I can’t run because my goldfish just died (or something like that)

October 13, 2012

There are all kinds of excuses we use to get out of the everyday mundane.

“My computer crashed and I lost the document/couldn’t print”

“I got stuck in traffic/construction.” (Note: Please be sure to check road/traffic reports or only use this one if it’s true, because it’s very easy to verify).

“I contracted malaria and coming to that meeting will put everyone else at risk of contamination.”

And then there are the types of excuses women push out of their lady parts and are generally good for about 18 years or until they move out of the house.

Yes, it’s true. It didn’t take me long to discover my children make excellent scapegoats. If I’m lacking motivation to do nearly any given thing, running in particular, it’s all too convenient to blame it on exhaustion from chasing after/nursing/being up all night with one of them (Note: they also make legitimate excuses for getting out of dinner plans with people you don’t care for and if used appropriately, getting out of speeding or distracted driving fines).

Confession: my half-marathon was nearly two weeks ago and I ashamed to admit that I haven’t run once since then. The list of reasons is as long as the nasty string my daughter peeled from her banana in horror this morning, but to “real” runners, it’s just a bunch of noise. I don’t know if I fall into the category of real runner; those are the people who calculate negative splits on one hand while successfully ripping open a gel with the other. However while I may not be quite that hardcore and I’m using my tiredness from boisterous kids and home renovations as a reason to be stagnant, I can always tell when I’ve gone too long without running. I know pounding out a quick five kilometers is the answer to the little voices inside my head that tell me Casey Anthony is a more fit parent than I am.

My anxiety built for several years, but it didn’t really hit home or become a medically recognized condition until my daughter was three months old, when doctors could attach the word “postpartum” to it. I started running three months after the diagnosis and began to discover, even for a few brief minutes at a time, what feeling normal and strong was like again. I also had more patience and felt somewhat in-control when I walked back through the front door. So it makes perfect sense that my two weeks of non-activity have left me irritable, restless and generally about as pleasant to live with as I imagine having the entire Lohan clan as roommates would be.

One of these mornings I will shake off the sleep and push my half-alive carcass out the door for a slow jaunt around the neighbourhood. Until then, assume I’m just too busy repairing my broken printer and/or car, and sleeping off the Ebola virus.

Tips for a Rainy Race Day

October 13, 2012

It’s marathon day tomorrow and I’ve been checking, checking, checking. Checking the forecast that is. My smartphone weather app keeps saying that it’s going to rain, so I close the app, give my phone a shake and open the app again in the hopes of a refreshed forecast. But alas it confirms what I wish to deny that indeed there will be rain.

If when you get lemons you get lemonade, when it rains on race day, you get… well… wet. So in order to make the most of it, here are the best tips I’ve found to make the most of a rainy race day.

Up the anti-chafe protection
When you’re wet, you’re more likely to chafe. So even if you don’t normally chafe, a rainy race day may dictate otherwise. Apply vaseline or anti-chafe cream to your sensitive areas and men should consider covering up their nipples (did I just use that word in my writing?) – band-aids or breathe-right strips are good options.

Pack a disposable poncho (aka “garbage bag”)
Heading into your start corral you want to stay as warm and dry as possible. The most affordable poncho you can get is a garbage bag (preferably unused) and cut out a hole for your head to poke through. I consider the holes for the arms optional as I like to keep my arms in to keep warmer. You get bonus points if you use a clear garbage bag because you can still show off your race day shirt and your bib is easy to see in order to enter the corrals.

A cap with a brim is your new best friend
Make sure you wear a cap made of technical wicking material to help keep your head nice and dry. A brim is an absolute must to keep the rain off of your face and eyewear. I like to wear a brightly coloured cap so that my adoring fans can find me much more easily amongst the throngs of runners.

Plan your run 10-15 feet ahead of yourself
Watch the ground ahead of yourself so that you can plan your racing route to avoid splashing through puddles. It really is not fun running in wet drenched socks and shoes (ugh… blisters). Looking a bit ahead of your immediate path allows you to more gradually course correct rather than trying to dodge around wet patches last minute and risk getting injured. You should also watch out for the painted parts of the road as these tend to be more slippery than bare ashphalt.

Don’t confuse wetness with hydration
A funny thing can happen as we run in the rain – when we’re wet, we can forget that we need to drink. A run in the rain is not much different from a run in dry weather when it comes to our hydration needs.

Pack a post-race fashion statement
At the end of the race, after you’ve stretched and gotten replenished, you’ll want to change into a dry set of clothes as soon as possible. A small gym towel would be really handy and it’s good to find out where you can change at or near the post-run area. Changing into a new set of clothes and shoes will help to reanimate your tired body into feeling human again and give you a fresh look to take post-run pictures in – don’t forget to keep your medal out on display!

So when it rains, it can pour, but despite a rainy weather forecast, I know that the tips above can help to keep away any dampened spirits and that us runners won’t let a few drops get in our way!

Anti-chafingly yours,

Andrew

Eric Gillis and the 20-80 rule

Karen Karnis

October 12, 2012

Last week, I had Eric Gillis as a guest speaker at my beginner running clinic* at The Running Works. As a full time runner who is also the father of a young daughter, works part time, and whose wife worked shifts up until recently, he was there to talk about fitting everything in.

Of course, that part of the conversation only lasted about five minutes, because let’s face it, unlike the clinic members, running isn’t the part he’s just “fitting in.” And really, we all just wanted to pummel him with questions about the Olympics.

But one thing he managed to get in before we changed the subject was totally worth the price of admission all by itself. It was a point on how to make sure your runs stay enjoyable, even when you don’t really feel like running.

He called it the 20-80 rule and it goes like this: he allows himself up to 20 percent negative thoughts, such as “I’m tired,” or “It’s windy,” and that’s it. The other 80 percent need to be positive thoughts.

While he didn’t really elaborate on how he does it, I have been thinking about it a lot – I think it’s a terrific rule, and I have used it repeatedly to pull myself out of a taper-funk.

Of course, I am not the kind of person who self-sabotages myself into bad runs** very often, because I don’t stay grumpy for long once I get running – kind of in the same way that I can’t stay mad at my cat for making a beeline to the carpet to throw up a fur ball once he starts purring and bonks my hand for a cuddle. However, it is still much more pleasant to start the run in a good mood. So if I am about to go over my 20 percent, I use good old reframing to bring it around.

For those of you not familiar with reframing, it simply involves looking at a thought objectively and considering it from another point of view. It doesn’t mean telling yourself you are wrong in many cases, just looking at it differently.

For example I have a notoriously hard time falling asleep at night – my brain just won’t stop talking to itself. But of course then I start fretting about how much – or how little – sleep I will get, and think things like “my run in the morning is going to suck on four hours sleep!” So I stop that thought in its tracks and remind myself that I am going to be tired in the morning no matter what, so I might as well be happy that I get to start the day with a run.

Try it:

It’s cold outside! …………………………I get to wear my favourite hoodie!

I hate that hill! …………………………..Hills make my butt look good in jeans!

I am frustrated and tired from work……………A run will help me burn off the frustration and rejuvenate my tired mind.

See, it’s not so hard! And if you can stick to Eric’s 20-80 rule, you might never talk yourself into a bad run ever again.

*Okay, so I actually had very little (okay, nothing!) to do with it…the owner, Andrew Catton, set it all up. I swear he knows everyone – and I mean everyone.

** Don’t get me wrong, I still have bad runs for a lot of other reasons, I just don’t talk myself into them all that much anymore.

Clinic — Gratuitous photo of my clinic with Eric Gillis!

Does Your Training Partner Meet The Criteria?

DBeach

October 12, 2012

We’re running hard, the air is crisp and smells of fall. My running pal and I are out for the second day in a row. Our plan is to go out and do 5 times 1 kilometer at faster than race pace. The sun is shining down now, it’s a beauty’ day. As our pace accelerates, my breathing gets heavier, this is a speed I have to concentrate on. I’m lost within a calming gait for our first kilometer. The road we are running is a picturesque vision of the season, accompanied by the old community of houses one each side that contrast the view perfectly. We continue back and forth on this stretch until we reach our 4th repetition. At this point, I’m tormented with fatigue. My legs are heavy, and I no longer have the energy to care about the charming view. We decide we’ll keep it to four reps instead of five, to keep our strength up for Scotiabank Waterfront 1/2 Marathon on Sunday. We hit the first 500 meters right on pace, and the last 500 meters, we empty the tank. It’s painful to grit the last portion out, but it’s over shortly. These are quality workouts, that I would have a tough time doing without a training partner.

As runner’s, most of us enjoy company every once in a while, or on every run. For some of us, it’s a friend, canine, running group, or family member. Until recently, I had dabbled in all of these categories. My wife would bike beside me, my dog would run with me , I would go to the local running shop and meet a group, or meet a few friends to run. Though until recently I never really had a training pal, I was primarily a solo runner. A good training pal is hard to find. So what makes it work?

1) Good conversation

2) Being flexible with each other’s schedules

3) Living close enough to train together (Helpful)

4) Same training paces

I think these are the main points. Good conversation being key, it doesn’t always have to be good, but you’ve got to enjoy running with the person and be able to share non-ackward chat, or a good laugh from time to time. Being flexible is always helpful as a good training partner, It’s difficult when someone isn’t willing to work with schedules. After all, life can get pretty busy. Living close to each other is great, not a pre-requisite, but certainly a helpful motivator. Same/similar training paces in my mind is a mandatory requirement. You never want to be held back, while looking to improve, or hold your training pal back for that matter. When you train around the same area, it helps you both achieve your goals, and get stronger.

What’s the payoff ?

This Sunday in Toronto, both my training pal and I will race the waterfront marathon. What’s exciting is being able to culminate all of our training, and tough workouts into the big event. I’m also excited, because I’ve never once in all of my races had someone to race with. This will certainly be a more competitive experience. I’m pumped to share that camaraderie through those tough points that can happen in any race.

Here’s to you and Rosie’, enjoy yourselves out there!

Going Bananas !!!

LGuchardi

October 9, 2012

Ok, before you get all worked up about this being yet another article about the health benefits of eating one of the world’s best tasting fruits…(especially when eaten with peanut butter) you can relax…I am just not that deep a thinker.

I am however going to use this space to muse and reflect on running, and as I look forward to this weekend and the Scotiabank Lakeshore Marathon, I realize that this is in fact my 27th marathon… yes, you read correctly my “27th marathon”…crazy.

I remember my first marathon…ah, the good old days, I was young and foolish (and much faster) back then, I was running 5k and 10k races with about 15 friends from work for charity, never thinking that I would someday enter and complete my first marathon… truth be told nobody in our little group did.

Then it happened, kind of like out of a movie. You know, the kind of “brothers in arms” movie, where there was lots of chest thumping and drinking around a table and then… well, then, it happened…

We had just finished a 5k, it was an evening race in June, we were on some patio drinking…um, I mean “carbo-loading” after the race… consuming a few “recovery beverages” … “recovery” was a crude science back then…but I digress…

Anyway, somebody, and I am not sure who…said “hey, let’s all run the marathon this fall”… well the gauntlet was thrown down on the table… (right beside our second pitcher if memory serves me correctly)…and then, well … then it happened… dead silence…

One by one, all my friends said “are you crazy”…”have you any idea how far that is”…”none of us has that kind of time to train”…”where is the fun in running that far”… and then, like a fool with too much to drink… emphasis on the word “LIKE” … I said, “I’m in”. At the end of the evening we had convinced a total of 3 brave souls to battle the asphalt on our quest to vanquish our first marathon.

The race was brutal, over 5 hours in the pouring rain and wind, none of us really trained enough, we were cold and wet and underdressed. We were miserable.

I remember the blisters and chaffing and limping along…and the arguing over who’s stupid idea this was in the first place…I remember there was a lot of swearing that day…swearing at each other, the weather, ourselves, and some poor soul who somehow ended up driving his car on the course right behind us.

But…we made a pact that we were all going to cross the line together… “do or die”…and the “die” part was looking quite plausible…

Then the finish line… the cheering and cowbells, the music and the ominous time-clock…reading 5:46:21… we did it…we finished…!!!

At the end of that race we made another pact…that we were NEVER GOING TO RUN ANOTHER MARATHON, EVER, DISCUSSION CLOSED… I even think we gave each other permission to beat “within an inch of their sorry live”, the person who ever suggests we run a marathon ever again.

So, what happened? Of the three of us, I am the only one who couldn’t stop running… Over the next 22 years, I was running at least one marathon a year… I was hooked… or certifiably crazy. Ok, maybe a little of “Column A … a little of Column B”…

I don’t to this day really know why I continue to run…I just do…
I do know that every race I learn something about myself, every race is a memorable test, every finish is an awesome achievement. I have met many wonderful people over the years and I have a wall full of medals. I am lucky and blessed, and above all else…I have no regrets about ever saying “I’m in”.

The Zone

Christa

October 8, 2012

Running and drinking share an ability to allow the participant to escape from reality.

I know many of you will agree with me when I say “the zone” is a real place for runners. It’s not just something we say to sound all cool and competitive, “hey I was really in the zone out there around the 10k mark…”. I have been in “the zone” and I love it. Everything becomes perfectly timed. Foot strikes, stride lengths and arm swings become effortlessly smooth. In the distance a runner’s singlet becomes the focal point that gets reeled in. I have been so preoccupied in “the zone”, during a race that another runner approaching me from behind caused me to startle because I didn’t hear him overtake me. I was annoyed after he passed me because I couldn’t recapture “the zone”. I wish I could bottle “the zone”. I would market it as having the ability to create order out of chaos, to quiet the noise and to bring the consumer a heightened ability to focus, all while feeling more confident and capable. “The zone” is just as much an escape from reality as “the mojito”.

When I drank, reality was put on hold as I found a different kind of “zone”. I made my own reality when the shot glasses were flying. I always thought everyone was having as much fun as me and that the sober people were the annoying ones. I assumed everyone loved the music as loud as I did and that my Grandma loved Metallica at Christmas dinner. I thought it was reasonable to save my Weight Watchers points throughout the day so I could drink them later on. “No thanks Grandma, no mashed potatoes tonight, just pass the wine, and turn up the Iron Maiden while you’re up”. I was upset to realize that a bottle of Keith’s would cost me 3 points compared to 2 points for a Coors Light…decisions, decisions. And how about the free flowing “I love you’s” and full contact hugs…apparently, not everyone is down with that kinda space invasion…it’s true, I have studied the photos from a sober perspective. Most of you, unlucky enough to be a target of my tequila induced amour, look really uncomfortable in that big bear hug; yeah…sorry about that. Lastly, but not nearly the least that I can go on about, my own slurred and blurred reality always involved me making some poor fool take dozens of drunken photos of my friends and I followed by me posting them on Facebook, thinking, in my skewed reality that they looked great.

These days, the running “zone”, is the only altered state of being that I indulge in. I am beginning to believe that sobriety will be a long term reality for me and that I can handle it and I don’t have to hide from it. My neighbors and my Grandma will say that I still won’t turn the volume down when Rush is playing. “Pass the veggies, Grandma and pump up the volume, while you are up”. Some things will never change.

Low Carb Training for Endurance

PoweredbyPeak

October 7, 2012

Ed McNeely – Peak Centre for Human Performance

As far back as the 1960’s research has shown that dietary carbohydrate can be a limiting factor in endurance activities. As a result many endurance athletes follow a high carb diet or a diet that is designed to match carbohydrate intake with carbohydrate output. This is based on the premise that the fuel needs of training sessions should be met with carbohydrate to prevent the oxidation of muscle tissue. While it makes a certain amount of theoretical sense there is no evidence from long term studies of trained people that high carbohydrate diets produce superior performance compared to low carbohydrate diets if similar amounts of energy are consumed.

Nutritional interventions can have a powerful effect on an athlete’s hormone profiles, recovery and training adaptations. There is a trend in true elite high performance sport to periodize nutritional programs to match the demands of the training year and the desired outcomes of the training program.

One of these interventions is to train for periods of time with reduced carbohydrate levels. Training with reduced carb levels has been shown to improve fat oxidation, enhance carb loading later, and increase the production of oxidative enzymes that are responsible for energy production in the aerobic system. In elite athletes low carb levels are usually obtained by scheduling a second training session of the day within two hours of the end of the first session. In this scenario even if the athlete does consume carbs in their post workout recovery drink they will not have time to fully replete between sessions, resulting in low muscle glycogen for the second training session.

It does take a couple of weeks of feeling a little tired and lethargic when trying a low carb training period, the results seem to worth the effort. Give it a try for a six week block and then switch back to a higher carb diet and see how it works. Make sure you keep track of your training and that for the first time that you do it over the winter, well away from race time.

___________________________________________________________

PEAK Centre staff have the highest certifications available in Canada for Sport Science. With their combined experience and education, PEAK Centre is at the forefront of practical Sport Science application.

Usain Bolt’s Soundtrack

DBeach

October 5, 2012

Well…it could be his soundtrack…maybe….it works great for me!

It’s Thanksgiving weekend in Canada! I figured all of that turkey and delicious food that accompanies it, will get you out running! I wanted to share my favorite speed tunes with you, lots of which I would never listen to outside of running. (Most of the time, it’s about the beat.) When these songs vibrate in my ears, I get my feet moving! If you’re hitting a fast workout/tempo workouts try some of these out; they’ll get you groovin’!

TOP 3 :

1.) The Pretender: Foo Fighters

2.) Billy Talent: This is How it Goes

3.) Goldfinger: Superman

Heavy Rock:

Stemm: Face the Pain

Puddle of Mudd: Famous

Billy Talent: Try Honestly

Linkin Park: Lying From You

Rage Against the Machine: Township Rebellion

Rage Against the Machine: Know Your Enemy

Disturbed: Inside the Fire

Rock:

Blink 182: Anthem Part Two

Millencolin: No Cigar

Millencolin: Penguins and Polar Bears

Sum 41: Hell Song

Foo Fighters: Everlong

Boston: Smokin’

Hip-Hop (Explicit Lyrics)

Kayne West: Stronger

Damian Marley: Confrontation

DMX: Intro

Eminem: Lose Yourself

The Roots: Web

Bad Meets Evil: Fastlane

Here’s to you and a tasty weekend! Enjoy!

The Thankful List

CBouwers

October 5, 2012

I’ve come to the conclusion that Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday. I wrote a post about it last year, here, you can get the low-down on all the reasons why I love this fall celebration.

Spoiler! It mostly has to do with food.

I love to eat and especially really good food. As I’m gearing up for the food fest this weekend, I’ve been giving some thought as to what I’m thankful for this year. I try to appreciate and be thankful for things on a daily basis, try to always see the up-side of things.

When I comprised my “Thankful” list, I realized that most of things I’m thankful for have to do with running. Most of my family is not that interested in my Running Thankful List, but I figured the good readers of this running blog would be!

So here goes.

I am thankful for…

A healthy heart and lungs that allow me to exercise on a (nearly) daily basis
Strong legs, ankles and feet that have never caused a sidelining injury (knock on wood)
Taking up a hobby that challenges my body, mind and spirit all at the same time
Having a steady income to allow me to indulge in the perks of the sport (I’m talking skirts here)
Meeting such supportive and inspirational people (real and online) that share my passion and pain
The support of my family and especially my husband for never rolling his eyes when I announce my latest goal
Discovering new streets, neighbourhoods, trails and parks right in my own backyard (and beyond)
The feeling that I will always ‘belong’ to something
Being a role model for my two girls, teaching them to just do the best they can, just for them
Having running friends that don’t mind a last minute run-call when I’m desperate to get out

I’m sure there are so much more. I will continue to be thankful as I head out this weekend (Oh, the long weekend run!) and enjoy some road and trail time…because I can.

Tell me, what are you thankful for? Anything to add to this Running Thankful List?

Talk to me here, or on Twitter @chasingks

Night time. When all the creepers come out…

EPanetta

October 5, 2012

Since I typically get home from work some time after 6, and since the days are getting shorter, I’ve taken to running in the dark.

I know my mother and grandmotherS wouldn’t approve, but I feel safe, I keep my music low, and I always run on busy, well-lit streets.

In fact, I actually love the adrenaline of rush of running under the night sky; I find I run faster and I’m more alert.

But there are definitely negative aspects and I’ve encountered so may as of late, that I thought they were “running blog idol post-worthy”

In my last few night runs, I’ve encountered 1 or all of the following:

Creepy men yelling out the window: even if you’re yelling flattering comments, yelling of any nature (or honking) or even staring at a runner is tacky and gross…
Racoons climbing up trees: I’m not an animal personal and any kind of nocturnal creature freaks me the heck out.
Skunk-smell: if you can smell them then you know they can’t be too far away. I’ll be totally surprised if I make it through the fall running season without getting sprayed.
An egg flying out of a car window, directed at my head: something about having ANYTHING thrown at me makes me want to cry.
BATS: mice with wings, YIKES!

Actually, now that I think about it, it’s not wonder I run faster and I’m more alert at night!!! It’s like the fight or flight phenomenon!!

Anyways, enjoy your night runs, be safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

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