Me and 50,000 of My Closest Friends!

A friend of mine encouraged me to join him in running the 27th Annual Vancouver Sun Run this year. Although I’ve been familiar with the Sun Run for years, I’ve always been more attracted to the sights and sounds of trail running, so I've never given much thought to participating in a road race with 50,000 others. Regardless, I’ve been pounding the pavement quite a bit lately so a timed 10k sounded like it could be fun.

So I registered and we were lucky enough to be greeted with blue skies and sunshine on race (which helped the Sun Run lived up to its name). The start line atmosphere was what I’d describe as organized chaos; with almost 50,000 runners corralled into their respective starting positions spread along 6 city blocks. Picture the busiest outdoor concert you've ever seen and you'll get the idea. After the national anthem was sang, with music festival like participation from all, the race finally got going. Prior to the race I thought that the intial km or 2 would be quite congested and slow due to the large crowds, but it was actually quite a fast pace right from the get-go and things really started to thin out after about 3km.

If the saying "the more the merrier is true" then the Sun Run would have to be about the merriest race there is. The 50,000 runners alone are enough to boost anyone's running ability. Couple that with the thousands of volunteers, musicians, and casual observers that line the course you end up an incredible sense of community and support. I’d recommend this race to anyone. The amazing variety of people and that come out and take part in this race is a testament to just how inclusive an event the Sun Run is. Beginner or Expert runners can challenge themselves with the 10k distance, and persons of all physical abilities are able to participate in the event as well. I can now see why the Sun Run has grown to be the overwhelming success that it is!

Gettin' er done!

A number of years ago I had a client who was in his 50s and way more fit than most 25 year olds I've known. His warm-up alone would be a "Workout of the Day" for most. He strength trained 3 times a week, was an avid cyclist, skiier, and hockey player and regularly attended yoga classes (even though he was a foolishly busy real estate developler). Although he was a client of mine, I couldn't take much credit for his incredible physical condition because I had only been working with him for 2 years. This guy had been training regularly his entire life.

Now this guy, let's call him Mr. Fit, had a best friend who I also trained...on occasion. They had been friends for over 25 years and shared a lot of similar interests, with the exception of dedication to an exercise program. Mr.Fit's friend would workout 4 or 5 times one month, then he'd disappear for 3 months. This process repeated itself for the entire time I worked with him. Talk about frustrating. I couldn't wrap my head around how these 2 guys, so similar in so many ways, could have such different approaches to their training.

So one day I asked Mr. Fit, "What has been the secret to your consistency all these years?". He explained that each day he simply didn't give himself the option not to workout. You know that little voice in your head that says "You know, wouldn't it be nice to just stay here in my pajamas and watch re-runs of Fresh Prince"?, Mr. Fit didn't give that little voice the time of day.

It's been 4 years since I've trained Mr.Fit, but that conversation resonates with me with regularly. We all hear that voice from time to time. It's normal. Some of us fall victim to it more times than others and I believe not listening to that evil little voice is crucial for maintaining long-term health. As in the case of Mr.Fit's friend, nothing can be more frustrating for a trainer than inconsistent training. Always starting from square one, making any kind progress nearly impossible. On the flip side, nothing can be more inspiring than individuals who are able to silence the evil little voice and show up day-in and day-out, year after year, gettin' er done!

Top 5 Excuses for Not Exercising;

1. My dog ate my heart rate monitor.
2. I'm way behind on my random internet surfing.
3. I'm still embarassed about falling off the treadmill last week.
4. I already have an IQ of 175. It wouldn't be fair to have brains AND brawn.
5. Since the majority of the population is overweight, I'm already way ahead!