Tuesday, March 31, 2009



Just published today on the super cool local site Our Big Earth:

Family Fitness - Safety Keeps You Fit on the Trails

by Sarah Seads

Editor’s Note: Good Morning. Today we’re hanging out with Equilibrium Lifestyle Management owner Sarah Seads as she gets us geared up for long Spring days out on the trails or at the beach.

After this crazy Winter, I know I’m totally excited to get back out there and spend some quality time working out and hanging out in nature. Now, I know what I need to be safe too.
Enjoy!

Read entire article...

Happy Trails!

Sarah

Monday, March 30, 2009

Congratulations Lavamen!


ALOHA!

I am training and racing vicariously through all of my superstar athletes during my post-op recovery and you are not letting me down!


This past weekend was the Lavaman Olympic tri in Hawaii and a couple of our boys were down there enjoying a little swimbikerun in the tropical paradise of Kona. Father son superduo Darcy and Myles Walters know how to plan a goal race! What am I thinking racing Van. Island when I could be in Hawaii? Must re-evaluate for 2010...


Anyways, a big congrats to Darcy and Myles for completing the Lavaman and for working so hard during training with Adventure Mix http://www.elmhealth.com/multisport.html#top this winter! All those brick workouts and bike climbs paid off...


DarcyWalters
Swim 27:33
T1 3:01
Bike 1:37:15
T2 2:25
Run 1:09:24 *Nice work!
Final Time 3:19:38



Myles Walters
31:23
2:03
1:18:02
1:12
58:40 *Woohoo! Nice wheels!
2:51:20




Happy Monday too:)

SS

Friday, March 27, 2009

Post Op Report

Hello and, yes, happy Friday!
48 hours after my vein closure surgery and I have accepted my reality. 2 weeks until I can run (well, 12 days now) and seriously it will take me a couple weeks after that of carefully easing back into my mileage before getting back to where I was just a few days ago.

The surgery was, um, brutal to tell you the truth. I have endured much discomfort of the physical and mental kind through my life and work as a tree planter, firefighter and adventure racer. But...this... was so hard to take! Wide awake and just aching for it to be all over. V. weird. I won't lie, I was a mess and white as a sheet throughout the whole ordeal. They ended up making 3 separate incisions to tie off the damaged vein in 3 different spots. That is probably more than you wanted to know however! I will save you the images...but I did take pictures:)

Moving on. I survived of course and felt great (but a bit shakey:) walking right out of the hospital with a couple of tensors wrapping up my entire leg. I felt so good I considered going out for lunch. My aunt Julie who is a nurse at the Vic General hospital suggested that I go home instead. When the adrenaline and freezing wore off I understood why. Ick. Owe. Ohhh.

That's also when reality kicked in. I MUST rest and make sure that I heal fully and completely. The new priority is doing everything I need to support my recovery process.

Today I went for a 10 minute walk! Tomorrow I will see if I can drive my car. If so, I will be heading back to the Valley tomorrow. Crossing fingers! Will keep you up to date!

Keep on training for me! Those legs are a gift...not a given! So use em while you got em!
SS

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Comox Valley Half...Hurray!

CONGRATULATIONS to ELM friends and racers in this past weekends Comox Valley Half Marathon!

Comox Valley Half Marathon - March 22, 2009

Lisa PerryELM

Korky Richardson ELM

Rob Dumonceau

Audrey Erlandson

Sandy Aitken

You are all superstars! Way to go!

And in the Saturday Race: 5k FunRun with CVRR!
Tilly, Kristine and Tania all completed their first 5k race! You guys ROCK!

SS

SCORE

FYI: I am heading to Victoria this afternoon and will return on Saturday after spending the week recovering at my sisters- post op. I am going for vericose vein surgery tomorrow...then no exercise for 1 entire week! Arghhh. You know I will be mental training...

Spring Program Registration is ongoing so please go to www.elmhealth.com for complete details! Urgent issue? contact Arran Kerrigan @ arranelmhealth@shaw.ca . Otherwise, leave me a message and I will look forward to getting back to you early next week. Enjoy your classes with your fearless leaders this week! Run hard...for me:)

SCORE

You may be wondering what happened to these women. Plane crash? Enlightenment? Nope....they SCORE'd!

I popped in to the JobShop www.thejobshop.ca yesterday afternoon to visit our in office SCORE participants and take some photos of their class. Led by superstar ELM instructor Sue Muldoon (in white above) this in office wellness program has been running at the JobShop for just about a year now.

Each week, Sue leads the group through an ELM SCORE class: 30minutes of Core training and 30 minutes of wonderful relaxing stretches. Part of our workplace wellness programming http://www.elmhealth.com/WorkplaceWellness.html, this class is the perfect way to destress physically and mentally after a day in the office.

The class takes place on Mondays from 4:30-5:30pm and is open to the public if space permits for drop ins or full program registration. Next session set to kick off in April...email elmhealth@shaw.ca if you would like to join in on the fun!

AND we are planning to offer another round of this popular SCORE http://www.elmhealth.com/IndoorConditioning.html class this spring ON TUESDSAYS FROM 4-5pm starting April 14th if we can recruit a few more participants. The winter session was fantastic and there is interest in continuing with another 10 week session that will take our CORE and flexibililty training right up until June. This class is NOT on the regular program calendar but will be added if we can get a few more participants. Again, email elmhealth@shaw.ca if you would like to add your name to the list!

The office chair warm up...try this at the office! No hands...just pulling yourself with your heels...and hamstrings! Sue was torturing the poor souls...


Fly away superman...



Hi Janet!


Reach reach reach!



Marina prepares for a reverse crunch...




All you need is a mat and a bit of floor space and you can get a great workout!
Have a great week! Happy Training...
Sarah.

Friday, March 20, 2009

OMG Friday!



WOW what a day. I feel fantastic now, sitting at my computer in my jammies, warmed up and cozy after a hot shower and tasty supper. My legs feel great actually- no fatige at all. This was not the case about 5 hours ago during the bike portion of today's 'super' training day. Today was one of the hardest mental training days I have ever had to endure. I mean it was tuff. I mean I wanted to call it quits and pack up and make a plan B. Nothing in my head wanted to be there. For a few hours it was all mental strength training today.

We started around 11:30 this morning from good friends Pete and Cathy's home near Lake Trail. This was to be our staging area for our longest brick of the season so far as we train for a summer of adventure racing. I had great company, as my new training buddy Shawn, from Ladysmith, was along for the ride and we set off into a complete spring downpour on the ride leg of our training session.
We played in the puddles on the pipeline and it was fun at first. Then we got to the dam and climbed up Branch 21 until we hit active logging. We also hit the snowline and it began dumping snow on us. We pushed up a side trail for a while and that is when the pain started to creep in.
First my feet went numb. This happens to me now that I am riding in clip shoes. Walking through snow doesn't help. Metal is a great conductor. I didn't think to bring my shoe covers cause it was like 6 or 8 degrees at my house.
Next my hands went numb. It is really hard to brake or change your gears without hands. I developed a new technique of riding with one hand and pushing my gear lever with the palm of my other hand. Not bad.
Michelle (met us out at the dam) our 3rd training buddy in Canmore. Oh no that is Lower Monkeys in the Comox Valley. Note big snowflakes .
After the uphill snow climb it was all downhill. This makes things even colder.
Next I had no rear brakes. Finally, my gears died and I had no gears on the ride home. I checked and there was a really wiggly cable. Great investigator. Terrible mechanic.
Long story short I was in unimaginable pain and frozen colder than I have ever dreamed possible by the time we got back to Pete and Cathy's for our transition. It was everything I had in me to go on after the coldest 3hour ride of my life.
But on we went! We felt a million times better after changing into dry clothes, toques, dry socks and shoes and sipping hot cocoa from my transition box. Once I could get some sensation back into my feet (they were like stumps) we took off back to the dam for a 24kish run. The sun came out. My feet thawed after about 10k. I started to feel like my self again:) We had a great run and shared stories of this and that and the other. Around the Dam loop we went. Finishing in Nymph falls and Twister I enjoyed pointing out our most beautiful swimming holes and vistas along the Puntledge River to my out of town training guest. I was proud of our amazing local landscape and got to see the beauty through new eyes for the first time in years.

Unfortunately the sightseeing was rudely interupted by multiple emergency stops due to GI distress on my 'behalf' (pun intended). I discovered the joys of agressvie digestion that many runners seem to suffer through. I think it was the Nuun tabs I took for the first time.

These harmless looking electrolyte tabs were new to the mix and I am pointing the finger at them for now. Will remove them next big run and see what happens. You know I don't want to become one of those runners...cramp city and bush dives!

6hours and 4 minutes total time with plenty of short stops along the way.

1 Fruit Bar, 1 pack Cliffe Shot Blocks, 2 homemade energy bars, 1/2 banana and pb wrap, 1.5litres of water with half strength eload and those nuun tabs.

There you have it. The honest truth. Not every workout is a perfect, fun, fantastic workout. But they all hold lessons and build strength of character as well as mitochondria.

Today I learned that I am absolutely useless in the cold (must be prepared better to avoid a repeat), that I must always carry t.p. on long runs (well, you know why), and that my legs feel better than ever after good long runs (my training is working).

Happy Trails!

No Q&A today. I hope my lessons are enough for this week!

SS

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

ELM Facebook Group

Happy Windy Wet Wednesday!

1. We finally started a Facebook group and you are invited to join the party if you are interested in ELM! http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=58428747071&ref=nf

2. 1 week left until I get my surgery- vericose vein day surgery. Nothing too crazy but I will be out for 2 weeks.

3. Quote for Wednesdsay!

Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is
patience.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson


Have a great humpday!
SS

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Today's fav tunes...

Oh I am loving my tunes right now! Check these out when you want to bop along or steam roll through your next interval workout (these were in yesterdays workout mix):

Cut Copy ... Lights and Music(thanks to little sis Dani for this one)
Jamiroquai ... Little L
Madonna ... Give it to me
DJ Champion...Keep on Ridin'
Coldplay...Viva la Vida (they are coming to Van...but same weekend as Kusam arghhhh!)

What are your favorite workout tunes???
S

Monday, March 16, 2009

Go Speedracer Go!

Phew. Just got in from a wicked hard but great run. Plop down and stretch ...ahhhhh. The rain just started coming down during my cooldown and it was ohsorefreshing:)
I missed my Thursday interval session last week and managed to come down with a wee cold on the weekend so I have some makin up to do this week. Here is my run:

Max speed session...on mother natures 'track' along an old grown in logging road in my back 40 trail network...
Warm up 15mins to 'track'
Run max speed (aka road runner as fast as your little legs will go) 2mins then recover for 4.
Repeat 6 (yup that is what I said) times.
Goal: try to beat your distance each time. I used a couple of cairns to mark my distance and managed to (just) beat my distance each time. The last one was a tie really.
Cooldown with a big smile on my face 15mins.
60mins total time max heart rate 192:)

Gotta go eat some chili! Have a great week!
SS

Friday, March 13, 2009

Friday Q&A: Trail Running Tips



Q: I would love some tips on trail running!

A: I would love to share some tips with you! Trail running is my passion and I love discovering new trails and sharing them with my participants and trail running friends. Here are some tips to get you started:

Whether you are a first time trail runner or an experienced ultra marathoner, trail running safety should be a top priority before you hit the trails.

Buddy Up. Run with a friend in new or remote trails and make sure to leave word of your route. This way, a search party will waste no time heading out to find you if you don’t return on schedule.
Take the right gear with you. This includes a whistle for communication, map of the area, water, a quick energy snack, basic first aid kit, and a cell phone (some remote trails do not have cellular service so check first).
Be aware of your surroundings! Learn basic map reading and navigation skills before you venture off the beaten path. Having the ability to identify landmarks and navigate using terrain features can help you avoid wrong turns and decrease anxiety if you do go astray. Map reading skills will allow you to explore a new area with confidence and increased enjoyment.


Trail running requires more balance, agility and co-ordination than your usual road run. This means you need to be alert and ready to react to the ever-changing path in front of you. Here are some tips and tricks to remember:

Form: Don’t forget about your running posture in the trails. Run tall, chest high, shoulders down and back, hips forward. Good postural alignment will help you run more efficiently. Relax those arms, keep the hands loose and enjoy the scenery!
Trail Technique: Shorten your stride and increase turnover (how frequently your feet touch the ground) to improve your reaction time. On technical sections such as sand, loose dirt or gravel, shorten your stride even more to react quickly and avoid slipping.
Hills: Think in thirds. First third shorten your stride length and increase turnover slightly, in the second third maintain your pace, final third give a little push over the top and down the other side. Stand tall, drive the arms back and keep your head up to look over top of the hill.
Down hills: On an easy grade lean forward slightly, lengthen your stride, and let gravity do the work. If it is too steep/technical or if you feel out of control shorten your stride slightly and increase the turnover.


Happy Trails!
Sarah.

2 Weeks of Pics...Happy Friday!

Happy Friday and thank you for your blogging patience:) The past 2 weeks have been packed full to the minute and I am just starting to get caught up on emails, updates and projects. Busy...but self-inflicted of course! Here is an update of what I have been up to at ELM over the past couple of weeks:

Saturday, March 7: PERU information session at Jane Hays home. This was just awesome and Jane & I had an excellent time sharing the details of our exciting 2010 trekking trip. Jane spoke about the logistical details including accomodation and cultural excursions. I outlined the training requirements and group training program and then we had the owner of Karavanier, the guiding company, online via Skype to describe the trek to us in detail! It was awesome to launch this trip and we have a group of women who are already committed to taking on the challenge in 2010. View complete details online: http://www.elmhealth.com/wellness_retreats.html#TREKKING

Chocolates handmade from Darkside Chocolates for our event: 68% cocoa dark Peruvian chocolates!


Thursday, March 5: Womens 10K clinic
We had a special guest speaker last week, Lene Curts, owner of Extreme Runners onsite to share the latest in technology for runners. The trends seem to be going green with natural fibres such as coconut husks! and bamboo! and using biodegradable materials in shoe outers. I always learn something new at these teck talks!







Mon-Thurs every week: Busy days filled with personal training and group fitness adventure sessions outdoors, in-home and at local facilities. The cold weather has meant some amazing blue sky days!

Wednesday morning training crew...push, jump, crunch!




Sunrise Bootcamp! Partner advanced core training...



Bootcamp at the playground...couldn't resist snapping this one as Lyse is tucked into a natural frame!



I haven't updated my own personal training schedule on the blog in a while but it has all been going very well and I am moving on up with speed and endurance training. At the end of this month, on the 25th I (get) have to go for vericose vein surgery which means I will be on the couch for up to 2 weeks- YIKES! I did not want to have the surgery at this time of year but I have been waiting 2 years and the doc says I really must have it (to avoid strokes and heart attacks and ulcers and all that great stuff) so I don't think I can say no. So, it is a couple more weeks of heavy training before taking a load off. My weekly training is looking like this these days:
Monday: Run Z3 and this week I started long hill repeats in Z3-4 on alternate weeks
Tuesday: Strength, Core, Flex
Wednesday: Brick workouts. 30-45 run and 30-45bike with transition practice. Just started moving outdoors for this one now that our indoor Adventure Mix class is finished for the season. And MAN do I love riding my mountain bike!
Thursday: Strength, Core, Flex and Run Z5 max speed intervals. Yikes these are tuff!
Friday rest or mt.bike ride for pure fun:)
Saturday: Long Z1 Runs...I am up to 2.5hours so far.
Sunday: Mt. Bike and I need to start getting my volume up as I haven't riden for more than 1.5 or 2 hours very often. The snow is sucking and man I am a windchill wimp! It looks like warmer temps are on the way and my mt bike training will be increasing over the next 3 months significantly.
That's it that's all! Looking forward to a weekend of R&R and training of course- with another long run on Saturday and ride on Sunday. Brad caught a salmon and a couple hundred prawns yesterday so we will be eating like royalty this weekend!
Stay tuned for Q&A...
SS

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Confidence

Womens 10K crew last Thursday...more pics and a weekend update to come...when I can come up for air...

Confidence




Self confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.

Samuel Johnson

Friday, March 6, 2009

Friday's Lesson

Question: I ran in two different shoes last night...what does that mean?

Answer: Your nutz. And you are rushing way too fast through your life missing out on the joy of living. My advice is for you to stop. breath. and enjoy the moment you are in!

Hello! This weeks Q&A takes a spin as I ask the question this time around.

YES it is TRUE! Last night I got home just before 8pm after a Very Long Day and a Very Long Week and dropped my bag on the foyer floor when I noticed something...one of my running shoes was on the floor under my bag. BUT...I thought...I am wearing those shoes...THEN I looked down at my own two feet and this it what I saw:



NO KIDDING! My super old super dead super 2007 just for wearing in the gym Adidas on my right foot and my new Adidas on my left. I almost peed myself laughing and then I had to snap a photo for you. I have no shame. Have you ever had one of those days? Those weeks? I hope you are nodding your head up and down cause this weeks Q&A was for you.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.
S

Thursday, March 5, 2009

PERSEVERANCE

Hola! I missed my quote post on Wednesday so here goes...

I know I have quoted Perseverance before...but it just really sticks with me as a key value for becoming successful. Getting back up after being knocked down. Trying again. Fix the flat...get back on track...

Here is what old Webster has to say about it:

per-se-vere. To persist in an idea, purpose or task, despite obstacles.

This last bit is the key: Cause it ain't perseverance if there aren't any obstacles.

per-sist. To continue in existance :: endure.

It is the battles, the struggles and the challenges that shape us (and tone us:). And really...the gift is the ability to battle, struggle and persevere towards our fitness goals. Not everyone is so fortunate. Your body is a gift. Use it.

This link was recently sent to me and I want to thank you Susan W cause it hit me like a tonne of bricks. Watch it when you are feeling like you CAN'T.

http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html

SS

Monday, March 2, 2009

Fun Weekend!


Notes from my weekend Triathlon Community Coaching Workshop...can you guess which one I drew with my team?

Happy Monday!

I had one of those weekends that was booked solid from start to finish- with fun stuff of course! I like to alternate one crazy packed weekend with one weekend of r&r and this weekend fit the bill for being jam packed!
WORKOUT:
Saturday I started with a 3.5hour bike/run workout.

Took off from home on my mt.bike and spent 30 minutes playing in the trails behind Lake Trail school.
Self Portrait carrying my life on my back...

Transition to run at Cathy's house...where we took off for a relaxing (but long) 2.5hour run out to the Comox Lake Dam and back via the river trail. I was GPSing the river trail for my Puntledge River trail marker project. I am working with BC Hydro and the other landholders to mark each kilometer on the Puntledge River Trail loop that goes from the Dam...to Duncan Bay Main and back up the other side. I hope to have it completed by spring!
How the hell do you turn this thing on???
Map of the Puntledge River Trail loop...
Transition back to bike at Cathy's house...then back home where Mission Hill was waiting for me after nearly 3.5hours...no problem! The extra time on the bike actually did my legs a favor and I know that I was feeling better for it for sure.
Fuel for the workout:
2 Chocolate Cranberry energy bars (ala Sherry's recipe)
1 Fruit Bar
Mega water
SCHOOL:

Quick shower and lunch then it was off to the start of my weekend workshop: NCCP Community Triathlon Coaching. Our instructor Koach Kristine was excellent and kept us alert with plenty of movement, games, team activities and group input. I will hope to take on some teaching ideas from her for sure! A few of my buddies were in the course too: Darcy, Pascale, Audrey and Penny...
Working hard at school...Look at the cool World Championship hat I won!


HA! Audrey had to pay like $5000 for her hat went she paid to play at the national training camp...

FUN&FEAST:


I had to skip out of class early to get to Nymph Falls for a 4pm pick up from our Coastal Trek chariot drivers: Mike and Shane. Saturday afternoon we enjoyed our annual snowshoe romp and feast at Coastal Trek Lodge! The weather was perfect and we had a panoramic view of the Valley and Coast mountains from Forbidden Plateau ski hill. We played in the snow for over 1.5hours and enjoyed a hike (straight) up the mountain:) before turning around and winding our way through a forest path all the way to the Lodge. Andrea had the Christmas lights on and we were welcomed to the smell of mulled wine and cedar...yummy!


Trina literally picked this guy up on the hike...don't tell Ed!


Look at this table!


We warmed up by the fire with appies (OMG artichoke dip hello) and bevvies then enjoyed a fabulous dinner together at their gigantic dining room table. Apres dinner we were spoiled with yummy homemade cupcakes by the fire and a soak in the hottub...while the snowflakes started to fall.
Korky get your finger out of there!

Another fantastic evening! We are already planning for 2010 where we decided we will head up a couple of hours earlier so we could spend more time relaxing in the lodge...and book massages! And maybe we will even sleep over:)


Sunday: Was back to class from 9-4 for more fun triathlon coaching ideas.
Good times...but now I need a weekend!
SS