Erin returns to racing this year by winning the Women’s Title at the Credit Union Lung Run 5K in Halifax, Nova Scotia last Sunday on April 9th.  

She comfortably ran the course in a time of 17:20 to finish 16th overall.  Following a year of injury, she closed her season last Fall at National Cross Country Championships in Guelph.  She followed a strict training regimen this winter which brought her mileage up with an emphasis on tempo and threshold.

The win gives her great confidence based on her effort during the race which presented windy conditions under sunny skies.  Erin is currently testing the new Wave Precision 11 in training and she is racing in the women’s version of the new Wave Ronin 3.  She is pictured in the race wearing the Creation Singlet and Mustang shorts

16  5287 Erin MacLean Timberlea , NS CA   1/77   F2029   17:22   17:20 3:28

Dayna Pidhoresky from Tecumseh, Ontario claimed the women’s title at Around the Bay 30K in Hamilton, Ontario on March 27th completing the course in a time of 1:50:46. 

Around the Bay is North America’s oldest road race which started in 1894. The 30 kilometre event take runners on a challenging route around Hamilton’s natural harbour.

In addition to claiming Around the Bay, Dayna came in 2nd at the 2011 Canadian Half Marathon Championships in Montreal with a time of 1:15:02.2 and she took the women’s title at the 2011 Harry’s Spring Run Off 8K in 27:41 on April 2nd in Toronto.

Dayna is a Mizuno Canada Brand Ambassador and wears Precision 11 and Ronin 3 shoes.  She works with our running account in Windsor, the Running Factory.  Dayna is coached by Josh Seifarth who is a triathlete and also works at the Running Factory.

Here is a link to a Around the Bay 30K post race interview by Alan Brookes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvh9OuZAqoo&feature=related

15 DAYNA PIDHORESKY  Tecumseh   5246   1:50:45.3 1:50:45.1  3:42 F20-24  1/128 1/2915  34:56 53:34  1:12:26

Tania said sign up for a training race, a little 5 K to get used to the whole atmosphere, preparation and to get a feel for what it is like to run in a race environment.  So I headed off to do it yesterday, nervous and annoyed.  Nervous that I would absolutely fail in my quest to run it between 30 and 33 minutes, annoyed that I had a drive an hour and that my husband wanted to stay home to garden and not drive way into Halifax on a beautiful spring day.  However, since he is a great guy, he came because I was nervous.

We got there earlier then we needed and I saw all the people decked out in the great gear, expensive gear.  Thank God for Adidas, otherwise, I would have been in the running shoes I use to mow the lawn and a pair of sweat pants my in-law gave me for Christmas that came from Zellers. ( I love them and they are super comfortable but they don’t look like running pants) .  So, I looked the part of a runner due to Adidas.  Hurdle one overcome.

Tania said start about mid pack so I found the sign that said 25-30 minutes and looked for the pace bunny.  No pace bunny, only a guy in rubber boots holding the sign.  So I knew I was going to have to figure the pace out by myself and with my trusty digital timex that I had spent 20 minutes trying to figure out how to do splits, and turn on and off the stop watch.  It was crucial that I did not hit a wrong button because if I did, then the whole watch, including the time and date fades, and then it reboots itself and everything needs to be reset and would loose my split timing.  It was then I should have known I was screwed.

We start to run, and apparently I started in the wrong place because everyone, and I mean everyone was passing me.  Mothers running with their 6 year old, the 75 year old guy with some kind of curvature of the spine, the 50 year old in spandex.  They were bumping me and figuring out how to get around me.  Shocking, I looked like runner in the clothes yet I was apparently in the wrong place.  A little discouraged but I continued.

It was a nice flat course and the weather is beautiful.  The man with his daughter (about 8 years old) passes me and asks her if the pace is too fast.  She says no and they start to leave me behind.  Women with big bottoms, men with large bellies leave me behind.  Women with no body fat breeze past me, men with serious breathing problems pass me.  The announcer asks if there are people in the crowd with transplants (this is a Lung Association race) and a woman cheers and says lung transplant and runs past me.  You get the drift.

Then I see the leaders already coming back and I have not even seen the 1 k mark so that I can time my split.  I get to the 1 mile sign and am told 9.50 and it my split time.  Of course, I hit the wrong button and my watch clears.  I am a child of metric so 1 mile splits have not been what I have been working with.  I sink into the early stages of dispair.

I am on the return part of the course and everyone has passed me, it seems, except the walkers.  A mother in a strollers then goes by me and I am officially pissed off.  I am never running again, I thought.  This stupid make over contest will end,  and people will forget I even tried.  I remember I have been blogging about all this stuff and have passed out copies of the magazine and now I am really mad.  When I get really mad, I usually cry but I am breathing too hard and off course there is some 90 year old with one lung running in front of me (exaggeration for effect, remember east coast story teller liberties here) that I have to try and catch.  I SWEAR (really I did in the expletive sense) that I will never run again.  I hate iRUN, Adidas, Tania and everyone with a BMI less than 28 (hint mine is over 28).

I continue and we pass the 2 K marker and run by where the finish line will be.  I am not making any ground and my watch reads 12.30 am, and its really closer to 5.15pm, and my stop watch is not working and I have no splits.  My husband takes a picture as I run by and I refuse to look at him, and wished he had stayed home.  I am now completely in despair and wonder if I could just sneak into my car without anyone noticing.  Then I remember I have a timer thing on, and they race people would probably track me down.

I run, and funny thing is, I start to pass a few people.  There is an incline that some walk up (I don’t), then a decline and I pass people there.  I keep the pace with this woman who is obviously well trained, but probably 10 years older than me.    I pass a few more people, and my training seems to kick in.  I reach the 4 k location and I feel pretty tired, I have to say but try and keep pace with the woman in front of me and catch the younger one right in front of her.  I pass the one immediately in front and leave her behind.  I see the finish line and try and push to catch the one in front, but she leaves me behind.  I cross the line with little breath and one of the organizers asked me if I was Ok.  If I could I spoken I would asked him to call 911 because it looked like my time was around 28.50.  Shock and then disappointment sets in again.

Why didn’t I do it in 25 minutes.  I am so slow, what can’t I be faster.   My husband continues to snap photos and says some lovely things.  I am disappointed still but I don’t know my official time and convince myself that maybe I did it in 27 minutes and change (see previous blog about my delusional behavior).

In the end, I ran it in 28.42 and finished 22 out of 85 in my age class.  How can I still be disappointed?  I can be, and am, which is ridiculous.  Before I would have probably run that in 33-35.  However, its such an

average time. I am pleased with my improvement and thank Tania for her guidance but my body is not built for speed.  There is some acceptance of limitations that I think all people who are active must face.  I would like to know what mine are?

Yesterday, was one gigantic soap opera of my own making starring me and watched only by me.  I am not sure I can take my own drama as I do these races.  Its not the running that is tiring but the melodrama going on in my head.

Too bad a therapist was not part of the running team.

Considering buying your gels, chews, bars and sports drinks in bulk?  You might want to check out www.athleti.ca – a brand new online store that launched about a month ago and is dedicated to all things fuelling.

Since it is a Canadian company based in Montreal, all pricing is in Canadian funds and there will be no delays at customs or surprise duty fees.  According to the Testimonials, delivery is fast, and there’s even a satisfaction guarantee.  They also call out all of their gluten-free products on one page so they’re easy to find.

Why an online store dedicated just to fuelling?

According to the site, founder Sean Young started the site because he was sick of having to drive to multiple stores to get everything he needed for workouts and recovery, and thought athletes could use a service where they’re all in one place.

“I created athleti.ca to make our lives easier, to buy us time, and to save our cars for more important things,” said Young.  “When you’re trying to cram 15 hours of training into an already jam-packed week, the absolute last thing you want to do is run out to the store to stock up on fuel for your weekend workouts.”

Mizuno USA and Mizuno Canada To Support Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund

First, we appreciate the genuine concern shown by so many employees and friends related to the disaster that recently occurred in Japan. You should know that Mizuno Corporation has already committed 30 million Yen ( about US$375,000) as well as approximately 20,000 articles of clothing and footwear to disaster relief efforts.

In the wake of this horrific devastation that Japan has suffered throughout the past weeks, Mizuno USA and Mizuno Canada are also committed to help the relief efforts in addition to those already committed by Mizuno Corporation. We are still finalizing some of the logistics and details, but below is how both MUS and MCL are going to help our friends in Japan.

WHAT WE ARE DOING
1.) Internal Fund-raiser: Beginning, March 22nd, and through April 8, all MUS and MCL are encouraged to donate to the Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief Fund. Bob White will follow up with more details on how to contribute to the Relief Fund, but the Mizuno Management Team has set an employee target goal of $15,000, of which MUS and MCL will add a matching donation, bringing the total target to $30,000. .

2.) Product Donation: All three divisions-Diamond, Golf, and Running-are pooling together Mizuno apparel and footwear products which will be sent directly to an organization that supports the Japan relief fund. This includes items such as any athletic apparel, apparel tops, rain suits, and running and volleyball shoes.

3.) eBay Auction: With the help of our Promotions Departments, Mizuno is going to make our special sports memorabilia available through an eBay auction. Items signed by our top Mizuno Brand Ambassadors will be placed into the auction for bidding. All proceeds will go directly into the Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief Fund.

Thank you for your support.