IRONMANIA WEEK: Men to Watch

October 8, 2015

By Barrie Shepley

We’ve sized up the amazing female line up for this year’s Ironman World Championships…let’s move on to the men! This year’s competition is exceptional.

Never in Canada’s history have there been a deeper Canadian men & women’s pro team at the Hawaii Ironman. When Peter Reid won his races, there was no second Canadian man (now there are three with Bren McMahon, Jeff Symonds and Lionel Sanders all as legitimate top 10 threats). The 2015 Hawaii Ironman Canadian Pros include he three men mentioned and Heather Wurtele and Angela Naeth. All five Canadians have won an Ironman in the last 18 months, but Hawaii is a new experience with only Heather Wurteele having previously raced in Kona (the other four our first timers in Hawaii).

Germany 1-2 Punch

Last year Sebastian Kienle won the Hawaii Ironman and his German Team-mate Jan Frodeno (Olympic Gold Medalist in Beijing) was third. This year Jan set a new course record winning Ironman Germany in July, and won the Wold 70.3 Champs in Austria in Sept (both victories over Kienle). Both men know how to win, are world class in every aspect and have the ability to dictate the pace all day long. Experts are giving Jan Frodeno the slight nod as the 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist seems to have the extra gear and determination this year to win it all. If that’s not bad enough the German’s have a third man Nils Fromhold who won Roth Ironman in July and is more than capable of being on the podium if anyone falters. How do you beat the Germans? They have won 5 Ironman men’s titles in Kona.

USA’s 1-2 Hoffman & Potts

Its been 13 years since American Tim DeBoom last won their home-race and Ben Hoffman was very close last year with a 2nd place and Andy Potts a close 4th. Both men have had fantastic summers of racing and are poised to try to break the German domination in Kona that seems to be occurring. Potts will be out of the water in the top 3, and will stay near the front all day long. He is a very good runner, but will have to find one more gear on the run if he or Ben Hoffman want to win Kona this year. Expect to see at least one American if not two in the top 10 by the end of the day.

Europeans to be Concerned About

Belgium’s Fredric Van Leidre is a past Hawaii Ironman Champion (2013) and has had an incredible year of training in 2015. Having won the race he knows what it takes and he’s been able to be under the radar off the media this year with all eyes on the Germans. If anyone makes a mistake he can win the race and expect him to be a major factor on the bike course. Belgium’s other superstar Marino Vanhoenacker has some of the fastest times ever for an Ironman (sub 7hrs 50minutes) in Austria and won Ironman Canada in record time as well. He has done everything there is to do in the sport except excel at Kona. Last year he ended up walking a 4hr 31 minute marathon in Kona. The very hot, humid conditions seem to zap his running legs. Last year he said he said he would never come back but we see his name on the race list and some of his supporters believe he is so close to the end of his career he is here to take one more big-shot at trying to win it all.

THE CANADIANS

LIONEL SANDERS

The youngest of the Canadian men, much has been written about Lionel Sanders. A great high school runner, he strayed into drugs and depression and a near suicide attempt before he found the Ironman and has directed all his passion into training and racing. Sanders won his first Ironman in Florida last year by nearly 20 minutes running a 2hr 43 minute marathon. He was 4th at the 2014 World 70.3 Championships and won four Ironman 70.3 races this year including beating Andy Potts and Ben Hoffman. Sanders has struggled this year on both of his Ironman races with improper pacing and nutirtion / feeding and has spent a lot of time trying to improve that aspect. As a weak swimmer, very few men are likely to be behind Lionel out of the water and he will have to be disciplined all day long as he chases the top 15 mien who will be riding in one long bike chain on the 112 mile bike ride.

Sanders has some of the fastest run splits in triathlon history and two years ago ran the famous 30km Around the Bay Road Race in Hamilton and came 3rd to an elite Kenyan field with a 1hr 36min 30km run split. Sanders has the tools and toughness to be a major threat on Oct 10th, but he will have to ensure he races his race to the utmost to have the kind of world class performance his many fans wold love to see.

(Check out Lionel Sanders’ Story in the Toronto Star: http://www.thestar.com/sports/2015/09/19/sink-or-swim-how-the-ironman-saved-lionel-sanders-from-himself.html)

BRENT MCMAHON

Victoria’s Brent McMahon has the complete package. He won medals for Canada as a junior athlete, and has been to two Olympic Games as a team-mate of Simon Whitfield. He has won medals for Canada at the Pan Am Games and numerous titles around the world. But ti wasn’t until he moved up to 70.3 and Ironman racing that he truly distinguished himself. Brent is the only man in the world who BOTH of his first two ironman races were sub 8hours (a truly incredible feat). A victory at Ironman Arizona and a silver in Brazil has Brent well prepared to be a legitimate threat to win Kona. While its his first time in Hawaii, he has 15 years of race experience and his ITU swim speed means he will come out of the water with the top pro men on Oct 10th. Brent’s only flaw is that he has occasionally struggled in the heat and humidity (two things that Kona is famous for). With age, speed and two sub 8 hour Ironman races under his belt, he is a real threat to go for the podium and USA magazine have him as their 4th man in the field.

JEFF SYMONDS

Jeff Symonds is one of the true spectacular runners in the sport. He won Ironman Australia in March over an interventional field with a 2hr 42 minute marathon. He is a former bronze medalist in the 70.3 World Championships and loves to “RUN UGLY” as is his famous saying. He is tough as nails, humble and does the work to be a champion. Expect Jeff to be somewhere behind Brent McMahon’s top swim and Lionel Sanders near the back of the pack swim to start the day. While Jeff can ride as well as anyone in the sport, its likely he will put in a controlled ride to ensure he has enough in his legs to try to run another very low 2hr 40 min marathon. If he runs that fast, he could be on the podium and perhaps even on the top.

What men are you going to be cheering for this Saturday at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii!?

IRONMANIA WEEK: Women to Watch

Anna Lee Boschetto

October 8, 2015

By Barrie Shepley

IRONMANIA WEEK DAY FOUR: Today let’s size up the competition on the women’s front for this year’s Ironman World Championships on Saturday October 10th! The competition is stacked. These are our picks for who to keep an eye out for on Saturday.

Carol Steffen, Mary Beth Ellis & Liz Blatchford

Switzerland, USA and Australia are well represented with Seffen, Elis and Blatchford. All three women have won numerous Ironman races and they all race the same. Great swimmers, terrific bikers, and very good runners. If Ryf or Carfrae falter for any reason, all three of these women are more than capable and ready to be on the Kona podium. Blatchford has the least Ironman experience (having spent more time on the ITU Olympic Circuit), but she has already proven she can be on the podium in Kona with her 3rd in 2013 debut. Mary Beth has the most wins, but has not been able to dial in the big performance in Kona. Caroline Steffen has twice been runner up on this course and after a year of setbacks due to injuries, she will be hungry to finish off with a big day. Everyone pretty much believes that the rest of the field are fighting for bronze with Ryf and Carfrae as the two odds on favourites for first and second.

Canadian Women to Watch

The last time Canada had a legitimate medal threat in Kona on the women’s side, it was former Olymipian Samantha McGlone in 2007. McGlone was a very close 2nd overall in Hawaii just a year after ending her Olympic racing career. This year in Kona, Canada has Kelowna’s Heather Wurtele and Angela Naeth. Wurtele is and her husband Trevor both race professionally and have become famous for the two living and training out of their camper-van. They sold their earthy belongings a few years ago, and have been racing and living out of their trailer ever since. Heather has had big performances this year (including a podium at the 70.3 Worlds last month) and is looking to make up for a disappointing race in Kona last year. Both Heather and Angela play a similar game. They are average swimmers who try to minimize their losses out of the water. Both women are exceptional bikers (perhaps only Ryf, Ellis and Steffen can ride faster then the two) and they have proven they can run fast off the bike. Naeth is making her Kona debut, but her win at Ironman Texas this spring was so impressive, it has many believing she could fight it out for a podium before the day is over. It would be a big surprise if both women are not in the top 10 before the day ends.

Who are you cheering for this Saturday? Let us know in the comment section below if you think we missed anyone!

IRONMANIA WEEK: Mirinda Carfrae vs. Daniela Ryf

Anna Lee Boschetto

October 7, 2015

IRONMANIA WEEK is going strong. We’re acknowledging the amazing rivalry between Mirinda Carfrae and Daniela Ryf last year in Kona, Hawaii. First, lets look back at last year’s showdown between these two stellar women, followed by a run down of these two women’s careers leading up to this weekend’s Ironman World Championships. Remember to tune in this Saturday October 10th for this year’s Ironman Championships – it’s sure to be an amazing ride.

Mirinda Carfrae vs. Daniela Ryf (2014)

Three time Hawaii Ironman Champion Mirinda Carfrae got off the bike last year down by nearly 14 minutes to Switzerland’s Daniela Ryf. Daniela was a past Olympic athlete for Swizerland and was doing her Ironman debut. Daniela had the swim and bike of her life and still had 6 minute lead with ten miles to go in the 2014 Hawaii Ironman Race over a fast charging Mirinda Carfrae. As Daniela the rookie started to falter at 22 miles, Mirinda the past champion gathered steam and ran past her to win one of the epic battles in modern women’s history. Mirinda ran a staggering 2hrs 50 min 26 second marathon split to eventually take the win in just over 9hrs. Both women are back in 2015, where Daniela’s early season form makes her the odds on favourite to win her first Kona World Championship.

Women to Watch

Miranda and Daniela both have followed similar career paths. Both women raced on the Olympic circuit for a number of years (1.5km swim – 40km bike – 10km run) before they moved up to the Ironman format. Miranda tried making the 2004 Athens Olympic Games team and when she came up a bit short made the move up to Ironman racing and was a close second in her first trip to the Hawaii Ironman (ironically Daniela was 2nd last year in her first trip to Kona). Miranda is perhaps the greatest Ironman runner that has ever competed in the sport. She regularly out runs the other women by 5-10 minutes and its sometimes only a handful of men who have a faster run split then she does on race day.

Last year Miranda came off the bike nearly 14 minutes behind Daniela Ryf and as the day went on, and Daniela continued to run efficiently, it looked like she Ryf might win the Ironman on her debut. It took an unbelievable 2hrs 50 min off the bike marathon by Miranda Carfrae and a slight bobble over the last 10km by Ryf for Miranda to win her third Kona of her career. Danilela’s rookie race was one of the greatest in history.

Ryf was top 8 at the London Olympic Games (where her Swiss team-mate Nicola Spirig won gold). A tremendous swimmer, Ryf is un-matched on the bike and this year her biking has gone to another new level. Carfare and Ryf have an interesting coaching connection. Brett Sutton, the world’s most successful Ironman coach is Daniel’s coach. He led Chrissy Wellington to her many victories and was also the coach of Siri Lindley when she was winning ITU Olympic Distance Championships in 2001.. Siri Lindley is Miranda’s coach, and many of the strategies she employes in her coaching, are things she learn’t from Brett Sutton. So in some ways its the teacher (Sutton) and his former student (Lindley) both trying to develop their own 2015 Kona Champion.

Carfrae will have to play catch up all day long. Its not unreasonable for her to lose 3-5 minutes to Ryf out of the water and another 5-10 minutes off the bike. Nobody is doubting Miranda’s ability to run the fastest times ever, the only problem in 2015 is the Ryf is running only 5-6 minutes slower over the marathon and unless show blows up or Carfare has the bike of her life, its quite possible that Daniela Ryf could have the greatest Ironman season in history. Ryf recently destroyed every woman in the world in the 70.3 World Champs in Austria where she won by over 10 minutes. She also has won the first two 70.3 Races in a million dollar Series (if she wins the third race in Nov she will be the first triathlete to ever win a million dollars in one race). If she adds a Kona victory in, the sport would have to consider her and ITU World Champion Gwen Jorgensen as the two greatest triathletes of their era.

Who do you think will be the frontrunner at this year’s World Championships? Let us know in the comment section below.

IRONMANIA WEEK: Celebrating the History II

October 7, 2015

By Barrie Shepley

It’s already day three of IRONMANIA WEEK! Today, we would like to celebrate some amazing female athletes who have shaped and revolutionized the sport of triathlon.

We would like the acknowledge some of the most recognizable female triathletes on known to the sport – Sylviane and Patricia Puntous, Julie Anne White, Heather Fuhr, Lori Bowden and Lisa Bentley.

The Puntous Twins

Very early in the development of the Hawaii Ironman, two identical twin sister from Quebec took up the sport and were the best the world. Dozens of times a year over the shorter Olympic distance Sylviane and Patricia Puntous would win the biggest races in America. In 1983 the sisters were an unimaginable 1-2 finish at the Hawaii Ironman and did the same thing again in 1984. It still boggles my mind that the women did not fair better with sponsors and should have been household names around North America. Sylviane also was second in Kona in 1986, 87 and 89. The Puntous twins were the pioneers for Canada and were feared and universally respected where-ever they raced.

Julie Anne White

After the Puntous Twins, Canada’s Julie Ann White started winning Ironman races with sub 3hr marathon splits at the end of the race. Julie was 2nd in Kona in 1992 in 9hrs 21 min, but her incredible career was cut short after overheating so badly in Kona one year, that doctors rushed her to the hospital and surgically removed 20cm of her colon which had dried up due to dehydration. She was never the same after that.

Heather Fuhr

Alberta’s Heather Fuhr won the Ironman in 1997 with Canadian Lori Bowden second (another 1-2 Canadian punch). Heather still holds the record for the most Ironman wins by a Canadian a 12 (1 Kona win and 11 other Ironman races in her career).

Lori Bowden

After her second in 1997, Lori was second again 1998 before winning her first of two Hawaii Ironman Championships in 1999 (and again in 2003). By the end of her career, Lori Bowden had won Kona twice (99 and 2003) was second an amazing 4 times (3 times Natascha Badmann beat her) and had a 3rd in 2002. Thats 7 straight years that Lori was on the podium in Kona from 1997 to 2003. Truly amazing.

Lisa Bentley

With 11 Ironman wins in her career, Lisa Bentley did make the podium in Kona with a bronze in 2006. A decade ago, Lisa was in Kona to race and had her wedding planned two days after the event was over. During the race she had severe abdominal pains and was eventually taken off the course to have her appendix removed. Still sore from the Ironman and the surgery, Lisa was only a few days delayed walking down the aisle in Kona.

Remember, the Ironman World Championships are being held this Saturday, October 10th!

IRONMANIA WEEK: Celebrating the History

Anna Lee Boschetto

October 6, 2015

By Barrie Shepley

IRONMANIA WEEK is in full swing! We are officially 4 days out from the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Today, we are celebrating the history of the sport of Ironman. Specifically, Canada’s longtime successes in the sport.

Not long after the 1978 Innagural Hawaii Ironman, a group of endurance people in Penticton British Columbia started Ironman Canada. Being one of only five Ironman races in the world for decades, Canada’s history in the sport has been shaped dramatically by Ironman Canada. Within a short period of time the top pro men and women in the world were making their way to Penticton British Columbia each August and the small interior British Columbia town became one of the most loved races in all of the entire world. Past Ironman Canada winners from Canada included Julie Ann White, Lori Bowden, Lisa Bentley, Peter Reid, and Jasper Blake to name those best known. As it became more and more difficult to qualify for the Hawaii ironman, Canadians had a home course advantage with one of a handful of races in their own country. In the late 80s and early 90s, athletes from all over the world, would move to Penticton to live and train in July and August before the yearly Ironman Canada race at the end of August each year.

Canadian Olympian: Peter Reid

Quebec’s Peter Reid raced on Canada’s Olympic distance team for nearly a decade and was close to quitting the sport of triathlon before he had a break through race in Nice in the mid 90s. Peter decided to give triathlon one more shot and moved to Victoria British Columbia to focus his career on the Hawaii ironman. Peter raced and won all over the world, but it was his THREE Kona Ironman wins and 7 Kona podiums in 8 years that was truly spectacular. With a fastest time of 8hrs 22 minutes, Peter Reid kept Canada in the limelight and was eventually put into Hall of Fames in BC, Canada and Ironman. Today Peter is a pilot for float-planes in British Columbia.

Canada’s Ironman Golden Time

There were a number of times in the a decade ago, when Canada would have Lori Bowden, Heather Fuhr, Lisa Bentley and Peter Reid all in the top 10 overall and a few of the athletes on the podium or having won. Canada’s golden time for Ironman racing in Kona is cemented with the names of those four incredible athletes. But on Saturday Oct 10th, Canada has the opportunity to recapture that glory with three men and two women who are all very capable of being top 10 in the 2015 Hawaii Ironman Triathlon. Heather Wurtele, Angela Naeth, Jeff Symonds, Brent McMahon and Lionel Sanders are the strongest Canadian team in a decade and the men’s team has the potential to be the strongest ever in nearly forty years of Ironman racing.

IRONMANIA WEEK: The Greatest Rivalries II

Anna Lee Boschetto

October 5, 2015

We are ringing in our second edition of the IRONMANIA WEEK’S Greatest Rivalries! To celebrate the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii on October 10th, we are posting all things Ironman for the entire duration of this week.

Without further ado, we are would like to celebrate the Iron War of 1989 between Dave Scott and Mark Allen.

After having won 6 Ironman Kona Championships, Dave Scott clearly had the recipe for success on the big Island. While Mark Allen seemed to be able to beat him at all others races, Dave owned Kona and it wasn’t until 1989 that Mark would finally beat Dave and start his string of 6 Ironman Hawaii wins as well. You might as well say there wasn’t a third place athlete in the 1989 Hawaii Ironman, because Dave and Mark beat third place Greg Welch by nearly 20 minutes to form their own Iron War. From the cannon at the start of the day, Mark Allen decided to swim on Dave’s feet and never leave him. They excited the water in the lead and then started their 112 mile bike ride rarely more then a few seconds apart. Mark made up his mind to let Dave set the pace and his job was to simply ensure Dave didn’t get away. Off the bike the two American’s started their epic 26 mile battle. Along Ali Drive in the first 10 miles they were side by side. Up Pay & Save Steep Hill they ran only a few meters apart and all the way into the Energy Lab out on the Queen-K-Highway the two greatest men to ever do the race could hear each other breathe.

Dave Scott was a more muscular man and decided in his mind at mile 24 he was going to use the downhill section of the marathon course to push the pace and let his stronger legs take the punishment to get away. Mark Allen on the other hand, didn’t want to leave it to the hill, knowing Dave’s strength and made up his mind that he was going to push the pace going up the hill just before 24 miles and see if he could break Dave. With a flotitla of thousands of motorcycles, and bicyclists and helicopter sand TV crews near them, Mark Allen passed up going to the water station just before mile 24 and put a 30m gap into Dave. The gap was never reduced and Mark Allen finally beat Dave in one of the most epic battles in Kona history to win the 1989 Hawaii Ironman for the first time and set a run record of 2hrs 40 minutes that still stands today. Mark and Dave took the previous record of 8hrs 26 minutes and pushed it down to 8hrs 09 minutes in one of the greatest two man battles ever.

Check back in with us tomorrow for more Ironman stories by Barrie Shepley!

IRONMANIA WEEK: The Greatest Rivalries

Training

October 5, 2015

Welcome to Ironmania Week! In honour of the IRONMAN World Championships on October 10th we are going to be celebrating the world’s greatest triathlon athletes coming together to battle it out in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

While just last weekend in Tennessee Krill Kotsegarov of Estonia ran past American Matt Charbot to win the Ironman Chattanooga to win the Ironman by a mere 2 seconds (the closest in history) with third place Stafan Schmid of Germany only 6 more seconds back.

This win inspired us to focus on the greatest Ironman battles in nearly four decades of Hawaii. Let’s kick off the week with two amazing stories: Julie Moss vs. Kathleen McCartney in 1982 as well as Patricia Puntous 1986 Hawaii Ironman Win then Loss.

Julie Moss vs. Kathleen McCartney (1982)

In the race that likely put the Hawaii Ironman on the map, ABC Wide World of Sports sent Jim Lampley to Kona to get 5 minutes of Scott Tinley doing the Hawaii Ironman and were planning a short news clip on their Saturday show. Instead after Scott Tinley crossed the finishing line, Jim kept his cameraman shooting as Julie Moss was less than 500m from winning the women’s’ race. What happened next is the thing that legends are made of. Julie ran out of energy, cramped and fell to the ground. So close to the finish, she couldn’t stop and was crawling to the finishing line with the cameras rolling on Ali Drive when Kathleen McCartney ran past her in the last sixty seconds to win the Ironman herself. When Jim Lampley’s bosses at ABC realized the epic footage they had, they turned the 5 minute mini-story into a 30+ minute Hawaii Ironman show and all of the World were blown away with the courage and drama of the Ironman. Julie Moss inspired many that day including her future husband Mark Allen who went to beat Dave Scott in 1989 and win the race six times.

Patricia Puntous Wins Then Loses the 1986 Hawaii Ironman (1986)

The identical twin Canadian sisters from Quebec, Sylviane and Patrricia Puntous, were two of the world’s greatest Ironman athletes in the 80s. They won dozens of shorter Olympic distance triathlons hand in hand crossing the line ahead of their competitors. Sylviianne and Patricipa were 1-2 in the 1983 and 84 Ironman races in Kona. In a hard fought win in 1986, Patricia Puntous ran herself into the lead and crossed the finishing line first only to be later DQ for bike drafting later on. The call was always vey questionable and apparently occurred near the 1/2 way mark of the 112 mile bike ride. With live TV cameras rolling the elated Canadian crossed the line, believing she had won, and was sadly told she was DQ. Heart broken as you can imagine. Today the call likely would not have even been made AND if it was, a 5 minute drafting penalty would have been given (versus a DQ).

Stay tuned this week for more amazing stories!

Bit by Bit Runners are Turning to Fitbit

Anna Lee Boschetto

October 2, 2015

Some might remember the step counter. A simple device that attached to your belt or pocket and counted each step you took. I can honestly say I’ve met many people who got a step counter and one day started with walking and shortly moved on to running. Today, the step counter looks much different. Even with all the bells and whistles, the concept is still simple, to count your steps and motivate you to get moving.

Fitbit started in 2007, launching a much sexier version of that old step counter for the health conscious person. They decided it was time to integrate design and technology into a product that would inspire people to live a healthier, more active lifestyle.

From the very first Fitbit to the present day Fitbit, many things have changed. There is now a Fitbit for everyone, from an everyday walker, active lifestyle pursuant or the high-performance athlete. Not only do we all have fitness goals, but we also have our own technology needs. Fitbit will find the perfect activity tracker for you.

Fitbit recently launched the Charge HR. An activity tracker that is so much more. To list a few, like the name suggests, it continuously tracks your heart rate. Not only tracking steps, distance and calories burned, it will track how many floors you climbed. It tracks movement while you sleep, letting you know if you slept soundly or were restless. It also has a built in alarm, clock and caller ID. As far as an activity tracker goes, it’s fairly robust. Fitbit ambassador and trainer to the stars, Harley Pasternak, uses Fitbit not only one on one with clients, but helps them become part of a bigger community. He said, “Community is important and Fitbit allows you to link up with friends, family and co-workers to share ideas, integrate healthy competition and stay active.”

As a runner, I’m more accustomed to the GPS watches on the market, devices that track my lap times, distance and current pace. I can also track my heart rate with a heart rate monitor strap. When it comes to the Fitbit, I’m more interested in how this tool will help with my training. As someone who runs between 10-15K a day, I’m definitely going to hit the magic Fitbit number of 10,000 steps. The steps aren’t as concerning to me as the other parts of this gadget. If you are a Couch to 5K person, this is definitely a great starter tool for you. As an intermediate to expert runner, there are many other reasons why you might want to slap a Fitbit on your wrist.

The most important organ used for running is our heart. Heart rate monitor training can be complicated and even scary for some beginners. Unless you have a heart condition, heart rate monitor training may be a little overwhelming. Instead think of using a tool like the Fitbit to monitor your resting heart rate. Resting heart rate is a good indicator of improved fitness, whether you’re overtraining, or even coming down with a cold. Another great way to use the heart rate tool, especially for beginners, is recovery. Tracking your heart rate as it goes up is great, but a more important number is what your heart rate does on the way down. How long it takes for your heart rate to go back to normal is a great indicator of improved fitness. For the intermediate to advanced runners, I highly recommend using a heart rate monitor as a tool during your recovery runs. Maintaining a steady zone 1 heart rate for non-workout runs will ensure you’re getting the proper recovery while staying active.

Whether you want to start a new fitness program or get some hard cold data about your workouts, there’s a Fitbit for any lifestyle. Fitbit is a great activity tracker that comes with a built in community, while keeping you motivated to stick with your fitness goals. Over the past 10 weeks, iRun and Sport Chek have been giving Fitbits away to our readers. To see how you can win a Fitbit, and to check out a really cool training program, see mybestrunningrace.com.

Five things we learned from running legend Jack Daniels

CelebrityTreads

October 1, 2015

On December 5, Jack Daniels, former Olympian, run coach extraordinaire, and inventor of the Daniels’ Running Formula, which, among other things, concocts a very simple equation for the distance of your long run, will be in Toronto to give a clinic at Black Toe Running. Prior to the event, and prior to our feature in the December issue, in which Daniels’ coaches everyday runners from 5K to the marathon, we picked the mind of the trainer that Runner’s World declared “the best in the world” and is still running everyday at 82-years-old. Here’s five things from the man.

5. You Don’t Have to Freak Out About Shoes

When asked what shoes he prefers or what he makes of the minimalist sneaker movement or pronation-correcting sneakers, Daniels laughed. “I’ll wear anything that comes along,” he said, adding that sometimes he’s invited to speak at running camps, hosted by a shoe sponsor. “Nike, Asics, Brooks, Saucony: If they give out running shoes and I get a pair, I’m happy. It’s the training, not the sneakers, that makes a runner great.”

4. Peak Soreness Doesn’t Occur the Day After a Hard Workout

In fact, 48 hours after a hard workout is when you most feel the ache. Daniels’ has his runners try speed work on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when they have a Saturday meet, in order to keep their legs sharp, but also give them time to recover. Remember that, everyone racing on a Sunday: if you’re not limping on Monday, don’t be surprised if on Tuesday you have trouble handling the stairs.

3. 30 Minutes is the Magic Number

Daniels says that the benefits of a 30-minute run over a 10 or 20-minute run far outweigh the health benefit difference between a 30 and 60-minute run. “30 minutes is ideal, much better than 20, but not much worse than an hour,” he says before adding: “A 10-minute run is certainly better than nothing, but at that clip, you spend almost as much time showering and getting dressed as you do in your shoes.” If you can find 30 minutes, that’s an ideal time for a run.

2. Two and a half hours or 25%

If you’re wondering how long your long run should be prior to a marathon, think either 2.5 hours or 25% of your weekly mileage. When applying the Daniels’ formula, it becomes immediately obvious that must of us don’t run enough. For instance, if you want a 30K long run prior to your marathon, you should be running 120K-per-week. Are you running that much? I know I’m not. And long runs shouldn’t exceed two and a half hours. “Seems like that’s just too long to me,” Daniels says. For half marathoners and 5K, the same equation holds. Don’t exceed more than 25% of your weekly distance on any one run. The answer? It’s not that you should cut down the long run. It’s that you should increase your mileage per week.

1. Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number

Inspired by his daughter, Daniels ran his last marathon at 77-years-old. “My longest training run of the previous five years had been three miles,” he says, adding that we often apply our own limitations on our abilities. Granted, Daniels is a former Olympian, but he ran his marathon in Flagstaff, at altitude, and was nearly 80-years-old. “People are always looking for a magic solution to finishing a race, but why is 20 miles for a long run better than 19? I’ve never understood that. Someone has to prove to me that there’s an exact corresponding long run distance for everyone, until then I’m going with two and a half hours.” Can you run a marathon at 80 without training? Certainly it’s not advisable. But it’s possible. And Daniels is living proof.

Incidentally, Daniels doesn’t drink Jack Daniels or any alcohol whatsoever. His brother was killed by a drunk driver and rather than drinking, Daniels prefers to run.

For more information and registration for the coaching clinic in Toronto on December 5th Athletics Canada is giving out professional development credits to all attendees who have an NCCP. It’s also an opportunity for coaches to become certified by Dr. Daniels.

Stevie and Me

RunningForAReason

September 21, 2015

The story of a man and his pit bull traversing the mountains in the name of cystic fibrosis.
By Devin Featherstone

It’s true what they say, that a dog is a man’s best friend. From the time Stevie was just about a year old we’ve shared countless adventures together. Although she’s one of the laziest dogs at home, when she hits the trails she comes alive.

Stevie is 80 pounds and large in stature, but she fears running water. One day, we’d done a long run through the mountains and encountered a river crossing. The water wasn’t fast moving, and it rose to be about waist deep. Stevie could not cross the river. Instead she watched me start to cross and let out a whaling sound that resembled a trucker’s horn. Obviously I couldn’t leave my dog on the other side, so I ended up virtually piggy backing her across the water. Fortunately for Stevie, her paws remained completely dry.

I have a love for photography and trail running has given me the opportunity to capture moments in places that most people can only dream of reaching. Cystic fibrosis has been a large part of my life. My friend Danger Dan has undergone not one, but two double lung transplants in his mere 30 years of life due to cystic fibrosis. Because I am actively involved with the group, I was fortunate enough to receive green Cystic fibrosis flags. Regardless of the mountain that Stevie and I conquer, we always take a picture of us waving and wearing our green cystic fibrosis flags.

Stevie has become an ambassador for cystic fibrosis, and wears her flag with pride. Her pictures have gone so far as to reach a man in Colorado who was recently diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. He requested to have a flag of his own—his goal is to summit mountains; to not let the disease control his life and his passions. One dog, one flag and a couple of photos on a long run have brought connection and, for me, a sense of appreciation. I have the ability to run. I have the ability to breathe. This is something so many people take for granted.

My passions have provided me the opportunity to see so much beauty. Although running is solitary, there’s something so incredibly special about looking over your shoulder and seeing your dog appreciating what you’re doing just as much (if not more than) as you do. They may not look at the same view and appreciate it at the same level. But they’re with you, and it’s a moment. And it means something. It’s yours, shared.

Since I’ve started running with Stevie she’s forced me to slow down. After a long day of work when the couch is calling my name, she’s always waiting for me to take her out, encouraging me to get out there on days that I might not have. There isn’t a day that I want to run without my dog or see a mountaintop without her standing beside me to share that moment. I truly recommend it and you will never forget those moments—especially if you can tie in a cause close to your heart.

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