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Along came running...

12/30/2014

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running designer
I can guarantee that I've never sat down late in December to reflect on how far I've come and where I want to be fitness-wise in the year ahead. Sure, in the past I may have made the typical generic New Year's resolutions of 'eating better', 'losing weight' or 'being more active.'

Alas, along came running.

It wasn't like I was hooked after one run. It wasn't like that first run was easy. And it didn't change my life in one day. Instead, running seeped quietly and completely into every part of my being while I was distracted. Distracted by running blogs and articles. Distracted by learning the difference between fartleks and tempo runs. Distracted by gels, chews and carbs. Distracted by the ridiculously welcoming running community. And once running had me firmly in its grip, my life changed forever. I was a runner.

Heading into 2014, I was still in distraction mode, so it didn't really dawn on me to make specific running goals. All I knew was that I had stumbled onto something big. Something good. Something life changing. And I didn't want to lose it. My biggest fear was falling out of love with running. I didn't want to do anything to mess it up. Run too much. Do too many races. Get injured. Lose interest.

So, although I hadn't set any goals, the fear of losing running in my life oddly became my subconscious motivator. I ran my first two races in the fall of 2013 and enjoyed them. The training, the challenge, the competition, the learning, the accomplishment and the pride. I was not a sporty kid growing up, so this whole race thing was pretty novel. When I started running, I hadn't really even considered races. But after those first two, I would discover races were an added bonus to running. My competitive nature was revealed. And I came to realize that sometimes the best competitor was myself.

With the positive feeling of those races inspiring me, I decided that training and participating in a spring race should keep me motivated and interested in running over the winter. Signing up for the Toronto Yonge Street 10K gave me a little shot of adrenaline. Sure enough, I was highly motivated to keep training during one of the worst winters Toronto had ever experienced. I didn't miss a day in my schedule. Even on the day of the ice storm I ran in a mile in a covered parking garage! 

As winter turned to spring, I researched races and signed up for many. I felt that little shot of adrenaline each time I did. It became the year of the races! 

So, now here I sit for the first time reflecting on what was likely the fittest year in my life ever. I managed two personal best distance races which also won age category awards. I trained for and ran five race distances that I had never run before, including a half-marathon. Yes, I did have moments where I was discouraged or disappointed in my progress or results. But in hindsight, I have to remind myself that I am still new to this sport. Everything I do can be a lesson to be learned from and used towards the future.

And what does that mean for 2015? 

Races with purpose. I was incredibly inspired by a post in iRun by @AndrewChak about shopping for your next race. In 2014, I think that I was sometimes discouraged by race results because they were not personal bests. But in reality, some of those races should have been run with a different purpose than getting a personal best result. For each race I consider going forward, I want to have a purpose and train for that purpose. 

Listen to little twinges. The last thing I want is to be injured and not be able to run. I now stretch after all (okay most) runs and include strength moves that focus on areas that have are more prone. 

Add variety. Last year my workouts consisted of pretty much one thing...running. This year I have added cross training, strength training and stretching to my calendar. I have also added more variety to my runs including hill repeats, race-pace pick-ups, easy runs and long runs each week. 

Real food fuel. Most of my meals are made from real food ingredients, very minimally processed. I would like to do more testing on real food fuel as well. And trying to minimize the junky indulgences I sometimes have.

Share and learn. I have found such amazing support in the running community and I continue to learn and be entertained by them daily. I've begun sharing my own lessons learned in hopes that I may be able to help someone like me who was like a running information sponge when I starting out. 

Lastly, once again I find myself hoping above all that I can keep this love affair with running burning strong through all of 2015 and beyond. Because running is special. It is something big. And because it is life changing. I am a runner.

2014 STATS:
Total distance run: 1625.76 kilometers
Total number of runs: 218 
Average distance: 7.5K
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What's your longest run distance? How about 25000 miles?

12/23/2014

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Earthathon
A few months ago while catching up with my Twitter running friends, I started seeing the hashtag #earthaton. Turns out @GoRunHappy created a very cool challenge for Twitter runners from around the world called the Earthathon Relay. 

Participants contribute each of their running miles to a virtual lap consisting of 25,000 miles around the earth. As word spread, the miles started coming in faster and faster as more people signed up. As of December 23rd, 2014 there were only 2,899 miles to go! Now that's an ultra!
Earthathon participants
What happens when the 25,000 mile lap is done? The Earthathon Team Relay! In 2015 there will be ten teams of runners each racing to do a lap of the world. That's a total of 250,000 miles! 

Teams are currently looking for participants. I'm proud to be a part of #teamhumanrace, lead by captain @PennyWalford and co-leaders @ramavery and @ultrarunersteve. In an effort to recruit some members and create team spirit, I thought I would even create a logo for our team!

So if you are looking for something to fun to do, a way to keep you motivated during the off-season and a way to stay connected to the running community--join us in the Earthathon Relay! 
TeamHumanRace
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Join the #FitFor365 Challenge!

12/17/2014

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Is your New Year's resolution to improve your health and fitness for 2015? 

The #FitFor365 challenge aims to inspire participants to make healthy lifestyle choices and share the ideas with others. The rules are simple...Post a photo on Twitter or Instagram of something healthy you have done each day along with the hashtag #FitFor365. It can be a photo of a nutritious snack you ate, a workout selfie, a pic of a recipe you tried or a snap of your Fitbit tracker step count. Anything goes! Get motivated to try new things, be inspired by other participants and make healthier choices! 

The #FitFor365 challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2015, but you can join in anytime!
The ultimate goal is to be #FitFor365 days in 2015!
Fit For 365 Challenge
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Tannenbaum 10K...'The Sequel!'

12/13/2014

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Running Designer Tannenbaum 10K The Sequel
A few days following the Tannenbaum 10K, Dave Emilio from The Toronto Beaches Runners Club announced that they were holding a 'sequel' race for those that were not able to make the previous week--and for pretty much anyone that just wanted to join in for the fun. Given that there was a 10K on my running calendar for the same day, I thought, why not run it there?

During that week, Toronto experienced an early and significant dump of snow on the city. As I walked to the start through slush and snow, I wondered what the trail would be like. A group of about 15 of us gathered at the start, introducing ourselves, joking and taking photos. We started out as a chatty group that slowly spaced out as the kilometers progressed. I was incredibly impressed to find the trail clear of snow and ice. There were a few puddles and mud spots along the construction zone on Leslie which muddied my shoes and my dog buddy's paws, but overall the conditions were excellent compared to the rest of the city. 

Keeping my pace slower than the week before I was able to maintain it throughout with the exception of the half way point when I slowed to have a couple Honey Stingers and water. As I approached the finish I could see that some of the group had already finished and cheered as I crossed the finish. As each person finished, we turned to join the group to cheer the rest as they crossed. I think we were all just as excited to cheer on those that were getting their medals as we had been for ourselves the week before! It was a good feeling. 
Running Designer Tannenbaum 10K The Sequel
Besides races, I had never run in a group environment before. This was likely the closest to a running club run I had experienced. While I didn't chat much beyond the start, it was neat to have other runners ahead as an incentive to keep up as well as runners behind pushing me to keep going. 

One of the biggest surprises since I started running has been the running community. It seems that there is a friendly, welcoming, accepting and motivating gene in every single runner I meet in person, wave to on the street or on chat with on social media. While I am extremely proud and happy to be a runner for the health and fitness aspect--I am also very pleased to be a part of the community because of these awesome people--and to hope that I carry that gene as well!
Running Designer Tannenbaum 10K The Sequel
Running Designer Tannenbaum 10K The Sequel
Photo credit for all photos above: Dave Emilio, Toronto Beaches Runners Club
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Tannenbaum 10K

12/7/2014

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Well, I thought the race season was over. 

I was already well on my way to signing up for 2015 races and starting on my training schedule for my spring events. While browsing running tweets one morning, I happened across a post on MichelleTheRunner's blog about a Christmas giveaway for an entry to the Tannenbaum 10K. I had heard about the Tannenbaum a few months previous, but since I had added the Monster Dash to my calendar--after what I thought was my last race for 2014--I thought it would be a bit frivolous to sign up. Buuut since this was a contest, I thought, ah, why not, I won't win anyway, and entered. Honestly, how could a runner resist given that the location was nearby, it was a route I knew well and that the hype and reviews for the race were really positive? Well, as you can guess, I won one a race entry! I should mention that Michelle had previously taken the top women's spot twice in this race, and the reason she wasn't racing this year--was because she was participating in her first 50M ultra that same weekend! Whoa.  

All of this happened the week before the race. I admit I was feeling somewhat confident given I had already done eight races this year, and was just coming off of my training from the Scotia Half-Marathon. My schedule over the past month had consisted mostly of easy runs as I figured out my plan for the winter. I had done a few half-hearted speed sessions. But I wasn't worried. I really should have known better!

With this confidence buoying me along, I made only slight adjustments to my running schedule that week. And when hubby asked if I wanted to have sushi the night before the race, I thought, why not. 
This was the first time I didn't have my usual salmon, brown rice and green beans as my pre-race dinner. I really should have known better.
The Running Designer - Tannenbaum 10K
Race morning was very crisp, but sunny and clear of any snow or ice. I walked about a kilometer to the race start with my bag of food donations for Center 55, happy to have a bit of a warm up. There was a positive vibe in the air around the start. People were cold, but pumped for this late season race. 

Everyone began arranging themselves behind the pace elves. Given that my previous personal best was 59:36, I lined up a little ways behind the 55 minute elf. Yes. I knew that the pace was ambitious, but I thought I would give it a shot. I really should have known better. Having just read Andrew Chak's iRun blog post about how to shop for a race, I should have realized that I hadn't done the training to make this a PR race.  

I started fast and kept going fast. I felt okay. As I approached half way point on the path on the Leslie Street Spit, I found myself wishing that this was a 5K race. I had managed to maintain a pace that was just seconds over my 5K PR. But when the 60 minute pace elf passed me at around the 6K mark, I knew at that my first half pace was not sustainable. I slowed and took a few short walk breaks during the last 4K, managing a quick last kilometer. I finished about 2 minutes slower than my PR 10K time. Sigh. 
The Running Designer - Tannenbaum 10K
After grabbing a snack, and watching some runners finish, I gathered with the crowd for the awards ceremony. I was pleased to be able to see Krista DuChene receive her award for her 1st place finish. She had recently returned to racing after breaking her femur and this was her first 10K, and second race back. The smaller race awards ceremony was fun to experience, as I was able to snap photos right up at the front and congratulate Krista in person as she walked by. As the crowd dwindled mostly due to the cold, Dave Emilio from The Toronto Beaches Running Club did the prize draws which had the crowd laughing the entire time. 
The Running Designer - Tannenbaum 10K
The Running Designer - Tannenbaum 10K
The Running Designer - Tannenbaum 10K
In the days to follow, I felt slightly deflated from the race. In an effort to regroup, I decided to look at the big picture to see if there were lessons I could learn... 

  • Given that I hadn't been training for the faster 10K pace, I should have looked at it as an experience race than an opportunity for a personal record. 
  • I should have stuck to my tried and true pre-race dinner. Sushi always dehydrates me and running a race dehydrated is definitely not a good thing.
  • I shouldn't have gone out as fast as I did. Although I was able to maintain it for 5K (which I do feel good about), I am left wondering if I had of gone out a bit slower if the results of the second half of the race would have been better.

Every race can be a learning experience. Always take time to reflect on what you did right, what you did wrong, and what you would change for next time. 

My winter training schedule has been modified and I am happy with the variety I have on the calendar. There's more speed work, strength training and cross training on this schedule than the one prior to the Scotia Half. I feel like I will be in a good place to handle my spring races!
The Running Designer - Tannenbaum 10K
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    Cathy V

    Running. Design.  Family. Dogs. Gardening. Food. Crochet. Canadian. 
    ​Order varies. 


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