Hard work and camaraderie.

Recovery week! Over the last three weeks, our long runs increased to an hour and forty-five minutes and this week we dropped back to one hour. It was a reminder (for me at least) of how comfortable a relatively easy-paced 10K can feel. It's always nice to get out for a run that you know won't be pushing you to (or past) the edges of your "happy place". ...we'll save that for the next three weeks. Kidding. Sort of.

The coming week will see a shift in our workout focus from hills to speed. This is the week that I become ever grateful for the group; I find speed work extremely hard without their support and encouragement. Not to mention how a little suffering can make friendships even tighter. This is usually the point in a clinic when people begin to build lasting friendships. A huge fringe benefit of blending hard work and camaraderie.


Thanks for the run, you guys.

Long runs, pregnancies and pace.

Well, the rain held off and the wind was almost non-existant, so we lucked out big time for this morning's 18K run. We had a solid group of eleven runners, three strollers and three kids, although two Moms, one stroller and one little one ran a shorter course (10K), because those Moms are pregnant!

Yes, three of our original six Moms from the last half-marathon clinic are expecting babies in September and October and we are so excited for them and their families. And I'm also really pleased to see these Moms still out running; as long as everyone stays healthy and happy, I expect we'll have some beautiful baby bumps running with us very soon. Can't wait!

Click to see the 18K route.

Click to see the 10K route.

This will be the norm throughout the remainder of this clinic (or as long as our pregnant Moms continue to run with us): while the main group's distance continues to lengthen, we will always offer a 10K route for our expecting Moms. Long runs during the recovery weeks are usually around 10K, so we'll all be able to run the same route, which is nice. 


Which brings me to pace. Christy and I have been noticing a natural division in the group based on pace; there are a few runners who tend to be out in the lead during our long runs and the group can get a bit spread out. This isn't a problem at all, but it can be hard for the people at the back because they may feel as though they are "slowing down the group". This is untrue; if anything, the faster runners are likely causing people to push harder than they normally would or should. 


The solution? Let the group spread out naturally, but strategically place run leaders at the front and back of the group. By doing this, those who feel more comfortable with a faster pace can base their speed on that of the run leader at the front of the group and those who feel more comfortable at a slower pace will also have a run leader on which to base their pace. The key is to make this known at the outset of the run; no one is "pulling" the group forward and no one is "dragging" the group back because as long as you stay within reach of one of the run leaders, you know you're on pace.


And of course, the group up ahead will always turn around periodically to regroup with those behind. :)


Regardless of where people end up in the group, I know everyone is dedicated and working hard. Every week I'm blown away at the effort displayed by this amazing group. Thanks, you guys and see you this week for the workout. Recovery week!

Serious distance.

So far this clinic we've run 1hour (10K) and 1hour 15minutes (12.5K), but today was the day that the long runs start to officially feel long. Maybe it's just me, but once we hit 1hour 30 minutes (15K), I always feel like we've crossed the threshold into "serious distance." 

Although I mapped this morning's run at slightly over 15K, Christy's GPS app said it was a hair under 16K. I believe it; anytime we leave the roads and get on paths and trails, I always think the actual distance ends up being longer.


So if the run was around 16K, then we're only a little over 5K off the half-marathon distance..! And when you put it that way, the whole notion of "serious distance" really rings true. 

Next Sunday we will run 1hour 45minutes and I expect we'll cover around 18K. After that we'll have a recovery week and our long run will reduce to 1hour (10K). I just love it when we go back to running 10K and all of a sudden people realize that 10K used to be their long run!

Great run today and great job; getting out for 8am on a Sunday (some of you with kids!) is no easy feat. Believe me when I say that I am so honoured every time we run together. 


See you (or Christy will see you) this week for the workout!

Eleven runners, four strollers and five kids.

Eleven runners, four strollers and five kids. I just couldn't believe when I showed up this morning for our long run and (including Christy and me) we had eleven runners, four strollers and five kids! The biggest Running Moms group EVER. What a difference a year makes!

(two strollers and one child not pictured.)

The first thing I want to do is welcome our newest Running Mom Kristine and our first Running Dad Cory and their daughter Lauren to the group. Yes, Running Dad! I cannot tell you how excited I am to welcome a Dad to the group. I know full well that we likely won't have a tonne of Dads running with us, but I hope we will have a few here and there; it adds a great dynamic and personally I just love to see families running together. 


Of course I can't write that without acknowledging that Adrianne's husband Andy and Christy's husband Brad have both run in races with their wives and kids, but this is the first time a Dad has come out on a group run. Stoked!

Today's 12.5km run took us around 1 hour and 15 minutes (not including breaks). The group stayed together very well and only really started to spread out in the last four or five kilometres. This bodes very well for future runs because it tells me that as long as we keep the pace easy and steady (long, slow distance), we will all be able to run at very similar speeds and it will keep group confidence high. 


Although I know for a fact that as long as everyone stays focused and applies themselves to their workouts, long runs and recovery runs, the overall group pace will increase as the clinic progresses. ...and no one will notice until we point it out. 


I love it when that happens. Onward!

Happy birthday.

It was Cristal's birthday yesterday and Christy and I made sure we took her out for drinks to celebrate. Cristal brought along her Mom, Kathryn, and Carey met us at the pub. Heidi also made it out later on and it was a fun-filled evening with tonnes of laughs. ...and many drinks.

I'm so glad we got out for Cristal's birthday, but there was a big loud voice in my head saying, "You put the girls to bed and went out with friends for the first time, like ever. Why don't you do this type of thing more often??" Hmm. Going to have to listen to that voice.

And yes, we talked about our kids and our husbands and being Moms, but mostly we laughed with each other and talked about ourselves and other things unrelated to motherhood. Oh, and we definitely talked about running. That's a given, right?

Today Sonja saw some of these photos and asked, "Why'd you go out in the night, Mama?" and I laughed and said, "To celebrate Cristal's birthday. ...and because you and Haven were fast asleep. Daddy stayed home with you." She just nodded. No arguing with that I guess. And this from a kid who lately spends her whole day arguing with me. 


Like I said, need to do this more often. ...but next time, maybe a little less alcohol..? ;)

TC 10K Running Moms team; it's official.

We have officially registered a Running Moms team in the TC 10K! Want to join our team? We're listed as "2012 Running Moms & Friends" and anyone and everyone is welcome to join. Moms, Dads, friends and family; the more the merrier!

We will be fundraising for the amazing local-running group Every Step Counts. Not sure who they are? Check out their website, Facebook page and this wonderful article from Canadian Running Magazine.

Our first fundraiser will be selling chocolates in the shape of running shoes, just in time for Valentine's Day ...or if you're me, any day; I never need an excuse to eat chocolate. This is the good stuff: Bernard Callebaut! There are four to a bag (two pairs!), $5 a bag and you have your choice of milk chocolate or dark chocolate but supplies are limited; we have 17 milk chocolate and only 4 dark!

Please email me directly if  you would like to buy some of these chocolates for the runner(s) in your life (or yourself; you don't need an excuse!) for Valentine's Day: sarajoyerickson@me.com. Also please email me if you'd like a pledge form for raising money for Every Step Counts; I will email one to you.

Thanks so much and please pass on the info to anyone you know who may be interested. We will have a few more fundraising sales going on, so stay tuned!

Running no matter what.

After a long week of snow and cancelled runs, Running Moms finally ran yesterday ...in a gale. Well, it actually wasn't as windy as I had been expecting, but we definitely ran through some very forceful gusts that stole my breath and made it feel as if we were climbing a steep hill. But I'll tell you this: as long as the snow was gone, I was running no matter what.

So off we went, avoiding the waterfront at all costs to save ourselves being washed out to sea. Christy, Adrianne, Carey, Renee and I; all without our kids, all glad to be out even if we were being blown all over the road. We ran around 10K and even though I felt tired pretty much the entire time, I finished feeling incredibly happy for this group and all the great attitudes and amazing personalities we've gathered together.

This week brings a new hill workout on Wednesday/Thursday and our Sunday-run time will start to lengthen. I've always found Winter clinics to be more mentally tough than Spring clinics; not surprising, but I keep reminding myself that our half marathon is in May and the weather and daylight is only going to improve as the clinic progresses. 

Just keep running, just keep running, just keep running... See you Wednesday, Ladies.