Ready, Set…

By

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April 14, 2012

It’s almost race day!! I can’t believe in just 2 sleeps I will be boarding the shuttle to Hopkinton…

The week leading up to the race has been a tad emotional to say the least (it doesn’t take much to bring out my sappy side, but I have been in emotional overdrive)! I sent an email out to my colleagues the other day, encouraging them to track my progress during the big race via the BAA website (if I know there is a chance that people I know are watching my progress, perhaps I will run harder?). So many of them took the time to congratulate me ahead of time. It has been quite amazing, the amount of support everyone around me has shared throughout this process. The build-up to race day is coming to an end, and therefore I think that is the cause of this bundle of emotions!

There is a term used to describe “brides-to-be” that sway in the direction of being self-absorbed, wedding-obsessed, and emotionally dramatic. We have all known our share of “bridezillas”. I feel like all of this Boston attention I have been enjoying as of late has turned me into a “marathon-zilla”! The training, the hard work, the all-consuming dreaming of the big day (while at times attempting to appear humble) has left me feeling like my friends and family are eager to see me cross the finish line sooner rather than later.

The nature of a milestone race can’t be fought. The preparation and build-up is inevitable, much like a wedding. The good news is that most bridezillas turn back into normal, strong women after the big day. They do appreciate their loved ones that made the big day a success. As a marathon-zilla, I appreciate everyone that has helped me make it to the Big Day. You know who you are…(here comes the Oscar speech) Mom and Dad, Papa, the boys, Michelle, (you know you love speedwork) Lori, Scott, Memere, coach Nicole, (thanks for the torture) iRun, Adidas, all of my friends and family that have offered warm encouragement from day one, and everyone I have ever had the pleasure to run alongside.

This is it. I am so ready to toe the line and earn that Boston jacket!

Mapo tofu

By

WhatsCookin

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April 13, 2012

Mr. Shuffler was visiting last weekend so the quality of the cooking around here went way up. One of the things he made me was a Chinese dish called Mapo tofu, which literally translates to “Pock-marked Face Lady’s Tofu.” Sounds yummy, right? Original recipe can be found here. (Unfortunately, I’m having trouble posting the picture of the finished dish. Apologies for the technical issues!)

Ingredients:

Marinade for Ground Pork:
1 1/2 Tbsp tapioca starch (can substitute cornstarch)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Other:
1/4 pound ground pork
1 pound regular tofu (medium firmness)
1 leek or 3 green onions
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp Chinese salted black beans (fermented black beans, also called Chinese black beans), or to taste
1 Tbsp chili bean paste, or to taste
3 Tbsp stock (chicken broth)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
Freshly ground Szechuan pepper
2 – 3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, as needed
We added 1/2 a sweet red pepper and 1/2 orange pepper to increase the vegetable content of the dish.

Preparation:

Mix marinade ingredients. Marinate pork for about 20 minutes.
Cut the tofu (bean curd) into 1/2 inch (1 cm) square cubes, and blanch (drop into boiling water) for 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from boiling water and drain.
Chop leek or green onions into short lengths.
Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add the marinated pork. Stir-fry pork until the color darkens. If desired, add 1 chopped sweet pepper. Add salt and stir. Add the salted black beans. Mash the beans with a cooking ladle until they blend in well with the meat. Add the chili paste, then the stock, bean curd, and leek or green onions. Turn down the heat. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes.

While cooking, mix cornstarch, water, and soy sauce together. Add to wok and stir gently. Serve with freshly ground Szechuan pepper

Make that FOUR Canadians chasing Olympic standards in Rotterdam

By

UpToSpeed

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April 13, 2012

It has been confirmed that Dylan Wykes will be joining the Canadian field in Rotterdam this weekend to try to hit the Canadian Olympic marathon standard of 2:11:29.

Good luck to Krista DuChene, Lanni Marchant, Rob Watson and Dylan Wykes – we’re all rooting for you back home!

Immersion Totale

By

Vicky and Grant

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April 12, 2012

Chlorine is my perfume. ~Author Unknown

GRANT: Salut

VICKY: Salut

GRANT: Comment vas-tu?

VICKY: Très bien. Je vois que nous parlons français maintenant. Pourquoi?

GRANT: Total Immersion. Il s’agit d’un livre sur la natation que je viens de terminer. Il est le produit de l’auteur Terry Laughlin.

VICKY: Excellent! Je suis contente de voir que tu lis et écris encore. Mais pourquoi en français? Comme tu sais, je suis une francophone née et élevée au Nouveau-Brunswick mais nous avons l’habitude de parler en anglais ensemble.

GRANT: Oui, mais ce livre sur la natation m’a rappelé les similitudes avec le français et plus généralement sur l’apprentissage de quelque chose de nouveau.

VICKY: Qu’est-ce que tu veux dire?

GRANT: L’importance de l’immersion. Si vous voulez apprendre à nager, vous devez sauter dans la partie profonde. Comme Simon Whitfield nous a dit dans un blog plus tôt, il s’agit juste d’aller rejoindre un club de natation Masters. Vous allez nager 2 ou 3 fois par semaine et la prochaine chose que vous savez c’est aussi naturel que le vélo.

VICKY: J’ai essayé de nager, mais j’ai de la difficulté à respirer et l’eau pénètre dans mon nez.

GRANT: C’est la même chose qui s’est passé pour moi quand j’ai commencé à apprendre le français. Littéralement, je me sentais comme si je ne pouvais plus respirer. Mais lentement, tu seras à l’aise. Tu apprendras à te détendre.

VICKY: Ce sont d‘excellents conseils! Alors, as-tu aimé le livre?

GRANT: Oui il était très bon. Une bonne introduction. Il se concentre vraiment sur la technique dans le freestyle avec une certaine facilité simple à suivre les exercices. Obtenir votre corps à devenir simplifié est la clé.

VICKY: Excellent. Et comment est ton français?

GRANT: Pas aussi bon. Je utilise encore “Antidote” et “Google Translate” pour beaucoup de choses 🙂

VICKY: Eh bien mon ami, en sport comment en apprentissage, c’est l’effort qui compte!

Media Guides for Boston-April 16 and London April 23

By

dmclaren

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April 12, 2012

Hello Runners:

If you are a lover of trivia and want to know more about the elite runners in two of the World Marathon Major events, these links are huge and filled with alot of running information to impress your friends while you follow the runs in Boston this Monday April 16, and next Sunday in London (Apr 23)

2012 Virgin London Marathon
http://static.london-marathon.co.uk/downloads/pdf/Media-Guide-04-2012.pdf

This guide to the 116th running of the John Hancock Boston Marathon is a bit more interactive. Go to the 2012 Elite Athlete’s field, click on the runners name and get their bio.

http://www.bostonmarathonmediaguide.com/welcome.php

Alexandre Desemery runs (and bikes and swims) for LLS

By

RunningForAReason

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April 11, 2012

The following is a guest post by Alexandre Desemery.

______________________________

Some time ago, a very close member of my family passed away due to Leukemia. It was sudden, it was brutal…
I wasn’t able to do anything at that time. I was clueless, I didn’t know what to say, what to do… It was even difficult to find the words to describe what I was feeling.

This person was strong, honest and proud. He always tried to live his life on the bright side, with a good sense of humor and some sense of “joie de vivre”.

I keep a very good memory of him and I always think of him when I cross a finish line.

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and the bone marrow. The disease develops when blood cells produced in the bone marrow grow out of control.

After diagnosis and treatment, many people with Leukemia live many good, quality years. Unfortunately, some of them don’t.

Today, I am fortunate enough to tackle a big challenge: Ironman Lake Placid. For those unfamiliar with an Ironman, it’s a triathlon consisting of 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and finishes with a marathon. All in less than 17 hours for a total of 140.6 miles. It is typically regarded as one of the most challenging endurance events in the world.

I want to make this day special, I want to help people who can’t do things like that. I want to raise money to help fighting against this disease. I want to give them hope they will heal.

Help me to raise money, help me to try to find a solution for this problem.

I want to donate $10 for every mile I will endure during this day.

Funds collected will be donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada.

You can help me with this!

You can come visit my fundraising page and donate.

______________________________

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!

London England April 2012 (Virgin London Marathon)

By

dmclaren

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April 9, 2012

As a runner, you have probably seen those destination run booths at the expo. Next week at the Virgin London Marathon expo one of those guys will be me. If you are in London do come over and say hello.
I have been asked to represent the Canada Running Series Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/en/index.htm in London during the week of April 17-23.
While I am not running the Marathon, as I have press credentials for iRun magazine I will be in the “early finisher” area for the marathon. The Kenyans are there trying to get an Olympic nod. The times should be amazing.
The press conference is on Wednesday, (the same day as the expo opens) so I may not get a chance to meet any of the elites, but as a Running Groupie, I will try other means.
Stay tuned as I hope to post daily while I am there.
In the meantime, here are a couple of pics from last year
This is the men’s list (and only those UNDER 2:07)
Elite Men – Personal Best (world record 2:03:38)
Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya) 2:04:40 (winner of London last year)
Patrick Makau (Kenya) 2:03:38 (WR holder)
Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) 2:03:42 (so close in Rotterdam)
Abel Kirui (Kenya) 2:05:04 (World marathon champion two years in a row)
Vincent Kipruto (Kenya)2:05:13
Martin Lel (Kenya) 2:05:15 (my hero and 2nd in London last year –just beating Patrick Makau !!!!!)
Tsegaye Kebede (Ethiopia) 2:05:18
Feyisa Lilesa (Ethiopia) 2:05:23
Bazu Worku (Ethiopia) 2:05:25
Jaouad Gharib (Morocco)2:05:27
Marilson Gomes dos Santos (Brazil) 2:06:34
Markos Geneti (Ethiopia) 2:06:35
Now for fast women ( and I am only listing under 2:24- World record is 2:15:23

Mary Keitany (Kenya) 2:19:19 (lead in NYC until last 2 km)
Irina Mikitenko (Germany) 2:19:19
Florence Kiplagat (Kenya)2:19:44
Edna Kiplagat (Kenya)2:20:46
Constantina Dita (Romania) 2:21:30
Atsede Baysa (Ethiopia) 2:22:04
Ejegayehu Dibaba (Ethiopia)2:22:09
Inga Abitova (Russia)2:22:19
Korene Jelila (Ethiopia)2:22:43
Priscah Jeptoo (Kenya)2:22:51
Bezunesh Bekele (Ethiopia) 2:23:09
Isabellah Andersson (Sweden)2:23:41

2 hours(ish) of running until Race Day!

By

arobitaille

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April 8, 2012

I must have looked like a tasty chocolate bunny out there today. Four dogs came running after me. I learned a long time ago from my brother, that the best way to deal with the situation is to yell a very firm, “GO HOME!” to the canine in question. It worked all four times. Phew!

After that last “long” run this morning, (a breezy hour-and-twenty-minute-run) I looked ahead at the schedule set up for this week’s running. The last week before the race. There are four easy runs (one interval session in there for good measure) between me and Boston. “Mentally prepare” is what coach Nicole said. It seems that the only time I have to mentally prepare is out on the road while running, so I guess I will have to carve out some extra time somewhere else. As well as “getting extra sleep,” “eating well” and “hydrating“. Busy week ahead for sure.

The taper is always so tricky. If you’re a procrastinator like I can be, everything in your personality tells you to “cram” in extra training every time you think about the big day. Running doesn’t work that way. It’s all about strong, even build-up in training for best results. Tapering is also so much about self-control. I feel so great out there! I just want to keep going! Okay, okay, I guess I will “save it up”.

As I count down the 6 more sleeps until we board the plane bound for Boston on Saturday, I will try to keep calm, trust my training, and just keep my head on straight!

p.s. Do countless jelly beans count as proper pre-race fuel? Happy Easter!

Chocolate stout cake with Bailey’s cream cheese icing

By

WhatsCookin

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April 4, 2012

Apologies for the relative inactivity on this blog lately. Unfortunately, my desktop’s hard drive crashed in late February so that took a lot of time and energy to deal with. Then, two days ago, my new hard drive crashed, taking with it several food pictures that I had not yet posted. Current mood around here: stabby.

Anyway…my good friend Sam sent in some St. Patrick’s day recipes a couple of weeks ago. I thought that this one could also work for Easter, especially if a family dinner is in the plans 🙂 The original recipe can be found here.

Chocolate Stout (Guinness) Cake

Stout brings out the flavours of the chocolate in this light and moist chocolate cake.

Servings: makes 6+ servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Directions

Melt the butter in a sauce pan, remove from heat and let cool a bit.
Mix in the stout and cocoa powder.
Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
Mix the eggs and sour cream in another large bowl.
Mix the stout mixture into the egg mixture.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet.
Pour the batter into one or two greased and parchment lined circular cake pan(s).
Bake in a preheated 350F oven until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean. If you bake it in a single pan then it should take about 40-50 minutes. If you bake it in two cake pans then it should take about 20-30 minutes.

Bailey’s Cream Cheese Frosting

A cream cheese frosting spiked with Irish cream.

Servings: makes 1 cup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons of Bailey’s Irish cream

Directions

Cream the cream cheese.
Slowly mix in the confectioners sugar.
Slowly mix in the Irish cream.

Three more Canadians set their sights on Olympic marathon standard

By

UpToSpeed

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April 3, 2012

Three more Canadians will be chasing the Olympic Standard at the Rotterdam Marathon.

Coming off of her 1:47:03 win at Around the Bay, Krista DuChene announced on her blog that she was able to secure a space in the April 15 race and will be making a run at the 2:29:55 needed to hit the A-Standard.

In that same blog post, DuChene stated that Lanni Marchant will also be running for the standard, so we got in touch with her to confirm. Marchant said,“Yes, I am running Rotterdam and hope to be in the mix to run the Canadian standard. Fingers crossed Krista and I can make some magic happen!”

Rob Watson also announced on his blog that he will be attempting to hit the men’s A-Standard of 2:11:29 the Rotterdam Marathon, saying, “Some people are going to criticize and call me stupid and delusional. And I agree, I am stupid and somewhat delusional, but s— man, I’ve always been told to dream big, and it doesn’t get any bigger that the Olympics.”

The race takes place at 10:30 am local time, so most of us here in Canada will be able to find results by the time we’re getting up for our own long run.