QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed." Jacqueline Gareau

It is good to be back home and training -- the evening with my clinic go my competitive juices running again and I will be thankfully going out for a long one this afternoon with Glenn and Lin. Tomorrow we will be doing 32k with the clinic group in Oakville. An exciting week coming up as I begin my clinic at work that was proposed some time ago - I am overwhelmed by the response as 34 people have signed up for it. In the first week of June, I begin to instruct my second half/marathon clinic for the running room in Oakville - so an exciting summer coming up with races and clinics.

A couple of pictures from Japan -- the first --"the running room goes to Japan" - an off the cuff and fun spur of the moment one day clinic -- the instructing is fun in Japanese. The last picture is why I love Japan in April --"SAKURA" ie .cherry blossoms

post training soak

Hill training!!!!!!!!

pre training meal

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Og Mandino: "I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain,
Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy."

Good morning all ---- a good night's sleep last night has put a brighter light on a new day......The jet lag is essentially gone and I can begin again ---- a quick 3km last night just to relax and back to my clinic tonight - I can't wait to see them all and again on Sunday when we do our last 32km before Mississauga. It is going to be a great race -- after the hill training in Japan a negative incline course will be a welcome yet boring relief.

A couple of pictures from Japan are above -- a typical traditional breakfast, the backdrop of my training ground, and my post raining treat - the hot spring spa -- now these are hot!!!!!

Have a great day all!!!!!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Charles Kettering: "It doesn't matter if you try and try and try again, and fail. It does matter if you try and fail, and fail to try again."

"Ingenuity, plus courage, plus work, equals miracles"

TADIMA(i'M HOME) -- and I am just exhausted -- a 13hr time difference and a 13 hour flight makes for a long day - arriving in Toronto last night and in to work this morning for 0400.

I however will never complain about hill training or hill in a race any more -- I had 6 days of training in the mountains -- at 4000 feet above sea level and at an average grade of 14% with the steepest grade being 19% --------gives a new definition to the word endurance.......

It was a great trip as it always is over there and with my closest friend with me it certainly made for some memorable moments........pictures will be posted when we have a chance to download them..........

Back to training tomorrow -- missed my clinic group --- and only 4 weeks to get ready for Mississauga.

Cheers everyone -- have a great day..............

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The only way to get people to like working hard is to motivate them. Today, people must understand why they’re working hard. Every individual in an organization is motivated by something different.” Rick Pitino Basketball Coach

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” Lou Holtz Football Coach

I have found it extremely difficult the last few days to do any really effective training with the 0400am start at work. Last night we were able to get 10 hills in with the clinic group in spite of the cold and then a few km this morning. The plan is to do about 12km tomorrow morning before getting on the plane to Japan.

No posts till the 18th of April.............Sayonara everyone..........till then

REMEMBER "It is not the destination that counts ---- it is the journey" --no matter what you do in life................

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it."
Napoleon Hill

Well isn't this just a great way to start the day -- getting up at 3 am to be in to work for 4am -- actually wasn't that bad -- at least so far -- ask me in a few hours!!!
Going to try to get in a few km this evening and then another early start tomorrow and the clinic tomorrow night. It will be interesting to see how my body reacts to the change in workout times as for over a year the preferred workout time has been the early morning before work which obviously is not a functional idea at the present time.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"When you develop yourself to the point where your belief in yourself is so strong that you know that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to, your future will be unlimited."
Brian Tracy

When it takes you as long as it has taken me to figure this all out, your future will be unlimited however short that future is.

A quick 12km this morning before heading out to work - just what the Doctor ordered as it was crisis after crisis when I got into the office.......and a short turn around tonight -- finish at 8pm and back in for 0400am tomorrow -- I shiver just thinking about it.

Starting to get pumped about the trip to Japan on Saturday and finally 6 great days at a hot spring spa -- been there several times in the past and it is a great place to train -- high altitude and all hills -- you are either going up, down or sideways - promises to be excellent endurance training for the Mississauga Marathon.

Cheers all - have a good night

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"It is only through work and strife that either nation or individual moves on to greatness. The great man is always the man of mighty effort, and usually the man whom grinding need has trained to mighty effort."- Theodore Roosevelt, in a speech about Grant, delivered at Galena, Illinois, April 27, 1900

"The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt."- Max Lerner

Well, I had a choice today -- feel sorry for myself and put a picture of a toilet on my blog or try to see past it all and try motivate myself and hopefully others as I do so...........I chose the later -- and once I saw Lerner's quote I was sure that I made the right choice. Unfortunately, I didn't find this quote several years ago but better later than never as the old saying goes.......

A great weekend of training --- 32km with Glenn and Lin on Saturday -- we did the first 16 km of the Mississauga Marathon in a loop -- Neagative incline on the way out --- which means basically that it was uphill all the way home -- but a great workout............Sunday, the clinic group got together and the goal was another 32km --- but pouring rain and wind and cold temps put a halt to it after 16km. All in all, a good training weekend. A day of rest today and back at it in the morning.

April Totals = 333.9kms Year to Date = 893.9kms

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming." Frank Shorter

Back at it tonight with my clinic group - 9.5 km with 11 hills in there -- a good workout and with the new orthotics causing no problem in face alleviating some hip pressure -- they felt great -- great to be back at it with a couple of significant distance days coming this weekend.

Registered for the Mississauga Marathon tonight -- finally done -- now as Shorter says I have to forget Vegas -- I don't want my body to know what is coming when the race begins..... I know my toughest half was my second for that reason.............we do learn the hard way.

The bar has been raised, the goal has been written down and a commitment has been made...............Time to get it on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some; it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. "- Nelson Mandela

Thank you to a very special friend - Julie - for this quote. It is fantastic -- don't we all need to let our light shine -- it rubs off obviously -- Julie, your smile, your compassion and your positive energy are such positive forces and I am truly blessed to have you as a friend.

Sarah was truly correct as well -- it is not necessarily the training that gets you through the hard times but your training partners that help you through the emotionally trying times. I can attest to that the last week or so -- thanks to all of you.

I have taken the last three days off training totally although tonight I may go out for 5 or so km -- I think it was definitely helpful for my body to do so.. Also, picked up my two new pairs of Asics with new orthotics today -- they should help as well and I am looking forward to using them.

Time to climb back out of that dark hole and get back at 'er!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers and have a great day everyone

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor souls who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." --Theodore Roosevelt

Once again thank goodness for the clinic group and the ability to use this sport as a channel for negative emotions. I woke up Saturday morning to my dog having passed away in her sleep during the night - when I first started walking she dragged me along and made me speed up and put some effort into it. She will be sadly missed but remembered fondly and with passion.

Our clinic group did 30km yesterday and everyone was once again terrific -- incredible efforts by everyone. I was able to finish with 90.5k for the week -- then I realized that I had trained 20 days in a row as of yesterday - today then is a well earned rest day - so after the emotional roller coaster weekend I am hoping I can recover not only physically but psychologically as well.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live."
Greg Anderson
Beyond The Quote:Your own motivation in life is what keeps you going and excites you to live. Having a dream and a true passion to do what you love is what living is all about. Remember this, and forever be happy.

The end of a long week -- too much extraneous stuff interfering with the course of one's life -- too much to burden blog readers with but suffice to say, once again, good friends came to the rescue. Thanks Julie, you don't know how perfect your timing was last night.

It was however a great week for training -- by the time the weekend is over with it will be another week of 90+kms. It looks as if the month will end with my largest mileage total ever -- over 300km. I have made a promise to my closest friend Ian and now to Julie as well that I want to do a 500km individual endurance trek in Japan by 2010 - and try to do it in 12 days -- well everyone has to have a dream -- as I say all the time "Goals are bridges to our Dreams"

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Ralph Vaull Starr: "Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal. "

Man, it was cold this morning -- but still a great day for a morning training session -- a quick 11k and then off to work -- I once again planned to do a more or less recovery walk but ended up doing a tempo -- at marathon pace plus 10 and then did some core work when I got home -- really trying to work on hips, abductors and adductors.

Only about 7 weeks before Mississauga Marathon and two weeks from vacation and some training in the mountains of Japan - can't wait!!!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Some people say I have attitude - maybe I do...but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does - that makes you a winner right there." -- Venus Williams

There you go -- Pre yesterday and one of the greatest endurance athletes in history - Emile Zatopek --- runner, walker, triathlete -- doesn't matter who you are I am sure you are in awe, as I am, of Zatopek's accomplishments. Truely Amazing.

Today was an early day at work -- and I actually got out of there on time -- it was supposed to be an off day training but I ended up going out and doing 7.5k to stretch out the sore muscles from the 30k yesterday.

I want to take a moment to send some special thanks to some special people who are a constant source of daily encouragement and motivation to me -- my barometers and my support -- to all of you a very very special thank you.

Glenn, Lin, Sarah, Jenna and Allison -- my second family

My Clinic members --- amazing people doing amazing things

Sarah(cdnracewalker) -- truly a source of motivation

Ian - my closest and dearest friend -- been at my side since high

school

Julie -- a new friend who is an amazing support and source of

Wisdom

Installment two of the Thank you list tomorrow

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, Olympic Gold Medalist, Decathlon

Pre and Jenner -- two amazing and inspirational athletes ---- we all have different gifts and should not let them go to waste --- Don't waste your!!!!
A great training day -- 29.7k with the clinic and they all finished it with a measure of a smile left on their faces. Tomorrow, two of my members will begin to lead their own 5k clinic and I am so proud of the two of them -- they have come a long way in a short period of time. Great Job Karen and Joanne -- enjoy!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.”

Tomorrow we get started with the BIG mileage build up for the Mississauga Marathon -- 8 of us in the clinic will get together at 0800 and 29.88km later we will pull into the Oakville Starbucks with smiles on our faces and the knowledge that we were successful and are stronger, more confident and more skilled -- we didn't wait for the conditions to be right -- Don't You!!!!

Training for a Marathon - this is what you need to be - Walker or Runner

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working 24 hours a day, for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force."
Tom Blandi
Beyond The Quote:Your thoughts and desires are key assets upon facing imminent challenges. Having complete control over your own mind will allow you to manage any situation at hand. If you can manipulate your thoughts into a positive approach, you can achieve anything.

Isn't that a great poster --- the legendary Bill Rodgers --- runner or walker -- you have to be impressed and motivated by him. That picture is forever etched in my mind and helps my visualization when I am doing half and full marathons.

This has been an awesome week of training, --- by the time I finish a few km at High Park tomorrow and 29km with the clinic group on Sunday I will have about 95km in for the week.......Mentally and Physically I am feeling stronger and more determined --- I have my goal for the marathon in Mississauga and I am focused on making it.

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want."
Muhammad Ali

Beyond The Quote:It is not important how others perceive you or what expectations they may have of you. What's significant is how you view yourself and what your own personal visions and goals are. You have the ability to set out and accomplish what you desire, and achieve the highest success.

Once again -- I guess the quote and the poster speak for themselves ---- good news on the walking clinic at work --17 have signed up for it so far -- sort of overwhelming but I am thrilled and excited.

I have been remiss in not sending out my best wishes to my virtual friend Bryan K --- keep smiling my friend -- as you said today, this all may be a blessing in disguise..........See you in Ottawa...........We will be coming down on Saturday and maybe we can pasta load together............

Another good workout outside this morning -- 12.9 k at a good tempo -- I am finally getting back in to the grove -- nothing like spring to pump you up

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"You have to be able to center yourself, to let all of your emotions go... Don't ever forget that you play with your soul as well as your body."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Beyond The Quote:It takes heart and strength of character to attain your goals. Your intensity and determination to succeed lies first within your mind where it converts to a more physical strength and outward mobility. Utilize both you mind and body to become triumphant.

There has been a lot of debate the last little while on the Running Room forum between runners and walkers and who should do what, when etc. All of it is very frustrating -- especially when when I see runners calling walkers a "nuisance" and always being in the way........I hear them saying that walkers should start after runners instead of an hour before as they get in the way and impede runners progress........I guess that does underscore the need for MUTUAL RESPECT -- and some race etiquette on both sides. As far as being in the way at the Chili Half --- the picture above is approximately 2k from the finish and I don't see a runner around that I am impeding and I was in the lead 4 walkers. I have been in several distance races where I have started with runners and have had to work my way around runners who were slower and running three or four abreast which we are often accused of...........This will be a never ending debate.

On a more positive note --- it was a great morning to train -- now I am on the right track for the Mississauga Marathon --- I did 15k tempo at my goal pace +10seconds --- !:48:00 ---so I am very pleased with the performance and I was able to use Sarah's techniques a little longer -- what a difference --- can sure feel it in the shins like she warned me but better and better every day.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done."
Vince Lombardi

Beyond The Quote-Anything in this world is possible and you have the capacity to acquire all that you set your sights on. You alone possess the absolute inner drive to accomplish all of your desires. If you commit yourself entirely to what you aspire and have the strength to follow through, you will ultimately succeed in your goals.

Not much else to say once you read this quote and the beyond the quote. Had a training course this morning at work which made it impossible to do a workout this morning but I did 3.5k at lunch and will do another 3.5 tonight during the evening lull.

I have been given the go ahead from Senior Management to do a Walking Clinic at our Head Office on Bay Street. We posted Bulletins this morning and I send out invitations by email to our Head Office employees -- I was totally amazed --within 15 minutes of posting the email, I had 5 confirmed responses -- this may just be a great little clinic -- beginning April 24th

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"An inch of time is an inch of gold: TREASURE IT.

Appreciate its fleeting nature;

misplaced gold is not easily found,

mispent time is lost forever."

Loy ching-Yuen

Just a short post today --- it was a great morning for a outdoor workout this morning --- was only planning on doing 8k this morning as it usually is an off day --- got started and before I knew it, with AcDc playing, I had done 14k and loved it. Tried using Sarah's racewalking technique more today and was surprised that not only did I keep it up for most of the distance but my time - considering it was a training session, was significantly better than it has been. That is exciting -- cant wait to do more

Have a good evening everyone

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I was told over and over again that I would never be successful, that I was not going to be competitive and the technique was simply not going to work. All I could do was shrug and say 'We'll just have to see'. "
Dick Fosbury

"The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur."
Vince Lombardi

I mentioned in a previous post - Friday, I think, that when you are training keep in mind some motivational quotes -- they come in handy when you need them the most. I find the first one here particularly important for me in particular -- I think I know how Fosbury felt when they said the "flop" wouldn't work as a high-jumping technique. I was told less than a year ago that I had "a lot of heart, determination and endurance -- but no style --- I was the ugly duckling "style wise... Well, like Fosbury --- you can't argue success...... Now though, after Sarah's presentation and my new found muscles I am going to focus on a racewalking technique -- hopefully by the Mississauga Marathon I will be able to use it for at least half of the race......New endurance with new muscle groups to build in the meantime.......those muscles were still sore yesterday from out Thursday workout....Glenn and I were still hurting when we did our 15k yesterday and still were impacting me today when we did 19k with the clinic group in Oakville. An awesome day for walking today and this week looks promising weather wise as well.....now that I can get outside in comfort every day I plan to increase the mileage per week on a 10% per week schedule.
Next Saturday, I think Glenn, Lin and I will do a High Park workout -- speed work is great but I still believe strength and endurance are key --- have to be able to keep that speed up for long distances and that is our goal.
Have a great week everyone

RUNNING ROOM OAKVILLE ONTARIO

2007 - JANUARY-MAY MARATHON CLINIC

BURLINGTON CHILI HALF MARATHON

"THE 'A' TEAM"

MIND POWER

Christoper Bergland describes how to develop an "athletic mind-set" in The Athlete's Way:Sweat and the Biology of Bliss"(St. Martin's Press:June 2007)

SET GOALS; the sense of achievement that comes from accomplishing a goal comes from dopamine-(a neuro-chemical). To get regular hits, have manageable goals that'll give you more opportunities for success.

GET INSPIRED: review quotes from Muhammad Ali, Charles Lindbergh, and Nietzsche. "When I am exercising, one of these quotes will often pop into my mind-usually when I need it the most."

MONITOR YOUR MOOD: compare how you feel before and after a walk using a scale of -5(stressed/cranky) to +5(calm/elated) "If you're starting a workout feeling +1 you'll know that when you're done you will be a +4 or +5"

USE POSITIVE IMAGERY: Bergland's fridge features Lance Armstrong, the Hawaii Ironman, and superman -- things that motivate him. But his most visual clues are rubber bands. He puts one on each morning as a reminder of his commitment. At night, he adds it to a rubber-band ball, " a representation of my investment. I take those rubber-band balls with me to races to remind me that I've trained hard and am prepared."

http://www.runnersworld.com/bergland

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Willis Whitney: 'Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can. '

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."

Good morning everyone -- I have had some problems with my blogger this week and today is the first time that I will be able to post. It has been a week of back to doing what works -- some hard gym workouts and the highlight of the week was our clinic last night when Sarah(http://cdnracewalker.blogspot.com) came and spoke to the group. The group was in awe of her expertise and speed -- even runners in the backgroun wanted more info.. Sarah did a great job -- Thanks Sarah -- much appreciated.
The Running Room has asked me to do another clinic (combination again of half and full marathon walk) begining in June with the target being the Toronto Marathon for the Marathoners and Niagara or toronto for the Half marathoners -- so I thought about it for about 15secs and committed to it.
Julie from our group and Paul the manager from the store are off to Rome for the Marathon ---Good Luck guys
A big weekend of training and intense at that planned so today is an off day
Have a great weekend all
Cheers!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"It is there, right where you are: If you seek it, obviously you do not see it"
Muso Kokushi

"With the right attitude --- life is very simple and very easy"
P. Yogananda

Well, the day after race day --- the Chili Half is over and done for another year -- once again Kelly and VRsports did a great job.
Speaking of an AWESOME job ---- my clinic members did one h__l of a job and I am SO PROUD of them as they should be of themselves......an Incredible display from an incredible group.
Here is a quick review of the results:
3 of the top 9 finishers
-one fifth overall and third place female open(great work Rita)
-one ninth overall and winner Masters category(way to go Glenn)
-1st place female 55-59(amazing Lin--who just happens to be Glenn's wife)
-Julie -- PB'd -- great job and good luck in Rome
-Karen --- 1st half --- under 3 hours ----TERRIFIC
- Joanne --- 10 days out of the hospital and finished her first half marathon in her first personal best --- the Biggest display of courage and determination I have seen -- brings tears to the eyes.
-- and me!!! I was fortunate to PB and be 2nd overall mens open division and 4th overall in the race.
SOME SERIOUS "BLING BLING" FOR THIS MARATHON CLINIC

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Winning is nice, but you savor that victory for an evening and it's gone. Competing well is just not to be equated with winning.
-Bill Bowerman, running coach

It is a universal maxim worthy of all acceptation that a man may have tht allowance which he takes. Take the place and attitude to which you see your unquestionable right, and all men acquiesce.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Well, it is finally the weekend ---- a God awful day yesterday --- 17hr work day and had to obviously cancel the clinic last night -- so we are 10k short for race week which may or may not work to our advantage -- due to the number of kms I have done lately I know it will probably work well for me. A quick 5k tomorrow with Glenn and Lin after picking up our race kits and then "The Race Is On"'
I am really excited about the race but I am not expecting great results -- here I am making excuses already -- sounding old now I guess - hopefully it is just the pre-race jitters.
Monthly summary for February -262.7kms
Year to date = 560.7kms

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill."
Muhammad Ali
Beyond the Quote
Only you possess the strength within yourself to be triumphant. It is not what surrounds you or who persuades you that creates your success. It is you own determination and drive to be the greatest.



Well eveyone, once again it has been one of those weeks where you are rushing to get any time to make entries on your blog. With the clinic on Sunday we did 23k and it was a huge accomplishment for those in the group who haven't ever done that before -- particularly when we are going into our first big race of the 2007 year this weekend. The last two days have been rest days to give some blisters some time to heal properly before doing about 6k tomorrow and 10 on Thursday, then resting on Friday, quick 3-4k on Saturday before Sunday's Chili Half Marathon. I am in that typical pre-race doubting stage right now -- have I trained enough, am I ready psychologically, am I expecting too much or even worse am I expecting too little? The little aches and pains are there too --but, I have come to realize that this is just me before a race putting mental roadblocks in front of myself --- if the past is any indication, then this just means I must be ready - I can only hope.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"To awaken the heart is to awaken the dormant soul"

Mahatma Gandhi

"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible."

Arthur C. Clarke

Well all, it has been one H__L of a week - work has been a bear and about the only thing that went right was my training and I am not too sure about that. Too much snow to battle in the beginning of the week has left me with a huge blister on my left heel -- it is not really impacting me that much but I do know it is there. Gret weather for a couple of days and then back into the snow and cold again. Thursday nights's clinic went very well and our speaker was again excellent - I have been blessed with great speakers and this great group of folks I have in the clinic deserve that.

Next week is the Burlington "Chili Half Marathon" --- The "A" Team ( our marathon clinic) has 6 participants in the race and it promises to be a good one. We are having a group dinner the night before ---one can probably guarantee that pasta is on the menu. I am having the pre-race jitters already--if my body isn't hurting somewhere I know I am not ready -- it is always this way ---psychological for sure.

I will begin tapering on after Sundays clinic walk and only train on Tuesday, Thursday and a quick fun walk with Lee Scott on Saturday and then the race is on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A good number of Kms this week - a great stress relief -- 15k on Sunday, 10.5 Monday, 14.5 on Tuesday, 10.5 Wednesday, 9.5 Thursday, 8.0 today.

Have a great weekend everyone.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Gabriel Heatter: "Mere longevity is a good thing for those who watch Life from the side lines. For those who play the game, an hour may be a year; a single day's work an achievement for eternity."

HIGH PARK HILLS - Sarah, you will be happy to hear we made it to High Park yesterday and did about 15k - combination of upper and lower loops - it was a great workout and everyone wants to go back and use it again - especially after the snow goes and everything is clear. I really enjoyed it and was a great addition after the 15km with Glenn and Lin on Saturday. Lin is making phenomenal strides in her recovery from her injury and it looks like she will be soon ready to push us all once again. I went out and did 10k this morning as I am trying to substantially increase my mileage over the next few weeks. Tomorrow I am trying out the new YMCA in Mississauga - it is a little more expensive than a lot of the lgyms but it has an indoor track which I would love -- we will see tomorrow what else they have to offer

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed." Jacqueline Gareau

Good morning all. A good night last night with the clinic group - quite a few however were scared away by the horrid weather in Oakville over the last few days. Russell Gunner, the chief therapist from the Mississauga Marathon, was my guest speaker and once again was phenomenal. To check him out click on his link on my blog. We then went out and did almost 6k, threw in some slippery hills and decided to call it a night before anyone got hurt as we had a couple who were already nursing injuries. Sunday we are trying something different - High Park - thanks Sarah for the help with that. Our goal is 19k for the day - so hopefully the weather will begin to co-operate. Tomorrow afternoon Glenn, Lin and I will head out in our favorite Meadowvale Park area and try to get in 12-16km - so it will be a heavy training weekend. I plan to do some workouts in the gym in the morning as well as I think I better re-focus on core workouts again- not that I have gotten totally away from them but I haven't done them to the intensity that I was doing them before. Time to rev up the workouts - the Chili Half , Mississauga Full, and Ottawa Half are not too far away and I want to be ready for Bryan K in Ottawa.

Have a good weekend everyone

CAN'T RESIST - ANOTHER QUOTE OF THE DAY

Life is a game.....play it

Life is a challenge.....meet it

Life is a dream.....realize it

Life is a sacrifice.....offer it

Life is love.....enjoy it

Sai Baba

JUST A LITTLE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE TWO PICTURES - TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Attitude determines how well you do it. Motivation determines what you do. "

Lou Holtz Football Coach

This will certainly be a short post today -- the weather here has put a real damper so to speak on my plans for outdoor work today - I did do some strength training though(in the form of snow removal - lol) and did try to walk - got in only 3k before enough was enough. I hope this clears enough to get 10k in with the clinic tomorrow night. Plan is to do 5k intervals and then introduce hill training - not for the faint of heart - but we love it!!!

If you are driving out there today -- STAY SAFE!!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves...The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or hump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable."
Sir Roger Bannister

How long ago did Roger Bannister break the 4 minute mile -- and yet, this quote is so appropriate in today's break-neck paced world. When I saw this quote, I thought of my virtual friend Bryan K who has experienced some difficulties in his work world in the last week - strangely enough so have I --- and without the outlet of my walking I would have probably lapsed into some sort of depression and got into that "give up" mode -- and Bryan probably found the same with his running. A friend of mine at work told me to focus on the work problems and deal with them with the same determination and focus as my workouts and racing. Face them all with a positive attitude and never quit -- as I have said before "The pain of finishing is nothing compared to the emptiness of quitting" Keep the faith Bryan.
Tried the local city rec center gym this morning and quite like it - got in about 10k on the treadmill, some core work and some biking. Was too cold to do the outdoor stuff this am and with the coming storm I wimped out and decided to head in doors.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Ancient Samurai saying: Warriors take chances.
Like everyone else, they fear failing, but they refuse to let fear control them.

Once again, just a quick update - 14.5k this morning before I came into work. Looking forward to a full week of outdoor workouts(I hope) as I am looking to switch gyms to one where I can workout with some of my training partners. Looking forward to our clinic this week, as we have Russell Gunner coming in to talk about injury prevention/stretching etc. - should be a very informative session.
I have a couple of great pictures of David from the Octagon on Friday in Montreal which I will download to this post when I get to it later tonight. There you go - I got it in - David heading down the ramp to the Octagon - A True Samurai --obvious why I chose this quote today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Muhammed Ali
"Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: A desire, a dream, a vision. "

"There are only two options regarding commitment. You're either in or out. There's no such thing as a life in-between." Pat Riley

Just a brief post today - a group walk this morning that was quite successful for the clinic group. 16k, some into a biting wind and everyone's time was significantly better than previous Sundays. They are all making such great progress and should be proud of themselves as I am of them as well.

Looking at a tough week at work this week - one where I am sure I will be testing my new mantra of "bite your tongue and count to 10". Oh well, we never stop learning!!!!!

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, Olympic Gold Medalist, Decathlon

"Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation.Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are." -- John Wooden

As some of you may know my son is a professional mixed martial arts fighter as well as a martial arts teacher. A bit of sad news from his fight in Montreal last night - the winner of this fight was to fight for the Canadian championship -- unfortunately he lost in the 2nd round by TKO - only his second defeat - more importantly though he is okay physically - and mentally he is strong enough to come back if that is what he wants.
This is the motivation behind today's 2nd quote ---"your character is what you really are - your reputation is merely what others think you are" --David, you have a ton of character -- in the end, what else matters --- it is the journey, my son, not the destination that counts. We love you David - stay safe, stay positive - a parent's love is UNCONDITIONAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"In sport, mental imagery is used primarily to help you get the best out of yourself in training and competition. The developing athletes who make the fastest progress and those who ultimately become their best make extensive use of mental imagery. They use it daily as a means of directing what will happen in training, and as a way of pre-experiencing their best competition performances." Terry Orlick American Peak Performance Expert, Trainer, Author

"The answer to three questions will determine your success or failure. 1> can people trust me to do my best?. 2> Am I committed to the task in hand?. 3> Do I care about other people and show it? If the answers to all three questions are yes, there is no way you can fail." Lou Holtz.

"Being a winner is more than getting a first place trophy, it is acting like the effort was an honour and the trophy is just a decoration."Bryan Moseley

"Enthusiasm is the best protection in any situation. Wholeheartedness is contagious. Give yourself, if you wish to get others."David Seabury

Good afternoon everyone - a long week without posting and believe it or not I felt guilty about it ---had all these great quotes and not enough time to post them. I was away at a CUTA conference on Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining - a great course with great people and a great and intense program. The Facilitatior of the course "KERRY" was outstanding and highly motivating - Thank you Kerry - I hope to see you again tin the not too distant future.

We were however stuck up in the Great White North -- north of Orillia - in the week we were there not only was it dangerously cold but the locals tell us we got a full Metre of snow -- It was beautiful but horrid for driving and for outdoor training. Fortunately they had a exercise room at the resort and a couple of decent treadmills, stationary bikes, strairclimbers, free weights etc. I was able to get in about 42km over the 5 days with taking today off. So even though I was a little short on my weekly milelage it was intense enough to keep me on my training schedule. So tomorrow I hope to do about 16k with Glenn and Lin and another 16k with the clinic group on Sunday.

Glenn watched over the marathon clinic group on Thursday and Nancy once again watched over the half marathon group---A huge public thanks to them both. Julie - my ironwoman friend - a public thanks to you as well for doing the nutrition talk last night also

If anyone wants some excellent advice on nutrition please go to Julies website to which I have a link on page one of my blog.

Have a great weekend everyone.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The Truth is that Running/Walking Hurts. No one gets faster without meeting their personal pain barrier straight on. No amount of junk miles, fun runs/walks or affirmations are going to get you over the hill at the five mile mark in a 10k. However, what will pull you through is solid prep with hard hill runs/walks and interval work."- Manciata's explanation of the Truth about Running &Racewalker55s addition on walking

It really doesn't matter whether or not it is running or walking, as I really feel this quote is really indicative of my training program and the program I am using for my clinic. It is funny as some of my "A Team" jokingly say they have this love/hate relationship with the program. However I digress - goes with being one year older.
Doing 16k with the group in the morning while Glenn and I did 12.5k today with Lin joining us for the first 5k - she is coming back from an injury and making great progress - it is great to see her getting her form back.
The posts will be few and far between this week as I am away at a conference until Friday - hopefully I can get some training in.
Have a great week everyone

QUOTE OF THE DAY

The body does not want you to do this. As you WALK, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed." ~Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon champ

My apologies to Jacqueline - I have taken some liberties with this quote and substituted WALK for run -- but the bottom line is still the same "It is the will to succeed"
I want to give a special thanks to Allison who sent this to me via her dad - my training partner Glenn. It is awesome that people think positive enough of either me or the theory behind this blog to want to contribute to the motivational library. A heart felt thanks to Allison.
A clinic night last night - our guest speaker didn't show but Plan B worked just fine as Paul stepped in and did a clothing talk - perfect timing for this weather and everyone seemed to benefit from it. Had another walker join the marathon group - she is 4 weeks behind but very dedicated and will catch up I am sure. Everyone was in great spirits - Nancy did come technique work with the half marathon group and I took the marathon group out for 11.5k - the first 6 doing intervals of 30sec with one minute between - as Joanne said they have this love/hate thing with me -- hate it when doing the intervals but loving the feeling afterwards and the obvious progression they are doing. In the last 5.5k we just did a few 45 sec bursts--slowly working up to one minute with 30 sec between in a couple of weeks. A fun group and a great night. Have established the night when Sarah (CDNRACEWALKER) is coming to talk and show her race walking technique and we are all looking forward to that as well.
A look back at January 2002 -- Walking k = 298km; Biking k = 132k; Strength training = 5hr45min.
Have a great weekend all.