Tuesday, June 4, 2024 – Positive Mindset

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Hi Everyone!!

How great are these long days right now? I don’t know about you but I feel like it just gives me so much more flexibility and more options to run and hang out outside. And I’m loving it! I’m not usually an evening worker-outer, but having broad daylight vs pitch black at 6pm really makes a difference for my energy levels. If you feel the same way, now is time to take advantage and maybe create a new routine! Maybe a walk after dinner or a bike ride after work. OR treat yourself to a sleep-in knowing you can get your workout in later. Sometimes I feel I’m pointing out the obvious, but I think it helps to be grateful for what we have when we have it because we can forget, and it is fleeting.

What I’ve been thinking about this week is in working on my “positive mindset”. Often people will say “stay positive” and I think it’s a bit of a misnomer. To me, staying positive doesn’t mean believing that it will all work out well or that I’ll achieve my goal. Because often it becomes acutely obvious that these things aren’t happening … and then what? You can’t lie to yourself, and fool yourself into believing that it’s all going according to plan and just paste a smile on your face and force yourself to act out the fantasy. So what does working to stay positive mean when things are obviously going in the wrong direction? I think it means staying engaged in the fight. You can know you’re not getting your PB or winning the race or having a good day very early on in some races. Staying positive is not blindly believing you will get those results, but being able to reframe on the fly, and remain tethered to the effort.

This is something I am working on daily, in running and in other areas of life. As I get older, the same effort reveals different (mostly slower) results than 20 years ago. It seems objectively hard to remain excited and engaged as your times get slower, but I’m learning to do that. I reframe based on my effort, my ability to complete a workout I didn’t think I could, by being a role model for others my age who want to keep pushing. I am not always successful at this. Many times I have looked at my watch and thought “it should not feel this hard for this result”. And then it spirals. My body believes the brief message that flashed from my brain, and it goes into survival mode. “This is too hard, there is something wrong, stop engaging”. Signals for muscles to contract are withdrawn, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Then it really IS too hard. Now it’s not mental, but actually physical. And you’re repeating over and over: “stay positive, stay positive, stay positive”, but it carries no weight if it’s not connected to a deeper meaning and understanding of purpose. Again, it’s not “positive thinking” as the term would imply. It’s reframing. What can I do now. How do I make this task engaging. How do I dig in vs. shutdown. That is the trick and the strategy to work on.

It is not just running and athletic endeavours which benefit from this ability to “reframe”. We’ve all seen people who have crumbled and shut down with some of life’s difficulties, and others who have managed to keep digging and keep powering through when they are thrown curveball after curveball. I wouldn’t call this latter group “glass half full” people, or that they see the world through rose coloured glasses. I think they have an ability to accept they’re not where they want to be or thought they’d be, and figure out a way to find purpose in working towards where they are now going. As I’ve said to myself and others many times, “what’s the alternative? Stop??” We all know that’s not happening.

I think this is the best any of us can do if we expect to remain engaged and purposeful in our races (and lives!) as we continue on.There will be many objectively great experiences, and there will be many for which we’ll have to call up our “positive mindsets” to get us through. The older I get, the more I seem to need it, but luckily also, the better I’m getting at it.

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

 

  1. 2 x 1 mile w 2:00 rest 3 min rest 4-5 x 600 w 1:30 rest

(miles at around 5K pace, 600’s a lil quicker)

This is a faster type workout again. A good one for people running 5K’s this summer AND for people starting a marathon cycle. I like starting with faster stuff and we’ll get longer and more race specific as we get closer. Will be way easier to do longer reps at a slower pace after a few weeks of these.

 

That is all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

 

Tuesday, May 28, 2024 – With Purpose (Carolyn Steele Gray)

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Hi Everyone!

 

Hope everyone had a great weekend. We’re definitely entering “summer-mode” now – whatever that means for you. For most it means a transition of some sort, so give yourselves some grace while your routines, energy, people around you shift and settle into a new pattern. Congrats this weekend to Brianna who ran the Toronto Women’s 5K and Sam and her daughter Chloe who ran the Toronto Women’s Half Marathon – much of it in a torrential downpour!

 

Today’s post is by Carolyn-Steele Gray – thank-you!

 

With purpose (Carolyn Steele Gray)

I’ve been thinking lately about meaning and purpose. Maybe it’s mid-life. As we approach the halfway mark many naturally start inspecting our choices, so questions around meaning and purpose start seeping in everywhere – work, family, friends, and yes definitely running, sport and competing. I even study the concept of meaningfulness as a researcher, mostly to better understand why people do what they do and why they make certain choices. In studying it as a Scientist I have found it to become a useful exercise in self-reflection. Here I’m connecting the ideas of meaning and purpose – they’re distinct but are also connected. One way you can think of these two things is that meaning is linked to what you value and believe, and purpose is more like intention and action, what you actually do that may be guided by those values and beliefs.

 

Leaving big , “what does anything even mean” type meaning aside, we can ask ourselves what is the meaning that running (and other sports) bring to our lives. For some the answer might feel very easy, but for others – myself included – this might be a harder question to answer than we might expect. And even if we should find an answer it’s likely to shift and evolve as we continue on our journeys as we experience new things, new people, new challenges.

 

But what I’m learning in my research, as well as with my own personal experiment, is that the answer seems less important than the practice. Asking ourselves what something really means to us can help us uncover the purpose of our actions and can become a tool to help us make choices and find balance. Also, it can magically be applied at all levels.

 

What is the purpose of today’s workout? Building aerobic capacity? Getting stronger on hills? Healing my soul with friends?

What is the purpose of this race I’m thinking about? What does this mean to me? Maybe you want to really see what you can do. Maybe you want to reinvigorate your love with running (and we had some just beautiful examples of this with some of our Boston runners this year). Maybe you just need to reconnect with the community so you volunteer for the day.

 

I recently got to put this exercise into practice after having gone with many of the LES crew for a long ride a couple of weeks ago. We had a huge crew, beautiful day, and nearly 3 hours of riding and chatting and general joy. When we got home I was feeling body tired but soul replenished. Until I looked at my numbers and was reminded by my coach that this was not the work I was “supposed to do” to prepare for my season (I know more than one of you have had this exact experience). It was a totally fair point. As I moped around the house a bit, my partner Ian (who had also enjoyed that ride), asked “Well. Was that fun time with your friends on your bike worth like … 3-5 minutes of your bike split on your long race this year?” In answering this question I found myself discovering the need to balance two different meanings of sport for me, which can help me to determine the purpose of that and my next ride.

 

As I have some big goals, I might opt for more structure another day to get ready (connecting to my “find my edge” meaning), but that first ride out was special and connected to my “joy through connection” meaning. Meaning honoured through a purpose fulfilled, and so, yes – 100% worth it.

 

On to tomorrow’s workout – Hills!!!

 

Riverdale/Leslieville crew will do Pottery – Beach Crew Glen Manor.

 

For Pottery, sets of 1 full hill (400m) followed by 1 half hill (200m) followed by 4 min tempo

3-4 sets sounds about right. We shall see how it feels and shakes out!

 

I’ll aim to be at the hill around 6:20. As usual, just start in when you get there.

 

See you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Tuesday, May 21, 2024 – Talent

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Hi Everyone!

 

Hope you all had a great long weekend! What a glorious one for weather. We deserve this. Whether you’re walking, running, biking or swimming – get outside! This is one of the benefits of having shuffled on ice or struggled on treadmills or sweated in place on trainers – we can now appreciate moving our bodies while unlocking all our other senses. Enjoy!!!

 

What I’ve been thinking about recently is talent. What it means and how it shows itself. Our culture is obsessed with identifying and exploiting early talent. We look for early signs of someone being good at something, and take that as a signal that they will continue to be good and will rise to the top. Sometimes this is the case. But most of the time, the people who become really good at something, have developed or exploited different “talents” along the way.

 

In running, some people (kids or adults) show early success. They can run fast with relative ease, respond to training quickly, and their early success is identified as talent. But when we look at the end game and who has become successful, most often it is those who did not have early success. They wouldn’t have been deemed talented out of the gates. But their talents were there – just less visible. Some peoples’ talent is their ability to train super consistently. This is a crucial talent which many people who see early success don’t develop, but turns out to be critical for later success. Some peoples’ talent is their ability to ride the ups and downs and bounce back again and again from bad races. I was mentioning that to someone recently. I have had more bad races than I can count, and so many times I’ve just wanted to say “eff this – it isn’t worth it”. But something in me has kept me going, and after each one I’ve also had some of my best races. Is being bone-headed a talent? I might have that one. But seriously – picking yourself up after failure is crucial to longterm success – probably more important than early indicators of being able to run fast.

 

 Dakotah Lindwurm made the US Olympic team in the marathon this year. She is 29 years old and has been training and running since she was a teenager. As a teenager she had very unremarkable times. She would not have been deemed talented. When she went to university she joined the team as a walk-on – meaning they did not recruit or sign her, but allowed her to train with the team. Now clearly she had a talent. She is now one of the fastest marathoners in the US and is going to the Olympics. But it wasn’t early speed or progress and wasn’t visible to most coaches or onlookers. Maybe it was determination or self-belief or resilience or just years upon years of training which took that long to express itself.

 

The funny thing is, we know this deep down, and based on data and stats – early performers often aren’t the long-lasting successful ones – but we can’t help but look for and investing in it anyway. The downfall to that for early performers is it can lead to a fixed mindset vs. growth mindset which is limiting and hard to get out of. But those aren’t the people I want to reach with this message. It’s the people who don’t think they’re “talented” or have had a bad race or two and are questioning themselves. I want those people to know that even though your talent may not be imminently apparent, it is there. Keep going. You will discover it along the way. Don’t let society or social media culture or comparison to others throw you off. You’re on the right course. If your talent is outlasting them all until you’re 90, they will all look back and say “she did it the right way”. No one knows until you do the thing. And then they say “that is how it should be done”. So believe in yourself and believe in your talent. We are all talented.

 

 

 

On to tomorrow’s workout! I’m pushing hills back one week to next week. If you can, add some hill strides to an easy run this week, and choose a hillier route for your long run. Tomorrow we’ll meet at Lakeshore and Leslie – 6:05 Drills, 6:15 GO!

 

  1. 4 x 800 w 1:30 rest. 3 min rest. 4 x 400 w 1:15 rest. 3 min rest. 4 x 200 w 1 min rest. Starting at 5K pace for the 800’s and working down.
  2. If running the TO Women’s Half (Sam and Chloe!) – taper workout = 800 at HM race pace, 2 x 400 a lil quicker.

 

That is all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Tuesday, May 14, 2024 – Racing and art

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Hi Everyone!

 

Congrats to everyone who raced or lined up at the Sporting Life 10K on the weekend! In our group we had Ingrid, Cheryl, Jen, Pearce, Michelle P (trains w us virtually) and myself. Some super fast times, some solid races on which to build, and some learning experiences.

One thing I love – or rather appreciate – about racing, is how it opens us up. We are completely vulnerable when racing, and the full-hearted effort, whether we are happy with the result or not, demands humility and compassion towards ourselves and others.

Often I can go about life a bit busy, a bit task-oriented, a bit insensitive. And I don’t mean insensitive in the sense that I don’t care about other peoples’ feelings – more in that my senses aren’t open. I might hear a song, or see some art, or read a poem, and it slides off me. I’ve been to museums when I wasn’t in the right mood and I try to “understand” it or be touched by it but all I can do is be impressed by the artists’ talent (which I am sure is not the point of creating art). Similarly with poetry. Sometimes I try to read the words in order to understand, and they just don’t penetrate. Or I sit in the car and just flip from station to station, never landing on a song for its duration.

I am not an artist in the conventional sense. But running and racing are my expression of myself in the world. When we are out there – alone in nature or trying our hardest publicly, we are expressing something about ourselves through physicality. I believe that is my art, and it in turn opens me up to appreciating other forms.  

Often it is when I’m in this state of physical expression that I find myself in a mood where I have some cracks, and the other art can come in. I’m not sure why running and racing open this porthole for me.  Maybe it’s the combination of mental and emotional vulnerability accompanied by physical exhaustion, or at least sedation. And then I find myself seeking out the poetry or songs or art that now make sense. Ethan Hawke has spoken about art in this way in his great Ted Talk on creativity. Most people don’t need art in everyday life, until they go through something – grief, heartbreak or even something positive like the euphoria of a certain state or falling in love. And then there is nothing more important in the world than an artistic reflection and recognition of what they are experiencing.

I think some people live their lives open to this state quite a bit – or at least have easy access to it. We call these people artists. Running and more so racing seem to be my entryway. Searching my physical limits, testing myself, immersing myself in contemplation and reflection – pulls back the curtain to a dimension that’s not always available to me. I don’t think I could handle hanging out there all the time. For me, I like feeling like I can understand art every once in a while. And I’m grateful that from these glimpses of understanding, I can sometimes find meaning in my “impossible to explain” experiences and emotions which arise and are expressed through running. It is then that art, poetry and music not only make more sense to me, but they are the only things that do.

 

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

 

Speaking of racing, summer is a great season to get in some shorter distance, less “all in” races between marathon seasons. If you’re racing a marathon in the Fall, I highly recommend doing some shorter distance races this summer. A few reasons: A) We all have some “bad races” in us, and it’s good to get them out of the way before the big one. B) Racing shorter distances puts marathon pace and effort in its place and becomes a mental and physical strength for the marathon. C) Racing is a skill which we can only get better at by doing it.

 

On that vein, we will start sprinkling in some shorter distance oriented workouts:

 

  1. 1 mile progressive tempo (I think this is a good way to warm up before launching into faster speed in the am). 2 min rest. Then 3-4 sets of (600-400-200) – 1:30 between reps, 3 min bw sets. 600’s at at least 5K pace (see if you can get down to 3K pace), then faster for the rest.
  2. If you raced Sporting Life as a through-race and are still sore, do the mile tempo and then feel it out (will vary depending on how sore and how well you’re recovering).
  3. If you raced Sporting Life as your goal race for the build – take a break before re-setting!

 

 

That is all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

 

p.s. Still taking guest entries for the newsletter – please send any random or concrete thoughts my way!

Tuesday, May 7, 2024 – Running for resilience (Cheryl Whittam)

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Hi Everyone!

 

Wow, what a weekend. In races we had Erin (5th in AG) and Graeme (2nd in AG) both in the Georgina Half marathon. Here in Toronto we had Shauna and Cindy run the full both getting official BQ’s and Cindy a PB and 3rd in her AG! As I always say and would like to reiterate: just getting through marathon training and to the start line is a success. Then finishing the marathon is a second success. A strong race with a time you’re happy with is not owed or delivered to many people. This is part of what keeps us trying again and again. And it IS the journey!

Also in the Toronto half we had Lyndsay with a fantastic time (close to PB) despite many training setbacks. Sometimes you just have to say “eff it” and throw yourself in the ring anyway. Way to go.

 

This week we have a guest post from our newest member Cheryl! Thank-you Cheryl. I think it helps for us to sometimes step back and remember the bigger picture and our “why”. It’s not all about times and egos. Cheryl’s words really bring that home.

 

Running for Resilience

 

“I didn’t know what to do, so I went out and ran because it was the only thing to do”. ~ Terry Fox

 

Running has helped me navigate so many personal and professional challenges in my life.  It’s helped me though stressful jobs, heartbreak, fertility challenges, and most recently the passing of my Dad. 

 

My Dad was a long distance runner completing numerous marathons and half marathons throughout his lifetime.  However in September 2020 at the age of 67 he passed away very suddenly from a rare and aggressive form of cancer. 

 

His love for the sport sparked my own interest at a very young age and he was my running buddy throughout my life.  After his passing, I felt a bit like Forest Gump and went on a 100+ day running streak to try and process some of the grief I was feeling.

 

In 2023 and 2024 I had the privilege of running the NYC half marathon in his honour and raised over $7,000 in support of the Terry Fox Foundation.  In addition, I was also recently accepted to run the 2024 Berlin Marathon. After 16 half marathons, I am finally attempting a full marathon! 

 

I am looking forward to training with all of you in the LES Crew in preparation for Berlin.  I will also be running it in honour of my Dad and in support of the Terry Fox Foundation.  Berlin has always been a dream race for my Dad and I.  We actually applied for it in 2020, and my Dad was learning German in preparation for the event. However unfortunately COVID and cancer had other plans.

 

Running various half marathons around the world with my Dad has brought me so much joy.  After his passing I was worried I would lose my love for running, however I was pleasantly surprised how it helped me keep part of my connection with him.  It also allowed me to turn some of my pain into purpose.  In addition, I have two young boys (5 and 2 years old) and hope that they will inherit my love for running and one day, run with me, the way I ran with my Dad.

 

I will always be grateful for running and how it has encouraged me to keep moving forward. As Martin Luther King Jr. so eloquently said: ‘if you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward”.

 

Long may you run!

 

 

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

 

  1. 4-6 x 800 w 1:30 rest – these can be a little cut-down. Start at 10K-ish pace and work your way down. A little longer rest than usual should mean we can get a bit more pace out of them. Then 3 min rest. Then 4 x 400 w 1:15 rest – a lil quicker
  2. If running Sporting Life: 3-4 x 800 w 1:30 (race pace and down) and 2-4 x 400 w 1:15 a lil quicker. I’m giving a range based on how fatigued you are going in and how hard it feels. We don’t want this one to be extremely taxing even though the race isn’t till Sunday.
  3. If you ran Boston, you can start to come back, but keep everything tempo paced.
  4. If you ran London, you can come out and run. Workouts can start back next week.
  5. If you ran Toronto or Georgina, stay in bed.

 

That is all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Tuesday, April 30, 2024 – What if I try? (Steph Bannan)

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Hi Everyone!

 

Massive congrats to our marathoners this weekend at Mississauga!!! Lori and Colette both braved the heat and ran very respectable marathons with Lori qualifying for Boston! In the Bum Run 5K we had Sean, Zoë and Jeff running very fast times on what I believe is not a “fast” course. Way to go everyone – feeling inspired! Coming up this weekend in the Toronto Marathon we have Shauna and Cindy (and maybe Roz S? tbd…)  running the full and Lyndsay running the half! We are welcome to join the Culture Cheer station at Underpass Park again – let’s rally with our LES gear!

 

This week’s guest post is by Steph Bannan. Thank-you Steph!!!

 

What if I try?

 

 

 

Omg. A chance to write a Seanna-esque email?! I both jump and cower at the chance. She does them so well. How could I hold a candle to such thought-provoking wisdom, and her seemingly psychic ability to put her finger on exactly what many of us are feeling at any given moment. I wouldn’t dare. I couldn’t.

But then again…what if I just tried?

Once upon a time I said “I couldn’t do that” to the idea of racing. Years prior, I even said it about “running outside.” It just wasn’t a thing I thought I could do. A marathon? No way.

Enter the Lower East Siders.

In an “as fate would have it” moment, a predestined friend of a friend introduction, I found this group. It was an amazing workout, a fun group of people, and the perfect time slot for a new mom.

But it was more than that. It was inspiration, teamwork, camaraderie. It was connection on a deeper, more intrinsic level. It was incredible people who didn’t know my last name or anything about me, but who seemed to care as much about my progress as they did their own. It was the thing that got me thinking, “maybe I could try that too?”

And so, just like all of you, I gave it a try. And over time, I became a member of the club. I became “a runner.”

This identity has brought me the highest highs. It’s taught me more about hard work (and grunt work) than I ever thought I’d learn. It has convinced me that the body should be nourished, cared for, and celebrated. It’s made me feel truly proud of myself, and deeply invested in the success of others. It’s brought some lows, too, but nothing pulls you out with more force than a team of people who get it, and who want to see you back out there.  

We’ve all had these experiences – where running has helped us, encouraged us, kept us going, or even saved us. And I’m sure we all have theories as to how and why this sport has gripped us in the way it has. For me, I believe it is because the whole of the group is greater than the sum of its parts. Together, we can see what is possible, and the magic that can happen if you just give it a try.

 

 

On to tomorrow’s workout – Riverdale Hills! (or a beach option – tbd) – let’s meet at the clubhouse at the top of the hill at 6:05 for drills, 6:15 GO.

 

  1. If coming back from Boston or London, or just wanna jog, come out and jog and have a Rooster coffee and tell us your stories.
  2. If you ran Mississauga, come for the coffee – can walk if feeling ok. (or sleep in – you deserve it)
  3. Toronto Marathoners and half marathoners: 2 laps of Riverdale track @ race pace. 2-4 x 1 lap a lil faster (marathoners 2, half marathoners up to 4). 2 min bw all.
  4. Everyone else: 2 x Riverdale hill followed by 2 laps of the track. Rest = slow jog/shuffle between each. I think the range here is 3-5 sets.
  5. If doing hills in the Beach, coordinate w Tanis!

 

That is all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Tuesday, April 23, 2024 – How was your race? (Carol McFarlane)

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Hi Everyone!

 

Huge congrats to everyone who raced this weekend! Chris Fortin ran the Half Marathon in Montreal in a PB of 1:25! And over in London in the marathon we had a very stellar crew. Amanda (BQ!), Fran (BQ!), Annick (PB and BQ!) and Meagan (fought through an injury and gets the toughy tough award). This weekend we have Colette and Lori running Mississauga! (am I missing anyone? )

 

Today we have a guest post by Carol McFarlane. Thank-you!

 

How was your race?”

 

I love this question, and I love it for many reasons. To start, there is beauty in the openness of it guaranteeing no wrong answer. Those who ask, and why they ask, are seeking an answer that ranges in depth and detail. Let’s be honest, the majority out there despite their love for you, don’t really care about your ‘time’, and if you say in the most matter a fact way, “it was good’, you both ticked some weird social grace box. I also love this question because you control the narrative. It can present itself as being a) a short response like an ‘elevator pitch’ of the race blurted out in fifteen seconds, b) a thirty-minute blow by blow ridiculously detailed novel; or c) something, & anything in between.

 

Finally, and probably most importantly, I love this question because of how my answer has changed. Not for good or bad, just different. Years ago, I instinctively answered by sharing details of the ‘race’ experience. The number of KMs I traveled; my emotions at the starting line; my race day gear; planned and actual pace; and the ‘do you avert/ not avert’ response to ‘what was your time?’ These days, the race is important, BUT it plays one small piece in the complex, colourful, rewarding when done, beautiful puzzle.  All the pieces that make up the experience are part of my response. 

 

Reflecting upon my recent race, when asked, I share the fun in making new connections, the aliveness of a city, the random conversations with strangers all sorting out pre-race nerves, smiling at kindness & compassion along the course, sheer happiness and girl like giggling with unplanned post race meet ups; and post race ‘blips’ that needed to be figured out in the most adult/pragmatic manner. So today, my personal response to ‘how was your race?’ describes, like it or not to the naïve sucker who may ask, and indulge me, the unabridged Soup 2 Nuts adventure.  

 

 

On to tomorrow’s workout: Let’s do a Fartlek on the spit! (warning, bring your midge goggles). 6:05 meet at Lakeshore and Leslie, usual spot for drills. 6:15 we’ll head down to the spit.

 

If you’re coming back from Boston or Montreal half or just feel like a social, come and run.

 

If you’re doing a regular workout: 2 x 5 min w 2 min easy, 5 x 2 min ON, 1 min OFF, 2 min easy, 5 x 1 min ON, 1 min OFF. Start at HM to 10K pace for the 5 minuters. Then see if you can get to 5K pace for the 2 minuters, and a lil faster for the 1 minuters.

 

If you’re racing Mississauga this weekend: 5 min @ marathon pace, 2-3 min easy, 2-3 x 2 min a lil quicker (w 1-2 min easy).

 

 

That is all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

 

Tuesday, April 16, 2024 – Aspiring to average (Adam Nicklin)

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Hi Everyone!

 

Huge congrats to all our Boston Marathoners yesterday! It was a sudden hot day which took a lot of adjusting and cost a fair bit of time for most. That’s how it is. So proud of everyone who persevered! Boston is one to celebrate being in the top percent of people who grow through doing hard things – it is not a PB course. Congrats to Jason Jacobs, Amy Hayes, Roz Salter, Carol McFarlane, Carolyn Steele Gray, Jordan Stewart. Y’all are incredible.

 

Guest post this week by Adam Nicklin: (thank-you and others please follow suit!)

 

What I’ve been thinking about recently is aspiring to average; a concept that used to feel alien to me but is becoming, if not entirely comfortable, somewhat inevitable.

 

I can recall times in my own life where I had the luxury to ‘lean in’ on a particular passion, usually vocational, artistic, or both. When I was younger, many hours were dedicated to work with little regard for matters not central to my own specific goals. We’ve all been there I’m sure. This was of little consequence – I mean, no-one cared except me or those that stood to benefit – and I really didn’t need to be that accountable to anyone else. Into my late thirties this ramped up as I took on the challenge of starting my own firm from scratch. The accompanying uncertainty had me focusing intensely on the success of the studio, with the alternative – failure – looking like a long, long way to fall. So this increasingly narrow focus was justified as a survival tactic, as an increasingly shaky balance was struck with life’s other responsibilities and commitments.

 

I started running in my late forties, enjoying the expanded sense of community it offered, all sharing a humble, common purpose. In time, I started to consider being able to tackle an occasional triathlon. Not being a triathlete you understand – but doing a triathlon. One morning during a Wednesday run, I was opining to a fellow LES’er that while I was a decent runner, I was also a pretty so-so biker, and a pretty bad swimmer, and therefore potentially a pretty crappy triathlete. Not so, he said. If you can be an average runner, mediocre biker and so-so swimmer then you are an awesome triathlete. The trick is just not failing too badly at any one thing, and resisting the temptation to get too concerned about any one of them. Armed with his new insight, I set out with the goal of being average! No huge problem with running, but biking took some work. And swimming – wow! Average took some serious effort. And along the way, I think I had more fun training to be average than in anything in life I may have felt I could truly excel in. In fact, the most rewarding time I can recall of any activity I have pursued has been that steep learning curve, reaching for the ‘anonymity of average’, finding that everyone will genuinely want to help you along the way. Something I must remember to reciprocate whenever I can…

 

So, this truism in sport comes back to haunt us in life. Fast forward, and here we all are with multiple things to balance and never enough bandwidth to cope. Suddenly, average across all of life’s ‘disciplines’ seems like the crest of a hill you will never reach, with the sleep you lose worrying you will never attain it making your chances ever more diminished. Therefore, instead of training to achieve average, we train ourselves to accept it. To be clear, this doesn’t mean submission – quite the opposite. Rather, a distinct and thoughtful process of editing your life to only those things that can support your goal of being (at least) average in everything that counts, and for everyone that needs you to be. And, as Seanna will remind us, keeping something in there for our own peace of mind, which will ultimately benefit those around us. Besides, I’d say these days we’re harder on ourselves than we ever were, and frankly average to us is likely more than adequate to those around us. And maybe that is success or, at least, a comfortable margin above failure we should all feel at peace with.

 

 

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

 

  1. 6 x 600 w 1 min rest. Starting tempo-ish – the 1 min rest should keep these not too hot. We did 10 of these in early Dec, so reference the pace you did there. 2-3 min set rest, then 2-4 x 600 faster w 2 min. These can get close to 5K pace. Learning to find that extra gear with some volume already on our legs.

 

  1. London Marathoners: GOOD LUCK!!! (Amanda, Annick, Meagan, Fran) And taper workout: 1 mile @ MP, 2 min rest, 2 x 600m a lil quicker w 2 min.

 

That is all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna

Tuesday, April 9 2024 – Hard Mode and Easy Mode

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Hey Gang!

 

Hope y’all enjoyed the sun this weekend – and that if you were out yesterday you got to catch some eclipse action – even if it was just the eerily darkening sky. There is something powerful about communally sharing an awe-inspiring experience. I enjoyed that sensation – even through the clouds!

 

Lately I’ve been thinking about making things harder vs. making things easier. We often shift back and forth in life between Hard Mode and Easy Mode, sometimes with less intention than we should. I was listening to Shane Parrish on The Knowledge Project, and he views certain habits as setting yourself up to play on Hard Mode. For instance he tells his kids: if you stay up late playing video games, don’t give yourself enough time to study for your test and then don’t eat a good breakfast, you’ll be playing on Hard Mode all day. Wouldn’t it be better to cruise along on Easy Mode by getting good sleep, eating well and being prepared? I’ve been mulling this over as I move through my days. Am I playing on Hard Mode? Obviously I want the hard things I choose to do to come more easily – but I think it’s ok to intentionally switch modes.

 

Last weekend my group tempo took place just before the Spring Run Off on the same course, so our usual loop was off limits. We had to choose a bigger, MUCH hillier loop. Tempos are hard enough flat. When entering the last 3 minutes of a section up a 2 minute steep climb, it can feel very defeating. Our tempo pace averaged 10 seconds per kilometer slower than when we run them on flatter ground. That was definitely Hard Mode. But here’s the thing: every now and then, when you shift to Hard Mode and still complete the task, it gives you that much more confidence and ability when you go back to Easy Mode. You can’t live your whole life on Easy Mode. Nor should you constantly be on Hard Mode. You have to switch back and forth. The key is to be aware of which mode you’re on.

 

I like to embrace Hard Mode sometimes. I’ve been playing Sodoku again lately. I can choose between Easy, Moderate, Hard, Expert and Extreme. I choose the level that is not easy for me (currently Expert). I make mistakes and I don’t always win. But playing on Easy Mode is not fun or satisfying. I just need to know which setting I’m on. This applies everywhere. If you were up all night with work or a kid and you’re in the middle of a hectic week and maybe haven’t been eating great: your runs will be on the Hard Mode setting. That doesn’t mean don’t get out there. It just means you have to evaluate them differently. Your wins will come with more effort but perhaps they’ll feel more rewarding. And then when you go back to Easy Mode, you’ll be sailing! That’s fun too.

 

On to tomorrow’s workout! We’re back to hills, but Boston and London marathoners will have something slightly different.

 

Hills people – Riverdale/Leslieville peeps meet at Pottery, Beach peeps meet at Glen Manor. Pottery crew arrives anytime between 6:10-6:30 (ish) and just gets into it. Beach crew meet at the bottom of Glen Manor at (?? Message Tanis).

 

The workout: 1 full Pottery (400m), 1 Half Pottery (200m), 5 min tempo. Repeat 3-4 times.

 

Boston Marathoners: 1 mile @ Marathon pace, 90 sec rest, 2 x 400 @ faster and smooth w 90 seconds, 800m @ Marathon pace

 

London Marathoners:

1 mile @ Marathon pace, 90 sec rest,

400-600-800-600-400 w either 1:15 rest or 200m jog if you need to get to the next start spot – ranging from 5K to 10K pace

90 sec rest, finish w 1 mile @ MP

 

I will be at Pottery sometime around 6:20-ish!

 

See you in the am 🙂

 

xo

 

Seanna

 

 

April 2, 2024 – Community

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Hey Gang!

 

Hope everyone had a great long Easter Weekend and enjoyed the great weather and hopefully some time with family and friends. And maybe a tiny bit of chocolate.

 

 Many people on this list are ramping up for Spring marathons along with getting in shape for races of other distances. When training for individual events, there is an element of specificity in terms of what people need with regards to pacing and support. What I am loving about the people who have found themselves within the gravitational sphere of the Lower East Siders, is that we are able to understand our needs and ask for support from those around us, and offer it back up when and where we can. I’ve noticed different groups of people banding up for parts or all of their long runs. I’ve noticed teammates driving to races to cheer others on or even run parts of the race with them. I’ve seen friends making plans to travel and stay with their teammates to support them on race day. I hear many conversations between people sharing their tips and strategies for various things (nutrition, injury management, favourite gear, …) I see people sharing their expertise and energy to help others improve (looking at you Kerry K!) I see sub-groups popping up with people who are like-minded in their non-running sports and want to support each other in that (Triathletes!!!) I am definitely not a part of many or even most of these little support bubbles. That would be impossible. But just being part of the web of support means we’re all contributing to everyone’s success. This community we’ve created together makes me so happy.

 

On that note, I want to share this space with people. Starting next week, I’m taking submissions for the newsletter from anyone on this list. Topics can be anything. Bring us into your experience and perspective. Does not have to be all sunshine and rainbows! I’d love to hear other voices on here. Just submit to me by Monday and I’ll send it out on Tuesday with the workout on the bottom. Doesn’t have to be long. Can even be a poem. No pressure at all! (but if no one raises their hand I might have to start picking people … lol) I’m looking forward to hearing from you 

 

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

 

  1. Sets of 1 mile, 90 sec rest, 2 x 400 w 1 min. 2 min bw sets. Up to 3 sets. Miles at HM pace, 400’s at 5K pace.

 

The idea is to get some good threshold/HM pace work while learning how to deal with and use lactic acid from the speedier stuff. The more efficient we are at clearing and utilizing lactate, the faster we can run “comfortably”.

 

That is all – see you in the am!

 

xo

 

Seanna