On this week’s show, it’s all about runners who are going that extra mile. First Troy Thompson, an indigenous chief explains how and why he’s raising money to keep youth in his community active. Then a father and son who have the same illness are also running the half marathon at Ottawa Race Weekend together. Plus, a member of the Ottawa Race Weekend’s Last Mile Crew and why these special runners are so important to this event.
Mark Sutcliffe talks to the honourable Harjit Sajjan about morale, half marathon training plans and what it feels like on a run when a serviceman’s child gives you a high-five.
As he travels around the world as Canada’s minister of national defence, and shuttles regularly back and forth between the capital and his Vancouver riding, Harjit Sajjan says his body sometimes loses track of what time it is. So perhaps it’s not a surprise that you can often find him running at 11:00 p.m. on the recreational pathways of Ottawa.
“I don’t really get settled into one time zone,” Sajjan says. “Sometimes “ instead of going to sleep, I just go for a run. I just have to get out and do it. That’s what works for me.”
Sajjan says he has run as late—or as early—as 2:00 a.m. “For some people, it doesn’t work, but I actually can sleep just fine afterwards. And if I don’t do it at that time, it’s not going to happen. Even if I go at midnight, I just have to get out and keep with my schedule.”
When Sajjan was named to the federal cabinet in November 2015, several media reports portrayed him as the “badass” defence minister, sharing pictures from his past military and police service. Born in the Punjab region of India, Sajjan moved to Canada at the age of five. He served for 11 years in the Vancouver Police Department, including as a detective in the gang crimes unit. During his military career, he was deployed three times to Afghanistan.
Sajjan says he has always tried to live a healthy lifestyle. And like many members of the military, he ran for fitness. He participated in the Vancouver Sun Run and other 10K events. But he didn’t fully embrace running until about five years ago, when members of the regiment he was commanding signed up for the half marathon at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon and asked if he would join them.
“I always encouraged our members to do more and so since they asked me, I said sure.” Sajjan says he didn’t follow a specific training program, so although he completed the race in just under 1:49, it took a toll. “I was wiped!” he says.
“It was only after, when my kids were laughing at me and I was hurting in muscles where I didn’t even think I had muscles, that I Googled: how do you train for a half marathon?” Sajjan says. “I realized: oh my God, there’s so much science behind it. That’s when I really got smarter about it. I realized I was running way too much and going way too hard.”
Sajjan registered next for the Canada Army Run, followed a training plan to the letter and finished a few minutes faster than in his debut half-marathon. “And I felt really good when I finished,” he says.
Along the way, Sajjan says he learned many lessons about training and the benefits of exer- cise that can be applied to the demanding lives of Canadian soldiers. “In the Armed Forces, we’re getting smarter about how we train people. We’re looking at the science of how you build someone up, what kind of jobs they do and what abilities are needed.”
Naturally, Sajjan is a big supporter of the Army Run and the causes it supports, Soldier On and the Support Our Troops fund. “The first time I ran, it was a tremen- dous experience,” Sajjan says. He remembers a specific soldier who had been injured in “ Afghanistan but ran the entire race pulling a tire behind him. “When you’re talking about the challenges this person faced, it was amazing. You get so much out of it because you’re seeing other people beat the odds.
“For the members [of the Armed Forces] who are there and running, what it demons- trates physically is how appreciative Canadians are to the Armed Forces and the services they provide. It’s a great way to say thank you to their families as well. There are kids of service members high-fiving you and it demonstrates to them that Canada does care. That’s the one message that’s very important to me: to remind them how far Canadians will go out of their way to show the military that they care.”
Sajjan has heard from many civilians who finished the Army Run about how much they were inspired by running alongside injured soldiers. “When you have some difficulty in your job or something else, you have that memory of a soldier in a wheelchair going uphill or someone with an artificial limb from an injury overseas and all those memories come back and you think, ‘If that person can do it, I’m going to keep going in my own life.’”
When he’s not in Canada, Sajjan has run in some interesting places and, like at home, at some unusual times.
“Once I landed in Ethiopia and I ran on a treadmill. I felt really tired and someone came up to me and said, ‘You realize the altitude you’re at?’ And I said, ‘Oh, I guess I’m not that out of shape.’”
Sajjan has also run in Kiev, Rome and on Canadian bases overseas. “Any opportunity when I land, regardless of the time, I get out there and get in a workout and it gets me into a proper rhythm.”
So what does this “badass” former soldier and cop listen to when he’s running? “I’m embarrassed by this,” he jokes, “but my running must is all trance music. It’s a very particular Euro trance with a certain beat. My wife always laughs that it’s the same beat, that it’s the same song over and over again. But that’s the point. I want a certain cadence and I take my mind right out of it and away I go.”
Sajjan says he also listens to audio books, including science fiction. And sometimes he leaves the earphones at home and uses running to clear his mind. “I like to get myself pumped for things,” he says, “to get myself motivated. And also, when you’ve had a tough day or you’re frustrated about something, I run it out of my system. It really clears the mind and gets you more focused, and you’re able to think a lot more about the next day.”
Find more inspiring stories, race updates and so much more in our Spring issue now available!
Tim Hortons Race Rewards
Official Terms
Participants in races timed by Sportstats are required to register for membership with Sportstats.ca. Existing and new members of Sportstats.ca will be automatically entered into the Race Rewards program. During this promotion, members must claim their personal results after completing races timed by Sportstats. Only races held between May 25, 2018 and December 31, 2018 are eligible toward this promotions rewards.
Participants that claim three (3) eligible Sportstats races will receive a $10 TimCard and Tim Hortons stainless steel tumbler.
Participants that claim five (5) eligible Sportstats races will receive either a Box of K-Cups or 12 oz. bag of Tim Hortons ground coffee, stainless steel Tim Hortons tumbler or mug (based on availability) and a $20 TimCard.
Participants that claim ten (10) races will enter the Tim Hortons Sportstats Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame members will be profiled in iRun Magazine and receive recognition on Sportstats.ca. They also become members of an elite club—with additional rewards including future discounts, giveaways and promotional perks including pre-distribution access to iRun Magazine, and more. (Plus a Box of K-Cups or 12 oz. bag of Tim Horton’s ground coffee, stainless steel Tim Hortons tumbler or mug (depending on availability) a $20 TimCard).
During this promotion all physical items (Mugs, Coffee, TimCard, etc.) will be made available to eligible participants during early 2019 at select races and Running Room locations. Participants will be asked to select from 10 Running Room locations to pick up their rewards in eligible cities. Reward pick up may also be available at select Running Room, Sportstats and/or iRun events.
Sportstats Media is the promotion organizer for the Race Rewards program. Organizer retains right to change and/or modify the program at any time. Current promotion details will be available on this page. For questions or additional details on the Race Rewards program and promotion, please contact racerewards@sportstats.ca
This Friday night in Ottawa, Tommy Youngsteen will perform the greatest hits of Tom Petty. Looking for fuel for your fire? Alan Snoddy, formerly of the rock band Stars and currently fronting Youngsteen—known fondly for their covers of Bruce Springsteen and featuring members of Serena Ryder’s band, plus guys from Arkells—lays out the ultimate rock playlist. Tommy Youngsteen plays the Best of Tom Petty on May 25 at the 27 Club in Ottawa. Here’s some tunes Alan selected that you can run to this weekend, wherever you may race.
Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen)
Maybe the the number one running song of all time? “We gotta get out while we’re young, ’cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run.” Getting ahead, goals and getting to where you need to be.
Out in the Street (Bruce Springsteen)
A great sing-along for summer time, being yourself running through a big city is a real trip in itself.
Glory Days (Bruce Springsteen)
Don’t put off ’till tomorrow what you can get done today, no sense looking back one day wondering what you could have a accomplished.
Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen)
The synthesizer pulse in this one sounds a bit like a heartbeat. Keeps you going on that last mile.
Night (Bruce Springsteen)
The fast hi-hats on this one make me think of the pistons of a train racing down the track.
Run to You (Bryan Adams)
The ticking rim shot on this one lets you know that slow and steady doesn’t always win the race… and it has “Run” in the title, hah!
Rockin in the Free World (Neil Young)
That chugging fuzz guitar sounds like a muscle car just waiting to take of at the beginning of a street race.
Running Down a Dream (Tom Petty)
This one pretty well speaks for itself. Here’s the video (live!) if you want a jolt.
American Girl (Tom Petty)
Petty is great at painting a picture with just a few lines. You could probably see this story unfold running through any small town in North America.
Won’t Back Down (Tom Petty)
Keeping positive through the tough times is what gets you through everything, like Petty says: “There ain’t no easy way out.”
Up Sister! (Sam Roberts Band)
That pounding double-time beat feels like an uphill battle or a sprint.
Kiss Cam (The Arkells)
This great four-on-the-floor beat sets a really great pace.
Stompa (Serena Ryder)
Great medium tempo track to kick off a run and get up to a good pace.
Alan Snoddy is a Canadian singer, songwriter & guitarist from Toronto. Formerly of the Montreal Indie band Stars, Alan is currently working on a follow up to his 2015 solo EP Shot of Rhythm produced by Eric “Roscoe” Ambel (Steve Earle, Joan Jett). Tommy Youngsteen plays the Best of Tom Petty on May 25 at the 27 Club in Ottawa. For complete dates, see TommyYoungsteen.com.
Sara Hall is one of America’s most dynamic marathon runners—both for her accomplishments, and for her personality. An outspoken advocate of her faith, alongside her husband Ryan Hall, Olympian and one of the US’s most dynamic racers, the pair has helped popularized running all over the world. At the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, Hall will be competing in the marathon, a distance that she’s gotten quicker at since making her debut in 2015 in Los Angeles. In 2017, she ran 2:27:21, and has hit the Olympic standard in the past. We caught up with Hall from her home in California.
iRun: Your marathon times keep getting quicker. At this stage in your career, would you say that distance is your main focus?
Hall: The half and full marathon are definitely my focus at this point. I am really loving both events and keep seeing a lot of room for growth in my training, and really enjoying the process of preparing for them! I’m enjoying my career the most I ever have at this point, which is kind of surprising, so I plan to keep focusing on the same things!
iRun: What have you learned about running, and yourself, across your storied career?
Hall: I never thought I would still be a professional runner at this point in my life, but my love for the sport, competing and going after big goals in training just keeps increasing. This sport has taught me a lot about resiliency through the many failures in my career. I had to get free from fearing failure and learn my true identity in who God made me to be, apart from being successful in running. That process, which was prompted by my career, is invaluable and is the biggest thing I will take away from my career. When you no longer fear failure, you’re free to go after big things and take big risks, and fully be who you are. Which is probably why I’m enjoying it the most I ever have!
iRun: Why did you choose to race Ottawa?
Hall: I was actually planning to do the Boston Marathon, but I sustained an SI joint injury in March. It was heart-breaking at first, because I had done the best marathon work I’d ever done. But I looked ahead at what options might be available later, and got really excited about Ottawa. I’ve heard only great things about the different races that are a part of the race weekend, and heard that the city is beautiful. Having Ottawa as a goal really helped motivate me to cross train and maintain my fitness so that I could perform well there.
iRun: You’ve been running competitively since high school. Is it fun?
Hall: I love to compete, I’m naturally a competitor and wish I could race every weekend! Maybe at some point near the end of my career I will. I got into the sport also just loving running out in nature and exploring trails, and that’s a big part still of my enjoyment of the sport.
iRun: Tell me about when you first met Ryan.
Hall: I first met Ryan through a mutual friend, but had heard about him as we were both some of the fastest high schoolers in California at the time. We met at the Foot Locker Western Regionals, and he had had a disappointing race, so was kind of in a bad mood. So it wasn’t a great first impression, but we really got to know each other at the pre-season training camp with Stanford in Mammoth Lakes before our freshman year and really hit it off there. We dated all four years of college and got married right after, so it was very linear.
iRun: What’s it like, besides lots of laundry, having two competitive runners in one house?
Hall: It was definitely a balancing act when he was still competing. I wish I was running marathons at the time because our seasons would have been more compatible! But we did a lot of easy runs together as we still do. He was usually pretty blasted from the marathon workouts so actually wanted to run my pace (and sometimes slower), so it worked out well. We spent a lot of time cooking together and traveling together which was really fun. But now with the kids, life is definitely more full and we are pretty much just busting on logistical and administrative stuff outside of training before they come home, and then it’s hanging out with them and helping with homework.
iRun: Both charity work and faith have been important to you both and you’ve been outspoken on both. What do you get back from each part of your life?
Hall: I definitely believe we as humans are body, soul and spirit. We need to be investing in each one, and if one gets neglected, we feel it and can’t thrive as a person. I’ve definitely lived too much in the “physical” at times where I was desperate to get my performances to improve, but I ended up being unhappy and running worse. I’ve always thought that after college I would do international development work and help people living in extreme poverty, so being able to help in those areas through my running and The Hall Steps Foundation has been very important, as that’s a big part of who I am and the impact I feel called to make in the world. My faith in Jesus motivates everything that I do, including running and the charity work, and feeding my spirit is just as important to me as refueling after training. This life is temporary, but life with God is eternal, and I try to always keep that in perspective.
iRun: What advice would you give runners competing at the Ottawa Race weekend, or basically competing in any type of run?
Hall: I like to tell people to turn their nerves into excitement. A sports psychologist once told me he went on a sled dog ride, and when he walked out with the musher the dogs all started going crazy, pulling at their chains with excitement. They all wanted to be the ones picked to run and pull the sled, to do what they were created to do. That’s the same excitement I hope to bring to my competitions — that “put me in, coach!” mentality, rather than the dread that nerves can bring.
iRun: Look down the road and give me a forecast. Will you be running at 65?
Hall: I’m trying to take good care of my body now so that I can be out exploring the trails and doing long, challenging races at that point. I hope so!
This week, Mark connects with runners who are participating in Ottawa Race Weekend later this month. First, Canada’s environment and climate change ministry Catherine McKenna talks about her experience running for parliament and around the world. Then Christina Walker has been running in memory of her husband and fundraising for pancreatic cancer research. Plus an assistant coach with the Univeristy of Ottawa hockey team who has suffered 14 concussions and is running the Concussion Legacy Foundation.
All images credit to Inge Johnson/Canada Running Series.
As Olympian Reid Coolsaet and Pan-Am Games medalist Rachel Hannah lift the black cloth to unveil this year’s Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM) finisher’s medals, Race Director Alan Brookes proclaims, “This year is about celebrating movement!”
As with last year’s medal, more than a hundred runners gathered for a run led by Canada Running Series and Run TO Beer that culminated in the reveal in sight of its depicted subject.
The medal, once again the baby of photographer and designer Inge Johnson, brings together an array of Toronto icons. On its face, the medal depicts an old-model Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) streetcar traversing the Queen Street Viaduct, which itself arches over the Don River, another Toronto icon.
Given Torontonians’ beloved and often justified pastime of complaining about the state of public transit in the city, the snark around choosing the TTC to represent movement is perhaps hard to suppress.
The streetcar, however, remains a thing of beauty and was once a marvel of movement and, along with the rest of our transit system, can and should be again. It’s the kind of movement, like running, that creates a city we can be proud of—one that’s friendly, sustainable, healthy, and equitable. The symbol of the streetcar is representative of the kind of city building that we’ve done before and can do again.
The Queen Street Viaduct too, with Eldon Garnet’s flourish of a clock and inscription from Heraclitus – “the river I step in is not the river I stand in” – is itself an example of movement as more than just function. In fact, we runners weren’t the only ones clamouring for a shot with the viaduct that night, as an engagement photo shoot had also chosen one of Toronto’s last remaining truss bridges as its backdrop.
This year’s medal adds another edition to Johnson’s “landmarks series” of finisher’s medals that, when strung together, form something of a love letter to Toronto’s architectural gems and a reminder that Toronto is a pretty fun city to move though, especially when you run.
Yes, the constant disruptions and overcrowding on transit and the hell of gridlock often make our day to day movement not just tortuous, but non-existent for long stretches. In these instances, our rising blood pressure and anxiety over punctuality and the stupidity of those sharing our roads don’t exactly give way to drinking in the beauty and history that surrounds us. Our focus is understandably on getting the hell where we’re going.
Running is a bit different, at its best letting us move while bit by bit shedding the tension we may have built up and not letting our focus become too embedded in one notion or another. Our mind can wander just enough that we catch a reminder or new revelation of how much beauty and eccentricity is scattered throughout Toronto.
Within a few weeks, Toronto runners will move out of base training and begin their build toward their hometown race. As the long run starts to extend, we’ll find ourselves covering more ground throughout our city.
Hopefully we’ll have many moments that capture our spirit, including ones like a streetcar making its way across the Don River as the sun goes down, and be reminded that movement should be imbued with both calm and rapture.
Despite the many ways in which we might have an inferiority complex toward our big city counterparts, there are many reasons to love moving through Toronto, especially on foot. Whether that’s the uninterrupted surges along the expanses of Lake Ontario, the glimpses of our skyline in the distance, or of any of the landmarks that have graced STWM medals over the years, that movement just seems to enhance the joy and privilege of calling Toronto home and the place where we run.
Then, in October, we’ll get to share that city and the joy of moving through it with thousands of friends.
Chris Rivera runs 120 kilometres a week and just qualified for the Boston Marathon. But what’s really impressive is how he matches his socks to his shirts.
“Who says that playing dress up is for kids?” asks 27-year-old Chris Rivera, originally from Edmonton and now living and training in downtown Toronto. “With running, you have to enjoy it, otherwise all the training runs begin to feel the same.” Rivera dresses the way a race director plots a course: with deliberation, consideration and a budget he tries to keep under control. He matches his shoes to his compression socks,which pick up the stripe on his sunglasses, all pulled together by the hue of his hat. Brand-wise, he’s polyamorous, switching between Nike, New Balance, Under Armour, Brooks and Saucony, while wearing Oakley sunglasses and a Garmin Forerunner with interchangeably coloured watch bands. It’s a sight to behold. “Every component is a chance to bring in something new,” explains Rivera, who used to train a half marathon clinic at his local Calgary Running Room and now races with Toronto’s BlackToe Running. “I use complementary colours—build with the neutral, then adds something else.”All of the clothes featured are Rivera’s own and (of course) he styled it himself.
Do you know an equally stylish runner? Who has the most fun in their running clothes? Snap a photograph, share it on social with the hashtag #iRuninStyle, and fashion editor, Karen Kwan, will anoint a new Fashion Advice Columnist for iRun Nation. Have fun. Dress snappy.
Run awesome.
Take your race day motivation to the next level. On this week’s show, Mark speaks with one runner who has completed his 200th marathon and will be running the Ottawa Marathon for the first time later this month. Then an Ottawa runner shares her story of getting back to running after having a heart attack at the age of 37. Plus, Jane Spiterri talks about the awe-inspiring views she experienced at the picturesque Big Sur Marathon in California.
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