Things have gotten a little Goofy around here

September 13, 2012

When I wrote this article for the magazine back in February, I truly was just toying with the idea…but then conversations started to happen, including the famous “I will if you do!” Before I knew it, I was registered.

That’s right, I signed up for Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge.

For those of you who haven’t heard of “Goofy,” it is when one runs the Walt Disney World Half Marathon (the Donald) on Saturday of marathon weekend, and the Marathon (the Mickey) on Sunday. That’s 21.1km one day, 42.2 the next, for a total of 63.3km in less than two days.

You might wonder how an event like this would come about. When I was at the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon in October, I had the opportunity to speak to a number of the people behind the runDisney events, and I asked that very question. Bob Hitchcock, Sports Public Relations Manager for Disney told me that in the beginning, the Donald and Mickey were on the same day. Before long they reached capacity with how many people could do the events – there simply wasn’t enough physical space to raise the caps – so they decided to run Donald on Saturday and Mickey on Sunday so that more people could experience the magic.

In a meeting, someone said, “You realize there will be some people crazy enough to want to do both…” and someone else said, “Hmm. How many, do you think?” The answer? “I dunno, a couple hundred maybe?” And so they decided to make the Goofy an official event. And it sold out that year. And every year after that.

For 2013, there are 2,500 spaces in the Goofy, and it sold out last week. That just goes to show you that there are an awful lot of “goofy” people out there! iRun’s founder, Mark Sutcliffe, did this in 2012, and now, in a little over 17 weeks, I plan to count myself among the Goofy.

Run for yourself, Run for others

MParnell

September 12, 2012

Sorry I’m a little late with my first iRun blog. I first had to figure out Word press. Then it was Sue’s (my better half) birthday and our anniversary. I thought a flash back to the end of 2010 would be a good place to start: On December 31st 2010, a group of thirty intrepid runners lined up outside the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre in Cochrane. The temperature was -32C with the wind-chill and the motley crew were jumping up and down, trying to keep warm. At precisely 9.00am, a whistle blew and the shrill note indicated the start of my final marathon of Marathon Quest 250. Six hours later, another 250 men, women and children had joined us. After running the final loop, along the Bow River, we arrived at the doors of the Sports Centre, where thirty kids joined me as I ran onto the indoor field. We were greeted by bagpipes, balloons and a huge cheering crowd. At 3.00pm marathon number 250 was completed.
That evening, a New Year celebration was held at AC’s Restaurant in Cochrane. Somehow, I managed to stay on my feet until 1.00am. Later that day, I checked to see how the fund raising was going for Right To Play. We were at $209,000, a great figure, but still well short of the $250,000 we had hoped to raise. In January, I took it easy, the donations continued to come in and, by the 18th, we had reached the target.
It took a little bit of time to adjust, after running five marathons a week for a year. I really wasn’t sure what to do back in the real world. In March I received an email from Right To Play asking me if I would like to go to Benin, West Africa, to visit some of the children for whom we had raised funds. I immediately said yes and, in June, headed over. I travelled with Athlete Ambassadors Heather Moyse and Caroline Ouellette and we visited a number of schools. The highlight for me was starting a kids running club. When I asked them what did they want to be called they said “The Undefeatables”.

After this trip, I realised that Marathon Quest 250 was the beginning, not the end. I established “Quests for Kids”, setting a new goal of completing 10 Quests in 5 years and raising $1M to help 20,000 kids. Quest one was Marathon Quest 250. Quest two, Netball Quest 61, took place in September. A group of us broke the Guinness World Record for the longest Netball game (pending verification). So far we’ve raised $341,600 and helped 6,820 children. Plans are well under way for Quests three, four and five in 2012 so stay tuned. I’m looking forward to sharing with you stories about running for yourself, running for others.

I was injured. So I took some time…

NZeller

September 12, 2012

This is a continuation of my last post. I am telling my run story from pretty much the beginning, the previous post is here.

I had no idea if running was right for me. I finished with a really respectable time at the Calgary Half, but hated so much of the race and the pain of my injury, I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to run any more. There were two things that kept itching at me though, that didn’t let me just let go of running.

I loved racing
I loved the idea of the long run

My ego wanted me to race. It really enjoyed the crowds and the cheering and the start line. My ego had a burning desire to race. against people. against myself. To toe the line was the ultimate reward for me. No matter how hard the effort was, just being there at the start was the reward. It was my social interactions, my competitive drive, my feeling of self worth, that I was actually doing something that made sense to do! Do you know what I mean?

The long run. This was interesting to me. I didn’t understand why I was so drawn to enjoy the difficult longest runs of the week. Later on in my running career I would figure this out. Sunday mornings was my time, it was my church. It seemed like a place where I could lose myself, in myself. I enjoyed preparing for it the night before. Laying out the gear, mixing the drinks, planning the route. It was all part of my own personal little bit of life. Every where else I am something to others, where I lose control and am needed. When out on that long run there was nothing I could do for anyone, and nothing anyone could do for me. Just go lose myself for an hour or two each Sunday.

So as my feet started to heal and get better (due to the no running 2 month recovery), I started to look at training again. I started by showing up a few times for run club, which was nice, but it was out on a camping trip that I finally got back on the wagon.

We were staying at Sinclair Canyon in Radium Hot Springs. I hadn’t done a long run in quite a while (since the Calgary Half) when I decided to run up to the hot springs. I had my gear with me on the trip, so on went the shoes and up I went. I say ‘up’, as there is probably 600 feet of elevation in the 6kms to the tunnel. I ran simple 10 and 1’s, didn’t push myself, got to the top and felt great! Coming down was nice, I actually walked the steepest sections down as I had no reason to push myself at this point, it was just all about enjoying it. I did! This run was a real turning point for me, an enjoyable run! Woot!

Best part of that run? A street sign that normally read “Citizens on Patrol”, was vandalised to read “Citizens on Parole”. Still makes me laugh. That simple sign, partway back down the hill to complete the 12km run was a… ahem… ‘sign’ to me to not take it so seriously. That if I wanted to run, that I better figure out how to enjoy it.

I ran a number of rave runs that summer. 14kms in Kananaskis from Mount Kidd RV Park to Nakiska and back was a highlight for sure, as was the 20km river valley run in downtown Saskatoon.

My feet continued to be a bit of an issue. The PF flared up as soon as I started running again and just never went away. I figured that it was just a part of my running life. I have the little nubby stretching ball for my feet, as well as a 2 foot sized bucket that I would agonizingly use to ice my feet after long runs. I just thought that was the way. I was enjoying the running apart from the daily pain, so I just kept running…

That fall I started to race again… and I had a real breakthrough.

More in the next chapter. btw… this is all taking place in the summer of 2009.

Wanna know more about todays version of me? Follow me on Twitter and at my Barefoot Neil Z page on Facebook! Let me know if you have any questions or if this connects to you in any way. Thanks for reading!

This is an actual shot taken during that run in Radium Hot Springs… a true rave run!

The Fun Run

CBouwers

September 11, 2012

I’m so excited (and a little nervous) to be part of iRUN’s Running Blog Idol 2.0. What started as a double-dare to myself has turned into something much, much bigger.

So what started this all? I needed a change. I needed to shake up my routine and ‘run’ outside of the box. In short, I was looking for some fun.

I came across this quote the other day on Twitter:

“A lot of people say they love running because of how they feel afterward. Not me. Well, I love that, too, but it’s also so much fun while I’m out there.” — Dick Beardsley

I thought it summarized my feelings regarding the purpose of my blog. How many times have I pushed myself out the door for a run, only to finish up truly exhilerated and energized by it. Tons of times, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

But how many times have I truly had fun while I was running.

I’m talking about real fun…when you laugh out loud to yourself, have a stupid smile on your face and even exclaim out loud (to no one in particular),” This is fun!”

I haven’t been running regularly very long, maybe five years. But even in that time, I can only think of two times that I felt that way…two!

1) Was a long run in the middle of a snowstorm.

2) Was my first real trail run.

I’m not saying these are the only two runs I’ve ever enjoyed. I enjoy running. Some times more than others. But I really just want to make it fun again. To remind myself why I have this hobby at all.

I hope you join me on my journey as I try to rediscover the fun in my run.

I’d love to hear iRUN nation about your fun too. Tell me about the last run that you did and truly had fun while being out there?

A good sign

EPanetta

September 11, 2012

A month ago I officially started my life here in Burlington, Ontario – a very nice city indeed.

My first day went as first days normally do – a mix of nerves, tummy rumbles (no time for breakfast) and INFORMATION OVERLOAD.

And although my new colleagues couldn’t have been any nicer or more helpful, by the end of the day I was fried. Not physically exhausted, but mentally fatigued and extremely overwhelmed.

So I got home from work, threw on my running gear and shoes, and decided to see what Burlington was all about.

Well, in terms of running routes, I couldn’t have asked for a better landscape.

I ran down Lakeshore which, for those of you who are unfamiliar, is maybe the most scenic part of this city. Think massive, million dollar homes right on the water. AMAZING.

And as I stopped in a park for a sip of water (YES, gotta love water fountains along the route), I noticed this plaque on the fountain.

A sure sign that moving to Burlington was a good decision.

And for the first time since my move, I breathed a sigh of relief!

Will the Marathon World record be broken this fall?

dmclaren

September 11, 2012

Hello runners:
Three of the World Major Marathons take place in the fall (Berlin, Chicago and New York). The two other Major Marathons take place in April (Boston and London)

Two of the world’s fastest runners , Geoffrey Mutai (2:03:02) and Patrick Makau (2:03:38) missed out on the Kenyan selection to compete in the summer Olympics. So I think they will be out to send a message to the Kenyan Olympic Committee.
Geoffrey was unable to defend his Boston title in 2012 and Patrick had to bail from London. (as an aside, if you ran in Boston or London this year you beat them).
However after winning Boston in the world’s fastest time Mutai went on to set the course record (2:05:05 in New York City) He beat me in this race last year.

Not on the 5 WMM, however the Frankfurt course is also very fast. This is where Wilson Kipsang ran 2:04:42 last year in rainy conditions (then he went on to win the Virgin London Marathon 2:04:42) Patrick will be competing in Frankfurt and with 5 other runners who have completed the marathon distance in under 2:06.
Regarding the very top of the men’s elite race this field will be the best in the history of Germany’s oldest city marathon, which will see its 31st edition held on October 28th. “It is a very strong field. But I am generally not looking at any particular rivals. I always respect all the other runners in a competition,” said Patrick Makau.

However , the BMW Berlin Marathon has been the race to establish world records. Haile Gebresallsie set the world record twice in Berlin and Makau now holds the current world record of 2:03:38 which he set in Berlin last year.
This year Geoffrey Mutai will be racing here in the 39th BMW Berlin on September 30 2012. Mutai participated at the BERLIN-MARATHON already in 2010, but in the final sprint he wasn´t as strong as his fellow countryman Patrick Makau and became second in 2:05:10 hours.

The Berlin Marathon which also sponsored by BMW (same as Frankfurt) has granted me press accreditation for the press conference.
When asked: What are you thinking during the race? Do you concentrate on your steps and your competitors or do you try to just focus on running from mile to mile? What do you think when a competitor runs past you and you can’t follow and what do you think when you pass somebody?
Geoffrey Mutai replied: In the beginning of the race I am concentrating on my own running and after some miles I start to look around who could be the strongest. When somebody is passing me, is just wait and see if he is opening up a gap. If he is opening a gap, I try to close it and stay behind him.

At the time of this writing, there are no other fast elite runners highlighted to run Berlin (other than myself and a few others from the Beach area of Toronto) So stay tuned for other announcements.

When I return from Berlin, I will be running the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 14, 2012 as the Brooks 4:40 pacer. Keep a look out for me

Then in November when the ING New York City Marathon welcomes the the world. I have press credentials for this event , too. I will be writing more about the STWM and New York.

I am running in NYC with a friend of mine, and Achilles Athlete, Michael Ovens. Michael has progressive vision loss due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and is one of the founders of Ride for Sight. There will be two other guides running with Michael.

This is an exciting fall for the Running Groupie. Keep reading (and running)

Dog Days

DBeach

September 11, 2012

A short while back, the monotony of training solo was getting to me and the days of my singular intense efforts were getting tougher. I longed for the days when I had my training partner beside me. She was my 7 year old Belgian Shepherd, Ryly May. Back in those days I knew what being pushed was all about, the pace was always tough while training with Ryly, she was part of the reason I started running. One day Ryly got old; it was such a sudden change from her ever-energetic demeanour. I remember sitting beside her on a mountain in BC as she was struggling to keep up. I teared up a bit as I sat beside her, “you used to kick my butt pup!” Ryly would stay another 4 years before passing. There were a lot of great training runs back then. There weren’t any conversations, just the peacefulness of our legs hitting the trail, and the camaraderie you can only enjoy with a loyal canine friend. Those days taught me to appreciate having a dog that much more.

After a few years without a training partner, my wife and I decided on getting another dog and finally on January 21st, “Jax” would become part of our family! We opted on another Belgian Shepherd because they are working dogs and big time runners. At 7 months, he’s started to show his spirit, and he’s most definitely a runner. We’re not running together on a training basis yet, but I experience such nostalgia when I race him for a few 100 meters through the forest. I’m truly excited for the days that I struggle to keep up, and press my pace forward not wanting to fall behind. I can tell Jax already loves running, and will surely have me working up a sweat.

There’s definitely something to running with a dog who appreciates everything about the outdoors: the smells, the animals, the weather, the grass (apparently quite tasty). The dog days of running, are the ones that frequently provide more laughs, memories and adventures. I can’t wait for Jax to get a bit older!

Here’s to you and happy tails,

Jax at 2 months

Pre-run hydration: From parched to porta potty

MLinseman

September 11, 2012

The day before a race, many of us (including myself) like to stay close by our water bottles. We make a point of drinking a bit more than normal, and, as a corollary, peeing a bit more than normal. But is this necessary? Does pre-exercise hydration need to start so early? Is it too late if, like Jerry Seinfeld, you wake up in the morning and feel so thirsty you swear you must have already run a marathon?

A study from the University of Guelph investigated just how quickly the body can rehydrate. Athletes were instructed to avoid fluid and arrive at the lab in a dehydrated state. They then drank two 300-mL boluses of fluid within 15 minutes, and waited 45 minutes more. Hydration status was assessed by measuring urine specific gravity, or the “concentration of stuff” in a urine sample (~More stuff = more dehydrated). After just 45 minutes, all the athletes had returned to a hydrated state.

Of course, you may not want to drink 600mL in a span of only 15 minutes before your next race – unless you have some sort of “express pass” to the front of the porta potty line – but the point is that your body is able to hydrate itself pretty quickly. The recommendation we give in the lab is to gradually drink about 400-800mL of fluid in the 1-2 hours before exercise.

You also probably don’t have a refractometer on hand to measure urine specific gravity, but you can get a decent idea by looking at your pee. Get up about an hour before your next morning run and go pee. Your pee will probably be yellow to dark yellow, and chances are you’ll feel a bit thirsty. Now gradually drink a glass or two of water over the next 45 minutes or so, and go to the bathroom again before you leave for your run. Your pee should be a lighter shade of yellow, or almost clear (Feel free to do this and report your findings in the comments section! No photos please.).

No matter what distance you are running, proper pre-exercise hydration is a must. About one third of the athletes that come into our lab arrive at least mildly dehydrated. A 2010 meta-analysis found that mild pre-exercise dehydration was associated with lower maximal aerobic capacity and impaired endurance performance.

Don’t care about aerobic capacity or performance? Even if you run for pure enjoyment, think about this: In a study investigating dehydration and perceived effort, athletes exercised at the same moderate intensity on 4 separate occasions, each time at a different level of dehydration. The more dehydrated they were, the harder they perceived the exercise to be, even though the actual intensity was the same! Being hydrated before exercise allows for maximum enjoyment!

For athletes tackling longer distances like a half marathon or marathon, making sure you’re hydrated before you toe the line means less chance of dehydration becoming a problem during your event. For a marathon you may want to go one step further and develop a hydration outline through practice in training runs, especially if you have a very high sweat rate or if conditions on race day are hot. But hydration during exercise is a topic for another day…

Above all else, remember: Pay attention to your body! Use recommendations and guidelines in combination with personal experience and your own feelings. And remember that more is not always better. I work with a lot of athletes and some actually come into the lab over-hydrated. They usually complain about feeling bloated or full, but feel that as long as they keep drinking and ensure they don’t get dehydrated, they’ll be fine. As with most things related to the body, a balance needs to be struck. You don’t want to start a race feeling absolutely parched, but you also don’t want to miss the start because you’re in the porta potty!

Next time…

Carb loading before the big race: Who needs to do it? How much should you eat? When should you eat it? And maybe some more Seinfeld references!

References:

Logan-Sprenger HM. Unpublished data, 2010.

Gigou PY et al. Meta-Analysis of the effects of pre-exercise hypohydration on endurance performance, lactate threshold and VO2max. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010;42:S254

Moran DS et al. Evaluation of different levels of hydration using a new physiological strain index. Am J Physiol 1998;275:R854-60

Hello new friends!

NZeller

September 11, 2012

That’s another reason iRun. I make the best friends while running! 2 other contestants in this contest are friends I’ve met through running, and writing about running. Tamara and Martin are cool Calgary runners and bloggers!

This is so weird, as a blogger already, where to start on this blogging contest? First of all, thanks to iRun.com for putting on the contest. I would love a low paying writing gig at the end of all this, but from what I have seen so far from the other participants, I will be happy just getting to know them and learning from them.

So…

Full disclosure. I am an amateur in everything I do. The least of not which is running. I love everything that comes with running and am happily behind the middle of the pack these days, but hoping and working to get back to ahead of the middle of the pack.

~~3 years ago~~ A long time ago I was 300+ pounds. Then with the help of a diet plan that will remain nameless ~~Jenny Craig,~~ I dropped down to 225 in 5 months and ran a 1:58:30 half marathon. That’s in front of the middle of the pack, isn’t it? Ok, we’ll call it middle. (oh, in case you are wondering, I am 6’2” tall).

I started losing weight the previous November, then ran my first steps in December. It was quite possibly the hardest and most soul crushing experience of my life. Most of us have been there right? The first few runs? Terrible? I know some folks have been running since birth, but the majority of us can remember the first few steps like it was yesterday. So hard wasn’t it? Did you think runners were nuts? Did that first week change that opinion of other runners? not for me.

Well. now. I have a confession. I have an ego. A big one. Over the course of 15 years of happy (with normal marriage tough stuff) marriage, our struggles to have a baby, the miracle birth of my son 5 years ago, the loss of a company and a house last year and the challenges all of that presented, I still seem to have an ego. Maybe now though it has repurposed itself into something else. Instead of an ego, and needing to prove what I can do, maybe, just maybe it’s changed. I think it’s pride now. Pride in what I can achieve on my own 2 feet. I’ll talk more about how my ego turned to pride in later posts.

When I started I was an self professed overachiever. I had lost all the weight, ran a sub 1hr 10k in my first ever race, a 27 minute 5k in the next and a 1:58 half a month later. I told everyone about it. Didn’t you? What I didn’t tell anyone, ever, was the fact that I was so injured and destroyed by this thing I was using to stroke my ego, that I almost quit running altogether after the Calgary half that year. I’m still not sure many know that. I stopped running for a while under the guise of “I am recovering from my half”… heh, yeah. For 2 months…

My injury was in my feet. I had a really bad case of plantar fasciitis. So bad that for the month prior to the race and the month after, I was resigned to waking up in the morning not wanting to take the first few steps out of bed. It was agony, for anyone who has dealt, I feel for you.

I had quit the diet plan a couple months earlier and wasn’t running anymore. I started to feel pretty bad about the whole situation. I resented not running and I resented running in general. I stewed and stewed about this without doing anything about it. I ~~slowly~~ quickly lost all the positive gains I made over the past 8 months.

I really was having mental issues over this bloody running habit. I hated it for lots of reasons, but knew there was something to it, something that maybe I hadn’t figured out yet.

Turned out my ego was the key for me getting back though (sort of sadly). I missed the rush of finishing a run or a race. Then telling everyone about it…

More in the next chapter…

For now, is there anything you’d like to know? I am at @Neil_Zee on twitter and have a Facebook Page for my barefoot running stuff… (we’ll get to that). Feel free to follow along here or there as I will post links all over the place back to here. Make sure to say hi if you do stop in for a visit.

The Diagnosis

Andrew Chak

September 10, 2012

Lots and lots of running medals — Signs of a little running obsession...

I didn’t realize that I had developed this condition – it just grew and grew on me over time. Most of us don’t notice at first, but there are some very specific signs to watch out for to alert ourselves of a newfound ‘focus.’

The first sign was my desire to wake up earlier – much earlier. Getting up early was no longer at the expense of sleep; getting up early meant the opportunity to get out and train – to get out and run. I was never a morning person, but now I had transformed into a morning runner.

Then came the clothes. My wardrobe grew considerably in a short period of time. I didn’t buy any additional work clothes, but I suddenly had many more articles that would wick my sweat away. Smooth, light, and synthetic fabrics suddenly tickled my fancy more than non-iron dress shirts.

What I talked about and how I spoke changed too. Tempo had a new meaning to me and the letters ‘PR’ were something to aspire to and I would look for creative ways to use “fartlek” in jokes. I would gab on and on about my training regimen and the next race that I was running.

And then, there were the races. I would scour the internet looking for the next perfect race. The faster and bigger the race, the better. I’d read running blogs to gaze at the previous year’s race shirt and medal as if I were shopping to add to my collection. I’d sign up for big races and then rationalize the need to sign up for some smaller races to prepare for those bigger ones.

The diagnosis, according to my wife, is that I have ORD: Obsessive Running Disorder. I constantly obsess about running and all the training, gear, preparation and races that come along with it.

When my favourite running shoes went on sale, I bought four pair. I have more technical wicking shirts than I do normal ones. In my first year of running, I ran seventeen races and worked my vacation around two of them. And on race day, I have a hard time picking which of my three new blue running shirts I should choose from to match my shoes.

So there, I admit it, I’m obsessed with running. Do you share some similar symptoms? Do you love exploring all the little details of running which make it such a satisfying sport? If so, then join me as we blog through some running therapy together.

Obsessively yours,

Andrew