By: Magi Scallion

With running season in full swing across Canada, we’re all trying to increase the volume and fend off injury that tends to walk hand in hand with mileage. Our bodies are pretty intricate machines and there are lots of tools to help – stretching is not the least of them.

Another great way to help prevent some imbalances and avoid injuries is to make sure your gluteus (butt) is functionally strong enough. Here are a few exercises that I love. You can do them anywhere, anytime – my favourite time is in the middle of a trail run on an easy day.

Exercise 1 – Activate!  Remind your gluteus that you’re targeting it.
Stand with one foot ahead of the other (about 1.5-2 feet apart) with the hand of your back foot reaching over your head.  Feel the stretch in your hip flexor by pushing your hips forward.  Now… Clench/pulse your gluteus muscle 15-20 times on the same side that your arm is raised/leg is back.  Switch & do other side.

Exercise 2 – Lunges
Lift on leg forward, bending the knee, as if you’re stepping onto a high bench.  Then step forward & land on that same leg/foot in a lunge position.   Return to neutral standing by pushing up, primarily from your heel.  Do 15-20 repetitions then switch sides.

Exercise 3 – Stairs
This is pretty straightforward and can be done on stairs or a bench.  Step up onto the stair, focusing on pushing from your heel into the stair.  Lift your other leg as if taking another big step before stepping back down.  Repeat 15-20 times, then switch sides.

Those three burners should get you started – ask a trainer for a few more when you’re ready.  Others may include one-leg dead lifts, backward lunges, and more.   You can also make the three above more difficult by adding weight, lunging downhill, or landing on uneven surfaces to activate the stabilizer muscles as well.

Enjoy these – outside is best!

***

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.

The following is a guest post by Mike Hoehn, Founder, Coach and Lead Volunteer of ANNE’S TEAM

______________________________

iRun…for My Mom ~ Mike Hoehn

I ran my first marathon in 2007. I’d always wanted to run a marathon, and as I was living and working in NY at the time, I had one of the world’s greatest marathons right in my back yard.  Unfortunately I wasn’t quite fast enough to qualify back then, so to gain my spot, I committed to raise funds for charity.  In short, running 42.2K through the five boroughs of NY and crossing the finish line of the 2007 NY Marathon, knowing I’d run not only for myself but to help many others, was one of the most EXHILARATING feelings I’d ever experienced.

A few years later I arrived in Toronto, ready to take my philanthropic efforts to new heights.  Up to that point in my life, my charitable efforts had been limited to volunteering, making donations, attending charity galas –the things that many of you do today. It was now time for something BIGGER and something more PERSONAL.  Which brings me to my Mom…Anne Hoehn.

Though not a runner, she was someone who endured a long journey.  My mother suffered depression for many decades of her life.  The severity of her condition surfaced when she was in her mid-twenties, and I was just a little boy, as she attempted suicide two times.  Fortunately for me and all who knew her, she was able to stabilize, and through sheer will and perseverance, she was able to manage her depression and live for another thirty years.  During her life, she was a WONDERFUL wife, mother, sister, daughter – and a great friend to all who knew her.  Sadly, my mother died of suicide in 1999.  She was 54 years old.

Though depression surfaced in her early adult years, the roots of her issues lay in her childhood and adolescence. That’s why the focus of the Anne Hoehn Memorial Foundation – or ANNE’S TEAM – is to raise awareness and funds for partner programs in youth mental health.  Youth mental health is arguably the MOST neglected, LEAST understood, and MOST underfunded area of healthcare in young people today.  And it is my unflappable desire to help young people who face social, emotional, and psychological issues, just as my Mom faced when she was young.  Those young people who we can help will form an important part of ANNE’S legacy.

So what have I tried to create with ANNE’S TEAM?  Something rare in the local community. I’ve built an organization where runners hold the sport AND the cause in equally regard.  The Half and Full Marathoners on ANNE’S TEAM believe strongly in BOTH running for oneself AND for running for a cause that matters.  Some of us run very fast, some of us not so fast.  Some of us are beginners, some of us are marathon veterans.  Some of us come with a strong connection to the cause, some of us with only an open mind and a general belief that sound mental health is important for all.  What brings us together as a TEAM is our conviction in BOTH the sport of endurance running AND the spirit of charity.

The centrepiece of the ANNE’S TEAM experience is our 20-week Team Training program for Half and Full Marathoners, which culminates with our participation in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon event in mid-October.  We begin this year’s program on May 26, and welcome anyone to join us.  We offer anyone a two-week trial period with no obligation, so you can simply come out, join us for some runs, and see how you like it.  Though we accept new runners up to August 6, we encourage you to come out as soon as you can to take full advantage of everything our program offers.  Please visit our website and read about the many benefits you receive as an ANNE’S TEAM runner (benefit package, training program, guest speakers, sponsors, discounts, etc.).  Find us at www.annesteam.com and Like us on Facebook at ANNE’S TEAM – Promoting Mental Wellness

Finally, a few words about fundraising.  Fundraising? OMG OMG!!  Before you stop reading at the sight of the “F” word, please indulge me for a few more sentences.  I recognize that we ALL give generously to multiple causes and organizations, and going to our personal and professional networks to fundraise is sometimes not easy.  What I tell our runners is very simple.  My job is to give you the most rich and meaningful 20-week experience that I can.  Your job is to fundraise a minimum prescribed amount.  That’s our basic contract – think of it as a something we shake on.  I will set you up with a personalized online fundraising page, provide you a toolbox of fundraising resources, and do all I can to help you achieve success.  History shows that if you just try, you’ll likely reach your minimum – every ANNE’S TEAM participant at Scotiabank 2011 reached their minimum fundraise.

Now any funds that you raise beyond that minimum…well that’s up to you.  My philosophy is that fundraising runners often go well beyond the minimum IF they feel they’ve had a great experience.  In other words, they’re more likely to give back if they’ve had an experience that is valuable and meaningful to them.  That’s one reason I’m especially proud of the 48 fundraising runners on ANNE’S TEAM 2011, who raised an AVERAGE of over $1,100 per person!  Indeed, they were, and are, a special of group of people who went to great ends, but I would like to think their overachievement is at least partially a reflection of the experience they had and their desire to give back to it.

I hope you visit our website and learn more about us, and hopefully I’ll see you soon at one of our runs!

ANNE’S Team welcomes you to join us for some runs!  Please visit  www.annesteam.com or contact mike@annesteam.com

______________________________

If you, or someone you know, is Running for a Reason, please send your story to webeditor@irun.ca and we might feature it right here on this blog!

By: Magi Scallion

There are lots of great places to run in this great wide world and I’m sure many of them are absolutely spectacular, too.  I can’t even count how many trails I’ve been on that have made me stop and breathe in the beauty surrounding me. We’re lucky to live on this great planet and have the health and fitness to get out and enjoy it.

All that said, my absolutely favourite trail run is at Nipika Mountain Resort, deep in the Kootenay Rocky Mountains.  I go to Nipika quite frequently so this is not, to me, a special run or anything out of the ordinary.   It’s the loop we call the “south loop” and is about 15 km in length – 10 km of double track and about 15 km of single track.  

The loop starts on double track with some gradual climbing along the bench of a mountain.  As you slowly climb (you feel like a hero because the grade is negligible) the trail opens into some meadows and you get some nice views across the valley.  Eventually you start descending on some single track that runs parallel to, yet high above, Cochrane Creek – one of the many glacier fed rivers in the area.  Cochrane Creek joins the Kootenay River and the trail continues upstream along the Kootenay and back toward Nipika.  

Most of the single track is on a high ridge above Cochrane Creek or the Kootenay River.  Never a run passes without some wildlife far below enjoying what the river has to offer – bears, deer, elk, eagles and more.  It’s quite special.

Although I’m sure I’ve been on many more spectacular runs, this one is just very accessible to me and probably why I consider it to be my favourite.  It’s a 15 km loop, easy to do, and I always feel better when I’m back in the Nipika Meadow.

Get out there!

***

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.

By: Andrew McCartney

For the past 12 years, triathlon has played a major role in my life.

The sport itself is relatively new with its modern conception taking place in California in 1974.

For me it all started pretty early. I’ve always loved running. I swam competitively from the age of 8 and ran for Victoria Track and Field Club. In the year 2000, triathlon became an Olympic sport, and I went out and bought my first road bike. Triathlon has been for me a series of phenomenal experiences. I have on occasion put together near-perfect races. And I have also had some disappointments and setbacks, from which I have learned so much. As George Sheehan said,

“Life is the great experiment. Each of us is an experiment of one–observer and subject– making choices, living with them, recording the effects.”

In some ways, triathlon is a crazy sport. Each new race unfolds differently from the last. There are very few constants. So much can happen in a 2 hour race that includes an open water swim, a transition to a bike, helmet, and shoes, followed by another transition to the run on rubbery bike legs. There’s the element of strategy. How much energy should I expend on the swim and the bike? How much nutrition will I need for that all important run, and when should I take it? You learn to expect the unexpected: the dreaded washing machine when 100 swimmers strive to round the buoy at once, bike crashes and mechanical problems, rain slick roads. Things will go wrong during the race. How will I react? Can I react quickly? Will I be able to salvage this race? There is a small element of luck too. Recently, I found myself leading a group of 3 others in the swim portion, and they were hard on my heels when a freak wave picked me up and deposited me on shore meters ahead of them. I may have to battle nerves leading up to my first race of the season, but when I’m on the line all I think about is the first 12 swim strokes, and how I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

As far as training goes, biking in Victoria has its challenges, but Victoria is a running mecca. There’s a massive running community, countless inspirational elite runners, and numerous running trails. The Mizuno Wave Riders have always been fantastic for these trails. They are light, comfortable and durable enough for logging the base miles. A popular road race in Victoria is the Bazan Bay 5km. It always draws a strong field. I wore the Mizuno Wave Universe 4s for the first time. With a 35 second personal best the excitement of wearing such an incredibly light pair of shoes with looks that make you smile, the Universe 4s must have played a part. For Victoria’s moderate temperatures the Breath Thermo apparel is the best choice. The fit, the soft material and the warmth is just right.

Every day I know I am lucky to be doing what I do and I intend to make the most of it.

– Andrew McCartney
 www.andrewmccartney.blogspot.com

By: Nikki Reiter

When you talk to a non-runner about running, chances are their first reactions to your favourite fitness pastime are questions like ‘don’t you get hurt?’ or ‘are you a barefoot runner?’ or ‘how many marathons have you run?’ As much as these questions seem like they’re miles apart, they actually all come back to one common topic: the importance of ‘the core.’  I’m not talking about a nice set of washboard abs, I mean core strength, a necessary requirement in not getting injured while running, to effectively run in a barefoot manner, and to take you through the 42.2 grueling kilometers of a marathon run.  I consulted with four-time Olympic team physiotherapist, Greg Redman of Wave Physiotherapy in Kelowna, BC, about core strength.  Greg’s no slouch either – although he’s a past national team athlete with Canoe/Kayak Canada, he recently completed Ironman Canada and runs a sub-1:30 half marathon.

What is ‘the Core’?

The core comprises of the muscles that attach to and maintain stability of the lumbar-pelvic complex.  Often, the exercises we do to strengthen our core muscles only target those that lead to flexion and extension (bending forwards and back upwards) such as our transverse abdominals, hip flexors, etc.  However, as we peel away the layers, we find deep muscles that attach to the spine and pelvis that aid in maintaining a stable posture.  These are the muscles that stop you from twisting about your upper body and prevent your lateral leg muscles from contributing unnecessarily to stability.  The postural muscles have a small job to do, but there is great consequence if the job is not done.  Although as runners we like to get out there, sweat, and work hard, most of us belong to modern society where we spend an awful amount of our day sitting.  Prolonged sitting leads to the disuse of our core muscles, which is why we have to teach them how to work again through core exercises.

Why is the Core Important for Runners? 

When we run, some parts of our body need to move (i.e. our legs and arms), while other parts need to stay still (i.e. our spine and pelvis).  The problem occurs when the body’s balance is upset and the muscles that are normally used to propel oneself forward are being overworked to maintain stability.  Talk about working double duty!  Take for example your hamstrings, which are phasic muscles, meaning they need to turn on and off as part of the gait cycle.  If they’re being called upon to stabilize the pelvis and are ‘on’ all the time, this not only leads to tissue fatigue, but also a decreased ability to propel your legs forward as they’re not obtaining the necessary relaxation time required prior to contraction.

Why a Weak Core Leads to Running Injuries

According to research presented in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2003, most running injuries occur at the knee (42%) and foot and ankle (17%).  The common culprit to these injuries is instability of the spine and pelvis – in short, distal problems from proximal causes.  When core stability cannot be maintained, this throws our lower limbs out of alignment and asks them to do a job they’re not designed for.  For those whose muscles cannot adapt to a different alignment, this will most likely lead to lower limb injuries because the wrong muscles are being overused.  While at first you’ll want to treat the problem area – i.e. that nasty plantar fasciitis or frustrating iliotibial band syndrome – chances are there’s nothing wrong with them locally except that they’re being overworked to provide stability elsewhere.

Injuries are common-thought to be ‘too much too soon’ in terms of running.  Redman explains that it’s simply a case of ‘too much of the wrong thing’ whereby a particular overcompensation by a phasic muscle being used to maintain stability in our body may lead to tissue damage.  Get your core muscles to do their work and the phasic muscles are able to do their own job – propel you forward in running!

Try This at Home

Now it’s your turn.  Think you’ve got a strong core?  Try the single-leg bridge (as per the photo of Greg below).  If your core muscles are in good shape, you should be able to hold this position comfortably for up to 20 seconds, even while distracted.  If you passed the test with flying colours, it’s still important for you to engage in regular core training.  Take simple exercises and make them more challenging, such as lifting a leg or arm off the ground during a plank or closing your eyes during one-legged squats, to really practice recruiting those core muscles.

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: Dylan Wykes

It’s been about a month now since I qualified for the Olympic marathon. The weeks since crossing the line in Rotterdam in 2:10:47 have been unlike anything I’ve experienced previously. Perhaps a small glimpse into the day-to-day life of a professional sports star or movie star.

I suppose I expected a small amount of fanfare after my result, mostly among the small on-line running community in Canada. I never would have imagined the whirlwind that followed in the weeks after the race. I was inundated with interview requests within hours of the race. And that continued for several days. Everything from local newspapers, to international running websites, to the Canadian Press. Most reporters were interested in how I was able to bounce back after the disappointment of dropping out the Lake Biwa Marathon.

I was also overwhelmed with emails and Facebook messages in the days following the race. I’ve literally spent hours every day since trying my best to reply to everyone that sent me a message. I apologize to anyone out there who hasn’t had the chance to say thanks to either via email or in person.

I was able to spend some time with family and friends in Eastern Ontario in the few days after returning from Rotterdam. My former coach, Steve Boyd, organized a really nice party at the Kingston Brew Pub that was a great event and allowed me to catch up with a lot of the people that were important to my success.

Things settled down for a few days and I was able to go on a road trip across the US with my brother that we’d planned a few months prior. Originally we planned to take our time and see some sights. But things kept coming up and in the end we had to put the pedal to the medal to get back to Ontario for a press conference to officially announce the selection of myself, Eric Gillis, and Reid Coolsaet to the Canadian Olympic team.

That event, held in Guelph, was probably when it all finally sunk in that I’d be going to the Olympics – that I’d accomplished something that really only seemed a reality at very minute points in my running career. There we donned our Olympic team jackets, signed autographs for elementary school children, and conducted interviews with numerous newspaper and television outlets. It was a thrilling day. The excitement amongst the little kids and the media alike was very cool. I’ll take this opportunity to apologize to the mothers of the kids whose foreheads I autographed with a permanent marker that day – the kids insisted!

This ‘Hollywood’ lifestyle continued for one more day with a photo shoot for Canadian Running Magazine in Toronto, with Eric and Reid. I’ve only done one or two of these photo shoots previously, but always find it awkward and taxing to stand there and do the same thing over and over again. I’m just glad I’m not beautiful enough to be a model 😉

All the while this was going on I was trying to be good about my recovery from Rotterdam. I took a lot of days off from running but was easing my way back into some light training. I was able to get in for a few massage appointments in the days and weeks after the race. Unfortunately due to the busy schedule it took me a bit longer than normal to get into the pool to pool run – something I like to do when starting back into training after a marathon. But, I’m now back into a regular training routine, with a few of the expected aches and pains lingering from the race. But also with a lot of excitement for the next few months.

After a few weeks in Eastern Ontario, and a few days in Vancouver, my bags are packed again as a head to the rarefied air of Flagstaff, AZ to start training in earnest for the big race on August, 12th.