Running During the Winter in Toronto

Toronto finally got some snow today. Not too much, only about 10 cm. This winter has been unusually mild for Canadian standards. So how do we run during this cold weather? Quite easily actually. You need to make sure that you have tights for the legs, a running hat and some good gloves. Layers are key for the torso. Usually two layers will do as long as one layer stops the wind. It is always a good bet to wear an extra layer. You can always take it off if it gets too warm.

With the weather we have had recently running has been excellent. Next Sunday is expected to be around 5C with sunshine.

Dwight and Dennis - Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Dwight and his wife Sue are well-know Toronto musicians. They perform all over Canada but are best known for their performance at the Cameron on Queen Street at 3:30 most Saturday afternoons.

Dwight was a big help at the marathon cheering section last September and we really appreciate his help.

Marathon News Release - City of Toronto

The difficult problem of having 2 full marathons back to back every fall seems to be resolved. Check out the City of Toronto Press Release dated February 19. Here's the story in the Toronto Star.

This should be good news for the running community and should result in fewer complaints about traffic complications. Running is growing by about 20% per year. The City now has 2 events attracting many visitors to Toronto in the Spring and Fall that won't be competing against each other.

The race organizers and City officials are to be congratulated for improving the timing of these important events.

Enjoying the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games

Over the last week I have spend many hours watching the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. It's amazing to see such young men and women compete so hard with such focus and courage. None of us can rely comprehend how hard they have worked. How much they have sacrificed and how much time they have put into their sport. Sometimes even all of that is not enough.

Jeremy Wotherspoon is an example of enormous dedication. This amazing athlete is the "most successful male skater in World Cup history". Yet he has not been able to live up to such huge expectations. I'm not at all disappointed at performance, but extremely proud of what he has achieved throughout his career. This is why I am so excited about the Olympic Games.

Training for hours, devoting significant time and planning out future goals has much more meaning and when you think about people such as our Canadian Athletes. Check out the Olympic website and see what is happening.

Training With A Plan

Last Friday I attended a training workshop that explained how a well developed training plan will make for a great year of competition. My own difficulty early on this season has been the lack of consistent training. Last year I was much more consistent at this time. After much though I discovered that I had nothing to push me, no plan to check things off on.

Well this workshop came just in time. Some reading from "The Cyclists Training Bible" , a couple of hours on the computer and a well time workshop and here I am. A solid plan in hand and a huge desire to get going.

Check out this link to the template.

A few notes about an annual training plan.

• Be realistic about how much time, hours that is, you are able to commit to your hobby. Family and life obligations come first.
• Develop measurable goals for example: top 25% at age group at a specific race
• Work in cycles, that is, start with building a base, increase your workload gradually, then peak at you competition. Finish off with a rest.

When you get the desire to work hard start all over again.

Darek

Letter to St. Lawrence Runners from Pat of Pittsburgh

Dennis and the rest of the St. Lawrence Running group-

What a pleasure to receive your letter. Great blog! I am hoping to make it up to Toronto and join you folks for another run. I really enjoyed myself in May and you all made me feel very welcome.

Dennis- congratulations on qualifying for Boston; what a tremendous accomplishment. I know it is difficult to log the miles throughout the winter to properly train, I know you have the desire and motivation. Good luck on April 19th!

I’m not sure I will still be here in Pittsburgh to join you all should you decide to run the Pittsburgh Marathon in May. It looks like I may be relocating to Houston, TX in the next month or so to accept a new position. I will try to keep you updated. But hey, Houston is a lot warmer and the running is plentiful in the Lonestar state.

Take care,

Patrick

Last Sunday my long run took me over the bridge in downtown Sydney. That's the bridge we see every New Year's eve on TV. It's quite a structure.

It was an easier run than I thought, in total, just under 20 km's. Plenty of people run and walk back and forth along the pedestrian walk. I couldn't resist taking a shot from the bridge of one of my favourite buildings in the world. Such vision for the people of Sydney in the '50's.

The weather is much cooler and my running is easier. I'm up to 90 km's per week now. The fine Aussie wine also helps with the nutritional side.

I've mentioned in earlier blogs how much I enjoy running in Sydney Parks. Centennial Park is my favourite . It's about 360 ha's and has lots of organized activities as well as barbeque areas, horse-riding runs, numerous trails, a great cafe, tracks as well as other sporting events. These well-established regional parks are easily linked by streets to more formal parks including Hyde Park with the Anzac War Memorial and the Botanical Gardens located next to the famous Opera House and Circular Quay in downtown Sydney.

It's possible to run from our neighbourhood in Surry Hills all the way into the city centre and take a ferry from Circular Quay or cross the bridge to some really nice neighbourhoods like Balmain or Kirribilli. Local runners have told me to explore the coastal run from Watson Bay, south through Bondi Beach, Bronte Beach, Coogi to Maroubra. It's my goal to have one of my long weekend runs through some of these areas. I'm really looking froward to it and hope I don't get lost again.

Running Events and Traffic

Here's the link to the City of Toronto staff report that deals with the issues surrounding the marathon runs we have in September and October. The City has decided that we should have one marathon per year. This goes to City Council soon.

There's lots happening on our waterfront and there may be opportunities to encourage running events in this downtown neighbourhood. More on this important matter later.

It's Hot and Hummid

Last weekend was a washout in terms of running in Sydney. It poured from Friday night until it finally stopped late Monday morning. I enjoyed the break from running and we took the opportunity to do what Sydneysiders and Torontonians have in common and really love; brunch on a patio. Many Sydney streets have overhanging pedestrian protection canopies that not only give relief from the sun and rain but also provide shelter to excellent cafe patios. It's interesting that the rain doesn't bother so much when it's warm and you're on a patio having brunch.

The 2-day break from running coincides with a sharp pain I've developed in my right foot. I think that it's caused by doing too many of these T (Threshold) and Marathon Pace runs too early in my training, or maybe they're too much for someone my age and experience level.

I'll probably be a little more conservative with my runs for a while and see where that takes me. Maybe running a marathon isn't about getting a better time. I also see how important it is to have an alternative to running. I miss having a gym to do some cross training during my down time.

I've found some great cafes that all seem to offer free wireless. When I'm not running we're usually walking long distances to other Sydney neighbourhoods. Yesterday we took a ferry to Manley Beach. The huge Mardi Gras festival starts in a few weeks. That's the equivalent of our Pride Week although I haven't noticed if they have a run associated with it.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I got back to 10 to 11 Km runs. Over the weekend I'll try to have a good long run.

Everyday Running in Sydney

It's over 30C almost everyday. Luckily there's some rain but that just makes it humid. Perfect weather for me.

I've been following Jack Daniels program which includes interval training, E (easy runs), T (threshold runs), M (Marathon pace) etc. So far I've done the interval training and I've been trying to keep my pace a little slower than I would normally.

I've been exploring a few neighbourhoods but for my everyday runs I usually go to Centennial Park. It's a magnificent, huge park with a track so I can measure off distances. There are lots of runners down here. I tried to keep up to a group of young runners but no luck.

This weekend is my L run (Long Run). I've talked to some people and they've made a recommendation for something spectacular. Stay tuned.