A racey report from the Conclave

Well, all good plans need to have a fall back...Last week Lufthansa worked hard to get me to Rome in time for the voting of our next leader of the Catholic world. As much as 500 miles an hour can accomplish I was a shy bit late for the white smoke. It will be quite interesting to see what Frank can do to change the world which he inherited. The fact that the world leader of the Orthodox Christians, the Russian Patriarchate and a leader of the Jewish Congress all met in harmony does give hope that perhaps our greatest cause of war - religion - might indeed be a thing of the past.

While I was unable to make Conclave I did indeed make it to the start line of the Rome Marathon. Twenty-three friends of Arthritis joined in attempting a trot from the start to finish. Twenty-three friends of Arthritis were successful in completing their goal. What a wonderful day of sweat, swears, and sweet victory for all. Congrats to the team for showing that months and years of training paid off in a successful day.

We were told in Italy that dress code was in effect!

Every time I head out on a trail with new and old friends I am constantly wowed by the power of their intentions. We think of great goals that seem so far in reach but then become part of our fabric, our soul, our being. We try to not try but to succeed, and we do. Congrats to you all for what you have accomplished. And if you haven't done what you set out to do, what is stopping you???

For those that enjoy a good trot, why not join me for a good one at McDonald's of Glenmore Landing at 9 am ish. Perhaps we can find a good group to train with from there and then earn a wonderful shirt...

Do we get fries with that?

So the race report. Nothing like flying around the world to spend four days on the ground of Rome. They say all roads lead there, but I didn't know flying led through Toronto and Frankfurt! Three days of flying and four on the ground made for an interesting trip. Three meetings, a couple of team dinners, a day long race, and some power tour-on (tourist-moron) trips made the trip seem almost as fast as the last one in Rome in 2001. Then was a total of 30 hours, this was a total of 96. Now just what can you do in 96 hours?

- eat

- drink

- hop-on/off bus

- meet the Pope (sort of)

- participated in an Opera (Joy doesn't know this part yet!)

- trotted a 6:45 marathon

- Went to a rugby match that was a world first

- did I mention St. Patrick's Day?

For those of you that know me, you know that I can pack a weeks worth of excitement into about 16 hours. So really I had a wonderful six weeks in Rome. I guess when the 'lady of the evening' suggested that I not be afraid of her, really I should have said the same to her!

Training trot day one. A PR. with 30 minutes taking 51 minutes overall!

The race day competition resting before the big day

How we all model ourselves as athletes. At the 1964  Olympic athletes village.

I guess this means we are in!

Is this performance enhancing?

I can't tell you how hard it was to find this parking spot

I was that far behind the winners that they had already left the award ceremony

In every race a little entertainment must fall

How my feet felt after 45 km. of cobblestone

Italy beat Ireland for the first time in history.
Perhaps this is why there was so much to drink  after the marathon?

And what will I do next???

Well, that is the race report. The weather was race perfect. Overcast, a slight breeze, some drizzle, and one Westie to lick the salt of my wounds...

If there was a Westie in every race you would never break a sweat!

Cheers!

.

John

Will our trotting produce white smoke?

As a lifelong plodder of the trails of our communities I have been witness to many events that have 'shaped' our group. From the infamous 'bike path passion' last year of two pre-stampede amorous individuals to the colour-blind runs of Ally and others who proved that trotters indeed have the full rainbow of gear needed to complete the left-right-repeat of our chosen passion. Sorry, no passion photos for you all...

Next week I have the privilege of joining some like-minded individuals in Rome to form our own conclave and decide on what is truly important - how to complete the Rome Marathon. Depending on the results of the 'other' Conclave we could be heading straight into millions of people trying to wave at the newest Pope as he rides the Popemobile around Vatican City. I wonder if the race organizers could have predicted their event would be right in the middle of a billion Catholics and their next chosen leader? Well fresh off the presses...I could be trotting at night!

Interesting that the event will fall on St. Patrick's Day. I can only imagine the outfit I might have to wear so my troop can see me...

I wonder as well if the current Pope Benedict will go back to his roots and do the marathon with us next week? He will have tough competition from the nuns!

Is being blessed by a higher power a performance enhancing drug?

The Pope breaking the finish line tape. He is always the leader!

Okay, enough of that nonsense. The next two Saturdays will be Eau Claire days. See you there at 9 am but I will just be thinking of you next week.
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One of my favourite stair climbs is coming up soon. The annual Climb for Wilderness at the Calgary Tower is   coming up on April 20th. If you are interested in art, every stairwell landing is painted by students and there is some fantastic work to be seen.

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Our good friend April Clay provided and interesting link to why our brain gets tired while exercising. I have done events that have taken up to 35 hours to complete and I totally understand the mental fatigue comments that the story suggests. I have always stated that we can all trot out a marathon on any given day as our body has the physical ability to get'r done, but the mental ability is usually the hindrance. Yes, injuries are a hindrance too but given the right motivation we can pretty much go on forever. Run Forrest, run!

Thanks April.

A booty call and it's snow fun.

So you fancy yourself an athlete? I resemble that thought. Not the athlete but perhaps I do fancy myself up for athletics. I find myself trying to match my wardrobe when I prepare for training. Joy, I know what you are thinking "What the hell possessed you to combine THAT together AND go out in public?!?" Perhaps she is not truly injured but rather can't support the thoughts of being seen with me in public on the Saturday morning trot. I knew it wouldn't take much to figure her out!

The weather has been far too nice these last few weeks to keep doing the same loop. Let's shake it up a bit and visit Glenmore Landing and the reservoir loop. There will be some ice action in the Weaselhead but for the most part it should be good. See you at the McDonald's at 9 am.
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I am always attempting to find the next best shoe for my lovely bride. Yesterday I found a lovely one that she says she wants me to get when I head to Rome in two weeks. I think she REALLY means she wants to dig in the garden with me!

Will Sadie be confused with all those Westies running around?

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I will not be around but...

What could be more fun than a run in the sun on snow?

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A rant for you...

I heard a story about Earls and the fact they no longer will serve Albino Rhino beer. The title offends those with Albinism. Not sure if that community researched that the Albino Rhino is named after the white Rhinoceros. I do sympathize with their plight but do think we are so politically correct that it makes our politicians look efficient and responsible in comparison.

It is like school and playground zones. On 16th Avenue I pass a school every day going mach 3 (ish) which is legal speed. Really, it is! The only thing protecting the kids is a five foot fence (it could be six foot but I keep my eyes on the road!). In my neighborhood we have the same fence, a overhead lit crosswalk at one end, an intersection with control lights at the other, and not only a school zone but a playground zone all within 300 metres. How come on 16 avenue semi's and monster trucks can cruise freely while on my dead end street we have to look down at our watches to understand which zone is in effect, and then look to the big glowing sun to figure out the end time?

I do know it is to protect the kids but the best part is the daycare at the one end. Every day I see the parents parking as close to the front door to get their kids. It so happens to do this they park in the intersection and in front of the stop sign. While their kid will be safe not having to walk the sidewalk 30 feet to their car the rest of civilization will have to swerve from the vehicle unable to see the stop sign and driving straight into others' right of way.

Rant done.

The eve of the Eve

Happy Chinese New Year's Eve eve? My friends in high places have told me the Lunar guides are welcoming Chinese New Year on Sunday. Welcome the Year of the Snake! Hopefully there are no snakes on the plane as I head to Portland for a conference! That would be quite the Air Canada experience. I wonder if you would have to pay extra for that 'service'? Who would cover the extra baggage? Happy New Year to my friends who follow the Lunar calendar.

What a glorious week of sun and sky. We are so lucky to see what amounts to the most sunlight of any major urban centre. Even a cold -40C always shines a light on our brow. Ah, glorious! For those that are adventurous, Peter and I will again travel to the land of the dark and start the early trot at 730 am from Eau Claire. If you are inclined you may join us for an early 12ish km and then circle back to the Y for 9 am and a more sensible start to lap number two. We do plan a full 32 km between the two of us but there also will be the easy eights for your trotting pleasure. Perhaps even our friend Sharon M. will show her presence and teach us the way to San Jose, so to speak!

See some of you at 730 am and the rest at 9 am.

I think I have a shirt for every colour!

Okay, this is an event I have to do. Perhaps this will be Joy's first trot on the new foot or perhaps the last on the bad one. Only time will tell! Will you join us for a painting expedition? It is only 5 km so it shouldn't be too tough!

We are off to the Opera tonight so I have to keep it short. See you on the flip side!

Grounded Hog

Hi my friends. Another month is upon us to explore and enjoy. What a glorious start with sunshine, warmth, and just general niceness. With tomorrow being Groundhog Day do we want this weather or perhaps a dark cloud of shade to not scare the hairy beast? If the little bugger can actually get the prediction right I hope for a dreary trot in the am!

Speaking of dreary trots, let's get together for a short and long, slow and fast, up and down, here and there trot from Eau Claire. Peter is trying to convince me to start at 730 am so we can get loopy and see the rest of you around 9 am. That Peter has a strange sense of humour, as seen by his 37 km tour of south Calgary last week. He even filmed it. Click the caption to see the route in 5 minutes. You WILL do well in Kyoto!

See most of you at 9 am. Peter...we need to talk!

Some guys just keep going in circles

Speaking of Kyoto, the event is sponsored by CW-X a clothing company best known for their tights with the banding that supports the muscles and reduces energy loss, increases performance, etc...they have a site which shows some of their gear for the race. I love these tights, but I am pretty sure Joy wouldn't let me leave the house with her if i wore them. Betty Boop! punt the bum to see the link.

You would never miss me on the  trails!

April from Bodymindmotion sent me a new toy for your valentine. It is 'close' to the heart and will ensure that  your loved one is 'HEART'ing you each time you trot together.

Holding your heart close to you?

I was reading my archives and came across my thoughts about chi running, barefoot running, and all the different options out there to 'improve' our abilities. I often wonder why we should improve perfection? When people like me pontificate on the new way to do things we can cause some serious issues for many who really don't need to try something new.

So I pontificate:


So you think that barefoot running may be for you? Did I mention my friend trained this way for a half marathon and did a PR? I know I did not mention that the race was half on shale which cut up his feet so bad he couldn't walk for a few days. But as all of us know, the only thing we notice is the PR (personal record if your wondering). His wife wasn't so impressed with his time though, go figure! Did I get the story right Bill?

Yes, barefoot running is not for all, but it is one of many options that I have seen around these parts. Another successful option is lean running. There are a few different options of lean running. Check out www.chirunning.com Chi running is a form of forward lean training. Where my style is to teach vertical posture, Chi is designed to give you a bit of a forward lean. Another forward posture program is www.posetech.com. Known as Pose running it is also designed to lessen the strain on the body and reduce injury.

Look at a kid as they run. They have a bit of a head first mentality. This explains a lot about my nose! The thought is kids tend to have an easier time and get less mechanical injuries with the lean. It is only when we get older that we tend to get into bad habits and break down from the feet up. We have a few successful persons who have tried these styles and found positive change. While my teachings have worked in the past, you may find the future holds new opportunity for you.

So my teachings...I like to think of body movement as a head to toe process. We will put it into a bit of point form today.

Head - Your chin needs to be up with eyes focused about 15-20 feet in front of you. Don't look down as you already know your feet are there! Keep looking ahead and you will see the crack in the sidewalk, the branch from the tree, and the cute one coming at you. You don't want to miss that! Your mind will react if there is a hazard and this forward look will give you plenty of time to prepare.

Shoulders - You want to have relaxed shoulders that are slightly back. Try tightening your shoulders as you read this. Can you feel the strain on your neck and all the connecting muscles? Any extra strain you create will lessen the amount of energy in your tank. Lessening the energy will require you to fill up more often, or cause you to run out of gas too soon. We would not want that! Keeping your shoulders back will also force your head up and keep it looking where it should.

Chest - Your chest needs to be up and open. Put your hand on your ribs. look to your feet. Can you feel the chest closing on to your lungs? Now look forward. You will feel the ribs open and pressure will be removed from the lungs. This opening of your chest cavity will allow for better breathing and more effective supplies of oxygen. More lung capacity will require less energy use. Remember, less energy use means savings for the long haul. Not that type of haul Joy...

Arms - They need to be about 90 degrees in bend. Try to swing them in a hand to elbow on the hip sway (what?). We want to be like a locomotive and pump in that motion. Swinging longer will not make you go further. It just wastes more energy. Short and crisp swings will be best.

Hands - Potato chips...hands need to be relaxed without clenching. Try holding potato chips between your fingers. If they crunch and fall to the ground you will have none to eat at the end of training. Relax your fingers and the reward will be there when you cross that finish line. Salt and Vinegar anyone?

Hips - Your hips need to be in a vertical line with your shoulders (This is where I am a bit different). I like to have a vertical posture so that your body pendulum is balanced. My thinking is an unbalanced body will create a strain on the overused parts. The vertical posture will also help with the chest, shoulders, and the head.

We tend to get our injuries from overcompensating for a deficiency. Are we in proper balance when we train for 1-3-5-7 hours? We don't tend to notice our inefficiencies when we do short distances as we are not getting to an overuse distance. It is when we work outside of our comfort that we start to notice where we are not able. While my thoughts have worked for many they do not work for all. That is why we have millions of coaches teaching many different techniques.

What will work for you?

Can you feel the wind?

You have to love a Calgary winter. Last Thursday Peter and I braved a blizzard of snow and wind to trot around Elbow Park. slip-sliding our way we had a glorious trot. What a difference a week makes. The wind is still there but the temperature has improved by 20 degrees and the snow is becoming a forgotten memory. Okay, a bit of a stretch there but you must admit that a week makes a big difference in the weather around our lovely city. My apologies to my lovely bride Joy as these weather fluctuations kill her...

For those that are fine with the wind blowing so hard, I would be honoured to trot with you Saturday at 9 am from the Eau Claire YMCA. With the freeze melt I want to keep us to paths that are less susceptible to glazing. See you Saturday!
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As we train for our next event (or the first one for that matter) We get the pleasure of discovery about who we are and what we can really do if we set our feet in motion. We are in the dark days of training. Cold, poor footing, windy, dark, and cold again. I do think back to 2006 when one of my training buddies for the Disney Marathon had to do all her training outdoors...in NWT. Think -50C for a four hour training day! I guess we weren't so bad off afterall.

In the next couple of months Peter above will be off to Kyoto, Japan for his first (was I drunk when I thought this?) marathon. Perhaps Saki was on his breath? A group of my virtual friends are off to the Bahamas in only a few weeks; Brandi, Brenda, and Kelly will be cruising the island and hopefully enjoying the scenery. The above mentioned Peter and Tamara have signed up for the Frozen Ass 50, a race created by my good friend Gord Hobbins. Did they not realize that the two things they dislike (cold and distance) are both part of this event??? And finally I will have the privilege of touring the streets of Rome with Ashley, Jenny, Melanie, Rhonda, and Stephanie.

Perhaps I can steal an idea from my buddy Dave and get the Pope involved? I hear he drinks wine too? The Marathon du Medoc is a truly blessed event!

Was he really a leftie?

What are you thinking of doing this year? Zoong is doing her first half. Will you be joining her on the journey?

See you on the trails

A New Year and a new adventure

Hello everyone out there. What a lovely couple of weeks since we last chatted. Well, other than the week of the flu and the constant coughing since then, it has been a great Christmas break. Did santa bring all the presents you were hoping to receive? Did you get the chance to give what YOU wanted to give?

Were you able to create any New Year's resolutions that haven't already been broken? It is the 11th of January already...I have decided on a resolution to reconnect with those that I haven't seen nor heard from in far too long. This week we lost a good one...Jim Morris was a faithful runner with the Tech Shop and started the Winterstart Night Run back in the mid 90's. Jim lost his battle with brain cancer on Monday after a couple year battle. He lived longer than expected, probably due to his wonderful stubbornness.

He would come into the Tech Shop twice a week with his three loves, Terry his wife, Boomer and Loki his two running dogs. he had five or six dogs, but these two were the lucky ones who got to run with Bick's buddies. Boomer passed away a year or so ago but his memory too will live on with the grainy picture below  still gracing the walls of the Tech Shop. The running buddies are back together. go long my friends, go long.

The official Tech Shop dog, Boomer

Jim's funeral is tomorrow at 11 am so I will be trotting on Sunday instead. Would anyone like to show me a good route? Give me a reply to the blog. I do believe some will still be at Eau Claire for Saturday at 9 am so don't be afraid, there will always be someone to trot with. Look at last Tuesday for instance. fourteen of us went to celebrate birth, of Elvis that is (78 he would have been), and watched the Heebee Jeebee's and Steve Pineo give a very worthwhile tribute to the king. No cheesy costuming, no bacon, peanut butter, and banana sandwiches, just some really good music in honour of the man. Because we were all delinquent in our training Susan and Sharon (Sharon last was with us in the LAST decade!) showed our friend Zoong the post loop. Thanks for being part of the group while the group partied...

A couple of weeks ago a number of us went for a snowshoe in the cold. Normally one wouldn't be fond of going out in the -20C weather but we had a great trip around Kananaskis Village with no limbs frosted off nor anyone lost in the woods. We will try another snowshoe soon. Stay tuned...

I do love the outdoors!

 See you all soon...

John