Help for a lonely runner?

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Tori

My longest run before the marathon is coming up on Saturday. I have to admit I’m a little apprehensive about it, because it will be a 32k solo run — about 3 and a half hours for me; it really sucks to be slow!

A friend is driving me out to Sidney, and I will run the entire length of the Lochside Trail to downtown Victoria. By myself. On a trail I’m not entirely familiar with, since I’ve only run it from the Blue Bridge to Island View Road. I’m hoping that by starting in Sidney, I’ll get the unfamiliar half over with first, while I’m still fresh.

Let’s face it: running for 3+ hours gets boring and it hurts. That’s why I join the clinics at Frontrunners: for the camaraderie and companionship. Other people take the edge off. There’s strength in numbers. Shared pain is more bearable, and actually feels like an accomplishment when it’s finally over.

I’ll be all right, I can do this. After all, I will be running the race solo (however there will be other runners on the course). I ran 2:45 mostly solo while I was visiting Regina a couple of weeks ago; a friend did join me for 5k or so, which definitely helped.

Is there anyone in Greater Victoria who wants to join me for a portion of my run on Saturday – either on foot or on a bike? I would appreciate the companionship and support, even for a little while.

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What makes a great co-op work term experience? (Part 1 of 4)

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Tori

Precis: This is a four-part series on successful co-op work terms. I’ve had the chance to hire and/or supervise several co-op students in my work as a corporate communications practitioner over the past few years. I’m about to complete another four-month term, and once again this was a rich learning experience for both of us.

This time, the administrators of the program at the post-secondary institution asked me to give them an interview. I prepared my responses and have turned them into a four-part series of blog posts directed at students. The first question was:

“Thinking about the co-op students you have hired in the past, what skills, abilities and attitudes have they demonstrated that have encouraged them to have a successful work term?”

So, you’re a student in a communications program looking for a co-op work term placement. How can I tell you’ll be a good hire for my organization?

Skills:

Writing writing writing! Not only great stories well-told, but examples of your writing using correct spelling and grammar. I’m looking for a nascent wordsmith. You do not have to write masterpieces, but you do have to show some budding talent. Writing as a craft can be honed, but usually there is some innate material to work with.

For those of us who have always aspired to work with words and stories, who write because we simply must, our calling and our passion for the written word shows in everything we write, whether it’s a letter to the editor, a blog entry or a series of Twitter posts. I have had one or two employees who simply did not have “it,” and those are difficult conversations to have, but for the most part, we get into this profession because we simply love to write.

Abilities:

Demonstrate your experience with computer programs, both web-based and print publishing, beyond “I have a Gmail account and use it daily.” Seriously, I have read resumes that list that particular “skill” and I am surprised at the number of second and third-year students who, contrary to pop-culture stereotypes, demonstrate very little computer savvy.

How do you demonstrate your computer savvy-ness?

  • Set up a blog using WordPress or Drupal or some other content management system, and make it look nice. It doesn’t matter what the content is as long as it’s inoffensive to at least 70 per cent of the population.
  • Use it to showcase your passion, talent and skill. It will shine through that skateboarding video you did for the neighbourhood guys or that paper you aced. Did you set up a database in your last job? Great, add a post about that too.
  • Don’t have a blog yet? Start one! But in the meantime, have great examples in a portfolio, including writing samples, screen shots and links to your work.

Attitude:

Be a team player (really, it’s not just a buzz word) while at the same time demonstrating self-reliance.

My most recent hire required the student employee to work from home on a laptop we provided. I was looking for evidence of someone who is highly self-directed, yet conscientious and accountable for results.

I was not disappointed. Jenna hit all her deadlines – in fact she was much more efficient than I had anticipated, finishing well before deadline much of the time – and she made sure to ask me if there was anything else she could do when she ran low on work. She had a lot of questions about how to go about doing her work, which was fine, but she didn’t need constant supervision. She struck the perfect balance between her learning needs and my organization’s need for an extra pair of hands.

Your great attitude will show through if you are a good communicator and have a blog (that you have set up on your own time – added bonus!) or a portfolio to show a potential employer. It will also shine through during your interview, a topic to be covered in a further post.

Upcoming posts in this series:

  • What makes a cover letter and a resume really stand out?
  • What are the benefits of networking?
  • What are the key points to a successful student interview?
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Homestretch to my second marathon

Posted on August 13, 2010 by Tori

Only one more month until the Queen City marathon!

This race is so much different from my first marathon. I’m still deeply committed, training is going well this year (dare I say better than last year?) – but that added sense of excitement and pressure is gone. I already know I can run a marathon – I’ve already achieved 42.2 kms.

This race is about seeing how strong I can be and running 42.2 faster than last time. It’s about having fun on a course in my hometown. For me, marathon running is like golf: if you hit a sweet drive 20% of the time, that one sweet shot after four duds is enough to keep you going back for more.

Looking at all my Halfs and Full marathons the past two years, I only felt really good during the Vancouver Half in 2009 – the Victoria Marathon hurt like hell from the 25km mark and the Oak Bay Half this year was a slog, despite my PB time.

Searching for that perfect race day just keeps me running.

Training is fun too – when I get a day (and it happens more frequently than a nice golf swing actually) where the weather, the company of my running buddies, my mood and my energy levels are optimum I think I’m the luckiest girl on earth. And I couldn’t get those days if I wasn’t training for another marathon.

So I’ll take them as they come!

—

Training this week: recovery week, only 16k long run Saturday.

Next week: 32k long run (about 3.5 hours). After that, the taper starts!

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If I had a rocket launcher …

Posted on August 4, 2010 by Tori

<rant>The seagull colony in my neighbourhood has no natural predators. Yet there is no bylaw against their noise and pollution, and no best practices for getting rid of them. Moreover I’m told I must be careful who I talk to about poisoning or shooting them, or finding other ways of discouraging them from nesting on rooftops (their gunk cuts the lifetime of a roof by 50%) because some people “like” the 24/7 cacophony. If I were to start a campaign it would rival the UVic bunny cull fiasco. I wish I’d known about this before I moved to this street; after all, I work from home, I’m here practically 24/7 too! I’m told that after a while I’ll get used to it, but that doesn’t help any guests I may have in my home. I am definitely living on the “Left Coast.”</rant>

PS: I joined Empire Avenue at the enthusiastic urging of my friend Evan EAVB_TPXSRFRBEP

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Inked

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Tori

After ten years of wanting to get it done, I finally did it. I got my first tattoo today.

It was a bit of an epic: 2 hours of laying on my stomach while Greg from The Union made art on my back. Hey, nothing simple or cliché for me, it had to be a little more intricate and involved than just any old tat! Here’s a photo of the artist at work.

It wasn’t too painful, not at the start anyway.

The whole process took about two hours. I got there 20 minutes early because I was a bit excited, but I was reassured to watch him carefully clean his hands, implements and station in preparation for creating permanent artwork on my back.

First step was to place a temporary transfer he had made of the design, to help guide him as he painted on my skin with needle and ink. As he positioned the transfer on my left shoulder he said “I can take this off and reposition it a hundred times, so make sure it’s where you want it. We can’t even move it 1 millimetre after it’s done.”

His first placement was perfect, but he left me standing in front of the mirror for a while anyway just to make sure. I did stand there for five minutes looking at the transfer, but not for any reason you might expect.

I wasn’t nervous, I wasn’t hesitant. I was perfectly happy with where he placed it from the start. I had absolutely no second thoughts. My only thought was “Wow, I’m FINALLY doing this. What took me so long to do something I’ve wanted to do for ten years?”

To me, this tat is my mark of my identity. It’s an adornment of my secret self – made visible to the world. It’s a testament to my authenticity and my comfort with the woman I’ve become. It’s a celebration of my self and my body. It’s deeply personal and deeply satisfying. Getting this tattoo has given me the same kind of satisfaction I get from climbing: it’s sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. It’s no mystery then that the design is Devil’s Tower, a rock formation I have climbed a number of times.

Greg says he feels incredibly privileged to be doing what he loves – making art on people’s bodies – for a living. He’s certainly very accomplished; I could tell from his portfolio and by the fact that I had to book his time almost three months in advance.

Greg started with the electric needles (which sound only the faintest bit like a dentist drill, but I got over that quickly) just after 1 pm. My friend Scott arrived just before 2, right after I had asked for a teeny break to sip my iced tea. I’ve gotten body piercings before, and I knew to have something sugary on hand in case it got to be a little intense (meaning: Tori almost fainted once and she knows what to do). We chatted for a while, and I was grateful for Scott’s attempts to distract me. My tat involved some fairly complicated lines, trees at the bottom, the moon and shading. That means he had to go over the same piece of skin (my skin being more sensitive than most – ouch!) more than once or twice (ouch! ouch!) and use the shading tool, which is wider (“Oops, don’t jump Tori!” ouch! ouch! ouch!)

After an hour we took a break for 5-10 minutes. Then we were back at it for the final push to get it all done.

I was impressed with Greg’s ability to focus on his work in the midst of our conversation, and the hum of the busy shop with its hip-hop music cranked. It was a gorgeous day and the doors were open, people came and went stopping to say hi or to book an appointment. We also chatted about my next tattoos. Oh yes, I’m getting more, and from Greg too. “We’re bonded now!” he said.

Near the end of the second hour, I was beginning to feel worn out from lying there getting my back repeatedly scratched with sharp needles. I said to Scott “Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to say I’d go for a 2-hour run with Mandy right after this.”

“Uh – I wouldn’t recommend that. In fact, I wouldn’t want you getting this sweaty for a week,” said Greg.

A WEEK??? But I’m training for a marathon!

Damn, this was something I hadn’t considered.

I’m compromising – I won’t run for three days, I’ll skip this week’s long run. After that, I’ll be good and wash it carefully, but I just can’t take a whole week off running right now! However, I also have to consider the placement of my sports bra – if it rubs on part of my yet-to-be-healed tattoo … I’m not thinking about that right at the moment. The deed is done, I want to take good care of it and I’ll just have to roll with it as best I can.

A tattoo is a lifelong commitment, after all.

Now maybe I won’t be so commitment-shy in other areas of my life…

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My second job

Posted on July 8, 2010 by Tori

Did I simply forget how tiring it is to train for a full marathon? Or could it be the extra weekly run and two extra boot camp sessions per week that have me begging for mercy?

Take a little from column A, a lot from column B and you have the reason I wake up in an exhausted fog some mornings. This training schedule is like a second job. For instance, here’s this week’s schedule:

  • Monday: morning tempo run 10-11k; evening “recovery” run with the Running for the Truly Terrified group I started.
  • Tuesday: morning spin class at the YMCA where I’m a volunteer; evening boot camp.
  • Wednesday: evening speed workout with Frontrunners marathon clinic.
  • Thursday: evening boot camp.
  • Friday: one-hour hot yoga at noon because lord knows I need to stretch!
  • Saturday: 19k run (long slow distance: pace 6:50/k, a little over 2 hours)
  • Sunday: hike Witty’s lagoon! (I’m really looking forward to that one!)

As luck would have it, my real job is busy but not crazy-busy, and during the summer I haven’t (yet) needed to put in any overtime hours or travel too much. If that were the case though I’d have to give up something – probably a boot camp session.

As a matter of fact, come August (when my mileage starts climbing again) I will drop one of the boot camps per week, and during taper I won’t weight train at all.

The perennial question for runners is: what are you running from?

Good question. The harder answer (given the fact that marathon training is actually hard on the body) is I have no idea. I can’t think of what I’m avoiding in life by working out so much, I can’t think of anything “chasing” me that would cause me to run away.

The easy answer is: I simply love this, I love running, working out, getting strong, staying youthful, staying healthy; and I love doing it with other people, helping them achieve their fitness goals at the same time I’m achieving mine.

What other possible answer could there be?

Photo: Tori running the Royal Victoria Marathon October 2009 by Bill Broughton

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Still not climbing

Posted on June 21, 2010 by Tori

Climbing Devils TowerI am acutely aware – every time I pass by Mountain Equipment Co-op; every time I look at my tortilla rope bag containing a well-used but well-cared for Mammut 60m dry 11 mm that I will only ever again use for top-roping; every time I smell my 10-year old 5-10s from the back of my closet (I washed them – honest!); every time I do 30 or 40 pushups at one time; every time I do a lunge and my toe joint hurts a little less -

That I’m not climbing.

I am also acutely aware that I have signed up for another fall marathon – and concurrently training for a marathon and taking up rock climbing again are the purview of 20-year-olds and superhumans with no other responsibilities in life.

Oh – what to do?

If I could find a climbing partner – not just a gym partner but an honest-to-goodness outdoor climbing partner – I would drop the damn marathon and buy new sticky boots.

Seriously.

I want to climb again!

But finding a climbing partner seems as difficult as finding a life partner.

It has to be someone of similar ability, someone with the same schedule to make climbing trips, someone you don’t mind sharing a tent with (in a platonic or – even better – in a more intimate way).

There must be a way I can do this.

Maybe I’ve just been too caught up in my running to make climbing happen.

Maybe I just haven’t stumbled upon the right partner yet.

Well duh Tori, how are you going to stumble across a climbing partner unless you are out there actually climbing?

Point taken.

Anyone want to accompany me out to the local crag this July?

Photo by jimbowen0306, used by permission under a Creative Commons License

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Thanks @CPUDan!

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Tori
I couldn’t go to UFC 115 in Vancouver, but Dan did, and I got a shirt!

I didn’t realize before I uploaded this post that my computer camera takes a mirror-image photo. Oh well – I’m leaving it the way it is!

Posted via email from Tori Klassen

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I’m baaaack!

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Tori

It appears – after a six-month hiatus – I am dating again. Not that I’ve deliberately sought out dates lately, it’s just that I’ve worked through some stuff and lightened my baggage load a bit.

So after Johnny-cake guy turned out to be someone not ready to date me, (“I don’t give rainchecks,” he tells me. OK then, neither do I.) I remembered this post I wrote just over a year ago and it’s pretty much still how I roll, so I thought it would be fun (and instructive??) to re-post. So here we go, originally posted May 17, 2009:

Do’s & Don’ts for dating me – and pretty much any woman.

I have found, sadly, many men don’t know how to be gentlemen anymore. The truth is though: men and women are different. I tried to deny this as a young woman, but the evolutionary biology is undeniable. Even with amazing variation across cultures, men are still the hunters judged on their ability to provide and women are still the child bearers judged on their looks and youthful appearance. That translates not only into the fact that men still earn more than women, but into certain inescapable behaviour cues men and women use to choose a suitable mate. Furthermore, in all the confusion over the role of feminism and modern life, some men and women have confused “rudeness” with “equality.”
The following list is based on my most recent dating experiences.

Pay the cheque – at least on the first date or two.

If you take me out, the cheque arrives and I sweetly say, “May I offer to help out with some of that?” your response is “No, I’ll take care of it, but thanks for asking,” especially since you have asked me out in the first place. (That’s correct, I do not ask men out.)

Ziplining: a great first date activity!

I’m not testing you; I’m being polite and gracious. However, if you say yes I will wonder if you are indeed serious about impressing me or if you have any confidence or sense of pride. That will most likely be the last time you see me.

Make sure I get home safely.

This doesn’t mean walking me to my bus stop, or asking me to drive (and for pity’s sake don’t ask me to pick you up!). I don’t mind meeting you there the first date. I don’t mind if you have chosen a car-less existence (I also won’t judge you on the kind of car you drive) – but when it gets late you may call a taxi. If I’ve met you online and I am not ready for you to know where I live, see me to my cab, hand the driver some money and, if you like, call me in a few days.

Pay attention to your deportment and appearance.

Shave. Brush teeth. Shower. Leave jeans and runners and t-shirts at home. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, it’s just that it helps to look like you made an effort. If all goes well, we’ll have lots of time later to see each other in our slovenly states.

However, we don’t have to go to dinner all the time, or even a movie. Be creative. I’m an outdoors gal very eager to try new things – just keep in mind I won’t, for instance, go hiking in East Sooke Park with someone I barely know.
One fashion note: please gentlemen, even if you have a paunch (and I don’t mind if you do) stay away from pants with pleats!

Don’t take a call from anyone other than your immediate family.

Once, while on a first date, the man I was with took a call, saying it was his daughter. That’s fine. However, it was his friend setting up a golf time, and he stayed on the phone for a good five minutes. I nearly left – in retrospect I should have left. If that ever happens to me again I will simply walk out and flag the nearest cab to take me home.

Don’t expect to get lucky.

Don’t even expect a kiss. You can however expect a second date, unless we are so excruciatingly incompatible that a second date would be akin to watching “Australia” all the way through.

Furthermore – I don’t adhere to the “third date” rule. I’m probably not going to have sex with you until we’ve developed a deeper level of intimacy; until I’m certain we’ve reached the stage where a serious, exclusive relationship may be imminent. I don’t have any hard and fast “rules” about this; I simply want to be cautious. I want to get to know you better than three dates will allow.

Don’t expect me to date you exclusively right away.

Honestly, I didn’t know this was an issue with some men until recently. How can you know me for a grand total of three weeks and demand I choose you over everyone else? I thought men liked to compete. C’mon big boy, show me why you’re better than the rest. Give me some space –I’ve let you know I’m not serious with anyone else, therefore you’re all on the same playing field. If you show your gentlemanly side, you’ll prove yourself a kind, considerate, confident man who’s a real catch. Only then when it’s time for you to ask me to be in a relationship with you, I’ll be ready to say yes.

What can you expect from me?

I’m not a princess expecting royal treatment just because I’m all that. You may expect from me: a gracious and well-dressed companion, an engaging conversation and my undivided attention. I will also email you the next day with a thoughtful expression of my gratitude.

I have talked to some of my male friends about that unlady-like things women do or neglect while dating, and I’ve taken note:

I will wear a pretty dress to dinner.

I will make an effort to have all the men in the restaurant wish they were you, when you are with me. I work out regularly, and I am told I am good looking. I take care of my appearance. I will dress appropriately for the occasion.

I will focus on you.

I will not look over your shoulder to see what other available men may be in the room. I will not flirt with anyone else. I will make an effort to ask you about yourself and find out who you are. If you ask my opinion on something I will offer a thoughtful and educated response. If you say something I strongly disagree with I will offer you my viewpoint respectfully and diplomatically. I will smile often and laugh at your jokes (even if they’re not all that funny).

I will be honest without burdening you with my life history.

I’ve been married twice, I have three children and I’m about to become a grandmother. I didn’t have the best childhood or the easiest time in life, but that story is best saved for later.

I will not get drunk or be a flake.

Well, I may get a bit tipsy – but I have never been embarrassingly wasted on a date. I also will not talk about your dead father’s ghost guiding my hand as I paint a picture for you (true story – happened to a friend of mine very soon after he lost his father.)

I will not phone, text or email other people while with you.

Nor will I check my messages. I will however remain on call for my daughter. I’ve never had anyone have a problem with this. However I have heard of this happening to men as well as women. How rude!

I won’t expect to be the only woman you’re dating – for now.

Jealousy is so unattractive. I’ve been guilty of it in the past. Ultimately, I would like an exclusive, committed relationship, but until then it’s all a process of finding out about each other, seeing if something special will arise. Cream rises to the top: the right person for me and for you will emerge out of getting out there and meeting people and enjoying their presence while we’re in it.

I’m not pretending I’m perfect, but I think I’m a pretty good catch. I’m not focused on finding “the one” just yet, but I would like to – eventually – and practice makes perfect when it comes to being a good companion and a great life partner.

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RTT Week 3; plus – a new triathlete is formed!

Posted on June 13, 2010 by Tori

It’s going to be a beautiful week in Victoria, and I’ve had a lot of interest in Running for the Truly Terrified (RTT). For the past two weeks I’ve been joined by Scott and Derek. This week my hairdresser Marion says she wants to come with her friend, and a couple of other people on Twitter have expressed an interest as well.

I volunteered on the run course at the Victoria Youth Triathlon this morning where I ran with a little girl “K” to get her to the finish line. K had a good race, except when she came off the bike for lap 1 of the run her stomach started to hurt – bad. Through tears, she insisted she was DONE. I took her off the course to the finish area where she had a bit of juice and some bread. We waited for her mom who – I realized as soon as she arrived – was my friend Cathy from Twitter!

Soon after K saw her mom she started crying again – she wanted to get back on the course and finish her race. Not finishing is worse than finishing in pain – I know that feeling — that’s the spirit of a strong, determined young woman!

I took her back to my station where she had left off and said “When you make it back here to start lap 2 I’ll run the rest of the way with you — if you want.”

Sure enough (and sooner than I expected) K came roaring around the corner toward my station for lap 2. “Do you want me to come with you to the end?” I said as she whizzed by. She slowed a bit and said “Yes,” so I took off my jacket and brought her all the way around, cheering her the whole way, encouraging her to keep going. Cathy was in tears when she saw her little girl finish, and she was even more surprised to see me right there with her.

“I can’t believe you ran with her, thank you so much!” she said, over and over again, giving me a big hug. Or two or three.

For me it was no big deal, or so I thought. I had been a bit bored, standing around waiting for runners from 7 am until noon, even though my own daughter was with me and we always have a great time volunteering at races. I was happy to run a bit and get the blood going.

Except that, when I jogged back to my station where my daughter was still monitoring the run course, I found myself in tears as well. And here I am, again in tears as I write this. I was so proud and honoured to be able to help someone achieve her goal, even after all seemed lost. Everyone is an athlete who shows up, day after day, race after race, and does their best. Everyone is a hero who digs down real deep and finds the courage and the heart to cross that finish line, no matter whether they’re first or dead last.

I remembered what I told K after she finished: “This is yours, all yours. You finished this race, you are a triathlete and no one will ever be able to take it away from you, ever.”

I hope she’s as proud as I am of her.

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