18 Ways to Achieve 2018 Running Goals

December 28, 2017

What will you accomplish in 2018? How will you feel strong, race well, have energy, eat healthy, stretch, collect medals and do it all with a smile on your face and spring in your step?

This is the best time of the year: everything is possible.

But how do we do it? How do we make 2018 better than the year that just past—a year in which we saw the Prime Minister race the Army Run, massive turnout for Ottawa Race Weekend, new races and partnerships and sneakers and tons of fun on the roads and trails? Herewith, iRun GM Ben Kaplan, author of Feet, Don’t Fail Me Now, Rogue’s Guide to the Marathon, breaks down 18 ways to achieve your big dreams for the new year—and have fun in the process.

18. Set a big goal. Listen, even if you don’t achieve it, that goal will act as your north star towards achieving every little thing that you want to do. Want to run more? Eat better? Have something big in mind, give yourself PURPOSE, and you’ll be best situated for keeping your eye on the prize.

17. Set lots of little goals. OK, you want to run a half marathon in 2018. How do you do it? First, run a 5K, then run a 10K, then try the 10K again. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither is a 2018 personal record.

16. Think of yourself as an athlete. You’re a runner. You’re in training. Do you really need those onion rings? Now, you don’t have to make yourself crazy. An onion ring won’t kill you. But…visualize your finish line, and act accordingly. Good choices are addictive, as are the bad.

15. Get a partner. Even if you have to hire one, and odds are you don’t, but this journey is more apt to reach fruition if there’s a) accountability, and b) encouragement. You can reach your finish line on your own. You’re more likely to reach it with someone at your side.

14. Enjoy it. Gotta figure out how to make your workouts fun. Perhaps it’s the intrinsic value of working towards something or perhaps it’s group runs in the snow that end in a coffee shop or pub. Doesn’t matter. But, odds are your 2018 Resolution is something that’s going to take a while. Enjoy the journey (you’re going on it anyways).

13. Keep a log book. You can get lost on your travels if you don’t document how far you’ve come. Lots of folks use Strava or Runkeeper (or the likes), I like paper and pen. Whatever. The point is: keep a record. Keep statistics. When you document your progress, you’re more apt to keep progressing. Simple!

12. Tell folks. A goal announced is more apt to come through than a goal kept to yourself. Now you’re on the hook to make your big dream come true. Social media is good for this; so is talking to people the old-fashioned way. Be accountable to what you want to accomplish, you can do it! Let the world know.

11. Visualize crossing the finish line. Keep the dream top of mind as you work towards it. Make it a big deal. And don’t lose track of what you’re trying to do. If you want to run that half marathon, remind yourself of it constantly. That will get you out the door on these frigid mornings.

10. Read my book. Or, read iRun magazine. Or Born to Run. Or Canadian Running. Point is: immerse yourself in the culture. Not to the point of nausea. You don’t want to get burnt out. But, embrace the world you’re trying to conquer. There may be a tip out there, not on this list, that rings home. Keep your antenna up.

9. Get a mentor. Everyone needs a mentor. Whether it be an elite runner working in coaching, like Rejean Chiasson and Kate Van Buskirk, or your Running Room instructor, runners, even Olympians, tend to be down to earth, approachable and willing to pay it forward. It tends to be inexpensive, and rewarding.

8. Pull the trigger. Sign up right now for the big goal of 2018 that you want to achieve. Do you want to run a race? Reach a new distance? Race abroad. Don’t put it off, commit. Buy the ticket, take the ride: sign up now, and make your goal real.

7. Dabble in gear. I’m not one to recommend dropping coin, but, it’s cold outside, you need special clothes to run outdoors. Plus, the money you spend on running shoes and accessories is basically deductible from the money you save on big meals, chocolate cakes and alcohol. Treat yourself, even new socks add bounce to your step to get out there.

6. Allow downticks. Long-term goals will, at some point, hit a snag. Injuries, hangovers, cheeseburgers, what have you. If this were easy, goes the saying, you’d have done it already. When, inevitably, you fall over: Get yourself back up again, like they say in Trolls. You’ll hit a snag. Expect that. Don’t let that derail you. And yes, that is a decision you make.

5. Enlist family, loved ones, and friends. Even if these folks don’t become training partners, make your own support staff. People who care about you want to see you succeed. Let them help you, whether that be in buying healthier groceries, taking the kids in the morning and just sending you the occasional YOU GO, GIRL! text. Get help. You’ll need it.

4. Diversify your workouts. This is key. If your 2017 workouts were enough to bring you to your 2018 goals, your 2018 goals would be even bigger. Switch up the program this year. I bet eight-tenths of our readers don’t regularly do speed work. I don’t, and I wrote a freaking running book and am the iRun GM. Gotta do it. Plus, the same-old, same-old gets boring. Switch things up. Get strong!

3. Believe in yourself. This is the best time of the year because a goal is really a bet on yourself. Why can’t you run a half marathon? Why not cut out meat? You can do whatever you want to. You have agency. Remember that. A new year is a new chance to become the you who you want to be. You can do it. Believe that.

Catherine storms the finish line of her first half marathon in 2015.

2. Sometimes, forget all this. Go to the movies once a month and get a root beer and large popcorn. Eat Chinese food. If you try to do everything always perfect, you’re liable to drop the entire endeavour. Don’t do that. We have big goals, that will take time to accomplish. So, let yourself eat cookies. Sometimes. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Make it a lot and a little. The best way to succeed over time is make the time worth living.

1. Consistency, consistency, consistency. That’s the secret of running, that’s the whole ballgame. You want to run further, run faster, run more? Keep running. Run smart. Follow your program. And stick with it. It’s not one run that will make 2018 your dream year, it’s the entire package. So just keep getting out there, keep believing in yourself, and keep running. Together, we’ll find new finish lines.

Get a Fresh Start On the New Year with Fitbit

TheBuzzonGear

December 27, 2017

From the good people at Fitbit comes the Aria 2, a Wi9Fi smart scale that gives you a crystal clear view on your health. Even if you’re not the most tech-savvy (like me) the Aria 2 is as easy to set up as it is to use, and in one step the device measures weight, BMI and body fat percentage. Track your weight can be a good way to stick with your New Year’s resolutions, and what’s even better about the Aria 2 is that you can synch it with your Fitbit watch for an even better understanding of how your physical activity impacts your weight. Plus the Aria 2 is able to keep track of up to eight individual users.

In the post holiday turkey comma we’re all in, iRun has teamed up with Fitbit for a giveaway of the Fitbit Charge 2. Simply follow iRun on Facebook and Instagram and tell us your New Year’s Fitness Resolution, along with your best tip for making it stick in the comments on either platform. One entry per comment, giveaway entry deadline is December 31st and the winner will be announced January 5.

iRun Radio – December 24th, 2017

Why I Run

December 24, 2017

It’s the holiday season, and we’ve got a little added motivation to help you make your running schedule stick. After running the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon six times, JP Bedard spoke with Mark and says that sometimes you have to take the first step and believe in yourself in order to take the next one. Then a runner who started training and running marathons at the age 65 and how singer songwriter Sean Mccann gets energy from the run.

Remembering Ed, a very subjective 2017 Year in Review

Ben Kaplan

December 22, 2017

My favourite race this year, without a doubt, was racing the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon at Ed Whitlock’s pace of 3:56:34. It was so amazing to be part of something so special for so many people and I loved every moment of that race (although, if I’m honest, like any marathon, I was certainly looking forward to seeing that finish line when I reached around 35K). I raced with a whole group of friends, in addition to the strangers I met who wanted to run, just for a moment, like Ed.

Certainly losing Ed this year was a loss to the entire running community, and his entire community at large—from Milton to Ranelagh—but, like his family, like Alan Brookes and everyone at Canada Running Series; like John Stanton with the Running Room, like the Waterloo Marathon hosting their Ed Whitlock half this April, we will do everything in our power to make sure the spirit of Ed races on. Always.

I will say that my sneakers of the year were the Saucony Freedom that I received in this glorious shade of grey that were almost too pretty for me to race in (or perhaps it’s just my December laziness). I do look forward to wearing these, and they say if you announce your goals in public you are more likely to achieve them, at the Boston Marathon, and completing that race beneath 3:05.

This year I ran the Ottawa marathon, the Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon in Las Vegas, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, the Canada Army Run, Around the Bay, the Chilly Half Marathon, the Toronto Goodlife half marathon (with my sister!), and the Beaches Jazz Festival half. Much too much running in Ontario and not nearly enough across the country, which is why this year I aim to race in both Calgary and Manitoba.

I will say that my funniest race experience happened at the Waterfront 10K, which Canada Running Series put on with Lululemon. It was amazing seeing Justin Trudeau at the Army Run and the Ottawa Marathon is Canada’s Boston, but the Waterfront 10K automatically uploads your race photos to Facebook, and I chose that race to not drink water. In addition to finishing behind a resting Natasha Wodak and Lanni Marchant, whose friend told me, as we exchanged high fives, that there was foam all over my mouth, those pictures were beamed up to my Facebook page, earning all sorts of funny remarks. I probably wouldn’t have posted those, although who knows. But I’m glad I did. I love to race. And I can honestly say I haven’t pushed myself to the state either before or since.

I look forward to doing so in 2018.

Lastly, I will say the thing of the year that I’m most proud of is our last issue, the December issue dedicated to body image and acceptance, featuring the voices of Sasha Golish and some of the most dedicated athletes I’ve met in our sport. I’ve always sort of thought that running is an opportunity to create a platform for positive social change, fighting racism, sexism, ageism, and discrimination and judgment of all kinds. Running is egalitarian and all runners do the same thing: one foot after the other. We all make the choice to get out there, or not, and if we can encourage each other to reach our own personal best, be it race times or generosity of spirit, than running, as a whole, wins.

Thank you everybody for reading and contributing to iRun. This is your community. Your magazine. Your platform. Here’s to all of us finding new finish lines in 2018.

Sportstats’ most active racer on her 2017 year in review

Ben Kaplan

December 21, 2017

View Photo: http://www.zoomphoto.ca/viewphoto/19939-110-29101186/1/

Alana Bonner is Sportstats most active member, with 269 total claimed races. She’s 37 years old and lives outside Montreal, in Pincourt, Quebec, and tries to race every weekend. Her secret? She doesn’t get too up or down. She treats race day like any other day, with no wild celebrating afterwards and no down time, either. She races because she loves it. Because it’s fun. And because she loves being active. We asked her to recap her 2017 at the Sportstats races.

iRun: How many races did you run in 2017?

Alana Bonner: 52.

iRun: How many kilometers of racing does that add up to?

AB: 387.5kms of racing thus far this year (plus 276kms of bike racing in duathlons) with 44.5 more kms of racing to go before the year is done. My total tally in 2017 will include 13 duathlons, 8 half marathons and 31 other races ranging in distance from 2k to 10k.

iRun: Where have you raced in this year?

AB: I’ve raced in 5 US states (Hawaii, Florida, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts) with 2 more races to do in the US this year (Vermont & Massachusetts). And I’ve raced in 2 provinces (Québec & Ontario) in a total of 29 different cities with 2 more new cities before the year is done!

iRun: Which race had the best medal?

AB: It’s a tough call as I’ve earned some very pretty medals this year, all of which have come with great memories which the medals hanging on my wall serve as a reminder of! I can only narrow it down to a top 6 (in no particular order!): the Hartford Half Marathon, the Montreal Hypothermic Half Marathon, the Mack Cycle Miami Duathlon, the United Airlines NYC Half, the Kauai Half Marathon and the OKA 5k. Here’s a photo of all 6 for you to be the judge!

iRun: What was your favorite race this year?

AB: My favourite race this year was the United Airlines NYC Half in March. It was my first time racing the event and it did not disappoint. With a race start in Central Park and a course that takes you through Times Square, it was a very memorable event to say the least! I hope to run it again in 2018 to try out their new course which is scheduled to start in Brooklyn and finish in Central Park.

iRun: What’s your criteria for choosing a race?

AB: First and foremost, is the race chip-timed by a company I can trust? I train hard and race hard so I want my results to be timely, accurate, easily accessible and dependable. That’s why the majority of the events I choose to run are timed by Sportstats, Canada’s leader in sport-event timing.

iRun: What’s your favorite running route?

AB: I’ve mapped out a great 10k loop near my home with a large portion of it along the Outaouais/Ottawa River. What I love the most about it is the different scenery, wildlife and overall running conditions as the seasons change!

iRun: What’s your favourite training?

AB: I love to run 8k steady at half marathon race pace and then finish with 2kms at 5k race pace.

iRun: Have you ran any inaugural races this year? If so, which was your favorite and why?

AB: Yes! I ran the 1st edition of the P’tit Train du Nord Half Marathon in October. The P’tit Train du Nord (which translates to “Little Train of the North” in English) is a 200km bike/run trail which travels through the Laurentians north of Montréal and is built on an old railway line which closed in the 1980s. This point-to-point race travels from north to south, offering a full and half marathon along the lovely path with cool, crisp fall temps, lovely autumn scenery, and an overall negative drop from start to finish. I look forward to racing it again next year!

iRun: Which was the most challenging race course this year?

AB: I ran a 10k on steep snowy trails in the woods of Mont Orford National Park in February. Definitely one of the toughest courses I ran all year! I wore my special Icebug brand shoes with studs on the bottom and they were perfect for the extreme winter running conditions! Icebug’s slogan is “safe grip, free mind” and I can say they definitely live up to it!

iRun: What do you eat before a race?

AB: Peanut butter sandwich on white bread about 2 hours before my race and then a Fruit3 Xact Nutrition performance energy fruit bar minutes before the race start.

iRun: What’s your favourite model of shoes?

AB: This year I tried out the New Balance 1400V5 and love them. They are 6.1oz with a 10mm drop, with a fantastic fit and feel!

iRun: What are your goals for 2018?

AB: To stay injury free, run strong, increase speed over every distance I race and have fun collecting memories and maybe a few medals along the way!

The Year in Review for Krista DuChene, Marathon Mom

Ben Kaplan

December 21, 2017

When lacing up those racing flats for that final race of the year, one can reflect on how the year began. My first race of 2017, and first as a master, having turned 40 in January, was the Refriger8er (8 mile) in Waterloo in February. I quite enjoy racing with Run Waterloo, but that particular morning had the poorest conditions I had ever experienced in any race. With an accumulation of several inches of snow, I nearly walked the finish. I had some quality work I was to do afterwards, but couldn’t find decent footing—anywhere. Nevertheless, I was pleased with my effort and fitness in my first race since joining Speed River and Coach Dave Scott-Thomas.

My second race of the year was the Chilly Half in Burlington in March on our daughter’s 6th birthday. It was a good day for Speed River as both myself and Tristan Woodfine captured the wins. Although it wasn’t a particularly outstanding pace, my time of 1:14:55 earned me the Canadian Masters Half Marathon Record, previously set by Danuta Bartoszek in 2001. Two days later I left for my first altitude training camp; one month at the High Altitude Training Centre in Iten, Kenya. Saying goodbye to my children was one of the most difficult things I had ever done but the experience was absolutely incredible. I had full support from my husband and kids, loved the people, food and atmosphere, made new friends, and trained harder than I had ever trained in my entire life—including quality mileage weeks of 180 km and 190 km.

Although my goal race of the London Marathon in April was a big disappointment, as I had my first ever G.I. distress experience, I concluded the season with my head high, choosing once again to only focus on the positives. Like countless other times in my life, I relied on my Christian faith that has kept me humble in my highest highs and pulled me through my lowest lows. I took ample time to recover from the season and steadily resumed training, hoping for redemption at my favourite Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM). In June, I raced a decent 17:15 in the Peachbud 5K and 35:53 at the Toronto Waterfront 10K. However, a few weeks later my body gave me my first sign that reaching for another marathon since the 2016 Olympics (STWM 2016, London 2017) would be too much.

I cross-trained and started running again, planning to race the Army Run Half Marathon in September, where I would be speaking at the pasta dinner. But I knew that even the slightest niggle would be the final straw. I didn’t have any more training time to lose. I enjoyed the Army Run race weekend experience, but accepted the fact that my most recent slight hip flexor strain was that final straw. I knew it was truly over when I indulged in a decadent peanut butter and chocolate ice cream treat. I took the off-season to help coach my kids’ sports teams, and grow and develop my professional Registered Dietitian and Public Speaking career while I again steadily resumed running. With plans to run a 2018 spring marathon, I was happy with my season-opener and 2017 finale of 36:08 at the Tannenbaum 10K in Toronto in December.

My 2017 was certainly not one of my best years. In fact, other than my 1:14 half marathon in 2015, it was the first year since 2009 that I raced and didn’t have a top 3 Canadian spot in both the marathon and the half marathon. But 2017 did mark 15 years since completing my first marathon in a time of 3:28 at (what was then called) the Casino Niagara International Marathon. I continue to enjoy training and racing, but am also allowing myself to age gracefully in this wonderful sport of marathoning. And I am also allowing myself to enjoy taking risk, something that I have done very little of in the past several years.

It’s hard to leave you with one final thought about 2017 but if there’s anything to say it is this: enjoy your time out there in your sneakers, but don’t forget to enjoy all your other times, too. As I lace up my skates for my daughter’s weekly hockey practices, I think about 2017, and about life, and I’m left with one word: gratitude. Thank you to everyone for coming with me on my incredible Marathon Mom ride. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyous Merry Christmas and exciting New Year!

Photograph of the Tannenbaum 10K by Edison Yao. Photograph of the snowstorm by Lisa Warmerdam. Photograph from Kenya by N.Coll.

Looking Back: Breaking Barriers in 2017

Ravi Singh

December 20, 2017

In November, I set a very important personal best. It wasn’t the sub-1:40 half marathon that I finally managed to secure. Rather, it was in the days following that achievement at the Hamilton Road2Hope Race Weekend that I shattered my personal best for most likes on a single tweet.

https://twitter.com/ravimatsingh/status/927684885732610048?ref_src=twcamp%5Eshare%7Ctwsrc%5Eios%7Ctwgr%5Eorg.wordpress.WordPressShare

I can’t deny riding a high following that race, especially after I chased the same goal in May at the Ottawa Race Weekend and came up disastrously short in the conditions.

I struggled to shut up about the race, but maintained a healthy sense of sarcasm when I did because all runners know we can’t be too precious about results.

Nonetheless, the day after the race, I posted my PB progression at the half marathon, which ran from a 2:17 debut in 2013 to the 1:38 I managed at Road2Hope.

I was shocked not only that this detail about the progress of some random bum like myself was drawing attention, but that messages came through from friends and strangers to celebrate this milestone with me. Even strangers seemed to have perfect familiarity with what this experience meant to me, wherever their experience and achievements were relative to mine.

Notifications came through to tell me that Rob Watson and Jen St. Jean liked that tweet. “What the fuck is a sub-1:40 half marathon to Rob Watson and Jen St. Jean?” I asked myself.

In a conversation over tea a few weeks ago, a colleague explained to me the possible reason for fellow runners being so exuberant in their praise over a single race result and why it sometimes rings hollow to those outside our running bubble.

“Most people just don’t know what it’s like to stick their necks out like that,” he explained. “The last time most of us were excited and passionate about something in a big way was probably when we were kids, if we even did that as kids.”

This year, I think I found my greatest excitement not in breaking my own barriers, but in witnessing others find and harness some of that same magic in themselves. While the excitement of others initially puzzled me, it made more sense as I felt it for others.

Whether it was my dad finishing his first 5K with continuous running or a coworker texting to let me know they successfully completed their longest run so far, I recognized their excitement not for a single achievement but for the sense of possibility they began to feel. Yet more friends made the transition from athlete to coach and others added more dimensions to their role in community building.

In Adharanand Finn’s superb book the Way of the Runner, the author recalls a visit to one of the infamous “marathon monks.”

Finn writes, “In every training run, we fill ourselves with the experience of life, the air rushing through our lungs, our hearts pounding. Even if we break our best times, or win the race, a few days later we’re lacing up again. Like the Daigyoman Ajari who said enlightenment wasn’t an end, but just another step on a lifelong journey, the race is not the end we hold it up to be. Whatever happens, the next day, we need to start all over again.”

Beneath the very basic act of running is the brave resolution to stretch our boundaries and allow ourselves vulnerability, not just on the course but every day.

That’s what we in this global community see in each other. We know deeply the agony and the ecstasy that comes with sticking our necks out and chasing something that may or may not pay off. Even when it does pay off, the real return is not in
adulation, fame, and certainly not financial, but an invitation to continue exploring.

The trajectory from 2:17 to 1:38 was one marked by continuous exploration that yielded breakthroughs far beyond race results and I’m certain that anyone who offered their praise knew that and lived it themselves.

We operate on curiosity rather than on certainty or comfort. When the victories come, it means that we weathered that fog of uncertainty and deemed ourselves worthy of something greater and that’s an incredible gift to give ourselves. We recognize how rarely we do that so when we see it we swell with pride and admiration for one another.

This year, I feel that I was made more whole as a runner because I learned to recognize, encourage, and celebrate others who took the leap and to understand how drastically different that leap may look from runner to runner. My appreciation of the sport’s riches only grew by learning to see how widely they can manifest as did my gratitude when others still saw it in me.

11 Things We Love About the Calgary Marathon

Ben Kaplan

December 19, 2017

On May 24-27, runners across the country will descend upon the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon, the country’s longest running marathon which first began on August 10, 1963. If there’s someone on your Christmas list who’s a runner, a bib to this super cool race makes a great gift (actually, denomination aside, a race bib, anywhere, as a present kinda rules). Here’s 11 things we love about the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon.

11. The race offers a 50K ultra. Leave it to the bountiful terrain of Alberta to open itself up so much to us runners.

10. The charity component. Like every race in the Scotiabank portfolio, Calgary Marathon offers runners a chance to compete in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. Running is always worthwhile. Running for someone else is divine.

9. “Race recyclers,” a team of volunteers picking up discarded race debris, is just one of many green initiatives making up the Sustainability Program of the event.

8. Trevor Hofbauer and Emily Setlack, two of Calgary’s finest, are on your next cover of iRun. Trev just won Toronto and Emily took Philadelphia, are Calgarian athletes taking over our sport?

7. Marathon course takes you past the Calgary Zoo and finishes beside the Calgary Stampede. A few different ways to channel your spirit animal.

6. There’s both a family walk and a kid’s marathon. For runners schlepping their children, plenty of family-friendly activities to keep the little ones satisfied.

5. Let’s go back to how old this race is. Did you know, when it first started, that it was run, in its entirety, by 19 men?

4. Calgary is home to an extraordinary amount of cool run crews and race clubs, like YYC Wheezers and Mission District. Want to see a bunch of them in their socks (see page 40)?

3. See for yourself. This is a link to a live broadcast that aired last year on Shaw.

2. The marathon is a Boston qualifier, plus wheelchairs are allowed in every event.

1. The people are friendly, the course is great, the race director, Kirsten Fleming, is totally approachable, open-minded and dedicated to a putting on a top notch event, and this year, all that the race needs is you.

Looking Back: Favourite Running Reads of 2017

Ravi Singh

December 18, 2017

When it comes to studying and reading about running, I have to admit that the conventional technical/training oriented books don’t really do it for me. I’m lucky to work with a great coach who understands me and my goals well enough to help build a training strategy that leads to growth and results. I’m also pretty diligent about dedicating some time to listening to podcasts from leaders in our sport or perusing articles on the fundamentals of training.

Where I’ve often needed a boost is in the mental aspect of training. I know I’m not the only runner who gets so bogged down in the mechanics of goals and training that one starts to view running as a chore rather than a privilege or joy.

What I’ve needed on occasion is to be reinspired and delving into the philosophy, art, history, and curiosities of our sport has always enabled me to enhance and refresh my interest in running.

This isn’t a “Best of 2017” list, but just some of the books that spoke to me this year. Perhaps you’ve come across or read all of them. Either way, if you’re like me, I hope these reads will ignite excitement and inspiration when you need it.

Run the World: My 3,500 Mile Journey Through Running Cultures Around the World by Becky Wade

Upon graduation from Rice University, Wade received a fellowship that allowed her to travel across the globe and explore different running cultures. The journey begins during the London 2012 Olympics, where an associate manages to arrange for Wade to have dinner with Usain Bolt, and jumps to Japan, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Ethiopia among others.

At each stop along the way, community is the common factor. Wade learns how the Ethiopians perfected the art of easy running, takes on brutal hill workouts and unconventional track races in Scandinavia, and bustles through the surreal and crowded running paths of Tokyo. In every case, she is welcomed and fed by those who share her passion. In fact, each chapter comes with a recipe from each of the cultures Wade visits.

This book was a reminder of why I want to run forever. PBs may be harder to come by with age, but knowledge, personal growth, and friendships never seem to stop forming when we run.

Grit by Angela Duckworth

Grit is a perhaps overused term. Everyone knows it’s important, but often the assumption is that grit is innate. Psychologist Angela Duckworth unpacks grit into key components and uses case studies ranging from military academy recruits to spelling bee champions to demonstrate how grit can actually be cultivated. Concepts like deliberate practice (Don’t neglect your track workouts, people!), adopting a growth mindset, and constantly renewing your interest are made real and practical in Duckworth’s book.

This book actually came recommended from Eric Gillis, who cited it as the book every runner should read. I encourage everyone to take Eric’s advice, but you can also have a sneak peek with Duckworth’s TED Talk.

The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less Than Four Minutes ot Acheive It by Neal Bascomb

When Roger Bannister became the first runner to break the 4:00 mile barrier in 1954, debate erupted in the international press over whether or not the effort should be recognized because Bannister used pacers throughout in an attempt that was specifically about breaking 4:00 and not in a “real race”? Sound familiar?

Many of the debates that surrounded NIke’s Breaking2 project aren’t new. As someone who was a bit of a Breaking2 skeptic myself, what ultimately fuelled my intrigue was the three men who saw a barrier in front of them and decided to stick their neck out in attempt to do something considered impossible.

Yet again, Bascomb’s account of breaking the mile barrier as a common with our current obsession with the two hour marathon. Bascomb’s book is the story of Bannister, Aussie John Landy, and American Wes Santee, all gifted athletes who eventually found themselves hovering a nice round number (the book also does a good job of showing how arbitrary some of these barriers can be) and entered an arms race to be the first to crack it.

Even with the mile record now lowered to 3:43, the context of national pride, the gradual transition from amateur to professional athletics, still makes this story enthralling.

I, of course, am always looking for recommendations so leave yours in the comments.

iRun Radio – December 17th, 2017

Why I Run

December 17, 2017

From destinations races to keeping up your training when you’re traveling, running is a popular way to see the world. On this week’s show Mark Sutcliffe speaks with a legendary hockey coach with a long running streak, then Gavin Lumsden who raises money for childhood fitness programs and has literally weathered the storm at a number of races. Plus a former MP shares his what he has learned from running in different destinations.

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