On this week’s podcast, Toronto runner, Rick Raymond shares his thoughts on his incredible 40-year running streak.Then, elite runner Sasha Gollish talks about winter running, and more specifically about her thoughts on what women wear when training. Plus, a review of the Frankfurt Marathon.
Made with coconut and almond flour, this gluten-free muffin recipe offers an incredible source of protein which will keep you powering through your day. Grab one as an on-the-go breakfast or for a post-run pick-me-up.
Almond Power Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup almond flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
12 medium eggs
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup real maple syrup or coconut nectar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 tbsp coconut sugar
DIRECTIONS
ONE: Preheat oven to 325C . Grease muffin pan or line with paper liners.
TWO: In a large bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, chia seeds, sea salt and baking soda; mix well.
THREE: In a separate bowl, whisk eggs. Add coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla nd almond extract to blend. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over-mix.
FOUR: Spoon batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle with almonds and coconut sugar. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Enjoy with honey.
Reproduced with permission from Joyous Health (Penguin) by Joy McCarthy.
By: Tim Huebsch Photo: Peter Stokes
It’s arguably the most exciting format of racing, and for sure the muddiest. The 2018 Canadian Cross-Country Championships are this Saturday, Nov. 24, and given recent weather, the outcomes are all the more unpredictable.
See, unlike road racing, where the fastest person on paper is likely to win, cross-country is more technical, and tactical, because of the twists and turns, hills, footing, tight quarters and ability to perform in less-than-ideal conditions.
WHERE IS IT: Kingston, Ont., at Fort Henry National Historic Site. The course consists of a 2.5K and a 2K loop to be completed as many times as required for the given distance. The terrain is rolling, without any major hills, and the course overlooks Lake Ontario and the rest of the city, which is situated about halfway between Toronto and Ottawa. This year marks the final year that Kingston, Ont. hosts the championships before it’s moved to another city in Canada. Start and finish lines are 80m apart and the course is extremely spectator-friendly.
As of Friday, the course is snow-covered and forecast calls for 7 C and rain, which will contribute to a messy course, paired with the fact that there will be hundreds of runners on the start line, wearing spiked footwear.
Two weeks ago, the U Sports – Canada’s university governing body – Cross-Country Championships were held in the same location, at Fort Henry. Those championships were strictly for Canadian universities, and many of those runners will be competing again this weekend. Brogan MacDougall, who won the U Sports Championships, will be competing in the U20 division (she’s in first-year and beat athletes three to four years older than her at university nationals), while the men’s winner from U Sports, Connor Black, is not racing.
So, what’s the big deal?
Like any national championships, the opportunity to become a Canadian champion presents itself at the Canadian Cross-Country Championships. The event is the biggest race of the year for cross-country and brings together hundreds of runners to compete over the same distance (unlike in track and field in which runners specialize in certain events). The Canadian Cross-Country Championships are a more encompassing event than the U Sports Championships since many of who are competing are no longer in university, are in high school, attend university in the United States or they attend college.
Does everybody in Canada race?
Yes. And, no. The race attracts runners of all levels, including Olympians, collegiates and high school runners. But there’s also a masters race for those older than 30, and a community race, which is open for everyone, regardless of experience. The main difference between the community races and the championships races is that you need to be registered with Athletics Canada, the national governing body, for the championships races. The community race is like a road race, anyone can run.
Defending champions Luc Bruchet (senior men’s 10K), Claire Sumner (senior women’s 10K), Brogan MacDougall (U20 women’s 6K), Sadie Sigfstead (U18 girl’s 4K), Campbell Lee (U18 boy’s 6K), Michael Gill (masters 8K) and Sarah Nagy (masters 8K) all race again in 2018. The U20 men’s defending champion Kieran Lumb is the only non-returning winner. All defending champions should be in contention for the victory with notables including Ben Flanagan, Sasha Gollish and Natasha Wodak in the mix for the senior titles.
In total, 1,124 runners are registered for the Saturday event, which is split into eight races, between 4-10K. That said, some of the nation’s best talent are passing on the event because it’s so late in the year, or they’re coming off recent races so they opted out due to recovery reasons.
What’s On the Line?
Money, national podium spots and a chance to earn an automatic berth to represent Canada at the IAAF World Cross-Country Championships in 2019.
9 a.m.: Community 5K
9:45 a.m.: Masters 8K
11 a.m.: U18 Girls 4K
11:30 a.m.: U18 Boys 6K
12:15 p.m.: U20 Women 6K
1 p.m.: U20 Men 8K
1:45 p.m.: Senior Women 10K
How can I watch?
Since cross-country is held in essentially held in a field, entry is free if you’re in the Kingston area. Athletics Canada TV and CBC Sports (via the Runnerspace feed) are streaming the event tomorrow beginning at 9 a.m. ET. On-demand replay of the races will be available, albeit behind a paywall.
Perhaps there’s no one better than iRun‘s Marathon Mom, Krista DuChene at exemplifying how to balance a running life with a family life, and enjoying both things. In our upcoming issue, we are dedicating everything to the moms and families that make our sport such a positive space. We also want to see how you do it. How do you get up and out the door for an early morning, late evening or weekend run? And how has having children in your life, keep you moving towards the finish line?
Show us pictures of you at the races with your kids. Pictures of you running together. Pictures of family cheering, mom pushing the running stroller, whatever you’ve got—we want to see, and we may feature your photos in the issue! Let’s all take the lead from Krista. You may not have a pre-race breastfeeding shot to share, and that’s OK. Krista’s one of a kind. But show us how you get it all in. This holiday season, we’re celebrating you and your family so show us how it’s done. Send your photos to ben@irun.ca or tag us on Instagram @irunnation.
As a mom and a runner, it’s been a pipe-dream to experience a race with my children. The aim is to teach them to understand the importance of training, having fun and not fixate on winning. It’s also about living in the moment as you step up to the start line, and feeling the exhilaration at the finish line.
Nevertheless, I questioned my decision to register my oldest child on the morning of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. “How can I race, the sun isn’t even up yet?”, was Jack’s response as I woke him up at 5am. Thankfully the preparation for the race started the evening before, because getting out the door felt rushed as we left to make the 6:45am baggage drop time slot. The knot in my stomach intensified as we stepped off the shuttle bus at the 5K start and he repeated his desire to NOT RACE. It was dark, cold and the crowd was growing bigger as participants disembarked from buses and descended upon Ontario Place.
I hadn’t counted on the start line being situated so far from the Enercare Centre. The temperature was 1C and the plan was to wait indoors until closer to the start. It was 75 minutes before the start time and I knew this skinny kid, with seemingly next-to-zero body fat wasn’t going to last the wait in the cold. Thankfully a Canada Running Series employee directed us to the Ontario Place indoor pedestrian bridge for us to wait until the start of the race. It was a popular wait location to watch the sun rise in the horizon and the warm-up lead by the Jock Yoga crew.
At 10 minutes to start, we made our way to the start line, along the way, we saw announcer and race fixture Too Tall Tony for a pre-race high-5. At this point it dawned on Jack that he won’t be running with only kids his age like he did in cross-country or the kids race on Toronto Centre Island, but a mixture of kids and adults. It was the largest race, to date, that he would participate in, and he seemed to have mixed feelings about it.
We started in the purple corral for runners aiming for sub-30 minutes. Two club members from Longboat Roadrunners were in the same corral and we chatted to past the time. We listened for the countdown and then the horn went off. Shortly after the start I removed my jacket. I asked Jack if he wanted to also remove his jacket, and he promptly said, “No, I’m still cold.” I looked at my watch at the first kilometre, it said, “5:31/K,” and he seemed pretty comfortable with the pace. Coming up to Bathurst Street you could hear the voices of the volunteers offering Gatorade and water at the hydration station, this was the 2K mark and our pace was, 5:26/K. Jack didn’t need his inhaler that morning and it was still cold at the start, but he wasn’t breathing hard and declined any form of hydration.
As we came up to the Roger’s Centre, crossing on the ramp, I told Jack to look left as it was the area close to “daddy’s work.” At 3K, our pace was 5:45/K. Along the stretch of Lakeshore Boulevard underneath the Gardiner Expressway, two red arches emerged into sight. It was the ‘fork in the road’ for the half-marathon/5K runners and the full marathon runners to split. Jack asked if that was the finish and looked deflated when I told him no. At this point he started having difficulty. We had trained for this distance leading up to the race as a family and, on occasion, would stop to wait for his brother two years his junior. Perhaps he didn’t anticipate the ‘no-stopping’ aspect of the 5K race. Nor did he have his friends to run with on this course as he did during cross-country practice. Now a scowl appeared on his face. I asked about any discomfort, and it seemed like he could not articulate the issue. I slowed the pace but didn’t stop, thinking he needed to catch his breath in order to speak. I told him we had less than 2 kilometres to go until the finish. Anticipating he might be too hot, I told him to unzip his jacket, but he still refused to depart with it. We hit the 4K mark at 6:20/K.
I gulped, and thought we went out too fast and I should have ran slower for the first few kilometres
North on Bay Street we went, and as we exited the tunnel, I saw him wipe away a tear, and at this point a lump in my throat got bigger. I asked him if he wanted to stop. He retorted, “No,” without looking at me in the face. ‘Ok, let’s go’, was my reaction, and I held out my hand, which he took and we ran hand-in-hand. We continued, and here the spectator support started to get thick. That’s when Jack noticed, “Is that the clock tower you meant?” Prior to the race I had reviewed the route with Jack and pointed out landmarks that would be along the course. I answered, “Yes, when we get to the tower, you will see the finish line and you can just go!” He let go of my hand and pushed. Then he recognized the flying feather on the back of a shirt and said, “That’s your friend mummy, let’s catch up to her!” Surprised by the sudden change in mood, we surged and caught up to ‘mummy’s friend.’ I offered words of encouragement to her, before pushing onward and forward. We came up to Queen Street and I pointed to the left, “There is the finish line…” and as the words left my mouth, Jack bolted, weaving his way through the crowd as little agile bodies can do with such ease.
There was so much excitement at the finish line, people were cheering, cowbells ringing, and Jack’s name was announced as he crossed the line with a time of 28:52. Then he got a high-5 from a finish line volunteer, and as I directed him towards the medals, he exclaimed, “We get a medal?!” Jack rode the post-race euphoria as he received his food kit, got his photo taken at the Endurance Tap booth, then got to tell his brother, family and friends, “We got to run on the road!” Lesson learned, despite the parental angst and with a bit of tough love, my child experienced that running can be hard, but if you just keep at it, there are rewards that are relevant to their own head space.
On this week’s show Mark speaks with some everyday runners who are taking marathon running to the next level. First, Denise Sauroil explains how she has run over 100 marathons despite a devastating accident. Then, an Ottawa runner who recently qualified for Boston at the age of 69 tells us why it’s never too late to achieve your goals. Plus, the spirit and energy at the New York City Marathoner is incredible, and one runner shares the wonderful surprise crossing the finish line.
Need an appetizer that leaves you feeling good about your food? These Fuji apple crab cakes are the perfect blend of sweet, crisp apple, fresh red bell pepper and sweet red onion. And this recipe is a whole lot easier than you might think!
Recipe by Candice Kumai
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
16 oz lump crabmeat, fresh or canned
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp Tamari reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 Fuji apple, cut into thin matchsticks
2-3 Tbsp olive oil mayonnaise
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
2 Tbsp canola oil
DIRECTIONS:
ONE: To make the crab cakes: Stir the crabmeat, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, lemon juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil together in a medium bowl. Stir in the apple. Add the mayo, mixing until all of the ingredients are evenly coated. Add the egg and stir to combine. Stir in 1 cup of the panko.
TWO: Use your hands to pack the mixture tightly into twelve 2-inch-diameter patties, 1 inch thick.
THREE: Place the remaining 1 cup of panko in a shallow dish. Coat the patties with panko and place them on a baking sheet.
FOUR: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add enough patties to fill pan without crowding and cook, without turning, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a thin metal spatula to gently flip crab cakes and brown the other side, and additional 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining crab cakes, adding half of the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan for each batch.
About Candice Kumai A regular contributor to The Today Show, GMA, The Cooking Channel and Food Network, Candice Kumai is a professionally trained chef and has authored several cookbooks including Pretty Delicious and Clean Green Drinks. Her work has also appeared in Women’s Health, Shape and Men’s Fitness.
The runners on this week’s show share their unique running experiences that made for some incredible race days. Grayden Snyder is a joggler (someone who juggles while running) who was chasing a world record half marathon finish. Then Lynn McQuaig a teacher in Cornwall Ontario talks about her VIP treatment with a special invitation to the New York City Marathon. Plus, Sam Heath, a Tim Horton’s executive shares his secrets to running his fastest half marathon at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.
Let it be heard, President of Rowan University, Ali A. Houshmand, had this to say: “The University recognizes that while the verbal policy attempted to set standards, it could be misunderstood and does not accommodate today’s training practices across sports. We recognize this may stir debate within the University community and beyond. By clarifying our support of women’s athletics and its student-athletes, Rowan strongly affirms its commitment to ensuring that women are able to train and perform at the highest levels.”
Is this statement enough?
At the time of publishing “The War on Women: Who Tells Women What to Wear on a Run?”, Rowan University had not released a public statement to the Odyssey article. While I did do an internet search—I Googled it—I did not find anything. I will be honest and I did not at the time read the Rowan University athletic guidelines.
Two things we learned about this story that are important:
1) A written guideline states that only one team can practice at a Rowan Athletic facility at a time.
2) A verbal policy that the school had a ‘shirt rule,’ all student athletes in a NCAA sport were expected to practice and compete in shirts (i.e. no bare chests). This was learned from the presidents statement that was released after publication.
I respect and understand the policy that does not allow two teams to train at the same time. Yes, for space saving reasons most tracks end up around football fields. In New Jersey, Rowan University’s layout is the same (check it out on Google Maps). While I thought Rowan University had a massive field complex when I looked at the map I realize now how limited their space was. The football team cannot train anywhere else. There is a high school track just adjacent to the Rowan University Track. I stand by Rowan University’s policy to not have two teams practicing at the same time.
Now this verbal policy, which was apparently in step with a NCAA policy. I have looked online, and I will admit, my research was not all that in-depth. A Sports Bra, referred to as a ‘Bra’ in the NCAA policies is a piece of apparel, not a a piece of equipment. What I could not find in the policies was anything about appropriate athletic attire for training. Despite the fact Rowan University does not provide the teams with uniforms, the University should never have had a ‘shirt policy’ for training. Why is a sports bra (or bare chested men for that matter) when it’s hot and humid out not appropriate attire?
I took a glance at the Rowan University Athlete Handbook. It has all the ‘right’ things in it. Rowan University Athletics prides itself on the values of excellence, community, integrity, teamwork, and education. It goes on to write that it holds it’s student-athletes to “high moral and ethical standards.”
Here is where I’m at after all of this publicity: Even if there is only a 1% chance that what the football team said about the women running in sports bras being distracting, then this is still worth talking about. And there is a chance this is true, Gina Capone, cross-country team member is quoted saying: “The football coach had a problem with the women running on the track. He said that it was distracting.” That is the type of language and culture that has to go. I wrote this on Twitter yesterday: “No, you will not tell me what to wear. You will not tell me that my body distracts you. You will respect my choice to wear a crop when I want to. I am not doing anything that harms you. In turn, I will act with kindness and respect. In turn, I will act with kindness and respect.”
So Rowan University, while you are going to do the right thing and abolish your sports bra verbal policy, and write a formal written policy allowing cross-country (and presumably track and field) women to practice in sports bras, don’t you think you need to hold up your values and make sure that these men on your football team—and any other teams for that matter—are treating women with the respect they deserve? These are the lessons to learn from. These are the moments that these football boys can learn a lesson in integrity such that they can be honourable, ethical men when they graduate from your University. After all, we women may have to meet them out in the world one day.
Imagine this. It’s a beautiful summer day. It’s 30C outside. Humidity of 85%. The sun is beating down on you. You’ve picked your outfit, you’ve lathered on the sunscreen, and you head out the door.
Now pause. Take a moment here to imagine your outfit and the people you run with. What do you see? I see a mix of men and women. I see various lengths of shorts, mostly on the shorter side of things. I see hats. I see sunglasses. I see bare chests (men) and sports bras (women), maybe some tanks, definitely no tees. It’s the kind of day where to really get into your zone you will need to feel as cool as possible.
Now picture this. You are at your place of practice. You are spinning laps with your teammates. Someone walks out to the women and demands that they leave because the sports bras the women are wearing are interrupting the concentration of a team that is practicing on the infield.
I would love to say that this is a fictional tale, well more like a fictional nightmare, but it is reality. And no, it’s not reality that I dug up from a lifetime ago, it is reality right now for the women of Rowan University Cross-Country Team.
The cross-country team has been banned from using the track during football practice, not because a flying football might present a hazard but because the women running in sports bras are too distracting for the men’s football team.
Some would say this is rape culture talking, others would argue something different. What I think we can all agree on is that it is no one’s place to tell us what we are to wear or not wear when running.
In 2011 I was subjected to something similar at the University of Toronto; we were told that when running on the outdoor track we were to be in ‘appropriate athletic attire.’ Apparently “appropriate athletic attire” included wearing a shirt. Thankfully this was not as a targeted women’s issue, but an issue across both sexes; you would be mid workout, drenched in sweat, and a facility person would walk up to you, state ‘you are not wearing appropriate athletic attire,’ stand there until you donned a shirt, and then walk away. Thanks to the Sweat Science of Alex Hutchinson we were able to defend our position to have this rule over-turned.
Last December I put together an issue with iRun on this very issue, that running is for every body. The elite runners may have made the crop-style racing tops popular, but it’s amazing to see everyone out there racing in this style of top. The science supports that wearing something that allows us to sweat is important, not only are these tops trendy and comfortable, but they are also empowering.
Stand with me and say ‘not today Rowan University.’ Stand with me and say ‘I demand equity, equality, and diversity.’ Stand with me and say ‘I support the Rowan Cross Country Team.’ Women I ask you to post pictures of yourself in your crop top, men without a shirt on. Together we can fight the good fight and support women’s rights.
[Editor’s note: since this issue became news, the university issued this response.]
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