On October 18 from 5-9 pm I will be presenting a Birthing Herbs Workshop.
I have been using medicinal herbs for over forty years, and I would like to introduce some of my best herbal friends to you and encourage you to make your own. If you're interested in using more herbal remedies either for yourself, for your families, or with your clients, this is the place to start learning about how to approach these powerful plants. I presented this workshop at the Birth and Beyond workshop a few years ago, and everyone enjoyed it.
Herbs and Beyond!
Here are some questions we will have a look at:
What do herbs do?
How do we harvest herbs?
How to process herbs
Which herb should you use?
Here is a taste of my technique, and an introduction to my favourite herb, St Johns Wort or Hypericum perforatum. I was first introduced to this lovely but common plant by a peasant woman in rural Italy. She told me it was good for small abrasions, back in the day when I had four small boys running around. It's a lovely, versatile, powerful friend.
https://youtu.be/ubNbsCpQzfU
In this Birthing Herbs Workshop we will mostly be learning about how to approach the world of medicinal herbs and how to start using them with the respect and familiarity they deserve. What is your relationship to herbal plants? Do you love plants? How do you relate to lavender? will be some of the weirder questions we will ask each other.
We will meet on Thursday Oct 18th at 5pm at Caffe della Pace. Cost is $25 per person.
This workshop is open to all.
Friday, September 21, 2018
Nike and Fearlessness
Fearlessness, Nike, and victory are just names, and what's in a name? I have a couple of names, as did Toni Morrison, and my story is as accidental but full of emotion as hers. Actually, I named myself a few times over my 62 years but one name that has stuck has been Niki, short for Nicola, based on the word Nike, which as everyone knows is a popular running shoe with some odd political opinions.
According to Greekmythology.com (and most Classics scholars), Nike was the goddess of victory in Greek mythology, depicted as having wings, hence her alternative name "Winged Goddess". She would fly above the battlefields and champion the winners. She may be the daughter of Ares, who was the god of war. A tough chick. Being a Goddess, she didn't worry too much about getting old.
Ya, well, that wasn't me. I turned 62 this past summer and I still have some kick in me. I'm channeling when I was fourteen and hiking in the Rockies on my own. If all else fails, I can always go back to being a doula and charging an exorbitant amount to provide people with the kind of compassion their mums or their aunties would've given them in a better day and age. I can head up to my mountain hideaway and live off mushrooms and wild strawberries. Or I could move to Rome and do private prenatal classes in English. Then again, I could just stay here in the 'burbs and live off my pension. Either way, one has to capture that fearlessness in life that gives you a charge, that element of surprise that can light a fire under your butt.
My Great Aunt Tillie lost her fiance in the Great War, and never married. She and her brother lived out their lives in Hackney, in a small flat. She was an armchair revolutionary. "To the barricades!" she would yell with her fist in the air.
Can you be a fearless charioteer in your own life? What is something you've done this week that makes you proud, that lights that fire? I'd love to hear from y'all! #fearless #Nike
According to Greekmythology.com (and most Classics scholars), Nike was the goddess of victory in Greek mythology, depicted as having wings, hence her alternative name "Winged Goddess". She would fly above the battlefields and champion the winners. She may be the daughter of Ares, who was the god of war. A tough chick. Being a Goddess, she didn't worry too much about getting old.
Getting Old
Turning sixty can be a big deal for people. In our society, we can feel like our lives are over. Younger people don't respect us. Our jobs may have become useless or boring. We can gaze upon a flat future full of medication, mediation, monotony. Our dogs die. Our kids leave town, and come back hardly ever.Ya, well, that wasn't me. I turned 62 this past summer and I still have some kick in me. I'm channeling when I was fourteen and hiking in the Rockies on my own. If all else fails, I can always go back to being a doula and charging an exorbitant amount to provide people with the kind of compassion their mums or their aunties would've given them in a better day and age. I can head up to my mountain hideaway and live off mushrooms and wild strawberries. Or I could move to Rome and do private prenatal classes in English. Then again, I could just stay here in the 'burbs and live off my pension. Either way, one has to capture that fearlessness in life that gives you a charge, that element of surprise that can light a fire under your butt.
My Great Aunt Tillie lost her fiance in the Great War, and never married. She and her brother lived out their lives in Hackney, in a small flat. She was an armchair revolutionary. "To the barricades!" she would yell with her fist in the air.
Can you be a fearless charioteer in your own life? What is something you've done this week that makes you proud, that lights that fire? I'd love to hear from y'all! #fearless #Nike
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Three Things I Learned From my First Marathon (and didn't expect to!)
I learned a lot from running my first marathon. I spoke about it here. But there were three things I learned from my first marathon that I didn't expect!
Running a marathon isn’t easy. Ever. It’s not supposed to be. Some would say it’s the hardest of all the races: a half marathon is definitely doable – run for one to three hours and you’re done. An ultra is longer (much longer!) but you can take little breaks. But a marathon is 26.2 miles of pushing yourself to get your best time in a long, long distance. I learned three things running my first marathon that I didn't expect to.
I thought I would learn stuff from the process. Like, how determined I can be (very, it turns out). I started a 26-week training program in November and trained through the whole winter, and winter was a doozy.
I ran outside in frigid temperatures. I did my last long runs in April, when I still had ice crystals snapping at my face. I ate well. I went to bed early and did my runs, even on the treadmill if I had to.
I learned about how fast I am. I’m kind of average, for my age (my marathon time was 13 minutes slower than the average woman 60-69). I learned how great it feels to beat your PR: one of my training runs was a 21 k so I decided to run the Hypothermic Half and beat my PR by 7 minutes! I learned how it feels to run a marathon. It feels good, hard, inspiring, and a little daunting.
An unexpected bonus to this achievement was a sense of accomplishment that lasts. I don't feel self-conscious about my body; my shyness level has gone down; I feel more self-confident, because I know that I can run 26.2 miles.
I also learned a whole lot more that I really wasn’t expecting.
In that sense, as a midwife, I see more and more that the act of running a race is so much like the act of giving birth. When a woman gives birth, she is the product of everything that has happened to her up until the moment she births her child. How she gives birth is hugely affected by her life experiences up until that moment. Of course, in life there are random exterior factors like a grumpy nurse, a blister, bad weather, or an unforeseen birth complication. But generally, in my experience, the way that birth unfolds is pretty much a continuation of how that person’s life has unfolded up until now.
And, of course, time and existence being what it is, everything that has happened up until now is also happening now, so how I am reacting to the “now” and to the past, and to everything I have experienced or I am now experiencing, also blends into my experience as a whole; how it unfolds, and also how I feel about it unfolding (which in turn affects the “how”). So in birth, I can be terrified and traumatized by past events, and I can let those events dictate how I will feel during the primal experience of giving birth. With the right support, and a sprinkling of luck, that fear and trauma can be transcended. But without support, education and training, the main emotion throughout the experience will be fear and that will color the memory of the experience and the experience itself.
Mid-April, things were starting to turn against me. I run a café, it’s amazing, business started to boom like never before (Yay!). I was up at 6:30 every morning to open, and my runs were after work with a long run on Sunday.
I was dealing with some emotional issues during the last weeks of April. I couldn’t shake them; felt sad, down, and fatigued. I know that May is my sad month. I have no idea why. Do y’all feel this way at a certain time of year? But I kept training, and kept doing my long runs.
I fell apart during the taper, filling up the time that I spared from doing long runs with extra busy work at home and at the café. I stayed up late on weekend nights even though I didn’t want to. I started feeling physically sick and missed a really fun race (WingsforLife) because I couldn’t get out of bed and make it down there. And because I figured I’d be the oldest person there, and everyone else would be French (Google language issues Montreal).
I still didn’t get it. I uber-organized. Booked the Airbnb, the flights, planned the food for the weekend. By the time I got on the plane, I was exhausted. I slept the hour flight. Coming down the stairs at the airport I tripped and almost fell. When I got to our place, I realized I hadn’t packed warm enough clothing (luckily Mother Nature smiled the day of the race and my gear was perfect for the weather). I was so tired I spent Friday night and Saturday in a daze. Sunday morning I got dressed and headed to the race. I wore my hydration pack, just like on my training runs. In the back of my head was the rationale that if the water stands closed down I would still have water. The race limit was six hours; of course I would have water!
As I started my race, I put on my music (just one earbud, like they said). I just didn’t get into the groove. Not one of my favourite tracks was getting me going; in fact looking back I don’t remember any super fun moments from that race. Of course, I remember with huge gratitude and love when my husband met me at the halfway mark, and when he greeted me at the finish line with flowers (it was Mother’s Day). And when my sister rode what seemed like a huge bicycle up the trail and cheered me on for my last four miles. But for every other race, and many of my runs, I can hear a song and remember exactly where I was running when that song bounced into my head. Not for this race. Not one.
Which leads me to my next lesson: Body is Mind
So what happened when I started running my first marathon? I had been spinning in such worried little circles that by the time I was ready to run, my mind switched off and stopped working for me. In a good race, your mind and your emotions do fifty percent of the work. You feel good, you run well; you feel better; you run better. Your music is right; everything feels good. You are on top of the world; you run straight and tall. Your breathing comes naturally, your shoulders are relaxed, your gait is fast and natural.
My mind switched off because it couldn’t stay on and run a race. I was too full of questions and worries: work, home, family. Nothing could quieten my scrabbling mind so it decided to check out. And what was I left with? My body! And, of course, it could run a marathon. I ran the distance. I plodded to the finish line. My shoulders drooped, my legs wouldn’t move right, my spirits were low, but I did it!
Now I know that physical training is not enough. I have to train my mind and my emotions to work with me and for me when I run. And when that is happening, then another wonderful thing happens. Life itself gets better! When I will myself to run tall and listen to my breath, I feel better and I can run better. When I change a feeling of resentment or anger into one of gratitude or love, I feel better and I run better. When I start to practice these transformations so that I run better, they naturally spill over into my life. It’s pretty easy for me to feel really good about the time I ran – I’m 61, I’ve been running seriously for about four years, and I did my first marathon in 5:34. Yay! It was harder the other day when I felt like my husband was being controlling. I started to feel resentful, then I switched it around in my head and started to feel grateful that he was organizing the thing instead of me having to. And of course I felt better, he felt better, and I’m sure our feelings ran in our blood to make our bodies better and stronger.
So, life influences running influences life. The mind and emotions are deeply and profoundly caught in our bodies. But just knowing this and being able to write about it and do it aren’t enough:
This just means that you have to find a program and follow it. Find a program that works for you, or if you can afford it and you need it, then get yourself a trainer who can personally help you reach your goal. Once you’ve found your program, stick with it, and do exactly what it says. Speed work is speed work. Track work is track work. Do the work that you are told to do – it will make a huge difference. Strength training is also something that its easy to forget about, especially if you don’t have time and you’re already putting so much time into your runs. But it’s essential to help your body move through those final miles with grace and speed.
Most importantly, train yourself to have fun when the going gets tough. For my first marathon, the going got tough way before I even started, so I was running into a headwind made up of my own emotional fatigue. Love every minute of it; teach yourself how to experience joy even when your run is hard. You’ll see; joy will spread.
Running a marathon isn’t easy. Ever. It’s not supposed to be. Some would say it’s the hardest of all the races: a half marathon is definitely doable – run for one to three hours and you’re done. An ultra is longer (much longer!) but you can take little breaks. But a marathon is 26.2 miles of pushing yourself to get your best time in a long, long distance. I learned three things running my first marathon that I didn't expect to.
I thought I would learn stuff from the process. Like, how determined I can be (very, it turns out). I started a 26-week training program in November and trained through the whole winter, and winter was a doozy.
I ran outside in frigid temperatures. I did my last long runs in April, when I still had ice crystals snapping at my face. I ate well. I went to bed early and did my runs, even on the treadmill if I had to.
I learned about how fast I am. I’m kind of average, for my age (my marathon time was 13 minutes slower than the average woman 60-69). I learned how great it feels to beat your PR: one of my training runs was a 21 k so I decided to run the Hypothermic Half and beat my PR by 7 minutes! I learned how it feels to run a marathon. It feels good, hard, inspiring, and a little daunting.
An unexpected bonus to this achievement was a sense of accomplishment that lasts. I don't feel self-conscious about my body; my shyness level has gone down; I feel more self-confident, because I know that I can run 26.2 miles.
I also learned a whole lot more that I really wasn’t expecting.
The Three Unexpected Lessons I Learned (and some philosophical ponderings)
Running is Life
In that sense, as a midwife, I see more and more that the act of running a race is so much like the act of giving birth. When a woman gives birth, she is the product of everything that has happened to her up until the moment she births her child. How she gives birth is hugely affected by her life experiences up until that moment. Of course, in life there are random exterior factors like a grumpy nurse, a blister, bad weather, or an unforeseen birth complication. But generally, in my experience, the way that birth unfolds is pretty much a continuation of how that person’s life has unfolded up until now.
And, of course, time and existence being what it is, everything that has happened up until now is also happening now, so how I am reacting to the “now” and to the past, and to everything I have experienced or I am now experiencing, also blends into my experience as a whole; how it unfolds, and also how I feel about it unfolding (which in turn affects the “how”). So in birth, I can be terrified and traumatized by past events, and I can let those events dictate how I will feel during the primal experience of giving birth. With the right support, and a sprinkling of luck, that fear and trauma can be transcended. But without support, education and training, the main emotion throughout the experience will be fear and that will color the memory of the experience and the experience itself.
Racing is Birthing?
But I didn’t give birth; I just ran a marathon! Yes, true (I did give birth actually, five times). Obviously giving birth to another human is more primal, more important, more useful than running 26.2 miles. But the dynamic is the same. Everything I had experienced up to and including the race profoundly affected the race, my feelings about it, my body, and my ability to succeed.The Nitty-Gritty?
Okay, here’s the nitty-gritty: the story that must be told so that you can figure out what I’m really talking about. My training went okay. I started in November and dutifully crossed the days off as the winter progressed. I felt good. I was getting faster, or at least I was feeling stronger. I got a little time out of the cold in January, went away for a week to a runner’s paradise – Lisbon. By March my long runs were increasing and by early April I was starting to feel tired. Not tired, well yes tired but just “blah”. Like, blah about training. Blah about everything. I spoke to a trainer and she rewrote my program a little, added some longer runs, suggested I do timed runs instead of distance for the really long ones, suggested a taper (that’s when you start running less as you enter the last two to three weeks before your race). I felt a little nervous after I spoke to her. “Can I really do this?” “Am I gonna finish in six hours???”Mid-April, things were starting to turn against me. I run a café, it’s amazing, business started to boom like never before (Yay!). I was up at 6:30 every morning to open, and my runs were after work with a long run on Sunday.
I was dealing with some emotional issues during the last weeks of April. I couldn’t shake them; felt sad, down, and fatigued. I know that May is my sad month. I have no idea why. Do y’all feel this way at a certain time of year? But I kept training, and kept doing my long runs.
I fell apart during the taper, filling up the time that I spared from doing long runs with extra busy work at home and at the café. I stayed up late on weekend nights even though I didn’t want to. I started feeling physically sick and missed a really fun race (WingsforLife) because I couldn’t get out of bed and make it down there. And because I figured I’d be the oldest person there, and everyone else would be French (Google language issues Montreal).
I still didn’t get it. I uber-organized. Booked the Airbnb, the flights, planned the food for the weekend. By the time I got on the plane, I was exhausted. I slept the hour flight. Coming down the stairs at the airport I tripped and almost fell. When I got to our place, I realized I hadn’t packed warm enough clothing (luckily Mother Nature smiled the day of the race and my gear was perfect for the weather). I was so tired I spent Friday night and Saturday in a daze. Sunday morning I got dressed and headed to the race. I wore my hydration pack, just like on my training runs. In the back of my head was the rationale that if the water stands closed down I would still have water. The race limit was six hours; of course I would have water!
As I started my race, I put on my music (just one earbud, like they said). I just didn’t get into the groove. Not one of my favourite tracks was getting me going; in fact looking back I don’t remember any super fun moments from that race. Of course, I remember with huge gratitude and love when my husband met me at the halfway mark, and when he greeted me at the finish line with flowers (it was Mother’s Day). And when my sister rode what seemed like a huge bicycle up the trail and cheered me on for my last four miles. But for every other race, and many of my runs, I can hear a song and remember exactly where I was running when that song bounced into my head. Not for this race. Not one.
Which leads me to my next lesson: Body is Mind
Body is Mind
So what happened when I started running my first marathon? I had been spinning in such worried little circles that by the time I was ready to run, my mind switched off and stopped working for me. In a good race, your mind and your emotions do fifty percent of the work. You feel good, you run well; you feel better; you run better. Your music is right; everything feels good. You are on top of the world; you run straight and tall. Your breathing comes naturally, your shoulders are relaxed, your gait is fast and natural.
My mind switched off because it couldn’t stay on and run a race. I was too full of questions and worries: work, home, family. Nothing could quieten my scrabbling mind so it decided to check out. And what was I left with? My body! And, of course, it could run a marathon. I ran the distance. I plodded to the finish line. My shoulders drooped, my legs wouldn’t move right, my spirits were low, but I did it!
Now I know that physical training is not enough. I have to train my mind and my emotions to work with me and for me when I run. And when that is happening, then another wonderful thing happens. Life itself gets better! When I will myself to run tall and listen to my breath, I feel better and I can run better. When I change a feeling of resentment or anger into one of gratitude or love, I feel better and I run better. When I start to practice these transformations so that I run better, they naturally spill over into my life. It’s pretty easy for me to feel really good about the time I ran – I’m 61, I’ve been running seriously for about four years, and I did my first marathon in 5:34. Yay! It was harder the other day when I felt like my husband was being controlling. I started to feel resentful, then I switched it around in my head and started to feel grateful that he was organizing the thing instead of me having to. And of course I felt better, he felt better, and I’m sure our feelings ran in our blood to make our bodies better and stronger.
So, life influences running influences life. The mind and emotions are deeply and profoundly caught in our bodies. But just knowing this and being able to write about it and do it aren’t enough:
Training Really Counts!
This just means that you have to find a program and follow it. Find a program that works for you, or if you can afford it and you need it, then get yourself a trainer who can personally help you reach your goal. Once you’ve found your program, stick with it, and do exactly what it says. Speed work is speed work. Track work is track work. Do the work that you are told to do – it will make a huge difference. Strength training is also something that its easy to forget about, especially if you don’t have time and you’re already putting so much time into your runs. But it’s essential to help your body move through those final miles with grace and speed.
Most importantly, train yourself to have fun when the going gets tough. For my first marathon, the going got tough way before I even started, so I was running into a headwind made up of my own emotional fatigue. Love every minute of it; teach yourself how to experience joy even when your run is hard. You’ll see; joy will spread.
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Sieze the Day!
I am li
terally surrounded by nature. I’m gazing at my laurel tree that we transplanted a few years ago – check out this hilarious YouTube post! The trees are making a soft sound in the breeze. My handmade wood chime is also singing softly. The wild hollyhocks are just starting to bloom; my rose is in full flower; all around me are medicinal herbs feeding the honey bees and waiting for me to harvest them, or not.
I sleep so well here! Okay, I can sleep well sitting on a chair in a crowded waiting room! Nevertheless, sleep comes easily and is filled with pleasant and sometimes profound dreams.
The other night, we watched the full moon rise and we realized Mars was visible just below it. We set up the telescope and wow! There it was, a beautiful orange planet.
The trails here surround our house, which is high in the hills at 875 metres above sea level. We are safe here: if you go for a run or a leisurely walk you probably won’t see anyone unless it is the old lady from down the road looking for mushrooms. You will see abandoned stone houses, set deep in the chestnut groves, deer running on the trails ahead of you, birds everywhere.
I am inviting you to join me here this summer. Retreat 2018 runs from July 24-31. I have a group arriving on the 23rd and I have space for two more women. Send me an email at mbcdoulaschoolatgmaildotcom for more details.
Come and find peace! Seize the day!
terally surrounded by nature. I’m gazing at my laurel tree that we transplanted a few years ago – check out this hilarious YouTube post! The trees are making a soft sound in the breeze. My handmade wood chime is also singing softly. The wild hollyhocks are just starting to bloom; my rose is in full flower; all around me are medicinal herbs feeding the honey bees and waiting for me to harvest them, or not.I sleep so well here! Okay, I can sleep well sitting on a chair in a crowded waiting room! Nevertheless, sleep comes easily and is filled with pleasant and sometimes profound dreams.
The other night, we watched the full moon rise and we realized Mars was visible just below it. We set up the telescope and wow! There it was, a beautiful orange planet.
The trails here surround our house, which is high in the hills at 875 metres above sea level. We are safe here: if you go for a run or a leisurely walk you probably won’t see anyone unless it is the old lady from down the road looking for mushrooms. You will see abandoned stone houses, set deep in the chestnut groves, deer running on the trails ahead of you, birds everywhere.
I am inviting you to join me here this summer. Retreat 2018 runs from July 24-31. I have a group arriving on the 23rd and I have space for two more women. Send me an email at mbcdoulaschoolatgmaildotcom for more details.
Come and find peace! Seize the day!
Monday, May 14, 2018
5 Tips For Running (and enjoying!) Your First Marathon
Last Mother's Day, I ran a marathon!
What an accomplishment! I trained for 26 weeks, hard. I ran when it was raining, snowing, ice pelleting, and in between. I didn't drink (too much). I watched my diet (I ate instead of forgetting to eat). Maybe I was boring. But I ran a marathon (that's 42.195 kilometers). My first marathon!I learned a lot from this experience. From Day One of training way back in November, to right now, I have been learning about determination, strength, and flexibility, among other things. Here are five tips to share with anyone who's interested in training for and running their first marathon.
1. Take Your Taper Seriously
Did I do a successful taper? Not really. I decreased my running frequency and mileage too much, because I was plagued with minor ailments. I put that time instead into work and home, instead of resting. Have a look at your taper plan, and follow exactly what it says!
Half your training is physical, and half is mental. If you're super fit but stressed and inflexible, then you may be able to finish the race but you will do yourself harm. If you float on self-confidence, but you haven't done the physical work, then you're not gonna finish.
What does "rest" mean? Well, it doesn't mean stressing that your life is not as serene as you would like it to be. But it does mean getting to bed early, cutting out all unnecessary activities, and increase any activity you find relaxing and energizing. During that crucial last week, try to spend time every day organizing your race. Which leads me to the second tip:
2. The Devil in the Details
First things first, though. Choose your race wisely! Things to consider: location, cost (registration, travel and accommodation), type of race course (hills, flat, urban, rural), size of the race, speed (look at the results from former years to see if you will fit in the middle or you'll be right at the back of the pack).
Make lists! This site has lots of lists, plans and other tools for runners: All About Marathon Training.
If you're traveling for your race, you have to figure out what to take with you. Take all your running clothes!! You do not know what the weather will be like, and you don't want to leave something behind (I did, but not a super important thing). Take your race nutrition and whatever you use for hydration. Take your lucky charms, if you're superstitious. I brought my lucky hanky, which I got from my pocket at around mile 20 to wipe my face with.
I found an Airbnb for myself and my husband, which was super conveniently located right next to the race start. But you might want the buzz of staying with other runners, in the sponsored hotel. Think about it before you book.
Plan your meals carefully before the race. If you're travelling, you may want to take food with you, or at least make sure what you usually eat will be available.
I chose to wear my hydration backpack, and also my waist belt for my iPhone because that's how I did all my long runs, and I was happy I did. If you love to listen to music while you run, make sure you have it set up for yourself and have a good playlist. You don't want to be fiddling with controls or asking Siri to skip a song you don't like. Here's my playlist: running. I just wear an earbud in one ear for most of my long runs, which is fine. I brought raisins to munch on, and HoneyStinger energy chews, because I really don't like gels or Gatorade. I took water every chance I could.
Remember to plan for after the race too! You will want to change, shower, eat and drink water. And the worst thing you can do is sit down right away - you will feel it! Keep gently moving, eat lots, drink LOTS of water, and go to bed early.
3. Gratitude is the Key
I read a fantastic article about Desiree Lindon's amazing Boston victory. The race was tough, with many of the elites dropping out from the cold and rain. What jumped out at me in this story was her generosity and kindness towards her fellow runners. Yes, she won, and yes, her competitive spirit helped her win. But during the race, she helped out her fellow runners a couple of times. I thought of her when I was looping back for my second loop, and a runner asked me if I'd passed a porta-potty. No, I hadn't. I stopped and told her I'd cover while she went in the bushes. It just took a few seconds - and then I was on my way - and running way faster! Caring for your fellow humans is definitely a good option.
4. Stay in the Moment
 |
| Mile 24 |
But mostly I discovered that running a marathon is really about staying in the moment. You can't think about all those miles you have to run; it's not useful. You have to run the actual mile you're running, as best as you possibly can. Breathe the air, step one foot after the other, have a handful of raisins. Drink some water. Keep on running. Try to run fast. If you can't run fast, then just run.
5. Have Fun!
Running's just like living: you gotta be happy with what you have, stay in the moment, practise gratitude, compassion and love, and keep on keeping on.
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Can Mrs Tiggywinkle run a marathon?
Almost There!
Last night I ran my 101st run in my 26 week marathon training. I want to run a marathon. There's no instant gratification! It's a lot of running. A lot of miles. A lot of time on my own to think about life.Mrs. Tiggywinkle is my favourite Beatrix Potter character, and I think she might be my spirit animal. I think I look like her. When I run past a window, I look sideways and there she is. She's patient, kind and lovable, all the things I want to be. She's also prickly and stubborn, the things I know I am.
But have I trained enough to run a marathon?
Marathons are like life, you never know what's going to happen until its happening. I'm ready, and that's all I can be. There's flooding happening in Fredericton, where for some weird reason about 18 months ago I decided to run my first marathon, so they changed the course. I studied the old course, and street-viewed it obsessively. Now it's different. Yip.
What if I...
am the last person to finish?
don't finish?
die?
Those are the only things I'm worried about. Other than that, all good. I have my outfit picked out, my lucky hanky packed, food, a water backpack (in case I really am the last person!) ... shoes, socks... damn I am good to go! I am gonna run a marathon!
How will I get through it?
First of all, by running. It's easy enough, you just put one foot down then the other one. Remember to breathe.
The fact that I even got to the point where I am heading for the starting line is a huge deal - the work has been done.
I have some inspiration and mental tricks to keep me going.
When I'm running for a long time, I often think of my family and I feel very grateful that all my guys are behind me. Haha, not literally. My kids and my husband have always been super supportive, if a little bored at times when I talk endlessly of pace and distance.
I have two wonderful people who are my inspiration. Perse has been my friend for 51 years!!! She is an athlete, a coach, a mother, wife, grandmother, and a cancer survivor. When I think of her endurance, strength, cheerfulness in the face of obstacles, stubbornness ... all the best qualities an athlete needs, I am humbled.
And my cousin Becky. She was born with a body that doesn't listen to her brain. Becky works so hard physically just to live her life. She's cheerful, stubborn, and tough. When she's working her way down a flight of stairs, she needs the strength and power that I need to run a marathon, and she needs it every single moment of every day. She is my absolute hero.
And I would like to thank ...
My friends, my running buddies, my Facebook running group, God for giving me a healthy body, some special people who have given me their time and attention to help me train better... the awful Montreal weather that has allowed me to be proud of training in sub-zero temperatures, week after week ...
Running Mantras?
Light. Run light. Tall and light. Just plain light.
You can do this! (simple and cliched but it works)
Love, Gratitude, Compassion. Can I feel love for it? Can I feel gratitude for it? Can I feel compassion?
If all else fails, I tell myself in a loud inner voice that I can FUCKING CRUSH THIS THING.
See y'all down the road!
Keep on running, or walking, or just living. Remember, you got this thing!
Monday, March 26, 2018
The Perfect Run? It's All in your Head!
The Perfect Run?
Does it exist? Of course it does! When you're out the door, on a beautiful day, with nothing to do but spend the next couple of hours running. Your shoes are perfectly tied, your clothes fit. It's a lovely warmish dry day. You didn't eat too much or too little, you have nothing to worry about ... you're in heaven! You're gonna have a perfect run!
Reboot.
Then there are those other runs, the ones from the dark side.Yesterday I headed out for a long run - 3 3/4 hours worth - and I knew it wouldn't be good. I couldn't find the right clothes; my hair was itchy down my back; I realized way too late in the day I hadn't eaten enough, so I gobbled down some crusty toast and cashew butter just before leaving, and tried to make a protein shake but I forgot to put the lid on properly, at least I was near the sink so when I shook it most of the explosion landed .... you get the picture. Anyway, I headed out and started putting those feet one after the other.
Reflections.
You know when you're running, and you feel pretty good, tall and svelte, running across a beautiful meadow in your mind? Then you catch a glimpse of yourself in a store window? That's right. There she was, Mrs. Tiggywinkle, bouncing along, with her pink bobble hat bouncing on top of her head. And she was going so slowly! She checked her watch. Yip. Going slow.More Reflections.
Then I started talking to myself. I started trying to pull myself away from the gloom that had descended upon me over the past few days. The best way to do this, I find, is just to concentrate on the body. What's happening with my breath? Is my chest open? How are my shoulders? Is my torso straight? Hands relaxed by my sides? Is my jaw clenched? Head upright? How's my gait? Are my hips working well? How are my feet landing? That little knee pain I had, what's happening with that? How many steps am I taking per minute? They say 180 is good. For a while I run ...two...three...one ... two ... three ...all good.Onward!
I decided I would run this 225 minute run in three stages: the first stage would be hills, up to "the mountain" and around there on the trails for a bit. I got there and there was still lots of snow. Staying on the roads and sidewalks was easier, so I lengthened the next leg and ran far, far into the east end of the city. The third leg was easier in a way: I knew I was going home and I knew I would achieve my time goal. But harder because I'm learning that at around the three-hour mark I get kind of bored with my own company, and my legs start to get a little heavy.I had some fancy sports jelly-beans with me that helped with my energy level, and a nice backpack with water, so physically I was set. But mentally? Not good! My mind wouldn't stop burrowing around with this and that thought, and any time I would catch one of those squirrelly things, it would run away and then sneak up on me a couple of kilometres down the road. Thoughts of my finances, the cafe finances; my kids and if they are happy; my husband and our life together; the refugees I didn't really help much in Greece last year; why refugees anyway; why is there evil in the world, and I would remember to concentrate on my breath, my gait, my steps ... and have a little peace and then it would all start again.
The Triumphant Return
Anyhow, I ran home, stretched, ate a burger, and all was well.Yes, reader, you guessed it.
I had a great week! Really! Okay, the cafe was packed (yay!), I had lots to do at home to prepare for Passover (yay!), I got my two short runs in and my cross-training (yoga - yay!), and then BOOM!Friday afternoon I'm clearing my flowers (spring -yay!). I did a nice deep squat and could hardly get up - my knee!! So, RICE for the weekend, and no stairs, and no running, and no long run especially (it was gonna be four hours) ... and a lot of time to think.
Yes, "we are made of dreams and bones". Bones, muscles, fascia, all that physical stuff ... super important, especially when you're training to run a marathon. Also when you're giving birth, making love, eating...But the "dream" part - without that, we're nothing! If you don't have that dream, rather, if you allow yourself to grumble instead of dream; if you bring your unhappinesses "along inside your soul", and let them drag behind you, then your body will suffer.
Lesson Learned?
The lesson I learned from my knee? Just as I check my water, phone for music, watch, that I'm wearing the right clothes for the weather, that I've had my last-minute pee and that I've eaten enough ... I need to check my mental state and throw my emotional garbage out before my long run. Because if I don't, it will grind away at my joints, crumple up my fascia, brittle down my cartilage and generally make a mess of things - the longer the run, the bigger the mess.In life, as in birth work, as in running - leave your ego at the door, lace up, and go have fun! You will get your perfect run.
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