Today I went for a nice 25km run. In my mind, it was my Christmas gift to myself. I didn't realize how much this run would actually affect me until I got into my zone. Many of you who are runners know what it's like when you go on a longer run - typically anything over 10km in my opinion. You have lots of time to think, and ponder, and debate with yourself, listen to your footsteps, your body. It ends up being a whole bunch of time between you and your mind, with the constant feedback from your body parts. All of my runs are like this... and I LOVE it. It's my meditation. My cocaine.
I'm not going to make this long. What I want to say is that not only do you have the time to reflect on what is going on physically with YOU. While you are running the streets, you need to keep an eye on the road, and pedestrians, animals, snow, etc. Today I noticed something which I typically do not pay much attention to... sadly to say. I noticed a lot of people that struggle with walking. Something I have to admit I take for granted. Here I am running down the street with a big smile on my face, and these people are battling to get into their car. A lot of people can't do the basic things that we do every day, and I feel for them.
This year I am going to be thankful that I can walk. And extra thankful that I can run. And not just run... but run long distances, where I can get in touch with my inner spirit, and escape the pressures of our society. The hours of clarity after a long run are immensely addictive... and I will pay more attention to how fortunate I am to experience this multiple times per week.
2013 will be a good year indeed, as I push my distances farther and farther.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Every Day is a Good Day When You Run
Today was yet another learning day for me. A friend of mine (Gary Trepanier, who is a very good runner and someone that I can learn a lot from) and I had been planning a morning run for a couple of weeks now. The original goal was to do a 28km run, but as we turned the corner into this week it was becoming obvious that we may not be doing the full 28. We may not be running at all. Winter was declaring itself as "arrived" in Montreal, and we started getting snow Sunday night. Yesterday I went for a short 2km run to test the roads, and make a call. An email exchange later, and we were committed to doing the run today. Yes, it snowed again over night, and the temperature was hovering around zero degrees so it was going from snow, to rain, to snow, to more rain, etc. etc. etc. When I woke up this morning it looked like crap outside.
I know it may sound like whining, but I am going somewhere with this. My friends that are into Ultra Marathon running are probably saying I'm just being a pussy. That's cool.
We laced up, and went outside to do some warming up. When the GPS signals were locked in, we took off down my street on the course I charted weeks before. By the time we were 2km into the race, our shoes were completed saturated with cold water, and every street corner seemed to be a collection of freezing ice water, and slush. Not cool. The course I charted is nothing but hills. Up down (more up than down it seems), and some good steep climbs as well. At one point Gary commented (as we were jumping over snow banks, and running along the tops of them)... "I thought this would be a road run. This is more like Cross Country." It was, and it was fun.
Before long we were laughing, chatting about running, technique, and other things. We started to forget about our freezing cold feet, and the chunks of slush and water that were hitting us as cars passed by. We got to my favorite place on the course - the ascent up Mont Royal (or Mount Royal for the people that have problems figuring out the obvious). We decided that even though the road was still a little messy, we would go up and over to the other side. At this point we had run for 12.5km's, and were a little tired from running in the snow, slush, cold, and mist. That was a great workout, and when we got to the top we were both very happy. It's a 3km run uphill at a good incline, and this is pretty tough on a good day... but today it was pretty brutal.
Here's a picture of Gary as we are approaching the top of Mont Royal, and getting ready to go down the other side.
When we got down the other side, we headed for a path that would take us home. We were both tired, cold, and totally wet by now due to the fog along the entire road up and down the mountain. Again, I'm not complaining... we loved every minute of it.
When we got back to my place we were both happy... after completing 23km's of the course (I will do the remaining 5 on Friday or something). My wife chatted with us about the run, and we told here about the route, and the fact that we were soaked, cold, and hungry. We also spoke about the fact that we did not see a single other runner out today... and for me that was especially strange, as I am used to seeing tonnes. Her reply back to us was "you beat the elements". How true... and a lesson for me.
Running is an amazing activity, and it gives me clarity, joy, and energy. What I never really realized before was that every run (especially those in the Winter) is not going to be a rosy as the others. I do not live in a city where it is warm all year around, so I have to face the facts that I'm going to be battling these elements more than once in my life - and I will for sure. I won't stop, and in many ways I can't stop. If I do, my body will complain, and I will get sore, and cramp... somewhat how a person feels sore after running for the first time.
I'm looking forward to the next time when Mother Nature throws a curve ball at us, and thinks she will keep the roads clear of runners. And hopefully, the next time I'm out... I'll see a few more people that feel the same way as I do now.
Mark
"Every day is a good day when you run"
I know it may sound like whining, but I am going somewhere with this. My friends that are into Ultra Marathon running are probably saying I'm just being a pussy. That's cool.
We laced up, and went outside to do some warming up. When the GPS signals were locked in, we took off down my street on the course I charted weeks before. By the time we were 2km into the race, our shoes were completed saturated with cold water, and every street corner seemed to be a collection of freezing ice water, and slush. Not cool. The course I charted is nothing but hills. Up down (more up than down it seems), and some good steep climbs as well. At one point Gary commented (as we were jumping over snow banks, and running along the tops of them)... "I thought this would be a road run. This is more like Cross Country." It was, and it was fun.
Before long we were laughing, chatting about running, technique, and other things. We started to forget about our freezing cold feet, and the chunks of slush and water that were hitting us as cars passed by. We got to my favorite place on the course - the ascent up Mont Royal (or Mount Royal for the people that have problems figuring out the obvious). We decided that even though the road was still a little messy, we would go up and over to the other side. At this point we had run for 12.5km's, and were a little tired from running in the snow, slush, cold, and mist. That was a great workout, and when we got to the top we were both very happy. It's a 3km run uphill at a good incline, and this is pretty tough on a good day... but today it was pretty brutal.
Here's a picture of Gary as we are approaching the top of Mont Royal, and getting ready to go down the other side.
When we got down the other side, we headed for a path that would take us home. We were both tired, cold, and totally wet by now due to the fog along the entire road up and down the mountain. Again, I'm not complaining... we loved every minute of it.
When we got back to my place we were both happy... after completing 23km's of the course (I will do the remaining 5 on Friday or something). My wife chatted with us about the run, and we told here about the route, and the fact that we were soaked, cold, and hungry. We also spoke about the fact that we did not see a single other runner out today... and for me that was especially strange, as I am used to seeing tonnes. Her reply back to us was "you beat the elements". How true... and a lesson for me.
Running is an amazing activity, and it gives me clarity, joy, and energy. What I never really realized before was that every run (especially those in the Winter) is not going to be a rosy as the others. I do not live in a city where it is warm all year around, so I have to face the facts that I'm going to be battling these elements more than once in my life - and I will for sure. I won't stop, and in many ways I can't stop. If I do, my body will complain, and I will get sore, and cramp... somewhat how a person feels sore after running for the first time.
I'm looking forward to the next time when Mother Nature throws a curve ball at us, and thinks she will keep the roads clear of runners. And hopefully, the next time I'm out... I'll see a few more people that feel the same way as I do now.
Mark
"Every day is a good day when you run"
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
On the Road to a Healthy Lifestyle
Running started for me in July of 2012. Yes, not even a year ago. I was never a very active individual, and really preferred to sit around, watch TV, be lazy, hang out, blah, blah, blah. On top of this my drinking habits were not great (and I still have work to do... we love the wine in our home, especially me), and I was a social/occasional smoker. The only real thing I had going for me was the fact that my wife (Karine) is a great cook, and she loves to eat well. So we never had crap food in the house. In fact, Karine taught me how to cook after being on this planet for 38 years.
The key things in my life that were bothering me were the following... and in this order:
1. I turned 43 years old on May 1, 2012.
2. I was not active, and had no exercise routine except that we walked our children to daycare every morning, and picked them up at the end of the day.
3. I was a social smoker.
4. I could do with less alcohol.
I needed to do something about 1, 2, and 3 quickly... but I can also be a procrastinator, and I was simply putting it off. The times when I would smoke the most were when I was in a social situation, mainly around other friends who were either smokers, or social smokers themselves. That said, I was on two and a half week trip in Utah, at the beginning of July and I was with several friends from work. We all like to have a good time, and that included indulging in the drink and the cigarettes. After two and half weeks of indulgence, being all alone after all of my friends had gone off and flown home, I was standing in my hotel room, literally in front of my mirror looking at myself with a half package of cigarettes in my hand. I cannot even begin to explain the level of disgust I felt with myself. I felt like I was a loser. I felt the overwhelming need to cry. That may sound ridiculous, but it's true. I felt horrible, really for the first time in my life. I don't mean to say YOU are a loser if you happen to smoke... that's just how I felt at that time in my life. I really felt like I hit the bottom of the barrel, and this was the catalyst that was going to help me address points 1, 2, and 3 (above) for the first time in my life. I crushed the package of cigarettes that were in my hand, and threw them in the garbage can, and proceeded to get ready to head home for the weekend.
When I got home I mulled through the weekend thinking about my plan to take steps towards an active, healthy lifestyle. I knew this was going to take me time, and I needed something to start things off with. Karine and I signed up for a 10km run (the Oasis Montreal) in September, and I felt that running would be a good motivator for me to stay off the cigarettes. Karine was always a good runner, and she encouraged me to get out, and get moving. And that I did.
On Monday, July 23rd I began to run... and I haven't stopped since. I distinctly remember the level of exhaustion I felt when I finished a 4km run around some of my local streets. How much I sweat. How heavy I was breathing. How GOOD I felt. I really felt that this was going to be the way out of the social smoking circle. And boy was I right.
I trained (in an unstructured way) through July, August, and September... and I ran that 10km run at the end of September. That was my first official race, and I was HIGH on the excitement, and the fact that we all ran that race and received a medal to prove it. The medal hangs in my bedroom today. A reminder that running is my motivation to stay healthy. Running is my motivation to be focused, and there for my wife and children. Running is my motivation to stay alive. And running is my new found drug. Literally, I do experience a high from running - it usually comes after the 4km mark.
The experience I felt on that weekend was beyond what I expected. I immediately started signing up for races in 2013 - the ones where registration was open. I started frequenting my local Running Room store, and reading like crazy. I'm not saying I'm "there" yet. I still have a lot of work to do. I want to do more in the way of changing my eating habits (experiment with more vegetarian, and plant based), and reduce my alcohol consumption even more (we have eliminated consumption during the week, and reserved it for the weekends... although we sometimes indulge during special events).
I am now running at least 5 days a week, and because of the structure of my training programs (although I am adjusting constantly to challenge myself more and more), I am becoming stronger and stronger. For example, Karine spoke to me in August of this year about the benefit of hill training - that's running up and down a 1/2km hill several times to build strength and endurance. I listened, so I went to a hill she recommended close to where we live, and ran up. Then ran down. Then ran up again... really slowly. And back down. By this time I was completely exhausted, and there was no way I was running that hill again. It intimidated me, and so I went home. I stuck to the flat surfaces from there on, until I started on my first real training program. I now run hills every Wednesday, and I have to say that it is my second favorite run of the week - of course my Sunday long run is my favorite. I now run that same hill 6, 8, 10 times... and I'm having no issues at all. This is my body telling me that it's getting healthier. My lungs are stronger. My legs are WAY stronger than they EVER were in my life. And because I run that hill every week, over and over again, and because I run long runs which consist of nothing but hills, I have found (with evidence from my GPS watch) that I run a faster pace when I am running uphill, than on flat surfaces or downhill. Wow!! My body immediately shifts into another gear when I am going uphill, and I get into a zone which is basically my mind completely focusing on getting up to the top.
I have found a new found passion. I truly have. Many of my friends know me as a passionate person. When I find something I like, I like it a lot and I go all in. The same can be said about my passion for SCUBA Diving. I hope you too can find the beauty in such a simple activity. Just get yourself a good pair of shoes, some basic running clothes, lace up, and get out there. I promise that somewhere along the lines you will find the point where you will find your zone - the peace at which the run becomes so beautiful and enjoyable. As I mentioned, that for me starts at around 4km... that still holds true today, whether I'm running 5km or 30km (although, I would prefer 26km of peaceful time than just 1km). All you need to do is push yourself until you feel it. Believe me, you'll know when you reach that point.
"Every day is a good day, when you run".
Cheers!
Mark
The key things in my life that were bothering me were the following... and in this order:
1. I turned 43 years old on May 1, 2012.
2. I was not active, and had no exercise routine except that we walked our children to daycare every morning, and picked them up at the end of the day.
3. I was a social smoker.
4. I could do with less alcohol.
I needed to do something about 1, 2, and 3 quickly... but I can also be a procrastinator, and I was simply putting it off. The times when I would smoke the most were when I was in a social situation, mainly around other friends who were either smokers, or social smokers themselves. That said, I was on two and a half week trip in Utah, at the beginning of July and I was with several friends from work. We all like to have a good time, and that included indulging in the drink and the cigarettes. After two and half weeks of indulgence, being all alone after all of my friends had gone off and flown home, I was standing in my hotel room, literally in front of my mirror looking at myself with a half package of cigarettes in my hand. I cannot even begin to explain the level of disgust I felt with myself. I felt like I was a loser. I felt the overwhelming need to cry. That may sound ridiculous, but it's true. I felt horrible, really for the first time in my life. I don't mean to say YOU are a loser if you happen to smoke... that's just how I felt at that time in my life. I really felt like I hit the bottom of the barrel, and this was the catalyst that was going to help me address points 1, 2, and 3 (above) for the first time in my life. I crushed the package of cigarettes that were in my hand, and threw them in the garbage can, and proceeded to get ready to head home for the weekend.
When I got home I mulled through the weekend thinking about my plan to take steps towards an active, healthy lifestyle. I knew this was going to take me time, and I needed something to start things off with. Karine and I signed up for a 10km run (the Oasis Montreal) in September, and I felt that running would be a good motivator for me to stay off the cigarettes. Karine was always a good runner, and she encouraged me to get out, and get moving. And that I did.
On Monday, July 23rd I began to run... and I haven't stopped since. I distinctly remember the level of exhaustion I felt when I finished a 4km run around some of my local streets. How much I sweat. How heavy I was breathing. How GOOD I felt. I really felt that this was going to be the way out of the social smoking circle. And boy was I right.
I trained (in an unstructured way) through July, August, and September... and I ran that 10km run at the end of September. That was my first official race, and I was HIGH on the excitement, and the fact that we all ran that race and received a medal to prove it. The medal hangs in my bedroom today. A reminder that running is my motivation to stay healthy. Running is my motivation to be focused, and there for my wife and children. Running is my motivation to stay alive. And running is my new found drug. Literally, I do experience a high from running - it usually comes after the 4km mark.
The experience I felt on that weekend was beyond what I expected. I immediately started signing up for races in 2013 - the ones where registration was open. I started frequenting my local Running Room store, and reading like crazy. I'm not saying I'm "there" yet. I still have a lot of work to do. I want to do more in the way of changing my eating habits (experiment with more vegetarian, and plant based), and reduce my alcohol consumption even more (we have eliminated consumption during the week, and reserved it for the weekends... although we sometimes indulge during special events).
I am now running at least 5 days a week, and because of the structure of my training programs (although I am adjusting constantly to challenge myself more and more), I am becoming stronger and stronger. For example, Karine spoke to me in August of this year about the benefit of hill training - that's running up and down a 1/2km hill several times to build strength and endurance. I listened, so I went to a hill she recommended close to where we live, and ran up. Then ran down. Then ran up again... really slowly. And back down. By this time I was completely exhausted, and there was no way I was running that hill again. It intimidated me, and so I went home. I stuck to the flat surfaces from there on, until I started on my first real training program. I now run hills every Wednesday, and I have to say that it is my second favorite run of the week - of course my Sunday long run is my favorite. I now run that same hill 6, 8, 10 times... and I'm having no issues at all. This is my body telling me that it's getting healthier. My lungs are stronger. My legs are WAY stronger than they EVER were in my life. And because I run that hill every week, over and over again, and because I run long runs which consist of nothing but hills, I have found (with evidence from my GPS watch) that I run a faster pace when I am running uphill, than on flat surfaces or downhill. Wow!! My body immediately shifts into another gear when I am going uphill, and I get into a zone which is basically my mind completely focusing on getting up to the top.
I have found a new found passion. I truly have. Many of my friends know me as a passionate person. When I find something I like, I like it a lot and I go all in. The same can be said about my passion for SCUBA Diving. I hope you too can find the beauty in such a simple activity. Just get yourself a good pair of shoes, some basic running clothes, lace up, and get out there. I promise that somewhere along the lines you will find the point where you will find your zone - the peace at which the run becomes so beautiful and enjoyable. As I mentioned, that for me starts at around 4km... that still holds true today, whether I'm running 5km or 30km (although, I would prefer 26km of peaceful time than just 1km). All you need to do is push yourself until you feel it. Believe me, you'll know when you reach that point.
"Every day is a good day, when you run".
Cheers!
Mark
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