By: Magi Scallion

It’s the time of year for goal setting, although they’re commonly called “resolutions” at this time of year. While we’re all looking to make a positive change in our lives, and have set January 1 as the time to start practicing, it’s really important to set manageable goals/resolutions that you can actually achieve.

If you set goals that are far from your current daily state, then you are likely setting yourself up for failure, unless you have a strong action plan by which to achieve them.

Let’s say, for example, you are fitness fan and run up to 5 km a few days a week (that’s 30 minutes or so), and you want to run an ultra-marathon this year. This is a pretty significant goal to reach from your current state and you can’t just start throwing down multi-hour runs on your weekends to reach it. As many runners know, you’ve got to set a training plan that incorporates gradual increases in mileage with rest phases so that you don’t get injured or disheartened. You want to succeed and have positive feedback!

What this is a running example, the same applies to other resolutions as well – say you want to stop eating sugar, become a vegetarian/vegan, or simply spend more time with your family. You’re probably going to have difficulty going “cold turkey” or making a whopping change in a day or week. Set yourself achievable goals and milestones, that include a gradual decrease or increase in your habits or behaviours.

I don’t really set “resolutions” for myself on January 1, as I find it difficult to conform to the calendar year. I have, however, set a goal for this year, perhaps next, which is to pursue a more dedicated study of Yoga – perhaps even teacher training to deepen my practice. This should compliment my fanatic running and skiing as my body ages by providing both strength and flexibility.

Best of luck with all of your New Year Goals!

***

Born in Nova Scotia and emigrating to British Columbia via Ontario and Alberta, Magi has been running the entire way. Primarily defined as a cross country ski racer, Magi has competed nationally and internationally in that sport. The highlight of her career was competing in the World University Games and the World Cup races in Canada in 2007. Cross country skiers rely heavily on running for cross training and Magi has become an accomplished trail and mountain runner, representing Canada at the World Mountain Running Championships in 2005 and the winning numerous national championships medals.

Today Magi runs for fun… and it’s a lot of fun! Epic mountain runs, city cruises with friends, and more keep her happy and occupied outside of work and school.

By: Magi Scallion

The holiday season can be contrarily peaceful or hectic – especially depending on where you work. I work in the service industry (at a ski hill), so Christmas is one of our busiest times of the year. This is all well and good from a revenue perspective, but not so plentiful from a seasonal peace perspective.

I was able, this year, to take refuge in some trail adventures. After my work day, and on my days off, I was able to go for a long ski from my front porch. I ventured up some snowmobile trails, deep into the mountains. The silence and peace really helped me connect with the season and dwell on happy feelings of love for my family and friends.

I often wonder how people who don’t have the athletic escape find these ways to ground and re-connect. I am very thankful for my health and environs that allow me to “get away from it all” in one of the most beautiful places in the world! Here’s to a new year, new adventures… and … no debilitating injuries!

***

Born in Nova Scotia and emigrating to British Columbia via Ontario and Alberta, Magi has been running the entire way. Primarily defined as a cross country ski racer, Magi has competed nationally and internationally in that sport. The highlight of her career was competing in the World University Games and the World Cup races in Canada in 2007. Cross country skiers rely heavily on running for cross training and Magi has become an accomplished trail and mountain runner, representing Canada at the World Mountain Running Championships in 2005 and the winning numerous national championships medals.

Today Magi runs for fun… and it’s a lot of fun! Epic mountain runs, city cruises with friends, and more keep her happy and occupied outside of work and school.

By: Elise Yanover

A bunion for those of you who do not know is defined according to Wikipedia as:

“A deformity characterized by lateral deviation of the great toe, often erroneously described as an enlargement of bone or tissue around the joint at the head of the big toe.”

In layman’s terms it is that unsightly bony thing sticking out of the side of the big toe! It can be painful, or not (just ugly!). It makes shoe purchasing difficult and limited, as one must find shoes that accommodate these protrusions.  Pain in the area occurs from pressure on the shoe, as well as a result of the poor joint alignment. I have yet to meet a runner who has stopped running because of bunions, but have met many who complain about having them. It is one of those things we “live” with if we happen to be blessed with them. Bunions are both a factor of heredity (yes it is one of those things you can blame your parents for!) as well as biomechanics. If you tend to have flatter feet or overpronate in your run stride, you are more prone to bunions as this motion causes an increase of outward motion to the big toe joint.

I have had bunions for most of my adult life. My mother has horrid bunions, her father’s were even worse , and both of my sisters and my niece also have bunions. So I knew I was up against some pretty bad genes. For many years my bunions were not painful and I said I would NEVER have surgery on them until they limited what I wanted to do. Well, that day came about 5 years ago. I recall the moment I was out for a run in a pair of shoes that had changed their design (these were not Mizuno shoes) and were slightly narrower than their previous version. I felt a sharp pain in my big toe and from that day forth, my running was never the same. It got to be so painful, that I had to cut holes out of my running shoes to take the pressure off of the bunion. I had to wear mens running shoes for the width (and for someone who loves girlie colors, this was not enjoyable). Those cut outs in my shoes were fine in the summer, but in winter, and snow…no one needs air conditioning for a Canadian winter!  Running was tolerable, but not as enjoyable as I would have liked and so I reduced my distances considerably

Recall I said I would NEVER have surgery unless it interfered with my life. Eventually it really started to interfere with my life. Not just for running but everyday. I could only tolerate open Birkenstock shoes. Enough said. Having worked at a sports clinic at the time, I was very lucky to have easy access to an orthopedic surgeon who would operate on me.  Almost three years ago last month I had it done. He did both at the same time. I had heard from many people that doing one at a time usually means you don’t want to go through it a second time and so having both done was a good way to only have the recovery process once (however many surgeons will not do this). It was a long recovery. I won’t lie and say it was not painful, but I knew if I was patient the end result would be positive. My surgeon was so exact with my recovery timelines that it made it easier to accept. Unlike an overuse injury when you really have no clue when you will be better, or back to your activity at it’s full capacity, surgery usually has a much more definitive timeline.

For the first two weeks, I could only walk on my heels and could only get up to go to the bathroom. Let’s say I made myself go to the bathroom a lot! excuse  I did a lot of floor work while recovering especially those first two weeks. Plank from my knees, leg lifts, arm weights, bridging from my heels. For someone like me, being told not to move was torture! However on the flip side I took it as a break from the everyday and actually started to enjoy it.

Fast forward 3 months later and I was able to start to run again. I did a very conservative walk/run program (actually the day I got the go ahead, I went out!). It took me 2 months to run about 30-35 minutes.  I was biking again within 6 weeks of surgery and swimming about 9 weeks after (he told me that I could after 6 weeks, but kicking did not feel great). I could also do a good amount of strength work and found TRX to be a great way to get in strength without stressing my feet.

Three years later the following has happened:

• I have no pain in my feet when I run and I am back to running half marathon distance (and faster than pre-surgery!).
• I actually understand how women love to shoe shop!
• I can wear women’s running shoes! This is most exciting!
• I transitioned out of my orthotics.

However, my feet are starting to change a little mostly as a result of my inherent biomechanics and hypermobile foot joints. They are not nearly as severe as they were in terms of angulation and I hope they won’t become that way. With bunion surgery there is never a guarantee and so much of it is dependent on your biomechanics. If you are struggling with bunions or considering surgery, I suggest the following:

• Make sure you wear properly fitting shoes for running. Consider a wider model if need be, or if you are female, consider mens shoes. Slice a small hole near the bunion area to let the area free up if a wide shoe is still too narrow.
• Run with good forefoot to mid foot mechanics to avoid excessive pronation in the mid-stance phase of your gait.
• Get a referral to an orthopedic surgeon who treats bunions. This process MAY    take up to 2+ years so if you are even considering it, get on the list now! I do know that some podiatrists do the procedure in office, however this is not covered by OHIP and can be very pricey.
• Don’t think about how much it may require of your patience and pain tolerance post surgery, think of the outcome at the end.

Here is a photo post surgery bandaged:

And now I can run in these:

***

Elise is a long time competitive amateur triathlete and Physiotherapist with 20+ years experience treating runners and athletes of all kinds. She also has an online coaching business for runners and triathletes looking to reach that next distance goal or PB.  She is very passionate about biomechanics in running and does gait analysis and shoe recommendations as part of her practice.  Elise also has a self admitted running shoe and apparel fetish. She is mom to an active 10 year old girl and is married to a man who also runs and races.

When Kim and Matt Wood opened Up and Running in Chatham, ON, they did it without Mizuno on the shoe wall – but only until they convinced the local rep that they would be a huge part of the local running community. “Our goal with the store was to have the best shoes and the best gear, and we knew that Mizuno is a brand that we wanted to have as a part of our brand,” says Kim. “I have been running in the Wave Inspire for years, and it’s one of my go-to shoes. Matt loved racing in the Precisions and is excited to try out the Sayonara.”

The Woods opened the store in March of 2012 because the running and fitness communities were quite vibrant in the area, but residents had to drive over an hour to get quality shoes and gear. Since opening, they’ve become involved with as many local races and events as possible. “We organize free drop-in runs on Saturday mornings, and offer Speed Work Wednesdays for anyone who is interested,” says Kim, adding, “We want to help people achieve their goals, not just outfit them.”

Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Kim was mainly involved in competitive sport as a swim coach. She has coached at the University of Cincinnati, the University of Western Ontario, the London Aquatic Club and the Chatham Pool Sharks. In fact, that was how she met Matt – he was on the varsity swim team at Western when she became coach. It was all above board though – they began dating when Matt finished with his eligibility on the team, and they’ve been together for nearly ten years.

“Unfortunately, neither of us swims much anymore, but the training for running and swimming aren’t terribly dissimilar,” says Kim. “One of the great things about run training versus swimming is that when you run, you can talk to your training partner!”

Both of them ran their first races in 2008 – Kim the half marathon in Mississauga, and Matt the 10K at Niagara Falls. When asked why they like it, Kim says, “I like that I can head out my door, and cover as much ground as I want to.  I like that when we travel, we get to see the city in a totally different way by running.  I like that there is always somebody to run with if I want to, and that when I feel like running solo it’s almost as good as meditation.” Kim is currently training for her third Boston Marathon while Matt is aiming to qualify for 2015.

One of the great resources they have around the store is elite-paratriathlete and Mizuno athlete Ryan Van Praet. “Ryan is a great athlete and a wonderful supporter. He has helped us out with track workouts and has been valuable with advice on technique and strategy with our runners,” says Kim.

Van Praet was diagnosed with an incurable, degenerative eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa when he was four years old and is legally blind, but that sure doesn’t slow him down.

He admits to getting into running because he got a half day out of classes to run cross country. At the time, as he puts it, he was “not fast, not last.” In 1998, he had a friend who did duathlons, and he saw some Ironman coverage in TV and thought, since he could swim without drowning, really enjoyed cycling and wasn’t a terrible runner, maybe triathlon was the sport for him.

“Back then I was legally blind but I could still see pretty well on a bright day, straight ahead. So riding my bike solo from 1998 to 2008 was possible,” he says. “Come late 2008, things changed—well they technically had been changing all along but I just really started to notice the change in 2007-2008.”

“So come 2009, the Paratriathlon journey began!  After a 10-year solo career, it was time to carry on in the sport I love, just in a different way,” he adds. By a different way, Van Praet means that he trains and races with a guide.

He goes on to explain:

“My first guide and current #1 man is Syd Trefiak.  We learned how to race as a team together.  Neither one of us had ridden a tandem, run or swim tethered, but we figured it out.  He was a semi-pro triathlete and slowing me down was not even a concern. Syd is my #1 guide and best buddy.  We fight like an old married couple, but I trust him with my life, literally every time we train and race.”

“My guides are what make it possible for me to compete.  Sure I can train by myself, inside, but to get outside at all and to compete in any running races or triathlons, I need a guide.  I only work with guides that I trust, that treat me with respect as a person.  If you treat me like I’m your “little buddy” or your disabled pal out on a play date—game over.   I’m blind, that’s life, it’s not sad, it’s fact.  We laugh and joke and deal with it.  There is no patronizing allowed.  That is an absolute deal breaker.”

His short term goals for 2014 involve coming back from injury and work particularly on his swimming and running. His “A” race for the year will be the ITU World Paratriathlon Championships in Edmonton. As he puts it, “It’s home turf, so I need to produce something special.”

Then, it’s all-systems-go in the quest for the Paralympics in Rio in 2016.  And through it all, he enjoys working with Kim and Matt at Up and Running. “I initially got in touch with them a few years back when I was looking for a job.  Being a small start-up store at the time they were unable to hire me, but they have since become good friends and amazing athletes I respect,” says Van Praet.  “I love Up and Running because it is a store that our city needed.  It helped grow the culture of running and the benefits of that lifestyle.”

He’s also a big fan of Mizuno. He used to run in stability shoes until he met the Mizuno rep at the store one day; she suggested he try a neutral shoe. “I thought she was nuts, but for some strange reason I immediately trusted her.  The next day I ran my first run in a pair of neutral shoes – the Rider – and I was hooked!” A great feel for the ground is essential when you don’t see well, so he’s now a big fan of the Sayonara, Musha and Universe.