Going Sideways

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Hi Everyone!

 

Hope those of you who are able to take it are enjoying March Break. Whether you’re taking some time off work and taking a more relaxed approach to your running/training schedule this week or not, it’s always good to plan these in somewhere along the line. I know many of us love our work/training/busy lives, but as with all things – recharging is key!

 

That brings me to what I’ve been thinking about. When I write schedules for athletes I very rarely write out more than 6-8 weeks in advance. That is because I KNOW it is very unlikely for someone to follow a plan longer than that without something interfering. Whether it’s work schedules, injury set-backs, kids’ plans, more fatigue than we’d anticipated due to how we’re absorbing things… In fact I’ve never seen a plan written out for 12 weeks be followed without some dips or side-steps. I just want you all to know this is completely normal and expected. You have not failed in your training or need to give up and throw it all out and start again. So you have a new obstacle. And I know many of you are in this boat. So … what do you do about it? These are the times we’re really growing and learning as humans and athletes. What learning experience is there if everything goes perfectly? But when things go sideways … now we’re talking. Now we have the chance to face uncertainty, unscripted paths, self-doubt … this is the good stuff! This is what develops our character. Most people showing up at start lines are not exactly where they want to be with training. If you can show up with an attitude of “doing what you can with what you have” with a sense of excitement and feel positively challenged to see what that is, even knowing it won’t be ‘perfect’, then you’re learning something.

 

One last thing: I can see many of you training so hard and being hard on your bodies. Please remember to love and respect them! If something is sore or injured or asking for some rest, please do not ignore that. Our bodies are incredible and are on our side. We’re making them strong through training, but just a reminder not to fight them but work with them.

 

On to tomorrow’s workout!

 

I am away, so feel free to meet up at the usual time or make your own plans if going later. Just please coordinate so no one shows up looking for people and no one’s there.

 

  1. 6-8 x (600, 45 sec rest, 200) 2 mins bw sets. The key here is that the total volume will be run faster than last week where they were straight 800’s. Your body will get used to that mechanical load, so we can gradually push our 800 times down. 600’s close to the same pace as you ran your 800’s, and 200’s faster. (Note: if doing these on Lakeshore you will have to find a 200m mark from the East side as well. So you can run 600-200-jog back to the 200 mark, 600 heading east and then a 200 going west, then jog back to the start) Sorry if that’s confusing!
  2. If doing this fartlek: 6-8 x 3 min Hard, 45 sec rest, 30 seconds FAST – 2 min bw sets

 

That is all – see you all next week!

 

xo

 

Seanna

 

 

Training Principles 101

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Hi Everyone!

 

Well, we got our first taste of Spring on Sunday. More days like that ahead! Yes, we’re in for some roller coasters of weather, but … it’s coming! And speaking of the weekend, many of you did some really big training runs as we’re in the thick of training for upcoming Spring marathons. Way to go. Take these big runs seriously. Treat yourselves well afterwards (eat, sleep, relax). It’s only “training” if you recover from them. Otherwise it’s just breakdown.

 

Special shout-out to Madalyn and Steph who ran virtual half marathons and both got PB’s!!! 1:33:28 for Madalyn who also PB’d through 10K, and 1:34:09 for Steph! Way to go you two and to everyone else who put solid work in this weekend! (And thank-you to Culture Athletics for putting on the ICEE Half Marathon to help support local efforts)

 

What I’ve been thinking about lately is our obsessive need to compare ourselves (not our fault – we’re wired as humans to do this) but how this can be detrimental to our training process. I’m talking about both comparing ourselves to our past selves, and comparing ourselves to others. We are in an interesting time with social media where we can see exactly what elite athletes and others are doing as training. And it’s easy to take the logical leap that if you could just do what they are doing, you would be as fast as them. But this is not how it works.

 

Training is a process of providing a dose (the workout), experiencing a physical response (breakdown), and then benefitting from an adaptation (building back stronger for the next time). That is all. There is no formula that says “if you run this, you will run this”. Nobody knows that for sure. What we do know is that to get a bit better than where you are now, you need to provide a dose that is large enough to stimulate a response, but not so great that your body is thrown into chaos and doesn’t know how to adapt. If I see on Strava that an elite runner ran a certain workout at a certain pace, I might be tempted to go out and try to replicate that so I can get to her level. But what I’m forgetting is that that runner is doing that particular workout because she is at a level of fitness that requires that dose in order to stimulate a response. If I don’t need as large a dose because of where I currently am, then doing her workout is a prescription for breakdown for me. I will have a stimulus, and some sort of response, but I won’t adapt. It is too large a leap. Our physical processes don’t leap over chasms. They build step by step.

 

Elite marathoners are now experimenting with a training system by Renato Canova called the “Special Block”. This is an extremely intense day where they run a tempo, followed by intervals (up to 20K worth) in the morning and then repeat the entire sequence again in the afternoon. They do this because these athletes are already running a huge amount of mileage and great loads of intensity. They have built up to this with years and years of 2-a-day runs. They now REQUIRE this amount of work in order to provide a stimulus outside their standard so that they can improve. If any of us tried to replicate that we would end up broken and gutted and would probably not run well again for weeks if not months. One person’s perfect dose could be another person’s poison. Be thankful if you don’t need that much!!!

 

So let’s be smart. Doing more because other people are doesn’t make you tougher. It means you are not doing what’s right for you. Even trying to replicate what you did 2 years ago when you were in peak fitness after months of training leading up to a race might not be what’s right for you right now. I’m not saying you won’t surpass that, but honour where you are in that step by step process. Just take the next step from where you are.

 

On to tomorrow’s workout!

 

Remember when we did 800’s on that windy icy day and I said we’d repeat it in a number of weeks to check in? That is now. Here is the workout:

 

  1. 6-8 x 800 w 1:30 rest. Let’s aim for 10K pace.
  2. If 800’s at 10K pace are something you’re working up to, I suggest 6-8 x 600 w 1:30 @ 10K pace. That is a great dose and you don’t have to do what other people are doing. As a newer swimmer I am respecting this process. I am happy to do 150m of other peoples’ 200m intervals in workouts. Because that’s where I am and it’s the right challenge for me!

 

That is all – see you in the am! (6:05 for drills, 6:15 go time)

 

xo

 

Seanna

 

 

Is self-improvement selfish?

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Hi Everyone!

 

Happy March! March sure sounds warmer than February. We’ll get there…

 

What I’ve been thinking about this week was prompted by a podcast I listened to: “Is self-improvement too selfish?” It resonated with me because a lot of what I’m involved in is in helping people to improve in areas they’ve chosen. Not to mention the time and energy I put towards my own personal goals! We are drawn towards these endeavours because they make us feel good. About ourselves mostly. So, is there any greater value to all of the time and energy we put towards ourselves?

 

After mulling it over, I think the main answer is Yes. But with an asterisk. There is the overused analogy of putting the oxygen mask on yourself before you can help others. I think that holds true with things like “self-improvement”. It is hard to reach out to others and care about our communities and put real emotional effort and energy into changing injustices we see in the world if we are ourselves unstable and hanging from a cliff. For many of us, the energy we put into running (and swimming, and cycling, and other…) helps us to feel righted and grounded and able to be our best selves so that we can turn our “self-improvement” into “helping others”. Whether that means giving us confidence so we can show up at work with more to contribute, giving us emotional breathing space so we can come back and have more to give to our emotionally needy loved ones (anyone else here dealing with teens??), or just making us feel happy and optimistic – which is the best precursor for getting off your butt and trying to tackle any seemingly insurmountable crisis.

 

I think the big key here is to continually zoom out and keep your goals and your processes in check. We can start along a path that has all the best purposes and ideals, and at some point we can lose sight of the fact that the end goal isn’t for us to achieve personal glory and be put on a pedestal. It is for us to show up better for those around us. And if your training starts holding you back from that or taking away from how you show up for your community and loved ones, you may want to take a little step back and re-evaluate your goals and processes. It doesn’t mean you’re “failing” in achieving your athletic goals. It means you’re “succeeding” in life.

 

So, is self-improvement too selfish? It can be we if let it be. But I do think that if you invest in yourself you have more to invest in others. There is a wisdom of self-knowledge and kindness of spirit I seem to recognize often in runners and endurance athletes. And I do think the world would be a better place if there were more runners. So I like to think I’m trying to make the world a better place – one runner at a time.

 

On to tomorrow’s workout!

 

Pottery Road baby! Here’s the drill:

 

  • 6-9 of them. First three easy up, fast down. Then switch to hard up, easy down. (Boston ppl this is a great one for you)
  • People racing this spring: take 3-4 mins at the top, then finish with 8 min tempo (can be on your way home if that works).

 

I will aim to be there around 6:05-ish. Just start when you get there and we’ll see you on the hill!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Listen

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Hi Everyone!

 

First up, huge congrats to Cindy who raced the 50K Gatineau Loppet on the weekend and came 2nd in her age group! Way to go. Imperfect training and imperfect conditions but awesome race execution!

 

And Awesome job to many on this list who tackled their first Big Long Runs of this build, despite snowy windy conditions (again!) Everyone here is inspiring me – I love it!

 

Lately I’ve been thinking about our ability to listen to ourselves. To our bodies, our intuitions, our inner voices. I was just watching an interview with Molly Seidel where she is asked “what is the most important thing for runners” and her answer is “honesty with their body”. And in order to be honest, you have to really be able to listen to the signals. This is actually not as easy and straightforward as it might seem. As runners training to run further and faster, we’re continually over-riding what our brains and bodies are telling us. As members of a busy life with never-ending noise and signals, we are constantly tuning out our more quiet needs. So how do we know when to listen and what to listen for?

 

I heard somewhere that when we ignore certain needs for too long, we just become accustomed to a new state and think that is normal. The example given was socializing. This is an innate human need, but over covid we’ve tramped it down for so long that we might find we have to force ourselves back into it at first. We no longer naturally have the drive that once sustained us. The same goes for sleep with most of our population. We ignore natural impulses to sleep when it’s not convenient, and have normalized functioning on way less than optimal sleep and don’t even realize how over-tired we are. (For the record, this is one area that I feel that I shine and I know I’m lucky to be able to, but I will nap as soon as I get the signal that my body needs sleep). Another signal that busy people can tune out is hunger. Again, if you ignore it for long enough, you can lose touch with it. You’re now blind to your body’s sleep and hunger needs – two of the most important areas to listen to for performance.

 

But here’s the thing. As Seidel says – it’s about being HONEST with what you’re hearing. Sometimes your body will say it’s too tired today but you know you can get up and go. Sometimes your brain/body tells you to slow down but you know you can push through. But sometimes your body hurts in a different way or is tired for too long, and that is where you need to be in tune and really listen and be honest. No coach can tell you perfectly when to push and when to back off. The most seasoned athletes know this intuitively because they have learned through trial and error, how to listen. It is one of the most important skills you can develop.

 

Never forget: you’re not fighting your body. Your body is your best friend. She is there telling you (and sometimes only in a whisper) what she needs. Listen up and pay attention. You do not want to lose touch with that communication. As an athlete, that is the most important thing.

 

Onto tomorrow’s workout!

 

Lakeshore again – 6:05 for drills, 6:15 GO time

 

3 x 1000 (@10K pace) w 1:30; 3 min; 6 x 400 (@5K pace or slightly faster) w 1:15; 3 min; 2 x 200 (Fast) w 1:00

 

If doing it fartlek style: 3 x 4 min w 1:30, 3 min easy, 6 x 1:30 w 1:30, 3 min easy, 2 x 40 seconds fast

 

I will bring a cone. We’ll have to do some joggling around for the 1000’s – I have a plan.

 

That is all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

 

Investments and Withdrawals

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Hi Everyone!

 

Hope you’re all staying warm and got some extra fueling help from chocolate yesterday. Ok, and maybe for the rest of this week. As I mentioned to someone recently, “if the fire’s hot enough, anything will burn” – (Once A Runner – John L Parker). So cheesy but so good.

 

Don’t you just love the feeling of being fit, running fast, being in total synch and in control of your body, feeling completely connected to your surroundings, knowing you can handle it and feeling like you can go forever? I know we’ve all experienced this. It’s probably what we’re always chasing. That one run every so often that just makes us feel powerful, in control, unstoppable and connected. These runs happen and are there for all of us, but I consider them a “withdrawal” from our account. They aren’t free. The average person (non-runner) doesn’t have these available to them. We take them out and we spend them with joy and if we could just keep spending like that life would be grand.

 

But of course, we can’t withdraw forever without ever making any investments. I think that’s economics 101. If we want those blissful, injury-free, free-flowing, fast miles, we need to put in some hard, cold, slower, heavy legged, ego-checking miles. These investments come in the form of doing strength work, cross-training, running in the winter, doing hill repeats, running faster than is comfortable for longer than is comfortable. This all has to be done during the “investment” phase so that when we’re ready to withdraw, there is a large balance. Generally we plan the “withdrawal” phase as our “competition” phase. This is likely the last 6 weeks or so before a key race. This is where we withdraw by running. We run and run and run and it’s getting warmer out and we’re getting faster and we have the energy and strength and resilience built up over the work in the winter.  That elusive “perfect run” that we’re all chasing, where you feel you can go all day, you’re at one with your body and your surroundings and everything is in synch and flowing – will happen, I promise. Will it happen on race day? That’s the tough formula we’re always trying to nail. But regardless, you will get some of these runs if you’ve invested. And just one or two of those will be enough to convince you to re-invest during early morning, dark, cold, grindy months on end. So don’t worry – you’re not crazy; you’re just addicted! (ha)

 

But just remember which phase you’re in. And remember there will be a payoff. Getting fit and being in tune with your body doesn’t have to culminate in a race in order to justify the work. Regardless of where this leads time-wise, there will be a time to withdraw and you will enjoy the experience. Be open to it and let it happen when it happens, just like you’re all open to putting in the work now. You will deserve it!!!

 

 For tomorrow: Back to Lakeshore! 6:05 for drills, 6:15 GO time!

 

It should be a bit warmer, so let’s take advantage with some 400’s. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they are a necessary part of being a well-rounded runner/racer. (also I’ll post some 5K race options coming up – would be good to just bust some rust and get some hard efforts in – investments!!)

 

  1. 2-3 sets of (4 x 400 w 1 min rec) – 3 mins bw sets – let’s aim for 5K pace
  2. If you have a spring goal race, finish with 1 x mile at goal race pace (let’s make it ATB or HM pace – even if you’re racing a marathon)
  3. If doing this fartlek style, 2-3 x (4 x 1 min Hard, 1 min Easy) 3 min Easy bw sets – option of 7 mins tempo after

 

That’s all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

The obstacle is the way

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Hi Everyone!!!

 

Hope you’re all noticing and enjoying the longer days. I didn’t need my headlamp after about the first 10 minutes of my run this morning! Small celebrations.

 

Congrats to the LES crew who ran the Donna Half Marathon on Sunday! It was an amazing celebration of resilience, strength and community, and a great starting point for Spring training. Here we go!!!!

 

This week I’ve been thinking about challenges and doing hard things. It is interesting how we seek these out at times. We know there is growth and learning through effort and struggle, and many of us seek out these experiences. I am sure that is what brought most of us to endurance sport in the first place. I’ve been reading a bit about some Stoic musings, in Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. One of his great insights is “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” This quote is expanded upon by Ryan Holiday in the aptly named book (which I haven’t read): “The Obstacle is the Way”. The idea is basically that our best innovations, breakthroughs, discoveries, insights, occur because there is a threat or challenge – an obstacle. Therefore we should seek out and embrace the hard things and the challenges if we truly want to grow. And when we’re truly inhabiting a growth mindset, we can take a lot of joy and pleasure in seeking out these obstacles.

 

But what I notice in myself (and I think this is fairly universal) is that I can easily lose sight of that purpose when I’m measuring myself – particularly in running. If I am after an experience that challenges me mentally and physically, I shouldn’t just want a certain result and hope it comes easily. Sometimes I approach races with an excitement about a hard challenge ahead of me. Those often end up being my best races. But sometimes I slip back and get too attached to the end result and it pulls me out of embracing the process. I am looking for the result, not the experience. I want it to feel easy and I want a fast time. Ha. And sometimes a hard, challenging experience can result in a time that we don’t feel “should” be reflective of that experience. But the time is not what matters – in reality, when we zoom way out and pretend that other peoples’ eyes aren’t on us, that is not what we’re seeking. We are looking for an experience in which we can overcome our own fears and accept the obstacles without judgement. If that’s the case we should be able to embrace snowstorms and hurricane winds during racing conditions. I’m working on this! I just think it is interesting and a good reminder. So try to seek out hard things for their enjoyment and for the sake of challenging yourself and overcoming them. A little afraid of 5K’s? Seek them out as an experience! Intimidated by working out with others? There’s an opportunity to face a challenge! Not confident doing long runs alone? See what you can learn! If you are challenged and you persevere, you have succeeded. I truly think that even at the Olympic level, it is the athletes who can maintain this mindset who make it to the top. (and I know they work on this with teams of sports psychologists, so don’t judge yourself if you lapse and forget to embrace the challenge – that is yet another obstacle to point yourself towards… I know I am!)

 

On to tomorrow’s workout: Hills! + Tempo! (I will aim to be there around 6:10, but start when you get there).

 

  1. 3-4 x Pottery Rd followed by 5 min tempo (let’s find a little loop maybe on neighbourhood roads with ok footing) – Repeat (you don’t have to do the exact same # of hills second time – depends on how much of a challenge you’re seeking ;))
  2. If you raced Donna, you can jog up and say ‘hi’ but lay off the workout for now. If feeling ok by Friday you can try a tempo – talk to me for options.

 

That is all for now – see y’all on the roads!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Routines

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Hi Everyone!

 

Happy February! Check it out – the days are getting noticeably longer. Wohoo!!!

 

I’ve been thinking recently about routines and how valuable they are in keeping us consistent (# 1 ingredient for success). Once you have your routine down, you don’t have to use willpower or debating with yourself what you will do when – you just do the things you’ve always done. I love my routines. They keep me feeling grounded and in control.

 

But lately I’ve been thinking about how great it feels to break free of our routines every now and then. I sometimes panic or get stressed that if I miss my usual window, I’ve messed something up or done it incorrectly. It’s at those times that I realize my routine is controlling me, not vice versa, and I remember to question it and even want to rebel against it. Sure there is stability and comfort in doing what is familiar, but it’s funny how the slightest tweak can open your eyes to a new experience.

 

When I go skiing on the weekends with my kids, I like to be out the door early so they can be the first on the hill and I can get my xcountry ski in in the morning. But recently it has been so cold, we’ve decided to have more relaxed mornings and head up later in the day. For the first time I’ve xcountry skied with an afternoon light;  the sun shines differently through the trees and casts different shadows. The whole experience feels novel and fresh. Instead of having the exact same, comfortable experience as always, I’ve created a new sensation and perspective.

 

Last week I think we all had to deal with switching things up if we didn’t want to abandon our workouts completely. Some of us chose a different time or day to do intervals, some did them on a bike, some did them in a new location or in a different format. I like that we had to do this. It proves to ourselves that we aren’t completely dependent on our systems, and that we have resilience and flexibility and agency. And it’s amazing how a small change can make an entire experience feel fresh and new! And new experiences are how we learn and grow. So keep your routines – they’re great and they work. But don’t forget to push against them every now and then, and never ever be afraid of trying something new.

 

Onto workout for Tomorrow:

 

I’m moving hills to next week because some of us have a taper workout and this way we can all do it together. We’re at that time of year where we get the melt/freeze combo, so just a warning: it could be slippery. We’ll see what we get when we get there – hopefully they’ll salt as they usually do.

 

  1. 1-3 sets of (1mile, 2 min recovery, 800) – 2 mins between sets. Miles at tempo pace, 800’s at 10K (or quicker at the end). 1 set if you’re tapering, 2 sets if you’re just getting back into things, 3 sets if you’re building
  2. If doing this fartlek style, 3 x (6 min tempo, 2 min easy, 3 min hard) 2 min jog bw sets

 

This is a good one for practicing HM pace with surges, and recovering back to HM pace. Re-settle in. You will go through these surges and settle phases in all longer races. Teaching your body to get back into its rhythm is good practice. Also a great strength wrkt bc a fair bit of volume. I’ll be doing the taper version, but will cheer y’all on!!!

 

 

I’ll be there at 6:05 for warm-up, 6:15 is GO TIME!

 

See ya in the am 

 

Xo

 

Seanna

This is what it feels like!

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Hi All!

 

First up I want to congratulate everyone on their resiliency and positive attitudes in training (or accepting not training) through what has been a pretty challenging week and winter with the snow, cold and lack of gyms or indoor tracks. Don’t forget that if you’re training for a marathon, one of the most important things to practice is patience! So we’re all working that muscle.

 

I think in my last email I mentioned I’d come back to Keira D’Amatto and her recent American Record in the marathon. So here I am again. I’m probably not done yet either. But what I’ve been thinking about this time is about a post which one of her pacers – Calum Neff – posted. He said that for most of the race, he could tell that Keira was not “flowing” and did not feel good. The pace was strained and uncomfortable. He looked at the clock at 20 miles and they were just barely hanging onto their mark and it wasn’t easy. Then he said something to Keira – “THIS is what it feels like to run an American record!” Like, d-uh. But so good! Of course! Of course it isn’t going to feel easy! But just that reminder that it’s ok for hard things to feel hard. Don’t panic. Don’t fight it. Don’t tell yourself the feeling shouldn’t be there or is signaling something is wrong. This is just what it feels like!

 

Sometimes running paces and times seem to come with an easier effort than others. I don’t always trust my memory in telling me how easy I recall something to have been though. When I end up with a good result, I always remember it as having been easier. I know that’s my storytelling brain though and probably wasn’t the case in the moment. So then when I’m back in the moment I could easily think “it shouldn’t feel this hard”. But it should. This is what it feels like. It’s what it feels like to get back into shape. It’s what it feels like to train through a Canadian winter for a spring marathon. It’s what it feels like to run your 5th or 6th repeat at a pace you’re not sure your legs can hold onto. It’s what it feels like to extend your long runs beyond what you’re used to. It’s what it feels like to run on dead legs after a bike workout. It’s what it feels like 5 minutes into a tempo pace when you’re sure you can’t hold it but have 5 minutes to go. You’re not weak or doing it wrong – it’s SUPPOSED to feel like that! The best you can do is not attach the feeling to anything else – just accept it and keep going. And as Neff said, the real feeling you’re chasing comes at the end. And that will feel soooo good.

 

Onto tomorrow’s Workout!

 

Guys, it’s supposed to be -20C with a windchill of -29C at 6 am. All feelings aside, I think this is just not safe or very effective for a good interval workout. The footing isn’t great as of this am, running hard in that cold is very tough on your body, hitting paces is near impossible, and risk of injury goes way up. So I will give you options:

 

  1. If you have a treadmill or are currently somewhere warm with solid footing, here is the workout: 1600 (1:45 rest) 1200 (1:45 rest) 800 (1:30 rest) 600 (1:15 rest) 400 (1:00 rest) 2 x 200 (45 sec rest)

Start at 10K pace and get a bit faster with each one as you go.

  1. Or do similar fartlek style by effort: 6-5-4-3-2-1-1 min Hard, 1:45-1 min easy
  2. Do a workout on the bike trainer (actually I just read a really interesting study showing that high intensity bike workouts boosted Vo2max levels in runners which translated to faster running times with no additional running training) – Do the same efforts as above, but if you have the time, repeat 2 x (sorry – your body can just handle more intensity on the bike, so go for it!) – 3 min easy pedalling bw sets
  3. If you want to show up at 6:15 at Leslie and Lakeshore for a social, I will plan to be there. Wearing LOTS of clothes! Then I will do option 3 later in the day.
  4. Strength train. ALWAYS helps. (msg me if you need ideas)

 

That is all – have a great one – stay safe, stay upright and stay warm!

 

xo

 

Seanna

It’s only fun if it’s fun

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Hi Everyone!

 

Hope you’re all getting out to play in the snow dump we got yesterday. I know that for many a huge weather event like this can cause serious disruptions, struggle and hardship. That’s not to be dismissed or taken lightly. But for many of us (especially if you’re in the under-20 crowd), it seems to have unlocked a sense of fun. I know many of us got outside yesterday and today whether on toboggans, snowshoes, skis, or even in running shoes, and the attitude I sensed was one of adventure and fun.

 

As many of you fans of running probably know, the American marathon record of 16 years was just broken this past weekend in Houston by Keira D’Amato in a time of 2hrs and 19 minutes. You might be saying, “Who??” D’Amato is a 37-year old mother of two and realtor. More about her story in a later newsletter, but what has struck me the most about her is her sense of “fun” in her running. From an article on her prior to her record: “D’Amato recalls two “fun-memorable” workouts that she did prior to her 5000-meter time trial. (She says “fun” a lot in conversation.)” The “fun” workout was 41 x 200 which she did to play a joke on her coach.

 

When reading about D’Amato I also think of Molly Seidel. Seidel was another runner who seemingly came out of “nowhere” to finish third in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics. Seidel also exudes a sense of “fun” when she runs. She likes running with amateurs more than pros because they remind her that running part of her life – not her whole life. She had so much fun before the Olympic marathon, just enjoying herself and the moment, that the British team afterwards told her they were wondering whether she’d even finish the race because she was having too much fun in the hotel. Seidel also recently set the FKT (fastest known time) for a 10K dressed in a turkey suit (34:33 if you were wondering).

 

There are many athletes and people at the top of their game who I admire, but these ladies have something special. They know how to get the most out of themselves by being true to themselves and keeping it fun. I know we all know how to have fun – I’ve seen it in all of you! The trick is trying to keep that attitude going. I’m not saying absolutely every run has to be a barrel of laughs, but it is definitely possible to have fun doing hard things. It’s up to all of us to figure out how to tap into that mindset and make adjustments so that our training resembles our own sense of fun. As my friend recently reminded me, her coach used to tell her “It’s only fun if it’s fun”. Sounds simple, but say it to yourself a few times. It’s actually pretty meaningful.

 

Ok, onto tomorrow’s FUN workout!

(it’s actually pretty standard. You have to bring the fun 😉 )

 

  1. 4-8 x 800 w 1:30 rest

That is all. I’ve given a range based on where you are in your training. The key here is to keep them all a similar pace. Let’s not worry too much about pace because although the path is cleared, I’m not sure how salted vs slippery it will be. Basically this is a benchmark workout which we will revisit later on, so it’s ok if it’s not your absolute best ever – in fact better if it’s not. This is the start from which you will get faster.

 

I will be there at 6:05 for drills, 6:15 GO time.

 

Hope to see ya there!

 

xo

 

Seanna

 

 

Charging Forward

/in /by

Hi Everyone!

 

Hope you’re all figuring out your layering and bundling for running this winter. I’ve made a few misjudgements this past week, but I think I’m getting the hang of it again.

 

You know what else I’ve been feeling these past two weeks – besides cold? All of your positive energy and excitement towards running. And it’s really rubbing off on me! We’re entering our second winter of COVID restrictions and looking at our third spring of race uncertainties and potential cancellations. And do you know what I feel we’ve learned? To stop getting beaten down by it. We’ve been through this. We know how it goes. We train hard towards our goals, but we remain flexible and nimble and adaptable if they change. We don’t moan and complain and sit on the couch and wait it out. We get out there and charge ahead, and every now and then the clouds break and we get to run a race or go to a destination, even if it’s not exactly how it used to be, and we celebrate that. I’m feeling like this January, despite restrictions on gatherings, gym and other closures, race uncertainties, an inability to make absolute plans, and really an unknown deadline to all of it, we are going forward with the energy and enthusiasm of the pre-2020 years! Obviously this is something that comes from a pre-learned pattern. We know how to get excited and work together to share our energy. This is resiliency. It’s standing tall despite the waves crashing over us. And it’s not just going through the motions in order to be defiant – I can tell it’s a true sensation of “I’m not beaten down, I’m excited to charge ahead”. I can tell this from the attitudes that I’m seeing showing up to runs and workouts. I can tell from the conversations I’m hearing around race goals and training plans. I can tell from workouts I’ve done with people where we’ve found that old energy of leaning in together again. It all feels like less of a struggle and more like enthusiasm and fun. And it’s contagious! (sorry – trigger word). But seriously, I’m super excited and super proud of us. Maybe we let ourselves get down for a bit there, but damn – we know when enough is enough! Time to work together, get fit, and charge towards new goals. Thank-you for sharing that with me.

 

Onto tomorrow’s workout:

 

Hills with a twist:

  1. Meet at the Riverdale Clubhouse (Riverdale Park, south side, at Broadview).
    1. 4-6 x hard up the cement hill (from the washrooms all the way to the sidewalk = ~ 200m) – run back down between reps. Take 2 mins at the top, THEN run 8 mins tempo (up Broadview to Danforth is about 1K so most won’t get further than that in an out-and back). REPEAT. So 8-12 x hills, 2 x 8 min total.

 

I’m not sure how this will feel, with the volume and intensity which is why there’s such a range. If we consider they’re about half of Pottery distance-wise, then that’s a pretty good volume with the tempo pieces.

 

The reasoning behind this: We know how to run hills and we know how to run hard. People running hilly races (Boston, Around The Bay, even Mississauga with a significant jarring downhill first portion) need to know how to run hard in between hills. So … practice makes perfect!

 

*I am getting boosted this aft so really hoping for minimal side-effects but will def be there even if I can’t fully participate

 

Thanks All – see you soon!

 

xo

 

Seanna