I’ve been thinking about my cadence lately – you know, the rate that your legs turn over? Apparently the ideal cadence is 180 times per minute. I timed myself and was hitting 172. It’s not far off, but I think that increasing my cadence may increase my speed and running efficiency.

I ran 18k last week and for the first little while tried to concentrate on increasing my leg turn-over. This isn’t the same as just running faster, it’s shortening your stride. The result was a slow awkward pace that felt weird and uncomfortable. By the 5k mark, I ditched my cadence analysis and reverted to my comfortable running style.

Looking back, I think that a long run is not the time to try to change stride.

I’ve also heard that a treadmill is a better place to work on cadence, as you can concentrate on your stride without changing speed. The speed is set on the treadmill, so you can be sure that your legs are turning over more quickly without affecting your pace.

In other news, I’ve been on a bit of a run streak lately. Today will be day 7 (I’m shooting for 30). Day four was definitely the toughest so far, as I was tired and unmotivated. I knew I needed something to make me feel energized (and a slow 3k wasn’t going to do that), so I went for a quick bike ride and followed it with my 3k. I don’t know if it was the ride or the bike/run combo that seemed to shake out the fatigue in my legs, but since then, I’ve been feeling great. Yesterday, I played recreational soccer and decided to count that as a run (it was 70 minutes of sprinting). My ankle is a little swollen this morning (I twisted it or something) and while I don’t know to break my streak this early in the month, I’m not entirely sure that I really should run. I’m thinking I may just run an easy mile on the treadmill.

I write my last (!!!) final exam on Thursday, and am very much looking forward to being a stay-at-home-mom this summer for the first time in three years. September will bring about a part-time job, but this summer will be kids and sunshine and bubbles and pools and probably a little bit of boredom, but, ahh, I’ve been waiting for this all year.

Marathon training is going well and the Halifax Chapter of Team in Training is 60+ people. My husband and I are playing rec soccer this summer and he’ll be taking two weeks (the longest he’s taken in three years!) vacation in July, and quite frankly, things couldn’t be going better.

What about you? What are your summer race plans? What are you training for?

By: Karen Karnis

« Je cours pour me dépasser »

“iRun to go beyond myself”

~ Christian Mercier

Growing up, Christian Mercier was a well rounded athlete. He played hockey in the winter and soccer during the summer – but he never did track or cross country.  But for whatever reason, about 20 years ago he decided to run a marathon.  He was undertrained and unprepared for the beast that is the marathon, yet somehow he managed to pull off a 3:20 finish – he attributes this to the fitness he gained from soccer over the years.

When he was in his twenties, Mercier continued to run marathons – he would train over the summer, race in the fall, and that was that.  But then, when he was in his thirties, Mercier met a group of accomplished runners with whom he began to train.  With other runners to learn from, planned workouts that were hard and exciting, he immediately began to notice improvements.

“J’ai réalisé que j’avais un certain potentiel, mais j’ai surtout appris à aimé réellement la course à pied,” says Mercier, roughly meaning that he discovered he had some potential, but mostly learned to really love running.  Even though he loved it and stuck with it, he did not foresee that his journey would take him to running every day, running about 10 races a year, having a coach or representing Mizuno.

Under the training of his coach, Steve Boyd, Mercier has turned out some impressive performances for a guy with a full time job, a wife and two young daughters.  He was the bronze medallist in the 2009 Canadian Marathon Championship, ran the fastest marathons for the province of Quebec in 2012 and 2011, and has been in the top-10 at the Canadian half-marathon championships for the last four years.  His proudest race accomplishment, however, was placing 30^th in the Berlin Marathon in 2010.  “Being able to register a 6-minute personal best at one of the biggest world marathons, which happened to be so far from home, was particularly special,” says Mercier of his 2:24:52 finish.  His other personal bests include a 14:57 5K, 30:44 10K, 47:56 15K and 68:33 half marathon.

Having already run the Ottawa Marathon this May 27, Mercier’s goals for 2012 include the Chicago Marathon in September. “I want to take my training one notch higher to be ready to run as fast as possible,” he says. “I have an eye on Quebec’s 10^th fastest marathon performance,” he adds, advising the time to beat is 2:20:36, set by Dorys Langlois.  Looking ahead, Mercier the 37-year-old plans to be international- calibre by the time he’s competing in the Masters Division, with a continued focus on the marathon.  “It’s a mythical event,” he says, adding, “it’s long enough that you have to dig deep. But it’s the process that I’m loving more. The grind where you keep putting miles in day after day.”

He loves cranking out those miles in his Mizuno Wave Precision shoes. “I’ve been running in Mizuno shoes for a good number of years now and I absolutely love them,” he says. “I have probably logged something like 20,000 kilometres over the years in different versions of the Precision.”  He adds that for his speed workouts and races, he switches to his Ronins because they are lighter but still have all the support he needs.

Mercier’s proudest accomplishment off the clock is that he is able to maintain balance in his life.  “I continue to pursue my running goals without neglecting the other aspects of my life, such as family, friends and work,” he says, but he couldn’t do it without the support of his wife, Julie, who has been a tremendous ally.  “Having two little daughters, three and six years old, and a full time job, you can surely imagine that it takes some strong support from the douce-moitié.” He says he is sometimes asked f he has regrets about not taking up running earlier and trying for the Olympics before having a family, and to this he always answers with a resounding no. “I’m always picturing my two little daughters. I don’t think my life would have unfolded the way it has without them on my side.”

“My daughters inspire me and amaze me in so many ways,” says the proud père.  “Running is a way for me to show them that hard work can be rewarding. You should see their faces when on some occasions following races, I’m in the morning papers. My older one who is in first grade is so proud that she immediately says that she’ll bring the newspaper to present it in her class. I want to be the best role model that I can be and I think by keeping a good healthy lifestyle with running is a good way.”

When asked about his own role models, Mercier doesn’t hesitate: Haile Gebreselassie.  “I admire his talent, his style, his ability to lose himself in his races. Furthermore, I like the way he conducts himself outside of running, with a smile on his face, acting gently around everybody. Those are the things that I relate to and that I try to mimic in my own running,” he says.

When asked what advice he would give to other runners, Mercier says: “Be honest with your running, have fun, train hard, and keep pushing, always. And good things will happen. Even in life.”

By: Nikki Reiter

So you just got in from your easy recovery jog – now it’s time to put back that recovery bar, or a perhaps indulge in a treat?  It’s for recovery right?  Don’t be too quick to devour.  Yes, your body needs calories, but it’s important to know what kind, how much, and when, or you may be unknowingly packing on the pounds.  As a runner or athlete, you know that every extra pound you carry costs time, wastes energy, stresses your joints, and affects your performance.  To further discuss these ideas, I met with Dr. Sally Willis-Stewart, an instructor at the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus in the school of Health and Exercise Sciences and leader of the Nutrition Education Center on campus.  She is an Academic Affiliate with Dietitians of Canada and an award-winning instructor in the field of applied health and sports nutrition.  Like many experts who advocate a healthy lifestyle, Dr. Willis-Stewart is also an avid (and quick!) runner.

What We Really Need

At the end of the day, we will lose weight based on the calorie balance we maintain.  If you’re looking to reduce your weight, you have to consume fewer calories.  Running can also facilitate weight loss, but it’s important to remind yourself that you’re fueling yourself to run.  In order to improve as runners, we cannot begin our workout hungry and depleted of energy.  This decreases the quality of the workout, which in turn limits our ability to improve our performance.

When it comes to what we should eat, “walk the perimeter of the grocery store (where fresh foods are found) and be cognitive of reading labels” says Dr. Willis-Stewart.  By eating a variety of whole, natural foods, we can usually eliminate the need for supplements.  Also, by choosing foods in their most natural state, you ensure the most nutrient density.  If you must reach for items off the shelf, look closely at the ingredient list.  Look for foods made with few ingredients, comprising of whole grains, low sugar, and low salt – and by all means keep foods with the word ‘hydrogenated’ (i.e. trans fats) to an absolute minimum.  As for those ‘super foods’ (the ones that promise to deliver multiple health benefits) they will only get their chance to work wonders on you if you are first eating a basic, healthy diet.

When We Really Need It

It’s important to distinguish the needs of different runners and different workouts.  Runners who engage in a short recovery run do not need to refuel in the same sense as a runner who just completed a glycogen-depleting 90 minute long run, or an intense session of intervals on the track.  The seasoned runner who performs a light run will ideally time their run for before they have their snack.  If you need a little extra boost pre-run, don’t follow that run with an extra snack unless it’s a tough workout where you need to replenish your body’s fuel stores.  After an intense workout, it’s important to consume a post-workout snack that includes protein and carbohydrate (example: chocolate milk), and should be consumed within 30 minutes to optimize recovery for your next workout.

Dr. Willis-Stewart explains that “it’s important to refuel even if you’re trying to lose weight” and that planning is key.  Bring your snack with you and plan your day so that you don’t reach for something unhealthy to get you through the afternoon.  And since timing is also key, try to plan your snack around your workout.  Ultimately, frequent eating will keep our blood sugar levels steady and eliminate those energy crashes we often feel.  Ideally, we eat five ‘mini-meals’ a day, whereby we have breakfast, a snack, lunch, a snack, then dinner.  To successfully adopt this pattern, meal portion sizes must be reduced from what is currently being consumed.

Pairing Running with Weight Loss

If you’re trying to lose weight while you’re running, your diet is just as important as the work you put into running.  Remind yourself that you’re a runner, and that severely restricting your calories will lead to a rapid weight loss of not only fat, but also muscle.  Additionally, it’s been shown that one can very quickly (and permanently!) slow their metabolic rate by restricting food.  If you’re trying to improve your performance as a runner, this behaviour can be detrimental to your training program.

Often in an attempt to lose weight, we engage in diets that restrict certain foods.  There is a danger associated with eliminating food groups.  Protein, carbohydrates and fats are all important for our body’s development and maintenance.  Protein helps rebuild muscle, carbohydrates replenish glycogen stores, and fat helps with satiety.  There are always fads that lead us to believe that certain foods are bad for us.  Granted, processed foods can definitely be eliminated from our diets.  However, extreme diets that encourage eating the same foods or require extreme patterns of eating are not likely to be sustained.  “When we eliminate certain foods, we lose certain groups of nutrients, which leads to a decreased function of our bodies” Dr. Willis-Stewart explains, and that “severely restricting yourself can lead feelings of deprivation: we eat not only for nourishment, but for comfort and cultural and social reasons as well.”  Bottom line: your diet should fit in with your lifestyle.

Recipe: Sally’s Homemade Power Cookies

Mainstream granola bars, although often reached for in a bind, are considered ‘empty calories,’ that is, the energy source is often in the form of simple sugars and there are manufactured ingredients.  For a snack that really packs a nutritional punch, try Sally’s Homemade Power Cookies (see recipe below).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour (mixture of whole wheat, spelt, kamut etc.)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cups oats
1/4 cups wheat germ, oat bran or quinoa puffs
1 cup high fiber cereal (muesli, fibre first, bran buds etc.)
2 tbsp. each of pumpkin, flax, sesame and sunflower seeds
3/4 cups dried fruit (mixture of raisins, apricots, dates, cranberries, pineapple etc.)
2 tbsp. protein powder (eg. soy, whey, skim milk powder)
1/3 cups med. shredded coconut
3/4  cups grated apple
1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 grated rind of orange
1/2 cups non-hydrogenated margarine
1 egg
3 tbsp. honey or maple syrup

Directions:

1. In a large bowl stir together dry ingredients
2. Cut in the margarine until well blended
3. Stir in the remaining wet ingredients and stir until well blended and moist
4. Dough should be the consistency to roll or drop into small balls; you may need to add a bit more flour  if too moist or a bit of plain yogurt or another egg if too dry, to get the right consistency
5. Spoon by tablespoons onto a non stick cookie sheet
6. Bake at 350 F degrees for 10 minutes
7. Remove from sheet onto cooling rack immediately
8. Enjoy and share them with a friend!

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

Andrea Moritz is raising funds for Love4Gambia, a Nova Scotia-based charity that runs educational programming for HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention, landmine injury prevention and child rights promotion in The Gambia, West Africa.

Silent auction and benefit? Check. Run the Blue Nose Marathon and collect pledges for the Love4Gambia team? Check. Run 424km across The Gambia in temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius and 100 per cent humidity over a period of two weeks? Wait, what?

That’s right, beginning June 25, Moritz will set out from the eastern end of The Gambia and cover approximately 30km per day to reach the West Coast in two weeks.  She could run higher mileage days and be done more quickly, but Moritz decided to take her time so she could visit schools along the way and meet the kids who are benefiting from Love4Gambia’s programming.

When asked how she became involved, Moritz, who lives in Ottawa, said that she used to live in Halifax so she knows people there.  “They were looking for a runner for this year’s expedition.  Since I am Africa-crazy and like to run long distances, I guess my name came up,” she laughs.  She once spent five weeks touring on her own in Africa, where she met and chatted with everyday people, and just found everyone to be so friendly and welcoming.

“They have this concept in Africa called Ubuntu,” explains Moritz. “It’s about being connected and helping others because it is the right thing to do, not because it might pay off for you in the future. It’s in this spirit that I wanted to do this run – it’s a chance to give back to these wonderful people.”

Moritz is no stranger to running in Africa, having run the Comrades Marathon – a 90km ultra marathon in South Africa – three times, not to mention all of the running she did during her 5-week trip.  This will be her first trip to West Africa, however.

She’s taking 6 pairs of shoes, generously donated by Mizuno – five pairs of Wave Ronins and a pair of Wave Mushas – because they don’t dry well in the humidity, and short, torrential downpours are typical for this time of year.  Not only that, she expects to melt the soles of a few pairs during asphalt portions of her run. “We know the Musha can withstand that heat because they had them last year. This will be like a test for the Ronin,” laughs Moritz. “It’s some field testing for Mizuno!”  Moritz will also take about 28 pairs of socks because she expects to need to change them fairly frequently.

When it comes to what to wear, here at home Moritz typically runs in shorts and a bra top in hot weather, but she’ll be experimenting with some Mizuno apparel on the trek.  “They’ve given me some really lightweight shirts that feel great, and they’ll provide extra sun protection,” says Moritz.  She’ll also have several hats, visors and Buffs on hand, as well as plenty of sunscreen with an SPF of 45.

She will be accompanied by a crew of three Gambians – two who work for Love4Gambia, and a third who is a friend of the others and wanted to help out.  “They’re my logistical magicians,” says Moritz – they will ensure she has food and water, accommodation, set up the school visits, and run parts of the course with her.

So far, says Moritz, they’ve raised $12,000 through the run.  She hopes that her campaign will gain a little more momentum as her departure draws near.

Moritz acknowledges that there are so many worthy causes out there, so when asked why donors should support Love4Gambia, she says, “The Gambia has an AIDS infection rate that is seven times what we have in Canada. The child mortality rate in Canada is 16 per year, as opposed to over a thousand there. But what’s so tragic is that all of these things are preventable.”

The money goes directly to programs that will open up a dialogue on such taboo topics as sex education, teen pregnancy, physical and sexual abuse, female genital mutilation, forced marriage and child rights.  It also educates people on things as simple as the symptoms of Malaria.  Since Malaria starts out similar to the flu, people just wait for it to go away; by the time they realize it is more serious, it is too late for medical interventions to save them.

Moritz also advises that each dollar goes a long way.  “The $12,000 raised to date could teach up to 800 peer educators who will each then reach hundreds of other kids,” she says.  “Workshops delivered directly in schools cost about $350 per school, so with 500 to 700 students in each school, the $12,000 would reach more than 20,500 students with these important messages.”  Over time, of course, it is hoped that the messages will become more ingrained in society as a whole, as kids talk to other kids, including siblings and friends, then eventually, their own children, so that over time, the impact could literally change the country.

If you want to learn more, visit Love4Gambia’s website.  To donate to Moritz’s run, visit her donation page, and under Fund/Designation, select Andrea Moritz’s Run – donations over $20 qualify for a tax receipt.

Follow Andrea’s trek on her Love4Gambia blog, the Love4Gambia Facebook page and on Twitter @Love4Gambia2012!