Tuesday, June 23, 2026 – Happy = fast

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Hey All!

 

HUGE congrats to all who ran the Ekiden last Tuesday! We fielded three solid LES teams, two of which came first and second in the women’s category! Also I noted quite a few PB’s but I won’t go through them all here. And thanks to all who came out and cheered/ supported! It made for a very fun and celebratory running evening.

I was having a conversation with my longtime coach and friend the other day. He coaches a group of post-collegiate runners. He said, “it’s amazing – everyone seems to be running PB’s”. I said, “it’s because everyone seems happy”. Credit to him, but I don’t think it’s necessarily because of the exact formula of the workouts (they are good, but as everyone knows, those don’t guarantee pb’s). I think it’s because the group has a positive, happy vibe, which keeps people coming out consistently, working hard, and recovering well. I’ve heard it said before, and I do believe it: A happy runner is a fast runner.

I think we often mis-attribute this in the wrong direction. We think that when we’re running well, we will start to feel happy. And when we’re in a good place in life, and running is going well, we might think the running is responsible, and keep chasing that so it can continue to deliver. But in reality what happens is that when we’re content and feel supported and fulfilled, running just becomes easier. Showing up for workouts isn’t as hard, putting in hard efforts is more accessible and enjoyable, and you actually do recover better because your nervous system can settle back down and get into recovery mode more quickly and easily. Again, it’s not the workouts you do, it’s what you can get out of them and recover from that makes you faster. And showing up day after day with a sense that your cup is full, makes that formula much easier to hit.

You see this with professional runners a lot. They might hit a slump or downturn in their running, and they realize that it’s not the running or training that needs to change, but the things surrounding it. Some go back to school and their running takes off, some move back to their hometown and the difference is made, some find a supportive and energetic training group somewhere overseas… The point is, the formula for happiness is not the same for everyone, but it is definitely a large piece of the puzzle to running fast.

I actually do believe that running makes you happier. So if things aren’t going great at the moment, running is better than not running. But if you want your running to thrive, everything that surrounds it matters. A happy runner is a fast runner. And I think being part of this group helps with those happy vibes for sure. So thank-you everyone for being part of that, and let’s keep them coming and keep getting faster together!

Tomorrow’s workout: Fartlek on the spit! Meet at Lakeshore and Leslie at 6:05, 6:15 drills.

Let’s do:

3 min tempo to warm-up/ get into it

2 min rest

Then sets of 2min/1min fast with 30 seconds in bw. Just enough to slightly regroup and change gears a bit so your 1 min is faster. Then a full 2:30 easy jog bw reps.

So it looks like: 2min @ 5K pace, 30 sec easy, 1min @ faster, 2:30 easy (that chunk takes 6 mins)

I think 5-6 of these will be a good number. This is a more intense workout, targeting our VO2max, stamina, and running economy. Marathoners, you need to keep an eye on this stuff as well! Surround with longer EASY wup and cdn if you need extra km’s. (if cdn is longer than 3K, consider bringing a gel for post-wrkt)

 

That is all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 – Farm Fitness

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Hi Gang!

Is it just me or are the weeks whizzing by right now? Remember the January that lasted for 3 months? We’re making up with it with a June that is lasting only days! Speaking of which, we’re already at (or almost at) the summer solstice, and as per tradition we will celebrate tonight with the famed and well-loved Ekiden relay race on the Spit. If you’re not part of a team, come out and cheer! The races start at 7pm. We have three Lower East Siders teams and there will be runners from clubs all across the city celebrating by running together. And wear your LES gear! There are always great photo opps.

Lately I’ve been thinking about “background” fitness. Things that make us robust that aren’t running, and maybe can’t necessarily be tracked and recorded. Nor should they be. I remember listening to a coach speaking about weightlifting for high school athletes. He said that back in the day, they didn’t have to do much because the kids were “farm strong”. I’m not sure if they all necessarily lived on farms, but their everyday lives included enough physical activity and strength building that they were robust. Fast forward 30-40 years, and the kids he saw didn’t do much other physical activity than running, and they did in fact need to incorporate strength work because they were generally weaker just because of their lifestyles.

I think about this at times. As I’d mentioned in my last post, there is a running boom happening. I think there is a corresponding lack-of-movement boom which may be why people are seeking out running. I’m not shaming or blaming anyone. We have no time. So we order everything to come to our door. If we can, some of us outsource our cleaning and yard work. It’s always faster to drive than to walk or bike. And also we’re tired, and none of these things moves us directly towards our goals of running a marathon. In the winter time especially I become aware of how little I can move if I don’t run or go to the gym. I don’t walk for fun – in fact I actively avoid it because I hate being cold and don’t love slipping all over the place.

But I do still have to do the grocery shopping, and as I heave each bin out of my car one at a time and carry it through the garage and wobble through the backyard and hoist it onto the counter, arms burning, core engaged, only to return for the next one, I think: “once I stop doing this, I will never start again”. So I don’t ask for help or look for a more convenient way because I know that in 20 or so years I probably won’t have the choice. In the summer, if I have the time or don’t have the car, I walk to the grocery store with a knapsack (it’s always groceries with me). And I inevitably end up with more than I’d planned and I walk home under the strain of a bulging knapsack and a bag in each hand – not unlike the farmer carries that people replicate in the gym. I don’t do this for any other reason than that I can. I certainly don’t count it as “training” or log it in any way. Same with my footsteps. Some days are just very active days and I end up walking a lot. None of this counts towards anything other than “farm fitness”. Just a slightly higher baseline and strength than if I sat all day. So I guess you could say there is summer-Me (farm fit) and winter-Me (the only activities I do are planned and tracked).  

My point is, these little background things add up. I’ve actually even started to add walking to peoples’ running logs because going for a 60 minute walk DOES help your overall strength and fitness. Back in the day they used to train for marathons only by walking. We now know how to get more fit more efficiently – in fact we know how to do everything more efficiently. And that means we’ve cut the inefficient stuff out. And much of that was our background fitness. So reintroduce the slow, boring, manual labour, effortful tasks. No, you can’t track them or put them in your log. But they will make you stronger.

 

On to tomorrow’s workout – Hills + Tempo! If you’re running the Ekiden, that is your workout! You can do a social or light tempo if legs feeling ok. Riverdale crew we’ll do Riverdale hills! Sets of 3 x hill followed by 5 min tempo. Or just jog and cheer. I will plan to be there but make a game day decision how I feel. Beach crew, 3 x short hill followed by 5 min tempo. Up to 3 sets.

 

See y’all tonight!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 – Booming

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Hey Gang!

 

I had somehow forgotten to mention in my newsletter last week that it was Global Running Day on Wednesday. So happy belated Global Running Day to all who celebrate! And what I’m noticing is that that includes more and more people than ever. There was definitely a “running boom” that was created by the pandemic, and it seems to be continuing to “boom”. I love this – for our sport, our communities and our collective mental and physical health.

I’ve been thinking about this. As someone who identifies as having been a runner for pretty much my entire life, I don’t question why other people do it. I do wonder why they all never did in the first place. How are people just now discovering running? That is funny to me. But as with all trends and behaviour, what influences people is hard to predict. We are all swimming in the same water and think we’re making unique, individual choices, but really we are all reacting to the same environmental cues. And right now the social, environmental and cultural cues are getting many people to try or take up running.

There are some growing pains that come with this. We experienced congestion and accessibility issues finding indoor spaces to run this past winter, and now local outdoor tracks are restricting access to runners as a reaction to volume problems. I was trying to get across the city this weekend and was rerouted all over the place to make space for a huge crowd participating in a race. And then I encountered another mass participation event the next day in a different area of the city. Major marathons are now almost impossible to get into because demand is so high, and even our local races sell out in days. I used to plan my race schedule days or maybe weeks in advance, not months and now sometimes years (ppl planning for Tokyo, if you know you know).

This might sound like a complaint but it is not. Yes, we might be at a pain point right now with demand outstripping resources and opportunities, but this is what leads to growth and innovation. I still firmly believe that the world would be a better place if more people were runners, and we’re moving in the right direction! Races will innovate to accommodate more runners, new races and events will appear, we’ll see the growth of once niche running areas like trail and track (for adults), and with enough demand I do believe we can invest in more spaces to train and run (an 8-lane rubberized track in Riverdale Park would be a great start!)

Another huge benefit to being in a running boom is that our needs and wants are being addressed and catered to by companies who want to sell us things. For those of us who are Gen-X’ers AND runners, we are used to going through life a little bit invisible. When I was a teenager, there wasn’t such a thing as a bra made specifically for running. And gym shorts and running shorts were the same thing – don’t get fussy. Cotton socks, Cotton Ginny sweatpants, and a K-Way jacket if it was cool out. Running gear was basically re-purposed general clothing. But now! There are so many running specific bras and they are all so beautiful and cool and they match the running specific shorts in whichever length you like with pockets and wicking material and a flattering cut. There are running specific hats and socks and jackets and shirts and of course the shoes! So many shoes to choose from. This is all because we find ourselves as part of a large market – this is what Baby Boomers must have felt for their whole lives! It is wonderful to feel like the centre of the universe.

So let’s keep inviting others in. Yes, there might be a little pinch at first while there are more runners than track availability or race entries. But that will sort itself out. Running is always better with others – whether waving as you pass them or running side by side. And the world is becoming better because there are more of us in it.

 

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

Let’s do 800’s but “cruise” 800’s. So robust Half Marathon pace. Up to 8 of them with 90 seconds rest. But one twist: rep # 3 and # 6 should be harder – just outside comfort zone. Closer to 5K effort. This will ensure we don’t go too hard on the others.

I am planning to be there but I have a race tonight so will probably just jog and cheer.

That is all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Tuesday, June 2, 2026 – High Achieving, …

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Hi Everyone!

Congrats to Tanis and Laura who ran a 10K trail race this weekend and I believe both finished first and second in their age group! What a great way to celebrate the summer weather. And congrats to Pearce who ran his first ever 800m on the track and has another one coming up tonight! Way to jump into the new. I know we have some avid cyclists in this group as well, and I will just say that I highly endorse long rides as a training method while we can. More and more runners are proving that cross training pays off. If you are a cyclist and want to jump in, ask any of us and we’ll add you to the chat!

Last week I was listening to a podcast with a running coach. He said something that resonated with me as something I have recognize in myself in the past, and sometimes see in athletes I coach. He said a lot of the athletes who he coaches, both elite and competitive corporate athletes, display the traits of “high-achieving, insecure”. Despite being high achievers – often in athletics and in life –  they are constantly trying to prove themselves in training, always wanting to “do one more” or go a little bit faster than prescribed. Ambition itself is not the problem and is not a bad thing. But it’s worth examining where the feeling of “needing to do more” comes from. If it’s coming from a place of insecurity, of not being good enough – despite objective measurements which say the opposite, then the drive can become unhealthy and self-destructive. These athletes have tuned out listening to their bodies, and often find themselves in a cycle of injury or burnout.

 The more confident and self-assured athletes have no problem leaving the workout with “one more left in the tank” if that was what was prescribed, or to walk away when their body is telling them they are done. They can evaluate the purpose of the workout, how they are feeling that day, and make a plan that takes both into account. They are good communicators, and can tell their coaches when they need to back off.

Of course everyone loves a hard worker, and hard work gets results. But knowing and sticking to your own boundaries is also important. This is the case in athletics and in the workplace. I want my kids to be hard workers and to do good work when they show up. I also want them to be able to set boundaries and not say they’ll do more every time because they feel guilty (in my family this applies way more to one kid than the other!) Very few employers will say you’re working too much if your working serves them well. So yes, working a ton can lead to achievement. But when it’s driven by insecurity, your own needs can go unmet and you’re likely to feel resentful or burnt out.

Again, this is a tricky balance. When you’re new and not proven, or not yet able to produce high quality work, and you want to stand out in some way, doing more can get you there (this is my message to my other kid). Also, wanting to do more because of a true love of what you’re doing, with a sense of joy and curiosity, can be quite healthy. Sometimes an athlete will ask to do more or go a bit faster, and it feels right. But if it has become a compulsion to always do the max or to consistently go faster than prescribed, regardless of whether you feel good or not, it is probably driven by insecurity. And it might be worth pausing and questioning where that comes from, and whether we can re-establish a joyous and confident relationship to our running and work.

 

On to tomorrow’s workout – back to the spit! Meeting at Lakeshore and Leslie at 6:05 for drills, 6:15 GO!

 

6 min – MP into HMP progressive

2 min easy

4 x 3 min @ 10K w 90

3 min easy

6 min – MP into HMP progressive

 

That is all – see you in the a.m.!

 

xo

 

Seanna

 

Tuesday, May 26, 2026 – Trying new things – by Pearce Fallis

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Hi Everyone!

Huge congrats to Fahd who ran a very hilly 18K leg of the Cabot trail relay on the weekend! Also Erin ran another 5K and finished first in her age group again. And Jason ran the Sulpher Springs 50K! I love the breadth and diversity of races and events we cover in this crew. Which leads well into our guest essay by Pearce Fallis.

 

Trying New Things

 

The old saying goes, “Variety is the spice of life that gives it all its flavour”.   The runners version should be “Variety is the spice of life that leads to sustained motivation and better times across other distances”.  Or so I am hoping that is what it means.

 

While I have still not jumped on the marathon train (mine is going in the other direction actually), I did decide to try my hand at a new race distance and did my first ever 1500m track race last week.  It was a lot of fun, I ran slower than I wanted, but it’s given me motivation this spring in training and put a little more pep in my running step.  And it’s kind of nice not having a PB time to obsess over, just enjoy the experience.  And as I mentioned above, I not so secretly think it will help with my 5km times, which is my longer term (true) goal for the year.   While most of the LES crew fall in the marathon camp, I feel I have heard more people dabbling in other distances (5km, ultra trail races, track(!) or others), and I strongly encourage it.  It’s very easy to stick to the same routine and get in a rut and lose interest or motivation.  Doing something different is good for the mind and body. And as our wise coach Seanna is always so good at pointing out, state of mind and body is far more important than ticking boxes and tracking km.  

 

Not all outcomes are perfect.  Before my race I ran into an old acquaintance of mine.  We chatted and said she was there to watch her son (I think grade 8), when I said I was in the same race, she said “oh, good for you”.  All that was missing was the nice pat on head for encouragement.   When I lined up at the start line, other than me and one other 46 year old on the outside lane, you would have thought you were at a grade 9 track meet (I checked after, and the average age outside us two was 14.  For the record, I was not at a grade 9 track meet, it was an Athletics Ontario meet and for some reason the 1500m drew no serious adult runners).  Not sure running against kids is the motivation I was looking for to absolutely crush the race.  I ran by myself the entire race as I didn’t have a good crew to chase down.   But I had fun, and I definitely want to do another with some of my peers this time and even try an 800 m just to see what it’s all about.

 

I really enjoy running, I really enjoy racing.  I tried cross country and had a blast in a team race, I love a good 5km, don’t like a 10km, track is also fun so far, and I keep hearing about this marathon distance that is kind of interesting.  I am sure I will get there some day, when I need that variety.

 

 

On to tomorrow’s workout – we’re back to hills! Pottery Rd at around 6:20 onwards for those in the Riverdale side of things, and Queen and Glen Manor at 6 for those in the Beach.

2 x full hill – 5 min tempo

1 full, 2 half – 5 min tempo

3 x half – 5 min tempo

 

That is all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 – Smarter, not harder

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Hey Gang!

Happy Summer!!! As usual, we jumped right over spring and went straight into summer. I’ll take it. I’m sure we’ll still have some cold and rainier days – but so far I’ve abided by my vow not to complain about the heat ever! Even though I did a track workout in 28C! I embraced every sweat droplet. I could go without midges in every orifice, but seriously, not being cold is such a joy. So let’s enjoy it!

Lately I’ve been thinking about training smarter. I know we’ve heard it before: train smarter, not harder. But what does that mean? I think it means trying to understand our training, and what results we’re expecting from different efforts, and how to maximize those. It’s not about throwing spaghetti at a wall and seeing what sticks. Because at a certain age and stage, we don’t have time for that. We have to know which pasta pieces are sticking and which aren’t, and only use the ones that are. No wasted pasta!

Jim Ryun was a phenom runner in high school in 1964. Well, he didn’t start out as one. He was a failed athlete in a number of sports when a coach took a look at him and said he could make him into a sub-4 minute miler which had never been done by a high schooler. The only problem was this coach was a swim coach. But neither of them knew any better, so Ryun set about following a brutal regime of double-day interval workouts with immense volume, such as 50 x 400m hard. And he had to run these on a swim time countdown, where the faster he ran, the more rest he got and vice versa. This was a very unconventional way to train, but the reason it worked was because Ryun was a 17 year old male and his system could bounce back from almost anything thrown at it. Ryan did break the 4-minute mile, and went on to set world records in the 1500, mile, and 800 in his first two years of college. 17-19 year old males are full of testosterone and growth hormone and are designed to bounce back and recover. I’ve heard it said that a lot of bad coaching can be hidden in high school male teams, because they will improve no matter what. Lots of pasta sticks. But by the time Ryun was 21, his body was rebelling against the training and he suffered from physical and mental burnout. He had been training very hard, but not necessarily very smart, and eventually that caught up to him.

Female runners tend to have a different trajectory than males, with later strength peaks in their mid-late 20’s. High school girls can’t afford to be as reckless as their male teammates because they don’t recover quite as quickly. But by their mid-twenties to thirties, most well trained women can handle doing a fair bit of mileage plus hard running session three times a week, and recover adequately from one to the next. I used to do this. And it worked. So it is hard, once you figure out a formula that brings success, to change it. But we change. I can’t get three quality sessions in anymore without starting to compromise my recovery from one or my performance in the next. Some weeks it’s only one good session. Here’s the thing though: if done correctly with enough recovery in and out of them, the sessions can be just as high quality as they always were. I just have to space them out further. That is training smarter. 51 year old women and 17 year old boys have to approach things wildly differently. And to pretend we don’t is just willful blindness. The question in our training shouldn’t be: how much can I pack in. It should be: what are my key sessions, what is the purpose, and how can I maximize what I get out of each one. And the answer will change depending on travel schedules, sleep, stress, nutrition, etc… If it doesn’t, and you’re just checking boxes, you’re training hard, but not smart. And that is more likely to lead to injury than to your goal. (unless you’re a 17 year old boy who happens to be reading this, in which case, do whatever you want and enjoy it for the next 5 or so years – then we can talk).

 

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

Let’s do aerobic 300’s. That means lots of 300’s (like 10-14 of them) with 1 minute rest. Pace: starting around 5K and working down if feeling good. This is a good way to find a faster rhythm without losing form or straining too much. And the relatively short rest will prevent us from going too fast.

Should be fun!

 

That is all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 – Mothering

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Hi Gang!

 

Hope everyone had a great week and weekend! Many in this group took on the Sporting Life 10K in support of Camp Ooch (a camp for kids and their families who are battling cancer). It’s a great cause and fantastic event which brings over 20,000 runners down Yonge st. And as it falls on Mother’s Day every year, many people do it as a traditional run with their moms or kids. This year, running with kids were Lara, Meagan, and Madalyn. Then we had Cheryl (PB!), Michelle (PB – I think?), Steph (PB!), Chris (PB!), and Jen (sorry lady – pb days might be behind us – but very fast run!) Great showing all – we’re obviously doing something right!

 

Speaking of Mother’s Day, I was reflecting on the importance and value of what it means to “mother”. The verb “to mother” in the Merriam Webster dictionary means “to care for and protect”. It also means to nurture with kindness and affection, and I would add, to put someone else’s needs ahead of you own. Obviously you don’t have to have given birth in order to exude these qualities. In fact, I don’t think you even need to be female. The qualities of mothering are most universally and easily seen in mothers towards their children, but if that was the only place we saw them, the world would quickly devolve into a cold and heartless place. I see people in this group bringing mothering qualities to their work quite a lot. Caring and protecting with kindness and affection. That can be done in the medical and health care fields, the academic field, in education, through volunteer and community work, and even in retail or service industry jobs where you’re interacting with people. People can sense when you truly care about their needs and it goes a long way.

We can’t “mother” our kids forever. My teenagers (particularly one of them) refuses to be mothered. What can be done. But we can value the characteristics of mothering, and not make them seem soft or weak or try to dampen them in ourselves in order to appear strong. Support, nurture and safety are the centre that hold everything together. I was listening to a podcast talking about how some women (it’s mostly women) find themselves in the role of “office mom” without having asked for it. People go to them with their needs and problems and know they will be listened to and cared for. Unfortunately these roles are undervalued and when these women leave, the centre falls apart and the office culture often crumbles. And management looks around wondering why they have an attrition problem. But the ‘office moms’ are never given recognition or reward for their valuable work, and those traits are again characterized as ‘soft’.

What does this have to do with running? Just that I see a lot of the ‘mothering’ characteristics among those in our group, and I think we should appreciate and value them. Also, there is no greater strength than that of a mother in protection mode. The most dangerous animal in the world is any mother with her young. Have you seen videos of mother lions attacking males twice their size and sending them running in order to protect their babies? Mothering is not soft. It is fierce and it is the strongest force out there when it’s harnessed and turned in the right direction. It’s all warm and nurturing and feel-good until you get in between me and the people I care about. Then I will eat your face off.

So let’s keep leaning into our mothering instincts and talents. And let’s value and appreciate and thank others when we see them in action. We are all so much stronger and better for all of the mothering that goes on in this group. Thank-you all for that.

 

Tomorrow we’re back to fartlek on the spit! 6:05 Drills, 6:15 GO! (again, these tend to be longer, so if you’re coming from further away consider driving and treating yourself to a coffee on your way home)

Let’s keep these a little lower in volume for now and work on turnover while we’re between marathon seasons. This is still a good idea for people eyeing fall marathons. Yes, you should be adding volume now, but that volume should be EASY. It can look like longer warm ups and cool downs. Let’s keep the work pieces short and peppy for now.

Cut-downs:

4 min @ 10K pace

2 min easy

2 x 3 min @ 8K pace w 90 sec easy

2 min easy

3 x 2 min @ 5K pace w 1:15 easy

2 min easy

4-6 x 1 min Fast w 1 min Easy

So it’s basically 4, (3, 3), (2, 2, 2), (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1) if that’s easier to visualize.

That is all – see you in the a.m.!

 

xo

 

Seanna

 

 

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 – Loving it

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Hey Gang!

 

Huge congrats to Lyndsay who ran the Toronto Half (overcoming many hurdles and training obstacles) and ran 1:31 to come 5th in her age group! Very inspirational. Coming up we have the Sporting Life 10K – where Lyndsay will be running again, joined by Steph, Cheryl and Jen. Let us know if you’re also running – this will be a great one to cheer as it finishes in the Distillery District this year! This will be a fast and fun one.

Just a short note today as I’m in Girona biking my face off every day. It’s lovely and beautiful and fun, and more on that later! I was reflecting on how I really enjoy vacations where I’m not only physically active, but working hard and challenging myself. I recall a friend recounting how a friend had said to her “I wish I could run every day like you, but I just can’t seem to make myself” to which my friend and I joked, “she just doesn’t hate herself enough!” I find this funny in a dark way. But I was reflecting on this as I pushed myself up a long, steep hill, and I thought, “but I actually like myself”. So where does this come from? I have to admit, there was a time when I was a teenager, when I took up endurance sports, that I really didn’t like myself very much. I wonder if that fueled me at the start. But somewhere along the line, working hard, and sweating, and challenging myself, just became part of what I’m used to in order to feel like me. I don’t need to punish myself. I don’t feel badly about myself if I don’t do it. But I just like the feeling of working hard and pushing myself. And I like myself. Both things can be true.

That was just my random thought going up a mountain today. Thought I’d share.

 

Tomorrow: I will still be away! But we’re (you’re) on hills. Spring marathon season is done. Believe it or not we’ll be building soon for Fall marathons. For now, let’s give the long grind a rest and get some pep back with short hills.

3 sets of 3 x short (200m) hills with 5 min tempo.

Sporting Life racers: 5 x 2 min @ race pace w 90 sec

Have fun and I’ll see you next week!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Tuesday, April 28, 2026 – Zooming out

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Hi Everyone!

Huge congrats to all of our London marathoners! Lori, Carol, Carolyn, Elizabeth, Eleanor, Madalyn, Shauna, Sam F! I haven’t heard all the war stories in detail, but I think we should all try to get out for a beer and relive all the details. Also in the Bum Run, Erin came first in her age category, Pearce came third in his age category and Jason came first in his category! Congrats all. Also this wouldn’t be a running newsletter if I didn’t recognize the two sub-2 marathons in London! And on the women’s side the women’s only world record was set in 2:15. What a day. This weekend we have the Toronto Marathon and Half Marathon – I don’t think anyone in this crew is racing but I encourage you all to go out and cheer. Spread the Toronto running love!

This week I’ve been thinking about perspectives. When we care about something and want to drive it forward, it’s common to really focus in on it in all its detail. This can work really well because we put energy where our attention is. And usually that begets results. Small details add up. Doing strides one day or not doesn’t matter. Doing them consistently week after week for months does. In training, there are certain things we can’t control. But controlling the controllables adds up. Taking the time and sweating the details can help.

But there are times when all of the details and the swirling brain can be too much. Too much focus, too many details, and these may reveal themselves at 3 a.m. And in those instances it helps greatly to zoom out. Why do I do this again? What do I love about it? Am I healthy and able to enjoy runs alone or with friends? Then it’s all good. The details couldn’t matter less.

I have to remind myself about this at times. I can stress about things like my kids’ futures, my and my loved ones’ aging bodies and future health, the state of the world…  and the more I focus in and drill down on these things, the less productive I become. The only thing that helps at these times is to zoom out and look at the big picture. Are my kids healthy? Can I still enjoy movement every day and spending quality time with loved ones? Is there still a sunrise to appreciate every morning and birds to listen to? Then everything is ok. We hear this from astronauts who get to view earth from hundreds of thousands of kilometers away. In this zoomed out perspective, they get a deep understanding of how beautiful our world is, and what really matters. It is not the petty little fights and battles we are engaged in down below. The whole beauty and perfection of it from a distance makes the small problems seem trivial.

Obviously we can’t stay zoomed out all the time. We have to come back down to earth eventually. But this is just a reminder if you find yourself caught in a zoomed in perspective to shift it out every now and then. Take a deep breath, appreciate the beauty, and don’t sweat the small stuff. It will all be ok.

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

Let’s do sets of continuous Hard/Tempo segments. I like these for overall strength, and for a little injection of lactic acid while teaching your body how to deal with it on the go. This is useful for races that involve hills, surges, shorter distances, or longer distances where you want to learn how to push it mid-race without panicking.

Let’s do: 400 Hard-400 Tempo-300 Hard-300 tempo-200 Hard-200 Tempo. This is one set continuous. Take 2 minutes rest and repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 sets.

That is all – see you in the a.m.!

 

xo

 

Seanna

 

 

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 – Group love

/in /by

Hey Gang!

 

Huge congrats to Jilly and Chris who both ran the Boston marathon yesterday and absolutely nailed their races! Boston is such a tough one. You just have to be humble and confident at the same time, and ready for anything the day throws your way. These guys totally did that. And congrats to Pearce who rocked the UnderArmour 10K on Saturday! 10K’s are also a tough distance to master. They’re more like two 5K’s back to back than half of a half marathon – if you know what I mean. Way to go all!

Coming up this weekend we have the London marathon! Lori, Sam F, Carol, Carolyn, Elizabeth, Eleanor, Shauna, Amy Hakoda. Am I missing anyone? And here in Toronto Erin and Pearce will be running the Bum Run 5K. 5K’s are also full of glory! Good luck all, we’ll be tracking/ cheering for all of you.

This week I’ve been thinking about the ability of other people in bringing out the best in us. Once again this past week I’ve been shocked by what I can accomplish when I just commit to showing up to a group. I mean, it hasn’t been anything spectacular, but every time I have a workout on tap, if I join a supportive group, I can accomplish way more than I would or could do on my own. I don’t mind running on my own. But “performing” on my own? That is hard. I also think about this when I’m writing workouts for athletes. I try to write workouts that are tough but achievable. And I know that most of the time that bar moves when it involves training partners. So I try to line them up, and might change the duration or intensity in different ways depending on whether I think they’re training solo or with others.

I’ve witnessed people in this group bringing out the best in each other. I also see it at races. This is why we can often achieve something special on race day that we could never do on our own. And it is also why we feel such a powerful outpouring of love for our fellow runners at the finish. It is a big “Thank-you! We did this together!” moment. I can recall that feeling I had of a love of other humans after the Boston Marathon last year. It lasted exactly until a few days later when I tried to merge onto the Gardiner Expressway from the Lakeshore and my positive feelings of humanity were crushed in an instant. If you know you know! I thought that was pretty funny. How I could view the exact same people around me so differently, depending on the circumstances. But we are all the same people, just in different situations, aren’t we? And we all still have to battle traffic and learn to live with each other. I thought: “it’s just a formula”. For every time I merge onto the Gardiner (or whatever your people-hating equivalent is), I can balance that out with a positive group experience. Whether I join a group to pull me along in a workout or I jump in to help someone else, the reciprocal shared love is enough to right the world again. You can also add to it by cheering on strangers. I recommend the Toronto Marathon coming up in two weeks. If you’re a runner and you live in Toronto, go out and cheer on the other runners who are racing! You’ll all be bringing out the best in each other. And your belief in humanity might be buoyed enough for up to three Gardiner entry ramps without losing it. Try it and see.

On to tomorrow’s workout: Let’s do our first Spit run of the summer! Still meeting at Lakeshore and Leslie at 6:05 for drills, 6:15 GO!

(these workouts tend to get a bit more volume, so if you’re coming from further away, consider driving down)

Let’s start with the basic but effective sets of 3-2-1. Those minutes hard with 1 minute rest in between. Three minutes between sets.

People running London: You can do two sets IF you keep the paces: MP-HMP-10K

People racing a 5K: 2 sets as 5K-5K-a lil faster

Everyone else: up to 4 sets as 8K-5K-3K (ish)

That is all – see you in the a.m.!

 

xo

 

Seanna