“If you see a fork in the road, take it.”  ~ YOGI BERRA

GRANT:  On September 29th, it was the Run for the Toad at the Pinehurst Lake Conservation Area in Paris, Ontario.

VICKY: And we did not run it! 🙁

GRANT:  I know.  It’s too bad.  It’s a great run and the 25K race last year was the highlight of our running careers, right?

VICKY: For sure.  What’s wrong with us?  We should have been out there!

GRANT: Well, you’re recovering from injury. I don’t have a good excuse, but I didn’t run a race all year and wasn’t motivated.

VICKY: Yes, I know. But hey I have good news. The doctor said it’s an IT band injury. I have to get new soles for my shoes and put some cream on my hips and knees 4 times a day for about a month. But he says I should be able to recover from this and run again!

GRANT:  That’s great news!

VICKY:  Thanks G. But how can you say you weren’t motivated?  You had a great year of running.

GRANT: Absolutely.  I did a lot of great trail runs and was out on the track every week, but I really never felt motivated to race.  The funny thing was that I was actually registered for a very long race this year – the Knee Knacker in North Vancouver – one of the most beautiful ultramarathons in North America.  But I just didn’t think I could train myself up to the distance.  I’ve never even run a marathon before.

VICKY:  You’ve got to start somewhere.  Why not a 48 KM run with 16,000 feet of elevation change?

GRANT: It’s a dream.  I felt motivated for it again after reading Scott Jurek’s book Eat and Run.  It’s pretty inspiring to look at what he has accomplished and I do like this idea of running really long distances in the woods.

VICKY:  I agree.  Running on the roads is a bore. Well, at least for me it is. I was out for our traditional Thanksgiving hike at the Dundas Conservation Area with my spouse and 3 lovely bonus children and I concur that there is nothing quite like being out in the woods and breathing that fresh air.

GRANT: Getting out into nature is what running is all about!  That’s what is most appealing about ultramarathons like Run for the Toad or the Knee Knacker.

VICKY: So you’re up for it next year?

GRANT: Absolutely.   It’s time to start training.

VICKY:  Let’s do it! I’ve been meaning to get myself a new goal and I think an ultra just might do the trick!

I have been running since the early 90’s and have always experienced an atmosphere amongst the running community  of friendly, helpful, encouraging, and supportive runners…you know the type…they’re the ones you meet during the last few kilometers of a race when you’ve got nothing left in the tank, when your legs feel like lead and you just want to stop running…like forever.

I speak of the encouraging runners who say things like: ” just a few more km to go…you can do it … good work, nice pace, run strong…you’re almost there”… and let’s not forget the wonderful supporters with the signs and clatter of the cow bell… ( love cow bell ) !!!

Never have I heard anyone berate another runner during a race. Never have I heard a runner “trash-talk” another, until now.

I won’t say which race, and I won’t describe in detail the individual,  (you know who you are) … what I will do is give you the facts…

Fact:  It was late in the race and I was running along side this “much younger” individual stride-for-stride for about 2km. Our pace quickens…

Fact: I am suddenly hit with a barrage of colorful expletives… They included such “gems” as:  ”come on you (expletive) old man…is that all you’ve got…my (expletive) sister can run faster than you…you got nothing, you are nothing, you shouldn’t even be on this (expletive) course”.

Now it took me about 30 seconds to realize that I wasn’t on a basketball court, and that  this guy was serious…he was talking “smack” to me…a fellow runner.   All this time I am thinking…How could you? What gives you the right?  Didn’t anyone tell you to respect your elders?  In all my years of running I have never experienced such poor running etiquette. This person was clearly the exception, an anomaly, a deviation from the norm…not to mention a bit of a jerk.

Now to be honest, I really had to fight the urge to punch this guy in the throat, not to mention fire back a clever quip about his breeding, but thought that sort of a response would only give other runners a bad name.

I instead did what any other runner would do in that situation…I took the high road…I let the comments slide and I “turned the other cheek”, then another cheek, and another, and continued to do so until I left him staring at “my cheeks” for the remainder of the race… kind of “cheeky” of me I’ll admit, but I digress…

I will close with some sage advice. “if you don’t have anything nice to say about your  fellow runner then you shouldn’t say anything at all” … oh, and don’t ever call us “seasoned” runners “old”…  it kind of pisses us off  !!!

Dr. Phil Ainslie outside of the Pyramid Laboratory at Mount Everest.

By: Nikki Reiter

The Rift Valley in Kenya, the Sierra Terahumara in Mexico, and the tiny towns of the Himalayas all boast a common thread: they are a breeding ground for top endurance performances.  The altitude of these areas provides a training effect that allows locals to achieve running performances most of us couldn’t imagine.  Dr. Phil Ainslie is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia Okanagan and has recently returned from leading a research expedition to the Mount Everest Pyramid Laboratory, where he and his team of researchers performed experiments that tested the effects of altitude on multiple physiological variables.  Most days, Dr. Ainslie can be seen running or biking to the University, and he ran daily as part of his physical preparation leading up to the expedition.

The Benefits

Altitude training is thought to provide a stimulus to increase the body’s concentration of erythropoietin (or more commonly known as ‘EPO’).  Endurance athletes, in particular, will benefit because EPO will increase the number of red blood cells in the body, which are responsible for carrying oxygen to working muscles.  Oxygen delivery to muscles no longer becomes the limiting factor for exercise and thus an athlete running any endurance event can work harder and longer.

Unfortunately, not everyone responds to the exposure to hypoxic (low oxygen) conditions with improved aerobic performances.  Dr. Ainslie explains that, “whereas some studies show minor improvement, others report no change or even worsening.  Furthermore, the mechanisms behind the proposed beneficial changes remain obscure and are far from being proven.”

Live High, Train Low

Maximal oxygen consumption is reduced by around 10% per 1000 m of elevation.  Because of the lack of oxygen as altitude increases, it’s difficult to workout at maximum intensity (as you would at sea level), which has negative implications if you’re trying to hit specific splits on the track or on the road.  That’s why runners will aim to live and sleep at altitude or in an artificially produced hypoxic condition, such as altitude tents or masks.

In order to achieve a benefit, Dr. Ainslie explains that “habituating at altitude must be for more than 12 hours per day and for at least 3 weeks.  With this technique, some improvements in sea-level performance have been shown in events lasting between 8 and 20 minutes.  However, as mentioned, there is a lack of sufficiently powered randomized, double-blinded studies, with training protocols that are identical for all groups.”

The effects of altitude are not permanent either; red blood cell concentrations return to pre-altitude exposure within 3-9 days spent at sea level.

The Drawbacks

Living at altitude sound too good to be true?  Well, it just might be.  For those of us not accustomed to the ‘thin air,’ poor sleep, headaches and nausea are symptoms likely to accompany the ascent in altitude above 3000 m.

At the elite level, many athletes have been caught for doping by increasing their EPO concentrations beyond normal values by injecting artificially synthesized EPO or by blood doping.  Both practices are not only illegal, but dangerous.  Specifically, blood doping can increase the thickness of blood, making it harder for the body to pump it at rest.  To avoid this fatal implication, athletes who engage in blood doping have been known to awake in the middle of the night to cycle to get blood flowing again.

“Nevertheless, many elite athletes and their coaches strongly believe in altitude training for competition at sea level” says Ainslie and that because “runners from, for example, Kenya (located at 2000-3000 m) are well known for their superior endurance performance at sea level and thus, some benefits of high altitude training cannot be excluded.”

Bottom line is that there are a great number of ways to improve one’s performance at sea level before taking up altitude training.  Consistent training by exhausting the traditional methods of incorporating interval training, aerobic running and improving running mechanics will still lead to improvements in running performance.

Happy Running!

***

Nikki Reiter holds a master’s degree in biomechanics and is a Mizuno Running Brand Ambassador and the Women’s Cross Country Running Head Coach at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus in Kelowna, BC. She is also the Laboratory Coordinator in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at UBC Okanagan where she facilitates undergraduate laboratory learning.

By: Karen Karnis

Despite the name, United Cycle does a lot more than just bicycles.  Since their start in 1928, they have added more and more different sports, from hockey to soccer, baseball, racquet sports – the list goes on! – to eventually become Edmonton’s largest independent sporting goods store.

Finally, about four years ago, they decided to open a running division and were looking for the perfect person to head up the launch and daily operations – they found Beto Bustos.  An experienced runner with a strong background in the service industry (including running specialty), and a personal training certificate, Bustos was their candidate.

Bustos began running 38 years ago at the age of sixteen because he had to while training for soccer.  But it didn’t take long for him to realize that not only did he enjoy running for the sake of running, there was no one trying to kick him in the shins.  “I found there was nobody to hurt me or try to hit my legs, so I decided to keep running and quit soccer,” he says, adding, “I love my legs!”

At first he ran for recreation and stress management, but after finding a group of fast runners to train with, he discovered he was actually quite fast himself.  He ran his first half marathon in 1:17, and decided that he wanted to qualify for Boston as soon as he could so that he would be able to run the centennial edition of the race in 1996.  Sure enough, he finished his debut marathon in 2:42 and packed his bags for Boston.  His coach encouraged him to keep working on his speed so he could compete at an elite level, and he has since completed several marathons and ultra marathons ranging from 60 to 120km.

Fast forward a few years, and Bustos is showing no signs of slowing down; he has represented Canada several times in international masters championship races. In 2005, for example, he won his age group in the half marathon and placed third in his age group in the 1500m at the World Masters Games in Edmonton.

But isn’t necessarily Bustos’s speed that draws people to see him.  Runners visit United Cycle to see Bustos because his enthusiasm for running is contagious. He leads half marathon clinics at the store, but is also happy to chat about everything running, from training to racing, to shoes and apparel.  “I like to do a foot assessment before anything else,” he says. “We have 146 different shoes to choose from, from traditional running shoes to racing flats, spikes, minimalist, and children’s shoes. We also have treadmills to try out the shoes – one of our philosophies is to try before you buy.”

“Mizuno shoes are a customer favourite because if the fit and the weight,” says Bustos. He really appreciates the technology that goes into Mizuno products.  “I like the Wave cushioning system,” he says, adding that when it comes to apparel, you can’t beat Mizuno’s Breath Thermo. “I wear it all winter, I tell my runners about it and they love it!”

By: Mark Bomba

I would love to be writing about more positive things like how good my training is going or how I feel great in trying to defend my Canadian Masters championship in cross country from last year, but alas, my current situation is quite the opposite.  I suffered a serious laceration of two-thirds of my Achilles this past summer and instead am simply quite happy to be able to walk without pain, which is a goal I have not yet achieved 100% or have begun running, which seems even longer away.

If I have realized anything in the sport of distance running it is that it isn’t always the fastest who win, but often the ones who persevere over and over and over again. Or at least that’s what I am telling myself as I move forward in my recovery process. Distance running teaches you many things, but it’s the frustration of injuries that can often allow one to find out things they never knew about themselves.

Early in my running career I was able to have both successes and failures that taught me the values and strengths of perseverance and hope. I do not think I ever realized how the experiences of frustration and failure would help to achieve much greater successes later in my running career. When I was injured or had a bad race in my twenties it often seemed like the world was falling down around me, but the thought of quitting never truly entered my thoughts. That’s not to say I haven’t quit this sport while out on a run or simply stopped when the emotion of the moment seemed simply overwhelming, but there was always another race or another season. No matter how bad things became the good would override the bad. All I ever needed was one decent performance that would carry me through one more season. A glimmer of hope was all that was needed to carry on forward.

This resilient nature of what makes a distance runner has now become a natural part of my personality. While my wife showed extreme concern with my injury after my operation I had already moved on that this was simply another barrier on my running career. Rather than go through the ‘seven stages of grief’ of anger shock or depression, I went straight to the last stage of ‘acceptance and hope’. I always know that running has provided me with many experiences that as I like to say ‘one must earn and cannot buy’, but I never completely understood how it has truly become a harbinger of my ability to deal with negativity.

There will always be frustration and anger at some level, but in the end these are fleeting thoughts that I already know the answer to deep down in my psyche. So as I move on to dealing with my rehabilitation and delve deeper into coaching and teaching young runners what great things they can learn if they can, for even a short period time, commit to trying to test their limits of both physical and mental capabilities, there is no question of whether I’ll run again. Instead the answer is not if, but when.  Whether I like it or not running is no longer something I do, but rather it has become part of who I am as a person.

Okay friends, get comfy, this is a long post…

Last night I ate my pre-race pasta dinner, fussed over my clothes, prepared my shoes and went to bed early in anticipation of race day. For the past 20 years, this kind of activity would have seemed like a waste of a perfectly good, made for drinking, Saturday night. If it was Saturday night and I wasn’t working, I would have been waiting for the beer to chill or the wine to breathe.

I had a lot of good times sharing drinks with friends and by myself (my husband always said I was my own party). I could not have had drinks Saturday night and been up at 5:30am to run; times have changed. I really, really miss a great glass of wine, or the whole bottle, but the more I run and the better I get, the happier I am with trading my drunken dancing shoes for my sober running shoes.

This morning didn’t go as planned. I set my alarm for 5:30, but apparently I didn’t turn it on. My bleary eyed husband Mike woke me at 6:00 wondering if we were skipping the race. At this point, I could have had a meltdown, but for some reason and very out of character for me, I didn’t. I got it together and in less than 30 minutes, we were out of the house (this rate of movement in the morning is a challenge for my sloth husband, bravo to him for picking up the pace). Mike was confident that he could get me to the yellow race coral, to start the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon, on time. I was doing my best to “keep calm and carry on”. I couldn’t recall ever drinking this early in the day, unless it was because I was still drinking from the night before, but for a split second, my brain said “I need a drink to handle this”. My brain jumps in and takes any opportunity to try to persuade me to give the booze a second chance.

We arrived on time, and without a blood alcohol level. The rain was persistent as we approached the start, but mercifully ceased just before the horn sounded. The day before, no less than 10 people announced that it was going to rain on my race. Obviously, not a single runner existed among these attempted bubble busters; otherwise they would have understood that running, like boozing, is an all-weather sport, and that I needed a precipitation report like I needed to know about a sale at the liquor store.

As I fought my way through the crowd to my start corral, I saw my Running Room marathon clinic coach, Roger Ison. He was not running. He was hanging around trying to see as many of the clinic runners as possible. Seeing him and having him give me last minute advice boosted my confidence. I was swallowed up by the crowd of runners, all waiting to get moving. I heard a sharp whistle and looked up in its direction to see Roger standing high above the fence that enclosed the runners from the spectators. He motioned me over and then pointed me in the direction of the 2 hour pace bunny. “Get right up there” he said. I pressed my way through the runners who were packed in, shoulder to shoulder. I stood behind that pace bunny and at that moment, alcohol was the farthest thing from my mind. Thank you, Roger.

The course was great. The spectators, volunteers and entertainment really made a difference. Hearing “go Christa go” being called out on a microphone puts a bit more pep in the step. The signs along the route saying things like “run like you stole it” or “go random stranger go” are priceless.

On Bathurst, at around 5 or 6k, I ran by a Beer Store. This used to be my favorite store, formerly known as the Brewers Retail. I was enraptured by the picture of the frosty glass of beer above the door. I pulled my attention away from the hypnotizing image and reminded myself about my new favorite store, The Running Room. I conjured new images of running gadgets, shoes and clothes…crisis averted.

Within the next couple blocks, I was challenged again. I felt like turning around and hitting that Beer Store. I looked up and saw Toronto Western Hospital so close I could reach out and touch it. Tears sprang to my eyes, nausea and shaking overcame me and small sobs escaped my throat. Full streams of tears formed and blurred my vision before running down my cheeks. Eleven and a half years ago my Mom was airlifted to this hospital from Midland to undergo emergency surgery for a massive brain aneurysm. She never recovered and 18 hours after she arrived there, we stood by her bedside, while at 47 years old, her life support was withdrawn. I was 28 years old, an only child and 5 months pregnant with my first child. Today at about 6k, I needed a drink to soothe that heartache. The unexpected violent grief I felt was devastating. Alone, among 20,000 people, I felt lost. I badly wanted to pull a “U” turn and head back in the direction of self-medication.

Instead, I ran toward the 7k marker. I ran knowing that she was the strongest woman I have ever known and that I am my Mother’s daughter. I lifted my head and dried my tears and I carried on and each time I felt like slowing, I thought of her, knowing that she would never have eased off of any goal she set for herself.

I didn’t finish sub 2 hours, today, like I wanted to. I did run a personal best and took about 6 minutes off my time from last year. I have seen some Facebook and Twitter posts from some Elite runners commenting that conditions were bad today and it wasn’t a day for “PB’s”. As far as I am concerned, any day is a good day to run and today was no exception.

Great job Alan Brookes and Canada Running Series.

Thanks Mom xo

There are all kinds of excuses we use to get out of the everyday mundane.

“My computer crashed and I lost the document/couldn’t print”

“I got stuck in traffic/construction.” (Note: Please be sure to check road/traffic reports or only use this one if it’s true, because it’s very easy to verify).

“I contracted malaria and coming to that meeting will put everyone else at risk of contamination.”

And then there are the types of excuses women push out of their lady parts and are generally good for about 18 years or until they move out of the house.

Yes, it’s true. It didn’t take me long to discover my children make excellent scapegoats. If I’m lacking motivation to do nearly any given thing, running in particular, it’s all too convenient to blame it on exhaustion from chasing after/nursing/being up all night with one of them (Note: they also make legitimate excuses for getting out of dinner plans with people you don’t care for and if used appropriately, getting out of speeding or distracted driving fines).

Confession: my half-marathon was nearly two weeks ago and I ashamed to admit that I haven’t run once since then. The list of reasons is as long as the nasty string my daughter peeled from her banana in horror this morning, but to “real” runners, it’s just a bunch of noise. I don’t know if I fall into the category of real runner; those are the people who calculate negative splits on one hand while successfully ripping open a gel with the other. However while I may not be quite that hardcore and I’m using my tiredness from boisterous kids and home renovations as a reason to be stagnant, I can always tell when I’ve gone too long without running. I know pounding out a quick five kilometers is the answer to the little voices inside my head that tell me Casey Anthony is a more fit parent than I am.

My anxiety built for several years, but it didn’t really hit home or become a medically recognized condition until my daughter was three months old, when doctors could attach the word “postpartum” to it. I started running three months after the diagnosis and began to discover, even for a few brief minutes at a time, what feeling normal and strong was like again. I also had more patience and felt somewhat in-control when I walked back through the front door. So it makes perfect sense that my two weeks of non-activity have left me irritable, restless and generally about as pleasant to live with as I imagine having the entire Lohan clan as roommates would be.

One of these mornings I will shake off the sleep and push my half-alive carcass out the door for a slow jaunt around the neighbourhood. Until then, assume I’m just too busy repairing my broken printer and/or car, and sleeping off the Ebola virus.