Runners everywhere today

During my run today I noticed more runners than I usually do. Obviously the colder weather didn't deter too many people today. I even passed the same runner twice as I guess we were doing opposite loops.

As the weather turns colder don't be afraid to run outside. When I first started running it was towards the beginning of fall. When I look back, I can't believe what I got myself into. For me, the winter months meant one thing....hibernation! I used to hate being outside in the winter so how was I going to go for a run in sub freezing temperatures?

I think what helped me most was the fact that I was in a running clinic and our goal race was the 2005 Boxing Day 10 Mile race in Hamilton.
The members who were in that clinic were very encouraging as I didn't know the first thing about what to wear while running in the snow. I still tend to overdress too much but I hate starting out too cold.

The months of November, December and January of 2005-2006 were cold months but I can't remember not going out for a run because of the weather. I do remember coming home from one run and having to put my hands in warm water immediately as I could barely feel them but beyond that, the running was fine.

There are many runners who actually prefer to run in the colder weather and while I'm not one of them, I do like the challenge that running in the winter presents.

My longest run since Vulture Bait

It's hard to believe but today's 16 KM run was the longest I've run since early October when I did my 25 KM trail race in London.

I'm flirting with the idea of doing a 10 Mile race in November and another one in December and then start to train for my 50 Mile trail race next spring.

The hardest part about running 16 KM's is that it's what I call the "in-between run." I didn't have to use any gels as I opted to bring along an electrolyte drink instead (Hammer) but I didn't take enough walk breaks as I usually only do that when I'm running 20 KM's or more. The one disadvantage of running alone is that I don't stop frequently enough so that's something I have to get better at. I also ran faster than I should have to make it count as a "slow run."

Tomorrow I'll do another 16 KM's but will really try and concentrate on taking more walk breaks and also slow my pace down somewhat.

I'm going to gradually add a few KM's to my long runs each week and try to do 2 of them back to back. One of the keys to running long distance is to increase endurance and when I was training for the 50 KM run in Haliburton, I ran back to back long runs and I believe this really helped to prepare me for that race. I've been looking at several running plans for completing a 50 Mile race and most of them stress the importance of running back to back long runs.

I won't make that mistake again

Ever since my 50K trail race I've been using my fuel belt to run with during my morning runs. Up until then, however, I didn't carry water with me if my run was 10 KM's or less. As I started to run again after that race, my morning runs have been 12-15 KM's depending on the day and how I feel. Because of that, I decided to bring water with me as sometimes those last few KM's can be tough if I'm dehydrated.

Today, for some strange reason, I decided to do my 13 KM run at 5 AM without my fuel belt. Even though I know the importance of having water with me, sometimes carrying the extra weight of the fuel belt around my waist can be tough.

The run started out fine and not having the extra weight did seem to help, at least initially. However, as I entered the last 6-7 KM's of the run, all I could think about was water. I thought about how nice it would be to have my HEED (electrolyte drink) with me today and much it would have helped. As I passed one gas station I thought about heading in there to get a drink of water but didn't.

It was colder today than it has been this week and when it gets that way it's easier to forget to drink as you don't "feel" as dehydrated as you do when the temperatures are warmer.

I wondered, though, if my "craving" for water had more to do with me not having water with me. I thought about my clients and how I tell them that I will never say you can't have a certain food. If I do that, I tell them, then it's the first thing you will want to have. It's human nature to want things that we are told we cannot have. I'm sure that this had something to do with that today.

Those last few KM's were tougher today than normal and thankfully I had some good music to listen to as I raced home. I felt like my mind was constantly trying to tell me to take a walk break today and that's something that I fought off. I know that if I had taken a walk break it would have been harder to get going again.

Needless to say, the next run I do I'll be packing my water bottle with me.

Take control of your greatest asset.....YOU

There are so many reasons not to choose to live a healthier lifestyle, and it's so easy to say, "I'll start changing my life tomorrow." For many people, however, tomorrow never comes.

We are influenced by so many negative things in our life such as dealing with colleagues at work, family members who not supportive and disappointments or feeling that we are being treated unfairly at work/home. This has a cumulative effect on our mental psyche and at times the stress can feel overwhelming. I'm sure the last thing that many people think about during these times is exercise and eating healthy.

I have yet to encounter a totally "stress" free day and yet I know that my stress is controlled somewhat by how I'm feeling about myself. For me, running releases any negative stress that I've been carrying. It's almost as if I'm leaving those negative thoughts on the side of the road as I'm running.

This is not to say that when I return from my run that everything is rosey. Running does allow me to think clearer, though, and I find it easier to put things into perspective. Whenever I get bad news, going for a run is the first thing that pops into my mind. It has become my therapy and I know that there are people who share this same philosophy so it helps to know that I'm not alone.

Many people try to take control of everything else in their life but sometimes forget about taking care of themselves first. This doesn't mean you have to become self-centered but the reality is, if you don't take of you who will? When you analyze the factors that are preventing you from achieving your goals, the common denominator is always the person looking back at you in the mirror.

I talk with my clients about creating a positive cycle of energy and that starts with how they are feeling about themselves. Instead of worrying about factors that we have no control over, why not take control of what you can first? It would be nice if what you do has a trickle down effect on those around you, as this can help to keep you on track. It shouldn't be your main motivation though. We all have an inner strength that must be unleashed and once it is, you will realize that the only person that was holding you back all these years was you.

Breathless

It never ceases to amaze me at just how amazing I feel after running in the trails and today was no different.

My friend and I decided to either run from his house for a 10K or meet at the trails. The deciding factor was going to be rain. Thankfully when I got up at 5 AM to check the weather there was no rain in the forecast so it was the trails.

Running at 6:15 meant that the first part of the run was going to be in the dark but thankfully Ken brought an extra headlamp for me so off we went. The headlamp worked very well and after about 1/2 hour the Sun began to rise and we didn't need them anymore.

There came a point during the trail run, as it always seems to, where a gentle calm comes over me and I realize how special it is to be running in the trails. Today's moment came when we were on the bridge. Ken calls it the "Stand By Me Moment" and as we ran across the train tracks high above the trails the scenery around us was simply amazing. I guess there is an element of risk as we run across the bridge but that's actually the last thing I'm thinking about.

I'm thankful that the rain held off and that we were able to get in a great run. It's the best way I can think of to kickstart my running week.

Sometimes you just have to run

I guess my body's internal clock didn't get the memo that the clocks were being put back by one hour because I got up at my "normal" time this morning (6:00 AM). The plan today was to meet up with some friends at 8:30 and do a medium run (12-15 KM's). After getting up that early though, I knew that I couldn't wait that long as my body was saying RUN now! I tried to fight off this urge for as long as I could by adding some new songs to my MP3, but this proved fruitless and eventually I went out on my own for 15 KM's.

I've found that my best time to run is within the first hour of getting up. If I wait any longer than that I feel out of rhythm. I've become such a creature of habit and I don't like deviating from what has worked for me. My routine includes a cup of green or regular tea and 1/2 banana. I find that anything more than that will causes discomfort.

My children said that they saw me running this morning which is something that really pumps me up. I've always believed in showing by example. Whenever I get a chance to let my kids see me running I'll take it. I'm hoping that my enthusiasm for running has a positive effect on them although I'm very mindful on not pushing it on them. My oldest did say that he wanted to try and do cross country running at his school next year. Of course I'll be there cheering for him.

Because I was overweight as a child, whenever I see a child who is overweight it really upsets me. My immediate thought turns to the parents and I wonder what they are teaching their children and what kind of example they are leading for them. It's so easy and tempting for parents to give into their child's wishes for McDonalds instead of teaching them the importance of eating healthy foods. Children are exposed to so many stimuli from commercials to magazines, and very few of them taut healthy eating and exercise. It's our jobs as parents to create a healthy atmospher for our children to thrive in. Are you doing everything you can to ensure that?

Wow, that was a wakeup call

I just finished my run in the Rouge Valley and it made me realize the difference between running on the road vs the trails. I picked up my friend on the way to the Rouge and she is the one who did so amazingly well at the 50K trail race in Haliburton. We both have done different races since then but she hadn't been on the trails since that race in September. We both commented today on how difficult the run was today.

Just as there is a big difference between running on the treadmill (YUK) and outside, there is even a bigger difference between running on the road and running in the trails.

Since my 50 Mile trail race is still months away, I'm glad I have time to build up my endurance and conditioning over the winter months so I won't be winded by the time that race comes up.

Just being in the trails today, though, was an amazing experience and there were so many people walking their dogs (one was even walking her cat) that I couldn't help but smile at them as I ran by them. There were leaves everywhere on the ground which made for softer footing but at the same time covered over some rocks. This forced me to make sure that I lifted my feet high off the ground to avoid any tumbles, which thankfully I did.

Tomorrow it will be back to the roads for 16-20 KM's but I need to ensure that I get in at least one trail run per week. Today made me realize that more than ever.

Back to the trails today

Today I'll be running in the Rouge Valley and it will be the first time running there in months. I haven't done too much trail running since my last race in October so this should be fun.

It's starting to get real frosty in the morning so that means extra layers of clothing (yuk). I tend to feel the cold more than most of the people I run with especially on my hands so thermal gloves/mittens today will be a must.

The one good thing about today's run will be seeing some familiar people who I haven't seen in a long time so that will make the run that much more special.

If my shoes could talk, what would they say?

After a fun night of taking my kids trick or treating, I got up at 4AM today for my morning run. Getting up today was a little difficult but what kept me going was knowing that I was going to be running in a new pair of shoes which I purchased from the Running Room on Wednesday. I've had the same shoe (Mizzuno Alchemedy) for the last year and a half. I've tried using several other brands but these are the ones I love the most.

I always know when it's time for a new pair of shoes because my plantar fasciitis gets progressively worse.

There's something special about that first run in my new shoes and today was no different. At about the 5 KM mark it felt like something was stuck to the bottom of my right foot. It wasn't a rock or pebble and although it was annoying, I wasn't in any pain so I kept going. Everytime I pushed off with my right foot it seemed like the bottom of my foot was stuck to my sock. My first thought was that there must be a hole in my sock and I was feeling my insert. It's those little things like holes in your sock which can become very annoying when you are running. With still another 6 KM's left to go, I had no choice but to just keep running. Eventually I just blocked out this feeling but I couldn't wait until I got home to see exactly what this was.

When I took off my right shoe, my sock was covered in blood, much to my amazement. That "sticky" feeling was the bottom of my foot stuck to my blood covered sock. I looked around for the cause of this and noticed that I had a blister in between two toes. I usually notice these things but for some reason I didn't even realize I had one.

I've been pretty luckly lately as I used to lose toenails and have blisters on a regular basis but this is the first time I've had something like this happen. Of course it figures that it would happen during my first run in my new shoes.

I usually change my shoes every 3 months or every 600 to 800 KM's. I have a separate pair of trail shoes as well as my road shoes and I usually average 50-70 KM's per week, so you can see why I need to change my shoes regularly. Each of my shoes have unique stories within them ,and whenever I eventually get around to donating them I'm a little sad to say goodbye. These new shoes that I have now already have a first story to tell. I wonder what the next 790 KM's will look like?

Every run is different

Coming off a really nice run with Ken yesterday, today I went out on my own for 13KM's. The route I do is so familiar I could probably run it blindfolded. Even though I have done this route over one hundred times in the past 2.5 years each time out is different. Some days the Westney hill is tougher than others while other times the run from the corner of Hwy 2 and Harwood to Rossland, seems to go on forever.

I'll usually pass at least 1 or 2 people walking and another half-dozen people waiting to go to work in the bus shelters. Each time I pass by them I always wonder what they are thinking. I hope that some of them decide to become more physically active as a result. I know that whenever I don't run and I see other people run it inspires me to run so hopefully I'm having the same effect on them.

Lately I've been seeing plenty of rabbits early in the morning and as crazy as it sounds, I even had one rabbit run beside me for a few metres one day (of course I let him win.....lol).

You would think that running the same route over and over would eventually get boring. However, the great thing about running is that the one variable I have no control over is the weather. Unlike running on the treadmill, which I won't do, when you run outside you are forced to deal with the elements. There are some conditions which make my 13K run very difficult such as strong winds or others when the temperatures are in the mid teens which makes it great for me to run in.

For those just getting into running outside, try to not to focus too much on the running itself and just enjoy the fact that you are outside getting an amazing workout. Most of the really good runners that I know are the ones who block out the fact that they are running and try to think about anything but running while they are out there pounding the pavement. I know that if I had to think too much about running the same route everyday it would eventually get to me as well.

Invigorating!

After running alone for most of the past three weeks, mostly because I've been watching my two boys, I was able to run this morning with someone who helped introduce me to running. I took his clinic and still remember many of the things that he taught me and use them regularly during my own running. He ran with me last winter as I trained for the 2007 Mississauga Marathon.

While I have enjoyed running on my own for these past few weeks, it was nice to actually talk to someone for a change.

When I look back at all the people I've been able to meet since I started running it truly is amazing that so many people share the same passion for running that I do. There are some who just run for fun while others are trying to reach a particular goal such as qualifying for Boston or trying to improve their speed.

Listening to Ken talk this morning was helpful and I know that I'll eventually pick a goal race sooner than later. I think that my "burnout" phase is slowly fading so don't be surprised to hear that I've picked a race to train for. As it stands now, I'd like to run the 50 Mile trail race in Sulphur Springs in May of 2008. I may pick a 10 Mile race in December and a 1/2 Marathon race in February/March to use as training.

Running this morning brought back memories of my training last Winter where I would do tempo runs on Tuesday mornings at 6 AM and then eventually some track work as well. Even though I didn't achieve my goal at the 2007 Mississauga Marathon, I'll never forget the training that I did and I know that it made me a better runner because of it. Sometimes we all need a little push now and then to get us over the hump.

Supplements for runners

I typically don't recommend supplements to my clients until I have a good grasp of their current eating patterns and exercise routines. There are so many supplements on the market today and consumers are left very confused by all that surrounds them.

I do believe a multi-vitamin can help ensure that you are getting at least the minimum amount of vitamins such as Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, and B-Vitamins. For runners who typically run at least 3-5 times per week, these are very important. The Calcium/Magnesium minerals are important in the regulation of muscle contraction and anyone who has suffered from cramps, as I have, can understand the importance of that.

Ever since my cramping at the Mississauga Marathon, I've been able to run cramp free with the help of a liquid Magnesium supplement. I have also been using HEED, which is a post-run recovery drink made by Hammer Nutrition. Immediately after a run I've been using 1 scoop of this and unlike E-Load which tends to be too sweet for me, this literally has no taste and I'm able to get it down with no difficulties. Along with the important electrolytes like Sodium and Potassium, it also contains 25 grams of complex carbohydrates. What I like most about this product is that it contains no artificial sweetners.

Another popular post-recovery drink that I recently saw at my locoal Wal-Mart is Accelerade. This drink has the perfect carbohydrate to protein ratio of 4:1 and the protein is comprised of Whey Protein Isolate which is the highest form of protein you can get. I've been waiting for this product to make it's way to Canada so I was very happy to see it on the shelves the other day. This drink should be used if you plan of doing a run of at least 1 hour.

Rest vs Rust

I think that the hardest thing for me to do is take time off from running. Although I know the importance of rest, running is such a big part of my life that when I don't run it's as though my day isn't complete. Sometimes I feel that I've cheated myself by not running, like I did today and I'll do again tomorrow. What makes it worse is seeing people running when I'm driving in my car. I tend to slow down a little to see if I know the person (there's a very good chance that I do).

My plantar is finally starting to heal a little bit and it's been a tough go the last few weeks but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and taking these next two days off should help.

Whenever I take two consecutive days off from running I'm always worried that I won't be able to pick up from where I left off. Taking time off, though, is something that I'm getting better at but it's taken me this long to finally understand the importance of it.

My long term goal is to be able to run well into my 60's or 70's and for me to accomplish that goal I'll have to run smarter instead of running with reckless abandon as I've done in the past.

During my day off today I was reflecting back on the amount of races I've done in the past 2.5 years (well over 30). I was talking to a client this afternoon about goal setting as she has recently started running herself. I asked her if she was going to train for a race and just as I said that I thought to myself that the fact that she's running at all should be an accomplishment in itself. It was amazing seeing the look on her face as she was telling me how much she enjoyed running and it reminded me of when I did my first trail run in the Greenwood Conservation Park. The feeling I got as I returned home from that run is something that I'll never forget. I only wish I could bottle up that feeling and pass it along to others.

An interesting week of running

This has been a very weird week of running as I've had to deal with so many things.

It started with my decision to run in the afternoon on Monday instead of my usual early morning run. This was a bad decision as I felt very sluggish during the run and it was a challenge to finish.

On Tuesday it was raining outside but those who know me realize that this is my favorite weather to run in. However, just before my run I dropped my Garmin GPS unit. Despite numerous attempts at trying to get it to start it wouldn't. Fortunately I was able to borrow my sisters and I made it through the run. I wish I wasn't so addicted to that device but it's been with me ever since I started running and I really can't imagine running without it. Those who have one know what I'm talking about.

I contacted Garmin and tried to reboot the unit but nothing. I was thinking about sending it in to get fixed but I really couldn't imagine being without my Garmin for that long. I decided to purchase the Garmin Forerunner 205 unit which was an upgrade from my last one (Garmin Forerunner 201). This unit will serve me better when I'm running in the trails as it won't lose sattelite signals as much as the 201. Even though I'm very happy with my new toy, it was sad to say goodbye to an old friend.

On Wednesday I had my first opportunity to run with the Forerunner 205 and I'm already impressed. What I wasn't impressed with was how cold it was outside. Instead of wearing shorts and a long sleeve shirt like I did on Tuesday, I had to wear a thicker long sleeve shirt, gloves, skull cap and my cwx tights. Running with all this extra gear took a little getting used to and I already miss the warm early morning weather.

Today the weather was pretty much what it was yesterday although I started my run at 5 AM instead of 6. It's amazing how quiet the roads are at this time and although getting up at 4 AM take a little getting used to, I'm happy that I don't have to worry about running into many cars along the roads.

I'll probably run again tomorrow and possibly Sunday and will do some weight training on Saturday. I wonder what the weather will be like next week?

Here's what you need to start running!

I get asked by so many people how I'm able to run. The reality is you only need two things :
1. A good pair of shoes
2. An even better attitude

Yesterday my gym was shut down for a few hours in the morning. There were at least a dozen or more people who were unable to workout as a result. Inside of me I knew that I had my workout in as I had run 11KM's in the rain yesterday. I wanted to tell the people that they should go for a run instead of working out but I'm sure that wouldn't have gone over too well so I refrained.

I've yet to meet a weather challenge that will prevent me from running and I'm not alone as I know that there are plenty of others who do the same as I do. During the gym shutdown yesterday I decided to go to the Pickering Running Room and when I was there one of the customers was getting her gait checked.
Getting the proper shoes for running is so important and you need to make sure that you go to a store like the Running Room so that you can find the right shoe that will provide you with the best support.

Once you have the proper shoes the next part is creating a positive attitude. Without a doubt I would say that running is more mental than physical. When you are out there pounding the pavement or trails, your mind will start questioning what you are doing. Eventually if you don't have a good mental focus then it can be easy to talk yourself out of going for a run. Try to remember that the main reason you want to run is because of the enjoyment you will get from doing it. Relax and take it slowly. The Running Room offers a Learn to Run clinic and they are great place to get started. I was fortunate enough to teach one of these clinics and it was one of the best experiences I've had.

Now that the weather is starting to turn cold I find this the hardest time for me to run. I'm fortunate that this will be my third year running in the winter so I'm prepared for what's to come but that doesn't mean I enjoy it. Today I was all bundled up and it took me longer than usual to get warm. Eventually though I found a good rhythm and got through it ok.

The trick to creating a positive attitude is consistency and confidence. Once you go out for a run and realize that you can do it, make sure you "bookmark" that feeling. The more often you can call upon those feelings the more likely it will be that you will talk yourself into going for a run instead of talking yourself out of it.

When you realize that only a small percentage of the population runs outside, then you should take pride in the fact that you are doing something that most people won't do. I will never talk anyone out of running if they really want to do it and will encourage them to get started immediately by getting a good pair of shoes. I'm a perfect example of someone who never thought he'd be running and here I am, 2 years later still pounding the roads and trails.

Passing my "gift" on to others

One of my favorite weather conditions to run in is the rain so I was lucky enough to experience that this morning. I love seeing the look on the faces of the people who I run by who are bundled up in bus shelters. I'm sure they are probably thinking that I'm nuts.

Ever since my 50K trail run in Haliburton, I seem to be more relaxed during my runs. After doing so many races over the past two years I'm enjoying just running for fun again. I've come to realize that running itself should be it's own reward. I know that eventually I'll get back to doing a few races but for now it's not on my radar.

What has been exciting me recently is the number of people who have told me that they have started to run because of me. This is obviously very overwhelming and much appreciated. I know that I wear my running "badge" with pride on my sleeve and that when I talk about running my enthusiasm is hard to contain. I realize the gift that I was given by an amazing runner a few years ago and if I can encourage more people to take up running then I'll be more than happy.

With so many people trying to run for a specific time, it's important not to get too caught up with that if you are just starting out. Running, at whatever speed you feel comfortable with, should be enough. I always tell new runners that if you start breathing too heavily you're probably going too fast so slow down, control your breathing and try again. There's no harm in taking a walk break if you need to and it's probably why I enjoy trail running so much. During trail races walk breaks are expected so you never have to feel like you are doing something wrong by taking a break.

I'm so proud of the many people who have started running and I only hope that you find the same satisfaction that I have found.

I'll stick to running in the morning

Today I decided to get an extra 1.5 hours of sleep and went running in the afternoon instead. After the run I know I won't be doing that again.

Throughout the run I felt "heavy" and each step seemed like a challenge. After taking the past few days off from running I was expecting a better result. I'm so accustomed to running in the morning, even if it's 5AM, that I believe my body best responds to running during the AM instead of the afternoon or evening.

I also realize that I need to purchased a new pair of running shoes. I can usually tell when I need a new pair as my plantar starts to act up as well as my right knee. Both were sore during the run today.

I was happy to gut out the 11KM but when I turned the corner and headed for home, I was very pleased that I was finished.

Not every run/workout is going to be a piece of art but you have to keep plugging away and eventually you will reach your goals. One of my favorite sayings is "Pound the Rock." What that means is that if you envision your goal as a huge rock and each workout/healthy eating choice as hammer then try to imagine yourself taking a swing at that rock each day. Some days you may not see the rock move but eventually if you keep pounding away, eventually it will crumble and you will reap the benefits of your hard work.

Hang on to YOUR belief system tightly or else......

This past Friday night I was watching Larry King Live on CNN. His panel of guests were Dr. Mehmet Oz from Oprah Winfrey fame and Gary Taubes who is the author of a controversial book called "GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES."

Both men appear to be intelligent but both have contrasting views on diet and exercise. If you get a chance check out the transcripts from the show:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0710/19/lkl.01.html

Taubes claimed that exercise can contribute to obesity by causing us to eat more because we are hungry afterwards. He claims that eliminating carbohydrates is the way to go.

Meanwhile, Dr. Oz preaches portion control and while they agree on the point that simple or white sugars need to be eliminated, they don't agree on much else.

Their debate between who was right and who was wrong went on for an hour and at the end of the show nothing much was accomplished except for one thing, confusion. I was glad that I have my education to stand behind me but I thought about the millions of people watching that show who don't. I'm sure the sales of Taubes book went skyrocketing right after the show and the cynic in me figured that that was the point in the first place.

I thought about my clients and hoped that none of them was watching the show. I then realized that they are faced with this confusion on a daily basis from TV, radio and magazines. One of the things that I stress during my consultations is the philosophy behind what my program is all about. If I cannot get them to understand it or to challenge their own belief system then it won't matter what kind of plan I put them on.

There really is no secret to losing weight. It takes a committment to exercise and healthy eating and a small change in your current lifestyle. If these things are not done on a consistent basis, then losing weight and more importantly keeping the weight off will be difficult.

Whatever plan you decide to follow I hope that you realize that you must committ to following it for the rest of your life. I don't offer any quick fixes but I do offer a program that is safe, easy to follow and one that will maintain your weight loss forever.

Getting started is usually the hardest part!

As I woke up this morning at 5 AM to go for my run, I thought about how nice it would be to sleep in for just a little longer. I ran two days in a row so why not take today off and just relax?
Then I thought about how much I'd regret the decision if I didn't run today.

I went through my normal morning pre-run ritual which included having a cup of tea and a small piece of a banana. Even as I laced up my shoes, I had a little bit of aprehension but off I went anyway. I tried to find a good song to start off with and I decied to use "Soak up the Sun" by Cheryl Crow.

I'm sure the weather change and the fact that it is still dark when I left my house, had something to do with my mood this morning. I already miss seeing the sunrise during my morning runs.

I didn't feel "right" until about the 5 KM mark and then the feeling that comes over me, most times when I go running, hit and I knew that I had made the right decision.

During my run I thought about the constant battles we go through within our own minds which prevent us from doing what we know we should do. So many of my clients go through this on a daily basis. It's so easy to come up with an excuse as to why you shouldn't choose the right course of action. Sometimes we look for others to provide us with help and guidance but if we rely too much on them then it doesn't allow us to develop our own defense system.

As I finished my 13K run I looked up to the sky, pointed straight up and gave thanks. It's been something I've been doing recently. Some of what or who I'm giving thanks to doesn't really matter and I'll keep that private, but most of what I'm giving thanks to is the ability to finish another run.

People love to look at all the negatives that occur within their lives but forget to acknowledge the positives that are happening as well. The ability to overcome our own obstacles is a huge accomplishment and it needs to be celebrated.

As long as your goals are important to YOU then that's all that matters

The Ontario Ultra Series (OUS) came to close this past Saturday with the Vulture Bait trail race. Unfortunately I didn't participate in as many races as last year, but I was able to fulfill my goal of completing a 50K trail race in Haliburton.

As the weather starts to turn cold and the races become harder and harder to find, I have to set my goals on other things besides races. Sure, there may be a race or two that I'll do between now and the Spring but they'll mostly be for fun. I realized this past summer that I truly belong running trail races as I don't have to worry about how fast I'm going. The competitive side of me will always want to try and do a little better than the previous year but if that doesn't happen it won't bother me.

My goals are just to be able to run, injury free, at least 5 times per week. I'd like to average between 60 to 70 KM's per week and work on improving my endurance. By next spring I'd like to complete a 50 mile trail race, most likely Sulphur Springs, and that will require an increase in training mileage after the New Year.

During my run today I realized that I won't be able to run much longer in just shorts and a long sleeve technical shirt and that always tends to bring me down. As much as some of my running friends prefer to run in this type of weather, I actually hate it. My hands tend to get cold almost immediately and I'm bundled up like the Michelin Man where all you can see is my eyes peering out from under my thermal headgear.

This will be my third year running in the winter and as much as I hate the cold, if I can keep running 5 days per week then I'll be happy.

Whatever your goals are, all that matters is that they are important enough to YOU to keep going hard after them. If you are ambivalent about your goals you will never achieve them. I like to vocalize my goals to whoever will listen to me as this helps to keep me focused. You also have to realize that your achivements should never be measured up against anyone else.

You don't have to achieve a certain time goal to qualify as a "runner" and I think that's what so many people get caught up in. Shouldn't the fact that you run be good enough? I'm using running as an example because it is something that I'm familiar with, but this same theory can be applied to just about anything. Don't be one of those people who are afraid to take on your goals because you don't think that you measure up to someone else. In the end, the only person that it matters to is yourself.

Sometimes things just work out

First off, my computer crashed on me this week so I haven't been able to update my blog in days. It's too bad because plenty has happened but I'll skip ahead to todays events.

I decided on Tuesday morning, after a great trail run with Ken, to do the Vulture Bait trail race 25K. This is a race that I've done twice before so I'm very familiar with the course.

I ran on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then took Thursday and Friday off to prepare for the race. Normally I have a race all picked out but this time it was a spur of the moment decision.

This morning I got up at 5AM and left the house at 5:45. After making a quick stop to fill up on gas and some steeped tea and a blueberry bagel (Thanks Tim Hortons) I made my way to London.

I arrived at the race site, which is a beautiful conservation park (Fanshawe Conservation) at just past 8:00 AM. This gave me plenty of time to get ready for the 9:00 AM race start.

As soon as I entered the grounds I knew that I had made the right decision to run today. I was greeted by so many familiar faces and to top it off I won a door prize before the race even started. They must have known that I was a nutritionist as the prize was a bottle of electrolyte supplements called HEED.

The race started prompty at 9:00 AM and there was definitely a chill in the air. I decided to wear a long sleeve shirt with some dollar store gloves I had purchased the day before.

My strategy for this race was just to enjoy the experience of being in the trails. There were times that I would speed up while other times where I just ran at a comfortable pace.

For whatever reason, I felt very strong today and was able to run the race with just two minor stops for under a minute at each time. I used only one gel as well as some E-Load and Gatorade which was provided by some amazing volunteers.

As per usual, I had two falls and my bright yellow shirt from this years Around the Bay race, was covered in dirt on the the front. I can't wait to see the finishing pictures of that one.

I managed to finish the race in 2:13 and just now realized that I had run the race 3 minutes faster than last year. I guess it helps not to put too much pressure on myself.

It was amazing to know that so many people share the same goal of just enjoying running in the trails as opposed to running in road races. There always seems to be this time pressure associated with road racing and while it can motivate some, I think it truly has turned me off of them for a little while anyway.

For those of you running in the Toronto Marathon this weekend I wish you the very best. You all have trained remarkably hard and I hope that you all have an amazing experience.

There is light at the end of the tunnel

As a nutritionist I don't always get to see the impact of my work until sometimes months or years down the road. Unlike personal trainers who see their clients improve with each workout, my satisfaction lies in the ability of my clients to overcome huge obstacles on their way towards a healthier lifestyle.

Whenever I get a chance to share these stories with others you can only imagine how it not only fires me up but also helps to inspire others.

This is one of the most committed individuals that I've ever seen and when she sent me her before and after pictures today, I told her that I would be posting them on my site. Thanks Karen, you truly are an amazing woman and I felt like a proud papa today showing off your pictures to all of my clients.

Thanksgiving tips

Thanksgiving can be a difficult time for those trying to stay on a healthy eating plan. This can be especially true if you are travelling to a friend/families house where your food choices are limited. What you have to remember is that your goal shouldn't be to deprive yourself of the things you want. If you do this then eventually you may actually create a situation down the road which is even worse.

Try to remember what your "typical" eating pattern is like during Thanksgiving. Now try and do a little better this time. If you usually have 2 pieces of pumpkin pie then try to only have 1 this year.

You can enjoy the holiday without go overboard with regards to your eating. If you are really worried about you eating then one of the best things to do is to have a protein shake one hour before leaving for your Thanksgiving dinner. Protein, and specifically protein powder, will help to keep your blood sugars from dropping too low and as a result you won't be craving those sweets. Don't make the mistake of not eating up until you have your dinner as you will drop your blood sugars too low and then when dinner comes you may find yourself eating too much stuffing etc.

Most of all have a happy Thanksgiving and whatever choices you make don't beat yourself about it. Just get back on track as soon as possible....remember Christmas is only 11 weeks away!

Don't take any shortcuts when trying to achieve your goal

Whenever I run from my house in Ajax, I have 5 different routes that I can take. Each of these routes is anywhere from 11 to 14KM's and I try not to do the same route twice in the same week.

During my 13 KM run this morning at 5 AM there was a stretch which was poorly lit. My choices were to do that stretch anyway and hit my goal of 13 KM or go an alternate route which would have come up about 1KM short. I knew that if I took that shortcut that it would bother me for the rest of the day. I had only a few seconds to decide and I decided to go the longer route.

While I was running today I thought about how we are faced with making healthy eating choices daily. Do you eat the salad with chicken for lunch or order a pizza with the rest of your colleagues at work?

There is no "trick" to losing weight. What it takes is hard work and determination. You can take all the fat burners etc. that you want but if you don't have a committment to eating healthy and exercising the majority of the time, then chances are that you will not be successful in achieving your weight loss goals for the long term.

Clients who come to me expecting drastic results immediately are shocked when I tell them that I want to see 2 pounds of weight loss per week. Anything more than that tells me that they are not following the guidelines I have set forth for them.

Do not look for quick fixes when trying to lose weight. Instead, make eating healthy and exercising a priority in your life. You'll be glad that you did.

Change something or don't expect results

There are a few things that are absolutes in this world (death and taxes) while the rest is up for debate.

For example, you can have two brilliant scientists argue about a topic. Each of them presents compelling arguments and it's up to you to decide who to believe.

When I first meet with a new client I go over with them not only their eating habits but their "life" habits as well. If I can get them to change just one thing in their life then I feel like I have had some success.

Too many people, however, are reluctant to change their behaviour for fear of the unknown. Even when a plan is laid out in front of them and they are explained the science behind it, they don't want to change. This becomes the hardest part of my job. Trying to convince someone that by doing "X" they will achieve "Y" is difficult when they want to change the equation. I've yet to give up on a client and as long as they have the desire to change their lifestyle I can help them achieve their goals.

My source of inspiration

There are times when I'm feeling down about myself and I have to draw upon the strength from someone very special to me.

She was someone I met while I in College in Ottawa. She was studying child care while I was studying Recreation. She had an amazing spirit even though she suffered from Sickle Cell Anemia, a crippling blood disorder. She had a smile which would light up even the darkest rooms.

After completing my Diploma, I decided to move to Toronto to go to Ryerson for their Nutrition program. When I left to attend Ryerson, I thought that I would never see her again.

Then, without notice, I found out that she had moved to Toronto and we were able to connect again. It was one of those friendships which was amazingly strong and we both knew that the time spent away was not going to break our bond.

During the summer of 1990 she went into the Hospital for a hip replacement surgery. We both agonized over this decision but the Sickle Cell disease had eaten away at her bones and it was decided that it was something that needed to be done.

While working as a Dietary Aide at Sick Kids Hospital, I received a phone call from her Mother and headed right over to the Hospital. During the surgery, the Doctors had punctured her subclavian vein and this resulted in blood developing into her lungs. She fell into a coma for 10 days and I was with her every day and night during this time.

I remember going to stay with her Mother at her house and had one of the most amazing dreams I have ever had. We were both happy and running in some grass fields. I remember the sun being the brightest it’s ever been. At that very moment, the phone rang and it was the Hospital on the other end. By the time we both rushed over there it was too late and she had died.

We flew to Barbados to bury her and I had to be one of the people carrying her coffin. It’s a memory that is still clear today as it was 17 years ago.

During my run today I felt her presence and there are times when I know that she is watching me. I’m not an overly religious person but I do know that she is in a much better place now. We were destined to be married and I look back and think about how my life would have been different but looking back serves no real purpose. Instead when I see someone smile I think about her and how truly remarkable she was.

There are times when I need to draw upon my own inner strength and the memories of her certainly help. The experience I’ve had to go through has literally changed my life and I sometimes look at the trivial things in life and remember about how hard she fought off her illness and suddenly my issues don’t seem so tough anymore.

I decided to write this today, not because I’m looking for sympathy, but rather to share my story about what I use for inspiration. We all have experiences which we can draw upon for strength during times when we need them most. When I start to doubt myself I think about what she would do or what she would say to me and eventually I start to turn things around.

As tragic as this story was I wouldn’t have traded the experience I had with her for anything and I realize that there will be a time when we meet again.

Thanks Ingrid

An amazing gift

Whenever I go for a run I usually let my mind wander, it’s probably why I’ve come so close to being hit by a car. I think about so many different things but most of it has to do with my work at the gym as well as my own goals and what I want to pursue.

As soon as I get home I feel like I have to write down my thoughts or I’ll lose them. That’s the reason why I created my blog.

I’m sure that my English professors would cringe as there are usually tons of grammatical errors but my main focus is to just get my thoughts onto paper as soon as possible.

I was unaware of how many people actually read my blog until one of my clients asked me why I wasn’t updating it more regularly. She told me that she visited the site and that it helped her to keep her focused while she was trying to lose weight.
She even knew when the last post was. It was at that time that I started to do a daily journal.

I decided to install a stat tracker which tells me how many people visit my site. I was amazed to see the number of people who visit it and from the many different countries they are from. This helps to keep me motivated.

Yesterday I received one of the best gifts I’ve ever received from anyone. A client who I’ve been working with over the last few months and who visits my site decided to take the phrases I’ve used on my blog and put them into a picture frame. When I first read it I couldn’t believe that I written those words and for once in my life I was at a loss for words.
I was going to keep this at the gym but I’ve decided to keep it on my computer desk so I can look at it everyday as I update my blog.

Here it is:


Thank you so much Karen!

Sometimes you need to change your environment to succeed in your goals

The common theme this week with my clients has been helping them to understand the important link between their environment and their eating habits.

Many people eat out of boredom while they are watching television late at night. It's not only the fact that it's late at night,but it's the type of foods that people choose to eat at this time which is even more important. The reason why people pick carbohydrates to eat is because they are convenient. All you have to do is open up a bag of chips and your work is d one for you. Having a food higher in protein is less damaging at night. However, people don't want to make a protein shake or even some hard boiled eggs as this takes more effort than opening up a bag of crackers or unwrapping a candy bar.

If watching tv and eating goes hand and hand for you then why not reduce the amount of time you spend watching tv. Will your life be that much deprived if you reduce your tv watching by 1/2 each night? If you have a tv in your bedroom but don't like to eat in bed, then why not watch a little tv in bed instead of in the living room which is too close to the kitchen.

You need to make a conscious effort to do something different and identify the triggers that may be affecting your unhealthy eating. You may have to enlist the help of your friends and family members but don't discount the importance of your physical environment with regards to achieving your weight loss goals.

The best and worst part about running at 5AM

I've been running once or twice per week at 5 AM for the past few weeks and here are some of my observations:

1. Getting up at 4 AM isn't as tough as I thought it would be. It obviously helps that I go to bed around 10PM the night before.
2. I can't function that early without a cup of green tea and 1/2 a banana.
3. I can count, on both hands, the amount of cars I see on the roads. However, the ones who are on the roads aren't exactly keeping their eyes open as I've come close to being hit more than a few times.
4. Running on some of the side streets becomes a challenge especially when there is little light to be found anywhere.
5. I get the strangest looks from the people that I see as they wait for their bus.
6. I don't have to worry about the sun getting in my eyes.

Humidity 1 Greg 0

One of the benefits from running so early in the mornings is that I not only have the road to myself, especially when I run at 5 AM, but I also escape the truly hot/humid weather. I typically don’t mind running in hot weather but when the humidity gets to the point where it feels like you are running is pea soup, that gets a little tougher to handle.
That was the case this morning. It started out ok but about 20 minutes into my run I could really feel the humidity and at times I had a difficult time catching my breath.

Reducing my speed didn’t seem to help too much so I had to just do the best I could and I tried not to think about it too much. About three-quarters into my run, I felt some rain and that helped for a brief minute but by the time I finished I was soaked and it wasn’t from the rain.

As soon as a runner has difficult time getting oxygen flowing properly it’s all over. There have been countless articles written about proper running “cadence” with regards to breathing but it’s actually something that I’ve never had a problem with. Sometimes you can think too much about something and that can throw your natural rhythm off. When new runners ask me what to do I always tell them to keep their mouths open at all times and try to find a pace that allows them to breathe comfortably. Whenever my breathing becomes labored, it is always a sign that I’ve gone out too fast. Today, however, the poor air quality made it difficult to get a proper breath in.

I’m sure that my next two runs on Thursday and Friday, since they will be at 5 AM, will be much better with regards to air quality.

The Running Gods smiled on me today

I am a firm believer in the Running Gods theory and after today I'm even more convinced.

There I was, towards the end of my 12.5 KM run this morning, listening contently to my music. I purposely set my music to random play so I never know what kind of song is going to come on. I've noticed that my running speed mimics whatever song comes on. Sometimes a really good song will come on, which I haven't eard in months (I have close to 300 songs downloaded)and today was one of those days. A song by Phil Collins called "Wish it would rain" came on and I thought about how long it's been since I was able to run in the rain. It's without a doubt my favorite weather to run in. Part of why I enjoy it so much is because I usually see people who look surprised to see me running in it. If they only knew how much I enjoy it though.

With less than 1 KM left in my run, I started to feel a slight drizzle. I couldn't believe my luck. Not only was I running in the rain but I was listening to a song about about it at the same time. I'm sure the people driving their cars today probably thought I was crazy as I had this huge smile on my face.

What made today even more interesting is that I usually do a trail run on Tuesdays but decided against it today as several of my friends were unable to join me.

Today's run will be one that started out like a normal one, but definitely had a special ending to it.

Are you a "stress" eater?

All of us deal with stress on a daily basis and while some people turn to alcohol, drugs or gambling to deal with their stress,others turn to food.

Most of my clients experience this towards the end of the day. They manage to follow a healthy eating plan up until they leave work but as soon as they arrive home their diet changes radically.

In order to deal with this stress with a healthier outcome, you must first identify the areas in your life that you find most stressful. I'm a firm believer in writing down your thoughts on paper, which is why I write on my blog daily. Taking 10 minutes to write something down on paper sometimes is all that is required to minimize the stress.

Stress is something that feeds our negative thought patterns. In order to create a positive cycle you must be able to change one part of that negative cycle. If you usually turn to food immediately after a stressful situation, make yourself a cup of herbal tea instead. While the tea is brewing, sit down and write down how you are feeling at that moment. This may sound impossible at first, but remember that you must break that cycle and anything that you do different is going to seem "weird" at first. It will take some time, practice and patience but eventually you will discover that you can deal with your stress with a healthier option.

Food, like alcohol/drugs, only suppresses those feelings but those feelings will seem larger in the end. You not only will have to not only deal with the original stress, but you will also have to contend with the guilt you will be having for eating that chocolate bar as a result of a tough day at the office.

The more often you can combat stress with a positve instead of a negative outcome, the more you will be better equiped the next time around.

OUCH!

I just finished my 33KM run today and I'm actually feeling more sore now than I did after doing my 50 KM trail race. There are two reasons for this. They are speed and terrain.

Running on trails, at least for me, demands that I slow down and the terrain is much easier on your feet. Today we ran quite a bit faster than I've done recently, and also my feet took more of a pounding on the pavement.

It was also the longest run I've done since my 50K so I'm sure that had something to do with it. Today reinforced even more for me that I'm not in the right frame of mind to do a fast marathon.

Tomorrow I'll do some light weights and start running again on Tuesday.

Seminar success!

Last night I had my first monthly seminar at Extreme Fitness. The focus was on building a strong support network while trying to lose weight. It was inspiring to hear story after story about how challenging the weight loss has been but that the determination and will to succeed overcame those roadblocks.

We were able to share some ideas on what has worked/not worked in our weight loss attempts. The seminar turned into a great opportunity to build new friendships and form a new support network at the same time. The people, who attended, were able to exchange numbers/emails addresses and it is my hope that they will stay in touch.

We will be holding a monthly seminar on the third Friday of every month and this is open to members and non-members of Extreme Fitness. If you are interested in attending our next seminar, please contact me.

Building your weight loss support network

Tonight I am holding a nutrition seminar on the important role the family plays in helping an individual achieve their weight loss goals. I decided to hold this seminar after having a conversation with one of my clients who was struggling with her goals of losing weight. After looking at her home life she realized that her family was not being as supportive as she had wanted. She followed her healthy eating guidelines well during the time she was at work, but when she returned home, her family was not on the same "page" as she was. This caused constant friction at her house. I finally convinced her to have a family meeting about this and it has helped her to stay on track. Here are some other things that might help:

• Enlist your friends and family to be your weight loss cheerleaders. Hint that you'd certainly appreciate a boost of encouragement every now and again. Let them know how much you relish their support when they help keep you motivated.
• Designate certain areas of the house a "no-eating zones" and stick to it.

These areas are for you to perform activities like paying bills or planning menus, which you may normally have done at the kitchen table... where temptation is always just in your reach!

• Make a weight chart and put it in a centralized location so everyone can see your excellent progress. Celebrate together with friends and family in a non-food-involving way when you reach a milestone.
• Save a "rainy day" fund by putting away a certain amount of money for every pound you lose. Start making plans for the fun you will all have together when you use the cash for a family activity.
• Have a family meeting about the guidelines of your diet and your plans for your lifestyle change. Discuss how everyone can help you meet your goals. Try to pin-point problem areas before they throw you for a loop. For example, make sure Dad plans to take the kids out for their Friday night ice cream parlor for the time being.
• Clean out the cupboards and designate one shelf as just yours. Put all your specialty or diet items within easy reach. It will be your "safe" shelf. Make a rule that all the junk food must be stored somewhere else!
• Don't be shy! Share your success with friends and family. When you hit a target, let everyone know it. Let them see how enthusiastic and happy you are to be accomplishing your goals. By sharing in your joy, they will see how important this is to you and will therefore be even more likely to support you.
• Make any family function a healthier to-do by pre-preparing entrees or side dishes that are on your diet plan. If nothing else in the host's spread is acceptable, you'll have a "back-up" meal.
• Plan family meals well ahead of time so you know your menu includes something for the little ones or your finicky spouse in case they don't enjoy your "rabbit food".
• Ask the friends and family who you regularly dine with to help keep temptation at bay by not offering you foods off your diet plan... no matter how many times you've been caught staring at that slice of pepperoni pizza your hubby's eating!

Creating "energy"

One of the most common goals my clients have is how to improve their energy levels throughout the day. This is especially true in the afternoon.

A main component of my program is to eat small frequent meals which contain at least 10-15 grams of protein. Having protein can slow down the release of sugars into the bloodstream and combined with high fibre, whole grain carbohydrates, this can improve energy levels within one week.

Another way to create more energy is to become more active. Working out 2-3 times per week at the gym may appear to be enough it barely scratches the surface. What about the remaining 4-5 days of the week? That isn't to say that you must train at the gym 5 days per week but you need to do something physically active at least 5 days per week and for a minimum of 45 minutes to 1 hour to fully get the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. These activities can range from playing sports such as soccer or tennis or even going for a walk. It needs to be something where your heart rate will become elevated and stay elevated for those 45 to 60 minutes. If you are just starting out with an exercise plan then your goal should be to slowly increase the amount of days that you are active. The more you exercise the better you will feel about yourself and the more energy you will create as a result.

One good run deserves another.....

I was able to run 12 KM's today at a nice pace and I seem to have built off the momentum of yesterday's trail run.

During the trail run yesterday, I asked one of my friends what he thought about training for speed vs endurance. During last winter I trained exclusively for speed with the hopes of achieving a Personal Best time at the Mississauga Marathon. The training involved doing lots of speed work, running on the track, hill repeats and tempo runs.

In preparation for my 50K trail race, however, I did more endurance training. This consisted of doing back to back long runs at a much slower speed. I didn't do any speed work during this phase.

The speed training was something that I am most proud of as I really pushed myself to limits which I didn't think were possible. Although it didn't translate into what I wanted at my Marathon, I'd like to do that again. In fact, my plan is to train hard during the winter months in preparation for the spring Marathon (Mississauga or Ottawa) and then concentrate on trail running for the rest of the year.

Having this type of plan makes it easier for me as I know what my goals are each year. After doing the 50K Vulture Bait race in October, I'll take some time off and start planning my marathon training for the winter months.

Just what the Dr. ordered!

Ever since Haliburton I noticed that I seem to be in a "fog" both mentally and physically. Even though I ran three times last week I felt like I did it because I had to not because I wanted to. I took the last three days off from running and actually lifted weights yesterday for the first time in over 7 months.

This morning I met two friends at 6:30 AM for a run in the Rouge Valley. This was my first attempt at running in the trails since Haliburton. I actually had a hard time sleeping on Monday as I kept thinking about the run. The two runners I went with are much faster than I am and my only thought was to try and keep up.

As soon as I hit the trails though, everything seemed to come together and I felt so amazing. Those three days off were so important mentally for me because after the run today I felt like I had captured lightning in a bottle. It wasn't that I was able to run fast but rather it was that I seemed to have more energy and my mind was able to relax more.

I was worried that I had lost my mental focus, which is something that I take great pride in having. I know that I will recover from my physical pain but I never want to let my mental game slip. Now I can't wait to go for another run tomorrow morning and that's the feeling I wanted to get from today's run.

I've talked to some of my friends who ran the 100 Miler in Haliburton and they are still recovering from their injuries. Having done less than a third of what they did, I feel fortunate that I'm running at all right now.

Thanks Ken and Steve!

THIS is why goals are important

I've noticed that since my race last weekend, I've been in a bit of a "funk" with regards to my running. I also noticed that my focus isn't what it was. Usually I have one race set up right after another to avoid the exact feelings I'm going through now.
My body is still recovering, I think, from the pounding it took on the trails. It could also be that mentally I'm not recovered yet as well. In any case, I know that I work better when I have a goal to work towards.

Most of my friends are running in either the Toronto or Scotiabank full marathon. The thought of running for speed doesn't interest me right now and I don't know if I can run the type of race that I'd want to run because my main focus has been on increasing my endurance not my speed.

Even though Haliburton beat me up physically, I found that I could relax more in the trails and not have to worry about finishing the race in a certain time. When I finished the race, I had no trouble with cramping, unlike what I've experienced when I've run on the roads (Mississauga Marathon and Around the Bay).

There is one race that I've done since I started running in 2005 and that is Vulture Bait in London. It's part of the Ontario Ultra Series and it's the last race of the season. I've run the 25K race there the last 2 years and last year I was able to do better than the previous one. I've decided to return to my "roots" and this time I'll do the 50K race there. This will be the first time that I'll be doing the longest distance possible at a race as they have a 10K, 25K and 50K option. Unlike Haliburton or the Iroqouis Trail Test, this race doesn't feature too many difficulties and I should be able to run more than I was able to at Haliburton.

Now that I have my goal in place, I'm sure my focus will return. Next stop Vulture Bait 50K, October 13th!

Memories of Terry Fox

In 1980, when Terry Fox was doing his Marathon of Hope run for Cancer, I was 13 years old. He actually ran through the town that I was living in, Ingleside, which is just outside of Cornwall. I remember the buzz that was in the town during that time.

At the time, Running meant absolutely nothing to me as I was still very overweight at the time. Now that I am running, I obviously can look back at his accomplishments in a different light. I made my two boys watch the Terry Fox movie with me last night and because they have followed my own running "career" I think they understood how tough that was for him.

It's unfortunate that I didn't discover my passion for running sooner. However, I try not to spend too much time looking in the rear view mirro. With that being said, I will announce my next running goal tomorrow.

Finding the time to do what I love to do

I hear so many excuses from people who claim that they simply don't have the time to exercise or make healthy eating choices. While I'm sympathetic to many, especially those that have small children as I do, there comes a point when you have to start making your healthy lifestyle a priority.

This morning was a perfect example of that. I knew that if I didn't get a run in this morning I wouldn't be able to run again until Monday. My only option was to get up at 4:30 and go for a run at 5 AM. It's been a long time since I've run the streets of Ajax at 5 AM but today was that day.

I knew that once I started going I'd be fine and that's exactly what happened. I realize that changing your lifestyle is not an easy thing to do but unless you make it a priority you will find any excuse not to start. Have a great weekend and for those of you participating in the Terry Fox run/walk, good luck!

My reverse taper is working well so far

I did a small run today (9 KM's) but was very sore when I started out. I was no doubt feeling the effects of yesterdays' run after taking the previous 3 days off. I'll do one more run on Friday and then rest for the weekend.

When Monday morning comes around I should be well rested both physically and mentally. It will be at that point when I'll pick my next race.

Right now, the thought of running anything more than 12-15 KM's doesn't interest me and I probably only have one more long race left inside of me for this year. I'm leaning towards doing another 50 KM trail race but I'll make that decision next week.

I'll use the weekend to look back on not only my last race but the races I've done this past year (all 8 of them). It's good to do some reflecting on what I have accomplished before looking ahead to future goals. One of the things I'm most grateful for is my ability to stay healthy for yet another year. I know so many people who have had a difficult time staying healthy and Ifeel fortunate that I've been able to remain in good shape throughout this year.

Back to basics

I went out for a run today for the first time since my race on Saturday. I was extremely nervous because of what my body had gone through. Because I've never run that distance on trails before, I wasn't sure what I would be capable of. I took the last three days off but I wasn't sure if that was enough.

At the start of the run, my left ankle started to get a little sore. During the trail race both ankles took a pounding as the terrain switched from dirt to hard mud to grass. My ankles would turn every so often so I'm sure that's what I was feeling today. Eventually the pain went away and I was able to continue.

Whenever I run on the roads, the natural inclination for me is to speed up. However, when I'm running in the trails I purposely tell myself to slow down. I actually enjoy running at a much slower pace and I thought about how great I usually feel when I run at a slower pace. I want to be able to run for many more years, so avoiding injuries is obviously a priority. By slowing myself down I think I'm accomplishing that.

Qualifying for the Boston Marathon, or at least coming close to it, was my original goal heading into 2007. Along the way, though, I rediscovered my love of trail running. Someone asked me today what my next goal was and I said that I want to do more 50K trail races and then a 50 Miler. For me to accomplish these goals I need to shift my focus from speed to endurance training.

Today's 12KM run was an important first step for me and I'm happy to report that my legs are still working fine.

Taking that first "step" is sometimes the hardest.

After taking two days off to rest my body after my race, I knew that I had to do something today to help clear my mind,body and soul.

However, running was not an option because I needed to take one more day off. As I lay in my bed this morning it felt good not having to get up so early to go for a run. It would have been very easy to take another day off and in my mind I probably could have talked myself into it. After all I just ran 50K and don't I deserve another day off? While I doubt that I would have turned another day into several more, that thought did cross my mind. What if I take another day off and then another until a week went by?

I thought about many of my clients who have to make that same decision on a daily basis. Should I work out or rest? It's very easy to talk ourselves into not doing something but harder to talk ourselves into doing something, especially when it comes to diet and exercise it seems. I could have used the excuse that I was sore and tired but I know that if I did that, my decision would literally eat away at me and I'd feel guilty the rest of the day.

I decided to ride my bike for 45 minutes just to get myself going again. Those first 5 minutes seemed to drag on forever but eventually I settled into a rhythm and stopped worrying so much about how long I was on the bike for. After running for over 6.5 hours on Saturday what's 45 minutes right? (LOL)

When I finished I immediately felt energized and I knew that I made the right decision to exercise. Now my focus is on my first run since my race tomorrow morning. I have no idea how I'm going to feel but my goal is to run between 8 to 12 KM's. Thankfully much of the pain in my knees has faded away and my plantar fasciitis is clearing up as well.

I feel like a kid on Christmas eve as I wait for tomorrow morning to come. I know that my first few steps tomorrow will be difficult, they usually are after doing a race, but I also know that once I find my rhythm I'll feel like I'm "home again."

When you are faced with making the decision on whether to exercise or eat properly, try to think back to a time when you made that right decision and how you felt afterwards. The ability to look back at the positive choices you have made and the feelings that you had are crucial as they can help you when you are faced with a similar situation later in your life. Just remember that it is easy to make excuses and easier yet to justify them. Don't allow yourself to get out of that positive focus you have built.
You have the ability to do anything that you want to but it has to starts with having a positive attitude. Now, go out and exercise and eat healthy.

What's next?

After taking yesterday and today off from any type of physical activity, I'll do some light biking tomorrow before going out for a small run on Wednesday.

The biggest thing for me to do now is to pick my next race. I usually have several races lined up but because the running season is winding down, there are only a few races left.

I was worried that I may not be ready, physically to do another marathon in October (Toronto) as I haven't done too much speed work. However, I'm sure that once I start out on the roads again, my drive will return and I'll sign up for that race.

My body feels like it has been going non-stop since April as I've completed a marathon, a 30K race, a 32K trail race and two 50K races in the span of 6 months. Fortunately I've managed to stay relatively healthy through all of this and I want to ensure that I stay that way so I can enjoy running in the winter months.

Haliburton 50K photos

More information on post-race recovery

After Your Race - Post Marathon Recovery
Posted: February 12, 2004
From Lore of Running-4th Edition by Timothy Noakes

After a marathon, the immediate priority is to drink sufficient liquid to correct any dehydration and sodium chloride losses that may have occurred. This ensures that the kidneys increase their urine production as soon after the race as possible, and it is especially important for faster runners. Slower runners who have drunk adequately during the race and who may be slightly overhydrated need to be careful about not drinking too much after the race, thereby becoming water-intoxicated (hyponatremic). Unconfirmed reports suggest that there have been at least two deaths in marathon runners who drank too much both during and after races because they believed they were dehydrated. The increasing frequency of this condition, especially in recreational women runners who take more than 5 hours to complete marathons, has been emphasized repeatedly.

You should be able to pass urine within six hours of completing a marathon. If you are not able to, it is possible that you may have developed acute kidney failure, an extremely rare condition in marathon and ultramarathon races. However, if you have not passed urine within 12 hours of completing a race, contact a doctor, preferably a kidney specialist. If you are developing acute kidney failure, the earlier you seek a medical opinion, the more likely it is that the severity of the failure can be lessened and the need for blood dialysis prevented.

A runner’s appetite is usually suppressed for a few hours after a marathon. When it returns, there is usually a mild craving for high-fat or high-protein foods, such as steak. According to Bruce Fordyce, the only time he eats steak is during the first three days after ultramarathons. It is probable that the protein in the steak is needed to repair the racing-induced muscle damage.

The day after the race is usually characterized by varying degrees of mental and physical fatigue and, in some, mild depression. Typically, your legs will be stiff on account of the muscle damage, and anything except sleeping will seem to sap all your available energy. This usually lasts for 48 hours after a standard marathon and for 7 to 10 days after a short ultramarathon.

Little can be done about these feelings, except to accept them as normal, to sleep more, and to avoid excessive physical and mental activity. I suspect that the depression is due to depletion of brain neurotransmitters—an exaggerated response of the same type that in a milder form explains the ability of running to reduce anxiety.

From the second day after the race, there is an increased likelihood of developing symptoms of infection or inflammation. In a study of the incidence of symptoms of upper respiratory tract inflammation or infection (sore throats, nasal symptoms, cough, or fever) after the 56-km Two Oceans Marathon, Edith Peters and Eric Bateman (1983) found that 47% of runners who ran the race in less than 4 hours developed such symptoms in the first 14 days after the race, whereas only 19% of those finishing the race in between 5:30 and 6:00 developed these symptoms. The frequency of these symptoms in the slower runners was the same as that of members of their households during the same period, whereas that of the faster runners was much higher. These symptoms were not trivial, and in 47% of runners they lasted for more than seven days. Taking vitamin C, both before and after these races, may reduce the probability of developing these symptoms (E.M. Peters et al. 1996). Other studies have confirmed that there is a greater risk of contracting these symptoms after ultramarathons (E.M. Peters et al. 1992; 1997) and marathons (D.C. Nieman et al. 1990) than after shorter-distance races of 5 to 21 km (Nieman, Johannsen, et al. 1989). Similarly, runners that train heavily are also at increased risk of developing these symptoms.

At present, we do not know whether these symptoms are due to a bacterial or viral infection or whether they represent an inflammatory or allergic response to the high rates of ventilation sustained for many hours during the races. Thus, there is uncertainty about whether to treat the symptoms with antibiotics or with anti-inflammatory or antiallergenic medications.

However, the best form of treatment is rest. My bias, first suggested to me by my colleague Wayne Derman, is to believe that these symptoms are probably of an allergic or inflammatory origin and are not due to infections. This seems especially likely given the increased probability that athletes will suffer from allergies.

After about one week, when your enthusiasm for running starts to return, it is a good idea to analyze the race in detail to find out what errors you made both in the race and in training. If you ran well, it is probable that your training was appropriate and that you paced yourself well during the race. If you ran badly, it may be that your training was not appropriate, that you raced too much in the previous 12 months, or that you ran too fast too early in the race. The most common errors made by runners are overtraining, training too hard too close to the race without a decent taper, or racing too frequently and too recently. You should also pay attention to the balance between speed and distance training. Was the balance correct in your training? Did you carbohydrate load effectively, or did you become hypoglycemic during the race because you failed to carbohydrate load properly, to eat the correct prerace meal, or to ingest sufficient carbohydrate during the race? If you quit mentally during the race, analyze your responses. Did you start having negative thoughts at some point in the race? There is also the possibility that you did in fact run to your genetic potential (chapter 2) but that you are not yet willing to accept the reality.

Runners Web

Post-race recovery

As expected, I'm more sore/stiff today than yesterday and that will only get worse by tomorrow. There are many elements that go into the post-race recovery. I've researched for hours about different methods of recovery and have found some common traits:

Rest
Hydration
Nutrition
Depression
Running again

REST
It is essential that I REST for the next few days. I had given some serious thought to doing some very light biking to try and get some of the lactic acid out of my muscles but my body is having nothing of that. The best thing that I can do is to keep my body moving a little bit at a time. The easiest thing to do would be to sit on the couch but that is not going to help the healing process. I'll probably go for a walk with my dog at some point today but that's it. I'll follow this same protocol for Monday.

HYDRATION
No matter how much I drink, I still feel thirsty. I've been drinking water since the minute the race finished but I still feel dehydrated so I'll continue to drink water throughout the day.

NUTRITION
Immediately after the race, even though I know the importance of restoring my glycogen levels, I had zero appetite. I forced myself to eat a bagel though. Last night I had this strange craving for red meat. I normally don't eat red meat and had to do some research to find out why I was craving it. It turns out that this is very normal and it is the body's way of telling me that I need to repair my muscle tissues. As my appetite returns to normal today, I'll begin to eat more carbohydrates as well as proteins.

DEPRESSION
I found this very interesting and as I read more about it it made sense to me. There was such a build-up to this race for me and now that it is over I'm left with "now what?" I also use running as a way to reduce my stress levels so I'll have to find another outlet for the next few days.

RUNNING AGAIN
Most research shows that I can resume my running again in about 3 days. My plantar actually made it through the race without too much difficulties but I want the pain in my knee to subside before I go for another run. I'll either go for a light run on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week for no more than 5-6 KM's. From there I'll build up my mileage slowly.

I've thought about doing one more 50KM before the end of the year, in the middle of October, but I'll make a final decision on that at the end of this week. If I don't do that race then I probably won't do another race again until next year but will cotinue to keep my mileage/endurance levels moderate to high. Next year I want to compete in the 50 KM Ontario Ultra Series and do one 50 Mile race. The 50 Mile race will take about 6 months of training but thankfully I have the support of a great group of trail runners who will help me with my training.

What an Adventure!

Please bear with me as I try to make the recount of my 50K adventure as brief as possible.

It started when I picked up my friend at her house at 1PM on Friday afternoon. We drove about 2:15 to get to our motel in a little town called Minden. The Halliburton Wolf Reserve, which is where the race was held, was 45 minutes away from where we were staying but we were unable to find a place closer.

We drove right to the race site to pick up our race kits and then drove back to Minden. After sharing a Pizza, getting our race gear finalized and relaxing for about an hour, we called it a night. The race started promptly at 6:00 AM and because we both like to get to the race at least 45 minutes before the start, it meant that we had to get up at 3:30 AM.

Neither of us got much sleep and we left for the race site at 4:30 AM (thankfully there was a Tim Horton’s across the street that was open 24 hours!) We arrived at the race site at 5:15 and soon realized that we both didn’t have any headlamps/flashlights. Even though I’ve done well over 30 races, I’ve never started one in the dark. Lucky for us they did provide us with light sticks and that, combined with the fact that we stuck close to those runners who DID have headlamps/flashlights, made our race that much safer.
It wasn’t until about 45 minutes into the race that the sun made its appearance.

Without a doubt this was the toughest race both mentally and physically that I’ve ever done. There were parts of the race that made it impossible to run as the vertical climb was just too steep. Just when I started to find my running rhythm, another long hill would appear.

Even though I had done the 25K race here last year, there’s nothing really that can prepare you for Halliburton. It’s one of those races that will challenge you each step of the way and I needed to be mentally focused or it would have demoralized me. Towards the last half of the race I realized how much fun I was having and I seemed to relax more. It was almost like I knew at that point that I had arrived as a trail runner. I learned very quickly how to do the “shuffle run” as my legs and knees were aching at around the 30 KM mark. I’m proud to say that although I stumbled a few times, I didn’t fall and that is an accomplishment on its own.

It was very hard to get the sugars into my system as I went through at least 8 gels as well as bananas, oranges, E-Load and watermelon at the aid stations. Unfortunately the aid stations were every 5 Miles (8-9 KM’s) so I had to carry 4 water bottles with me. At the aid stations I would refill my bottles with E-Load and Water (two of each). My weight belt kept slipping on me from the back, so I had to carry two bottles, one in each hand, for the whole race.

Those that know me know that I love to listen to music while I run. Unfortunately there are only so many times you can hear the same songs before they lose their significance. Towards the end of the race I was tired of hearing the same songs and would have preferred to have some company. I met up with a few runners, one who was hurting so bad that he had to walk the last 25 KM’s. I stayed with him for awhile and after the race I thanked him for being there. During trail races of this length it’s easy to get disoriented as your blood sugars start to drop. There were times when I had to really focus on where I was and ensure that I was on the right path.

My goal for this race was to finish strong and although there were times where I questioned why I was out there, it never crossed my mind to give up. I feel like I have crossed over into the world of trail running and will make that my focus from now on.

Two years ago, when I started running, I never dreamed that I would have completed two 50K races in the same year including my first in the trails. Once I sit back and let it all soak in, I’m sure I’ll feel good about what I’ve done. Right now, though, I just need some Advil……….

I am an official Ultra Trail Runner now....

Mission completed. I will have a complete wrap up after my body heals.

Thank you!

This will be my last post before I leave for Haliburton and I just wanted to say thanks to all those who have wished me well. The emails from my clients have been overwhelming and the chocolate brownies that one of my clients made for me will be a nice treat after my race on Saturday (LOL).

I still can't believe what I'm about to do and it seems like just yesterday that I was running in the trails for the first time. When I started running trails I always envisioned doing a 50K and eventually more, but it didn't occur to me that it would be happening only two years into my running.

I'm very nervous and excited at the same time and with a 3 hour car ride tomorrow afternoon, I'm sure my emotions will be overflowing by the time I get my race kit. I don't know what is worse, the prospect of running for 7 hours or the 3 hour drive home afterwards. I guess I'll find out soon enough.

This week I talked to my clients about reaching for their goals and never letting anyone come between them. I'd like to think that I try to live my life that way so when I speak to them I really am just reinforcing my own belief system. I've had to overcome many obstacles in my life to get to where I am, as everyone does, and although the journey has been very rough at times I'd like to think that I am a better person because of it.

Thanks again for your support and my next post will be a report on my race!

The importance of structure

There has been one recurring theme that I have noticed with my clients this week and that has been how important structure is to them.
Now that the kids have returned to school, many of my clients have told me how much easier it will be to follow my plan as they can return to "normalcy" once again. This has been something that they were unable to do during the summer months.

While I agree that the summer months can be especially hard, as the importance of eating healthy seems to take a hiatus during this time, I don't believe that it has to be that way. Unfortunately our bodies don't take a summer holiday and it's important to try your best to keep focused on eating healthy the majority of the time. In addition, it also means that exercise becomes more important. I like to call exercise the great equalizer as it can give people more flexibility with their eating. The problem is that during the summer months not only does eating suffer but so too does exercise. Poor eating and lack of exercise is a deadly combination.

Instead of looking backwards, however, I prefer to look ahead. Creating a positive atmosphere is the first step to achieving your goals. You need to ask yourself if you have all the tools necessary to complete the task at hand. In the case of losing weight this includes making sure that you have healthy foods available in the house. It also means scheduling in workout times throughout the week. I see so many people with electronic day timers but how many of these people pencil in their workout schedules in them? You have to make healthy eating and exercise a priority or you won't give it the attention it deserves.

Getting into a routine, where you know what time and day you will be working out will only improve the likelihood of you achieving your weight loss goals. In addition, scheduling your meals is even more important. I'm often asked what is more important working or diet. My answer to that is simple: Ask yourself how many times you consume food in a week versus how many times you work out in a week.
Sometimes planning a weeks worth of meals can help not only the person trying to lose weight but the family itself. Too many people come home from work with no idea what to have for supper. They are usually tired and will grab the first thing they see or make stop at a fast food restaurant. This can be avoided with some simple planning ahead of time.

Don't wait any longer to start creating your own structure it will pay off for you in the end.

Nothing to do now but sit and wait until Saturday...

This morning I had my last run before my race. It was a steady 12K run and I tried my best to slow it down. Knowing that it was my last run for awhile, I really made this run fun. There were some great songs that came on my MP3 player just when I needed them. I think I passed about 3 other runners and a few walkers this morning which was great to see since I left my house just after 6:00 AM.

The weather today was perfect for running. There was a light chill in the air but as soon as I finished my first 2 KM’s, the weather began to warm up and the decision to wear light clothing paid off.

Since this was the first day of school, I also ran by several students. I was thinking back to when I was there age and hoped that I inspired even one of them to start running. Sometimes I wonder how much my life would have been different had I discovered my love of running earlier in my life. I tend not to look back too much but that is one thing that I think about from time to time.

As I spoke to my clients today, they all wished me luck in my race and most were shocked when I told them the distance that I was running and how long it would take me. One lady has even started to run so I think that my constant chatter about my love of running has rubbed off on her (LOL).

I’ll use these next 3 days to rest, relax and recover. While it won’t be easy, I’ll do my best to comply. However, if I’m extra grumpy this week you’ll know it’s because I’m not running!

Legs still work.....thank goodness!

After taking the weekend off from running, I went out cautiously for a run today. My right knee is still a little sore and I am still feeling the effects of my plantar fasciitis, but I managed to run 12KM's just the same.

The pace was faster than I thought it was going to be, but I have resigned myself to the fact that when I run alone, with nothing but my music to listen to, I tend to go faster. With all the emphasis I've been placing on reducing speed in favor of increasing endurance, I'm always pleasantly surprised to see that I haven't lost any of the speed I worked so hard to improve on, during my marathon training last Winter/Spring.

With just one more run left this week, I'm already starting to get my "game face" on. This week I'm going to do whatever I need to do to get as mentally focused for this race as possible.

Rather than hitting the trails tomorrow morning, I've decided to run from my house so I can see my oldest son off to school tomorrow. I'll run another 12K but try to slow the pace down a little. After that run, my legs will be given 3 days off from running. I will probably do some light biking or elipitcal work, on Wednesday but that will be it.

On Friday afternoon my friend and I will be taking our "road trip" to Haliburton and then will get up early the next morning for our 6 AM race. The last time I did a race where I had to stay overnight at a hotel, was last year in Owen Sound. It's a different experience when you stay in a different place the night before. Sometimes it can throw your timing off and since I'm such a creature of habit, it's something that I will have to guard against.