April 7, 2020 – Sharing our space

Hi Everyone!

 

Hope you’re all staying healthy and finding some peace and joy these days. I’ve passed many of you out running and it’s always a happy moment for me when I do!

 

What I’ve been thinking about this week is how lucky we are as runners that THIS, our THING hasn’t been taken from us. Yet. We still have our escape and means of recharging, releasing, invigorating, calming, meditating, …. whatever we use it for. Many people have lost their means of doing all this, and are now searching for a new one – many of them landing on running.

 

As a runner I’ve always felt a little outside of “normal”. Running was never the “cool” sport. Many longtime runners sort of self-identify as the quirky, nerdy sort. I’m used to people thinking that what I do is odd and a bit extreme. It’s definitely not something I talk about doing around non-runners. So I’ve always felt so happy and encouraging when others want to try it out. It’s not easy, and it takes a certain type to really get into it, but once you do, we totally get each other.

 

But suddenly our weird, quiet, personal world of running has become extremely popular and visible. We have a lot of newcomers who are trying this out as their back-up from their usual routine. And as longtime comfortable runners, I think we should welcome these newcomers in with open arms. We should think of ourselves as gracious hosts.

 

Yes, newcomers don’t yet all know the social norms, and our usual spaces might feel a bit crowded and less open than we’re used to. Other non-runners are noticing the influx and some of their stress and anxiety is turning towards our growing population. I don’t think it’s justified, but maybe it’s a normal reaction to new patterns. There are currently a LOT more of us runners out there. So let’s smile and wave from a distance. Let’s maintain grace and the high road when others feel the need to vent about us. Let’s try to make sure we’re giving the most anxious people out there the space they need to feel comfortable (even if it’s way more than they actually need!) Let’s lead our new running neighbours by example.

 

I’m pretty sure not all of these new runners will stay. Some might, and I’d be happy to have more runners in the world (I might be biased, but I tend to think that runners are usually generally good people and if everyone ran the world would be a better place). So let’s do what we can to make them feel welcome and supported and try to take grumpy, anxious comments with a grain of salt. We’re obviously the lucky ones – we’re still running!

 

If looking for some “spice” this week, here are some options (remember, pick what feels right – not all of them):

  1. 8-10 x 2 min hard, 1 min easy (if you like distances better, 6-8 x 600m w 1:30 rest)
  2. Tempo: 2 x 15 min w 4 min easy
  3. 4 x short hill sprints after any easy jog
  4. easy jog, followed by a session of mobility and strides (perfect to be done with kids of any age)

Thanks guys – have fun 😊

 

Seanna

March 31, 2020 – Changing routines

Hey Guys,

 

First up, huge congrats to Ingrid Ambus and Steph Bannan who both ran their own versions of Around The Bay this weekend! That was so inspiring and uplifting to see. Honestly – you both put in so much work to get there and then to do it on your own with no crowds or nutrition and water support… Way to go guys!!! You both deserve medals. (did anyone else run their own secret race that I didn’t know about?)

 

Hope everyone else is finding some sort of adaptation to our new and ever changing “normal”. I don’t have a ton to say, except to add my own perceptions as I run through this to maybe make you feel ok about what you may be going through.

 

What I’ve noticed is that losing a pattern and regular routine means things take more energy. There are a lot of efficiencies to having patterns locked in. We’ve learned how to spend energy where we want to and conserve it where we can. That’s why routines work so well. Many of us had found something that sort of worked for us pre-isolation days. Whether that was early morning runs, certain workouts and long runs where we knew all we had to do was show up and the group would get us through, run-commutes which we didn’t have to think about too much, cross-training and strength classes which we could slot into certain days…

 

Now we have to put new thought, decisions and mental energy into what we’re going to do every day. Nothing is automatic. Don’t underestimate the amount of energy that takes. If you’re finding runs and workouts more of a struggle than usual (I am!) I think this is a very real reason. Do not panic about being “out of shape” or “not as fast” as during normal pattern times. It is actually taking more energy because you haven’t created those automatic pathways yet. If you were forcing the same results under these conditions it would be taking a lot more energy to do so – energy you probably don’t need to be spending right now. (much like your running, I’m sure many other things in your life are taking more energy these days too, and you need to hold onto some of it!)

 

So why not cling to your old routine as tightly as possible? If your day-to-day looks pretty similar as before, go for it.  But we’d set up our past routines to serve us for our “normal” times. Now we are needed in different ways at different times by different people, so I’m guessing that now a different pattern will probably serve you better. If you’re working from home you might find it works better for you to be able to get out of the house mid-day for a run or before dinner to clear your head instead of early in the morning. Or maybe you still like to wake up with a run, but prefer multiple shorter jaunts than one longer one. Maybe you need to do some runs with other people in your household in order to get them out the door. Very likely your day revolves around bigger issues than your running, and your run now holds a very different priority than it once did so you’ll fit it in whenever you feel like it.  Totally valid! Experiment and find what works. Your needs have changed so your routines will too – just give them some time to settle in and feel comfortable again – they will!

 

(and speaking of routines, thank-you to Kerry for keeping us together on Tuesday mornings for bootcamp – I’m holding onto that one!)

 

Here are some workouts to try this week if you want to add a little spice:

  1. (shared by Amanda – thanks Amanda!) 6 rounds of Riverdale Hill sprints with 10 squats at the top and 10 push-ups at the bottom
  2. 4-5 x 3 mins w 1:30 rest (10K pace), 4 min rest, 6-7 x 1 min w 1 min rest (5K pace)
  3. Tempo option: 3 x 8 min (half marathon pace) w 3 min easy
  4. Easy jog to a park – 20 mins of mobility and strides – easy jog back (hint: this is a great one to do with a kid of any age)

 

DO NOT DO ALL OF THESE! Pick the one you feel like doing.

 

Enjoy guys and hope to see you soon!

 

Seanna

 

March 24, 2020 – Not training for a race

Hey Guys!

 

What I’ve been thinking about this week: how grateful I am to still be able to run – in any form. As I’m typing this it’s snowing a wet, rainy snow, and I’m still thinking: “at least I can still get out for a jog”.

 

I read something that resonated with me. So often we are training for a race with specific elements which need to be crammed in so we can get as fast as we can in the time we have. We rarely really give enough time to each phase or element of training that we should, as we aren’t trying to become the best well-rounded runners for the long-term – we’re trying to maximize our efforts for one specific distance on one specific day. We’re counting mileage, measuring paces, getting our speed, hills and threshold runs in – skimming as much as we can from everything.  Basically what this is like is “studying for the test”. All we want is the result at the end of the race/test.

 

Studies have been done that show that kids who study for a specific test outcome often don’t receive the same deep learning as kids who spend more time experimenting with different approaches and making more mistakes in divergent areas. Kids who study for the test will likely get better test results on the day, but months and years down the road, they haven’t retained as much and aren’t able to use the knowledge they’d learned in the same way. Kids who learn by trying different things, making mistakes and figuring things out on their own, even going on tangents unrelated to the testable material, don’t ace the test. But kids who learn this way acquire a greater grasp of the subjects and more useful, transferable knowledge years down the road. (ref: Range by David Epstein)

 

Many teachers tend to teach to the test and many coaches tend to coach for the race. We are all judged based on our latest results. As a parent, despite all the research we know, it is still hard to say, I’m fine with my kid getting C’s on their test – I trust that their teacher has the long game in mind. And as athletes it’s hard to say I’m fine with this season of mediocre results or even looking like I’m going backwards because I know there’s a bigger picture I’m working towards a couple of years down the road. We only see things directly in front of us.

 

But now we don’t have a test to study for – a race to train for. So we can take this opportunity to do away with grading and measuring ourselves. Let’s run in a way that we can learn something different. Maybe this is an opportunity to go back to full on base mileage mode with no speed. Maybe you can experiment running more slowly through technical trails (something that will help you to become a more well rounded runner, but probably not a faster marathoner in 12 weeks). Maybe you can actually take some time off to heal something you’ve been running through for too long. Or, how would you feel if you only did shorter runs – 30 minutes or less – but added some good quality strides every or every other time? (how most elite athletes who started running in high school initially developed). What if you took the time to really focus on strength with hills and stairs and core work and squats and lunges at the expense of mileage? Or what if you just set out every day with no plan at all – and learn to listen to your body as to how fast and far it wants to go each day? You might be surprised when you set out for an easy run and find your body wants to push it a bit – go for it when you want to! Or turn your run into a walk if that feels better one day.

 

That’s my headspace right now. If you like having one structured workout a week, here are some options for this week so you don’t have to make it up on the fly:

  • 6-8 x 3 min hard, 1:30 easy
  • Hills – any mix of long and short
  • Riverdale Hills – to work on that important but oft neglected pure power
  • Classic old-school fartlek: during your run pick a landmark in the distance and run hard to that. Jog until you feel recovered. Repeat however many times feels right.

Thanks guys – keep going – you’re doing awesome!

 

Seanna

 

March 17, 2020 – One foot in front of the other

Hey Gang!

 

Let me begin by saying how grateful I am to have this group during these somewhat disorienting times. As runners, we all “get” each other in ways others may not, and it’s so awesome to be surrounded by such a supportive crew.

 

Virtual ‘race’ results: This Sunday Carolyn Steele-Gray mapped out a 5K and 10K route for those of us who were missing out on race opportunities. Congratulations and thank-you to all who ran and cheered and photographed!

 

I don’t have official results, but know that Carolyn ran a 10K PB! (41:low?) and Andrew McKay ran a 5K PB – 19:44! Please feel free pass along any ‘results’ I’m missing for others who ran. Nice job everyone.

 

As many of you know, I actually started this group for selfish reasons, as I knew I’d be better if I surrounded myself with other people who were into the same things. I used to have this thinking that I would be viewed as crazy and weird if I went out running in a snowstorm, when it’s below -20, in a hurricane, in an ice storm… So when those conditions arose, as they have over the years, I would always tentatively put it out there that workout was still on. And what do you know – you guys would show up! I’m NOT the only crazy one! If I say workout is on, I know you’ll be there – and that is such an amazing feeling.

 

But unfortunately today I have to tell you that we won’t be holding formal workouts for the next little while. We’re just too big and awesome a group. Let’s do what we can to heed the guidelines of not gathering in big groups, but let’s definitely continue to support each other! I will continue to send out workouts and I suggest buddy-ing up in groups of 2-5-ish if you can. We also have people wanting to do some sort of virtual accountability for boot-camp/strength stuff, which I would love too – so let’s stay posted on whether we can get that going.

 

I would suggest keeping to your routines as well as possible. I know it’s tough when the wind is out of your sails, but one foot in front of the other is something you CAN do, and it will still move you forward.

 

For tomorrow, let’s do a fartlek. 4 x 6 minutes @ 10K pace (or effort) w 2 min rest. Go when and where and with whom it works for you.

 

Thanks guys – chat soon!

 

Seanna

 

March 10, 2020 – Perfectionism and Grit

Hi Everyone!

 

Something I’ve been thinking about this past week is Perfectionism and it’s opposite, Being Messy. As kids we’re usually open to being messy because it’s fun and that’s how we learn. But as we get older and are given expectations and rules, we begin to learn how to achieve ‘success’ by not breaking rules and by being ‘perfect’ – not Mmessy. Some of us are more stringent on this than others – these people are sometimes known as “perfectionists”. This tend​ency can move us far towards achieving goals, but it’s a good idea to be aware of it and stay on top of it and not let it start to control us because it can turn against us quickly. Here is something I read this weekend that resonated with me:

 

“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life. […] Perfectionism is a mean, frozen form of idealism, while messes are the artist’s true friend.” – Anne Lamott, writer.

 

Perhaps a bit extreme, but I think we could replace ‘artist’ with ‘runner’ and find similar meaning.

 

Every once in a blue moon I perform a workout or race exactly as I’d planned. Most of the time though they veer wildly off plan and are very messy. Maybe it’s the weather, maybe I’m tired, maybe I didn’t plan for such a hilly course, maybe I went out too fast, maybe I bit off more than I could chew. Whatever the reason, I tell myself I have to be ok with that and open minded and ready to adapt to the “mess”. When we’re in the middle of​ a workout or run or race and not hitting our paces, we have to decide whether to call it quits or be ok with not being perfect.

 

I was thinking of this as I read Des Linden’s account of her US Olympic Marathon trials race the other weekend. Des was among the favourites predicted to make the team (top 3). She did not make the team. She missed it by one place, coming in fourth. However, she was one of the few favourites who actually finished the race. Many of the others, when they realized (or thought) they weren’t going to make the team, simply stopped. But Des was ok with not being perfect. She wasn’t having a good race but she kept fighting. And she actually started making up places near the end and was very close to catching third place to make the team.

 

“The one guarantee in the marathon is that it’s going to get hard. I don’t think I had a fantastic day or really closed down well or did anything special, I think I was just a person who didn’t quit, you know? Every time it got hard, it was like, no, keep chasing, because you never know. Other people either sandbagged it home or stepped off the course. A lot can change in the last three miles, you just have to commit to it.” – Des Linden, US Olympian

 

I love how she was able to keep working hard even though she knew it wasn’t her day. I’m sure she was very far off her ideal “perfect” race plan. But she was ok with messy, not perfect, where others let it get to them. And that very almost worked out for her.

 

So have goals. Have a plan. Know what “perfect” looks like for you. But be ok being messy and not perfect. In a lot of ways for many of us, that is even harder than being perfect.

 

For tomorrow, here is our plan – may we execute it perfectly or messily:

 

2 x 1 mile @ 10K pace w 2:30 rest

4 min rest

3-4 x 800 @ 4-5 sec faster w 2:00 rest

 

See you guys in the am!

 

Seanna

 

March 3, 2020 – Trust Yourself

 

What I’ve been thinking about this week is the concept of trying things out for yourself. Trusting yourself. What you see written down or what other people are telling you might not always be what works best for you. Sometimes you can only really learn and become wise by trying things out for yourself.

 

This past weekend my 12-year old asked me to take him to a park to try “street snowboarding”. In his head he had an idea of launching himself and his board off snow jumps he’d build in connection with man-made obstacles. I did not really understand it and I did not want to endorse it. In my head I had a vision of total failure. But I knew he wouldn’t accept my telling him it was a bad idea as the truth. He had to try it or he would never be satisfied. So I spent a fair bit of time in the cold, watching him shovel piles of snow to build a jump so he could launch himself down a hill and off a brick wall. To my surprise, it actually kind of worked. Way better than I’d imagined anyway. It was way less glorious than he’d imagined, but his curiosity was satisfied and he learned what would and wouldn’t work in a way he wouldn’t have if I had just told him. And to be honest, he actually has a better grasp of it now than I do.

 

It’s very similar to running plans. Sometimes you just want to try something, despite cautious people advising you not to. No one really has a glass ball and can tell you exactly what will or won’t work out. Even if it doesn’t work out perfectly, you will learn. I have a coach who has known me for 30 years and I still feel I know my body better and will add or miss workouts as I feel. Only I know my sleep, energy levels, cumulative fatigue and motivation. Sometimes I have extra, sometimes less. I use it as it’s available and slow down when it isn’t. This isn’t a formula. It’s life.

 

If you have the drive and motivation of an adventurous 12 year-old, you’re likely to need to just try things for yourself, despite what the cautious people in your life are telling you. That’s ok. The fact is you will learn more about yourself by doing it. Sometimes it will work out, and sometimes it won’t, but you’ll have discovered this for yourself. And that is deep learning! As a coach (and parent) I would rather see people learn than to have a specific outcome. And I do think the culture of our group is that we’re doing that, so that makes me happy!

 

Onto our results at the Chilly Half Marathon where there were PB’s galore – what a day!

 

Karen Chien Nicklin – 1:44:16 – PB!

Adam Nicklin – 1:34:38 – PB!

Jason Jacobs – 1:26:47 – PB!

Nir Meltzer – 1:28:59

Chris Robinson – 1:36

Jon McRea – (I know you were in there but can’t find your result!)

Roz Morton – 1:23:55 – PB!

Emily Ryan – 1:24:29 – PB!

 

Awesome job guys. Chilly racers, no hills for you. Can ease into pick-ups in the latter half of the week if feeling good.

 

The rest of us: Pottery Road!

Let’s do a bunch of long hills followed by a shorter number of half hills to finish. I’ll leave the number up to you, but I like the long hills for the aerobic and strength efforts they build. Don’t do your max # though because let’s leave ourselves 4-5 half hills to finish. These fine tune your power and they’re way more fun 😉

 

Don’t think I can bring shirts all the way to Pottery Rd so will bring the remainder to Lakeshore next week.

 

Thanks guys – see ya in the a.m.!

 

Seanna

 

Feb 25, 2020 – Teammates

Hey Guys!

What I’ve been thinking about this week is teammates. I like that term. Running buddy is another good one, but teammate gives me more the sense of people working together to pull each other up. And that’s what I’ve been seeing and feeling. I know a number of you guys have paired up for tougher workouts or tempos or long runs, and I’ve heard comments like “I never would have been able to do that without them” or “thank god for *teammate* because I couldn’t have done that alone”. You aren’t out there running together just to benefit yourselves, but rather to pull each other along. It’s a great vibe when you’re being pulled along by someone who does not want you to let go. They’re not trying to drop you or beat you – they’re trying to run hard together.

I’ve this experience recently as well. I was struggling in a tempo and getting dropped by the frontrunners. They both turned to me and said “come on – this is too long to do alone – stay with us”. So I did, for a bit longer, and then slipped back and called it quits a bit early. Then another teammate ran by and said “come with me! I need you for this!” So I joined back up again until the last couple of minutes. No one “dropped” me in this workout. Yes, in the end I did let go, but it wasn’t without other people trying to get me to hold on.

I’ve also been in competitive type workout situations where the vibe is more about establishing dominance and actively dropping people. There are many group dynamics which are very competitive, and they can work for getting results too. I like the ones that are supportive though. That’s why it made me so happy to hear about many of your experiences. You’re doing this instinctively – you want to see each other do well. But we’re not coddling or going easy on each other. We’re getting each other to step up. We’re comfortable enough with each other that when someone wants to pack it in we can say “oh no you don’t! You can do more”.  Sometimes it helps to hear this from a friend. That is a true teammate. We’re not saying “ya, you’ve had enough, you should slow down”. We legitimately want to see each other do their best and succeed. And I know this translates to our achievements and milestones in other areas of life too.

Speaking of teams, I have all of our shirts and singlets. Please let me know who would like me to bring them to Weds practice and I’ll bring those. Anyone else, feel free to message me and come by anytime to pick them up.

 

For tomorrow, one more Lakeshore before heading back to hills:

6-8 x 800 with 90 sec rest

Just a good solid meat ‘n potatoes workout. A lot of us are right in the sweet fitness building spot for Spring marathons and this one is just a stable good one at this point. Tough, but you’re ready.

People running Chilly, you get a taper workout – wohoo!!! (Karen, Adam, Nir, Jason, … who am I missing?)

2 x 800 @ race pace w 90 sec

2 x 400 a bit quicker w 90 sec

4-5 strides

See ya in the am!

 

Seanna

 

Feb 18, 2020 – Fun!

Hey Guys!

 

Hope everyone had a great Family Day long weekend. This Family Day weekend got me to thinking about “fun” and what we do for “fun”. My kids’ idea of fun is to ski downhills fast, preferably over various obstacles. My idea of fun is to ski along flat surfaces, propelled by my own power, with some up and downhills thrown in for good measure. My husband’s idea of fun is to do that times 10. We’ve all found our things which bring us enjoyment and we do that, and we respect each others’ own versions of fun, even though we don’t personally get it.

 

I like to take the same approach to running. I really do do this because I find it fun, and I think most of us are the same. But what’s fun for someone might not always be fun for someone else and what’s fun at one point might not be another time. Racing is fun for me when I’m feeling fit and not stressed out. It’s not fun when I’m not ready or feel like I’m being judged.  Running hard is fun when I feel well rested and in control and ready to challenge myself. It’s not fun when I feel pressured to hit goals I’m not sure I can do, or if I’m tired and not mentally into it. Going for easy runs is fun with good friends and good company. It’s not always fun when it’s cold and I’m tired and alone.

 

Running is never fun when it hurts. If you’re injured or in pain, it is not fun. It is also not fun when it’s stressful – if you are constantly judging or criticizing yourself. Zero fun.

 

Working hard towards a goal is usually fun for most of us. But it can be a fine line. If we realize we’ve bitten off more than we can chew or if it’s taking away too much from the rest of our lives or if we’re simply exhausted or in pain it becomes not fun at all.

 

No easy answers here. Like most things, self awareness helps. Ask yourself now and then whether you are having fun. If not, try tweaking something here or there. Change a goal, change a routine, take a break. Remember – this is what we do for FUN. Not every aspect will always be fun, obviously, but let’s try to keep the scales tipped mostly that way.

 

For tomorrow:

2 x 1200 w 2 min rest (so that’s one straightaway and a half – I’ll have a cone at the 400m mark)

4 min rest

3-4 x 800 w 90 sec rest

So FUN!

 

I just looked and it looks like rain until this evening and then freezing temps. Let’s hope our path has ok footing. As always, we’ll play it by ear and be flexible if it’s dodgy.

 

See ya in the a.m.!

 

Seanna

 

Feb 11, 2020 – Congrats Donna Half Marathoners!

Hi Everyone!

 

No longer format email today. I’ll just update us all with results from the Donna Half Marathon in Jacksonville Florida this weekend where a crew from LES showed up in force!

 

I won’t rhyme out all time results – some of us were using this as a fun long training run, others as a “training through” hard effort, and others as a launching point to start training. But we did take up quite a lot of space on the podium!

 

Of note:

2nd overall – Seanna Robinson

2nd Master – Elizabeth Gladney

3rd Master – Amanda Bugatto

1st in age group – Laura Gage

3rd in age group – Tanis Feasby

4th in age group – Erin Smyth

 

Awesome job everyone and thanks for all our team mates at home for your cheers and support – we felt it!!!

 

Also, shirts and singlets ARE IN! I will send out a separate note on how to get them to you.

 

Ok, for tomorrow, we’re back to hills. Let’s go back to repeats of one long, one short. Aim for maybe one more set than you did last time.

 

People who raced, no hills. I will jog up to say hi and cheer you on.

 

See you guys in the a.m.!

 

Seanna

 

Feb 4, 2020 – Womens’ Moment

Hey Gang!

 

I thought I would just launch in by mentioning how cool it is that women are having a “moment” right now in running and it feels so great to be a part of it. At first I thought it was just Canadian women and then I thought it was Masters women, but really it seems that women of all ages and all nationalities are kind of killing it right now, and we all seem to be thriving with each new success and breakthrough.

 

A few recent notes: a new Canadian women’s marathon record was recently set by Malindi Elmore (39 and mother of two) in a time of 2:24:50. For the first time in a long time we have more women who have qualified for the Olympic marathon than we can send. The Canadian women’s half marathon record has been broken three times in the last seven weeks – the latest being set by Andrea Seccafian in 1:09:38. I’m still catching my breath from watching Gabriella Stafford rewrite the record books in Canadian running (7 records in one year), finishing with the 1500 (3:59:59) and 5000 (14:44), and then last weekend her younger sister Lucia just broke her U23 1500 record with a 4:10:22!

 

A similar scene is unfolding in the US where 511 women have qualified for the marathon Olympic trials up from 198 in 2016. (the number of men who qualified increased slightly from 211 to 260, so it’s not just the shoes).

 

A few in our group have shared this NYTimes opinion piece making the rounds and it really resonates.

 

A quote of note: “Athletes have connected with one another more than ever before, in teams or online, sharing our training and sweeping each other along with each successful race. It’s a new model of competitive female leadership: We’re seeing each other win and challenging ourselves to keep up.”

 

I love that we’re breaking down barriers of what we should or can do. I love being surrounded by successful (many definitions of this), confident, supportive women who make me want to be better. And I love that we all seem to be doing it in a way that says “come with me!”

 

Men, not to leave you out: Come with us! There is always room at our running table and we love running with you too😊

 

Ok, for tomorrow:

 

Some of us did speed on Monday (and last week was short and speedy) so for this one we’ll do a bit longer and tempo paced.

 

2miles, 1.5 miles, 1 mile

or if you prefer: 4 laps, 3 laps, 2 laps

all with 2 mins rest (can jog around easy here bc shouldn’t be grasping knees speed)

 

So yes, this is 7.2km of work. More than usual you’ll notice. What this means: Reign it in! This is to be your tempo pace. That’s somewhere between half marathon and 10K pace. If you can gradually pick it up as the intervals progress, try to do that.

 

Those of us tapering for a half marathon this weekend, this is the taper workout option (others can do this too if you prefer – do what feels like the most fun for you):

 

2 x 800 @ race pace w 90 sec rest

2 min rest

4 x 400 slightly faster w 90 sec rest

 

See you guys in the a.m.!

 

Seanna