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TEAM MEMBER ~ Stephanie Mills

GOAL RACES

My Domincan Escape

Training is going OK. I have realized however, that I was never blessed with the compulsive runner gene as some days it is an effort to get out the door. I did invest in a new MP3 player, and I've found lately that live Coldplay usually helps to get me into the first 20 minutes of the run.

Last week I took a necessary vacation from winter with one of my former Vikes teammates, Larissa, to a resort in Sosua, Dominican Republic. It was awesome. After my NWT treadmill running days it was so great to be back outside running in the sun.

During our trip, we managed to incorporate a run first thing in the morning to a) catch the coolest part of the day b) justify the remainder of the day relaxing in the sun. We found a few decent routes around our resort that allowed us to explore the area. Most often a run would involve dodging a horse on the road, stray dogs or vocal men asking if we needed a taxi.

Here is a breakdown of my mornings while on vacation:

7:00 - run
8:30 - jump in pool or swim in ocean (instant therapy for post-run legs)
9:00 - breakfast with fresh fruit and guava juice
10:00 - post-breakfast coffee talk

St Albert 10miler April 20
Red Deer 1/2 Marathon May 18
K100 Relay June 21
Canada Day Road Race July 1
Edmonton Marathon (Aug) OR Kelowna Marathon (Oct)

Where I Came From and How I Landed on a Treadmill in Norman Wells, NWT

Hello! It is a great honor to be part of the Fast Trax/asics Marathon Project and a big thank you to Jack for considering me. Honestly, I’ve never done a marathon so this project is exciting and a little daunting for me as I prepare to venture into unchartered mileage.I plan on documenting my training on my website page for two reasons, 1) to share with fellow Fast Trax runners some of my thoughts on running and 2) to keep me honest, as I train for my first marathon.

I thought I would provide some background on myself. Years ago, while at the University of Victoria, I trained with coach Brent Fougner and a quality group of runners, and I developed into a competitive middle distance runner. Between 1999-2004, I made 10 Canadian National teams for Cross Country and Track (5000m), traveled around the world, set some personal best times and met some amazing athletes.Now, post-university, the runner in me has evolved and modified to fit into my new lifestyle. Since university, I have discovered other passions, including my career in the field of Safety.

I always maintained a baseline fitness level since my competitive period, but it was only since moving to Edmonton last Spring that I began to refocus. I joined the Edmonton Thunder track club, and with the guidance of coach Glen Playfair and the support of incredible teammates Edyta Sieminska, Krissy Dooling and Chantell Widney, we hammered out some tough (and sometimes humbling) workouts in the River Valley, and I started to get the fire of competition back again

.In November, our team travelled to the National Cross Country Championships in Guelph, Ontario. With the assistance of Ethiopian-born Edmontonian superstar Aster Dimessise and 2007 Pan Games 5000m Gold Medalist Megan Metcalfe, we won the 2007 National Cross Country Women's Team Title. Aahh, the fire was back. It's always great to be on a winning team.

Now fast forward to January when Edmonton Thunder entered indoor track season. As my former UVic teammates and coach will attest, indoor track has NEVER been my favorite season. When I run on an indoor track I feel like a wheezing hamster spinning on a wheel in a cage known as the Butterdome. So, since January and until now, I have been running more for fun on my own and less motivated by goals.

January also brought a timely work-related challenge. I was asked to temporarily cover for an ill coworker at one of Ledcor’s remote field sites in Norman Wells, NWT. Since I have always found fieldwork to be rewarding, I was quick to make the decision to give up an indoor track season, and made the trek to Norman Wells.

Norman Wells is located N/W of Yellowknife and has a population of 800. Most visitors to Norman Wells arrive by air, though a winter ice road exists from December to March. While in Norman Wells (a.k.a.”The Wells”), I stay in a lodge where there is a cook who prepares awesome food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. From an athlete's perspective, this is a very nice perk as it allows me to simplify my life while I am here and only focus on work and running. Just 100 meters away from the lodge is a gym with two of the sturdiest, industrial treadmills I have ever seen (they advertise they can hold up to 600 lbs).

They say running is a sport you can take with you anywhere. I think I may be testing that theory. Currently, I am on my third 2-week shift up in Norman Wells and have seen a new temperature that no one from the west coast can fully comprehend... minus(yes, minus) 68. Yikes! This particular -68 consists of a 35 degree ambient temperature with a 50 km arctic wind-chill from the North. We only saw -68 here once, but -30 has been fairly frequent. Consequently, there has been little outdoor running as -15 is my cutoff temperature to stepping outside in my runners.

One week ago I committed to the Fast Trax/asics Marathon Project and so while I continue to work up in Norman Wells for the next week, I will have a newfound commitment to the treadmill. This morning, with the marathon project in mind, I ran for 1 hr 30mins on the treadmill. This morning's run is the beginning for many longer runs to come; the biggest focus of my marathon training is going to be increasing my mileage while staying injury-free. I actually got into a zone for a good second half of the run and really started to enjoy the treadmill. Until now, I have had little treadmill experience, but I am now noticing some unique facets to treadmill running. This morning, I was running facing a window where I could see my reflection, and actually ran looking into my own eyes. I could work on relaxing my shoulders and focus on my stride cadence, something I can forget about when I run outside. Also, I enjoyed being able to easily alter the pace, analyze the metrics (pace, distance, calories burned), have mid-run sips of water and read my gossip magazines.

Although I had a positive treadmill experience this morning, I was excited to check the weather website for Norman Wells and see that we should be hitting some single digit temperatures up here within the week.

Simple pleasures...