Takako(in green) and Annie(in grey-Rosedale Half Marathon clinic)
Lynn - Oakville Marathon Clinic

Liz - Oakville Marathon Clinic


Caroline - Oakville Marathon Clinic

They even put a tape out for me - Awesome

QUOTE OF THE DAY

An Inspirational Thought, Motivational Thought - Achievement of a Life Goal By Karen Casey from the book, "Each Day a New Beginning" Thanks to Kim for submitting!

"We truly can do these things that are our "hearts' pure desires." However, most of us look at the whole task and feel overwhelmed.
We need, instead, to look at the task's many parts.
One part at a time, one day at a time, we can accomplish any goal we set for ourselves. I know a recovering woman who wrote a 300-page dissertation, the final achievement to obtain her PhD. When asked at a meeting how she ever did it, her reply was, "One word at a time." That's wonderful advice.
No matter how many goals were missed or plans dashed when we were still using, now that we are recovering, each of us can do whatever is in our hearts--if we do it little by little, not all at once, today.
Today, I will do one small task that will contribute toward the achievement of a life goal. "

The weekend is over and another race is down.......An awesome weekend for my friends in my clinics and my family -- Caroline, Liz and Lynn all finished their first half marathon at Whitby - all under 3 hours - just a phenomenal job particularly considering the unbearable heat and humidity during the race. My BH completed her first ever race - a 5k walk in 42 minutes with minimal training and has already picked her next race.....My step-son ran his first ever half and shocked us all coming in at 1:48. I was fortunate to win the walking event in a personal worst time of 2:31.................but I was able to do it and competing and enjoying the experience should be all that matters -- if you look at the picture above of Caroline crossing the line in tears -- that is what it is all about!!!!

I am in the process of reassessing my priorities regarding the sport -- as alot of you know I am instructing two separate clinics right now - taking 4 days a week which is obviously hampering my own training - so now what is most important -- well I am guessing the teaching is -- I have always wanted to help people walk a mile in my shoes and therefore hopefully helping them to make some health and life altering changes - I know this sport has done that for me!!! However, I love to compete and do well -- I love being able to go for it and "just do it" -- so after these clinics are over, I will do one not two the next time around -- that will still give me 5 days training on my own -- So maybe I can "have my tofu and eat it too!!!"

Rosedale - Hill Training - Power up!!!
and at the top we get a surprise!

because the core is the first thing to break down!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I succeed on my own personal motivation, dedication and commitment… My mindset is: If I'm not out there training, someone else is."
-- Lynn Jennings

"I am building a fire, and everyday I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match."
-- Mia Hamm

As you can see it was a fun nite of hill training for the Rosedale Clinic last night - 5X hill repeats(400m) plus core circuits X5 at the top.....Everyone did super well and once again were amazed by what they can accomplish...........I'm not amazed although I am impressed - each and every one of them has it in them - just waiting to be coaxed out!!

Tonight is Oakville's turn. Tomorrow an off day as I get ready for a Half Marathon Race in Whitby this Sunday. Some lingering lower back issues which I hope I can fight off for the race.

Have a great day everyone.

Kathryn(High Park) and Hayley(Rosedale) - Running Room Managers who helped make it all happen
Excuse the finger - but here are some the "A-TEAM"

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I may not forget you."

William Arthur Ward

This has been a great week for the Walking movement in this area - Sunday's High Park Invasion has opened some eyes for sure!! John Stanton himself may come to another invasion himself as he is very impressed by what we were able to put together - the next one will be in Mid town Toronto - probably start at the Commerce Court Store and it will be Sunday August 26th beginning at 08:30am using the boardwalk and waterfront paths along the Lakeshore with pot luck after back at the store.

"THE PITTER PATTER YOU HEAR IS THE INFANT WALKING MOVEMENT COMING OF AGE"

quote source "me"

FYI: Check out Facebook -- group name "Running Room Walkers(GTA)-Working together" Join us - your input about future events, advocating more walker friendly events etc. would be greatly appreciate.....Steve, Tammy - your help would be appreciated as well!!!

Just a few Kms the last two mornings - 5 Monday and 7 today -- Race(Half Marathon) coming on Sunday in Whitby --- promises to be a good one -- have family participating as well as some of my Oakville Clinic walkers and I see a few old friends are registered as well -- should be a good day....

They advertised me
BUT THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT MATTERED -THEY ARE THE REAL STARS OF THE "HIGH PARK INVASION - JULY 22/2007

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

What an absolutely awesome day -- the "High Park Invasion" started out as a way to try and get my two clinics to meet one another and train together -- it ended up being an "EVENT" at which over 50 walkers from 6 different Running Room stores invaded High Park and had a fantastic day of training together - doing anywhere between 7 km and 19km depending on their distance requirements for the day....and a pot luck breakfast back at the High Park store.....even had people in the park cheering and clapping for us -- asking us what race this was?

And they said Walkers have no spirit -- well, guess again -- and we are doing it again -- August 26/07 -- more of a mid-town location so we can make use of the boardwalk, waterfront and lakeshore trails -- bigger and better then -- maybe even give aways!!!!

FYI----a new group on facebook for those who are interested "Running Room Walkers(GTA)-Working together" Give us a hand and some input on events and how to focus our group wills on race directors to make more walker friendly events - from the smaller local events to the larger marathon events -- give us a hand!!!

ROSEDALE CLINIC

(plus a couple of Oakville folks grandfathered in)
Sarah - the" CDNRACEWALKER"

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Boasting a 20km World Record of 1:17.22, the sport of race walking commands international respect as its top athletes are capable of sustaining close to 6:00/mile speed over the course of 12.4 miles. To achieve these types of performances, elite race walkers combine talent with fine-tuned technique. Proper race walking technique is both efficient and legal. The primary objective is to maintain a constant velocity of the body's center of gravity without excessive vertical or side-to-side displacement. The visual impression of an elite race walker is of a steady forward motion without excessive bouncing or side-to-side sway."

I guess one can easily comprehend what the focus of today's Rosedale clinic was - 17k for the marathoners, 9k for the half marathoners and then back to the store for a lecture on racewalking with my friend Sarah, whose coach is the Canadian Olympic coach - not too shabby........and then outside for a demonstration plus some practical instruction from Sarah.....an awesome morning and I thank Sarah so much for doing it. It was great to have my instructional technique reinforced by Sarah and should make the rest of the clinic much more focused and technique driven as well. A couple of friends - Glenn and Lin -- came out from Oakville and their presence was appreciated as well as was our friend, Myuki, from Japan.

Tomorrow is the "High Park Invasion" - will be great to see a number of walkers from different Running Room locations across the GTA -- got to go and get the route maps ready.

Have a great day everyone!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal, and you have to be willing to work for it."

Jim Valvano, Basketball Coach

I guess this is what this week and the following weeks is all about - pursuing the dream - taking this whole thing I have been doing for the lats 18months or so and taking it to a higher level - make something out of it that will impact a great number of people - that's the goal -- baby steps to the goal have started, the creative minds are at work and off we go on another journey. Remember as I have said before --"It isn't the destination that counts, it is the journey!!"

A quick 5k this morning with the BH, she is getting quicker and it is amazing that just a few short weeks ago she swore she would never do it and now she is all gung-ho and doing fabulous. Off the the Oakville Running Room to check out proper shoes for her this afternoon and then into Toronto to watch Ichiro and the Seattle Mariners play the Jays - should be fun.

Mexican 200's the last two nights with my clinics - x14repeats. Saturday and Sunday morning we do 19k each morning - Sat with Rosedale and Sunday with Oakville. Looking forward to my friend Sarah(CdnRacewalker) as my guest speaker for the group tomorrow morning and a killer workout with her afterwards.

Have a good weekend everyone!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper."

Aristotle, Greek philosopher (384-322 B.C.)

Theses past few days have been difficult to say the least - I have taken a stand in my work environment - I cannot and will not work at 04:00am any more - requires getting up at 2:30am and driving 500kms a week to and from work - factor in a partner at work who refuses to to an equal sharing of shifts and it becomes intolerable. So I am taking 2 weeks off to consider my alternatives. Every obstacle can be taken as just that - an obstacle or can be looked at as an opportunity - I chose the latter - it is an opportunity to possibly take my passion to another level and another place.

Race recap now -- I said before I was happy I won but unhappy with my time -- I have broken down my splits and come up with a theory --Here it is!!"YOU CAN'T DO SUB 2:20:00 ON 2:25:00 CONDITIONING" Go figure -- so starting this week I am ramping up the conditioning workouts, more hills, more intervals and more long walks at speed.....Another race on the 29th - 2nd half in 14 days!!!!

Something phenomenal has occurred though - My BH has decided to surprise me an get involved with the sport - she will do the 5k in Whitby the day I do the Half. We have been out the last two early mornings and she is a pretty good student - one of the few times she will listen to me --hahahahaha!!! Add onto that, my step son has decided to run the half the same day on very little training - his big fear - getting beaten by an "old racewalker" as he calls me!! Several friends of the family have also registered to do the 5k for their first ever race --- 10 in all now, plus 4 from my Oakville clinic doing the half -- going to be a fun day.

I have said before that if I can get one person to walk in my shoes literally than it is all worth it -- seeing the response above is the ultimate compliment -- I am so pleased and humbled.

Have an awesome day everyone!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"You have to do what you believe in."

Ben Harper

As the quote says - you have to do what you believe in. Today, this week, is probably going to be a very difficult week. Since I have taken this position at work, in particular the last 4 months, I feel my health has gone downhill, my ability to recover is not as good as it is had previously been, and I feel my conditioning is not what it should be.....Add on to that, my personal relationships have suffered and the sum total of it all is that this is not a good situation. Having not choice has put me in the position of driving 500kms a week to and from work and having to get up at 2:30am to be in the office by the required 04:00am - by the time I get home all I want to do is sleep....Not healthy at all. So today, I have to take some action - I want to go back to my previous position and that is what I believe is the right thing to do and I will fight to do it.

On the positive side, I am the guest speaker at the Brampton Running Room 10k clinic tonight - should be fun -- they usually are and end up motivating me as much as I motivate them.

Brampton Run.Walk for the Rose Half Marathon

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever."

Lance Armstrong

I was hurting today, it was my first race of any distance since my injury in May at the Mississauga Marathon. I felt my conditioning was off - so it was a learning experience - more X-training, hill training, and intervals to come - have two weeks before the next half marathon - hopefully I can prepare a little better for it.

I went out of the gate very quick, by 6k the Marshall's said I had a 1km lead and it became very hard to maintain my pace as I was totally on my own --- I didn't even see the first runner, who started 30 minutes after us, until around 14/15k. I was not real happy with the time but it was only a couple of minutes off my personal best and the goal race to break my PB is Japan in October..... I finished in 2:26:17 and was 1st overall open division -- got a great plaque, a $100 gift certificate and some roses. So all in all a great day, perfect weather, a great venue and a terrifically run race. Did the intro to walkers - specified rules etc. and still people broke them but those that did were DQ'd by the race director -- good on him for having the courage to do so.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Having a positive mental attitude is asking how something can be done rather than saying it can't be done. "

Bo Bennett

It has been a tiring work week BUT an awesome training week with the clinics - In both my Wednesday and Thursday clinics, we did a drill called "Mexican 200's" which is my walking version of the Mexican 1000's done by the Mexican Marathon Running team of years gone by. I don't think my folks are up to the 1000's but by clinics end maybe......They are basically 200 meter intervals as hard as you can go followed by 30 secs at recovery speed and then do it all over again for 12 repeats - increasing it by 10% each week - both in distance and # of repeats.

It was awesome to see how they all pulled for one another, pushed one another and high fived, hugged, applauded for each other at the end - they all seem pumped by the workout and had a great sense of accomplishment when they finished -- and wanting more next week!!!

Race weekend this weekend -- Brampton Half Marathon -- the race director has asked me to give the Walkers Welcome and race instructions 10 minutes prior to the gun --- if, as he says, "you can get out of the zone long enough to do it" -- The poster posted here was for me -- I have a goal for this weekend's race and I have to keep telling myself "I know I can, I know I can, I know I can".

Rosedale clinic tomorrow morning starting at 07:45 but each group knows that I will only be doing partial loops with them due the the race on Sunday.

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, 'This is the real me,' and when you have found that attitude, follow it. "

James Truslow Adams

"I am responsible. Although I may not be able to prevent the worst from happening, I am responsible for my attitude toward the inevitable misfortunes that darken life. "

Walter Anderson

Well, I guess you can see where I am heading with these quotes and poster - after Sunday's outburst on my blog I have decided once again that if I can't change it to change my attitude in order to be able to deal with the pitfalls a little more productively. Take other's complaints, rework them into a positive framework and come out with a better program in the long run and that is what I have done with the Rosedale clinic.....we are now starting our clinic at 07:45am on Saturday mornings, when the Marathoners meet and do their first loop and I get to spend time with them for instruction, problem solving and just general relationship building -- at 09:00am we circle back by the store and pick up the Half Marathoners and do a second loop during which I can spend time with them and not feel guilty that the marathoners have been left out and everyone gets in their necessary mileage. The routes have now been designed to be functional - ie. I will be able to see the front and the back of the group and this makes it much safer....... After the second loop, we will meet our guest speaker at the store and be finished by 11:30am -- this also gives people more of their Saturday afternoon for themselves, instead of finishing at 1pm or 2pm in the afternoon and also keeps everyone out of the afternoon heat -- everyone wins!!

Great time speaking at the 5/10k clinic last night - positive response and nothing like giving a motivational talk to get on back on track!!!!!!!!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Unknown:"Nothing is as real as a dream. The world can change around you, but your dream will not. Responsibilities need not erase it. Duties need not obscure it. Because the dream is within you, no one can take it away."

AND REMEMBER " GOALS ARE BRIDGES TO OUR DREAMS"

OK! - enough of that ultra sensitive guy you saw on the post yesterday - I'm back, the other guy took a long nap and woke up a different person. Today and Tomorrow will be rest days for me as I am tapering for the race this weekend - the half marathon in Brampton - always interesting when it is a new race. I may do some X-training tomorrow but that will be the extent of it.

Speaking at the Rosedale Running Room 10k walking clinic tonight - this is always fun and gets your head back in to it quickly - a very positive and rewarding experience.

ROSEDALE MARATHONERS
OAKVILLE CLINIC - SUNDAY LONG WALK

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement."

Steve Prefontaine

It has been a difficult weekend - back to back long workouts - 16k with the Rosedale clinic yesterday and 17.5 today with the Oakville Clinic - both in extreme hear and humidity.

There are several obvious problems with clinics but those problems are exacerbated when the clinics are quite large. The obvious problem is that you have to forgo your own training pace particularly on the long ones like the last couple of days. You can make up a bit when you do things like hills and intervals during your weekly sessions with the clinics but that still only leaves you tow days to do intense cross training and cardio workouts - I knew this going in and structure my personal workouts to try and get into race shape.

What bothers me is the unrealistic expectations that some folks have - with large groups, on long walks, the groups often get spread out over several kms due to varying levels of ability. If you spend too much time at the front , the ones behind complain, too much time at the back the lead pack complains - in the middle everyone complains -- caught between a rock and a hard place.. You get the odd one who complains that the route isn't scenic enough, group leaders who have to realize they have a responsibility but it is not their clinic -- The goal of these long distance clinics is to get you ready to be able to cross that line upright and smiling and if you want quick to have the endurance tools to do that too - whether it is a half or a full marathon you need endurance and the psychological strength and determination to do so -- so scenic is not critical, nice but not critical - functional is critical. Scenic you can do on ones own training sessions away from the group or in a bus tour.

Ok - I have vented, had some cheese with my whine and I feel better now.

This doesn't occur often on my blog but "due to the shortage of robots, human beings live here" and I feel it too sometimes....................I want to be there for everyone - can I?-- realistically no, I just have to come to terms with that and deal with the inevitable issues.

"As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit."

Emmanuel Teney

ROSEDALE RUNNING ROOM CLINIC

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Rule of thumb: Eat for what you're going to be doing, and not for what you have done. Don't take in more than you're willing to burn off."

Lee Haney

Today is a rest day - I looked at my training calender and started to count back and was shocked to see I had not taken a rest day in about 12 days and I was wondering why my body was screaming at me......I have a half marathon a week from Sunday so I need to start to taper anyway at some point. No taper till after I finish with my Rosedale clinic tomorrow and Oakville on Sunday - 16k with each Marathon group - so some significant mileage on the weekend. Monday, Tuesday and Friday next week will be off days for sure.

More descending intervals with the Oakville group last night. As they had already done this once before, they were more prepared and obviously took the time to conceptualize and implement their pacing --- after it was all said and done, we finished with an introduction to hill training with 4 quick hills and called it a night after about a total of 8k.

The Oakville clinic continues to grow - 3 more last night brings the total to 25 -- one being another converted runner - I love it when people "see the light"

Have a great weekend everyone.

ROSEDALE RUNNING ROOM

DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THOSE INTERVALS

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem. "

Emil Zatopek

It looks once again like it may shape up to be a good day in the neighbourhood. Oakville clinic night and they are always wondering what I have up my sleeve for them -- It's like I sit in my lab "late at night" and devised an evil plan for the night - just so I won't disappoint them, I did just that - but I won't share it until tomorrow just in case some of them read his during the day and come down with a mysterious illness - the "interval flu" I am sure.

A great night last night - some photos above of when we were doing our warm ups prior to doing an awesome Descending Interval workout -- everyone is coming along technique wise and found out last night how important pacing is. We did intervals of 1200m/1000m/800m/600m/400m/200m with 300 metre recovery between each interval - as the distances went down the speed requirements went up so that you were doing the last two intervals at 5k pace or better......they had quite the feeling of accomplishment when all was said and done...............8.3k in total with the warm up and cool down. I added another 6.4k for myself before and after to give me 14+k for the day so I was pleased as well.

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

Happy July 4th Steve and Tammy et al.

Canada Day - Oakville Club Walk

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals and charge after them in an unstoppable manner"

Les Brown 1945-, American Speaker, Author, Trainer, Motivator Lecturer

I am totally amazed by the continued growth of my clinics and in particular, the new Rosedale Clinic - it is now up to 20 - so a total of 43 between the two clinics - the growth of our sport is amazing and rewarding. It is truly phenomenal the number of runners who are now taking up the sport - I have 2 in the marathon clinic in Rosedale who have run 12 marathons between them but cannot take the pounding on their knees any longer - so they have seen the light and come back from the dark side(lol)!!!

I had a great day at the gym yesterday - 12.7km to and from the gym plus 11km on the bike, 4 km on the rowing machine and some core strengthening exercises. Felt great afterwards - a little stiff this morning - but what the heck, you know it is working then - what is it I like to say to my clinics "if it ain't hurtin', it ain't workin'"

Down to Rosedale tonight for the club walk - will try to get the group into doing descending intervals and we will see how they respond to that.

Have a great day everyone ---- Steve, Keep the faith brother!!!!

ROSEDALE RUNNING ROOM HALF AND FULL MARATHON WALKING CLINIC

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Robert Schuller: "I will! I am! I can! I will actualize my dream. I will press ahead. I will settle down and see it through. I will solve the problems.
I will pay the price. I will never walk away from my dream until I see my dream walk away: Alert! Alive! Achieved"

Another long weekend has come and gone - not so long for me, as I ended up working overtime on Sunday and Monday - pays for some races I guess!! Tired though, and did not get in the distance I wanted to last night - still got in 6.1k but hopefully will make up for it today when I get some X-training in this afternoon. I hope to do the 6.5k to and from the gym plus do some core work and 3o minutes on the bike and 30 on the rowing machine. I really find that with doing conics 4 days of the week that I have to mximize my training time when I am on my own. It sometimes is a mental battle as you tend to tire mentallly with the grind of one's own work schedule plus the clinics. The clinics are an awful lot of fun but there is alot of energy used in planning new and innovative workouts to keep everyone's interest up - making it intense enough to keep your returning experienced people progressing but not too intense to scare off new people - that is an interesting balance to keep - add that together with guest speakers, and the information I print off for everyone each week - well you get the drift...........In spite of it all - I just love it. I got an email from one of my new Rosedale Clinic people the other day and among other things she said "everyone is thrilled to have you as our leader/teacher.........you have made us all feel we are among the pioneers of the walking movement" ----- That is what makes it all worthwhile!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Quote of the Day (2007-07-01)
(About the beaver) "Canada is the only nation on earth that was founded on the relentless pursuit of a rodent."
Preston Manning

What a glorious Canada Day Weekend - it may be cool temperature wise but that makes it a great couple of days to train.

First day of the inaugural Half and Full marathon clinic at the Rosedale Running Room - I am very fortunate to have another great group. Previously, in this store the largest walking group was 3 people - I had 18 registered and waiting to go yesterday with more coming next week as a number of people were away for the long weekend. We did 13km yesterday with the Marathon group -a double loop with the Half marathoners doing 6.5kms - everyone did an awesome job - quick learners and all finished upright and smiling - all with personal bests - they had never done distances like this before the clinic.

Today was a 13 km club walk with my Oakville clinic folks - they, too, are doing just awesome - they have reduced their per km pace by 45secs per km over the last 3 weeks --- amazing performances.

Two weeks till the next Half Marathon and another two weeks till the Whitby Half after that - the beginning of a full summer and fall race schedule.

Happy July 4th weekend to my friends in the USA - Steve, Tammy - have a happy one - Steve - get healthy and stay healthy!!!!!

MONTHLY TOTALS - JUNE 2007

WALK = 274.9 KM

CYCLING = 81.4 KM

ROWING = 12 KM

STRNGTH = 180 MINUTES

YEAR TO DATE = 1680 KMS(WALKING)