Running for nature: Why I've joined the Conservation Krew for the Calgary Marathon
Running hare (Photo by Malene Thyssen, Wikimedia Commons)
What’s the amount of training required for a five-kilometre run? Well, around the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Calgary office, the going joke is, “a good stretch before the run.” On June 1st, I’ll be taking part in the 5k race at the Calgary Marathon. During the run, my colleagues from NCC's Alberta Region will transform into the Conservation Krew — a lean, mean running machine, or something like that.
Our team is made up of communicators like myself, the science and stewardship staff who work out in the field and a whole crew of other NCC staffers. We entered the race's Charity Challenge; we’ll be a force for nature, running for nature, collecting donations to support land conservation in Alberta.
I’m new to road races, and I’m not really too sure what to expect. Picking and sticking to a training schedule seems to be the most challenging aspect so far. I know if I wanted to I could probably forgot about the sweat and pain of training and just walk most of the five kilometres. This would be the easy way out, but seeing all my coworkers happily train for the marathon gives me motivation, so I figure I should at least put in some effort!
My first step was to look to my friends, family, coworkers, really anyone who was willing to help me out with a little running advice. A few people sent me some training regimes, the couch potato to five-kilometre type. Unfortunately a lot of them got lost amongst my work emails, mixed up with the more important information about all of the good work NCC does in Alberta. After a few other tips from friends I figured it was time to stop talking and take some action.
My running program started off strong. After a couple of really great days I felt like I was getting a handle on this running thing. Unfortunately, as with many things, I did suffer a few setbacks. A weekend of skiing left my legs so sore that I could barely walk, let alone run for at least three to four days. I also took a trip to visit family, which was lots of fun, but again another set back from my running schedule.
Towards the end of April I realized I had to get focused. A little support from team members in the form of team runs was definitely a good thing for my training! There is a little less than a month leading up to the big day. My goal for the next few weeks is to train every second day. I want to build up my endurance so I’m able to complete race, and not feel too sore the next day.
When race time comes, I’m not too sure if I’ll be able to run the entire five kilometres without a few walking breaks. I’m O.K. with that, just as long as I run the majority of the time. I also haven’t set a time goal, and I may or may not figure this out before the big day. My real goal is only to successfully complete my first race.
Watch for the Conservation Krew at the finish line! We’ll have a presence at the race with volunteers coming out to help out and talk about the work we do in Alberta. Click here if you would like to sponsor the Conservation Krew and the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
