December 15, 2020 – Trees

Hi Gang!

First up, congratulations to everyone who ran the virtual Tannenbaum 10K. It was so nice to see so many people supporting an industry which we enjoy during good times, AND as an added bonus, supporting a charity for a local community centre which relies on all of us. Thank-you!!!

People ran on various days at various times, and I think most of us dealt with classic Tannenbaum conditions. Some had black ice, some had pitch darkness and cross-country puddles, and some had gale force winds. What I love is that we all went out and did it anyway and didn’t make excuses. That’s the Tannenbaum spirit! (also the fact that a number of you came away with PB’s was very impressive – I guess if you train in it, you can race in it!)

So speaking of Tannenbaums, my thoughts this week have been lingering on trees. I was reminded of them again as I stumbled upon this quote by William Blake: “The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing which stands in the way. As a [person] is, so [they] see”.

This made me think about my relationship to trees at this time of year.

I love trees in the summer with their full canopies of rustling green leaves which suggest life and energy. I feel awe looking at them in the fall with their bright reds and oranges and yellows and sometimes wonder how it’s possible that something in nature can be so eye-poppingly beautiful. When they’re blanketed in snow, they feel safe and quiet, and beautiful in a calming way. But right now, they are dark and straggly – some still with the odd withered brown leaf clinging to a skinny branch. At first glimpse, they don’t look beautiful at all. But I’ve decided I need to work harder to see it, and I’ve found when I do, I still can see a lot of beauty. If I pan out, I notice their silhouettes against the sky and the interesting shapes they make as they reach up and out together. I notice their sturdy trunks with varying geometries as they branch up to support the whole network above. I’m reminded of how strong and resilient they are and for some reason I start to feel emotional with gratitude for their dependable presence. There is sometimes a lone cluster of brown leaves clinging to a branch high up, and I realize they are providing safe, cozy homes for squirrels and other creatures. And what is more beautiful than that?

So that’s my challenge to you over the next few weeks – really look for and see the beauty in nature out there. Soak it in on your runs. There truly is a lot of beauty, and maybe if we force ourselves to see it we can flip it around to be: “as a person sees, so the person is”.

I love all of you beautiful people and with that I think we should wrap up the group training for this year.

I’ll continue to send a weekly note with some workout options – feel free to meet up in small groups (I know you know how to reach each other!) I will keep it to fartlek/timed efforts over the holidays, and/or hills. You don’t need to do a lot to maintain – just touch base with your fitness now and then. It is WAY easier to maintain than it is to rebuild (especially after 40 😉 )

Workout options for this week:

Pottery Rd Hills or Beach Hill (I will be at Pottery early bird bc I have a tight sched)
Fartlek: 3-2-1 min Hard, 1 min Easy – repeat 3-4 times w 3 min easy bw sets
Give tempo a break this week. Y’all deserve it after Tannenbaum!

Seanna