Chris Shulgan: Halloween Reflections

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October 30, 2015

In 2008, Toronto’s Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon happened on the last weekend in September. I ran it. I did OK, coming in just north of my target of 3:30. My son, his mom and my newborn baby daughter came out to watch me run it. I appreciated the support the way you do when you’re hurting in the final kilometres of a marathon and then you see your little boy holding a sign that says, “Go Daddy go!” It helped, you know? It actually helped. It spurred me on, the thought that my boy loved me.

But maybe I didn’t fully grasp how much he loved me, until a week after the marathon, in early October, when his mom and I asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween. “I want to be a runner,” he said. Amid the context of Halloween costumes, the answer confused me a little. Like what sort of runner? But we talked to him about it, and gradually it became clear that he wanted to be a runner like the ones he saw in the marathon. He wanted to be a runner, like me.

People have several different phases of Halloween costumes through their lives, don’t they. When you’re older you want to be something that’s clever, that shows others how well-versed you are in pop culture. How you get it. But for kids, and especially for young kids, Halloween costumes are pure wish fulfillment. You pick your costume based on what you want to be—in life. And in 2008, when he was two-years-old, my boy wanted to be me. I still marvel over that, seven years later. It’s one of my favourite photos.

By Chris Shulgan

WHO’S Got Us Running Scared

By

Carrie Burrows

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October 28, 2015

By Carrie Burrows

“WHO’s in the news again?”

“I don’t know, WHO?”

“Exactly.”

“WHO”

“Yes”

“WHO’s in the news.”

“Yes, WHO.”

OK, I’m so sorry I just did that to you. The World Health Organization (WHO) just fired a shot at meat eaters everywhere and even took on the most beloved Internet food of all: bacon.

Oh no, they didn’t.

Oh yes, they did. The WHO has now added bacon to their list or carcinogens and ranked it in the same category as cigarettes and Asbestos.

Is nothing sacred?

What did bacon do to the World Health Organization!

To be fair, it isn’t just bacon, it’s processed meat. Processed, cured and smoked to be exact.

Where to begin with this and what does it have to do with runners?

This is just one more fear-mongering tactic with pseudo science (in my opinion), which with some cleverly written headlines has taken the web and newscasts by storm. This is butter all over again. Years ago butter was the devil and margarine was the best alternative that many people ran to for protection from the evil butter bar! You all know how that one has played out. Butter is the king and margarine has been compared to one chemical element away from plastic.

Ever runner has had someone, even Dr’s say to them:

“You’re running too much”

“Running ruins your joints”

“Running shortens your life”

Gaahhhh, fear mongering at its finest.

To put bacon and its processed meat friends into the same category as tobacco and Asbestos is madness. To make blanket statement that running is (fill in the blank with the negative ideals of someone else) is like saying it has the same as extreme sports.

The WHO wants people to be aware, I get that. As a nutritionist and trainer, I want people to eat healthy but this is one more thing that adds confusion. So many people in society have thrown their arms up in the air and said, “Forget it, I will eat what I want because I don’t understand any of it and I don’t know who to trust.”

Will this announcement change anything…nope. I think people will eat more bacon and hot dogs just to be defiant.

Confusion by those in authority is what is hurting our society.

Health “professionals” who don’t know or understand the big picture actually hurt people. What happened to the Hippocratic oath of “Do no harm” ? It has been replaced with; “WHOever has the most money to sway these “studies” wins.

Fellow runners, eat responsibly.

Eat a balanced diet. It will make you a better runner.

It is the simple principle of, “Garbage in, garbage out.”

You know what I mean. I’ve eaten decadent meals and gone for a run the next day. I’ve been slow, sluggish and feel down right icky. When our diet is on point our runs and training are representative of that.

I’ve met all kinds of runners; paleo runners, carb-loading runners, vegan, bacon/butter eating runners, fast-food runners.

The commonality with them? They all run. They do what works for them. It might not be “right” but they are running and being active so I high five them for that!

We can all be better with our diets/nutrition

To eat bacon or not to eat bacon? That is the question…

The answer: GO RUN!

Dream Big, Sing Out & Run On in the Empire State

By

AttheRaces

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October 28, 2015

By Rita Dottor

The beginning of autumn in New York for me is always marked by the TCS New York City Marathon flags going up in Central Park marking the finish line. I have run this marathon twice in my 15 years of living here and each time I cross that finish line I feel, for a few moments, like I have accomplished everything.

Last year’s race was especially poignant. Not only did I get to run the world’s largest race and experience the intensity and spirit of the New York crowd, but I also sang the anthem for the elite women’s and wheelchair start! My idols! And only a few months before taking the oath as an American!

I thought the singing would take the pressure off of my goal to qualify for the Boston. So I said yes please.

The morning of the race I traveled to the Verrazano Bridge in Staten Island with my training team the New York Flyers. I was taken to the skybox at the start line where I got to meet the mayor and the police commissioner of New York City. The best thing about that skybox was the heater. It was a very cold morning and before long I would find out it was also the windiest.

Setting off on the Verrazano runners were met with a 55-mph headwind. Runners were falling into each other getting blown over but you could hear them chuckling and saying, “We’ve got this!” and “One step at a time!” I was thinking, “I did this to myself! This is voluntary!! Ok Rita don’t blow it all in the first mile!” After I singing I was so energized, and inspired that I got to serenade my running idols as they were embarking on the biggest race of their lives. And I was feeling proud of myself that I was able to remember all my words, not trip on the way to the mic and then run the race myself.

I had a hefty goal still to accomplish: That Boston qualifying time was going to be mine.

I always found training for marathons to be such a similar discipline to being a musician, singer and actor. If you want to accomplish a goal you have to put in the work. If you want to run a marathon you have to run the training miles, you have to train your legs with speed work and you have to prepare your mind and thoughts on race day. Just as I would prepare for a concert or show. I would have to practice the notes, be prepared for grueling rehearsals and clear my mind of negative thoughts on show day.

A very special moment in this Marathon was near my neighbourhood around Marcus Garvey park in Harlem on 120th nearing 5th Avenue. This was the first time I saw some friends on the sidewalk. As I approached them, I could hear them say, “You’re going to do it! You’re going to qualify for the Boston!” At that moment, I looked down at my watch and I saw that they were right. I knew I had been running consistently in the wind but I was trying to just hold onto my pace. I knew I was going slower than I expected to but in that moment I calculated with only 2.2 miles left, finally I could achieve this goal. So I high fived my friends and I held on to the pace. I can’t remember if I could feel my legs at that point but I was fighting tears of happiness knowing that it was a possibility and I was fighting fatigue knowing that I still had the 5th Avenue incline to conquer.

When I finally reached Central Park, with about a mile to go, I put all my energy into concentrating on the rhythm of my steps. By the time I reached Central Park South I was met by a dear friend with the most hilarious sign that gave me enough pep and excitement to take me to the finish line only 800m ahead. “I got this. I got this.” I chanted to myself. Sure enough, with two minutes and two seconds to spare, I qualified for my first Boston Marathon. In less than four hours that morning, I had achieved two of the biggest dreams of my life. Singing for the biggest race in the world and running a BQ in New York City!

This Sunday, I’ll run this race for a third time, marking my 5th marathon. Although my goal has changed, it is no less important to me, as I’ve dealt with surgery and health issues, but it’s not stopping me from experiencing, the best and biggest race in the world!

#DreamBig. #TrainHard. #SingOut and #RunOn!

Rita Dottor’s album Nothing but Beautiful can be found on iTunes. And for an inside view of this year’s TCS New York City Marathon, follow her on Instagram @skritabot!

New York playlist for the New York Marathon!

By

Ben Kaplan

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October 28, 2015

(Photograph of Esme Kaplan, by her proud dad)

With the Mets in the Series and the New York City Marathon about to take flight, we honour New York, the world’s second best music city (behind Toronto, of course). Here’s to the city of Jay-Z, Billy Joel, Neil Diamond, Paul Simon and DMX. And DMX!!!! Good luck, as ever, to all the runners, and family and friends cheering them on. And here’s the killer playlist (and others) that will take you through marathon day and more!

Jim Willett explains what you can do on a quick run around the lake

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AttheRaces

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October 27, 2015

iRun contributor and Saucony #FindYourStrong runner, Jim Willett tells about his recent run around Ontario’s Lake Simcoe as part of an initiative that supports the Mountain Equipment Co-op Homewaters Project . The goal is to raise $20,000 to benefit the Canadian Fresh Water Alliance. Jim helped in his way and you can help by tagging your Instagram photos of your fresh water activity with #myhomewaters.

iRun: Jim, congratulations on your run! How far is the run around the Lake and how long did it take you?

JW: Thanks! It was just over 200km. It took me about 31 hours and 35 minutes. It would have been faster, but I opted to take a 4 hour break during the night, for safety reasons, because of the roads I was running on at the time. And I was lucky to have perfect weather on the Saturday, with lots of overcast.

iRun: Can you tell us the ways in which people supported you and the project?

JW: People were amazing! I had lots of support from people in my MEC run groups come out to run with me and aid me along the way. Local radio stations, TV and newspapers picked up the story and it made the whole effort worth while. Strangers were even stopping to take my picture, because they’d heard about the run.

iRun: Do you have any idea about the amount of money the Homewaters project has generated to support our freshwater bodies?
JW: Through the whole Homewaters campaign MEC is donating $20,000 to the Canadian Freshwater Alliance. My run was only a part of this, but I’m happy to have contributed in a small way to such an amazing project.

iRun: Running ultra distances is not unfamiliar to you. What kind of recovery did this run require? What did you eat? How much rest did you need afterward?
JW: This run was a bit different because of the amount of road running involved. My illiotibial bands were pretty tender after the run and I took over a week off; and my feet were pretty sore! I’m just getting my mileage back up again. My diet consisted of bananas, pickles, sesame snaps, ginger ale, shot blocks, a few sandwiches, and lots of water. I just go with whatever seems to be working.

#FindYourStrong with more motivational stories from our Great Canadian Seekers.

Running and Watching the New York Marathon

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AttheRaces

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October 27, 2015

by John Halvorsen

John Halvorsen is a two-time Olympian and the race director of the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon. He also loves the New York Marathon, ran it twice, and heads down there almost every year. “The New York City Marathon is special because the city is so special. It is the most dynamic city in the world and you draw energy from this during the race. From the distinct cultures seen and experienced as you pass through the boroughs to the huge international crowd wearing their colours on their sleeves (and elsewhere….), both participants and spectators provide you support during the journey,” he says. “There are many marathons, but there’s only one NYC.”

Halvorsen will be in New York this weekend promoting his race, which recently earned double gold status for the 10K and marathon on May 29—but he’ll also be watching the event and cheering on the Canadian runners. Here’s his tips for both spectators and runners alike. Good luck to everyone involved!

Tips….for runners.

Respect the course. New York is known to be a tough course. It has hills, it gets tougher as you go and the Central Park section can be very tough. Most elite runners expect a 1-2 min slower pace on the 2nd half even if they are in contention to win.
Manage your nerves. NY is huge and you will feel the energy. A great way to manage your nerves is to make sure you take in the experience, which takes your mind off the competition ahead.
Be prepared to wait. There is the holding area at the start where you have to be early as everyone gets checked in. You will be there early and will have to wait so make sure you have warm clothes — throw away is best, so not your nicest stuff.
The race starts in Manhattan….Everything before is just transportation. Be prepared to manage your excitement when you cross the 59th St bridge…it is quiet on the bridge as no spectators are allowed on it, then there are huge crowds as you come off the bridge. Manage your pace here. Then it gets quiet again towards Harlem and then picks up again as you approach the Park (and the hills), you want to have something left for this phase.
Enjoy the moment…the atmosphere is fantastic.

For spectators…

This is a busy event. Plan your viewing points ahead of time and if you want a front row seat, especially at some points on the course.
I like to watch in Manhattan….send your runner off to the start and then go find a good breakfast place where they also show the race. Enjoy some fine NY food while watching them start and race for 10 miles or so and then head out on the course, likely 59th St. Bridge. Crowds are huge. Then once you think your runner has passed then head to the finish.
NYRR has a great spectator guide….get it and use it if you will be heading out on the course by subway.
Use the Live Runner Tracking apps available…..makes it so much easier to have a hope of catching the person you want.
Plan your meet up area well. The exit points are predetermined and very tightly controlled (i.e., security). Consider meeting up somewhere away from the mayhem and make sure you are easy to pick out of a crowd.

Calgary’s Dash of Doom: The Best Dressed Runners in the World

By

Ben Kaplan

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October 23, 2015

Tomorrow is the Dash of Doom race in Calgary, an annual event where runners are encouraged to show up in more than just nylon shorts and florescent shirts. A fundraiser for the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society, the pet-friendly race is a family event that offers runners a chance to burn off some of that pre-Halloween candy. It also marks a great (fun) warm-up for the Calgary Marathon on May 29. Please, folks, sincerely, anyone attending (and runners who find themselves justly inspired), send us your photographs! Every picture we receive of runners in Halloween costumes will be posted on our blog throughout next week. Let’s see if we can’t get 100, and make this the Best Week Ever leading into Halloween! Here are some pictures we love from last year’s incredible Dash of Doom.

Experiencing the Marathon for the First Time

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AttheRaces

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October 23, 2015

By Katie Nielsen

When I signed up for my first full marathon I thought to myself, “ this will be easy.” Five very fast moving months later, it was one week to the big day and I was starting to question myself; the nerves were setting in. For the past 5 months I had been strength training 5 days per week, and running almost every day, whether it be sprints and run drills at my Crossfit gym, or running the paths on a Saturday or Sunday morning. It wasn’t until about 6 weeks to the big day that I started concentrating more on distance than a leisurely 5 or 10 km run. I was pushing 15km here, 25km there, but nothing close to the 42 that I was about to endure.

Prepping For Race Day

The night before the big race as I sit on the couch after a nice long Epsom salt bath, eating pasta, I can’t help but think about the “What Ifs; What if I don’t make it? What if I let everyone down? But I snap out of it, and instead fall asleep focusing on the image of me crossing the finish line.

The morning of the race I wake up and eat a large, energizing breakfast filled with oats, peanut butter, banana and toast. I chug a few more glasses of water, and I am out the door by 7am with my amazing and supportive boyfriend, Taylor. As we drive into the city I am surprisingly calm and we talk, joke and laugh about things not pertaining to the race (I think he did this on purpose to distract me).

Ten minutes before my start time I say goodbye to Taylor and he gives me a huge kiss. He has the most encouraging look on his face and I know this is it. Do or die time! I hug him and I disappear into the crowd of anxious runners.

The horn blares and I’m off! I can see the 4:00 pacer ahead of me and quickly devise my plan to stay with, or ahead of this pace bunny. As I start to run I look to my right and there he is, standing up on a concrete block, holding on to a tree looking deep into the crowd for me. I yell his name, and we catch eyes one last time until the half way point at 21km and that’s 2 hours away.

First Half Is Easy

I am flying with the wind, I am ahead of the 4:00 pacer and feeling unstoppable. The sun is shining, the crowd is loud, and I feel amazing. “KATIE!!” I hear from my right. It’s my sweet and most supportive friend Sue. She took the train to the city and is standing here in the cold just to see me pass by. I feel the love push me like a force.

As I approach the 19^th kilometer and see the half-marathoners start to veer to the left it starts to sink in….I am only half way. I reach for my phone and tell Siri to call Taylor all while keeping pace, and when he answers I tell him I am almost at the half way. He tells me he is there waiting and sure enough as I turn the corner, there he is. To see his face gives me more energy than any of the gel packs I am carrying in my belt and arm band.

Kilometer 23 and I am starting to hit a wall. My knee is starting to hurt and I can feel my energy depleting at a rapid pace. I think about my dad and I start to feel a push, I feel lighter, and my knee pain starts to fade away. I think about when he ran his marathon back in the 70’s. I feel his presence and I feel warmth over my cold body. I feel his love. His strength carries me to the 30^th kilometer mark where I start to feel my second wind coming on – thank you dad!

The Final Stretch

On one hand all I can think about is how much I’ve accomplished and how I only have 5 kilometers to go, and on the other hand every 100 meters feels like a kilometer and I am almost ready to fall over and cry. I am holding back tears and I can feel myself getting more vocal with my breathing.

I am huffing and puffing but I will not give up.

Not now.

It’s the final 100 meters and I am running up Bay Street. I can hear my name being called by on-lookers and realize they are reading it off my bib. The crowd is loud and is so encouraging. All of a sudden I can’t feel any pain. The leg cramps are gone, my breathing is calm and I am picking up pace. I want to look strong for these people. I want a strong finish. I look to my right and there he is 100 meters before the finish line smiling and yelling my name. His smile is all I can focus on. I then hear my first and last name being yelled from another direction. I glance to my left… It’s my mom and step-dad, jumping up and down, screaming and holding up their phones to film my finish. I smile and I shed a tear. I don’t even remember crossing the finish line.

As I exit with the other amazing finishers I see my family and friends. It is overwhelming, emotional and exciting, and although I want to fall over I am overjoyed by their love and support. In that moment I know exactly why I did this. I don’t know if I can verbally express it, but if you’re a runner you know what I mean.

I dedicate my first race to my amazing father who passed away from a heart attack 10 years ago.

Runner’s Guide for Watching the Toronto Blue Jays

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AttheRaces

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October 23, 2015

By Carrie Burrows

These are some exciting times for the Toronto Blue Jays and the #ComeTogether nation. Just when all of the bandwagon jumpers were ready to jump off said bandwagon, the Blue Jays won game 5—they live to play another game tonight at 8 p.m.

Runners and the Blue Jays have a lot in common…what?! As runners, we train just like baseball players, but our world series is a race–5km, 10 km, half marathon or full marathon. The Blue Jays marathon began in April and they are in the twenty fifth mile right now.

Just like the Blue Jays, we go through our ups and downs. Some runs are great and our time is on point and other days it seems like we didn’t even show up.

Just like the Blue Jays we have seasons of falling off the race pace. We end up hanging up our running shoes and need to re-group. But just like the Blue Jays, runners have a way of getting back on track and going just one more mile!

Just like the Blue Jays we have our fans. Those people who support us and cheer for us. The ones that give us the nudge to get out of bed when the alarm goes off at 4 a.m. The ones that will be on a race route cheering us along the way–we never want to disappoint our fans.

Just like the Blue Jays we do it for the bling. Our Toronto Blue Jays want that World Series trophy just like we want our PR, the medal and the bragging rights to say, “Mission accomplished!”

The rise of Blue Jay nation should be a reminder that we all can go through some valleys (a middle infielder pitching, anyone?), but we can always run our way back to the top of any hill when we prepare, train and keep the goal in mind.

Our fans never give up on us and cheer for us louder when we get closer to the finish line.

Never give up. Don’t Stop Believing!

Your running might have gotten side tracked but just like our Jays–there is always time for a comeback! Sadly, I don’t think I can draw any similarities to the “beloved” Toronto Maple Leafs and the winning runner mindset. . .

World Series Workout

Tonight, optimize your time and drive your energy into a workout while watching the game! Note: this workout will work all the way through the World Series!

Single base hit 10 burpees
Double 20 push ups
Triple 30 mountin climbers
Home Run 60 sec plank hold
Pop Fly 20 alternating jump lunges
Grounder 30 bicycle crunches
Walk 20 squats
Strike out 20 lying leg lifts
Base Steal 30 jumping jack squats

This workout will keep your blood pumping so you can root, root, root for the home team!

New Record: Fastest Marathon Run Woman Pushing a Stroller

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AttheRaces

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October 22, 2015

World record attempt for running a Marathon pushing a buggy, Abingdon,Oxfordshire — Mum Jessica Bruce 32 breaks the world record for running a marathon in 3 hours 17mins and 52 seconds at the Abingdon marathon pushing her 7 month old baby Daniel.

British mother, Jessica Bruce, has set the new world record for the fastest marathon run by a woman pushing a stroller. Jessica, 32 years old, raced the Abingdon Marathon in London, England this past Sunday October 18th with her seven-month of son Daniel. With the time of 3:17:26, Jessica ran fast enough to break the standing Guinness World Record for the fastest female marathoner pushing a stroller – the previous record holder was set by Canadian runner Allison Tai at 3:31:45.

A longtime runner herself, with a personal best marathon time of 2 hours and 58 minutes, Jessica soon realized after the birth of her son that she wanted to bring him along as she continued to race. Jessica started training for the Abingdon Marathon only four months after the birth of her son.

With her husband David being a doctor and working long hours, Jessica was forced to take Daniel on her daily runs in Oxford, England. David ran alongside Jessica, helping the cause by singing, talking and feeding Daniel with a bottle – while being careful to not touch the stroller and spoil Jessica’s changes of setting the record.

Jessica won’t find out until mid-November is she and her son Daniel will make the Guinness Book of World Records. Until then, she is enjoying the memories her family have shared having raced and completed their first marathon together.