Hey Everyone!

I don’t think anyone from this crew ran the Spring Run off this past weekend. Fair enough because it still doesn’t quite feel like Spring. It’s got to be just around the corner… this weekend I think.

I’ve been having conversations with friends who were runners in my era in high school (early ‘90’s), and we’re all amazed at how fast the kids in that age category are running now. The times which in our era would have won medals are now barely qualifying kids for the regional finals. The same is happening across the board in running, in universities, US colleges, in the pro ranks all the way up to world records. What used to be considered very fast is now just ok. It’s interesting to consider why this might be.

I know what my daughter thinks. She says “well, you never drank water so you were probably running around all dehydrated”. True. Do any of you Gen-X-ers remember carrying around a water bottle or even thinking about water or hydration ever? I trained and still never even considered it! I think I just sought out water fountains if I felt thirsty. And if there wasn’t a working one available I would just have to wait – whether I had a running workout coming up or not. So… good point. And along with knowledge about hydration I will include better knowledge about nutrition and sleep. I think many people left a lot of performance on the table with just a lack of what we now consider basic knowledge.

We also couldn’t see what everyone else was doing, so could assume we were training as hard as anyone out there. And I can assure you – many of us were not. I had (and still have) a friend who was a top level medallist and when I’d stay over she’d say “ugh – let’s not go for a run – let’s just do the 20-minute workout”. For those of you unfamiliar with the 20-minute workout, it really was not geared towards athletic performance. Sometimes the camera was so zoomed in on the model’s thigh for so long that we had no idea what the actual movement was that we were supposed to be following. So we’d just do leg lifts until it zoomed back out and we could follow the routine. Society was telling us this was a workout and we couldn’t see what our competitors were doing, so it felt good enough for us. Now athletes can follow each other on various platforms and can see exactly what their competitors are doing. I do think this has led to a bit of one-upmanship, and I can almost guarantee no one is trying to get fit with toe touches and forward bends.

Another big change has been technology – shoe technology mostly. I don’t think that plays as big a role in high school athletics, but fast shoes, fast tracks and specifically engineered nutrition definitely play a role in the faster times at the higher levels. And the trickle down effect is, once the bar has been set higher, people do rise to it. So technology assisting the pros and Olympians to faster times does in a way cause everyone downstream to up their game as well. If you need to run a certain time to make a standard, that is the time you are more likely to run. Aiming higher leads to faster results.

And lastly, I think we’ve just all levelled up as a society. It’s not just running, but I do think it’s reflected in running. (as an aside, despite what it may look like in some places, I also think we’re becoming more moral, compassionate, intelligent, emotionally understanding as a society and we’re passing that on to the next generation to build from). Running is so pervasive now. Almost everyone goes for a run once in a while. On a warm spring weekend morning you wonder if anyone doesn’t run! Growing up in a running normalized environment just starts everyone at a higher base level. And when kids see their parents doing something, it is wired in them to try to do it and do it better. And they do for the most part! That is evolution. Maybe not Darwinian evolution, but social evolution at least.

So don’t get upset if you keep getting passed and bested by young whippersnappers. They have us to thank for leading the way. And they’re all so hydrated and well-nourished and informed and wearing the bounciest shoes! Don’t try to keep up. Just be proud of where you came from and where we’re going.

 

On to tomorrow’s workout – Lakeshore and Leslie! 6:05 drills, 6:15 GO!

Marathoners! This is the third and final 800’s workout. 8 x 800 w 1:45. Don’t go out bananas – keep them steady with an eye to your overall average. Best way to run it is to speed up slightly towards the last few.

People gearing up for the Sporting Life 10K! 3 sets of 800-600-400. 90 seconds between reps, 2:30 bw sets. Paces: 10K>5K>faster

People racing the Spring Sprint: 1-2 sets of 800-600-400 (can just do 600-400 of 2^nd set)

 

That is all – see you in the a.m.!

xo

 

Seanna

Hi Everyone!

 

Huge congrats to Cheryl (again!) this time for the NYC Half Marathon! Cheryl cut 7 minutes off her time from two years ago (so no slowing down with age excuses here!) and executed a beautiful negative split to nail her process goal as well. Way to go Cheryl! Also here in Toronto Erin ran the Achilles St Paddy’s day 5K in what I hear were horrible conditions (again) and came 2^nd in her age group! And over in Barcelona, Jason ran the marathon and re-qualified for Boston! Way to go all!!

Do you know what I’ve been thinking about this week? Nothing and too much. Both at the same time. Which means, I’m not going to analyze and try to come up with something to say about it. I’m going to sit and process and just let my brain and body work on things. So this won’t be a long post.

But just a reminder that it’s ok to take time to process. Physically, mentally and emotionally. You don’t have to have answers in real time, and you don’t have to show results immediately. We see this often in training when athletes have changed their routines or increased their workloads in various ways – and they don’t see the results in races for months or sometimes longer. It’s not that it’s not working – it’s that their bodies are processing the new load, and figuring out how to make sense of and adapt to it. It just takes time. And when it does suddenly “click”, others are shocked and demand to know how they did it and what has changed. But usually it’s nothing. The athlete has just been patient and allowed the work to settle in and take shape.

So today I’m just sitting and processing and not over-analyzing. It’s all good – I’m not in a rush to find meaning in everything – I know it will come.

(also reminder – if anyone has a post of thoughts or ideas you want to share: please pass them along! We all want to hear from others in the group)

On to tomorrow’s workout:

Lakeshore and Leslie! 6:05 Drills, 6:15 GO!

Cut-downs!

1600 (2 min rest), 1200 (2 min rest), 1000 (1:45 rest, inc 200m jog to start), 800 (1:30 rest), 600 (1:15 rest inc 200m jog to start), 400 (1:00 rest), 200

Paces: starting at HM pace for mile, and working down from there. Should be fun!

That is all – see you in the am.

xo

Seanna

 

Hey Gang!

Huge congrats to our Chilly Half Marathoners! This Sunday in very sub-zero temps we had: Erin, Laura, Samantha, Shauna, Rob Dunne, David Steinberg, Monica and myself all running the half.  Great job everyone – that was a fun, cold and challenging day – much better with friends!

I’ve been having “season recap” calls with my varsity athletes over the past few weeks. This age group is interesting because they arrive as teenagers and leave four years (or more) later as adults. And within those four years, ideally a transition takes place. In their first year, the athletes arrive to an established program, and have to figure out how to fit in, perform, show up on time, get their school work done, eat and drink enough at the right times, … Mostly what we expect of these kids in their first year is to adapt and learn. But by their fourth year, we want them to be setting the tone, checking in on others, driving a culture that we want, and leading by example.  And it is our job as coaches to get them from A to B. I let them know when the expectations have changed, and we no longer just need them to show up, but we need them to show up with the right attitude. Some of them aren’t sure if they can rise to this role. And to them I say, “fake it till you make it”. I do think this philosophy can apply well to growth situations.

It can be scary to be asked to act confident when you don’t feel it. Or to go into a stressful situation as the one in charge. Or to act like you have it all together when you’re not sure you do. But the only way to get there is to start acting the part. I’ve seen some of these athletes show up for workouts at the end of a stressful school day, just wanting the workout to be over, not excited about putting in the work, and hoping it will be an “easy” one. I get it. We all feel that way sometimes. But unless you learn to tell yourself a different story, I can guarantee that it will be a low energy workout. And that energy is contagious. That’s why I specifically ask our team veterans and captains to show up differently. And the beauty of this, is that in acting out the part for someone else or for the rest of your team, your brain and body start to believe it. In not thinking about themselves and their own worries and challenges, but focusing on the rest of the team, good leaders actually manifest better workouts for themselves as well. I think we’ve all seen this with strong leaders in a variety of areas. We ask “how are they always so positive and confident?” The truth is, they’re not. But they know they have to show up that way, and that in turn transforms them into positive, confident athletes or people. I know these are roles we have to grow into, and it does not come naturally to most people – especially when thrust into new situations. And we don’t all have to be, nor can we all be leaders. But if you find yourself in an environment where you wish someone would change the channel on the mood, energy or outlook in a space, maybe you can fake your own change first, and see what follows. My feeling is that in convincing others, you will actually convince yourself.

 

Tomorrow we’re back to hills! Guys, I think we are going to have good footing, I can’t believe it.

Let’s do this combo again:

2 long hills, 4 min tempo

1 long, 2 short hills, 4 min tempo

3 short hills, 4 min tempo

If you’re on a down week feel free to pick any 2 of the above. If you’re sore from Chilly, go chill on the tempos.

That is all – see you in the am!

xo

 

Seanna

Hi Everyone!

 

Hope you all had a great Family Day long weekend! Omigosh running with clear footing and good traction is a gift, isn’t it? Coming through hard things really does make you appreciate the better times when they arrive. Not to be overly dramatic about our winter weather.

Lately I’ve been thinking about the saying “Listen to your body”. I’ve used it with some athletes because I think our bodies are wise and can tell us things subtly. The trick though is how and when to “listen”. This is a tough one because as endurance athletes we are constantly trying to override our bodies’ signals to slow down or stop, in order to improve. When we do this enough, our bodies do eventually get in line. What used to feel like pain becomes merely uncomfortable, and we can even get into the habit of craving doses of that discomfort. We find ways to blunt the signals our bodies are sending, from changing how we interpret them, dissociating from them, or sometimes just seeing how long we can push through them for. And yes, the most successful endurance athletes do seem to be able do this the best. But the most successful athletes have also learned how to tune into the nuance of pain and discomfort, so they can understand when their bodies are telling them that something isn’t right.

For instance, if you’ve ever tried to run with an iron deficiency, you will gradually learn to distinguish that type of fatigue and heaviness from that which occurs with productive training. It feels hard, as does a lot of training, but it feels like the wrong kind of hard. Your body is telling you it needs help. Another signal is repeatedly getting sick, or injured, or a cycle of illness and injury. They might not all seem related to each other, but often that’s a signal that your body is run down. Maybe it’s just your sleep, nutrition or stress load that could use a little attention. That would be good because those are simple to address. (Note that I said simple, not easy!) When your body is healthy, pushing and working hard should feel good. Your body likes a certain amount of stress. And pushing through some signals of pain or discomfort is ok – as long as you build in recovery and rest and treat your body well afterwards. When we get the balance right, we are rewarded with increased fitness and stronger, faster bodies. It is easy to miss some of the early signals when our bodies are telling us it’s too much because we have normalized a certain degree of soreness and fatigue. But with time we’ll learn how to decipher whether that twinge was something to pay attention to, whether the fatigue was more than just learning to run on tired legs, whether the illnesses are just a string of bad luck. There is nuance in all of these things, and with experience we can all get better at listening and responding in time. I’ve already noticed that many in this group are getting better at it. And being in tune with and listening to our bodies is a life skill we can keep developing over a lifetime.

 

On to tomorrow’s workout! Back to Lakeshore and Leslie – 6:05 Drills, 6:15 GO!

 

I’m liking the mile endcaps for our marathoners.

Let’s do:

1 mile tempo

3 min rest

6 x 600 w 90

3 min rest

4 x 300 w 60

3 min rest

1 mile tempo (ppl training for 5K’s, don’t do the last mile, but instead lean into those 300’s!)

 

That is all – see you in the am!

xo

Seanna

 

 

Hi Everyone!

We made it through January! Congrats to all of us. That was one long month. Here’s hoping February is a little smoother and a little warmer for all of us. If nothing else it will be shorter. I feel like we’re through the worst of it, but please don’t blame me if I’ve just cursed us to four more weeks of frozen hellscape.

Last week after one of my university track practices, a first year athlete asked me if we could chat. He was frustrated with himself because he is a talented runner, and came into the program knowing he’d be making a strong contribution to the team, but he felt he was letting himself down. He was doing well, but he wanted to be great. And he could see that his habits (2 am bedtimes, not running mileage consistently), were holding him back. We put together some strategies and realistic goals for him. My thinking was, well, obviously he doesn’t have it all figured out – he’s in first year university. But that stuff is easy and with some work will fall into place. My main takeaway was – he wants to be great! That is something you can’t coach into someone. That, and the fact that he wanted to improve, was all I needed to hear to want to invest in him.

I do see some athletes who seem to be missing this spark. They say, “well, I showed up”. And, ya… they did and that’s something. But it’s not exciting! Showing up should be the minimum bar, not something we’re shooting for and celebrating. There is something infectious about the drive of those who want to be great. They are taking risks and putting themselves out there and suffering with meaning for their craft. They want to be the best. Some might call this hubris or unrealistic or out of touch and lacking in humility.  And I say – who cares? Life will bring them back to earth soon enough. Let them believe in their dreams.

I used to think this about Jakob Ingebrigsten, the Norwegian runner. He is 25 years old now, so not old, but over the last 5-7 years as he has been making a huge mark on track and field, he has shown up with a lot of swagger, confidence, and huge goals – many of them backed up, some still yet to be achieved. I have always been such a fan of his, and I’ve partly thought this is because of a sentimentality for his youthful optimism. Where some people were turned off by his swagger and confidence, I found it endearing. Like a little kid who wants to be a superhero. Let them get as far as they can – the pursuit and vision are meaningful and will take them far. And if life intervenes and they don’t achieve their full enthusiastic vision, it won’t be a huge shock to those of us who have been around the block. In fact, Ingebrigsten has since been taken down with injuries – tbd if he will make a full comeback.

So what to take from this? I think it’s to be celebrated when kids – or anyone – says they want to be the best. Let’s not say “well, not everyone can be the best, just show up and try”. We shouldn’t be telling them or ourselves that it doesn’t look good to have big goals. It becomes hard enough when experience tries to tell us what our place is. It also takes a lot of energy and some risk to believe wholeheartedly in ourselves. You might be called “too ambitious” or “a big ego” and people might try to bring you back to earth. But if anything makes us seem old, it’s complacency. There is a time and a place for treading water – we all need to sometimes. But that should not be the expectation we’re setting for ourselves or our kids. I say we should all put on our underoos and shoot for the stars or pick up our swords and go slay some dragons. Whatever dream charges you up. Go get it!

 

On to tomorrow’s workout – Back at Monarch Track! 6 am arrive, 6:15 start.

(I have paid for this session so $ should come to me – will give you a total after a head count)

If you don’t want to do a workout but want to come and run on good footing with a great crew, just come and run a social!

Everyone else:

1 mile tempo (can be MP into tempo)

3 min rest

3 x 1K w 2 min rest (5K>3K pace)

4 min rest

4 x 400 a lil faster w 1:15 rest

4 min rest

1 mile MP>tempo (optional)

 

That is all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna