Feeling it in Austin

This morning summed up why being in Austin has been so good for me. I was up at 5:15 am, made a cup of coffee, some oatmeal and checked my email. The cats were up, looking for food and checking what had changed overnight. Not much. At 6:30 I was off for my last run workout here for a few weeks. I met Alison at Rogue (running store) and 7 am we were off. A 3 mile warm-up – matching her stride by stride, feeding of her energy helped me make the transition from groggy legs to just feeling good.

Steve met us at the track for our 10km workout. Pacing has not been my forté. Actually it has not been something that I understand at all. We started out with 400s- first one too fast, second one too slow, third slow, fourth fast… I was getting frustrated because I just couldn’t get it. Before the 800s Steve came over and gave me a stern talking to – chill out, relax, feel it, stop fighting. 800s – dead on. 1 mile – dead on. Back down to 800s – started to feel my legs, perceived effort increased. Steve once again got on me to relax. The coolest thing then happened back on the 400s – I started to tense up on the efforts and fall apart on the recovery. I made the pace time but had resorted to fighting for it. Steve once again caught me and once again reminded me to focus, relax, feel it, not fight for it and keep my form at all times. I was convinced that I started to run slower but when I looked down on my watch I knocked off 2 sec. I did it again and again… It was an “aha” moment. How could it get easier?

This workout really showed me the difference between fighting and feeling. I am a fighter and this can be good but with running you have to relax to keep going. I have to learn my body inside and out to understand where I am at, my pace, what it feels like to find a rhythm, believe and trust in myself. Furthermore, perception of what is happening and what the present feeling is can also be two different things….

Regrouping we were stoked that we had completed the workout. It was challenging but we are all on track. Having Alison and Raul there created the supportive environment that you were in it together – they have your back. Steve is phenomenal – knew exactly what to say, what to do to get me on track. I trust him. So this is it. This is Austin. Here I am reminded to love the movement, feel the movement – not always fight for it. My concept of a “good workout” is no longer equating hard efforts with collapsing of exhaustion, breathing so hard that I am on the edge of an asthma attack or passing out all together. It is about managing the stress of what it is, feeling and relaxing into it, trusting that I can manage it. Austin has given me the environment that I am not out there on my own and has reminded me of the positive energy from others. What more can I ask for. I constantly pinch myself to realize that this is my life, my job. How can I not love everything about it… living and feeling my dream everyday. Wow. When do I go back?

Snow in the forecast

All I can say is thank-goodness I brought my Sugoi lobster gloves and warm weather cloths. Only problem is that I didn't bring quite enough of them! Brrrr. I guess I too am getting soft!

Austin, Texas

I love Austin. I have been here almost one week and while I knew it would be good for me, I didn't know just how good. I came here to press a reset button - to open myself to a new experience and learn to use the motor that Ken has built within me. To do this Zane Castro (brilliant Triathlon coach and friend) set me up with Steve Sisson, Rogue elite running team and University of Texas Women's long distance running team coach. What surprised me most about him was not so much his immediate ability to analyse and improve the technical aspects of my run but his insight into me as an athlete. He saw me race in Austin last year and Zane told him about me but it was him who put together what he sees in me, how I approach training, triathlon and specifically my run. The result is yet to be seen but when you start something that you 100% believe in and just have this feeling - it has got to be good. I think that I have work to do of course but it is more a shift in my thinking, my confidence and strategy.

I am quickly creating Austin as my second home to Ottawa. It is raining here and "uncharacteristically cold" but it is still not as cold as Ottawa! I keep laughing at how soft one can become when you are spoiled with incredible weather and facilities. In the change room some women were gripping about the fact that their nose was running in this horrible weather (+5) It was that cold! In the pool again I laughed when the men in my lane were complaining that the lifeguard chair was blocking one of the 8 synchronized clocks. I will give it to them that they are getting old... but for what they have lost in eye sight they have maintained in speed!

Just to continue with all those who spend energy blogging about food (of which I am one!) - the grocery stores here are amazing - who would not want to buy the whole produce department of Whole Foods! Then there are the samples - a must stop after a hard workout :) And Costco sells organic meats here... I digress.

I'm hungry - eating Spicy tomato lentil soup in this oh so cold weather :)