Someone Missing

Most of the time I don’t give the lack of street lighting where I live a second thought. By now I have become very accustomed to navigating the dark roads…in my car.  But I also know what wildlife roams out there, so on a morning when I am just itching to get my run started, I sit patiently with my coffee cup in hand waiting for the sun to rise.

I have to say that this morning’s sunrise was spectacular, the pink and orange sky peaking over the treetops reflecting off the thick frost on the lawn, it had me standing at attention.

Bundled up like a stylishly dressed snowman I hit the pavement for my 10km loop. Oh what a polar opposite from my treadmill run last Saturday.  The air was fresh and crisp, the streets were quiet and I felt fantastic.

The only thing that was missing was my running husband and neighbour, Chris.  Chris has been off for the last few months nursing a foot injury and my early morning weekend runs just aren’t the same without him.  I have to sing by myself; there is nobody to carry the tune or do the guitar parts.  I don’t have to slow down every so often to get my bladder in check because he is making me laugh so hard that I have to pee.  I miss how we like to speak in accents, him calling me fatty, our chants and most of all our colourful and highly inappropriate conversations.

Chris if you are reading, please hurry up and heal, it’s time to run like hell again.

The Deadmill

When I hear someone say that they got their homework run or did their long run on the treadmill I cringe.  Being a Pacific Northwest runner I run in pretty much anything; I have to.  I honestly can’t remember the last time that I ran on a treadmill, for me it is a last, and I mean a last resort.  But we all know that desperate times call for desperate measures and my only option on Saturday morning was a hotel deadmill.  I guess I could have sacrificed my only two-hour ball free window of Seattle shopping for a daylight run…I don’t think so.

Before we left I checked the hotel website to find out exactly what amenities their fitness centre had, the picture showed a brightly lit room with an elliptical trainer, two treadmills, a stationary bike and a small stack of hand weights.

Minus the mirrors, that’s pretty much how it looked when I entered the room.

It was a tough choice, but I picked the treadmill next to the elliptical.   I fumbled around with the settings and found a ‘loop around the lake’ workout; I guess that would be as close as I could get to going outside, so I hit the start button on the machine and shuffle button on my nano.  Being the good Canadian kid that I am, I run in kilometers not miles, and at 6:45am my math skills weren’t quite as sharp as they could have been, so selecting a running speed took a bit of trial and error.

It wasn’t long before I was joined by another deadmiller.  I felt a little embarrassed because I had already started to break a sweat so the garlic and spices from my previous night’s dinner at PF Changs would be emanating from my pores and would surely have engulfed the tiny room by now.  I smiled sheepishly at her.

Seems that my new workout friend had used these machines before and they have a built in TV, hmm.  I really didn’t want to watch TV, but I was kind of bored staring at the blank wall in front of me, so I investigated further and yes, mine also had a TV.  I played with the channels but found that listening to my music and reading the closed captioning on the food network was just too much, I also felt ridiculous that I was watching TV while I was running (although a great marketing ploy to turn couch potatoes into treadmill potatoes).

I was done at 40 minutes, not out of energy, but just done.   I guess I am used to taking in the scenery and letting my thoughts wander.  I found that there was just too much to think about that I didn’t want to think about while running on the treadmill; my gait wasn’t my own, my shins were starting to bother me and there was no airflow, I could smell me, gross.

I hear a lot from people that they hate running, and now I think that I finally know why.  GET OFF THE TREADMILL AND GET OUTSIDE, you will never go back, unless of course it is the only option for you to get your run in and be able to run wild in South Centre Mall.

Running Tips for the Approaching Race Season

Article post: 5km tours

As the weather begins to break and race season approaches, it’s time to make that transition from the treadmill back to outdoor training.  Whether you’re training for a 5K, Half Marathon, or Marathon, being prepared for the training season will help you get off to a smooth start.  Following you will find a few excellent running tips from our expert contributor on what to do to prepare for the longer runs ahead.

Running Tips for Getting Out of the Gym and Onto the Pavement

Keep your gym shoes for the gym and invest in a professionally fit pair of running shoes.

Start the running season off with a fresh start and keep track of your miles, runners should be good for 3-6 months depending on your stature and running frequency. Many hip, knee and ankle issues can be resolved with new runners and by keeping your shoes sport specific will give them a longer life.

Start off slow.

The transition from treadmill to road is not always seamless. The road does not move, and your body will need to adjust to that. When you are ready to add mileage do so by adding no more than 10% a week to your long run. Remember that a run should consist of 2-3 short runs where you can work on speed, hills and tempo and 1 long run where you accumulate time and distance.

Just because it is nice outside, don’t forget to cross train.

As a runner there are many benefits to cross training which include; improvement of cardiovascular fitness, helping maintain muscle balance and reducing the chance of injury. Try a non impact form of cardio cross training such as taking a spin class or pool running, strength train your entire body, core train and don’t forget to stretch, stretch, stretch.

Celebrate the nice weather and freshen up your running attire.

Buy a new running top and new socks. Don’t forget to replace your sunscreen and update your running playlist!

Keri Cawthorne, Owner, Iron Mountain Movement

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Another Memorable Run

Ask most runners and they will tell you that running on the dykes of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows feels like punishment.  It isn’t really, honest.   From a training point of view it does have a purpose believe it or not, and it is for recovery.  And the dykes are fla-a-t.  I think that there may only be a 16 meter elevation gain/loss over the entire 21km and that is only if you decide to split off the trail for 30 seconds, so for all intents and purposes it could be a pancake flat 21km.

So what they are flat, BFD, but the dykes are also exposed.  Any element, I mean any, sun, rain, wind and you feel it times 100 out there. So when the rain and wind woke me early this morning I wanted to curl up into the fetal position and cry.

I would like to give huge kudos to the ½ Marathon and Intermediate running group that slogged some serious miles in the sideways rain, puddles and all around miserableness this morning.  Really, I wouldn’t have blamed you at all if you had hit the snooze button instead.  I wish that I had pictures for you but I was a bit concerned that my phone would become completely water logged (again) and my hands were just too cold and numb so you are just going to have to take my word for it.

Reclaiming My Trail

When something significant happens in your life, where you were and what you were doing is etched in your mind forever. I am also like that with issues pertaining to running.

I can tell you the exact rock that I stepped on last Thanksgiving when I rolled my ankle, the root that I tripped over and had my epic superman recovery, I could never forget Conny’s near death experience bridge or the exact location where I knew that my Seattle marathon training was over. And each time I pass said spot, I can’t help but acknowledge it, even if it’s only in my mind.

My most recent place of injury is different. It is a particularly lovely section of trail, with a spectacular view, a place that I want to continue to enjoy without the reminder of the incident.

So this morning I returned to the scene. I took a moment, had a few words with it and then reclaimed my trail.

Cold Legs, Warm Hands, Big Heart

This weekend’s road trip to Penticton could not have been more perfectly timed. You know when you just need to get away?

I always say that the best way to see a new city is to go for a run and on Saturday morning that is what I did. I also needed to log 100 minutes on the road for my upcoming ½ marathon and after the debauchery of last week’s run, the thought of pounding the pavement for 17 or so km’s, just me and my nano, made me giddy!

There is something so peaceful in an early morning run; first light, the world still sleeping, and knowing that once you are done you still have the whole day ahead of you. As I left my dark room, my fam still tucked away in their beds, my peaceful-easy mindset was hit with sub zero temperatures as I opened the front door. HOLY CRAP IT WAS COLD! I had checked the weather before I had left, low of 0, high of 7, I packed shorts, what was I thinking?

Sometimes I do things just because I can (even more so if you tell me I can’t), it’s part of my charm. And although my warm bed was calling me back, Flo-rida and his good feeling were beckoning me out into the cold. I had my gloves so at least my hands would be warm, it really wasn’t much of a decision, I followed the music.

I ran from Okanagan Lake to Skaha Lake and back again, added a little out and back along the lakefront and it was fantastic. By the time I returned to the hotel, my legs had gone from pink to red, my face was so cold that I had that fresh from the dentist feeling…the one after you have a filling and your mouth is frozen and you drool when you talk. I’m not sure if a non-runner would get this, but this is one of the many reasons why I run, just because I can.

The rest of the weekend was equally fantastic, great hockey, fine Okanagan wine and good food, just what the doctor ordered.

About Last Night: The Vancouver Running Symposium – Traditional Shoes vs. Minimalist Shoes

Chances are that by now you have come across someone wearing those ‘crazy looking’ toe shoes either at the gym, a fitness event or even at the Golden Globes. And in the running community, the topic of minimalist shoes (a shoe that imitates the feeling of running barefoot) versus traditional shoes has become the source of much debate. I may get raked across the coals by some of my peers for this over-simplified analogy, but it’s kinda like the iphone-Blackberry battle in the cell phone world.

Now I’m a Blackberry girl, I have been for the past eight years, but I do use Mac and have an ipod Nano. I like both brands (this would be where Conny would ‘cough-whore’ me), but certain products have features that I prefer over the other, and they work well in my life. So although I do wear traditional running shoes, I am naturally curious about the minimalist movement.

To find out more on the subject, last night I attended the Vancouver Running Symposium – Traditional Shoes vs. Minimalist Shoes with Conny, Soraiya and two hundred other running geeks.

We arrived early, saved our seats and headed for a quick bite to eat. The event was held at the Hotel Vancouver, so I was instantly a fan. Really, how often do you get to start a running symposium evening off in your favourite hotel lobby bar? No lemondrops were consumed on this excursion, but we did run into our friend Kim.

The event started promptly at 7:00pm with a brief introduction and then a 5-minute (and it was timed) presentation from each of the panel experts (each with his own set of very impressive credentials) on where they stood on the role of traditional footwear versus minimalist footwear in helping running performance and preventing injury.

A short break then took place where you could check out many of the sponsor minimalist products (those awful looking vibrams come in pink), grab a glass of water and popcorn (I never did find out where the popcorn was coming from). We then returned to our seats where three questions were posed to the panel (not exact wording)

1. What type of runner would you prescribe for a recreational runner?
2. What is the goal of footwear in injury prevention?
3. What orientation should shoe designers take in the next five years?

What ensued was a very educational and entertaining (if you like running geek humor) debate.

Here’s what I got out of it:

• A few stats: 80% of runners are heel/toe runners, 20% of runners are forefoot runners and there has been a 59% increase in runners from 2001-2009.
• Research shows the benefit in the use of minimalist shoes over traditional shoes when rehabbing many injuries including acute ankle sprains and plantar fasciitis.
• If you are thinking of making the switch from traditional shoes to minimalist, go slow, don’t expect to change shoes overnight and be able to do your regular training volume. If you are not already a forefoot runner (and 80% of us are not) your body and your running gait will need to adapt. Consider your goals before making the switch.
• When it comes to re-training your gait, get some advice from a professional, youtube can’t teach you everything (ok, I already knew that, but there are many who don’t). Don’t forget about your entire body, form, core, as well hip, ankle and foot mobility.
• Most injuries come from too much too soon or an old injury that was not properly rehabbed and has come back, I repeat most injuries come from too much too soon or an old injury that was not properly rehabbed and has come back.
• Shoes are an element of a good training plan.
• Each shoe manufacturer has their own variation of a minimalist shoe, some are more minimal than others, do your market research.
• Consistent variability – vary terrain, pace, grade, planes, movement and shoes.
• And just like in the iphone-Blackberry scenario, new developments in technology occur rapidly, the shoes you buy today will most likely be outdated in three months!

Will I be making the switch anytime soon? Here’s the interesting part, if you had asked me before Thursday evening, with all of my princess foot issues I would have said unequivocally no. But after listening to the panel and realizing that I am already doing a fair amount of barefoot training (albeit not running) in my Studio and spend a great deal of my time in minimalist shoes (hello Uggs) stranger things can happen. And have you seen the pretty colours they come in?

What do you think?

10 Reasons Running Doesn’t Suck As Much As You Think

When Conny posted this article earlier today by Susan Lacke, I felt it my duty to share.  And without further ado I give you

10 Reasons Running Doesn’t Suck As Much As You Think

The word “running” used to conjure up painful and awkward memories of gym class. My middle-school gym teacher, Mrs. Morey, would stand her roly-poly body at the top of the hill behind our school, barking through a megaphone between bites of beef jerky at us red-faced kids as we ran circles around the track. According to her, running  was supposed to build character, or whatever it is they teach gym teachers to say in gym teacher school.

Needless to say, most of the gasping kids on the track were thinking the same thing: Character? <bleep> you. Choke on your jerky, fatty.

Your first experience with running was probably in gym class. And it’s quite possible it left the same rancid taste in your mouth, with little desire to ever run again. But no more! I hit the reset button on my attitude towards running, and for the last two years, have gone from hating running to loving it (most of the time). Running really doesn’t suck as much as you think. Here’s why:

1. Most races and fun runs are full of hot bodies in very little clothing. Let me repeat that: HOT PEOPLE. WEARING PRACTICALLY NOTHING. Wear sunglasses, and ogle with reckless abandon.
2. You can lose weight by drinking nothing but hot water with lemon. Or you can run for an hour, treat yourself to a cookie and still fit into your skinny jeans. One of these options makes you bitchy; the other makes you rad.
3. Take your iPod with you, and your runs suddenly become a safe place to indulge your love of boy-band music. With enough practice, you can even blend in a couple dance moves from ‘Bye Bye Bye’. Don’t lie: You’ve still got that routine memorized.
4. When your boss, your melodramatic friend and your nagging to-do list won’t leave you alone, calmly put on your running shoes and head out the door. They won’t follow you. It’s a safer alternative to storming out with both middle fingers in the air (though you can -and should- still do this in your head, just for spectacular effect).
5. You’ll discover lululemon pants are good for more than just buying tampons and Cheez-its at Target (I know, ladies. My world was rocked with that discovery, too.).
6. Running is the last place you have to “be a lady.” Sweat, snot and sneaking behind a bush to pee is not only liberating it’s fun, in that giggly-childish-naughty kind of way.
7. Getting a run in before happy hour means you get tipsy on half a glass of wine instead of your usual two. That’s not being a lush, that’s just sound economic planning.
8. Studies have shown that runners have better sex. Sex counts as a cross-training workout, which in turn makes you a better runner, which – hello! – leads to even better sex. Really, the whole thing is full of win-wins.
9. Girls are lucky; there’s an entire industry committed to making us look awesome while getting our sweat on. Workout clothes come in all sorts of cool colors and designs. Jockstraps, on the other hand, will always be ugly with questionable stains.
10. Non-runners will sit on the couch and call you crazy. Those folks, sadly, will never learn what their bodies are capable of. You, on the other hand, will die knowing you completely, totally, unabashedly used up the body that was loaned to you. That’s not crazy. That’s freakin’ awesome.

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Meet Susan Lacke

Celebrating With Garmin

This weekend Garmin and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary together!  So how does one celebrate such an occasion with a running device?  Easy, by going for a run and then of course a candle lit home cooked meal!  On the menu: grilled sirloin steak (mine topped with gorgonzola cheese), grilled veggies, mashed potatoes, gravy (oh yes I can, wait til you see my calories burned) and a glass or two of wine.  Hey, we have endured a lot together in such a short period of time; plantar fasciitis, IT band issues,  pulling out of marathon training, 3 1/2 marathons, 2 trail races, 1 Warrior Dash, 1 night race, a few dark days, a little RA damage, 4 pairs of runners, 2 boxes of hot shots, 1 1/2 tubes of Body Glide and 13 loops of Hayward Lake!

I will let the numbers speak for themselves, drum roll po-leeze…

	Trail Runs	Road Runs	Total
# of runs	100	82	182 Runs
Distance	834.09 km	632.67 km	1,466.76 km
Time (h:m:s)	118:23:28	70:47:55	189:11:24
Elevation Gain	19,016	6,999 m	26,014m

These numbers do not include Beginner Run Clinics, Speed Training Clinics and a handful of Fall runs where we were not on speaking terms.

The best part, total calories burned 84,369 (3,500 cals/lb), that’s just over 24lbs!  Now I know that this is not an exact number, it is a generic guess-timate by Garmin based on my age, height, weight, gender info.  And while my weight may have fluctuated over the year by 5lbs or so (for the better), and I do consume more food than the average bear, it is easy to see how with little or no exercise one’s weight can creep up over the course of a year.

So here’s to you Garmin on this margarita Monday, cheers to another year of running bliss!

Vibrams At The Globes?

My first reaction to this photo of The Descendants’ Shailene Woodley wearing her Vibram Five Fingers to the InStyle Golden Globe Awards After Party was “EESH”. Fitness attire is fitness attire. But after thinking about it for a moment, maybe she really does have the right idea. Perhaps if I had considered this look before running the Vegas Rock ‘N’ Roll this past December, I wouldn’t have scars from from the nasty blisters I received from my inappropriate choice of footwear, and Miss M wouldn’t have had the maraschino cherry stem experience!

However, I still firmly believe that you should NEVER wear your running jacket to dinner, no matter how casual the restaurant is.

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