How to Race like Natasha Wodak, by Natasha Wodak

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October 12, 2022

Natasha Wodak is one of the fastest all-time Canadian female 10K finishers and, after her race last month in Berlin, the fastest all-time female Canadian marathon runner. How does she do it? And, equally important, how can you? Obviously she’s inherited preternatural gifts and her work ethic and ability to endure pain can not be duplicated. But there are other things—her preparation, her mantra, her race plan—that can be imitated by mere mortal runners. After returning home from Europe to her place in BC, we caught up with Wodak and asked for her ten racing tips that anyone can use.

10. Visualize your race.

Before lacing up her sneakers, Wodak has mentally put herself through the race course. “Picture different scenarios—you’re halfway and not feeling well, visualize how that will feel,” she says, and, after she’s placed herself throughout the course and imagined both the good and the bad, she prepares her responses. “Positive affirmations that you actually write down are extremely helpful,” says Wodak, whose affirmations are Yes, You Can, and This Is My Race. She says she has no problem with other runners telling themselves the same things.

9. Handle your logistics.

How are you getting to the race? What will the temperature be like in the corral? Where are you meeting your family afterwards? Please lord tell us you’ve decided before race day on your shoes. All of these decisions, these choices, are stressful, and competing in a race is stressful enough: “You don’t want anything taking you out of your zone on race day,” says Wodak, adding that the universe is jam-packed with surprises, but where the start line is located and which shoes to wear are not one of them. “You don’t want to feel anything stressful,” says Wodak, whose family and friends now know that she puts up boundaries on race day: Wodak is good-natured and friendly, but when it’s time to go to work, she works. “Let everyone in your circle know before race day what you need.”

8. Go easy on your watch.

Wodak competes in the Olympics and to set Canadian records and when she races, she doesn’t check her watch every K. In Berlin, it was the 5K splits, not the single kilometre times, that she was interested in. “You don’t need to know every single kilometre time and it’s best when you organically feel the pace,” she says, adding that racing within five or even ten seconds of a per-split-kilometre is OK. “Analyzing every second stresses me out,” she says. “It’s easier, and more accurate, to check the clock on the timing mats, and those generally appear every 5K.” Don’t get hung up on your watch. Relax.

7. Settle in.

“At the start of a big city race, it’s very easy to go out too fast and also very dangerous to get stuck behind a big group of people who are slower than you,” says Wodak, who adds to her race day prep both where she wants to line up and who she wants to be pacing with. “Without a pacer, I would go out too hard, so I stick with someone I trust,” Wodak says, adding that by 10K in Berlin, she knew it was going to be her day. “I was hitting Tony’s heels and saying, ‘Are we going too slow?’ And he said, ‘You’re on pace,’ and that’s how you want it to feel—settle in, and save your big effort for the end.” In Berlin, Wodak increased her speed at 30K and maintained her 3:15-per-kilometres even at 35K. “I started passing women then and then it was like: ‘Let’s go!’” Wodak’s speed and strength are generational. But that race approach will produce universal results.

6. Have your checklist for the pain.

Wodak knows, as we all must, that racing at sometime is going to be painful. We’re pushing our limits and that hurts. So, when that happens, how will you respond? Wodak has a checklist of six things she does when the pain sets in.

Relax you arms
Breathe in through your tummy
Let your pacer help you
Quicken your stride
Take a few deep breathes
Shake out your arms

“Even if those things don’t work for you, after you try them all, you’ll probably have passed half a kilometre, and that’s good!” Wodak says. The main thing you want to do on the race course is avoid panic. “Staying calm is the trick employed by every racer,” she says. “Don’t freak yourself out, and so when you feel that sensation happening, have actionable tools in your toolbox to talk yourself down.”

5. Take your fuel.

In Berlin, Wodak took six gels. And at the Olympics, she and Malindi Elmore took their uniforms to the seamstress, to sew in pockets to hold their gels. Gels are serious. You need the energy. “Have gels on you and also practice taking gels on the course,” she says, and mentions that now, as she coaches runners, she’ll stage race rehearsals where her athletes pick up water from tables in race simulations. “I advise a gel every 5K,” she says and this is important: practice with your gels and use them.

4. Trust your community.

One of the best things about our sport is the people. Wodak, in Berlin, couldn’t find a gel. She didn’t panic. She yelled out her predicament to her pace group and, magically, a gel was produced. “Work together with the people around you,” she says, and this is for pacing, for sharing nutrients, for pumping each other up. Wodak, after receiving a gel, shared one of her bottles. At the end of her race, a runner approached her with a hug and started to cry. “Everyone out there is doing this together,” she says, “Spread the energy, and good vibes, around.”

3. Hold nothing back.

There will come a moment when it’s time to let loose and go like mad. This is what the speed work is for, the long runs—race day is time to lean in. “If you can get to 35K in a marathon, that’s when you can pick up the pace,” says Wodak, and here she differentiates from a mortal runner, but it is universal that also in a 10K or half marathon, when you see the finish line or bear down at the end, leave nothing in the tank. “Be prepared for the hurt and have the confidence to know you can take it,” she says, “Trust yourself and discover how long you can take the hurt for. Race day is when you show what you can do.“

2. Celebrate your race.

In Berlin, after breaking Malindi Elmore’s Canadian marathon record, Wodak had lunch with her parents and then champagne with her athletes. “Even though I was crippled,” she says, with a laugh. You’ll be tired after your race and let’s just assume you won’t set any records, but completing a race while half the country is sleeping is an extraordinary achievement and, after you’re done, it should not be like any other day. “It’s a feeling like no other,” says Wodak. “It’s why we do it, so drink it in.”

1. Do it again.

Not immediately. Wodak says she has no clue when she’ll race next and she enjoyed taking two weeks off before returning to training. All of that is important for avoiding burn out. But here’s the thing: stick with it. You get better at it the more you do it. And the beauty of our sport is that there’s always another race. “It always comes back,” says Wodak, of her will to compete. “I like to wait for it to come back organically, no pressure—there’s always, thankfully, another race to be run.”

“Good luck to everyone racing this weekend,” says Wodak, “and congratulations everyone who has recently raced. There is nothing better than our running community and I thank everyone for their amazing support.”

Meet Genuine Health’s Deep Sleep, Made to Relax the Muscles, and the Mind

By

Ben Kaplan

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October 5, 2022

Genuine Health is a company that makes all-natural, science-based supplements and Lauren Hauswirth, pictured above, is their product development manager. She says their Deep Sleep product is an idea that came out of the pandemic, when her team realized there was no longer a separation between home life and work, and people were feeling stressed out and anxious.

“Getting a good, restorative sleep isn’t easy, and we know from the research that getting a good night’s sleep is one of the best things you can do for your health,” says Hauswirth, who’s quick to differentiate her product from a sleeping pill, adding that it’s neither a sedative nor reliant on melatonin, and instead draws much of its power from the all-natural Reishi mushroom.

“The goal is to help people adjust their circadian rhythms in a gentle and safe way, in which our customers wouldn’t become reliant on our product, but would receive help when they felt wound up, or are having a harder time to relax before bed.

Deep Sleep gently helps you fall asleep and keeps you there until the morning.

The full ingredients of Deep Sleep—available in tasteless, odourless capsules—are 100mg of Organic Reishi mushrooms, 100mg of Theanine, 50mg of GABA, 50mg of Magnesium and 1.5mg of Melatonin. Everything is natural, and nothing disrupts the body’s natural flow.

“The Reishi mushrooms are the star ingredient, and we use the whole mushroom, from the root to the fruit,” says Hauswirth, adding that the ground mushroom helps adjust stress levels and brings down the cortisone spikes, signalling the brain to tell the body that it’s time to unwind. “Deep Sleep combines Reishi mushrooms with gentle botanicals and it quiets the brain without disrupting the hormones.

“Deep Sleep has been designed to help someone fall asleep, stay asleep and relax the muscles and the mind.”

As runners, recovery is as important as our hard training runs, and so much of that process occurs while we sleep. Without sleep, it can be very difficult, if not completely impossible, to reach long-term goals. (And we all know what kind of choices, nutrition and otherwise, we make while exhausted; one recent study even proved that crankiness increases in proportion to our lack of sleep). Deep Sleep, which is just one Genuine Health product favoured by runners—including elites like the Runner’s Academy’s Brittany Moran—was recently sampled by nearly twenty competitive marathoners at BlackToe Running in Toronto, who were asked to complete a survey about their experience with the product. While that information is still being tallied, we wanted to invite runners across the country to learn more about Deep Sleep and decide for themselves.

From now until December 31st, 2022, you can enjoy 20% all Genuine Health products available online at www.genuinehealth.ca with promo code IRUN20!

Meanwhile, for those runners and participants in Toronto, you’re invited to come by the iRun booth at the TCS Waterfront Marathon, and ask questions and learn more about Genuine Health products for yourself. PLUS, pick up a FREE pair of Genuine Health crew socks to wear on race day, sign up for the Genuine Health e-newsletter via QR code scan, take a photo and tag @genuinehealth on Instagram, and you will be automatically entered to win a $500 prize pack!

Personally, I’ve been using two capsules of Deep Sleep two or three nights a week for about two months while I train for the Hamilton Marathon, and I’ve been sleeping better, while waking up refreshed in the morning, and not experiencing any brain fog. For Lauren Hauswirth, my experiences match her own and they’re at the cornerstone of what she endeavours to build at Genuine Health.

“If you’re not sleeping well, you’re chipping away at all of your body’s systems and opening yourself up not only to anxiety and depression, but also chronic disease,” she says. “I think we’re offering research-based products made with high-quality ingredients that will help make people feel better. For a lot of people, that starts with a good night’s sleep.”

Don’t forget your 20% OFF discount on all Genuine Health products available online at www.genuinehealth.ca with promo code IRUN20 (expires 31/12/22). Genuine Health offers all natural, science-based supplements that give your body the nourishment it needs for optimal energy, nutrition, mood, cognition, movement, skin and gut health!

Skin We’re In: Your Running Tattoos

By

Ben Kaplan

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October 4, 2022

Few hobbies lend themselves as well to body ink as running—the Boston Marathon logo; the internationally recognized symbol of the Ironman finisher, a mantra or a phrase written down on an ankle: “Long May You Run,” these are just some examples of the great running body art of the iRun Nation.

Seems like more and more runners are getting running-specific work done, from hobbyists to Canadian Olympians. Two-time Olympian Lanni Marchant says her newest tattoo helps tell her story.

Marchant’s tattoo features the Olympic rings, and Lady Justice. She says, “I’ve wanted this Lady Justice piece with some Olympic symbol or connection for years, at least since 2016 for the Olympic connection—but **I love how the rings aren’t the main focus**,” Marchant says. “Lady Justice has an easy assumption because of my legal background, and it partly is, but it also **taps into my tenacious nature for equality and equity in sport and life.**“

Many readers inked their mantras, both as a reminder to themselves when they’re racing, and when they’re just living life. Phrases like, “Never Give Up,” “**Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop**,” and “Here’s to New Finish Lines,” repeatedly pop up. Below is one reader’s mantra.

“The provinces I’ve run in are shaded in and I hope to fill the map,” says Jessica Guenard-Valiquette. “**Long May We Run** is something my running partner (I call her my run wife), and I say. It’s kind of our motto.”

Some running tattoos aren’t immediately clear on their messaging, but that’s OK. All that matters is that you find motivation in your body art.

“I got this after my first full marathon when I was 40,” said Lisa Hennessy Noble, of the tattoo pictured above. Meanwhile, Rachel Hannah, the great New Balance athlete and long-time elite runner has recently begun expressing herself with running tattoos. About the experience, she says: “I’ve always wanted a tattoo, just was scared and indecisive. Then I finally decided to book the appointment with an artist at Ink & Water in Toronto because of a friend’s tattoo that was amazing and I was so inspired I wanted that artist to do my first one,” she says. “I got the runner image for my first tattoo and the significance is my joy for running and movement, but also the need for it for my mental health. That’s why it’s dark at the bottom and there are beams of sun coming in at the top and two birds flying together.

“**I wanted to show darkness and the light that running gives me in my life**,” she said. “I also find running helps me focus which is why it’s in a diamond shape to show structure and attention.”

Tattoos help us tell our story and, for many of us, running is central to our narratives on how we see the world. We can call out our heroes like this reader has done:

Do you have a running tattoo? Would you like one? Let us know and we’ll publish your photo and help share ideas for other interested runners. For some of us, a running tattoo can help tell our story. Brett Foland shared this with iRun magazine: “I was always a fairly slow runner however I LVED running,” he says. “Most often I’d be running with a smile on my face or when the endorphins hit I’d be singing, telling jokes or waving hello to people! I was told by someone I was the Happy Turtle—I was totally okay with that—so I Googled some clip art and went to work in Photoshop and made this tattoo, pictured below. I ran my 50-miler in Vienna, IL at the Tunnel Hill Ultra. It was right around the age of 65 on November 11, 2017. I just turned 70 and I’m still running.“

How Changing Border Restrictions Gives Niagara Marathon a Boost

By

Ben Kaplan

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September 28, 2022

The recent announcement of the end of the ArriveCan app and vaccination restrictions to enter the country may help the Niagara Falls International Marathon recruit more participants. Diane Chesla, co-race director of the esteemed Canadian race, says it’s not that Americans who might now enter her race aren’t vaccinated, it’s that they didn’t want to participate in the additional bureaucratic dance.

“All of us in Niagara are sitting at 50% of our usual international and US audience, and I think removing deterrents for international and American runners only helps the success of our run,” says Chesla, hosting her first in-person event since 2019 on October 23. “Some visitors are protective of their privacy and some just don’t want to take that extra paperwork step, but taken together, I’m not alone in my thinking that increased tourism from around the world to Canada will be helpful to us all.”

The running event industry isn’t the only Canadian business that’s been taking repeated lumps since COVID-19. In addition to increased costs and reduced labour supply, there’s been a shortage of American and international visitors as a result of Canada’s stringent rules around the border. With these rules loosening on October 1, along with regulations around enforced masks on boats, trains and flights, the increased number of participants will provide dollars, says Chesla, that she can then put back in her non-profit race.

“I want to be innovative and we want to respond to what people want—we want change,” says Chesla, who mentions that this year, as her race runs totally through Canada, there are many new innovative tweaks, which only represent the tip of the iceberg of what’s to come. “We’re an accessible race alongside one of the world’s most majestic features and we owe it to our community—from all over—to put on an event for as many people as possible that is something that no one has ever seen.”

Kipchoge, Natasha Wodak, Humility, Second Chances, and You

By

Ben Kaplan

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September 28, 2022

The great thing about running, perhaps the greatest thing, is that if you do it right, and are lucky, you can do it for your entire life. If you can keep on running, if you avoid injury, don’t lose your mojo, and are afforded the luxury of time, then not only will you be able to enjoy your running like Natasha Wodak and Eliud Kipchoge, but, here’s the thing: you will get better at it the further, and longer, you go. Not faster, mind you. Not in most cases. We’re not Natasha. But better, with regards to age-graded curves. Simply by hanging in, you will find yourself increasingly placing higher, in your age category, and able to run further, than other people your age.

Hanging in, sticking with it, is running, and life’s, secret sauce.

In Berlin this weekend, history was made—twice. First, we have Eliud Kipchoge. What can we say about him? At 37, almost 38, Kipchoge is the humble hero rewriting the marathon record book while never, ever putting on airs. Where he lives and trains in Kaptagat, Kenya—a low-tech facility he certainly funds—he does the same chores as the rest of the group. He takes his long runs slowly; he saves his money and invests in his community and doesn’t need anything to show off his success. “Athletics are not so much about the legs,” he said, “Running is about the heart and mind.”

Kipchoge is the only marathoner to have broken two hours. Kipchoge has two marathon gold medals and four of history’s five fastest marathon times. This weekend, he broke his world record—again. And Kipchoge crossed the finish line smiling. He makes running look effortless the way he makes life look like a gift—if you hate doing something, be it your job or your running, it’s hard to do anything well.

If running is about heart, Kipchoge has that in spades.

As does Natasha Wodak. T-Fierce, 40—41 in December—reinvented herself personally and professionally in 2013 and the former track star ran her second marathon in 2020, after taking off seven years. (Interestingly, seven years is also the time Malindi Elmore—the great marathoner and human being whose Canadian marathon record Wodak broke Sunday—took off between trouncing Canadian records).

Wodak is funny, stylish, approachable, focussed, deadly; she can switch from goofing around at the start line to closing out on the 10,000 metre Canadian championships like how the rest of us use the Clapper to turn off the TV. She likes sushi and red wine and trains with Elmore and Leslie Sexton and is close with her parents and often praising her partner on her social media channels. Wodak, whose been on the cover of iRun more times than anyone else, doesn’t (always) make running look gruelling and painful, though of course sometimes it is. Instead, she hangs in there. Doesn’t give up. And sure, she relies on natural talent and healthy eating and her community and team, but there’s something else: Wodak, like Kipchoge, has a spark. Keep your sense of humour and there’s nothing you can’t do.

The Berlin Marathon this past weekend was a tremendous reminder to us all about the heights that can be reached in running. Kipchoge and Wodak aren’t phenoms in their youth breaking records, these are human beings whose ups and downs have been well documented. On Sunday, two of the world’s greatest runners experienced extraordinary heights—heights of the kind that had never before been reached before.

Think about that in your own running. Look at the pictures in the story of our two champions.

It’s never too late to be free.

Questions About Running Shoes, Answered

By

Ben Kaplan

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September 21, 2022

Alex Cyr is that rarest of creatures: an elite runner and also an expert journalist. Cyr, who has written for Toronto Life and frequently for the Globe & Mail, recently wrote a story about running shoes for the paper that I found informative and readable, a very difficult mix when wading into the minutia of different sneakers. I got Alex on the phone and asked him to distill the main points of his story, which you can see laid out very prettily right here. In the meantime, here’s news you can use about the wide world of shoes.

iRun: Assuming money is no option—what’s the best single running shoe on the market?

Alex Cyr: I think that a lot of it has to do with your foot.

iRun: So assume your foot is neutral, average.

AC: It would be a “super shoe,” something with a carbon plate, and they’ve added to the metrics we knew before, the weight and stability—now it’s about height and angle. For instance, some runners say the $365 Nike Alpha Fly are the best shoe they ever put on, but some say it’s too high.

iRun: What do you say?

AC: It’s the bounciest shoe I’ve ever tried and it’s hard to beat. Nike also makes the 2% which I really like, but that’s my personal preference. Sometimes I wear New Balance, sometimes Adidas. It’s not Nike and then everyone else, like it was years ago.

iRun: So there really is no single best shoe?

AC: I don’t think so. Nike has great product, but the Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 is a really great product. The ASICS METASPEED SKY is terrific. The Adidas Adios Pro is really good. It’s definitely harder to pick a “best shoe” than it was three years ago, when the best shoe was clearly the Vapor Fly.

iRun: Who needs a super shoe?
AC: Anyone who wants to run faster.

iRun: How many pairs of sneakers does a competitive runner really need?

AC: I run in three pairs of shoes at a time. It’s good to alternate. I like a traditional trainer, something for my easy runs, like a New Balance 880 or the Nike Pegasus, and a second shoe, which is a super shoe for race day: your Vapor Fly, your METASPEED. The last thing you’ll want is a super trainer, which splits the difference between both shoes. A super trainer is like an entry level super shoe with a carbon plate and responsive foam, but not as light, or expensive, as your super shoe. It’s a hybrid between racing shoes and everyday trainers, like the Brooks Hyperion Tempo.

iRun: That’s a lot of shoes, but it makes sense, especially if you’re running three to five times a week for four months, like an ordinary marathon build. What’s a realistic shoe budget?

AC: Something like $800 for three pairs of shoes. And it pains me to say, but you need a new arsenal every two to three months, which might be roughy 600-800 kilometres on a training shoe or even 200-400 kilometres on racing shoes. Think of it like $800 per training block, which is from day one to race day. Of course, if you’re running, say, 50K per week, or if you’re new to the sport, you don’t need to change shoes as often or spend as much money.

iRun: Does that runner need a super shoe?

AC: Again, the super shoes will make you run faster, so if you’re new to it, but want to run as fast as you can, those shoes will help. But, perhaps grow into them. Maybe a new runner might start with a super trainer: they’re quick, they’re durable, and they last longer than a super shoe. The super shoe—like the $325 ASICS Meta Speed Sky, pictured below—could be a reward after finishing a racing season.

iRun: The question on everyone’s mind: are there hacks to getting your shoes on the cheap?

AC: Buy last year’s model. It might take some digging, but don’t get into the trap that last year’s model sucks. They don’t. Running shoes aren’t iPhones. They’re shoes. And if they were good in 2020, they’re good now—especially traditional trainers.

iRun: What’s currently happening in shoe design?

AC: The super shoes are fast evolving. We don’t know the full picture and things have changed quickly. In 2017, if you didn’t have the Vapor Fly, you were at a disadvantage. And maybe in 2023, there will be a better super shoe, but with the traditional trainers, not much has happened between now and 2020. If you can get an older model of Adidas, New Balance or Brooks, and save 50-bucks, do it.

iRun: How do I make my shoes last longer?

AC: Have a separate pair of shoes for daily activity. Don’t wear them to walk the dog or play pick-up soccer. Those miles add up.

iRun: Say I’m running the Waterfront Marathon next month in Toronto, or Montreal, Niagara Falls or Quebec, is there still time to get new shoes or do they need to be broken in by now?

AC: Personally, I don’t spend much time breaking shoes in. If I get a pair of new shoes, I spend a day walking around in them so they’re not too hard, but shoe technology now is so good that the shoes come in made for your feet. In fact, with racing shoes, the idea is to not break them in. All that pop is precious.

iRun: That’s true. But some of them are so severe, I think, the first time, runners should take a super shoe out for a spin before showing up to race day.

AC: Oh, yeah. If you’ve never tried them, you want to know if they’re comfortable or cause you blisters. Wear them first, but, for race day, keep them as fresh as possible.

iRun: Carbon plates changed the running shoe game. What’s next?

AC: The next Vapor Fly killer? I don’t know. Super shoes are evolving quickly but it doesn’t feel like there’s a radical innovation just around the corner. That said, New Balance has an illegal shoe—something you couldn’t race in—the FuelCell SuperComp Trainer that has a 47-millimetre stack height that their athletes are wearing in training. I think that level of specificity we didn’t really see before the carbon shoes and now, with really detailed technology, that’s the future.

iRun: Is Nike the company that other shoe brands look out for and, if not, who is?

AC: Nike is always the brand to watch. Love them or hate them, Nike is Apple. Now, that doesn’t mean everyone should have an iPhone. But you can’t expect Nike to roll over and die. In 2016, Nike was ahead of everyone. Today I don’t think there’s much of a discrepancy between Nike and ASICS and Saucony and Puma and Adidas. Other shoe brands have caught up.

iRun: Last question, dude. Don’t lie. What do you wear?

AC: Alright, put me on the spot. Well, I’m eying a half marathon. Maybe Indianapolis or Philly in November, and I’m wearing New Balance 880 V11s on my easy runs. For my super trainer, I really like the Endorphin Speed 2 and also the Brooks Hyperion Tempo. And my super shoes are both the Adidas Pro 2 and the Next Percent 2 from Nike.

iRun: So you’re brand agnostic?

AC: That’s the great thing about this moment in running. Any serious runner can afford to be brand agnostic when it comes to buying shoes.

Things to Do in Quebec City When You’re Not Running Your Marathon

By

Ben Kaplan

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September 21, 2022

It comes to no secret to anyone that Quebec City, besides hosting one of the country’s best races at the Beneva Quebec City Marathon starting September 30, also has lots of entertaining enticements to offer a racer when they’re not going for their gold, or resting. These are just some of the fall highlights in Quebec City that are particularly appealing at the end of the month.

1. The changes to the course at the Beneva Quebec City Marathon makes it double as an excuse to go sightseeing along some of Quebec City’s most beautiful vantage points. For the picture-postcard scenery of the course and for the joy of running past the iconic Château Frontenac and along the shores of the St. Lawrence River, there’s no better way to explore Quebec City than in your shoes on race day! Pro tip: here’s the course for the marathon. If you’re running a different distance, this is also a great trail to explore on a bike.

2. Late September in Quebec City is jam-packed with fun things to do, from dining to exploring to beautiful hikes! It’s also the ideal time to go apple picking on Île d’Orléans and enjoy some of the delicious local cuisine. From black currant berries to iconic, delightful European style pubs, Quebec City brings a world of delights to a marathon runner, a sampling of which can be found here.

3. Being a runner, we know you don’t want a completely relaxing vacation, even when you’re not doing your race. Alongside the beautiful opportunities for hiking and cycling, Quebec City is also an ideal location to hike. Whether it’s the North Arms Trail or the Wolves Trail, there are many different locations and degrees of difficulty in your hikes to choose from, all close to the Delta Hotel Quebec, which is the host hotel. For a smattering of hiking ideas, please click here.

4. It’s hard to beat an 83-metre high waterfall, and that’s why all visitors to Quebec City should travel the 15 minutes from Old Quebec (just 15 minutes!) and check out Montmorency Falls. There’s a zip line and, beneath the falls, a promenade, and, like the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, it’s well worth a trip.

The enticement this month to Quebec City is the races, from a 2K kid’s event to a marathon, with a brand new picturesque course. But if you’re heading to Quebec City from out of town for race day, there’s much more than a medal awaiting your trip.

Explore Quebec City, and, while running your race, see the world.

“It tends to be more common with running.” How Uresta Manages Bladder Leaks

By

Ben Kaplan

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September 21, 2022

Bladder leaks associated with running or jumping are caused by weak or damaged muscles in our pelvic floor. Uresta, a great new product spearheaded by CEO Lauren Barker, inserts vaginally and provides support to those muscles to stop the leaks from occurring. “I always like to say it’s like an ankle brace, but for your bladder,” Barker says. As one in three women suffer from bladder leaks, and as we know this issue effects runners—so much so that Uresta is booth 108 at next month’s TCS Waterfront Marathon—we caught up with Barker and asked her to tell us what she, and her product, does.

iRun: What does Uresta do and why is it so important?

Lauren Barker: Uresta is a uniquely designed bladder support product that stops bladder leaks associated with coughing, sneezing, jumping, or running (basically anything that puts pressure on your bladder). These types of bladder leaks are caused by either weak or damaged pelvic floor muscles that work to keep your urethra closed during everyday activities.

iRun: So how does it work?

LB: Uresta inserts into the vagina and supports those muscles through the vaginal wall to stop leaks from occurring during those moments of extra pressure. It is does not, however, prevent you from urinating normally, meaning you don’t need to remove Uresta to go to the washroom and it can be left in all day. You can use it all day or just when you need it (like going for a run).

iRun: Can it be used more than once?

LB: Yes! Uresta is reusable and is simply removed in the evening and washed with soap and water.

iRun: So can you breakdown how it works once again?

LB: Uresta provides immediate relief and security from bladder leaks—this is very important because bladder leakage is a quality of life issue. This is a common issue, but it’s still embarrassing and causes women significant anxiety. I’ve been told by many women that their leaks hold them back socially, at work, from being physically active, to doing some of their favourite activities.

iRun: When did you realize there was a pain point in the market and Uresta was something real women need?

LB: I was first introduced to Uresta as an investment opportunity back when I was in finance. I was honestly blown away at how common the issue was and how there was nothing on the market that actually offered women a better quality of life (mainly just pads that absorb leaks).

iRun: What inspired you to join and run Uresta?

LB: I remember thinking… “okay, so I’m going to get older and have kids, and go from using a menstrual cup and NEVER using pads to possibly needing one every day.” That just seemed completely archaic to me and as if we were going back in time. The more that I learned about Uresta and the issue, I knew that Uresta had the potential to improve the lives of millions of women—and the reviews and testimonials we receive continue to validate this view.

iRun: Is this something that only effects moms?

LB: Nope. This is not just a mom issue—bladder leaks happen as we get older and our muscles weaken, as well as hormonal changes at time of menopause.

iRun: What does Uresta replace—pads? And how does that benefit women?

LB: Because Uresta is stopping the leaks from happening, you no longer need to use pads or leak-proof reusable underwear. Pads and leak-proof underwear can be uncomfortable as they are damp, carry odour, and cause rashes (not to mention anxiety provoking and confidence limiting). This is especially an issue for active women as sweat and sudden movement can cause chaffing and for pads to slip out of place. Pads also do nothing to actually address the issue. Uresta stops leaks and we are told by women they are more confident, happier, and healthier with Uresta.

iRun: What else can be done to help with this issue?

LB: We highly recommend pelvic floor physiotherapy in tandem with Uresta. Strengthening your pelvic floor can eliminate or improve your symptoms, as well as prevent them from worsening. However, it can take time and effort to see results and Uresta can provide immediate relief to leaks. Uresta also does NOT make your pelvic floor muscles any weaker by using it long-term.

iRun: Does the issue of leaks affect runners?

LB: This is not an issue that JUST impacts runners, it just tends to be more common with running. It is widely stated that stress incontinence (the type of leaks associated with movement like jumping or running) impacts 1 in 3 women after the age of 30 during exercise. However due to the pressure placed on the bladder during running, it can be as many as 50% of women after the age of 30. And for many women they may only experience leaks just during exercise due to the extra pressure.

iRun: That’s such a huge number.

LB: It is, and pads are even more un-ideal for women who are active due to chaffing and pads slipping out of place due to sweat. Also, while we highly recommend pelvic floor physiotherapy, it can sometimes be difficult to fully eliminate leaks caused by exercise through pelvic floor strengthening.

iRun: Is there anything a runner should know about using Uresta—the first big question on everyone’s mind will be: is it safe?

LB: I think women are often worried that Uresta isn’t going to be comfortable or that it might fall out. Uresta is very similar to a tampon in the sense that once you insert it you won’t even feel it – it should be out of sight and out of mind. We come in 5 different sizes to find your perfect level of support – when properly fitted Uresta should be:

Stopping or reducing your leaks
NOT preventing you from urinating normally
Staying in place
Comfortable and unnoticeable.

iRun: This is really cool and really important.

LB: Thanks, and remember: Uresta is also NOT just for running—it can be used all day or whenever you need a little extra support or security from leaks.

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A post shared by Uresta Bladder Support (@myuresta)

iRun: How do we know that it’s safe? Has this been tested? What has the response been?

LB: Uresta is very safe and has a significant amount of recognition in the medical community. We are first and foremost FDA and Health Canada cleared. We are also recommended by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada for the conservative care of urinary incontinence in women. We also have four completed clinical studies that were done independently of Uresta and support both our safety and our efficacy.

iRun: I know you finished a study last May that was published in the International Urogynecology Journal. What were the highlights?

LB: Thanks for asking. This was HUGE for us. Here’s some of what we learned.

97% of women experienced a reduction in their leaks, in which 83% described as a material reduction
90% continued to use Uresta after a 12 month period
94% would recommend Uresta to a friend
92% felt more confident in public
85% had already tried pelvic floor physiotherapy

iRun: Your company is female-led and your product is manufactured in Canada. Why is this so important to you?

LB: Two of our core values at Uresta are empathy and empowering women. As a female-run company we are acutely aware of the struggles women face in day to day life and I believe that allows us to relate to women on a much deeper level. It is not uncommon for us to send a free Uresta for compassion reasons to someone who can’t afford it or to extend our 30-day refund period for a women who needs to more time to see if Uresta is right for her.

iRun: What do you love about your job?

LB: At Uresta, our greatest wish is that women are empowered by Uresta to do whatever they want—whether that’s crushing a marathon, or a presentation at work, or playing with their kids. We feel that women are busy and have enough to worry about, and if we can remove one pesky problem in a day that makes us happy and continues to motivate us. We love receiving emails and notes from customers on how Uresta has positively impacted their lives—there is nothing more motivating to us!

iRun: And what about being a product made in Canada?

LB: In terms of manufacturing in Canada—safety and quality are incredibly important to us. Having our product manufactured close to home allows us to manage product quality and safety very closely. We are also very proud to be a Canadian business and hope to make Uresta a Canadian success story.

iRun: How can women purchase your product and give it a try?

LB: Uresta is available for purchase at www.uresta.com. We have a free online assessment tool to determine whether you are a candidate for Uresta. In the event that Uresta does not work for you, we do offer a 30 day refund period.

iRun: Like us, you have a booth at the TCS Waterfront Marathon on the weekend of October 16. What will runners visiting your booth see?

LB: We are having a special promotion for those attending the expo and looking to purchase. We will be there also to show you Uresta and answer any questions you may have. Plus, we will be having a surprise giveaway!

iRun: Can you also talk about why you’re targeting this demographic, female runners? Why is your product specifically a good product for us to use?

LB: A few different reasons. Women may consider pelvic floor physiotherapy to improve their incontinence (which we highly recommend doing). However, many women find that while they are able to eliminate their leaks associated with coughing or sneezing, but the pressure on the bladder caused by running is often so great that women aren’t able to fully eliminate their leaks during exercise with pelvic floor strengthening.

I also think active women are proactive about their health. They don’t want to be seen as old and they really don’t want something like a pesky bladder leaks holding them back in their everyday life. The alternatives—like pads, are also unideal for women (chaffing, odour, rashes, dampness). Also with runners you want to stay hydrated. I know many women who limit their liquid intake as a way of managing their bladder leaks. For active women and runners, this is not ideal or healthy (I mean generally not recommended, but especially not for runners). For some women, I’ve been told during a race they will stop and go to the washroom more frequently than they would like in order to manage their leaks, and as a result sacrificing their time.

We just want as many women as possible to try our products because we know that they work.

A Messenger of Hope and Restoration

By

Sabrina Young

-

September 14, 2022

Tarrant w:glasses — Photo credit Louis Christ

Imagine finishing a marathon and realizing it was the start of a new journey.

For Tarrant Cross Child, who is a member of the Blood Tribe First Nation in Southern Alberta (Treaty Seven), which is a member tribe of The Blackfoot Confederacy, the journey of hope and restoration began in 2015 at the Saskatchewan Marathon.

Running isn’t a new sport to Tarrant, whose name has Welsh roots and means “Thunder.” He remembers helping round up the horses during his childhood at his grandfather’s house in Blood Tribe Nation, Alberta, which meant a fair bit of running. It was then he discovered his passion. His late grandfather, Dan Weasel Moccasin, took him to buy a pair of running shoes and Tarrant chose a pair of fast blue shoes. The day came for him to compete and as the speaker announced the 10-year-olds to marshal for their heat, Tarrant froze. The 12-year old and under were next and but his shyness got the best of him, and it wasn’t until the heat for the 16-year-old age category was announced that he would look down at his fast blue shoes and the shame of not competing out weighed his bashfulness, that he got himself to the start line—only to finish dead last.

Fast forward to 1998 and Tarrant wins the Saskatchewan Marathon with a time of 2:45. At the same race, Celeste, his fiancée at the time, also raced in the half marathon. The two would go on to start a business, buy a house and start a family together.

Perhaps it was the enormity of all the pressure from a new business and family, because around that same time the slippery slope to addiction would begin. It would spiral further in 2004 with the death of a nephew and three years later, with the death of his mother. In 2014, Tarrant would wake up in a hospital bed and on the verge of suicide, with last words to his children and wife in letters he had written explaining they would be better off without him.

But sometimes help appears in ways you don’t expect.

A nurse in the hospital where Tarrant was a patient, noticed he was considering Teen Challenge Saskatchewan Men’s Centre and had only praise to say about the Centre. It is a religious rehabilitation centre outside of Allan, Saskatchewan, (but has locations across Canada), that Celeste found, but was hesitant to recommend considering Tarrant’s opposition to faith-based institutions. On April 28th, 2014, with a renewed vow to faith, Tarrant would enter the doors of the Teen Challenge building and devote himself to a year-long programme. During that time, he and Celeste started journaling and recording the day-to-day events of their lives. Celeste, keeping the family afloat with their four children struggling with enough school supplies or going without hockey due to the fees and high cost of equipment, discovered her community rallying around them to cover the registration and all supplemental hockey costs.

Tarrant discovered the Centre was without physical boundaries and allowed for patients to wander on the vast grounds. He noticed a shed in the distance and remembered a moment during the time of addiction, that he yearned to race again. Remembering his love for running and receiving shoes gifted to him from a former running partner and owner of Brainsport in Saskatoon, Brian Michasiw, he would kick start his commitment to recovery through running. He was allowed to go the distance of the shed. The ability to reach the shed with a run/walk was his first goal. He then asked permission to go beyond the shed, as going beyond was considered leaving the programme, to increase the distance to reach a farmer’s turn off. And like the land around him, Tarrant would witness growth and bounty. From the time farmers laid down seed, to the first shoots breaking ground, elongating into stalks that would rustle in wind as he ran by, to the harvest in the autumn: Tarrant had grown. Eventually, he made it to the town turn off and then to a track in the town. Seven journals onward, on May 4th, 2015, Tarrant would leave Teen Challenge, and would complete the Saskatchewan Marathon 27 days later in a time of 3:15:28.

Tarrant’s Blackfoot traditional name was given to him by his grandfather. Itsiniitohpii (pronounced Ee-son-ee-doo-bee) means “Messenger,” and if the name could foreshadow Tarrant’s next endeavour, the name fits like a glove. Tarrant and Celeste started Child of the Cross Running Clinics, which was rebranded Prairie Run Crew, and has reached thousands of Indigenous youth and non-indigenous youth. His underlying message of hope and restoration by encouraging a healthy lifestyle through running and making positive choices started with two people and has reached thousands across Canada, namely in Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. In September of 2018, Prairie Run Crew travelled to Riverside Indian School in Oklahoma, USA.

Tarrant with student at Riverside Indian School, Oklahoma. — *Prairie Run Crew, speaking in Oklahoma. Photo credit Louis Christ.*

Tarrant endeavours to fulfill call to action #89 in the Truth and Reconciliation Report that: “Calls upon the Federal Government to amend the Physical Activity and Sport Act to support reconciliation by ensuring that policies to promote physical activity as a fundamental element of health and well-being, reduce barriers to sports participation, increase the pursuit of excellence in sport, and build capacity in the Canadian sport system, are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples.”

*Tarrant with owner of The Runners Shop in Toronto, Lynn Bourque.*

With the help of New Balance Canada, a company that strives to empower people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world, Prairie Run Crew reduces barriers and access to events by hosting races in remote communities. What started with a simple finisher’s banner at a school run, has snowballed into full-fledged race barriers and arches, sound systems, generators and a trailer that were either donated or funded by businesses. New Balance has also provided several thousand pairs of shoes to the programme. As a New Balance sponsored athlete, and as suggested by Lynn Bourque of Toronto running retailer The Runners Shop, Tarrant raced on Toronto Centre Island at the 40th anniversary Longboat Toronto Island event and shared his story at two Toronto District School Board schools.

*Tarrant sharing his story at the annual Longboat Toronto Island Run.* *Photo credit John MacMillan*.

In seven years, with two years in a pandemic that included lockdown mandates, Tarrant Cross Child restarted his business Prairie Flooring Ltd., after overcoming his addiction to alcohol and gambling, has continued to race, become a New Balance-sponsored athlete and established a successful outreach youth programme. The pressure can be enormous, but his journey has taught him to set boundaries to manage stress. He also credits having a close knit and small group of people who love and support him and has a renewed sense of faith. He rejoices in the success of his wife and children at their sports. His daughter Jaira, now also accompanies Tarrant to speak to youth about the peaks and valleys of her life. She shares her father’s passion for an active lifestyle and in her own right, is an accomplished athlete on the track in the middle-distance. Currently she studies Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan.

*With daughter Jaira Cross Child (grey shirt) Photo credit Louis Christ.*

You can follow him on Instagram @tarrantcrosschild

A Male Response to the War on Women

By

Ben Kaplan

-

September 14, 2022

A woman died because she went for a run.

It’s not right. It’s not fair and we can all help stop it.

This hits me viscerally. I feel ashamed to be a man and feel disgusted this kind of story is not all that uncommon.

Women deserve to be able to run at any time of the day without the fear of being attacked by a man. They deserve to feel the freedom that most men feel when they run, without harassment and without thoughts about potential threats to their life.

How often have most of us guys, slipped on a pair of running shoes and hit the roads, sidewalk or trail without a care in the world, and most certainly most of the time (unless in a dodgy neighbourhood) without a thought for our safety? It’s a bit difficult to think of always being worried for your safety when just out for a run, for no other reason than any stranger—who is a man—could be a potential attacker, or killer.

The sickness and the symptoms of the problem are what you see, but the virus, the root of the problem is what needs to be addressed. You can outlaw catcalling and behaviours, that will help but we need to look at why men even think to do this type of behaviour.

A woman died because she went for a run, but also because:

We are raising some boys/men without the right respect for women
We are not raising boys to understand what correct behaviour towards women is
We are still encouraging/portraying aggressive behaviour towards women in media and society
We are not making enough effort to emphasize how people, men and women deserve to be treated

The world is an unpredictable, often violent place, but we can influence that variable under our control.

We can shape our children to respect one another and know how to treat people. We should put efforts into awareness and dictate what is against the law, but men, let’s also work towards a place where we never have to have this conversation, and everyone, equally, can just go out for a run.

We all seem to get angry when these events happen, but they continue to happen.

Without change, there is no change.

Noel Paine is a long-time runner and racewalker and contributor to iRun magazine.