My treat for waking up so early. Taken from my front porch, pre-run.
In the summer I had the pleasure of mostly running early in the morning. Even as I wrote that sentence, it sounds weird. The words ‘pleasure’ and ‘early morning’ have never lived cohesively in my vocabulary. But something changed last season.
Two things happened:
1) I reclaimed running as a fun hobby that I wanted to indulge myself in
2) I had a friend that is an early riser.
My friend, Fran and I have been trying to coordinate running schedules for the past 3 years. We often would see each other in town, out on a run and concluded that we should just run together. Seems simple enough, but add in two kids each, husbands (just one each) and full time careers…I’m sure you can guess how that ends.
When the time changed I realized that the early morning runs were the best solution to my hectic life. The only ‘me-time’ I would get was at the crack of dawn. The only problem was actually getting out of bed.
Enter Fran.
If you have someone waiting for you on the corner at 5:50am you.will. get. up!
And I was so grateful for it. If it wasn’t for her I would have missed some of the most spectacular sunrises. I wouldn’t have discovered a groomed trail right behind my house. I wouldn’t have the full appreciation for living in a small town with very friendly pre-dawn walkers. I would’ve missed the heavenly smells from the local bakery as they bake their morning inventory. I also would have missed her company.
My reward for getting out the front door so early in the morning.
We had some really great runs and great talks all summer long. Now that the weather has changed and our schedules have shifted again, we’re having a hard time getting back to it. It’s even harder now that it’s so dark in the morning. I won’t run at that time by myself. Mostly for safety, but also for the fact that I just can’t. get. out. of. bed. unless someone is waiting for me.
Are you an early riser? What gets you out of bed at the crack of dawn? I would love to hear from you! Follow me on Twitter @chasingks or leave a comment below!
On Sunday September 23, 2012, I just finished my first Montreal Rock ‘n Roll Marathon event. In fact, for approximately 27,000 of us, it was all of our first time as it was the inaugural running under the RnR banner. I participated in the half-marathon and savoured the entire experience from the expo, to the race course, to the post-race festivities. Let’s review what made this event special.
The Course: The best of Montreal means hills
The course is scenic and guides you through some of the best parts of Montreal which also means that it’s hilly. The Jacques-Cartier bridge serves as a stunning start line for the full- and half-marathon course. I was awestruck at the sight of thousands of runners swarming over a bridge normally occupied by cars. The race starts with a descent from the bridge where you get to enjoy the thrill of running through La Ronde amusement park as the rollercoasters and rides loom over you in silence.
You then head to Notre-Dame Island and then over a bridge back which affords some beautiful views of the St. Lawrence River. You are then routed through Old Montreal where you can enjoy the old architecture while the course avoids you running on cobblestones. It’s at this point where you start to encounter the hills – there are a few of them but there are some flat “breaks” in between. For half-marathoners, this is towards the end of their race so this can be quite difficult for some. For full-marathoners, however, they benefit in tackling these hills earlier on in their race.
The finish is at La Fontaine Park and it is relatively flat so you can pull off your most amazing sprint finish at the end and not look too much in agony. All-in-all, it is a fun course to run through but it’s best to approach this as an opportunity to run through a beautiful city rather than targeting a personal best.
The Logistics: A smooth orchestration of five simultaneous races
The race logistics were very well run (pardon the horrible pun) and everything flowed smoothly from the race kit pickup at the expo, to the starting corrals, to the on-course water and aid stations, to the festive finish at the end. What’s quite impressive is the fact that there is a simultaneous running of a full-marathon, half-marathon, 10K, 5K, and kids 1K all on the same course, all at the same time. As a testament to the race organizers, I didn’t notice any of this complexity.
The full- and half-marathoners were divided into at least 18 start corrals which would be released at two minute intervals. Given a race of this size, a staggered start is critical to providing runners with enough room to hit their desired pace. There was, however, some degree of congestion at the start as the paths leading away from the bridge were not that wide (and a little treacherous due to some rough patches on the road).
The aid stations were well managed with sports drinks, water, gels and bananas available to keep us fueled up. I do wish, however, that the volunteers would have shouted out what they had both in French AND English to make things a little easier. I also wonder why they don’t have the gels and bananas at the front of an aid station so that you can have your drink at the end in order to wash things down. Otherwise, the aid stations were more than fine.
My only minor quibble with this race is with the bag check. At the race beginning, I checked my bag on to a numbered bus corresponding to where my last name fell alphabetically. My last name starts with “Cha”, so I checked my bag into bus #4. When I finished my half-marathon, I looked for my bus to see that it was in a long queue of busses waiting to park. Busses were parked in reverse chronological order (from #30-something) and it was taking a long time for them to do multiple 3-point turns (does that mean they’re 6 or 9 point turns?) in order to get into their parking spots. Bus #4 wasn’t parked until an hour after I had finished. Fortunately, it was not too cold so I was OK, but if conditions were colder it would not have been good. I’m sure that RnR will factor this into their bag check approach for next year. Anyway, let’s finish off this review on a good note and talk about the ambience, shall we?
The Ambience: A Rock ‘n Rolling great time!
This event had rock and roll everywhere. There was a band playing near the transit arrival area at race start. There were bands strategically scattered throughout the initial part of the course where less spectators were expected to be. And these bands were good – really good. They played lots of covers of songs that many of us would be familiar with and would enjoy on a run. This RnR event lived up to its namesake.
As we headed back through Old Montreal, the crowds were euphoric to run through. As an English-speaking Ontarian, hearing French cheers was an unforgettable and encouraging experience for my ears. “Bravo monsieur! Bravo!” These foreign phrases would lift my spirits and fuel my legs to strengthen my pace.
At the end, La Fontaine Park provided a cozy setting for food and festivities. There were showers available (first time I’ve ever seen that!) and a family zone which included multiple bouncy castles and balloon animal artists. I relished at how inclusive this race was as it spanned multiple distances and I enjoyed seeing all different ages, shapes and sizes come together to celebrate the shared accomplishment of a run well done. And that’s exactly what this race was.
One of the advantages of taking early retirement , at least for me, is not having to wake up to an alarm clock. So on Friday morning, I rolled out of bed around 8:30 ,made some coffee, and checked my email.
Yikes, Kathleen Wilker from iRun asked me to attend a press conference for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon downtown at 9:30 a.m.
All of a sudden, my activities ramped up.
Had a quick cup of coffee, grabbed a bite to eat, jumped on my bike and got to the Marriott hotel on Bay Street in Toronto right on time.
Said a quick hello to Alan Brookes (RD for the STWM), got introduced to Paul Gains (journalist extrodinaire who has met and spoken with Haile Gebrselassie plus he showed me a photo of them together, one day I would like that so much, but I am gettng off topic), and went to the Arcade Room to meet two of the fastest Canadian women marathoners, Lanni Marachant (2:31:51) and Krista DuChene (2:32:06).
They will be running on October 14 and trying to break two records. The Olympic standard of 2:29:55 and if all is good, Sylvia Ruegger’s record of 2:28:36 (which is still standing since 1985 !!!!)
And to make the Running Groupie’s day even more exciting, Matt Loiselle (2:16:01) and Rob Watson (2:13:37) were there too.
Later on Reid Coolsaet, Dylan Wykes and Eric Gillis came in to say hello – wow, what a morning.
Then I went over to City Hall and hung out with the Canadian Olympians.
Now I have to pack for the BMW 39th Berlin Marathon September 30, so stay tuned.
If you’re looking for something a little more adventurous, check out Abbot Pass in Rogers Pass (British Columbia). The trailhead is located very close to the summit of Rogers Pass, at Illecilliweit camping area (just to the west of the crest of the pass).
The trailhead has plenty of parking, bathroom facilities, and also a place to purchase a park pass. Although you don’t need a pass to drive along the TransCanada Highway in the Park, you do need one to park at any of the sights. It’s totally worth the $8-$15 you’ll spend for the day and it helps to keep the park running.
The trail is very well signed so you should not have a problem finding your way – just make sure you read the sign at all of the trail junctions. Once you get into the hike/run about 20 minutes you’ll see that there really are not many junctions so it’s just getting into a good rhythm and going!
The trail is approximately 5 km long… but has a LOT of elevation gain. We were able to run parts of the trail but it was certainly more comfortable to do at a brisk hike/walk. We all had hydration packs of some sort and some snacks to get us through. The total time for the group of cross-country ski national team athletes I was with was approximately 3 hours, so this could easily take up to 5 hours if you go a bit slower or take more frequent breaks.
The trail is in fantastic condition. We did the hike in mid-September and there was still a small patch of snow on one section; residual from last winter. Thus, you can expect some challenges if you do the hike any earlier that mid-July. There is a short-cut route (which we came down) that avoided the snow patch, but also avoided some of the really neat views.
Once you get above tree-line the views really open up and you can see down to Rogers Pass and further into the Selkirk Mountains. It’s beautiful terrain. The trail ends (there is a sign that says “End of Trail”) at what appears to be a summit, but you can continue along (boulder hopping) for another 10 minutes or so and get some more views. There appears to be further trails in the distance, but they’re apparently not accessible so not worth trying to get to.
We ran all of the way back down to the cars – it only took about 30 – 45 minutes. That said, our legs were very sore for a few days after so it might be prudent to take a slower pace on the way down if you’re not used to downhill running! Once you get back to the parking lot there’s a nice mountain stream to “ice” your legs and the cafe at Rogers Pass sells delicious sodas and other treats for re-fueling!
***
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.
I was supposed to run, but my cold kept me from participating. So why do a report then? Well, Because I love the race and I am on the committee!
My commitment to the race was pretty much just as an advisor. I have my hands in so many running events as a volunteer that I had to put the brakes on my level of participation this fall. The combination of my own training, the fact that my son started Kindergarten plus all the scheduled activities he is now in, didn’t afford me the time to actually BE on a sub-committee with extra responsibility and such. I hope my level of advisement was worthwhile for the organizers.
I had planned on being more involved where I could during the week prior, but since the race is in support of Ronald McDonald House, Southern Alberta, and the meeting are located at the House, I decided it was best that I didn’t spread the love germs to already immuno-compromised kids.
HOWEVER, I am feeling better by race morning, so I send RD Barb an email and tell her I’d be there as a friendly face/ human interest photographer. Just casual like.
Race Background:
The race changed a ton of things for this year, the least of which was the date. Traditionally a summer race, it was moved to the first weekend of the fall. This proved to be a very good choice, but wasn’t without some stress in planning as there are no less than 6 other endurance events in Calgary and 1 HUGE one out in Banff the day before.
Other changes were: The route, the running store sponsor, the start location, and a few more not too insignificant of changes.
All the extra sweat and stress was worth it for the group as all attendance and money pledge records were smashed! Way to go team!
We also had (on my urging) barefoot divisions for the race. Registration was down a bit from where I imagined them to be, but what I didn’t expect, and I don’t think anyone did, was the 10k barefoot winner ended up being the OVERALL winner of the 10k too! That made having the new categories completely worth it! Way to go #1000! (cool bib # too)
My day was spent milling around, chatting with folks and just generally being merry. I shot 700+ photos all together, many of the more anecdotal variety rather than the standard racer shots. I got lots of those too, but I try to catch the overall feeling of an event in my pictures. My Flickr Gallery from the race is here.
I’m not sure what level of involvement I will be able to commit to next year, but I hope to have a role of some sort with this race. My connection to it is significant as it was my very first fully barefoot race at the 2010 edition.
I am racing this weekend at the Harvest Half. I am woefully unprepared, but it is the race I am most connected to as a racer as well as supporter. I manage their Facebook page, and help with other items on race day. It’ll be a day of fun running with friends! I can’t wait!
Caffeine has been studied extensively for decades, and the evidence is very strong that it helps improve athletic performance. Heck, the International Olympic Committee had it on its banned substances list until 2004. So how does it work? How much do you need? And does everyone really benefit?
How does caffeine improve performance?
There are many different theories as to how caffeine helps performance, and unfortunately, nothing absolutely concrete stands out. The best theory out there right now is that caffeine intake can lower your perception of fatigue and make you able to push a bit harder than you otherwise would. This is a pretty intuitive answer: most regular caffeine users would have already agreed that caffeine makes you feel less tired and more willing to work!
How much caffeine and when?
In a lot of studies, athletes are given huge doses of caffeine before exercise – up to 9mg per kg or over 700mg for an 80-kg person – and exercise performance improves. Recent studies suggest that much smaller doses – around 1-3mg/kgor 80-240mg for an 80kg person – are just as effective. This is a good lesson for all of us: there’s no need to go overboard with caffeine intake (see the link at the end of the post).
After ingestion, it takes about 45 minutes for caffeine to build up in your body, and levels in the blood will stay elevated for several hours afterward. So if you’re looking for a boost in performance in a 5k or 10k, pre-exercise caffeine intake is recommended.
A recent study compared time trial performance after 2 hours of moderate exercise. In one trial, athletes took a large dose of caffeine an hour before exercise, and in the other, they took in 6 small doses (for the same total amount) throughout the 2 hour exercise period. On both occasions, performance in the time trial was increased compared to when athletes took in no caffeine at all. So for longer events such as a half- or full-marathon, taking in caffeine either before or during exercise should work equally well.
What about smaller amounts of caffeine late in exercise? Anyone who has done a marathon or other long distance event has probably gone through an aid station offering flat cola late in the race. But there’s only about 30mg of caffeine in one cup (~250mL) of cola. So does this really help? The same study mentioned above also examined the effects of cola intake late in exercise, compared with intake of a decaffeinated placebo drink. Surprisingly, performance was improved with the caffeine-containing cola drink. It appears that a fatigued athlete may be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine, and so can benefit from small amounts late in exercise.
Common caffeine sources: Where to get your fix
Caffeine is present in small amounts in common items such as chocolate, cola and tea, and in sports nutrition products like gels, chews and drinks. For many people, the go-to pre-exercise caffeine source is coffee. Tim Horton’s must be up to date on the research, because their coffee contains precisely 1-3mg/kg of caffeine for an 80kg person. An extra small (230 mL) contains 80mg, and an extra large (710 mL) contains 240 mg.
Caffeine may be a diuretic for those who don’t normally use it, but really, drinking 710mL of any fluid in a short period will probably make you want to pee. If you want a bit more bang for your buck, Starbucks has you covered: Their 230-mL “small” option packs 180mg of caffeine. Or if you want to eliminate the fluid altogether, just go straight to the source and pop a couple caffeine pills. Most will contain about 100mg. This is a good idea if you’re in unfamiliar coffee territory and don’t want to risk the possible side effects of a foreign brew.
Not everyone will benefit from caffeine intake
Unfortunately there is no cut and dry answer when it comes to “will this work for me?”. Some athletes find that having caffeine before a race makes them jittery and may cause problems with pacing or concentration. Some (but not all) regular caffeine users may not get as much of a boost from caffeine. Some (but not all) regular users may benefit from avoiding caffeine for a couple days before the race, or taking a larger-than-normal dose beforehand. A few researchers have suggested that the main benefit of pre-exercise caffeine intake for regular users is to avoid the negative effects of not having it!
People with pre-existing heart issues should consult a doctor before they consider using caffeine during exercise. Pregnant athletes hoping to establish a new PB should look elsewhere for an edge. And for all you kids out there thinking it might be a good idea to load up on energy drinks before your next race, think again: You don’t want to end up like this guy.
References:
Armstrong LE et al. Fluid, electrolyte, and renal indices of hydration during 11 days of controlled caffeine consumption. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2005;15(3):252-65
Cox, GR et al. Effect of different protocols of caffeine intake on metabolism and endurance performance. J Appl Physiol. 2002;93,990–999.
Irwin C et al. Caffeine withdrawal and high intensity endurance cycling performance. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2011;29,509–515.
Van Soeren MH et al. Caffeine metabolism and epinephrine responses during exercise in users and nonusers. J Appl Physiol. 1993;75,805–812.
I blame the fact that there’s only 24-hours in a day and between working, and setting up a new place, and seeing friends, and showering, and preparing meals and sleeping, etc, etc, etc. I could easily use a 30-hour day.
And I’m only taking care of one person (side note: I don’t know how working parents do it)
I have a bad habit of sacrificing sleep to get stuff done. This started back in university and it’s sort of carried through into my “professional” life today.
And it’s BAD.
And it must STOP.
Personally, I need 6 hours sleep.
Sometimes, I try to function on 5 or even 4 and I’m starting to notice the consequences.
Last week I stayed up until 1:30 am, doing work. When my alarm went off at 6:30, I simply turned the thing off and fell back into my deep sleep. I rolled over at 8am, the time I should technically be rolling into work.
(Keep in mind I’ve been with the company for less than 2 months).
If putting my job in jeopardy isn’t a clear sign that I need more sleep, I don’t know what is!
The same exact thing almost happened this morning, but luckily I rolled over at 7:15 as opposed to 8:00, which left me just enough time to throw on some clothes and boot it to work (without coffee or breakfast mind you).
To motivate myself to get more ZZZZs, I came up with the following list of things I can AVOID by going to bed at a decent hour…
18,000 bodies came together as one big running family in the Nation’s Capital to support the 5th Annual Army Run. This run is more than just another event on the race calendar … it’s a way to support and thank our Canadian Armed Forces for there service as well as to show respect and remembrance for soldiers lost or injured in the line of duty. Charities supported by this run are “Soldier On” and the “Military Families Fund”. “Soldier On” provides financial assistance for adaptive sporting equipment to ill and injured soldiers, while the “Military Families Fund” assists through health support, memorials, burials, next of kin travel, and responding to unique and immediate needs of military members and their families.
I arrived in Ottawa on Saturday and after settling in to breakfast ( two eggs poached, ham, pancakes, potatoes, toast, coffee ) I made my way to picking up race kits with my running buddy David. Now to be fair to all parties involved, it was David who said…” you should come and run the Army Run sometime… it’s an awesome race… it’s like no other”. Little did I know that this was probably the biggest understatement of the year.
We arrived to pick up the kits under tents set up outside the race expo. There where all kinds of volunteers assisting with kit pick up, as well as military personnel dressed in battle fatigues participating in an outdoor display of a Leopard 2A4M tank, a Coyote and LAV lll light armoured vehicle, a EROC Buffalo mine elimination vehicle, and the M777 Howitzer ( also used at the official start of the race ). The public was free to wander and ask questions about the equipment, getting answers directly from the people who use the equipment.
The Expo was located at the Cartier Square Drill Hall. Upon entry to the hall we had to verify and activate our bib which also contained our timing chip. The main focus of this expo was to promote “Soldier On” and the “Military Families Fund”, there was some merchandise available from vendors, but not the usual “sea of shoe manufacturers & retail outlets” you would usually find at your standard, run of the mill expo.
Other displays included the Canadian Forces Personnel and Family Support Services booth and the elite tactical unit JTF2.
Having said that, I did manage to find some familiar faces passing out copies of iRUN magazine.
Sunday morning was the standard pre-race ritual of eating a light breakfast ( I won’t bore you with what I had for breakfast ), applying band aids and body glide, confirming Garmin functions, and the mandatory “voiding of the bladder”.
The “vibe” at the start line was different than other races, the presence of a full colour guard, military band, and enough military personnel dressed in battle fatigues to be an army…( oh wait, they are the army )…there were also many injured soldiers wearing running blades, in racing chairs, and buddy runners for the visually impaired. These gutsy guys and gals ready to run in spite of their disability … ready to “soldier on”. There were also thousands of race shirts worn “in memory” of soldiers who had fallen in battle.
The pre-race ceremony started at exactly 0800hr with addresses ( broadcast on a ultra large projection screen ) from the following:
Commander of the Canadian Army – LGen.Peter Devlin
Chief of Defence – General Walter Natynczyk
Minister of Defence – Peter MacKay
Mayor of Ottawa – Jim Watson
Honorary LCol. – John Stanton
Communications from soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, who were having their own Army Run.
Singing of “Oh Canada”
The start of the race signaled by the firing of the M777 Howitzer ( this thing is so loud…it was AWESOME ) !!!
The race conditions were perfect, about 15C …although I did not appreciate the 20km/hr wind gusts…but I digress…
The route took us along Wellington, past the Terry Fox Monument, Parliament Hill, the Canadian War Museum, crossing to Hull past the Museum of Civilization, then back across to Ottawa and out to Rideau Hall and back…a run downtown along Colonel By Drive and along the Rideau Canal crossing at Pretoria Bridge then back up Queen Elizabeth Drive to the finish.
I didn’t really see too much of the sights of the city as my focus was on the other runners and the crowds of supporters cheering us on. Many of the people around me were wearing their technical race shirts with camouflage accent sleeves and panels…two runners were carrying large Canadian Flags, I witnessed runners with artificial limbs and running blades, wheel chair competitors of both hand crank and racing configurations…and many shirts with pictures of loved ones lost to battle. I quickly came to realize that this race was not about time, but about guts, about pushing on, about remembering, about being grateful to what a Canadian soldier puts on the line for our safety and security.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t keeping an eye on the 1:55 continuous bunny, but my goal was to finish in under 2:00. David passed me around the 16k mark and continued to finish in 1:58:07. I managed to squeak in with a 1:59:17. It was over, but as I crossed the finish line and proceeded through the chute, I was amazed to see an army soldiers dressed in battle fatigues handing out race medals that looked like military dog tags.
The soldier that hung the medal around my neck, shook my hand, congratulated me and thanked me for participating in the race…and I thanked him for his service…and then thanked every uniformed service man and woman in the finisher’s area that I crossed paths with. This was by far a finish that I will never forget…and a race that I will run again next year for sure.
David and I showing off our sub 2:00:00hr. “dog tag” medals.
You’ve got to love the evening before a race; everyone has their own specific routine. I like to lay out all of my gear so I know I won’t forget anything, it makes it that much easier in the morning. I’ve felt a little bit nervous about this race. I’ve run many 1/2 marathons but I had never tried to run one at a 3:50-3:55 pace. It’s intimidating. So that had me feeling a little apprehensive. Furthermore, I’m always a little nervous if the training will take me to my goal. It’s the difference between a good day or a mentally/physically draining day if you’re intent on reaching that goal without being fully trained for it. Though the more races you have under your belt, the more often you can anticipate road blocks, which helps you progressively get better at the physical equation of racing.
I woke up this morning with that nervous feeling echoing through my body. My stomach was off and it definitely showed. There were a lot of reports this week that this Sunday morning would be rainy and cool; this was changing my outfit expectations. Once I stepped out of our door to let the dog out this morning, I realized it was only cool and breezy. Better than rain I thought!
We arrive at the starting area, and there was a sense of pride in the air. Being downtown, in the capital of Canada, is in itself a very patriotic feeling-add the Army Run in that mix, and it’s just a great place to be a Canadian. After warming up and leaving my stuff with my wife and mother-in-law, I head over to the start line. (Side note: if you’re a family member, volunteer, friend watching: thank you. Just coming from a race a few hours ago, it resonates even more. You make these events happen and you inspire us to achieve our dreams and goals. Your support is second to none.) After arriving at the start line, the 1/2 for ill and injured soldiers/athletes with disabilities is just about to begin. I feel so proud and inspired in this moment, these guys are real champions. What they’re doing takes a lot of courage and perseverance. I run for them, and I run for my Dad (retired Captain, who is a champ in his own right).
After 15 minutes, the main start is about to begin. I set the Garmin and the tunes. It’s time! I’ve set myself up in the front, and as we’re moving, there’s a lot of vying for spots and it’s got me running a little hot at 3:30/km. I’m a little hasty for the next 2km’s until I get a hold of myself and pull back on the speed. Trust me, it took some self motivation to step off of the gas. I felt good, but I didn’t want to blow a tire later in the race. I stayed consistent and my music was just perfect and really kept my pace up. This race has such a visual route. It was great to pass the parliament buildings right away and the war museum shortly after. I love races that keep me enjoying the view.
As we crest the first bridge past the war museum, a girl passes me, I wanted to stay with her but it was still a little too fast for me at nearly 5 km in, so I stayed disciplined. I was happy at this point to keep the pace, I wasn’t sure if it would hold, but my training and speed workouts are the key at this point. We’re running on the Ottawa parkway (Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway) when we turn around back toward the war museum just nearing Island Park Drive. Just before we hit the war museum there was a water stop, I grabbed a glass of what I thought was water: it was Gatorade. Of course I meant to get it in my mouth but I missed and hit my eye. I had to blink that one out, it was quite comical. I think we’re sitting at about 7Km in as we come across the bridge to Quebec. Things are still going well, and I’m really relaxed and comfortable, which is the difference between a good race and a crap race. Relaxing into a pace is key.
Quebec went by really fast, the girl that had passed me earlier is now far up ahead, though I can still see her. Girls are making this sport much better than it ever was. I think John Stanton said this morning “this race is 53 or 56% women”, which is amazing, but as a dude it’s hard getting your butt kicked by a girl. I’ve decided I’ll try and catch up to her by the end of the race, at this point she’s about 800m ahead of me.
As we head towards the Alexandra bridge coming back to Ontario, we pass the Museum of Civilization. I did a quick gait check in the window and hit the next water stop; this time successfully managing to drink the Gatorade. We’re approaching 11Km at this point, it’s definitely the most beautiful part of the race crossing over the Ottawa River, seeing the backside of Parliament on the right, and approaching the National Gallery to the left. From here we veer left onto Sussex Drive passing the Royal Canadian Mint and heading towards the Rockcliffe Parkway passing 24 Sussex on the way (Prime Minister’s Residence). I’m still feeling quite strong, and with 10k left, it’s only more motivation to stay at the same pace and remain strong on any hills I encounter. I brace myself for the hill just ahead toward the turn around at Rockcliffe Parkway. As we take a left on a roundabout towards the impending hill, the leader of the race passes on the opposite side of the road. I’m shocked as he’s well ahead of the second place finisher. Wow, if that’s not motivation, I don’t know what is, this guy was cruising!
As we make our way back towards Sussex on the turn around from Rockcliffe Parkway, I decide to put the hammer on from here out and let loose. With about 7KM remaining, I pick up the pace to between 3:33-3:40/KM. I find the girl that passed me long ago at 5Km, and do what I like to call “target marking”. This is anytime during a race when you decide that you can make it through the last few kilometers no problem. You find someone up ahead and keep your eyes locked on them; don’t sway too long. It allows you to stay completely focused on catching up to them, and should allow you to keep that hard pace that you’ve decided to stay at. With this all in mind, I think about my gait, and start cruising my way back towards Colonol By (Rideau Canal) feeling great, and feeling confident that I’ll catch up to her. It was very nostalgic to how my Marathon in this exact same spot in May went. I had been trying to catch a guy for awhile and eventually passed him around the same spot. By 19Km, I’m getting very close to her, and by 20Km, I’ve just passed her heading into the last kilometer. Then I find another shirt, and I stay locked in, I know that it’s a long shot, but it allows me to pick my pace up for the last 500m, and come across the finish line in speedy fashion. I didn’t catch him, but shook his hand, and told him “good race”.
The end of a race is so amazing. It’s the time when the crowd is supporting you, the adrenaline accelerates through your body, and you can feel relief that it’s all over. There’s no more waiting, nervous feelings, questioning training/outcome, it’s finished! After I crossed I looked up to the bridge at my wife and mother-in-law, happy to see them. Today was a great feeling for me as I PB’d a 1:21 and took 23rd place of 6000+ people. I have come a far way from the boy who started running at a 6:00/km and had knee problems, stress fractures, muscle tears and and generally slow progression. I’ve had to learn this sport through multiple races and injury. It’s all about the running form (gait), training, nutrition, great advice, and experience. Training being key though. If you’re reading this wondering, could I do this? Believe that you can, put in the time, and you will at least get to a place that makes you proud and appreciative that you gave it your best.
If you pick up any fitness magazine or walk into any nutrition store you will find dozens of products that claim to improve performance, with more showing up on the store shelves every month. In most cases the claims are exaggerated with very few products actually improving performance. Every now and then however a product does come along that lives up to the hype; about twenty years ago that product was creatine, which has gone on to become the most researched performance enhancing supplement with the vast majority of studies supporting it’s use in most athlete groups. Recently another product has started to show that same type of promise: Beta alanine. Beat alanine supplementation has been reported to decrease fatigue associated with higher intensity exercise.
Fatigue during Exercise
Fatigue, defined as the inability to carry on a given level of work, is a complex phenomenon with many factors contributing simultaneously. While the inability of the nervous system to activate muscle fibres, interference with calcium release or uptake within the muscle, structural damage to muscle fibres, heat, and depletion of energy stores are some of the main culprits, an accumulation of metabolites like ADP, inorganic phosphate, lactate and hydrogen ions are among the most well known contributors to fatigue.
There has been an ongoing debate about the role of lactate in fatigue. Research conducted in the 1970s suggested that lactate was a major contributor to fatigue. Many of these studies were correlation studies that did not look at cause and effect. While there was a correlation between the amount of lactate that was produced and fatigue more recent research has shown that lactate itself does not contribute to fatigue and may actually work to prevent fatigue. The production of hydrogen ions, from various sources in the series of chemical reactions that take place when the anaerobic energy systems are used, can lead to a decrease in the pH of the cell; interfering with energy production and muscle contraction.
Buffers
Buffers are the body’s chemical agents that keep pH in the cells within normal range. There are a variety of buffers that the body uses. Bicarbonate is the most important extracellular buffer, meaning that it maintains the pH outside of the cells. It has been known for many years that ingesting sodium bicarbonate, baking soda, can increase the effectiveness of the bicarbonate buffering system in the body and delay fatigue in high intensity sports. For many people ingesting baking soda causes stomach problems and can lead to vomiting or diarrhoea, unpleasant side effects at the best of times but particularly problematic during competition. Carnosine is the primary intramuscular buffer found in humans, it also seems to have positive effects on the nervous system, acts as an antioxidant and may have anti aging effects. Carnosine does not appear to be increased by exercise but supplementation with Beta Alanine does increase intramuscular carnosine and improve buffer capacity.
Effects on Performance
The majority of studies suggest that beta alanine can enhance performance in sports where there are maximal or near maximal efforts for 60s to 5 minutes. Shorter duration sprints and strength training do not seem to benefit as much from beta alanine use, although total work volume in strength training sessions can be improved by as much as 20% following beta alanine supplementation. Whether the increase in work volume can translate into better training adaptations and performance improvements is not known. Two studies have shown improvements in power at anaerobic threshold following beta alanine supplementation and slight improvements (2.5%) in time to exhaustion at anaerobic threshold.
Supplementation Protocol
Several studies have been done on to find the optimal protocol for taking beta alanine. It appears that ability of beta alanine to increase carnosine is dose dependant, 6-7 g per day give best results. Beta alanine supplements often cause tingling sensations in various parts of the body, particularly in the head and neck region. This can become quite intense and unpleasant if large doses are taken at one time. The tingling can start within minutes of taking the supplement and last for up to an hour. Smaller doses spread throughout the day or time release capsules seem to decrease or eliminate the tingling. Beta alanine supplementation is not an acute response supplement it needs to be done over an extended period of time for significant effects to be noticed, usually 28 days or more.
Adverse Effects
Currently the only known adverse effects associated with beta alanine supplementation is the tingling that is noticed shortly after taking the supplement.
References
Allen DG, Lamb GD, Westerblad H. Skeletal muscle fatigue: cellular mechanisms. Physiol Rev. 2008;88(1):287–332.
ARTIOLI, G. G., B. GUALANO, A. SMITH, J. STOUT, and A. H. LANCHA, JR. Role of A-Alanine Supplementation on Muscle Carnosine and Exercise Performance. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 42, No. 6, pp. 1162–1173, 2010
Boning D, Maassen N. Last word on point:counterpoint: lactic acid is/is not the only physicochemical contributor to the acidosis of exercise. J Appl Physiol. 2008;105(1):368.
Cairns SP. Lactic acid and exercise performance: culprit or friend? Sports Med. 2006;36(4):279–91.
PEAK Centre staff have the highest certifications available in Canada for Sport Science. With their combined experience and education, PEAK Centre is at the forefront of practical Sport Science application.
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. 
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