This weekend, my friend Ann will run in the half marathon. I think she’s crazy but I will be there to cheer her on. I’ve never been much of a running although I understand its appeal. It has a low cost of entry — really, all you need is a good pair of running shoes — and you can do it almost anywhere and any time.
I have tried running from time to time (although never very seriously), but I just don’t think my body is built for it —I blame it on bad knees and big boobs. I admire those who do run but it does seems like some people’s interest in the sport borders on obsession.
Race Weekend in Ottawa is host to a full range of races, ranging from a 2 K Family Fun Run to a full marathon. It has grown from 146 participants in its first year (1975) to more than 30,000 participants this year.
One of the non-race events this weekend was a talk by John Stanton, founder of the Running Room. To the runners in the room (most of the 400 or so people that were there), he gave some advice on running and some provided a few strategies for running the race.
I was more interested in John Stanton, the individual and businessman. The success of the Running Room has been fairly spectacular and I was looking for some insight into he achieved that success. One statement he made stood out for me; it was:
An intelligent goal
AND a group of people to share it with
AND confidence
= SUCCESS
whether it is a marathon or life
To me, the concept of community and confidence building is an important contributor to reaching your goals. If you have the confidence in yourself and the support of friends and/or family, you will have a greater chance for success, in whatever you attempt. It is so important to focus on the possible and the positive.
Thanks for the inspiring words John!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Ladies Walking Club
Inspired by my experiences over the past few months, I have decided to establish a weekly “Ladies’ Walking Club”. The goal of the LWC is to combine some easy exercise with an opportunity to socialize. I have started by inviting some friends to join me every Thursday for an hour-long walk, starting at 6 pm. The time was chosen to coincide with when most people could get to a central location on their way home from work.
I wanted to encourage those who are not actively exercising to get started with an easy stroll. In addition, I wanted to provide an opportunity for these women to meet and talk with other professional women. Essentially, exercising and networking at the same time.
Walking seemed like the perfect activity — it’s easy to do and requires only a comfortable pair of shoes. It doesn’t require much in the way of skill or attention to detail and it is easy to have a conversation while you’re doing it.
They say it takes 3 weeks to make an activity a habit so I hope it won’t be too long to get some people hooked on a regular physical activity. I also hope to create a network of professional women that will help each other.
I wanted to encourage those who are not actively exercising to get started with an easy stroll. In addition, I wanted to provide an opportunity for these women to meet and talk with other professional women. Essentially, exercising and networking at the same time.
Walking seemed like the perfect activity — it’s easy to do and requires only a comfortable pair of shoes. It doesn’t require much in the way of skill or attention to detail and it is easy to have a conversation while you’re doing it.
They say it takes 3 weeks to make an activity a habit so I hope it won’t be too long to get some people hooked on a regular physical activity. I also hope to create a network of professional women that will help each other.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
ACC hike
One of the things I did this spring — in my quest to get more active —was to join the Alpine Club of Canada. I purchased my membership online through the main ACC website, although I actually belong to the Ottawa chapter, which maintains its own website. I signed up for my first hike partly based on where it was — across the ridge behind a barn I rode at for almost a decade. In all that time, I had never been up the mountain, despite the fact that it rose 200’ behind the house I lived in for more than a year.
The group met in a parking lot at a government complex and we did some quick introductions. Our leader, Darryl, was a long-time member of the ACC as were several other people. I was pleased to find out I was not the only newbie. It was also Deb’s first ACC outing. I had convinced my friend Jim, another avid hiker, to come along — in part so he could learn about the organization, but also for moral support, in case I was the only new person.
We organized carpools and I offered to drive as I was picking up Jim since he lived en-route to our destination. As we geared up at the starting point, a couple of people drove cars to finishing point, which was a few miles down the road.
Our hike started off on a fairly well-defined track but it wasn’t long before we were bushwhacking. Darryl was familiar with the route so he was in the lead, looking for traces of the trail. While we meandered quite a bit as we climbed up the escarpment, we eventually found a marker when we reached to top which declared we were on the right track. Even though this was considered a “beginner” hike, we traveled at a decent pace — no lollygagging here!
After a few hours, we broke for lunch on a clearing looking out over the valley. The view was beautiful and it was nice to take a break. Ironically, our site was literally a few hundred feet above the house I used to live in. As we refueled, some climbers made their way to the top of the cliff where we were sitting. There were also ACC members who were training for rescues.
Our decent was a little more than an hour, which was just enough for me. I really enjoyed the outing and meeting new people. It makes me want to do more! As we said our goodbyes, we exchanged numbers and promised to see each other again.
The group met in a parking lot at a government complex and we did some quick introductions. Our leader, Darryl, was a long-time member of the ACC as were several other people. I was pleased to find out I was not the only newbie. It was also Deb’s first ACC outing. I had convinced my friend Jim, another avid hiker, to come along — in part so he could learn about the organization, but also for moral support, in case I was the only new person.
We organized carpools and I offered to drive as I was picking up Jim since he lived en-route to our destination. As we geared up at the starting point, a couple of people drove cars to finishing point, which was a few miles down the road.
Our hike started off on a fairly well-defined track but it wasn’t long before we were bushwhacking. Darryl was familiar with the route so he was in the lead, looking for traces of the trail. While we meandered quite a bit as we climbed up the escarpment, we eventually found a marker when we reached to top which declared we were on the right track. Even though this was considered a “beginner” hike, we traveled at a decent pace — no lollygagging here!
After a few hours, we broke for lunch on a clearing looking out over the valley. The view was beautiful and it was nice to take a break. Ironically, our site was literally a few hundred feet above the house I used to live in. As we refueled, some climbers made their way to the top of the cliff where we were sitting. There were also ACC members who were training for rescues.
Our decent was a little more than an hour, which was just enough for me. I really enjoyed the outing and meeting new people. It makes me want to do more! As we said our goodbyes, we exchanged numbers and promised to see each other again.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Boxing in the Park
I met my personal trainer — Chad — at the local gym I have belonged to for several years. Unlike the first trainer I worked with at the gym, Chad has been awesome to work with. He works me harder than I would work myself but he knows my limits and is able to push me just hard enough.
Chad has since gone out on his own and I followed him to a private gym where we have continued our one-on-one sessions. This summer, we collaborated to get a group of women together to box several times a week.
Now that the weather is finally getting warm, it is a nice change to exercise outdoors. Our boxing sessions are really interval training, alternating various boxing punches with sprints, push-ups and other exercises, with and without weights. A core group of 5 women come to the park three days a week.
The initial commitment is for an 8-week session. After that, we’ll discuss how we want to proceed. So far, it is an excellent workout with a great variety of activities.
Chad has since gone out on his own and I followed him to a private gym where we have continued our one-on-one sessions. This summer, we collaborated to get a group of women together to box several times a week.
Now that the weather is finally getting warm, it is a nice change to exercise outdoors. Our boxing sessions are really interval training, alternating various boxing punches with sprints, push-ups and other exercises, with and without weights. A core group of 5 women come to the park three days a week.
The initial commitment is for an 8-week session. After that, we’ll discuss how we want to proceed. So far, it is an excellent workout with a great variety of activities.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Urban poling meet up
Heather, the instructor who held the Urban Poling class in April, has started an Urban poling meet up group. This week was the first “meet up”. As I headed out on my own, I was curious to see how many people would show up and whether any of them had been in the class I attended. When I arrived at the parking lot in the Experimental Farm, I was pleased to find a group of about 10 ready to head out. Everyone was new to me and I learned that Heather had also been holding a weekly class downtown.
I love to walk and never would have thought of using poles when I walked around the city. Adding poles has helped in two ways: first, they help provide a sense of rhythm — I find my stride is longer and more regular when I am using my poles; second, they add core strengthening to the workout — something I hadn’t expected.
The meet up was a nice change from my typical walks. Although the dog didn’t get a chance to come along, I had a great time chatting with several interesting people. I think the social aspect of exercise is something to consider. Making a commitment to meet someone is part of it, but having an interesting conversation with people you probably wouldn’t otherwise meet is an added bonus.
I love to walk and never would have thought of using poles when I walked around the city. Adding poles has helped in two ways: first, they help provide a sense of rhythm — I find my stride is longer and more regular when I am using my poles; second, they add core strengthening to the workout — something I hadn’t expected.
The meet up was a nice change from my typical walks. Although the dog didn’t get a chance to come along, I had a great time chatting with several interesting people. I think the social aspect of exercise is something to consider. Making a commitment to meet someone is part of it, but having an interesting conversation with people you probably wouldn’t otherwise meet is an added bonus.
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