat if you need a reminder of how to approach training in it mentally.  

 

Another point on that subject is nutrition. I’m not strict with what or when I eat and just go by my hunger cues. But I find with training in the heat my hunger cues aren’t loud enough to ask for what I actually need. So I have to make a conscious effort to eat more, and more consistently. This is important – especially for those people training hard for upcoming marathons. You need to eat a lot. And consistently – not just at the end of the day. If you’re feeling generally fatigued, that could be your body’s way of signalling it doesn’t have enough energy. Energy doesn’t come out of nowhere – it comes from the food we eat. And remember that it takes even more energy to train and recover in the heat, so while you might feel like eating less, you actually need MORE than usual. It might help to take in more calories in liquid form at these times: smoothies, juices, milk/chocolate milk. Just get it in.  

 

ALSO if you’re injured or feeling niggles, you need to eat as if you’re training hard. After a hard workout your body goes into repair mode to strengthen all the micro-damage you did in training. Similarly, when you’re injured your body is in constant repair mode working to repair the injured area. You need to provide it with fuel so it can do its job efficiently and well. You may not feel like you just worked out, but to your body repairing an injury, it is the same as recovering from a hard workout.  

 

My advice: experiment with trying to take in a little more than usual. See what happens. I guarantee we’re all better off erring slightly to the side of more than we need than less. And I don’t mean sit and eat 10 bowls of ice-cream after dinner. Instead, have a big healthy breakfast, probably a second breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. This is how I eat when I’m training hard and have lots of energy but noticed I had started leaving a large gap in the middle of the day and it’s been affecting me. So back on the food train!!!  

 

Ok, workouts for this week: 

 

  1. 6-8 x 600 w 1:30 rest, 4-5 mins then 4-5 x 200 w 1 min rest  
  2. 6-8 x 2 min Hard, 1:30 easy, 4-5 min easy, 4 x 30 sec Hard, 1 min Easy 
  3. Water run option: 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 min Hard w 1 min easy 
  4. Hills, Glorious Hills!!!! 

 

One last note on workouts: I am now coaching with a club called the Monarch Athletics Track Club and the athletes are pretty experienced. Last night I had a group that contained an Olympian, a 2:09 800m runner and a 2:4-low marathoner. I knew the workout was supposed to be 8-10 x 600. They didn’t. We got there, it was hot, and people were struggling. Times were not fast and they were getting slower. So we turned it into 6 x 600. This is why I give you a range. I can’t see how you’re responding to the workout, but it’s OK to back-off and do the low end if the conditions require it. That is what experienced athletes do and they don’t beat themselves up 😉  

 

Hope to see some of you out there!

 

Seanna

August 4, 2020 – Ruts

Hi Everyone!

 

My thoughts this week have been around the importance of taking breaks or shaking things up to avoid getting in a rut. I do think this has been one of the outfalls of not having races to train for (apart from those training for Boston or other big virtual races) – it’s easy to just keep plugging along and working hard with not a lot of variance from one week to the next. I have been thinking about how amazing it is that our mental state can have such an impact on our physical experience of energy. But it does. If you do become bored or mentally fatigued this can express itself physically. You’ll feel tired, unmotivated, and your runs might start to feel inexplicably harder.

 

The good news; it’s not too hard to reset. Options are: take a break, change your routine or routes, find a new fitness activity so you can “come back” to running. Or commit to a virtual race and take it seriously – with a training cycle, taper and down-time afterwards. Traveling and running in new places often shakes things up because when we return we have a new sense of appreciation for our old routes and routines. But we aren’t getting away as much these days, so the rut potential looms. I also find a change of seasons helps. But for better or worse, that won’t happen for a number of weeks yet, so best to find some other way to change things up.

 

Many of us started new routines in March with a lot of energy and motivation. It makes sense that these same routines might be getting a bit tired right now. So if you’re feeling this, take a week or two off. Don’t worry about losing fitness – what you gain in motivational and engagement energy will more than make up for it.

 

Workout options for this week:

 

  1. 3-4 sets of 4 x400 with 100 jog and 400 jog btw the sets (Boston peeps I like this for you)
  2. Hills! Any mix or match way of doing them that works for you
  3. 2-3 sets of 4 x 200 w 100 jog between reps and 400 jog between sets (for those that want to mix things up)
  4. Tempo: 20 minutes – slower than usual tempo – ease in and pick up the pace as you go

I am away so will attempt a mix of hills up here. Have a good one guys!

 

Seanna

 

July 28, 2020 – Sharing our energy

Hi Gang!

 

We have come a long way in running and life since COVID started 4 months ago. We’ve challenged ourselves, held it together, kept up what we’ve known will keep us going and moving forward. We’ve done this by ourselves for the most part, each of us making it work the best way we know how. I think it will be a long time before things go back to how they were (if they ever do), but one thing we are able to start experiencing more now is the power of small group dynamics. We are all individually strong people, so it’s easy to put our heads down and find a routine and think “I’m fine on my own”. But there is something about sharing the energy of other people that really gives you that extra boost. I have noticed this over the last few weeks as I’ve slowly started getting together with small groups – socially and for exercise. I don’t have to bring all of the energy myself – I know I can just show up and it will be shared from others. I can rely on others to pull me along where I would likely stop on my own. We give each other looks (of determination, strain, effort, relief, contentment), and we feel supported. It’s more than a written word of acknowledgement – it’s a shared experience which really makes so much of what we do more meaningful.  

So that is my 2-cents for this week. If you’ve been functioning well in isolation, major kudos. But there is a huge untapped energy source out there waiting for you and that is other people. If you feel comfortable and are safe about it, then go and use it. You’ll likely also receive a huge jolt of gratitude for something we once took for granted. 

 

Ok, onto this week’s workouts. Holy hell it’s been hot! Am I the only one who has been suffering majorly in last week’s heat? Luckily I think it’s going to cool down a tad over the next little while. So here are our options for this week’s workouts: 

  1. 3 x 800 @5K pace w 2 min rec; 4 min rec; 6-8 x 400 w 1:30 rec (a bit faster) 
  2. Fartlek option: 3 x 3 mins Hard, 2 min easy, (4 min easy) 6-8 x 1:30 Hard, 1:30 easy 
  3. Fartlek option 2: 10 x 1 min On, 1 min Off – this is just such a good one to get legs moving if it’s been a while since you’ve done a speedier workout 
  4. Hills (ALWAYS on the menu – try to throw them in every 3rd week or so) 
  5. Tempo: 3 x 12 min tempo, 2 min easy (this one is longer so make your tempo pace 10 sec per km slower than usual – working a different fitness angle) 

 

 

July 21, 2020 – Self Compassion

Hi Everyone!

It’s funny – I always think I don’t have anything to write but then I think: I WAS contemplating something. What I’ve been thinking about this week is self-compassion. I’m not in regular contact with everyone one this list, but based on my sample set who I am more regularly in touch with, I would say we could all use a little more self-compassion.

We are used to being tough on ourselves and strict taskmasters. Let’s be honest – not that many people run marathons, train through the heat whether they have an upcoming race or not, get up at the crack of dawn in all types of weather to push themselves, while simultaneously working and being a support for others in their lives. Most of us in this group do these types of things, and we really do enjoy it. But the trick is to be able to get ourselves to do hard things, while maintaining an element of self-compassion. So many times I hear people being hard on themselves and disappointed in themselves, and I just want to wrap you all in a big hug and say “you are amazing! Be kind to yourself!”

I know many of us have unkind, judgmental inner voices which we direct at ourselves. I would love to be there to deflect these for you, but I’m probably not privy to at least 90% of them. We need to learn to treat ourselves as we would a good friend, or our kids when they’re struggling. Self-compassion doesn’t mean letting yourself off the hook – it means being on your own side. You can still be firm and demanding of yourself, but in a kind and supportive way. You would never get mad at a kid or friend if they failed at something. You would tell them you love them and remind them of all the great qualities they have and of all the times they’ve succeeded. Then, you would probably try to help set them up to achieve their goals next time. And that is exactly how we should try to talk to ourselves: include a good dose of self-love when setting out to do something, and maintain that love whether it goes as planned or not.

Please don’t forget to do that – for me. It will make me feel better because I think you’re all awesome, wonderful people who are doing your best and doing it well, and I love you!

 

Ok, onto workout options for this week:

  1. 4×1000 with 2 min rec; 4 min rec; 4-5 x 400 w 1:30 rec (I’ll bring a cone for the 400 mark and leave it there until the last group is done. Each 1000 will look a bit different ie. 800/200, 600/400, 400/600, etc. Might be nice to mix it up that way)
  2. Same-ish thing but fartlek style: 4 x 4 min Hard w 2 min easy, 4 min easy, 4-5 x 1:30 Hard w 1:30 easy (Note: this is a good one for water running as well – just halve the rest)
  3. Tempo: 3 x 10 min tempo w 3 min easy + strides
  4. Mix of hills! If doing Pottery try half your regular amount, then jog a couple km’s to Riverdale and do 3-4 of those. If in the Beach, do some longer then shorter ones. Keeps all those neuromuscular settings awake and firing!

 

Here is our form for meeting for workouts. Let ppl know what you’re doing so they can join. I’m floating back to early start times but not everyone is up for that and it’s ALWAYS easier with others!

 

July 14, 2020 – Nature Bathing

Hi Everyone!

 

Looks like we’ll be getting a small reprieve from the heat this week. Let’s enjoy it!

 

One thing I was thinking about this week was making the most of our surroundings in nature. There are not many months here in Canada where we have everything in full bloom and growth mode. We have probably close to two months until it starts making changes to retreat for winter. Nature in fall and winter is beautiful too, but there is something about the energy we get from it all in full bloom mode. Studies have been done that show that our brain waves become more relaxed and less anxious when we are exposed to the colours, patterns, textures and smells in nature. In Japan they even have a type of therapy called “Forest Bathing” where they immerse themselves in the woods for hours to help them feel better physically and mentally.  So my thinking is, why not try to soak up and absorb as much of that as we can while we have it? We are lucky to have so many parks and trees and water around us. My challenge for all of you over the next few weeks is to try to be aware of all of this as much as you can while you’re out running – and appreciate it. As much as you can, try to notice the different leaves on trees, the sounds of birds, the patterns of branches, the colours of flowers, the smells of grasses. It’s doing good things for your mind and body, and given our climate, our ability to really “bathe” in it won’t last too long!

 

Workout options for this week:

 

  1. As always, Hills if you haven’t done them in the past two weeks or so (any mix of long and short – keep those muscles from going dormant!)
  2. 4 x 800 w 1:45 rest then 4 min rest, then 1-2 sets of 4 x 400 w 1:15 rest/4 min bw sets
  3. Brazilian circuits: on a field or stretch of about 100m, do 20 mins of running hard from one end to another followed by 1 min of exercises (ref Kerry’s July challenge for ideas)
  4. Tempo: EITHER 2 x 15 min w 3 min easy OR 2 x 4-3-2-1 min tempo w 1 min rest (3 min bw sets)

Have a good one!

 

Seanna

June 30, 2020 – Heat Acclimatization

Hi Everyone!

 

I’m not sure if everyone has experienced runs in the the real heat yet, but if you’ve somehow managed to dodge around the hottest days so far, you will get a taste of it over the next couple of months for sure. I had some toughies this weekend and it reminded me some important things about running in the heat which I thought I’d share with you.

 

First up, a quick lesson on what happens to your body when you exercise in the heat. As your body temperature starts to rise, your body immediately goes into action to cool it off to maintain a safe core temperature. Your blood vessels expand and blood is diverted to the skin and surface areas where cooling takes place through sweating and evaporation. This diversion of blood means there is less available to deliver oxygen to your working muscles. It also adds a strain to your heart as it tries to pump blood to all the areas asking for it at once. This makes running at any pace feel harder than it normally would. On top of this, our cooling system relies on sweating, and in the process we can lose a lot of fluid and start to become dehydrated which further stresses our system and perceived effort.

 

So the first thing I want you all to understand is that running in the heat really IS harder on your body, and your performance WILL suffer. It’s not in your head. There are real physiological changes which are making it feel like you’re running underwater or at high altitude with less oxygen. Your muscles are getting less than they normally do! So don’t look at your pace, assess your effort, and decide you’re out of shape or “having a bad one” and call it quits. It is supposed to feel this way if your body is doing what it’s supposed to be doing.

 

The second important point is that as humans, we are actually well adapted to running in the heat, and our bodies respond to the stress by making physiological adaptations. First, we start to produce more plasma, so that our blood can circulate more efficiently to our skin (for cooling), our hearts (for pumping) and our muscles (for fuel and oxygen consumption). Second, our core temperatures at rest and during exercise become lower, so we are able to take on more heat without danger. And finally, we become more efficient sweaters: we sweat earlier, to start our cooling process quickly, and our sweat itself changes in composition so we don’t lose as many precious electrolytes, but more expendable water.

 

The awesome news is that these adaptations make us more fit and better runners at all temperatures. Many athletes train in the heat specifically for the performance adaptations. So once you’re acclimatized your runs will feel soooo much better and when you run in the cooler fall temps you’ll have a superpower!

 

The not so great news: it takes about 1-2 weeks to get there. Meanwhile, your runs will feel harder than usual. What you need to do in this phase is remember that just getting out the door is training. Let go of pacing goals and go solely by effort. Cut your runs shorter if you have to, and slow down. It’s all fine, you’re getting the added boost of heat training (no, it’s not a metric for your log, but it IS real!)

 

Also a quick word on recovery. After a harder run or workout in the heat your body has to spend more energy on cooling itself down so there is less to spend on delivering nutrients to damaged muscles for repair. This doesn’t mean you won’t recover, it just means it will take more time. So respect that. If you’re feeling rough day after day, you may need to be adding a bit more recovery to your routine.

 

That is all – also enjoy it while we can – remember those absolutely horrible freezing cold runs? Let’s absorb as much heat into our bodies now because winter will come again!

 

Workouts for this week:

 

  1. 4×3 min with 1:30 rest @20 sec per K faster than tempo pace. 4 min easy. 5-6×1:30 with 1 rest at 30 sec per K faster than tempo (adjust paces according to heat)
  2. 6-10×3 min with 1:30 rest at 20 sec per K faster than tempo
  3. 2 x 600 w 1:30 rest; 2 x 800 w 1:30 rest, 2 x 600 w 1:30 rest, option of 1 last 800 to finish.
  4. Short Riverdale hills with 10 x squats at top, 10 x push-ups at bottom – SUCH a good one! Option to finish with 3-4 good flat strides.
  5. Tempo: 3 x 6 min tempo w 2 min easy jog, 4 min easy, 6 x 1 min tempo (a bit faster) with 1 min rest

 

Have a good one!

 

Seanna

 

March 16, 2021 – Teammates (2)

Hi Everyone! 

 

What I’ve been thinking about this week is teammates. Many people in this group I would consider direct teammates of mine, and are teammates with each other.  I see, communicate with and rely on many of you in some form or another. I think of many of you as teammates in life as well as in running. We know we’re here for each other and there is a huge confidence that comes from that. I’m grateful for it. 

 

I was listening to an interview with Quilen Blackwell, a social activist and changemaker. His view is that life is a team sport. Oftentimes when you’re on a path or undertaking something new, you might find you’re on a team, but you don’t necessarily know who your teammates are yet. But here is the thing: there will always be teammates who show up. I love this idea that we have people just waiting quietly for us to appear so they can join us and help us to move forward. Many of us are lucky to have already experienced this. In the same way, we often encounter others who we didn’t see coming, and recognize a teammate in the path they’re on, and so think nothing of doing whatever we can to help them achieve their goals.  

 

I think this is called having faith in humanity. Not everyone is on the same team, but we do all have our own invisible teammates out there who want the best for us and will help us get there. You’ll know them when you see them. And you’ll be one when you can. Here’s to teammates. 

 

Ok, onto workouts for this week!  

 

  1. I think we’re up for hills again. Wow, three week cycles seem to be passing fast! For those not doing an Achilles 5K or 10K virtual, do hills! And mix it up. If you normally go long, throw some half hills in. They are so good for power and fast twitch strength and form. We endurance junkies can forget about that sometimes. 

 

  1. If you don’t want to do hills, here’s a fun/different one to try. 8-10 x 200/200 run like: 200 Fast (3K pace – basically hard), 200 Medium (keep this at 10K or Half Marathon race pace). No breaks – keep going. This is a great workout for teaching your body to clear lactate. Equals higher lactate threshold. Equals can run at a higher pace for a more sustained period of time! So handy.  

 

  1. If doing the Achilles this weekend, let’s do workout 2 but maybe cut the qty in half so we can go in fresh. 
  2. Tempo: ATB peeps have 30-32 mins straight up. Start 5-7 sec slower than normal tempo. This one is a big confidence builder – you’re just callousing yourself. (callouses are ugly but so useful for protection and armour) Do what you need to to mentally stay with it. If you have a few slower km’s that’s fine. Learn to regroup and find a way through. You got this! 

 

That is all. Go Team! 

xo 

 

Seanna 

March 9, 2021 – Make it feel easy

Hi Everyone!

 

Yay warmer temps! Don’t get too comfy with them, but enjoy them while they’re here. Ahh the love/hate relationship with March.

 

I recently read or saw something with Ryan Hall coaching his wife, 2:20 Marathoner Sara Hall, from the bike. One of the things he said as he was riding beside her and she was straining through a race pace interval was “Make it feel easy!” I love this. He didn’t say “make it easier”, he said “make it feel easy.” This is so fascinating to me. He was telling her to be in control of her internal settings. I love the idea that without external circumstances changing, we can control something internal that will make our tasks feel easier.

 

I tried this in my tempo the other weekend. Often in the last third I start to strain and reach and tighten up in order to maintain my paces. This time I didn’t look at my watch but just said to myself “just run tempo effort”. Tempo can mean many things to different people, but to me I’ve always thought of tempo as being “comfortably hard”. Tempo is not racing. Tempo is not straining. So I just thought “cruise at tempo” and I relaxed and then found that I had maintained my paces regardless.

 

So is “making it feel easy” mental or physical? Both, I guess. A mental state relaxes your physical state and the whole thing flows better. A tough command to follow on demand in the middle of doing something hard though. I know it will take practice, but it’s a mantra I’m going to try to work on.

 

I think it applies to other areas of life as well. There are so many external factors in life that we just can’t change. But if you were tasked with “making something feel easy, without actually making it easier”, could you? I think you could. You’d have to practice shifting things around to see what worked. You would change your mental dialogue. You might stop straining and reaching and just relax into the effort of whatever you’re doing. You would stop fighting the pace or the barriers or the inconveniences or the other people, but without compromising your results. You would settle in and keep going as fast or as hard you could, but you would find a way to make it feel easier. I think some people might call that doing it with grace. Or getting out of your own way. There are a lot of fights in this world that are worthwhile, but fighting yourself is not one of them. So while you’re out there kicking ass and doing something hard, it’s worth remembering to try to make it feel easier. That will be your superpower.

 

Onto workouts for this week: (some ppl are doing Achilles 5K ot 10K this weekend and some next weekend – I have moved mine to next weekend – at least one benefit of virtual races!)

 

  1. 2 x 1200 w 2 min rest (5K pace), 3 min rec, 2 x 800 w 1:30 rec (slightly faster) 4 min rec, 4 x 400 w 1 min rec (slightly faster again – so leave room!)
  2. If fartlek style: 2 x 5 min Hard w 2 min Easy, 3 min easy, 2 x 3 min Hard w 1:30 Easy, 4 min easy, 4 x 1:30 Hard, 1 min Easy
  3. Taper wrkt if doing Achilles this weekend! 1200, 3 min easy, 800, 4 min easy,  2 x 400 w 1 min, strides

 

Have fun!

 

xo

 

Seanna

June 23, 2020 – Do Other Stuff

 

Hey Everyone!

 

What I’ve been thinking about this week is the importance of “other stuff”. I was listening to a podcast where they were talking about Alan Webb (American Olympian and record holder in the mile). They talked about how little mileage he did relative to his competitors. But then added how much “other stuff” he did (weights, plyometrics, x-training). His overall load was high, but he didn’t have to count it all in mileage. Everything he did made him strong, and fit, and a better runner.

 

I also think about Malindi Elmore, our current Canadian women’s marathon record holder. She came to the marathon ‘fresh’ after years of training as an Ironman triathlete. She had a huge base of training, with lots of room left to focus more on running when she wanted to.

 

Summer is the perfect time to focus more on that other stuff. And I don’t mean add it in to your running training. Substitute some running for it. If you’re not training for a specific race right now, you will likely benefit more and preserve your running freshness by mixing it up. Good options: swimming, water running, SUP or other forms of paddling (kayaking), strength training, cycling. The key with these, since most of us will be novices at most of them, is to go by effort. You can push yourself pretty hard in areas that aren’t running, and still gain fitness but really avoid burnout and staleness in running. So get your heads around not counting mileage and be ok with building strength and versatility in different areas. It will make us better, happier runners in the fall when our options start to dwindle back to just running.

 

Workout Options for this week:

 

  1. Pottery Rd Hills (if you’ve accidentally forgotten about them for a while)
  2. 4×4 min with 1:30 rest at 20 sec per K faster than tempo, 4min rest, 4-6×2 min with 1:30 rest at 25 sec per K faster than tempo
  3.  1 x mile, 2 x 800, 4 x 400, 2-3 x 200 – 2 min between sets, 90 secs between reps
  4. Tempo: 3 x 10-12 min w 3 min easy
  5. 8×1:30 with1 rest at 25 sec per K faster than tempo, 5 min rest, 4-6×30 sec with 1 rest think of these like 200s but not all out 200s more like long strides

 

I know some people have been meeting up for the odd workout. We’re not officially able to get together in big groups yet, but I think groups of 5-6 is reasonable.

Let’s coordinate on a spreadsheet so people have options to join where they want. Once a spot and time has about 5-6 people, consider starting a different one. And by no means do you need to commit – this is just if you want workout company.

Looking forward to seeing one or two of you!

xo

Seanna