QUOTE OF THE DAY

"In the beginning it's hard to understand that the race is not against others but against that little voice in your head that tells you when to quit."
Sent by Charles Brenke, 1998

It has been a great few days of training - lots of kms in and last night was a particularly great clinic in Oakville. The man with me above is Dave Watts, veteran of 12 ironman triathlons, who came to the clinic for some instruction on walking technique as he is finding it difficult to run now due to OA in his right knee - he was thrilled with the clinic, loved the race/power walking techniques and has come over from the dark side for his next race - The Canadian Ironman in August, where he will be using our walking technique. Also accompanying Dave was his friend from Hawaii who is also an ironman triathlete who will also be converting to our walking technique..........Both of them stayed, took part with the group for our outdoor work and were very inspiring to us all. And they just loved the 7km worth of 200m repeats - 200 at 80% speed, then 200 recovery for the 7k. I think this is just awesome and exciting.............!!!

The second exciting thing is my new half and full Marathon Walking Clinic that begins in Toronto tomorrow morning at the Rosedale Running Room. There are about 16 registered already and I know there will be several walk ups as there always is -----this is the inaugural clinic at this store so I really hope it goes well.

Have a great weekend everyone.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

H. Ross Perot: "Something in human nature causes us to start slacking off at our moment of greatest accomplishment. As you become successful, you will need a great deal of self-discipline not to lose your sense of balance, humility and commitment."

Just a quick little post today - did about 6k yesterday and then got the chance to go out and push it this morning and did 15k at half marathon pace plus 30 seconds - it felt good, as that is the first time I have pushed it for that distance since the Mississauga Marathon - some back discomfort at 5.5k but it loosened up by 7k and was fine the rest of the way.....I feel that mentally in particular I am getting back to Half Marathon shape which is a good thing as the next one is in two weeks from Sunday.

The new "inaugural" half and full marathon Clinic at the Rosedale Running Room begins this Saturday and I am really looking forward to it - between the Oakville and Rosedale clinics I will have over 40 participants -- our sport is definitely growing -- can't wait -- this will be fun

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The marathon is like a bullfight. There are two ways to kill a bull, for instance. There is the easy way, for one. But all the great matadors end up either dead or mauled because for them killing the bull is not nearly as important as how they kill the bull. They always approach the bull at the greatest risk to themselves, and I admire that. In the marathon, likewise, there are two ways to win. There's the easy way if all you care about is winning. You hang back and risk nothing. Then kick and try to nip the leaders at the end. Or you can push, challenge the others, make it an exciting race, risking everything. Maybe you lose, but as for me, I'd rather run a gutsy race, pushing all the way and lose, then run a conservative, easy race only for a win."

- Alberto Salazar, 1981

An absolutely awesome day for out clinic group walk in Oakville today - great down by the lake as you can see from the picture above. As is typical for an early Sunday morning not everyone made it out of bed to join us but those that were there got in 14k at a good pace and in great conditions.

Yesterday, was another X-training day for me as I went to the gym and hit the StairMaster for an hour and the rowing machine for 30 minutes - I did the StairMaster in 20 minute sessions around weight training circuits. It was a great workout - I was a little stiff this morning but loosened up pretty quickly.

Three weeks and counting for the next Half Marathon - I have a pretty crazy race schedule over the next few months with 5 Half Marathon and one Full before I fly to Japan for the Suwa Ko Half on October 28Th -- I am so excited by that one -- everything now is simply a step closer to that dream race -- the visualization is already occurring every time I am out training - crossing that line in under 2:20 - The last thing I see before I go to sleep every night is the clock at the finish line....If I am this excited now I can't imagine what the feeling will be like on the plane or arriving in Japan. Lots of friends will be there to watch this one - it will be so cool!!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it, and above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light."

Joseph Pulitzer.

Well, I don't know how well the quote fits in with the two pictures of my half/marathon clinic from last night - a good picture taker I am not - as you can see from the outdoor shot I cut poor Jane half out of the picture - Sorry Jane - will take another one next week. The clinic continues to grow - we were missing some people last night who were either away on trips or had to work late so we had 18 show up last night of the 22 who are now registered. I am absolutely thrilled by the numbers - it is almost too big - without the help of my group leaders we would not be able to pull it off as the difference in ability levels is quite dramatic but the gap is closing every week. We did speed intervals for an hour last night - it was a great workout and everyone seemed to enjoy it - during these workouts they definitely have a love/hate relationship with me but they are such a great, cohesive and good-natured dedicated group. They are truly amazing.

It has been a very busy week at work - I did get in my X-training workout and will do another today - love the bike and rower - they both help with the core Steve, particularly the rower. Also got in 12k with some of my clinic people on Wednesday night at our club walk. I have been slowly increasing my mileage the last couple of weeks and I am starting to feel very positive about the 2 half-marathons I am doing in July..........It has only been 5 days since the OTMH 5k and I am already itching for a race -- 5k is just too short for me --fast but short -- I love the feeling at the finish of a half or a full -- it is a "RUSH" for sure!!!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"In order to excel, you must be completely dedicated to your chosen sport. You must also be prepared to work hard and be willing to accept constructive criticism. Without a total 100 percent dedication, you won't be able to do this."

Willie Mays

Now this is totally amazing - as a result of the my article in the Running Room Magazine, I have been approached by a gentleman who has OA in his knees and would like to learn to power/race walk. He is aware that I have had full knee replacement and that i compete almost pain free - in my knees anyway!! What is so amazing about that you ask -- this gentleman is in his 60's as is his wife - they are both ironman triathletes and between them they have done 30 - yup, count em - 30 ironman triathlons AND he ran "THE" Boston Marathon in the 80's......He cannot run now and has to pull out of competitions after the Bike section - for example this last weekend he was leading finishing the bike and because he can't run any more he pulled out..... He was excited by my marathon times and hopes he can work with me and walk the marathon portion of the triathlons.....Man what a thrill to work with someone like this -- do you think I am pumped and motivated by this --SURE AM!!!!! Talk about and Inspiration that will carry me through - this is it.

Had a great workout at the gym yesterday --- concentrated on core strengthening circuits plus 20k on the bike and another 9k in hill/speed intervals on the treadmill - I really enjoy the periodic treadmill workout - I can change it up so much during the workout - gives me a little more flexibility than I have on the road --- elevation wise that is --- and no traffic..... Next gym workout will probably be Saturday and I will do the same buy replace the bike with the rowing machine - as I have mentioned before most of the information I have found leads me to believe that the rowing machine is the best X-trainer for out sport as it mimics a lot of the movement we use - really helps the core, particularly the hips as well as arms. shoulders, legs, upper abs, lower abs - what is there not to like about a machine like that -- hard work, for sure -- but "the harder you train, the easier you race"(quote source - Me).

Today, is my lunch clinic I instruct for my work place and then an afternoon nap before I do 10k tonight.

Have a great day everyone........

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Special Olympics Motto:

"Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt"

Can we learn a little or what?????? Isn't that just the perfect quote for anything we do anywhere, anytime!

Today is make over day --- going to up the ante with my X- training - plan to hit the gym and do 20k on the bike, 4km on the rowing machine and some core/upper body strengthening exercises. Later, I hope to get about 8k in outside but that one is up in the air.... I have 4 weeks to get ready for the next half marathon.....Got to get it in gear!!!

The picture is a view of Lake Ontarion from one of the lake side trails I love to use for training in Oakville.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Perhaps the single most important element in mastering the techniques and tactics of racing is experience. But once you have the fundamentals, acquiring the experience is a matter of time.

Greg LeMond

To all the fathers out there - Happy Father's Day -- to all of you who are not fathers "don't forget your fathers". The Oakville OTMH Father's Day 5k was today and I am thrilled to say that my step son, running in his first race ever, came in third in his age class - that is him getting the handshake from Ronald MacDonald as MacDonalds was one of the sponsors of the event.

I was fortunate to be 4th overall men and win the Men's Master's Division in 33:25 - 2:25 quicker than when I finished 3rd overall last year. There was some awesome speed there today. In the picture to my left is Hans Dinger - as amazing athlete - he clocked in at 28:00 and change - there were 2 others under 30:30 - amazing - oh well, one more year and hopefully I will be down there as well - everyone has to have goals-Right?

Back to the gym for some serious X-training tomorrow - bike, rowing machine and heavy duty core - have one month to get ready for the new Run For the Roses Half Marathon - I want to be as close to 2:20 as I can - being under that time by year's end was a New Year's Resolution of mine and I really want to break it at the SuwaKo half on October 28th in Japan........................This is something I really really am striving for - everything other goal is simply a step to my dream!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Aiming for the marathon is a task of sorts which can include terrific highs and lows. Bill Rodgers

Having your goal to focus on is key, but don't let it become more important than your excellence next year and the year after.

Bill Rodgers

Today was a clinic day in Oakville - part of my clinic got together to do 10k early this morning - we started out down on Lake Ontario at the Lighthouse pictured above and then proceeded through some beautiful residential neighbourhoods. It certainly is my favorite place to train. The clinic members are all buying in to the system and are all loving it - we will see how much they love me after speed intervals next week. - they enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment and the "Walker's high" after doing descending intervals last Thursday. This group is jelling together very quickly - they are truly amazing.

Happy Father's Day tomorrow gentlemen - I am going to celebrate it doing a 5k race with my son - he is registered in the run, me in the power walk category.

Have a great weekend

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Mental toughness is a description of how well an athlete prepares for the mental and physical challenges of their sport. I think everyone has the innate ability to be mentally tough, what counts is whether one has the desire to explore that to the best of their physical abilities."

Bill Rodgers, 4-time Boston and NYC Marathon Champion

Wow, am I ever slow today -- start the post at 6am and finish it at 7pm -- a long day. Have been suffering from allergies terribly over the last couple of days so when I got home from work at 1pm, I just crashed and slept for 5 hours. It has been a tiring week and I needed the rest. I will go out in a little while to do a very relaxed 6k before doing a easy 10-12k tomorrow morning with my Oakville clinic. I have a 5k race on Sunday in Oakville - th OTMH father's Day 5k -- some amazingly fast racers at this one - last year I was 3rd in the open Men's division and I am probably looking around that again even though my most recent 5k time in December was 3 minutes quicker that last years Oakville 5k time....Hans and Darryl are fast and I am humbled to be able to race with them. When I grow up I want to be just like Hans(LOL)!!!!

Julie(thats her in the picture from a previous clinic) talked in the clinic last night - a great story - from being told she would never run again as she had the knees of a much much older person and she was essentially a pre-teen when she was told this(if I can do the math properly) to doing ironwoman triathalons is an inspiring story....She is another one of my heroes -- three keys-- GOALS/VISUALIZATION?NUTRITION......................Make sure you post your goals publicly,visably where you can see them every day and of course Nutrition( go on Julie's link on my blog--"Julie Boyer - Ironwoman" -- a nutritional analysis on line will help you and go from there -- contact her, talk to her - you won't regret it.....Every walk - every training session - visualize crossing that line at Vegas, Honolulu, Rome, Athens - wherever it is that you want to be -- when you get there it won't be a surprise!! Me, I visualize crossing the line at the Toronto Marathon this year - and the Race Clock clearly says 4:59:31 - why the 31 I don't know but that's the dream -- the other visualization is crossing the finish line at Suwako Half Marathon in Japan in October and the clock saying 2:19:31----there's that 31 again --- those are my two prime goals this year and that is what pushes me to" train hard to race easy"

The clinic is growing - over 20 with 5 new registrants since last week.........I think this is awesome growth for a distance walking clinic.......Our sport is growing!!!!!!!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Mary Lou Retton: "As simple as it sounds, we all must try to be the best person we can: by making the best choices, by making the most of the talents we've been given."

Man the heat the last couple of days has been stifling - but I have fortunately been able to get in some quality workouts. I did 10k in Oakville before my guest speaking session on Monday night and it was absolutely gorgeous down by the Lake in the evening. The speaking session, I think, went well - when it is the first, it is always a learning experience. I really enjoyed the opportunity and a few people who were not part of the clinic sat in as well - got some pretty good feedback and each one will get better - I hope!!

Yesterday, was a cross training day - went to the gym after I got home from work at noon(I start at 0400am). I did 18.5k on the bike, 4.14k on the rowing machine and about 30 minutes of weight training circuits - then, did the 6.3k home -- hot, humid - WOW!!!! Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate - oh, and by the way a bit of advice -- HYDRATE!!!!!!!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Paula Newby-Fraser: "Everyone has limits on the time they can devote to exercise, and cross-training simply gives you the best return on your investment balanced fitness with minimum injury risk and maximum fun."

An early start to a new week - these 0400am work day starts are a killer - up at 0230am to get ready and out of the door at 0300 to head for my office in Hamilton - I know "have a little cheese with my 'whine'"

Had a great day of training yesterday - did close to 7 km with my Oakville clinic group and then when I got home had the desire to do more so I went out with the intention of pushing as much as I could for an hour. I ended up doing 9k in 58:37 which, considering the recovery period from Mississauga, was very satisfying - so barring any unforeseen problems, I should be race ready for next weeks OTMH 5k.

I am doing my first "guest speaker" spot at a 10k Running Room clinic tonight and I am very excited about this opportunity - hopefully I can motivate some people in to sticking with this great sport and also doing a half/full marathon clinic in the future.

The quote today I just stumbled across - pretty ironic considering I have gone back to what got me here and which I had gotten away from. That is the X training - my first intense x training session was Saturday and I was a little stiff and sore on Sunday but psychologically if not physically I felt stronger. I am now going to schedule two major cross training sessions for Tuesdays and Fridays each week. I hope this makes me both stronger and faster and maximize my endurance as well.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys." - Emil Zatopek


"It's elevating and humbling at the same time. Running along a beach at sunrise with no other footprints in the sand, you realize the vastness of creation, your own insignificant space in the plan, how tiny you really are, your own creatureliness and how much you owe to the supreme body, the God that brought all this beauty and harmony into being." - Sister Marion Irvine, 2:51 PR and 1984 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier

What a truly beautiful day out there today - yet, I didn't get in any outdoor training today - that will happen tomorrow when I head out with my clinic in the morning.

Today was getting back to basics day - back to what worked the best for me when this journey began --- three hours at the gym --- 26km on the bike, 6.5km on the treadmill doing hill intervals, 3.8km on the rowing machine and 45 minutes working on core strengthening and some shoulder and chest work - It is an amazing statistic that walkers when using their arms will pump them 40,000-50,000 times in a marathon - I guess that means you should make sure they are strong enough to take the punishment as well as help power you along.

It was a great workout, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will plan 2 of these X-training workouts a week for sure -- followed by the sauna -- Man, I feel the best I have in weeks.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Thomas Jefferson: "But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life; and thanks to a benevolent arrangement of things, the greater part of life is sunshine."

Last night was the first night of my Oakville Running Room clinic - a great group of people, a good combination returning friends and brand new friends -- More sunshine into my life for sure. Every body seems to be quite committed and that is just great to see.

We have to basic rules at our Clinic(other that have fun first obviously) - and those are 1) DO NOT ever call yourself "JUST A WALKER" - you are a competitive athlete just like any runner - in face, more of a competitive endurance athlete - in the 21.1 and 42.2 we are more intense over a longer period of time.

AND

2) If you enter a race as a Walker - you walk - if you plan to run at all, register as a runner !!! -- enough said - I don't need to get on my soap box about this one again.

I often say the feeling of crossing the line the first time at a Marathon or Half

Marathon is like nothing you have ever experience before. An amazing statistic I read the other day - if you complete a marathon you are in a very small percentage of the population to ever experience the feeling - In fact, less than 1% of the population in North America last year did so, based on the number of Marathon finishers total in all races in North America in 2006 - and that does not even take into account the number of athletes who completed multiple marathons or number of competitors who reside out of continental North America. Statistics are similar in shorter races as well -although the percentages are slightly higher, as there are more shorter races available, and more people enter shorter races than longer endurance races.

A Sobering Statistic -- See WALKERS -- each and everyone of you has elite status..

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Mark Twain: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Well, today is day 1 of the new Half and Full Marathon Clinic in Oakville. I think I am more nervous about this one than the first. It looks like a pretty good mix of returning folks and new people coming in. The plan is to have some pretty intense speed and endurance training sessions during the Thursday clinic nights - I am hoping that this will go well - the last group seemed to really like these sessions so this time around we will just up the ante so to speak and we will see what we will see.

Went to the Brampton Club Walk last night - a really nice group of people - Thank you Ginny, Ravi, Karen et al.........Registered for the Brampton Half while I was there and I am looking forward to getting back to doing some more distance races. The OTMH Father's Day 5k will be my next race - June 17th -- for anyone who has never had the opportunity to do this one -- it is a great race, lots of fun, great competition and great people. A well run and organized race - if you have the chance and the inclination, come on down!!!!!!!!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Denis Waitley: "Winners(ANYONE WHO CROSSES THE FINISH LINE) take time to relish their work, knowing that scaling the mountain is what makes the view from the top so exhilarating."

An encouraging cartoon isn't it??? But that is what people think who have never crossed the line and "seen the view from the top" I have seen it twice now, and I found the view so exhilarating that I want to do it again and again and again!!!!

I have been fortunate enough to have found two group leaders for the Rosedale Running Room Half and Full Marathon Clinics - with the help of Hayley the store manager and a participant from my last Oakville clinic who resides in Toronto - so much less to worry about when you have good friends and good people watching your back.........The same in Oakville for my clinic that starts tomorrow - with Nancy helping with the half and Glenn there for the full, it makes for a much smoother, stress free clinic.

Off to Brampton to do the club walk tonight and register for the Brampton Half - that should be a good time.

Have a great day all!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"No doubt a brain and some shoes are essential for marathon success, although if it comes down to a choice, pick the shoes. More people finish the marathon with no brains than with no shoes!!!!!"

Don Kardong

I am happy to say that I got my 12kms in yesterday afternoon, so I feel I am back on track in a general sense. There still are some aches and pains, some minor blistering problems but they should all be resolved in due time..I am not going to lose any sleep over it - just have to plod on on a daily basis trying to get the back stronger and tougher skin on the torn up feet from Mississauga.

I have agreed to instruct a second Half/Marathon Clinic at the Rosedale Running Room in Toronto during the summer - it begins on Saturday, June 30/2007. It is a great opportunity to help establish the walking community in the Toronto area. I am very excited and hope that those of you who read this blog and reside in Toronto will come out and join us. Good times will be had by all.

Speaking of good times --- I took a very close look at the Suwa Ko Half Marathon format yesterday. It has a maximum time of 2:40:00 of which I was aware but it actually has timing points where if you are later than the posted time you are actually directed off the course.

Here are the timing points: 1.6km = 20:00

4.6km = 35:00

8.0km = 1:10:00

14.4km = 1:55:00

17.7km = 2:25:00

21.1km = 2:40:00

Having that sort of restrictions sure makes it a different kind of race - definitely more competitive. I am not really concerned with the times of the race, rather the culture of the race will be quite different that any one I have experienced to date.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Laurence Sterne: "A large volume of adventures may be grasped within this little span of life, by him who interests his heart in everything."

A very tired start to the day - very little energy at my 230am wake up call and 0400am start at work -- this has got to change sooner than later -- not a healthy way of life -- have to have a nap in the afternoon before I can go out to train. I love to train in the early morning so this has thrown a wrench in to my preferred style.....

On a more positive note -- I registered for the OTMH Father's day 5k on June 17 - my son is doing the race with me - he is running it though - it will be nice to have him there. I am also registering for the Brampton Half Marathon on July 15th and I think I will do the new Whitby Half Marathon on July 30th as well. Toss in my next clinic starts on Thursday and I guess I have a busy summer lined up.

I am very excited that I have also registered for the Suwa Ko(lake) Half Marathon in Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, in Japan on Oct. 28th. Registration opened on June 1st and has a cut off point of 7000 participants. I already have about 6 of my clinic members and one from London who are seriously considering this adventure.............If anyone is interested contact me directly at allanmedd@hotmail.com. It is possible to do this trip for under $1800 plus your mad money. If you are up for the adventure please feel free to contact me......There is also a 1ok/half/full Marathon in Hiroshima the week before on Oct. 21/07 which I am considering the 10k as a warmup for the Half the following weekend. The picture above is of the Suwa Ko race route with the lake to your left all the way around, surrounded by mountains - what more could you ask?

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.Walk beside me and be my friend." -

Albert Camus (also attributed to Maimonidies).

This is my friend Doug who I basically brow beat into taking my clinic - He completed the Mississauga Half Marathon in 2:53:00 - his first race ever of that distance -- now he is bitten by the bug and has registered to do the next clinic and will go with me to the the Suwako Half in Japan in October...............Good on ya' "Dougie"

I did 16 km is Oakville this morning - 4 of us went of and did a relaxing 6k and after that I was on my own - really thrilled with the results though - 10k in 1:06:37 - I feel better now than I did before the Mississauga Marathon - recovery is an important part of our training - knowing when to listen to our bodies and the experts and following direction - which is particularly hard for me.

Registered for the OTMH Father's day 5K today - can't wait - some pretty stiff competition at this one -- haven't done a short race in so long I forget how - like riding a bike though - once that gun goes off I am sure memories will come back.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I learned that the only way you are going to get anywhere in life is to work hard at it. Whether you're a musician, a writer, an athlete or a businessman, there is no getting around it. If you do, you'll win--if you don't, you won't."

Bruce Jenner, Decathlon Olympic Gold Medalist

This is a very quiet day - I don't know when the last time was that I did not train or race on a Saturday - but losing the battle with some bad oysters last night left me with food poisoning and a very sleepless night - so my body gets a day of rest which is probably a good thing and I will try to go out in the morning for 16-20k with some of my clinic members in Oakville.

Speaking of clinic members - the picture is of the "A TEAM" out of the Oakville Running Room - just prior to the Mississauga Marathon.

The response I have been hearing regarding the Brampton Half Marathon has been positive and the walkers are rallying to support the race that is willing to support us.

My hope is that some "WOW" walkers will come and support it as well - we all wanted walker friendly races - now we have one lets support wherever you are from - Running Room, WOW, south of the border - lets just support it!

May Stats --- Total KMs = 219k -- 5days off after Mississauga Marathon

Year to date -- Total Km = 1407k

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Marathoning is like cutting yourself unexpectedly. You dip into the pain so gradually that the damage is done before you are aware of it. Unfortunately, when awareness comes, it is excruciating."

John Farrington, Australian marathoner

I am one very HAPPY walker tonight - after meeting with and with the help of Eric Darcy, the Race director of the new Brampton Half Marathon, there is a full card caring, prize winning walking division. Only 500 spaces available for this July 15 race - Walkers unite and support those who are willing to change and support us!!!!!!!!!!

This will be a great opportunity to showcase our sport, our amazing race etiquette, our determination and our battle for respect. Go online and register folks - support the race's fund raising charity "Habitat for Humanity" - Help the Walking community by Helping Someone In Need.

Lets Race folks - show the passion - register early before all the spots are gone - it would be awesome to see more walkers than runners at the event.