So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night

Okay, the office staff were singing a song today from the Sound of Music. Perhaps it was the winter wonderland of today that reminded them of the Christmas classic? Maybe it is just a group of happy singers looking for that forum to share their enthusiasm for the day? All I am thinking is nuts!

Well, what I was really thinking was to wish our Prague Half Marathon group a singing salute, an adios so to speak, or sing. Yes, all the training, whining, hobbling, check-backs and high fives have led to this last week of prep for the big Hervis Half. A special shout out to Afton and Janelle who started with shortness of breath and fear of trotting now becoming well conditioned athletes! Or so we say...I don't think they knew what they were in for

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For those of you wishing to temp fate and join us for a lovely day on the trails let's meet at Bowness Park Lagoon for our Saturday trot. Park in the first lot next to the coffee shop and washrooms. See you there at 9 am sharp! (ok, ish for me)

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A quick shout out to our friend Peter who ran his first half in NYC last weekend. A fantastic time of 1:59! I love that the NYRR have an age graded time of which Peter ran the 'equivalent' of 1:43, that is fast! The winner finished the race in under an hour, which means he ran TWICE as fast as our average pace. Could you keep that up?

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With some of our group (not John Boy!) off to another European adventure I thought we should chat a bit about packing for the trip. Specifically our race day gear. Nothing is worse than travelling overseas and realizing you forgot the most important part of your trip. I have forgotten my shoes, I even wore two different shoes to a race (note to self, don't dress in the dark), and forgot the race bib that tracks your timing for the race crew. Simple things but they will matter if you don't have them.

I support getting dressed in your gear that you intend to wear race day before you leave your home. Yep, look a geared up in your bedroom! Think head to toe:

- Hat (or tuque or chicken)

- sunglasses

- sunscreen and bodyglide

- earrings and necklace (y'know you need this)

- shirt (long and short sleeve)

- jacket

- running bra

- gloves

- water belt

- electrolytes (gels, caplets, salt tabs, etc.)

- camera and cash (trust me, these are most important)

- ID (stranger in a strange land)

- running underwear

- shorts and tights (just in case)

- not one but TWO pair of socks (perhaps a compression pair for the airplane?)

- and the one thing that is most important, your shoes.

What have I missed? going by memory and of course it is not as vast as I like to remember...The most important thing I missed is whatever makes you feel comfortable to finish your goal. I had six bags of potato chips pinned on my back for Joy...she finished!

The list is long but I suggest you get dressed at home, feel comfortable with what you have on, then pack it in your carry-on. Wear those running shoes on the plane to save luggage space. By having your race gear with you, lost luggage only means a stop to Marks and Spencer to pick up new 'unmentionables'. Trying to find comfy trotting gear and the RIGHT shoes for a race would be darn near impossible.

So don't forget to pack the gear you need to get to the start line. Oh yes, last year I forgot an important piece that almost made me miss the Disneyworld Marathon...my passport expired. Thank you Canadian Border Services for turning over a new passport within 20 hours. Who says government is bogged down???

Are you perfect?

Where does the time go? I look down to my watch and see that it is Friday. Who knows where the time goes when we sit at our desk on Monday morning and all of a sudden Jimmy Buffett is singing "It's five o'clock somewhere". I could so be in Margueritaville right now!

So where to trot this weekend? The weather has been fantastic this week and tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day. So I think we need to find a place with green and great views. I think we will meet at the Glennfield Meadows parking lot within Fish Creek Park. The lot is accessed off Macleod Trail and Bannister Road, opposite Green Gate Garden Centre. See you all there at 9am.
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We missed the original airing last night of The Perfect Runner last night on The Nature of Things but fortunately there is another airing later this week. The Calgary Herald covered a story on this Edmonton filmmaker and his journey to put science into long distance running. I like that he considers our butt based environment of office and car to be the true 'extreme'. I might have to agree. Who can recall their youth where activity was always at the forefront of our day and the Playstation, PVR, and computer surfing were not considered 'activity'?

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I look back on my teaching of stride and movement for our many groups and think about our 'perfect' stride. Is this really a true statement? We all have a different body structure, 'parts' that don't fit where they used to, and our practice is not as refined as the elite athlete. So where do we become the perfect athlete? If we choose to only compare ourselves to ourselves we will have much greater success in finding perfection. If you think of all our media today much of it is photo enhanced to offer us the supposed 'ideal' person. Are we really able to become the perfect person when our comparable is photoshopped?

We all can move in our own fashion. The finish line is the same distance from the start no matter when you cross those lines!

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There was a question about race prep from one our Lausanne participants so I thought I would pull out an old newspaper article that I think highlights the important pieces to a successful trot in Switzerland.

First, you must have a good quality hat to protect from the elements. As you see, the chicken DID come before the egg.

Second, bring a camera. You never know what you might see along the journey. Wildlife abound!

Third, enjoy yourself. Smiling is the only option.

And finally, bring cash as there are many 'distractions' along a route that might cause you to need a drink, food, or a great souvenir. Why would you pass up on the experieince???

I still don't know what this reporter wrote, but I am sure it had alot to do with the beautiful mountains of Evian, France in the background. I am sure that is it...

Weather is a four-ish letter word

Snow-lots of it. Wind-has there ever been a day without? Rain-icky when it freezes so quickly. Sun-makes all the rest of it worth it! Living in a mountain city like Calgary has always been a challenge for this outdoor enthusiast. Monday, 15 cm of snow with freezing rain causing havoc with the wiper blades on the way home. Tuesday, cold with a high around -10C but the wind chill created some -20C moments. Wednesday, sunny and +5C which caused slushy splashes, soiled pant cuffs and soggy socks. Today, +9 already with the heat of the day still to come. We really do have the "Don't like the weather? Wait an hour and it will change" mentality here in Calgary!

Well, I tried. Last Sunday I made an effort to join Afton and Jen as they went out for a Sunday trot. All was good until they decided to change locations from Glenmore Landing to Eau Claire. Haven't received the update but I am sure that Jen pushed Afton for pushing Jen. That is why training with a partner is so useful, we get each other from point A to B. High fives all around. I did enjoy a lovely trot around Heritage Park, Sandy Beach, Bel Aire, and Mayfair. Checked out the old 'hood to see how many homes are under renovation THIS week. Lost count after I got to the second pinky toe.

This week we should try to protect ourselves from the 'extreme' heat of the spring sun...+12C for Saturday...let's head on up to Confederation Park and a loop through 45 years of park history. We will meet at West Mount Pleasant arena, located at 610-23 Avenue NW. Call me if you are lost. We will trot off at 9 am...
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As many of you know I work at SAIT as a professional fundraiser. One of the best parts of my job is to meet fantastic donors who truly are passionate about the school and our primary resource...grads. Everything I do is with the goal of getting a student their parchment so that they too can have a great career and life. Another great part of SAIT is learning all about the trades and experiencing the finished products of their hard work. Today I went to a place we call the Marketplace. It is for our culinary programs to sell what the students create. Our School of Hospitality is the only culinary school in Canada that recovers all the food costs that are incurred when they 'practice' preparing their culinary delights. So today I went over there to check out the soups and meat counters but found only this:


Oreo Cookie cake 3 foot tall to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Oreo cookies.



butternut squash? Must be healthy!

Reason number 23423 why I love to (and need to) get outside at least three days a week to enjoy some fresh air.If you are ever up to SAIT for any reason, come visit the Marketplace. I will even give you a tour...
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Every once in a while we find our body is not accepting our goals. Really though, who is the master of this domain??? Shouldn't our mind control the rest of this bag of skin? It IS where all the smarts are, right?

Unfortunately our thoughts can be overcome by emissions from the nerves (never mind THOSE emissions!) that tell us we are not 'appreciating' the day of training. We get out there with the greatest of intentions to set a pace that feels practical, a distance within reason, and with a grou that motivates us to complete the task. All seems good until that darn nerve gets pushed and decides to push back.

We will have many days like this along our trails. Our body is a fabulous device to regulate the ability to left-right-repeat-breathe. This device gives you the important information that allows you to make the right decisions to go faster, slow down, work harder, rest, start or stop. Your body says alot to you in the days that you strap on those stinky sneakers and get out there. How do you react?

I strongly suggest a training journal for those that are new to their chosen trot. A journal will allow you to mark all things important in your training day: weather, how you feel, work related issues, body functions related to training (yes, it matters!), etc. Chances are when you have a bad day training it is probably collateral damage from something else not related to the actual trot.

For me, I am suffering through a quadricep issue. Been four months. I always thought it was something but never would I have thought it was a back issue probably related to my new office environment. But it makes sense. Sometimes the little things that have nothing to do with strapping on those shoes. I think that the age of forty(ish) might also be part of my problem. Oh, did I mention that stretching is probably a solution? I know, I try to avoid it too!
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I know that when you get out to a race you always hope that there will be something that gets you motivated to keep going. I have enjoyed many great races over my thirty years of pinning bibs to the front of my shirt. Dancing in the Chateau's of France, punk rock fiddlers in Belgium (and seeing John McRae's bunker where he wrote In Flanders Fields), drinking with the Hash House Harriers in Boston, and four years of Uncoachables in Victoria. But I have never experieinced this:

Now is that motivation for you? Every time I look at this photo I laugh that the adult pays no attention but the young lad is intrigued...

All the best,

John



Marching to my own drum

Howdy doody neighbours! I trust the short month of February was to your liking? I do enjoy the warmth our trots have faced this winter but I do worry a bit about our farmlands. Hopefully we get some warm snow, rain, or whatever moisture decides to grace the prairies - of course all at night. Keep the sunny days in our forecast!

Sorry to have been missing for a week. Some down time, busy work, and just life gets in the way of a good bashing of a keyboard. Some questions about our routines so I thought we should review:

630 pm Tuesday and Thursday - training from the Tech Shop on 4 Street and 25 Avenue SW
900 am Saturday - random locations unless you DON'T hear from me, the default is then Eau Claire YMCA

So since you have heard from me today (or tomorrow depending on delivery of the blog) we will thus have the Saturday trot from...Eau Claire. I unfortunately will be absent as I am volunteering from 9-11 that day. Luckily Afton and Jen have allowed for me to join them on their 8 am (crud that's early!) Sunday trot from McDonald's Glenmore Landing. Just throwing that out there if you need to come say hello to the three of us. We intend to trot around the reservior.

Also, next Tuesday I will again be absent due to my volunteer duties with the Arthritis Society and the Walk to Fight Arthritis. So see you soon!
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It was pointed out that some of our crew are off to Prague in one month for the Hervis Half Marathon. Our friend Peter is also heading east, but to New York for the NYC Half Marathon . All this fun and I don't get to go! Boo Hoo for me but exciting times for the rest of you. I thought I would pull an old story out of the tickle trunk and share it with the gang. It covers many of the questions that you might have in the month prior to the start line. Enjoy.

This was pulled from a walking marathon story but I think the process will be similar.

Q. How Should I Best Prepare in the Month Before?

From Wendy Bumgardner,
Your Guide to Walking.
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About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

My marathon is a month away and I am worried about both my speed and distance training. How should I best prepare for the marathon?

A. The month before the marathon, you need to concentrate on two things -- getting in your long training days of 18 to 22 miles, and final shakedown of your gear, shoes, clothing, and snacks.

The Longest Days

In the final month before the marathon, aim to do three walks of 18 to 22 miles. From my experience, the most important thing is to get in those long days. It is best if you can alternate these to give a recovery weekend in between. You should give 7 days minimum between these long walks for recovery.

Effects of Long Training Walks

These long days especially prepare your feet for the marathon distance, as well as testing your mental game. You may discover blistering, chafing, or other irritation at this distance that you don't at lesser distance. You may want to schedule a massage for the day after a long walk as you may find that your shoulders, back, and neck are tense from the hours of being in one body position.

Speed

Be sure to stop and smell the grapes!

Pace training is of less importance vs. doing the distance. At this stage, you may worry about your marathon finishing time. But you will always go faster on the actual marathon. You may want to use the first 10K (6 miles) of your long day to pace yourself at your desired marathon pace. But don't try to keep that up throughout your long training day.

Taper

Two weekends before your marathon, cut your mileage in half to achieve the Taper Effect. It gives your body a chance for final rest and repair. It also lets the body convert slow twitch muscle to fast twitch muscle, giving you that burst of speed during the actual marathon. Give yourself an easy weekend at race pace (up to 10 miles at race pace) the weekend before the marathon.

Marathon Shoes

Your marathon shoes should have 80 to 150 miles on them, tops. You don't want to wear brand new shoes on the marathon, but you don't want to wear dead shoes, either. It is best to start your marathon shoes fresh the month before the marathon, break them in at lower distances, and train in them for at least one of your longest walks.

Marathon Gear

It is important to prevent chafing!

 

Every item you will wear during the marathon should be worn during your long training days. Do not wear anything new, period, for the marathon. This is your final chance to ensure that all items work well for you over long distance.

Marathon Snacks and Sports Drink

It is critical to test your marathon snacks and the actual sports drink variety being served at the marathon during your long training days. This is the time to discover whether you can tolerate sports energy gel or whether the sports drink they will distribute gives you stomach pains. Often the marathon will post what they are using on their web site. If not, email or call the race director and ask.
What and When to Drink on the Marathon
Marathon Energy Snacks

Marathon Companions

The exhaustion and pain of the marathon will test your social skills to the breaking point. If you will be marathoning with a friend, it is critical to train with that person on your long training days. Be open and honest with him/her about what sort of mutual support (or lack thereof) you will give and expect in return. Will you both stop at the portable toilet when one needs it? Will you split up if your paces are different? Do you find your companion irritating by mile 12? Will you both put on headphones and enjoy music rather than conversation? Come to an agreement in advance about what you will do when you are both exhausted and in pain and one is moving stronger than the other. Test this all out in advance on your long walks. Everyone now knows not to talk to me past Mile 18.

Mental Training

It is typical that you will go into the final month feeling unprepared and bound to fail. But if you can do three long days as I suggest, your confidence will be boosted so you can "gut it out" those final miles during the marathon. Your body will carry you well till Mile 21. After that, it is sheer will power to finish.

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That's all...just kidding! There are so many questions that you can have in the days leading up to the event, especially if it is your first! The great thing about training for an event is you usually get enough training to cover off MOST of the distance. Even if you have a tough day and can't keep a pace going, you will be able to finish.

If you use the Keep it simple principle: take your camera, $20, and a smile. The smile will keep you positive. The camera will record the greatness that you have accomplished. The $20 is for a beer, chips, and whatever else you might need along the way! It is your finest hour so why not enjoy it!