Peter Symons and Samantha Johnson, two marathon runners in Toronto, were recently featured in a popular story in iRun magazine. This is that story. Being underdogs and positive, generous people, I followed-up with the two athletes and asked them what they’ve learned month after month and year after year in their shoes. These are their tips for not only getting the most out of your running, but finding something in yourself to give back to our sport.
5 comments around running, by Samantha Johnson.
The hardest part of running isn’t getting out the door, but the first 10 minutes where you are trying to figure out how to actually run, and breath. But then, all of the sudden it comes together.
If you don’t start you will never finish.
Running gives you permission to eat all the ice cream you want.
Going for beers after running is the best.
The running community is something special, and they make you always feel welcome and special.
Pithy realities on racing marathons from an old guy [Peter Symons] who has only raced two.
Find friends with more experience than you and take their advice—but listen to your body.
Train your body to tolerate and use fuelling. It is just as important as the running part.
Always have two sequential race goals. Not every day will be your day.
Buy fancy, expensive shoes—they may not make you much faster, but the physiologic impact will.
Training for a spring marathon through a Canadian winter is tough. But you’ll fall back in love with running once it’s over.
Jess Lambert was treated at the trauma centre at The Ottawa Hospital in 2014, and now supports the hospital by raising money through Run for a Reason.
Jess Lambert was given a 60/40 chance of ever walking again after a cliff jumping accident forced doctors at the Ottawa Hospital to fuse a rod to her broken spine. “When I woke up in the hospital, I was obviously in shock. My family was with me and to get that diagnosis of possibly not being able to walk again at 21 was heartbreaking,” says Lambert, who was told that, if she was going to one day walk again, then it would certainly have to be done with a cane.
“After the news sunk in I was stubborn and determined—I knew that no matter what I was going to be able to walk again and the whole process was a huge mental game. I realized how strong you can be—even when you’re in a tough spot—when you lean on yourself and focus.”
That focus will come into play on Sunday at the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend when Jess Lambert lines up for her first marathon. In order to raise money for the Ottawa Hospital, Lambert, who was not a runner before her accident, will try completing 42.2K. A tall ordeal for anyone. But Lambert says that running helped her during her recovery—not only with her physical rehabilitation, but also with her mental health. Eight years after her accident, she’s hooked on our sport.
“When I’m running I’m able to focus and I just started to fall in love with it. I feel like I could just keep going forever and I feel free—like myself,” says Lambert, who adds that she enjoys the fresh outdoor air, the camaraderie in the community and the atmosphere of the local races, in which she’s competed in distances from 5K to half marathon. “I knew after my half that I wanted to challenge myself and prove to people that no matter what’s your predicament, if you can control your mindset, you can do anything.”
For everyone, running a marathon is a bucket list experience. The training is long and intense and the sacrifices are hard and can become overwhelming. In the case of Jess Lambert, running a marathon to raise money for the hospital which helped save her life, the marathon has provided her with a rallying point. A north star. She’s not only stunned the medical community, but inspired a whole wake of people in her rallying, running wave. “On Sunday, I want to inspire that one person down on their luck in the hospital going through a rough time,” Lambert says. “I want to be able to give back to the people who gave me my next step in life.”
Photographs courtesy of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, and Jess.
I had just started up the Burrard Street Bridge when my right forearm started to cramp.
I had just finished my most recent bottle and found that holding it was making my hand and arm start to Charley horse. Not exactly a great sign knowing there was still 12 kilometres left in the race.
I took another salt tab, repeated my mantra: “You’re fine. You’re safe,” and kept running.
Just after the downhill of that bridge, both calves raised a warning shot.
I made it to 35 kilometres before both calves went.
By 37K, Dayna had passed me with a move my lil’ calf muscles had no interest in entertaining.
“It’s not just your forearms that are unhappy with you right now,” they not so subtly hinted.
A few minutes later, my left hamstring grabbed and I walked a few steps holding it. I thought maybe I was done for the day. I then remembered the outcome was not my major concern.
Yes. I wanted to win—who lines up not wanting the best outcome?
But it was more important to cross the finish line where Zachary, my Dad, my friend Chris—and so many others—faltered those final steps before.
For a minute my brain asked me a question.
“What if you were less of an asshole?”
Meaning: what if you started running a little more, drank a few less beers, and actually took things a bit more seriously … again?
My immediate—read visceral—response was: “I. Don’t. Want. To.”
It’s not that I line up for these races thinking they are a joke—or disrespecting the work that goes into organizing them, the work of my competitors, the work of every person lining up to race or helping put the event on (often volunteering their already stretched and precious time).
I line up wanting the best of what my body will give me that day and ready to compete within the realm of whatever that is.
It’s that I do not feel ready—not now, and maybe never again—to go all in.
Not when I am uncertain if I can go all in and still protect the piece of happiness I have been able to find in all of the darkness of the past six years.
“What if?” It’s a loaded question.
What if I chased Zach down that last night I saw him, texted him when he didn’t show up to walk our dogs? Would he not have texted his dealer that night?
What if I could change the last time I saw my Dad?
What if I could go back and change the last interaction I had with my partner before he decided to cheat?
There are some ponders that we will always have. But I’ve learned that changing my actions doesn’t guarantee others will behave any differently.
What if I decided to be “Olympic Lanni” again—or at least try to be?
I’ve learned that I don’t want to be “Olympic Lanni” if it means the same mental state I was in back then. Chasing new titles and accolades isn’t worth revisiting “that” Lanni.
I trust that my body will let me do with it what I can—within certain limits.
What I am saying is I am not ready to press what those limits are when it comes to my mental and emotional health and happiness.
I like how I approach running and racing right now.
I am still hungry enough to see what my legs will carry me to next time. I just also respect that that hunger doesn’t have to mean total sacrifice.
I’m not done training, and trying. I’m just not ready to be any other version of Lanni than I am right now and that’s ok. I’m not there—yet—andthat “yet” is ok.
I want to see what I can do. But I want it to be on my terms this time—even if those terms are a bit unconventional.
It’s why I’m lining up for the Ottawa Marathon, four weeks after the Vancouver marathon. My fourth marathon in seven months after a five year hiatus from marathoning—and well, the sport if we are being honest.
On March 8 2022, International Women’s Day, Lululemon launched its first running shoe. Though Lululemon sells running performance wear, breaking into the running shoe market, currently dominated by companies like ASICS, Saucony, New Balance, Adidas, who also makes a running shoe designed for women, and Nike, would undoubtedly be challenging. However, Lululemon found a way to exploit a market niche that has long been overlooked by other major shoe brands: women’s specific running shoes. The result: the hype surrounding Lululemon’s Blissfeel running shoe has extended beyond the running community and has ignited curiosity and excitement across mainstream social media. There is no doubt that designing a women’s specific running shoe was clever marketing on Lululemon’s part. But are gender-specific shoes necessary? For many runners, the question remains: do women need different running shoes and, is the Blissfeel worth purchasing?
During the Blissfeel design process, Lululemon conducted “four years of research including over a million volumental foot scans and countless rounds of wear testing,” all of which focused on women. Prior to the release of the Blissfeel, most shoes available to female runners were those that were designed first for men and then modified for women. Therefore, if women have always worn and trusted shoes designed first for men, why now is it necessary to make a women specific running shoe?
In long distance running, men and women are often prescribed similar training plans and work with the same coaches. When men and women are treated equally in training and coaching, it follows that the same should occur when designing running shoes and apparel. However, in my experience, the similarities in training programs and coaching between men and women are often due to insufficient knowledge of the female experience in running. There are physiological and biomechanical differences between men and women that may lead to different responses to training loads, coaching methods and the structure of a running shoe. Women are at greater risk of common running injuries such as plantar fasciitis and iliotibial band syndrome, due to differences in biomechanics. The design and structure of a running shoe can address such risk factors and may lead to reduced injuries in female runners.
It is not surprising that when designing running shoes, most companies focus on the male athlete. As with many sports, running has a history of excluding women. For example, women were not allowed to run the Boston marathon until 1972 and women did not compete in the Olympic marathon until 1984. Though much progress has been made, the female experience in sport continues to be invalidated and overlooked by coaches, athletic institutions and running shoe brands. Numerous female runners were subjected to pay cuts from Nike after their pregnancies, which perpetuates the misogynistic view that women must choose between having a career and having a family. Brands need to do more to support female athletes and that support should not be limited to superficial slogans and ambiguous advertising. Companies, obviously, need to continue to support female athletes when they start their own families and should sell products designed specifically to help female athletes reach their full potential. The launch of a women’s specific running shoe is a stride in the right direction, and Lululemon, a company who’s customer majority is female, is a brand that has credibility to so.
The best way to answer the question of whether or not women need different running shoes is to ask female runners themselves. I asked two of my former teammates on the Dalhousie cross country team, Sarah Kromberg and Bailey Milos, for their thoughts on the launch of the Blissfeel and the need for a women’s specific running shoe. Both said that they were excited. Sarah expressed her appreciation for Lululemon as a Canadian company that sells apparel she uses for both “training and competing.” She expressed that although Lululemon was not “inclusive in terms of their sizing” when the company first became popular, the company has since “shown progress” and has become “more diverse and inclusive.” Based on this progress, she feels that Lululemon is the right company to launch such a shoe. In contrast, though Bailey also expressed her excitement for the shoe, she also remains skeptical of Lululemon’s credibility in the running shoe industry. She stated that she thought it was “strange that a clothing company was coming out with a running shoe.” She felt that if a company like Adidas launched a women’s specific shoe, “it would make sense because they have experience designing running shoes.”
In terms of the need for women’s specific running shoes, both Sarah and Bailey agreed that women would likely benefit from such shoes. Sarah stated that she is “someone who has been through lots of different running shoe brands because she gets injured a lot. After running for over a decade and wearing various brands and models, she still hasn’t found the right shoe, that’s why she was excited about the Blissfeel. [For a review of the Blissfeel, from an independent shoe designer and a Lululemon ambassador, please click here.] Sarah believes that if other female runners feel the same way as she does, this would suggest that women may need different shoes. Bailey suggested that women’s and men’s feet “must be different” and feels as though running shoes: “have been oriented towards men.” She believes that a women’s design would help to address the differences in men’s and women’s feet and that male-oriented shoes do not account for the differences. As to whether or not she would purchase the Blissfeel, Bailey was unsure. She said that if “other runners said it was worth it,” she would consider purchasing a pair. Sarah, on the other hand, has purchased a pair of the Blissfeels and although she has only used them for two runs thus far, says: “they’re comfortable, supportive and a good shoe for easy runs.” [The shoes sell for $198 Canadian.]
In addition to the need for running shoes designed for women, Sarah and Bailey also expressed that women need more support from running shoe brands. Bailey suggested that many brands “do not support women as they say they do.” Sarah stated that she does not think that “any brand is doing enough to support women, but certain brands are blatantly not doing enough.”
Women do need different shoes, just as we require different approaches to training, nutrition and injury prevention. The Blissfeel may not be the shoe for every female runner, but that does not take away the overall value of women’s specific running shoes. Even without scientific evidence, a woman’s experience when choosing and wearing running shoes are enough to suggest that there may be a need for women’s specific running shoes. The sentiments expressed by my former teammates are common amongst female runners. Despite what brands may advertise, I believe most female runners feel unsupported by brands who design and sell products tailored for male performance and altered for the female form.
My hope is that the Blissfeel acts as a catalyst in the industry, prompting brands to finally prioritize the design of a women’s specific shoe. If this is the case, the benefits of the Blissfeel will extend far beyond the experiences of those who wear it. By sparking conversation and drawing attention to the need for a women’s specific shoe, the launch of the Blissfeel will have a positive impact on all female runners, even if its design does not suit them specifically. I am excited to try the Blissfeel, but even more excited at the possibility of more women’s running shoes to come.
Disclosure: I am a lululemon ambassador and I received these shoes for free. But, as always, all opinions are my own.
On International Women’s Day, Lululemon launched their first ever line of running shoes. After four years of research and development, over a million foot scans, and countless rounds of wear testing, these shoes were designed for women’s feet.
Before I share my shoe review, I believe the best shoes are ones that fit YOUR FEET, YOUR GAIT, and YOUR FORM. It might seem kind of obvious, but everyone has different feet, a different gait, and a different form. What works for me might not work for you and that’s okay!
So, a bit about my feet. I have wide feet and I have been loyal to a size 9.5 wide in the same brand/model for many years. I would try other brands/models but always went back to the same ones. However, recently, this brand/model changed their heel tab (the top part of the heel) and it was causing pain at my heel due to my insertional Achilles tendonitis injury. This caused me to switch to another brand and I ended up with a men’s size 8 wide. It was definitely better for my heel, but I think I should have just gotten a men’s size 8 regular because after I ran with them a few times, I felt they were a bit too roomy.
With the Lululemon Blissfeel shoes, the 9.5 was too tight for my wide feet so I sized up to a 10 because they don’t have wide sizes yet. With a size 10, the width felt good and the length didn’t feel too long. These are neutral shoes with a 9.5mm drop which is very similar to the ones I’ve worn for years. The top mesh is soft and breathable. The tongue is a thin material which is different than what I’m used to but I had no issues. So far, I have worn them for 3 consecutive days at work and have done two 5K runs with them.
I’m no shoe expert, but I know what a good shoe feels like on my feet and I’m happy to report that these shoes feel great! They fit comfortably, the bottom is flexible, and the length and width are good for my feet. The pink and green colourway is certainly eye-catching and I’ve gotten a lot of compliments.
I do think the high price tag is a big barrier (they retail for CAD$198), but Lululemon has an excellent 30-day return policy, even if you wear them outside. This allows you to actually try them on and run with them outdoors to make sure they fit YOUR FEET. They offer 10 colourways, so there are lots of options to choose from. So, go ahead, give them a try: it’s an overdue idea, and basically risk-free..
A counter opinion from shoe designer Richard Kuchinsky:
In my opinion, Lululemon isn’t doing anything new and anything they are doing they aren’t doing well. There’s been tons of women’s specific brands and models over the past 40 (?) years. Usually if Lululemon does something, they do it big. They hardly did any marketing (aside from influencers), must have had a really low production as sold out quick (not just because they are special), and there’s not much else they are doing to support the product.
I don’t see why they didn’t just call it a lifestyle shoe and do the hard work to make actual running shoes some time in the future.
To see a video of Richard’s in-depth discussion of the Blissfeel, please click here.
Howdy! I’m Diane Chesla and am Co-Race Director of the Niagara Falls International Marathon (NFIM) exploring the mind-body connection of running & how lessons learned can be applied to life.
In my last article I talked about the concept of “flow” by researcher Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi. To recap, it’s a state we can get ourselves into, especially in sport where time seems to stand still and our activities feel effortless. What’s really important to understand is that a key tenet of flow is when our our skill level meets a challenge we engage in. If the challenge seems too great we experience anxiety. If it seems too easy, we experience boredom.
In running, we absolutely can experience a state of flow whether it’s a simple feeling of an effortless run or far off on the opposite spectrum, where we have a complete out of body experience as I shared in my last article. To experience this state, we have to have miles on our feet that comes from years of running, speed work, hill work and all of that. We then have to engage in a run we deem challenging that meets our level of training. These are the basic inputs according to Csikszentmihalyi’s theories of flow.
Sure, there are those freak incidents where someone finds themselves in a precarious situation and can draw upon previously unknown strengths (e.g. running in a life threatening chase), but this situation is rare. What I actually want to explore in this article is exactly how we apply lessons learned from states of flow in running to real life.
When I started exploring the concept of “applying lessons learned from sport to life,” I noticed that most who spoke on this topic had the same advice. For example, we can analyze our training that helped us finish a marathon and conclude that focus, determination and overcoming challenges were keys to achieving our goal and can in turn be applied to succeeding in a career. What I noticed is that this isn’t so easy to do. For one, humans are emotional beings with distinct personalities and layers upon layers of conditioned responses built around our psyche. I never found that running taught me to deal with tough personalities, group dynamics, power plays or how to deal with my own emotional layers that I accumulated throughout my life experiences.
There are a myriad of techniques we can try to “un-peel” these layers and better ourselves, but my interest is in how we can apply lessons learned from sport to “real” life. What I’m going to share with you here is one approach. I learned this approach while studying method acting at the Strasberg Institute. In method acting, we bring the most authentic version of ourselves on stage. How is it done? Through sense memory training that triggers an emotional response. Imagine—and this is the key—imagine that we are biting into a lemon wedge. We will most likely tense up our face and recall this as an unpleasant experience. We can go through all of our sense responses in this imaginary act—the smell, the taste, the feel and the visual recall of the lemon. Imagine now that we have to play a character on stage where we are disgusted by someone or something we see. Right before we go on stage we go through the sensory exercise pretending we are eating the lemon so we get all bitter and feel repulsed. We stay in that state during our act and voila, we now are repelled by this person or act in the scene.
Let’s do this exercise with running. Imagine we are having this amazing run. What does it feel like? Can you feel the gentle breeze caress your skin? Can you hear the melodic sounds of birds chirping? Are you in the country and witness the vast beauty of open spaces? Can you feel your legs move in perfect rhythmic strides? Can you taste the dewy freshness of the air around you? You are in flow, no matter how intense or long this experience is. Do you feel like you are incredibly happy during this experience? Feel in charge of your world, your being?
Fast forward to a work day. You have to make a presentation in front of an important client. You’re not a good public speaker. What you can do is prep by relaxing and then recalling this amazing run and sensory experience. Go through each sense and recall the feeling of the run. Be very specific and take your time. Minutes before entering the presentation space at work, recall everything about that amazing run. Enter the boardroom and knock ‘em dead! The key is staying in that heightened state.
There is a missing component to flow and sense memory recall. In my next article I explore the importance of relaxation as a precursor to states of flow.
Alexandra Telford, pictured above, a master of architecture student at Carleton University, was running intervals under the hot California sun this Christmas, deep into a gruelling training camp that was helping her prepare for the upcoming indoor track season.
It was here she received a message from her former teammate, Quinn Lyness, asking her to make a six-month commitment to Canada’s first national track and field league.
Lyness is the founder of the Canadian Track and Field League (CTFL): A new league for elite Canadian athletes to compete in that helps them build their brand, achieve performance standards and make some money—all within Canada.
An athlete himself, Lyness said he’s long been made aware of Canadian athletics’ struggle with lack of funding and fans. The goal of his league is to help with both, Lyness said.
For Telford, the exposure and the chance to make some money are two reasons she decided to register with the league.
Having recently won a bronze medal in the 300 metres at the national U SPORTS championship in March, Telford said she plans to focus solely on improving her performances at the track this summer. Even if it means going a little bit into debt before it begins to pay off.
“Definitely the words ‘keeping myself afloat’ is where my head’s at,” Telford said. “Throughout the summer, I think I’ve set myself up so that I can just train. Come fall I’ll have to see where my performance has gotten me.”
Telford is not alone. Even Canada’s top achievers in track and field, living on the highest monthly allowance from the federal government’s Athlete Assistance Program (AAP), can qualify as low-income. According to Statistics Canada, the low-income cut-off in 2020 for one person living in an area with a population of 500,000 or more, was a revenue of $22,060. The most an athlete can earn off the AAP is $21,180 annually.
The AAP now accounts for the largest percentage of a funded athlete’s income. Making up 47 per cent of their income, these eligible athletes receive $13,613 annually from the AAP, based upon data from the Department of Canadian Heritage in 2018.
In Ontario, the provincial government’s Quest for Gold program provides up to $186,171.20 of financial assistance directly to individual athletes, but only 54 spots are available in this program per year.
The financial situation of a Canadian athlete is anything but simple. With revenue coming in from all sorts of avenues, such as races, government assistance programs, work outside of training and sponsorships, every little bit counts.
26-year-old Telford said even with this assistance available, she’s seen firsthand just how much time and dedication it takes for professional athletes to obtain the funding they need to perform at such a high level. Her teammates at the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club, which she’s been a member of since 2010, also struggle financially.
For Lyness, a sprinter with the Ottawa Lions, it was watching his training partner and national medalist Saj Alhaddad pay for training and competitions out of his own pocket that really hit home.
“It’s pretty astonishing to think about,” Lyness said. “That was why I thought about [the league]. I just knew in general, track athletes don’t get paid very much, unless you’re at the top of your game in the world.”
A history of running on empty
Financial burdens are nowhere near a new sensation for Canadian athletes.
In the early 1960s, Bruce Kidd was working as a news reporter for the Toronto Star to keep himself afloat while balancing his life as a university student and a track athlete competing at an international level.
Then, Kidd said Canadian Olympic athletes lived a “bare bones” lifestyle in which they were not allowed to accept money for competing.
“You were limited on the number of days you could travel abroad and collect expense money, and you had to pre-apply for permission to travel,” Kidd said. “It was a different era.”
On his way to represent Canada at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, the distance runner signed an amateur code.
“[This code] specifically prohibited you from benefiting from your athletic fame in any kind of financial or material way,” Kidd said. “You couldn’t endorse things, you couldn’t receive prize money and you could receive trophies valued more than $50.”
The social perception of Olympic athletes of hobbyists, not professionals, continued until 1971 when the International Olympic Committee began to abolish amateurism as a necessity for athletes competing in the games. The concept wasn’t fully eliminated until 1981. After that, Olympic athletes could finally receive compensation for time away from work while training or competing.
In Canada, Kidd was a leader in the movement to pay athletes as professionals. With the 1976 Montreal Olympics in sight, Kidd and fellow athlete Abby Hoffman organized a group of athletes to present a series of demands to the government and Canadian Olympic Committee for more financial support.
“When they refused [our demands], we threatened to go on strike at the Montreal Olympics, which caused national headlines,” Kidd said. “Very quickly, they caved in and created what is the basis for the Athlete Assistance Program.”
Funding, fans, frustrations… fixed?
Since Kidd’s time in the sport, a lot has changed. Now, track and field athletes work hard to gain sponsorships, make brand deals and maintain their social media presence for fans, all in an effort to support themselves financially.
This is where Lyness’ work comes in.
To achieve his first goal of building the sport’s fanbase in Canada, Lyness said his league will bring the individual components of track and field into more of a team format.
From April 20 to May 2, 128 athletes were drafted onto four different Canadian-themed teams: The arctics, huskies, spitfires and bears.
If successful in this first season, Lyness will have created a centralized system for track and field in Canada.
“The problem with track and field is it’s disjointed,” Lyness said. “To be honest, I don’t really watch track and field all that often because there’s so many meets going on and they’re all not really related.”
By creating a centralized system, Lyness said he can make a huge difference in Canadian coverage of the sport—not just coverage for the stars, but for the up-and-coming athletes too.
“You can create this content creation platform that allows these athletes … to now be a part of something,” Lyness said. “Even if you came seventh overall in the rankings for the long jump, your points are still going to be contributing to your team.”
Kidd said in his day, he made a point of appearing at small-scale Canadian meets as an obligation to grow the sport in Canada. With Lyness’ league, athletes can compete in highly competitive meets and draw awareness to the sport domestically, without having to sacrifice one or the other.
Lyness admitted the financial benefits of the league for athletes are still in development. Being its inaugural year, the league is operating with a $8,200 prize fund.
“It’s not exactly huge, athletes at most can get $250 directly from it,” he said. “But the added bonus is creating the platform for them to use and get those sponsorship deals with local businesses.”
Lyness said he hopes that as the league grows, so will the financial incentive it can provide.
“We’re hopefully going to be able to really help out these athletes with thousands and thousands, tens of thousands of dollars, hundreds of thousands of dollars, a couple of years down the line,” Lyness said.
Until then, participation in the league is essentially free of cost for athletes. All they need to do is meet a performance standard and pay $20 for their singlet. Even then, Lyness said he will reimburse athletes when they return their singlet.
For now, Lyness is paying for the league out-of-pocket and relying on sponsors, such as New Balance, ticket sales and merchandise sales to keep the league afloat financially.
Future plans
Next on the agenda, Lyness said he’s turning his attention to the CTFL Gives Back program that he’s working on with one the league’s Olympic ambassadors, three-time Olympian and 800 metre Canadian record holder Melissa Bishop (pictured below).
When he’s not running the league’s preliminary and championship meets this summer, Lyness will be working on raising funds for the program.
Through the auctioning off of an item signed by Bishop and a $250 donation from league sponsor New Balance, one elementary or high school will receive funds to spend on new athletics equipment.
“Teachers can just sign up and then we’ll enter them into a draw,” Lyness said. “Then, at a specified date, we’ll give them the money so they can go buy track and field equipment, hopefully midway through their season.”
Telford said her high school track team was not very competitive because it did not receive the same attention as other sports, such as football or basketball.
Now, the CTFL is giving Telford and students at winning schools the chance to do what they love with the resources and attention they need.
“I love track. Everyone always says find a job that you enjoy doing and do it for your life,” Telford said. “I’d rather move back in with my parents then give up track for financial reasons.”
Everyone runs for their own reasons, but too often the people who set world records are the runners being recognized. In actual fact, it’s the middle of the pack runners, even the back of the pack people—the runners who do it day in, day out, despite obstacles and hardships, setbacks and medical situations, and who continue to get out and run—who are the real stars. It’s easy to run when you’re great at it. When it comes naturally, when you beat everyone, and when Lululemon gives you free clothes.
The most popular two runners at my club in Toronto are neither the fastest or the most buzzworthy on Instagram. But make no mistake, they’re warriors. They’ve both run marathons, and hoof it outside throughout the worst of our winters. But their stories aren’t one of shoe sponsorships and elite bibs; rather, they’re stories of perseverance, kindness, and strength.
“I started running mostly to lose weight in 2013 when I was 63—there was 70 pounds more of me in those days and I had bad discipline,” says Peter Symons, who took a 5K to the Marathon course I taught at BlackToe Running, and had his cardiologist notice he was experiencing “skipping heartbeats.” Peter says the doctor wasn’t too worried. “You’ve done nothing for 63 years, the doctor told me, and so you surprised the hell out of your heart—but there’s nothing structurally wrong with you.”
The cardiologist told Peter to wait five or six years before running a marathon and Peter did that, running the marathon in 2019 and then, at 72, completing Boston.
“The reason I love the running community is it doesn’t matter how young or how old or how slow or how fast you are, as long as you do your best you’re embraced by the whole community. I’d never seen a group like it, so tolerant and inclusive, it’s remarkable.”
Samantha Johnson, pictured above, was a student wrestler and played rugby so her pre-running toughness is ingrained. But that was before she had cancer, then had cancer again, and had part of her pelvic bone and abdominal wall removed. After she ran the Mississauga Marathon this May, Johnson signed up for the half marathon in Toronto, and another marathon in California this December.
“After the cancer, I had to figure out if I could run again, and what that looks like, and I didn’t want it to define me and I kept pushing through,” says Johnson, who met her partner, multiple time Boston Marathon finisher Doug Kells, at BlackToe Running, where at least a dozen runners have showed up for training and left with a partner for life.
“I can’t run as fast as Kathleen [Lawrence, a popular BlackToe runner recently named a female elite], but we had similar running style, so we would talk about some of the same issues we had, like tight calves, and we put in similar efforts and are willing to work hard and go to levels of pain that we probably shouldn’t, and I think whether you run a two hour, four hour or seven hour 10K or half marathon, it’s all challenging in a different way.”
The challenge of the run and the camaraderie of the training group; the shared effort in the workouts and jubilation and despair, which all runners experience in equal measures, are all part of the running experience. And there’s nothing better than rooting on our Canadian elites like Malindi Elmore and Ben Presser and whoever the fastest runner is amongst the people that you know, wherever you are. But too often it’s the people who don’t show up in the newspaper stories with the real journeys that deserve recounting. These are the runners who should inspire each of us to not only achieve our very best, but to do it graciously. Both Peter and Samantha famously cheer on their fellow runners and both of them are quick to pick up the next round. They give more than they take from our sport of running. And think about that. Because that’s a personal best. It’s not a finishing time. It’s your life.
“I refused to buy the fast shoes at first because I thought they’re only meant for fast people, but I had to retrain my mind so that ‘fast’ doesn’t mean whatever magic number people say. I was feeling slow so I didn’t want the fast shoes, but now I’ll tell you: Put me in the fast shoes and do whatever you can,” says Samantha Johnson, with a laugh. “I keep telling Doug, I’m missing part of my pelvic bone and abdominal wall and don’t have the same stability that everyone has, but I do whatever it takes to make myself a better runner.
I run because I get stronger with whatever I have.”
I ran everyday in April for the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre. When I was running, I really thought a lot about people who are affected by sexual violence and I thought about how my step mother is always concerned about me running alone. If she sees that I am running, she always messages to make sure that I am safe. I also really appreciate that ORCC includes 2SLGBTQAI+ in their messaging to support that community. At school, I am part of an Ally club and it is so important that we recognize and support 2SLGBTQAI+ people in every way.
So, what did I learn? I learned that I really can do anything that I put my mind to. I was so nervous that my body was not ready. I’d never run 10K thirty days in a row before. I was trying to figure out ways to break it up. I was even afraid I might have to ask someone to run one day on my behalf—but I did it and now I am ready to continue my running journey and to take on new challenges.
I also learned that I have so many people that support me and I am so thankful for them. My family really stepped up and helped around the house so I could head straight out on my run and then rest: lol. I was so excited and nervous the first day—and days leading up to the first day.
I remember day five clearly because I remember thinking: I have never ran 50 kilometres in a week (other than a week I had a full marathon). I used to run about 40 kilometres-per-week and recently I have been running 30-40km a week. But 50? And then I had to keep going and going and going. . .
I love running and I enjoyed every second, but there were a couple of runs where I struggled and worried if I could finish—but I did. I remember the last week, at first I felt a little tired, but the last three days were fabulous. The weather was awesome and I was feeling sooooo good. Running is always excellent for my mental health. I struggle with anxiety and I have found that this is my outlet. It always helps me focus and get back on track. It also reminded me how thankful I am for my health and for my life and my ability to be able to run for others and use what I can do to raise money and awareness for such a worthy cause.
I’m super excited to do the half marathon in Ottawa. I don’t really have a goal yet. I am going to run this week, see how I feel and make a goal! I used to be able to run a sub 2:00 half marathon, but it has been a while since I’ve been fast. I had hoped one day to qualify for Boston. I was even taking swim lessons to train for an Olympic distance Triathlon (I am the worst swimmer), but during a Try-a-Tri in Guelph, I fell off my bike half way through and broke my shoulder (I finished the race and placed 10th in my category).
Still, I was unable to run for a couple of months, and who knew that I would then get frozen shoulder?? Well, I started to run after my bone healed, but my physiotherapist told me to run like a T-Rex so I would not hurt my frozen shoulder. I was signed up for my first full marathon in October in Toronto, but I did not have much time to train. I knew I wouldn’t be the best runner so I dressed the part and ran the full marathon in a Wonder Woman costume so I would look the part. I think the point is to have fun. And now my goal is to get back to pacing. I have been a pace bunny for several half marathons and it is my happy place. I love it so much.
And now, next up is Ottawa. I’m making it a girl’s weekend. My best friend and I are going to hang out and have the best weekend. She lives in Nepean. We have been best friends forever and I have tried to get her into running with me. I have even convinced her to do two half marathons with me. I am not sure she will ever do it again, but I will keep trying. She’s my “person” and I am not sure what my life would be without her, so I am looking forward to hanging out with her.
While I run on Sunday, she will probably be sleeping and I will bring her breakfast after my run. . . go figure. Anyways, I am so thankful for this part of my life. I want to thank the Ottawa Marathon and iRun and Ian Fraser, the race director of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, for starting the 10k-a-day and thank you to ORCC for all of the amazing work that they do.
Howdy! I’m Diane Chesla and am Co-Race Director of the Niagara Falls International Marathon (NFIM) exploring the mind-body connection of running and how lessons from running can be applied to life.
In this article, I want to introduce you to the concept of “flow.” (My last article was about how you can use the body to control the mind). Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi has been studying and writing about the concept for decades. It can be thought of as that state we can get ourselves into, especially in sport where time seems to stand still and our activities feel effortless. I’m going to share with you one of the most profound experiences I’ve had running, which I’ve barely shared with anyone. If we can think of flow on a spectrum of intensity, this particular experience was definitely off the charts.
When I was in my thirties I accompanied a friend to Collingwood for the day. I went for a run while he did a course. I really had no agenda, plus I had a ton of time on my hands. I ventured out into the amazing hilly countryside and became totally lost. All I knew was that the town was down the escarpment through the thick trees. At the start, especially climbing the escarpment, my run was “average,” with a bit of boredom and some noticeable effort thrown in. But something changed when I realized I was lost. I became so alive, so invigorated because it became a great challenge to actually find my way back to town. I remember thinking: “Oh Di, not again…” (as in, another adventure I inadvertently found myself in).
I had made it to a country road and decided a left turn felt good. Only a few minutes later my body went into autopilot. I mean—real autopilot. I felt like I was floating with every step. I was so bemused by what was happening that I stuck my hand out beside me and started to wave at myself. Logically I knew it was my hand waving, but I had the distinct sensation that I wasn’t “in” my body. I could “see” my body running forward, but “I” was just along for the ride. I was enjoying this sensation so much that I kept going for as long as it was happening. I don’t remember much more after that—only because it ended and life went on.
This is a classic “flow” state (and a really good one at that). I’ve never been able to replicate that experience and it was much different than the “highs” or states of flow I’ve ever had while adventuring in the mountains. It was freaky and lovely at the same time, and has propelled me to explore these states in every facet of my life.
So how did I enter that state of flow that was so intense and physically distinct? I wasn’t famished. I wasn’t tired and I definitely had no barbiturates in me (just thought I’d clarify that). My body had that “muscle memory” we so often refer in being able to engage in the act of running—without my mind telling it what to do. It was not forced. Csikszentmihalyi says “flow” is all about the experience we have when our individual capacity (our skill level) meets a challenge we engage in. If the challenge seems too great we experience anxiety. If it seems too easy, we experience boredom. Flow is when the challenge, and your talent, align.
This is a lot to take in so relating it to life outside of sports is a curious challenge. That said, I can tell you that there are a few reasons I LOVE race directing. Keep in mind that I am conscious of states of flow so exploring how I can experience these in my work life is purposeful. Here is an example of how I get into flow at work: I LOVE the challenge of coming up with a very creative expo booth for NFIM that will make people remember us. My fave is our foam sculpted mini “Niagara Falls” structure that ran real water down the face thanks to a water pump.
I spent a fair bit of time designing this structure in 3D, figuring out how to carve foam to look like rocks and installing the water pump. My state of mind was very focused during the project and to say I was tickled pink every step of the way is an understatement. While not quite an out-of-body experience, this is an example of how I achieved flow at work—and creativity, and joy!
In my next article I introduce a specific technique for how you can use running as a hack for exuding confidence on the job.
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