It's that time of year again, isn't it? Holiday shopping mania, parties out the ying-yang, family visits (for better or worse!)--but what about your running? It's ever so hard to get back into the "glorious grind" of dedicated training amidst all the hustle and bustle, now isn't it? We'll have some more fun stuff out to you shortly in our annual year end e-newsletter but for a number of reasons we wanted to offer everyone the chance to get things rolling again this season earlier than ever, for a few reasons:

2) A lot of you chose "early" end of season events this fall. Principally Waterfront, but even those who did Chicago and/or Toronto International have now had anywhere from 6 weeks to 2 months to rest, relax and recover--so if you're anything like us--you're getting the itch to crank it up again, right?

3) A quick check of the December calendar shows us that this year, unlike most, the Mon-Thurs weeknight schedule is NOT interrupted by the holiday "biggies" (Christmas, New Year's Eve, etc.), soo...unless you'll be away for a week or two, you can (and for the sake of your running season ahead, should) get started now/soon and build up some momentum heading into the new year.

So, without further ado, here's the Winter/Spring 2006 Coaching Groups line up (6:30-8pm, unless otherwise noted, through to April):

1.            MONDAY Central Toronto: Quail & Firkin Pub, Yonge St & Roxborough (north of Bloor) proposed start date - December 12th

2.            TUESDAY York University Indoor Track: south west of Steeles & Keele proposed start date December 6th

3.            WEDNESDAY Midtown Toronto: Leaside HS/Sunnybrook Park): Bayview & Eglinton proposed start date December 7th

4.        WEDNESDAY--(9:30am) Midtown Toronto: Sunnybrook Plaza Second Cup (across from Leaside HS): Bayview & Eglinton proposed start date January 4

5.            THURSDAY West Toronto: High Park, Grenadier Restaurant proposed start date December 8th

6.            THURSDAY Downtown Oakville: Second Cup @ Navy/Lakeshore proposed start date December 15th

Please note: We will start and host each of these groups as soon as there are a minimum of 12 runners confirmed--so we need to hear from you ASAP! We are limiting every group's size to 30 runners (max), so even if you'd rather (or have no choice but to) wait until early in the new year to get rolling once again, please give us a shout to let us know if/what/where/when you'd like to get involved. We still have permit arrangements (both formal...ie. schoolboard user fees, and informal...i.e pub arrangements), as well as staffing budgeting/planning concerns to settle, so if you'd like to be a part of Marathon Dynamics this coming season, please do get back to us to let us know, OK?

Remember too that if we've worked with you over the past year or so, then we likely don't have to wait for your 1 mile trial test/results to get busy on your plan and get it out to you right away!

Our team is leaner (fitter), keener (more enthusiastic about coaching running), and meaner, than ever before (well, OK, maybe not meaner). Heck, we're even cleaner too! (showering more...good thing). Seriously though, we've been hard at work these past few weeks to put in place some very exciting new programs. We've got a whole lot MORE to offer you this season, so we'd like to get started soon as possible.

1) MORE COACHING FOCUS - more of our coaches can now design/create Customized Training Plans, our level of coaching expertise and experience is now at an all time high, and further, we've made the conscious decision to focus more of our effort specifically on training plans and coaching, as opposed to dividing our attention with running clinics as well. The recent "JeansGate" media firestorm, which you all must have heard/talked about by now, helped us finalize our decision to pull back from clinic involvement this coming year (whereby Dr. Jean Marmoreo, founder and head of the JeansMarines running group, regrettably and ill-advisedly (but with the best of intentions and kindness) encouraged a number of her charges to cut short the Marine Corps Marathon in order to complete the course in the required time). As such, we're pulling back from the "main" JeansMarines program this year (though we will continue to work with the Alumnae...don't want to leave them high and dry!), so we've got a lot more time and resources to devote to our personal coaching and training plan runners...this means you!

2) MORE COMPLETE ATHLETE/CLIENT SUPPORT - via our new "Supporting Cast" Program - this is perhaps the most significant new program we're introducing, and it is available to everyone who registers for Marathon Dynamics Personal Coaching Services this year (Bronze, Silver, Gold or E-Coaching).

It's essentially the formalization of something we've been doing informally for years--assisting our runner clients, over and above our own work with their actual training, by providing top-notch, timely and cost-effective access to the very best practitioners within all areas associated with your running/training, to keep you in top shape and on track (or get back on ASAP), to reach your running goals.

Through years of personal and professional experience, we've culled the very best experts in each respective area of runner support, including Sports Medicine, Physio, Nutrition, Massage, Chiro, Fitness Testing, Biomechanics, Strength Training, etc., and grouped them into geographic regions for your convenience (where possible).

3) MORE WORKOUT VARIETY - our trial efforts in "mixing up" our group coaching workout format this past summer season met with very favourable response. As such, we've decided to further experiment this winter in an attempt to turn what is often regarded as a negative (bad weather), into a real positive (novel, exciting and fun workouts). Quite simply, when the weather/conditions are conducive to regular intensity workouts--it's business as usual. However, when the weather outside is (really) frightful, (ie. same day snow fall, or recent snowstorm) then that's when the fun starts. We throw away the originally scheduled workout sheet (or at least the detailed specs prepared for each runner), and get busy with an alternate version of said workout. For example:

- "Tempo Romps": keeping in mind only the total time and the target intensity/effort you "would have" run for a given tempo workout (but paying no heed to the actual pace) you head out in your various groupings for 10 minutes of uptempo sets (coach and self timed) followed by 1 minute recovery "loop around" walk breaks, where the idea is to get everyone in the group together again before the start of the next set.

- "Hill Pyramids": with pilons/markers set at about 100m, 200m, and 300m (if/where possible) from the top of the hill, we begin the workout by running up the entire hill, then jog/walk recovering down to the lowest marker up from the base, then up we go again, then recovering down to the next lowest marker, then up again, until the top most marker loop is completed. We then "come back down the other side" by doing each successive hill from the longer markers all the way down to the base. If req'd, start back up again! The goal is to do the same number of "up hills" as our scheduled workout, but with much more playful variety!

- "Time and a Half" Speed Workouts: ditch the distances, multiply the target times by 1.5, and keep the rest time the same. Go "hard" during the run phase, but obviously easier than you would if only running for half the time (and on clear footing, in good conditions). Make sure to walk, jog and regroup during the regular length recovery phase. This takes the focus off the actual speed, and by slowing us down a bit, makes it both easier and safer to run strong/hard but within ourselves (to minimize injury and accident risk)

4) MORE INTERACTIVITY - you've asked for more detailed and timely feedback on your coaching session performance, and we've answered. Every Friday we'll provide by email a comprehensive summary of how everyone did at the past week's workouts, for you to update your training log and guage your week to week performance.

5) MORE FUN! - we'd like to encourage runners in our groups to get to know each other even better, so we're going to add a mid-season, motivational "shot-in-the-arm" social event (in addition to any group specific week to week apres workout socializing that goes on!) to which we'll invite everyone to come out on a Friday night and catch up with each other, both with those from their own groups and those from other groups too. Then, come the end of the season, we'll all be even more keen to get together one more time to socialize at our season end celebration.

6) MORE SAVINGS - To reward your loyalty and continued support of Marathon Dynamics, we are offering the following discounts to those who have been clients of ours within the past year (OK, twist our arm if you have to...we'll go back as far as 3 seasons, but no further!).

* Coaching Discount - those of you who have received Personal Coaching Services with us within the past year, are entitled to a 37% discount off the regular price of your Customized Training Plan (CTP), provided that you sign on at some level of Personal Coaching this season (Bronze, Silver, Gold or E-Coaching, minimum 10 weeks). Only $50+gst!

* Training Plan Discount - those of you for whom we have designed a training plan only (i.e. not provided Personal Coaching Services--ie. groups or e-coaching) within the past year, are entitled to 24% off the price of your CTP (provided that you sign on at some level of Coaching this season, as above). Only $60+gst!

Note: we've removed the following attachments, since our previous attempt to send this message to your hotmail account bounced back (presumably due to the size of the files)...please email us if interested in receiving them, and we'll send them to you one at a time, as needed, OK?

1) A "fresh" Customized Training Plan interview form

2) Info on our 2006 Personal Coaching Services (if in Toronto area, Bronze, Silver, Gold, etc...if not, then E-Coaching)

3) A Registration form for Coaching

4) Details/directions/instructions/maps re: our various coaching locations this winter.

Note: re: York U - we've recently learned that they will not be offering Adult Group Track Passes (which was how we reduced the facility user fee from $5 to $2.50 for you these past few years), so the bad news is that we'll all be responsible for getting ourselves in there each night. The good news is that we've found a way to get free parking up there (if you don't mind a 750m walk/jog, that is)...call/email for more info on that!

RPR #1: February 12 @ Edwards Gardens (Leslie & Lawrence)

RPR #2: March 12 @ High Park =96 Grenadier Restaurant (Bloor St. W & Keele)

RPR #3: April 16 @ Edwards Gardens

2 - Figure out when/how you'd like to do your 1 mile trial--either w/us, or on your own, and call/email us to let us know if/when to expect you. Note: If self-testing, please submit your completed interview first, and we can email back some "guidelines" specific for you based upon your interview information.

So enjoy your holidays one and all--may this be joyous, safe, reaf'firm'ing season (as opposed to a reaf'flab'bing one, of course!). And please remember..."Don't drink and run" (or if you must drink, then please hand over your shoes to someone you trust!)

Note: What with the vagaries and complexities of email these days (spam filters, firewalls, etc.) we can't be sure if this message reached you unless you respond back. So even if you AREN'T planning on utilizing any MDI services this season, can you please simply send a reply back with "not this time" in the subject line, so we'll know you got it? Thanks so much in advance...as it will save us all a ton of email and phone follow up w/you in the coming weeks!