By petite feet, I mean, children in your household who are interested in taking up running for fun and or sport.

How are they enjoying it and how are you approaching them starting into the wonderful world of running? We’d love to hear your stories, as parents who are introducing little feet into this sport. Are you having them run with you? Are you entering them into kids races and fun runs? This is actually a great way to get them started. The cheering, the ribbons and medals received, the post race celebratory snacks etc are all part of the allure that piques their interest and serves as a reason to look forward to, and even train, for future events.

At iRun, we are huge advocates of making this sport fun, family oriented and of course competitive. Even if the competition is with each individual’s goals to improve and smash personal records. This is why I feel there is some benefits to keeping track of accomplishments, like furthest distance run, fastest time or even ‘most fun had during a run/race’ so that your child has something to benchmark themselves with. I know when I was a youngster and working on improving in various sports, I would keep stats on everything from how fast I could ride my bike around the block, how far I could long jump to how many times I could hit makeshift-targets on my hockey net and everything in between. It’s not always about who’s better, who’s best but there’s always something positive that comes out of realizing self improvement. Alas, there is the possibilities of disappointment when one fails to better a previous performance and thus, we need to learn the fine art of coddling. Not too much, not too little. Just ask my wife, she has perfected this. Not just with our children, but with me as well as the child in me gets quite upset when I fall short at a race where I expected to show improvements! So, please offer your feedback and experiences. You are welcome to either comment here, or email me at the address below. ~ Dave

Hey Kids – Join The Young iRunner Challenge:

Are you a young runner, or are you the parent of a child that runs? You could win a fabulous iRun Cap if their entry is selected. Whether your child is just getting into running or really into the sport, either for recreation or competition, have them write about how they got started, why they like running and what their future running goals are. There is no minimum or maximum length for the stories but if it is a child, it should be in their own words and include their age and hometown and entries may be edited for space purposes.

Optional: Include a photo, either posing or ‘on the run’ for inclusion on this blog.

Email stories and photos to dave@beachesrunner.com

I look forward to more submissions!

Vive les enfants!

Follow Dave on Twitter

twitter.com/beachesrunner

Your voice counts as well – If you have any questions or topics you’d like to see addressed please leave a comment or email me at dave @ beachesrunner . com

I’ve written before about my favourite running partner. Not only do we run together, but she also trained all winter for my trek in Nepal in April. Sometimes it seems unfair that she does all the work of training but never gets any of the fun on the event.

I arrived home from Nepal (and from Everest Base Camp) two weeks ago. And I promptly signed up for the Montreal Rock and Roll Marathon in September. I’ll be running with Team in Training (and coaching at the same time!). So I wrote myself up a running schedule for May to get my legs back into the swing of things and Milo and I headed out for a few 5k runs and then an 8k run.

Milo is nine. She’s in great shape and a really healthy dog, but there’s no denying that she’s not as spry as she used to be. Summer running is out for her – she just gets too hot. But spring running and hopefully very early morning runs in July and August, now that, she can do! Or at least, she could last year…

On Monday we went for an 8k run and while my legs were feeling nice and strong, Milo started to trail farther and farther behind me after the 4k mark. I stopped a few times to let her get drinks from puddles, but there was no question that she was having a hard time. Afterwards, she flopped on the carpet and slept for the rest of the day. While she did a little better on our second 8k run on Wednesday (it was drizzly and cool as opposed to sunny and mild), I realized that Milo may not be able to train with me this summer.

Of course dogs get old and slow down, but… the thought of hitting the roads four times a week all summer and leaving her behind is really disheartening to me. She’s my buddy! In her old(er) age, we have come to run very comfortably together: she enjoys my pace and I enjoy her happy company. I’ve long stopped bringing her on my long runs but it’s sad to realize that soon, she won’t be able to run 10k or even 8k.

I plan on getting her out for a 10k run next week, to see how she does, but I realize with a very sad heart, that our running days may be limited. She may be restricted to spring and fall cool runs. Her hips get sore and she limps sometimes and despite all the proper things we give her suppliment wise, there’s just no slowing down time.

Don’t get me wrong, Milo is not (yet?) a frail, old dog. But this marathon runner may just be running all by myself this summer. And that makes me so very, very sad.

New-to-Saucony runner Marc Boudreau gives his first impressions of the Saucony Triumph 9:

In late 2010, I met the most amazing woman. We slowly got to know each other over the course of time and fell in love with each other. When I learned that my better half Sally was a runner and had run many marathons, I was intrigued and inspired. She challenged me to start running which I did in February 2011. Her expertise proved beneficial to this newbie during what were initially very challenging and trying runs.

I’d join in on group runs and struggle to keep pace with the gang. I’d also feel bad if the group slowed down to accommodate the pace I could bear. I kept aspiring to the day when I’d be able to run with the gang and keep pace with them. Over the course of time, I was thrilled when that day arrived several months later. A beast was awaken; I had been bitten by the running bug. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for this… other than running that is.

I was inspired and strived to improve. My improved results over the course of time inspired me to continue pushing onwards and they still do to this day.

When I was chosen to be one of two Saucony Canada Product Ambassador I was thrilled and excited! I remember thinking that I never win anything. I was elated to be trying out the fancy schmancy brand new Saucony Triumph’s and blogging about my experience! Sweeet!

I have to admit that I had never paid much attention to my running shoes before I ran and even after I started running. I mean I knew that I needed to wear a neutral cushioning shoe. The only thing that was important to me was that they look really schwanky (i.e. really cool) and – okay two things – that they felt great on my feet.

I eagerly awaited for the arrival of my pair of Triumph 9’s. The minutes turned into hours, the hours turned into days and the days turned into a couple of weeks. I had almost run holes in my shoes when I finally received my pair of Black and Yellow Triumph’s. (Ok so my former shoes didn’t have holes in them but it did make for a nice intro!)

At a first glance, they definitely passed the schwanky test. Not only do they look cool but they also look fast! How fast? Really fast! Really fast? Ok fine, UBER fast! I mean I easily beat my 5K PB during a tempo run! I’d like to thank Saucony for making me lightning fast. Ok, so maybe it’s not all the shoes but I’d like to think that they have definitely played a part in this improvement!

For a shoe that has premium cushioning, they are surprisingly light and comfortable yet deliver a responsive feel. I’ve read that they’re designed with an 8mm offset. French being my mother tongue, I had to do some reading to decipher what this means in English. Apparently this allows for an easier transition and less impact. Et bien, c’est pas pire ca! When you and your running shoes spend some serious quality time together this is something really important!

I ran Around the Bay in my former pair of running shoes and was just thankful to finish the race with all ten toes still attached to my feet. I have to admit that while I rested after this race that my training for my first 10K race went astray slightly. So this coming weekend, when I lace up my Triumph’s for the Sporting Life 10K Toronto, I am hoping that I’ll be able to complete the race in a triumphant time!

By: Dylan Wykes

It’s been sometime since I’ve managed an update. After dropping out of Lake Biwa I was pretty down and out. Leading up to Lake Biwa training had gone so well — including 12 weeks at altitude in Flagstaff, AZ — that I had very high expectations for myself. Not meeting those expectations was brutal and I had a lot of trouble looking beyond my failure. Perhaps one sign that I hadn’t totally packed in it was that I continued to run each day following Japan, though I didn’t really know why. A force of habit maybe? Eventually with some tough love from current and former coach and some less tough love from family I got my head screwed back on. I returned to Flagstaff, AZ to train and intended to try racing another marathon before the Olympic qualifying window closed on April 22.

Next struggle was getting into a race. Some people reading may think that’s weird, that it should be a no brainer for an athlete at my level to get into a marathon. But, a lot of marathons close entry to there elite fields months before the race. In the end my agent was able to secure me a spot on the start line in Rotterdam.

Training in the weeks in between Japan and Rotterdam was okay. I trusted Rich’s experience and knowledge and followed the program as closely as I could. I had a few workouts where I didn’t feel super human (which I did almost every time out prior to Japan). Usually having a few ho-hum workouts would really kill my motivation and confidence. But I knew I just had to get myself on the line in Rotterdam with a healthy body and mind and give it a shot. A shout out to the Speed River crew for there company on runs and social events during those weeks in Flagstaff. It made for some enjoyable training and helped keep me relaxed.

I flew over to Holland a week prior to the race to try to adapt to the time change and the effects of coming down to sea level (or slightly below) from 7,000ft above sea level. I was fortunate to stay with some very great people near Eindhoven for a few days. Once in Rotterdam it was nice to be in the company of several other canadians – Rob Watson, Lanni Marchant, and Krista Duchene. Like training and hanging out with the Speed River crew in Flagstaff having these guys around took my mind off the race.

So, on to the race; I knew in advance that there was going to be a group setup around the Dutch athlete Koen Raymaekers who needed to run 2:10:00 for the Dutch Olympic team (and Canadians think our standards are tough!!!). He was to have 3 pacers with the intention of going through halfway in 65:00, and I knew of at least 2 other guys that were going to run in that group. So, my game plan was simple — just run in the group for as long as possible, staying as relaxed as possible, and then hope it’s a good day over the last 12k.

On the start line we were packed in like sardines. I literally had no room to move and was not comfortable with the situation at all. When the canon went off I probably got no more than 2 steps before I hit the deck and hit it hard. For a split second I thought maybe they’d recall everyone to the start, but then I realized this wasn’t a high school track meet, this was a race with 7,000 people in it so knew that wasn’t going to happen. I got up in a fit of rage and stormed past people. I went flying past Rob cursing and a few seconds later realized I should probably chill out. I tried to settle into the pack at that point which was the second ‘group’ in the race — the first group was out of sight pretty early as they were chasing the world record. But there were a ton of guys in the pack and I couldn’t get comfortable. I’ve never run behind myself (obviously) but people either don’t respect the fact that I’m 6’2″ and have long legs or I do something really odd with my stride because I constantly get clipped. This was happening repeatedly in the first 5-10km of the race. Sometime after 10km things started to spread out a bit and I was able to settle into the back of the group.

I didn’t look at my watch at all and wasn’t aware of our splits during the first half of the race. I was running the way I wanted but I didn’t feel great. My quads were getting heavy and sore as early as 15k. I even thought about letting the pack go at several times between 15-20k. But knowing the worst of the forecasted winds were going it hit us between 20-30k I really didn’t want to be out on my own. I just kept the head down and tried to run in the very back of the group where I thought I could get the most relief from the wind.

One of the most difficult parts of the race for me was the fluids stations every 5km. The Dutch athlete Koen was having his bottle handed to him by a volunteer whereas everyone else was trying to grab their bottles off the table. It was often hard to spot my bottle (even harder for Le Rob) as they were quite close together on the tables. So we had to slow down a bit more than Koen. And his pacers didn’t slow down at all in these areas. I also felt like I was drinking a lot longer than some of the other guys or maybe I jut can’t drink and run at a fast enough pace. Anyways, I lost 10-20metres on the pack at every water station and had to put a real concentrated effort to get back onto the group. That sucked.

I saw the 20k split and wasn’t sure exactly what it equated to, but I knew it was fast. I was actually relieved at that point as it somewhat justified my legs feeling tired as early as they did. We split 64:40 for the half marathon.

From halfway to 30km was a bit of blur for me. A few guys were yoyoing off the back of the group and I had to change position once in a while. I actually started to feel a bit better during this time. As my splits would prove we slowed down quite a bit during this stage. Partly this was because of the wind were running into, and partly because the few hills (one bridge and one incline shouldn’t really be calling a ‘hill’) come between 20-25km and maybe partly because everyone needed a little breather after the fast early pace.

Whereas between 12-20k I felt the kilometers were passing really slowly and I found myself looking up the road for the next km marker — between 25-30km I felt like things were going by more quickly. This section was also through downtown and the spectators were going crazy so that was probably a good distraction.

I knew shit was gonna hit the fan soon after 30km. At that point the wind was going to be either a side or tail wind and I expected some guys might start rolling. 30km is also the point, roughly 90min into the race, when things can start getting pretty rough if your having a bad day. True to form when one of Koen’s two remaining pacers stopped at 30km the other accelerated. I looked at the split and realized this was also because we’d slowed down a bit and Koen was going to be cutting it close to run 2:10:00.

One of Rich’s few instructions before the race was to try to relax between 30-35km so that I might be able to actually finish the last 5km of the race with some energy. I had this in my mind when I covered the faster pace at around 31km. I tried to fight the urge to kill myself to cover little gaps and surges, but it seemed a better option than being stuck on my own. It was becoming really hard to stick with Koen and even when I did get back up with him and his pacer I couldn’t relax again. A Polish athlete was running with us at this point too. And part of Rich’s instructions were to not be afraid to drift off the pace a little around 30km if there was someone to drift off with. Le Rob fell off just a bit too soon. But this Polish guy seemed like he was still strong but also not comfortable with Koen’s pace. I lost about 10m to the 2 of them around 32km, then the polish guy lost 10m on Koen. I caught the Polish guy and we worked together for a bit.

I was under 2:11:29 pace the entire race, but my 30 and 35km split were Nearly identically to what I hit in Toronto in October. So, you can imagine I might not actually be too excited at this point, knowing how badly things can fall apart over the last 7km. But by 35km I had dropped the polish guy and felt like I was running strong with a pretty fluid stride — nothing was cramping up — but I was having some bowel discomfort (not as badly as Japan, but obviously something I’m going to have to look at remedying before London).

I was paying much more attention to my km splits at this point. I wanted to see 3:10s. I saw a few 3:10s from 35-37, but then a 3:16 from 37-38. I went from thinking ‘okay this is still on’ to ‘oh f@$! I’m going to miss it by like 10 seconds’. But I stayed focused and pushed as hard as I could thinking about how pissed I’d be if I didn’t give it everything I had. I saw the clock at 40km — 2:03:55 — and knew I was really on for it. I did the math 7:30 for the last 2.2km is what I needed to get under the standard. Sure I’ve run my last 2.2km slower than that in the past. But I was moving well at this point. I stopped looking at my watch and just hit it as hard as I could while still keeping my bowel discomfort at bay. With 500m to go you turn onto the Coolsingel (the main street in Rotterdam) and there are thousands of fans going crazy. It’s pretty freaking cool. I checked my watch with 400m to go and knew there was no way I wasn’t going to get under the standard. I sprinted hard the next 200m and then the last 200m, well let’s just say I enjoyed that bit — numerous fist pumps. I looked at the finish line clock as I crossed under it — 2:10:46. I thought ‘wow, I didn’t just get under the standard, I killed it!’

Congrats to Rob, Lanni, and Krista who all ran PB’s and truly impressed out there on the streets of Rotterdam on Sunday. Exciting futures in the sport for all of them.

So many people to thank I’m not sure its worth trying on here. I hope to be in touch with as many people as possible over the next little while. But obviously huge thanks to my family for the unwavering support. And to my coach Rich Lee and his family for everything they’ve done for me the past few years.

Here are my splits:

Established-Saucony-runner Product Leader Rebecca Grey on receiving her new shoes:

Opening the box, I immediately thought the Hurricane 14 was a good looking shoe, and I love the new flat laces with the reflective stripes.  I did, however, feel a small rush of panic when I saw the white foam instep.  Where was the section of gray foam that generally indicates a stability shoe?  Did they send me a cushioning shoe?!  Then I noticed the fine gray thread in the arch foam differentiating it from the rest of the cushioning.  Phew, it WAS a supportive shoe.  Isn’t it interesting how we get used to things having a certain look?  How I’ve been conditioned to associate a gray foam instep with stability?  That “missing” gray foam still throws me when I see these shoes drying in the hall.

Putting them on, the amount of forefoot cushioning was a MARKED improvement over the Hurricane 13s.  Kevin had his doubts that I’ll go back and finishing wearing out my current 13s after running in this new shoe, and he’s probably right – for the forefoot cushioning alone (Hi honey – forget you read that please!).

I kept my first run in them short, just in case.  But no, I didn’t notice a difference except that wonderful forefoot cushioning.  March had been a terribly busy month for me, working full time while writing term papers and final exams and my mileage had suffered, so April was all about getting back into running and building the clicks back up.  With my lack of miles in mind, I expected most of April’s runs to suck.  But they didn’t (okay, one or two did, but that was probably had more to do with recently donating blood).  Even the hills, which I usually despise, didn’t bother me as much.  It couldn’t be the shoes could it?

So I did a little more research into what the 8mm difference was supposed to do.  Saucony claims that the 8mm difference will make it easier for runners to run more efficiently as a midfoot strike is encouraged.  I had been paying more attention to my foot strike over the last few months as one of my running buddies is a physiotherapist who, after reading “Born to Run” and attending a biomechanics of running workshop, had been intrigued by minimalist running and what it could do for the body.  Since I tend towards shuffling, at least at the 37km mark, I didn’t think I was much of a heel-striker, but a quick glance through some race photos says otherwise.  I’ll be watching to see if the 8mm offset really does allow me to improve my form, and if the offset is noticeable in longer distances.  Oh, and this morning I discovered a pocket in the tongue of the shoe; my initial thought was that it was for a key, which seemed awkward, but a quick Google search says it’s for tucking your laces into – so I’ll be reporting back on that too!