By: Magi Scallion

It’s nice to put away the running shoes for a little while in the winter and go on some adventures. I love trail running in the summer – getting out into the mountains and enjoying the peace. Ski Touring in the winter is much the same. You just chug along for hours at a pretty reasonable pace, enjoy the scenery, and (unlike running) normally get a pretty sweet downhill run at the end of the day.

Over the past week I’ve gotten out in the “powder mecca” (Roger’s Pass, BC) four times and loved every second of it! From the top of the pass, right by the visitor information centre, there seems to be endless options for skiing. We skied in waist deep fresh powder on Thursday, went away for the weekend and came back on Monday, and there will still fresh tracks to be had. The terrain is endless and there always seems to be something despite the number of people who frequent the area.

So far as a workout… My hip flexors were sore like you would not believe after breaking trail for 4 hours in waist deep powder last Wednesday. You need to get to the top of the hill somehow! I had to do a lot of hip (gluteus, IT Band, Quad, Hamstring) stretches to feel limber again. Contrarily, on the way down I get totally gassed after 2-3 minutes of turns. My legs are burning and weak and I’m actually pretty out of breath. Skiing in the back country where you have to choose a line, carve the powder and stay standing… it adds up. A great strength training option, in addition to the wicked volume cardio.

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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: Nikki Reiter

Who doesn’t like a nice, relaxing massage?  Not only can a massage relieve stress and tension, it can do wonders for a runner’s body.  You won’t find the massage I’m talking about at a spa for relaxation.  This massage has a purpose – to reveal your body’s running and life-induced tensions.  Sarah MacLeod is a both an ultra-distance runner and registered massage therapist, and credits her ability to withstand multi-day racing by being in touch with her body and understanding what it needs.  So how can massage help you prevent running injuries?

Any runner, from novice to elite, can benefit from massage.  For those who may have a little trouble understanding what their body wants, getting a massage helps bring awareness to why your body is holding tension in a particular manner.  A massage therapist can usually predict where a runner will become injured based on the current state of their soft tissue.  Furthermore, massage therapy allows the body to move naturally, helping to “keep the muscles free from trigger points and adhesions which can lead to biomechanical dysfunction and discomfort when running” Sarah explains.  In addition to highlighting individual issues, massage is beneficial for increasing global circulation and decreasing overall tension in the body, which helps to promote recovery between runs, enabling you to run more. “I believe it’s a great way to get in touch with your whole body and not just the muscles directly used for running.”

How often you need a massage?  As with most factors related to training, it depends on the individual.  Sarah explains that it “depends on the runner’s training and their racing regime and their body’s ability to cope and adapt to the above.  There are a lot of factors that can affect a runner’s body – emotional stress, working a stationary or physical job, or other activities that may put strain on the body.”  Sarah also believes in keeping things personalized.  “I assess each individual during each appointment and conclude whether I believe they need to come more frequently or keep up with their general maintenance appointments, which can range from once a week to once a month.”  Most importantly, a runner should go for a massage before any little nagging injury has the opportunity to get worse.

Ready to give it a try?  In Canada, look for the designation of ‘Registered Massage Therapist’ (RMT), which means that, the massage therapist has completed a certified massage therapy program and they are registered with their provincial college of massage therapy.  Also, ask around for a recommendation.  A running-friend is bound to know an RMT ‘genius’ who has cured one of their ailments.  It’s important that the RMT understands your sport and the demands it has on your mind in addition to your body, and isn’t afraid to use a good amount of pressure!

Bottom line, massage is a great way for you to get to know your body so you can recognize any deviations from its normal state and help stop aches and pains from developing into sidelining injuries.

Happy Running!

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Nikki Reiter is a Mizuno Running Brand Ambassador from Kelowna, BC.  She holds a master’s degree in biomechanics, coaches Cross Country at UBC Okanagan and is the founder of Run Right Gait Analysis Service (run-right.ca).

By: Karen Karnis

When Rob Reid opened Frontrunners Victoria with Peter Butler almost 25 years ago, he didn’t just open a running specialty store – he shared a lifestyle. “We wanted to attract staff who lived the lifestyle and wanted to help others,” he says. Since opening in April 1988, Reid bought out Butler, and helped open two other locations in Langford and Nanaimo, and he continues to walk the walk – or run the run, as the case may be.

Promoting healthy lifestyles has been a priority for Reid because he lost his 38-year old father to complications from a heart condition when he was just six. He took up running a bit in high school when his football career didn’t take off (“I lasted one play on the football field because of my ectomorphic frame,” he says), but really got serious in university when he met Jerry Gonser, a professor in phys. ed. at the University of Western Ontario where Reid earned a teaching degree. Gonser invited some students to train for a marathon. “I never looked back after doing Boston – 2:46 in 1979,” says Reid.

After moving to Alberta to search for teaching jobs, Reid found himself winning some marathons – five in total, including four in Calgary between 1980 and 1986.  Of his marathon accomplishments, Reid says, “I was fortunate to run a 2:22 marathon in the early 80s back home in Toronto, and at age 42 ran a 2:27 at the Napa Marathon in March, and a 2:33 at Boston.”

Having appreciated the benefit of having Gonser as a coach and role model, Reid strives to help members of the community find opportunities to run as well.  He started Runners of Compassion in Victoria, including the Shoes for Youth program, started a scholarship at the University of Victoria and one at a local high school, and sponsors a run/walk program called Every Step Counts through the Victoria Cool Aid Society, to name just a few ways he shares the Frontrunners lifestyle.

Reid has also been on the Royal Victoria Marathon (now Goodlife Fitness Victoria Marathon) Board for 25 years, the past 15 of which he has been race director. Every year on race day, he personally congratulates runners at the finish. “Meeting runners at the finish and shaking their hands is a real honour as I recognize the hard training and journey they have taken in stretching themselves for the better,” he says.

One his personal career highlights, however, was erecting the statue to Terry Fox at Mile Zero in 2005. “Becoming a close friend of the Fox family has been a joy and subsequently working on a Marathon of Hope van tour after unveiling the van with Darrel Fox, and now working as the chair of a new venture to be located in Vancouver is so important to who we are as Canadians,” he says.

But the Frontrunners lifestyle doesn’t end in BC. Recently, Reid traveled to Kenya with John Carson of Run for Life. “We have put monies towards some development of a three-acre property where Canadians can go to train and volunteer for local initiatives, and assisted with micro-lending women’s projects,” says Reid.

Somehow, despite all of these projects, Reid still has time to work in the store itself. Of the store, he says:

“Retail became very crowded in the 90s with more stores opening and many suppliers not protecting the value of their quality and opening.  We weathered the storm and I moved the main Victoria store into a larger space in 2000.  Thanks to Simon Whitfield for helping carry shoes across the parking lot for me too.  The new store was a design from a previous staff member who excels at working with wood and making custom fixtures.  We have a “Walk of Fame” outside the store of notable runners and community builders – John Brown, Simon, Lucy Smith, Bruce Deacon, Peter Reid, Lori Bowden, to mention a few.  Inside it is all about high ceilings and space where we can welcome over a hundred in run clinics, runningmoms.ca, and hold special nights like our recent Goddess Night women’s event.”

Now, at 57 years old, Reid is still going strong and running in his Mizuno Wave Rider and Wave Ascend shoes. He balances his busy lifestyle by spending family time at his Saltspring Island home, and of course, running trails.  “There is no such thing as retirement when you’re doing what you love,” he says.

By: Karen Karnis

2012 has been a tough year for you, injury-wise. What have you been dealing with?

Initially I was diagnosed with a sacral stress fracture.  After that had healed up (within 6-8 weeks) I was dealing with a lot of soft tissue inflammation in my shins, making it near impossible to run without limping.  The shin pain was the most frustrating since it started just a few days before I raced Around the Bay, and within the weeks following the race the pain was so severe I thought it was another stress fracture. However, all diagnostic imaging tests showed only soft tissue involvement.  The pain started in my left shin, eventually healed over the course of several months and “switched” over to my right shin for several more months.  Running pain free, and finally staying pain free, began in October of this year.

When did you discover you were going to have to take some time off of running?

A few days after my 3rd place finish at the 2011 National Cross Country Championship I knew something was wrong.  I was just doing some easier runs and I could feel a very sharp pain in my upper right glute.  Running was impossible after trying to shake it out for a few more days.  So it was the first week of December 2011 that I became sidelined.  It was my first injury that forced me to take time off since my university running days.

What went through your mind when that happened?

I thought “Ok, now is as good a time as ever. You just came off a great full year of racing. You’ll heal up and be back before you know it.  Everyone goes through this!”  And more similar self-talk to try to calm my nerves . . .

What were your recovery strategies?

Initially it was to simply take time off and recover.  It conveniently coincided with the traditional break I would usually take after a year of racing.  However, once it became apparent that this injury was going to be persistent we looked at methods to build fitness without the impact of running.  So to stress the cardiovascular system we used pool running and cycling on a stationary bicycle.  The pool running also helped with mobility, since the underwater course of movement is very similar to that of running.  In an attempt to maintain physical strength, while not weight-bearing, we employed a weight training routine in the gym twice weekly.  As the injury persisted, we then looked at dietary supplementation of both calcium and vitamin D along with other general therapy practices such as chiropractic, acupuncture (specifically intramuscular stimulation), physiotherapy, and massage.

What kinds of training did you do while you were taking time off from running?

Generally, during the winter months when my sacrum was healing my training consisted of pool running in the early morning.  Additionally, I was cycling on an indoor trainer to incorporate higher intensity workouts and longer rides.  Weight training was also incorporated into my schedule twice a week.

In the spring and summer when my shins were the issue I moved onto a road bike (nice to be able to enjoy the weather and change of scenery), and rotated elliptical training into my cross-training regimen. I know that pool running is very beneficial and if you can do it then do it, but I was bored of the pool so it was important for me to change it up and rotate a few new cross-training methods into my routine. These changes were made primarily to maintain sanity.

What advice do you have for anyone reading this that is on a “time-out” due to injury?

I would say that your first priority should be to heal.  I believe I initially focussed so much on maintaining fitness and cross-training intensively that my body took longer to heal — and it also made the whole process incredibly stressful.  Know that you probably cannot maintain the exact fitness you were carrying before the injury, but that you will regain it!  Additionally, don’t be afraid of mixing it up a bit by trying a few different cross-training methods until you find one or more that you enjoy.  Lastly, it’s important to keep a positive attitude about the situation.  There are numerous things you can glean from an injury “time-out”: your body can rest and regenerate and you can become aware of any weaknesses or imbalances you may have.  This new knowledge allows you to focus on these areas so that you can return a stronger, more efficient runner!

You’ve recently been building your running back up – what is your strategy and how is it going?

The strategy is to steadily increase my mileage to adequate levels (though not quite to pre-injury levels yet) while also increasing the percentage of intense running.  We also have a new focus on some of the fundamental running skills such as agility, balance, and coordination.  Plyometrics, neuromuscular work, and mobility though dynamic stretching and hurdle drills are also being incorporated into my weekly schedule.

So far things are going quite well!  It is exciting to “feel” like a runner again (it really did take some time for me to get my stride back).  I still have a long way to go before I am ready to race in the spring but I truly believe I can get there.  Our plan is to come back stronger and faster than before.

What are your major goals for 2013?  Have you committed to any races yet, or are you waiting until they get closer to decide?

I am committed to racing Around the Bay this year and to the BMO Vancouver half marathon.  I also plan on running the Vancouver Sun Run and the Canadian Half Marathon Championship in Montreal.  Most importantly though I am looking to get back into healthy, regular racing!  We have long term plans and certain targets that I would like to hit this fall, but we will look at the feedback from this spring to determine where we will progress to.

What have I not asked you that I should have?

I would like to add a big “THANK YOU” to Mizuno.  Even throughout this past year of injury I received continued support during my journey back to health.  I am very thankful to have them on our team!

By: Magi Scallion

Innocent to the ways of parenthood I volunteered this week to go on a ski adventure with my friend, Lainey. She is a beginner skier so I thought I’d be able to give her a few technique tips, tow her kids in a chariot, and have a nice outing to a local ski area. We set our goal as Hale Hut – approximately 8.5 km worth of skiing.

I’ll be honest – I was fairly warned that it would be difficult to tow 45 pounds of kid weight + the weight of the double chariot. I will also be honest in the fact that, like normal, I thought that it would be a piece of cake and the good Samaritans giving me the advice were just misguided (they don’t ski as much as I do). It turns out, they were right.

Despite the pain in felt in my legs, arms and lungs, it was really quite a nice day. We started at the base of Panorama Mountain (in Invermere) and skied the Beckie Scott Nordic Centre trails out to the Hale Hut. The trails are normally groomed regularly, but had about 5 cm of fresh powder on them today. It was not too heavy so actually pretty decent to ski through.

The 4 km route to the Hale Hut follows intermediate terrain along the Toby Creek, in the valley. We opted to take Delphine Trail to the Hale Hut, which “featured” a 500-metre, really steep climb to the hut. After our picnic lunch and some rest we skied out the Toby-Barbour Trail, which was much more gradual. If I do the trek again, I think the nicer route to take is the Toby-Barbour trial to the Hale Hut and the Delphine Trail back to the valley.

The Hale Hut is really cute. It was built by the Toby Creek Nordic Ski Club in the year 2000. It has a propane heater to warm the hut (about 150 sq. metres) and a deck, outhouse, and fire pit area outside. It would be a fantastic place for an evening ski and marshmallow roast under a full moon. The view from the Hut looks down the valley from a great vantage point.

Cross country skiing is a great winter activity and towing kids in a chariot makes it even more so… if you’re looking for a killer workout. The cardio and strength factor is a 10/10 but the technique factor is much lower (probably 4/10). The weight and bulk of the chariot device makes it difficult to ski efficiently or with proper technique, but you do have to do something right to get to the final destination. An ideal situation is where two people share the chariot duties so you can get a combo strength/cardio workout mixed with some cardio/technique. And if you really want to ramp it up… try hill repeats with the chariot attached!

I hope you’re all enjoying winter – doing what ever sport you love!

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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.