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Blog Page 160

Canadian Athletes Shine at Rio 2016 Paralympics

By
AttheRaces
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Aurelie Rivard wins Canada's first gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and sets a world record in the process. Image courtesy of CBC.

Three days into the competition, Canadians have made seven trips to the podium at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Runners, cyclists, and swimmers, these athletes all offered an incredible source of inspiration in their performances.

Canada’s first gold at the games was won by swimmer Aurélie Rivard in the Women’s 50M Freestyle S10.* Rivard’s time of 27.37 is also a brand new world record.

Aurelie Rivard wins Canada's first gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and sets a world record in the process. Image courtesy of CBC.
Aurelie Rivard wins Canada’s first gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and sets a world record in the process. Image courtesy of CBC.

Renaissance woman Michelle Stilwell of Parksville, BC added to the medal haul with a gold in the Women’s 400m T52 final. Stilwell is one of two female paralympians who have won gold in two separate sports – Stilwell was also a member of the 2000 Canadian women’s wheelchair basketball team that took gold at the 2000 games in Sidney. She’ll also compete in the 100m race next weekend, an event where she scored silver at the London 2012 games.

Brent Lakatos out of Dorval, Quebec raced his way to gold in the Men’s 100m T53. This is Lakatos’ fourth medal at the games, his first at 100m and his first gold. He took silver at the 200, 400, and 800m races in London four years ago.

Visit the Canada page at the official Rio 2016 site for more results and for a full schedule of when Canadian athletes will be competing.

*A helpful guide on the classification system used in the Paralympic games can be found here.

-Ravi Singh

Marathon Mike and Fitmom Lisa Prepare to Lace up Against Olympians at Canadian 5k Championship

By
AttheRaces
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Mike Thornton, an airline pilot by day, takes flight at the Canadian 5K Championship this Sunday.

The Canadian 5K Road Race Championship takes place this coming Sunday in Toronto. Sponsored by Bang & Olufsen, the course takes runners through a fast and flat course that runs down Bay Street from Yorkville until Dundas, then across to and up University Avenue.  It was here that Kenyan Wesley Korir set the Canadian soil record of 14:06 in 2012.

Mike Thornton, an airline pilot by day, takes flight at the Canadian 5K Championship this Sunday.
Mike Thornton, an airline pilot by day, takes flight at the Canadian 5K Championship this Sunday.

The championship race allows for entry based on age group standards at the 5 and 10K distances. The result is that the field is an interesting mix of names you’ll recognize – Olympians like Charles PT, Nate Brennan, Jess O’Connell and Pan-Am medalists Rachel Hannah and Sasha Gollish – as well as names and faces that make you say, “Hey, I know that guy!” These are the super fast club runners who have a tendency to place real high in or win their age group or maybe even take the crown at some of the smaller races.

I was lucky enough to get some thoughts from two such runners as they prepared to share the course with some running giants.

Mike Thornton (aka @MarathonMike_) is an airline pilot who describes himself as “running to better myself always and see what I’m capable of,” which it turns out is quite a lot given that Mike is a sub-3 marathoner, Boston qualifier, and finished first overall at the Brantford Classic 10K earlier this year. The Yorkville Run gave Mike his 5K PB of 17:27 and this year he’s hoping to get as close to 17:00 as possible.

Lisa Davidson (@torontofitmom to her friends)  is a fitness/yoga instructor/mom who has been running since elementary school, dabbling in track and eventually jumping to the marathon. These days, however, her passion is for the shorter distances. Lisa ran her 21:00 5K PB while under the weather so she’ll look to shatter that this Sunday.

Mike and Lisa both admit that the competition scared them a little bit, with Lisa describing her reaction as simply being, “Oh crap!” Mike, who describes himself as the “slowest of the fastest,” says his immediate thought upon seeing the competition was that he was “going to get dusted in this race.”

For both runners, that feeling of shock would eventually give way to the same excitement that any race might bring thanks to the support of the running community and the realization that the opportunity they had was worth celebrating.

Thanks to some words of encouragement from Rachel Hannah, Lisa says she’s simply going to give it her all and give herself permission to enjoy the unique experience she’ll have on Sunday.

Mike is much the same, recognizing that the mere fact that he’ll be at the start line means, “I’ve put in enough work to be in the same league, arena, or galaxy as high performance athletes.” Within his age group, Mike adds that he’s surrounded by friends and acquaintances so there’s no shortage of encouragement among them, which means he’ll have no problem going into the race with a sense of positivity.

Good luck to both Mike and Lisa this weekend! The gun for the 5K Championship goes at 9:00am. Find out more at yorkvillerun.com.

-Ravi Singh

Apple Watch Series 2 Sits at Juncture of Tech, Fitness, and Fashion

By
TheBuzzonGear
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The new Apple Watch rolls out on September 16th with features that seem to have the runner in mind. Image courtesy of PC Magazine.

According to a preview in PC Magazine, the prime customer for the new Apple Watch may be “a woman who runs.” Rolling out on September 16th, including a white ceramic model going for $1,249, the new iteration comes equipped with features seemingly targeted directly at runners and other fitness enthusiasts.

The new Apple Watch rolls out on September 16th with features that seem to have the runner in mind. Image courtesy of PC Magazine.
The new Apple Watch rolls out on September 16th with features that seem to have the runner in mind. Image courtesy of PC Magazine.

The Nike+ model in particular sports a silicone band designed for breathability. The watch itself is significantly lighter than the previous model and far more petite than its Samsung and Asis counterparts.

The article sees the new design as a move by Apple for the watch to transcend status as strictly a tech product and become one that “sits at the juncture of tech, fitness, and fashion,” and concludes:

Wearing a Fitbit Surge or a Microsoft Band on a night out, for instance, isn’t widely considered a fashion plus, and a Garmin running watch often goes away when you’re done with your run. But the Apple Watch is a day-to-night watch, coming in a smaller size than other good-looking smartwatches and with more extensive fitness features. That may be its niche.

Check out the article in PC Magazine for more details and let us know if you’re already eager to drop $1,249 for a brand new toy.

 

 

-Ravi Singh

 

Olympian Eric Gillis Confirmed for 6th Appearance at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

By
AttheRaces
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After 15 years of working together, Coach Dave Scott Thomas and Eric Gillis are still having fun. Image courtesy of Canada Running Series.

It wouldn’t truly be a Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM) without Eric Gillis on the course. Thankfully, today Canada Running Series announced that Gillis is confirmed to run his sixth STWM on October 16th.

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Last month, Gillis added the distinction of top ten Olympic Marathon finisher to his already impressive list of accomplishments when he ran a 2:12.29 in the Rio heat to record Canada’s best finish at the event since Jerome Drayton’s sixth place finish at the 1976 games in Montreal.

That Gillis was able to post such an impressive time in hot conditions adds to speculation over whether or not 2016 will be the year he topples Drayton’s now 41 year old record of 2:10.09, set at the Fukoka Marathon. Gillis, whose current STWM PB stands at 2:11.21, says he is indeed hoping to run a fast race and turn in his best performance yet in Toronto:

“I’m sticking to the same formula that worked leading into Rio,” he allows, “focusing on setting up each day to have success the following one, and ultimately the most on October 16th. What that exactly looks like, I won’t know until the finish line. I’m not ruling anything out. I can say, if all goes well, I’d like to have my best Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon to date.”

Prior to STWM, Gillis will lace up in Vancouver on September 17th for the Eastside 10K.

-Ravi Singh

The Beckley Badwater: Charlie Engle Runs Ultramarathon Within Prison Walls

By
Why I Run
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Charlie Engle, author of the new book Running Man. Image courtesy of the New Zealand Herald.

It’s probably impossible to find a runner who doesn’t associate the act with freedom. Whether it’s a temporary escape from life’s daily stresses or part of a longer road to recovery, there’s no shortage of testaments from across the globe to running’s ability to make us feel free even in the most brutal circumstances.

Charlie Engle, author of the new book Running Man. Image courtesy of the New Zealand Herald.
Charlie Engle, author of the new book Running Man. Image courtesy of the New Zealand Herald.

Charlie Engle found freedom through running in what many would consider the most confining of situations. Following an unjust conviction for mortgage fraud, Charlie was sentenced to 16 months in a federal prison in West Virginia. That’s where he decided that he would run the equivalent distance of the notorious Badwater Ultramarathon – that’s 217 km – using the track in the prison’s recreation area as his course. Prior to his conviction, Charlie turned to running to kick a decade long addiction to crack cocaine and alcohol.

In an excerpt from Charlie’s new book Running Man published in the New Zealand Herald, Charlie writes:

This was for me. To keep my sanity, I would do the insane; it had always worked before. Deciding to run Badwater sparked a feeling of purpose in me that I had not felt since I arrived at Beckley. I had been in survival mode. But now I knew I had to do more than simply get through this. Fair or unfair, I would probably be in Federal prison for at least another year. There was no point in wasting time wishing for a different outcome.

Unlike the runners of Badwater, Charlie would have no support crew or access to some of the things runners consider essential such as fuel or technical running gear. Charlie was still determined to make his run happen:

After 5am count, I made myself three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches – one for breakfast and two to take out to the track with me. I packed them into a mesh bag, along with granola bars, almonds, graham crackers, and two of the packets of Gatorade I had won in the three-point shooting contest. I had been acquiring these items and squirrelling them away in the weeks before the run. I filled a small, leaky watercooler I had bought from another inmate for two stamps. I didn’t have any moisture-wicking shirts or compression socks, but I did have some awesome cut-off gray sweatpants with a drawstring, a nice white sleeveless undershirt, and a pair of dingy white socks – all cotton.

As he counted off the laps, Charlie says, “I was not an inmate or a number. I was a skinny kid from North Carolina. I was a runner.”

Check out the full story at the New Zealand Herald to learn how Charlie navigated the unique obstacles of a prison ultramarathon. His book Running Man is available from Simon and Schuster.

-Ravi Singh

 

Fast Feet on Fifth Avenue

By
AttheRaces
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2016 Fifth Avenue Mile Winners Eric Jenkins and Jenny Simpson. Image courtesy of New York Road Runners.

The Fifth Avenue Mile had its 36th run this past Saturday in Manhattan, supported by new sponsor New Balance. Currently organized by the New York Road Runners, the race saw just over 6,000 runners fly down Fifth Avenue, beginning at East 80th Street and ending at East 60th Street. For both the men and women, 2016 was an exceptionally fast year.

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Image courtesy: New York Road Runners 

Portland’s Eric Jenkins took the overall crown, running a 3:49.4, just edging out Matthew Centrowitz, the Men’s 1500m champ in Rio, who ran a 3:49.5. Jenkins’ winning time is the closest any runner has come to toppling American Syndee Maree’s course record of 3:47.52, run in 1981, since Englishman Peter Elliot ran a 3:47.83 in 1990. According to the official race report, Centrowitz held the lead at 1500m but was passed by Jenkins in the final 100. Jenkins, 24, did not represent the US at Rio but by edging out an Olympic champ becomes one to watch for 2020.

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Image courtesy: New York Road Runners

On the women’s side, 2016 Rio bronze medalist in the Women’s 1500m Jennifer Simpson continued to make her case that organizers may as well rename the event the “Jenny Simpson Mile.” Simpson ran a 4:18.3 to clinch her fourth consecutive win and her fifth course victory in the past six years. Simpson outkicked Glasgow’s Laura Muir, who led at the halfway point, and finished with an impressive 4:18.4. Simpson’s 4:18.3 is her best result at this particular race and the second fastest winning time among the women in the race’s history, placing her just off Patti Sue Plumer’s course record of 4:16.68, run in 1990.

Rio alum Charles Philibert-Thiboutot led the Canadian contingent, running a 3:52.5 to finish fifth overall. This writer would also be remiss to not mention Michelle Clarke (aka @runningchic) – that’s my coach! – finishing second in her age group with a 5:28.

See the full results and race report at nyrr.org.

-Ravi Singh

 

Training Days: Tackling 42.2K with Team I Will

By
AttheRaces
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After running a half marathon last October, Robert MacDonald is tackling the marathon. It’s a challenging distance for any runner, but MacDonald has never let fear stand in his way.

BY: Robert MacDonald & Amy Friel

I’m scared – but I won’t let my fear hold me back from accomplishing the impossible.

It’s August 7th, 2016, and I’m scared.

Yesterday, Team I Will embarked upon our first training run. I have committed to run the formidable 42.2 kilometre marathon distance just under 10 weeks from now, and hope to have over 150 people join me and Team I Will in support of the Toronto Rehab Foundation.

In October of last year, I completed the half-marathon along with 72 others as part of Team I Will. It was an amazing feat. After that accomplishment, I mentally committed to running a full marathon this October.

Now that training has begun, and the race is only 10 weeks away, I’ve found myself scared of the daunting task ahead of me. I know I have gruelling training, an extensive time commitment, and likely some tough recovery days ahead. All of this has left me very scared of this commitment I have made, both to my fellow team members, my supporters, my sponsors, and myself.

So why I am I going to run this marathon?

Any ordinary person can give a hundred reasons to back down from the challenge.

We tell ourselves we’re too busy. We tell ourselves that a marathon, or a half-marathon, or a 5K, is just too much. We tell ourselves that we don’t need the trouble, that we won’t succeed anyway. We tell ourselves that we don’t have the time, that we might get injured, that there’s no guarantee we’ll even finish.

We can all find a hundred reasons not to take on a challenge that scares us. But I can give you one more.

After an accident in December of 2012, I found myself lying in hospital bed at 26 years old, paralyzed from the waist down. The probability of a successful recovery looked slim-to-none; my neurosurgeon gave me a 5% chance of ever walking again.

It’s difficult to describe the thoughts that race through your mind when you’re told you might never walk again, nor the fear that grips you as you realize that, no matter what the future holds, the road ahead of you will be fraught with difficulty, pain, and immeasurable hard work.

At this point, I knew I had a hundred good reasons for why my life would never be the same. But I realized I had a choice: I could choose to side with my fear, with the overwhelming odds, with the 95% chance that I would never walk again.

In that moment, I was scared. But I sided with the 5% probability that I would walk again. I didn’t know that I would be able to do it; similarly, I still don’t know if I’ll be able to complete this marathon. But I wasn’t about to let fear dictate what was possible.

I have regained so much that was taken away from me by my injury four years ago. I have been able to do this not because I am immune to fear, but because in the face of fear, I decide my fate; fear doesn’t.

Approximately 1% of the population will ever run a half-marathon, and less than 0.5% of the population will run a full marathon. What I’m attempting will not be easy; if it was, it wouldn’t be a challenge. Being scared in the face of a challenge is quite alright. I’m scared, and that’s a good thing.

Who’s ready to overcome their fears with me and accomplish something incredible? I am and I Will.

Join Team I Will today in any distance from the 5K to the marathon!

Marathon Mom Relives Her Olympic Experience

By
Krista DuChene
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Arriving at the Olympic Village after our 10 hour flight, I quickly and easily settled into my normal pre-marathon routine of rest, sleep, easy running (with one workout at the track), and proper eating/hydration. I knew I would have plenty of time to take it all in – the Olympic experience and Rio vacationing – after my event. I wasn’t there just to compete – I wanted to have a great race. Fortunately, Natasha Wodak, my roommate who ran a blazing 31:53 to place 22nd in the 10,000 m had a similar agenda as she was competing only 2 days before me.

Because the marathon start was over an hour drive from the village, Lanni Marchant and I stayed in a hotel with our support team the night before. Prior to leaving we met to discuss logistics and give Trent our bottles/gels, which would be handed to us during the race. To play it safe, I ate my last meal at the village before departing. I had one last tune-up treatment session with Ron at the hotel then settled in nicely for the night, setting out my gear and watching the Games on television. The bed was softer and bouncier than the firm village beds, which I loved and the air conditioner was a bit rattly but I slept well, like every other night in the village.

In the morning I ate my simple bread and jam pre-race meal and started sipping Eload then met Lanni for coffee downstairs around 5:30 am. We got into our race kits, packed up then drove with the crew to the race site. We rested our legs, made several washroom trips, jogged a short warm up, and made our way to the call room to check in, get our chip and new race bib for the front. It was busy and you could feel the nerves in the air. I was calm, feeling good and ready to go.  Heading out to the start line was a bit chaotic. It was loud and crowded and they were calling names of the top seeded athletes but few were responding. It was humid, as expected, and the bright sun was beating down. Eventually we made our way to the start and before we knew it, the gun went off. I had successfully spotted my family, high in the nosebleed section and gave them a wave, assuming they likely wouldn’t see it amongst the 157 women who started the race. And there I was, competing in the 2016 Olympic Marathon.

Given the warm conditions that I prepared for, and my level of fitness, I figured I shouldn’t go any faster than 3:35 min/km. The first few kilometres were around 3:30 so I slowed myself down to a more appropriate pace. This was going to be my race; I was going to run my pace, start conservatively, and only be concerned about bettering my placement. And that I did. I successfully got into a steady rhythm, sometimes running with a small group, while other times running alone or with only one or two other women. I consumed my Eload and 7 gels at the 8 stations, positioned every 5 km, and poured an entire bottle of water on my head at every opportunity to help keep as cool as possible. Wearing a visor was perfect for this. The route was flat and consisted of approximately 4 km to the 3 x 10 km loops followed by 8 km to the finish. The support along the route was energizing and encouraging.  At the half way point I decided I needed to push a bit more, eventually I made my way down to the 35th spot from 70th, I was ranked 50th and 133 finished the race.

Once I got to the Sambodromo it was all about celebrating my personal victory. I gave myself a little fist pump and the crowd went wild! So I embraced the moment and took it for all its worth. Waving my hands, raising my arms in the air and giving additional fist pumps created the loudest and most exciting roar, more thrilling than I ever could have imagined. I crossed the line with a huge smile on my face, thankful for my performance, then looked to the sea of red to my right. I couldn’t believe it. My family was right there, and I was able to run directly to them! Embracing with tears of joy and cheers of happiness, I lived my dream. On many occasions I’ve visualized running into the arms of my loved ones after a successful race. I was doing just that, and it was the Olympics! Later that day when we were at the Canada House, someone came over to me to show me the picture that was getting a fair amount of views. That is when I really got emotional. The tears started to flow as looked at that picture, knowing that not only did I experience a moment of a lifetime but someone captured it. In addition to my Christian faith, getting married, and giving birth, I realized this was a significant event that I would treasure immensely for the rest of my entire life.

After the race I spent the day with my family then returned to the village for a mandatory security meeting. I then met up with my family again. We really enjoyed our time together, having morning coffee on the veranda with mountains in view, and savouring meals together, some cooked in while others enjoyed out. The house was beautiful and spacious and a mere 5 minute walk from a playground, various shops, and the beautiful beach. The night before my family’s flight, we said our goodbyes and I took an uber back to the village. I did some easy running and swimming, relaxed by the pool with a book, enjoyed some sweets, cheered on our Canadian athletes in the race walk, marathon and at the track, enjoyed a dinner with Natasha and her parents at Copacabana, and celebrated at the Closing Ceremony. It was an incredible 15 days. I am so grateful that I had both a successful race and Olympic experience. It was everything I hoped for and imagined. The love and support I received before and after has been so heart-warming and I definitely felt the strength of peoples’ prayers for health and safety for myself and my family. Thank you to each and everyone of you, particularly my husband, Jonathan. My heart is full. It is well with my soul.

A Look Back On the Wild Bruce Chase

By
Training
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In July, Natalie Wright joined seventeen other women and set out to run more than 800 kilometers of Ontario’s Bruce Trail. Here’s how a group of women, came together and not only conquered the trail, they set the Fastest Known Time for an all-female crew.

iRun: What surprised you the most about your fellow runners?

Natalie Wright: I didn’t anticipate the camaraderie that would come from running with strangers. We kind of grew into knowing each other for 6 to 8 hours at a time. In the middle of the night stories would come out, life stories that you might not otherwise share but based on lack of sleep and the experience of eating and changing in a van you become fast friends.

iRun: Why do you think that such a close sense of friendship was struck?

Natalie Wright: Many of us came from very different ways of life, moms, single women, road runners or trail runners, some are fast and all of us are at varied stages of our running careers yet all 18 of us have this love of trail running. Finding a balance between competition and camaraderie, we had this mutual goal that connected us. There is a way that women can compete with each other but still be strategic, have goals and for us here the competition was external, and we all had the same goal in mind.

iRun: What was the best part of the whole experience?

Natalie Wright: Finishing together, 13 of the 18 were there and we rant hte final 7kms together and that was probably the best moment of it. That feeling of running in and hearing people cheer us on.

iRun: How did the group deal with challenges that couldn’t be plan for?

Natalie Wright: We had a rain delay and we were down about 1.5 to 2 hours on the first day. We were trying to make up the time on each leg so it was the race against the clock. And then the terrain was slippery and cold and treacherous.

iRun: How did the experience change you as a runner?

Natalie Wright: You never know what you can do until you try it. You have to believe in yourself and in each other. It was real easy at 3am to give up and there’s the energy and the camaraderie of others to get it done. There was something about the weekend, there wasn’t that question and we knew it was going to be tough, but you just do it, it’s a different perspective and an understanding of what you are able to do.

iRun: Why is night trail running so appealing?

Natalie Wright: I like it because you just focus on the trail and the stars are really beautiful. It’s almost easier because you are less distracted. And then seeing the sunrise was also spectacular. It had rained the night before, so the dew and grass in the meadow and the light as the sun rose was visually, was probably my all time favourite run.

 

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