Paralympic athlete Jason Dunkerley, who won a silver medal in the T11 5000m and a bronze medal in the T11 1500m events at the Games this summer in London will be running the 5K at the Canada Army Run this Sunday.

Instead of aiming to break a record or achieve a new personal best, Dunkerley, along with his guide Matt Stacey, are running with Canada’s ill and injured soldiers and other athletes with disabilities in support of Soldier On.

According to a news release from the Canada Army Run, 115 people will be participating in the injured/ill/disabled events, including 19 in the new visually impaired category and 35 in the new half marathon hand cycle category.  They will start 15 minutes ahead of the mass start for each event.

Sunday marks the 5^th anniversary of the Canada Army Run, with participation swelling from 7,000 in 2008 to over 18,000 in 2012.  All funds raised will benefit Soldier On and the Military Families Fund.

If you are one of the over 18,000 people participating, don’t forget to stop by the iRun booth at the expo!

I spent this past summer training with a talented group of veteran and novice marathoners at the Barrie Ontario Running Room. These runners became more inspirational to me than an uncorked bottle of valpolicella. Like the beloved wine I miss so much I began feeling a bit dependant on the group, especially on long runs.  The longer the Sunday runs got, the more I appreciated the calming effect the proximity of the others gave me. At times, there were no other runners in sight; however I knew I wasn’t alone.

As the kilometers increased, I would drop farther off the lead group’s 5:15-5:30/km pace, but kept ahead of the group keeping a 6 minute/km pace.  There were days that I was able to keep the 5:30 pace for 12-14k thanks to the pacing of the lead group. I found that settling in near the back of the lead group gave me the chance to eavesdrop on some really great marathon stories. Most of the stories had a moral which clearly outlined some “what and what not to do’s”.  Some of the advice included steering clear of a big bender the night before a 26km training run. This seemed sensible to me, as I was suffering enough without the added hangover effect. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that if I had not quit drinking, that would probably be the way I would operate.  With the temperatures that this summer produced I didn’t need the side effects of alcohol to be seen doubled over and retching in a bush, or staggering towards home, the combination of heat and dehydration took care of that. I am definitely familiar with dehydration and retching after drinking too many spirits, the night before.

Further eaves dropping revealed how important it is to carefully consider your nutrition when running longer. This is an area that I have some interest in. I am currently 1 course and exam away from earning an Advanced Nutrition Diploma specializing in Sports Nutrition, so I am familiar with and specializing in this very finicky subject.  When I was in treatment, it was suggested (over and over again), as an alcohol addict, to increase my chances of remaining sober, “all I had to change was everything”…pretty “staggering”. I have taken that advice where possible. Part of the plan of change for me included focusing on a new area of work.  Using my background in healthcare as a springboard, my goal is to work in Sports Nutrition consulting. My passion for running and fueling my body for the best results possible were the catalysts for this change. I have spent too many years spending too many empty calories on drinking booze and binging on crap while drunk. Running and canning the beer habit has yielded me a 40lbs weight loss.  So, when I heard the wisdom of the marathoner who advised me not to be up late drinking beer and eating steak the night before a long run (as he had the night before), I will admit, a flash of envy struck me just prior to imagining what he was going through and being grateful it was him and not me.*

During the long runs, as the kilometers have pushed higher and higher, I have fallen off the 5:30 pace, usually being dropped on one of many gigantic hills that our leader, Roger, has us navigating. The first time this happened, I was disappointed in myself for not being able to keep up, and then I became kinder to myself, admitting that marathoning is new for me and I will develop over time.  Being dropped and easing into the middle pacing of the group gave me the reassurance of runners in front and in back of me…it was like being hugged by a group of healthy, talented ambitious people, without the exchange of sweat. This kind of group support functions with the same concern, compassion and hope for the “long run” as a group of recovering addicts do.  There are some days that you don’t believe you can make it, but you can be guaranteed others in the group will believe in you even when you can’t.

I will not be running 42.2k in October, with these gifted runners because I am injured and can’t get the training done. I will race 21.1k at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in October instead. I am shooting for Hamilton’s Road to Hope race in November for my inaugural marathon event.

*I should mention I wouldn’t touch the steak anyway. Another of the big changes I have made in the last year with my nutrition is observing a vegan diet…and YES, I get enough protein.

162lbs

a healthier image

By: Magi Scallion

I got to spend a very lovely weekend in Revelstoke, BC, this fine September. Revelstoke has long been a winter destination for skiers and snowmobilers with legendary back country and deep powder, but it’s now becoming a mountain bike and trail running destination in the summer months.

A lot of the recent summer hype has been around two amazing, epic trails that were recently build or rediscovered. The Frisbey Ridge trail runs through the Monashee mountains, on the west side of the famous Columbia River, and is a panoramic 26 km out-and-back run. The trail was recently refurbished and gives the feel of front-country trail running: limited rocks and routes with great panoramic vistas. The trail involves 7 km of climbing right out of the parking lot (which means 7 km of descending back to the parking lot) so put on your best suffer smile and get to it: it’s worth it. I, personally, did not do this run, but got the report from a few friends who did it the day before I arrived.

The trail I got to enjoy was Keystone Standard Basin, which falls on the east side of the Columbia River, on the edge of the majestic Selkirk Mountains. This trail, similar to Frisbey is about 45 minutes of driving from the Town of Revelstoke. Don’t complain about the drive because it takes you several hundred feet above the valley floor (which means less self-propelled climbing).

To be perfectly honest, I enjoyed the Keystone trail as a cyclist, not a runner. I did the Terry Fox Run in the morning (a hard 10 km effort with a bunch of young guys) so was feeling the need for some seated afternoon exercise. There were plenty of runners on the trail, though, so I can assure you that it is spectacular no matter what form of exercise you choose.

The trail head has lots of parking and also an outhouse: a great feature considering it’s a 45 minute drive from town! I was warned that the first 25 minutes of the trail was all climbing… hard climbing. I was exhausted from the race in the morning so was not really looking forward to this. Let me tell you how happy I was to crest the worst part of the climb within 10 minutes. I am not superwoman: it’s really not that bad. You do continue to climb for about 30 minutes but it’s more of a benched climb with some flatter rest sections. Not as bad as you think!

Once you get the climb over with, you enter into some sublime alpine meadows, which sums up the rest of the trail. It’s 11 km to a lake and small cabin, along a trail that runs around a spectacular basin. The views to the Monashee mountains and deeper into the Selkirks are amazing. Take a camera because you cannot take a bad picture of this area! Rumour has it that the flowers are waist high in the mid to late summer months: that must make for some beautiful colours!

There are lots of viewpoints and features along the way, including a few small streams. You can bring your dog along (best to have a well trained or on-leash dog, in case you encounter some animals). The trail was designed for hiking but the bulk of users are now mountain bikers and trail runners, who have a very symbiotic relationship.

There are lots of great places to stay and eat in Revelstoke – it’s a cute mountain town – so make a weekend of it! I highly recommend:

Camping: Williamson Lake Campground (A lake for swimming and decent tent sites)
Coffee: La Baguette (also a great place for cheese… mmmm cheese)
Greasy Spoon Breakfast: The Frontier Restaurant (who doesn’t love recovery food?)
Wine: Benoit’s Wine Bar (Good wine selection and food)
Beer and Burgers: The Village Idiot (It’s got character and beer…)

It’s inevitable, some day it’s bound to happen. You might have a mental lapse of judgement during a race, or might not have trained up to your potential. You might (like me) just be getting older, slower, less focused on “the time” and more focused on “the finish”.  We all as runners want to do our personal best, we all want to set goals, train for, and then meet them.

This preamble leads me to a very cute story and an awakening of sorts…let me explain…

While running the Creemore Vertical Challenge 25k trial run this past year, I heard for the first time the term “Chicked”.  Now, this is a term used to describe “the act of getting passed by a stronger runner, who just also happens to be a woman”.  In this specific case, I was passed by my buddy’s girlfriend ( who in my defense is half my age, and runs like a gazelle ).   Let’s call her “Catherine”…and yes, that is her real name.

Now Catherine had never run this race before and I give her all kinds of props for running on that specific day as the course was very muddy and technical…lots of steep single track, mostly up hill…some back roads and open fields…a small creek,  in fact, if truth be told, she almost backed out of the race because the footing on the course when it is in perfect condition is a bit iffy, and it had poured rain an hour before the race, making the single track a slippery, muddy, mess.

I was feeling pretty good that day, I had a really good run, and in fact, had shaved about 14min. off my best time, running this race three times before.  Having said that…here’s what happened.

So when my buddy, “Conar”… yes that’s his real name…so when I came up to the 21k aid station, Conar was volunteering at this station.  I had asked Conar how Catherine was doing…his response was “ya, she’s already through, you’ve been “Chicked” by her, I laughed an awkward laugh and trying to stay positive, I said, “good on her” and continued to run the final 4k of the race…  I was really OK with it…honest, and let me tell you why.

There are some awesome runners out there who I marvel at …both male and female.  The runners who run so fast that by the time I am half way through a marathon, they are finishing, doing a victory lap, and enjoying the spoils of being first at the food table.

I know I am never going to be that fast…truth be told, the average male runner has been “Chicked” every race they have ever run unless they are at the front of the pack.

So take from this blog a lesson on both humility and reality…and I say “Bravo Ladies…Bravo”.