Fresh Starts

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Hi Everyone!

 

Hope you all had a great long weekend. We definitely have some Fall weather turning up – exciting! As runners, Fall is our season. It’s the reward season for all of those runs endured in the heat and humidity where our legs felt like lead and our bodies craved more water and electrolytes than we could possibly carry. More runs now should start to feel a little easier – and sometimes even shockingly pleasant!

 

What I’ve been thinking about is how September, for many of us, actually marks the start of a “new year”. This is the season of fresh starts. There’s an energy to the “back to school” season, whether you have kids in school or not. It occurred to me that I started the Lower East Siders (very loosely) with my sister Tanis almost exactly 10 years ago. My kids were 3 and 5 and I thought I could finally include some consistent, structured training one day a week in my routine. Now they are 13 and 15 and I’ve been doing this consistently with so many great friends and training partners almost every Wednesday since then! Some of us who started connecting through running as a support system for surviving those years with young kids are now holding onto each other even tighter as one by one those kids are leaving home to create their own lives. This is a bitter-sweet milestone if ever there was one.

 

If we think of September as our Running “New Year”, then it might be a good time to reflect on some intentions for your running this year. Is running going to be your background scaffolding to support you while you lean into other areas of life? Maybe you want to use running as a way to connect – to yourself, to others, to nature? Or you might be finding yourself asking – what am I capable of if I really face my doubts and fears and set a goal and try my hardest? What can I learn and develop about myself through challenge? Whichever intention speaks to you, now is a good time to set up the habits to get you there. Invite someone you haven’t run with before out for an easy run once a week, make a date with yourself to run somewhere beautiful once a week (I love the Brickworks/Moore Park Ravine this time of year), run with your soulmates often, set a goal and commit to the training to get you there – just like how I started 10 years ago – it could just be “do one hard effort a week, every Wednesday” …

 

Whatever goal or intention you land on for your running for this year, we are here to support each other and cheer each other on and sweat, laugh, cry, complain, celebrate together. We don’t all have to be doing it for the same reasons in order to support each other. And the reason you started might not be the same reason you keep going. In the past 10 years we’ve run through new parenthood, changing jobs, new relationships, new homes, kids growing up and leaving, illnesses, injuries, many personal bests, just as many personal worsts, a pandemic! … Who knows what the next 10 years will bring. All I know is that I’m going to hold on tight and hopefully keep running with this crew!!! Happy Running New Year everyone.

 

Onto tomorrow’s workout: Let’s do a fartlek on the spit and we can follow-up with hills next week (some ppl have races coming up this weekend)

 

Meet at Lakeshore and Leslie for 6:05 drills, 6:15 Go time.

 

  1. 8 min tempo, 3 min easy, up to 6 x 2 min Faster, 1 min Easy

We’ll regroup on the easy sections and I’ll bring my watch that beeps every minute so we’re all in synch.

  1. If racing the Longboat 5K or 10K or Yorkville 5K, let’s just keep it the same. This is a “training through” race for most I believe.
  2. If doing the Erie Marathon (Andrew!) – 8 min @ MRP, and 2-3 x 2 mins a little quicker.

 

 

That is all – see you in the am!

 

Xo

 

Seanna

 

Easy paces – and our first rule!

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Hi All!

 

Huge congrats to Mike Greenberg who completed the Penticton Ironman in 10:00:46 for 4th in his age group! And he’s booking his ticket to Kona – wohoo!  

 

What I’ve been thinking about lately is easy runs. If you want to get up to speed on where I’ve landed and read a great article, reference Alex Hutchinson’s most recent analysis: https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/easy-running-pace-study/

 

Basically what the “science” says, is that everyone has their own set point for what is most economical for their bodies – and this is mostly unrelated to fitness or race ability and times. Alex suggests it could be some combination of someone’s leg length, stride rate, mass, tendon springiness, all inter-relating in complex ways. When presented with a distance to run “easily” all of this is fed into the brain’s computer and it selects the most economical way to get from A to B for each runner.

 

This is not dissimilar to walking paces. People have their own “comfortable” pace. Mine is very slow. I am more comfortable at a slow jog to keep up beside my walking husband. It is literally more comfortable for me and feels like it burns less energy.

 

Again, this is unrelated to fitness or ability to run fast when trying to go fast vs being economical (workouts and races). An odd thing as I’ve gotten *ahem* a little older, is I’ve noticed that my easy run paces have slowed down quite a bit. But my workouts and races are still hovering around the same place as they always have. This is not intentional. Whatever my “combination” of economy is, it has shifted slightly. I’m fine with that because I go by feel.

 

I’ve often gone on “easy” runs with people – some of whom are ahead of or the same as me in workouts and races and some the other way around – which I find uncomfortably fast. I also sometimes find myself creeping one step ahead of my running partner because my easy pace is naturally a little quicker. In these cases, depending on the situation, you can have a quick conversation and adjust. I am very comfortable asking others to slow down. However, sometimes the body just does what the body does, and in this case it can be tricky etiquette. It is annoying when your buddy half-steps you the whole time and you’re uncomfortable (remember, this is not intentional – they are just locking into their most comfortable pace!) And etiquette mid-run is a tricky thing to navigate. So to help us out, I have come up with an LES rule. As far as I know, this is the first and only rule we have. So here is Lower East Siders Rule #1: if your running buddy says “go ahead, we’ll meet up later” THREE times, you listen and go ahead. We’ve all been there. They are saying go, and we’re not sure if it’s rude. Or we are saying go and just want that person to leave us alone already but they insist on staying. So there we have it. No hurt feelings, no questioning what we should really do. 3 times means you’re splitting up for this run. Your bodies just aren’t in synch on that day. Easy!

 

On to tomorrow’s Lakeshore workout! 6:05 for drills, 6:15 GO time.

 

Back by popular demand: 400’s! Here’s how we’ll run them:

 

  1. 800 tempo. 2 min rest. 4 x 400 w 1 min. 2 min rest. 4 x 400 w 1:15. 2 min rest. 2-4 x 400 w 1:20. 2 min rest. Then marathoners/half marathoners do 800 @ marathon pace or tempo, and others (5K or 10K runners) finish with 2-4 x 200 as long strides (fast, quick, light and relaxed).

 

So it looks like this: 800, 2-3 x (4 x 400), 800

OR 800, 2-3 x (4 x 400), 2-4 x 200

 

  1. If doing this fartlek style: 3 min tempo, 3 sets of 1 min Hard, 1 min Easy w 2 mins between sets, 3 min tempo OR finish with 4 x 30 second pick ups.

See you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

 

 

Having Fun

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Hi Everyone!

 

First up, huge congrats to Miguel who ran the Reykjavik marathon in a time of 3:08 in what sounds like not ideal fast running conditions – wohoo!! If you haven’t seen the pics they’re breathtaking.

 

We’re getting closer to the end of summer, and I see lots of people diving into their version of “having fun”. I love this. And, as I would expect with this group, “having fun” usually involves a fair bit of energy being poured into things. I guess that’s just how we’re wired.

 

But just a reminder that there is a line. You can be hardcore, and that’s awesome – we all seek that out sometimes. But you can also do “harcore-ish things” for fun. I think with us we get confused sometimes – we sign up for things “for fun” and then make them unnecessarily hard. Because that’s our default setting. It’s ok to actually do a race or event or hike a mountain or go for a swim, and not try your absolute hardest. It’s really really nice to enjoy the journey sometimes. (if you struggle with this I highly recommend getting off Strava)

 

One of the ways I force myself out of the “hardcore” headspace, is that I sign up for events that have a level of challenge or difference which makes it impossible to compare myself to myself. And events which present an experience that pulls me out of my “racing” head. For instance, coming up on Oct 1, a few of us are doing a night run sponsored by a brewing company. So fun! A lot of people really enjoy relay style runs in beautiful settings (Jasper to Banff, Cabot Trail, Ragnar) – I’ve participated in some of those and would consider them top on the list of the most fun I’ve had. And neighbourhood plug: this Saturday Culture, Eastbound and the Leslieville Beer Festival are putting on a Beer Mile with the proceeds going to the Red Door Shelter (you can participate as part of a relay as well): https://eastboundbeer.com/collections/everything/products/leslieville-beer-mile

I will be there organizing, but will cheer you on and give you a mighty CHEERS if you enter!

 

So just remember – you don’t have to be one or the other. “Serious” runner or “Fun” runner. If you want to maintain longevity in this game, and keep in touch with what you love to do, sprinkle some fun into your running. Because I know you all – if you sit on a beach for too long you will jump out of your skin – you need to make your fun just hard enough.

 

Onto tomorrow’s workout! I am away, but I will do mine fartlek style. Lakeshore and Leslie – 6:05 drills, 6:15 GO time!

 

  1. 1 mile tempo (srsly – keep it tempo). 3 min rest. 2 x 800 @ 10K pace w 1:45. 3 min rest. 1 mile tempo. 3 min. 1 OR 2 x 800 again. This is where you’ll be grateful you kept the first mile tempo.
  2. If doing this fartlek style, 6-3-3-6-3-3 minutes ON with 3 min easy after and before the 6’s, 1:45 between the 3’s.

 

FYI, if training for a marathon (or any race really), a big part of what you need to practice is patience. Not going crazy and unleashing it all out of the gates. In these longer type workouts we’re working on that.

 

That is all – I will miss you but back next week!!!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Process goals

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Hi All!

 

Hope you’re all enjoying the cooler temps we’ve finally been getting. Although summer heat leads to fall PB’s, so you may want to hope for a few more sweltering days to get a bit more of the “poor person’s altitude training” in if you’re training for fall races! It feels bad, but it works.

 

What I’ve been thinking about lately is the concept of breaking down your goals into manageable “process goals”. Performance goals are scary, and to be honest, a bit too stressful to be holding onto at all times. Most of the time, it’s better not to think about them, and instead focus on something that is within your control.

 

I’m just feeling my way back into working hard again. And it really is all by feel. My body’s trying to bounce back, but I have to listen to it to know where I am in that rebound. The other day I was doing a tempo workout and someone asked me what paces I was going to go. I said, I have no idea – my goal is just to finish the sets at whatever pace it takes. And having that process goal was completely manageable and within me. I didn’t care how fast – I had a goal I could accomplish. Just finish. I could work on getting faster later.

 

In the elite training group I coach, we have moved our athletes to the grass as we train for cross-country season. Some people love cross country. For others (usually the shorter distance track specialists), it’s their kale. Just do it, it’s good for you. But they always have something negative to say. We gave one or two of them this goal the other day: Your only goal in this workout is not to complain. They really had to focus on not saying anything negative. But they succeeded. And guess who ended up having a good workout?  

 

Your process goals should be simple and completely within your control. Again, for swimming, I keep mine as basic as “get your body in the water”. I’ve never not swum after doing that, but I just can’t wrap my head around swimming PLUS performance.

 

Your goals can be very strategic: ie. My only goal for this long run is to consume a total of 4-5 gels – one every 30-40 minutes. If you complete that goal you will have successfully gotten through a long run.

 

The key is to not have a secret performance goals underneath. Truly, success is marked by finishing the workout, not complaining, getting in the water, consuming the gels… If you do those things, you have succeeded. The rest is gravy.

 

Tomorrow, we’re back to Pottery Road! Or a beach hill if you’re in the beach. I think many people are away this week, so if beachers want to consolidate and drive to Pottery, there will be a few people there to keep you company!

 

The workout: Straight up. 5-8 x steady hill. Steady up, easy down. If training for a fall marathon, add 8 mins @ goal race pace after a 2-3 min rest.

 

I will aim to be there close to 6:10-6:15-ish. Just get going when you get there and hopefully I’ll see a few people out!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Motivation

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Hi Everyone!

 

Congrats to our Sprint Triathletes Shauna C and Cassidy who raced it fast in Barrie last weekend! Shauna rocking another top-5 finish and Cassidy finishing first in the U-19 category!

 

I’ve been thinking lately about motivation. What it is, how we get it, why sometimes we have it and sometimes we just don’t. I’m thinking about this as I’m waiting for mine to build up again. But I also know it’s not always a passive act – to get motivated. Sometimes motivation lands on us, but sometimes, if we want to be following a certain course of action with passion, we can help to drive our own motivation.

 

I see motivation as a form of latent energy. You can only be motivated if you have energy. When I come in from a long training ride or run, suddenly all the motivation I might have had to clean my house is gone. Sure, I want a clean house, but not that badly. If you keep yourself constantly in the withdrawal side of the energy balance, you might find you’re just not as motivated for certain things as at other times. And this might not bother you! But I have found that freeing some of that energy up can lead to the thoughts and drive and excited plans for action that were just being suppressed. When I was doing a lot of training, I didn’t have a ton of motivation for creative endeavours, planning experiences with my family and friends, diving into new projects, reading and thinking deeply about things…. I wasn’t sitting there wishing I was doing these things – I just wasn’t motivated by them.

 

On the flip side, if you’re not motivated by your training right now (and want to be), maybe take stock of how much energy you have available, and whether you want to free some of it up. Even for a period. (As in everything I believe that balance exists in cycles – it’s not a constant perfect blend of life and priorities). This includes nutrition and sleep energy. When your batteries are full on those scales, you feel more motivated to put them to use. If you are constantly tired and not eating well or enough, you won’t feel energized and excited by the thought of pushing yourself physically. There is also the emotional and mental energy to manage – and sometimes these are harder to control, but being aware of them is the first step. If you really want to be engaged and motivated by a goal, don’t treat it like a distraction from your other pursuits. You have to allow it its own space.

 

Finally, I was listening to an interesting expert speaking on anxiety. She said anxiety can get a bad rap. Really, it is also latent energy. Anxiety is the sense that the outcome can go in either direction – well or badly. If we thought it would just end badly, that would lead to a sense of defeat and serve as the opposite of motivation. But anxiety primes us for action. We have a hand in directing the outcome to “good”. I think that’s why signing up for big, scary events can bring motivation. Scary motivation leans towards anxiety, but if that’s the stimulus you need and you have the constitution to manage it, it can definitely spur you to “action” (just ask any of us first-time Ironmen about that). I would just do a real self-check to make sure you have the mental, emotional and physical space for this first, because in this case you’re forcing it vs. letting it come to you.

 

But any way you find it, you do have motivation in there if you want it. And if you don’t want it right now, that’s ok too!

 

On to tomorrow’s workout. Back to Lakeshore! 6:05 drills, 6:15 GO Time!

 

I think last Weds was a bit of a long, grindy one. Let’s try to get a little more pep in this one.

 

  1. 2 x 800 at TEMPO pace w 1:30 (really – keep these restrained). 3 min rest.

4 x 600 w 1:15 @ 5K-ish pace. 3 min rest

4 x 200 a little snappier w 1 min rest

If training for a fall marathon, finish with 1 mile @ goal Marathon Race Pace (this should not feel hard – more of a lead-in to your cool-down)

 

  1. If doing this fartlek style:

2 x 3 min tempo w 1:30 easy. 3 min easy

4 x 2 min fast w 1:15 easy. 3 min easy

4 x 30 seconds fast w 1 min easy. 3 min easy

Option of 6-7 mins @MRP.

 

That’s all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Feeling it

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Hi Everyone!

 

Holy, we’re halfway through the summer! But what a summer we’re having. The weather is great, races are on, events and camps and traveling and get-togethers are on… this is one to savour for sure.

 

I’ve been savouring my down-time post Ironman. I’m letting myself do what I want when I’m “feeling it”. Which so far isn’t a ton. And I’m thinking how strange this is, because leading up to the race, I didn’t really ever have to talk myself into any training – I was “feeling it” and “into it” the whole way through. And now I have to start back up again at some point and get excited about something. I’ve been reflecting about this. How sometimes we are excited and invigorated by our training, and sometimes it feels like a bit of a chore. I think it’s important to stay tuned into this. It’s reasonable to have some days that just don’t come easily and the odd workout where you don’t want to be there for the whole time. But if these are happening more frequently than not, and you’re dragging yourself kicking and screaming through most of your training runs, it’s important to re-evaluate your goals. Is this something you really want to do? If so, why?

 

I was very excited about my Ironman training because I had so many unanswered questions: How far removed was I from the person who did this 20 years ago? Was I still capable of doing this? Where will my mind go? How will I react? Is this the same body? Is this the same mind? These were all questions I was very curious about exploring. When it turned out I had qualified for another Ironman a few months away, I had no interest in going. I had answered all my questions. I wasn’t training for training. I was in it because I was excited about this one thing. And I knew I couldn’t force my interest beyond that. I couldn’t take someone else’s goal and make it mine.

 

Here’s the thing though: sometimes we find purpose through training. We have to start somewhere, and then the WHY pops up. What’s the old saying … “Mood Follows Action”. A big unknown challenge is one thing, but so is persistent perseverance. You start training in little steps and find a groove and think – “what am I capable of?” Sometimes you just have to start and the purpose and meaning will appear. I can’t tell you what your purpose and meaning should be. These are deeply personal and I believe they are things you “feel” rather than rationalize. Is this something you are drawn to and can find some sort of significance in? You don’t even need to be able to verbalize what it is. But something needs to be pulling you forward. You can’t train for the events that we train for because you feel you should or because someone else thinks it will be cool. It’s totally ok to keep moving forward while searching for that feeling – but if you’re weeks or months in and still haven’t landed on it, it’s ok to take a pause and wait for it to reappear. I promise it will come back. (And no, usually it doesn’t take 20 years!)

 

On to tomorrow’s workout – I think we’re due for a social/fartlek! The mid-point of summer feels like a good time. Let’s meet at Lakeshore and Leslie at 6:05 for drills, 6:15 Go time. We’ll run along the spit since there is enough light these days!

 

  1. Easy jog if you’re just coming back from a big race or illness or that’s all you have in you.
  2. 6 min tempo, 3 min easy, then 2 sets of 4 x 2 min on, 1 min off, and 1 set of 4 x 1 min on, 1 min off – 3 min easy bw sets. This should lead to 5.5-7K of work for most. Don’t forget to regroup on all the Easy sections – starting with people is what makes this one fun!

 

See y’all in the am.

 

xo

 

Seanna

Behind the scenes

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Hi Everyone!

 

Congrats to all of us who did triathlons this past weekend! Shauna, Tanis and Madalyn in the TTF sprint tri where they all seriously killed it. And at Ironman Lake Placid – Nir Meltzer, Chris Robinson, Eleanor Colledge, Carolyn Steele-Gray, Jon McRea, David Steinberg, Adam Nicklin, and I all rocked it (because there is only rocking it) and we are all IRONMEN!!!! I was so so grateful for all of my crew who convinced me to get off the fence and sign up and trained, traveled and competed with me on this journey. It would not have been the same alone! (in fact I wouldn’t have done it)

 

What I’ve been thinking about is how much our personal support crews and race volunteers play a role in our athletic endeavours. I just wanted to pause and reflect on this. From our family members and loved ones and friends who support us with emotional support and cheers and positive words and encouragement through all of the training, the teammates who train with us, whether they’re doing the race or not, the family members who accept that this is part of who we are and don’t complain that we’re tired all the time because of something we’ve imposed on ourselves, the friends and family who happily come along and help us with gear and logistics, the volunteers who point us where to go, the volunteers who feed and water us and tell us to keep going, the crowds who line the roads and cheer and cheer and cheer, even though they don’t know us, the volunteers who catch us at the finish line and make sure we’re ok, the family members and loved ones who patiently look after our post-race zombie selves. All of this is what has stood out for me in this training cycle and event. I think: “I’m just doing this little personal challenge – why do all of these generous people, friends and strangers, care so much and want to help me?” It is extremely touching and emotional to experience. So I just wanted to reflect on all that goes on behind these races, and I will continue to do my best to support and encourage others in their journeys, to cheer on random runners and they do their thing, to show up at races to help out and I will try to volunteer more at events. All of that “behind the scenes” is really where we see the selfless beautiful side of humanity. It is good for the soul to witness and experience it.

 

On to tomorrow’s workout! We’re back to Lakeshore. I will be there and will cheer you all on!!! 6:05 drills, 6:15 Go Time!

 

  1. 3-4 sets of 4 x 400 with 1 min between reps, 3 mins between sets. I would pace these closer to 8K than 5K to start, especially if doing 4 sets. This is more of a strength workout than a speed workout. Think of them as broken up miles. If you go out too fast, you won’t complete 4 sets. If you’re training for a 5K/10K, that is fine – do 3 sets faster. If you’re training for a fall marathon, you want the strength/endurance component.

 

  1. If doing these fartlek style, 4 sets of 4 x 1:30 Hard, 1 min Easy with 3 min Easy between sets.

 

Can’t wait to see you all in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

 

 

 

Curiosity

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Hi Everyone!

 

I don’t think anyone raced this past weekend. Quite a few are racing this weekend – either the TTF Triathlon or the Lake Placid Ironman. Wohoo!!! Let’s go multi-sporters!

 

I’ve been thinking about some of what draws us to big challenges and to test ourselves in areas where we are not sure of the outcome. I believe that a big part of the draw is curiosity. I was listening to a podcast talking about the trait of curiosity and how it’s in dangerous decline. Why develop curiosity when google holds every answer you ever needed at your fingertips? We are surrounded by answers and instant gratification and the comfort of predictability. These days we rarely explore anywhere or anything without being armed with reviews, google maps and photos so we know exactly what to expect. That’s comforting. But it doesn’t challenge us or make us learn or grow. And it doesn’t really excite us.

 

Having a curious mindset is something that can be developed. Many of the smartest people we know are really the ones who were the most curious and followed where their curiosity led them. We can also learn to get comfortable seeking the unknown. I do think this trait of curiosity is what many of us are displaying when we enter races. If we knew the exact formulas that would predict precise outcomes, there would be no point in going and doing it. But winners in races are never guaranteed, and what we’re able to do on race day is an open question – no coach will tell you any differently. We can prepare as best we can, but no one can tell you what will happen on race day. This is a good thing! Expectations can be stifling, but curiosity is exciting. What are you capable of? How will you deal with adverse situations as they arise? What will the outcome be? No one knows! That’s the fun of it all! So as you approach your upcoming races, try to cultivate that curious and interested mindset. You can be confident that you’re prepared, but still maintain open curiosity about the experience. Races are beautiful mysteries which you uncover in real time. What can be better than that?

 

Workout for tomorrow – back to Pottery Rd hills/tempo!

I’m liking this combo – I know it’s not easy, but it packs a punch fitness wise. Remember: it’s JUST training! Workouts are not a test – it’s just practice. I’ll mix it up a bit from last time. Let’s do:

 2 sets of 3 x hill with 4 min tempo. Take 2 minutes after the hills before launching into tempo. After the tempo, you can do directly into an easy jog back down the hill for set #2.

 

I will jog up but won’t partake in the hills. But I will cheer you on!

 

TTF people: no hills for you. For you I would suggest something like 4-5 x 3 minutes at 10K Tri Race Pace with 1:30 easy.

 

See you there at some point in the am – just get going when you get there!

(Beach crew, please coordinate amongst yourselves)

 

xo

 

Seanna

 

Older and Wiser

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Hi Everyone!

 

Huge congrats to everyone who raced the Muskoka IM 70.3! Jason, Carol, Madalyn. Looked like a hot and hilly one – way to go all!!

 

Thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes yesterday. I’ve been thinking a little bit about getting older. I have to say, I’m really enjoying it. Instead of ‘radical acceptance’ I’d say I’m in a ‘radical embracing’ phase. I know how to appreciate what I have and the community and friends I have around me. As I mentioned to someone, in training for this Ironman (which I’m training for sort of intuitively because I just know my athletic self very well), I’ve let my demons out of their cage just enough to drive me to certain points, but I know when and how to pull them back in and shut the door. They’re still there, but they work for me now.  We are all moving towards becoming wiser and learning about ourselves through trial and error and the hardships of life. But it takes living it to get there! So I’m very glad I’m still doing that.

 

I also believe many of us come into our true purpose later in life. Did you know that there is a parasitic worm they’ve discovered which has one of the shortest lifecycles ever? It is born with eggs inside of it, all female and one male. As soon as it is born, the eggs hatch, mate, the worm dies and the babies eat their way out with fertilized eggs inside. And the cycle of life continues. That creature’s existence has one purpose: to procreate and die. Evolution is so interesting. Living things have developed many traits, which we’ll call “purposes”, to assist in the success of their own kind. Did you know that there are only two mammals which have extended lifespans post-menopause? These are killer whales and humans. (interestingly, not other primates). Post-menopausal killer whales become the leaders of their pods, and decide when and where to hunt and travel to new areas. Their wisdom is required by the pod and they are more useful to the success of the species as leaders than as procreators. Like them, we have evolved to live many years beyond our ability to procreate (sorry guys, I’m talking about females here – I don’t have a strong theory yet on what you’re useful for beyond a certain point – maybe it’s to listen to and support the women 😉 ) Whether we’ve had kids or not, I think after a certain age we enter our Wise and Leadership years. If our usefulness to our species ended with our ability to procreate, then like the worm we would end there because life is expensive and it is only supported if there is a purpose. But here many of us are, and are intended to be. So what do we do? I think we need to look to and learn from many of the wise and strong women who came before us. Who fought for our rights and justices for others. We can’t lose our energy and hope at this stage. We may be a little less physically strong and peppy than we were in our 20’s, and we may take a little longer to recover from things physically, but man – we are wise and powerful. We know how to get the most out of ourselves, and we know how to work hard. And I think our society needs that wisdom and power right now. Onwards!!

 

Onto tomorrow’s workout: back to Lakeshore and I will bring singlets!! 6:05 drills, 6:15 go time.

 

  1. 4-5 x 1 mile with 2 min rest. Here’s the pacing:

People training for Fall marathons: 1st mile tempo (HM pace), 2nd mile 10K pace, 3rd mile 5K pace-ish, 4th mile 10K pace, 5th mile HM pace

People training/tapering for Ironman: alternate Half IM and IM pace. Keep it to 4 if legs are feeling tired but this shouldn’t feel too hard.

People just getting back into it or training to train: Keep them steady eddy, but choose ONE to go a little harder. And keep it to 4 total.

 

If doing these fartlek style or on your own: 4-5 x 7 min w 2 min easy. Alternate effort/pace as above.

 

Thanks all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Training your brain

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Hi Everyone!

 

I’m pretty sure there were no races last weekend. Remember – please let me know if you raced!

Our white singlets – men’s and women’s are in, so I just need to pick them up. I’m away this week so will have them for you for next week. Wohoo!

 

What I’ve been thinking about recently is the mental side of training and racing. I know we know it’s 90% mental, but wow – is it ever! I’m thinking specifically of longer sessions, as many in this group are ramping up for fall marathons and wrapping our heads around bigger workouts and future workouts. Of course there is a real and necessary physical component to training your body, but so much of what we’re training is our brain’s resistance. Remember: our brains are there to protect us – not make us champions. So they are wired to be overly cautious and sensitive to pressing the “you’re tired, you can’t do this” button. Your brain communicates to you via thoughts and emotions – feelings of overwhelm, lack of motivation, anxiety, even false fatigue. In fact I’ve come to believe – and many of the athletes who I coach know as a fact – that if you feel exhausted and dead-legged in a warm-up, you’re likely to have a great race. Happens to me every time. Your brain knows what’s coming and is doing its last-ditch effort to stop you. Don’t listen.

 

There are a few tricks that I’m learning which are helping me overcome some of this, so I’ll share them. The first is to really break your task into small chunks and only focus on one at a time. I had a 35K run recently where my brain was fighting me from the first kilometer. So I just allowed myself to focus on 5K at a time. Every new 5K segment was the start of a 5K run. Had I tried to count down to 35 from the first kilometer I would have crumbled. But I could do 5K.

 

The next thing that helps is radical acceptance. I heard that term recently and it resonated. Just accept the space you’re in, don’t fight it. When I’m in any sort of race or training effort, as soon as I think about the finish or what is to come, it becomes overwhelming because I’m thinking about where I want to get to instead of being present. If I’m at 18K of a 20K run, it starts to feel hard and I want to be done. But at the same pace and effort, that 18K mark of a 30K run is fine because I’ve accepted where I am and am not thinking about the finish – yet. You’ll get there when you get there. Don’t let you mind get ahead of your body – it’s projecting and doesn’t really know how you’ll feel. (this also holds true for runs off the bike if you’re a triathlete)

 

Finally, under the same principle of acceptance, another approach is to just accept the amount of time you’ll be out there, and stop making crossing off kilometers part of your task. I find this helps my brain tremendously. Instead of saying you’re going out for a certain kilometer effort, which is task oriented, tell yourself you’ll just be out there for an hour or two or three  – whatever it is. And then just settle in for the journey. Tell yourself, “I’m going to move forward in a way that is continually acceptable for this amount of time.”  And accept it. Radically. Your poor brain with the brake-control button will not stand a chance.

 

Onto tomorrow’s workout! We’re back to Lakeshore – 6:05 for drills (on your own) and 6:15 GO time! I won’t be there, and Tanis either. Hoping someone can get the crew started and possibly mark out 400m. If not, do your best approximation – a few meters here or there will not be noticed by your body.

 

 

Workout:

 

600-400-200 w 1 min rest – 3 min bw sets

 

4-5 x (600-400-200)

 

Treat them as broken 1200’s. Aim for 5K pace for 600’s and 400’s – you can pick it up slightly for 200’s. If you manage 5 of them that would be 6K at 5K pace, so a big wrkt. That’s if you have a solid base and have a number of workouts under your belt. If just starting out or coming back from an illness or something else, aim for 3-4 sets.

 

If doing them fartlek style:

 

4-5 x (2:00, 1:30, 30) w 1 min easy jog bw reps and 3 bw sets.

 

That’s all – I’ll miss you – have fun!!!

 

xo

 

Seanna