There we were, two ragged cronies lying on the floor of the closet trying to recover from a tedious workout. The run that day proved particularly arduous. It had rained the previous night, but our owner still insisted on taking us on the trails. We attempted to veer off towards drier paths, but his legs were in control. We were not too enthusiastic, so we dragged his feet. We almost drowned in the puddles a couple of times. By the time the ordeal ended, dirt-covered our eyelets, our tongues were black, and mud packed our grooves. Stuffed with newspaper, we…
When dealing with a running injury, patience is your strongest ally.
As we walked the dog on that cold December morning, my spouse and I failed to realize how slippery the ground was underneath the thin white layer of snow. As we took a tentative step on a sloped part of the field, we both slid backward; my wife landed on her backside, while I fell sideways on my ribs. The second I connected with the solid ice, I knew I had cracked some ribs. I laid on my back watching the blue sky, contemplating the damage my body had just suffered. With the help of my spouse, I got up…
Relive your running moments with mementos
February 24, 2021, marked the 30th anniversary of my participation in the mega-team competition of the Peterborough Half-Marathon. A cold winter day greeted a busload of eager runners from the local club as they drove the 90 minutes to the race site early on a Sunday morning. A mega-team consisted of 30 runners, of which at least five had to be women. Although the temperature reached below freezing, the streets were clear of snow or ice. After the last team runner completed the two loops of the course, we went inside for a warm cup of soup while waiting for…
Don’t trust your treadmill, it could be misleading you.
In winter, when the snow, cold or icy roads prevent me from running outside, I fill up a water bottle and head down to the basement to run on the treadmill. I select either Netflix or YouTube and choose a video that will keep me distracted. I press the start button and jump on as I slowly increase the speed.
My preferred running distance is 10K. The duration allows me the opportunity to enjoy an episode or half of a movie, yet it is not so long as to feel tedious going nowhere. I follow the display to monitor the…
Gauge your racing fitness with a time trial
We had big plans for 2020. My spouse and I registered for five races where we hoped to achieve some post-40 personal bests. The distances ranged from 5K, 10K, a 10-miler, and two marathons. We had planned on travelling to a few of these races, with one of those trips being a family vacation.
Three days before the departure for the family vacation, the Airbnb host sent us a message indicating they were cancelling because of COVID-19. It devastated us. After the bitter disappointment of cancelling the spring break vacation and the scheduled 5K, the race cancellations kept coming. …
New runners: There are many resources available
To reach your running goals, you need to develop an action plan that will direct your training. Developing a training plan requires knowledge that can be gained through experience. For newcomers to the sport of running, that experience does not have to come from you. There are different ways you can acquire the knowledge you need to define your running plan by capitalizing on the experience of other runners.
Books
Your running dreams can set the stage for setting your running goals.
January might be a time to set resolutions, but I don’t set resolutions, I set goals. My goals for 2020 included a 5K race, a 10K race, a 10-miler, and two marathons. Of course, as John Lennon said, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” COVID-19 came along and all my five planned races were cancelled. Fortunately, four of the five races guaranteed an entry for a future race.
Now, I don’t wait till January to set my running goals; I start the process in December. To set goals and reach my dreams, I developed an approach…
It felt colder than I expected. I was wearing a t-shirt, a long sleeve shirt and a windbreaker. On the bottom, I had shorts, Lycra pants and wind pants. Gloves and a hat covered the upper extremities. I was still cold because the wind was bringing the windchill temperature down much lower than the grey sky would indicate.
While the freezing wind was piercing through my upper body, I could not help but think of the warm treadmill situated in the basement of the house. I realized I was no longer the tough runner of my youth that had no…
Norman Marcotte
Writer, runner, mentor, dreamer. Author of "Take 10 and Reach the Boston Marathon" and the children's book "Frankenstein's Science Project".
