by Mollie Millington | Nov 26, 2020 | running
Runners do a lot of crazy things. Run 26.2 miles for fun. Run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours for fun. Run 100 miles with 20,000 foot elevation change for fun. We tend to pursue the next big thing when we have achieved what we never thought possible. Due to my Achilles tendonopathy, I never thought I would run a half marathon, let alone a full. Ten years later, I have run many marathons, completed a desert ultra and hiked to the top of Kilimanjaro. Not too shabby for someone in their 40s.
2021 has been a tough one for runners. Not only were our races cancelled, but we also were limited as to when and where we could run with our friends. We are usually a social bunch so many of us have struggled with our training. I know some people who have switched disciplines while others have learned to love solo runs. A few local races, such as those with Run Through, have gone ahead which have refreshed\ our medal collections.
For me, running is about meeting new people and challenging myself mentally and physically. When I got an invite to take part in a new running movement called Run Grateful, I was so excited to take part. Their launch event took place in on a track near London over 24 hours. Founder Mark White started Run Grateful in the spring as a personal challenge, which then turned virtual and finally in-person in September. His life is very centred around gratitude, ever since his journey to sobriety started 18 years ago. Mark’s experience during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic helped him to develop a focus on affirmations of goodness through gratitude running. And now he is telling the world all about it.
Our 24 hour event saw 20 people gather to run a marathon (26.2 miles) over the course of a day. We started on a Saturday morning at 10am with a 5K and continued at the top of every hour (with an American style countdown by yours truly) with an additional mile (1600 metres or four laps around the track). For me, lack of sleep was my biggest concern going in to the event, along with too many miles too quickly. I was halfway through my marathon training plan at this point and not ready to run a full marathon yet. Not sleeping wasn’t something I could really help, due to the nature of the challenge. While there was a large tent available for everyone to share, I decided to bring my own small tent so I would have a quiet place to rest. Yes, this was an antisocial choice, but my brain doesn’t function without sleep. I am not sure I even slept at all in the end as the interval between miles was short. To avoid getting injured, I chose to walk every other mile as part of my strategy to finish.
If I was running the mile, it would take me about 10 minutes to complete it (some of the faster folks were finishing in 5-6 minutes). If walking, it took about 20 minutes. This left me between 40-50 minutes to eat, stretch, chat, and/or use the bathroom (which was a short walk away from the track). While it was light out, we all sat on the track in between miles, getting to know each other better and how we found out about Run Grateful. As the event progressed, we took turns at the start of each mile to introduce ourselves, how we got into running and what we are grateful for. Unfortunately, it started raining later in the night, so we moved into tents. As expected, the night-time was the hardest, both physically and mentally. We were tired. Some people had developed injuries. It was wet and cold. As we lined up on the start line (which was on the far side of the track), the smiles started to emerge again as the Red Bull kicked in. We always started off together, which was wonderful. While running was the best way to achieve longer rest periods, I also enjoyed walking with others as it gave us a chance to chat and get to know each other better. I knew we would all end up friends because who else would sign up to do this aside from people like me?
In between miles, we also had some speakers that Mark invited to talk to us about breathe work, take us through a proper warm up, teach a yoga class, and discuss talking therapy. Mark even had a counsellor join us for the majority of the event. As you work through the physical and mental work of running alongside a gratitude practice, there was a chance that many different emotions would emerge. Mark wanted to make sure we would have support there if we needed it.
You can watch the official Run Grateful video that shows you what it was like to be there for the 24 hour challenge. Some of the runners share their experiences with gratitude and how it plays a role in in their daily lives as they overcame personal challenges. Gratitude is something I dip in and out of. For a while, I kept a journal where each night I would write down what I was grateful for. I also make an effort to show people how much I appreciate them. Gratitude also helps me keep things in perspective when I am having a bad day. For example, our shower had a leak and had to be replaced. While it is frustrating not having a shower, I am grateful to still have a toilet and running water. Many people in the world don’t. Easy, right?
Want to get involved?
Run Grateful is holding events in December and January. The first is a December run streak. Run one mile every day in December and dedicate each mile to something or someone you are grateful for. Share your runs on social media using the hashtag #rungrateful and tagging @1gratefulrun on Instagram. Even better, join me on Instagram every weekday morning in December at 6am for a virtual run club. Via Instagram Live, we will run our one mile together, taking 10-15 minutes to gather our thoughts for the day, radiate out positive vibes of gratitude, and start the day energized. I need a bit of motivation right now post-marathon and am grateful that Run Grateful is letting me use their platform to share my love of running.
If a run streak is too much for you to commit to right now, join the movement over the weekend of 2-3 January 2021 by running one grateful mile. Register for a custom race bib you can print out at home and take part in this global movement.
Do you have a gratitude practice? Seeing that it is Thanksgiving, leave a comment below and let me know what you are grateful for.
Photos by Ed Kirwan and team. Thanks to Run Grateful for inviting me to take part in their launch event.
by Mollie Millington | Nov 22, 2020 | exercise, quickie, running
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Today’s workout can be done outdoors with some space for the runs. Please dress in layers and have skin covered if it is cold out where you live.
Warm up- Jog/slow run for 3 min (don’t skip this bit! warming up prepares the body and helps you avoid injury)
4 min- 30 second intervals of running a little faster and then slowing down to a steady pace for 30 seconds. Repeat 4 times.
5 min- 30 second intervals of running as fast and as far as you can. Run at a slower recovery pace back to where you started. This can take up to 60 sec. Repeat 3 times.
1 min- Squats
1 min- Walking lunges
Be sure you cool down properly if your heart is still pacing after the lunges. Try a slow jog or walk for a bit. Gradually lowering your heart rate avoids blood pooling in your legs and light-headedness. Intervals help strengthen your heart and lungs, as well as improve your speed.
by Mollie Millington | Nov 17, 2020 | outdoors, ski, travel
The wanderlust is brewing deep inside me. Mind you, I would always rather be traveling (even when there isn’t a global pandemic keeping me home). In fact, I will go just about anywhere. There is so much to learn from other people in different places- so much to see, to hear, to smell, and possibly even taste (although I am not so adventurous when it comes to food). Living in the UK for the last ten years has opened up much of Europe to me, for both short city breaks and longer holidays away. We have even made it to a few different continents too and try to pack in as much as we can when abroad.
While it has been nice to explore England a bit more this year, I am ready to get out there again. I am waiting with bated breath for possible trips to Italy to go ahead in February (for skiing) and March (to run the Rome Marathon). Tokyo Marathon has been rescheduled for October 2021, meaning all my fingers and toes are crossed for me to cross the world and land safely in Japan. I have even booked a cruise to Antarctica for 2022, so it might be safe to say that I have been in denial a few times lately when booking these trips.
Now that autumn is here and the leaves are changing, I am starting to think of the mountains. Much of my childhood was spent skiing at a local mountain while my dad was on ski patrol. Over the last 10 years or so, I have made it to even higher mountains, sometimes on skis and sometimes on foot. I thought I would take you back to a few of my favourite trips to the mountains in case you are looking for travel inspiration.
Seward, Alaska, USA, 2007
In the summer of 2007, as part of my master’s degree program, I was an intern at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska. The photo above is one of the first outings our intern cohort took. We were somewhere on the Kenai Peninsula in dry suits and rafts. We were all in awe of the majestic beauty around us (I am pretty sure we just floated down the river with our mouths hanging open at the views). I was definitely no longer in the Midwest. We spent lots of time hiking, looking for glaciers, having campfires, and dancing in the Seward Alehouse. It was an amazing summer and I am so glad I went there.
Seward itself is on the sea but has a large mountain next to it (which you are meant to run up if there is a tsunami). For my running readers, Seward has a famous 5K race up Mount Marathon on 4th of July in which you run/scramble to the top (over 3,000 feet) and back down again. It is very hard to get entry to and a super tough race. Perhaps you can cheer the runners after the parade is over if you aren’t lucky enough to gain entry next year.
Red Mountain Resort, British Columbia, 2010
James and I flew from Michigan to Spokane, Washington where our friend, Jamie, picked us up. We drove into Canada, where Jamie lived at the base of Red Mountain resort. Our first night, we snowshoed through fresh powder to a little shelter on the mountain for a cup of hot coffee before heading back down. I had to borrow powder skis from Jamie but still couldn’t quite figure out how to manoeuvre through the fluffy snow. I guess I am more comfortable on ice.
This trip sticks out for me because James proposed in Spokane the night before we flew back home. It was along the river, rather than in the mountains, but a lovely memory just the same.
Verbier, Switzerland 2011
One of James’s uni friends owns a chalet in the Verbier resort area. Their gang used to go on a ski trip every year, but now many of the couples have kids and work full-time, so it is much more challenging to get nearly 20 people all in the same place at the same time (sadly the chalet doesn’t fit us all either). Apres ski has been replaced with nap time and we don’t quite get out the door as early to hit the slopes. However, every trip as a unique memory, from dance routines, trips to the local spa when the snow was rubbish, and even late night whiskey tasting when the kiddos are asleep. In this case, I think the people around you are what make the memories, not just the view.
Cape Town, South Africa, 2017
When a colleague invited me to her wedding in South Africa, I could not resist a trip to this beautiful coastline. Two weeks during the British winter in the Cape Town sunshine literally changed my life. I had a week on my own, with a few days in Stellenbosch before heading to Cape Town, where I spent all my free time near the water. When James arrived, we took the cable car to the top of Table Mountain to enjoy the views. It was very hot and windy while we were there, so we were lucky we could get to the top as the cable car was shut most of our stay. We also cycled up Chapman’s Peak, meaning we were able to see the peak from another side of the bay.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania 2018
In case you missed it, I summited Mount Kilimanjaro on International Women’s Day in 2018. You can read all about my trip to Africa’s highest point here. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done and I am not sure I would do it again. I have toyed with the idea of hiking to Everest Base Camp but there is no way I would want to go any further. There is a lot of training, preparation, and the whole “risk of death” puts me off. I like a little bit of work, a little bit of fun on my adventures. Kilimanjaro was a nice balance as you had long days of walking to talk to people, time at camp to relax or keep chatting, and plenty of time to sleep (which I am a big fan of).
Morzine, French Alps, 2021?
Aside from a passion for travel, I also enjoy winning freebies (who doesn’t?). Usually, I excel at ones that don’t require skill or knowledge. That is why I am feeling good about winning a complimentary week at AliKat’s Mountain Holidays in the French Alps. This post is my entry and I can’t wait to visit the Alps and Morzine in the summer of 2021 with 10 friends to stay at their new Chalet Harmonie (pictured above). What do you think of this view? In America, hot tubs are an essential part of apres ski so I might have to visit this resort in both the summer and winter so make best use out of their ski and boot room too.
Which mountains are your favourite to climb?
by Mollie Millington | Nov 15, 2020 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime.
Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- Brisk walk or slow jog for 3 minutes (until you break into a light sweat)
1 min- Walking lunges -forward and reverse
1 min- Wall sit
1 min- Push hands out to side against a door frame as if trying to make door frame wider
1 min- Push/press ups against wall, counter, or on the ground
1 min- Hip raise – lay on back with feet on ground. Lift hips to create a straight line from shoulders to knees. Drop hips 2-3 inches then squeeze bum and bring up again.
1 min- Leg lifts
1 min- Plank
1 min- Crab tricep dips
1 min- Mountain climbers
1 min- Downward dog with forward movement into press up position. Drive knee to opposite elbow.
by Mollie Millington | Nov 8, 2020 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
If your back hurts or come off the ground for leg lift exercises, modify exercise by lowering legs 45 degrees instead of 90.
Warm up- 30 jumping jacks/star jumps, 30 squats, 1 min mountain climbers
1 min- Leg lifts- up, down, legs apart and back together. Repeat. Feet do not touch floor.
1 min- Reverse curl- lift hips off ground and slowly lower back down
1 min- Toe touches- reach for toes by lifting shoulder blades off of the ground
1 min- Roll back and reach
1 min- Plank- keep shoulders over the elbows
1 min- Push/press ups- on knees or toes to give the tummy a rest
1 min- Swimmies- always balance muscle groups when training. Lay on stomach with arms extended. Lift arms and legs off floor and ‘kick’ arms and legs as if swimming. Hold for 5 counts. Release and repeat.
1 min- Downward dog knee thrust- Start in downward dog position. As you exhale, bring body forward into a press up position (shoulders over hands). At the same time bring knee to opposite elbow. Return to downward dog. Repeat with other leg.
30 sec- Left side plank- feet can either be on top of one another or one in front and the other behind. You can be on forearm or palm. Don’t let hips sag.
30 sec- Right side plank
1 min- Boat pose- Scoop out torso and sit on tailbone. Have feet in table top and arms extended straight out pointing towards toes. Keep arms stiff and strong and pulse up and down as you exhale.
Let me know if you would like a video demonstrating these moves. 🙂
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