Tuesday, July 14, 2025 – Milestones

Hi Everyone!

I don’t think we had any races last week, but coming up on Friday is the Rev and Run 5K. I think some people may have registered as a mid-summer check-in? Also, how is it already almost mid-summer?? It’s a good reminder that those races that we sign up for waaaay in the future, do always finally arrive.

I think I’ve been thinking about time and how disorienting it can seem because I just turned 50. And huge thank-you to everyone who surprised me and helped me celebrate. To be honest, it was going to be something I just let slide by because I’m not one for either the spotlight or for being overly sentimental. But wow. I realized that it IS important to mark milestones. As I looked around the room and saw friends I’ve had for 5, 10, 20 and 30 years plus my family who I’ve had for 50 years (!), I realized that it all adds up and it’s all so meaningful. No one joined this group and thought “I’m going to make important friends and relationships which I’ll have for the next 20 years”. We just started a thing, kept coming out, and it became something big. Milestones aren’t goals achieved. I don’t think most people say “I’m going to become a runner and do it for the next 30 years and I’m going to run x-number of marathons in my lifetime”. Or meets someone for a run and then thinks “let’s do this together for the next 40 years of our lives”. We just do the things that are important to us and hang out with the people we love. Some people slide off – the running group or from our friend circles. And that’s totally fine! Again, these aren’t goals. Everyone has their own pursuits, activities and friendships which will become milestones to them. But it’s only with looking back that we can say “wow – this has been very important in my life”.

Anyway, since this is my headspace right now, I am sharing it with you and bringing you all along for the ride. We can get so caught up in ploughing ahead and moving forward, that we might forget to reflect on and celebrate the milestones. “50 is just a number” we hear people say. It’s true. But it is also 50 years of accumulated ups and downs, tears and laughs, successes and failures. It is so many races, training runs, friendships, experiences. These all compound and they’re significant. I see 25 year olds and I want to say “imagine everything you’ve ever experienced and multiply it by two!” Not everyone here is lucky enough to be 50 yet, but there are always milestones to reflect on and celebrate. Maybe you’ve worked in a career you’re proud of for 10 years. Maybe you’ve raised a kid who has graduated kindergarten, or elementary school, or high school or beyond! Maybe you’ve run 20 marathons so far. Maybe you have a few friends who have been with you for 30 years. Reflecting on these milestones can feel emotional and nostalgic, but just grab a glass of wine and some tissues and get into it. It’s what it’s all about. And thank you all so much for being a meaningful part of my life! So keep making new friends, running with the friends you’ve got, and signing up for marathons – we’re all on our way to milestones we don’t even see coming. Just make sure you celebrate them when you hit them.

On to tomorrow’s workout! Back to hills + tempo.

I hear it’s very hot and smoky in Toronto. I’m away by the way. So let’s keep it to the short hills and tempo segments again. Remember, heat training is like altitude training: you can keep the intensity similar as long as you shorten the work pieces and increase the rest.

2 x short (200m) hill + 3 min tempo. Repeat 3-4 times depending on how hot it is. And bring water!

That is all – see you next week!

xo

Seanna