Here’s How New Runners Can Share Their Story
By: Natasha Tyner-Lewis
iRun and I have joined up to find Canada’s newest runners. I am looking for runners who are willing to share their story of how they began in this sport that has become a way of life. From what keeps a new runner going to setting your personal goals, we want to share the voice of runners as you begin your journey.
After all, we were all beginners once, and there’s so much we can learn from each other. Let’s help each other find new finish lines!
One of my favourite quotes that keeps me going: “If you want to change your body, exercise. If you want to change your life, become a runner.” Like so many others, I first started running to lose weight, but over time this sport taught to be patient, listen to your body and gave me a place where I could think. Now as a proud mom of three children that keep me on my toes, my family knows that running is my time to hit the road or our home gym.
I started running seven years ago when I lived on the island of Trinidad and Tobago. Then I met my husband and we eventually planned on moving to Canada. Using the “Couch 2 5K” app, I began my love of running and signed up for my first 5K. After competing the race, I was hooked and signed up for a few more and then my final run before we left—a half marathon. Landing in Canada with my family, I started to run again, but it was stop-and-start for a couple of years as I was pregnant. In 2016 I gained quite a bit of weight and set off to lose 80 pounds in a year with eating right and running.
By the end of 2016, I had lost 80 pounds and have maintained my weight loss ever since. In 2017, was looking good for racing, I started swimming and cycling and sign up for my first tri-a-tri. Then in March 2017 I was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and felt like my world crashed down. I decided I’m not going to stop and let this break me. I pushed even harder and signed up for my first marathon in Gatineau last October. In May 2018 I had my brain surgery which was a success. After five weeks of not running I was given the green light to return to the sport I love. I believe my faith, activity level and nutrition helped me recover quickly.
Now it’s your turn. We’d like to connect with new runners wherever you are. We’ll give you encouragement, as you give it back to the rest of us. Please feel free to contact me through Facebook Natasha Tyner-Lewis or email natashalewis1978@gmail.com. Together, we can do anything.
iRun Radio – June 24th, 2018
On this week’s show, an ultra-marathoner cannabis company executive talks about how cannabis oils enhance runners performance. Then Ottawa runner and history buff Katie Star shares her experience running races with historical connections. Plus, iRun contributor Ron Johnson talks about what he discovered about the history and legacy of indigenous runner Tom Longboat.
Reebok launches the Floatride Fast Pro
By: Karen Kwan
Joining the Reebok Floatride collection is the new Fast Pro shoe. iRun had a chance to be amongst the first in Canada to try out the shoe at an evening run with Reebok Canada hosted at Bond Running.
This new iteration of the Floatride was developed with NASA technology and is a mere 100 grams, making it the lightest running shoe in the market and it features a drop ratio of 3 mm. The promise is that the lightweight Floatride Foam provides cushioning without compromise.
Putting on the shoe, the upper is extremely thin and lightweight, and the consensus amongst the group is that there is a surprising level of cushioning once we ran from Bond Running to the Central Tech track and did a few laps of the track.
Afterwards, back at Bond, a panel including co-founder of Bond Running, Steven Artemiw, Canadian Running editor, Dan Way, and director of merchandising at Reebok Canada, Don O’Neil and moderator Sydney Allen-Ash (who is cultural strategist with Vice’s Virtue) discussed the shoe and industry trends.
To get your hands on a pair, the Floatride Fast Pro is being sold exclusively at Bond Running in Toronto, and two other location across Canada (and you can also find it online).
Karen Kwan is a regular iRun fashion and travel contributor, and you’ll find her running fashion posts every Friday on Instagram. She contributes to a number of publications and you can also follow her travel and running adventures at Health & Swellness.
Running Toronto Waterfront 10K for the Very First Time
This was my first year running in the Toronto Waterfront 10k, and I will admit that the marketing worked (I am a sucker for branding!). lululemon attaching themselves to this race was a huge draw for me, and seeing the reminders via their instagram account gave me some serious FOMO. Plus: a free lulu running shirt (my running shirt of choice) in your race kit?! YES PLEASE! Bonus: 25% off at Lululemon all weekend? YES PLEASE!
Here is how my experience went down at this year’s Toronto Waterfront 10K.
LET’S DO THIS
Firstly I loved the motivational sign at the beginning of the race (below) instead of your typical “START”. It helped to give some great personality right off the bat, and lead in nicely to the next area….
Side note: does anyone else love running on the closed roads as much as I do? It feels so wrong but SO RIGHT!
OMMMMMMMM
At the 1km mark we ran by a group meditating. While I am the type that needs pumping up rather than slowing down, I thought it was a great way to reinforce to participants that we need to focus on breathing early on in the run.
RUNNING THROUGH THE 6 (WITH MY GIANT INFLATABLE CHEERLEADERS)
As we continued on the course and started approaching the CN tower I was really savoring how special it was to be running through our beautiful city…
And immediately forgot all of that after spotting these in the distance:
Whoever thought that including inflatable dancers on the course would be a good idea was absolutely correct and I thank you for providing me with this laugh out loud moment.
These always remind me of the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode where Dee is dancing with one on a boat:
If you feel inspired to try those moves yourself, make sure you stretch first!
Here is another pic of them from a closer angle just because I love them so much.
EASY RIDERS
Approaching the 5k mark was a group of people on stationary bikes from Ride Cycle Club, a gym in Toronto. And when I say “people” I mean… I am pretty sure they are all professional models that were hired to cheer for us. Paid or not, it felt good to get attention and motivation from such beautiful people. Why yes — yes, I will keep running!
RUN TO CARBS
Although I was only about half way through the run, I could see the finish line on the other side of the road. Do you feel it is motivating to see others finish? Or does it just remind you how far you still have to go – and that you are slow? I am definitely in the second category, although really welcomed the distraction of watching people finish — good for them! It was also a chance for me to take a peek at all of the fun items being handed out after completion…like the display of giant pretzels! Consider me motivated! I’m coming for you, pretzels!
DOGGED DETERMINATION
While I love salty snacks, had I known this cutie was only a short distance away I would have been even more fired up!
This pup may have looked pooped but his festive wear was screaming of excitement. Best. Cheerleader. Ever. Please everyone, if you have a pet, bring them to a race to cheer people on! You can’t NOT get a smile with one of these little guys by your side. Just TOO cute!
STREET TREATS
While running along Lakeshore, I was once again distracted by how fun it is to run on roads in organized races!
Will I ever get over it?
No, I don’t think so.
We aren’t supposed to be there! THEY ARE FOR CARS!
FINISH LINE
This was enough of a thrill to get me through to the end of the race, even so much so that I forgot to get a picture of the finish line.
But who doesn’t love this moment!?
I’m not crying, you’re crying!!!
The idea of getting rid of race medals came up in the iRun running group on Facebook (are you a member yet?), but I have only done two other races with medals so they are still pretty exciting to me and I loved this moment!
Also I am so glad to be finished because that means it’s PRETZEL TIME! And boy did it deliver!!! Not only in taste but storytelling as well: the man who handed me my pretzel said that they were courtesy of Drake and Raptors’ All-Star Demar DeRozan. Essscusee? Can anyone fact check this?.
PARTY TIME
Lululemon promised us an after-party and I couldn’t wait to see what was in store.
Adorable start!
Next up, this cool photo wall! People DO love an instagram photo-opp and there was a long line to prove it!
The after party was filled with vendors, post run luxuries like massages, drinks, etc. but the main attraction: giant yoga session!
This is the most people I have ever seen participate in yoga at one time, but maybe I don’t hang out where you do, and this is perfectly normal.
Also note the large canvases on either side of the stage, where artists were creating live masterpieces.
Cool! Also, good form, yoga lady!
Since I am not the yoga type and more of the free sample type, I quickly moved on to the KIND bar tent. I love these things! Not only were they sampling two of their latest bars, but they were giving away gerbera daisies for free. Yes, FREE gerbera daisies! In so many colours!! People were going nuts for them, so I got right in there and picked myself some beauties to take home.
These flowers are about $10 each at the flower shop near my house — $10! So this was an absolute thrill (you know you’re old when…). Thanks KIND!!!!
If that wasn’t enough excitement for one day, guess who was behind me at the Saucony tent?! Krista DuChene, taking pictures with fans! How cool! This woman is a true inspiration.
Before heading out, I spotted a girl with a sign that I had seen while running the course and had to get a pic:
Also props to the guy with the sign that read “Motivational slogan”. Thank you sir, and keep being you’re inspiring self.
Welp, I’m out of pictures so I suppose that ends my recap of this awesome event!
Did you run the race? What was YOUR favourite part?
Run to the Beat of the Drum: Carnival Run Race Director Dione Mason combines love of fitness and Caribbean heritage
Two passions drive Dione Mason, fitness and her island background. For 15 years, Dione has been a participant and leader in Toronto’s fitness community as an instructor and, for the last three years, Race Director at Toronto’s Carnival Run.
In her many years of racing and training, “I noticed that the
people I was training and racing with didn’t reflect the city’s diversity, so I started to question how I could encourage communities of colour to move, whether it was in a gym or outdoor environment.”
While mulling over her predicament, Dione played mas in the Toronto Caribbean Carnival (formerly Caribana), one of her bucket list items. “After the event, it bothered me that there wasn’t a community building aspect,” Dione says, adding that she reached out to the coordinators in hopes of adding such a component, but got no immediate response.
The experience allowed the idea of the Carnival Run to solidify. Dione’s vision was an accessible event that promoted fitness and celebrated Caribbean culture.
While Dione had experience in event management, race directing was entirely different. Dione admits to coming in to her first race as a director with an “of course I can do that!” type of attitude, but says collaboration quickly became her philosophy.
“None of us have all the skills we need, so we need to tell each other what we’re lacking and fill in those gaps by forming relationships,” Dione notes. Along the way, Lynn Borque, owner of Toronto’s Runner’s Shop and Director of the Longboat 10K, and Canada Running Series Director Alan Brookes have become valued mentors.
The second obstacle was actually convincing those who shared her background (Dione is Toronto born and of Jamaican descent) to get involved and understand how movement can support social, physical, and economic well being.
Dione and I, sharing our West Indian background, joked about our common frustration of getting our family and friends to move, but the challenge is a serious one. “I do believe that the resistance has ties to systemic issues,” Dione explains. The legacy of slavery in particular brought people to North America as “part of a system that devalued our bodies and was designed to make us hate ourselves. Over hundreds of years, that affects the choices we make today.”
She doesn’t make it her business to preach to anyone, believing that it’s simply not effective, and admits that she doesn’t expect to fix such a complex and longstanding problem overnight, but Dione certainly believes in leading by example. “The greatest joy is in watching someone crossing the finish line,” Dione says, adding, “When you move something magical happens and you owe it to yourself to love yourself in that way.” With each crossing, Dione hopes that a new ambassador for running is born.
With all the challenges presented, the Carnival Run continues to
grow and will have its third running in July. Dione’s long-term
vision is to grow the event to 2,000+ participants.
Her other long-term goal is that the race will raise funds for the building a cultural center in Toronto where visitors will have the opportunity to learn about Caribbean culture (the history, the people, the music, the innovations, the food, etc.) all year round.
All images courtesy of Dione Mason/Carnival Run.
What Runners Can Learn from An Olympic Swimmer
Canadian Olympian Penny Oleksiak is no stranger to making her mark. At the age of 15, she landed a spot on the Canadian Olympic team, after setting a Canadian record in the 100 M butterfly. She went on to become the youngest Canadian Olympic Gold medalist, not to mention the first Canadian to win four medals at a single Summer Games. Along with training for the upcoming Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in August, Oleksiak is now the face of ASICS “I Move Me” Campaign. Focused on inspiring movement of body, mind and spirit, with all her accomplishments and her relaxed, positive spirit Oleksiak is a natural fit as an athlete ambassador. We caught up with Oleksiak when she was in Toronto earlier this month to kick off the campaign with ASICS Canada and found out more about what inspires her, how she stays motivated and how running has made her a better swimmer.
iRun: What can runners learn from swimmers?
Penny Oleksiak: I think where running helped me was with my endurance. Overall when I went for longer runs, I was able to swim longer and it really kind of balanced me. I think that both sports really work your body in similar ways and are really quite intensive so athletes in both can learn from the other. With running, getting in the pool can actually help with you in terms of your breathing which you might not realize. For me as a swimmer, in the past I haven’t run that often but I’ve been trying to get more into doing stadium runs. Especially in the Olympic year, I ran a lot that summer and it is really such an easy way to get fit.
iRun: As an athlete, how do you maintain your motivation for more, after you’ve reached your goals?
Penny Oleksiak: I stay motivated by knowing that I always have something to fix. Whenever I come out of a race, I know that I’m not perfect and there’s always something I can improve upon. When I have that happen, that I’ve swam the perfect race, that’s when I’ll probably stop because right now, every time I get out of the pool I know there are little things that can always be better it could be the most minor thing. For example, even at the Olympics, as soon as I got out of the pool, everyone is celebrating and I’m so happy and my coach tells me, that wasn’t a great race. As much as I felt it was the perfect race, my coach pointed out what I could have fixed and I would have been faster. So there’s always something no matter what.
iRun: What does being part of this new campaign with Asics mean for you?
Penny Oleksiak: Being part of the “I Move Me” campaign, it’s been very cool to see it all come to life. The campaign is really about expressing your everyday life, it’s not only running and swimming but it’s a whole individuality and how you power your life on so many levels and how you want to move.
iRun: What helps you stay so positive?
Penny Oleksiak: I love swimming. For me, the knowledge that I can change something to be faster is a positive thing. As much as it sounds negative in a way, it’s a driver and that’s good that I want to find that one way to become faster. I almost always want to find that one thing wrong with my race so that I can fix it.
iRun: For runners music can be a big motivator, is music a part of your training?
Penny Oleksiak: I love music so much, but you can’t listen to anything underwater. I usually play rap music or really chill music and I mix it up with all different genres. When I am strength training or running, I’m always listening to something and it really pumps me up.
iRun: How do you deal with the pressure?
Penny Oleksiak: I feel there’s an underlying pressure but I’m trying not to look at it that way. Going into last Olympics, I had nothing to lose but this time people are thinking I need all gold. My goal is to improve but I’m not going crazy over it
iRun: What is the driving force in you?
Penny Oleksiak: Seeing myself improve and get better at swimming that kept pushing me forward and brought me to where I am today.
iRun: What’s next for you?
Penny Oleksiak: I’m on the build for the Olympics of course. Right now, I’m training for Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in August. Next year, it will be the World Championships and it’s all really a build to the Olympics.
iRun: What do you say to young athletes who aspire to be an Olympian one day?
Penny Oleksiak: My main thing is that you have to have fun. You have to go and do whatever it is you enjoy. Swimming has always been it for me so I poured myself into it and I couldn’t imagine anything else. I was originally doing dance and gymnastics but I wanted to give swimming a try and when I saw I was getting better and better, I found I really loved it.
iRun Radio – June 17th, 2018
On this week’s show, three women who are rocking it in their running communities. First, Jennifer Dawson has grown a neighbourhood running club in Ottawa running that is getting children and their parents moving more. Then, a teacher who is passing on her love of running for the next generation, and getting her students to see how as in life and running the stronger you get the more you grow. And you’ll get a sneak peak into an upcoming issue of iRun with chiropractor Brittany Moran a contributor who will talk about the everything the mental side of training and racing.
July iRun Digital
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