What a week, and it ain’t over…and yes, age is catching up (I know, I’m whining..)
Today was good…..a spin class in the great outdoors at SVAC first thing….
I kind of needed that……a little bit of stretching while we spun, and after…and then off to the pool
yep heaven…..
When I got to the pool, I have to say, I wasn’t feelin’ it….did I really want to swim?
Honestly dead tired…..and the spin didn’t help…but, well, as soon as I dove into the 50 meter pool, as soon as my head hit the water, nothing could feel as good…
It was only 1,000 meters in 25 minutes, but I needed that, and the 15 minutes in the hot pool after….maybe a part of that recovery….my legs are still dead tired, but that swim was perfect…a perfect way to end a morning…
This does feel good….though?……a lot of running, a few spins on the bikes…..two run clubs up and running, three group runs every week…..yeah, feels right…
It’s all inspiring, which is why I really love this stuff……..just spending time in the gym feels good, feels like home, sort of like the/my Running Room, every time I walk through the doors, I feel like saying, honey I’m home…..
Tomorrow may be a rest day, a much needed recovery day, well, sort of, after a morning run…..the plan is a Zoom meet live from somewhere on one of my favorite routes, and all the participants are supposed to do the same……so should be interesting, I’ll pick a spot where a short run, a long chat, and another short run….then I’ll plan to collapse for the rest of Saturday, and hope I’ll have enough get up and go to go again Sunday……gotta, gotta run….
This may be it…….I just like doing this. I like being active, busy, just doing stuff…the more I do, the more I want to.
Yeah, I like getting into the pool, and for some reason hitting the weight room as well, inside…
But, on one of the bikes……..get me outside
out for a Run
Even just for a walk….all good…..
26 years…I’d like to say it’s been longer….biking and swimming has always been a part of my life, endurance, hiking…being outside.
37, maybe younger, and now..63…..and still feel the same, even more so.
I guess it’s all about doing, not just watching……yes, I’ll watch, tomorrow, volunteering at a race, handing out electrolytes and water to runners taking on a half marathon….then I’ll go for my own run…
Today, instructed a 5K clinic, listened to, and talk about strength, nutrition, hydration….a good way to start the day…..I’ll post a bit about nutrition more tomorrow….I actually learned a few new things, things I think I knew, and you learn everyday…
the weather is great, the roads have gotten cleaner…..time to get on the road…and yep, the next goal, a 10K Canada Day Road Race on July 1st, and then the Half Marathon in August…..
Feeling good, feeling better…and getting out side that’s what make this worth, just being….
seriously I am…the luckiest person on the planet…….life is good, so what do I have to bitch about….
seriously it doesn’t get any better…sure, if I won a lottery…but still, I feel good…
better than I did this morning…that ugly concussion headache gave me a little misery…but throughout a busy day selling shoes (I’ve for some reason become pretty good at that…I guess an old guy like me is someone they can trust?)…..the ache went away…and after an easy 5K-ish run, I feel even better….
Just booked a parking spot for my car at the airport for that final weekend/first weekend of May..so I am going…even picked out the first restaurant I’m heading to for lunch, so a good sign…
Running has become good…maybe it’s having a new location, new routes, new paths, trails and neighborhoods helps….the commitment to the Run Club – I have to Run – so no matter what Tuesday evenings and Sunday mornings, I have to show up ready to run…making me consistent, and hopefully setting a good example…
the snow’s almost gone, or is going somewhere…..
Selling shoes and matching people up with shoes is kind of a challenge……an odd one, trying to convince someone that the shoe they like the looks of is exactly the wrong shoe for their feet and knees….sure, you don’t love the colour – yes colour – but it’s a tool, you need that right shoe!
Some customers make you great to feel alive..they get it, they’re runners, there’s something in common, and they get that nothing, NOTHING, feels like that right shoe…..once that’s found, that’s all you need, that’s the shoe…
And sometimes that shoe can get a little pricey
wore my new shoes, the Arahi’s from Hoka today around the store, sweet..and then wore the old pair through the snow ice and mud tonight..and made all the difference in that run
I’m not going to say that right shoe will make you quicker – for me it sometimes does – but it means no issues, no knee issues, no blisters….no nothing, you don’t even notice the shoes as you run…you just run…
Tomorrow’s going to be a rest day…maybe a walk……and the countdown is on
and oh yeah, I begin again instructing yet another Running Room virtual clinic….love ’em…people in a lot of locations across Canada and I’ve even had a few from south of the border (it’s virtual, people from anywhere can sign up at runningroom.com)……it’s always interesting…it seems this one, a 5K specific distance, has fewer people in it so far…but just gives me a chance to be more personal…more social….so looking forward to it…
Running shoes, Running Clinics, and Run Clubs……I guess running’s becoming my running life…….so good!
My 2nd Sunday in a row without a long run, or a run beyond 10K…..
Began a new run club yesterday, which was a blast…a fun group, and a good start, a good beginning.
Had on planned on continuing on for 7K afterwards….but well, social, coffee afterwards….and my plans were derailed……..which was okay…
For the first time since the beginning of 2020 and COVID, I woke up for a run early on a Sunday, and I was excited to do so….this morning not so much……it was amazing how quickly, after waking up for an 8:30 run every Sunday morning for almost 27 years…….so it was nice to get back to that, and rebooting that habit…
I know I have to go out first thing, jump out of bed and run….but today was an example why that doesn’t happen; a medical appointment at 9 o’clock, and then, well it’s cold out yet again….not all that sunny…not all that appealing…and I’ve got no get-up and go today….so, maybe tomorrow?
I’ve altered my schedule for this week, for today…I got out for a short 6K fun run at some point, and that felt good….I picked out a route with a bit of climbing, so not the mileage, but the extra effort I think sets some of that off, and balances out the whole training package.
Saying that, here’s this weeks schedule, week # 9 of 18…..there’s lots of time to get back on track, I’ve got the experience to know what I need to do (run!)….and just be active…cross training, building that endurance is important overall, and getting stronger.
Monday Feb 28th
a 6K fun run
Tuesday Mar 1st
maybe 10K early effortless – the a 5K run club run in the evening
Wednesday Mar 2nd
a post to get that blood work done 5K steady run, if time SVAC weights!
Thursday Mar 3rd
Hill Repeats early, first thing…..and if done in time more weights, or just a spin later
Friday Mar 4th
An easy 10 and a swim and possibly a visit to SVAC for weights!
Saturday Mar 5th
4K steady run…a 1 hour spin on the bike trainer.
Sunday Mar 6th
A run club run and a long effortless run to get to 14K afterwards, and possibly a swim…
I have to admit, the focus is off, I think organizing and being involved in this new Run Club will inspire…..I’m sure it will….more runs with people around me…..the weather is getting a bit better, hopefully more and more of the ice will disappear…..and we need more sunny days…
a nice advantage of a run through a new to me community, on a path I’ve never been on, is catching up on the neighborhood news….apparently yoga’s a thing and so is, well, people not picking up after their dogs…good to know..
This should be a good week…I’ve got a lot of plans, a few other things planned, so training should be right on if not close to those planned ……
with just over 60 days to go, head down, and time to focus on the goal…
I’ve yet to book a flight, but accommodations booked, so that’s a start.
This week was a good week
Monday a rest day. A planned rest day. Which I never always do, or, um, never…but, was worn down, and when that happens, and I feel like doing nothing at all…..well that’s the sign that I should do nothing at all, rest, recover…watch TV.
Tuesday, a nice day, and a good easy just over 4K. It was going to be a timed 4K, so I could figure out my pace for a tempo run (fast, steady, not race steady, but close) … but it was icy, slippery, and I decided to begin up hill…so just a steady 4K-ish, that felt so good……pace ended up not being so bad….which is why I do this stuff right, to feel so good……and yep, this would be the hill…..
Wednesday A very good day. A run in the Edmonton river valley…a pretty sweet 7K, and then a 1,000 meters in the Kinsmen Pool…..it has been a while since I’ve done that…that at one time, used to be my morning, run, the weight room, and then a swim…..I’ve got, and the goal is, to get back to that, soon…more time doing than thinking about doing……but that swim felt so good, and the river valley felt like old times…….
Thursday Another really good day. Wasn’t up to anything…..wasn’t sure what I wanted..the plan called for a whole 3K, something hard to get excited about…so wandered down to our Running Room Store, dropped off the car keys, and went…5K later, done…a nice route, the trails were good, I felt fast at times..and strong….feels so good……..so a good way to move through the week.
okay maybe it was icy, real icy, lots of ice….ice everywhere, after a morning of freezing rain…..it’s Friday that was good……pretty much the same deal, without the ice….I just made up a route as I went along, Friday is supposed to be a rest, recovery, but, I knew Saturday would be tuff, to find time to train, so Saturday became a rest, and a recover whle selling shoes day, and instructing my virtual learn to run clinic..which was a blast as always..
Today was good…..I had a great sleep, as good as you can after that COVID booster shot, maybe that helped me sleep……..the clinic is a blast. today was good…71 are signed up, 38 showed up for the Zoom meet, we talked, how to run …..….form, mid foot strike stuff….breathing, paying attention to that breathing, this group is pretty engaged, I wish it could be in-person, but it is what it is, and I get to work with people from Vancouver Island to PEI, and even one from Peru, so awesome, and clinics always boost my mood
We talked about my form..and what was wrong with it…my arms, my overstride, my heel strike due to that overstride, and where I was….about 5K from the finish line at the Royal Victoria Marathon, I think 2006….so, starting to lose my focus, form falling apart a little…..
That was good……..race day is getting closer, I better book that flight (I’m not sure how badly I wanna get on a plane sitting next to other people)……….but this is starting to get, the runs have been feeling better and better, and right….the concussion has been rearing it’s ugly every morning, but less and less, so mabe by te time May 1st comes around…maybe I’ll be okay..
Sunday, tomorrow, is traditionally long run day, my gentle schedule calls for 7K, I wanna do at least 10K, somewhere….so lets see where this goes.
Wow, I look pretty serious, for such a slow run…..but, despite what it looks like, it was a good day….the kind of day I love
An morning run though my favorite part of the Edmonton River Valley, and then a swim at the Kinsmen pool, a soak in the hot pool….all good….
At one point during the run I decided that it was just going to be like a tourist run, an enjoyable run, a little exploring, and just running….
I don’t know why I’ve stayed away so long – I do know, the roads have been awful, lots of freezing rain…but today felt so good….it’s time to make that drive and that location a huge part of my life again….
And then, I wasn’t sure about the swim…..but, well, I’m there, I’ve got my swim gear….and yep, as soon as the top of my head hit the water, I felt as though I was home…..it’s been probaby 6 months since my last dip in the pool, but rockin’ back and forth, those 25 metres feel soooo goooood…….hard I haven’t swum a lot forever….but, well, I’ve always swum…it’s never been much of an effort, and like running or riding, as soon as I start, it all just feels so comfortable…..like what I’m supposed to do…
I know today was supposed to be a steady possibly easy run…it’s all about endurance….
but it just felt right
I feel now, I’m in the right place, my head is in the right place, for the first time in a while, I know I can get this done. I know at my age, I have to recover, and not get too hooked into just doing and doing…..
I’ve gotta pay attention to that rest and recovery..and yeah, the swim helps with that…and with the two sessions today, I’m back on track for that 100 workouts in 100 days…….
As I said somewhere here, I’ve been, or will say I’ve been an active runner since 1995……so yeah, I am that old
Since, I’ve read, watched, tried everything…a wide variety of shoes, apparel, hydration, no hydration, diets, nutrition, marathon methods; you name it, I’ve tried it……and now about to turn 63, I can say, the real issue is over-thinking this stuff.
Seiously, every year, over and over again, pick up a copy of whatever, every month there’s a new method, and new training plan, run less, run more….lower or 0″ offset works, this shoe is magic, strength training, no strength training, stretching, no stretching ever, yoga, new yoga, hot yoga, cold yoga, train with others, now it’s train at home in our bedroom by yourself, drink lots of water, now just when thirsty, cross train, don’t cross train, heavy weights low rep, light weights high reps,
Now, the biggest new thing is midfoot strike vs heel or toe strike……
the thing everyone seems to forget is, it’s running?
What was true back when Frank Shorter and Bill Rogers were winning marathons hasn’t changed…….running, you have to run…
a shoe is not going to get you to the end of a marathon, running will….
I keep reading, I keep looking at on-line training options, each with an angle, something brand new that no one else has? It’s running…….no secret.
someone once told me that, and it was the best advice ever……
if you wanna run fast…..you need to run, fast
if you want to run far, you have to run far…
and if you want to run, you have to just, well, run……
like the simplest thing, that somehow, after books and books and advice and web pages, blogs, personal coaches, whatever…..it’s running……
there are some things sure….but even shoes. yes, some shoes work better than others, for everyone, but the millions and millions of dollars put into shoes is incredible, and again, shoes!
I do enjoy introducing others to running…and yeah, talking about shoes, apparel, nutrition, hydration…I like, actually surprisingly, taking on and instructing virtual, even in person clinics…sharing, yeah, sure, 10 weeks is a good start……
Yeah, we all know that line, ‘it’s not about the bike’ ………..this is sort of like that……despite eveything esle, all that’s been put out ther….bottom line, I believe anyway…no matter what you buy, no matter what you hear, it’s just running…..
It’s been a good week so far……after a good weekend, I took Monday as a total rest and recovery day….time with feet up, and planned the week.
The last two days, were just about getting outside, getting a few much needed runs in, and getting used to snow?
Yep, still adding those traction aids…….
Today – according to that schedule – I was supposed to be running hills and going for a swim…….not today
Had a huge dump of snow, on top of the freezing rain that’s still on all the roads and trails, and it’s two days until Christmas, so today, once the coffee and breakfast has been digested, I’ll head out again for another short 30 minutes…keep that fitness up, and enjoy myself.
We’re supposed to be heading into a deep freeze for the next few days – THE COLDEST CHRISTMAS IN 50 YEARS!!…..that’s not the bad thing, what really sucks is realizing that 50 years ago I was 13!!!!!.
So, yeah, get over it……so will bundle up a lot – I refuse to run indoors and I’d rather watch someone eat my hand than run on a treadmill…..I’m not going knock people that can do it, but my fave thing is running past fitness places, seeing people run on treadmills looking outside….WHY????……fresh air, even if it’s cold wins every time…
The goal, I think is to still keep running, something, everyday – as much as I can manage, this 63 year old body seems to need that 1 day off a week still – until January 1st 2022…….
I will be taking another half marathon virtual Running Room clinic, starting January 6th, just to keep me motivated and to keep my head in the game, I’m already taking one on Saturday mornings that end at the end of February, and I start instructing a virtual Learn to Run clinic on January 8th…..so I’m going to be busy…….
I am not really sure why I keep signing up for these virtual things, it’s not like I don’t already know what these instructors have to offer, a lot of the times I end up either being a guest speaker, or adding my own two cents over and over again and sharing a lot – like on here – but like a lot of others that sign up for everything, it’s all about that virtual commitment thing…looking for inspiration and motivation everywhere…
The plan is, besides the virtual clinics…dispite this blog thing…..is to start doing things with other people and to do some things that are out of my comfort zone…..
I don’t have a lot of spare time, but I may start doing the Monday morning November Project runs….that’s pretty much the only morning I can do, but trainng/running with other is something I’ve got to start doing, more of, be more public?
And Saturday morning Park Runs…again free, sponsored by Saucony..and a timed and measured 5K……I can do that, occationally….with the 2 virtual clinics, instructing, and attending, it’ll be hard to fit that in every week, but again, it’s making connections and running with people
I’m done registering for virtual runs and races, I wanna do in person…so may sign up for a few 5 and 10K runs, just to get that in person thing going as well……
My best years have begun with a January 1st 5K……so that’ll happen at Park Run……I usually, or have been doing it with friends in St. Albert, but for the past 2 years, that group has fallen apart…so at least with Park Run I have to go somewhere…
Today, the traction is on, I have a 4K run planned…I got passed like I was standing still yesterday – the joy of being old and slow – so will get that done, run, and the plan is set………..thanks for listening?
I was just going to make this about stride, because I just heard a comment that made my head want to explode (it does that a lot…it maybe concussion, or may be something else)…..it may go into other stuff, but yeah, it’s all about, not the bass, it’s about that stride…….no treble!
you know that thing where when runners wanna be faster they start taking bigger and bigger strides, thinking that’ll make them quicker….nope…maybe for a few STRIDES – which is a kind of an end of run work out – but then you’ll get tired, and injured……..watch what the elites do!
And yeah, that other thing, this time of year, yes it’s icy, so some will suggest that shorter strides are the answer……nope…if you’ve already have a wide stride, slipping on ice is the least of your concern….always think short strides, quick turn overs, knees lead, knees first, just think of leading with those knees, everything below those knees will follow…
For that first thing, check out the video….my favorite part of those Olympics Games, watch them all, especially the Canadian anchor leg, Sage Watson…closely watch her stride……
I love Sage, always perfect form…..which is why she’s so fast, and wow, huh
Yes, it, the stride seems to be, looks huge, but pay attention where her feet touch the ground…..right beneath her center of gravity……yes, it looks like she takes a huge kick, but watch…..if you’ve done those A,B,Cs…..high knees, butt kicks and that thing that looks like a kick and then pawing the ground.…..that’s that kick…(this just hit me, but that final thing looks a lot like a classic cross country ski stride)
Andre De Grasse; the same thing……speed isn’t stride length, it’s strength, and the speed of leg turn-over……you want speed, lean forward from your ankles (pose) – running is like – or should be – like a controlled fall…and then turn those feet over…..think 85 to 90 strikes each foot – just count one foot strike, it’s easier, also most sport watches will do that for you – or your significant other if you ask nicely..
Something I like doing in the winter when there’s snow on the ground, is to follow someone I now is quicker than me, and then try to match leg turnover…..a stronger runner – I’ll match that stride, but her track in the snow, and where mine make contact, for every stride that person takes, I’ll have to take 1 1/2 to 2…just because I’m not strong enough to cover that ground with my stride..as I get stronger, I should eventually be able to catch up…..that’s the theory anyway…
The other magic to a shorter stride, and yes feet should always land just beneath that center of gravity..……..I’m going to talk about the fiction of mid foot, heel strike or toe strikes, in my next post……but if you over-stride, yes, you will strike the ground with your heels with a THUD, not a good thing, BUT if keep those feet beneath you, yes, you may, or even some will probably always touch down, make contact heel first, but with the quicker leg turn over (think hot coals) your strike will be light, and should be……
actually heel striking is kind of not unusual…the secret is, where on the heel and how…..if you ever have the chance, put on a pair of track spikes, they pretty much force the feet into the proper, actually natural stride (they also hurt, are narrow and tight, and they’re the reason why sprinters run so fast, and the first thing they do after finishing a race is take those things off!)…….out side of the heel, outside, inside, and then push off the toe……think of the stride, the proper stride as an upside down ‘S’……….again, watch those sprinters, or check out this year’s New York Marathon…..the broadcasters don’t show the feet/shoes very often, but same thing…….short quick strides, some heel strike, some midfoot some toe strike, about 50/40/10%…….and oh yeah that finish was amazing..
A lot of you may already know this…a lot of the time, folks will come into our store, will show us their shoes, point to the outisde of the heel of their shoes, and say that they’re under pronators, supinators…
well Jimmy, there’s a reason why most shoes have that slight curve on that part of that shoe….that’s where the majority of us first make contact with the ground with every stride…and that outside/inside/toe is our way of keeping our balance with every stride…it’s evolution baby…..yes, some over underpronate/supinate; that’s just not negotiation to the rest of the stride, and there are a few ways to work with that (the Brooks’ Adrenaline! ) and some over pronate (PRONATION IS NATURAL!!!) and I actually love that Adrenaline and Hoka‘s Arahi for dealing with that naturally….not forcing anything, guiding instead (Brooks’ has made a point of designing their shoes to deal with everything from the knees down…..and let the feet do what they naturally want to do, with the goal of finishing the progression to pushing off of the front of the foot)………
On….I love what this company does…they make shoes….like Brooks and Hoka (yeah I know, I know, it’s Hoka On On!)……designed by runners for runners….like what Hoka’s founders Mermound and Jean-Luc Diard brought from the French Alps, On’s Olivier Bernhard brought from the Swiss Alps…..I love the Pods…they work wonders
land soft, push off on a hard surface….that’s part of the story, they just feel right…possibly the most natural shoe I’ve used…and the secret (well not a real secret) is what can be done with those pods…..
On has one shoe called the On Cloud Flyer (the pix is my shoe, I over pronate, remember that…the On Cloud Swift)…..on that shoe, they’ve hardened, and softened those pods to promote that “S” …so a natural stride remains, and an over pronator will just be guided……I have used them, I find the pod on the Swift just work for me…I have an issue where one foot pronates, the other under pronates due to a broken lower left fibula that never healed properly about a decade ago…and interesting, some will notice the pronation, but never ever comment on the other
Okay, this blog has gone way over what I orginally wanted to do….maybe it was this morning’s run….but bottom line….your stride, is your stride…..but keep it short, quick, and you know what? when you run, just run, don’t over think the run, occasionally email your head to check in to see what’s happening, but enjoy the view, and JUST RUN!….
