I’ve been putting off writing this blog post because it’s likely my last one as an iRun Runner Makeover participant.

The program is drawing to an end and with the release of the July issue of the magazine, I will be set back out into the wild, on my own, like the proverbial displaced prairie runner that I am.

Maybe if I waited another 6 months to write this post I would maintain my access to coach Tania Jones, nutritionist Lauren Jawno, receive more Adidas gear and live off the encouragement of the iRun Magazine team… but I don’t think that is how it works. So, here I go.

We Makeover-ees were asked a few questions that the editors thought you blog reading folks would like answered:

What have you given up in order to get your runs in?

Like anyone with a hobby, a life and a day job, I mostly gave up sleep. In the dead of the Edmonton winter I was getting up at 5:15am to be at the Kinsmen Sport Centre and on the track by 6:00am. I often did my resistance training at lunch or in the evening at home so I didn’t have to sacrifice any fun “real life” activities… though I often was in bed (or asleep on the couch) by 10pm.

What was the payoff?

Well, obviously – the free stuff! Not to be crass, but who doesn’t love free stuff? And Adidas was very generous with their shoes, socks, shirts, shorts, pants,  jackets and electronics.

The speed! When we started this process I remember saying to Tania “my comfy speed is around 5:30/km”. Yesterday, during my Long Slow Distance run, I had trouble keeping myself slower than 5:00/km. That’s 30 seconds per km faster at a comfortable rate of exertion – WHAT!?!

The food! I have always considered myself to be a healthy-ish eater (even when not following my own best advice) but I now feel like I have enough knowledge to maintain and sustain my own sustenance  as my training increases towards my personal autumn marathon BQ goal.

What things made it easier?

Knowing that Tania and Lucy were scrutinizing my workouts gave me that extra kick-in-the-butt that everyone needs on a minus 30 degree morning at 5:15am (Adidas miCoach reports are displayed online for coaches to peruse). Also knowing that Goalspeed, Lauren, Adidas and iRun were devoting time, energy and gear toward making me a better runner added some internal pressure that made it easier for me to roll out of bed and hit the track with tutto gusto.

Oddly enough, this blog kept me going too. The idea that anyone might be following it (hi mom) made me want to kick some serious butt. The last thing I wanted was for some reader to think “Who is this joker? I deserve a makeover more than him.” And maybe you do… but I still gave it 110% every day!

What were the challenges?

I think my biggest challenge (and by no means do I think I am alone in this one) was/is faith in myself. Whether it is fear of injuring myself (or “busting a gut”) or just plain disbelief in my own speediness, I don’t know. Probably both. What I do know is that it is certainly the biggest hurdle that I have yet to clear.

Has your view of running changed from this point forward?

When I was looking for some advice before a race in April, I wrote to Tania and explained my usual approach to racing:

“Go out easy, take it easy, maybe slow down a bit, take a gel, pick it up a little… nope, take it easy, 20km to go?! What!?! = Take it easier… walk… cry… drink beer.”

She responded by giving me her approach:

“Go out strong, pick it up, drive hard, refocus in the middle, gut out some strong kms, take gel, only 5 km to = giv’r, kick it all the way to the finish!”

I am much more on her side now. Need I say more?

In closing

Well, I guess that is that. It’s been amazing, everybody. Thank you, thank you, thank you – to one and all.

If you enjoyed following my journey, keep in touch. I’m on Facebook and Twitter and I have a website of my own – come by and visit. We’ll go for a run… or a snack.

Oh yeah! I am planning to run the Disney World “Goofy” in January with Team in Training. Drop me a note if you are Goofy too and I will hook you up!

I’ll leave you with a line from one of my favourite Kris Demeanor songs that seems apropos:

“Yes, I’m happy. Yes, I’ve changed. Yes, I’m happily changed. It’s all eggs in the bank or a basket, some of them broken, others rearranged.”

It’s been almost three weeks since the Ottawa marathon and I am still thoroughly disenchanted with running. I realize that this isn’t exactly something one should profess to those reading a running magazine, but there you have it.

First of all, there is no desire to run. Secondly, when I do run, my knee hurts (IT stiffness I suspect). Thirdly, well, there’s no thirdly. Those two things have kept me and my running shoes apart.

The first week was fine, I had no desire to do anything but lay around. I was happily exhausted post-marathon and plus I ended up getting a head cold. All the more reason to do anything other than run!

The second week (last week), I made an attempt. I went out for a frustrating and unsatisfying jog Sunday morning. I swam 1000 metres on Monday, my run clinic started so I went for a quick 3k with the more beginner group, I even managed to get out on my bike. I just… wasn’t feeling any of it.

I thought about buying more sessions with my personal trainer, but his forte is training athletes for a specific event. I spent the whole winter “training” that I decided I needed a break. And that’s when things kind of changed. I downloaded a new yoga video by Jillian Michaels and got my butt soundly whopped. I went for an awesome 18k bike ride in the sunshine. And then! I did something completely out of the realm of normalcy and dropped in on an aerial yoga class. Once I realized that I didn’t want to be Goal Focused this summer, I was kind of able to let go of the pressure I was putting on myself.

So, if you’re like me, a runner whose cross-training days may include a couple biceps curls but little else, and you’re stuck in the monotony of running – Never fear!

There’s a whole world of possibilities out there!

How many times while first learning the Chi Running technique have you tried to sense a certain part of your body (for example) to “ensure your lower legs are relaxed” or “ensure your center is in front of your ankles” and you thought to yourself “I can’t sense that”? This can be quite frustrating at first but rest assured this is quite normal if you are new to Chi Running and it gets easier with practice.

Chi Running is not based on muscle usage, instead its based on mental focus and technique. You use your mind to setup your body in a certain way and forward movement happens. You run totally from within both monitoring and controlling what your body is doing based on technique and positioning. For example, one of the biggest mental focuses is on relaxing all the parts of the body except for the lower abdominals to align your pelvis and engage your core.

When you Chi Run you are an associative runner. Your thoughts are totally focused on your running rather than dissociative, where you use techniques to distract your thoughts from running like listening to music on a portable MP3 player. Think of your mind as the microcomputer in a car engine that constantly monitors and controls the operation of the engine to ensure maximum performance and efficiency.

Does this sound scary to you? Don’t worry, a focused mind is actually more relaxed than an unfocused mind. Also keeping your mind busy thinking about your technique is a way to control it from fixating on destructive negative thoughts like how much farther you still have to go, how tired you may be or how hard the run is. The mind is a tool – if controlled and used properly it is an asset – If uncontrolled and allowed to think what it wants it can be a liability.

Body sensing is an essential skill for Chi Running. Body sensing is the ability for you to sense what is happening in different parts of your body. You use your mind to listen to a specific part of your body, determine how it is behaving, you make a change (if required) and then you listen again to see if the change was properly incorporated. You repeat this process repeatably when you Chi Run for the essential parts of your body.

An example of the use of body sensing is trying to relax the muscles in your lower legs. First you use your mind to sense the muscles in your lower legs separate from the rest of your body. If you sense any tension, you use your mind to send a message to the muscles in your lower legs to relax more. After you send the message you use your mind to listen again to see if the tension was properly released.

Learning how to body sense is new for most of us and takes time. But the more you practice it, the quicker you learn it. The best time to practice it is while you are not running. When sitting at your desk or on the couch or standing in line somewhere try sensing a certain part of your body and what is happening. For instance, sense if your calves are relaxed. To know what it feels like to do it right – know what it feels like to do it wrong. For example, completely tense your calves and sense what that feels like. Then try to completely relax them and feel the difference.

When you do develop the ability to body sense you are now your own best coach. You can sense if something is working or not in your body and you can affect changes in that area until you sense they resulted in positive change.

Practice body sensing whenever you can. Its a fantastic tool for all sports and other aspects of your life, not just Chi Running!

Two weeks after his goal race, Brock set yet another 10K personal best in Ottawa; the next day, Aleks ran her goal race.  And we got it all on video!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSuuzJx9EJ0

By: Gwen Leron

For most serious runners, setting a goal to run one marathon a year, training for it and completing it is a huge accomplishment. But for Ian Cockburn of Toronto, completing four marathons in 28 days (Mississauga, Waterloo, Whitby and Ottawa) was a goal he set for himself, and happily, he successfully accomplished it.

So, why would a runner set such an immense goal for himself? “For me, it wasn’t about bragging rights, it was simply a challenge that I set for myself” says Cockburn. “I like to stay active and I love running”.

Running has always been Cockburn’s sport. He ran cross country during high school, but when he started university, his focus shifted from athletics to academics. Once he completed his studies, he wanted to become active once again so he joined a men’s ball hockey league where he found that he struggled to keep up the level of fitness that he was once used to. So in 2005, his wife suggested that he join a 5K clinic at The Running Room. He completed the 5K clinic and quickly progressed through all of the other program offerings. “When you run with other people, you gain inspiration,” says Cockburn. This inspired him to train for his first marathon in 2006.

So how did he get through four races in 28 days? “I set no goal time, my only goal was to do four (races) in five weeks and whatever the race day presented, I took it.”

His first race was the Waterloo Marathon and his strategy was to just run at a controlled pace and it seems as if that strategy worked because he finished in 4:08:45. His second race was Mississauga and of the four, this one was his hardest. “I hit a wall at 19K but pushed through, ran my fastest and felt great at the 35 – 42K mark,” he said. He finished Mississauga in 4:04:45. Whitby was next: “My strategy for Whitby was to not hold back as much, because I knew in the back of my head that Ottawa was next.” Whitby was conquered in 4:04:16. Then came Ottawa which ended up being his fastest race with a finish time of 3:57:57.

Cockburn is part of an online running club called the “Marathon Maniacs” The group ranks themselves in nine different levels. To move up in the ranks, you must meet specific criteria. By completing the four marathons in 28 days, Cockburn was able to move up to Gold status.

When it comes to his gear, Mizuno Wave Elixir 6’s are his chosen shoes: “I love these shoes. They are lightweight, and I’d definitely buy another pair when the time comes”.

What is the next big goal Cockburn has set for himself? He plans on setting a PB (sub 3:44) in the Scotiabank Waterfront marathon which takes place on October 16. Good luck Ian!

We want to talk about triathlons, and we want YOU, the members of iRunNation, to share your comments, questions and advice here at iRun.ca!

Do you “tri?” Runners who are thinking about trying triathlons could benefit from your experience, so please share liberally in the comments below, or send us an email with your beginner triathlon advice by clicking here.

Are you “tri-curious?”  Don’t know where to start? Submit your questions in the comments below, or submit via email by clicking here.

To get started, pick up a copy of the June issue of iRun Magazine, where you’ll find more information on triathlons and the 2011 Subaru Triathlon Series!