Monthly Archives: September 2011

Athlete-Mom Interview: Elinor Fish

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Elinor and I met while at the University of Victoria and we were on the cross-country running team togther for a year before I transferred to the the University of Washington. We met up randomly about 10 years later at a trail running race in Canmore, Alberta. She has continued to push the distance and is now running ultras and encouraging other women and moms to stay active through her company, Run Wild Retreats, which organizes trail running and yoga adventures for women. She lives in Colorado with her husband, Rob, and two year old son, Reed.

1. Tell me about your athletic background prior to becoming a mom.

I began running competitively in high school and ran middle-distance track and cross country at the University of Victoria. Our team won the Canadian inter-university cross-country championships in 1998 which was a great way to end my college racing career. After graduation, I moved to the Canadian Rockies and discovered trail running. I ran my first ultramarathon, Alberta’s Lost Soul Ultra 50K in 2003, and decided that I preferred going long and steady than short and fast. During that time I was freelance writing, and in 2006, moved from Canada to Colorado to join the team at Trail Runner magazine as managing editor.

It was truly a dream job in that it afforded me opportunities to travel and run trails in places like Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile, and compete in races like the week-long GORE-TEX TransRockies Run. I loved that my job involved gleaning wisdom from some of running’s biggest names, though I confess to getting rather star-struck when meeting famous runners like Kara Goucher, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Scott Jurek.

After almost five years there, I left Trail Runner in January to pursue PR and marketing at Backbone Media, and expand Run Wild Retreats, a company I founded to organize trail running and yoga adventures for women.

2. What motivates you to continue setting athletic goals since becoming a mom?

Last summer, when my son was just one and a half, I ran the Leadville Trail 100-miler, my first single-day century race. My only goal was to finish–and I did–but barely. It was the toughest race of my life, but I wanted to do it because, after taking on a new role as mom, I had to prove to myself that I was also still a runner. I had feared losing that part of myself because I was struggling with being a mom and managing a full-time career.

Through the process of training for a 100-miler, I realized that running played a very different role in my life now than it had before I became a mom. Slipping out for a one or two-hour trail run or grounding yoga class was a necessity–not just a treat–that I needed in order to be effective in my other life roles as wife, mom and employee.

Knowing I wasn’t the only hard-working, frazzled, wanna-be runner mom on the planet, I decided to take my ideal recipe for rejuvenation (nature, trail running and yoga) and package it into the Run Wild Trail Running and Wellness Retreat for Women. The two retreats we’ve held so far have drawn diverse women from across the country together for four days in the wilderness running trails, doing yoga, talking about our bodies, our goals and our challenges.

As soon as one retreat ends, I can’t wait to begin planning the next, and right now that’s what motivates me to run. Running improves my quality of life and my goal is to share that experience with other women. In order to preach it, I must first live it.

3. How do you balance training with family?

My husband, Rob is incredibly supportive. He’s active as well and understands how important running is to me (and is quick to point out when a run would improve my mood). On weekends, we negotiate time for our respective sports and time as a family. When Reed was little, I often pushed him in the Chariot or carried him in the backpack during brisk hikes. Now at 2 1/2, he prefers to be independently mobile, so we do short family hikes or ride bikes together. When I want to go for a longer trail run of 4 or 6 hours, it’s all about trades–trading time with my husband or trading babysitting with friends who have kids.

And I’ve embraced the value of short runs, especially during the week. I may run for 15 minutes between day-care drop off and the start of my work day, then run for 45 minutes at lunch. And if I only have time for 30 minutes at lunch, then I’ll make sure it’s a quality 30 minutes. All those shorts runs count as training if you make them count.

Even though it can feel crazy hectic sometimes, one of motherhood’s best gifts is having no time to procrastinate. Training happens because I either plan ahead or snatch the opportunity (I always have running shoes and clothes with me in case I get a chance to slip out).

Elinor and son, Reed

4. What was your approach to training during pregnancy?

I was lucky that my running partner and close friend Joy was pregnant at the same me! We kept one another motivated, even as our bodies changed and running with a passenger became more difficult. We’d plod along together and laugh at our pokey pace.

I listened to my body’s signals and gradually slowed my pace and reduced my mileage as it felt necessary. I was lucky to have a very healthy pregnancy and was able to run through the 8th month, changing to power walking and hiking during the last month. I have friends–who happen to be pro athletes–who did a lot more training while pregnant than I did, but I took the excuse to be little lazy, sleep more, hang out on the couch and watch movies.

5. What advice do you have for other moms trying to stay active (or even competitive) while balancing life with kids?

Be honest with yourself about what role your sport plays in your life right now. How important is being your fittest relative to being the kind of mom you want to be? Knowing where your priorities truly lie will help you make time for what’s most important. Your daily priorities should reflect what you value most, and if they don’t, stress will result because you’ll never have enough time for everything you want to do.

6. Which was tougher, the Leadville Trail 100 or childbirth?

Both events were much tougher than I had anticipated. We’d planned a home birth for Reed, complete with birthing pool and a midwife. But after more than 27 hours of labor, it was clear I had to go to the hospital, where I eventually had an emergency C-section.

At Leadville, my electrolytes were off balance and I began to retain water. By the 75-mile mark, I had gained about 5 pounds and my feet were so swollen I could barely walk. Those final 25 miles was the longest walk of my life. To reach the finish, I had to draw from mental and physical reserves that I didn’t know I had.

While I had achieved my goal in both–to birth a healthy baby and finish my first 100-miler, neither event had happened the way I had expected. It was hard not to feel disappointed, but after some time, I’ve learned to be less concerned with controlling situations and more concerned with accepting change and adapting to it on the fly. The most successful parents and ultrarunners I know seem to be masters at this.

7. Are you training for any races in the near future?

I am going to Boise, Idaho in October for the Foothills Frenzy 50K, a race organized by some women who had attended a Run Wild retreat last year. We had so much fun together during the retreat and I expect it will be just as much when we reunite in Boise for the race. I look forward to running hard and having fun, but I am equally looking forward to maintaining these friendships forged from a shared love of trail running.

2011 Xterra USA Championship Race Report

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It felt like take two for me this year at the US Xterra Championships. J-F, our little man Nico, and I took the same beautiful 12 hour drive south to Ogden, Utah as we did last year while Zoe stayed home with visiting Grandma. Only this year I got to race instead of drive home with a horrible flu the day of the race!

The race was on Saturday, and we started off with the swim in Pineview Resevoir at 9:00am when the water felt warmer than the air! Normally a mass start race, this year we Pros got our own wave start 30 seconds ahead of the amateur masses. The word on the boat launch was that some new Pro entering the race named Lance Armstrong requested it and I wasn’t going to complain! This new guy also brought a swarm of new spectators to the event so that part was cool too.

As for my race story, my fitness has only improved over the summer and since I hadn’t raced against many of my main Xterra competitors since my last Xterra race in the US in April, I was looking forward to testing myself against most of the best women in Xterra three weeks prior to Worlds. And I am really happy with how my day went….

The swim was wetsuit but warm enough that my hands and feet stayed toasty. Despite a good warmup I felt a little uncoordinated and feeble the first lap, but the second time round I felt I was stroking stronger and hanging on well to some age groupers cruising by. I came out of the water in 7th for the Pros.

Exiting the swim trying to get my wetsuit undone!

After the swim, we road for about a mile before hitting the dirt and heading up, up and up and way above Snowbasin ski area. The climbing is never crazy steep and includes lots of rolling and rather fast, super fun descending at times. After about three amazing look out points on the new upper part of the course, the mountain bike ended with a long, super fun descent back down to the resort and T2. Thanks to our LUNA team mechanic, who came out to support Shonny and me at this race, I had fresh Maxxis rubber to ride on and my Alam 29er was working like new again!

The scenic bike course at Snowbasin

After the bike, I had moved into 4th position, and could see Lesley Paterson about 45 seconds ahead of me up the long steep ski hill that started the 6 mile run. Unfortunately, Lesley’s best discipline is the run as well, so catching her would be very tough! However, by about halfway through the run I did catch Kelly Cullen, and moved into third where I stayed until the finish. Fellow Canuck, Melanie McQuaid won the race, Kelly Cullen held on for 4th and Emma Garrard rounded out the podium in fifth.

Podium shot – hard to get due to the crowded swarm following Armstrong all day!

The hero of day though is my LUNA teammate Shonny Vanlandingham. After tearing her ACL a few weeks ago, she toughed it through the race with a knee brace for the run to complete the day in 7th and finish off the Pro series for 2nd overall. Since she is set for surgery for October 7th unfortunately last years World Champ will have to sit out Maui this year.

For the full story on the event visit: www.xterraplanet.com

Embracing Pre-Race Nerves

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I’m in Ogden, Utah. The weather is beautiful and sunny, about 25 degrees celsius, and the leaves are turning beautiful colors of red and yellow along one of the most beautiful Xterra race courses. Here is a sample of what the scenery looks like as we wind our way up the trails riding and running…

If I flashback to exactly one year ago, I would say the same things at this point. The only difference was I started vomiting all night before the race, and instead of starting the race at 9:00am with everyone else, I was heading back onto the Interstate northbound to start the long 13 hour road trip home. A big bummer!! So I must say, I am rather excited to be back again, fitter and a heck of a lot healthier condition than a year ago!!

And going into races these days, excited is often the word I use instead of nervous to describe my feelings. Of course, it hasn’t always been so…I’ve had my far share of bundles of pre-race nerves over the years! But maybe now that I’ve been racing for almost 25 years, and that I know every single race is a personal choice, I don’t like wasting any time being nervous in a negative way or dreading the race in any fashion. So here are my reminders to keep races fun, and nerves on the excitement end of the spectrum:

1. Accept any physical signs of nervousness as N-O-R-M-A-L! Everyone is unique as far as nervous symptoms but when I get dry mouth, lose my appetite a bit, get testy with my family, and start taking extra trips to the bathroom, I just go with the flow (excuse the pun!) and remember it is just my body getting ready for “go time”, and let it do its thing! No need to freak out when you start to feel a few butterflies.

2. Keeping investment-return worries in check. Yes, I’ve trained hard, yes I’m hoping to do well, but as I always like to remember and remind others, racing is only about 10% of the time you spent doing your chosen sport. There are just as many victories to be celebrated in the other 90% of the time you spend training, developing relationships and living the lifestyle that goes along with your sport. If you’ve done your best to make it all come together on race day, and can say you gave your best effort and focus at the end of the day then a “result” is icing on the cake!

3. Its your choice to race so you might as well enjoy the experience. What if I said you’re not allowed to race tomorrow? Or you’ll be sick? Or you’ll get injured or in an accident and won’t even be able to attempt your sport for awhile or forever? If you’re lucky enough to be in the position to choose (e.g. fit and healthy to go the distance as a start!) then don’t give yourself any excuse to hold back! Have a few perspective reminders in your back pocket in case excitment tips towards dread from time to time – also normal!

4. Stay focused on the “controllables”. As related to the above, if you’ve done everything in your control to be as prepared as you can for any given race including training, equipment checks, course scouting, strategizing etc within the time you have to do so then you can just enjoy the countdown to race time! And this also means sticking with what you know works for you as far as pre-race routines. I’ve seen and heard too many stories of athletes full of pre-race adrenaline thinking they need to make changes, and suddenly try something new right before a race, not always the best time to experiment – save that for training!

5. Finally, at the end of the day it is just a race! If you put all your self-esteem eggs into your racing basket then your life might be an emotional roller coaster! If not, you can give it your all and no matter how it goes, you can have lots more to look forward to when its all said and done. When I remember to smile during races it is because it takes way less muscles, helps relax the rest of my body and is because I’m looking forward to unconditional love at the finish line from my favourite little fans 🙂 Nico is with me at this race, but I’ll look forward to getting home to see “Princess Zoe” on Sunday….

Zoe, wearing her new Minnie dress, every day this week and counting since receiving it on her recent 4th birthday!!

Athlete-Mom Interview: Brandi Heisterman-Houlding

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Brandi and I go way back, we met running track against each other at the club level in junior high. After many years, I saw Brandi again for the first time racing mountain bike nationals last summer in Canmore, where she rocked to a 7th place finish in the elite women’s race. Brandi lives with her family in Whistler, B.C., works as a high school teacher and has developed some mad technical skills on the bike in her spare time! After a solid mountain season in which she entered her first World Cup races, came second at the famous Test of Metal, and 7th at Nationals, she recently decided to dabble in Xterra and placed second in the Pro division at the Xterra Canada Championship. In another refreshing athlete-mom’s perspective, Brandi talks about balancing her life on the bike and life with her family which includes husband, Jay, 5 year old daughter Kianna, and 3 year old son, Hunter.

1. Can you tell me a little about your athletic/competitive background before becoming a mom?

I started running cross country and track at age 7 for the Nanaimo Track and Field Club.  I was a competitive runner until I was 14, then I realized that I wanted to play metro soccer, ski, and play highschool basketball.  I am 3rd born in a family of 4 competitive  siblings.  I never wanted to be left behind, or complain. It made me tough for sure.  I played Varsity soccer and ran track at UVIC (University of Victoria), so have always been involved in sports at a high level.  I love competing; whether it be paddle board races with friends and family at the cottage, loonie races against the local men in Squamish, or the beep test with my grade 10 PE boys class. Win or lose, I love it.

2. What motivates you to keep setting athletic and/or competitive goals since becoming a mother? Is it different than pre-kids?

I didn’t think I would want to race anymore after kids, so I bought a non- race bike, a Julianna Santa Cruz, and I really started to enjoy descending.  I started going out with friends and riding tough trails. I still trained tons with my kids in the chariot, so I got fit again.  I went into a loonie race after my second was born and won, and realized that my race days weren’t over, yet!  Since then, I found that setting competitive goals has allowed me the balance I need in my life.  Racing and riding bikes is my personal time.  I don’t need the spa, I don’t go shopping, or on girl’s party weekends.  I just like to ride, with friends, or solo.  Mountain biking to me is like the thrill of skiing with the exercise component.  And, my toes don’t freeze!

3. How did you get into mountain biking and mountain bike racing?

I moved to Whistler in 2004 and got a Rocky Mountain Oxygen, 3 inch hardtail.  I hadn’t done much time on the mountain bike, but I had spent a few years riding a road bike in Victoria.  My sister and boyfriend (now husband) are rad mountain bikers, so I was determined to learn.  I was a spazz for sure, but could climb.  I went in my first loonie race and was 4th, the second loonie race I won, and I got 50 bucks.  I was hooked.  I realized that my overall fitness from road cycling and running allowed me to go fast, I just have to work on my technical skills.  Not hard to do in Whistler, where there are technical trails everywhere.  I love riding with my girlfriends, as we encourage and empower each other to try new stunts.  I did only local races before I had kids, and now with two little ones, have started to race nationally and internationally.  We get faster after kids, right?!?!

4. How do you balance training and racing with your family?

This year has been a learning year of balancing racing and family.  In previous years, I did a lot of my fitness training with the chariot.  But this year, I had a coach, and needed to ride and race without the kids.  I try to schedule rides when the family is sleeping (early am), or when the kids are at Montessori, and I go to the gym in the evenings when kids go to sleep.  I think it is a difficult balance for sure… I try to keep my husband happy and not overwhelmed.  I often hire my students (I am a highschool teacher), to watch the kids, as this is easier and less stressful than waiting for my husband to get home from work and say, “Here you go, I’m off for 3 hours”.

5. Did you train during pregnancy? What was your approach?

I was fortunate to have awesome pregnancies.  Aside from some sickness from months 3-5, I was able to stay lean and fit during both pregnancies.  My first child is a girl, and I was unable to ride with her in my tummy, as I carried her so high, like right under my ribs, ouch.  I hiked under the gondola in Whistler with my dog, and swam everyday from 5months-birth. I swam the day she was born!  I loved the pool, as you can push a bit harder as the cool water keeps your heartrate so low.  I also found it was a relief on my back from the baby bump.  When I was pregnant with my 2nd, I carried him very low, and was able to ride my mountain bike on roads with my daughter in the bike seat or chariot.  I rode until 35 weeks.  I swam as well with my son inside, but only a few days a week, as I had my daughter with me most of the time!

6. Any advice you would give to other moms trying to stay active (or even competitive) while balancing a family?

I try to communicate to my husband and kids that the training and racing is not the most important thing in my life, they are.  I try not to talk “shop”, too much to my husband, I save the bike talk for my friends on long road rides.  I find this difficult, as sometimes I am bursting with enthusiasm about a particular workout or race, but I have to remember that my husband has just been playing with the kids for hours and hours, and there are plenty of other things in life to talk about.  I try to take the focus off me and cycling.  When I am with my kids, I take time to focus on them, I don’t clean my bike, do emails about racing, talk on the phone; I try and give them my undivided attention.  These are things that have been working for me!  You have to be very organized with meals and activities.  I often have art projects ready for the babysitters so the kids will have fun while I’m gone, rather than miss me.  One great piece of advice that my coach gave me is: “It is cheaper to get a babysitter than couples counselling!”

7. Any upcoming events you are training for? Next season?

I have just finished my first full season as an elite xc mountain bike racer.  I went in an Xterra  race for fun, and had a blast.  This fall, I am trying to squeeze in some swims and runs, while teaching at the highschool, and will hopefully be ready for Xterra World Championships in Maui this October.  I will race at least one more mountain bike season in 2012, hitting two North American World Cups, and Canadian Nationals in July.

Finding Flow with a Family

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I’ve always loved the term flow, as opposed to its other synonmyms such as “in the zone”, fully focused or peak performance. In sport, or any other context in life, flow can be described at the times you feel completely absorbed in what you’re doing and totally in the moment (For a great book on it check out Flow in Sports). As an athlete, you may experience those rare training or racing days where time seems to slow down, your efforts feel effortless, and you feel in total control of what you’re doing. It is often the moments where the challenge is optimally matched with your skill level.

I think of mountain biking as a great example to illustrate flow in sport. If you are riding trails that are way beyond your ability level, you’ll end up walking more than riding, while likely throwing out many choice words in frustration. If you ride trails that are too easy, you could end up bored with nothing to challenge you. On the other hand, if you’re riding trails that are the optimal challenge to your present physical and technical abilities you’ll be fully alert and focused on what you’re doing, loving the thrill, and whooping with excitement!

Through working with many different athletes and from personal experience, it seems that our ability to find that challenge-skills balance in life in general can relate to our ability to experience flow in sport performance. Experiencing flow generally happens right in the middle of the continuum between boredom and stress or feeling overloaded. And for everyone that balance is completely individual. Some athletes perform optimally when they can focus 100% on their sport, and taking on any other commitments sends them into the stress zone. Others feel more focused when they are pursuing other goals such as school and work (and I could add for some of us raising a family!) at the same time. Everyone has to find the balance that works best for them, and it can be an evolving pursuit.

School is back in this week, and with all the nostalgic feelings of going back to school comes renewed enthusiasm to start new projects, study something new, sign up for classes, and buy new clothes! There are so many things we could do!!!  Just as we as athletes strive to find flow more consistently in sport performances by balancing all the demands optimally, we can also practice some of the same principles as we parent and figure out how to balance a family by remembering things like…

1. “Over-reaching” from time to time is okay. Over-reaching is the type of fatigue an athlete may feel after a hard training block or competition, and is readily reversible after a few days. Some weeks of training or life in general are crazy. We can get through them if we can see a rest time to look forward to at the end to reset the balance.

2. The art of saying “No.” It is unbelievable how many activities I could sign myself or my kids up for these days! Between lessons, birthday parties, work commitments, training schedules, social invites, and day to day life it is easy to feel overloaded. I’ve had to work hard at saying “no” especially to fun things that I know will impact too much on my recovery as an athlete, my ability to be fully present at work, or on family time.

3. Prioritize what is important. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or a full time career mom, or somewhere in between, it takes just as much work to prioritize what is important for you and your family. Experiencing flow in life means being true to your values regarding career choices, family choices, and lifestyle choices! As moms, it is easy to get caught up in the so called “mommy wars” but the most important thing is striking the right balance between our needs and wants and time spent with our kids. If we are true to that balance we’ll likely be a better, more present, and hopefully patient mom to our children!

Finally, flow reminds me of the image of a river. A river keeps flowing smoothly. When it runs into obstacles like rocks or logs, it doesn’t resist them, it just reroutes and finds the best way around them. Those obstacles may be the days or moments we feel temporarily overwhelmed, but with proper time outs to unplug, to breathe, and to relax, we can get flowing again with our balance restored.

Xterra Canada Race Report

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After a few weeks of restful time with the family, with amazing weather and super fun training days on Hornby Island, it was time to head over to Whistler for the Xterra Canada Championship.

It was a completely new course from last year, which was a fabulously fun skill-testing challenge for anyone! With two days to practice finding all the right lines to navigate through the dips, roots, and too many bridges and planks to count, my upper body was fatigued from so much bike pumping but it was worth it to get to know the course better! Plus it was so much fun to ride!

Sampling of the wild Whistler course riding!

Race morning was yet another sunny and warm day. With the number of competitors way up from last year, it was a chaotic swim start. And I didn’t think I could ever say this but I got lost in the swim! The first and tiny buoy was straight out from shore and the sun was shining straight at us blinding our vision. I didn’t sight a whole lot on the way out to the first buoy because I couldn’t see it anyway! When I finally did see it I realized myself and half the field were way too far right of the buoy so I had to back track to get around it with people swimming straight at me after rounding the buoy. After that mess I found my rhythm and was happy to see where I was going. You can see how bad it was in the photo below…

Xterra Canada’s blinding swim entry heading into lap two!

Otherwise, the water was a great temperature and I was well warmed up to head out onto the bike. I came out of the water as the 4th Pro and 10th women overall. By about half way through the lap I’d moved up to 2nd place behind Melanie McQuaid and knew I’d have to work hard to hold off two top Canadian Pro mountain bikers both entering their first ever Xterra race, local rider Brandi Heisterman (also a mom of two – go moms!) and Mical Dyck. By the River Runs through it trail Brandi had caught me and half way through the second lap Mical caught me. I rode technically well for me and was cleaning everything better each lap but I had a lot of work cut out for the run after a long bike with roughly a 9 minute deficit on Brandi and 2 min deficit on Mical going into the run.

Coming through the lap on the bike where it was fun to have so many friends and family cheering!

And ohhhh, that run! It was truly as my coach had described it would be, a “billy goat’s run”. It was more technical than the mountain bike and all straight up and down. It was jumping down over rocks and roots or running straight up not knowing where the next turn would take you. It was epic and tough, and not really anywhere to open up the leg speed until the final pounding down the pavement to the finish. I’d caught Mical and narrowed the gap to 2 minutes on Brandi by the end to finish 3rd after nearly an hour of running or should I say scrambling, ha! It was truly an epic day with one of the longest mountain bikes and definitely longest run time wise of any Xterra race I’ve ever done. Mical ended her solid day in 4th and Emma Garrard from Utah rounded out the top 5 for the Pro women. Congrats to everyone who killed it, conquered, or survived their day at Xterra Canada and still finished with a smile on their face – there is nothing more challenging in Xterra anywhere!!!

Pro Women’s Podium L to R: Mical Dyck, Brandi Heisterman, Melanie McQuaid, yours truly and Emma Garrard