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2010 Posts

July 9, 2010 - Welcome to the big leagues!

What a race last night...first off, thanks so much for everyone who come and watched, the support was fantastic! As for the race, I went in feeling great, ready to go and from the gun it was full on. I split the first lap right on target (65 secs), but then the pace kicked up and my next lap was 63-high. I was definitely feeling it at that point as I had never gone out in 2:09 before, but I figured now is the time to take some risks and see what happens. I continued on through 1200m really well, splitting around 3:15, which is another pb! But that's when it got really ugly as I barely made it through the last 100m and ended up running 4:11.

Definitely not the result I was hoping for since I know I'm in pb shape, but other than the ever so crucial last 300m (I realize this was the downfall of my race) I am actually pretty happy with 75% of my race and even think if I ran a similar race in a week (funny I'll have the chance in Paris!) I will run better after having adapted to going out hard in Lausanne. Sometimes you have get a big shock and go down before you come up.

So yes, I am disappointed in the final time and overall place, but still feel like I'm making progress and feel like I'm on the verge of a bigger performance. I can say that it was an extremely competitive race last night where the top 3 times in the world for women's 1500m came from our race so besides major championships this is as big as it gets and I'm still motivated and determined to keep battling my way up the ladder.

I have one week to recover and get some training in to get ready for Paris on July 16 - looking forward to it!

June 26, 2010 - A win's a win

Hilary in 2nd position. Notwil 800, 2:04.26 (1st)

This past Saturday I toed the line for my 2nd 800m of the season at a small meet in Notwil, Switzerland. It was an interesting set up for such a small meet in that they had rabbits for every section of every race, which is great! And apparently I was deemed the 2nd rabbit in my race as when I arrived at the meet, the organizer, some coaches and a few women in the race said one of the best Swiss girls in the race needed to run the European Champs standard of 2:02.50 so would I so kindly go behind the rabbit (who was scheduled to go out in 59-60" through 400m) and Monika (Swiss 800m runner) would follow me.

I found this predicament a bit strange and funny at the same time: I couldn't help but think to myself, "Leave it to the Swiss for being ultra organized!" However, I didn't care too much since I was just there to run fast and was happy to help someone else try to get a qualifying time since I know all to well how that feels... with that being said, a race is a race and I was still there to try and win it.

So the race, or pre-arranged time trial, went off with the rabbit passing 200m in what I understood (in German) to be 28" - yikes, a bit too fast so I was hoping I had misunderstood, but then I heard Trent yell "57, 58" as we passed 400m. I know 1 or 2 seconds doesn't sound like a lot, but in an 800m even half a second can make a big difference at the half way point in how lactic you get. When I heard this split and the rabbit dropped out, my plan was just to push as hard as I could for as long as I could before fully expecting to hit the wall. However, I didn't feel nearly as bad as I anticipated and even got through 600m in 1:30.6...but then I did hit a wall in the last 100m. Luckily, so did everyone else in the race since everyone went out way faster than they could handle. In the end I won in 2:04.26, which is 2 seconds quicker than my first 800m of the season, but still slower than I had wanted.

I'm hoping to run at least one more 800m this season and take a crack at my pb (2:02.20). I definitely think I'm fit enough to do that in a more even race and perhaps battling some more girls down the home stretch.

Now I have a week and a half to get some good training in before Lausanne Diamond League on July 8, which I'm really excited for because we have lots of friends coming to watch, including a huge Nestle crew and Dave is making his first trip here...hopeful bringing Taylor Milne (fellow Speed River teammate) who is on the waitlist.

June 17, 2010 - Small breakthrough, moving in the right direction!

It's funny how as athletes we think we need to constantly be pushing and training really hard, especially when things aren't going well and we feel if we push a bit more we'll get the improvements we're hoping for. Sometimes this might be the case and don't get me wrong, training hard is a huge part of success, but sometimes it's the rest and recovery we neglect on our list of importance. My husband Trent is always telling me and other athletes he consults (he's an exercise physiologist) that we actually get strong when we rest from training, which breaks you down.

So, where am I going with all of this...well, if you read my previous blogs you'll know that I was feeling pretty tired in the last few races. Training has been going great, but I wasn't quite recovered when it came to racing. Dave and Trent had me pull back a bit leading into New York this weekend, and it was amazing the difference I felt compared to two weeks ago in Windsor.

I ended up running 4:07.76, which is under the 4:10 Commonwealth Games standard, not to mention my 3rd fastest time ever. Needless to say, I'm very pumped! It's about what I thought I should run, judging by my training, but training and racing are two different thing so it's nice to have the mark at this point in the season. I don't think I've ever run that fast this early so I consider it a small breakthrough and a step in the right direction. The next step will be working on my pb of 4:05.

I'm back in Switzerland now and will moving into the European ciricuit of races, starting June 26 in an 800m at a small race in Switzerland. After that, I'm running a 1500m here in Lausanne, which is quite a big race - as it's another Diamond League. It will be fun to race at home!

June 5, 2010 - Speed River in action

So my 800m on Wednesday went okay - I ran 2:06, which is an alright start. I was hoping to run a bit faster but we didn't have a rabbit, so I lead the entire race and was a bit hesitant to go out too fast for my first 800m of the season; I've done that before and it doesn't turn out well. Anyway, it was a good race effort and I'll get a chance to run another one in a few weeks when I get back to Switzerland.

Tonight we have the third and last race of the 401 series here in Ontario. I have been confirmed to race the 1500m at the Diamond League in New York next weekend so we decided it was best if I just paced the women's 1500m tonight. I'm excited to be able to help out my Speed River teammates and other girls hoping to run fast on home soil. We're aiming for about a 4:10-4:12 pace. And the men's mile is heating up with Taylor Milne (see feature article) looking to run fast and others will be using him in the quest to break the 4-minute barrier, which would be the first in Guelph!

Come out and watch if you're around Guelph, events start at 7pm.

May 31, 2010 - Ups and downs

Since my last blog, we had a great turn out at the Town Hall Meeting and it seems there's lots of community support for Speed River and running in general so hopefully that will kick start more. See Guelph Running for more info.

I also raced a 1500m in Windsor on the weekend. After about a month of fantastic training, I had a not so fantastic race. I just didn't feel right from the gun - it just felt tough and I'm not sure if I'm just tired from the hard training block and still recovering or if the drastic temperature change (aveg. 33C and humid) in the week leading in hit me harder than I thought. It was a bit like a time trial with my training partner Amber and I trying to work together for a fast time. We worked hard, but I guess it wasn't a good day for either of us as we were well off our 4:10 or under goal (we ran 4:16 and 4:17).

But, as I said, we've been having great workouts that show we should be able to run our goal time so I'm staying postitive and focused on the races to come. Just a blip on the radar and still a tough effort that provided good stimulus.

Up next I'm running an 800m in London, Ontario this Wed. I don't get a chance to run many so I'm really excited! I'm thinking this will make the next 1500m feel nice and slow compared to the pace of an 800m!

May 17, 2010 - Community Outreach

In my last blog you saw our Speed River Track Club shoveling manure for a club fundraiser, which ended up being really successful - so thanks to everyone in the Guelph area for supporting us!

This week Speed River has been getting quite a bit of press about an upcoming Town Hall meeting we've called to try and raise awareness about our group in terms of our elite athletes, but also our community involvement and outreach. It's always been a big part of our club's philosophy that we have a social responsibility to get involved in our community to promote general health and well-being starting from our youth programs to masters runners to connecting with the recreational fitness community. If we as elite athletes can help inspire others to be fit, then it's a good start!

So, by following through with our own social responsibility, we also hope that the leaders in our community might be able to help us out by rallying for more funds to build better facilities (ie. we need a rubberized track!) as well as get sponsors on board and support our programs so we can help more future and current Olypmians, as well as live in a healthier community! And that's what brings us to the Town Hall Meeting.

If anyone is going to be in the Guelph area May 25th at 7:30pm, stop by Rozanski Hall at the University of Guelph to join us for the meeting. Our goal is to have world-class Canadian athletes training with the best track club in Canada, in the fittest city in Canada! Check out more info here.

May 7, 2010 - Good start

So the race at Stanford was a pretty good start to the season. I ran 4:13 in a sit and kick type race. It was a windy night so no one really wanted to lead and we slugged through 800m in 2:18 (my split). It got going in the last 600m and I ran about 80 seconds for my last 500m (~64 last lap), but the top 3 girls closed in 61 so I definitely need to work on my kick. I'm not too worried as we haven't done much speedwork and it's about 3 weeks earlier than I usually open the season, yet still ran the same time as personal best years. So, eventhough I think I'm fitter than the final time I ran, it still shows me I'm on track!

It was also really exciting to be at Stanford to see my former Wisconsin teammates kick butt in the 10km - Chris Solinsky ran an American record and I think a world lead of 26:59 and Simon Bairu broke an 8-year-old Canadian record running 27:23. It was amazing to watch - great job guys!

I'm not going to race again until the end of the month so I'll have some time to get in several good track sessions and still keep decent mileage going. I'm planning on a few different racing blocks at end of May/begining of June, mid-July and Aug so I can focus on training inbetween.

Speedy Manure club fundraiser

This week has been okay for training, although I was pretty tired on Monday after Saturday race, Sunday morning long run and then 12hrs of door-to-door travelling home from Cali. I'm glad I'm not racing for a bit! Instead, this weekend I'm doing some supplemental training for a Speed River club fundraiser. Each year our club raises about $12,000 selling manure from a mushroom farm used for gardening. So tonight I spent about 3 hours shoveling and bagging manure to get ready for delivery tomorrow. I think I'm going to be more sore from that than my track workout this afternoon. But at least we can help the club out!

Me and my team shoveling manure.

May 1, 2010 - Let the racing season begin!

In just a few hours my racing season will get underway with my first 1500m of the season at the Payton Jordan meet in Stanford, California. I guess in my last blog I said I'd be running a 3000m here, which was the original plan, but they decided not to have one so 1500m it is!

The last month of training has gone really well. It's been a transition phase into track so some days I feel like a completely different athlete compared to others. For example, in one week I'll do a workout of up to 35 mins of tempo, a track session of 1km repeats and another of fast 200s. But I like the dichotomy of training and know it will be important for my endurance and longevity throughout the season.

As for the race today, I’m not quite sure what to expect. The competition is strong and I’m hoping for an honest pace and a good starting point for the rest of the season. We haven’t done a ton of specific work – I guess I’ve been training in Guelph for two weeks now and we’ve done one workout geared to 1500m, but it felt surprisingly good. So, I’m just excited to get out there and race and go from there.

After racing tonight, I'm heading back to Guelph to train for the next month and I'll run in our 401 Distance Series races that will be aimed at providing some good local racing opportunities.

For those interested in watching the race live, I run at 7pm PT, see here.

March 27, 2010

Finally Spring has arrived and training has become a lot less frigid...at least in Switzerland, although I think my training partners in Guelph might still be dealing with snow (sorry guys!).

But weather aside, I've had a really good last month of training. I took a short break after Birmingham - just one week of a few 1 hr runs, mixed with a few days off. And since then I've had a good endurance phase - averaging about 70miles (110-120km) a week, with one longer tempo run (up to 30mins), one workout of a fartlek or long repeats on the track, and a split day where I do a bit of tempo in the morning and hills or shorter speed work in the afternoon. And I've added in weights twice a week and plyometric training 2-3 times a week.

It took me a couple weeks to adapt to this load again so I was pretty exhausted and was crawling on some of my easy runs, but then by the third week it's like my body woke up and I started to come around. I'm still tired a lot, but my workouts have been on target or better, which tells me I'm handling the load well. If my quality was going down for a significant period of time I would be worried I was overdoing it, but that hasn't happend.

So, I thought I'd give myself a little wake up call or test by entering a 10km road race tomorrow in Holland. I am here visiting friends and there is a good race closeby so it was a good opportunity to race. It's suppose to be cold, windy and rainy - typical Dutch weather - so a perfect way to test myself BOTH physically and mentally!

After tomorrow I won't race again until I start on the track May 1 at Stanford in California. This year with the long season leading hopefully into October for Commonwealth Games, I decided to start with a longer race, so I'll do the 3000m at Stanford. It's a distance I don't get a chance to run very often so I'm excited!

Feb. 23, 2010 - Good close to indoor season

I finished off my indoor season this past weekend at the Birmingham Grand Prix. I have to be honest, since Stuttgart I was a bit hesitant to run in Birmingham because it was another world record attempt and the startlist was quite slim initially. I'm all for challenging myself, but I think it's important to make sure I'm in the right race at the right time. I'm really happy with how my training has been going and was confident that I was in indoor pb shape, but getting into a sub-4:00 race with only a few women in the field, is something I'd be more ready for this summer.
In the end, the field at Birmingham ended up rounding out much better than initially planned and I decided to give the race a go. The field was still very elite, but I knew besides the few at the front (Burka and Jamal) I was in shape to hang with the rest of the field and run a fast time. So, that's basically what happend. You can read more below, but I ended up running a new indoor mile personal best of 4:30.89. I just missed the Canadian qualification for world indoors (4:30.64) but since my focus has always been the outdoor season, I'm quite okay with this. I'm really excited to end the indoors in pb shape and continue on with a good training block into the spring. I'll likely open my outdoor season sometime in May.

More updates to come!

Feb. 8, 2010 -  Where do I begin...

I have to apologize for the long delay in updates - my computer crashed in early January and I'm still waiting to get it fixed. So I've just figured out how to update on here without accessing my files.

Anyway, my indoor season is underway and I have mixed feelings about it so far - in that I'm really excited about where I'm at in training, but have yet to achieve what I want in races. But from experience, I realize racing doesn't always match up to training right away.

A quick update since last time...I stayed in Guelph (Canada) for a few weeks after Christmas to train with Dave (Canadian coach) and some new additions to our training group - Dana Buchanan and Amber McGowen (Canadian girls who were training with Oregon Track Club), along with some of the collegiate girls. We did some great workouts and I really felt like this kick-started my fitness.

We did a little test in Toronto at a small indoor meet, basically switching leads to run 4:22 in the 1500m, which felt good. At that point I felt strong, but not sharp - pretty normal for the start of indoors when we still focus a lot on endurance training and just once a week on the track.

From there we headed to the New Balance Games, which is always one of my favourite meets. New Balance treats us well, as does meet director Ian Brooks - who always makes this early-season meet so much fun. I also got asked to do a high school training clinic for New Balance and was very impressed with the local athletes who attended - they challenged us with some great questions! (see photos)

The New Balance mile featured a great field of women and ended up being a good test on tactics - it went out pretty slow (2:17 for 800m) and wound up for a fast finish. I ended up 5th in 4:34. I was aiming to run faster, but I made the mistake with 3 laps to go of not covering a move by Erin Donahue, which was a good reminder that when a gap forms in a 1500m race, it's pretty tough to get it back.

So, this past weekend I ran in Stuttgart, Germany which was a very different race than in New York - the pace was set to be at 4:00 (close to world record for indoors) at the request of Ethiopian Gelete Burka. There was only 7 of us in the race and all were strong competitors. The race split a bit and I was in the 2nd group, but we still hit the 400m in 64.9, which is right on my outdoor pb pace! So I knew it was going to be a matter of holding on and testing my fitness out. I know I'm fit, but realistically I know I still have work to do before I'm in pb shape so when we went through in 2:45 for the 1km I started to struggle. I managed to stay with the group until 1200m, but then things got pretty ugly. I finished in 4:17 so I really tough last 300m considering I split the 1500m (via the mile) in New York if 4:15.0.

But I know a race like that, although disappointing because of the overall time, is still a good race stimulus that will just prepare me better for races to come. My plan is to run the mile in Birmigham, UK on Feb. 20. So I have a couple weeks to get a few good workouts in and improve on my latest performances. I'm pretty confident about my progress in training and just want to get the most out of these indoor races to set me up well for the more important outdoor season.

2009 Posts

Dec. 7, 2009 - Rolling along...

I had another pretty good race in Geneva this past weekend so things seem to be moving along in the right direction. It was nothing ground breaking, but I ran faster than last year and was happy with a solid, yet painful in the end, effort that will help my adjustment into the indoor track season.

It was actually a pretty exciting race because it ended up being the most competitive field I've run against thus far in Geneva. Recent winner of the NYC Marathon, Deratu Tulu (who also ran last year) was second, along with some other good Africans and a couple of European women getting in one last race before next weekend's European XC Champs in Dublin. Since I'm jealous I can't run in the European Champs, at least I can see how they fair and make a comparison of where I'm at.

Overall, training has been going well and I've been able to keep up good volume through these road races. I have one more next weekend before going into another training block that will transition me into the indoor track season, which I always enjoy!

Nov. 26, 2009 - Sometimes we think too much!

My road race season officially began this past weekend in the small village of Bulle, Switzerland - just 45mins down the road from us. Switzerland has an excellent series of road races that feature races of 1km for small kids, up to 6km for elite women and 10km for elite men - plus all the age groups inbetween. It's amazing to see so many people out racing - it goes on all day with the elite races at night under the city lights - among streets filled with screaming fans, making for a great atmosphere.

I was pretty happy with how my race ended up, although if I didn't stick with and end up beating a large pack of women who had caught me mid-race, as I was paying for first-race-excitement of going out too hard, I think my analysis of this race and my overall fitness would have been much different. And thus the title of my blog - sometimes as athletes we tend to over think or put too much weight on one race or workout. I could have very easily ended up 15th in Bulle and when the big pack of women passed me I started doubting my fitness, but then I just told myself it's a race and everyone is hurting, I am fit and I better get my butt in gear to stay with them and beat as many as I can. So in a matter of seconds my change in attitude changed my race outcome and probably my ultimate outlook of my fitness. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy I dug in and finished well, but all the training I've done up until that race would not have become null and void if I'd finished 15th place.

My point in all of this is that I think it's important not to get too caught up or over analytical about one race or one workout. I remind myself to trust my fitness and stay confident because this will get you through a tough race almost more than being super-fit will...of course both are ideal!

Nov. 15, 2009 - Getting stronger, loving training

I really have to apologize for how long it's been since I've updated this - not much of a blog if I'm not putting regular posts up! It's been a busy Fall and my website has taken a bit of a backseat to other things, but I think I'm back on track.

Training has been going really well - I am definitely ahead of where I've been in previous years. I'm stronger in workouts and have run better in my first "test" at the Lausanne 1/4 marathon. I can't claim any major changes in training, but I have to say that my husband Trent being in full marathon training in preparation for the NYC marathon definitely helped push me and I think I'm just getting stronger with more years under Dave's program.

As official cheerleader, I went with Trent to NYC and I have to say it's a spectacular event and a marathon everyone should experience once. I definitely will run it at some point. And Trent ran great, 2:51 which was right in his goal range. I did feel bad for all the runners that day as they had a head wind for the first 20 miles.

I've also been working on some of my duties as female athlete rep for Athletics Canada, which has been very rewarding and will be even more so if I can help make improvements - I think any time you're intimately involved in the strategic planning and process of something you love it gives you more accountability and motivation to help better the system and the sport. I've also been able to see how passionate our Canadian athletes are about T&F and achieving their goals.

Anyway, I'm going to start racing next weekend and am excited to rub elbows with some good competition and push myself to see what I can do. I WILL keep everyone posted.

Sept. 18, 2009 - Back at it!

Wow, the last month has flown by and I can't believe it's already into Fall training. I took some much needed time off of active recovery - I enjoyed doing some hiking, biking, swimming, as well as visiting with friends and family. I actually found it tough not to be running during the World Champs - I really wanted to be racing, which is good motivation.

The women's 1500m was a crazy race in Berlin as one of the pre-race favourites got knocked down with 150m to go by a Spanish athlete who ended up winning, but later was disqualified, thus crowning Maryam Jamal the World Champion for the second time in a row. I have to give props to the American and British 1500m women who have been running some really fast times and great races. Having raced most of these women in the past eight years and being in the mix with them, this is very motivating for me!

Although some athletes are still rounding out the track season, I have officially started my Fall training - also known as base phase. In the next few months I'll be laying down a good base of lots of endurance training and longer interval or tempo workouts. It's still really important to mix in strides, plyometrics and circuit training during this phase to keep the fast twitch muscles firing - which I'll integrate in a couple times a week, along with yoga and Pilates once each a week.

Speaking of fast twitch muscle fibers - research has found that you actually activate these fibres during long runs: when your slow twitch fibers start to get tired, the fast twitch kick in to give the slow ones a break (known as the overload principle in muscle contraction) . Perhaps, this same phenomena occurs with regard to fartlek training or even the African style of racing (surging) because it indicates that surges or activating fast twitch fibers could actually help you in long runs and races by giving your slow twitch fibers a break and time to rejuvenate. So the next time you have been running/racing for a long period of time, and are starting to fade, try putting in a little surge to see if you can active those faster twitch muscle fibers - it can't hurt to try!

Anyway, that's some science behind why we do our training in such a way. And besides lots of training, I'll also run a few road races in November just to put myself through enough pain that I don't forgot what racing is all about! I'll be posting updates as the season progresses.

Aug. 1, 2009 -

Frustration + Disappointment = Quest for redemption

Fit, ready and determined - all things I left Barcelona with and went into Stockholm knowing, but a small niggle in my hip flexor and hamstring turned into a big problem mid-race that resulted in a bad outcome and a very disappointed and frustrated me.

All athletes know what if feels like when your body starts to breakdown from a lot of competitions, combined with travel. I am usually pretty resilient when it comes to injuries (knock on wood), but I still deal with some nagging stuff that I try to stay on top of and have never had a problem in a race. I guess there's a first time for everything because what started out as a nagging hamstring and hip flexor, turned into a big problem mid-race in Stockholm.

Unfortunately, it was cold and windy and the meet was a bit behind so we had to sit in the outdoor call-room for about 20 mins basically cooling down. I've dealt with this before so I didn't let it bother me - at major championships it's pretty common to sit in call-rooms for 30-45mins after you've already warmed up, but usually they're inside or at least warm.

Eitherway, I started the race only feeling a bit of tighness in my hamstring, but halfway through a felt something pull and gradually it felt as though I was running on one leg. From there the race go progressively worse.

It was super-frustrating because I finally felt like things were going in the right direction this season and I was ready to pop a personal best. I also got into this race by a hair so it was very disconcerting to run so poorly. You're only as good as your last race so bad performances can really hurt getting into future races.

Nevertheless, this experience and this season leaves me with a hunger for more and a determination for redemption. Although this will end my season, I plan to rest, get some treatment, regroup and then get back on track and ready to run fast again.

Best of luck to everyone going to Berlin, I really wish I could be there, but I'll be taking notes and getting motivated for next season.

July 29, 2008 - The waiting game...

This morning I woke up, packed my bags with the usual race gear, went for an easy run and got ready to catch the bus to the train station that would take me to the airport. However, in all my morning preparations, I actually had no idea if I was in the race for which I was preparing and wasn't quite sure when I'd find out.

Since Luzern, things have gone quite well. I went to Heusden, Belgium (also not knowing if I was in the race or even if they would have a women's 1500m until the night before). It ended up being really windy, but it was still a good race as I ran 4:11.18, with a really strong second half. Even though I didn't run faster than Luzern, I was regaining my confidence and progressing with each race.

From there I flew to Barcelona for another 1500m, in which many of the fast Spainish girls were running, among others. There I took another couple seconds off my season best, running 4:08.96 and again having a really strong last lap. Unfortunately, even though the international deadline to qualify for World Championships is Aug. 3, July 26 was the deadline for the Canadian team, I raced Barcelona on July 25th and needed to run under 4:06.00. It was bittersweet because I know I'm peaking as the days progress, but time has run out.

Nevertheless, I know I am fit and in personal best shape so I wanted another shot at doing this. From Barcelona I immediately contacted my manager to see if he could get me in Stockholm. It turned out the race was full, but if there were cancellations, I could run.

So this brings me to this morning, awaiting a call to see if anyone had cancelled and I could take her spot to run in Stockholm. I had reserved a flight and could book it up until 1 hour before, but by the time I had to get on the bus to the train station, I hadn't heard. My manager gave me the phone number of the meet director who told me to call him back in 45mins - so I got on the bus with my luggage and proceeded to the train station, hoping I was in.

Ten minutes before the train, I called the meet director back and he informed me I was in luck, someone had cancelled. Phew! I quickly bought a train ticket and got myself to the airport to buy my ticket.

Now I'm on my way to Stockholm and really excited for another opportunity to run fast - this time with a bit more adrenaline behind me! This is how it goes in the world of athletics...well perhaps unless you're Usain Bolt and have meet directors begging you to run in their meet!

July 16, 2008 - Season best and one step closer!

The race in Luzern last night wasn't quite as good as I hoped since three of the top-seeded girls pulled out at the last minute, but it still was a step in the right direction. I ran 4:10.70, which is a season best by 3 seconds. I was pretty happy with this time since I ended up doing most of the leading in the second half of the race after the rabbit dropped out.

So, now I'm heading to Belgium to race in either Heusden (18th) or Gent (21st), depending on if the first has a women's 1500m - still pending at this moment! After that I'll head to Barcelona for a good race on July 25th.

Stay tuned!

July 9, 2009 - Can't help but have amnesia!

If anyone looked up results in Lausanne they'll see that it didn't go very well. The weather was less than ideal - cold and rainy - but I felt good going in and felt find until the last lap where I lacked the pop needed to close it out. Talking to several Canadians who had similar travel schedules as I, coming from Nationals, they expressed the same feelings so I got the first one out of my system and ready to move on.

I can't help but have amnesia about this past race because workouts have been going well it just won't make sense if I don't run fast. Given that logic, I simply plan to do just that. I'm racing in Luzern on July 15th and according to the meet director the pace is set for 4:04 - which would be great so you can bet I'll be hanging out in that company!

At Montreaux Jazz Festival with visiting athletes.

Other than the race here in Lausanne, it was a great week with lots of fellow athletes in town staying with us or close by. It felt kind of like a Team Canada training camp, which I always get a lot of energy from so it's been positive. And a bunch left today to head to Athens to run fast! Best of luck to all getting ready to race and I'll keep you posted on my journey.

June 27, 2009 - Good for silver...

Courtesy of Guelph Mercury

It was a tough fight for the medals this past weekend at the Canadian Champs. I gave everything I had in the very tactical race that came down to the final sprint. Although I didn't satisfy my questl for another gold, my effort was good for the silver medal. Malindi (1st) and Nicole (3rd) put up a good fight and both look ready to run fast, so I'm in good company.

I'm back in Europe now and ready to run fast times in good races. My next race is at home here in Lausanne, Switzerland on July 7th, which is always a good race so I'm really pumped and will be ready to lay it down!

On a side note, I've added a new link to my site for Trent's new website. Obviously I'm biased since I'm married to him, but I do think if you're interested in gaining more knowledge on sports nutrition and physiology and want reliable info, you should check it out!

June 24, 2009 - Ready to go!

It's been a great couple weeks of training and seems like everything is coming together at the right time. Since my last race in Vancouver I've had some great workouts, even pbing in my speed workouts, which is exciting! So I'm especially looking forward to translating that into my upcoming races. My first race at Nationals is in three days, the 1500m heats, and the final is Sunday.

I want to thank everyone for all their supportive emails. I also want to give a shout out to Jean Little Elementary school in Guelph - I've been volunteering there for the last month while training in Guelph and really enjoyed working with all the students who have inspired me with all their energy and motivation. They even helped keep me honest in our race last Friday. Thanks guys!

June 16, 2009 - Moving in the right direction

I'm back from Vancouver and feel like I took a good step forward in the last week. The Festival of Excellence in Toronto was a great competition and lots of fun. Unfortunately, the weather didn't quite cooperate and it ended up raining for most of the meet. I wasn't very happy with the time I ran (4:33 mile) but I was a bit too hesitant to go with the front pack and let them get too much of gap on me in the middle of the race. However, I realized in the end that I'm fitter than I gave myself credit for because I made up ground and felt strong in the finish. I should have stayed with the leaders, but it definitely got me excited to race again.

So, in Vancouver I raced more aggressively and stayed with the lead pack, which I think was a good strategy overall and would have worked out well if our pacemakers didn't open the first lap in 61 seconds instead of the 65 seconds we were hoping for. We all paid for it in the second half of the race - many girls ran about 5 seconds off their season best due to the early fast pace. Thus, I'm optimistic that in a good race I am ready to run under 4:10 right now and am quickly approaching the fitness and race sharpness I need to run in pb range and faster.

Next up is Canadian Nationals in less than two weeks. I am looking forward to getting in a couple strong workouts and then getting ready to defend my national title!

June 9, 2009 - Ready for the Festival

I'm happy to report that I'm healthy and ready to go for Festival of Excellence in Toronto on Thursday night. I've had a solid couple weeks of training with my club Speed River in Guelph, Ontario, which not only has been beneficial for physical training, but it's also been great mentally. It's been a good confidence booster just to have Dave at my training sessions and get in with the group here so I can shut my brain off and just run! When you have a group you don't have to worry about every split, which is great. Trent was also able to be here for all of last week's training, which helps me because he and Dave work well together and can bounce ideas off each other to get me to where I need to be in training and racing.

I'm running the mile on Thursday night and it looks like a good field. I've been watching a lot of fast times go down in the women's 1500m all over the world and I'm ready to join that group! After the mile, I'll head to Vancouver to run at the Harry Jerome Classic on Sunday in the 1500m. I will report when I can, but results should also be on the websites.

May 20, 2009 - Small bump in the road
If anyone has seen my most current race results at the Carson meet, they're probably wondering what happend. It was a pretty stressful and disappointing weekend. It was a difficult decision to actually race because in my last workout in Flagstaff I somehow strained my calf, which put a lot of pressure on my achilles. I didn't run for a couple of days, hoping the rest would help for the race. During my warm-up for the race it didn't feel too bad so I decided to race, but I think all the stress leading in with perhaps some compensation of running differently made me feel really off when it came to the final sprint. It's possible I could have also felt off from only coming down from altitude two days earlier - it was my first time doing this so it's tough to see. Either way, the combo wasn't good.

However, I got back to Canada and was able to get in to see my doctor, John Vargo, right away for some electric stim and active release. So far it's been working well and today I ran with little pain. I think I'll be good to go for some great training just in time for being back in Guelph with my coach Dave and the rest of the Speed River group next week!

Hilary's Dad and John Gibbons handing over car keys

On another note, I want to give a big thanks to John Gibbons Motors of Chatham for supporting me with a car to use during my time in Canada - it means so much to me to have community support.

May 9, 2009 - Good week of training

Flagstaff track

I keep telling myself that I have to be getting fitter with how hard training is up here, even if the times are difficult to relate since you run slower than at sealevel. I keep hearing different conversions like mile repeats are about 15 secs slower up here, but I just figure if I run on effort and run as hard as I can on the days I need to, I will get fitter! [more]

One other side note I just had to share - I was reading race reports on IAAF and noticed a local track meet in Kenya attracted 350 men in the 5,000m - they had to split the race into 3 heats! Sometimes it's hard enough to attract that many people in a local road race in Canada. I suppose this is why distance running is their forte and hockey is ours. I'd say we have a good goal to reach in Canadian running! Check it out. [IAAF story]

May 1, 2009 - One week survived in Flag

Me at the Grand Canyon

I can't believe I've already been here in Flagstaff for over a week. It took me about 8 days until I started feeling normal in terms of my breathing and heart rate. It's still a challenge, but I feel much better.
[More...]

April 23, 2009 - Running High at 7,000ft (2100m) in Flagstaff

Buffalo Park, Flagstaff, Arizona

After a week in Phoenix, Arizona at a training camp with the Canadian Team, I've started my altitude training camp in Flagstaff and have to say I much prefer it up here compared to Phoenix. I've been here four days and it's been absolutely perfect - about 20C, sunny and little wind, which is great considering they had snow a week ago! [more...]

P.S. Thanks to everyone who voted for me in the Female Athlete Rep election, I'm really excited for the challange and looking forward to making an impact.

March 31, 2009 - I have to say that I'm eagerly awaiting the warm weather so I can get some good quality track sessions in. It's been a tough winter of training, but I feel like I have some great base under my belt, which should help keep me going through the upcoming track season.

Over the last month I've continued to build my base with long runs, tempos and fartleks, but we've added a few track sessions in and a bit of speed. I am heading to Phoenix, Arizona in just under two weeks to join some other Canadian athletes for a training camp. After one week in Phoenix, I'll spend one month at altitude in Flagstaff before starting competition in May. I can't wait!

On other fronts in the Athletics world, Jordan hosted the World Cross Country Champs this past weekend. Although it was clear there was an African dominance, it was exciting to see people like New Zealand's Kim Smith and US's German Fernandez running up near the front. And hey, I'm not one to complain about the strength of the African runners because I believe they've worked extremely hard to be great champions and all we have to do is match them on our work ethic and tenacity or will to win. On that note, I will mention that I was equally as excited to see Maryam Jamal, who I've spend a lot of time training with, finish 8th in the senior women's race.

One more interesting note...I definitely feel fortunate that New Balance has continued to sponsor me through this economic crisis, but other athletes haven't been as fortune. One in particular, Romain Mesnil, a French pole vaulter lost his Nike contract so decided to attract some attention in hopes of new sponsorship by running naked through the streets of Paris. Interesting way to attract attention, that's for sure!

That's all for now, I will post updates from Arizona.

Feb. 22, 2009

Well, as fast as the indoor season came, it is over. I have to say I'm not completely satisfied with how it went for me, but unfortunately getting sick hindered my performance. I think if I had a couple more races I would have ran the times I was looking forward. But that just gets me eager for the summer.

Overall, I think I still got a boost in fitness from the races. I feel like I'm in pretty good shape and plan to build on that in the coming months for outdoors. I am now taking a week of down time and will start back up in a few days, slowly building into specific track training.

I am really looking forward to spending a month in Flagstaff, Arizona starting mid-April and then getting start with racing by mid-May. I will keep everyone posted on how things are going as the season progresses.

Thanks to everyone for their support and emails!

Feb. 15, 2009 - Under the weather...

As you will read in the news on Dusseldorf, I was unfortunately not well and my performance showed. It's disappointing considering I only have a few indoor races, but out of my control.

My focus now is to recover and hopefully be healthy enough to run Stockholm on Wednesday. I will keep everyone posted.

Feb. 9, 2009 - A good start

I opened my indoor track season in Stuttgart this past Saturday. Although the time was a lot slower than I was hoping (4:17), I have to say that I truly enjoyed racing and being competitive. I didn't think much about the time during the race, but we were already 2:16 instead of 2:12 (the rabbit's projected pace) at 800m.

Nevertheless, I didn't really know what to expect because I haven't been doing anything on the track that is directed at 1500m pace except a few 200s three days before. Although, I do think the plyos and hill sprints have helped keep some sharpness.

My goal for Saturday was to come top-3 and run 4:12 or faster so I hit one of those goals by placing 3rd in a pretty good field, and I'll aim for the time goal in the next couple races. Although my focus will first be to just race!

See more on Stuttgart below in Latest News.

Feb. 5, 2008 - Time to get racing!
After a couple months of a good training block, I'm ready to start racing. Although my indoor season will be short, it will help remind my body and mind what competition is like.

Training has been going well in the last few weeks. I've been averaging about 120km a week with about a 20-22km long run. We changed my program this winter a bit in that I only do two workouts a week (long tempo and fartlek or interval session) and other days are moderate running, but also mixing in weights, plyometrics and hills to keep my speed active. Hopefully this will keep me fresher and ready to undertake the really tough training that is required to run fast in the outdoor season. As well, the goal is to use the next few indoor races to rev up my fitness.

I will keep you posted on how they go!

Jan. 16, 2009 - Happy New Year!

Indoor track w/o in Guelph Dec.31.

I always find this time of year the toughest in terms of the grind of training. I'm sick of the cold (although I have to say Switzerland has been a heat wave compared to what we experience in Ontario over the holidays!) and I'm eager to get into track mode. Lately I've been averaging about 75 miles (125km) a week with basically lots of endurance-type training such as longish tempos (30 mins worth) and fartleks. But to keep my speed fine-tuned I still include things like weights, plyometrics, short hill repeats, and fast strides, a few times a week.

I did get a chance to jump on the indoor track while in Guelph (Canada) over Christmas and joined my club, Speed River, for a tough workout of 4-5 x 1200m (4mins rest). I just did 4 since it was my first time on the indoor track and averaged some pretty uncomfortable 3:48-3:50s on the 180m track! It was a good wake up call and will hopefully get me ready to race a few indoor meets in February. But the bigger picture still remains to be the outdoor season.

I hope everyone is surviving and enjoying the winter! I will keep you posted on how the indoor season goes.

On another note, I just read an interesting article comparing running on a treadmill vs. running outside. I have run on treadmills a number of times to avoid slippery or cold conditions and actually don't mind it. Anyone interested in how they compare to outdoor running should read this article.

2008 Posts

Dec. 5, 2008 - Back in the groove...

My apologies for not posting sooner on my experience in Japan. Once I got back home, it took me longer than expected to get back into the swing of things.

As for Japan, it was a great team experience and so nice to bond with some fellow Canadians. Our team was 9th overall, which was a decent showing. We would have liked to be in the top-6, but there were definitely some strong teams, especially those from Japan. (Check out full race results and info here.)

My race was a different story. I was not happy at all with my performance and was really disappointed not to have run better for the team. I know I am in better shape than how I raced, but I think all the travel (from Ethiopia to Europe and then a day later to Japan), combine with racing 5 days after coming from altitude was a bad mix for me. It was a bit of a gamble I'll admit, but you don't know until you test yourself. The good thing is now I know for the Spring when I will spend more time at altitude in Flagstaff and then race on the track.

But after a week back at home I'm feeling much better. Overall, I seemed to have responded really well to all the training in Ethiopia. I will have another go at racing tomorrow in the Geneva Escalade - one of my favourite road races because of the amazing fans who line the old town of Geneva as we maneuver our way up and down the winding streets of the old town. And you can always count on great competition.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Training Camp: Nov. 1-19, 2008

Nov. 18, 2008 - Time to go home
I've had a great two and half weeks here in Ethiopia, in which I've gained a lot of knowledge and experience about training at altitude. It's been especially helpful to have other athletes with much more experience give me guidance. I will definitely be back here and hopefully with a similar training environment and group. More.

Nov. 15, 2008 - Two miles high and on the edge
A significant lesson I've learned here, both from experience and from watching other people, is that your body reacts differently at altitude: you recover slower, you run slower and your body is on the edge. More

Nov. 12, 2008 - Ethiopian Style

The Ethiopians have their own way of doing things: some things are traditional, some intuative, and other things are just plain inefficient. More

Nov. 8, 2008 - Ethiopian Culture from food to dance

I have to apologize for not posting blogs more frequently, but our internet and power has been sketchy at best and goes on and off frequently. So, I have been writing, and will post everything when I can.

We had the chance to eat at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant a few nights ago, check it out...

Nov. 6, 2008 - Training at 2700m

'm started to feel more comfortable at the altitude and really enjoying the training, even though it can be really tough, especially on hard days. But I figure that all the great Ethiopian runners have trained in the same places and in the same way as we are and it's benefitted them a great deal, so it's worth a try! More...

Nov. 5 - Meet the athletes

As my last blog said, it's really incredible here and I feel very fortunate to be having these experiences, not to mention the benefits of the great training environment. All the athletes with us here are very motivated and serious about training hard and getting the most out of the training camp. Check out this video to meet everyone and get their perspectives.[Video]

Nov.2/3

Nov.1, 2008 - Day 1 - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

And so it begins, my training camp in the land where some of the best distance runners live and train: Ethiopia.
We arrived early this morning at 4am, I came in on the same flight as Lidia Chojecka (Polish,1500m) one of the many athletes joining our camp for the next month. We were able to pick up our visas pretty quickly and were picked up at the airport by her boyfriend who had arrived a few days earlier.
The first thing I noticed when existing the airport is how nice the locals are...okay, I don't want to sound too naive because I do know they weren't carrying my 25kg bag for nothing! Nevertheless, the Ethiopian people are very nice...more.

Oct. 8, 2008 - Getting back into rhythm
I've been back to normal training for about a month now and finally finding my rhythm again. Although I appreciate taking time off, it is always tough to get back into shape...and I'm nowhere near that yet! But I am feeling stronger each week and have been able to increase my mileage steadily.
I'mgoing to ru n a 10km road race at the end of October, before heading to Ethiopia for a few weeks of altitude training. I've had the pleasure of training with Maryam Jamal here in Lausanne for the last couple of years and have been invited by her and her husband to join them in Addis Ababa for a training camp with a few others from various countries. I'm really looking forward to experiencing a new culture, especially one that is so famous for its runners, as well as taking advantage of some great training partners.
While there, I hope to give updates and post videos -- provided I have the necessary internet connection.

Aug. 28, 2008 - Rejuvenated and refocused
After a good break that I needed both mentally and physically, I am ready to embark on the year ahead. It was definitely tough to watch the Olympics from home, but I had a great support system around me in my family and friends to help me get through it.
Some surprising and difficult news that did put a bit of salt in my wounds were the announcements of eight doping violations in the women's 1500m all before the Olympics: 4 Russians, 3 Romanians and 1 Bulgarian. There are still appeals going through and it will be awhile before we know the outcome. None of them competed in the Olympics. This news was tough to take considering our qualification standards for Olympic and World Champs are based on averages of times that include those of these doped athletes. This also means instead of 18th at World Champs last year, I would have been at least top-10. But, at the same time I have to rejoice in the fact that they are catching athletes and making our sport cleaner! This will mean good things for the upcoming seasons.
On a positive note, the Canadian athletes represented our country well with some very exciting features. Personally, I found it amazing to watch Priscilla Lopes-Schliep win bronze in the 100m hurdles, and found myself screaming at the TV as 2000 Olympic Champ Simon Whitfield battled back from being in 4th place with 1km to go in the men's triathlon, to win silver - that was inspiring! Great job to all the athletes in Beijing!
So, with the 2008 outdoor season coming to an end for most athletes, I am getting back into training and looking forward to having a good endurance phase of training through the fall and winter. I will be running a few low key road races and will report on how things go.

July 20, 2008 - Sport is tough, life is not always easy
It's been a very rough and emotional ride in the last couple days. After a big rejuvenation at Canadian Nationals, I came back to Europe and ran two 1500m, neither of which went well. I haven't had too much time to analyze what went wrong except the fact that I am both mentally and physically exhausted from chasing the Olympic standards. As an athlete, I think you can only go to "the well" so many times before you crack and I think you only have so many big performances. I think I've hit my limit for this season.

Unfortunately, I pushed pretty hard in May and June in an attempt to hit the times I needed and only later found out my iron was low, which explained my struggles. And although I bounced back at Nationals, I don't think I quite regained my physical and emotional energy from the month before. It's a really tough pill to swallow, knowing I won't be going to Beijing, especially when I know I've worked so hard and done everything possible to make the team. At this moment I'm extremely distressed and upset.

But, I believe this will make me a stronger athlete and person. I am not giving up on my goals and dreams because I do believe I'm capable of so much more in my athletic career. This experience has taught me a lot and given me a new desire to succeed.

I also want to say how blessed I am to have such an amazing support system. I've received so many emails and calls of support from friends and family and I want to say thank you to everyone for your support because that definitely helps me get through this tough time.

I also want to congratulate all the athletes going to Beijing and wish them the best of luck - I'm still a proud Canadian and will be cheering them on from Canada!

July 15, 2008 - Just back from Belgium and heading to Paris in a few days. Unfortunately Gent didn't end up being a good opportunity to run a standard. It was pretty windy and no real front runners, which meant Malindi and I ended up at the front doing all the work to keep the pace. So, we missed the time. However, I'm confident that Paris will be the race to qualify with great competition. It always feels easier running fast with bodies around and not having to do the pacemaking. It looks like a great field of competitors and good conditions. In the next couple days I'll be getting back into race mode and focusing on doing what I need to do: qualify for Beijing!

July 8, 2008 - Hi everyone - sorry for the delayed update. This one will be quick, but I wanted to make sure I could fill all of you in who have been supporting me and asking about my current situation.
I am thrilled to have captured my second Canadian 1500m title this past weekend in Windsor. I couldn't have done it without my amazing support team. Thanks so much to everyone for coming and cheering me on.
But, some of you may have figured out that I still didn't get the Canadian Olympic Standard. However, we put in a medical appeal based on my blood results of low iron in the last month and Athletics Canada has agreed to give me (as well as 5 others) an extension until July 22 to fullfill the criteria! I am so happy and relieved to have a second shot. I am confident after this past weekend that I can run the A+ standard. Now it's just about getting in some good races. I am trying to get into Athens (July 13th) and Paris (July 18th). I will keep you all posted.

June 30, 2008 - After a very busy week of travelling and racing, I'm happy to be back at home in Canada just chilling out before Olympic Trials. My two races last week were not what I was hoping for, but they were a bit better.

However, I did get a few answers before those races when I got some bloodwork done which showed I had very low hemaglobin and iron levels. This helps explain how I've been feeling in races, but it doesn't give me too much time to correct it. I got an iron shot a week ago and was hoping it would help for the race on Friday. Although I am already feeling better, I wasn't quite there yet.

Nevertheless, I'm optimistic that I'll be feeling better next weekend. My plan is to just go for it and lay everything on the line - meaning go for A+ standard. There are a few others in my same position so I know they'll also want to run fast and we can work together!

June 16, 2008 - Unfortunately I don't have any big results to report, but I'm staying positive and keeping an open mind for the next couple races. I have another week to re-group and then I'll run two races in 3 days before going to Canada for our Championships.

Thanks to everyone for their support and encouraging words, I feel blessed to have so many people behind me.

June 7, 2008 - Well, Greece didn't quite go as well as I had hoped, but I still feel like I'm making progress and confident that things are coming around. I really enjoyed racing this week and was pretty aggressive to follow the fast early pace. Sometimes you take a risk and maybe your body isn't quite ready the first time around, but I know I'm getting strong and it will come.

To me right now, the most important thing is that I enjoy what I'm doing and satisfied that I am doing everything I can to run my best, which I am. Of course, I was disappointed with my time, but I'm going to get back on the track and race another 1500m next weekend in Morocco. Looking forward to it!

I'll keep everyone posted.

May 31, 2008 - Well I'm getting a bit stressed and frustrated about these qualifying times, but I think that just gets me more fired up to run fast and get things done.

Dave and Trent keep telling me to be patient and not freak out because in the last two years I've had a few slower races to start and then been able to run 4:05 once I get into the season. They have both been a huge help in keeping me calm and focused.

It amazing how much stress levels can go up in an Olympic year, I really sense this from all athletes because it's something we all work so hard and long for. But at the end of the day we just have to do what we know best and just push ourselves to be the best competitors possible!

I got some good advice from my mom the other day saying I just need to stay in the moment and be confident and focused on what I'm doing in the race and not stress about anything else. It was good advice because, despite Belgrade not going so great, I enjoyed racing and competing instead of being so stressed about the times. I believe with this strategy times with come!

So I'm heading to Greece tomorrow to race on Wednesday. It looks like a great field of competitors and I'm crossing my fingers for good conditions.

May 19, 2008 - This weekend I was reminded about how tough racing can be and how much you should cherish the perfect ones. Loughborough was a bit disasterous for me. It seems that at the beginning of each season I have to get one bad race out of my system where the pain of racing consumes me and then I become stronger for it.
It was a cold and windy day yesterday in the UK so actually no one got standard in our race. I ran a really good 1200m and if continued on would have been pretty close to nailing down one of the standards I need. But, a bear jumped on my back (so to speak) with 300m to go and I lost a lot of time. So not any better than Doha.
However, last week I had one of my toughest and best training weeks where I ran two track sessions faster than I've been able to do in the past. This tells me I'm fit and strong, but I think this training, coupled with good mileage, caught up to me come race time. At this time it's a fine line between training hard and coming down for races. I am confident that the work I've done in the last month will start benefiting me in the upcoming races. And we will bring things down a bit over the next month so that I'm ready to roll in races.
The best thing to come out of a disappointing race is that I'm hungrier for success! And everyone around me have been amazingly supportive helping me stay calm and relaxed, giving me confidence that the best is yet to come - this is just the kind of support I need. There is lots of season left and I'm excited for each step!

May 12, 2008 - And so the season begins...I started off my outdoor season this past weekend in Doha, Qatar. Overall it was a great competition: well organized, good weather, top level athletes. However, the race itself definitely caught me by surprise.

Just before the race, the rabbit announced she would go through 1km in 2:40, which is 4-min pace. So my plan was to get out mid-pack and be pulled along to a fast time - ideally an Olympic qualifying time. However, I think everyone in the race had the same plan of just sitting in for a ride because no one wanted to lead or follow the rabbit and thus we passed 800m in a pedestrian 2:17!

I definitely learned that even if it's a big race with the best competition, I can't depend on others to make my race - that was a big mistake. Next time around I'll be more willing to make things happen, instead of coming home pouting about my slow time. For more on the race, see Doha news item.

All suited up at the Doha banquet.

Besides the race, Doha was an interesting experience as the organizers gave us special clothes to wear to the banquet the night before. It was a neat cultural experience.

Anyway, I'm keen to get back out there and race another 1500m so I've changed my plans of racing an 800m next Sunday in Loughborough and have switched to the 1500m. Looking forward to it!

April 25, 2008 - Back on the track!

Maryam, Jo, Hilary: track session this past week.

Sorry it's been so long since my last update -basically life stuff got in the way. We moved into a new apartment at the beginning of April and between unpacking, set up and training, it’s been busy. But all has been going well. After about a month of base training (tempos, fartleks and a couple V02 max sessions), I’m back in the track.

Yesterday I had my first 1500m-type track session and it was a good “welcome back” workout. It was really tough because I haven’t had to deal with lactate in awhile, but I was lucky to be in good company with two training partners Maryam (Jamal) and Jo (Mersh). We did 8x400m with 4 mins rest. I was really happy to average 62 seconds. I’m hoping in another month or so I can do the same workout with 1 less minute of rest and eventually bring it down to 2 mins rest. You can check out some great photos of our workout taken by Asker Jeukendrup.

Plyo session

So basically I’m getting ready to race a 1500m in Doha, Qatar on May 9th and then an 800m on May 18th in Loughborough, UK. After that I’ll focus on some good 1500s at the end of May and into June, but still narrowing those down at the moment.

I’ve also been doing two good plyometric/weight sessions a week and got some cool photos last weekend down by the lake near our house, also taken by Asker.

March 21, 2008 - An inspiration: Meeting The Great One

Trent, Haile and I in Lisbon

Last weekend I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Haile Gebrselassie at the Lisbon 1/2 marathon during a PowerBar product launch. Haile was an inspiration to talk with - his charisma can light up a room, he gives you his full attention when he talks to you and is extremely down-to-earth. Considered probably the best distance runner ever - one might expect him to be conceited, but he actually seems more comfortable giving advice rather than speaking about his own ambitions. Don't get me wrong, he's extemely confident in his abilities, but this confidence is exuded more in his stories or in the advice he offers.

When I asked him what keeps him motivated and how I might overcome the defeat of not always achieving the results in which I aim, when I know I've worked so hard, he had some great advice. With his permenantly displayed grin, he urged me to "win yourself" meaning I must have full confidence in my hard work and that I can be the best; believe no one else is better. After explaining to me that breaking 4-mins in 1500m is easy, he states that in this sport you have to be a selfish and step on the line showing you belong there - even throw a few elbows now and again - don't let anyone push you around, he said! All things I agree with and try to practice, but I still feel quite priviledged to have had a pep talk from the greatest distance runner ever - I'm ready to go!

I had a nice week of down-time. I really feel refreshed and ready to embark on a great summer season. I know my fitness is good and I plan to build on that with a hard training stint leading into May when I start my competitive season.

For more photos of my weekend in Lisbon, see here.

March 11, 2008 - Trial and Error

I apologize for not having an update sooner, internet was a bit sketchy in Spain. But for most people who saw the results, you will know that I am very disappointed with my performance. I'm learning that it's such a fine line for me at this point when it comes to good and bad performances because I've just started being competitive at the top level and if I have an off day (which is what unfortunately happened) it means that 1 or 2% decreased performance results in me not making the final. But it still motivated me to keep reaching for the top and once I can even consistently run in the range of my current personal best, an off day would still mean making the final.

So, onward we go! I'm looking forward to a good summer and since training has been going well I am not overly worried. Nevertheless, I think it’s still important to do a bit of an analysis of training, especially what I’ve done in the peaking phase, to see what has worked and what has not. So, we will go over that and see if we need to change some things. Peaking is somewhat of an art and it take a bit of trial and error to see what works with each athlete – we’re getting there.

I’m going to take a little down week and then get back into training and get ready for summer. I will probably start my competitive season sometime mid-May. I will still keep updates going on training.

Here's some photos from Valencia.

March 4, 2008 - Off to Valencia with the Maple Leaf!

This winter has flown by and the end of the indoor season is this weekend. I head to Valencia, Spain tomorrow to compete in the World Indoor Champs for Canada. The competition looks pretty good - with two Russian leading the way (one with a new indoor world record to her name). I'm ranked 10th going in to the championships. My main goal is to make the final and go for top 6.

The last two weeks of training have gone really well. I've been on the indoor track once a week to get a bit of speed work and had my last big workout on Friday: 2 x 600m+200m with 1' between and 10' between sets. I ran 1:33/29 and 1:31/30. I've done this workout outdoors and run only a bit faster when I was in 4:05 shape so I'm hoping I'm on track for an indoor pb. Although times could be irrelevant in championships - good tactics and making the final are more important. Just one more small workout tomorrow and then it's time to get ready to race.

I'll try to give updates when I can, but you can also find results here.

Feb. 15, 2008 - New Canadian Running Magazine hits stores today!

Canada finally has it's very own running magazine - Canadian Running Magazine (CRM) - set to hit stores today . I think this is a great thing to get the Canadian public fired up about running and to help profile some of our athletes, which is why I was so honoured when they asked me to be on the cover of the first issue.

Professional running is not like hockey in Canada, which means we are a far cry from famous so it's great when you have a chance to help profile the sport you love and hopefully encourage others to embrace it in the same way. So, thanks to CRM for giving me that opportunity and I hope everyone at home will pick up not just the first issue, but many to follow. For more info, check out the news release here.

On another note, I finally put up a photo gallery from my Phoenix training camp and also threw in a few from New Balance Games in NYC since it followed the training camp. And, check out new website of fellow Canadian Megan Metcalfe .

After a run in Sedona, AZ.

Jan. 22, 2008 - After two weeks in sunny Phoenix and a weekend of racing in NYC, I'm back in Switzerland. To my relief, I come back to fairly warm weather (10C) and no snow except that in the distance on top of the mountains.

I had a decent start to the indoor season in the mile this weekend. You can read the update here. I have to take this time to say a few thank yous to people who have made a difference for me in the last few weeks. Thanks to all our friends and family who came to cheer us on this weekend, it was awesome to have the support. And thanks to New Balance and NYRR (Ian Brooks & co.) for taking care of us so well. Finally, a big thanks to PowerBar for the sport nutrition support at our Phoenix training camp.

I will get back into some good training for the next two weeks before toeing the line in a 3000m in Stuttgart, Germany. I'm gunning for a new pb and I feel I'm in good shape to do it. It's about time I break 9-mins since my current pb doesn't really match up with my other events, so we'll see what I can do!

Taken by Asker Jeukendrup

Jan.10, 2008 - Happy New Year!
I have had a great start to 2008. After ringing in the New Year with friends in Guelph, I travelled to Phoenix and have spent the last week training in sunny AZ with my training partner Jo Mersh (Fenn). Sara Hall has also joined us on a couple sessions, which has been great!

We have been getting in some great training - this pic is from one our our hill sessions - cactus and all! I've been averaging about 75 miles here with most as double days. One long tempo run a week, a fartlek of shorter reps and an interval session on the track so the New Balance Games and the rest of the indoor season won't feel completely foreign!

Sara Hall and I during a track session.

Nevertheless, I have the summer season clearly as my main focus so it is crucial that most of my training is endurance or aerobically-based and I only use the interval-type intensity to keep that system awake.

Since I've been here I had a nice chat with Peter Gambaccini from Runner's World who is covering the New Balance Games and you can see his write up here. I will also put up more pics and video at the end of the trip.

Dec.27, 2007

Running in big snow storm.

Wow, it's hard to believe that 2008 is in just a few days. This years has gone by so fast, but I have to say it's been a good one and I feel very blessed.
The last couple weeks have been going really well for training. I've averaged about 70 miles a week with 3 workouts that include a long tempo, hill repeats, fartlek and either an interval session or shorter fartlek (see link here for detailed training log). I've also been really focusing on staying on my plyometrics and weight training to keep my dynamic or explosive strength in tacked while I'm in this endurance phase.
There have definitely been some tough days with really cold temperatures and some crazy snow storms, one of which occurred on a long run day where I set out for 1hr40min and came back in after 45mins because I couldn't see more than 50m infront of me and the footing was terrible. I added on on the treadmill, but cut it short and did my long run on a Tuesday that day - it's not worth getting injured and sometimes Mother Nature dictates the training schedule. So, in lieu of some of this bad weather, I can't wait to get to Phoenix on Jan.2 for some warm weather training!

Dec.10, 2007 - I've had a few people request that I update this site more often, so I sincerely apologize for taking a week since my last race to post. I really enjoy reading other athletes' blogs and I appreciate all of your interest in mine and hope I can offer some insight to other athletes, so I will try to post more frequently.
Last weekend I raced on my home club turf in Guelph, Ontario, at the Canadian XC Champs. Of course I'm bias, but I really think the group did a great job at putting on an amazing XC meet on a true XC course that included hairpin turns, steep downhills and lots of snow, with -8C temps. Unfortunately, I wasn't quite ready for 7km XC and was thus pretty disappointed with mine results. I think I needed another month of endurance prep, which I will have now. But, it was still good to be running at home and to see our other Speed River athletes run so well, including a senior men's team title and 3 individual team medals!
Check out full coverage from Flotrack here.

Nov. 30, 2007- The Great White North

Well the last couple weeks of training in Switzerland have been quite an introduction to winter. We had about a 30cm of snow and it was -8C when I raced in Bulle. Not the most pleasant weather, but in retrospect, it will serve me well.

Now I'm back in Canada and racing the National XC Champs tomorrow. The course is covered in snow and ice and the forecast is -5C (23F). Welcome to Canada! A week ago there was no snow and temperatures were mild so you just never know. But in x-country season you've got to be ready for various types of course and weather conditions and everyone has to deal with the same things so you just have to take it in stride and go out and race.
We have the Flotrack guys here in Guelph covering the event so you will be able to check it out on video from there website.

Nov. 16, 2007- It's funny how running affects your mood...
I had a bit of a bump in the road last week. When I was warming up for what I was hoping to be a good, strong, fitness-boosting workout last Tuesday, I twisted my ankle and was forced to forfeit the workout and head back home. Unfortunately, I lost a few days of training, but I tried to be smart about it and just run easy and on flat surfaces.
You would figure that since it's Nov. and not really an important time of the year, I'd be okay with this little bump, and I thought I was. However, when my ankle finally came around, I realized how grumpy I had been for about a week and how much happier I was to be able to do normal training. Yikes, it's pretty crazy how much running affects my mood! Well at least I can try to use that to my advantage and realize that in really hard workouts and races I know if I can everything out of myself and have a good performance, how high my moods can soar.
This week I was back to running 70 miles with a fartlek session and mile repeats on the trails, which went well. I've also had the enjoyment of an amazing training partner the last few weeks. Jo Fenn, British 800m runner and 2004 Olympian is here training with us and we've had some great sessions together. Tomorrow we will both do another 6km road race in Bulle.

Oct. 25, 2007 - Back to work!
Well I'm back from a few weeks of down-time, feeling refreshed and ready to go. During my down time I took some time away from running, taking an amazing holiday with my family (see photos here), doing some hiking and other fun stuff I don't often get to do.

Now it's back to business, I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I'm excited for the journey. As I start my base training, I'm refining my plan for the year with Dave(coach) and Trent(husband/coach). Right now I'm planning to do a few road races in November and then head to Canada for the XC Champs.

This past weekend, after a couple weeks of getting back into training, I decided to test myself in a 10km road race. It was definitely a hard effort, but I was able to share the pain with some friends, which makes it a lot better. Check out the write up here.

And finally, for those who are interested in sports science, I have added two articles in my wellness section, one related to my V02 max data this year compared to 2005, and another on Athlete Reactive Hypoglycemia.

That's all for now, stay tuned.

Sept. 10 - Time for a break
This season has come to an end and I'm ready for a break. It's been a great year and I feel that I've made some significant steps forward in terms of the training I've accomplished, as well as the racing experience I've gained. I succeeded in personal bests in the mile, 1500m, 1000m and 800m so my goal to continuously improve has been achieved. I would have liked to run a bit faster overy 1500m, but sometimes races don't always go perfectly planned and you have to just "race" instead of go for time. I think my ability to "race" this season has improved so much and a major part of that has been due to having to opportunity to run in some of the best races in Europe, as well as at World Champs.

So now I'll take a couple weeks off to let my mind and body relax, then training for Beijing begins. Next year is a big year and all my focus and preparation will be towards the Olympics.

Again, I'd like to thank all of you for supporting me this season. There are so many people that have played a part in my success that I can't even begin, but I do want to say that I appreciate ever word of encouragment that I receive. Please stay tuned, we have a big year ahead!

(Check out my journal and photos from Osaka.)