You Are Not Alone: Ottawa Race Weekend and the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre

January 18, 2023

If you are a survivor reading this, please know that your experience, voice, and journey matter. For nearly 50 years, the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre (ORCC) has advocated for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Ottawa and the surrounding region. Unfortunately, the need for the supports that ORCC offers is just as critical today as the day it opened in 1974. In fact, a recent study from the Canadian Women’s Foundation found that “64% of people in Canada know a woman who has experienced physical, sexual or emotional abuse.” (Canadian Women’s Foundation, 2021).

It will genuinely take collective efforts to end sexual violence. This is where Run Ottawa comes in. This partnership helps spread the word about the community’s needs and provides opportunities for raising funds to support survivors directly.

“It’s not an easy conversation to be had and not a well understood space—it comes with a stigma—but we know that we need to address this kind of violence together as a community,” says Candice Shaw, Executive Director of the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre. “When people don’t understand structural violence, I use the racecourse analogy as if life was the start line for a race: we’re all expecting to participate, but we’re not all starting at the same point. In the case of what we do at the ORCC, it’s all about supporting people in their [healing] journey so we can all have the ability to determine what our lives look like—to live, in a sense, and be free to determine our own path.”

As runners, this analogy of the route hits home. When starting from different points in life (or on a course), any support available can make all the difference. For this reason and more, we are entirely grateful to be selected for a second consecutive year to be Ian Fraser’s not-for-profit of choice for the Desjardins Charity Challenge at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend 2023 and to be part of the Run Ottawa and broader running community.”

Fraser has a long history of soliciting donations, starting when he opened his former business Cyclelogik. This year he has set his goal to turbo-charge his fundraising. As Team Captain for STRIDES4ORCC, Ian has committed to running virtually to various sexual assault support centre locations throughout Eastern Ontario while bringing awareness about sexual and gender-based violence further out into the open.

Put simply: we want to promote conversations and actions toward ending sexual violence in our communities.

Freedom found in our shoes is one of the greatest gifts of our sport. Ian Fraser, race director of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, says his love of running invokes that feeling of boundlessness and release. “Physical health promotes mental health, and running is such a freedom that to think our loved ones and neighbours could be unsafe in our own communities is barbaric,” says Fraser, adding that the thousands of dollars he hopes to raise for ORCC through the Desjardins Charity Challenge at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend are used on such things as counselling and crisis services, and fundamental necessities like safe housing, food, and clothing. “Violence against women and abuse of all kinds is reprehensible, unfathomable, and the ORCC provides an essential service with a mission I’m proud to stand within our community.”

It’s not only in Ottawa where non-profit organizations like the ORCC need and provide help. Dr. Shaw says ORCC is a member of the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women (OCTEVAW) as well as the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC) and that across the country, many groups are tirelessly working, and need volunteers and fundraising support to carry out their missions. She’s thankful for what Fraser and the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend are building to help draw attention to her network—and she encourages everyone to take an active role in changing the world.

“You have the right to show up in your life the way you choose, and if someone is dealing with violence, it’s our job as an organization and our role as a community to support those who need help,” says Shaw, who’s actively growing her team at Strides 4 ORCC and looks forward to meeting as many people as possible at the big race in May. “Some people run for a finishing time, others run for a release, but whatever your reason, we look at life the same way: it’s your journey, and you have the right to choose your own path. We’re here to support survivors so they can look at life, and running, the same way.”

To donate to Strides 4 ORCC, visit their team page. To keep up with Fraser as he runs virtually, raising money for Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre, follow him and Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend on Instagram @idfraserinotown and @ottawaracewknd.

Running Every Street in My City is Not Only Possible, It Makes Me Part of a Larger Trend

Ben Kaplan

January 18, 2023

running, black toe, nike, action, sports, homerun

The year was 2020. The pandemic was in full force and vaccines still seemed like eons away. I was in need of an additional form of entertainment to help “fill the void” left by the pandemic. Since I couldn’t take vacations overseas like I would typically enjoy doing, I decided to take “vacations” in my own city by exploring new neighbourhoods on my own two feet. This evolved into a passion for “Citystriding,” which refers to runners who are seeking to run every street in their city.

Citystriders are referred to as such because they have signed up for an account on Citystrides.com, which overlays all of their GPS-tracked running activities onto the same map, giving them the ability to see clearly which streets they have run on and which they haven’t.

There are over 50,000 people in more than 100 countries currently attempting to run every block in their cities and almost 5-million streets around the world have been documented as run. Meanwhile, Citystrides calculates what percentage of the city you have completed, so you know exactly how much you’ve done and what you have remaining. When I first registered my Citystrides account I was sure I had conquered a decent chunk of Toronto—it turned out I had only finished around 5% of the city.

Seen on my run: Just some of the murals Brian Putre has captured along his adventures.

I had work to do.

Fast forward to 2023. Travel is now possible and social gatherings are back on the agenda, but Citystriding has not gone away. In fact, it is now more popular than ever. Another Toronto runner, Conor Hoekstra, pictured with me at the top of this piece, took up Citystriding more recently, in 2022, after the world already started to open back up. Conor and I are teammates and friends at BlackToe Running, and are now also “friendly rivals” who are taking different approaches to completing all of Toronto’s streets.

My career is in transportation and urban planning, and accordingly I’m motivated by the experience of it all, while running Toronto’s streets. I even run the trails and pathways that don’t ‘count’ towards my percentage completion of Toronto, just because I enjoy exploring them and truly soaking in Toronto’s urban fabric. Getting the chance to see neighbourhoods I wouldn’t normally otherwise visit has been fascinating and rewarding. There is something quite beautiful about the neverending hills and bungalows that make up the Caledonia-Fairbank neighbourhood. And I wasn’t expecting to enjoy the Jane and Finch area as it has a bit of a bad rap, but the people I ran by there were all friendly, quick to offer me a smile and a wave as I ran by. Additionally, as someone who puts a lot of effort into training seriously for my goal races, it’s nice to have this more lighthearted, less “serious” running goal to balance things out.

Conor’s career is different from mine. His field is in math and computer programming, and accordingly when he sets out on a Citystrides run, he finds joy in identifying and then running the most efficient pathways to complete the city. “Citystrides is like Pokémon Go, but with running and without the Pokémon,” says Conor, who has been completing approximately 50 streets per run with this strategy. “There are ways to be strategic about it.”

It goes to show you that there is no right or wrong way to be a Citystrider.

Citystriding can be whatever you want it to be.

With Conor’s strategic approach, he recently leapfrogged me in the Citystrides leaderboard for Old Toronto, despite being at it for a much shorter time. Meanwhile, I hit a milestone of my own, having recently reached 50% completion for the City of Toronto (including East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, and York, in addition to Old Toronto). Suffice it to say we are both having fun and are motivated to continue our respective Citystrides journeys.

Conor and I are far from the only two in Toronto and across Canada who are Citystriding. What I didn’t realize at the time that I started this was that Citystriders are actually a community within the running community, and a pretty special community at that. When you try to do something crazy, like run all 10,427 streets in your city, that’s the kind of thing that brings people together.

I’ve made new friends through Citystrides and I’ve been on runs with other Toronto-based Citystriders and exchanged tips with them for how best to complete some challenging streets in the city. For example, there is a street in East York called Forestry Service Road that isn’t really a part of the city’s main transportation network. However, I learned it can be accessed via a mountain bike trail in the East Don Valley that would be easy to miss if you didn’t know where to look. Not only was I able to complete this street with the help of my Citystrides friends, but I got some epic views of the Don Valley and the East Don River in the process.

So far, the other Citystriders I’ve met have been in Toronto, but I’d be keen to meet other Citystriders in other Canadian cities, share stories, and perhaps be each other’s tour guides when visiting each other’s cities. After all, who better than a Citystrider to know all the best running spots in their city!

When I first started running, I assumed it was a solo sport. While running is indeed a personal endeavour, it’s something I’ve come to realize is made better with friends. My BlackToe friends keep me motivated to achieve my racing goals, and my Citystrides friends keep me motivated to continue exploring my wonderful city. At the end of the day running is supposed to be fun, and the more fun I can have while doing it, the more I improve as a runner, the greater the benefits are to my physical and mental health, and the more rewarding the whole experience of running is.

Whether you are looking to run every street in your city, or if you are simply curious as to what your map looks like, or are wanting to find out more about how Citystriding works, feel free to visit Citystrides.com and create your own profile. You can find me there and I’ll be happy to lend you a hand.

Sasha’s Stories: Taking Life in Stride, RSVP to Live Interview on January 24!

Ben Kaplan

January 11, 2023

Taking Life in Stride

By Harvey Mitro

238 pages, $24.99 Canadian Dollars

As a first edition of Sasha’s Stories I wanted to find a book approachable for everyone, from those who read a lot to those who occasionally pick up a beach read and finally the group that’s yet to discover the best way to recover from a run, the non-readers out there. I picked Harvey Mitro’s Taking Life in Stride: Stories from Life on The Run, which is a collection of 29 short stories. It is a book you can pick up, put down, start from the middle, start from the back, and just find the one story that speaks to you.

Harvey Mitro is a decorated Canadian middle-distance runner. More importantly, he’s an integral part of the Toronto running fabric. I sat down with Harvey before the holidays to ask him to be my first guest on Sasha’s Stories. From all I’d heard about Harvey and his kind and thoughtful interactions over social media, I knew that despite being nervous to meet Harvey, he’d welcome me in with an open heart. Similar to his demeanour, his collection of short memoirs drew me in as it explored Harvey’s life through the vantage point of a runner.

One story in particular spoke to me, On the Trail with Danny Kassap. I am one of the fortunate to know Danny. I trained alongside him; Danny used to run my longer intervals before he started his workout so I wouldn’t be out training on my own. Danny once gave me a pair of New Balances racing flats because I kept racing in these thick trainers (remember those really thin shoes we thought would make us race faster!). Why was Danny, living paycheque to paycheque, giving me the fortunate North York kid a pair of shoes? That was Danny, always wanting the best for everyone who touched his life. I still have those flats and look upon them often with teary eyes and a thankful heart that I continue to have this opportunity to race and run.

When Danny passed away in 2011 it rocked the Greater Toronto running community. One of Danny’s lifetime goals was to compete for Canada at the Olympics in the marathon; he trained tirelessly as he worked at a Fish and Chips shop to support his endeavours. Danny did everything with a giant smile, no matter the hardship from gruelling marathon workouts, to long hours on his feet working, or immigration battles to garner Canadian citizenship. That smile drew you in, the same way it captivated Harvey as Danny was running repeats in Cedervale park back in 2003 as Harvey, “tried [to] match his strides through several repeats.” Danny optimized what it is to take life in stride.

Danny calmly and easily dealt with unpleasant or difficult things, not only not allowing it to affect what he was doing, but to continue to do it with a smile that was as wide as his stride.

I cannot wait to sit down with Harvey on January 24th at 7:30pm EST to learn more about what story speaks to you. To register for the event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sashas-stories-episode-1-with-harvey-mitro-tickets-501312387847

Have a question for Harvey? To submit questions in advance of Sasha’s Stories please use this link: https://forms.gle/Y5xMo51RZE58LAXe6

Haven’t ordered your copy of Harvey’s book? To order your copy of Taking Life in Stride, either in paperback, e-book, or audio book: https://takinglifeinstride.ca/.

Saucony is the Brand iRun Nation Would Most Likely Recommend

Ben Kaplan

January 11, 2023

Saucony, based in Waltham, Massachusetts, and the shoes worn by the great Canadian Olympians Trevor Hofbauer and Malindi Elmore, was voted the Brand You’d Most Likely Recommend at the 2022 iRun Golden Sneaker awards.

The company, which has roots dating back to 1898 off Saucony Creek in Pennsylvania, makes accessories and many different models of shoes, from the ultra high-end carbon-plated Endorphin Pro 3 ($299.99, pictured above) to the Kinvara ($149.99), in its thirteenth iteration and priced and designed for mass appeal. Saucony beat out all other shoe brands when we asked our readers what shoes they’d recommend to a friend.

“Kinvara 13 are my last two shoes. The current pair I have is amazing. They wear well, they fit will, they breathe well and when wet they dry fast. I personally like that they are light, and have a low heel-to drop,” said Jay Gilmore on the iRun Facebook page.

Nina Ryan said, “I absolutely love Saucony. It doesn’t matter which model; when the shoe goes on my feet, they always feel amazing! I’ve dabbled with other brands, but these always win out. Just the right amount of support, cushioning, and responsiveness—from the day I took up running, straight through til now!”

Brooks came in second place in your voting, and third place was a tie between ASICS and New Balance. Fourth place went to Hoka, which is sponsoring the great Around the Bay race this spring, and fifth place went to Mizuno, famous for their Wave Rider line, now in its twenty-fifth iteration.

All six of the companies are reputable and scored many votes in our survey, but it was the outpouring of affection for Saucony that caught our eye. Not only do runners gush about the Saucony street shoes, but their trail line also earned raves.

“I love the Saucony Peregrine trail shoe. It’s my go to shoe for trail racing. It has the right amount of grip and cushioning for all types of trails,” said Melanie Boultbee, and another runner commented on the excellent Goretex in the Peregrine line.

Malindi Elmore, pictured above, has said that Saucony makes the best shoes in the industry and many runners told iRun that the Endorphin Speed 3 has helped them achieve their PB. Sarah Woodford, who ran her first marathon in 2022, had this to say about the brand: “One thing I’ve always liked about Saucony is they compliment your natural stride,” she said. “Sure, the technology does a great job of making you a more efficient runner, but all of their shoes allow for a lot of natural movement, which I think is important for a lot of runners.”

We didn’t give our readers any prompts in choosing which shoe they would most likely recommend to a fellow runner. And iRun doesn’t stump for any particular brand. But the readers have spoken and chosen a winner: Saucony is the brand that iRun Nation would most likely recommend.

11 Days into Dry January: A Confession

Ben Kaplan

January 11, 2023

Coming upon my second week of no alcohol and I’m beginning to wonder why we even drink in the first place. I do feel as if I never want to drink again. Where did that habit begin? I have more energy, feel fitter, leaner, brighter, and have somehow expanded time: it’s not working from home that robs productivity, it’s the long shadow of booze.

With that, of course, comes the vague fear that I’m being insufferable. I see people on social media touting their righteous sobriety and it makes me, like five pale ales in two hours, nauseous. I’m definitely running more, and lifting weights, although I’m exercising so much that I risk overuse injuries. I think I can also get burned out by this lifestyle. Perhaps alcohol is ingrained in our minds as some kind of reward, although it’s strange to reward yourself for a job well done with something that will hinder the next job we have to do. Last night, my friend told me that he likes to drink (and consume cannabis) because it helps him turn off. It’s not healthy to only be thinking of self-improvement. To use every moment as an opportunity to get fitter, smarter, further ahead. That temptation is real and maybe it’s almost from those alcohol commercials that we associate cocktails or a cold beer in the sun with a glorious exhale.

I know I do. How do you take a pause for relaxation with Nuun? How do you pair a cheeseburger after a long run with a Sprite? How do you meet up with your crew after a half marathon and order a round of water? Anyways, as all runners know, it’s all a journey and trial and error and ups and down and a continuous path. Runner’s World recently published a story entitled, “Does Running Have a Drinking Problem?” And it’s not a terrible question. Our sport has been married to liquor so much so that many races offer free beer at the finish line. By no means am I condemning the practice (at least, I think). During the pandemic I ran a marathon and was so chewed up after finishing that I drank my free beer while lying on the ground. It was delicious.

Too cool for Drool: This is an un-doctored, post-race, beer-drinking photo. I drool in most of my race photographs.

So, what’s a runner to do?

Our friend Jonathan Marcus, a popular run coach in Oregon and a shit disturber online, told me that the optimum level of a booze for a runner is none. But then again, Natasha Wodak—icon, Olympian—drank three glasses of wine a week before setting the Canadian marathon record. Of course it all comes down to personal choices, but I’m very interested in this subject matter and it ties into why I started running in the first place. I was writing about music when my wife got pregnant and figured I should spend a little less time in the bars. Just then, Born to Run came out and I wrote about it, and I had a friend in AA turn me on to his running. The year was 2009 and I’ve been lacing up ever since. I haven’t given up alcohol, but I have discovered something new in my life that’s healthy and introduced me to a community and immeasurably improved my life.

Still, the question of booze remains and I know I’m not the only runner reckoning with its role in our life. Dry January, on day eleven—and forgive me for being so sanctimonious only eleven days into my experiment, how annoying, I know!—has me questioning everything.

At the very least, asking questions is a good place to be.

Sasha’s Stories: My Top 2022 Reads

Ben Kaplan

December 21, 2022

As 2022 comes to a close I want to share with you my favourite reads. Reading is my favourite way to recover from a big run session and the best way to fall asleep. I read a mix of both fiction and non-fiction, generally non-fiction to start my day and fiction to fall asleep. I’m excited to begin Sasha’s Stories, the iRun Book Club, in the new year.

Below is a selection of some of my favourites from this year.

To purchase these books, I provided a link to the author’s preferred place of purchase. Alternatively head to your local independent bookstore, Indigo, local library or wherever you get your books.

The first book we’re going to read in Sasha’s Stories Book Club is Harvey Mitro’s Taking Life in Stride. As promised with this book club, I’ll release a review of the book approximately four weeks before the scheduled podcast—complete with details on how to listen in and provide questions prior to us meeting. Don’t forget to checkout upcoming authors below as well!

Happy Holiday Reading,

Sasha

Non-Fiction

The Practice of Groundedness by Brad Stulberg & Do Hard Things by Steve Magness

Yes, this is two books, but if you’re aware of the work by Stulberg and Magness, you know these two go hand in hand. Stulberg’s book is my go-to for a reminder to celebrate where I’m at in life, especially when it comes to running and hitting specific ‘times’ or paces. Magness tells you how to be tough, defining toughness through a lens of vulnerability and courage not false bravado, which we all need on cold winter mornings, at the start of a hard workout, or just getting back into running.

Preferred Reading Order: First, The Practice of Groundedness, then Do Hard Things. Purchase here.

Take Back the Game: How money and mania have Ruined Kids Sport by Linda Flanagan

Flanagan is a cross-country coach and she’s seen first-hand how we are ruining kids sport. It’s not just the early specialization but the increase in overall training and competition time to help kids ‘get ahead.’ Families sacrifice being a family and she argues to what end. While her evidence primarily focuses on baseball and soccer, we Canadians know this happens in hockey and gymnastics, but it’s also starting to wiggle into running. [I’m really hoping to get Flanagan on Sasha’s Stories].

Purchase Take Back the Game here.

It Pays to Play: How Play Improves Business Culture By Kristi Herold

You know how you go for a run and you’re all energized to get back to work? You can think more clearly, you can settle in to your task, and you just feel better at your job? Herold demonstrates why this is true and now you can take this book to your boss and celebrate why playing, which for us is running, is good for office culture and the company bottom line. This is a great gift to the head of HR or those in the C-suite—or, if you sit at the top of a company consider gifting yourself this book so you can make people happier, more productive, and improve your bottom line.

Purchase It Pays to Playhere.

Fiction

The Circus Train by Amita Parikh

I instantly fell in love with this story. Yes, you’re right, this book is not about running, but it is written by a runner. The Circus Train winds us through the hardships of World War II through the lens of the circus. A story of hardship and resilience, a story about friendship and love, read it first for the story and then for Parikh’s writing. I’m hoping that Parikh will agree to come on Sasha’s Stories to share more about her book and, of course, her love of running.

Purchase The Circus Train here.

Watership Down by Richard Adams

A funny thing happened at the World Mountain Running Championships in Thailand, I slipped on the pool steps and everything went swimming, phone and e-reader included. The e-reader didn’t fair so well and I found myself in a foreign country that speaks a foreign language and terrified I wouldn’t have a book. I stumbled upon a little bookstore in Chang Mai that not only sold English books, but classics. I bought this book because it has bunnies on the cover and little did I know that I’d be drawn into story of Hazel and his colony of friends as they must search for a new warren (home). Watership Down is a story of courage and survival, of what divides us and what reunites us; this is a wholesome story you can read with your kids, but I promise you’ll get so much more than that.

Purchase Watership Down here.

Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Yes, I sure was late to the game reading this book. After watching the movie on a flight home I serendipitously came across the book and knew I had to read it. My gosh, I get what everyone was talking about: a story of survival, a story for introverts, a story about getting lost in nature (I feel you trail runners), what stuck we with Owen’s writing was the beauty in the simplicity. Owen’s is a Wildlife Scientist and is an accomplished non-fiction writer with many publications and a few other non-fiction books to her name.

Purchase Where the Crawdads Sing here.

What I’m looking forward to reading over the holidays and with you in 2023:

In no particular order, here are some of the books I’m looking forward to reading in 2023. Please note that some of the books below:

Harvey Mitro’s Taking Life in Stride(January’s guest)
Alison Mariella Désir’s Running While Black (Yup, Ben and I are trying to secure Alison for an episode)
John L Parker Jr’s The Once A Runner Trilogy (1. Once a Runner, 2. Again to Carthage, 3. Racing the Rain. And by reading, I mean re-reading!)
Lauren Fleshman’s Good for a Girl (January 2023 Release; pre-order available now. Also trying to secure Fleshman for an episode)
The First Season and The River Road by Dennis Barker (Thanks for reaching out from my initial post Dennis!)
Bruce Kidd’s A Runner’s Journey (February’s guest)

Happy holidays and happy reading! Stay safe, and be kind, out there.

Common Sense Living, Racing and Goals, With Krista DuChene

Ben Kaplan

December 21, 2022

Krista DuChene, Olympian, one of Canada’s all-time fastest female marathon runners, has a plainspoken wisdom that only a fool would ignore. Two of my favourite Krista anecdotes are these. First, after she came in third at the 2018 Boston Marathon, a race where the conditions obliviated her competition, she came to speak at BlackToe to a group of runners and described marathon running like this: at least it’s not pregnancy. With pregnancy, you never know when it will end. At least with marathon running, every step you take is one step closer to the finish line. You always know exactly where you stand and you’re always—or, almost always—getting closer to the end all the time.

The other Krista story I love is how she trained going after Silvia Ruegger’s marathon record. Krista would drop her oldest off at daycare and, due to timing constraints, run her speed work around the sport’s centre behind the school. She has a common sense, anti-flashy, no excuse get ‘er done approach to running that feels very Canadian, opposite of gimmicks and hype. So, since she’s a realist and now a running coach with Reid Coolsaet at CoolsaetGo, I asked her about 2023 goals. “The best approach is to pick your race, then work backwards from the race date with your training,” said DuChene, who also mentioned meeting her athletes where they’re at during the start of their training. In other words: if you’re running 20K-per-week currently, your PB in 2019 doesn’t matter.

“Set up your training towards your race gradually, and be sure to not only set up your peak week, but also enough down weeks along the way.”

This year, DuChene set the 30K W45 Canadian Record at Around the Bay and ran the Chicago Marathon. She says the trick to her longevity—a trick she encourages all runners to replicate—is to lean into the process. “A lot of the joy is in the pursuit,” she says. “We like the daily routine of getting up, having coffee, going out and doing our run and checking the box off of our training plan. It’s fun!”

As for fuelling, DuChene, a dietitian, believes in oatmeal, smoothies, and pancakes and waffles with her kids on the weekends. She doesn’t want eating to be punitive.

“I’m currently looking forward to my aunt’s butter tarts,” she says.

When you’re planning your 2023 goals, DuChene has no problem with you being ambitious. It’s fun to imagine yourself setting a PB and there’s no reason not to shoot for the moon. However, even the most hardcore athlete, should also cast an eye, says DuChene, towards long-term wellness and health.

“When any athlete meets with me to pursue coaching with CoolsaetGo, I always tell them I just want them to be active for life,” she says. “Running is great and obviously something I’ve devoted a lot of time to, but good health is what matters. When thinking about your goals for 2023, I just want you to stay active—above anything, that’s my main goal.”

Now is the Time to Reset Your Routine

Ben Kaplan

December 21, 2022

Brittany Moran is a chiropractor at The Runner’s Academy, a run coach, founder of StrideWise Running, and a 12-time marathon finisher, with a personal best clocking at 2:33:37. In the past nine years, she’s brought down her finishing time by 23 minutes. So when she says she has tips for enjoying your 2023 season, and is willing to boil them down into bite-sized nuggets, we listen. This is the story of your upcoming success, according to the great Brittany Moran.

Reflect on your past season and year.

What was good about your routine, what was not? Don’t commit to something for no reason. Reflect on what’s compelling your goal and how you could improve on the day to day.

Before setting your 2023 compass, look at your 2022 results. Where do you think you can improve?

Look deeper into your previous year than just saying, for instance, I felt fatigued at 35K. Think about your training—day by day, week by week: What could be better? What could you spend more time on?

Your race in the new year is just one day. So visualize and reflect on your process.

You can only improve if you look back at what you previously did.

This year, keep a training log, stay engaged. And remember what the big goal is: Do you want to run fast this one season or run for the rest of your life?

Consistency over time is where you see improvement.

I’m nine years into my journey and still growing everyday.

With regards to 2023 goals, don’t try to do everything. Choose something big and commit to it, but be thoughtful about what you’re going to stick to—then stick to it. Having process goals keeps you accountable and engaged and the side effect is typically improved performance.

It also gives you something to focus on and achieve week to week rather than having the only achievement be race day.

There’s a real risk in biting off more than you can chew. And doing none of it. More effective strategizing is to choose one or two things you can actually commit to, and follow through.

If you set out to do ten things, and do none of them, your net win is nothing.

Think about strength training. If you’re currently doing none, anything is improvement.

It doesn’t have to be three times a week for one hour. Set yourself achievable goals.

Something, as opposed to nothing, is always beneficial.

I like to think of it as process versus outcome goals.

Process is something you do weekly that helps you get to the outcome you desire.

A lot of us want that shiny new PB, without first crafting a well thought out plan. What are you going to change between now and race day—on a daily basis—to make the outcome goal happen?

Don’t fixate on the outcome goal. Fixate on your daily routine.

Which means you have to enjoy the process. The outcome is one day.

What if the weather is weird, you don’t feel well, your shoes pinch, anything. You don’t want to get to the finish line and say your season was a failure. You’re about to spend four months on something.

Between now and your goal, have wins along the way.

Active recovery will help you stay healthy through the season.

Even on day’s off, keep moving well. Mobility and active stretching is different for everyone, but everyone needs something. I do active isolated stretching every night and mobility exercises before I run.

It’s important to check in on yourself through your season as to how you’re doing. Listen to your body. Your body won’t lie.

This, active isolated stretching, and this, ankle mobility, and this, strength circuit, and this, pre-run technique drills, are examples of mobility routines and active stretching I do.

Remember, and this is important for runners who tend to believe if you can’t do something perfect they won’t do it at all: Something is better than nothing and trying something new is better than skipping an important part of the process just because you’ve been skipping it all along.

I attribute the extent of my improvements to three things: being more selfish, prioritizing sleep, and being more mindful of my fuelling.

Sleep is HUGE, it is honestly the most potent performance enhancer and injury prevention strategy, and guess what? It is free and legal! If we are not sleeping enough, we are not able to recover and therefore all the hard work we are doing is not effective.

Fuelling better, for me, meant I just ate more. Whatever it was, I ate more of it.

I’ve had three stress fractures over the last nine years and don’t want that to happen again. I’m happy to exchange being heavier at the start line for being at the start line, every day.

Eat healthy. But I’ve stopped putting restrictions on what I eat. From a performance standpoint, it’s been helpful. Pasta, stirfrys, eggs. And Shalane Flanagan’s cookbook.

I also make homemade granola on the weekends. Having healthy, easily accessible snacks available is key so I always know I have something I can eat.

Success, I think, comes down to preparation. And consistency. Even something great won’t make a difference if it isn’t done over time.

A few more things? OK. I think generally people run their recovery runs too fast. I sometimes do too.

If you’re training, you have to make time to recover. Do your slow runs slowly, that way you can run faster on the fast days, and that is truly where you will see the gains.

What other things? I like to include workouts in my long runs. But be careful with that, it needs to be eased in. Generally I find every other week is good for that exercise but talk to your coach.

Adding pickups to a long run is hard. You know what else is hard? Racing.

At the end of the day, you’re working on the process, so enjoy the process—the journey.

The race is a celebration of the hard work you did.

Last thing: winter running shoes are a game changer for working towards those spring goals—yes, they are worth it!

The New Balance Gift Guide for Runners

Ben Kaplan

December 20, 2022

Long one of our favourite brands, and ubiquitous in the running world—trusted, innovative and synonymous with quality and ethics—New Balance manufactures a brilliant selection of winter gear, both for style, and for your workouts. As we enter our last week of holiday shopping, iRun is pleased to present the New Balance Gift Guide for Runners, quality gifts we are proud to recommend.

Fresh Foam X Hierro v7 GTX

With a Vibram mega-grip outsole and Fresh Foam cushioning, these amazing winter warriors are excellent both on roads and in the trails. There’s superior traction on slippery surfaces and the waterproof, breathable membrane offers cozy toe protection. Available in multiple widths and orthotic-friendly, hard to picture the runner in Canada who wouldn’t appreciate these beneath their tree. Click here for details.

Ankle socks

Dry moisture wicking material and anatomically-friendly construction makes these ankle socks a no-brainer for any runner. Besides, who doesn’t need socks this time of year? Click here, and please dig.

Toque

Don’t sleep on the New Balance line of athleisure-wear. The brand has emerged as fashion-forward and there’s no better example than their flat knit street-style hats, available in multiple colours.

Hoodie

New Balance has multiple genderless lines available and this pink hoodie sweatshirt never fails to elicit raves when worn on a Saturday night. Again: if you only know New Balance for their 880 sneakers, look again at the brand: this is no longer a dad joke company. Stand out, by clicking here.

Running gloves

Back to the basics with warm, knit, moisture-repellant non-cotton gloves, perfect for running outdoors in chilly Canadian winter climates. They’re also touch-screen friendly, please click here, and enjoy.

Backpack

Everyday commuter backpack, again from the company’s street-style line. Durable, stylish and affordable: a nice way in the universe to represent your favourite running brand.

Impact Run Heat-Grid Tight

A hardcore winter running tight, this fabric warms up as you perspire, making them the perfect accessory on your winter Sunday long run. The inner-liner is designed to keep the fabric off the skin and these are also durable—I’ve worn mine, hard, for years. Get some, right here.

Trail Shoe Review: Wildhorse, by Nike

Ben Kaplan

December 14, 2022

Do you know what it feels like to live in a climate where the air hurts your face? I do! Welcome to Alberta! We can get temperature swings of 30 to 40 degrees in the span of 24 hours. You are either picking out all your layers one day, and then shaking out a pair of crops the next.

The only thing I don’t change are my shoes.

Timeless, reliable, tried and true for me are the Nike Wildhorse trail shoes ($102.99). They have trudged with me through many deep mud puddles and smelly bogs, snow drifts and all the fluffy snow Mother Nature can possibly taunt us with.

These shoes have heard me question my sanity while sliding down slick, muddy trails and while running a race during -40 C windchill conditions. They have listened to me cry about how I was sure that I couldn’t take one more step. But those tough little Wildhorse shoes always made sure I took the next step, no matter what.

Lightweight, with a rugged rock plate and lugs that take a healthy bite into the dirt or snow, they have taken me through some questionable conditions, where I have fallen repeatedly, yet always able to get up and keep moving.

Earlier this fall, I went on a day hike up Coliseum Mountain, pictured above, and as we scuttled across a narrow section of loose scree, I was incredibly thankful for a solid pair of shoes that helped me not lose my footing.

Always wild and free, and on my own terms, breathing in that fresh air is exactly where I want to be. I am eternally grateful that I am able to do this and so happy to have found the pair of shoes that can take me there. Highly recommend.

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