Six ways to make your run more exciting?

1. Lose the music

As much as I love running in Saskatoon, yesterday I did something I probably haven't done since 2002, I ran without any music or phone. The only thing I thought about as I ran was maintaining my pace and finishing the circle without slowing down and without walking.  I've found that I really tend to zone out on my runs, even the short ones where attention needs to be paid.  So on yesterday's run, I focused on pushing myself, and as a result, probably had my best short run in some time.

2. Forget your phone

If you're an experienced runner, you already know the running distance between your house and the nearest Sobeys, school and so forth.  For shorter runs [i.e. less than one hour], running sans phone is a nice way to run free and unfettered.  To be sure, it was certainly nice to take off running without fumbling for my phone to start Runtastic, and then securing said phone into my pocket.  It's nice to not feel the phone clanging against my body as I run.

3.  Run the opposite way

As revolutionary as this idea isn't, I ran a simple 3.8k circle in Forest Grove at a relatively fast clip [perhaps a bit faster than a 10k pace] in 30 degree [Celcius] weather.   Here's the thing, because I was running in the opposite direction that I normally run, I wasn't able to fully anticipate distance markers, slight inclines and declines as I normally would.  I think I've become bored of the same twists and turns, anyway.  So this made my run a bit more exciting than usual.
Assuming you'd prefer not to drive to a new place just to do a brief run, run the opposite way!

4.  Do speed work

Interval work is a lot more intense, but in my opinion can be done on any running surface including pavement.  You can tailor your session to meet your needs.  So if you've never run intervals, you can start now!

5. Run somewhere new

This is a fairly obvious one, and yet, I think the one least likely to make sense on a short run, or if you're leaving your phone behind .  But, if you do bring your phone and go somewhere new, this is a good way to spice your run up a little.  For myself, I would like to do more running on the dirt road that runs parallel to a nearby street.  Not only is the terrain easy on my legs, but it leads to a path that gradually declines as it winds through a grove of trees down to the riverbank.   The way back up provides a nice hill challenge that neither overwhelms, nor bores.

6. Do a fasted run!

There's some debate about the value of fasted running.  I would never recommend this for a long run, or for speed work, but if you're running a pretty standard 5k run, you don't really need the pre-run calories anyway.   I'm not sure how 'exciting' a fasted run is, but if you're runs are becoming monotonous, then this will at least give you something to think about.

Kale Apple Smoothie Recipe

A photo posted by John (@misterspalding) on Jun 24, 2015 at 6:51pm PDT

Ingredients
1 cup Kale
.5 cup Celery
1 Banana [85 to 130 grams]
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 tbsp Ground Chia Seeds
.5 cup Apple Juice
4 Ice Cubes

Do this:

Using your blender, blend the ice cubes first.  Then place each item into your blender and blend on a high setting.  I generally never blend more than 60 seconds.

I like this particular smoothie because it hits the nutritional bases.  You're getting 2 grams of polyunsaturated fat from the ground chia seeds, plenty of Vitamins A/C/K and plenty of potassium as well.  I use this smoothie as a compliment to my diet, not as a replacement for healthy eating.

Review: McFarland USA

It's California during the 80's and Kevin Costner arrives in decrepit McFarland for the simple reason that no one else will hire him to teach random children to play football. After knocking heads with the guy who played Deke Slayton in Apollo 13, Costner randomly decides to start a track team and make them champions so that another/better school will hire him and he can escape from the hellfire of McFarland USA.  He executes his plan by picking a random group of kids, including a "fat" one--luckily each can run 5k in under 17 minutes without any training. Speaking of training, Costner has his team do hill work by running over epic mounds of plastic-bag covered almonds. After one workout they appear to defeat every other team at a track meet and capture the state championship.
The script is barely passable, though the acting is alright [note: casting the girl from Homeland?!]. There are a few moments in the film but overall I get the feeling that we're supposed to really dislike anyone who competes against the film's protagonists; these 'bad guys' are conveniently smug and, as far as runners go, uncharacteristically arrogant and elitist... making one wonder if the makers of the film had ever met a runner.  Instead of revelling in the triumph of athletic achievement of the McFarland runners, the filmmakers use running as a vehicle to make a point a political point.

Release date: February 20, 2015 (Canada)
Director: Niki Caro
Running time: 2h 9m

Review of PotashCorp Mayor's Marathon Day Event

The official race medal for the Mayor's Marathon Day.

Saskatoon's mayor is a runner.  Saskatoon's mayor has his own marathon.  Backstory here and here.  I am very happy to live in a city with a running mayor.  That said, let's talk about the event.  Firstly, I didn't run the race, because just a three weeks ago I ran the Saskatchewan Marathon, and I wasn't about to follow my first ever marathon with another so quickly.  So I woke up my partner and kids on this lovely Sunday morning to spectate at the race's two finish lines.  That's right, folks, there were two finish lines.  One for the 2, 5 and 10k finishers and one for the half and full marathon finishers. As a result, our car drove a marathon today, but we ... well, Jas, the kids and I walked... mostly.    

After watching a few 5 and 10k finishers cross the finish line, I observed as both of my step kids enjoyed the many family friendly attractions at the finish line.  As it turns out, there was a heck of a lot to do... if you happened to be a kid.  In addition to the bouncy castles, there were fake tattoos, face painting, balloon artist and even bubbles.

If Dharma is not a distance runner one day I will be shocked.

But here's the thing... after a stop at Flying J's to enjoy a honey bun and a vitamin zero water, we arrived at the finish line at Wanuskewin only to find that nearly all the half marathoners had crossed...   

 But then a trio of finishers arrived.

All in all, I think today's event was a huge success.  The kids had fun, runners got a chance to earn a beautiful metal, and I got to wake my family up early on a Sunday morning without any complaints. 

Running the Meewasin Trail

Running along the Meewasin Trail as it winds through Saskatoon in the summer and autumn months is quite different than running it in winter or spring.  The mood of the trail is warmer and more inviting, it seems to beckon to you at the site of each new lilac bush or footbridge.  

Winter along the trail is less inviting and less accommodating to runners.   And yet, even in twenty degrees below zero the trail offers you something.

Because Saskatchewan is a mostly flat province, you can watch a sunset from a great many places, including the trail.

The repose of the city, with its collection of bridges, reveals the character of its one hundred year history in the architecture.  Nestled among its constellation of new apartment buildings and office towers are structures like the Bessborough [which is, of course, not pictured here].  

Sometimes it's little things like a river bank in autumn that remind you of our collective relationship with nature.

The South Saskatchewan River divides Saskatoon between two halves, the east side of town and the west side of town.  Each side offers different experiences.

The trail system does not exist independently of us, it needs our support and care.  The Meewasin Valley Authority is a conservation organization dedicated to preserving the use of the trail as well as other areas in the vicinity.

The weir, pictured above and below, was constructed to regulate water flow.  Today it remains one of those things you need to see if you want a real taste of Saskatoon. 

The sun burns brightly over the cold midwinter landscape.

The Meewasin Trail is home to the subtle beauty of nature even during Saskatchewan's cold cold winter. 

In its own way, the winter helps to protect this very beautiful city from overpopulation and over development.  Those of us willing to brave the winters are treated to a running experience that you simply cannot replicate anywhere else.

The top 3 benefits of a graded return to running [or how to deal with weak soleus muscles ]

One of the top mistakes runners make when recovering from an injury [especially minor ones] is how they execute their return to training.  Although I was not injured during my recent marathon, at least not in the conventional sense, I did experience total failure in my soleus [lower calf] muscles during the last portion of the race.  Although this is a common problem to have during a race, I had been masking a deeper problem with my soleus muscles for some time.  By using heel lifts in both shoes, I was able to 'kick the can down the road' a bit and continue training.  But now that the 2015 Saskatchewan Marathon is in the books, it's time to fix the problem that I'm having with my weak soleus muscles.

Here are what I believe to be the top 3 benefits of a graded return to running.

1. Minimize the risk of re-injury.  In my latest running session, I ran for a few minutes and walked for one, much the same way one does intervals.  In fact these are intervals.  By implementing this strategy, you reap many of the benefits of running without forcing your soleus muscles into failure.  You also minimize the risk of tearing the muscles.
2. Focus on proper running mechanics. Since you're not speed training or focusing on meeting a time or pace goal you can focus on things like your running gait.  A physiotherapist recently reminded me to run through the middle of my feet, or to consciously try to distribute the impact evenly.  This is an interesting suggestion given that a post-marathon analyses of the tread of my right shoe revealed some poor running mechanics on my part.  During yesterday's run I focused on making sure I didn't slouch.
3. Active recovery. How many times have we heard about active recovery?  Believe it or not, there is no magical time window mandating that muscles stop hurting and/or recovering--as it turns out your body will heal when it heals. A graded return to running will allow you to heal because the stresses placed on your feet and legs won't be accumulating nearly as much as they would during a normal training run.

Last but not least, the Fred Lebow Cross Country Championships revisited

Runner's World has an interesting article in their July 2015 about finishing last in races.  In it they speak to a variety of runners who have finished in the dreaded tail position.

I finished back of the pack (though not last) a few times, including the first chip-timed race I ever participated in.  I really wasn't too concerned with my time or placement, nor was I too concerned with anyone else either.  I was just happy that I finished because I felt that I was out of my league with all these seasoned runners.  While they spent months preparing, I made the decision to race just the day before.  I wasn't even sure I'd be allowed to sign up on race morning or how bag check worked (would I, for example be forced to carry my sweat pants since I didn't bring a bag to put them in?).

Part of the reason I finished near the end of the pack was because I started at the rear.  As most of the runners glided like gazelles through the morning fog after the gun, I shadowed them from a comfortable and unobtrusive distance.  I admired their trim frames and fast splits.

Unknown to me at the race start, the course curved around a track and up what I estimated to be a small mountain.  Traversing the steep path upward was a task that I was unprepared for. I hung in, which is to say that I survived.  

You face interesting challenges in life when you choose a situation impatiently or at random.  There is something to be said about randomly choosing a 5k race as your first.  Initially the words "Fred Lebow Cross Country Championships" evoked nothing.  Coming from the world of real estate, I figured that the event organizer used the word "championship" the way an agent uses words like "steps to the subway" or "located near Park Slope".  I didn't know who Fred Lebow was, that he was a legend, or that the people who consciously chose to run this particular race were as formidable as they turned out to be.   What I could see on the long subway ride into the Bronx on the 1 train were athletes wearing jackets that bore names like "Central Park Track Club." They were thin and fast.

From what I remember, virtually everyone finished the race in under 32 minutes, myself included.  In retrospect that's pretty impressive given the mid-course mountain, even for the fellow who finished last.

Ten days later: marathon aftermath

For the first week after the marathon I rested. On Monday I ran/walked close to 4 kilometres just to test my legs out.  But as I'm still not 100%, I'm going to rest another week.

I have a few thoughts as I look back on my performance at the Saskatchewan Marathon, as well as regards the event as a whole.

First, not keeping an eye on my running gait probably caused my race time to inflate by an hour.  A simple examination of the underside of my Mizunos Wave Inspire 10's (the shoes I wore for the marathon) reveals that the tread on the lower right quarter of the heel has been filed down to a smooth patch.  I suspect this occurred because of fatigue and stiffness, which in turn happened because I wasn't probably prepared to race (I missed too much running in the final month).

Second, although the overwhelming majority of what I have to say is positive, I think the organizers missed an opportunity with the race shirt this year.  Whereas last year that shirts were a rich blue with dark blue strips, and "Saskatchewan Marathon" across the chest, this year the shirts (the men's shirts, at least) were a strange violet/purple with white stripes and merely "Saskatoon" across the chest.  It feels like someone screwed up by not having the event name across the chest.  As for the colours... Hmmm... I would have preferred pitch black to this.  But that's me.  I suppose it's tough to try to distinguish a race shirt each year.

While my distress has eased considerably, my attention has turned to future races.  Here in Saskatoon we have several on the horizon, including the Mogathon and Mayor's Day Marathon on successive weekends.  Then there's the River Run Classic (HM, 10k and 5k) in July. Of course I have no intention of attempting either of the first two races, but the River Run Classic might be a good one to attempt to set a new 10k PR.  I've only run three 10k's, and none of them at full speed. 

Beyond these races are the Edmonton and Queen City Marathons in August and September.

2015 Saskatchewan Marathon Recap... extended version

I'm addicted.  As I write this I'm laying on my back in bed twenty-nine hours (give or take) after crossing the finish line at the Saskatchewan Marathon.  What follows is my account.

It was sunny (10 Celsius) at the gun. Warm enough to be comfortable, but not too warm.  The mayor gave a speech, but I couldn't tell you what he said.  A singer sang Oh Canada, and a few of us removed our hats.  At the countdown the butterflies in my stomach welled up into a storm, and then the gun shot into the air signifying the beginning of the trial.

Us runners not up front politely walked toward the gargantuan, yet familiar, inflated arch bearing the word "start" on both sides at the top. 

Once across I stuck with the 4:30 pacer (a terrific and friendly gentleman named John) who turned out to be a good natured and encouraging pacer for as long as I stuck with him.

I must admit that it felt strange to be running after having missed so many runs in the previous few weeks.  But this thought passed quickly as the funny signs spectators had made came into view (eg "just remember, you're doing this for a free banana").  The first 19k or so of the course was thronged with both half marathoners as well as us marathoners.  We all had different motivations, from midlife crises and bucket lists to the occasional attempt to recapture old glory.  Some of us ran because that's simply what we do.  

This race felt like a communal event.  All of us running the full marathon will never forget our struggles in the final third or so of the race as we greeted one another on an emptying course (only a few hundred of us did the full marathon, while over a thousand did the half marathon).

I couldn't bear to wear my headphone or cut myself off from the people around me--I probably listened to a total of three or four songs on my phone the entire time.

My lovely common law wife, Jasmine set up a make-shift aid station for me complete with Gu Brew, Voltaren, KT Tape and scissors.  Knowing that she was awaiting me along the course and at the finish line meant everything to me.  I am a lucky man.

I should point out that I even made a friend along the way.  Geoff from Martensville and I ran virtually the entire race together and finished at the same time.  Without his company I think the experience would not have been nearly as rich.

As I passed the 41 kilometre point, many of my leg muscles in failure, a glass-like pain in my right big toe, my sunburned neck and arms sore, I struggled just to move forward.  One of the volunteers a man of roughly fifty years in age, who I will never forget, looked at me and said "I can't do what you're doing."  I thought to myself, "is he kidding, I'm dying here."  But then I knew what he meant, and I respectfully nodded, and said thank you.

The last burst before the finish was not easy.  The virile prairie winds had picked up and swept onto our faces, as if a brief but final obstacle from mother nature.  Strong as it was, those of us who finished were able to endure.

Jasmine and the kids were waiting for me.  Within a moment of crossing I had a medal around my neck.  It was as close to a religious experience as I've ever had.  With my body in terrific pain, my energy zapped and my heart full I collected my free chocolate milk and considered myself lucky.

And so I wonder now, will all these aches and pains, as I lay supine next to the fan and type this post for you, what drives me to want to sign up for this epic struggle again?  It would be so much easier to just do half-marathons.  But there is a reason to sign up again, and it's because I have never felt more alive than running kilometre after kilometre only to suffer at the tail end of a marathon.  I want to chase that feeling (no pun intended).