Running the Fine Balance between Parenting and Training

March 6, 2018

By Noel Paine

“Funny how so many times we cannot apply what we learn in running to life.”

How many times have we all been told about how we should balance our training, balance our diet and do things like balance training and rest? It is something most runners learn rather quickly on their own even if no one tells them.

A proper running training plan requires hard days, easy days and often days of complete rest. You also cannot train hard all year-round without performance suffering. The body needs a balanced diet to perform at its best and rest is required to gain and get stronger after workouts, races and long runs.

It is when we step back and look at a training plan, a journal or even when a coach guides us – that we realize there is a need for ups and downs, valleys and peaks. One cannot always push.

Parenting and especially as a running dad involves a lot of pushing. Parent life can be about pushing a stroller, pushing for time to run, pushing away some things to make time for daddy duties. I love my daughter and have some great times with her but I struggle with the parent life. Life is busier and more restricted, demanding and often unrelenting. There are positive, fun times but also stressful, exhausting moments.

This is where I have looked to what I have learned while lacing up and try and apply to dad life. Balance. When with my daughter I try and be there, present physically and mentally. I stop worrying about the next run or other issues. When able I plan for time to get a run in, to stop and meditate for 5-minutes and for active things my daughter and I can do together.

A run clears my mind and helps me de-stress, meditation allows me to stop and find a calm moment in the day and being active with my daughter keeps my need to be active fulfilled and shows her a good role model. I balance my needs, my child’s needs and busy parenting time with down time or run time to be an energized positive dad for my daughter.

Be honest with yourself, be a positive active role model for your kids and balance life and running.

Noel Paine is a communications professional, running coach, and father based in Ottawa. Paine is a regular iRun contributor and you can also follow his journey on Twitter @NoelPaine.

Stanton Discusses Running Room’s CamelBak Decision in Wake of Parkland

Ravi Singh

March 5, 2018

10E91D1F-0649-4550-8DB2-7664ADAC5A4D-225-00000008F79B0A36 — John Stanton says Running Room's decision to drop CamelBak was a cultural one consistent with its mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle. Image Source: The Running Room

Last week, Running Room announced that its more than 100 locations across Canada and the US would no longer carry CamelBak branded products.

The decision was a response to the recent mass shooting in Parkland, Florida that left 17 students dead. The official statement from the Running Room can be read here, but the primary reason stemmed from CamelBak’s ownership by Vista Outdoor Inc., which owns companies that manufacture assault weapons, including the AR-15 used in the Parkland massacre.

Running Room founder John Stanton took the time to speak with iRun and elaborate on the decision and the response so far.

Stanton explains that the decision began at the customer level. “1400 employees have interaction with customers regularly and there was an overwhelming sense that the culture of Running Room is a safe and inclusive one that promotes a healthy lifestyle,” Stanton told me over the phone from Ottawa.

CamelBak has been stocked by Running Room for the last ten years, but was purchased by Vista three years ago. Vista also owns Savage, which manufactures the AR-15. “As a Canadian company, our challenge is that we purchased CamelBak from a Canadian supplier so it didn’t even dawn on us that it was associated with weapons,” Stanton says, adding that it was customers who brought the connection to Running Room’s attention.

Stanton admits that the decision wasn’t easy, especially as it raised the question of just how many products might be deemed inappropriate, but is ultimately satisfied with the decision as a matter of ethics.

CamelBak, Stanton says, constitutes a small portion of Running Room’s sales, but, “Ethics is something you do or don’t have. We deliberated and considered the feedback from our customers and felt it wasn’t right to send profits to a company making a gun that isn’t even legal in Canada.”

In terms of hydration packs, Stanton emphasizes that customers will have other options. The remainder of CamelBak stock will remain on Running Room shelves until sold, but no further orders will be made.

Stanton says he also heard the calls from the students rising up in the wake of Parkland and felt that as an organization with a strong commitment to working with youth, it once again wasn’t right to silently condone the manufacturing and sale of the AR-15.

In terms of a running specialty store making a statement, Stanton says that there are advocacy groups capable of handling the political aspect of this issue, but for Running Room, “Our position was that it simply wasn’t appropriate to sell that kind of product.”

Stanton understands that hunting and shooting are activities carried out by outdoor enthusiasts, including biathletes who may be among Running Room’s clientele. Stanton is not concerned, however, citing that “Hunters have other options for firearms and ammunition under the controls we have in Canada, but we are so far removed that it just wasn’t appropriate for us. The AR-15 is not a hunting rifle; it’s a weapon of war that does its job.”

Thus far, Stanton says the decision to drop CamelBak has been “80-90 percent positive on social media.” Stanton adds, “There has been some pushback from pro-gun people, but most who express concern understand once we explain that our decision was a cultural one.”

No response other than what Stanton calls the typical corporate response has come from Vista.

What Made Roger Run: Roger Bannister, R.I.P.

Ben Kaplan

March 5, 2018

Roger Bannister died over the weekend at 88, the first person to break the four-minute mile. At the time, breaking that record was akin to sending a man into space or breaking the sound barrier in flight: the world was younger, simpler, and thresholds of human capacity were still being established. Bannister wasn’t just a runner, he was a symbol of human potential. A beacon of human endurance and strength.

Bannister also had a day job. He was a neurologist and while he was a runner, he was also a husband, father of four, and known throughout sports as a gentleman. He was modest and reserved; humble and curious—he didn’t put himself up on a pedestal, even though he was the first person to do what he did.

The triumph of Roger Bannister—who trained at lunchtime while at medical school and wore shoes with heavy spikes and certainly ate a much more rudimentary diet than what our heroes consume today—is yet another shining example of what it means to be a runner. Even when he was competing at his strongest, he remained good natured. Indeed, he struck a close friendship with his competitors and didn’t see himself as a superstar. He had a methodical approach to the four-minute mile. If someone could run 4:01:4, why not break four? The record feels very much like the two-hour marathon record that we’re trying to break today.

“I’ve had quite an interesting life, doing a number of things, some of them related to sport, but quite another life as a doctor,” he once told the Globe and Mail. And I love that and think it’s a good message for all of us. Here was the best runner of his time, maybe even the best runner of all-time, and running consumed part of his life, not his life in totality. As we get into race season and spring goals heat up, Bannister’s example serves as a reminder. Running is a lot of things. But it can’t be everything. You’ll run better for it. Just like Roger did.

iRun Radio – March 4th, 2018

Why I Run

March 3, 2018

Running inspiration can come from so many places. Back from his latest adventures in Africa, iRun’s Runner-in-Chief, Ray Zahab talks about how he’s able to reach more and more students on his adventures. Then Ravi Singh, an iRun contributor talks shares how the Toronto running community changed his life, along with why we all should be running more Canadian-made races. Plus, a writer and runner shares how her chance encounter with another traveler on a plane leads to a meaningful marathon.

On the Road to Boston with Krista DuChene

Krista DuChene

February 28, 2018

Photos: Edison Yao

We are seven weeks out from the 2018 Boston Marathon and everything seems to be running smoothly, so to speak. Four weeks ago I took to the start line of the Robbie Burns 8 km in Burlington for my first race of the year. The Robbie Burns Run is a popular race for the local runners to test fitness when starting a spring marathon build. True to Krista DuChene form, I managed close to marathon pace, feeling the same in both the first and last kilometre. I was hoping I might beat the CDN Masters 40 record of 27:50 but both speedster Mary Unsworth and I came up short. She had recently set a Masters indoors 5,000 m record of 17:07, and finished ahead of me with 27:55 while I was 28:03. Fellow Saucony runner, Victoria Coates took the win with 27:29. She will be running in the World Half Marathon Championships at the end of March. Much more greatness to come from this woman!

I was looking forward to February as it was going to be a month of staying put, just hitting the kilometres and workouts without any races. I had opted out of the February Re-Fridgee-Eighter (8 miles) because we planned three races so close together: Chilly Half, Around the Bay, and Boston. I have really been enjoying the training for this build, more so than any marathon I can remember. Coach DST’s plan is thorough and I continue to learn more about this marathon thing, even though I’ve been at it for almost 16 years! If interested in learning more about my involvement with Speed River and what else is new, tune into Michael Rochus’s The Terminal Mile on Something in the Water – The Marathoners.

My easy 25 km run with the Manulife John Hancock Boston Marathon group yesterday morning in Toronto rounded out a second week of 177 km. Last week I completed my first 40 km run. This week I had to split my long run in two because of my daughter’s hockey tournament. I managed to get 32 km in between her 8 am and 12 pm games but needed a bit more so added an easy 13 km later that afternoon. The weather has been quite mild lately, which has made building the mileage a bit easier compared to the constant grind of snowy or -30 runs earlier this winter.

After four weeks of building since Robbie Burns I’ll now take a down week with the Chilly Half Marathon on Sunday, March 4. The weather is looking favourable and I’m trusting the legs will feel fresh after this recovery week.

This morning I did a shorter workout of 3 x 12 minutes on a hilly road with some decent wind. If there’s one thing that was reinforced by 2:09:00 1983 Boston Marathon Champion, Greg Meyer at yesterday’s Manulife event it was to respect the hills. I will admit that hills have definitely been on my mind in preparation for this year’s Boston Marathon. The only distinct memory I have from 2005 is the deafening crowd at Wellesley College, and almost completing Heartbreak Hill before I knew I was even on it. It’d be wonderful to experience that again. But I think I had been routinely doing more hilly routes then. When racing the hilly 2016 Around the Bay 30 km I found the hills a challenge as it was the first season without pushing kids up and down in a stroller. Hills are one thing. Speed is one thing. Hill AND speed is entirely different. The bottom line is that I must stay on them.

In other events, I’ve been keeping busy with various public speaking engagements, my work as a Registered Dietitian, and our kids’ activities. We’ve skied a few times, enjoyed numerous hockey games and swim meets, and are in the midst of birthday season with four out of five birthdays between February and March. Our March Madness is about to begin yet again. With my training and racing, the kids’ playoffs and competitions, March break, planning for spring sports, and celebrating birthdays it’s definitely one of my busiest yet most enjoyable months of the year. Away, we go!

Running every day for 39 years, 2 months, and 17 days

Ben Kaplan

February 27, 2018

Richard Rayman has run every day for 39 years, two months and 17 days, beginning December 10, 1978. 71 years old, Rayman is a former dentist and full-time member of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry, still working 9-5 five days-a-week.

“I realized I was on a streak and I just kept running,” says Rayman, a veteran of 353 marathons. “Running, as much as anything else, like brushing my teeth, is just something I do.”

iRun General Manager Ben Kaplan caught up with Rayman and asked him what he’s learned from so many days on the road.

iRun: Why running?

Rayman: It’s the simplest thing in the world to do. Put on your running shoes and go outside. You don’t need to spend money. You don’t need to do anything. But you have to go outside.

iRun: 39 years, two months and 17 days of running and never once on a treadmill?

Rayman: I’ve never run on a treadmill in my life.

iRun: Has that much running interfered with your life? Do you have family, friends?

Rayman: I do, yes. I’m married and have two kids and my kids are both married and they each have kids. I have five grandchildren. A normal, happy life.

iRun: Does you wife run?

Rayman: She doesn’t run, but I’ve run 353 marathons and she’s been at the finish line for over 300 of them.

iRun: That’s love.

Rayman: She knows more about marathon running than most people running marathons.

iRun: So many marathons, so much practice. What do you like better, race day or rehearsal?

Rayman: The way I’m running now, they’re about the same.

iRun: How’s that?

Rayman: I’m just running so much slower now, but the truth is: I still love being at a marathon. I love the running culture. I love being around runners. And I love finishing a marathon.

iRun: 353, and it hasn’t lost its lustre?

Rayman: It’s still nice getting a medal.

iRun: What’s your fastest marathon time?

Rayman: In a different lifetime I ran 2:47:43, in the early 80s. I did that twice; in a marathon outside Rochester and a second slower at the Calgary Marathon. I used to say I could run a sub-three marathon with my eyes closed.

iRun: And now?

Rayman: I say never say that because it comes back to bite you. In January, at my marathon in Miami, it took me 2:47 to get to the half.

iRun: What’s your typical finish like now?

Rayman: Between five and a half and over six hours, depending.

iRun: As such a competitive person, does that square with you?

Rayman: There’s a guy named Mark who works with John Stanton and he saw me at the Scotiabank Waterfront marathon and told me that I have nothing to prove anymore. Since then, it kind of stuck. I’d love to have a good day, but it’s getting harder.

iRun: What are your current goals?

Rayman: If I can start and finish, I’m happy.

iRun: Are you currently in physical pain when you run?

Rayman: It hurts. Years ago when it hurt, well, it always hurt. We all get tired. But years ago I’d fight through it, now I just want to finish so if I have to walk, I walk. In Miami, I walked the last eight miles. I’ll tell you what, though.

iRun: What?

Rayman: It still felt good. I finished.

iRun: Of the 353 marathons, what’s your favourite?

Rayman: I have three, no—four. I love New York. New York is a marathon like no other, it’s unbelievable. And truthfully, I love Scotiabank Toronto. I love running in Toronto. And Canada Running Series is good to me and pro-runner. That’s in my top four. Elsewhere, Glass City in Toledo and I’ve done one in North Carolina called Grandfather Mountain ten times. It’s a cult marathon, 300 runners with a 4,300-foot elevation gain. I haven’t done that in four years, but I’ve done it ten times.

iRun: What’s your secret for not getting hurt?

Rayman: I’ve been hurt. I’ve run through a torn medial meniscus. I’ve run through Achille’s problems. But when I was running fast, 75 to 90 miles a week, I knew three or four days a week to run slow and let my body recover.

iRun: All that time alone to think. What have you learned?

Rayman: Running has to be fun. Sounds corny, but you put one foot in front of the other. You don’t have to devote your whole life to running. Enjoy it. When I started to slow down I accepted it.

iRun: How so?

Rayman: I used to say, ‘When I can’t break three hours, I’d quit.’ Then I said, ‘When I can’t break four, I’ll retire from running.’ I said it at five, too. Now I don’t care.

iRun: What was the closest you came to missing a day?

Rayman: Two years ago, that torn meniscus. I could hardly walk and I said, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ But I was already dressed and my wife said, ‘You’ve done it before, do it again.’ And I drove to a church parking lot near my house and ran for 30 minutes. Or limped for 30 minutes. That’s my minimum.

iRun: You feel better the next day?

Rayman: No. But the next day I did the same run, and the next day, and by the time I got my MRI results, my meniscus was healing. The surgeon said keep running!

iRun: Incredible.

Rayman: Ever listen to Jimmy Buffet?

iRun: Some.

Rayman: Breathe in, breathe out—and move on.

iRun: Is it healthy what you do?

Rayman: No.

iRun: But you’ve done it for nearly 40 years!

Rayman: I’m going to keep on doing it.

iRun: What are the next marathons you have lined up?

Rayman: Starting April 22, Glass City in Toledo. The following weekend, Waterloo Marathon for St. John’s Ambulance. They’re great over there, I actually race with bib #1 (last year I wore number one and came in last). The following week is Goodlife Toronto. Then the Mudcat in Dunnville; the week after that is Ann Arbor, and the last of the six is Buffalo.

iRun: My God.

Rayman: I mean, as long as I don’t get too badly injured.

iRun: And you’ve really run every day. The day your first kid was born; the day your, I don’t, the birth of your grandson?

Rayman: Yes. I ran the days both my kids were born; ran the day my father passed away, the day my mother passed away. It’s part of my life. It’s like putting on shoes. I don’t think twice, I do it.

iRun: Would you say you have an addictive personality?

Rayman: Very.

Cabbage and Carrot Crunch Salad

Nutrition

February 25, 2018

Combining the crunch of red cabbage, carrots, succulent romaine hearts, crispy apples, and almonds—all complemented by sweet-tart dried cranberries and an agave-Dijon vinaigrette. You can make this salad any time of year, but it’s a highly nutritious, and colourful winter salad option, especially when the rest of produce selection is subpar.

Cabbage and Carrot Crunch Salad
Serves 6

Ingredients:

Agave -Dijon Vinaigrette

½ cup/120 ml extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp plus 1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Salad

1 large romaine heart, cut or torn into bite-size pieces
2 cups/140 g shredded red cabbage
2 large carrots, coarsely grated
1 large sweet-tart apple (such as Honey Crisp or Fuji), medium dice
½ cup/75 g raw, unsalted almonds, toasted and chopped
½ cup/60 g dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp finely chopped fresh spearmint (optional)

Directions:

ONE: To make the vinaigrette: Combine the oil, vinegar, agave, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small jar. Seal the lid tightly and shake vigorously to emulsify. Set aside at room temperature.

TWO: To make the salad: Combine the romaine, cabbage, and carrots in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Add ½ cup/120 ml of the vinaigrette (or more as desired) to the vegetables, and toss to combine. Divide the salad among six plates or bowls.

THREE: Toss the apples with the 2 tbsp reserved vinaigrette and divide it among the individual salads. Top each salad with equal amounts of almonds, cranberries, and spearmint (if using). Serve immediately.

Reproduced with permission from Straight from the Earth: Irresistible Vegan Recipes for Everyone (Chronicle Books) by Myra and Marea Goodman.

iRun Radio – February 25th, 2018

Why I Run

February 25, 2018

With the Boston Marathon coming up, one Iranian runner living in Toronto delves into how Trump’s travel ban will impact him and many others who qualified to run Boston this year. After completing a total of 63 marathons, find out why Terry Sancartier is on a quest to complete 100 marathons, along with some of the incredible races he has participated in. Plus, an Alberta runner who overcame lung disease to qualifying and running the Boston Marathon.

In Praise of the Run Club Leader

Ben Kaplan

February 22, 2018

In the middle of February it takes something extra to carry on with our running. It’s cold. Dark. Time for Netflix and empty calories and too many drinks on the couch. Except, that’s not what any of us wants. That’s not why we buy sneakers and make big spring goals and are known to our friends as “runners.”

Last night that something extra was provided by Mike and Maya Anderson, the owners of Black Toe Running, the shop from which I’ve been running through the winter and the muck. We had an “Equalizer” race along the waterfront in which the entire club reported their 8K time and were then released in waves, the idea being that everyone finished together. There must have been 40 people racing hard on a dreary Wednesday night, a dreary Wednesday night coming after so many other dreary Wednesday nights of cold and grey. But here’s the thing: all of us were smiling.

I know Mike and Maya aren’t the only ones. I know Peter in Vancouver and Bert in Montreal and Ray outside Ottawa and Noel in Calgary are constantly doing things to shake things up for their people, for their friends. Things need shaking up for most runners. I run a lot. Run marathons. And it’s hard to get out of the house after working all day, picking up the kids, and then taking what feels like my first breath at 6:30 p.m. The wine is right there! Things like The Equalizer keep me—keep us—on the road, where we want to be. It’s just sometimes, times like now, we can use a little push. Thank you to everyone encouraging the rest of us not to give in, not to give up.

All of you probably have that person in your running life who goes beyond the pale and improves the quality of your relationship with your sport, your passion. It’s like that friend who helps shape you into the person who you want to be. Yeah, I’d be running without Black Toe. But I wouldn’t have been laughing my head off at 7:45 in the cold as I screamed out in the dark and hustled like Reid Coolsaet to catch that frisky Chris Rivera, who consistently beats me in all of our practice runs, and will probably push me to a new PB. It’s not the PB I’m chasing. It’s the laugh in the night that reminds me I’m alive.

Who helps you make it through winter? Who in your running life gives more than they take? Here’s your chance to acknowledge the good guys—tell us who you want to thank and include their picture and we’ll make a little Canadian Good Runner hall of fame. Here’s to the person who picks up the race bibs. Here’s to the one who messages you to get out of the house Sunday morning and do your long run.

Running is amazing on its own and we all know the reasons. But it means so much more when you have a leader paving the way. To you, we say cheers.

Kate Van Buskirk on the Mind, Body and Spirit of Running

Why I Run

February 19, 2018

Kate Van Buskirk has pushed through her darkest moments. The Canadian middle distance runner has long since been open about her struggles with depression and anxiety, plus some pretty rough times battling physical injuries that took a toll. Now Van Buskirk is happy, healthy and back on track. We spoke with her about the mind-body connection of running, along with how she keeps running fun, even when she’s not feeling it.

iRun: How important is the mental connection, and even the whole spirit connection for you as a runner?

Kate Van BuskirK: I can’t separate the physical from the mental when it comes to running. When I’m out for an easy recovery run, on a beautiful day, feeling well-rested, strong and happy, running augments everything positive for me. On days when I’m struggling, feeling low, or overwhelmed, running serves as a chance for meditation, reflection and a well-needed dose of feel-good endorphins. I find that my thinking is clearer, and I’m more honest with myself about my emotions when I’m out for a run, and this clarity and openness helps me tremendously when trying to navigate a challenge or set-back. There’s also something about being outside, particularly in nature, that is invigorating, so going for a run offers a feeling of connection that is hard to replicate.

iRun: What are your tricks for pushing past the days when you just don’t feel like training? Or do you push past?

KV: Because I am a professional runner, I do have to push through certain days when I’m lacking motivation to run. However, if I’m feeling especially tired, fighting an illness, or dealing with an injury concern, I have learned that it is usually best to listen to my body and take a rest day. When it comes to mustering motivation on the days when I don’t feel like going for my run, I find that the hardest part is usually just getting out the door. Once I’m moving and the endorphins kick in, I generally end up really enjoying it. As the saying goes, “’I really regret going for that run’ said no one ever”. I turn to various forms of inspiration to get my shoes laced up, like watching race videos of runners I admire, visiting some of my favourite running publications like iRun, or writing down some of my athletic goals to remind myself what I’m working towards.

iRun: For many runners, especially women, running can really help free their mind, can you share a bit as to what you think about, where your mind goes when you’re training or even just out for a “fun run”?

KV: When I’m in the middle of a hard workout or long run, I am usually fairly focused on the task at hand. I think a lot about my body in these moments, and get into a sort of mantra where I repeat various physical cues for staying loose and relaxed while working through discomfort. I find that focusing on these cues has a calming effect that keeps me “in the zone”, and helps distract me from the pain of my exertion. When I’m out for an easy run, however, I usually experience a combination of letting my mind wander to other things going on in my life, while also trying to stay present, and notice and appreciate the world around me. I tend to stay away from city streets when I run in Toronto, so my runs along the lake front or various ravines provide great opportunities to take in the natural beauty around me.

iRun: With that idea of running for fun in mind, are you able to do that as an elite runner, just enjoy the act of running? What are your tricks for making it fun again?

KV: Running has always been fun for me, with the exception of when I’ve been dealing with long periods of injury. Although I have to maintain a significant level of discipline in my sport, I have never seen it as solely a job; in fact, I’ve always thought that as soon as I stop genuinely loving running, I will retire from the sport regardless of my level of success. I love the purity of running; that all you need is a pair of running shoes and a healthy sense of adventure and you can run pretty much anywhere. Getting as much variety as possible in my running routes is one way that I keep running fun and interesting. I love exploring a place on foot, and try to run in new places whenever I get the opportunity. I also run as much as I can with others, as I derive a lot of pleasure from sharing that experience with fellow athletes.

iRun: Beyond running, what activities do you do that have helped you maintain a healthy mind-body connection?

KV: I write a fair amount for myself. I keep a gratitude journal that I try to contribute to every day, even with some small reason to be appreciative. I try to nourish my mind and body as much as I can in times when I feel that I’m struggling, rather than engaging in judgement. I also work with a great therapist on a regular basis, and find that having this resource has a tremendously positive impact on my mental health.

iRun: Any additional advice for women getting started in running, who maybe want to use running as a way to improve their mental fitness?

KV: Start easy and be gentle on your mind and body. Find running buddies who will support and inspire you; write down—but be flexible with—your goals; be open to discovering through trial and error what makes running enjoyable for you; challenge yourself without engaging in self-judgement. Just get out the door!

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