January 20, 2026 – Pulling each other up

Hi Everyone!

Raise your hand if you’re sick of winter! Ok, trying to channel positivity. We’re lucky we live in Toronto and can usually find a path that’s been cleared, and have access to indoor tracks and swimming pools and gyms. I don’t know what I’d do without these resources but I’d probably become either a lot more tough or a lot less fit. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this week into next aren’t looking much better, so if you were hibernating hoping to wait it out, now is time to come up with a way to make it out there. Baby steps!

I think many of us are feeling a little fearful and unsure about the state of the world right now, and putting our heads down and not paying attention to the news has ceased to become an option. It feels loud, and scary, and constant. It also feels very adversarial – like we’re all walking around with our dukes up, ready to go to battle, and unsure of who is an adversary and who is a friend. At least I feel like I’ve noticed this. I think I used to notice more smiles in the grocery store vs being yelled at for moving too slowly in the aisle (like seriously, I had to contemplate the crackers!), more people who would let me into traffic with a friendly blink of the lights vs ignoring me or giving me a rude gesture, and generally more positive interactions with strangers in the world vs a me-first mentality. I’ve also noticed it in the way we talk about and the graces we afford others. It’s hard not to get sucked in to this climate because it feels like it’s all around. We all feel on edge and prickly. It is not just women, but I am noticing it more in women because, well, I am a woman, and because we are usually so good at supporting each other. Usually I go through the world and catch eyes with another woman and there is a sentiment of “I see you sister – we got this”. But it doesn’t feel like that so much right now. So my latest thought is that I want to fight back against this.

I want to share an example of two athletes I coach at York. One is in first year and the other in second year of a demanding program. They are our top runners and quite competitive. However, whenever they are together (most of the time), they are pulling each other up and pushing each other along. They support each other and give each other confidence, and are each others’ biggest cheerleaders. As a result they have both continued to run personal bests and finish their races neck in neck. And they are not enormously fussed about which one beats the other. They are just as happy for the other as they are for themselves. This is the women supporting women that I want to be a part of in this world. It is not me or her. It is me and her. Double the win.

Women supporting each other and lifting each other up is something I used to just accept as fact. I’m a bit jarred these days when I see women cutting each other down or coming from a ‘me-or-her’ perspective. The problem is that this is contagious. World politics and our algorithms have us in battle mode. Let’s try to put the gloves down and go back to being supportive of each other – whether we’re strangers in the grocery store or competitors on the roads. I know, it’s hard to go through life with a smile and outstretched hand when you’ve just been given the finger for running down an icy sidewalk, but let’s try. I do think that this is also contagious. And like my York athletes, we will all get pulled up for it. (Men, this goes for you as well, obviously. Not saying I had lower standards for you – I am just speaking from my perspective as a woman).

On to tomorrow’s workout – we are back to hills!!

A couple of things. 1, I won’t be there bc I have to do a track workout in prep for a track race this weekend. Sorry about that! 2, it’s very cold and hard to generate much power or speed. As such, I think full hills just nice n slow is the key. You’ll be wearing a lot and just getting up will be the goal.

Let’s say 2 sets of 3 x full hill w 5 min “tempo” but I think the tempo should aim to be closer to Marathon Pace (or ATB pace). The focus on this one is the bigger chunks vs speed. Here’s hoping the footing is ok.

That is all – have a good one!

Seanna