My "thing"

It was only a few days ago, Christmas Eve to be exact, that I was lamenting over what a lousy year 2007 has been for me in terms of running.  Injuries kept me on the sidelines for more days than I care to remember making 2007 my lowest mileage year ever, by far.  If that didn't provide enough fuel to fill my self pity tank, during the last group run of the year, I go out and pull a calf muscle six minutes in - cue the violin.

Things happen for a reason;  no one is ever sure what those reasons are, but by you accepting this premise, my story will flow a little better. I was at the height of my self pity, a pathetic sight for sure, realizing that I would not get out on Boxing Day for my annual "Christmasy" run when my "thing" happened.  It wasn't an event or a revelation, it was a Christmas gift from my wife, Gloria.  It wasn't an expensive gift or running gear, nor was it even a book about running.  My "thing" was a simple picture of me finishing my favourite race in July of this year, dry mounted with the following words etched over top:

"One foot in front of the other...if you stumble, never stop."

The gift was special for two reasons.  First, it was kind of creative and if you know Gloria, you'll understand what I mean when I say that she and creativity often travel separately.  But second, the gift was special because it brought a purpose to what I was believing to be a lousy running year.  A little eight by ten piece of foam core suddenly made all of those days watching other people run when I myself could not, meaningful.  When you're injured, you look after yourself and when you look after yourself you can do the things you want to do.  The human spirit is indeed unbreakable.

I can now look forward to 2008 and all that it holds for me and I look at 2007 a little differently than before; after all, had it not unfolded the way it did, I never would have received my special "thing".

Go out and make 2008 your masterpiece.

I can't. Can I?

One of the things I love about running is watching other runners, newer ones especially, figure out what they're capable of; this played itself out yet again with two runners in our Club over the past few weeks.

Now don't get me wrong, running is tough, but the battle with one's own psyche, is at times, an unwinnable fight; most newer runners are not suitably armed to wage the war. Newer runners are always telling me they can't run up hills, or they can't run any faster, or they can't run any farther - I tell them if that's the way they feel about it, then they're probably right. But one day when the light comes on, and it will come on, they'll figure out that "can't" is just a state of mind.

I spent the first year of my wife's running career listening, often times through tears, to how hard running was and how she just couldn't run any farther. Then, during a Christmas time 5-K event the light came on and in she came with a smile on her face; she hasn't looked back since.

And it was through Gloria's struggles that I could see that my running had developed beyond just exercise, way past the sweating and the panting. My running had become a collection of experiences, a chance to see the sights that would not normally grab my attention, a chance to say hello to others around me that I would not normally acknowledge. Indeed, my running had become a chance to celebrate my ability to put one foot in front of the other, and that puts me at the head of the pack, no matter how far back I finish, no matter how slow I am.

So to Bev who knocked six minutes off her 5-K time and to Ray who finished his first road race and surfed the "runner's high" for days afterwards, I congratulate you both, not so much on your accomplishments, but for running far enough on your first wind to realize that you have a second.

That's two more who have won the war.

Auld Lang Syne

What a difference a year makes.

This week I've been putting the finishing touches on a half-marathon training program for our Running Club that begins with some 2 mile runs next month, and winds its way from there to the 13 mile road race.  A year ago I was putting together a program for this same group that started out with some 20 minute walks.  That's progress.

December tends to be the month that we reflect on the year gone by and decide whether it was a memorable one, or something a little more ordinary.  From a running perspective and specifically with respect to our Running Club, 2007 was terrific, to say the least.   To think a group of basically sedentary people could log hundreds of miles and for some, participate in six road races, all in the first year, is remarkable.

But my memories of 2007 are not just about the running; along the way we've had some fun too.  We designed and proudly model our very own clothing line; together we've enjoyed post-race "breakfasts" and post-Sunday run snacks; we hosted an Awards Gala complete with red carpet-worthy gowns and silky black ties; we shared in each other's triumphant finish of a July 10-miler; we nursed a few injuries and had the good sense to volunteer during, and not participate in, a mostly uphill October road race; we played tag, football and started our own ball hockey league; we put off our own running event with the inaugural Pouch Cove 5-K & Cabin Breakfast; we shuffled with Santa himself; and, in a few weeks, we'll take a 5-K victory lap to celebrate it all when the sun goes down on New Year's Eve and an unforgettable 2007.

Where does the time go?  To my fellow Running Club friends I say a huge thanks for the fun that was 2007 - you've inspired me in more ways than I could ever write about, and the respect and admiration I have for each of you is immeasurable.  You're all heroes in my book.

Look out Halifax and heads up 2008.  We're running our way to another special year.

The biggest losers

You can count carbs, points, and grams of fat, and you can even count sheep if you want to, but when it comes to losing weight, whether one hundred pounds or just five, the science hasn't changed. To lose weight, you need to be calorie-deficient, that is, you need to burn more calories than you consume, period.

But to win the calorie war, you have to make, and keep, two commitments. First, you need to be aware of what you're eating and be prepared to cut back on portion sizes. Second (South-beachers, Atkin's-lovers and slim-fasters cover your eyes), you need to get active; this is usually where the relationship falls apart. Today's fad diets entice us because we can lose weight without having to leave the sofa - unfortunately, the day we stop having a shake for breakfast and a shake for lunch, the pounds come back, with a vengeance.

You may be wondering where this calorie lecture is coming from, so here it is. Having lost about 110 pounds over the past few years, I decided a few days ago that I'd like to lose a final 30 or so, in time for a particular running event next year. As an already active person, the only sensible way to do this is by counting calories to ensure I'm fueling my workouts adequately and by using those workouts to burn more calories than I'm consuming. Here's a quick lesson: 3,500 calories equals 1 pound, so, to lose a pound a week, you need to burn 500 calories more each day than you consume. Calorie sleuthing has led me to reading labels and thoroughly investigating food facts before consuming anything; my first three days on the job have uncovered some shocking truths about how much I (read we) eat.

Case and point. A 150 pound, 40-year old woman, working in an office and participating in some light physical activity, like an occasional walk, expends about 1,900 calories a day. In order to lose a half pound a week, and without increasing her physical activity level, this same woman would have to consume not more than 1,650 calories a day. Sound reasonable? Sure it does if you're calorie conscious and willing to improve your eating habits, but be warned, most of the free world is against you from the start. Many dinner entrees served in your favourite family restaurant contain well over 1,000 calories - and you haven't ordered a drink yet. And it's not just at dinner time - one well-known sandwich shop that invites you to "eat fresh" has a number of regular-size subs that approach 1,000 calories on their own. In the mood for a burger and fries for lunch? Get ready to hand over about 1,200 calories from your daily allowance - by my calculations, that leaves my 40-year old female friend with about 400 calories to divide up between her breakfast, daytime snacks, oh, and supper too. Want a little dessert treat of low-fat frozen yogurt? No problem, there's only about 100 to 150 calories per half cup serving - that's not so bad, but wait, who eats a half cup serving of frozen yogurt? In reality, you probably consume closer to 400 calories of this sinfully good treat - the fat counters of the diet world will still point out that there's no fat - good for your heart, I guess, not so good for your waistline. See where I'm going with this? That's why becoming active is such an important part of weight-loss - activity allows you to eat more throughout the day in order to lose more by the end of the week. Imagine, eating, to lose weight. Reminds me of a Seinfeld episode, "sex, to save the friendship." But I digress.

Counting calories is an easy way to lose weight because it helps to monitor your daily calorie-intake and improve your eating habits at the same time. And it's really not hard to track calories either. Most foods contain detailed nutrition labels that leave no doubts about what you're eating and for those that don't, there are hundreds of free online resources that can fill in any blanks.

So I say start calorie-counting and make a commitment to some sort of regular physical activity; if in doubt, when it comes to food, let moderation be your guide. You'll be pleasantly surprised at just how big of a loser you can become.

Enjoying the view from atop

It's true that all runners, whether seasoned veterans or newbies, elite athletes or back-of-the-packers, go through peaks and valleys during their running careers. This week has demonstrated to me that most members of our running club are surfing high atop a momentous wave.

Our club has become a close-knit group. We take pride in each other's good days and we share in each other's pain. I've developed close relationships with people in the group that I surely would not have, if not for the running.

But that's the funny thing - the actual running is not the tie that binds us - it's the mutual respect that we have for each other's effort and attitude that gives us those warm, fuzzy feelings. We have fast runners and slower ones, big runners and smaller ones, but their paces per mile is not a measure of any consequence - lacing up the shoes and getting out there is what it's all about.

We came off a high in July when we finished our longest race ever; there was a noticeable drop in enthusiasm and effort, not surprising after a big race, but a little disappointing nonetheless. My conclusion about our present-day group high is based on three distinct factors that came to light this week:

• Our newest and most-improved member has been "lighting it up" out there with hard work, determination and a big smile - an effort that has surely inspired most others in the group;
  
• A group run on Friday through torrential rains and gale-force winds that was best summed-up by one of our "senior" runners when she said she loved every minute of it; and,
  
• A glorious Sunday run with brilliant sunshine, little wind and perfect temperatures - a gift from the running gods in exchange for our efforts on "monsoon Friday".
  

I know there's a valley coming, they're hard to avoid - but the group can ride this wave for a long time if members focus less on the physical act of running and more on the other things that being a member of the club affords us.

Membership has its privileges.

Nuts anyone?

For brief moments in my life, I think I’m a little nuts; one such moment occurred a little less than a year ago.

It was New Year’s Eve 2006. The sun had gone down on what had been a beautiful day and while most others in the City were readying for a memorable night on the town, my wife Gloria was lacing up her running shoes and I was covering my nipples with band-aids.

We had signed up for our first ever “Resolution Run” put off by a local running store. The event consisted of a 5-K run at five o’clock in the evening followed by refreshments and door prizes during an in-store reception afterwards. At about the 3-K mark, I decided I was a little nuts and loving every minute of it.

Runners just want to be out there – times of day, weather conditions and family commitments have little impact on our decision about where and when to run. We long for the perfect run, effortless and easy, and we chase our way to the end, reveling in the foot-strikes we leave behind us. On this night, our technical tees are our tuxedos, the sweat on our brows the champagne – we can celebrate too – we’re nuts and we wouldn’t change a thing.

And as crazy as I can be about running, I couldn’t help but notice that most of our Running Club has signed up for this year’s “Resolution Run”.

Welcome to the nut house.

Learning to run again

I'm recalling a recent trip to my Chiropractor's office, not so much because of the cracks and screams that usually keep me remembering my visits, but more because of what was said to me by the receptionist, Diane.

As I made my way up the stairs of the office, bent over a cane, and looking more like a walking letter "C" than a human being, Diane commented that I didn't look so good. I took advantage of the opportunity to wollow in a little self-pity and uttered something about never getting better again - she didn't see it that way. "You'll be alright, she said, you seem to bounce back well."

Diane was right and I came to realize it last night while doing a little workout on the treadmill. The human body, and mine in particular because it's the only one I have, is an incredible structure when working properly, but more amazing when something goes wrong. The body's ability to recover in relatively short periods of time after we've pushed it too far is nothing short of miraculous. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been able to get back at a walk/run program at my usual, slow pace, a feat I couldn't envision that day talking to Diane.

Smart people learn from their injuries and begin listening a little more attentively to the signals their bodies send out; stubborn people keep getting hurt. I vow to be smart, and here's how I'm going to do it:

Take it slow. I will get back to form by taking it slow, never wimping out, but never overdoing it.

Lose weight. I will lose 30 pounds between now and the Halifax Half in May 2008. I will accomplish this by eating smart and exercising smarter. A smaller gut means less stress on my wonky lower back.

Have fun. I will enjoy every foot-strike while I am able, because I know how lousy it feels to watch from the sidelines, or worse, stare at the ceiling.

I'm committed to reaching these goals - I have to - I don't think Diane would sympathize with stubborn.

Picture this

Today, was a good day. Aside from washing the car and mowing the lawn, relatively pain-free, I put twenty minutes in on the treadmill doing a 4/1 walk/run session without any problems. There weren’t any noticeable changes to my usually poor running form, and both the walking and running segments were at my normal pace - a return to training is imminent. But before that happens, I will enjoy spending time at a new hobby for which I have developed quite a passion since being on the injured list - running photography.

I’m not much of a runner, and perhaps even less of a photographer, and I can blame both shortcomings on having inadequate equipment. But following the Running Club around on Sunday mornings looking for and setting up the “money shot” has become a highlight of recent weeks gone by. Club members might see it more as a stalking ritual, but they have yet to order me to cease and desist. Running during the fall was meant for photography. Autumn colours mixed with brilliant sunny mornings make for some memorable shots. And what better way to keep a smile on a runner’s face than by pointing a camera at him every 10 minutes along a route; again, Club members may see this differently than I do.

But for now, when you see me, don’t forget to say “cheese”.

You're it

I watched eight grown-ups play a game of “tag” today, something I’m sure none of them had done for at least twenty years. But it didn’t take long for those school yard smiles to come rushing back to their faces once the chase began.

It got me thinking. At what point in our lives do we let this kind of fun leave us? Besides being thirty minutes of pure enjoyment, judging by the huffing and puffing of the eight Running Club members, it was also 30 minutes of pure physical activity.

And while the game continued, I was transported back to my elementary school yard where we’d run non-stop during recess until the bell called us back to class. As children, we ran, not always sure where we were going, but we still ran. Even today when children run you’ll always notice two things - a care-free, almost clumsy running form, and a smile as broad as their strides.

Somewhere along the line, though, us grown-ups screw it up and stop having fun and we begin to associate all physical activity with hard, unpleasant work, not play. This association almost always coincides with an overwhelming belief that the clothes dryer has shrunk every piece of clothing we own. I learned today, it doesn’t have to be this way. Get out there, be active, and have fun. It’s always a great day for a run, or a game of tag.

Next week it’s touch football, at least until the bell rings.

Second chances

I never thought writing an entry in my training log could be so exhilarating, but let me tell you, I haven’t done anything this exciting in a long time.

To the average runner, 15 minutes of walking on the treadmill split up by two one-minute jogging segments would hardly be worth reporting, but for me, it was like writing about finishing my first marathon.

I’m a pretty negative person overall; I always look for the pitfalls first and I joke with a friend that she’s the eternal optimist and I the eternal pessimist – both of us to a fault, though. But I decided while on the treadmill today, I would use this injury in a positive way to improve my running and hopefully avoid a similar plight in future. I found today that things felt a lot better when I straightened-up, reduced my stride length, and kept things slow. If you read any running-related material at all, these three things are preached with great consistency.
Maybe this time, I’ll pay more attention; the pessimist in me doubts it, though.

I'm listening...

With my third attempt at training for a half marathon scuttled by yet a third injury, I’m convinced someone, somewhere, is trying to tell me something. The sad part is, like the last layoff, this injury had nothing to do with running. Let’s be frank for a second, people have problems and in relative terms, this latest setback is more of a nuisance than anything else, but still, having to deal with this during my favourite time of the running season is just not fair.

I have no idea how I did this to myself and that tends to make avoiding a similar fate in the future a little more complicated, if not bothersome. All I know is one day I was fine, the next day I was not. I woke up one Saturday morning and had my sciatic nerve introduced to me in a rather abrupt and intrusive way. As the aching continued throughout the day, I had hoped that our usual Sunday run would straighten things out for me, just like it had so many times before. Since hurting my back in March, the ability to settle into a run has brought me the most physical comfort - I could hardly walk, but get me running for ten minutes and you’d question whether I ever suffered from an injury at all. According to my chiropractor (a.k.a. my miracle worker), the act of running helped my first back injury because everything loosened-up as I was hitting my stride - this injury, not so much. I woke up the next day, got dressed for the run, but eight minutes into it, I was done and I limped back home wondering what it was that was trying to invade my running time and more importantly, how long would it be visiting?

I’m told it will take another four to six weeks of recovery so that blows all chances of tackling the half marathon this Fall, but by my calculations, I will have about a month to prepare for the 10-K event in mid-October. See you in Charlottetown.

And next time, whomever you are, speak up so I can hear you.

The January blahs...

The presents have been opened, the turkey long finished, family members have all gone home. The post-Christmas January blahs have begun to set in.

No, you're not reading an old entry and no, I don't think I'm losing my mind, but the end of the Tely 10 Road Race, is for me, akin to the end of Christmas and all the celebration that surrounds it.

I have been keeping my mind busy with the memories of being a part of something really special just a couple of weeks ago. Along with my wife and family, eighteen of my co-workers, most of whom have only been running since January, participated in and finished the 10-mile race - a truly incredible and inspirational accomplishment.

Well done gang. Be proud of what you've done, brag about it at every opportunity, and never forget the feelings you experienced as you made your way down Bannerman Road - even greater days await us in the future.

I guess it's time to take the tree down.

Ego, get out of the way...

Over the past few weeks, among other things, I've been reading "Jeff Galloway's Book on Running". For those of you not familiar with Jeff, he's been running for four decades, is a former long distance Olympian, and writes a regular column for Runner's World when he's not writing his own bestselling books. I have to think that what Jeff has to say holds a bit of weight.

Jeff is a great believer in walk breaks for all runners, regardless of ability. He's trained thousands of people from elite athletes to those who would be considered not-so-elite, myself being a proud member of the latter. Galloway has documented thousands of cases where veteran runners have improved by 10, 20, 30 minutes and more in marathons by taking walk breaks early and often in the race.

So why all of a sudden the great belief in walk breaks? I must admit, it is born more out of necessity and not so much because of the scientific arguments in favour of walk breaks. You see, the recent problems with my back/pelvis have been causing more trouble as my training program takes me out for Sunday runs lasting more than an hour. At about 30-40 minutes, I feel a sensation in my pelvis that slows me down to a walk, and as most distance runners know, stopping after 3 to 4 miles makes getting going again quite difficult as the legs are pretty much spent.

So today, on a short training run, I decided to try Jeff's method thinking that walk breaks early and often will keep the pelvic pain at bay long enough for me to finish an upcoming 10-mile event. I went out with the group and planned on a 5 minute run/1 minute walk strategy. The result? My overall pace was about 30 seconds per mile faster than usual; maybe Jeff is on to something here.

Galloway also makes no bones about the fact the hardest part of running/walking is the fight one has with his ego - the feelings of not being a runner because of the walking apparently tend to hit hard.

I'm going to give it a serious go this Sunday during a scheduled 90 minute run. I'm not too concerned about battling my running pride - even at my pace, I can out run my ego.

Joseph...

With the most recent road race completed and leaving me with two toenails hanging on for dear life, a blister on the bottom of my foot, and two nipples that make the shirt up against them feel like a cheese grater, one would have to question why it is we do this to ourselves. Luckily, the answer became quite clear during the event.

The Bluenose 10-K was an out and back course that brought participants across the MacDonald Bridge into Dartmouth and then across again back to Halifax. The neat thing about out and backs is that slower runners meet face-to-face with faster runners who have already turned around to complete the "back" portion of the race.

After completing the Dartmouth segment, I turned and headed down the hill to the bridge to take me back to the finishing side of the course. As I reached the bottom, I came face-to-face with the answer to why I do this. Coming up the hill with only one leg, two crutches, and a smile as wide as Halifax Harbour, was a 10-K racer. The look of determination on his face as he pounded his crutches into the pavement is something I will not soon forget. Joseph finished the event in a little over two hours, proving again, that the human spirit can bend, but can never be broken.

And that is why we do this to ourselves.

My favourite time of year...

Only in Canada's far east does the start of training for a 10-mile summertime race, and the removal of outdoor Christmas lights, fall on the same weekend. Regardless of the misery that is our weather this time of year, the start of Tely 10 training, is for me, almost as magical as Christmas is for most other people.

There's the hustle and bustle of runners, new and old, returning to the streets; red noses warn by those brave souls who venture out for a quick loop at sunrise; and the chance to catch up with running buddies who all but disappeared with the first snowfall last year.

If only there were presents.

Running as therapy...

I've been running for a few years now and while I've had my fair share of injuries, both running and non-running ones, I've also experienced some wonderful "highs" over the past several months. Ironically, my greatest moment in running came last weekend, while injured.

I can clearly recall the first time I was able to run for a mile without stopping. After that, running for 30 minutes was a milestone, then 60 minutes, and who can forget completing his first race? But last week, I experienced a thrill so great, that I don't know if I will ever be able to top it again, but just the chance that I might, keeps me in love with this sport.

Our Running Club met last Sunday morning for our usual 8:30 jaunt. Due to a back problem, I was resigned to a slow limp while the others had 50 minutes of running on their agendas - the longest run yet for the Club.

My walking route and the route chosen by the runners took us in different directions. I wanted to be back at the finish area in time to watch them come in, so I walked out for 25 minutes and turned around and made my way back, not sure what I might find as the others began to run in. The course they selected was hilly, and the weather was cold and extremely windy - conditions that would take the good out of any runner.

A few minutes after getting back to where we had all started, I could see the first two runners in the group coming toward the finish, then a couple more behind them, and few more behind those two. Everyone made it in, reaching the 50-minute goal and when these people finish a run, they're like children on Christmas morning, eagerly sharing their experiences amongst each other, smiles as broad as can be.

As I made my way through the group high-fiving them for their efforts and results, I came across Bev, and before I could ask her how she found it, she held up her watch to my face, showing off the 53:09 it displayed, and excitedly asked me "Can you believe it?"

Nothing this group does surprises me. Our Club's mantra has been "never, ever give up" and while each one of us has faced a bad day or two, we've always bounced back the next time with a strong effort. Club members have gone from questionning their ability to run for 2 minutes without stopping, to becoming a little agitated when we're only scheduled to run an easy 15.

Our Running Club has provided me with my greatest running moments to date. I've received many emails from each of them marvelling at invididiual and collective accomplishments. Next Sunday marks the first ever race for most of them, a 5-K, and they're all ready for it - should be a special day.

And yes Bev, I can believe it.

Designated cheerleader...

It's funny how things work out sometimes.

Just the other day I was thinking how I didn't have much time to write in my blog, what with work commitments, my training for the half marathon in May, and our new Running Club. After last week, writing time will no longer be in short supply.

Last Tuesday, I ran some sprints with our Running Club and ended up tweaking a hamstring in the process. When I woke up Wednesday morning, the driveway was covered in a blanket of wet snow so I limped outside to clear it away. If I could take back any part of my life and do it again, it would be the thirty seconds that followed.

In an effort to favour my wonky hamstring, I loaded up the shovel and deliberately lifted with my back to save my injured leg from further aggravation and a longer recovery period. The end result was a "de-located" sacroiliac joint, a bunch of chiropractic appointments, and weeks of inactivity. No joke, nearly two weeks after the injury occurred, I'm still not able to drive my car.

This morning, in effort to show myself that I was not that far from running, I got on the treadmill for a little walk. The end result was an eleven-minute quarter mile and the realization that I'm done training for a while. The good news is, the other 15 members of our running club are still going strong so I'll live vicariously through them for the next several weeks, after all, what choice do I have.

The weeks ahead will be tougher than any training program I've ever followed, as I try to stay in shape and keep weight off with limited mobility and virtually no ability to burn calories. These are the moments when you have to be headstrong and commit to coming back ready to resume training - I've targeted May 6th for a return.

For now then, I'll be the designated cheerleader encouraging co-workers and family members taking part in a couple of different events over the next month or so.

And to think, this all could have been avoided if I'd only taken the snowblower out of the shed.

Live and learn.

I work with runners...

I've been watching a really neat thing take place over the past two and half months; 15 of my co-workers have turned from non-believers into runners, equally dedicated to running as many of the elite who participate in the sport.

Our Running Club began the first week of January with 16 eager faces, most of whom were new to running. We started that week with 20 minute walks and have progressed to what will be our first 20 minute run, less then twelve weeks into our training on Monday, and our first two mile run is only a week away.

When I watch this group, I can't help but swell-up with pride at the collective and individual accomplishments - a real one-mind, one-heart mentality has developed among the group proving once again that running is so much more than an athletic event.

Running challenges us physically and mentally to accomplish what we never thought we were capable of, and when we reach our running goal, we then challenge ourselves to go faster or longer. Running teaches us that we can do extraordinary things if we fuel ourselves with the right dose of nutrition and fuel for the mind. Most notably though, running builds relationships galvanizing a group with a common interest. You learn a lot about other people in the sport when you sweat it out with them on the streets. You see what drives them to be better, you share in their individual triumphs, and you stick up for them and encourage them when a bad day comes along from time-to-time.

Whomever it was that said running was an individual sport never participated in a Running Club. I'm always proud to tell people that I work with runners.

A spring in my step...

Today was a special day. It was the day to compile my training schedule for the half marathon taking place in Halifax in May.

It's a pretty intense schedule, a lot of running and an almost equal amount of weight training - all put together with the goal of finishing the half while being in the best shape of my life; we have to have goals.Reading over the schedule, one thing is clear - Spring is coming and with Spring comes the enjoyment of early morning outdoor runs once again, and for me, there's nothing better. I can also revel in the enjoyment of knowing that because I kept my activity level up this Winter, I'll be in decent shape for Tuesday, the first day of training.

And with Spring just around the corner, Summer can't be far off!

Smile, run, smile...

I've been inspired recently.

Oddly enough, the source of my inspiration was not from a Lance Armstrong-like performance in the New York City Marathon; in fact, it wasn't drawn from an athletic feat at all. I've been inspired by the 14 other members of our newly established Running Club, most of whom are brand new to running.

What inspires be about these people is their drive and enthusiasm to better themselves. In the short time that our group as been training, we've gone out in some pretty unfavourable weather conditions - high winds, heavy rain, extreme cold, and not once has a member of the group complained about what it is we're doing. Instead, on days we are scheduled to run, I always find the group assembled by our front door, dressed and ready with smiles as big as our building, for the next training session.

Running is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one and this group has conquered the mental side - the physical side will take care of itself in the weeks ahead.

I hope the group members can see the strides they've made thus far. These people have proven they never, ever give up. What do you do?