Hi Everyone!

I was about to say I think I can smell Spring, but then it just started snowing with a cold wind blowing in, so I think we’re in for some back and forth for the next little while.

Last week was a tough one weather-wise for training for many of us. At least three days were either deep snow, slick, invisible ice, or a combination of both. I think almost everyone changed and adapted their runs and workouts based on what was in front of us.

As I opened the door to let my cat out after her breakfast on one of those freezing icy days, she took one look and said “no thanks”, turned around and contentedly curled up on a chair instead.

It occurred to me that there is a lot we can learn from cats (full disclosure – I was also inspired after reading a review of Feline Philosophy by John Gray). 

Cats are masters of contentedness. They basically exist to please themselves, and they are very good at making the most out of any situation in order to do just that. If it’s cold, wet and windy out, they are just as happy to not go outside, and they feel zero guilt or shame or longing. Then when it’s nice out, they might disappear for a whole day with no excuses. When my cat wants to be patted, she’ll follow us around and makes sure she gets attention. Once she’s had enough, she turns around, throws her bum in our face and walks away. Unlike dogs (and humans), cats don’t have anxiety about what is to come or what other people think. They are completely self-reliant and know they have the ability to make the best of whatever comes their way. Just picture a cat. Whether it is sitting in a sunbeam or prowling in the garden, you can’t picture a cat wishing it were doing something else and not being fully content in whatever it is doing.

What can we take from this? For starters, don’t beat yourself up if it’s gross out and you don’t want to go out. Who is your master anyway? If it’s not going to bring you joy, you don’t have to do it. Or at least not for as long as when it’s nice out. It IS inherently less enjoyable when it’s freezing and slippery. There is no shame in admitting that.

And on the flip side, when it is nice out, take advantage and enjoy it! (and trust that you will) When we take our cat to the cottage she just goes and goes and goes until she collapses – when we get home she’ll sleep for two days! Similarly, sometimes we’re just gifted a beautiful day, a scenic setting and energy in our legs. On those days, we should go out for as long as we like and enjoy ourselves! Make yourself happy – you can rest up later.

Another lesson: don’t let the judgements of others dictate what you do. Our cat will take our love, but she doesn’t beg for it or live for it. You can tell by the state of our couch that she’s not trying to win our approval. This is how we should approach our relationships with our training and race results on social media. Likes and accolades are nice, but we can live without them. It’s our own respect that we need.

So try pleasing yourself with your running. Practice being content with whatever training decision you make on any given day, and trust yourself enough to know that you’ll go out and work hard when the time is right. Also, go sit down in the next sunbeam you see and close your eyes for a bit – it feels pretty good.

On to workouts for this week:

1. 3-4×1000 with 1:45 rest at 5K pace (if doing these on our path, do them as 800/200 then combinations of 600/400), 4 min rest, 4-5×400 with 1:15 rest at 3K pace (or just a bit faster)
2. If doing fartlek style: 3-4 x 4 min Hard w 1:45 Easy, 4 min easy, 4-5 x 1:15 Hard, 1:15 Easy
3. Hills if you missed last week bc of ice and feel like doing them
4. Tempo: 3 x 15 min w 3 min rec (this is if you’ve been building them and are training for ATB – Option of 3 x 10 mins if you’re not there yet)

Have fun and hope to see some of you on the roads at some point!

xo

Seanna

Hi Gang!

What I’ve been thinking about this week is pacing. Just the art of pacing in general. It’s a tough thing to nail. And your best pacing strategy really depends on the length of the thing you’re undertaking. When you don’t know the length, finding the right pace can be very difficult. Here are a few different pacing strategies:

Positive Split. This means starting faster than you finish. (some of us also call it the “fly and die”, but I find that a little less positive). Positive splits can actually be the best strategy in some events. In the 800m, most races are won and the world records are held with positive splits. In a shorter-type event like that, it is advantageous to start hard and hold on as long as you can because there is not a lot of room to pick up the pace when you’re running at these effort levels and the price if you get it wrong isn’t too great.

Negative Split. This means finishing the second half faster than the first. This pacing strategy is advantageous in longer events. When you are not completely certain of your energy reserves, it is not smart to expend a huge amount at the start because the fallout if you get it wrong is way bigger (witness: the bonk in the marathon). Finishing faster also gives you a psychological boost and knowing the finish line is close allows you to go right to the end of your reserves as you finish – so finishing faster is how most longer races and hard efforts play out.

Even Split. This pacing strategy is what many people aim for, but is very hard to achieve – especially if you are aiming for your best effort. It’s easy to nail if you’re going easy, but if you’re really trying your hardest, pacing anything perfectly is almost impossible. It does however tend to lead to the best results in “fabricated or artificial” scenarios. On the track world records are now being broken by athletes using pace light technology. They follow the flashing lights on the track which are set perfectly and evenly to world record pace (world records which were not set using this strategy).

Variable Pacing. This pacing strategy is what most people use when trying their hardest and achieving their best results in real life scenarios. In the 5K, most world records are set with the first and last kilometer being the fastest, and the middle three being a little slower. In the marathon or ultra-endurance events, there are dips and surges in pace as athletes settle into a rhythm or feel good and push a bit. It is a pacing strategy that adapts to the environment and competitors around you.

I thought this was interesting when looking at how we’ve paced ourselves through this pandemic – now that we’re almost a year in. Some of us started at a furious pace that was hard to maintain – with things like colour coded daily schedules for our kids detailed down to 15 minute increments, or starting running streaks or mileage challenges. This was a good idea when we thought we might be running an 800m race. I think we’ve realized we’re beyond that. But it doesn’t have to be a total “fly and die”. We can vary up the pace as we see fit. This doesn’t mean we’re stopping – we’re still racing – it just means that sometimes we can settle in, catch our breath, find an easier rhythm, and then pick it up again when we’re feeling good. Maybe a day (or a week!) where everyone stays in pajamas and you eat more takeout and watch more Netflix than you’d planned is ok. Are you safe and healthy and doing your part? Yes. Then you’re still running the race. And maybe the next week you’ll nail all your workouts, bake bread and teach Italian to the kids. Good for you – you’re winning! But let’s hope you didn’t start your kick too far out. Rigging in the last 100m is a very painful way to go 😉

On that note! Everyone who is interested in doing the Achilles 5K or 10K Challenge – please let Monica know so that she can create teams. Chris, Monica and I have come up with a challenge for this.

1. Estimate your goal finish time.
2. Make your first kilometer and last kilometer as similar as possible.

The winning teams will be comprised of people who have the lowest spread between first and last kilometer within range of their goal time (so you can’t just dog it to make them perfect – thank Chris for that little addition!) – exact algorithm TBD.

Register Here: https://achillesstpatricksday5k.ca/  and then let Monica know.

From the website: “Registration fees go toward providing much needed support to athletes with various disabilities so that they have the opportunity to enjoy the physical, psychological, and communal benefits of running. Visit the Achilles web site to learn more about how we support these deserving athletes.”

Race day is March 14^th – 4 weeks away! (the team challenge is just for us – it’s not an official Achilles thing)

Workouts for this week: (and if the footing is bad, just go by effort and/or take a week off and save it for a tempo on the weekend – it won’t kill you!)

1. 7-9 x 600 with 1:30 rest at about 20 sec per K faster than tempo
2. If doing it fartlek style (or on the bike or other x-training): 7-9 x 2 min Hard, 1:30 Easy
3. Tempo: 2 x 20 min w 3 min easy (this is getting longer for ATB peeps – temper the pace here – go around 5 sec per km slower than usual – it’s calousing you for being able to focus for that length of time and you’ve been building to it – you can do it!)

Have fun all – and pace yourselves accordingly!

xo

Seanna

Hi Everyone!

What I’ve been thinking about this week is in finding meaning in our running, and then sharing it and running generously. I was prompted to think of this by Melanie’s video where she shared her involvement with the Achilles Track Club as a running guide. How meaningful and inspiring!

We often hear that running is a selfish sport. It can be, but only if you run selfishly. What inspires me about many people in this group is that you do the opposite of that. If a friend or neighbour asks you about running, you slow down to their pace and invite them along. When you see that your kids could use a little boost, you swap your workout for theirs and let them lead and set the pace. When someone in our group needs a little extra encouragement to get out the door, you notice, and don’t leave them behind, but gently encourage them along. You open all the doors and run with generosity.

I know that a number of people in this group have found running buddies that work well for easy runs, long runs or workouts. This is because you are sharing your energy with each other generously – not competing. You don’t run with someone because they’re fast enough and will be good for you. You run with someone because you have something to offer them. That is the vibe I sense in this group and I am truly loving it right now. (And sorry to call you out Kerry, but also included in this is Kerry’s completely selfless efforts to make us all stronger and benefit from her energy and knowledge with her monthly challenges and free weekly early morning workouts which she never misses!)

We love running for many different reasons. We like setting goals, we like striving, we enjoy the feeling of moving our bodies with effort – especially outside in nature, we like the meditative time, we like zoning out, we like focusing in, we like the chemical rush, we like the calming after-effects, we like being mindful and at one with ourselves, we like being competitive and testing ourselves, we like the rhythm of moving quickly through space under our own power. None of this is revolutionary or saving the world, but we find meaning in it. And if it’s worth doing, it’s worth sharing. This is running with love and generosity. And I love you all for that. Thank-you.

“All you have is what you are, and what you give.” – Ursula Le Guin

On that note, I would like to follow Chris’ suggestion and set the Achilles 5K/10K as a goal option if you’re interested:

https://achillesstpatricksday5k.ca/?fbclid=IwAR06_U0giAErke7IFkfG0_SZnuR9wn3Z9VYDXWRc6nUlFOHgwdfXoWSiXdw

I know a number of you are doing virtual Around The Bay. A nice little 5K or 10K a month before could fit quite nicely. No pressure! Please let me know if anyone’s interested and I’m happy to write a lil’ program or fit it in.

Workout options for this week:

1. Hills! Back at ‘em. I discovered Balmy Beach Hill last time which I loved for the change. Similar to Pottery in length but different undulations. Mix and match but get them in – builds strength you will be grateful for!
2. 2×1600 at 10K pace with 2 rest, 2 x 800 at 5K pace w 1:30 rest, 2 x 400 faster w 1 rest (3 min bw sets) – (I like this one, so may repeat next week as an option if doing hills this week)
3. Fartlek style: 2 x 6 min w 2 min easy, 2 x 3 min w 1:30 easy, 2 x 1:30 w 1 min easy, 3 min bw sets
4. Tempo: 3 x 12 min w 3 min easy

Enjoy!

xo

Seanna

Hi Everyone!

What I’ve been thinking about this week is knowing when your process is not getting you towards your goal. I think many of us, as gritty, A-type personalities, can sometimes become attached to certain processes, and become unable to move away from them, even when they aren’t working. A system that once worked may not always work, and sometimes some smart modifications can actually help us get to where we want to go. Harder isn’t always better or more productive.

Let me give you an example as it pertains to running.  You’ve been prescribed an interval workout of 5-6 x 800 at 5K race pace with 90 seconds recovery. The purpose of the workout is to get you running a certain volume at that race pace for those specific physiological and neurological adaptations. Now in execution, let’s say you come in a little tired, or under-recovered from your last hard effort. Your first 800 is on pace but it feels harder than usual. In your second 800 you start falling off pace. Now is the time to make a decision. Do you A) grind through the max number of reps even as you’re falling off pace because you’ve set in your mind that you always ‘complete the workout’ or B) shorten the reps to 600’s or even 400’s and extend the rest so that you can stay on pace? The answer as a coach (and I have done this and seen this done many times with athletes) is B. If the purpose of the workout was to simulate race pace running, doing more volume at a slower pace is wasted energy and working counter to your goal. We modify the process so that we can get to a similar result.

Similarly, certain training and programs that worked once, may not always work the same way again. You can’t just replicate what you once did to bring you success – you are a different person now. Every new goal requires a new process. I was listening about Saif Saheen, the world record holder in the steeple-chase who was coached by the famous Renato Canova. His yearly mileage steadily increased over many years until his last and best years when it came down again. When asked why, Canova replied “because he didn’t need that anymore”. The process that had worked for him and gotten him there was no longer what he needed to excel.

Coaches know the purposes of the workouts and know when you have to make a modification so that we can get the best training effect given the circumstances. Because there is never a program where every run and every workout is executed exactly as written over a season, and because humans and life are unpredictable, the best coaches are often the best modifiers. They know how to get the best results given the person and the circumstances.

This is coaching 101. What I was thinking about was how this applies to the rest of our lives in areas where we don’t have someone to tell us when we’re barking up the wrong tree. Many of us are very good at putting our heads down and following our plans and we can easily forget to re-evaluate what our purpose is and whether we are putting our energy in the right places. Remember: it’s ok and actually better to modify. The hardest path isn’t always the most productive path. If something feels hard or isn’t working, take some time to zoom out and evaluate what your purpose or goal is. Then, find a different way to get there. You’re not giving up – you’re modifying in a smart way!

Workouts for this week:

1. 2 sets of 5-6 x 200 w 45 sec recovery (3 min bw sets) – run these quickly with good form and good turnover. This workout shouldn’t feel too aerobically taxing. It is a great one to work on neuromuscular connections, range of motion and good form. We all need a dose of these every now and then and I’ve been remiss in not including them often enough!
2. 15 mins Hard. If you’re doing this as part of the team Power Hour. My plan is to do the 200’s on Weds and the 15 mins on Sat. Option for Sat is to do the 15 mins and then follow it up with 5-6 x 1 min on, 1 min off for a great fitness builder wrkt/tempo.(NOTE: if doing 15 min Hard, make sure you get in a good warm-up including good mobility and strides. You need to open up those pathways before launching right into it – I promise it will feel better!) Also, in terms of pacing, I would start out as if racing a 5K. Re-evaluate after the first 5 mins and if you can lean in a bit, go for it. Remember, this will be like a 5K without that brutal 3-4K point – instead that will be your finishing kick!
3. If not doing the 15 min Hard, tempo option is 15 mins, 8 mins, 4 mins with 3 min easy (ha! Got you with the 15 mins anyway 😉 )

Ok, have fun everyone!

Seanna