Catalina Island Marathon

Well, it’s been a week since I ran the marathon – sorry for the late re-cap but we “celebrated” by camping down the coast and I took the opportunity to take a bit of a web vacation as well.

So, THE RACE:

It began the day before with a ferry ride over to the island – Catalina Island is around 26 miles off the coast of LA – where we were going to set up camp and sleep before the 7 a.m. start.  It turns out I’m really not good with big waves as I seemed to be the only person on the ferry puking my all my carefully planned carbs out into the ferry toilets.  Meanwhile, my kids were huddling under the seats like small animals in search of shelter.  They may have gotten my poor sea-faring genes.  Luckily there was a pasta dinner at the other end, so I could re carbo-load up.

After dinner, we set up camp and tucked in for an early night.  At one point in the night my husband heard the breath of an animal outside our tent.  He went out with a flash light and I was woken by his shout.  While searching for a small rodent-like animal his flashlight landed on a massive buffalo munching grass 10 feet from our tent.  We had no idea there were Buffalo on the island.  I guess we could have checked a few things out with the locals beforehand, but we basically went in with optimistic ignorance. (Note the ominous foreshadowing.)

Race morning started with a half-mile hike out to the start – we just followed the crowds – and the usual pre-race rituals of taking sips of water and peeing behind cacti.  Seemed normal and familiar enough.

I knew the course was hilly and that the course records were slow, but I hadn’t actually talked to anyone who had done it.  I thought “I’ll figure it out – I don’t want to be freaked out”.  Well, the first hill started pretty much immediately and never ended.  At mile three I thought “my legs are going to be sore tomorrow”.  Just 23 miles to go.  There was no rhythm to get into, and each hill was followed almost immediately by an even more leg-destroying downhill.  It wasn’t run up, across, and down as I’d thought, but up, down, up, down, up, up, up, up, down, down, down, down.  I’ll admit that I paced it completely wrong and when I saw some people flying down the first few hills I thought “hey, maybe that’s how you’re supposed to do it” and basically destroyed my downhill muscle fibers in the first few miles.  Here’s a snapshot which might give you an idea of the course:

It’s beautiful, yes, but OMG the hills!!!

The other unexpected thing I encountered was a return of our old campsite friend – the buffalo.  In the middle of the course!  I noticed it a few hundred meters out and thought it was an aid station.  As I got closer I couldn’t make sense of it, or why the few runners ahead of me were stopping.  Then I got closer and realized it was a BIG male buffalo who didn’t look to be too happy to have runners going by his hang-out.  Not knowing what to do I just followed the runners ahead of me by stopping, creeping up a grass embankment and tip-toeing by him.  I know surprisingly little about buffalo except that thankfully they’re vegetarians.  No idea whether they charge like bulls or moose.  One runner got too close and received an angry snort.  I wasn’t testing it.

(Side note. Apparently buffalo were introduced to Catalina Island for a movie shoot in the 1920s and were left there to live and breed happily ever since.)

In the end, I stopped “racing” and decided just to run as moving forward at any pace seemed all I could do.  I knew I was the first woman but it was impossible to tell where anyone else on the course was.  Although early on I had been looking forward to the four mile downhill finish, once there I found myself cringing at every jarring step and begging for an uphill.  I was passed by a woman with a mile and a half to go and I couldn’t do a thing about it.  I wasn’t bonking and I had the energy to go faster, but my poor quads felt like I was taking a hammer to them with every step.  I finished in 3:27, one minute behind first place and was happy with my effort.

Kudos to Ken Myers from Kingston who took the overall WIN!!!  We celebrated together Canadian style with a couple of beers.  (Thanks for the Advil Ken. Hope to see you back there next year!)

Speaking of Advil, I could have used a LOT more afterwards.  Walking was extremely difficult for three days as one leg would just give up on me and collapse sporadically.  Sidewalk curbs gave me a lot of trouble.  And here was my daily walk to the beautiful beach just outside our campground:

(My kids are way down there somewhere. Everyone gave up ever waiting for me.)

I did finally make it out for a surf once I figured I could pop up on my board.  Not pretty, but I’ll share my victories and my ugly moments:

Post-marathon surf

Now one more week to recover before my next race – Around The Bay!  Those hills will be a piece of cake 😉

Tapering (or… I Am Slowly Going Crazy)

I know – I’ve been looking forward to tapering for a while now.  Especially during freezing cold long runs and icy intervals.  However, I like to complain, so here are some things which have me going a bit bonkers in preparation for my upcoming marathon this weekend:

  • Not having a big challenge ahead in my runs makes it harder (for me) to “get up” for them.  For some reason I can get excited and focused if I have a tough 10 miler scheduled.  If I’m just putting in 5 miles I find it really hard to stay motivated to even go out.
  • I’m supposed to start feeling good and fresh for having taken down the mileage, but I started my first taper week (last week) in utter exhaustion which was unexplainable based on my reduced training.  I really should start adding things like “rushed from work to take two kids to the doctor on orders of daycare because of an unexplained rash which turned out to be dry skin – made it home 3 hours later and husband was away on business so had a glass of wine to calm myself down after I’d finally gotten everyone to bed” to my training log to give a fuller picture. Too much effort though.
  • I’m hyper aware of every little niggly injury or pain, and in fact they seem to be getting worse.  I am familiar with this phenomenon, and I even warn people I coach about it – I’m not sure of the real scientific reasoning, but I’ve always believed it has to do with your body finally having the energy to address the injuries and so they’re getting better.  How to account for my sudden lower-back pain and tightness though???  I know – lifting kids into and out of things who really should be doing it themselves, but I’m always in a rush.  Still, why right now???
  • Questioning and second-guessing my fitness.  I have to go back and read my logs to remind myself that I’ve done the work.

(Yes, I’m still that old-school with my logs)

  • I use running as more than a means to a racing goal – it is my everyday therapy.  Without the same amount of “me time” (because let’s be honest – I’m not waking up at 5 a.m. to replace running with anything else) I’m way more irritable, jumpy and way less zen about pretty much everything.
  • I feel fat.  There, I said it.  I know I need to build up my carbohydrate stores and that my muscles store two grams of water for every gram of carbohydrate.  I will rely desperately on these stores at mile 20 or so of the marathon.  However right now, as I eat as much as usual and burn off less than half, I feel like a blob.  A globby blob.
  • See?  Crazy.  Three more days.  Then I can see if this has all paid off.  And you can bet that the week after the race I won’t feel like running a step and I won’t have all of these weird psychologies at play.  Good Grief – bring it on and release me from this torture!!!

Top 10 (ish) Reasons to Love Running in the Snow (or Sleet)

“HURRAY!” I thought to myself last night as the snow started to pile up.  Another chance to take advantage of the great benefits of running in the snow.

1.  You burn more calories side-stepping and leaping over monster ice water trenches (like the one below)

2.  You burn even more calories trying to maintain core body temps once you don’t make it over one of these three-footers

3.  Cross training!  A great chance to work on your lateral stabilizing muscles while trying to maintain upright balance

4.  A chance to have the weather compliment your melancholy running playlist.  “Let Down” by Radiohead just doesn’t feel right on a bright sunny day

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z_NvVMUcG8]

5.  Mental Toughness.  This is a hard one to plan into your everyday training schedule, but when the weather offers it – jump at the training opportunity!  Just think how easy the last few kilometers of your race will seem in dry shoes and even footing (unless you’re racing the Chilly Half this weekend…. Good on ya rockstars!)

Chilly Half Marathon and 10K

6.  Bragging rights.  Seriously.  Your colleagues will respect you.  They won’t roll their eyes and call you crazy behind your back.

7.  You can still drink hot chocolate instead of sports drink after your runs.  Which is a huge benefit because for some reason Baileys never works as well with orange Gatorade.

8.  Ummm…. Free showers from every car that passes you?

9.  Ok, I’m struggling here…

10.  Please don’t ask me if I ran today.  I will now return to feeling sorry for myself for having to train in this and cursing the weather.  Thanks for indulging me.

Playing at Running

One of the things I like about tapering is the letting go of my strict regime of miles and intensity – where every run is planned out and has a distinct purpose, and where there is definitely no running in between formal “run sessions”.  I actually remember a time in my “olden days” of training when I could do miles of hard intervals, but couldn’t run for a bus without hobbling as I needed 15 minutes of specific warming-up to get my tired, achy body going (I was in the best shape of my life – ha!)

With two weeks to go until my marathon, I’ve taken all mileage pressure off and will do one mini-interval workout and a small tempo or two before race day.  I know that less is more at this point.  Which leads me to what I can actually do with my running fitness when I’m not exhausted from running!

On the weekend I decided to run around the indoor track and do various drills and strides just to shake things up while my son played soccer on the infield.  Soccer was a bust for him (a bit shy) so I suggested he run with me which he LOVED and so did I!  I don’t even know how many laps we did because I wasn’t counting – we were just having fun.

Other ways I “play” at running:

  • leave my watch at home and disregard pace and distance
  • make a running date with a new (or pregnant!) runner purely for the conversation and let them dictate pace and distance
  • “run” with my kids.  This could turn into anything, really, but if I’m wearing running shoes and tell myself it’s my “run” I’m way less likely to feel begrudged by having to look up from my magazine and move my butt off the park bench when I’m called into action

In university we used to play at running in other ways.  One of the most famous was the Beer Mile .  Chug a beer, run a lap (400 m) x 4.  I became quite good and somehow still own the women’s world record.  And NO, that’s not how I play now.  I’m retired from that.  At least until I have to re-set a winning record – it’s been safe for over 15 years.

There was also an event called “the naked run”.  Nothing more to comment on about that and sorry – no pictures.

Bottom line: after all the time you’ve put into training, it’s good to enjoy your fitness and find ways to have fun with it other than just proving yourself in a race.  And if you just can’t quell your competitive instincts, fine – win on the dance floor.  We’ve all been there!

Have fun 🙂

Running and Pregnancy

This post is timely for me.  NO!  I’m not pregnant.  But my younger sister and two of my good running friends are.  Very.  My sister is due in a week (Yay! can’t wait) and my friends are both due end of March/early April (also very excited).  And since they are all runners, I thought I’d check in to see how they’ve been making the transition from breezy, gazelle-like runs to increasingly awkward and sometimes humiliating waddles (I know – I’ve been there).

Although I’ve run through two pregnancies, I somehow don’t remember many details (protection mechanism?) so I am profiling these experiences.  One thing I do remember though is that there was very little literature out there on how much or how hard to run.  I sort of went by feel, but erred on the side of caution.  I now think I probably could have pushed it a bit more, especially after seeing Paula Radcliffe’s example!

She ran 14 miles a day and at five months replaced her second daily run with a cross-training session.  Ok, a bit (!) extreme.

Here is a good article on running and pregnancy Running and Pregnancy by Alex Hutchinson. 

Synopsis: running up to 90% max heart rate is fine.  Above that, of the pregnant women who went to their max, 1/3 had some fetal reaction (slower heart rate and blood flow) for a short period of time, but no long-lasting effects.

So basically girls, run as much and as hard as you feel is comfortable.  I assure you, over 90% of your heart rate will NOT feel comfortable, so you’re safe.  (If you’re a Norwegian Olympic cross-country skier, maybe tone it down a bit for the next few months).

So here are our Real Life Subjects to give us some insight into their experiences: (PS: how cute are those bellies??)

Lizzy B at 33 weeks – first pregnancy

Airlie at 37 weeks – first pregnancy

Suzy G at 34 weeks – third pregnancy, fourth kid!  (this is not her actual stroller, but how I picture her running)

Airlie                                                                                                                     

I’ve been running fairly regularly throughout my pregnancy with no troubles or injuries thus far. Of course, I’ve slowed down A LOT and I don’t go nearly the distance.  I’m now 37 weeks and I might have a c-section at 39 weeks.  I’m hoping to “run” (and I just that term very loosely) up to the end.  My question is, what is the recommended or average recovery time post c-section if all goes well?  (RW: six weeks) And do you think recovery will be faster/easier since I’m in fairly good shape, or does that not make a difference? (RW: definitely helps recovery to be in good shape – see Suzy G below)

This is me at 37 weeks heading out for a “wee jog” (above).  My husband says that I’m not a normal human and that neither are my sisters because we’re all runners that do crazy things like get up at 4:30 in the morning to do intervals in -15 degrees, and go for runs at 37 weeks at -15 with a very sore rib from the baby pushing its head against it.  I think I’m normal, but apparently my “measuring rod” is skewed.  Oh well, it’s been keeping me sane.  I’m also still going to the gym and lifting weights (albeit, very light weights, but weights nonetheless).  Up until about 34/35 weeks I had the energy to run probably five times a week and do weights maybe two to three times a week.  These last few weeks have been more difficult though, maybe because the baby flipped around and is now in the wrong position.  I’m now down to about two to three runs a week at best, though I’m trying to supplement with Spin classes.

Apparently working out is really good for the baby’s heart, so I’m hoping that my husband will come to his senses and see that I’m doing all this selflessly for the health of our baby, and that I’m not crazy, just a very dedicated mum 🙂

Lizzy B

RW: What is your running/racing background?

LB: I ran competitively in high school and then at U of T. During that time, my pbs were 2:16 (800m), 4:34 (1500m), and 9:53 (3000m). I was a part of U of T’s CIS championship women’s X-C team in 2002. While I was in grad school, I tried my hand at some longer distances and ran a 1:23 half marathon and 3:04 marathon. Since then I’ve struggled with various injuries and mostly run to keep in shape.

RW: how much running were you doing before you got pregnant?

LB: I was running about four times a week, usually five to seven miles at a time. Because of injuries, I was cross training a lot – swimming, rock climbing, and doing a “boot camp” class three times a week.

RW:  How did your running change once you realized you were pregnant?  Did you decide to keep running throughout? Why or why not?

LB: I ran up until I was 33 weeks along. I really wanted to stay in shape while pregnant, for my own sanity, for the health of my baby, and to make recovery after birth easier, ideally. I decided to stop because I was just getting too uncomfortable – the pressure on my bladder was bad throughout, but was getting worse – and because I was feeling a little off-balance and was worried about falling. I switched to the elliptical and walking, and continued with my boot camp classes.

RW: Did you have any questions on running and pregnancy which you felt you couldn’t find enough good information to answer?

LB: At times I wondered if all the pressure I felt on my bladder was causing any damage. I asked my midwives and they seemed to think it was fine, but advised me to stop if I felt uncomfortable. But “uncomfortable” was sort of relative…most of my pregnancy, running was a bit uncomfortable, but I felt good enough afterwards that I could put up with the discomfort. I found a fair amount of information online, though.

RW: How have you found running through pregnancy and how has it change throughout the trimesters?

LB: In my first trimester, I was lucky to avoid morning sickness for the most part, other than a bit of nausea here and there. I was really fatigued, but I mostly managed to continue running without noticing a huge difference in how I felt. By the beginning of the second trimester, I was already feeling the pressure on my bladder. I slowed down, too, both because I was feeling a bit more winded and because I just wanted to take it easy. (I stopped trying to keep up with my husband on runs!) During the third trimester, I started having some shin splints, probably due to the added weight. Despite all these complaints, I had some days where I felt pretty good, and knowing that I was staying active was empowering.

RW: Any big surprises or has running throughout basically played out as you’d expected?

LB: I thought I’d feel uncomfortable from the added weight, but I didn’t really expect some of the other aches and pains.

RW: Any good insights to others who may go through the same experience?

LB: Having friends who I knew had run through their pregnancies helped to normalize it for me – a lot of my non-running friends thought it was crazy or dangerous, so it was good to have the perspective from those who had been there. I think the cliché “listen to your body” really does apply. I wasn’t always the best at doing this, but in general, I set my expectations pretty low. Having battled injuries for so many of the past few years already, it wasn’t too hard to do! I wore a maternity belt (the Gabrialla belt) starting in the second trimester. I think it helped with round ligament pain a bit, but I can’t say for sure…

RW: Any other anecdotes/experiences you want to share?

LB: I have to admit to taking some pleasure in passing people while running with a big belly! I can’t say it happened that often, but when it did, it gave me a little boost. I guess the competitive spirit lives on! Soon I’ll be entering my toddler in road races…

Suzy G
RW: what is your running/racing background?

SG: Half-marathon PB: 1:23.23; Most recent 5K in 2008 was 18:45 on the track; Highlight of my running career: Being part of the winning CIS women’s X-C team at University of Toronto in 2002.

RW: how much running were you doing before you got pregnant?

SG: Before I got pregnant in 2009 I was running six days a week with coach Steve Boyd: a mix of workouts and long runs. Memorable workouts include 2×20 min (hard) tempo runs and intense 1 km intervals on trails.

RW: how did your running change once you realized you were pregnant? Did you decide to keep running throughout? Why or why not?

SG: I kept running while I was pregnant in 2009 for about two months (some indoor track workouts, some fairly easy group runs). At my first ultrasound I was told I was having twins and couldn’t find much information about running in a multiple pregnancy. I decided to back off until I could see the specialist but there was a long (two month) wait. I found that at three months I was getting big already and my pelvic floor was quite uncomfortable even with upbeat walking! I continued to walk briskly for about an hour a day (which actually raised my heart rate to levels I could only get to by running pre-pregnancy). My specialist ended up being an “exercise in multiples” expert and he said I could run to my heart’s content but by that time I found it was just too uncomfortable. I got back into it after the twins were born in 2009 thanks to a double running stroller that all my best running girlfriends purchased for me. I had hoped to continue this into my second pregnancy but unfortunately my first trimester coincided with an appendectomy that cost a month and half in recovery time. It was very difficult getting back into running after that recovery while being three months pregnant. Kingston streets are not safe for pregnant runners in the winter, so I joined a gym and did run through the second trimester on a treadmill but not at any significant pace. For me, that’s frustrating. I took a break until baby #3 was about six months old and then started running about 5K a day with a neighbourhood group. That dissolved almost immediately when I became pregnant with #4 in 2012 because this time around I find I was bigger earlier, more tired generally (could be the three kids at home, or my new business that opened just before pregnancy) and that my body feels “stretched out”. I couldn’t keep up with the group any more so I gave up. In December (five months pregnant) I missed running so much that I joined a gym and have been giving the elliptical a try about two to three times a week, but it’s not easy working full-time and making time for my three kids AND fitting in a workout. I’ve been paying the gym to store my shoes since February 1st which I’m not happy about. This is more due to running my business than a lack of desire to run.

RW: Did you have any questions on running and pregnancy which you felt you couldn’t find enough good information to answer?

SG: See above! If I’d read a reliable source that said it was ok to run in a twin pregnancy I might have, but I was quite nervous and really needed to hear it from a specialist who was talking about my pregnancy specifically.

RW: How have you found running through pregnancy and how has it change throughout the trimesters?

SG: I haven’t found it possible for me personally to run through pregnancy since that first experience except for the first two to three months.

RW: Any big surprises or has running throughout basically played out as you’d expected?

SG: I didn’t think it would be such a challenge re: the soreness. Most of my friends have not had this experience. I’m surprised how hard it was to get back into it after baby #3: I trained for an ran a 5K race in just over 20 minutes and it felt like I’d just run sub 18. I’m a running addict and I’m surprised how easily I’ve put it off. I’m not surprised how much I miss it.

RW: Any good insights to others who may go through the same experience?

SG: As long as there’s no medical reason not to, stay active! Taking the breaks during pregnancy really killed my running because it’s really hard to re-start once you stop. Keep reading a good, motivating blog and contribute: even writing about this makes me ache to go to the gym!

RW: Any other anecdotes/experiences you want to share?

SG: Post pregnancy running can be equally challenging, especially during those days where you’re breastfeeding eight times a day! It’s a lot easier if you go into it as a fit pregnant woman, trust me. Despite the C-section recovery it was easier to get back into running after the twins because I’d stayed fit. I’m committed to running again after #4 but I’m not looking forward to the uphill climb after all this time off.

Thanks Ladies!

That’s all for now.  Bottom line: if you’re pregnant – keep running if you can.  Soon enough you’ll find yourself running after someone else and you’ll be drawing on all of your refined speed and endurance training to keep up!

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

The other morning as I was in my usual frantic “zone” of getting myself ready for work and my two kids fed, dressed and out the door for school, my five-year-old asked me very matter-of-factly: “Mummy – do you think this is what you look like when you’re asking us not to bug you?”  And he pointed to a picture in his latest favourite book:

Big self-confidence boost to start my day.  I think I may have actually put on makeup (a rare occurrence) right after that.

It also made me wonder how else I might appear at different times.

I’m pretty sure this is what my sister and I look like to each other when we meet for our weekly 5 a.m. speed workouts.

(sometimes our eyes aren’t even that wide open)

This is our first interval.

This is our last.

Quite a transformation takes place in 45 minutes.

This is us after the workout.

And this is us all day from having done intervals at 5 a.m.

That is all.  In future, when asking my children “not to bug me” (I’m not sure I really said that, but that’s what he heard so judge away) I will take a deep breath and channel this.

Peace out.

Wipeouts

I guess it was only a matter of time in this freeze/thaw/icy weather while running in the dark.  It wasn’t that bad, but of course it happened as soon as I’d taken off my gloves because my hands were too hot (I know… What???)  And it was probably karma as I was cutting the corner of my very honest 9 mile route by running through The Beer Store parking lot (hmmm… wonder if there’s anything I can get from them here… KIDDING!)  Anyway, as I said, it wasn’t too bad, but of course it bruised my ego and shook me a bit.  You fall hard as an adult!  One year-olds make it look so easy.  I stopped my watch (of course!) did a body check and figured I was fine to go on.  Which I was.  Here was the biggest damage – asphalt stuck in my palm.

I’ll admit – not very dramatic.  So I’ll tell you that one time I broke my arm while running.  On a beautiful spring day in full daylight.  My feet got trapped in a newspaper tie.

All this to say, a fall is likely to happen at some point in your life as a runner, and in this weather especially.   When it does, make sure you’re really not injured before resuming your run.  Otherwise, you’ll have to find an alternative way home (I hopped on a streetcar when I broke my arm and the kind driver let me ride free in my bloody state).  In most likelihood your pride will end up more injured than anything else.

As a reminder that it happens to some of the best runners and that you can still carry on after a fall, check out this clip.  One of my favourite racing videos which gives me goosebumps every time I watch it.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70UF82nysIU]

That’s all for now – stay safe and carry on!

Profile – Nicole Stevenson

Nicole Stevenson: Lifetime runner, professional career woman, successful coach, great friend, mentor and role model to many. I wanted to know a little more about how one of our greatest home grown talents got to where she is.  For more information check her out at www.nicolestevenson.ca

PB’s

5K 15:52

10K 32:29

Half Marathon 1:12:51

Marathon 2:32:56 – fastest female Canadian marathon 2002, 2004

Ironman 10hr 38min – 3:05 marathon at Ironman Brazil, run course record

 

RW: When and how did you first get into running?

NS: I started running in middle school. My brother Avery who is one year older, was already a successful and popular runner, so I thought I’d give it a try. I wasn’t very good at first, and even quit the cross country team in grade six! Things changed quickly. I showed talent when I went out for track and the rest is history. I was absolutely hooked on running and racing.

 

RW:  Tell me about your experience training and racing in the US college system.  Was there a lot of pressure to log big miles and produce top results?

NS: I heard about all the pressure put on athletes going to US schools but I didn’t encounter what’s mentioned above. I went to Wake Forest knowing it had a strong team, but the best runners were all 800-1500m runners. I quickly established myself as the top distance runner in cross country. On the track I knew I needed to further develop my speed but I was moved up to longer distances because that’s where the team was weak. So I have a little regret that I never got my top speed developed, but at the same time I can’t complain about free schooling, fantastic race opportunities and a very good education. I am still in touch with my best friends from Wake.

 

RW:  When you graduated and came back to Canada, what role did running/racing play in your life as you developed your professional career?

NS: When I came home I really noticed the difference between Canadian and US opportunities. In the US I was offered a full academic scholarship to obtain Master’s degree in Biology and was offered a spot to train full time with a couple of American running clubs. Foolishly, I turned down both of these since I was homesick and figured the same opportunities would come my way in Ontario. I was very wrong and became very disheartened at the lack of support compared to the US, both academically and athletically. So I took a full time job and started coaching myself.  My job became more and more important, and only in my late 20’s did I start to realize that my prime running years were slipping by. At that time I started working with Dave Reid and Hugh Cameron as my coaches and found success very quickly. I had a strong running background and aerobic base, I just needed support to put the physical and mental aspects all together to hit fast times.

 

RW:  When and why did you decide to take it to the next step and train seriously for the Olympics?

NS: After training with coaches for only a year, I was soon convinced that I should move up in distance. So I ran my first marathon in 2002 and was pleasantly surprised at my time: 2:36! Not bad for a rookie (well, kind of rookie, I had run Chicago self-coached in 1999 in 3:12 and ran Boston in 2000 while injured but just for the experience). That time was the fastest in Canada and then I decided to make training a priority and see how far I could go.

I wouldn’t say I ever trained “for” the Olympics. I really trained for myself and those supporting me. The Olympics became a target when I hit the international standard in 2004.

 

RW:  Tell me a bit about that experience.  What did the training entail mileage-wise?  What was a sample week?  What were some of your toughest workouts?  How did you fit it into “the rest of your life” with balancing work and social life?

NS: My training was not “epic” compared to some of the programs I’ve seen (and have even provided to athletes!) I suffered injuries as a teenager and into my early 20’s and therefore trained a little cautiously, trying to avoid any injuries or setbacks.

Each year I added to my average weekly mileage. Back in 2003 I was running about 100-110km per week and scored 2:36. I moved up to 120-125km per week the following year but didn’t see many gains. In 2004 I advanced to 130-135km per week and managed to get a PB 2:33. I tried to bump up mileage again after that but I’d often build fatigue and have to move back to the 130-135k. I think I have run one week at 100 miles (160km) but couldn’t repeat it – if I wanted to be able to get out of bed each day and keep my job!

For workouts, I would do 1 shorter interval workout per week, 800-1200m repeats, and one longer interval workout that had mile, 2k repeats and sometimes longer. I ran a long run most weekends, minimum 2hr and max 3hr, reducing these just before key races and during recovery phases.

My goal is training was to push myself hard but rarely red-line it. I think this was a safe way to train but it says a lot about how cautious I can be.

 

RW:  Now you’re quite a successful coach with the Angels group.  Tell me a bit about them.

NS: University of Toronto coach Ross Ristuccia approached me late 2008 when I was finished with my international career. I had hit a bump in the road after 2006 and decided to pursue other avenues, including coaching. At UTTC I worked with the senior female athletes, those who had graduated from UofT but were still training with the club. I was instantly hooked! Working with people to help them achieve their goals quickly became my new fix in life.

In 2011 I started to work independently of UTTC so I could recruit athletes outside of the university. Since then in our group of about 20 women, we have had great success with many 1-2-3 Angels podium finishes at Toronto races. With the Angels group my goal is to help young (23+) athletes reach their potential and to develop elite and international level runners. It has been very rewarding so far for all of us, with support for training and racing and also in careers, families and other life happenings.

 

RW: How does running fit into your own life now?

NS: I have been living in Montreal for two years while all my running friends and athletes are in Toronto. I definitely have noticed how much motivation comes from hanging out with runners! Some days I find it tough to get out the door because I don’t have the same circle of fitness buffs here, but I have been doing enough to stay fit for my comeback. I’ll return to Toronto this summer and promise to push myself again for the start of my master’s (40+) career.

 

RW:  What is your favourite workout?

NS: I have two favourite workouts. One is the execution run (sounds intimidating, eh?) which is a long run that includes some tempo, some marathon pace and then some all-out running at the very end.

My favourite interval workout is never-ending 1k repeats. You do as many as you but once your pace starts slowing then you allow yourself just one more…

 

RW:  What is your favourite race?

NS: I love any race that has good crowds and warm weather! I enjoy the Canada Running Series events for their elite lists and fast courses, but I also enjoy competing in places where I am anonymous and just race my heart out.

 

RW:  What is your favourite food?

NS: Chocolate almonds and peanut butter sandwiches.

 

RW:  Any advice for those trying to fit their running into a busy life?

NS: Do what you can and make it fun. Run with friends as much as you can.

Sometimes when you have a busy day you can break up your runs into two short runs, 1 in the morning and 1 after work. Heading out the door for 20-30min is easier for your mind than packing in an hour every day.

Be very aware of how you’re feeling. If you don’t feel like heading out the door, it might be because you don’t have much in the tank that day. Run hard days when you are rested, nourished and hydrated and not when you are feeling tired and stressed out from long days.

 

RW:  Thanks so much – see you on the roads!!!

NS: Woohooo!

Snow Run

Just a quick update on my long run this a.m.  Just realized I only have one more (next week) before I need to start taking it down for the marathon.  This one was a bit more about quality than quantity.  I was going for 1hr 45 min, with the last 45 min being tempo.  As those of you living in the Toronto area know, we’ve just had a ridiculous snow storm with around 30 cm of freshly fallen, sporadically shoveled snow.  So I did my first 55 minutes outside, contending with hurdles at every sidewalk break.

Typical snowbank of which I scaled about 30+ in that 55 mins – Hip Flexors!!!

Normally I say under these conditions, it’s effort, not pace that matters, but I really couldn’t get a quality tempo effort in, so I ended my run with 50 minutes here:

I averaged 6:35 miles for 7 miles.  That’s the English Premiere League I was watching.  My gym had a very sparse selection of channels that early on a weekend morning, and the boy-band videos I was watching made me think I was more tired than I was and I realized they were making me want to stop.  Things got better when I switched to soccer.

Total: 16.5 miles

Next up: my interview with a good friend, very accomplished runner and super cool lady.  Check it out in the next post…

Motivation

It’s the second week of February – the deepest we can get into the depths of winter, and I find myself uncharacteristically unmotivated to run.  At least to run early and long and hard.  My last two mornings have been a struggle to wake up at 5, and on one day I actually didn’t and had to make-do with an emergency lunch time run from work.  I’m checking myself for all possible reasons:

  • Am I tired from my 70 mile week last week?
  • Am I unable to enjoy my runs anymore while struggling with windchill and freezing skin?
  • Am I still recovering from my lingering cold?
  • Am I … Bored???

Luckily I’ve had a few crutches to turn things around.  One was that my kids stayed at my in-laws last night, so my husband and I took the opportunity to go out.  Here’s some of what I had…

Very yummy.  I find when you indulge it allows you to recharge your batteries and ask more of yourself later.  You have to relax and be good to yourself sometimes.  If life is always testing your will power and limits then you won’t have a difference between “on” and “off” and it all becomes a slow grind.  Work hard, play hard.  They complement each other.

The other thing that helped was meeting my very loyal group for my Wednesday workout this morning.  I had to go earlier in order to get to an early breakfast meeting, but knowing they’d be there doing the same thing got me out the door at my planned time for the first time this week.

Here’s a look at them in action – Hills – (I’m so proud!!!)

(I apologize for the pics – I was a bit shaky from having just done 8×400 m hills at 5 a.m.!)

And this is me and my MOST loyal running buddy – at any time. My sister Tanis.  She tells me I’m crazy all the time but then shows up and gives ‘er and I’m always impressed.  Just LOOK how happy we are at 5 a.m. in -12C weather.  I can’t think of a better way to start the day.

SO, I’m hoping this little lull in motivation has been just a little lull and I’ve shaken myself out of it.  I have my alarm set for tomorrow morning – here’s hoping I get my stride back!

 

How do you keep yourself going when your motivation lags?  Any good tricks to share?