Mizuno is proud to support Steve Boyd, owner of Physi-Kult running club in Kingston, On and Track & Field coach at Queen’s University.

Steve’s aim in founding Physi-Kult as a local all-ages running group, and now as a web-based coaching service, has been to share with the broader running community his own passion for life-long, competitive distance running, and to offer some of the expertise he has gained from a life spent in balanced pursuit of maximum personal performance. His experience as both coach and athlete has convinced him that serious, lifelong running can be life-enhancing for anyone, and much more so when the pitfalls of repeated injury and stagnation are avoided.

Running is most fulfilling when pursued seriously, and for life; but, this is not possible if the bases for long term consistency are not established. As someone who has run at or very near the peak of his abilities continuously from childhood to middle age, he believes he has discovered, through both research and personal experience, many of the bases for successful, long-term participation in the sport.

For more information on Steve, including a little more on his approach to running, see the “Bio” pages. For ongoing and extended commentaries on running and coaching, see his latest offerings in the “Blog” section. If you think you might be interested in my coaching services, see the details under the “Programs” section.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

GRANT: I just finished a great great book.

VICKY: Oh yeah, which one was it?

GRANT: Feet in the Clouds: A Tale of Fell-Running and Obsession by Richard Askwith.  It is an amazing book written by a runner/journalist from London who takes on the hills of England and explores the unique culture of Fell Running.

VICKY: What’s “Fell Running”?

GRANT: It is a fascinatingly unique type of running that originated in Northern Britain.  It is also known as mountain running or hill running and it is a crazy sport where people run straight up and then straight down a hill or mountain.  Some of the greatest are either famous for their speed of ascents and others are known as “the crazies” for their descents.  It’s difficult to finish a season healthy.

VICKY: That sounds really cool.  So, you know me, I Googled it!  I found this really cool video of Fell Running in Scotland. Check it out:  Fell Running.

GRANT: The really neat part of the book is the autobiographical aspect as much of the book revolves around the author’s obsession with completing the “Bob Graham Round” which is a 42 peak challenge that runners try to complete in under 24 hours.

VICKY: Now that sounds like a challenge. I LOVE these 24 hour challenge races!

GRANT: Yes, and then some.  It’s 128 kilometers long and over 8 kilometers in altitude plus the orienteering challenge.   This book will hook you.

VICKY: I should read this.  It’s very timely as you and I have registered for the “Run for the Toad” 25K trail race.  That’s my first major trail race and a huge challenge both physically and emotionally.

GRANT: More to follow in future posts about our Toad adventure!  For now, just read the book.  It will inspire you for the Toad training.

Oh hi….

So, I’ve been sooooo busy. Super busy! I’ve been… um…..

OK! OK! I haven’t been THAT busy, just lazy. Writing lazy, not running lazy, though.

I’ve started training for the Army Half and I’ve been coaching my run clinic and I’ve been biking/swimming once a week with Steve in the frigid Atlantic Ocean and, well, this summer has been really rad so far.

My kids are at an awesome age. They aren’t babies! There are no diapers! They can eat on the fly and I don’t have to feed them! For heaven’s sake, they eat carrots as their post-swimming lessons snack everyday and then ask for more!!!

We’ve been at the beach and we’ve been riding bikes and there’s mini-golf and visits to friends at campgrounds and staying up late.

This summer has been a big deep breath of rejuvenation, that’s what it’s been. So, sorry for not writing more – but I am keeping track of my miles, and even starting to clock a few now that I’ve reinstated my Friday long runs (16k this week).

But, readers, I have a question for you. Or maybe it’s just a quest for reassurance.

I want to break two hours at the Army Half in September. That requires shaving five minutes off my previous time. And THAT requires speed training.

I…. I really really hate speed training. And… I’ve never really done it. Sure, I’ve done two or three weeks of it, but I’ve never actually stuck with it for long enough periods to see the benefits. Because it hurts and my brain is all WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? when I sprint.

In a testament of my husband’s love for me, we’ve decided to speed train together on Wednesdays from now until the race. (Seriously, this is a man with thick skin and a stubborn streak.)

Today we did 4x250metres. And then I cried. No, seriously, I cried. Not because of the pain but because of the anger and frustration. Because it’s hard and it makes me feel like a crappy runner and I don’t know, because I worry that maybe deep down I don’t have the strength to do it?

It’s so silly, because I *know* that all winter I was writing about pushing limits and testing boundaries and for me, that’s really easy to do on long runs or hill repeats, but grunting it out – on a track or for a personal best 5k – that’s where it’s really, really difficult.

So don’t do it then, my husband said to me. Run your two hour half marathons and enjoy it. But if you *want* to be faster, if you want to get better – this is what you have to do. And he’s RIGHT, of course he is, and I’m not satisfied to run my two hour half marathons only because I know that there is more in me. I’m just not entirely sure how to find it.

So tell me – does it get easier? Does it get better?

(Please say yes.)

The #1 Golfer in the World and Mizuno brand ambassador, Luke Donald shares his thoughts on Mizuno shoes after recently winning the Scottish Open:

“I wear the Wave Nexus 5 model. I don’t run long distances, no more than 20-minutes usually. Most of the running I do is on a treadmill – and usually consists of sprint bouts. It helps me keep in shape for walking the golf course! My caddie John also wears Mizuno!

A quick shout out to all my Canadian fans who gave me such a warm welcome at the RBC Canadian Open this past week, thanks for your support!”

– Luke Donald

By: Gwen Leron

Is the minimalist movement a trend? According to Peter Way, a minimalist enthusiast and customer service rep from specialty sports store Sports 4 in Ottawa, it is not.

“Minimalism is not a trend. It is more of a re-discovery of the proper way to run,” he says. “Minimalism may frighten people at first, but if they give it time, they will soon see that you will need to only give minimal effort for maximum return.”

With the minimalist movement gaining speed, many new customers come into the store inquiring about how to move to a minimalist shoe. So how does Way prepare a customer for the transition to minimalism?

“I empower each customer with the knowledge to make the decision. I encourage a gradual change, nothing too radical,” says Way. “Ultimately, which shoe they decide on is up to them, but I encourage them to use their gut feel and what feels best to them.”

Way and the rest of the Sports 4 staff will take the time to ensure customers are happy and comfortable with their choices. Staff will measure each customer’s feet and ask questions about the person’s running habits in order to come up with a few shoe suggestions. “We don’t push,” says Way. “We want everyone to feel comfortable. We are here to help.”

Mizuno shoes have been especially popular at the store. When asked why he thinks Mizuno has been able to corner the market with their minimalist shoes, Way quickly answers: “Mizuno shoes are a great choice because of their consistency. Each time a new shoe is introduced, the overall fit, feel and performance never varies. The only change is the look and material upgrades which continue to make this brand a top choice year after year. ”

By: Gwen Leron

For Jim Macfarlane, it all started in 1982 with a tiny sports store, four employees and a vision. Fast forward almost 30 years: Macfarlane now owns three thriving sports stores and is living his dream.

In the beginning it was all hands on for Macfarlane and his then-business partner. Nowadays, he oversees the operations in all locations, and running the stores has become a bit of a family affair with his 80-year old mother still doing the accounting and his wife taking care of community and corporate relations.

Macfarlane grew up in Montreal. His mother took care of the books for a chain of sports stores, and when he was 14, against his parents’ wishes, he decided that he would like to work at one of the sports stores as well. So he got a job and in time developed a great relationship with the owner of the stores who became a mentor of sorts to him. He came to idolize the owner because he enjoyed his job immensely and it showed. “I wanted a job like that so I too could have a fun, enjoyable life and make a living doing it,” he said.

Through a strange twist of events, Macfarlane moved to Ottawa and ended up working at the Ottawa Athletic Club stringing rackets alongside the store owner who would end up being his future business partner. For the next few years, he dabbled in the racket business, but wanted something more. In1986, Macfarlane bought out his partner’s Sports 4 shares to become sole owner of the store. He then decided to bring a new focus to Sports 4.

“I wanted to focus on shoes, so I decided to carve out a niche for the store and chose to focus on the medical community,” says Macfarlane. Sports 4 quickly became the best kept secret in Ottawa.

With no budget for advertising, Macfarlane decided to focus on stellar customer service and knowledgeable, highly trained staff. “We relied on word of mouth advertising and it worked for us,” he said. “It was only when we opened up our Kanata store in 1999 that we started to invest in advertising because we had more of a cash flow at that point.”

Sports 4 is not your typical sports store, each customer is treated like an individual. “We still always measure feet and we never rush customers. When people come into our store, they know that they may have to wait, but they wait. They know that if you want the right shoes, Sports 4 is where you go,” says Macfarlane.

And how does his staff know so much about the products in the store? “Each staff member is thoroughly trained before ever heading out on the floor,” says Macfarlane. “They shadow other staff members, and while many of our staff members are runners, not all of them are – but each and every one of them live and breathes athletics.”

Mizuno is a top brand at Sports 4, and like most Mizuno fans, Macfarlane loves the consistency that this line always delivers. “Mizuno never alienates the people who are using their shoes; the next version of a shoe is always slightly better than the other with the fit and feel always being the same,” says Macfarlane. “Once someone becomes a Mizuno customer, they tend to become loyal for life because they develop a trust for the brand.”

Almost 30 years later, Macfarlane still loves what he is doing. He says, “I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. It is always a new challenge every day and it is not a typical 9-5 job, and that’s what I love about it.”

Visit Sports 4 online or in store:

149 Bank Street
(between Slater and Laurier)
K1P 5N7
Phone: 613.234.6562

Kanata Centrum (near Chapters)
400 Earl Grey Dr.
K2T 1B6
Phone: 613.271.7597

Follow Sports 4 on Twitter