With the indispensible help of coach Rick Hellard from Zone3Sports, four members of the iRun Gear Test Team led the way as featured members of iRun’s So you want to run a marathon, eh?program.  They set goals, trained hard, learned lots, and yes, ran their first marathon. Here’s how they did:

Carolyn Pleasance  Hamilton, ON

iRun ’cause it’s the only time when nobody wants me to do anything else.

Chip time 6:56:33

Up next: Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge – Carolyn will travel to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and run a half marathon on January 13, 2013, followed by a marathon the very next day!

Amy Maheu   Kanata, ON

iRun to maintain balance in my crazy and busy life.

Chip time 5:14:17

Up next: Amy is totally ready to do another marathon and is considering running at Ottawa Race Weekend.

Gerard Raby  Calgary, AB

iRun because I am dedicated to this cause and will pursue it no matter how difficult it will be. 

Chip time 4:42:38

Up next: After getting a spiffy tattoo to commemorate his accomplishment, Gerry plans to run another marathon next year with his wife, who couldn’t run STWM due to injury.

Ryan Travers   North Bay, ON

iRun to constantly challenge myself.

Chip time 4:11:10

Up next: while he was ready to take some well-earned recovery time, there is chatter amongst his friends about possibly running the Ottawa Marathon – as Ryan puts it, “Who knows?”

We’d like to say thank you to these runners for sharing their experiences.  Congratulations to all of you, and to everyone who finished their first marathon this year!

OK, A really short post about a really important issue.  It would seem that someone who appears to be a runner was involved in a very disrespectful act in Toronto on Sunday.

Here is the link to a newspaper article:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/1288016–remembrance-day-flags-kicked-over-police-seek-suspect

I would suggest that this individual doesn’t represent the other 99.9% of us who would never do this.

Anything else I would type here would have to be censored…so I will stop.

By: Magi Scallion

I went for a superb run today at Nipika Mountain Resort. Nipika is huddled about 3 hours west and south of Calgary on the western edge of the Rocky Mountains. Nipika borders Kootenay National Park and also the Cross River Recreation Site (BC)… needless to say the running rails in the area are second to none. One of my goal runs for next summer is in to and out of Assiniboine lodge from this side of the mountains – it’s about a 40 km run, in a loop, through some of the most beautiful terrain around.

With that epic on my mind I set out today with my running buddies Lyle Wilson (owner, Nipika Mountain Resort), Laurin Duncan (Organizer, Rocky Mountain Soap Company Women’s Run) and, of course, Titan and Rufus our four-legged companions.

We started out with a 4 km jaunt through some of Nipika’s flatter, riverside trails, before we climbed up an old mining road toward the Yearling Canyon. We stopped to drink in the view and take a few quick pictures at the top of the climb, before heading back down and to the warmth of Nipika. The climb was not terribly challenging but we chose to “ski walk” (or power walk) up the hill, rather than run, to keep the effort minimal. It was quite cold (-12C when we started) so we didn’t want to get too sweaty and then cold when we’re running downhill.

The entire loop was about 1.5 hours and a great way to spend a mid-day on a Sunday! Nipika is always a fantastic place to go for a run and if Lyle (or I) am around we’d love to show you the best trails!

***

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

Ever wonder what motivates some runners to have a satisfying, purposeful workout…every day?  Do you find that some days, you’re running aimlessly, not sure about what you want out of your workout?  Well, you’re not alone.  Larry Abbott is a Mental Performance Consultant who has helped lots of runners confront these types of issues.  Larry is a runner himself, who believes in the powers of positive thought and focus to make huge gains in performance.  Larry started as the slowest runner on his varsity squad at McMaster University, stuck with it, and this past year travelled to Kenya to train with Reid Coolseat in his preparation for the London Games.  Below, Larry shares with you his Pre- & Post-Training Reflection Questions.

Pre-Training Reflection Questions

The saying “knowledge is power” has great application to sports such as running.  Whether you are an elite athlete or training for your first 10k race, reflecting on the purpose of your workout may properly direct your focus and ensure that you’re adjusting intensity to the appropriate level. For other athletes, this knowledge can greatly impact the level and type of motivation when completing a workout.  Knowledge sharing may also positively influence workout design and build trust between the athlete and coach. The second element to the pre-training reflection questions involves an action component. Here, the athlete is encouraged to identify tangible actions that may positively influence the training session. Runners should frequently reflect on what they do well and use this as a foundation to tackle areas that need improvement. This can be a healthy way to approach improving your training and keep confidence levels high during the process. Finally, answering questions like these prior to training can encourage athletes to revisit training logs and possibly discover patterns that are worth repeating.

Post-Training Reflection Questions

The four post-training questions are designed to engage the athlete in self-reflection and pull out the valuable lessons learned from the training session. Intentions are great, but sometimes even the best intentions do not always lead to positive action. These reflection questions allow athletes to identify what went well and what could be improved on for next time. When these two tools are used together, the athlete can be armed with very powerful knowledge to positively impact training. In any activity where personal growth is an objective, increasing the quality and consistency of performances is an exciting experience for athletes of all abilities!

Bottom line?  By setting reasonable and specific objectives for the practice session, you can more realistically achieve your goals and feel that you got what you intended out of your workout.

Happy Running!

***

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

Shayne Hoehn started skiing when he was just six years old. In 1986, he took up biathlon, and there’s been no going back – he was on the Canadian National Biathlon Team for nine years, representing the nation at the World Junior Biathlon Championships three years in a row.  That’s how he met his wife, Tuppy, who spent 5 years on the team and represented Canada in the 1998 Nagano Olympics.

Naturally, running was part of the training for the national team, but for Hoehn, running started before that.  His earliest memories of running, like for most of us, involve just ripping around the neighbourhood and playing tag.  Then there was the infamous Canada Fitness Test – those of us who were in elementary school sometime between the late 1970s and 1990 will remember this. The Endurance Run component stood out for him, not as something he enjoyed, but definitely as a way to challenge himself.

Then he ran cross country in high school. “I wasn’t very good, but I liked it,” he laughs, adding, “It’s one of those things where I sort of became addicted without realizing it.”

Hoehn had talked about one day opening a running and cross country skiing specialty shop, and saw it as a dream for later in life. However, after the store that Hoehn had once worked in closed when the owners retired, the pair saw a need for it in their community and thought maybe they could make it work.  So in 2003, the young couple opened Stride & Glide Sports (a member of the IRRC) in Prince George, BC.

When asked about the store’s greatest strength, Hoehn is quick to respond that it’s the staff that sets them apart.  “They’re unbelievable,” he says. “They’re fantastic, they love what they’re doing, and people come back because they build a rapport with the people who’ve helped them.”

In terms of products, they are self-professed “gear snobs.”  Hoehn says, “We only carry good quality products. We don’t want to sell anything we’re not happy with and wouldn’t use.”

Stride & Glide’s customers love Mizuno. “They love the way Mizuno shoes wrap the foot, and the most common comments we get from people when they try the shoes on is that they feel fast and light,” says Hoehn.  That’s why Hoehn is running in the Mizuno Wave Ascend.  As a trail-junkie, he reports that the traction of this trail shoe is fantastic.

While great staff and great products are essential to an outstanding store, Hoehn is being humble.  When asked about the sorts of events the store gets involved with, he describes being heavily involved in a local race series, and how the store bought a timing system so they could provide that service.

“When we were athletes, we didn’t do it on our own,” he says. “Even simple things, like using the local shop as a meeting place, were so important to bringing the athletic community together.  So now we like to support the people who support us.  We don’t see ourselves as a store where people come and spend money and leave with product – we’re partners in what they’re doing.”

While life is busy for the pair, running their own business and raising their three children – ages 5, 3 and 1 – they wouldn’t have it any other way.  “I don’t come to work, I come to play” says Hoehn. “The people I work with, the customers, helping people realize their dreams – it’s fantastic.”

By: Karen Karnis

Luc Morin believes that the spirit of how Mizuno developed as a brand is the same spirit you need to be a runner or triathlete.  He would know – this Mizuno Brand Ambassador was a professional triathlete for 13 years.

While he has retired from professional competition, he is still considered an elite triathlete – he just doesn’t have much time to train now that he’s a Lead Consultant, Head Coach and founding member of ePerformance.  It takes more than an undergraduate degree in Human Kinetics and a Masters in Exercise Physiology to do this kind of consulting – it takes a thorough understanding of the sport, of athletes and coaches, and of team dynamics in what is largely considered an individual sport. In a nutshell, his job involves traveling to triathlon training camps all over the world to coach individuals, provide training and development to other coaches, and consult for entire teams to help them improve the way they train together.

That’s how Morin became involved with Mizuno – Mizuno Japan was approached regarding a triathlon camp that Morin was involved in, and he decided to see if they could develop a relationship to introduce Mizuno to the world of triathlon, and triathlon to Mizuno.

Morin says that Mizuno is a brand that embodies all of the qualities that make a good triathlete.  “The Japanese mentality to want to challenge and surpass yourself, the knowledge that not everyone can do what you’re doing, those are Mizuno values,” says Morin.  “It’s about perseverance and being adaptable – they listen to the athletes, watch the trends, change their technology.”

So part of Morin’s role with Mizuno is to represent them to triathletes. “They’ve been doing running for many many years, but they’re an emerging brand for triathlon,” he says.  So much so that when asked what his favourite product is, he just laughs. “I have been testing a new tri shoe that I can’t tell you about,” he says. “It’s so new, it doesn’t even have a name yet! But when it’s released, triathletes are going to love it.”

Since then, Morin took part in a Talent ID program through the Asian Triathlon Confederation, to help identify future athletes and help with training and development of current coaches in Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan.  He also went to the Yokohama Country Club in Japan to meet their members, train, and help develop a swimming and running program for 2013.

While Morin wishes he still had time to compete as a professional triathlete, he figures consulting is the next best thing.  “I was going to work towards making a comeback in 2012, figuring the work was going to slow down thanks to all the focus on the Olympics,” says Morin. “But in reality, I’ve been busier this year than ever before.”

By: Karen Karnis

When Mary Davies was the first woman to cross the finish at the 2012 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 14, no one was more surprised than Davies herself. “My goal was to run under 2:30, but looking at the field, winning the race wasn’t even in my head,” says Davies.  “It was surreal.”

Having made the mistake of starting out too fast in the past, Davies was determined to stay calm and steady at the start.  Canadian runners Krista DuChene and Lanni Marchant, who were trying to break the Canadian marathon record of 2:28:26, were going to be running 3:30/km with pacers, so she decided to start with them. After the turn around at 23K or so, Davies realized the 2^nd and 3^rd place women weren’t too far ahead, so she decided to gradually increase her pace.  Between 38 and 39K she thought she was going to hit the wall, but then she spotted the leader, Agnes Kiprop.  Davies passed Kiprop just after the 41K point, but it wasn’t until she saw that sign that said, “400m to go!” that she realized she would win.

The 30-year-old runner, who is from New Zealand and lives in Ottawa, chose the race to try to qualify for the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow.  While New Zealand hasn’t released their qualifying standards yet, having run the fourth-fastest marathon for a New Zealander, Davies probably stands a good chance of winning a spot on the team.

All of this is even more impressive when you consider that she had a baby only 14 months ago.   “If anything, I have been running faster since Lucas was born,” says Davies. In addition to faster workouts and higher mileage, Davies has managed to turn her Saturday tempo runs into family time.  “My husband, Gabriel, rides beside me with Lucas in the bike trailer,” she says. “We try to make it around naptime because Lucas goes right to sleep.”

But the transition from runner to runner-mama wasn’t seamless.  “I started running again a little too soon, I think,” says Davies of starting back into training about four weeks after Lucas was born.  “I wanted to run the Paris Marathon in April to qualify for the London Olympics, but I ended up injuring my sacroiliac joint and had to withdraw.”  She was disappointed at the time, but she quickly shifted her focus to the World Championships.

Davies was 20 when she started running seriously.  She briefly considered packing it in back in 2007 when she had a rough year recovering from a bout of mononucleosis.  But it was clear that she missed the competition, and her husband encouraged her to return to the sport she loves.  It’s a good thing, too, because she’s got some big goals.  After the World Championships next summer, she’ll be gunning for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, where she’ll have something like a hometown crowd, since her husband, Gabriel, is originally from Brazil, and her in-laws still live there.

Davies is glad she’s been working with Mizuno.  “I have had a lot of injury issues this past year and it has been wonderful knowing I had the support of Arnold [Tse, from Mizuno],” she says. “I love the brand.  The Precision shoes are great and the best shoe by far that I have worn,” she adds. She’s currently running in the Wave Precision 13 and says, “the bright pink colour is awesome too.”

I must confess… I am weak…

Long ago I made one of the most important long term decisions a runner could make ( next to starting running of course )… I selected and committed to running in a brand of shoe that worked for me…Let’s call this shoe “Brand X”…  now “X” was a great shoe, and still is… and I have no regrets spending the past 20 years committed to “X”, faithfully selecting the next incarnation of my long time road companion. “X” supported me and carried me through many a running season. The 12mm comfort of “X” continued throughout my years of running…I was committed to “X” and never even considered looking elsewhere…and then, in a weak moment… it happened.

It was rather innocent, to be honest… a cute little 8mm shoe from “Brand Y” caught my eye in late August…I was curious, and as a result, was tempted into “just trying a pair on”… they felt great, and had lots “wiggle room”…something I seemed to be missing in “Brand X” the past few years…I don’t know…maybe “X” had changed, maybe I had changed…maybe we were just drifting apart… maybe my subconscious was telling me it was over between “X” and I.  Bottom line is “I AM IN LOVE”…um with “Brand Y”… I want to shout it from the rooftops people…”I LOVE MY NEW SHOES “ !!!

Now I must admit I was kind of having a fling with “Brand Y”’s cousin…a fast little 4mm number since June…so for a time I was enjoying the company of both “Brand X” and “Brand Y” over the summer… I was feeling guilty about spending my time with both… I could see the disappointment in the shoe I left behind while I was out running with the other…I know shoes have feelings…I mean… I’m not a total monster after all…

Now getting back to my love affair with “Y”…three months of training and  two big races and “Y” keeps giving me the comfort, stability and support  I never knew I was missing in my other shoe… my friends are even tired of hearing me gush about how good my feet feel in these shoes… I just think they are envious of our new found amour …

I am guessing there is a moral or two somewhere in this whole thing…

First, if you are happy with your shoes then by all means stick with what works for you.  Don’t go changing shoes mid-season … if you are looking for a change use the off season for the transition.

Second, don’t be afraid of experimenting with different brands and lift variations of shoes…make sure they fit properly, and they are comfortable, and offer the support and stability you need…consult with your local running store and get them to asses your running gait and foot plant.

Finally, if a cute little 8mm number catches your eye, don’t be shy, go ahead and introduce yourself…you may just fall in love.