By Dana Granville
Spring’s assault on Ottawa’s snow banks is underway. The sun is shining, temperatures are soaring into the single digits, and Ottawa residents are looking forward to spring and summer.
Along with the flood of water on the Rideau Canal pathway, there is another, more colourful intrusion: the flood of fair-weather runners. These people flock to the paths each spring, determined to show this is their year. This is the year they will get in shape. This is the year they will be healthy. This is the year they will proudly strut on the beach in a bikini.
They will run every day to achieve this goal. Or, at least, until they get sick of it. Most will have given up long before bikini season actually starts.
The problem with their plan is that running is not the quick fix they are looking for.
To achieve any level of fitness, a person must run consistently, at least a couple times a week for many consecutive weeks. It isn’t like liposuction, which is designed to shed pounds and inches overnight. Running can help those looking to lose weight or tone up to achieve their goal, but only with hard work.
In short, to get the benefits of running, one must actually run. It seems most of the new runners who take to the streets each spring have yet to realize that.
I’ve overheard these runners. Last week, on one of the first relatively warm days, I had just passed Lansdowne heading downtown, when I got caught behind four middle-aged women clad in name-brand shoes and colour coordinated wind suits.
“My calves still hurt from yesterday!” said the one clad in head to toe purple.
“I know. We’ve been at this all week, and I haven’t even lost a pound,” sighs the other one, wearing lime green. It was a Wednesday.
Don’t get me wrong, running is never a bad thing. Health and fitness are important. No matter what their reasons or methods, I’d rather see people plodding along outdoors, than inside sitting on their couches, watching TV and snacking on whatever’s laying around in their fridge.
Running is healthy, and fairly easy to get the hang of. All that is required is a decent pair of running shoes and some comfortable clothes.
Oh, and a little bit of etiquette.
There are a few minor things these runners need to do in order to save themselves and others around them a lot of grief.
When running in a large group, pair off. The reason for this is twofold: One, runners run at varying speeds, and it’s frustrating being stuck behind a wall of slow runners, plugging along at a pace much slower than they want.
And secondly, any individual running towards them will likely be forced to take evasive action. In the spring along the canal, this usually means ending up ankle, or even knee deep in a puddle.
It’s also important to keep an ear out for those behind you trying to pass. People on bikes and rollerblades can’t always move around a swerving runner without a collision.
Having said this, it’s important to enjoy yourself too. Get into it. Get sweaty, gross and stinky. Get dirty. Enjoy it.
And finally, don’t give up.
“I don’t know why people do that,” said a slightly heavyset man to his friend, nodding at me as I ran past him “I ran last year for an entire week and nothing at all happened.”
A week is just enough time to gain all of the frustrations associated with running – and none of the good things. Eventually, the aches and pains fade, and are replaced by an overall feeling of well being.
With any luck, these spring runners will still be running in the summer. Their shoes will be muddy, and they might smell less than fresh, but they’ll finally be runners.