This is an excited guest blog post that I’ve been looking forward to sharing! It’s an intro to our Love Training More Registered Dietitian Jennie Orr who happens to also be on of my Halifax Road Hammer training partners, an amazing distance runners and just an all-around sweet and kind human! I’m so happy to be able to partner with Jennie through Love Training More to optimally help our runners achieve their potential. Look for a new training package in 2017 that will combine both coaching by me and meal planning and sports nutrition support by Jennie. Read on to learn more about how well Jennie can support runners!
Take it away Jennie:
I wasn’t always a runner, even now I consider myself still a newbie. I grew up playing hockey, skating, and soccer, and to be honest I never really thought about running. I was that kid in gym class who moaned when the gym teacher said it was track and field season.
In my last year of high school, about 7 years ago now, I was asked by my school’s Cross Country coach to run in the provincial meet. They were down a runner and knew I played soccer and figured I could take the empty spot. I arrived that day having never run more than 1.6km. The race was 4km! I finished that race dead last and, even to this day, in a pretty impressive time for me of 16 minutes. At first I was embarrassed by my time, and forgot all about running. Until again, late in high school, I was asked to fill in for a runner in the 400m. We were such a little school and did not have many people to pick from so I said yes. At least this one was shorter. I did much better in this race, but really didn’t pick up the sport at this time either.
My first year of University I had to give up my first love, figure skating, as coaching and skates had become way too expensive for my part time job to afford. I had always been active, and wanted to stay healthy and stress free. I was pondering the list of free university clubs when I had a strange thought: “what about running?” I said to myself its relatively cheap and I had shoes. And so, my love of running came to be. With my love of running came this new interest in food. I paid more attention to how I ate and fueled my body to perform the best that it could. I started cooking more, reading labels, and I eventually switched out of my arts degree into a science based food and nutrition degree. Essentially I have my love of running to thank for my love of nutrition.
I ran 1 mile every day for a year before I ever joined a club. My goal was to run the mile in under 7 minutes and when I could do that, I would join one. So I ran every single day, rain, shine, sleet, or snow. I joined the PEI Road Runners marathon club in 2012, my 3rd year of university. It was about 4 years ago that I actually started to run more than 1.6 km. I was thinking about a 5 km, but everyone else was doing this marathon thing. I had heard about those and laughed: I would never do one of those!
One year later I did my first marathon at the Blue Nose in Halifax and qualified for The Boston Marathon. At 21 years old, I qualified to run the world’s most prestigious marathon. I was both amazed and totally petrified. I had never run a 5 km, a 10 km, or a half before I ran my first marathon. After, that there was no turning back. I did a few short races but mostly focused on the marathon distance.
I fell in love with running but I also fell in love with runners. If you want to meet a group of the most supportive, thoughtful, and encouraging people then join a running club. The friendships I developed will stay with me my entire life and I am so glad it ended up this way!
Two years ago now I moved to Halifax. Recently this year, I joined The Halifax Road Hammers with coach Lee McCarron, where Love Training More coach Erin also trains. I was seeking some help with my speed work, as I really avoided it. I remember thinking before practice that there was no way I would be keeping up with any of these speedy runners, but to my surprise I held on in the back. I have been training with them for a few months and have already seen so many improvements in my running. A PB of 3:23 in my most recent marathon allowing me to go back to Boston again, and a 1:32 half marathon. Again I have found the most supportive, encouraging and best people to work hard and train with.
I look forward to meeting each and every one of you, and helping you reach your performance and running goals by taking a closer look at the fuel that powers your mighty running machine:)
Wrap-up note by Erin:
Love Training More athletes are so lucky to have this support “fueling their might running machines” from Jennie! Jennie posts sports nutrition tips on our social media page from time to time and also hosts some sessions for our runners. She’s also available for hire for individual work with runners and this is a service that is covered by many insurance plans. As mentioned, look for an exciting new training plan in 2017 that combines coaching and sports nutrition!
