With race weekend just over a month away (gorp!) and my mileage starting to ramp up in earnest, I’ve been trying to squash the temptation to set a totally unrealistic time goal on what should just be a feel-good, half-marathon-distance romp – a celebration of the fact that I can cover 21.1k in running shoes less than 5 months after having a baby. (And let’s face it, since it’s a precious window of time where I won’t have to change a diaper, rock anyone to sleep, or – hopefully – get puked on, I should probably be aiming to drag it out as long as possible.) But sadly, that’s not the way I roll.

The question becomes, then, how to set a motivational-yet-realistic goal when I’m 1000% certain that I’m not going to be back in prime racing form by race day. “Prime racing form,” as defined by my pre-baby personal best, is a 1:42 half-marathon, though I considered anything in the 1:40’s to be a strong racing effort. These times were typically run during peak marathon training, though, when I was about ten pounds lighter and logging nearly double the mileage I am now – approx 70-80k a week, vs, the 35-40k of the present day. Oh, and those training miles were WAY faster.

To re-work my expectations in an appropriate way, I’m starting from the place of knowing that WHATEVER time I run on May 30th will be what my friend Tori terms a PPPB – a Post Partum Personal Best. I love the notion of the PPPB because it acknowledges how much our physical and emotional lives have been transformed by having a baby, and how any race effort thereafter is an unquestionable personal best. If I show up at the start line, I get a PB. And given how little sleep I’ve been getting lately, it will no doubt be one of the hardest fought PBs of my life.

That said, I always like to have some sort of number in mind. So, in order to make things interesting, I fed my 5k time from when I was 6 months pregnant (26:55) into the McMillan Calculator, and it’s given me a projected half-marathon time of 2:04:25. I figure as long as I can run faster than I did heading into my third trimester of preggo-ness, I’m doing alright. And if it takes me longer – well, you’ll know I decided to take the scenic route in order to dodge one more diaper change.

Anyone who has ever endured the mean, cold and dark streets of Edmonton in the middle of January likely knows a thing or two about what it takes to survive. With sheets of invisible black ice, dry air that hits the lungs like sheets of sandpaper, and blistering winds that can reach up to 20-plus kilometers an hour it takes a brave soul to venture outside.

Okay, so perhaps there is a touch of exaggeration in those opening statements. Truthfully, the streets of Edmonton aren’t that mean and between the hours of 8 a.m. and approximately 4:30 p.m. from November to March it isn’t exactly dark out – though it is a good day if the sun is shining. And as for cold, well I suppose in January the more accurate term would be “freezing.”

So who in their right mind would go outside under such severe temperatures if they didn’t need to, and for what possible reason? Runners of course! Who else is devoted enough, passionate enough and crazy enough to hold the opinion that a little bit of sleet, snow and ice shouldn’t keep them from honing their craft?

Darren Deveau, a 36-year-old who stumbled into his love of running two years ago, remarks with a quick wit and sarcastic humour about where his own drive to run in the winter comes from.

“I don’t do a lot of other sports and I dislike the treadmill. With the exception of getting fat, I am not sure what I would do if I didn’t run in the winter.”

While Deveau cracks jokes about his dedication to the sport, he also makes humble mention of his accomplishments. Deveau has lost forty-five pounds, finished fifth in his age group in one of Canada’s 5Peaks trail races, and completed three half marathons and one marathon.

Deveau is not the only Edmontonian with some exceptional gusto for the sport. The running community in Edmonton – or Alberta for that matter – is home to some of the most dedicated runners out there.

“I love winter running,” said Allison Stewart, 41. “I love that the air is so crisp and clean. I love that I’m not dripping in sweat or having my energy sapped by the heat. I love that my average pace is about eight seconds faster per kilometer in the winter. I love how beautiful the trails are when the trees are covered in frost. I love how the stars seem more brilliant on winter nights.”

Stewart’s affection for winter running might be unmatched, but in a city that has eight long months of winter and a mere four short months of summer, if Edmontonians didn’t learn to love (or at least tolerate) winter running, they wouldn’t have a whole lot of time left to train for race season. Fair assumption, right?

Think again. Edmonton’s running community seems to be unique in more ways than one. For instance, Edmonton’s Marathon Weekend is held at the end of August every year, unlike Vancouver, Ottawa, and Halifax, whose marathon weekends are in May.

While he can’t say for sure, Brian Torrance, the race’s elite athlete coordinator, believes the race’s date originally had more to do with trying to coordinate with other major events, such as the World Masters Games and the World Commonwealth Games, than trying to schedule around Edmonton’s drawn-out winters.

Indeed, the cold is but a mere afterthought for this northern city. Torrance believes that the race’s timing has more to do with celebrating Edmonton’s summer months and vast river valley then avoiding the threat of winter.

“Having the marathon in August is perfect, as it allows for a full summer of training,” said Torrance, remarking on Edmonton’s beautiful and long summer nights as ideal training times. “I would also rank the Edmonton river valley among the most beautiful trails in the world. They are endless and allow a training marathoner to get lost in their miles.”

Torrance describes Edmonton’s marathon as “first class”, and as one of Canada’s biggest second tier marathon events – with an overall yearly attendance of 3,500 – it appears he is not alone in this statement. Though, for runners like Deveau and Stewart, their dedication has less to do with sticking to a training regime and more to do with a lifestyle.

Both Deveau and Stewart agree that a deep love of running is where they find their strength to run year-round and soldier on through even the harshest winter months, and they have been rewarded for their dedication.

“Winter running has definitely increased my self-discipline.” said Stewart, “Having made myself run through an entire winter, including some days [this year] when Edmonton was the coldest place on earth except for Siberia, I find it easier to get out there on those tough days. I tell myself: ‘You ran when it was freakin’ cold out, you can do this too!’”

While it is true that not all Edmontonians are as brave or tolerant of the cold, opting to run the winter months away on the “dreadmill” or an indoor track, Deveau likes to point out that winter running “really isn’t that bad” with the proper gear. He strongly advises anyone thinking about trying winter running to wear a wind-blocking layer, adding quite eloquently: “To keep the wind off my nether regions. In my book there is no worse pain than the pain from a frozen junk.”

I can’t help but wonder though, if Albertan Westerners are conquering snow drifts and blistering winds by protecting their junks, how are the British Columbian Westerners defeating the puddles and rain storms? Rubber boots?

Whatever the case, don’t let it stop you from reveling in your runs, long or short, for training or fun.

In Life & Running,

Christina Weichel

“The Road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can, pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say.”  J.R.R. Tolkien

GRANT: Wow.

VICKY: Wow.

GRANT: That is the elevation profile for the Leadville 100 Trail Ultramarathon.

VICKY: This is what the Tarahumara and Ann Trason ran. It’s to put some kind of visual to what is described in the book Born to Run.

GRANT: And of course at the end of that map they turned around and came back again.  Brutal.

VICKY: This is the kind of thing that mere mortals like ourselves just look at and marvel.  Afterall it’s one thing to run 100 miles (161 kilometers), but it’s another thing to do it up and down a mountain.

GRANT: Tell me about it.  On Tuesday I ran 7 K up and down the Gatineau Hills and it killed me.  My body aches all over.  It’s nothing like a leisurely long run on flat surface. This reminds me, what did you think about Leadville?

VICKY: I think the spirit of Leadville is captured by the quote from founder Ken Chlouber: “You’re better than you think you are and you can do more than you think you can!”.  Leadville has an amazing history to it that is explained quite well in the book.  It was basically a hard on it’s luck town before the trail race (and related races) brought increased attention and tourism to the area.

GRANT: And those related races are not all about running. Some are cycling races and one in particular is about to take the increased attention to a whole other level!

VICKY: Why is that?

GRANT: Well, Lance Armstong has been racing for the last couple of years at the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race (a route which roughly mirrors the ultramarathon).  In 2008, Lance finished second behind 6 time winner  and MTB legend David Wiens.  Last August, 38 years old and fresh from an amazing 3rd place finish in the Tour de France Lance came back to try again.  They’ve made a documentary about it called Race Across the Sky.  It is getting rave reviews, not just for it’s telling of the Wiens-Armstrong duel, but for a great collection of human interest stories associated with other racers.  It hit DVD shelves last week.  Check out the trailer…

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUol4meP9H4

VICKY: Over the next couple of weeks we are going to be featuring profiles and stories from some of the World’s greatest ultramarathons including legendary races like Badwater, Comrades and the Canadian Death Race.

GRANT: So stay tuned!

I used to be big into training schedules. I would compare and debate the merits of Higdon vs. FIRST, Galloway vs. Pfitzinger, scouring each for the perfect alchemy of timing, time, pace, frequency, intensity and distance that would transform me into an flawlessly-conditioned racing machine. Would doing an easy run on Saturday before my long run Sunday (as per Higdon) help me by training me to run on tired legs, or hinder me by sapping the energy from such a key workout? Would ramping up my long run to race pace at the end (as per Pfitzinger) get me primed for race day, or burn me out before I toed the startline? How many days of running per week (a mere 3 for FIRST;  5-6 for the rest) were optimal for building endurance, but also allowing recovery? I asked and re-asked these questions over the course of training for six marathons and countless halfs in the span of four years. While I never settled on one plan that was an ideal fit, I was a firm believer that each was, for the right runner, a precise and foolproof recipe for success. And to train *without* such a schedule was to be without a safety net – to be ridiculously under-prepared for an endurance test that can’t be faked.

Then, baby Alexandra arrived, and precise training schedules were replaced by demand feedings, erratic sleeping, and a newfound fixation with diaper absorbency that has by far outstripped my old obsession with moisture-wicking running clothes. How, exactly, was I going to manage to follow a training schedule when I couldn’t predict what the next 15 minutes would hold, let alone the entire day or week? In the wise words of my training partner Sylvie, a multiple marathoner and mom of two, the new mom’s training schedule can only consist of “running whenever you can, sleeping whenever you must, and accepting that you will just always, always feel tired.”

And so it has been. I’ve ditched a tidy training calendar and its comfortingly boxed workouts to be crossed off week by week; instead, I’m training for the Ottawa Half-Marathon according to the following guidelines (since calling it a “schedule” is just too much of a stretch):

Run at least three times a week; although sometimes it’s more, sometimes it’s less.

Don’t let more than two days pile up between running days; although sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t.

When you have a chance to run…RUN! Even if it’s the day after a tough long run, or an especially sleepless night. If I waited for an ideal opportunity to get out the door, I just wouldn’t. Ever. Even to pick up the newspaper.

Give each run each week a purpose – short and zippy, long and easy, I try to change it up each time I go out in the vain hope that a bit of variety is at least sort of like having a training schedule.

Everything counts. I used to think anything under 5k wasn’t worth it; now I secretly count a brisk jog across the street to catch a traffic light towards my total weekly mileage.

No matter how many other runs I miss that week, the long run is sacred. And yes, there are weeks where the long run has been my only run.

Am I out of my comfort zone by taking such a relatively-unstructured approach to training? You betcha. But I also feel oddly liberated, like I’m truly setting my own course for the first time – one that fits me as both a runner, and a mother.

Hello iRun world – hope everyone’s training is going well!  Now that we’re getting into that last training push for our Spring races, it’s certainly time to start thinking about when to replace our running shoes.  How long should I keep my shoes?  How far in advance of the race should I replace my shoes?  Should I wear racing flats for my race?  These are a few questions I’ll try to cover in this blog.

How long should I keep my shoes?  All kinds of guidelines out there, but it is generally recommended to change shoes every 600 – 800km or 6-8 months.  I find that this is generally pretty accurate, but an even better guide is often how your knees, shins and feet are feeling.  If it’s been around 6-8 months or 600-800km and you’re a little more sore than normal, probably a good time to change shoes (a good little tip to keep track of the age of your shoes is to write the purchase date in permanent marker on the midsole of the shoe).  If in doubt, go try a new pair on.  Amazing how worn out your old shoes can feel when compared to something new.

How far in advance of the race should I change my shoes?  Rule number one (for many things -not just shoes) is ‘nothing new on race day’!  If you are switching into the exact same shoe, two weeks prior to the race should give you at least 3-6 runs to adapt to the new pair.  If switching into something different (even if it’s a newer version of the same shoe), try to give yourself about a month in the new shoes prior to the race.  This way, you’ll have one or two long runs in the new shoes to make sure that there will be no surprises on race day (blisters etc.).  As tempting as it can be to switch into a fancy new shoe from the race expo the day before the race (especially if they are a great deal!), it is rarely worth the risk.   I would also say the same for clothing – nothing worse than finding out that new shirt that you’ve been saving for race day has a nice logo that causes 42km of chafing!

Should I wear racing flats for the race?  Same as above in that you definitely don’t want to be trying anything new on race day.  If you’ve been using racing flats for training and are confident that they can get you through your race distance, than they certainly can save a few seconds.  That being said, saving a few seconds is certainly not worth losing minutes due to injury! 

Good luck at your races!

Ryan