winning a $1, 000 000 at the Sole Sister's Clinic

Heading out with a Smile on Your Face!

Lately, I've been doing my rounds of the spring running clinics that are held all over Victoria in preparation for the Times Colonist 10k which is held in late April. I love talking at the clinics and watching people's faces light up with understanding when I talk about pre-race anxiety, or finding time to train, or making the most of what little time you have. The run leaders often ask me to come and 'inspire' their runners, to talk about my life in sport, and how I balance training with 2 kids, but what they don't realize is that I always leave inspired myself, and energized by the runners and their new passion for running. They ask me questions about things I take for granted now...like what cross training to do, or how to find the right shoe, what to eat before a race, or whether to drink water in a 10k.

Last week I visited the 'Sole Sisters', a clinic run by Mena, the Energizer Bunny herself, a woman with a past career in professional figure skating, fitness training and coaching, and a present career in Saanich Recreation, as well as mother of 4 boys (1,4,6 and 8!). I went to Mena's clinic two years ago, in the late stages of pregnancy with Ross. I had a ball at her clinic, and remembered some antics she had dreamed up, getting me to 'win' a race in front of her clinic runners.

I showed up at Colquitz School gym, and witnessed the 'signing in' of 70 participants, and noted that several women were wearing sparkly dollar store tiaras and everybody was smiling or laughing. After a brief (and note: the only) silent moment in the evening, in which Mena sat on a chair and led the women in a relaxation excercise while new age music played on the audio system (yes, this clinic had it's own dj--and musicians, I was to find out later), Mena proceeded to hand out draw prizes to diligent participants. It still wasn't my turn.

Then, the women had to take a pop quiz on terms and running terminology covered in previous weeks. Things like R.I.C.E. and then one that was even new to me: B.R.A. Take a guess. Bounce Reduction Apparatus. I almost fell of the bench laughing! But that's not all. Mena then proceeded to sing a song to the tune of Mama Mia, about the perils of not wearing the right running bra, while performing a crazy skit that required her to wear about 8 layers of ineffective apparatus. By this point, I had fallen off my bench.

OK, then it was my turn, and how could I not have a great time when everybody was already smiling and relaxed. I talked about finding that fun in sport, about using your time wisely and well, about setting goals that are truly meaningful and then surrounding yourself with people who will help make your dreams come alive.

I was reminded of a really powerful message as I finished up my talk Mena's clinic, and that was the power of having a great attitude. That, expecting to have a positive experience is a big part of training and racing. I think that sometimes we wait until the end of the race or training session to feel good about ourselves. Starting out with a smile is just as important.

I watched those women head out of the gym for the training run, laughing and chatting, big smiles on their faces, and I thought to myself: those women get it!

About the music: after I had given my talk, Mena made me put on a number bib (in this case, a baby 'bib') and asked me to run a lap around the gym pretending to win the Times Colonist race so people could see what I do when I win. Always game for a bit of fun, I complied. Soon, I was running around the gym to the music of 'Chariots of Fire' being played on trumpets by two women! After, I 'won' a cheque for a million dollars. If I had a penny for every time this running life has made me smile, I would be a millionaire!

Lucy